Childhood Years in Calamba Essay

Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town. He grew up in a happy house, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy and sanctified by God’s blessing. Rizal is industrious, hospitable and friendly folks impressed him during childhood years. And the happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lake shore of Laguna de Bay. Earliest Childhood Memories The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was 3 years old. He was a frail, sickly and undersized child so he was given tendered care by his parents. At the age of 3, watched from his garden cottage, culiauan the maya, the marta capra, the pipit and other birds listened â€Å"with wonders and joy† to their twilight songs. Daily Angelus prayer Moon linights at the Azotea after the nightly rosary. The Aya related to the Rizal children (including Jose) many stories about the fairies. When Jose did not like to take his supper the Aya would threaten him that the Aswang, the nuno, the tikbalang, or terrible bearded or turbaned Bombay would come to take him if he would not eat his supper. The noctural walk in the town. Calamba the Hero’s Town Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican order, which also owned all the lands around it. It is a picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with irrigated rice field and sugar lands. A few kilometers to the south loom the legendary Mt. Makiling and beyong this mountain is the province of Batangas East of the town is the Laguna de Bay In the middle of the lake towers the storied island of talim and beyond it towards the north is the distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the miraculous and Good Voyage. Rizal loved Calamba with all his heart and soul Earliest Childhood Memories The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was 3 years old He was a frail, sickly and undersized child so he was given tendered care by his parents At the age of 3, watched from his garden cottage, culiauan, the maya, the marta capra, the pipit and other birds listened â€Å"with wonders and joy† to their twilight songs Daily Angelus prayer Moonlights at the Azotea after the nightly rosary. The Aya related to the Rizal children (including Jose) many stories about the fairies. When did not like to take his Supper the Aya would threaten him that the Aswang, the nuno, the tikbalang, or terrible bearded or turbaned Bombay would come to take him away if he would not eat his supper The nocturnal walk in the town. The Hero’s First Sorrow Concha (Conception) the younger sister of Jose was died of sickness in 1865 when she was only 3 years old. Jose who was very fond of her, cried bitterly at losing her. The death of little Concha was first sorrow of Jose. Devoted son of the Church The scion of a catholic clan, born and bred in a wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn pious spirit, grew up a good Catholic. Pilgrimage of Antipolo On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow which was made when Jose was born. It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his first pilgrimage to Antipolo. The Story of the Moth Story about the disobedient moth which left a deep impression to Rizal’s mind â€Å"to sacrifice one’s life for it†, meaning for an ideal, is â€Å"worthwhile†. Artistic Talents Since early childhood Rizal revealed his God given talent to art. At the age of five (5), he began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in clay and was objects which attached his fancy. When Jose was mere boy in Calamba, a religious banner which was always used during the fiesta was spoiled. Upon the request of the town mayor, he painted the oil colors a new banner that delighted the town folks because It was better than the original one. Jose had soul of a genuine artist. Rather an introvert child, with skinny physique and sad dark eyes, he found great joy looking at the blooming flowers, the ripening fruits, dancing waves of the lake, and the milky clouds in the sky, listening to the song of birds, the chirping of the cicadas and murmuring of the breezes. At the age of six (6), one of interesting anecdote about Rizal was the incident about his clay and wax image. He spent more time making images rather than to participate with his siblings games. He kept silent as they laughed and Jose Rizal told them â€Å"All right laugh at me now! Someday when I die, people will make monuments and images of me! First Poem by Rizal At the age of eight (8), Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language entitled â€Å"Sa Aking mga Kababata† (To my fellow children). This poem reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment in poetic verse. He proudly proclaimed that the people truly loved their native language will surely strive for liberty. And that tagalog is the equal of Latin, English, Spanish, and any other language. First Drama by Rizal After writing a poem he wrote his first dramatic work which was a tagalog comedy and it was purchased by a gobernadorcillo of Paete for two (2) pesos. Rizal as Boy Magician Since early manhood Rizal had been interested in magic. With his dexterous hands, he learned various tricks, such as making a coin appear in his fingers and making a handkerchief vanish in thin air. He entertained his town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions, this consisted of an ordinary lamp casting its shadow on a white screen and be twisted his supple fingers into fantastic shapes, making their enlarged shadows on the screen resemble certain animals and persons. Lakeshore Reveries During the twilight hours of summer time, Rizal accompanied by his pet dog (usman), used to meditate the shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people. He grieved deeply over the unhappy situations of his beloved fatherland. The Spanish awakened his boyish heat a great determination to flight tyranny. Influence on the Hero’s Boyhood 1. Heredity Influence: a. From Rizal’s Malayan Ancestors – he inherited his love for freedom, his inmate desire to travel and his indomitable courage. b. From Rizal’s Chinese Ancestors – he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children. c. From Rizal’s Spanish Ancestors – he inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love for work and the habit of independent thinking. d. From Rizal’s Mother – he inherited his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature. 2. Environment Influence a. The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of Rizal Family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal b. The religious atmosphere at his home for fortified this religious nature. c. His brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the love for freedom and justice. d. From his sisters, he learned to be courteous and kind to women. e. Tio Jose Alberto to inspire him to develop his artistic ability. f. Tio Manuel  courage him to develop his frail body by means of physical exercise. g. Father Gregorio intensified his voracious reading of good books. h. Father Leoncio Lopez fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty. i. The sorrows in his family contributed to strengthen his character. j. The Spanish abuses and cruelties which he witnessed in his boyhood awakened his spirit of patrionism and inspired him to consecrate his life and talents to redeem his oppressed people. 3. Aid of Divine a. Rizal was providentially destined to be pride and glory of his nation b. God had endowed him with versatile gift of a genius, the vibrant spirit of a nationalist and the valiant heart to sacrifices for a noble cause.

European And International Dimensions Of Education Education Essay

Globalization as defined by Giddens is the intensification of world-wide societal dealingss which link distant vicinities in such a manner that local occurrences are shaped by events happening many stat mis off and frailty versa ‘ . It is a procedure of turning to a planetary and world-wide in political, economic, societal and educational sectors. Cantu ( 2003 ) defines instruction ‘as geting accomplishments ‘ . Education is besides about geting cognition, developing consciousness and critical thought. Cogburn ( no day of the month ) has described instruction as ‘generally seen as a formal procedure of direction, based on a theory of instruction, to leave formal cognition ( to one or more pupils ) ‘ . In this essay, I will discourse the effects of globalisation on instruction, peculiarly on formal instruction. In my sentiment, globalisation has brought more positive impacts on instruction and educational system as a whole such as on course of study cours e of study, the schools ‘ and universities ‘ ambiance every bit good as the instruction and larning procedure instead than the negative. There are different classs of globalization as mentioned by Bottery ( 2006 ) ; ‘political globalization, economic globalization, cultural globalization, environmental globalization and demographic globalization ‘ . Each class shows different impacts on the universe and current issues every bit good as instruction. Political globalization shows the spread of political thoughts and that political relations can non be separated from the development of educational sector. As mentioned by Emler and Frazer ( 1999 ) , there is ‘political instruction ‘ which refers to the function of schools and other educational establishments in bring forthing political histrions ; citizens, topics, governors. In order to make this, there need to be some political content in classs and course of study ( Emler and Frazer, 1999 ) . I agree with Emler and Frazer because pupils need to hold exposure to what is go oning in the universe of political relations to fix themselves for the her eafter. For illustration, for future calling, pupils who are interested in arguments and giving talk can be farther trained in higher establishments to be politicians and attorneies. Politicss constitute state, authorities and society. The consequence on instruction is that pupils are cognizant about local and abroad ‘ premier curate and the issues sing this country to be a responsible citizen. Globalisation makes it possible for the information to make everyone in the universe through mass media. In Malaysia, pupils are forbidden from taking portion in political dockets, they are qualified to vote during election at the age of 21. However, most pupils get downing from the secondary schools are familiar with the local political relations, the authorities and resistance, through assorted subjects in their course of study course of study, telecasting intelligence and newspapers. The challenge is that when some pupils may take political relations to the extreme by socking others who have different political positions. Another positive impact of globalization is that instruction adoption can be done within states. ‘Policy borrowing ‘ as defined by Raffe ( 2011 ) is in which ‘best pattern from abroad is identified and transferred back place ‘ . A state can borrow other states ‘ thoughts about instruction and implement them in their educational system. Normally, the 1 that is borrowed from is a successful state such as Finland and the borrower is the underdeveloped state. Sahlberg ( 2009:324 ) has described ‘the accomplishment that Finland has made over clip get downing with the steady growing in engagement in all degrees of Finnish instruction since 1970 to in 1980s, there has been a rapid growing in the upper secondary instruction sector and in 1990s up to now, within third and big instruction sectors ‘ . As Finland is ranked really high for their successful instruction, United Kingdom as a developed state has besides showed involvement in Finnish instructi on. This is similar to sharing thoughts about what is best for their educational system and seek to use to see if it works. Whereas ‘policy larning ‘ as cited by Raffe ( 2011 ) , ‘uses experiences from ‘policy borrowing ‘ for assorted intents, including understanding one ‘s ain system better, placing common tendencies and force per unit areas impacting all systems, clear uping other policy schemes and placing issues raised by each scheme ‘ . By analysing others ‘ instruction system, a state can place the strength and failing of its ain system. Subsequently on governments can make up one's mind whether to go on utilizing the thoughts for few old ages more or to modify to accommodate it with their system. In early yearss, it was a disadvantage for adult females because societies merely allowed work forces to acquire instruction while the misss were denied their rights to travel to school and alternatively were asked to make house jobs. However, as globalisation takes topographic point, issues about equality in instruction for both work forces and adult females are brought up. The universe societies are altering ; adult females ‘ rights to have instruction similar to work forces are being acknowledged. The result is that adult females gain chances to travel to school and pursue higher instruction. As reported this twelvemonth by Catcheside ( 2012 ) , ‘women pupils outnumber work forces by three to two in many universities, and in some establishments where there are big instructions or nursing classs by every bit many as two to one ‘ . I do agree and it is non surprising that the figure of adult females at both schools and universities are higher than the male pupils a nd their accomplishments are more impressive than the males. Catcheside ( 2012 ) has besides approved this in a study ; ‘girls now outstrip male childs in the proportion of top classs achieved in all but a smattering of topics at cardinal phase three. Not merely are they much more likely to acquire good classs than male childs, they are more likely to take cardinal phase 3 makings in the first topographic point ‘ . On another positive note, both male and female pupils are likely to be treated every bit at schools and universities which cut down gender favoritism in educational system. Macionis and Plummer ( 2005:524 ) have criticized that ‘although the instruction gender spread has narrowed in Western states in recent decennaries, many adult females still study traditionally feminine topics such as literature, while work forces prosecute mathematics and technology ‘ . I agree towards certain extent such as adult females are prosecuting nursing and other feminine occupations whereas work forces are likely to travel into military footing, but nowadays they are given more freedom to take what they want to make. There are female pupils who choose technology over literature and secretary ‘s classs and frailty versa. Globalization has besides opened up competition between adult females and work forces in more countries including instruction and employment. It is an optimistic altera tion as parents are more open-minded by schooling their misss and for hapless households ; their educated girls can alter their economic system position by acquiring occupations with their makings. As agreed by Dr. Farooq Wardak ( in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Ministry of Education, 2010:4 ) , ‘there are strong links between an person ‘s educational degree and his/her economic accomplishments ‘ . The impact of globalization on instruction can besides be seen in the increasing figure of schools being built. Ming ( 2009 ) has reported that in Malaysia ‘the figure of national primary schools have increased from 4844 in 1990 to 5761 in 2005, an addition of 19 % ‘ . Although there are negative effects on environment, development is important to get by with the big figure of pupils that increases each twelvemonth. Ming ( 2009 ) adds, ‘the addition in the figure of national primary schools because of the big addition in the figure of pupils enrolled in them ‘ . Globalisation leads to an addition in population due to the raising rate of migration and birth. Many schools are renovated and equipped with modern installations such as computing machine, cyberspace beginning, research lab setup and projector to guarantee the survey environment is convenient for pupils. Today, globalization has besides supported duplicating programmes between universities to go on, s uch as the B.Ed TESL programme between Malaysian teacher preparation universities and universities in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. This programme has given pupils a immense chance to accommodate themselves in English speech production states and better better their proficiency in English. There is besides pupils exchange programme which sends pupils off to other states which can supply better exposure of peculiar Fieldss. For illustration, some technology pupils in Malaysia are sent for a 6-month class in Korea and frailty versa and secondary pupils in Nipponese school are sent to Malaysia for 3 hebdomads to larn about Malaysia. Chin ( 2009 ) has agreed to this sentiment by admiting that ‘higher establishments have become more self-consciously planetary, particularly universities of the advanced states by seeking pupils from different parts of the universe, directing their ain pupils abroad in educational exchange programmes to fix them for planetary callings , offering survey classs which address the challenges of an interrelated universe and collaborative research to progress scientific discipline ‘ . However, there are establishments that found the thought of giving pupils a planetary experience while larning locally rather magnetizing. Choudaha ( 2012 ) has come up with a term ‘glocal ‘ which means ‘global aspirations with local experiences and the accent is on pupils who are willing to pay for a planetary educational pattern while remaining in their place state or part ‘ . Asiatic states such as China, Malaysia and India have been offering ‘glocal ‘ instruction to their local pupils. Meanwhile, states such as the UK and Australia have been innovators in offering multinational instruction and their work force such as instructors and professors are in demand to function glocals ( Choudaha, 2012 ) . In my sentiment, this new section is similar to holding foreign subdivision campuses in local states such as University of Nottingham in Malaysia, China and United Kingdom which are called University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, University of Notti ngham, Ninbo, China and University of Nottingham United Kingdom severally ( Chin, 2009 ) . Apart from that, Monash University has campuses in Australia, Malaysia, China, India, South Africa and Italy ( Chin, 2009 ) which allow local pupils to see what Monash has to offer. They can take portion in assorted classs from scientific discipline watercourse to concern, jurisprudence and humanistic disciplines through planetary and international ambiance. As mentioned by Whitehead ( 2012 ) , ‘historically Malaysia has sent its pupils abroad for their instruction, now it is fixing to change by reversal that place, it wants to go the hub of its part pulling 1000s pupils from across south-east Asia to its universities in immense Numberss by pulling foreign universities to put up abroad campuses ‘ . As per economic system, Ming ( 2009 ) has mentioned that the ‘continuous growing in economic relationships among states, a planetary displacement towards free-market kineticss, and increasing consumerism are some factors impacting establishments of higher instruction i.e. universities ‘ . Hence, because of globalisation there will be more coaction between local and foreign universities, lectors and pupils. Head of the section of economic sciences at the University of Warwick, Abhinay Muthoo ( 2012 ) has commented on the UK ‘s higher instruction system as concern by stating ‘we export instruction, purchased by clients and designed by intellectuals from all corners of the Earth ‘ . For illustration, India is presently pulling pupils from the USA, China, Canada, Germany, Malaysia and Australia to analyze at that place ( Wilson, 2012 ) . Furthermore, states are taking the enterprise to enroll instructors and pedagogues from other states such as Malaysia and Korea are conveying in English instructors from the United States to learn English at their local schools. The consequence is that, English speech production pedagogues could assist supplying a more meaningful lesson to the local pupils. The challenge is foreign pedagogues will hold to larn the local civilizations to suit them in the society and non look impolite or uncomfortable. The alteration in the economic-environment will non merely impact the educational environment and system but besides touristry. Foreigners who come to work may desire to convey their households to the state they are working in and may publicize topographic points of attractive forces in the states to their local friends. Globalisation creates planetary links between states in the universe which enable a smooth flow international trade and planetary market such as touristry, the import and export. Blessinger and Kovbasyuk ( 2012 ) have stated that ‘global acquisition is the cultivation of multiple, diverse, and planetary positions. It allows one to develop the intercultural competences necessary to go a planetary citizen who can understand issues from multiple positions and derive a deeper grasp of and tolerance for diverseness of all types ( cultural, lingual, spiritual, political, for illustration ) ‘ . In footings of societal and cultural, planetary citizens are exposed to the differences of assorted civilizations in the universe and larn about esteeming each other ‘s civilization. Globalisation reduces cultural barriers and enables multicultural democracy among pupils. As kids are populating in a multicultural community, they begin to accept others and are comfy to analyze in a multiracial school. Racism can be avoided specifically among Black, White, Asiatic, non-Asian, Muslim and other faiths if their moral and spiritual instructions are good taught by pedagogues. They can besides larn from their milieus and develop the sense of sensitiveness from their societal interactions at school and outside. As supported by Blessinger and Kovbasyuk ( 2012 ) , ‘within practical planetary communities, pupils and pedagogues can larn to go more socially minded and ethically responsible planetary citizens who, in bend, can assist better relationships in the broader universe community ‘ . Furthermore, through socializing with international pupils can be a manner for non-English pupils to better their proficiency in English. They can pattern utilizing the linguistic communication that they have learned in the schoolroom in a more reliable surrounding. Mohini Mohamed ( 2008:92 ) has stated that ‘students need entree to multicultural environment, appropriate usage of first linguistic communication and utilize effectual English method of content direction every bit good as chance to demo their competency in a assortment of ways †˜ . In other words, globalization has proved that collaborative acquisition between pupils of different cultural background can be a success. The obvious advantage pointed out by Blessinger and Kovbasyuk ( 2012 ) is that ‘working on shared undertakings can enrich pupils ‘ experiences and open them to more critical ways of thought and more originative signifiers of problem-solving ‘ . The jobs that are caused by globalization, socially, when pupils are exposed to other civilizations different from theirs, they can be influenced to blindly follow the civilizations and beliefs even though those are non suited with their milieus. From my observation, some pupils are into Punk and Skinhead based on what they have seen on telecasting programmes and to pattern those in traditional-bound surrounding is non appropriate. Modernization, urbanization, Westernization besides affect pupils ‘ behaviour at school because at some topographic points like Holland weeds, drugs can be bought from street stores. It may do societal job if pupils decide to hold them during school period. Following is in term of interaction, in Korea, non utilizing honorific when mentioning or naming person older than you is non acceptable and considered rude. However, in England and America, to name an aged by name is normal and friendly. Hence, if pupils do non see what is acceptable in the socie ty they are populating in before following other civilizations, it may impact their relationship with others such as instructors. Issues such as homosexualism and tribade are non taboo in some states. For case in France, their openness to homosexualism can be seen in their instruction system. The governments have published text editions incorporating subjects about homosexuals and tribades households which are called as modern households ( Abry et al. , 2008 ) . It means their pupils and adolescents are exposed to this type of lifestyle but in Muslim states like Arab and Malaysia and other states, governments are strongly opposing this affair. Hence, the negative impact is if pupils are influenced by inappropriate civilizations as seen by their society. Another positive impact of globalization on instruction is the debut of engineering, on-line instruction or e-learning at school. E-Learning consulting ( no day of the month ) defines e-learning as the usage of engineering to enable people to larn anytime and anyplace. This fits in the planetary universe because modernisation and urbanisation come together and pupils are comfy with utilizing technological devices and cyberspace. Blessinger and Kovbasyuk ( 2012 ) have agreed that ‘today ‘s pupils hence tend to be more digitally savvy, nomadic and ephemeral, socially connected, and more democratic in their worldview ‘ . Hence, this instruction and larning method of utilizing technological devices will work with our digital coevals. They can hold contact with other overseas ‘ pupils through societal webs to portion about each other civilizations and point of views. One method is ocular acquisition that is done online such as Skype and pupils can hold a treatment yarn in their universities ‘ electronic mail and on Facebook group which can be accomplished outside of a normal schoolroom. In my sentiment, any treatment yarn method is effectual to larning because it is easier for pupils as they can notice on one subject and discuss with other pupils. Unfortunately, online acquisition could be hard to be applied in rural country where cyberspace connexion is barely accessible. However, to accomplish a planetary instruction criterion, many states are taking more earnestly about supplying these technological and modern installations to all schools. For illustration, Wilson ( 2012 ) indicates that ‘virtual acquisition in India can be done because computing machine was rather inexpensive at that place ‘ . In close hereafter, it is non surprising if all schools are equipped with computing machines every bit good as those in rural countries. However, the innovation of tape recording, picture recording, audio recording, PowerPoint pres entation and Interactive Whiteboard ( IWB ) are really utile for pedagogues and pupils in surveies and presentations. The job that will happen is pupils ‘ abuse of the engineering and cyberspace with texting in schoolroom, picture games, online chatting and phonography. Teachers need to supervise the pupils but the pupils besides need to larn to command themselves. In term of course of study, Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) has now become one of the of import topics at most schools because of globalization. Students are taught basic cognition about computing machine and cyberspace and they are larning utilizing them. For illustration, in Malaysia, pupils besides learn about the connexion between Science and Technology through a topic called English Science and Technology. Knowledge on scientific discipline, mathematics and engineering is besides indispensable to travel frontward with modernization. By utilizing cyberspace, it is possible to demo reliable illustrations of innovations that have been created and groundss of many scientific researches to pupils. The sweetening in Vocational Education and Training ( VET ) is another benefit of globalisation. Advanced preparation offers enable pupils to travel abroad for developing in specialist states. It can either be a really short intensive class or a 2 to 3 old ages programme. H armonizing to Draft National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan ( in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Ministry of Education, 2010:11 ) , the purpose of proficient and vocational instruction and preparation is to ‘to supply relevant and choice proficient and vocational instruction for both males and females in order to enable them to run into the demands of the labour market in Afghanistan and the part, and to lend to the just and balanced development of the state ‘ . Similarly to other states, VET provides chances for pupils who are interested in this field to widen their cognition and to fix them for future calling. Cogburn ( no day of the month ) has stated that ‘the function of cognition within the economic system is taking to a whole scope of new industries and new developments in biotechnology, new stuffs scientific discipline, information sciences, computing machine scientific discipline, et cetera ‘ . Courses such as media, telecommunication and science-related topics are in demand since the universe will necessitate more experts in these Fieldss in the hereafter. Globalisation gives impact on instructors and pedagogues economically through the sum of rewards they receive. The sum additions compared to the epoch before globalization started. Harmonizing to NY Times ( 2011:2 ) , ‘the norm get downing salary for a Finnish instructor was $ 29,000 in 2008 ‘ . Traveling on, globalisation besides effects the employment of fresh alumnuss and pupils that have completed high schools in this epoch. Cantu ( 2003 ) has mentioned that ‘the lowest rewards for this decennary were for persons with some high school and no grade. The highest rewards throughout the decennary were for persons who had attained a professional grade. The educational degrees whose average rewards were the closest were Professional and Doctorate grades ‘ . It shows how importance is instruction to last in this urbanisation and competitory universe and to suit kids to the on the job universe. Cantu ( 2003 ) has said that ‘the more notable statistic is the fact that the less instruction a individual receives, the more likely they will be unemployed. While more instruction does non vouch employment, the higher the instruction degree, the more competitory a individual will be in the occupation market ‘ . However, taking Malaysia as an illustration, globalization has changed Malayan course of study in footings of boring pupils to memorize to giving pupils more chance to be originative and believe more critically. Norsiah Fauzan ( no date:173 ) has commented by stating ‘our educational system and course of study alterations its accent from memory based larning to an instruction that stimulates believing, creativeness, lovingness, providing for single abilities and larning manners ‘ . Norsiah Fauzan ( no date:173 ) adds, ‘we are seeking for a meaningful, socially responsible, multicultural, holistic and technological course of study beside looking for a more planetary manner to better the quality of instruction concentrating on values, attitudes and behaviour in a society full of diverseness particularly in footings of race and civilization ‘ . From my experience, I recall when I was a primary and secondary school pupils, I spent most of my clip analyzing for tes ts by memorising notes and even theoretical account essays. The purpose was no other than to go through tests with good Markss even though I did non to the full understand the lesson or the aim of analyzing subjects such as algebra and square root in Mathematics. As globalization and internalization are germinating quickly, the governments have decided that pupils need to be trained to be all-rounded and that instruction should learn pupils to pattern their cognition. In order to vie in the planetary universe, competence and accomplishments are of import. Other than that, because of globalisation, English has become an of import linguistic communication to the universe. Macionis and Plummer ( 2005 ) have cited, ‘English is quickly emerging as the preferable 2nd linguistic communication of most of the universe ‘ . The consequence on instruction is that English is one of the nucleus topics in most schools and universities across the universe. Apart from prioritising one ‘s ain native linguistic communication, to hold a good English proficiency is indispensable as it is a lingua franca to link with other states in the universe. Mohini Mohamed ( 2008:90 ) says that ‘the ground for utilizing English can be seen as useful in nature because they hope by geting and get the hanging English among their pupils can better their chance in the occupation market ‘ . Books, articles, diaries and cyberspace beginnings are largely published in English and assignments and undertaking plants at higher establishments are in E nglish. Students at schools study English literature poesy from assorted renowned poets such as Shakespeare and Dickens and some pupils major in Literature at higher instruction. They do non entirely larn their ain literature but besides literature of other civilizations in different states. Students in the English speech production states learn other esteemed linguistic communication such as Spanish and Gallic. Students besides learn about humanistic disciplines originated from other states such as the celebrated Masaccio ‘s and Leonardo da Vinci ‘s plants. All these are cogent evidence for ‘cultural hybridization ‘ that occurs due to globalization and universalisation. It refers to the ways in which parts of a civilization ( linguistic communication, patterns, and symbols ) are recombined with the other civilizations which happens a batch nowadays ( Macionis and Plummer, 2005 ) . Education in globalised universe, although it transfers cultural values, it can besides do societal inequalities and societal divisions. Macionis and Plummer ( 2005:521 ) have explained that ‘education becomes a agency for the reproduction of society ‘s inequalities: it can move as a agency of societal control, reenforcing credence of the position quo and may run to reproduce the position hierarchy ‘ . The state of affairs is normally occurred in private or elect schools. Students analyzing in private and elect schools are usually from affluent and high position households while those in national schools have mix household backgrounds. Macionis and Plummer ( 2005:517 ) has shown an illustration in British elite schools ‘such elect schools non merely learn academic topics, they besides convey to kids from affluent households the typical forms of address, idiosyncrasies and societal graces of British upper category ‘ . Parents pay expensive school fees to register their kids in elect schools. Social division occurs because elect school pupils have fewer opportunities to blend with working category pupils in the community. Their societal circle is restricted to pupils of similar societal criterions and backgrounds. Hence, they may make their ain perceptual experiences of pupils outside their societal circle without cognizing them which can take to downgrading others. In decision, globalization is so has helped a batch in the development of the educational sector. Although different authorities has different docket to better their instruction system, we are all working to accomplish the planetary instruction criterions and to bring forth planetary citizens. Macionis and Plummer ( 2005 ) have commented that ‘societies around the universe now have more contact with one another ; bask more cooperation, than of all time before. These planetary connexions involve the flow of goods, information and people ‘ . In the hereafter, I hope there will be more positive impacts on instruction from globalization and that the negative impacts can be reduced from clip to clip.

Compare the movie 300 to the life of the spartans Essay

Compare the movie 300 to the life of the spartans - Essay Example They often declared wars against their neighbors instead of creating overseas colonies. They trained their men from the early age of six to prepare them for future wars. The Spartans did not encourage freedom of thought and behavior. The boys were rigorously trained and were made to believe that â€Å"self-discipline and courage were the highest virtues†1. The location of Sparta was the main reason for the Spartans to build strong warriors. The city was situated on mountainous, rocky terrain which was by nature infertile and so could not be used for farming. The city was also at a great distance from the sea which made them difficult to get engaged in fishing or trade. That is why the Spartans needed to conquer the surrounding cities of Greece to get access to water by traveling on their lands. Since Sparta was a land-locked city, so the Spartans were aware that any battles that needed to be fought would have to be on land and for this they needed strong, expert and fearless w arriors2. Spartan society emphasized physical beauty and venerated death during war. The Spartans subjugated the neighboring Greeks and forced them to become agricultural slaves. Since the slave population was almost ten times than that of the Spartans, so the latter always remained at guard and oppressed them with strict military control. Spartan citizens constituted of only males as the female did not have any kind of political rights. The Spartan women were known for their independent spirit and for their ability to acquire wealth in the absence of their husbands from home3. The film 300 portrays the Spartans as paragon of the concept of freedom as well as indomitable heroes of the battle of Thermopylae. This kind of portrayal is in harmony both with the historical records of the warriors as well as their legendary status as brave soldiers. Their fearless attitude can be observed from the quote of Leonidas: â€Å"No retreat, no surrender. That is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight, and die†4. Spartans are more popularly known for their love of wars, disciplined nature and their obligation towards their duty. This was reflected in the quote of Dilios in the first scene of the movie: â€Å"Taught that death in the battlefield in service of Sparta is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life†5. The portrayal of Spartan women in the movie is accurate as it showed Queen Gorgo as a strong willed woman who was a political and military advisor of her husband. The movie depicted the philosophy of the real Spartans accurately which is any battle that is fought for their country, even if it is a losing battle, is worth fighting fearlessly till the enemies are defeated. The empire (opinion) The Spartan empire portrayed in the movie cannot be desirable in the real world. The over confidence of Leonidas that his army comprising only of 300 soldiers can successfully combat the Persian army of more than one million soldiers cannot b e entertained in real wars. The Spartans from very young age were instilled with the knowledge that war is the only way of fulfilling their dreams and desires, and that courage and fearless-of-death attitudes are the greatest qualities in men. This kind of psychological upbringing can be very harmful and disastrous in this modern world where every country strives for peace and

An introduction to business and management Assignment

An introduction to business and management - Assignment Example is responsible for how tasks are done in the organization as it facilitates and puts into action all the directives that have come from the management of the organization (Functions of Human Resource Department, n.d). This implies that realization of organizational objectives and goals, which determines the performance of the organization, is in the responsibility of the HR department. To fulfill these goals, the HR department has various functions that are delegated to it. First, it has the responsibility of hiring new talent to fill specific spots in the organization. This is one of the most important roles of the HR department because it helps an organization in acquiring a set of skills that it requires. This comes with other objectives that include retention, which is determined by how the HR department treats the employees. The right set of skills is responsible for raising an organization’s profile and even in acquiring a competitive strategy. Second, the HR department trains and develops the employees. Following recruitment, this department trains the employees to acquire skills for performing in various segments of the organization. Third, HR department also plays the role of compensating the employees according to performance. Rewarding systems are developed according to organizations where some allow employees to suggest the rewards they would li ke while others are dictated. This department also has other roles such as determining salaries, dismissal, and safety of employees (Mayhew & Demand Media, 2015). Being a multinational business, Tesco should use online and social media recruitment as its key external recruitment method and emails as internal recruitment methods. External recruitment methods such as online recruitment have a key advantage of providing a wide pool of qualified individuals to choose from. In addition, this gives the organization a new set of skills and it is affordable because social media is free for most entities (Kleynhans,

Is Globalization good for the poor people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is Globalization good for the poor people - Essay Example Part of the reason for the recent boom in the Estonian economy has been attributed to the numerous reforms and liberalization policies that have been initiated. Most of the ideas in this direction were suggested by the late Nobel prize winning economist, Milton Friedman. The changes put in place have resulted in it becoming one of the most integrated and freest economies in the world. In the globalization index of 2007, Estonia was placed in the 10th position under the most integrated economies suggesting a massive transformation from its communist past. The country was virtually bankrupt during the 1990s with a high rate of inflation and soaring unemployment rates. By opening itself up to the outside world, Estonia has abolished corporate income tax and bureaucracy is no longer a hindrance to government clearances. In a way, the government has acted as a very thin filter to corporate functioning thereby helping in the smooth and easy conduct of business. Estonia is presently places at 17 among a group of 175 economies in terms of the ease of doing business sixth in terms of feasibility in trade across borders. There is no cap on foreign ownership that has encouraged investments in all major sectors of the economy. Estonia is currently places at 21 for technological connectivity although these figures are expected to improve in the coming years. The country is also increasingly involved in the use of information channels for communication with many of the government functions including voting now possible through the Internet. All such changes have prompted it to be dubbed as ‘E-Stonia’ after the recent general elections were held over the web. Apart from all the above measures, it is also important for the presence of an able administration that is bold and determined to making changes that will necessitate the opening up to trade

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example George. W. Merck a formal chairman of the company always tried to project his founding father’s mission that the corporation will always â€Å"work for the people and not for profits†. On this regard it can be said, that the company is more deliberate to act with high social responsibility rather than just focusing on profitability or revenues (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Organization Values of Merck & Corporation In respect of Merck’s company’s mission and vision which is to serve public at all means, profit is not the first priority as the organization is with deeper social grounds at the time of service or operation. As company’s vision is set on high moral grounds, it becomes mandatory for the system of the company to follow the similar track in which social responsibility is on highest node of consideration. In such ethical frame of work, the decision of developing a drug which is specifically for small population is hard to make, as it has to imi tate company’s vision and fit in the interest of internal and external stakeholders (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). It was the period of 1970s when the case of â€Å"River blindness† came on the front to Merck & Corporation. ... ion like Merck’s & Corporation, whose idea is to serve mankind and provide people with effective remedies on such chronic diseases (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Stakeholder Impact and Interest Merck & Corporation is one of the largest medication providers in the world. It is having a thorough background in serving people genuinely with high effective cures and remedies. The case of river blindness required an ethical decision in which Merck & Corporation was being expected to make a decision in favor of the affected population (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). The case brought attention of stakeholders who were actively part of the organization at that time. Scientists were internal stakeholders who projected their deep interest in researching for the case. This was all in the context of company’s mission and vision, which is to serve public who is facing influence of such chronic disease â€Å"River blindness† (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Risk in Development of the Drug In the case of River-blindness disease, Merck & Corporation was carrying high amount of risk especially if the company owners look at the profitability aspect (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). If the company goes with its research, it would require high investments plus a lot of time to get with a probable solution. The profit generation is on the lesser side even the investments are hard to recover on the drug as the affected people requiring the drug are located in poor regions, who cannot afford such high profitability ratios for the company (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). The Final Decision In respect of the following risk factors, it is hard to make a decision that whether a company should go or not for developing the drug. If a company decides to proceed with the drug development, it could compromise the principles of

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Case Study Example Heartburn is a common symptom for GERD. Other symptoms may occur less frequently though indicative of GERD including: acid regurgitation, excess saliva, chronic sore throat, chest pain, gum inflammation, chronic sore throat and chest pain. Harsh stomach acids can damage the esophageal lining. Reflux risk factors include alcohol use, pregnancy, obesity and smoking. Reflux and heartburn are worsened by pregnancy. Asthmatic people have higher risks of developing GERD. Flare-ups of asthma cause the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to relax, therefore allowing the backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus. Asthma medications worsen reflux symptoms (Joel & Ritcher, 2014). Acid reflux may also make the symptoms of asthma worsen through irritating the lungs and the airways, leading to more serious asthma. However, the following is a patient education plan that focuses on conservation measures in treating GERD. Decreasing the portion size at mealtime may be helpful in controlling symptoms. Taking meals 2-3 hours prior to bedtime may aid in lessening reflux through decreasing stomach acid and emptying it partially. Additionally, being overweight is often associated with worse symptoms of GERD. Overweight patients should find relief in losing some of their weight (Gary, 2008). Moderate exercise is considered to improve GERD symptoms, but vigorous exercises may worsen the symptoms. Moreover, when sleeping, the patient is advised to elevate the head of the bed at least 6-8 inches, or to sleep on a wedge-shaped bed that is specially designed. This reduces heartburn by allowing gravity minimize stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. It is advisable that the patient does not use a pillow to prop him/her up; this only adds pressure on the stomach, worsening the situation. Cigarette smoking and taking and alcohol usually weakens the LES. Symptoms of GERD may be reduced by halting smoking and stopping alcohol taking behavior. Along with diet and lifestyle

Conducting situational analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conducting situational analysis - Assignment Example They have had some failures such as targeting to kids; however, they have managed to take that in their stride and now are a bigger and better company than before. Conducting a situational analysis A marketing plan is used to convey the attributes and benefits of a product or service to its potential customers. It comprises of seven steps and one of them is conducting a situational analysis after the introduction stage. This step is one of the essential steps in creating a long term and successful relationship with customers. (Cohen, 1995) Introduction Introduction comprises of the company’s products, prices, placement etc. and what sort of products or services a company sells; essentially the background of the company and what it stands for. (Cohen, 1995) ASOS.com is a UK based website which is the largest online store for beauty and fashion products. It is only online, and it sells its own goods as well as branded goods. Sales have been on the rise since the company started, with profits before tax jumping from 15.7 million pounds to 30.3 million pounds in May 2012. The target market is mainly men and women between the ages of 18 and 34. ASOS headquarters is Camden Town, located in the North of London in a building called the Greater London House. It offers 500,000 product lines ranging from menswear, women’s wear, jewellery, beauty products, accessories and even footwear. The websites target not only UK though, they target other areas such as USA, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Spain and Australia as well and ships these products to many more countries from UK, which is its central distributor and origin and that is where the headquarters are located. A 2011 report shows that 13.6 million different visitors visit the website every month and there are registered users as well as active users and customers. The fulfillment centre for ASOS is in Yorkshire. ASOS was developed in 2000 in June and its founders are Quentin Griffiths and Nick Robertson . It is UK’s biggest retailer of fashion and beauty products online with more than 2000 employees. The acronym ASOS stands for ‘As seen on Screen’ and it changes stylistically to showcase the image of the brand. It has faced some issues as well, but overall the website has seen success stories. It also developed holdings in 2001 which became part of London Stock Exchange and 2006; it was also the pioneer of online stores launching a catwalk. In 2007, ASOS introduced its ASOS Magazine and it grew to become a lifestyle, and a store as well as launching a mobile and expanding to other areas and eventually opening a new office in Australia. One of the features that ASOS provides its customers is the facility of looking for content on their website with videos of catwalks and pictures and videos of the clothing items. It also runs a fashion blog simultaneously which have articles posted which are related to fashion and beauty topics; such as celebrities and their live s as well as entertaining news and the clothes which they are wearing and available on the site are then provided with links on the blog which leads customers to the main retail page. ASOS also has an outlet which is the discount portion of ASOS and the products that are coming at the end of a line or are from a previous season are at glorious discounts of up to 75%. It is connected to the main site and it is basically a competitor outlet with E-tailers and other discount stores. ASOS also provides the

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Impact of the Arab Spring Essay Example for Free

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Impact of the Arab Spring Essay The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is one type of trade bloc which called multilateral trade agreement where there is an agreement of multiple nations for coordination in specific fields. Also, GCC is known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG), and it was found in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 25th of May, 1981 by joining 6 states allowing coordination and integration between the member states in all fields. The countries who served as member states are United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Bahrain, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Sultanate of Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. GCC mainly acts as a regional cooperation system among the Gulf Arab States in order to response to challenges derived from the surrounding circumstances. For the background, the GCC was established mainly in order to act as a defensive measure because they perceived the threat of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). In additional, the variables those helped in facilitating the establishment of GCC were firstly the geographical proximity among the GCC member states. Secondly, the GCC states have very similarity in term of their social conditions, regulations and economic structures. Moreover, in economic, they mostly depend on the oil exporting, and they are known as the organization that controls almost half of the worlds oil reserves. The GCC has the total amount of oil reserves about 480 billion barrels and Natural gas of 1,030 tcf (trillion cubic feet). Therefore, they are the worlds most important energy source. The Headquarter of GCC located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and its official language is Arabic. The leader state of Supreme Council Presidency is United Arab Emirates and the Secretary General is Bahraini, Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al-Zayani. The total populations of member states are about 43. 5 million peoples. In additional, the total GDP of GCC was about US$ 940 billion in 2009, and the GDP per capita was about US$ 21,612. There are several basic objectives of the Gulf Cooperation Council. First of all, they aim to achieve unity among the member states by effecting in coordination, integration and inter-connection between them in all fields. Second, the GCC aims in both deepening and strengthening relationship between people of the GCC in order to create the links and areas of cooperation. The third objective is to formulate more similar regulations. The last objective is stimulating scientific and technological development in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources. Moreover, they aim to conduct scientific research, also establishing joint ventures and encouraging the cooperation by the private sector. Moreover, they aimed to achieve cooperation with several countries and even other economic integrations such as EU and EFTA. Next is the discussion about the overall picture of the GCC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. For their strengths, they are the worlds largest oil exporter and having ample oil reserves, so they achieve high international bargaining powers, also they are in a strong position within the cartel because they are the main OPEC producer. Their second important strength is the boosted growth and improvement of the non-oil sector and infrastructure resulted from recent oil price boom. Moreover, their increasing number of population made a solid domestic demand for goods/services and infrastructure. And geographically, the member states are the well places for FDI in the region. For the weaknesses, the GCC is home to several violent Islamist groups and as they mostly depend on oil, so it means that their growth, exports and government revenue remain highly risk to the shifts in world oil prices. Moreover, their education system is not met the needs of the private sector and there are likely ongoing political obstacles. For the opportunities, the first one is there are more opening up to a wider range of political views of media. Second, there is slower growth and lower liquidity will bring inflation down domestically, cushioning the impact of the consumer slowdown. Third, the joining the WTO and pursuing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, China-GCC FTA, GCC Singapore FTA and GCC EFTA FTA mean liberalization will continue. For the threats, the GCC will be risk if there are any attacks on oil facilities which could lead to a disruption of output, which would be extremely harm to the overall economy because they given the reliance on this sector a lot. The second threat is some investors could be interrupted by perceptions about high security risk and high political risk which could result in increasing costs of insurance. There were several successes and failures of GCC. For their successes, it has been credited with successes that surprised even its members in a variety of issue-areas. Economically, the GCC is known as one of the most powerful organization among trade groups. For example politically, with the performance of the politically homogeneous GCC, is regularly mentioned as the most accomplished among the sub-regional institutions attempted in the Middle East. For example, the boundary demarcation crisis between Bahrain vs. Qatar (1982-1995), the GCC intervention at that time act as a primary cause of success in stop the crisis. For the failure, the GCC still failed to meet the pre-requirements to establish a monetary union in 2010 due to the GCC economies are oil dependent, have little intra-trade between members, lack convergence in macroeconomic fundamentals, and lack synchronization in business cycles. Arab Spring is a sequence of anti-government uprisings in various countries in North Africa and the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia in Dec. 2010. The main reason is to put an end to government oppression, corruption and incompetence. For the impact of the Arab Spring, there are the political changes, and then everywhere facing Arab Spring is in uncertain condition. The second impact is the need of finance support for reconstruction oil-importing countries, however the economies of the MENA oil-exporting countries, (including some GCC members-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,), are forecast to expand by 4. 9% in 2011, but those of the region’s oil importers are expected to grow by less than 2%. For the international response, the killing of civilians by Arab Spring governments drew strong protests by the United Nations and adverse reports by its agencies for example, Libyan civil war between the forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafis government and the anti-Gaddafi forces. Therefore, the biggest threat to business conditions in the GCC is the Political unrest in MENA, but the impact of â€Å"Arab Spring† is seen more positively than last May, both in the short term and the long term. In conclusion, the Gulf Cooperation Council even is in the competitive position in controlling the most important energy source in the world and has several international agreements which could create huge opportunities, but they are still facing several problems such as political problem, protesting, and impact from global economic crisis. Therefore, the carefully effective strategic plans and movements are still highly required.

The Amazing Truths about Fireworks Essay Example for Free

The Amazing Truths about Fireworks Essay Have you ever imagined celebrating holidays such as Fourth of July and Independence Day without beautiful, dynamic colors of fireworks to watch in the sky? Does the enjoyment you feel and the essence of the holidays would be lessen if you loss the delight of watching beautifully designed sparks in the heavens? Many of you may say that fireworks is something you do not want to miss watching on during big events but some may also say that there is nothing that they will miss if fireworks is not present in some occasions. It is true to say that here in Illinois fireworks is a big part of celebrations, more particularly Independence Day because there is nothing symbolizes the nation’s Independence Day like fireworks. But nowadays, some fireworks are prohibited in Illinois and the only allowed fireworks are the fireworks that were classified as Class C or what is called â€Å"Consumer† fireworks. Examples of Class C fireworks are cone fountains, cylindrical fountains, roman candles, sky rockets, firecrackers, mines and shells, helicopter-type rockets, certain sparklers and revolving wheels. Every state in the US has regulating laws regarding the sale and use fireworks. Some states are totally prohibiting all the private use of fireworks. On the other hand, in Illinois, in order for you to buy and light up fireworks, you have to first secure the permit just like if you have car, you must have a driver’s license. Many citizens reacted on this. They have different reactions. Some are asking why they need to get a permit just to light a sky rocket, for example. The reason for these laws is for the security of the people’s health. But statistics show that one may be killed 94. 11% in ice skating than to be injured using fireworks. Injuries that happen by using fireworks can be avoided if we follow simple safety precautions according to the people who want fireworks to be legalized. But what they miss out is that fireworks is not just about accidents it may bring but also it can cause health problems such as chronic bronchitis, common cold, allergic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, sinusitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), emphysema, rhinitis, pneumonia and laryngitis. Now, that we are informed that fireworks can bring sickness to us, I assume that every one of you knows why Illinois and other states prohibit the use and sell of fireworks. Citizens of Illinois are lucky enough, compared to those in Iowa because the only permitted fireworks there are fire or wood stick sparklers, to enjoy using â€Å"consumer† fireworks by securing the permit first because people would not probably want to take risk of getting caught by the fire chiefs. So, lets us not just think about the amazing sight fireworks can bring but also we should take into consideration that fireworks are harmful to our health. Thus, obeying laws imposed upon to the state by our government should be practice because government cares for us citizens. Works Cited Aldritt, Corey. Get your fireworks — legally. Iowa State Daily. com 28 June 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://media. www. iowastatedaily. com/media/storage/paper818/news/2007/06/28/4thOfJuly/Get-Your. Fireworks. 8212. Legally-2919108. shtml Fireworks Laws and Safety Tips. FindLaw. Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://commonlaw. findlaw. com/2008/07/fireworks-laws. html Harmful Effects of Crackers Fireworks ¬ 3 October 2007. Eonecon Foundation. Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://www. eonecon. org/blog/2007/harmful-effects-of-crackers-fireworks/ Hessedal, Kelly. Fireworks laws change in Illinois. NEWS QWAD. com Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://www. wqad. com/Global/story. asp? S=5052267

Market analysis and business plan for a gym

Market analysis and business plan for a gym Stayfit gym is a privately owned business which is positioned at 15 Menai Road, Menai. The estimated opening date is August 2010. The establishing business, Stayfit gym is dedicated to provide the best personal fitness service. The mission is to offer the general public with the willpower to set reachable goals and to reach ultimate health and fitness level. The business will take a holistic approach to lifestyle, health and fitness management and work around the clock to provide the public with practical and innovative fitness programs that flexibly put together into busy lifestyles. Stayfit gym will include of 1-20 employees making it to be a small business. Stayfit gym will be registered as a sole trader ownership (Maroutcha Hadwan) meaning it is an incorporated business with one owner. The owner is responsible for all decisions made within the business and is able to retain all profits. Funding for the business is through the owners equity and money and money borrowed from financial institutions. An advantage of a sole trader is that all profits go to the one person; unlike a partnership the profits made are split evenly between all partners in the business. The risks in opening this business as a sole trader are that the owner of the business is personally responsible for the debt incurred by the business (unlimited liability). In the event that the business is unable to meet its financial obligations, the owner must take responsibility for finding funds to pay off all debts, the owners personal assets are all at risk of the business does not succeed. Purpose of Plan Planning is important to guide the business, the purpose of this business plan of that it gives clear direction for the future of Stayfit gym, it also increases awareness of opportunities arising in further future growth. It helps the business prevent failure and to achieve goals. Stayfit gym holds many different goals such as: personal, social, and financial which consist of the following goals: Personal Goals: Upholding a good image Being a sole trader (being their own boss) Satisfaction from your work Social Goals: Helping the general public improve their fitness To help children over come obesity Financial Goals: Gaining maximum wealth Making a great profit Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis provides the business with an opportunity to examine the strengths and weaknesses Stayfit Gym must address. It also allows the business to examine the opportunities presented to Stayfit Gym as well as possible threats. Strengths Weakness Knowledgeable and friendly staff Top of the line equipment Flexible operating hours Complementary service Womens room Free parking for all gym members Childminding Newness Viable workers may leave the gym Membership fees High health care costs Poor brand image High staff turnover Opportunities Threats Opening more gyms in the future Growing population interested in fitness Buy out a competitor Growing economy Increasing high health conscious population New exercise trends New government health care regulations Decease in the number of competitors Declining economy Local competitors Change in government regulations Equipment shortage Decreasing local population Competitors Analysis The three main competitors for Stayfit Gym are: Fitness First Miranda Goodlife Gym Menai Contours Ilawong Fitness First As fitness first being a well known Gym nationwide, it then has the major influence on Stayfit Gym. As Fitness First being the main competitor because they can offer better prices and more services, product and have more capital behind them and are able to take more risks than a newly established Gym like Stayfit. An advantage for Stayfit Gym is that Fitness First doesnt not offer flexible contracts, like Stayfit Gym, as for example at Syatfit Gym we do not charge joining fees, as for fitness first do. Goodlife Gym Goodlife Gym is another competitor which also has an influence on Stayfit Gym for it being located nearby. It also influences Stayfit Gym as it is well known in the area, and has been open for a long period of time. This gives a reason why Stayfit Gym offers better and suitable pricing which will benefit those who are willing to lose weight for an affordable price. Contours Like any other competitor, Contours is also well known throughout Australia, as well as the local community. Unlike Fitness First, and Goodlife Gym, Contours is a circuit gym as well as an all ladies gym, this being one their weaknesses which benefits Stayfit Gym. Although, Contours offers those women who are not confident and comfortable working out in front of men the luxury and comfort to work out, this strength is a major disadvantage towards Stayfit Gym as the majority of women may prefer this environment. Market Analysis Stayfit offers everyone, no matter your age, anyone looking to loose weight; anyone looking to get fit, and anyone looking to stay fit! With Australia being the fattest nation on earth there is an ever more increasing need for easily accessible gyms with these facilities like Stayfit Gym who target and encourages people to exercise and get fit, as well as the opportunity to have fun. As the main aim of this business is to overcome obesity, Stayfit Gym mainly targets those who are overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. Statistics show that the main reason why Australias decided to join a gym and take over a healthy life style is to loose weight and this is shown in the table below. For further information visit the following website: http://www.executiveresults.com.au/health-and-fitness-statistics.cfm The Marketing Mix Product Price Stayfit Gym aims to provide top quality and safe equipment, which benefit members in weight loss. Stayfit Gym offers penetration and a discount pricing, as it is competing with other gyms who offer the same facilities and services as Stayfit Gym but for a better price. Discount pricing is offered for those who are students, and off-peak gym use, the prices reflect the quality of the equipment and service. Place Promotion The upcoming Gym will be located on 15 Menai Road, Menai. The population of this community has grown by 5% each year for the past three years, giving Stayfit Gym a better opportunity to gain more members of the public and customers to join and become apart of the Stayfit family. Stayfit Gym works to promote there services throughout advertising ads on local billboards, handing out flyers also by setting up stands in local centres. Stayfit also wishes to promote their gym through T.V commercials as well as radio broadcasting. Market Segmentation The market segmentations for Stayfit Gym customer consists of the following geographic, demographic and behavioural factors: Geographical The immediate target region of Stayfit Gym is Menai, Illawong, and Alfords Point. As the population of these areas continue to increase, this will have a positive impact towards Stayfit. Demographic Stayfit Gym targets both males and females from 15years and over. Income range of $35,000 $75,000. Behavioural Recognises that they need to improve their fitness Those who have recognised that they need to lose weight Those who are willing to enjoy extreme sport Marketing Strategies and Objectives Marketing Objective Marketing Strategy Overtake competitors Keep an update competitor profile Offer better pricing to the public (6months) Price level Maintain a price level lower than competitors as then it will be harder for the competitor (4months) Discounts Offer a range of discounts (9months) Online access to the gym To build up an online website of the gym which will be easy for the members to access and also helps promote the business. (2months) Equipment To provide the gym with more equipment, and to improve facilities(12months) Sales Force Employ telemarketing staff (13months) Product Analysis Stayfit Gym provides individuals with the opportunity to exceed their fitness expectations, which are delivered through expert coaching, high-quality equipment, convenient scheduling and great exercise programs. The equipment division of Stayfit Gym offer the largest range of quality fitness equipment from the worlds leading brands, including: Technogym Cybex Precor Zest Life Fitness Equipment Positives Negatives Cardio Treadmills Elliptical cross-trainers Exercise bikes Stair climbers Summit trainers Having a different range and variety of cardio equipment benefits Stayfit Gym, as having more facilities available for the public will then attract more people to join Stayfit. A negative of cardio equipment is that when equipment brakes or is miss used, also safety issues, for example: falling off equipment, this can give a bad reputation for Stayfit. Strength Chest press Biceps press Triceps press Shoulder press Bench press Lateral chest press Leg press Dumbbells Torso rotation Chin dip Iso glute Lateral chess press Vertical Ab trainer Rower Having a wide range of strengthening facilities will also have a great benefit on Stayfit as other Gyms may not have the same equipment available. A negative of strengthening facilities is that when one equipment brakes or is miss used, also safety issues, for example: falling off equipment, this can give a bad reputation for Stayfit. Objectives and strategies Stayfits primary goal is to create a community committed to best functional fitness. Objectives Strategies Our monthly objective is to generate at least 20 new members. This will be done through advertising Stayfit, also free weekly trials of the gym and Stayfit aims to open and run a facility at full capacity within the first year with 150-200 members. This will be carried out by providing new members better opportunities and pricing. Better membership deals by the second year of operations Offering on-peak and off-peak membership, this will be better for people who want to use the gym during hours when not busy. For example, during the day when school kids are at school. To franchise Stayfit in other areas towards the further future This will be done by upholding the right image and keep a good reputation for Stayfit. To make people fit and healthy! This will be done through providing the right exercises, staff and classes that will help the general public stay fit and healthy. To make profit and pay off all debts within 1st two years of opening This will be done by having more members entering the Gym, and with that money Stayfit will then be able to payoff debt More classes available by 6 months of operations (zumba, urban dance, and etc) By hiring staff that are able to carry out these classes. Provide the only fitness facility truly dedicated to solving the fitness needs of our customers This will be done through providing the highest quality equipment available, constantly keeping our staff up to date on certifications, providing a clean and crowd-free gym. Description of product/service At Stayfit Gym we provide you with comfortable surroundings, with the latest facilities and equipment to facilitate your training and exercise needs. Stayfit also aim ensure that the members receive a fantastic exercise experience. Stayfit aims to provide the following classes/sessions free weights, kickboxing, personal training, cardiovascular, and group cycling; we also offer professional instruction, well-balanced and enjoyable workouts which focus upon strength gain, aerobic conditioning, weight loss and increasing fitness levels. Stayfit Gym also provides a womens only room, including both cardio and strengthening equipment. Stayfit Gym also provides childminding, for those who have young children and want to achieve the ideal fitness levels. Our services are directed at maximizing your health and fitness levels in a safe, productive and exciting environment to give you a fantastic health and fitness experience. We also offer a range of drinks to freshen in between workouts, towels; also a wide range of protein shakes and supplements, Stayfit also offers free and convenient private parking for all members of the gym. Pricing NO joining fees or administration fees! Free weekly trial pass for new members! $590 12 Months up front $590 12 Months off peak $540 6 months $350 3mothns $220 1month $75 10 day gym pass $60 Casual Visit $10 10% Discount for students Under 18 years old Trading Hours Monday to Friday 5am 10pm Saturday 7am 7pm Sunday Public Holidays 8am 5pm Workout Timetable Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 6.00am Body Pump Body Balance Body Pump Fat Burner 7.00am Body Attack Body Combat Body Balance Spin 9.00am Spin 1.00pm Spin Body Combat Fat Burner Body Pump Body Attack 3.00pm Kick Boxing Kick Boxing 5.00pm Fat Burner Body Balance Body Attack 7.00pm Kick Boxing Body Pump Spin Session/Class timetable available for members and general public: Class Description Body Pump Non-impact class created to shape and tone the entire body, using weights and barbells. Body Attack High intensity strength, aerobics and stabilization exercises. Fat Burner Standard high energy aerobic exercise. Body Combat aerobics based on a variety of exercises, such as: Tai Chi, Karate, Boxing and Taekwondo. Spin Calorie and fat burner cycling exercise. Body Balance A class combining Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Kick Boxing Circuit kick boxing, using high energy boxing techniques and stations. For those who are members of Stayfit Gym all classes are free, and for those who wish to take part of these classes pay $5 per class. Staffing Requirements The manager, who will also be the owner of Stayfit Gym (Maroutcha Hadwan), will be qualified to hold the following certificates: Certificate in Fitness Certificate in Personal Training First Aid Certificate Diploma in Fitness It is preferred that the manager has prior experience in field, as Stayfit Gym is dedicated to provide a diverse range of programs suitable for all people. Job Title Quantity Skills, Qualifications and Experiences Receptionist 1 Computer skills Communication skills Social skills First Aid Certificate Child minding 2 At least 2 years experience prior too Certificate in child care Certificate in First Aid Personal trainers 7 First Aid Certificate Communication skills Certificate in fitness Certificate in Personal Training Specialized in karate Specialized in boxing Specialized in aerobics Specialized in cycling Specialized in body building Must have at least a year experience prior to working at Stayfit Gym, as we are dedicated to provide the public with the best of our ability. Dieticians 2 First Aid Certificate Must have at least 1-2 years experience Certificate in dietician Spotters 9 First Aid Certificate Specialized in Yoga Specialized in Pilates Specialized in Tai Chi Specialized in cycling Certificate in fitness Social skills Must have at least a year experience Financial Forecasts Revenue Statement for Stayfit Gym Pty Ltd For the period ending 01/08/2011 Cash Flow Statements Cash Flow Statement for Stayfit Gym Pty Ltd From period ended 01/08/2012 Opening Cash Balance $415,000.00 This projected cash flow statement shows that this upcoming business will be Surplus, as of the period ended 2012 whereas the closing chase balance was a greater amount of money than the opening cash balance. Critically Review of the Plan and Process Throughout this business task I managed to meet all deadlines and make sure everything was up to date. My weaknesses throughout this assignment was the Market Analysis and Financial Forecast, where as I was unsure how to complete both sections. In relation to Market Analysis, I feel that I havent covered all sections in this heading. For financial forecast I first started of with balance sheet, but i was unable to complete this section as my balance sheet was not balanced so I then chose to complete the cash flow statement and revenue statement, I also struggled to completed these two finical records. Overall my progress within this assignment was satisfactory, and I am happy with my overall work, as I never knew I was capable to completing this task meeting the criteria. Index Description of Business Ownership 2 Purpose of Plan 3 Situation Analysis 4-9 Swot Analysis 4 Competitor Analysis 5 Market Analysis 6 -8 Product Analysis 9 Objectives and Strategies 10 Description of Product/Service 10 -11 Pricing 11 Trading Hours 11 Class Timetable 12 Staffing Requirements 13 Financial Forecasts 14 15 Revenue Statement 14 Cash Flow Statement 15 Critically Review of Plan and Process 16

Illegalization of Flag Burning Violates the First Constitutional Amendment :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Illegalization of Flag Burning Violates the First Constitutional Amendment When making flag burning illegal you have to wonder what our lawmakers were thinking. It was clearly not about the First Amendment in which American’s right to free speech is protected. Desecrating a flag is guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, however unpatriotic that may be. It is impossible to draw the line of where desecration begins. What about those that let our sacred symbol touch the ground, a clear violation of respect, do we punish them too? This proposed law is un-American and will only lead to furious citizens exercising their born rights. In 2000, a flag protection amendment was proposed, the statue contained harsh penalties, with fines up to 250, 000 dollars and two years jail time requested. Amendment â€Å"remove freedom† was defeated in the senate by a 36 to 64 vote, 64 people were looking out for our freedom. Laws like this would allow Congress to engage in â€Å"thought control†. Allowing a flag burning amendment to pass is letting Congress determine what is acceptable considering free speech. Surely this law will provoke more than it will help. It is believed, on average, that seven flags are burned a year, and in fact Professor Robert Justin Goldtein documented that only 45 flags were burned in the past 200 years. Seven will multiply if Americans think their rights are being curtailed. During Prohibition, a time when alcohol consumption was outlawed, nearly 30, 000 illegal and secret saloons were started in New York City. This shows that when rights are taken away Americans won’t stop, flag burning won’t cease either with an amendment. Boy Scouts burn flags when retiring them. How can a flag burning law determine just were to draw the desecration line? The amendment would have to detailed guidelines that punished only the protesters. Burning a flag would only become a crime when the thoughts attached to the act are offensive: or forefathers believed free speech to be one of our most necessary rights.

Essay --

When you knew how to speak, what was your first word ? It is Mom. We have grown up in the arms of our mothers. We have grown up in the great love of our mothers. No one loves us like our mothers, no one is willing to sacrifice everything for us like our mothers. If someone asks you â€Å"Who is the best woman in your life ?†, I bet you will say it is your mother. And if someone asks me like that, my answer also is my mother. With me, my mother is the best woman in the world. No one can replace her in my heart. I admire my mother, I don't know why she is always busy with daily chores, taking care of my family but she never say she is tired. Every day, she is the first person in my family, who wakes up very early. Then, she makes breakfast for my family. When my father goes to work, I go to school, my mother stays home and does all the daily chores. When my father and I come home, there is always a delicious dinner, which is waiting for us. After the dinner, my mom washes the dishes. Sometimes, I ask her to help, but she says: â€Å"It is fine, you should go upstairs and do your homework†. Mo...

Kant Moral Law Theory Essay

â€Å"Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. † – Kant (1788), pp, 193, 259 Immanuel Kant introduced and initiated his ‘moral law theory’ in the late 18th century. The doctrine in question sought to establish and constitute a supreme or absolute principle of morality. Kant disputes the existence of an ‘ethical system’, whereby moral obligations are obligations of ‘purpose’ or ‘reason’. The accuracy of actions [i. e. the rightness or wrongness of an individual deed] is determined by its configuration and conformity with regard to ‘moral law’. Evidently, according to Kant, an immoral transaction is invariably contemplated as an illogical or unreasonable occurrence or action. The supreme moral principle is a consistent â€Å"working criterion† that proves to be â€Å"practically helpful and theoretically enlightening† when used by rational agents as a guide for making personal choices (Kant VI). A supreme guiding moral principle must carry with it an absolute necessity and be done out of duty to the moral law in order to be free from corruption. Kant believed in a fair and impartial law. He accredited and affirmed the presence of an objective moral law that we, as humans, were/are able to identify with through the process of reasoning. Kant argued that we are able to recognise and distinguish moral law, without making reference to the possible consequence or outcome. Immanuel Kant declared a differentiation between statements [i.e. posteriori and priori] that he believed to coincide with moral law. A posteriori statement is one that is based on experience of the material world. In opposition, a priori statement requires no such knowledge; it is known independent of the phenomenal world. Furthermore, Kant continued to make additional distinctions with regard to analytic and synthetic statements. An analytic statement, he claims, is one that by its very nature is necessarily true, as the predicate is included within the definition of the subject. Example: – [â€Å"all squares have four sides†]. The previous statement is of an analytic nature, as the predicate, i. e. the square having four sides, is implicit and is part of the definition of the subject – [â€Å"square†]. An analytic statement is necessarily true – true by its own authority, and is purely explicative, as it tells us nothing new about the subject. In contrast, a synthetic statement is one in which the predicate is not included in the definition of the subject, and thus is not necessarily true. A synthetic statement also tells us something new about the subject. Prior to Kant, it was widely accepted that there were only two types of statement: a priori analytic and a posteriori synthetic. Kant accepted these two statements although believed there to be a third: a priori synthetic statement. These are statements that are known independent of experience that may or may not be true. Kant claimed that these priori synthetic principles are inherent within us and therefore subsequently form the basis of all moral decision making. Kant’s theory is based on and is primarily concerned with the aspect of ‘duty’. Kant believed and promoted the notion that to act morally is one’s ‘duty’, and one’s ‘duty’ is to act and proceed in accordance to the principles of moral law. Due to this, Kant’s theory is categorised and distinguished as a ‘deontological argument’. A deontological theory is one that maintains the moral rightness or wrongness of an action and depends on its fundamental qualities, and is independent of the nature of its consequence – â€Å"Duty for duty’s sake†. This perspective can be viewed in contrast to the beliefs and ‘rules’ associated and belonging to teleological arguments, i. e. utilitarianism. Immanuel Kant argued that moral requirements are based on a standard of rationality he dubbed the â€Å"Categorical Imperative. The categorical imperative has derived from the initial belief and notion that humans base their moral judgment on pure reason alone. This view can be viewed in contrast to a ‘morality theory’, which assumed/s that human’s actions are guided by emotions or desires. Example: When deciding what I ought to say to a friend who is distraught. Rationale would dictate that I give sensible advice, whereas my emotions may impulsively tell me to give comfort and sympathy. The categorical imperative declares and differentiates between obligatory and forbidden actions, and places further emphasis on the notion of ‘duty’. This statement can be strengthened through the following quotation – [â€Å"All in imperatives command either hypothetically or categorically†¦ If the action would be good simply as a means to something else, then the imperative is hypothetical; but if the action is represented as a good in itself†¦ then the imperative is categorical. †]. Example: If someone tells me that they will buy me dinner if I give them a lift into town, then this is a conditional action and would fall into the hypothetical imperative category. Conversely, if I think that I should give my friend a lift into town with no other agenda (i. e. she will not buy me dinner because of it), then this is a categorical imperative because it is independent of my interest and could apply to other people as well as myself. There are three principles of the categorical imperative: * Universal law; * Treat humans as ends in themselves; * Act as if you live in a kingdom of ends. 1. The categorical imperative is [â€Å"Do not act on any principle that cannot be universalised†]. In other words, moral laws must be applied in all situations and all rational beings universally, without exception. 2. [â€Å"Act that you treat humanity, both in your own person and in the person of every other human being, never merely as a means, but always at the time as an end. †] – The previous statement declares that we must never treat people as means to an end. You can never use human beings for another purpose, to exploit or enslave them. Humans are rational and the highest point of creation, and so demand unique treatment. 3. The quotation [â€Å"So act as if you were through your maxim a law-making member of a Kingdom of ends†] states Kant’s belief in the fact that humans should behave as though every other individual was an ‘end’. In conclusion, it is arguable that the categorical imperative possesses a sense of authority with regard to what actions are permitted and forbidden under Kant’s moral law theory.

Price Elasticity of Demand

The demand for corn as an ingredient for an alternative energy source has had a profound effect on its supply as a core food ingredient. So, what has been the effect on the supply of corn and its substitute such as the soybean? The answer can be found by examining the five demand determinants and five supply determinants to see which ones will shift demand and supply. The demand determinants are known as T-I-P-E-N, which stands for Taste of preference, Income, Price of complements and substitutes, Expectation of consumer, and Number of buyers in the market. The supply determinants are known as P-R-E-S-T, which stands for Producers (number of), Resource price, Expectation of business, Subsidies and taxes, and Technology. The farming industry has had to ramp up production of corn to satisfy the demand that was caused by the increase in the number of buyers. More buyers will generate more income, so most likely farmland will be used to produce more corn. The determinants of Number of buyers and Income are responsible for this demand shift. The land available for soybean crops will decrease, resulting in a reduction of supply. This supply shift is the result of Producers (number of). What will the effect of these shifts have on the price of corn oil? As the production of corn used for energy alternatives is increased, the available production for other corn products such as corn oil will obviously decrease. Less production will mean a decrease in corn oil supply. Because of a consistent demand for the product, the price will increase due to the lower supply. The demand determinant of Expectation and the supply determinant of Producers (number of) will govern this shift. The only way to modify the shift and keep prices from increasing would be to develop the supply determinant of Technology to overcome the decreased production capacity. In what way does the price elasticity of demand for corn oil influence the quantity-demanded of corn oil and the Total Revenue earned by sellers of corn oil? The answers can be found by referring to the characteristics of a typical demand curve. Price and quantity demanded move in opposite directions. When the quantity demanded falls, the price of a commodity such as corn oil will rise. When the quantity demanded increases, the price of the commodity will fall. The total revenue of sellers of corn oil will increase and decrease in correlation with the quantity demanded due to the supply determinant of Resource price and the demand determinant of Number of buyers. With the information presented thus far, it is interesting to note that a unique shift in the corn and corn substitute market will be occurring in the near future. According to a Bloomberg Businessweek article (McFeron, May 2011) the inventories of produced corn and soybean for this year will be much larger than expected. Therefore, the prices will fall as concerns of the public are eased. This is the shift of the demand determinant Expectation of consumer. Soybean inventories are also much larger for the coming year than expected. References McFeron, Whitney, (May 11, 2011) Bloomberg Businessweek,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Corn, Wheat, Soybeans Drop as USDA Supply Outlook Tops Forecasts†, retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-11/corn-wheat-soybeans-drop-as-usda-supply-outlook-tops-forecasts.html Price Elasticity of Demand Price Elasticity of Demand is used to measure the responsiveness of the quantity demanded to the change in price. It is measured by the percentage of change in quantity over the percent change in price [% ? in quantity demanded/ % ? in price]. Price elasticity of demand (PED) does not have any units as all the units cancel out while calculating it. Also,  ¦PED ¦ is usually negative because the value of quantity demanded will always be inverse to its price (i. e. when price gets high, quantity demanded decreases and vice versa).This is also a reason why  ¦PED ¦ is written as an absolute value. When the value of PED is more than 1, it is a relatively more elastic demand, when equals to 1, it is unit elastic and when less than 1, the demand becomes inelastic. The slope of a demand curve cannot indicate the PED because the slope and elasticity are two different concepts. Slope measures the steepness and flatness of the curve and give units of price and quantity at a point. On the other hand price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of quantity to the changes in price.In a demand curve, the slope decreases by a constant unit while In PED, elasticity is different at each point. As shown in the picture above, PED changes at every point. At the change in quantity from 2. 5 to 3, and change in price from 15 to 14, the PED is  ¦2. 64 ¦ while at the change in quantity from 7 to 7. 5, and change in price from 6 to 5, the PED is  ¦0. 38 ¦. On the other hand, while seeing the slope of the line, it is changing by 2 units throughout.This shows that while the slope remains constant, the elasticity keeps varying on the curve. This is also one of the reasons that elasticity is relatively more elastic on the upper portion of the demand curve compared to the lower portion of the curve which gradually gets perfectly inelastic when the demand curve intersects the horizontal axis. Thus, the frequent change in elasticity at every point and the slope being c onstant determines that the slope of the demand curve cannot indicate Price Elasticity of Demand.

Economic comment Essay

Interest rates are proportionate to credit quality and it shows the ability of the investor to pay at any given circumstance. World economic conditions vary by geography and country and the nature of inflation and deflation influences interest rates. Interest rate is also determined by the government through its enactment of public policy called interest rate subsidy (Montalbano, 6). Interest rate term structures evidences how they are determined by future expectations of the value money. However in the absences of the aforementioned determinants, interest rates are determined by the supply and demand for funds. 2. Interest is the premium paid for use of borrowed money. The interest for loans is usually fixed for a certain number of years after which if there is delay in payment the interest rate adjusts upwardly each year. The value of dollar can increase or decrease depending on the supply and demand imbalance. However, lending of money is associated with risks as the lender can not be certain whether or not the borrower will pay the money back. In order for the lender to reduce the risks, it is important to secure the loan with a physical property such as real estate. Additionally, examining of one’s ability to pay back the money by use of credit score range can help reduce the risks of lending. 3. Interest rates are also determined by the supply and the demands for funds. This shows that at whatever rate of borrowing, the borrower believes he/she has borrowed at the lowest rate and he/she can even provide higher interest rates on the same funds (Montalbano, 12). On the other hand, the lender believes the funds cannot be lent at a higher rate and there is certainty to receive interest and return of principal. Works Cited Montalbano, J. How are interest rates determined? 201. Viewed August 14 2010 from

Are Modern Sitcoms Too Controversial

With today’s society being much more open and accepting about many different topics, the material content used as entertainment in many comedies is becoming more and more controversial. Popular television shows such as Absolutely Fabulous, Family Guy and American Dad! are consistently proving that jokes focusing on risque topics such as abortion, religion, alcohol and drug abuse, sexism, racism and even the subject of disabilities are more entertaining and therefore, despite some audiences watching these shows in horror, they are becoming more and more socially acceptable. Entertainment of the past was rather held back when compared to what is on television today. This raises the question, are modern comedy sitcoms too controversial? In 1992, the BBC aired the British comedy Absolutely Fabulous, introducing viewers to two of the most self-indulgent and irresponsible women to have ever graced our television screens. This show which was created by the wonderful Jennifer Saunders, focused on two champagne-swigging, chain-smoking, outrageously past-their-prime characters – Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone. These two characters made popping pills, drink driving and harassing Edina’s straight laced daughter a regular occurrence. Socially, if these characters were â€Å"real people†, their crazy antics would not be accepted within today’s society. This hilarious show however, has won its creator two BAFTA awards, seven Emmy awards and three British Comedy Awards (The Coffee Junkie, WordPress: 2010). Animated comedy’s controversial material as exemplified by Family Guy and American Dad! both of which were created by Seth Macfarlane, continue to push the boundaries due to the profanities, animated nudity, racism, sexism, Nazism, violence, abortion and almost every other risque topic one could possibly think of, referenced in these shows. Family Guy is one of the most controversial television shows currently on the air, and due to the nature of its material, complaints were made resulting in the show being cancelled. This show was cancelled not once however, but twice. Family Guy has been subject to much criticism, especially over its handling of sensitive issues such as HIV / AIDS and Down Syndrome, however, after extremely strong petitioning from such a large fan base, TV Executives put the show back on air, not wanting to risk losing such a large following. The result of this then provides the evidence that offensive humour is the key to a modern comedy’s success. Entertainment of the past has dramatically been transformed to suit the tastes of today’s audience. Creators are favouring television shows which constantly push the boundaries of political correctness. Society, it appears, is now more than happy to welcome this extremely cheeky form of entertainment into their homes. Gone are the days of sitting around the coffee table with TV dinners on your lap, watching shows such as Family Ties or Full House with the entire family. So the question, once again, has been raised as to whether comedy sitcoms are too controversial and in this day and age, it would seem that to find this form of humour offensive is considered prudish. In order to succeed, one must be at least one step ahead. Therefore, with society’s views on such topics easing up, entertainment must change as well. These shows may be extremely controversial, and will continue to be so. Just keep in mind that a good laugh has never done anyone any harm.