Foundations of Finance and Financial Management Assignment

Foundations of Finance and Financial Management - Assignment Example 4) There could be multiple reasons why this "free rating" would have angered the issuer of bonds. It could be because that the rating company is not familiar with the firm policies and has not taken into account some of the necessary information that would have given a completely different angle or picture to the bond rating. Similarly, the rating published by this company could have "put-off" some of the potential investors from investing into these bonds and hence the issuer of the bonds would have lose some of the potential money that they could have borrowed by issuing bonds. 2) The logic behind this model is that dividend grows at a constant rate in perpetuity. By perpetuity we mean that the dividend payments will continue forever and hence the value of stock will be equal to next year's dividend divided by required rate of return minus assumed dividend growth. 3) There are multiple reasons for that. The first reason is those preferred stockholders have a immediate claim on company's profit which is before the real owners of the company- ordinary stockholder. Similarly, the dividend percentage is fixed and if the company cannot pay it in the current year, it will have to pay it in the future.

The Realities of Juvenile Crime In The United States Essay

The Realities of Juvenile Crime In The United States - Essay Example Different investigations and studies have been conducted on juvenile crime and justice. Major issues of these studies include juvenile delinquency and offense status. Other issues include comparison of adult courts and juvenile courts, variables that correlate with juvenile crime rates, delinquency, effects on the young tried as adults and current issues in the juvenile justice. The difference between the juvenile courts and adult courts include the absence of the right to bail in childrens court. If a minor is detained in a juvenile hall, you cannot post a bond to get him or her out. Another difference is that in juvenile courts, the parents and guardian are questioned by the court during hearings about their childs behavior. The responses of the parent or the guardian play a role in determining the case, however, this does not exist in adult courts. Also juvenile court hearing is closed to the public meaning that the general public is not inside juvenile courts with the exception of family members, but in adult court the general public can attend the trial hearing. Typically, in juvenile court the mental health and substance abuse evaluations are carried out, a rare phenomenon in adult courts (World Youth Report, 2003). The causes that correlates to juvenile crimes includes drugs and substance. Drug abuse causes delinquency among teenager leading to committing crimes such as precocious sex activity, school failure, gun ownership and other related behaviors. The social media plays a part in juvenile crimes; television and movies have promoted "cult of heroes" that advocate justice through physical means that seek the elimination of enemies. This has been supported by the American Psychological Association that concluded that television violence contribute up to 10% of aggressive behavior among teenagers. Peer influence is also a major cause of delinquent

Limitations Of Anaerobic Power In Children Physical Education Essay

Limitations Of Anaerobic Power In Children Physical Education Essay There has been an increasing number of children and adolescents that are involving in resistance training for anaerobic power in schools, fitness centers, and sports training facilities. In addition to increasing muscular strength and power, regular exercise activity in pediatric resistance training may be beneficial. It can influence on ones body composition, bone health, and reduce the risk of sport-related injuries. Resistance training is targeted to improve low fitness levels and poor trunk strength as well as improve health and fitness benefits to young athletes. Pediatric resistance training programs need to be well-designed and supervised by qualified professionals who understand the physical and psychosocial uniqueness of children and adolescents. The different training methods along with the progression of the program over time should be challenging and enjoyable for the children. Introduction Anaerobic power is energy that is stored in muscles in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and can be accessed without the use of oxygen. There are two systems that conduct this type of power which are the phosphagen system and the lactic acid system. People use this form of energy in short bursts that cannot be sustained for no longer than about two minutes. The first stage of the anaerobic power is adenosine triphosphate phospho-creatine (ATP-PC), which only supplies energy for about one to six seconds, after that the phosphagen system takes place, and then the lactic acid system or glycolytic system, which begins by producing energy by breaking down carbohydrates. While these systems are running, the body is using more energy than it can replenish, which may lead to cramping, fatigue, and lactic acid buildup quickly. Individuals should train to improve their anaerobic power by building their capacity to use power systems that do not require oxygen. Measuring Anaerobic Power For adolescence, anaerobic capacity can be measured by using the Wingate test. In this test, a person pedals a mechanically braked bicycle for thirty seconds as fast as possible, and a flywheel is used to count revolutions. Testing an individuals capacity frequently ensures that his or her workout routines are improving their abilities. Direct measurements of the rate or capacity of anaerobic pathways for energy turnover presents several ethical and methodological difficulties. Therefore, rather than measuring energy supply, pediatric exercise scientists have concentrated on measuring short-term power output by means of standardized protocol tests such as short-term cycling power tests, running tests, or vertical jump tests. However, it is possible to measure by finding the levels of lactate on the pre-test and post-test phases as well as the individuals vital capacity. The level of lactate in blood (mmol per liter) is measured in accordance with a protocol that considers the analysi s of a 3mL sample of blood, using the calorimetric method and a lactate analyzer photometer (1). Vital capacity can be measured using a spirometer to measure the maximum amount of air that can be forcedly breath from the lungs after a maximum inspiration (1). As for children, findings have been reported by measuring mechanical force or power output files during sustained isometric maximal contractions or repeated bouts of high-intensity dynamic exercises (2). There is no perfect test, but it is important to acknowledge the benefits and limitations of each testing or training method. However, metabolic adaptations during exercise in children and adolescents have been rarely investigated using muscle biopsies, radioactive materials or arterial catheters. This is due to the invasiveness of these techniques. Ethically for children, measurements have to be relatively non-invasive, and certainly must carry minimal or no risk to health (2). Benefits Resistant training can offer many benefits for children and adolescents when it is properly prescribed and monitored. The potential benefits would be an increase in muscle strength, muscle power, local muscle endurance, enhanced motor skill and sports performance; also an improvement in bone mineral density, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and blood lipid profile as well as a reduced risk of sport-related injuries (3). Also, research concludes that caffeine seems to be ergogenic during high-intensity exercises and has effect on resistance training. High-intensity exercise seems to be favorable affected (i.e. sprinting, sprint cycling power) with methodologies employing protocols that mimic sport activities (i.e. 4-6 seconds) (4). Caffeine seems to be beneficial for athletes in sports such as soccer, rugby, lacrosse, and football (4). Limitations of Anaerobic Power There are limitations when training for anaerobic power. During childhood, children have an immature musculoskeletal system, which is structurally different than the mature system. When measuring, testing, or training for anaerobic power, it is important to recognize the limitations of the immature musculoskeletal system when designing training programs by modifying rules for sports and evaluating acute and sub acute injuries. The reason being of limitations is because of the high risks of children injuring themselves by overdoing their muscles during heavy weight training. Risks and Concerns Since anaerobic power involves explosive movements, there are some risks and concerns that one must take into consideration. Macrotrauma is a fast and sudden injury caused by a major force of action. For example, the injury could be due to a fall or hit during physical activity.   Macrotrauma can cause injuries such as fractures, sprains of ligaments, muscle strains, and bruises.   Also, there are risks of microtrauma, which is due to a repetitive injury over a long period of time. Types of injuries include stress fractures and many other syndromes. Macrotrauma can occur when performing in organized sports or during free play, and prevention of injuries requires adequate supervision, appropriate matching of competitors, and modification of rules as well. Also, there are concerns about youth resistant training due to the fact that there is potential injury to the physis or growth plate in a young lifters body (3). However, the risk levels for adolescents is slightly smaller, which is why they are able to compete effectively and safely in anaerobic events and competition with supervision and guidance that is responsive to their unique musculoskeletal. Guidelines for pediatric resistant training should be followed for the safety of the children from serious injuries. Training for Anaerobic Power For children, it is suggested that kids should not put a lot of stress or over stress their bodies when it comes to weight training. Specialists believe that sports such as track and field (throw and jump events), basketball and volleyball (vertical jump) include anaerobic power for kids when power training. As for adolescence, they are able to do a more concentrated and modified training for anaerobic power such as plyometrics, ballistics, explosive strength training, and heavy strength training. Although there is no minimum age requirement at which children can start to resistant train, all participants must be mentally and physically ready to comply with coaching instructions and undergo the stress of a training program and if a child is ready for participation in sport activities (generally age 7 or 8), then he or she is ready for some type of resistant training (3). When designing resistant training programs for young athletes, the acute program design variables that should be c onsidered when designing pediatric resistant training programs include 1) warm-up and cool-down, 2) selection and order of exercise, 3) training intensity and volume, 4) rest intervals between sets and exercises, and 5) repetition velocity (3). The warm-up and cool-down is designed to evaluate core body temperature, enhance motor unit excitability, improve kinesthetic awareness, and maximize active ranges of motion (3). In selection and order of exercise, the individual must start with simple exercises and gradually progress to more advanced workouts. Training intensity and volume is referred to as the amount of resistance used and total amount worked during a training session. As for rest intervals between sets and exercises, 2-3 minutes are recommended for adult lifters. However, children and adolescents can resist fatigue to a greater extent, which gives them a 1 minute rest interval when performing a moderate-intensity resistance exercise activity. In repetition velocity, as you th increase movement velocity during training, it is critical that technical performance of each exercise is mastered before progressing to more advanced movements (3). Child and Adult Differences According to research, it is said that children are able to resist fatigue better than adults during one or several repeated high-intensity exercise bouts (2). During growth and development, mass-related short-term power output increases dramatically, and the increase in peak blood lactate becomes lower. Adults who complete strenuous exercise are usually exhausted and need several hours to recover from their effort. In contrast, children often request to repeat high-intensity exercises 15-30 minutes after their completion because they think that they could improve their previous performance (2). This shows that the observed difference between children, adolescents, and adults during short-term power output testing may be due to neuromuscular and hormonal factors as well as improved motor coordination. Conclusion Anaerobic fitness is used every day during the pediatric stages of life and has been given the impression that it has the potential to offer observable health and fitness value to children and adolescents (3). During physical activity or sport, it is known that the child is more attracted to short-burst or fast-like movements than to long-term activities. Also, it is well known that in anaerobic activities such as sprint cycling, sprint running or sprint swimming, the childs performance is poorer than the adult. This is partly due to the childs slower ability to generate mechanical energy from chemical energy sources during short-term high-intensity work or exercise. There are many studies that people believe how anaerobic power plays a huge role and how anaerobic activity works as well as why people need it. Also, it is known that increasing your anaerobic capacity can give you significant improvements in the efficiency of your aerobic system. Information shows that as children start to transition into adolescence and into adulthood, their recovery time increases, they are able to tolerate a lot more stress, and be more efficient anaerobically making them able to last longer while doing an intense activity. Overuse injuries due to repetitive microtrauma represents a new spectrum of injury that has arisen with the rise in organized sport for adolescents. Injury prevention for overuse injuries requires recognition of the risk factors for injury, and an appropriate modification and diversification of training regimens, an optimization of mechanics with technique and equipment, and adequate conditioning.

Essay --

Do you know what does corporate social responsibility mean? According to a few information from ic.gc.ca (Canada government website), Corporate social responsibility abbreviated by CSR that mean the way firms integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into their values, culture, decision making, strategy and operations in a transparent and accountable manner and thereby establish better practices within the firm, create wealth and improve society. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has described CSR as the business contribution to sustainable economic development. Building on a base of compliance with legislation and regulations, CSR typically includes commitments and activities pertaining to: corporate governance and ethics, health and safety, environmental stewardship, human rights (including core labor rights), human resource management, community involvement, development and investment , corporate philanthropy and employee volunteering , customer s atisfaction and adherence to principles of fair competition , anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures accountability, transparency and performance reporting, supplier relations, for both domestic and international supply chains. Generally, corporate social responsibility is usually useful for business because it can improve company’s net income. However, there are a lot of discussions over the topic. Some agree that social responsibility helps boost the company’s bottom line. Others say social responsibility really drags down the company’s bottom line. In my opinion, corporate social responsibility can improve company’s bottom line (net income). I want to talk about Sheraton hotel for interesting example to support my idea. First, Sheraton hotel is... ...l. If they are successful, they will create brand name for that company and help the company to increase revenues, profits. It means the corporate social responsibility improve company’s bottom line. In conclusion, I think the corporate social responsibility improve company’s bottom line. For these reasons, we also can see famous companies on the world; they have the corporate social responsibility policies to refer business strategy. They will assist net income of company to improve and significant rise in profits. Reference: Porter, K. (n.d.). American cancer society. Retrieved from http://action.acscan.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8703 Corporate social responsibility. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility corporate social responsibility. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/csr-rse.nsf/eng/home

After-Sale Service of Online Marketing Essay

Recent years have witnessed the increasing demands of consumers, the high product quality cannot be the only element for satisfying consumers but the after-sale service gradually dominants the purchasing psychology. In general, the after-sales service is one of the critical success factors for enhancing the consumer satisfaction, which is acknowledged by Asugman,G.et al.(1997) to some extent. More specifically, the further study from Smith (1998) emphasizes that the purchase intentions of the consumers is strongly influenced by the customer satisfaction about the ancillary services. For the purpose of this essay, after-sale service is defined as a range of services that the enterprise or dealer provide to the consumer after the sales of product, which can include the product introduction, the delivery and installation as well as the maintenance, etc. (Baidu cyclopedia,2012). It is vital to examine this area in order to achieve the consumer satisfaction, what’s more to make a success of on-line marketing. The question that remains to be answered is whether the after-sales service is the major element for the success of on-line marketing, or whether the managers should make the after-sales service become the augmented auxiliary production. . This research paper will take into account both sides of the issue, and critically evaluating the main views and evidence offered. Arguments will firstly be discussed from the Internet market environmental perspective. Subsequently, the evaluation of the overall impact of after-sales service on the network marketing will be demonstrated. Finally, the conclusions along with recommendations made to internet managers will be explored. Nowadays, the marketplace has a dramatic change as Rajan Varadarajan and Manjit S. Yadav(2009) assert that the competitive landscape has changed from the predominantly physical marketplace to one encompassing the physical marketplace and electronic marketplace, namely the Internet market environment. Whereas opponents who consider the after-sales service is the less important factor of the on-line marketing success claim that people prefer to purchasing on-line should attribute to the cheap and high-quality goods in the online-shop. It is contended that the Internet environment can provide an opportunity for the customer to select whatever they want and most consumers prefer to buy products as quickly as possible, which is also the convenience of the on-line market.(Baidu library, no date) Furthermore, the advertisements on the Internet often act as the facilitator who can promote the consumer to boost their purchasing interests, which in turn increase the profit of the company. However, the supporters against that the increasing innovative products in the Internet are not the major part of successful on-line marketing but the after-sales service due to the virtual Internet environment. For instance, R.G. Bundschuh and T.M. Dezvane (2003) investigate that in some online companies, they can obtain higher profit generated by after-sales service than the one from the sales, the service market can be four or five times larger than the market for products. Moreover, the large volume of information in the Internet environment can greatly contribute to the quality of after-sales service. The Taobao online shop in China can be an appropriate example, it has a integral network of after-sales service with appropriate usage of the communicating software named Aliwangwang.(Baidu cyclopedia, no date) Consequently, the after-sales service in the online environment plays an incentive role in making success of on-line market. Another convincing statement insisted by those who disapprove the perspective that after-sales service is the main factor of on-line marketing success is that the impact of after-sales service sometimes put pressure to the sales procedure. Hartline and Ferrell(1996) claim that the after-sales service environment is a context in the interfaces between the internal and external which take place concurrently and shape the stress level that employees experience. Therefore, the effect of after-sales service to some extent will increase the pressure of the employee to devote themselves to their sales work, which in reverse could decrease the sales volume as well as the interests in the company. However, it has to be acknowledged that the after-sales service is conducted to the success of on-line market as a result of the positive impact on the company as well as the consumer. One of the contentions in favor of that assertion is that the customer satisfaction must be the primary goal of the organization for success and growth, then after-sales service is the bridge for the employee to contact with customers for obtaining the feedback and satisfaction (Pertson and Willson,1992) . What’s more, the customer-oriented on-line market has to satisfy their customers’ demands, thus the systematic after-sales management could act as an effective approach. Loveman (1998) maintain that the customer satisfaction has an intimate relation with the loyalty of the consumer and financial stability of the firm. Consequently, the employees will be stimulated by the high-evaluated feedback of customers to make more contribution to the company. That is to say, the high satisfaction can help the organization keep the existed customer and obtain much more new customers, which formulates a customer purchasing recycle. Hence, the impact of after-sales service in the online-market should be considered as the positive factor to the success and growth of the company. The current paper has explored the situation of the after-sales service and analyzed the significance and impact on the on-line marketing. Along with the argument that whether the after-sales service is the main factor for successful on-line marketing has been discussed. Therefore, through the contrast of the merits and negative influence of the after-sales service on the company or customers, we can draw the conclusion that the after-sales service indeed plays an indispensible role in the on-line market since it can enhance the business performance as well as expand the sales scale. Besides, it has to be admitted that the limitation of this paper was that it didn’t specifically demonstrate all factors related to after-sales service in the on-line marketing and the impact of the after-sales service aforementioned is the small part of the issue. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, the findings of this research paper have served to highlight the significance of after-sales service in the on-line market and point out the dual impact on the company or customers. From what discussed in this paper, it would be plausible to recommend the managers of the on-line market pay great attention on the influence and significance of after-sales service and make the most of information on the Internet to establish a integrated system of implementing the after-sales service for gaining returning customers as well as the revenue of company. Reference list Alexander, W. L., Dayal, S., Dempsey, J. J. & Vander-Ark, J. D. (2002). The secret life of factory service centers. Asugman,Gulden. Johnson,Jeanl and McCullough,James(1997)‘The role of After-sales Service in International Marketing’ï ¼Å'Journal of International Marketing vol.5 Issue 4.p11-28,18p.EBSCO host/Business Source Complete. Baidu cyclopedia â€Å"After-sales service† http://baike.baidu.com/view/300225.htm [Accessed 3rd October,2012] Baidu cyclopledia â€Å" Taobao Website ’’. Retrieved from http://baike.baidu.com/view/1590.htm [Accessed 12th october,2012] Baidu Library â€Å"The consumer on-line purchasing psychological analysis† Retrieved from http://wenku.baidu.com/view/e1c8f240336c1eb91a375db8.html [ Accessed 12th October,2012] Hartline, Micheal D. and O.C. Ferrell (1993)ï ¼Å'â€Å"Service Quality Implementation:The Effects of Organizational Socialization and Managerial Actions on Customer-Contact Employee Behaviors,† Report No. 93-122,Academy of Marketing Science.———-and———(1996),‘â€Å"The Management of Customer-Contact Service Employees,† Journal of Marketing, 60(4),52-70. Loveman, W. (1998).â€Å" Employee Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, and Financial Performance an Empirical † â€Å"Examination of the Service Profit Chain in Retail Banking†. Journal of service research, 1(1), 18-31 Pertson, R. & Willson, W. (1992). â€Å" Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Fact and Artifact †. Journal of academy of marketing science, 20(1), 61-71. Rajan Varadarajan&Manjit S. Yadavï ¼Å'(2009) â€Å" Marketing Strategy in an Internet-Enabled Environment: A Retrospective on the First Ten Years of JIM and a Prospective on the Next Ten Years † Journal of Interactive Marketing Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2009, Pages 11–22 Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094996808000030 [ACCESSED 12th October,2012] R.G. Bundschuh, T.M. Dezvane â€Å" How to make after sale services pay off † The McKinsey Quarterly, 4 (2003), pp. 116–127 Smith, Kirk (1998), â€Å"Service Aspects of Industrial Products Lead to Future Product Purchase Intentions,† Industrial Marketing Management, 27, 83-93.

“Labeling of Genetically Modified Food Products” Essay

Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs were first introduced into Americas’ food supply in 1996, and there were 7 million acres of crops worldwide that were using GMO seeds. As of 2004, the crop size worldwide that uses GMO seeds had grown to 222 million acres with approximately 63% of those in the United States alone (253). As of 2008, more than 90 percent of soy crops and 75 percent of corn in the United States were raised from genetically modified seeds. As of now, in the United States, there are still no regulations to mandate the labeling of food products that contain GMOs. The United States only requires labeling of genetically modified foods if the food has a significantly different nutritional property, or unexpected allergens, or if the food contains toxins that are higher than acceptable levels. Most developed countries throughout the world have adopted differing regulations pertaining to labeling food products containing GMOs, although with some controversy. While the mandatory labeling requirements were enacted to allow consumer choice of whether or not to purchase foods that contain GMOs, mandatory labeling in the European Union and Japan for example, has resulted in retailers not stocking genetically modified foods on their shelves due to the perceived consumer aversion to genetically modified foods. Advocates of genetically modified foods argue that consumers already have a choice in what they can purchase, whether it is processed foods with traditionally grown ingredients, genetically modified processed foods or organic foods. The consumers of these nations voiced their opinions loudly, that they had the right to know if GMOs were in the food products they were buying, and their governments listened. In the United States, the FDA has stringent testing protocols that biotech firms must follow when developing a drug to bring to market. This protocol consists of different phases of drug trials with the first being a study of the possible side effects of said proposed drug on healthy subjects (meaning that if said drug is for treating colon cancer, the test subjects will be free from the disease) to determine if the subjects develop any side effects. If the phase 1 tests prove to meet FDA satisfaction, they are allowed to proceed to phase 2 of clinical trials which involve subjects that currently have the disease they are trying to treat with the new drug and the tests are done to see if the proposed drug actually treats the disease that they are aiming at. Some ask, that with such stringent testing done with drug chemicals that will be ingested by consumers, why aren’t those same stringent testing regulations implemented into the genetically modified food industry. There is much controversy on this matter in the United States, as Delborne and Kinchy write in the article â€Å"Genetically Modified Organisms†; Promoters of GMOs tend to favor science-based risk assessments (â€Å"sound science†), whereas critics tend to advocate the precautionary principle. Calls for science-based risk assessments often come from stakeholders who oppose increased regulation and want to see GM technologies developed and marketed. Specifically, they argue that before a technology should be regulated for possible risks, those risks must be demonstrated as scientifically real and quantifiable. Although the definition of â€Å"sound science† is itself controversial, proponents state that regulatory agencies such as the EPA and FDA have been too quick to regulate technologies without good evidence—arguing that such government interference not only creates financial disincentives for technological innovation but actually causes social harm by delaying or preventing important technologies from becoming available. Such a perspective views government regulation as a risk in itself. By contrast, advocates of the precautionary principle stress the existence of scientific uncertainties associated with many modern environmental and health issues. They have proposed a framework for decision making that errs on the side of precaution (â€Å"better safe than sorry†). Major components include the following: (1) anticipate harm and prevent it; (2) place the burden of proof on polluters to provide evidence of safety, not on society to prove harm; (3) always examine alternative solutions; and (4) include affected parties in democratic governance of technologies. Critics argue that the precautionary principle is little more than a scientific disguise for anti-technology politics (187). Testing of GMOs in our food products should be done in a similar way as drugs are tested. The way that it stands now, all consumers are being treated as guinea pigs with this technology, and some are not convinced that it’s not having an impact on the health of consumers. The CDC has reported an 18 percent increase in food allergies among children under the age of 18 from 1997 to 2007. Even though there have been no long term scientific studies conducted to measure the health impacts of ingesting GMOs, some proponents use the absence of evidence as proof that GMOs are safe, but critics counter that absence of evidence cannot serve as GMOs safety, and accuse biotechnology corporations and governments of conducting an uncontrolled experiment by allowing GMOs into the human diet (192). As of 2010 no scientific studies have shown conclusively that currently licensed GMO foods harm human health. However, in many cases there is continued concern that the data and studies supporting GMO use are insufficient to declare GMO use safe, especially with regard to use in the open environment and over successive generations (419). In the United States, as mentioned early, manufacturers are only required to label genetically modified foods if the food has a significantly different nutritional property, or unexpected allergens, or if the food contains toxins that are higher than acceptable levels, whereas organically grown foods to which they would be labeled is considered a voluntary or optional label by the FDA and USDA, and have a more stringent set of labeling requirements that producers of these products must adhere to. â€Å"The presence of genetically modified substances above certain very low thresholds disqualifies the organic label. Organic farmers therefore sustained economic losses because of transgenic contamination of their crops† (186). Food label regulations in the United States are meant to tell consumers the ingredients, and nutritional composition of packaged food for sale. The purpose of food labels, are to allow consumers to make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase a particular product. There are polls in the United States that show roughly 85 percent of Americans want food labeling for products containing GMOs, yet government officials are resistant to mandating GMO labeling of food products stemming from pressure by the proponents of GMO production. The health and safety of this nation is at risk of being one huge nationwide experiment with genetically engineered foods, and if the biotech corporations and scientists are wrong about the safety of these products, it may have unrecoverable consequences not only in the United States, but across the entire world. It would be prudent for the government entities that were created to protect consumers, to err on the side of caution rather than on the side corporations. Americans have the right to know what is in the food products that we are purchasing, and the confidence in government agencies that are overseeing the development and manufacturing of these products, that they are 100 percent safe for us to eat just as those same agencies regulate the biotech corporations that develop and introduce new drugs to the market. Works Cited Collin, Robert William. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † Environment. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. 253-257. Battleground. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 July 2011. Davidson, Tish. â€Å"Food Labeling. † The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 407-412. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 July 2011. McIntosh, Philip. â€Å"Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). † Food: In Context. Ed. Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner. Vol. 1: Advertising Food to International Fund for Agricultural Development. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 416-421. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Aug. 2011. Restivo, Sal and Peter H. Denton. â€Å"Genetically Modified Organisms. † Science and Technology. Ed. Vol. 1. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. 182-195. Battleground. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 July 2011.

How The Simpsons Affects Kids Essays - The Simpsons, Free Essays

How The Simpsons Affects Kids Essays - The Simpsons, Free Essays How The Simpsons Affects Kids The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows. It ranks as the number one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began working on Life in Hell, a humorous comic strip consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and college newspapers across the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originally wanted Groening to make an animated pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to represent the typical American family "who love each other and drive each other crazy". Groening named the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer and Margaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagram for "brat". Groening chose the last name "Simpson" to sound like the typical American family name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to star in Herman's Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the voice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High, Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullman's producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for material to appeal to younger viewers. The only show they had that drew a young audience was Married With Children. To Fox's pleasure, The Simpsons saved the network from near failure. (Varhola, 3) On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons got their break. The Christmas special, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aired. (Dale and Trich, 19) In the episode, Bart got a tattoo, much to Marge's dislike. She quickly spent all of the family's Christmas money to remove Bart's tattoo with a laser. At the same time, Homer, still on his morning coffee break at 4:00 in the afternoon, learns that he will not receive a Christmas bonus. When he learns that Marge is relying on the money for Christmas, he decides that he will do the Christmas shopping for the year. He quickly buys Marge panty hose, Bart paper, Lisa crayons, and Maggie a dog toy. When he realizes that he is not doing very well, he gets a second job as a mall Santa for the extra money. On the way home from work, he steals a Christmas tree. The next day at the mall, Bart sits on his Dad's lap and pulls down his beard. Homer responds by choking Bart and making him help make Christmas better. On Christmas Eve, Homer receives his check, $13.70 for over 40 hours work. Homer takes Bart to the dog track as a final chance for Christmas money. They discovered a gem in the third race, Santa's Little Helper. How could this dog lose on Christmas Eve? The odds were 99 to 1, they were going to be rich. Homer put all of his money on Santa's Little Helper, and to his horror, he never even finished. As Homer and Bart were scouring the parking lot for winning tickets into the night, they saw the track manager throw

Ice Breaker for Classrooms - The Name Game

Ice Breaker for Classrooms - The Name Game This icebreaker is ideal for almost any setting because no materials are needed, your group can be divided into manageable sizes, and you want your participants to get to know each other anyway. Adults learn best when they know the people surrounding them. You may have people in your group who hate this icebreaker so much they’ll still remember everyone’s name two years from now! You can make it harder by requiring everyone to add an adjective to their name that starts with the same letter (e.g. Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda). You get the gist. Ideal Size Up to 30. Larger groups have tackled this game, but it becomes increasingly harder unless you break into smaller groups. Application You can use this game to facilitate  introductions in the classroom or at a meeting. This is also a fabulous game for classes involving memory. Time Needed Depends entirely on the size of the group and how much trouble people have remembering. Materials Needed None. Instructions Instruct the first person to give his or her name with a descriptor: Cranky Carla. The second person gives the first person’s name and then his own name: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob. The third person starts at the beginning, reciting each person before her and adding her own: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda. Debriefing If you’re teaching a class that involves memory, debrief by talking about the effectiveness of this game as a memory technique. Were certain names easier to remember than others? Why? Was it the letter? The adjective? A combination? Additional Name Game Ice Breakers Introduce Another Person: Divide the class into partners. Have each person talk about himself to the other. You can offer a specific instruction, such as tell your colleague about your greatest accomplishment. After switching, the participants introduce each other to the class.What Have You Done Thats Unique: Request each person introduce himself by stating something hes done that he thinks no one else in the class has.  If someone else has done it, the person has to try again to find something unique!Find Your Match: Ask each person to write two or three statements on a card, such as an interest, goal or dream vacation. Distribute the cards so each person gets someone else’s. The group has to mingle until each person finds the one who matches their card.Describe Your Name: When people introduce themselves, ask them to talk about how they got their name (first or last name). Perhaps they were named after someone specific, or maybe their last name means something in an ancest ral language. Fact or Fiction: Ask each person to reveal one true thing and one false when introducing themselves. The participants have to guess which is which.The Interview: Pair up participants and have one interview the other for a few minutes and then switch. They can ask about interests, hobbies, favorite music, and more. When finished, have each person write three words to describe their partner and reveal them to the group. (example: My partner John is witty, irreverent, and motivated.)

Animal Characteristics Used in A Doll’s House

Animal Characteristics Used in A Dolls House An Analysis of the Significance of Animal Characteristics Used in A Doll’s House Reflective Statement Discussion of A Doll’s House in class reach me deeply and implored new perspectives on traditional gender roles in different cultures such as Europe in the late 1800s. I relate to Henrik Ibsen’s humanist work as opposed to A Doll’s House being completely feminist. To say A Doll’s House is a feminist work would be redundant. Feminism is the fight for the equality of the sexes and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House explores this very theme. Being human is not confined to just being male or female but having characteristics that define an individual. Christine’s character is a prime example of escapism in the play and the other works we’ve studied have generally the same motif. In each culture, In this paper, an analysis will be done on Ibsen’s use of animal characteristics. Throughout the play, the characters Torval d and Nora call to each other and themselves various animals like â€Å"Lark† and â€Å"Squirrel†. On occasion, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House has been referred to as a feminist work and although themes of feminism are present, the overall effect Ibsen makes is a humanist perspective of the characters lives. The significance of animal characteristics shows a development in Nora’s character and introduces the type of man Torvald is. Ibsen also uses animal characteristics to reveal the deeper relationship between Nora and Torvald. Verbal irony is conveyed through the use of animal characteristics. The play opens with Nora coming upon the stage laden with Christmas gifts for the children, a horse and sword, trumpets and dolls and cradles. Although the items are tiny things, inexpensive and useless it conveys how much love Nora has. She carries also a little bag of macaroons that she hides when Torvald questions her about. The initial thought of Nora is she sp ends exuberant amounts of money and is rightfully called a spendthrift by Torvald. Nora’s character can be interpreted as charming and dishonest, always flitting, never resting, light-hearted, inconsequent airhead. The entrance of Christine’s character reveals Nora’s dark secret and her character no longer seems transparent. † Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.† Nora tells Christine that she will be â€Å"free† after she has paid off her debt to Krogstad. her anticipated freedom symbolizes her need to be independent of Torvald. Within that, Nora highlights the factors that constrain her. Although she claims that freedom will give her time to be a mother and a traditional wife that maintains a beautiful home as her husband likes it, she leaves her children and Torvald at the end of the play. One main theme of the play is that true freedom cannot be found in a traditional domestic lifestyle. Nora’s character develops intricately and her understanding of the word â€Å"free† is changes clearly. Nora becomes aware of the fact that she must change her life to find true freedom, and Nora recognizes that freedom includes independence from societal constraints and her ability to examine in depth her own personality, goals, and beliefs.The characteristics of a lark signify that Torvald believes that Nora is small compared to the his perspective. † That is like a woman!†¦you know what I think about that. No debt, no borrowing.† (Ibsen p. 2) To explore the relationship between Nora and all the other characters one must see that not only did Torvald treat women like children, he also treats lesser men in the workplace as expendable and replaceable. â€Å"But instead of Krogstad, you could dismiss some other clerk.†. He exerts his dominance over others, running over the thoughts and feelings of su rrounding humans. It’s a sweet little bird, but it gets through a terrible amount of money. You wouldn’t believe how much it costs a man when he’s got a little song-bird like you!† Nora express the conclusion she draws from the deep reality of their marriage her view of Torvald’s character at the end of Act Three. â€Å"I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you wanted it like that. You and father have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life. Our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald.† She realizes her life has been a performance and she has acted the part of the happy, child-like wife for Torvald and for her father. Nora sees that her father and Torvald pressured her to behave a certain way and recognizes it to be â€Å"great wrong† that stifled her development as an adult and as a human being. She has made â€Å"nothing† of her life because she has existed only to please men. Following this realization, Nora leaves Torvald in order to make something of her life and becomes independent of other people. Nora has an underlining care for her husband because she reacts abruptly when Nils tries to blackmail her. She understands how important appearance is for Helmer but she resents the way he’s been treating her. â€Å"How painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relations altogether.† (Ibsen p.9) â€Å"You don’t talk or think like the man I could bind myself to. When your first panic was over — not about what threatened me, but about what might happen to you — and when there was no more danger, then, as far as you were concerned, it was just as if nothing had happened at all. I was simply your little songbird, your doll, and from now on you would handle it more gently than ever because it was so delicate and fragile. At that moment, Torvald, I realized that for eight years I’d been living her with a strange man and that I’d borne him three children. Oh, I can’t bear to think of it — I could tear myself to little pieces!† Bibliography A Doll’s House Ibsen, Henrik. Global Classics, 1879.

Progress report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Progress report - Essay Example A credit crunch usually happens during a recession (as what we are in right now) that results in greater difficulty in getting or securing borrowed money from banks and lenders. A crunch occurs because the usual lenders are nervous about lending out their monies due to the reduced prospects of repayment, such as during a recession when the economy is not doing so well and impacts negatively on people’s ability to repay a loan. This brief paper aims to look and discuss how the current credit crunch is affecting all consumers. Most academic research and newspaper reports only talked about a credit crunch and its impact on big corporations but neglected its effect on individuals. It is the objective of this paper to correct this oversight and enlighten people on how the credit crunch affects them individually on a personal level. The rationale for choosing this topic is that a credit crunch has a negative effect on everybody from availability of jobs to the ease of getting a loan and to the interest charged on credit cards and home mortgages; its impact is very wide ranging. Discussion Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of the United States economy. GDP is the measure of all the goods and services produced by labour and property within the country (Young, 2011:1). The United States economy has a big impact on the world economy because of its sheer size. However, there are also some constraints to consumer spending, primarily a depressed economy that contributed to a high 9.8% unemployment rate. Even here at United Kingdom, the economy is also largely dependent on consumer spending. Figures produced from the statistics office showed that household final consumption expenditure (HHFCE) had grown by 1% only in the third quarter of last year (at current prices) compared to1.9% growth in the second quarter of 2010 (Clancy, 2011:7). The practical implications of a credit crunch are more expensive credit cards, higher rates for housing mortgages, decreased savings or pension funds reduced in value and perhaps even much worse, personal bankruptcies and repossessions. A cause of the credit crunch that is experienced today can be traced to the â€Å"housing bubble† in the US where house prices kept increasing due to low interest rates. An asset price bubble (residential properties) came about when house prices went up without any corresponding change in the fundamental demand. It simply means house prices increased due to speculation (Kroszner, 2005:3). Because of this sudden drop in housing prices, the wealth of most home owners had been wiped out. Structure of this paper follows the trail of effects of a credit crunch on people. It begins with different channels of credit, then how it affects jobs and employment, then on to interest rates and then followed by the implosion in savings and pensions. The last part of this portion talks on the pain of home foreclosures. The next parts of the paper discuss how an asset price bubble will start to form because once a bubble bursts, it results into a recession and a credit crunch. The last part discusses how the central bank deals with it and how people can cope with it. Because of the credi

A race descrimination in the labor market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A race descrimination in the labor market - Essay Example Seeking to understand the particular employment challenges African-Americans face in the labor market, these scholars undertook an experiment which sought to discern whether or not potential employment candidates fared differently based upon race. The following is a brief overview of their study. Discrimination in the workforce affects people from all walks of life but as Bertrand & Mullainathan have shown, African-Americans face unique hurdles to their active employment in the United States today. Accordingly, job applicants with stereotypically sounding African-American names received â€Å"far fewer callbacks for each resume they send out† (Bertrand & Mullainathan 1,011). Seeking to understand the employment challenges facing African-Americans in the US labor market, these scholars do in fact find evidence to support their research claim. Aiming to explore differential treatment based upon race, these scholars interpret their findings to show that yes, racism, either real or latent, is prevalent in American society and can influence hiring decisions. Are the authors unbiased? No, but it is difficult to have researchers who are 100% unbiased and these scholars admit their initial assumptions prior to undertaking the research study. Bertrand & Mullainathan mention fr om the outset that â€Å"every measure of economic success reveals significant racial inequality in the U.S. labor market; compared to Whites, African-Americans are twice as likely to be unemployed and earn nearly 25% less when they are employed† (991). Thus, these scholars admit their preconceived notions and ideas and undertake a research study in order to understand whether such finding are warranted. What could the authors have done better? While their study is interesting and certainly relevant, it is not completely scientific. Accordingly, it is based upon

Human Resource Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example The case study is all about the Jet Blue Airways which was founded by David Neeleman in the year 2000. The company has been trying to provide superior service to its staffs and has been constantly struggling for finding the right candidate who could blend with the culture of the organization. Rigorous training was provided to the staffs depending upon the duties and responsibilities. Moreover, the employees or the crew members went out of their way by helping the passengers; and the pilots used to interact with the customers and also engage themselves in activities such as cleaning up the plane for the next flight. The airport manager was found issuing the boarding passes. While recruiting the candidate, the company looked for people who had a positive attitude as the candidate was often asked to do certain things that were not a part of the job description. The airlines basically looked for the five values in the people they hired and these traits were given the first preferences. T he company’s recruitment and selection process have been quite complex. The selection process of the Jet Blue Airways has been focused on the ability of the applicant to handle the situation on several hypothetical situations. Even during the selection process the company tried its best to find the candidates’ abilities to imbibe the values of the Jet Blue. It was also found that despite having revolved around the values of the organization, the employees reported that they were unhappy with the leaders. From the above paragraph, it is evident that the company had a very complex recruitment and selection process. Moreover, it has been focusing more on the values during the selection and the recruitment process. Although, the culture of the organization has helped the company to perform well in the near past, however, it is not always possible for a candidate to have all the five values that the companies look for while recruiting and selecting the candidate. The compan y may face several problems if they have such tight recruitment and selection process. The company also faced problems of leadership and teamwork despite the leaders getting the best training. The company always realized the need to focus on the training of the leaders as they would guide their followers to adhere with the culture of the organization.  

Substance requirement in global tax planning Research Paper

Substance requirement in global tax planning - Research Paper Example As tax planning possibilities increase for companies, particularly holding companies, the research paper agreed with Jourdan (2009) who found that â€Å"concerned states are eagerly trying to protect their tax base by developing anti-tax-avoidance legislation – often in ways that disregard the character of the activity conducted.† It is based on this recurring development that the research makes a very strong advocacy to companies to adapt radical means and measures of ensuring that the payment of taxes does not become a hitch to their financial growth. Part from the setting up of holding companies to be used in qualifying for tax exemptions, the research therefore concludes that companies could rather use re-basement of their assets. Some of the key findings made from the research paper on tax strategizing are given in the bullet points below: The key advantage associated with substance in international tax planning is that it helps the multinational company in better tracking its true financial assets with or without tax reliefs The use of claiming treaty benefit is one of the safest legal means of gaining legitimate reliefs from taxes.

Consumer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer behavior - Essay Example He feels that reverse engineering of the human brain will take place by 2020 and then the inception of singularity will be in 2045. Technology will give enough power to machines to be able to evolve them and continue evolving. This means by then they will be able to completely imitate the human brain. The need for information is never ending. Information is endless and timeless. Singularity will ensure that human mind will be surpassed by the development of better software consciousness. The transformation, he feels will be more beneficial than of harm to the world at large. I feel that the technology evolution as spoken by Ray Kurzweil would be evolutionary for the organizations and business world at large. It will succeed in automating the business process, in analyzing and taking futuristic decisions on its own.The foremost advantage of singularity for organizations would be that it will save time and will bring down the costs of large corporations. Large firms cannot risk wasting their time in procedural maneuvers and unwanted delays. It will ensure quick processing of information and reduces the burden of paperwork. It is difficult to manage large firms without proper records, and so it will maintain work effectively with minimum chances of error. Such a system would strive for perfection; it keeps track of its order.

Personal Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Development Plan - Essay Example An individual should critically assess if these objectives are attainable and realistic (Clarkson, 2001, p.14). Lastly, he/she should set objectives within a time frame (W. Hoeger & S. Hoeger, 2011, p.54). This paper highlights my personal resume. It also presents two to three theories discussed in class. This paper outlines Myers-Briggs test and MAPP career assessment as tools that describe my personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, and potentials. Lastly, it presents my SMART action plan and integration of theories that were discussed in class. 2.0 Brief Resume FATMA ABDULKAREEM HLWANI Personal Information Gender: Female Nationality: Arabian Date of Birth: June 6, 1986 Place of Birth: Jedah, KSA Education College: COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN KAAU Bachelor degree High school: JEDDAH K.S.A. Core Competencies Computer literate Possesses the ability to interact with people in different walks of life Capacity to lead Work Experience GNP GENERAL HOSPITAL Worked as an HR staf f 3.0 Personality and Career Assessment Researchers defined personality as a persistent pattern of interpersonal processes and behaviors (Burger, 2008, p.4; Hampson, 1988). Several researchers attempted to determine aspects of personality through various tests (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2008, p.18; Frick et al., 2009, p.22). Myers-Briggs test is a widely utilized personality test in the workplace. It is used to determine the different personality styles of employees. This test utilized three polarities namely, thinking vs. feeling, extroversion vs. introversion, intuition vs. sensation. Researchers added judgement vs. perception to these polarities. Carl Jung (as cited in Cohen, 2011) contends that each polarity is mutually exclusive from one another. Thus, individuals cannot process the world through thinking and feeling at the same time. A side of the polarity dominates the other (Cohen, 2011). Individuals who scored higher in thinking compared to feeling are commonly analytical and rati onal in making decisions. In contrast, feelers rely on circumstances and subjective evaluation in decision making (Wilde, 2008, p.16). Extroverts tend to prefer the company of others while introverts thrive in solitary activities (Wagele, 2006, p.109; Jung, 2006, p.44). Meanwhile, sensors prefer to process information through the senses and tend to rely on minute details. In contrary, intuitors heavily depend on insights instead of sensory data (Saklofske & Zeidner, 1995, p.215). Lastly, judgers prefer structure, planning, and predictability, while perceivers opt for flexibility, openness, and spontaneity (Cohen, 2011). Previous researches suggest that this test is a valid and reliable measure of an individual’s personality (Stern, 2007, p.286). Validity refers to a certain test’s ability to assess what it purports to measure. Meanwhile, reliability is primarily concerned with the extent that the test offers similar results each time (Bayne, 1997). MAPP career assessme nt is utilized to determine the individual’s strengths. It has undergone extensive reliability and validity testing. A study conducted in 1997 showed that it had similar validity with Strong Interest Inventory. The occupational matches of these two tests range from 50%-90%. The second validity study indicated that the validity of MAPP career asses

Consumer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer behavior - Essay Example He feels that reverse engineering of the human brain will take place by 2020 and then the inception of singularity will be in 2045. Technology will give enough power to machines to be able to evolve them and continue evolving. This means by then they will be able to completely imitate the human brain. The need for information is never ending. Information is endless and timeless. Singularity will ensure that human mind will be surpassed by the development of better software consciousness. The transformation, he feels will be more beneficial than of harm to the world at large. I feel that the technology evolution as spoken by Ray Kurzweil would be evolutionary for the organizations and business world at large. It will succeed in automating the business process, in analyzing and taking futuristic decisions on its own.The foremost advantage of singularity for organizations would be that it will save time and will bring down the costs of large corporations. Large firms cannot risk wasting their time in procedural maneuvers and unwanted delays. It will ensure quick processing of information and reduces the burden of paperwork. It is difficult to manage large firms without proper records, and so it will maintain work effectively with minimum chances of error. Such a system would strive for perfection; it keeps track of its order.

Life Cycle Assessment Essay Example for Free

Life Cycle Assessment Essay This Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) aims to evaluate the environmental impact of the production of candlesticks. All the different materials and processes required to manufacture candles need to be taken into consideration to determine the impacts on the environment. The most common material used to manufacture candles is paraffin wax. Each candle comes in some type of individual packaging most of the time. Candle wicks are made using various natural fibers, such as reeds, rushes, or cotton. An important refinement in wick technology introduced the plaited wick, which burned more than unplaited wicks. Currently, twisted or plaited cotton makes up most of the wicks. The candlestick is made of steel, or could also be made of metal. The functional unit will be a 125ml candle able to generate up to 25 hours of light. Each steel-made candlestick can only hold one candle, and can be used several times. Inputs: †¢Paraffin wax †¢Cotton †¢Metal †¢Materials for packaging Outputs: †¢Gas emissions: when candles burn, paraffin wax emits greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. †¢Depletion of natural resources: paraffin wax is derived from crude oil. Paraffin candles are petroleum products, a non renewable resource. It could increase pollution due to oil spills and the processes needed to extract petroleum. At the same time, the extraction of metal needed for the candlestick causes large volumes of solid waste, requires large amounts of energy, and produces air, soil, and water pollution. †¢Chemicals toxicity: some candles might have lead or zinc in their wick, which release harmful gasses when they burn. Also, scented candles can release toxins from the chemicals used to give them scent. Question 2 of 3 (10 points) Corporate Environmental Management Tools †¢Ecolabelling: Swan eco-label was developed for candles by the Nordic ecolabelling. The main purpose is to reduce the emission and effect of substances harmful to users’ health and the reduction of gases that have and impact on climate change. According to this scheme, 19 out of 28 are environmental requirements, such as description of the candle, description of chemical additives, among others. †¢Design for the Environment: Enabling consumers to quickly identify products that are safer and that can help protect the environment will make them choose a certain product more frequently. If manufacturers start focusing on producing candles that are made from the safest possible ingredients, consumers, producers, and the environment will benefit. †¢Sustainability reports: Keeping track of environmental performance and the capacity of a company to use and maintain resources in a way that prevents depletion, will improve economic, and social performance. If candles can be produced in a more sustainable way, that is, using substitutes sources that are renewable and less harmful, the final product will be more successful in all the areas. Therefore, reporting this information will allow constant improvement of all the processes. †¢Integrated supply chain management: It is important to know which stages in a supply chain are the ones that are being less efficient, and negatively affecting the production of a good, in this case, candlesticks. Determining these processes can enable their improvement to have a more environmentally friendly supply chain. †¢Carbon footprint: As we need metals for producing a candlestick, we depend on large amounts of energy and, if the energy is generated using fossil fuels, it has a large carbon footprint. Measuring carbon footprint allows the whole manufacturing process to be analyzed, realizing which stages have a stronger impact and how can they be improved. †¢Cleaner production: improvement of the machinery used in each stage of production can decrease the environmental impact of producing candles, as it will decrease waste created after different processes. It can also make the processes more efficient, benefiting the company. Development of technology has made these improvements possible. †¢Stakeholder analysis: every single company must consider all the interested parts in a product as they are the ones that decide how successful and efficient a good will is. If the manufacturing of candlesticks is for example affecting the surroundings of a plant, people, that are consumers too , can generate social impacts that will worsen the company’s performance and image. Question 3 of 3 (4 points) Challenges and limitations Candles can be made of different types of wax that have different impacts on the environment. Some of the raw materials that could be used to produce a candle can be less harmful than others. The candleholder life span could vary depending on the quality of the metal that is being used. Therefore, changing the life span of the candlestick. Transition from a â€Å"Cradle to Grave† to a â€Å"Cradle to Cradle† Steel has high scrap metal recycling value. Old metal material can be reused to make new products. Recycling old metal products uses 95% less energy than manufacturing it using new materials. Metal recycling processes require using a lot of energy. If we recycle metal products we only have to use a low percentage of this total energy, decreasing the use of our natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To minimize wasteful wrapping of candles, the material used for packaging can reduce the environmental impact by choosing more recyclable materials. Aluminum, for instance, could be used as a base for the candles, or even to manufacture a candleholder, considering it can be easily recycled. Glass, can be recycled too, reused, and even upcycled into new materials or products. Avoiding candles with extra plastic packaging can also decrease the negative impacts on the environment. In addition to packaging decisions, considering the materials used for manufacturing of candles can benefit the producers, consumers and the environment. For example, soy and beeswax candle emit fewer harmful chemicals when burned. Another way to reduce pollution is to buy from local candlemakers. This reduces wasteful packaging, and there is no need to transport raw materials to a farther manufacturing plant, and to consumers at longer geographical distances. Thus, reducing fuel usage and supporting local bus inesses as well.

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay Soft power was a term first coined by Joseph Nye in 1990 to recognise that nations had power resources other than the more readily conceived hard power of economic and military power. In his 2004 book Soft Power Nye attempts to expand upon the term and provide a tighter definition of soft power. His definition It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments  [1]  is general and needs substantial qualification and explanation to provide utility to statesmen and academics alike. Soft power has therefore generated significant debate as to its existence and utility. It has been argued that soft power is merely an argument for the merits of public diplomacy.  [2]  Nye himself argues that soft power is a resource that is underappreciated.  [3]  Increasingly the term soft power is being used by politicians and academics alike to portray a warmer less aggressive approach to international relations in the contemporary connected world. Eme rging powers such as China and India have been applauded for their use of soft power to attract outcomes they desire.  [4]  The US under Obama has distanced itself from President Bushs unilateral approach and has re-emphasised the utility and power of soft power to influence the world.  [5]   Despite the increased use of the term soft power, questions still remain as to the validity of soft power as an actual usable form of political power. Criticisms of soft power abound and include recognition that soft power is too fickle and generated from factors many of which are outside the direct control of a government. Soft power can have a positive effect on one group but have a polar opposite effect on another group within the same nation. Realist thinking in particular finds it difficult to reconcile so called soft power against a much more tangible hard power such as military might. But images such as a lone protester standing in front of a column of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square do have a tangible affect on how the world reacts to situations. The protester certainly had less hard power, yet world opinion was certainly not attracted to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on that day. If not hard power, what sort of power is that then? The world today is increasingly connected. Images and opinions on crises and conflict can quickly be dispersed throughout the global community. The privilege of information superiority enjoyed by the leaders of nations in the past is increasingly threatened today. The governed can now get access to events and information much quicker and much more accurately than at any other time in human history. Measures of national power have to therefore take account of how a nation is perceived by the emerging global consciousness enabled by the information age. International relations is an ever changing tapestry of competition, cooperation and conflict but increasingly the interactions between states is becoming much more personal, much more deeper and much more diverse. While interactions between states remain dominant no state, particularly democratic states, can ignore the views of its citizens and their values. Much as violence is seen as distasteful within societies, there is now a great er threshold for justification of violence between states in the mind of the global community. Actions perceived as aggressive and without sufficient justification suffer a backlash of public opinion that undermines the ability of a regime to pursue a policy. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to better define the concept of soft power as a tool of international relations and establish the critical importance of soft power within the contemporary world. The research question as such, is as follows: What is soft power and why is it important in the world today? This will be answered by firmly establishing that the foundation of all political power, international or domestic, is the will of people and that power is becoming more dissipated throughout a globalised world. To aid in the understanding of soft power a number of questions need to be addressed. First and foremost is the question of where power comes from. To understand from where political power is derived we need to investigate power from its base form in human society. By understanding the basis of political power we can begin to understand why or how the nature of power may begin to manifest itself in different ways. Soft power is different from hard power. How and why this is the case is necessary to better understand what soft power actually is. Yet power is power and therefore at some, if not all, levels hard and soft power must interact and effect each other. The question of the relationship between hard and soft power must be addressed to gain greater insight into what soft power is and how to employ it. Hard power is the more easily recognisable and traditional manifestation of national power such as armed might and economic capability. Next is the question of how do we measure soft power. National power has always been perceived within a context of raw power potential shaped and melded into international effect by a nations leaders to achieve their international objectives. Does a nation therefore have a raw soft power potential and if so how can it best be cultivated and employed? Hard power can often be perceived as finite and expendable. Once you expend a resource you no longer have it. Is this true of soft power also? Or can soft power be re-used over and over? Finally an understanding of the trends and phenomenon of the world today is fundamental to determining the importance of soft power today and into the future. The importance and relevance of soft power is growing as more of humanity becomes connected. As people become more connected so the complexity of human interaction increases. This dramatically enhanced presence everywhere on the globe has the potential to generate a surge of global opinion. Increased connectivity however does not only provide presence everywhere for opinions to form on significant world events. People can now connect with a more diverse and more numerous audience throughout the world. The international relations implications are profound. As the complexity of human interaction increases so too does the complexity of international relations and politics. LITERATURE REVIEW This paper is on soft power. However to properly ground this concept in International relations this paper will cover a number of interrelated topics. Therefore, a variety of writings, including some on International relations, International relations theory and globalisation will be used to define what soft power is. Contemporary articles and media will update current discussions on soft power and aid in determining its relevance and utility. Joseph Nyes 2004 book Soft Power is dedicated to the subject of soft power and attempts to establish firmly through contemporary examples and discussion what soft power is and how it is generated and used. Nye defines soft power as It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments.  [6]  Nye has attempted to expand upon the concept after first coining the term in 1990. In many regards he has not adequately achieved this and has in many regards muddied the waters and propogated confusion about what soft power is. Nye has not anchored this concept in any theoretical framework. Hans Morganthau book Politics Among Nations, first published in 1948 and then updated with eleven further editions up to 2005 will provide a basis for analysis of what national power is. Morganthaus chapters on political power, the struggle for power and the essence of power all provide insights into the enduring nature of power and a framework for determining what the basis of power is and therefore how relevant soft power is as a concept. Kenneth Waltzs book Realism and International Politics was published in 2008 and is a compilation of Waltzs earlier works. Waltzs works span six decades from 1959 until 2002 and will be used to provide a more contemporary understanding of international relations and a barometer to show how international relations, and more specifically political power, are evolving as the world changes. The theme of globalisation and issues associated with it is fundamental to the rising awareness and importance of soft power. Thomas Friedmans The Lexus and the Olive Tree published in 2000 provides an excellent discussion of globalisation and its effects on the world. Friedmans early chapters provide a good description of what globalization is and how it has arisen. Friedman also touches upon the impact of globalisation on how power is employed in the emerging world. Friedman has expanded on his previous work on globalisation with his 2006 book The World is Flat. Now in its third expanded and updated edition within three years, the publishing history of this book is testament to the increasing speed of globalisation within the world today. In this book Friedman highlights three phases of gloablisation that he terms Globilisation 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. The idea that in Globalisation 1.0 nations gloablised, Globalisation 2.0 organisations globalised and in Globalisation 3.0 that we are seeing every individual globalised is central to understanding the importance of soft power in the contemporary world. If Friedman is to be even half believed, soft power is only going to become even more critical in coming years. The relationship between globalization and international politics is further enhanced with The Globalization of World Politics, An Introduction to International Relations by John Baylis and Steve Smith, first published in 2001 and updated in 2005. While providing a comprehensive and detailed understanding of contemporary international relations overall it is striking to note that this work offers only the barest mention of the concept of soft power. Likewise Charles Kegleys 12th edition of World Politics: Trend and Transformation, published in 2009 is a comprehensive text that charts the evolution of international relations from a theoretical perspective but mentions soft power only as an aside. Malcom Gladwells now famous The Tipping Point, first published in 2000 and now in its fifteenth reprint, provides a discussion on how the little things can make a big difference in a globalised connected world. Gladwells work does not specifically deal with international politics or power but his central concept provides food for thought on why soft power is now so critical. RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH The 2003 US invasion of Iraq has highlighted both the unstoppable military might of the worlds only superpower and the limitations of operating solely in a hard power domain of international relations. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the merits or not of the decision to invade Iraq, it is clear that the US found that it suffered a significant backlash from the way in which it did approach this issue on the global stage. Understanding soft power is more critical with every passing day as the world continues to connect. The concept of soft power is fuzzy and ambiguous. Skeptics will always be found for any subject. Proponents of the concept have varying interpretations of what it actually is. Many use the term from a simplistic point of view that helps undermine the importance of soft power. Nye has done well in articulating the concept but confusion and misunderstanding persists. This paper endeavors to contribute in even the smallest measure to a better understa nding of soft power and why it is critical in the world today and into the future. METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS This research paper will focus on a theory review from the library resources available at the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentura (MTAT), Malaysian Armed Forces Ministry of Defence, the University of Malaya, Malaysian and New Zealand Bookshops. In addition to this various journals and articles sourced from on-line databases will also be used. The intention of this paper is to bring together theoretical international power and globalisation concepts with Nyes concept of soft power, in order to provide a better understanding of soft power, its relationship to other elements of national power and its growing importance. Due to time constraints and resource limitations, research for this paper is based on a limited number of secondary sources. Some books obtained are not the most recent editions however internet resources have been used where possible to ensure ideas gained from older editions have not been superseded. CHAPTERISATION This paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter one provides an introduction to the study to be undertaken including background information and a review of the literature available in compiling this research. Chapter one also outlines the methodology undertaken in order to obtain the required information. Chapter two focuses on the theoretical concept of power. The chapter discusses power from its fundamental principles recognising that in todays world that . Chapter three introduces the concept of soft power as defined by Joeseph Nye and the transnational crime threats and regional security mechanisms within the South Pacific, describes the current security environment and a summary of transnational crime and security issues. The chapter will then discuss the factors contributing towards transnational crime in the South Pacific within the framework of political, military, societal, economic and environmental security concerns. Chapter three then discusses the regional security mechanisms by outlining the Pacific Islands Forum, The Pacific Plan, the Forum Regional Security Committee, and then concludes. Chapter four introduces the responses to threats in the South Pacific and discusses the approach being taken by regional and global governments, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime within the South Pacific region. Chapter five concludes the paper by drawing together the concepts of transnational crime and security, the transnational crime and security threats in the South Pacific and the responses to them, and concludes that in order to overcome the threats of transnational crime to a states national security, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies must understand the complexity of transnational crime, the contributing factors, the challenges associated with combating it and focus their efforts in a joint approach to address the threats to the benefit of the state, its population and the global community.

Jihad, Pakistan and India :: Politics Political Essays

Jihad, Pakistan and India Every person is entitled to his or her own opinion. Whether it is complimenting a new outfit or distrusting a society, people may think whatever they like. In the article â€Å"Jihadis† by Pankaj Mishra, different views on society are taken. From the opinions of Pakistani relationships with Indians, or the different outlooks on the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, this article provides a detailed description of a person born in India but decided to change his life. The narrator, Mishra, is first introduced shortly after a brief setting of the Middle East before the tragic events of September 11, 2002. Described as being from India, he is now a London reporter writing various articles for English and American magazines. Through his encounters the reader receives an inside view on Middle Eastern life and history. Beginning with Pakistan’s governmental history, a foundation is set describing various ruling powers such as General Zia-ul-haq’s military takeover from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 and the final Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the 1990’s. The cruelty inflicted by these harsh takeovers is apparent by descriptions of â€Å"shutting down schools, smashing TVs, and VCRs, and tearing up photographs† (Mishra 103). Different reasons for supporting and joining the Taliban and other organizations are also explored. For example, a young man named Rahmat, felt he had no other choice but to join the Taliban in taking over Afghanistan after his father’s business was in ruins and his brother was in jail. After all the warnings, the Taliban offered him what he could not offer himself at that time: food and shelter. Trying to get an insider’s view on Taliban life, Mishra is escorted by Jamal, a befriended assassin.

Shakespeares Macbeth as Tragic Hero Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth as Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   A tragic hero is usually a person of high esteem or social ranking cursed with a flaw or obsession that will eventually lead to their demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero. Examining the events that occur as Macbeth travels the typical path of a tragic hero easily supports this claim.    Before Macbeth is even introduced to the audience, Duncan and Ross speak of his greatness. When it is discovered that the Thane of Cawdor has surrendered, Duncan decides to give Macbeth this title: "What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won" (1.2.70). This lets the audience see Macbeth's rank, which starts him in the right direction for a tragic hero.    As Macbeth starts to believe the prophecies of the witches that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, Glamis, and the King, the audience starts to see his obsession with his destiny: "Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires" (1.4.50-51). This great ambition will turn into the flaw that hurtles Macbeth to his demise.    Macbeth is convinced, partly by his own ambition and partly ...

Carlos Ghosn Leader of Nissan and Renault

Individual Term Paper Case 11: Carlos Ghosn: Multicultural Leader as CEO of Nissan and Renault Executive Summary Leadership is the ability to influence others to achieve a common goal. Culture is the values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are passed from generation to generation. Strategy is the choices an organization makes on how they will operate and differentiate themselves from competitors. All of these three variables (leadership, culture and strategy) make up the formula for successful performance of a firm: P=f (L+C+S).A firm’s successful performance depends on strong leadership, adaptability to any culture, and a strong strategy. Leadership, Culture and Strategy all need to work hand-in-hand for an organization to be successful and achieve their goals. The problem many mangers face is the ability to have a Global Mindset, adapt to many different cultures, and have the flexibility to make adjustments in any situation. Carlos Ghosn, a French businessman, bo rn in Brazil to Lebanese parents, became the CEO of both Renault and Nissan. Carlos was a successful and effective leader because he had a Global Mindset.Carlos knew how to listen, kept his promises, encouraged, motivated, and instilled a sense of urgency in the Japanese workers. Carlos Ghosn was able to turnaround Nissan from $254 million in losses and a debt of $19 billion. Even though he was not Japanese and faced many challenges, he was able to revive the ailing Japanese automobile company, Nissan, within two years. While in Japan, Carlos Ghosn made culture a priority, was able to adapt to the Japanese culture, and even received praises from the Japanese workers and public.Carlos Ghosn’s strategy of forming cross-functional teams among the Japanese workers was hard at first due to their resistance; but the teams ended up bringing much success to the revival of Nissan, while also being the CEO of Renault. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, is a perfect example of the formula for successful performance of a firm: P=f (L+C+S). Therefore, I recommend that all managers make culture a priority. In order for a firm to have successful performance in an organization, there should be a strong combination of leadership, culture, and strategy.Managers must be able to have a combination of all three to be able to run a company successfully in a foreign country. Leadership is culturally contingent; so being able to adapt to any culture will shape a managers leadership style, strateg and the mission and vision of an organization. Leadership, Culture & Strategy Leadership is the ability to influence others to achieve a common goal. Leadership is also the ability to influence people’s way of thinking, their attitudes, and their behaviors. Leadership is culturally-contingent; culture influences leadership in many ways.In order to motivate others, a leader needs to understand the needs, goals, value systems, and expectations of the people; no matter their culture or background. No single style of leadership works for every culture, country, or situation. The perception of what makes a successful leader varies from one culture to another. A leader is responsible for running the entire organization and has the responsibility of deciding what leadership style to use in each of the countries they are working in. An effective leader successfully carries out the mission and vision of the organization.For an organization to achieve their goals, effective leadership is crucial. Effective leaders know about the global business world, are able to adapt to any culture, and are organization-savvy. Effective loaders have a Global Mindset; a more flexible style of leadership that can be applied to any organization anywhere in the world. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both French Renault and Japanese Nissan, was a successful leader with a Global Mindset. Carlos knew how to motivate his employees and knew how to work with multicultural teams.Motivation and l eadership is affected by cultural, societal, and political variables. Culture also affects the mission and vision of the organization. Culture is the values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are passed from generation to generation. Culture is what the people in a particular society believe, follow, and pass on from generation to generation, think, want and would like to achieve. Culture influences how people behave, what they expect from leaders, what kind of influence the leader will have, and what kind of leadership style a manager should follow.Not all cultures can be motivated in the same way. Managers need to know everything they can about a culture so they can use the best leadership style applicable to that culture. Managers will need to adjust their leadership style to accommodate the norms, attitudes, and other variables within the culture. It is very important for the managers of an organization to understand the culture of the country they will be working in. They have to learn and study the language, behaviors, body language, religion, politics, government, etc.Culture influences negotiations, the decision-making process, agreements, concessions, the way information is perceived, and the way business is handled. Lack of in-depth knowledge of a country’s culture could lead to failure, loss of money and time, unhappy employees, and a broken contract for an organization. Culture also affects the strategy an organization chooses for competitive advantage over competitors. An organization’s strategy is how they wish to compete in the business world. Strategy is the choices an organization makes on the way they will operate and differentiates themselves from the competitors.Leadership and motivation are very important factors in implementing a successful strategy in an organization. An organization’s strategy will give them the competitive advantage in the global business world. The Power of the 3 The formula for successf ul performance of a firm is P=f (L+C+S). A firm is able to perform due to the Leadership, Culture and Strategy of the organization and is dependent on the three. In order for a firm to be successful, leadership, culture and strategy must work hand-in-hand for the organization to achieve their goals.Leadership is dependent on Culture, Culture influences Leadership and the Strategy helps the organization have a competitive advantage over competitors. All three go hand-in-hand for a firm to achieve success. Without effective leadership, a culture will not be able to put their strategy to work. Not all leadership styles will work in all cultures. Cultural variables (values, work norms, locus of control, etc) affects everyone involved and shapes the leadership role. Managers need to make adjustments to their leadership styles depending on the country they are working in.They must adjust their leadership behaviors according to the norms, attitudes and variables in the society. All three v ariables (leadership, culture, and strategy) are necessary for an organization to work and be successful. Case Analysis: Carlos Ghosn Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both Nissan and Renault, became a successful French businessman, an effective global leader, and a multicultural manager because of his strong leadership skills, culture adaptability, and strong strategy. Carlos Ghosn was able to revive Nissan from $254 million in losses and a debt of $19 billion within two years.Carlos’ success was due to the un-Japanese changes he brought to the Japanese company, by persuading Japanese workers to accept change, and by implementing a sense of â€Å"urgency† in them. Carlos Ghosn motivated the employees, established high goals, and made responsibility clear to all levels of workers. Carlos Ghosn expected the Japanese workers to participate in the decision-making process, took their suggestions, lifted morale, and did not accept any excuses from them; only solutions. Carlos Ghosn, an effective but unconventional leader, was simple, straightforward, and transparent.Carlos Ghosn’s transparency made him an effective leader. Carlos Ghosn was an un-Japanese manager running a Japanese company; while still being the CEO of the French company Renault. Carlos faced many challenges because he knew nothing about Japan, their culture, or their language. Carlos made cultural diversity a priority by attending all Japanese events, by stressing face-to-face meetings with Japanese workers, by listening to all employees, and by respecting the Japanese culture. He avoided blending the French and Japanese cultures and appreciated the differences in the cultures.He made bold decisions, shook the hands of the Japanese workers even though it was against their culture, made English the official language, and even had to hire a bodyguard when the environment was tense at the Japanese & French company headquarters. Carlos Ghosn was more concerned with making the companies profitab le; rather than being culturally sensitive Carlos Ghosn’s strategy was cross-functional teams. Even though it was hard to form cross-functional teams among the Japanese workers because of their resistance, Carlos explained why they were necessary and how they would bring overall benefits to the company.Cross-functional teams were formed and Carlos made them all responsible and accountable for their actions. All Japanese workers were involved in the revival of Nissan and the Japanese workers began accepting and trusting Carlos Ghosn. The revival of Nissan was a success because every worker was involved and Japanese workers knew they had a voice at Nissan. Conclusion In conclusion, Carlos Ghosn and his successful revival of Nissan, is a great example of the formula for firm performance: P=f (L+C+S).Carlos was a strong, effective leader and a mutlticultural expert whose innovative management practices brought him much success both at Nissan and Renault. A firm’s performan ce is contingent of Leadership, Culture and Strategy. Above all, Culture has the most influence over Leadership. Culture shapes the leadership style, mission, vision, and strategy of an organization. A manager needs to be ready to adapt and adjust to any culture or situation to be successful. An effective leader is one who has a strong leadership style that can adapt to any culture and has a strong strategy to implement.

Gender: an Ambiguous Factor

Referencing the role that gender played in early twentieth century rural life made for an interesting character dynamic in this play. Susan Glaspell’s Trifles presents a murder mystery with a slightly twisted plot. The play itself, at first glance, seems simple enough. A man is murdered, his wife thought to be the murderer. An investigation is forged in their quaint farmhouse. However, the men are unable to find anything that leads to a motive. But then the twist! The women are able to solve the murder and choose not to share the findings with their husbands.What exactly hinders the investigation set forth by the men? A case can be made in gender differences. The mental approach of each sex determines everything. The dynamic between the women, their husbands, and the county attorney creates a mental divide that cannot be bridged. Inevitably, what appears to be a simple plot, seemingly filled with mere trifles, the end of the play quickly develops into something that is almost surreal. Within a casual conversation the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, manage to recreate Minnie Wright’s state of mind – seemingly putting themselves through her last day in the farmhouse.In an article analyzing the play, Suzy Clarkson Holstein remarks that, â€Å"the play represents a profound conflict between two models of perception and behavior† (Holstein 282). On the whole, the men and women involved observed the identical information – with the exception of the canary. However, minus the canary, the women were already reconstructing Minnie’s life with John Wright. In their reconstruction they are able to uncover and comprehend evidence that would seem like useless information to the formal investigation the men were conducting. The county attorney searching the Wrights’ home cannot detect the significance in a loaf of bread left out of the breadbox, a kitchen table half wiped, a quilt in progress, and a missing pet canary† (Marsh 201-02). These simple details prove to be the key to ending the mystery. Holstein’s analysis goes on to mention the â€Å"ultimate moral choice† as presented to the women. Here she references, â€Å"their way of knowing leads them not simply to knowledge; it also leads to the decision about how to act on that knowledge† (Holstein 282). On the notion of morality alone, the reader must analyze several debates.What exactly is at stake here for these women? And, if they withhold information from the investigation, are they harming themselves? The men have been neglecting the observations of the women, even teasing them for their observations. Mr. Hale comments, â€Å" Well, women are used to worrying over trifles† (Glaspell 938) and later, overhearing a conversation between the women, Sheriff Peters comments, â€Å"They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it† (Glaspell 941). Immediately after his remark the stage directions state, à ¢â‚¬Å"The men laugh, the women look abashed† (Glaspell 941).There isn’t even the slightest hint of spousal respect here! The men dismiss the thoughts of the women because they are merely women. They do not believe that they could be of any aid to the investigation at hand. Have the women compromised their morality when evading the truth with their husbands? The men’s perspective is completely regimented. Their tunnel vision approach seems to be a hindrance in the investigation. They are unable to come to any conclusions about Mrs. Wright’s motive to kill her husband. In the final moments of dialogue, Mr.Henderson can be heard saying, â€Å"No, Peters, it’s all perfectly clear except a reason for doing it†¦ If there was some definite thing†¦ a thing that would connect up with this strange way of doing it – â€Å" (Glaspell 945). Holstein’s article in â€Å"The Midwest Quarterly† makes an interesting statement comparin g biological and cultural issues in regards to the way both parties observe the facts. â€Å"Certainly, during the early part of the twentieth century, the duties and structures of women’s lives would have predisposed them to approach a problem from a different angle than that of the men† (Holstein 288).This is evident in her mention of sex vs. gender and its implications. Sex, referring strictly to the biological, and gender, referring strictly to the cultural implications of gender roles in society. â€Å"The men, Mann argues†¦ strove to be first with a quick, firm answer. Women on the other hand valued cooperation and worked to interconnect, taking time to make up their minds† (qtd. in Holstein 289). The juxtaposition of these two terms most always sparks an interesting debate. Some see them as one in the same, while others see them as two completely separate entities.The debate between sex and gender comes up often in the debate on transgender issues. à ¢â‚¬Å"Just as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters understand well the hardships of the rural lifestyle they share with the accused Mrs. Wright, so Elle finds that the accused Mrs. Windham is a ‘peer’† (Marsh 201). This statement draws parallels between Trifles and the 2001 film, Legally Blonde. In a 2005 article for â€Å"Literature Film Quarterly,† Kelly A. Marsh paired the message of sisterhood in the pages of Trifles with similar messages in a 21st century blockbuster hit.The similarities in these two works are uncanny and whether the parallels are intentional is unclear. Marsh explains, â€Å" the key evidence in both cases is precisely the evidence that the men overlook† (Marsh 201). Parallels at many levels can be drawn from Glaspell’s text. The women’s ability to uncover key points of evidence and solve this murder mystery speaks volumes to their characters, and, their husbands’ inability to see things for what they really are. â₠¬Å"The women in this play develop a highly differentiated and reflective moral schema† (Holstein 288).They make conscious decisions to hide the evidence that solves the murder from the men. In the closing stage directions, Glaspell writes, â€Å"Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. Sound of a doorknob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat† (Glaspell 945). In this moment the women have overcome their husbands and shown that their mere trifles can indeed come in handy.