Importance and Impact of Global Institutions Assignment

Importance and Impact of Global Institutions - Assignment Example Global institutions also play a vital role in protecting the environment such as by facilitating the signing of treaties to protect the environment. The UNEP, a branch of the UN, concerns itself with matters environmental protection, warns the human race of deteriorating environmental state (as evidenced by phenomenon such as global warming), and teaches on ways of conserving the environment for future generations. On the social front, organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been instrumental in funding social projects (such as availing water to poor communities and providing relief in form of food and medicine to the less fortunate like refugees) aimed at enhancing human lives. Global institutions equally play great roles in stabilizing world economies and the economies of the regions in which they operate. The WB and the IMF are particularly known to inject (bailout/ loan) massive amounts of cash into struggling economies that can barely afford to look after their citizens with what they have. These institutions, together with world governments, endeavor towards the eradication of hunger and poverty, initiating global partnerships that spur growth, promoting gender equality and empowering women for development, attaining universal primary education, enhancing maternal health, reducing child mortality, fighting disease (that lowers economic potential of economies) and facilitating stable environments for business. These goals aid in the economic growth of an area and the world at large and are especially important for the developing world.

Kobe Bryant and Lebron James Essay Example for Free

Kobe Bryant and Lebron James Essay Introduction In today’s world whenever somebody talks about the most favourite players then Kobe Bryant and Lebron James come on the top of the list just because of their remarkable performances and their young age achievements. They both have started their sports career from the school age and then they excelled in their respective sports of basketball. They both play for American National Basketball Association (NBA). Kobe Bryant plays as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and Lebron James plays for the Miami Heat. Lebron James also referred as a King James just because of his moves and his utmost versatility in basketball. Who is better Leader? It is really difficult to entitle one of them as a better player than other because both players have their separate recognition in the world of basketball. They both play as the backbone for their teams. Well if we look in the last season of sports then we will definitely find some remarkable knocks from the Lebron James. Lebron strived a lot in last season and struggled a lot with his teammates to turn the really hard matches into easy victories. Although, Kobe has great understanding with his teammates and his manager but sometimes due to the short temperedness he losses control on his tempo and takes some wrong moves that eventually count very negative impact on scoreboards. Trudell, (2012) defines â€Å"on the contrary Lebron has great quality to work with his teammates and lead them from the front†. This leading quality differentiates Lebron from Kobe to a greater extent and it also contributes towards his match wining performances as well. Key Differences between them They both are simply perfect in their teams. It is really hard to find any difference between these two worlds recognised players. There are following differences between them: Style of playing Both players have marvellous style in on screen and off screen. If we try to elaborate their style in the court then we will definitely come up with the opinion that Lebron always prefers to play in very defensive mode while maintaining the decorum of the game. On the contrary Kobe tries to be bit aggressive during the match and if he finds any injury in opponent player then he will turn that injury as a great weakness of the opponent team. Trudell (2012) cleared that â€Å"Lebron has more humanitarian attitude towards game†. Team Individual performance When we talk about the Lebron then we observe that he takes his team member along in entire match but when it comes about the Kobe then he always prefer to have individualistic approach to prove his abilities and skills and try to prove himself as a single shining moon on a sky (Armstrong, 2007). Past Performance They both are highly sincere with their profession and in the court they are perfect players. If we consider the rating of both players then we will clearly find that Kobe stands higher then the Lebron, his rating is 4.0/5 on the world ranking chart on the other hand the Lebron rating is 3.7/5. These ratings clearly differentiate their style of playing and their performance in past couple of years. William (2010) once said, â€Å"Although, it is fact that Kobe started his career in 1996 that is far earlier than the Lebron, so his efforts and his performances are better then Lebron in all aspects. They both meet their audiences’ expectations all the time by performing their best†. Who is better Player? On the basis of individual approach and stamina we can say that Kobe has better understanding towards game and he can all alone give very tough time to the opponents. Only on this basis we cannot degrade the Lebron because it is a fact that Lebron is playing really well nowadays and he has proved that he can make his team motivated enough to turn all the hard and tough situations in to their favour (Armstrong, 2007). Lebron never appeared in any kind of team distracting drama due to his friendly and kind behaviour on the contrary Kobe has been caught several times in these kinds of issues that have created very negative impact on his gaming personality. Audience Support for both players When we talk about the audience support then obviously time always matter. Since Kobe is older player than Lebron that is why his fan following is comparatively greater than the Lebron. If we look to the vote board then we will find that audience always prefer to vote the Kobe just because of his better style of playing and shooting against the opponent team. This kind of Kobe’s style always supports him to win the match. William (2010) defined, â€Å"he is not only a player for his team he is actually a robot that can judge the opponent’s strategies in a start of a match and then he devises his strategies to break all schemes of the opponent players†. Conclusion It is fact that winning matches is the best statistics of all and it is the only option we are left with to gauge a player performance by analysing his match wining scores and performance. If we look into the performance of both players who contributed towards a match wining performances then we will obviously vote to the Kobe for his unbeatable performance. Kobe has appeared in 4 NBA championships with 3 wining performances and he is still looking forward to more championships with high spirits of wining and turning down the opponents. On the contrary in case of Lebron it is not possible to participate in championship yet just because of his strong opponent player and that is obviously Kobe. But it is again a matter of fact that Lebron has long way to go because he is comparatively newer than Kobe and he has more passion. In the end we can say that Kobe is an unbeatable king of this basketball planet and no body can surpass him just because of his aggressive attitude towards playing and making his opponent helpless in the game. He never believes in any kind of humanitarian behaviour during game when he is out there to play then only one thing he keeps in his mind and that is victory and in order to turn that thinking into reality he utilises his full potential and eventually he comes out with flying colour. Statistical Analysis References Trudell, Mike (2012). Kobe Surpasses 29,000 Points. NBA.com (Turner Sports Interactive, Inc), Retrieved March 10, 2012. Armstrong, Kevin (2007). End of an era: Vaccaro closes ABCD camp as he eyes hoops academy. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 2, 2010 William Rhoden (2010). Cleveland’s Venom Validates James’s Exit, The New York Times, Archived from the original on November 9, 2010, Retrieved November 9, 2010 Adande, J. A (2010). Gilberts letter signals wider backlash. ESPN, Retrieved July 13, 2010

Socialization Essay -- Sociology Society Behavior Essays Papers

Socialization Socialization is the process by which culture is learned; also called enculturation. During socialization individuals internalize a culture's social controls, along with values and norms about right and wrong. Socialization is a complex process that involves many individuals, groups, and social institutions. AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION There are four main agents of socialization family, school, peer groups (friends and collogues), and mass media. The family is the single most important agent of socialization because the family is the first and most continuous social world for infants and children. The family provides the child's initial social identity in terms of race, religion, social class, and gender. In time, all these elements become part of the child's self-concept. The family is responsible for the child's social foundation and role in society and plays a vital role of teaching children skills, values and beliefs. Research indicates that children brought up in a loving environment tend to be happy and well-adjusted The school has the responsibility for instilling in children the information, skills, and values that society deems important for social life. School teaches children the basics of the three R's, as well as honesty, dependability, interpersonal interaction, discipline, and punctuality. Schools socialize children into gender roles and gender differences continue through college. Schools introduce a formal system of evaluation by using grades and report cards whereas the family provides a more intimate relationship with the child. The peer group is composed of status equals, which are children of the same age, similar interests, and general social status. Social position in the f... ... expected to complete all the work and even more than your job description indicates so that you can prepare yourself for future advancement in the field. Your final grade in school takes into consideration all the work, test grades, as well as your positive attitude toward the professor, fellow students and the work. The use of the grading system teaches students that personal achievement and competition are important. The annual review on the job reflects all the positive things you learned during your college years from punctuality to dedication to the completion of assigned tasks, rapport with co-workers, honesty, and also respect for employer and co-worker. Just as your final reward for your college experience is good grades, the final reward for your annual performance is an excellent report on your year's work and a salary increase/and or promotion. Socialization Essay -- Sociology Society Behavior Essays Papers Socialization Socialization is the process by which culture is learned; also called enculturation. During socialization individuals internalize a culture's social controls, along with values and norms about right and wrong. Socialization is a complex process that involves many individuals, groups, and social institutions. AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION There are four main agents of socialization family, school, peer groups (friends and collogues), and mass media. The family is the single most important agent of socialization because the family is the first and most continuous social world for infants and children. The family provides the child's initial social identity in terms of race, religion, social class, and gender. In time, all these elements become part of the child's self-concept. The family is responsible for the child's social foundation and role in society and plays a vital role of teaching children skills, values and beliefs. Research indicates that children brought up in a loving environment tend to be happy and well-adjusted The school has the responsibility for instilling in children the information, skills, and values that society deems important for social life. School teaches children the basics of the three R's, as well as honesty, dependability, interpersonal interaction, discipline, and punctuality. Schools socialize children into gender roles and gender differences continue through college. Schools introduce a formal system of evaluation by using grades and report cards whereas the family provides a more intimate relationship with the child. The peer group is composed of status equals, which are children of the same age, similar interests, and general social status. Social position in the f... ... expected to complete all the work and even more than your job description indicates so that you can prepare yourself for future advancement in the field. Your final grade in school takes into consideration all the work, test grades, as well as your positive attitude toward the professor, fellow students and the work. The use of the grading system teaches students that personal achievement and competition are important. The annual review on the job reflects all the positive things you learned during your college years from punctuality to dedication to the completion of assigned tasks, rapport with co-workers, honesty, and also respect for employer and co-worker. Just as your final reward for your college experience is good grades, the final reward for your annual performance is an excellent report on your year's work and a salary increase/and or promotion.

Aurora Borealis

Aurora Borealis In 1921 Pierre Gassendi was the person who named the colored light in the sky Aurora Borealis. Aurora comes from the goddess of dawn and borealis comes from the god of the north wind, which in Latin mean Boreas. Another name for them is the Northern Light. Alaska is one of few to have the privilege to see them. In the black and white picture by William R. Norton, in the Yukon Territory shows the northern lights. In this picture it show a lot of trees, snow and a single cabin, no river, no tools, but it does look like a light was on looking at the window.The northern lights is a wide spread of a white compared to the sky which is black. The trees sway as the wind as it blows by. This picture is a picture that helps explain how the upper north is where it is clearer. In a rural area in a calm setting a beautiful thing happen. It is something not just every Alaskan wants to see but everyone wants to see. The beauty that science can bring to this earth is amazing. As peop le stand or sit in awe of the view, they take in every moment that they have.This picture is picture that can and will forever remind us that our world / earth is a beautiful, a place worth living in. Have experienced the northern light many times before, I honestly can say it never get old. Each and ever time it is a new experience for me. Seeing the color and the way they move is amazing. I remember one time I was at my cabin and we saw them dancing outside. So my family went out to enjoy them my grand pa â€Å" said watch as they move even more as I whistle. As he whistled they moved more when he stopped they slowed down.TO me it was amazing. TO me this seeing the northern lights was amazing. I have always wondered how it happen so I found out. As many people wonder how northern lights appear. Studies conclude that the northern lights happen when highly charged electron from solar wind interact with the earth’s atmosphere. The solar wind comes from the sun at 1 million mi les per hour. After 40 hours they finally reach earth. When in earth’s atmosphere they follow the line of magnetic force. The colors astonish people. The colors are so bright and calming and different each time.You see the color blue is when an atom is struck anywhere from 20 to 60 miles in altitude. The color green is any where from 20 to150 miles in altitude. Purple is seen when is above 60 miles in altitude. Lastly red, and that only if it above 150 miles in altitude. Title: Aurora Borealis. Northern Light, Selkirk, Y. T. Author: William R. Norton Circa: 1890-1920 Aurora_Borealis_Northern_Lights_Selkirk_YT. jpg http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/expressions/g/AuroraBorealis. htm http://science. howstuffworks. com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/question471. htm

Learning and Development Assignment Sheet Essay

1. Be able to create an environment conducive to learning. 2. Be able to plan and deliver learning and development programme activity to individuals and groups. 3. Know how to review learning and development activities All activities should be completed Activity 1 Devise a plan, with clear aims and learning outcomes, for a work related learning and development activity/session, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Along with your plan, provide an explanation of how the planned activity: reflects principles of adult learning and takes account of factors (at least 2 individual and 2 environmental) that can impact on learning meets an identified need  is based on available resources  includes appropriate assessment methods  is structured and sequenced to assist learning. Activity 2 Deliver the planned activity, demonstrating your ability to: manage a learning and development activity support learners via questioning and feedback use 1 formative and 1 summative assessment method summarise and conclude the learning and development activity assist learners to reflect on their learning and identify further needs collect feedback from participants. This activity should be observed and assessed by your tutor using the attached Observation Record. Activity 3 Write a reflective statement relating to Activity 2 in which you consider: how you created a positive learning environment  the feedback on your activity from learner participants  your own perceptions of the effectiveness of the activity  at least 2 recommendations to improve your future performance. Activity 1 A Plan for a learning and development activity/session. (Note: The Plan can be the one developed for UNIT 3PDL, providing it also meets the requirements of this unit.) An accompanying explanation (of approximately 500 words). Activity 2 Observation Record Activity 3 A Reflective Statement of approximately 1000 words Observation Criteria Assessor feedback – to be completed by the assessor with notes to support the decision Creates an environment that is positive & conducive to learning – e.g. – health & safety – room layout – welcome – accommodates needs – puts participant at ease – builds rapport Structures & sequences effectively for learning e.g. – introduction – main body – conclusion Provides clear aims / learning outcomes Manages learning activity effectively – uses a range of appropriate training skills – uses learning resources appropriately and effectively – supports learners via questioning and feedback – uses appropriate formative & summative assessment methods – summarises and concludes the learning and development activity – assists learners to reflect on their learning and identify further needs – collects feedback from participants

A Practical Five-Step Strategy to Get More Social Media Followers as a Writer

A Practical Five-Step Strategy to Get More Social Media Followers as a Writer Right at this moment, there are millions of pseudo-influencers online trying to hot-take their way to fame. If youre one of them, you can move on to the next article. This one isnt for you. This is for the people with a genuine message burning inside. The people who have something important to say but cant seem to get any traction. The people who, no matter how hard they try, arent getting new followers. The people who are starting to get discouraged. Do This For A Month And See What Happens. Focus on one social media channel for one full month. The most important fact to understand about social media is that it is one (and only one) aspect of your strategy to gain readers. In general, you want people there for as short a time as possible. Your ultimate goal is to move people from social media (a channel you cant control) to an email list (a channel you can control). When you have peoples email addresses (as in an email list), you have an almost-guaranteed way to get a hold of them. When you send an email to your email list, theres no complex algorithm to understand. Just write a good email, send it to people, and, if it interests them, theyll pay attention. Your social media channel, on the other hand, is not something you can control. Since you only have peoples social media handles, your ability to contact them is tenuous. Its based on a platform and an algorithm you have no control over. But most of all social media eats up a significant amount of the most valuable resource you have as an entrepreneur: Your time. The Practical 5-Step Strategy Make a list of all the social media channels youre on and the number of followers. Browse through each social media channel to determine where you have the most activity, but most of all, the most engagement. Choose a channel to focus on for the month. Research (and use!) the best practices for your chosen channel. Were all so busy we throw the same graphic on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever, and call it a day. Not cool and not productive. No more! Find out the ideal image dimension sizes for your chosen channel. Make your graphics for that channel. Figure out the content people respond to most. Emulate its style and use it for your own content. Consider video. Your goal is to become an expert on the best practices of your chosen channel. Use your extra time to dig into another lead generation method. Here are a few to consider. SEO (Excellent post from our expert) Guest Blogging YouTube Paid Media Quora Podcasting There are dozens more of these Pick a strategy outside of social media. Test it. See what results you get, then try another if its not working. Youll be shocked how you can change your results when you focus on being an expert on one channel instead of seven. If youre not sure which to pick, we can vouch for the fact that theres huge potential in organic SEO if youre patient. (We grew a New York Times bestselling authors monthly blog traffic If It Doesnt Work After a Month, Do This Try another one. Keep testing until you find a channel that works. Keep trying to crack the code for the channel youre focusing on for that month. And, as you dive in, remember: Everyone started at 0 followers. What If Nothing Works If you cant get traction after trying every single social media channel out there, people arent resonating with what you have to say. Its time to re-evaluate your message. Survey your people. Ask what they want to hear from you, then provide it. Youre not the first person to run into this issue. In fact, youre not the first person to run into this issue today. Dont be discouraged. Dont give up. Instead, focus on systematically testing the different platforms to see what performs best for you. Theres no silver bullet here. It will take a lot of effort and elbow grease, but the end result will be worth it. And remember, youre not alone. Invest in your personal growth, and if you ever need someone to talk to about your next steps, consider dropping us a line.

Cover Letter Sample Applying for Content Editor Job

Cover Letter Sample Applying for Content Editor Job SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips According to author Nick Hornby, "The secret of good writing is to cut it back, pare it down, winnow, chop, hack, prune, and trim, remove every superfluous word, compress, compress, compress." The same could be said to bethe secret of writing good cover letters! Since the writer of this next sample letter is applying for the position of Content Editor, she especially needs toshow strong editingskills in her letter. Read on to see if Leila successfully compresses her cover letter into the most persuasive points. Cover Letter Sample for Content Editor Position Leila Shadi1709 Broderick St.San Francisco, CA 945 May 1, 2016 Mr. Ernie SandersChief Marketing OfficerGlobex Tech55 Valley RoadPalo Alto, CA 95014 Dear Mr. Sanders, I was pleased to find your posting for HeadContent Editorwith Globex Tech on MediaBistro.com. I’ve been following your company for the past several months and would be thrilled to contribute to its mission of engaging IT content with global reach.As a Content Editor with CloudArk, I possess both the editorial expertise to grow readership and the leadership experience to manage a team of writers. Please allow me to highlight my skills as they relate to your stated requirements. As a Content Editor with CloudArk, I have Effectively managed a team of five writers; led bi-weekly strategy meetings; assigned topics and projects and maintained editorial calendar. Increased blog readership from 1,000 unique visitors monthly to 50,000 unique visitors monthly in eight months. Produced several viral campaigns with over 10,000 social media shares. Oversaw creation of a bi-weekly newsletter and daily maintenance of social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Demonstrated excellent writing, editorial, and marketing skills and thorough knowledge of trends in IT industry. Maintained productive and positive relationships with coworkers characterized by open communication, creative support, and mutual respect. I’m inspired by your mission to create informative and accessibleIT content and have several ideas for editorial directions that I’d love to discuss. I will call you on Monday to see about arranginga meeting. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone or email. My professional resume and portfolio of writing samples are attached. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon. Sincerely, Leila Shadi Leila Shadileila.shadi@gmail.com555-555-5555 Leila sounds like she's had a lot of success as a Content Editor. Will a position as Head Editor be next? Content EditorCover Letter: The Breakdown Leila chooses to present her skills and experiences by bullet point in her cover letter. This list format allows her to pare down her qualifications to the essentials and present them in a clear, easy-to-read manner. While you can write out your cover letter, a format like the one Leila uses can also be an effective way to stick out from the crowd. Leila customizes her letter by stating at the beginning that she's been following the prospective company for some time. She gives specific examples of her experiences and uses data to quantify her accomplishments. She also conveys enthusiasm with her proactive call to action at the end of her letter, saying that she'll call on Monday to set up a meeting. This language can be useful for some jobs, though applicants should carefully consider whether the hiring manager might perceiveit as pushy. Overall, Leila has produced a clear cover letter that highlights her professional achievements as they relate to the new job. The bullet point format allows her to cut down unnecessary wordiness and get straight to the heart of what she wants to say. In addition to the bullet point format, Leila also usestraditional headers in her letter. Should you add those headers to your cover letter, too? A Note on Format While the sample cover letter above uses a traditional format with headers and a signature, your cover letter doesn't necessarily have to. If you're sending your letter as a Word attachment or hard copy, then these headers are a nice touch, especially if they match the formatting on your resume. Lots of organizations, though, expect you to send your cover letter in the body of an email or a text box on their application websites. As both of these modes tend to use plain text, you usually don't need to dress up your cover letter with headers or any extra formatting. You can just start right in with the salutation. If you're not including your email and phone number in a header, then you should probably make sure you add it in your conclusion. Make sure the hiring manager can clearly see how to contact you. Once you've figured out formatting, you can focus the rest of your energy on filling your cover letter with impressive content! What's Next? Care for another sample? Click here to read a cover letter for the position of Customer Experience Representative with an eyeglass company. Are you looking for more cover letters? Check out our full cover letter guide with writing tips and five more samples. If you're writing a cover letter, you should check out our cover letter template. This guide has tips for format, structure, and foolproof phrases, and it leads you through each step of the writing process.

Linking Verbs and Action Verbs

Linking Verbs and Action Verbs Linking Verbs and Action Verbs Linking Verbs and Action Verbs By Mark Nichol Verbs are divided into two functional categories: copular verbs and action verbs. This post discusses their differences. Copular, or linking, verbs, which express a situation or a state rather than an action or a process (and thus are among the class of verbs called stative verbs), consist of several types of verbs. The basic ones are forms of the verb phrase â€Å"to be†: am, are, be, being, is, was, were, and been. However, become, get, grow, turn, and similar terms, and their tense forms (for example, became and â€Å"will become†), also perform this function, as do those in two other small groups. First, there are the words such as appears and seems, and second, there are what are called the sensory verbs, referring to impressions based on the five senses: feels, looks, smells, sounds, and tastes. (These, of course, also have their tense forms, such as appeared and â€Å"will feel.†) The default for use of copular verbs is that each clause has only one, as in â€Å"I am here, and you are there.† Some languages allow a zero copula omission of a copular verb but in American English, this is an informal usage recommended only in colloquial dialogue, as when one character drops the copular verb when asking another character something such as â€Å"Where you going?† The double copula (for example, â€Å"What it is, is a disaster†) is also common in casual speech but is also discouraged in most writing; such constructions are organized that way for emphasis, but in formal prose, the sentiment is easily expressed more concisely: â€Å"It is a disaster.† A variation of the copular verb is the copular prepositional verb, which includes a verb and a preposition, as in â€Å"feels like† and â€Å"gets into.† Action verbs, by contrast, are the ones that actually describe an accomplishment, achievement, or activity. Accomplishment verbs describe the result of an effort, as in â€Å"He solved the problem just in time.† Achievement verbs describe an instantaneous action, as in â€Å"I saw the dog.† (Although one can continue to see a dog, the initial occurrence the transition from not seeing the dog to seeing it takes place in an instant.) An activity can be definite in duration (â€Å"I walked while I waited for him to get ready†) or indefinite (â€Å"I walked along the road.†) One significant difference in sentence constructions that feature a copular verb and those that include an action verb is the part of speech that might follow the verb. If an action verb is modified, the modifier is an adverb (â€Å"She sifted carefully through the pile of documents†), while a copular verb is followed by an adjective (â€Å"I was careful as I sifted through the pile of documents†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsPeople vs. Persons

A critical analysis of the concept of addiction with reference to drug Essay

A critical analysis of the concept of addiction with reference to drug misuse - Essay Example those that are harmful for health such as Marijuana, cocaine, opium, hallucinogens and many others, people become addicted to the usage of those drugs (Giannini 1997). The drugs that are prescribed by the doctors do not appear to be harmful for the users but those that are harmful and are used without the help of any doctor or in terms of self-medication come up with negative consequences in terms of health and life security. The drugs that are prescribed the doctors can also be considered as abusive when a person gets addict to the drugs. After being addicted, the tolerance level of a person increases due to which, an increased amount of drug is required by the person that can harm him/her in terms of his/her health (Kalivas and Volkow 2005). Drugs that are considered as causing addiction are mostly illegal drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, caffeine, heroin, Marijuana, opium and many others (Goodman 1990). When people start misusing the drugs to a harmful level, they become addict to the drugs due to which, they have to depend on the drugs for their physical sustenance and normal health. This dependency on drugs is not considered a negligible issue as the number of people who can be called as dependent on drugs and addicts are increasing day by day (Nestler and Malenka 2004). The addiction to drugs causes many dangers for the health of men as well as women. Illegal usage of drugs causes such consequences that are not facilitating for the drug users. Women are categorized as mostly disadvantageous in terms of misuse of drugs because of their future or current pregnancy (Giannini 1997). The misuse of drugs causes many types of diseased effects in the users due to which, they are unable to lead normal lives and face many health issues. People always seek out for drugs in spite of knowing the dangerous consequences being caused by drugs because of their becoming addicts. People use drugs on a regular basis due to many factors. Many people make use of drugs because

Finance and Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance and Accounting - Essay Example The author’s claim makes it seem as if globalization was the only reason that so many people came of poverty during this timeline. I think that the author’s argument lacks an in-depth analysis of other factors that also contributed to the economic progress in these countries. For instance in China the governments’ policy to open up the economy into the free market was equally or more influential than the globalization movement at reducing poverty. Another factor that helped the people of China get out of poverty was industrialization (Xinhua, 2007). The globalization movement has helped China and India become major players in the global trade of goods and services. In 2009 China overtook Germany to become the world’s top exporter (Nytimes, 2010). I agree with the author that the use of free trade initiatives were instrumental in spurring economic activity. An argument that I thought was offensive to the reality of a country that is struggling to help its p eople out of extreme poverty was the author’s claim that the government and people of the Sub-Saharan Africa are resisting the globalization movement. If this hypothesis was true I would have liked to have seen some evidence to proof the author’s claim. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the poorest regions in the world. The poverty rate of the region is expected to reach 38% by the year 2015 (Undp, 2012). The virtues of globalization would greatly help the people of Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has deep issues that are limiting economic growth such as a lack of infrastructure in terms of roads, electricity, and water scarcity. The author in the article should have pointed out some of the constraints that are limiting Africa from reaping benefits from globalization instead of making the biased claim that Sub-Saharan Africa is against globalization. I thought that the author made a good argument in regards to the impact of trade barriers. Trade barriers are government imposed r estrictions on free exchange of goods and services internationally (Businessdictionary, 2012). A statement that I liked from the article was the opinion that the barriers imposed by poor countries against one another are more detrimental than those imposed by rich countries on developing nations. Developing nations have to learn that they have to work together to improve the standard of living of its people. The use of trade barriers are a constraint that lowers the total trade in the market because they make goods more expensive to acquire (Younkins, 2000). I completely agree with the author’s claim that the elimination of trade barriers benefits everyone. The elimination of trade barriers can also help the economy because it spurs job creation (Wto, 2012). An argument made by the author that has a lot of validity is the fact that the elimination of regulations would help investors and corporations act more freely and as a consequence prosperity would rise for everyone. Gove rnmental intervention is an undesirable action in a free market economy. Governments seem to believe that the best course of action during a crisis is to increase governmental intervention (Schuman, 2008). One of the cons of business regulations is that

Sears changes again and again Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sears changes again and again - Essay Example And since the top management of the organization are the decision makers, they have the power and capability to initiate strategic change. Strategic change affects the â€Å"... goals, systems, structures, work processes, values, mission and culture† of businesses (Jacobs, 2010). This means that such changes are far-reaching and they affect the entire organization over a period of time. There is always a reason for change. This is because top level management makes changes to attain certain ends. In this paper, the case refers to Sears, now known as Sears-Roebuck and Co, a U.S.-based chain of stores that provides consumer goods for the public. The paper will examine the strategic changes that occurred in the company over the past two decades. In attaining this end, the following objectives will be addressed: Normally, organizations have institutionalized cultures and systems. Institutionalism is defined by Poole and Van De Ven (2004) as the culture and structures that guide activities in an organization. As such, every organization nurtures a type of system that enables it to operate and maintain its unique identity. Sears had its own system and structures. The initial system was to produce household appliances and run departmental stores in the early 1990s. The institutional structures and systems of the company had survived through the 1980s to the 90s. This shows that they believed in traditions and systems. However, the company seemed to have priorities: maintaining Sears as a going concern. When this was threatened, they had to find ways of adjusting the institutional structures to keep the companys performance high. So they resorted to bringing in Martinez, who was from a completely different background. Gottschalk (2007, p.14) states that â€Å"outside successors are often selected when in periods of poor firm performance and when directors cannot locate a competent successor in-house.† In order for new CEOs to succeed, they will need to

Californias System of Public Higher Education Essay

Californias System of Public Higher Education - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Californias higher education system will help define the state's future too. Before California always posted in the top states, however as of now, it already ranked at the bottom 10. There are many reasons why this situation happened. One of the reasons to blame is the recession. However, this does not mean that the state of California should give up the support to higher education. Time will come that there will be a new California. As Douglass describe it, â€Å"one less educated, and therefore less innovative, less prosperous and less dynamic.†It is important that California should be assessed to be able to know which area the state should focus and improve. Based on Measuring UP, the state of California did well. California made it to the top 10 for both the public and private 4-year post-secondary results of the comparison to other states. California was assessed and should be still be assessed in 3 different areas. It is als o essential for the state to be able to provide affordability to the students. The website of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) provides State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report to aid and assist officials and educators attend to public policy matters regarding financing higher education. California can be said to have done well in this area. When compared to Texas, California was able to post more than 2.5 million enrollees as compared to 1.2 million of Texas. The indicators used by SHEEO should be used by the state of California are presented in the paper.

African American contribute for NBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

African American contribute for NBA - Essay Example The game that was once played dominantly by whites has seen roles reversing, with 75% of the NBA players being African American. The game is nowadays associated with the Black Americans culture, especially those in the lower classes insides cities of Americai. In regards to basketball and African Americans, one team is outstanding in both the contexts: Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers are basketball team playing in the professional category in the National Basketball Association.The Lakers are among the most successful NBA teams of all times, having bagged 16 championships in the league. The recent win was in 2010. Currently, the Lakers are the second most richest NBA teams with close to 645 million US dollars. Nevertheless, the team did not begin from a smooth start. According to NBA and sports records, the current Lakers’ team was a purchase from the then poor performing Detroit Gems. After the purchase, the team adopted the name Lakers, an inspiration from Minnesota’s nick name â€Å"The Land of ten thousand Lakes†. The team relocated to Minneapolis in 1947. The Lakers won the NBL championship with great help from George Mikan.This success ensured that the team jumped to the next level, Basketball association of America (BAA). In their first season of 1948-49, the Lakers won the BBA championship.This was great success as the team had transformed from having the worst record in NBL to become the best almost instantly after being sold to Morris Chalfen and Ben Bergerii. The team’s future was bright. The year 1947 saw the birth of NBA from a merger of BBA and NBL. The Lakers proved they were the true champions by winning five NBA championships in six years. This was a record at the time. The achievements of the Los Angeles team were made possible by a rich component of talent at the team between 1949 to 1955. Hall of fame players for the Lakers included an all white list of George Mikan, Jim Polland, Clyde Lovellete, and Slater martin. Very few blacks were playing in the league at that time. Bob Williams was the first African American player for the Lakers, after signing a contract with the team in 1954. In 1960, the team further relocated to Los Angeles with a strong team comprising of two black star players: Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, and two white players: Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. Despite this excellent combination, the Lakers lost six finals to Boston Celtics in only eight years. The 1960-1970 decade was bad for the Lakers. Lakers losing streak prolonged until 1972 when Bill Sharman took over as the team’s head coach. Lakers still holds the NBA title for the longest winning streak with 33 consecutive wins during the 1971-72 seasonsiii. In the years after the success, another African American player came to dominate the team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the team’s backbone for approximately seven seasons. Abdul-Jabbar remains the all-time leading NBA scorer with an amazing 38,387 points. He w on six consecutive titles for the Most Valuable Player of the NBA season. At the time of retirement, Abdul-Jabbar was still holding almost all the records; points scored, time played, defensive rebounds, games played, blocked shots, and even personal fouls. Despite these achievements, Lakers did not win an NBA championship until the arrival of Earvin Johnson, or â€Å"Magic† Johnson in 1979. Then a rookie player, Johnson was playing for Abdul-Jabbar after the latter was injured. Johnson put up an MVP performance in the game against Philadelphia. Magic Johnson was an African American professional player, and together with Abdul-Jabbar, assisted the team to reach for eight NBA championship finals winning five in the 1980s decade. Magic Johnson won the coveted NBA’

Californias System of Public Higher Education Essay

Californias System of Public Higher Education - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Californias higher education system will help define the state's future too. Before California always posted in the top states, however as of now, it already ranked at the bottom 10. There are many reasons why this situation happened. One of the reasons to blame is the recession. However, this does not mean that the state of California should give up the support to higher education. Time will come that there will be a new California. As Douglass describe it, â€Å"one less educated, and therefore less innovative, less prosperous and less dynamic.†It is important that California should be assessed to be able to know which area the state should focus and improve. Based on Measuring UP, the state of California did well. California made it to the top 10 for both the public and private 4-year post-secondary results of the comparison to other states. California was assessed and should be still be assessed in 3 different areas. It is als o essential for the state to be able to provide affordability to the students. The website of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) provides State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report to aid and assist officials and educators attend to public policy matters regarding financing higher education. California can be said to have done well in this area. When compared to Texas, California was able to post more than 2.5 million enrollees as compared to 1.2 million of Texas. The indicators used by SHEEO should be used by the state of California are presented in the paper.

Finance Issues during the First Five Years of a New Company Essay

Finance Issues during the First Five Years of a New Company - Essay Example Accumulated losses of the first 3 years have only been neutralized in the last accounting period for which actual results are available. Consequently, the company has never declared a dividend and does not even forecast one for the first year of forecasted business results. Â  2. The Gross Margin has improved from 18.75% in 2004 to 21.57% in 2005. The forecast Gross Margin for 2006, at 22.92% is only slightly higher than the latest achievement of 2005. However, fuel costs, which are significant for a business such as that of PDS is forecast to rise to 26.04% of revenue, as against 25.49% in 2005 and 25% in 2004. It appears that PDS is not able to secure protection against a major inflation driver into its business contracts. However, PDS has been able to reduce variable labor expenses from 56.25% of revenue to just 52.94% in 2005 and expects the trend to continue with a forecast of just 51.04% in 2006. These are significant productivity gains in a challenging human resources environment. Similarly, staff salaries are forecast to remain constant in 2006 compared to 2005, though net profits will more than double. Â  3. Leased capacity utilization has improved very significantly during the past five years, considering the remarkable rise in revenues. However, depreciation at less than 5% of the gross block in vehicles seems to totally inadequate. The depreciation reserve is entirely inadequate and distorts the profitability picture, including the basis for taxation. Â  4. Though the debenture loan and bank overdraft show plenty of scope for gearing compared to the Gross Block, the company does not have any immovable fixed assets.

American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay ?American literature is any written work of art that is created in the United States. American literature is like all literature, it has literary experiences and contextual history of America. It depicts how America has changed is still changing today. American literature has changed over time just like most canons of literary works. The uniqueness of American literature is that America from its beginning had a special philosophy of life and freedom. The special philosophy of life and freedom that made American literature so unique was reflected in its writings. Americans believed and had faith that God was and is the given of all our rights and freedom. We as Americans had faith in ourselves that we could succeed in anything that we try doing. The literature that we Americans wrote made life worth living because it was displayed for the world to read and understand that life was what we made it. Also by Americans having the ability to spring back from diversity made life worth living and George Washington was a perfect example of this. Literary canon is basically a suggested list of readings that belongs to a country or a certain period in time. Literary canon contains literary works that is mainly by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings constituting a serious body of literature in any given language. The works that are collected that is included in a literary canon is approved largely by cultural and academic institutions and is observed as literature of that language. Literary work’s popularity is not based only on the quality, but on the relevance of what matters to the context historically, socially, and artistically. Literary canon relate very well to what is going on in society because of what is most important at that time work is being written. The context of the society, whether it is historical, social, or artistic, that is basically the topic. Ethnic writers express the special challenges of realism, naturalism, and regionalism within the American literary experiences. Realism labels a movement in English, European, and American literature that gathered force from the 1930s to the end of the century. Realism attempted to record life as it was lived rather than life as it ought to be lived or had been lived in times past. William Dean Howells stated that realism â€Å"is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material. † Present-day literary theorists are probably more aware of what may be called â€Å"the crisis of representation†-the difference between representation and the thing represented-than were these realists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Naturalism is understood by some as an extension or intensification of realism. It introduces characters from the fringes and depths of society whose fates are determined by degenerate heredity, a sordid environment, and/or a good deal of bad luck. Regionalism writing, another expression of the realist impulse, resulted from the desire both to preserve a record of distinctive ways of life before industrialization dispersed or homogenized them and to come to terms with the harsh realities that seemed to be replacing these early and allegedly happier times. By the end of the twentieth century, every region of the country had a â€Å"local colorist† to immortalize its natural, social, and linguistic features. Ethnic writers define literature as literature that is written by people of a different culture, language, religion, or race. It differs from the canon of traditional American literature because literary canon is a list of work from American instead of from a different race or religion. The historical, socio-political, and cultural topics that might be covered by ethnic writers would be slavery and how the slaves were treated during that time. Slavery is a topic that can be covered under all three. Government issues are a topic that could be covered under socio-political. The debate against government issues such as health care and taxes could be something that ethnic writers could write about. It does not differ from the canon of traditional American literature because the writings have to be by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings of literature in any given language.

Market Feasibility Study For Tsingtao Beer

Market Feasibility Study For Tsingtao Beer Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German and British settlers in Qing Dao city, China. Until 1916, it was owned by The Anglo-German Brewery Co. Ltd, after which it became nationalized as a state-owned enterprise in 1949. The company was later privatized through a merger with 3 other breweries and was called Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited. Though the Tsingtao brand has the legacy of a German brewery, it is regarded as a symbol of Chinese heritage, and is currently the second largest brewer by volume in China with around 50 beer plants and three malting mills in 18 provinces and cities across China. Tsingtao is a lager brand that enjoys national distribution coverage and is touted as the National Beer in China. Tsingtao beer is made from 100% natural ingredients with no artificial colourings, flavouring, or preservatives used in the beer. Its brand portfolio consists of the Tsingtao beer (flagship brew), Tsingtao Pure Draft, Tsingtao Dark Beer, Tsingtao Green Beer, and Tsingtao Stout. Tsingtao adopts a bilateral business strategy, wherein it has been targeting Generation Y in order to build its brand awareness and strengthen its brand associations. It has also been making efforts to grow internationally through business agreements and acquisitions. Tsingtaos main target market is youth aged between 21-34, who are sporty and passionate about achieving their dreams. Tsingtao beers are known to have a light smooth taste and thus can be appealing to the younger generation who mostly prefer alcoholic beverages that can be consumed on the go. However, though a leading beer brand in China, Tsingtao has low brand awareness internationally, and therefore, its growth in the international market has been rather sluggish over the past few years. Singapore Market Overview Singapore is a leader in international tourism in Asia and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Thus, it is the destination with the maximum potential for growth. Among the ASEAN countries, Singapore is strategically located and has a well-developed economy, an open environment that encourages foreign investments, and a climate for beer consumption throughout the year. Singapore is ranked as the top country for ease of doing business in. Singapore not only facilitates good returns on investments, but also has good infrastructure provisions, thereby making the introduction of Tsingtao beer in Singapore a viable option for the company. Beer Industry in Singapore The increasing popularity of social drinking in Singapore has boosted the growth of beer products, which has resulted in a 7% volume growth of beer consumption. With the government easing the licensing policies to sell alcohol at pubs, bars, and restaurants, the beer consumption trend has increased over time. Also, the consumption of beer has increased at home gatherings and social events. The increasing number of tourists together with the unveiling of casinos and new entertainment outlets has also boosted consumer spending on alcoholic drinks such as beer. A recent Euromonitor research report states that in the past few years, lager beer accounted for the bulk of beer sales in Singapore. Specifically, imported premium lager and imported standard lager continue to drive volume growth in beer. With increasing willingness of Singaporeans to spend more, consumers are spending on higher quality products, and therefore, there is a huge demand for premium lager beer. The outlets that serve premium lager beers are most often frequented by tourists, who in turn are highly likely to purchase them. The report also states that the key consumers of beer in Singapore tend to be working adults of different ages. However, it has also been observed that an increasing number of young adults and women are participating in social drinking and in the consumption of beer. This is especially true for lager, which is lighter than other alcoholic drinks and hence is more palatable. Competition in Singapore Singapore beer market is dominated by Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), mainly due to the overwhelming popularity of its brand, Tiger Beer. APB has a market share of 68.7% with Tiger beer constituting nearly 40.9% market share of APB. Other major brands include Carlsberg and Heineken. Tiger Beer: Tiger beer is the market leader in Singapore. It is a local brand with a very strong brand presence. Its superior distribution network with retail outlets, convenience stores, supermarkets, and pubs, can prove to be difficult competition for Tsingtao. Carlsberg: Carlsberg is the second most popular beer brand in Singapore and is available under various brand labels. Carlsberg Green Label, the flagship product, is the leading international premium lager beer in Singapore. Being a European beer, Carlsberg has a positive brand image associated with it. Heineken: Heineken is the flagship product of the company and is brewed locally in Singapore by APB. The key factors of competition with the Heineken brand include strong distribution network across food beverage, retail, and entertainment outlets in Singapore, a positive brand image as an international premium lager, and a superior brand presence and perception as a global brand. Prospects in Singapore With the continuous expansion of the social drinking scene in Singapore, beer is projected to see steady growth in the future. The recent Euromonitor report estimates a total volume compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% for beer in Singapore. However, the report also states that as the market is reaching maturity, the forecast total volume growth is projected to slow down over the years. Due to its wider appeal, lager is expected to drive the bulk of beer sales in Singapore. In their purchasing of beer products, Singaporeans are largely driven by brand image, and therefore new product launches by major well-known brands are expected to do well. Investing in advertising and promotions is predicted to improve the consumption of such products. Owing to the huge growth potential for beer consumption, especially for lager beer, it would be the right move for Tsingtao to enter the Singapore market. However, with Singaporeans perceiving Chinese products to be inferior, both in terms of quality and hygiene, there is a possibility of a negative brand perception being associated with Tsingtao. With proper promotion and advertising, this mindset of consumers can be changed. Critical Success Factors The beer industry is changing constantly in the Singapore market. Mergers and acquisitions have decreased the number of brewers, but the varieties of beer have increased. The major brewers have the resources to compete in nearly all facets of the industry. Moreover, as beer is a substitutable product, customer loyalty keeps shifting. With these dynamics, if Tsingtao has to enter the Singapore market, it must focus on the following factors: Offering huge variety, both in terms of flavors and categories Consumers preferences have become more sophisticated and they look for unique tastes in beer, wine and other spirits. Books, internet, and magazines have contributed to the increasing popularity of beer as beer drinkers choose to find out and learn more about the brewing process. The beer addict is now aware of the type of beer that pairs well with a particular type of food. Seasonal flavors cater to the unique tastes and add to the charm of specialty beer. Building good relationships with distributors and networking With so many brands and varieties of beer available today, the relationship with the distributor is very important to gain access to the market. The distributors have a good understanding of the products and know which products sell quickly, thus ensuring that such products are always available to the consumers. Therefore, their acceptance of the product is a critical factor in the products success. Once the relationship with the distributors is established, the sales representatives of Tsingtao should sustain the relationship by delivering superior quality products on time and ensuring that promised quantities are made available. Creating unique marketing and advertising strategies Creative marketing strategies can help attract new customers while marketing directly to the consumer can help create demand for the product, thus increasing the likelihood that distributors will purchase it. Therefore, it is important for Tsingtao to invest time and money in creating a perfect marketing strategy. Also, by enticing youngsters with promotional offers during happy hours and by featuring nightlife places in advertisements, Tsingtaos brand image will be established as a beer for the youth. Tsingtao can also sponsor events at pubs and nightclubs, thereby creating brand awareness and facilitating the trial of its beer for first-time consumers. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is driven by how well the products are sold. An essential factor for the success of Tsingtao is to ensure that customers are satisfied with the current offerings at the current prices. Tapping on tourism Singapore is Asias leading travel destination and welcomes millions of tourists every year. With the increasing number of tourists, the consumption of beer is increasing over time. Therefore, it is very important for Tsingtao to create its brand awareness on a global platform so as to attract tourists. Market Entry Options and Key Considerations Given the potential of the beer market in Singapore, Tsingtao can be launched in Singapore in the following ways: Exporting to Singapore Tsingtao beer can be exported to Singapore from its plant in China. The company can go about it as follows: Indirect exporting, wherein Tsingtao uses a middleman based in its home market to handle the exporting. Cooperative exporting, wherein Tsingtao enters into an agreement with a local or foreign company and the partner company will use its distribution network to sell the Tsingtao beer in Singapore. Direct exporting, wherein Tsingtao sets up its own export organization and relies on a middleman based in the Singapore market. The advantage of exporting Tsingtao to Singapore is that the product can be first tested in the market and if the product is successful, the company can look at other options, such as introducing more varieties. On the other hand, the primary disadvantage is the high export duties for alcohol. Franchising Another alternative to exports is to find a franchisee in Singapore who can sell under the Tsingtao brand. The advantage of such a scenario is that it would provide Tsingtao a temporary vehicle to conduct primary research without losing control of its brand. But since the capacity will be small, a spurt in demand cannot be met immediately. Joint Venture with APB Tsingtao could form a joint venture with APB, the largest brewery with maximum brand share in Singapore. The advantages of such a merger would be tapping into the established distribution channels of APB, while on the downside, Tsingtao will have to compete with other major brands including Tiger and Heineken brewed under license at APB. Wholly-owned Plant Tsingtao could also set up its own full-fledged business plant in Singapore. This would help the company meet the increasing demand of beer in Singapore. However, in this scenario, Tsingtao will become a legal and financial entity in Singapore and will have to meet the local licensing and financial obligations. To set up a small plant with production capacity of less than 1.8 million litres of beer or stout, Tsingtao would have to incur a fee of S$8,400 annually, whereas to set up a large-scale brewery, it would have to incur a fee of S$43,200 annually. Recommended Actions Beer is expected to attain a total volume CAGR of 4% to reach 130 million litres in 2016. It is evident that there is a huge growing market for beer in Singapore. Hence, the beer market in Singapore has the potential for the entry of new products like Tsingtao beer. Based on the current beer market scenario and the trends in the beer industry in Singapore, the following are the recommendations for Tsingtao to enter the Singapore market. It is advantageous for Tsingtao to enter the Singapore market as a wholly owned subsidiary and initially set up a microbrewery in Singapore. This entry will give them brand exclusivity which they might not gain if they enter into a partnership with Asia Pacific Breweries which brews the big brands like Tiger Beer, Heineken, Anchor, Barons Strong Brew and Guinness. By setting up a microbrewery, they will have to pay a license fee of only S$8,400 annually as compared to S$43,200 annually for large scale breweries. Thus, the savings of S$34,800 per year can be used on RD to improve the performance and quality of their products. In Singapore, in the coming years, growth in on-trade volume sales (sales in pubs, clubs, bars, and restaurants) is forecast to be higher than that of off-trade volume sales (sales in corner shops, retailers, wholesalers, cash and carry). Thus, Tsingtao beer can partner with popular pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants, especially those targeting the youth, as the youth is the target market for Tsingtao beer. This channel of distribution will maximize its sales in Singapore. In order to create new demand for beer consumption in a market that has already reached saturation, Tsingtao can come out with a variety of products that appeal to local tastes and complement the local cuisine in Singapore. They can include local ingredients like Calamansi and Pandan to flavour their beers. As Tsingtao is mainly targeted at the youth, it can partner with and sponsor youth events like the Singapore Youth Festival and the Singapore Youth Olympics Festival to build its brand image and gain brand equity. As Tsingtao is a light lager beer, it can be positioned as a better choice for health conscious people, particularly women, who most often prefer light beer. Tsingtao should make its presence felt in the competitive Singapore beer market through advertisements and promotions in digital and social media. As it aims to target the youth, it can leverage on the internet and social media to reach out to a large youth population. It should also actively engage in youth activities to promote its brand image. Through strong promotions, it will be able to build its brand equity, remove the perception of Cheap Chinese Beer, and be positioned as one of the leading beer brands in the country.

Cloning :: essays research papers

Cloning  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is a Clone? A clone is a group of genetically identical cells. For example, tumors are clones of cells inside an organism because they consist of many replicas of one mutated cell. Another type of clone occurs inside a cell. Such a clone is made up of groups of identical structures that contain genetic material, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. Some of these structures, called plasmids, are found in some bacteria and yeasts. Techniques of genetic engineering enable scientists to combine an animal or plant gene with a bacterial or yeast plasmid. By cloning such a plasmid, geneticists can produce many identical copies of the gene. Uses of Cloning:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researchers said the cloning of animals, especially those that have been genetically modified in certain ways, could have a number of medical, agricultural, and industrial applications. For example, cloning could result in the mass production of genetically modified cattle that secrete valuable drugs into their milk. But the cloning of animals indicated that it might also be possible to clone humans. Much of the public expressed revulsion toward the prospect of human cloning, and some politicians vowed to outlaw it. Its proponents, however, saw human cloning as a way to help people, such as by allowing infertile couples to have children. Early Scientific Experiments of Cloning: Scientists have long been intrigued by the possibility of artificially cloning animals. In fact, people have known since ancient times that just just cutting them into two pieces can clone some invertebrates, such as earthworms and starfish. Each piece grows into a complete organism. The cloning of vertebrates (animals with back bones) is much more difficult to clone. The first step in the cloning the complex organisms (vertebrates) came in the 1950's with experiments done on frogs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952, Robert Briggs and Thomas King, biologists at the Institute for Cancer Research (now the Fox Chase Cancer Center) in Philadelphia, developed a cloning method called nuclear transplantation, or nuclear transfer, which was first proposed in 1938 by the German scientist Hans Spemann. In this method, the nucleus--the cellular structure that contains most of the genetic material and that controls growth and development--is removed from an egg cell of an organism, a procedure known as enucleation. The nucleus from a body cell of another organism of the same species is then placed into the enucleated egg cell. Nurtured by the nutrients in the remaining part of the egg cell, an embryo (an organism prior to birth) begins growing. Cloning :: essays research papers Cloning  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is a Clone? A clone is a group of genetically identical cells. For example, tumors are clones of cells inside an organism because they consist of many replicas of one mutated cell. Another type of clone occurs inside a cell. Such a clone is made up of groups of identical structures that contain genetic material, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. Some of these structures, called plasmids, are found in some bacteria and yeasts. Techniques of genetic engineering enable scientists to combine an animal or plant gene with a bacterial or yeast plasmid. By cloning such a plasmid, geneticists can produce many identical copies of the gene. Uses of Cloning:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researchers said the cloning of animals, especially those that have been genetically modified in certain ways, could have a number of medical, agricultural, and industrial applications. For example, cloning could result in the mass production of genetically modified cattle that secrete valuable drugs into their milk. But the cloning of animals indicated that it might also be possible to clone humans. Much of the public expressed revulsion toward the prospect of human cloning, and some politicians vowed to outlaw it. Its proponents, however, saw human cloning as a way to help people, such as by allowing infertile couples to have children. Early Scientific Experiments of Cloning: Scientists have long been intrigued by the possibility of artificially cloning animals. In fact, people have known since ancient times that just just cutting them into two pieces can clone some invertebrates, such as earthworms and starfish. Each piece grows into a complete organism. The cloning of vertebrates (animals with back bones) is much more difficult to clone. The first step in the cloning the complex organisms (vertebrates) came in the 1950's with experiments done on frogs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952, Robert Briggs and Thomas King, biologists at the Institute for Cancer Research (now the Fox Chase Cancer Center) in Philadelphia, developed a cloning method called nuclear transplantation, or nuclear transfer, which was first proposed in 1938 by the German scientist Hans Spemann. In this method, the nucleus--the cellular structure that contains most of the genetic material and that controls growth and development--is removed from an egg cell of an organism, a procedure known as enucleation. The nucleus from a body cell of another organism of the same species is then placed into the enucleated egg cell. Nurtured by the nutrients in the remaining part of the egg cell, an embryo (an organism prior to birth) begins growing.

Original Writing Coursework on Prince Escalus

As I was walking through the dark, shadowed streets of Legnago, I noticed something strange about the man standing against the wall. He was dressed in an all black doublet covered in gold embroidery partially hidden by his fur lined cloak. There was something odd yet so familiar about him but I just couldn't get my hand on it. No matter how hard I tried the thought kept on eating away at me. I walked past him and recognized him as Frederick, one of the Partisans, our rival family for the past 10 years. It began with a little argument about who got the last piece of fruit from a vendor in the street. Over the years this developed into a feud with the several meetings that they had between them in the streets. Words were spoken, fists had been blazing with rage, but nothing had been done to stop this. He had a history of a hot-headed temper that no-one would have liked to set off so I carried on my journey home. I was nearly home when I heard a noise behind me. But it was only a strayed cat that had just knocked over the bin. Then I heard a different noise from behind but I ignored it that time. I had a feeling that I was being followed. Soon, I could hear footsteps which were rapidly increasing. In a matter of moments the person was on my heels. I turned around and saw that the mysterious person was Frederick. He had drawn his sword with a devilish grin on his face. I evaded his first attack and drew out my sword quick enough to parry the second. Some of his attacks tore my doublet and my shirt. Some were more serious and wounded me. I saw an opening in his attacks and struck him down to the ground. This was my opportunity to escape and I took it. Struggling to the door, with no strength left in me, I collapsed right at the doorstep. Luckily my parents were waiting for me to return and they heard the noise outside. They were shocked when they saw me and they helped me inside. First they got me fresh clothes and got me cleaned up before they said anything. â€Å"What happened to you?† said Lady Torrington. Then I explained to my parents how I saw one of the Partisans and how we fought each other until I fled. They were furious and they went on and on about how atrocious the Partisans were and how they had the nerve to attack their son. All I wanted was for the family feud to end so that our families could have peaceful and normal lives. I tried many times in the past to encourage them to stop this ridiculous feud. My parents loved me but sometimes I felt that they just ignored what I said. After a full night rest I regained my vigour, so I set out to see my friend Lucentio. Lucentio was a courteous, friendly and pleasant person, but his parents were a whole different story. They used to beat him and they didn't care for him at all. I was playing in the street when I saw him huddled up outside a shop. My first instinct was to just ignore him but my heart told me better. I walked up to him, asked him what was wrong and comforted him. We've been friends ever since. He wasn't the sort of person that would get into fights. In fact, even if it had nothing to do with him he would try and stop it. On the way to his house, I saw a big crowd gathered together in the street and I was curious to see what it was about. I pushed and shoved my way through to the front of the crowd. The expression of my face went blank. My good friend Lucentio was lying on the hard, concrete ground desperately struggling for words. â€Å"Who did this to you Lucentio†, I asked impatiently. He didn't answer straight away but he got there in the end. â€Å"It†¦was†¦Fred†¦er†¦.rick†, he replied. â€Å"How did he know Lucentio was my friend? Had he been spying on me?† I thought to myself. These were his last words before he stopped moving and died. I swore to avenge the death of my friend and that I would get Frederick back for what he did to Lucentio. I went looking for Frederick but I had no luck at all in finding him. He was probably keeping a low profile so as not to attract any attention. I asked the local people if they had seen a man dressed in a black doublet and a fur lined cloak but they had no information to provide me with. This had me so frustrated that I was about to give up my search when I came to a poorly dressed man on the street that I recognized. He was the very same vendor from ten years ago. I didn't think he would know, but I asked him anyway. It was just my luck that he saw him walk past a few minutes ago and he pointed me in his direction. I thanked him and I was on my way. It wasn't long before I found him wandering through one of the alleyways. I shouted at him to stop but as soon as he turned around and saw my face he ran away quickly. But, he didn't get far. I caught up to him and got my breath back. When he didn't expect it, I pulled out my sword and slashed at him, but I missed. This enraged me even more than I already was. He also drew his sword and tried blocking my attacks but I kept on slicing at him wildly. I was out of control. But then, he got the better of me and I was forced to the ground. I was crawling backwards and desperately trying to get up but with no success. All the while Frederick was advancing on me ready to strike. He thrust his sword toward me and I stuck my sword out in front of me with my eyes closed, fearing for the worst. I opened my eyes and nothing had happened to me. I was completely fine but Frederick on the other hand was lying on the ground motionless in a pool of blood. My sword had pierced him through his heart and he had died almost immediately. â€Å"What have I done†, I was thinking, â€Å"I've been a complete fool not to realise that all this thirst for revenge has driven me mad and caused me to kill another human being.† I knew that I couldn't keep on standing there gazing at the motionless Frederick otherwise I would be caught. So I left and went home contemplating about what just happened. There was nothing left for me there in Legnago except the consequences I would have to face. This family feud caused me to cross the line and commit a felony which was not worth it at all. I couldn't stay there anymore I thought to myself. I didn't want to be a part of this feud any longer than I already had been. I had to run away. But where could I go? Then it struck me that I could go to Verona to live with my relatives. I wanted to forget whatever had happened but I even knew that the guilt will stay with me forever. Nevertheless I packed up all my important belongings and I set off on my journey to Verona, a fresh start.

Life Lesson Essay

Up until that day, I swear I thought I was invincible. I guess this is the same with all twelve year old girls who think they know all that there is to know about life. I was never one to be a follower but I must admit my friends were a major influence in my early life. As a matter of fact this day was not only the day I realized how wrong and little I knew about life but it also became the reason I changed my life and circle of friends around. It all started when I got sent to a different school than my friends my freshman year; first day of school I was feeling as cool as the other side of the pillow when reality gently slapped me in the face and I realized; I was no longer Rosa but instead â€Å"the freshman†, the girl no one else other than other freshman cared to get to know, the girl who went unnoticed all day. All of a sudden it wasn’t so refreshing and exciting to see so many new faces, different races and ages all gathered in the same place. The urge to get up and walk away from that place came over me and all I wanted more than anything in the world was to see a familiar face. I decided I wasn’t going to let it get to me so I became friends with Melissa; she was the coolest girl I had ever met in my life. Her personality was as contagious as a cold and as destructive as a tornado. For months, we hung out and even though I knew she was trouble, I just could not get passed how liberal and expressive she always was. She dressed how she wanted and came about as she pleased. Together we thought we ruled the world. One day, Melissa approached me and said â€Å"hey lets go for a ride†. I said â€Å"of course†. Not caring where we were going, I got in her car and we drove off. She drove up into a dark neighborhood, at this point my heart sta6rts pounding harder than ever before. I ask her, â€Å"What are we doing here?† She said â€Å"oph we are just getting some weed.† Thinking this was cool, I played along as If this was a normal thing for me. As she is making her â€Å"transaction†, the man who she is buying it from pulled out a gun and pointed it at us. He said, â€Å"Give me whatever else you have of money in your purse or I am going to shoot both of you†. This was the moment it all became real, I could not believe we were going through that, I felt so powerless. Thankfully she acted on reaction and drove off so quickly, I bet the tire marks are still marked on the pavement of that street. That day I realized how much of nothing we both knew and parted our ways.

Hamlet- Shakespeare dramatises the tension between Passion and Reason Essay

Acts of passion and acts of reason can be differentiated by a sense of underlying tension, Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ published in 1601 explores these universal ideologies by dramatizing this underlying tension. ‘Hamlet’ presents challenging representations of the traditional values of passion and reason through their varying forms. The representation of these concepts coupled with dramatic tension conflicts with traditional plots of the Elizabethan era thus creating a sense of enduring value. The various depictions of dramatized tension that underpin the play, allows issues of passion and reason to flourish throughout as is the intention of Shakespeare. Tension emphasises how acts of passion must incorporate elements of reason in order to confirm that the act is in fact righteous. This is true to the philosophical outlook of Humanism, during Shakespearian times, a practice that emphasized reason and human fulfilment in the natural world often rejecting r eligious beliefs. Hamlet struggles with acting in accordance with his Humanist elements or reverting back to his traditional religious ways, Act One, Scene V, effectively introduces this link between passion and reason exacerbated through underlying tension. The device of the Ghost initially symbolises the disruption of the Great Chain of Being on which the Elizabethan society of the epoch was founded due to the tension created by the passionate crime of Claudius for the throne. The Ghost explicitly introduces these concepts through its initial contact with Hamlet and its repetitious, blunt language ‘So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.’ Hamlet’s love for his father allows him to inherit this want to commit the passionate act, evident through his metaphorical language which depicts his submission to his father’s will ‘Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweet to my revenge.’ Hamlet’s response is ironic and juxtaposes itself as notions of tension heighten his self-division to act with desire or intent. Though Hamlet wishes to act passionately, his religious beliefs which condemn ghosts along with his Humanist beliefs to not act without purpose lead to his state of inaction. The scene elucidates how reason has aided his prolonged struggle between his identity as a Renaissance Man of Thought and Chivalric Man of action. This representation of passion and reason dramatized by tension  allows the play to develop demonstrating how acts of these emotions are riddled with ardent desire that is plagued with logic of Shakespearian autonomy. According to conventions of Elizabethan Theatre braggart soldiers usually played the role of the protagonist, Shakespeare challenges this by employing an intellectual scholar as the lead. Through the character of Hamlet, Shakespeare crafts passion as a catalyst to act by the requests of the ghost, however portrays the intellectualisation of reason as an inhibitor of this will to act. Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act Two, Scene II, exhibits the dilemma of the human condition through his psychological tension between public and private duty caused by the love for King Hamlet. Hamlet ironically exclaims ‘O what a rogue and peasant slave I am!’, chiding and degrading his principals and stamina. Hamlet’s conflict is depicted through rhetorical questions which connote doubt and the direct address of images representative of hell, illuminating the confusion of definite morals as a product of reason ‘What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, that he should weep for her?’. Hamlet’s repetition of Hecuba alludes to his questioning of Christianity and religious faith which reflects the Elizabethan society of the epoch. Hamlet evidently creates an argument against himself creating a distinguishable divide in thought process, indicated through the conjunction, ‘Yet I’. This product of contemplation is portrayed as the driving force of the conflicted soul of Hamlet. Recurring motifs of emptiness ‘And all for nothing?’, ‘And can say nothing’, and the repetition of nothing creates a cyclical tone in argument that reinforces contemplation as a form of procrastination from concluding the rivalry with Claudius, thus highlighting the dichotomy between action and inaction and subsequently passion and reason. Hamlet’s confliction is further exacerbated as he metaphorically states that he is ‘prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must like a whore unpack my heart with words.’ Consequently blurring the divide between moral and immoral actions as his revenge has been instigated by heaven in its war against the working of hell, visible in Claudiusâ⠂¬â„¢s achievements. This presents a challenging view of desire and motivation can be halted by reason. Hamlet’s characterisation as continually self-berating and his inaction are counter-acted by the concluding rhyming couplet ‘The play’s the thing where in I’ll catch the conscience of the King.’ The rhythm of the metaphor alters and gains momentum and speed as  Hamlet is presumably spurred into action emphasising the developing tension, presenting another challenging dimension to the concept of influence on moral and corrupt supremacy in the 17th century. The play captivates audiences as it presents the light and shade surrounding the complexities of passion and reason, as presented through the dramatized tension allowing the responder to question the values of the time. Order and Hierarchy were prevalent aspects in Elizabethan society, Shakespeare usurps this concept making it a key source of tension throughout the play. In ‘Hamlet’, Claudius’s passion for power causes him to commit regicide, an act regarded as sinful at the time and thus causes his emotions of remorse which challenge the nature of his Machiavellian character and defined distinctions of morals. In Act Three, Scene III, Claudius, uncharacteristically overcome by a deep sense of guilt soliloquises metaphorically confessing ‘Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; and hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, a brother’s murder.’ The biblical allusion to Cain and Abel reinforces the religious undertones which contribute to C laudius’s realisation of his fatally flawed morality caused by his notions of reason and identity as a Machiavellian character. The combination of Christian and Pagan imagery further connotes the notion of tension, challengingly strengthening the passion for self and power as the cause of rivalry and self-division through reason. Through the alliterative comparative adjective ‘My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, and like a man to double business bound’, Claudius’s internal struggle is revealed through the simile as he is trapped between the dichotomy of two alternatives which are driven by Hamlet’s intent to obtain revenge. The notion of defeat also suggests battle which connotes his enthrallment of his inner conflict produced by passion. These literary devices are thus used to emphasise the universality and value of the diverse perceptions of passion and reason presented. Furthermore, through the soliloquy of Claudius the valued ideologies which plague thought are depicted as a product of the passion of power. Claudius’s crime exemplifies the fundamentally corrupt nature of the Divine Right of King. The hyperbolic interplay of juxtaposing light and dark imagery in the metaphoric rhetorical question ‘What if this cursed hand were thicker than itself with brother’s blood, is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow?’ illustrates the irrevocable evil that Claudius  has committed in the murder of King Hamlet, an act of passion later questioned by notions of reason. It is additionally a mortal sin, biblically in all cultures and eras to commit murder, bestowing the play with its universality. Claudius concludes the soliloquy through the exploration of binary opposites and religious allusions ‘My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thought never to heaven go’, which reinf orce Claudius’s deliberate humanisation, contributing to the complexity which underpins the characterisation of all Shakespearean characters and reflective of the notions of reason present during the Elizabethan era. This complexity illuminates the challenging presentation of the traditional values of passion and rivalry. Hamlet is hence a universally valued text because of its diverse representation of traditional values which challenge the audience. Through the initial introduction to the Ghost the intertwining nature of passion and reason exposed through tension, challenges the notion of these concepts as separate values. The soliloquising of Hamlet in Act Two, depicts the over intellectualisation of passion as a product of reason, and its devastating consequences conveying a less idealised view of passion which challenges audiences. Moreover, the soliloquising of Claudius in Act Three further reveals an act of passion as a product of reason, presenting a diverse challenging perspective. These notions which oppose tradition bestow Hamlet with its value derived from its universality.

The Law of Agency and the Power of Attorney Case Study

The Law of Agency and the Power of Attorney - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that in the case of Francis Gagnon, Joan her daughter and Frank Gagnon the son, it is clear that Joan had the right and authority for the transfer of Shelburne property under her creation and control. First, once the power of Attorney has been signed, it holds and in the event of revocation, then the agent must be served with a copy of the signed revocation documents. In the case stated, it is evident that Francis Gagnon’s revocation was never told to Joan explicitly, and, therefore, the power of Attorney still holds. Secondly, according to the power of Attorney, any decision that an agent makes on behalf of the principle stands. Additionally, Frank Gagnon never incapacitated for any reason, to revoke the already signed power of Attorney. Based on such a perspective, it is sufficiently clear that the revocation of the power of attorney was unlawful. Since an agent should always act in place of the principle, the property had, therefore , be transferred to the trust, and, therefore, was the trust’s property.

Essay 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

1 - Essay Example Carnegie faults poor wealth administration for this unequal wealth distribution and therefore seeks to provide a solution without losing the benefits of civilization. Civilization has eroded communism but propagated individualism. Carnegie chooses to view this as not being wholly negative but as â€Å"essential for the progress of the race† (1). The author argues that those with experience in various affairs should create capital and generate income; those with ability should accumulate wealth and energy. Failure to support this individualism would be tantamount to â€Å"attacking the foundation upon which civilization itself rests† (Carnegie 3). Furthermore, having tried out communism and settling on individualism, it would be in order to carry on with the latter. Nonetheless, the author faults individualism for giving wealth to the few. Therefore, the article seeks to provide an appropriate approach to wealth administration. To achieve its objective, therefore, this article evaluates three common modes of disposal of surplus wealth. Leaving such surplus wealth to families of the dead, mostly first sons, would have the wealth distributed to many generations to come. However, depreciation in the value of land and follies of heirs have thwarted this approach. Moreover, surplus wealth has proved to be more harmful than good to heirs. This is, therefore, an improper way of wealth administration. The other option would be to bequeath wealth for public purposes. Such wealth only â€Å"becomes of much good in the world† upon the death of the subject (Carnegie 5). However, it is common not to honor the wishes of the dead and such wealth would be spent in unintended manner. Furthermore, supporters of this proposal could go with their wealth after they die could this be possible, only that upon death, one cannot help but leave such wealth to the community. Such persons do not, therefore, deserve praise for doing the inevitable. Hence, the author supports taxation on

Mechanism and the Rationality of Human Behaviour and Mind Essay

Mechanism and the Rationality of Human Behaviour and Mind - Essay Example In B. Jack Copeland’s paper entitled, Narrow versus Wide Mechanism: Including a Re-examination of Turing’s Views on the Mind-Machine Issue (Copeland, 2000), he examines the previous work by Alan Turing on the similarities between his Turing Machine and its similarities to the human brain. Also, the misinterpretations of Turing’s ideas by other theorists were presented in the paper, as well as other theories that either support or debunk them. On the other hand, the rationality of human behaviour in terms of choices and the products of such in the eyes of economists, behavioural analysts and social scientists were presented by Herbert A. Simon in his paper entitled, Bounded Rationality in Social Science: Today and Tomorrow (Simon, 2000). Changes in the trends concerning human choices over several decades as the effect of evolving cultures and ideas was explained and mulled over by seeing human behaviour as the result of decisions, along with theories and models th at could possibly explain why recurrences are possible in places where people are expected to be thinking differently from one another. The first paper is Copeland’s views on the connection between the human mind and Alan Turing’s computing machines, as well as the views of narrow and wide mechanisms’ school of thought. ... can do numerous tasks at the same time, several connections were made: The theory of mechanism is that the human body is made up of several parts that function as a whole, and much like machines such as clocks, each part has the task of contributing to the movement of the body. However, the human body is capable of self-repair and movement afterwards, while machines such as clocks do not have such capacity (Copeland, 2000, p. 6). The human mind and body are governed by sets of rules that allow it to move accordingly to what is needed, and that the selection of actions is determined by the pre-selected options in the mind, which are in the forms of memories. Much like in computers, problems are solvable only by what functions and options are available in their stored memories (Copeland, 2000, p. 8). Narrow mechanism believes that the mind is a machine that can be strictly simulated by a Turing machine, however, wide mechanism states that there is a strong possibility that although the human mind is indeed a machine, it cannot be imitated by a Turing machine thoroughly, thus dynamic and cognitive behavioural systems of the human mind cannot be calculated by the universal Turing machine (Copeland, 2000, p. 10). The creation of the computer was to make a machine capable of doing the computing work of hundreds to thousands of humans at the same time, proving the notion that similar to humans following a specific set of guidelines, logical computing machines when programmed with the appropriate procedures to do can also do anything that is within the set of instructions, making the process mechanical in nature (Copeland, 2000, pp. 13-14). However, several theorists proposed ideas that not all machines can be programmed to compute everything, and a time may come that some

Religion and Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion and Music - Research Paper Example People face numerous situations where they are compelled to listen to music whether by choice or without it. Even in our Muslim state no matter where we go we are required to listen to music. Restaurants, department stores, homes, cars there is no place where music isn’t played. With the availability of cell phones, I pods and so many electronic gadgets like these have eased the access to listening to music. It is imperative for us to know that what our religion teaches us about music and to what extent it permits us to listen to it. For this we need to refer to the Quran, Hadith and sayings of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Prophet’s companions. According to these sources, music has been termed as ‘haraam’ in our religion. Interpreters of the Holy Quran have identified the term â€Å"lahwal hadith’ as listening and singing songs, buying singers and buying instruments for amusement. Sayyidana Abdullah Ibne Mas`ood, a close companion of the Holy Prop het was inquired the meaning of the phrase â€Å"lahwal hadith’ and he answered, â€Å"I swear by Him besides whom there is no other God, that it refers to ghinaa (singing).† It is believed that he repeated this statement thrice and his views have been seconded by the Four Caliphs, the prominent Sahaba and other reliable personalities in Islam. Music is forbidden and also regarded as a major sin in our religion. Playing of musical instruments is also a major sin hence it is haraam to play the guitar, piano, drums etc. Imam Ali ibne Musa Reza says, â€Å"And to be engrossed in musical instruments is also one of the great sins.† (Bhimji) A verse from Surah Luqman in the Holy Quran is often offered as a proof of prohibition of music, ‘And there are among men those who purchase idle talk in order to mislead others from Allah's path without knowledge, and who throw ridicule upon it. For such there will be a humiliating punishment.† The word â€Å"idle t alk’ here refers to the word ‘lahwal hadith’ which has been discussed earlier. This word has been interpreted in two more ways but they refer to shirk (polytheism) and diverting people from Allah’s worship which takes us to the same idea of engaging in prohibited activities. (al-Kanadi) However there are contradicting views that can be found among people and some misinterpret that music is permitted in our religion. The Quran says, â€Å"And verily, We did favor some of the prophets over others, and to Dawood We gave the Psalms†. This verse of the Quran is not a proof for those who consider music being legal. Psalm (Zaboor) was the Holy Scripture that was given to Hazrat Dawood by Allah and it contained teachings of wisdom and talked about Allah’s greatness. Nowhere in the holy book is it mentioned that music or musical instruments are allowed. The truth is that Prophet Dawood was blessed with a melodious voice which was intensely beautiful a nd captivating that when he recited the Zaboor men, birds, animals and jinn gathered around him to listen to his recitation. This in by no means indicate that Zaboor was reveled with musical instruments or talked about music.(al-Kanadi) Some people believe that another verse from the Holy Quran relating to Prophet Ayyub permits music and dancing. Allah the All Mighty, commands Prophet Muhammad in Holy Quran, "And recall Our servant, Ayyub, when he cried unto his Lord, 'Verily, Satan has afflicted me with distress and suffering.' It was said unto him, 'Strike the ground with your foot; here is a spring for a cool bath and water to drink†. Many Sufis have taken the phrase ‘Strike the ground with your foot’ as an act for allowing music and dancing however the tafseer of the Holy Quran re