The German Lifestyle

Lets face it, for most English speaking people living in Germany is not particularly easy if you are not part of a German family. So many unwritten rules end up being communicated through acid stares, or loud protest (in some dialect 90% of Germans won’t even understand). As a general rules you can square the distance from a metropolitan centre to calculate the intolerance level. One should think of this as a form of asserting the failing national identity. By pointing out that you do not understand the rules, the locals affirm their sense of belonging. Yes, I am a good German and bright enough to know that a yellow dustbin is intended for plastic only. † Most of these rules tend to gravitate around weekend life, which is the times you will most probably spend admiring the countryside (and one is prone to spot the odd hordes of chappies either dressed to the nines or totally naked out in the forest). The first rule to obey is something called â€Å"Ruhezeit†, or q uiet time. Anything from a crying baby to flushing the toilet may be considered an infringement. Be particularly aware of clauses in your rental contract which specify when you may be forgiven for flushing the loo.Loud noises should be avoided till 8 in the morning, and again around lunchtime. Following on from the confusing â€Å"everything is an exception† logic of their language, you may expect different interpretations of when exactly you should best take your lunchtime nap (without snoring of course). If you intend to have friends over, and you consider listening to music, be sure to warn your neighbours (at least 4 houses deep in each direction) well in advance. Most Americans are either shocked or ecstatic about German’s attitude towards alcohol.You can safely say that Germans do not consider beer an alcoholic beverage. You will encounter happy tipplers enjoying a brewsky on the train, walking down the street or sitting in the cinema at any time of the day or ni ght. Well how could anything brewed according to the â€Å"Reinheitsgebot† (translated â€Å"purity commandment†, and no you won’t find that in the Bible, and it was not the reason Luther revolted) be considered evil. There does not seem to be a minimum age and it would appear that both smoking and beer are more common with (early) teenagers.The strategy seems to be â€Å"Let them experiment early and get it out of their system†. This attitude does make one wonder about the education system though, where people tend to spend the best part of the first 3 decades of their life at educational facilities. They don’t seem to kick all habits with the same gusto, or perhaps some habits just kick in later. Washing your car is another interesting hobby. And it seems that if there is to be an addition to the German Bible it would be â€Å"Thou shalt not wash thine Auto on Sunday†.Ostensibly it is due to the fact that one is not allowed any manual labo ur on the day of rest, but you would be damned to actually find a car wash automat that works. Strangely the vacuum cleaners at petrol stations do work on Sunday. Personally I think there is more to this than meets the eye. To identify the pattern one needs to consider German toilets. I am not sure exactly when they were introduced, but this has got to be the most nonsensical construction yet contributed to the world of anal fixations. Most loos have a little platform, intended to present your turd on a pristine, white ceramic pedestal.In this way you have no option but to be confronted by it when you flush. This continued forced exposure to faecal excrement has got to be the reason Freud came to be the way he was. The modern equivalent being the sin of washing the car on Sunday. Another way of looking at the â€Å"not on a Sunday† problem is to consider that Germany is the nation which has produced more car brands per capita than anyone else. Although one can equate the tend er loving care bestowed upon the delicious contours of leather (jawohl) and plastic as resembling the worship of false gods.And where else do political parties fear the wrath of the electorate if the even suggest Freeways without speed limits are a bad idea? One could argue that a country where the government serves as debt collector for the church may frown upon waxing up the Porsche on Sunday morning (they would prefer to see you in church and getting value for your money), but personally I still blame the wonky toilets. Call it subliminal mass social structural programming, but as Sigmund may say, it looks anal to me.

Importance of computer in education system Essay

The computer and its related technologies are now such an integral part of every day life that it must be an ingredient in educating for participation in present and future society. For educators it is a tool for lesson preparation: – research information on any topic – find activities to print and use – gather ideas used by other teachers for presenting lessons – using word processing, page layout and presentation software to produce activity pages and audio/video lesson presentations The internet in particular keeps teachers up to date when they join in on forums and blogs about teaching practices etc. Online courses are also available for adding to teaching credentials. (This is a boon for those who are not living close enough to a large city centre where classes, conferences and meetings can easily be attended. ) For students, access to computer (and in particular internet technology) at school can be a great leveler. While most students are comfortable using the computer, those who do not have one at home are at a disadvantage for completing assignments that require research and producing a printed document. The computer can be a tool for learning in many areas of the curriculum: – math teachers should take advantage of the opportunity to allow students to create spreadsheets to manipulate data – formal teaching in the finer points of using word processing and presentation software to produce polished presentations of creative writing or research reports would prepare students to meet the expectations of the business world – music classes can be dynamic when students are given the opportunity to explore composition using computer software. Learn about varieties of music by listening to files available on the internet – set up pen pals in another city or country for their students to learn communication skills (also a great way for students who are learning another language to practise by â€Å"chatting’ with another student Teachers are constantly discovering new ways to integrate computers into their programs. In today’s education the computer has become the new pencil and paper, text book, library and in many cases   teacher.

A Modest Proposal Essay Example for Free (#7)

A Modest Proposal Essay Modest proposal (28) , A Modest Proposal (26) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? A Modest Proposal is a satiric essay by Jonathan Swift, written in 1729. It is aimed at the rich landowners of Ireland who are keeping the poor of Ireland in poverty and virtual starvation. The narrator is Swift, who seems to be making a strong case for cannibalism as a method for solving the problem of hunger and overpopulation in one ostensibly simple solution. He proposes that the Irish should sell their children under the age of one year as meat for the tables of the wealthy. The problems Swift describes are primarily the number of poor in Ireland who are being forced to work for food in amounts less than that which is needed to feed their families. He hints that because of their religion they over-breed, being catholic and not practicing birth control. The same problems described by Swift in the 18th century are occurring today in many parts of the world. Hunger exists and children are born into families too poor and uneducated to do anything about a pregnancy when they cannot feed or clothe the children they have. The U. N. attempts to ameliorate the hunger but nothing is done about the source of the problem so the food only fuels a new generation who are doomed to be as hungry as the one before it. Swift argues that marriage could be looked upon as a method of producing children as meat for the tables of the rich and that the union of a couple would have great financial benefits. They could produce meat children as a farmer raises pigs for slaughter. Swift speaks ironically of his proposals having the benefit, â€Å"Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy toward their tenants,† (Swift). Bibliography Swift, J. A Modest Proposal 1729. A Modest Proposal. (2017, Mar 26).

English Composition. (Discussion Forum 1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English Composition. (Discussion Forum 1) - Essay Example For me as a writer for my English composition class, the difficult part is â€Å"prewriting† where I have to apply different techniques and approaches to organize my thoughts and the collected information. As English is my third language; usually I find it hard to organize my thoughts in a way where its forms the specific message which I want to deliver to my readers. Prewriting has many phases. These phases include outlining, mapping, free-writing, listening, interviewing and brainstorming. It is important for a writer to know the topic he is writing on. Research and brainstorming session also plays an important role in collecting the data or the information prior to a start. Second important technique is to outline the material in a way that it develops coherence between the paragraphs and the sentences. Free flow in writing can always distract a reader whereas an organized approach before penning the thoughts can help in developing the flow among the sentences. I would suggest that brainstorming and outlining the ideas prior to writing are the most important components of prewriting because they tell the direction to the writer without distracting his thoughts and making his writing more

Film analysis ( The road home ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film analysis ( The road home ) - Essay Example As Stephen Holden maintains, â€Å"Zhang Yimou’s tenderhearted film ‘The Road Home’ is a cinematic ballad of such seamless construction and exquisite tonal balance it transcends most of the pitfalls of movies that aspire to a classic, lyric simplicity.† (Holden) Therefore, it is indubitable that the movie The Road Home will be remembered for its interesting theme, filmic treatment and skillful film-production, and the splendid performances from its cast. In a careful review of the movie The Road Home, it becomes lucid that the major theme of this work of art is the tender love in rural China between a country girl and a young teacher. The major theme and the plot of the film are interconnected as the latter reveals the intensity and depth of the love that the major characters share. The film presents the meaningful relationship between these rural characters as the teacher’s death at the end of the story brings their son back from the big city for th e funeral. Significantly, the film-maker has been careful in presenting the nature as one of the most crucial characters in the film and the major themes of the movie are closely connected to the relevance of nature. It is important to realize that the movie also exhibits an awe-inspiring sense of a purifying return to nature.

UNDERSTANDING DRUG-TARGET INTERACTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

UNDERSTANDING DRUG-TARGET INTERACTIONS - Essay Example Propranolol is a beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent (Long) and has been used to treat amongst many other things, high blood pressure, glaucoma, migraines, reduce anginal episodes, reduce episodes of anxiety and even treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995). It is one of the most commonly used classes of these drugs (Aarons et al, 1979) but while propranolol is effective in treating several conditions, toxicity may occur in some cases too and is a result of interaction between the receptor and the drug (Glaubinger and Lefkowitz, 1977). Toxicity can affect cardiac, vascular or bronchial function (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995). The beta-adrenergic receptor is a well studied receptor that is phylogenetically conserved (Barak et al, 1994) and is present in low concentrations in plasma membranes (Yarden et al, 1986). It has been demonstrated to be an integral plasma membrane glycoprotein which is hydrophobic (Yarden et al, 1986). The beta-adrenergic receptor (Refer Fig. 1) is made up of seven transmembrane alpha-helices spanning the plasma membrane. Three of these loops are intracellular while the other three are extracellular. There is an amino terminus and a carboxyl terminus to the receptor of which the carboxyl terminus is on the cytoplasmic side and the amino terminus is inside the cell. This receptor is N-glycosylated near the amino terminus with the amino terminus being blocked in this receptor (Yarden et al, 1986, Green et al,1993). There are many phosphorylation sites on the carboxyl loops (Yarden et al, 1986) which allows for activation. The chemical name of propranolol is 1-isopropylamino-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-2-propanol (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995) and it is a beta-adrenergic antagonistic drug (Glaubinger and Lefkowitz, 1977). Different structures have been proposed for this drug (Padke et al, 1981). However, a widely accepted one appears to be one put forward by Phadke et al, 1981 (Refer

Statistics for Managers Individual Work wk3 Essay

Statistics for Managers Individual Work wk3 - Essay Example For instance, an automobile industry can analyze the likelihood of a parts failure in an automobile. Discrete random variable is delineated as a variable in which all the outcomes cannot be broken into smaller measurements and are also mutually exclusive. It exists on either infinitely or finitely countable continuum. Continuous random variable is delineated as infinitely unaccountable probability space. Despite the fact that each event is peculiar, it is not possible to measure the probability of a single event given that it can be further divided into smaller parts. (Lind, & Mason, 2000) This is a random variable because its value is determined by chance, and is unknown in future. An analysis of discrete random variables will be utilized in a supply industry company in which defects can be measured via 100 invoices. This sample size allows discrete random variables as. In addition, process mapping allows multiple phases of data analysis to have visual work force. The possible values this random variable can assume are the values of each card in the deck: two, three, four, and so on. Because these values are distinct, indivisible amounts, the random variable is discrete. This helps balance customer gaps and assure quality assurance to the highest degree. This information can be assessed to use as data to trigger sales in every department. An analysis of continuous random variables is measuring the time with customers coming and entering the retail at a specific time. Continuous random variables can be utilized in Wal-Mart in which customers are coming in 3 minutes 32 seconds of 5 minutes 17.6 seconds. This is crucial to quantify the data in essence to have a visual display of the work that is being conducted. For instance, suppliers and vendors can look at this data to analyze when customers are coming at the right time. Inputs can be utilized to include process activity in which customers

Machiavelli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Machiavelli - Essay Example The philosopher believes that a real leader should be cunning as diplomacy as well as war needs this quality. Machiavelli also stresses that rulers should be compassionate but cruel whenever it is necessary. The thinker states that the leader should â€Å"desire to be considered clement and not cruel† but he also â€Å"ought to take care not to misuse this clemency† (Machiavelli 40). Of course, the leaders should be compassionate, which usually results in people’s support. However, to maintain order in the country, it is often important to display certain degree of cruelty to make people respect and even fear the leader. In conclusion, it is possible to note that Machiavelli stresses that the leader should be able to keep the balance between strength and craft, cruelty and compassion. According to the philosopher, the ruler will be able to gain respect and support of his people if he can use force, show compassion, keep the word, and even be able to use craft, as the consequence is more important than the tools

Foundations for Change and Linear Regression Scatterplot Assignment

Foundations for Change and Linear Regression Scatterplot - Assignment Example When this is the case there seems to be urgency for change in the management and the employees. This can be established by considering what else is happening within the company (Johnson and William, 2001). Managerial leaders must look at the broad organization beyond ones division or division to establish whether it is the right time for change. When everyone understands the need for change and the benefits that the company and individual employees will get if the change is successfully implemented then the organization is ready for change. Most of the times the management will be quick to explain how the organization will benefit without explaining how the individual employee will benefit and this causes lack of readiness from their end (Banutu-Gomez and Banutu-Gomez, 2007). Change is also possible provided that there is readiness from both employees and the top level management. This is possible by explaining the need for change to both and reaching out to them for their input. Get to know what is working from their end, what is not working and what can change. Basically, the organization will only be ready if both the employees and the management are ready to be actively engaged in the process. The determination and availing of all that is required in the successful implementation of change is crucial. Will there be need of new technology? Do employees need training on a new process? Is there need to slow down the process of implementing change to allow employees to ‘catch up’? Before an organization begins the process if making changes in its operations, it must undertake the following important steps. The top management in every organization must seek the support of their stakeholders if they want to initiate a change within the organization. This is mainly due to the fact that the stakeholders have a lot of day on the resources and management of the organization hence they must approve of any change

Birth Control in Schools Essay Example for Free

Birth Control in Schools Essay Schools are the one institution in our society regularly attended by most young people-nearly 95% of all youth aged 5 to 17 years are enrolled in elementary or secondary schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 1993). Large percentage of youth attend schools for years before they encounter sexual risk-taking behaviors and a majority is enrolled at the time they initiate intercourse. Just as youth in communities with high rates of poverty and social unawareness are more likely to become pregnant so youth in schools with high rates of poverty and social inadequacy are also more likely to become pregnant. In particular, when female teens attend schools with high percentages of dropout rates and with higher rates of school vandalism they are more likely to become pregnant. The lack of opportunity and greater disorganization in some minority communities in this country, teens in schools with higher percentages of minority students are also more likely to have higher pregnancy rates than teens in schools with lower percentages of minority(Manlove, 1998).. Students in these studies, it is often difficult to distinguish the impact of school character from the impact of the community characteristics in which they reside. Social scientists and educators have suggested a wide variety of explanations for how schools reduce sexual risk-taking behavior. Some of their explanations have observed research supporting them, while others are credible, but lack supporting research. For example, educators concerned with adolescent sexual behavior have suggested that: 1. Schools structure students time and limit the amount of time that students can be alone and engage in sex. 2. Schools increase interaction with and attachment to adults who discourage risk-taking behavior of any kind (e.g., substance use, sexual risk-taking, or accident-producing behavior). More generally, they create an environment which discourages risk-taking. 3. Schools affect selection of friends and larger peer groups that are important to them. Because peer norms about sex and contraception significantly influence teens behavior, this impact on schools may be substantial. However, just how schools affect selection of friends and peers is not clearly understood. 4. Schools can increase belief in the future and help youth plan for higher education and careers. Such planning may increase the motivation to avoid early childbearing. As noted above, multiple studies demonstrate that educational and career aspiration are related to use of contraception, pregnancy, and childbearing. 5. Schools can increase students self-esteem, sense of competence, and communication and refusal skills. These skills may help students avoid unprotected sex. Despite the growing strength of the abstinence movement across the country, large majorities of adults favor SEX and AIDS education that includes discussions of condoms and contraceptives. For example, a 1998 poll of American adults found that 87% thought birth control should be covered (Rose Gallup, 41-53), a 1998 poll found that 90% of adults thought condoms should be covered (Haffner Wagoner, 22-23)and another 1999 poll found that 82% of adults believed all aspects of sex education including birth control and safer sex should be taught . (Hoff, Greene, McIntosh, Rawlings, DAmico, 2000). Given both the need for effective educational programs and public support for such programs, schools have responded. According to a 1999 national survey of school teachers in grades 7 to 12, about 93% of their schools offered sexuality or HIV education (Darroch, Landry, Singh, 204-211, 265). Of those schools teaching any topics in sexuality education, between 85% and 100% included instruction on consequences of teenage parenthood, STD, HIV/AIDS, abstinence, and ways to resist peer pressure to have sex. Between 75% and 85% of the schools provided instruction about puberty, dating, sexual abuse, and birth control methods. Teachers reported that the most important messages they wanted to convey were about abstinence and responsibility. During the same year, survey results from a second survey of teachers and students in grades 7 to 12 were completed (Hoff et al., 2000). Their results were similar to the study above. They revealed that at least 75% of the students and similar percentages of the teachers indicated the following topics were covered in their instruction: basics of reproduction, STD and HIV/AIDS, abstinence, dealing with pressures to have sex, and birth control. Despite the fact that most adolescents receive at least a minimum amount of sexuality or HIV education, it is widely believed by professionals in the field that most programs are short, are not comprehensive, fail to cover some important topics, and are less effective than they could be (Britton, deMauro, Gambrell, 1-8; Darroch, Landry, Singh, 2000; Gambrell Haffner, 1993; Hoff, et al., 2000). For example, both surveys of teachers discussed above found that only half to two thirds of the teachers covered how to use condoms or how to get and use birth control. there is very little information about the extent to which sex- and HIV-education curriculum have been found to be effective and are implemented with fidelity in additional schools. However, considerable unreliable information indicates few schools implemented the lessons. There is a widely held belief that schools have established a foundation for programs, but that effective programs need to be implementing more broadly and with greater dedication throughout the country. I want to take you back to when I was a teenager and how I personally can relate to the same choices and decisions our teenagers is face with today, in my personal experience; My boyfriend and I had our sex talk we decide I should go to my mother and talk to her about some form of birth control, her response was no. there was no explanation, no reasoning, and no questions ask about why I want to go on it. It was simply no! The end result I have 21yrs old. Im not saying that we made the best choice because I still had an option to use a condom and contraceptives. Todays teenagers resources are plentiful, they can go to cook county hospital, they have Planned Parenthood and there local clinic in there neighborhood and now they have program that are being implemented in their high schools. Children, who do not have supported parents, can not talk to their parents. I want to bring in another aspect as to what can happen when you do not enforce communication about birth control, sex and consequences with your teenager, as you know Im a grandmother I wouldnt trade my granddaughter in for anything in the world. Not enforcing the use of contraceptive, I feel one of the reasons that I became a grandmother in my thirty. because I did not get as involved with my son as I should have after he inform me that he was sexually active. The high Schools offer them open lines of communication and provide a safe atmosphere in which allows them to express their thought as to why they are there in the first place. It’s possible it can lead to single parenthood and a high drop out rate. Pregnancy among teenagers is continuing to rise despite a 40 million Government campaign to reduce the problem, while sexually transmitted diseases are reaching epidemic levels. The Royal College of Nursing revealed that increasing numbers of teenagers are indulging in sex and even taking part in orgies called daisy chaining. The Department for Education and Skills has admitted that 66 out of 150 local education authorities have at least one school based health service in their area providing advice, access to or direct provision of contraception. You have statistics on birth control and personal experience wouldnt you rather your teenager be knowledgeable than not? Biliography Britton, P. O., DeMauro, D., Gambrell, A. E. HIV/AIDS education: SIECUS study on HIV/AIDS education for schools finds states make progress, but work remains. SIECUS Report, 21(1), 1-8 (1992) Chandy, J. M., Harris, L., Blum, R. W., Resnick, M. D. Female adolescents of alcohol misusers: Sexual behaviors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 695-709 (1994) Darroch, J. E., Landry, D. J., Singh, S. Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. pubic secondary schools, 1988-1999. Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 204-211, 265 (2000) Gambrell, A. E., Haffner, D. Unfinished business: A SIECUS assessment of state sexuality education programs. New York: SIECUS (1993) Haffner, D., Wagoner, J. Vast majority of Americans support sexuality education. SIECUS Report, 27(6), 22-23 (1999) Hoff, T., Greene, L., McIntosh, M., Rawlings, N., DAmico, J. Sex education in America: A series of national surveys of students, parents, teachers, and Jones 8 principals. Menlo Park, CA: The Kaiser Family Foundation. (2000) Manlove, J. The influence of high school dropout and school disengagement on the risk of school-age pregnancy. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 8, 187-220 (1998) National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, 1993. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (1993) Rose, L. C., Gallup, A. M. The 30th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the publics attitudes toward the public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, Sept., 41-53 (1998, September) Singh S. Adolescent pregnancy in the United States: An interstate analysis. Family Planning Perspectives, 18, 210-220 (1986)

The Role Of Customs And Excise Agency

The Role Of Customs And Excise Agency The rapid pace of globalisation is inevitable. Such a rapid global trade is driven by technological changes on transportation and communication, the increasing of population, and multilateral trade agreements. In some aspects, global trade has brought many benefits. It opens up a whole range of job opportunities to the citizens, provides affordable goods and services, accelerates economic growth and offers prosperity to the country. Then, participating in the global trade is desirable. Even though the gains from global trade are obvious, economist agree that the greatest gains go to the country that slashes its own barrier (World Trade Organizations, 2013). There are many forms of trade barrier such as tariffs, quotas, and antidumping duties that may impede market integrations. Thus, trade barriers have become a critical issue to be solved. Reducing tariffs and non-tariffs barriers have become a way to overcome trade barrier issues. However, this prescription has not always led developing countries to achieve desirable gains from global trade. Wulf (2005) pointed out that there are some factors that lead to the failure of many developing countries to generate economic benefits such as poor trade logistics environment and high transaction costs including customs clearance costs. Further, as the growth of global trade, the movement of people, goods, and services across around the globe has increased rapidly. It brings serious challenges in which demand some forms of revenue collection as well as border protection. In this point, Customs and Excise agency as one of key border agencies should take in place. Customs and Excise agency are expected to perform properly to meet the global trade challenges. Indonesia, the largest archipelago country in the world, has a strategic position across major sea lanes from Indian to Pacific Ocean. Its strategic position has led and fostered international trade. This country has become an attractive market because its large population, its economy size and its active membership in many regional trading arrangement (Salim, 2011). On the other hand, Indonesia is not only an attractive market for traders but also it becomes a potential hotspot for transnational organised crime. These situations demand some forms of effective border protection as well as revenue collection. In this point, Customs and Excise service has responsibilities to deal with the goods crossing the borders of the country, including counter illegal cross-border activities and tackle the cross-borders threats. It is clear that Custom and Excise agency, as a border control authority, needs to overcome these new challenges. Regarding to this issue, this paper will specifically discuss the role and responsibilities of Customs and Excise agency in Indonesia. To some extent this paper also discusses the challenges that Indonesian Customs and Excise agency will be faced as it moves toward 2020. The Role of Indonesian Customs and Excise Administration In general, Indonesian Customs has its roles as trade facilitator, industrial assistance, revenue collector, and community protector (Bea dan Cukai, 2013). As changes in the international trade pattern and the world have become borderless, trade will flow toward efficient environment where barriers in trade are eliminated. It seems that the global trade simultaneously requires an efficient and competitive market. As a consequence, many regional, bilateral, and multilateral trade initiatives are trying to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers gradually. As the tariffs liberalisations are already implemented, Love and Lattimore (2009) stated that there are other main barriers of trade in developing countries, such as customs and administrative technical and procedures. Since 1994, Indonesia has adjusted its tariff to be in line with World Trade Organizations commitment (WTO, 1998). However, Indonesia-European Community (2007) pointed out that Indonesian government consistently fail to generate optimal revenues as well as offer a fair treatment for investors because of its governance problems, particularly in the customs and tax administrations. Similarly, Wakamatsu and Iwakami (2005, p. 14) pointed out that in Indonesia, customs and clearance as one of the major issues to be improved in the business and investment environment. It is clear that international trade requires efficient and effective as well as simple and clear customs procedure. In response to this challenge, Indonesian government has enacted Law Number 10 Year 1995 on Customs which later it is amended with Law Number 17 Year 2006 on the Amendment of Customs Law (Bea dan Cukai, 2013). In general, these two laws have led Customs and Excise agency to accommodate the demand of international trade as the consequence of Indonesias participation in the ratification of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and other trade agreements (Bea dan Cukai, 2013). Customs agency plays a significant role as a trade facilitator. The WTO defined trade facilitation as simplification and harmonization of international trade procedures, including activities, practices, and formalities involved in collecting, presenting, communicating and processing data and other information required for the movement of goods in international trade (WTO, 2001). Thus, carrying out its roles and responsibilities as trade facilitator requires effectiveness on customs clearance processing. In international trade, lengthy time on customs clearance does really matter. The more complicated its procedures will increase time delays on clearance, and it will increase costs of doing businesses. As a result, Indonesia will be less competitive in the international trade. Indonesian Customs has recognized this challenge. Reducing time delays on customs clearance as well as reducing the cost of doing business can be achieved by simplification and modernisation systems on customs clearance. Even though Indonesia has not signed The Revised Kyoto Convention yet, Indonesia has adopted some principles on Kyoto Convention, including simplification, harmonization and modernisation of Customs administrations. In 1997, Customs has started to use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system in which it provides an alternative for the client in the procedure of lodging a customs declaration (Bea dan Cukai, 2013). Later, in 2010, Indonesia has started to implement Indonesias National Single Window (INSW) as part of Indonesias commitment to ASEAN. The development of the INSW was driven by Indonesias commitments to ASEAN under the Agreement to Establish and Implement the ASEAN Single Window that was signed in 2006 (OECD 2012, p. 53). Through this single window, it would improve the flow of exports and imports. Bayhaqi (2011) pointed out that Indonesia has achieved significant rreductions in customs clearance time and technical control for both, imports and exports. For imports, the time taken to customs clearance decreased from seven days in 2006 to four days in 2010, while for exports, it decreased from two days in 2006 to one day in 2010 (Bayhaqi, 2011). However, due to its limitation on information technology systems and legal issues related to information transfer among government agencies and private sectors, the paperless trading through the INSW is only available for a relatively small group of about a hundred traders, which have advanced and qualified technology systems for post clearance audit facilities (OECD, 2012). In the future, Indonesia needs to accommodate and facilitate other traders to use INSW as well as establish cross-border paperless connection within ASEAN countries. Conservatively, the role of Customs agency is as a gate keeper to collect revenues. However, as the vast expansion in people and goods movement, the role of customs agency is not only to collect revenue but also to facilitate trade and protect the community. The needs of Customs agency can be varied among the countries, but in an archipelago country like Indonesia, Customs plays a critical role as the first line of defence against transnational crimes, smuggling, drugs trafficking, terrorisms, illegal fishing, illegal logging, and other illegal activities. As a timber producer, Indonesia has struggled with issues related to illegal logging. Luttrel et.al (2011) calculated that the government was losing US$600 million to US$ 8.7 billion per year because of illegally harvested timber activities. Scheyvens and Casero (2010) pointed out that there are many forms of illegal logging activities that against customs law such as exporting timber without a licence or proper documents, undervaluing export prices and volumes and misclassification or misdeclaration of word products, re-routing and trans-shipment fraud of cargo, attempted bribery, and so on. Goncalves et al. (2012, p. 12) stated that Customs officials play an important role in detecting illegal logging because they are in a position to prevent the movement of unauthorized shipments across borders with false documentation. On the other hand, Scheyvens and Casero (2010, p. vi) pointed out that Customs administrations have only a little or no external support or background information to assist them, except for customs declarations and accompanying documents. In another point of view, Scheyvens and Casero (2010) stated even though exporting countries have clear procedures for wood export permit and verification, its requirements for the clearance of wood product consignments are not well known by Customs agencies in importing countries. To some extent, Customs in the importing countries may not have powers to prosecute imports of illegal timber (Scheyvens and Casero, 2010). In order to overcome this issue, one of the approaches is to prevent the flow of illegal timber entering the importing countries. It can be achieved through Customs agencies co-operation and collaboration between exporters and importers countries. Thus, information sharing among Customs agencies is crucial. Indonesia itself has engaged in many regional Customs networks, and initiatives to combat illegal logging. Through World Customs Organization (WCO), APEC, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) for example, illegal timber trade issues has been raised (Scheyvens and Casero, 2010). In bilateral level, Indonesia has arranged and signed a number of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), such as United of Kingdom-Indonesia MoU and United of States-Indonesia MoU and to tackle illegal timber trade including various forms of Customs collaboration (Scheyvens and Casero, 2010). Cantham House in Goncalves et al. (2012) reported that in 2008, illegal logging has declined, but it still contributed around 40 to 55 per cent of all logging in Indonesia. Amacher et.al (2012) stated that the major obstacle in combating illegal logging is bribery and corruption of government officials. Further, Nelleman (2012) described that illegal logging syndicates might pay export fees on the timber, but they pay little tax from the actual logging through initial under-reporting. Transparency International (2011, p.3) pointed out that often corruption and fraud have been used to falsify valuable permits from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Combating corruption across government agencies might become a big task. However, there is one small step to curb corruption: building the capacity of Customs. Transparency International (2011) pointed out that the improvement of Customs capacity will assist Customs officials to deal with any complex forms of fraud and corruption in the timber trade. Scheyvens and Casero (2010) stated that strengthening Customs integrity is necessary to combat corruption within Customs administrations. In general, there are ten elements of Customs integrity program under The Revised of Arusha Declaration, including transparency, automation, reform and modernization, audit and investigation, and relationship with the private sectors (McLinden, 2005). The implementation of these ten elements would be beneficial to curb corruption. Conclusion The role of Customs agency might be varied within countries. As the world is becoming borderless, the role of Customs agency in Indonesia has become more complex from revenue collector to trade facilitator and community protector. Carrying out its role as trade facilitator, Indonesian Customs has simplified, harmonized, and modernized its systems and procedures on customs clearance for both, exports and imports. The implementation of INSW aims to accelerate the customs clearance, reduce transaction costs and enhance national competitiveness. However, in the future, INSW needs to be improved to accommodate much more traders. Indonesian Customs has simultaneously made some efforts to combat the existence of illegal activities, particularly illegal logging. In response to this issue, Indonesia Customs has engaged in a number of international organizations as well as bilateral and multilateral agreement. As a result, the number of illegal logging has fallen, but it still has become an issue to be solved. One of the challenges is corruption issue within government agencies, including Customs agency. Thus, strengthening Customs integrity is becoming a crucial task as it is moving toward to 2020.

The Dangers of Ritalin :: Argumentative Health ADD Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The parents of six year old James Patrick Smith receive a phone call from the school guidance counselor informing them of their child's recent hyperactive behavior. After a short conference, the guidance counselor suggests to the parents a solution for young James' problem; as a result, the family visits their family doctor and the doctor diagnoses James with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) during a one hour appointment. To remedy the disorder, the doctor prescribes the "savior drug" for ADD patients; children are almost always fed the drug Ritalin, a prescription medicine that packs a strong euphoric punch (Machan 151). The preceding hypothetical situation commonly occurs in the United States at a growing rate which may be too fast for the nation to contain. The over-prescription of the drug Ritalin to correct ADD produces many negative side effects upon patients and society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the vast market of prescription drugs, Ritalin, one of the most highly used drugs, also carries with it some of the greatest medical drawbacks. ADD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) stands tall as America's number one psychiatric disorder (Hancock 52). Estimates suggest that more than two million children live with the disorder; in addition, according to Dr. Daniel Safer of Johns Hopkins University, over 1.3 million regularly consume Ritalin for treatment of ADD (Hancock 52). Ritalin appears to be a popular choice for doctors, but the daily effects of the drug, which family physicians do not see, creates questions as to how well the drug actually works. Scientifically know as methylphenidate, Ritalin stimulates the central nervous system with similarities to amphetamines in the nature and extent of its effects; furthermore, it supposedly activates the brain stem arousal system and the cerebral cortex (Bailey 3). The key factor remains that doctors and researchers are not sure of what precisely occurs when Ritalin invades the human body. Hancock notes that no definite long-term studies exist to assure parents that Ritalin does not cause more or less havoc in their child, nor does any disease accompany prolonged usage (52). Testing results released by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in February 1996, show a study of mice in which a rare form of liver cancer arose as a result of Ritalin; however, the FDA still regards Ritalin as "safe and effective" (Hancock 56). Offering almost as many side effects as the number of people who take the drug, Ritalin alters many different aspects of the body. Just a few symptoms cited by Bailey include: nervousness, insomnia, loss of appetite, dizziness, heart palpitations, headaches, extreme weight loss, skin rashes, possible psychotic episodes, and severe withdrawals (3).

ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools :: ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools

Hello, I am writing to introduce myself to those of you have not met me. My name is Antonio Anadon and I’m the president of ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools. We have 32 schools throughout Spain and Mexico and 30 partner schools in the rest of the world. It took us a long time to build the leading Spanish language school organization in the world. By now, you should have received the sad news that AmeriSpan can no longer continue as an agency. ENFOREX has been trying for years to help John, Dorioara and AmeriSpan return to financial strength but the situation is a disaster and impossible. Like you, ENFOREX has not been receiving sufficient payments for the last five years and this is a major financial loss of $300,000 for our organization. After much thought, I have decided that it is in the best interests of the study abroad industry that AmeriSpan’s problem does not cause any more problems in the industry. I have decided to open don Quijote USA, which will be able to bring AmeriSpan’s business to you with our professional way of working and financial support by fulfilling our obligations on time. In the past days, we decided to take all the assets of AmeriSpan including the website, trademark and intellectual know-how from AmeriSpan Unlimited Inc and John Slocum’s control before the situation got any worse. I don’t want that all of us lose anymore from this mismanagement of the organization. I plan to continue working with the majority of the schools of AmeriSpan and grow the business for all of us. I will be hiring some of the AmeriSpan employees and fresh, new people at don Quijote USA. All financial management will be handled by myself from our head office in Madrid. If you are interested in working with don Quijote USA: 1. We will pay for all AmeriSpan students starting after January 1st, 2007 2. We will need a good commission to increase the business & promotion of your school 3. We really want to create a strong partnership with you 4. We will integrate the promotion of your school in our offices in UK, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico,and soon in China. I expect to be contacted by you and many other organizations in the coming days and weeks, please be patient but I will respond to everyone.

Instant Messenger Programs Essay -- Communication Computers Internet E

Analysis of Instant Messenger Programs From telegrams to telephones, to emails and faxes, people have had a strong desire to be connected to one another. The onset of the information age has only increased that desire - to the point that people are seeking a constant connection. The introduction of instant messenger programs has allowed people to be connected and communicate in real-time. Instant messaging not only provides transfer of text messages, but peer-to-peer file sharing as well. While file transfer provides the user with increased convenience, it also increases the odds of transferring viruses, worms, and other malware. This paper will discuss the major instant messenger programs: AOL IM, .NET Messenger, ICQ, and Yahoo! Messenger. In particular it will explore the threats and security risks involved in both personal and professional use of instant messenger programs. Introduction As the name suggests, instant messaging, or IM, is the real-time delivery of a message from one user to another. Communication between any computing stations can occur as long as the appropriate version of the program is installed. Users must also be concurrently running an IM client (program) as well as be on the same IM network [7]. A conversation that occurs between two or more users is known as a session (or channel). A session can either be public, where any and all users can participate, or private, where users must be invited to participate in the session. Buddy lists, also known as contact lists, allow users to maintain communication with specific users of the same IM client and network. While each instant messaging program is unique, they all employ similar client-server architecture to send and receive m... ... [5] Gaudin, Sharon. â€Å"Norton Antivirus Attacks Instant Messaging.† www.instant-messaging.com. August 2002. [6] Grimes, Roger A. "IM Security Primer." www.secadministrator.com. May 2002. [7] Hindocha, Neal. â€Å"Instant Insecurity: Security Issues of Instant Messaging.† www.securityfocus.com. January 2003. [8] Hindocha, Neal. â€Å"Threats to Instant Messaging.† Symantec Security Response. January 2003. [9] Hu, Jim. â€Å"Worms Find Fertile Ground in IM.† www.cnetnews.com. August 2001. [10] Shinder, Thomas. â€Å"How to Block Dangerous Instant Messengers Using ISA Server.† www.windowssecurity.com. July 2002. [11] Thorsberg, Frank. â€Å"Is IM a Sieve for Corporate Secrets?† www.pcworld.com July 2002. [12] Varnosi, Robert. â€Å"The Problem with Instant Messaging Apps at Work.† www.cnet.com. August 2002

The Motivational Factor

Motivation is a process in which the individual’s attention and interests are aroused and directed towards definite goals. One’s attention and interest can be evoked to the extent that the person’s needs, May it be basic or acquired are the ones involved (Bustos, 1996). Learning is a process inferred from relatively stable changes in behavior that result through practice or interaction with and adaptation to the environment (Goodwin and Klausmeier, 1975; 1978). It is the modification of organism’s behavior as a result of maturation and environmental experiences (Garrison and Magoon, 1975). It has been said that the most effective learning takes place when there is a maximum mental activity on the part of the learner. This mental activity can be best achieved through strong motivation thus motivation is basic to learning. A motivational factor varies according to age, needs, attitudes, intelligence, training and experience. An individual may respond to a particular stimulus due to some changes in his/her environment or something unusual is noticed. These factors that catch the attention of the learner can be utilized by the teacher in order to motivate learning. Since motivational factors varies, the   teacher should take into consideration then the nature of the child, past experiences, the environment, the needs and wants, as well as the individual differences. For instance if you are teaching 3rd graders the teacher should look into their developmental tasks so he/she (the teacher) would be able to associate his/her activities to the subject matter which the students attention are evoked. An intrinsic motivation are internal desires to perform a particular task, people do certain activities because it gives them pleasure, develops a particular skill, or it’s morally the right thing to do. However extrinsic motivations are external factors that are not related to the task they are performing. The more attached the person to the task he/she is performing the eager he/she does the work for the sense of fulfillment while people who are awarded with external things in order to perform a particular task (Deci and Ryan, 1985) would not be able to appreciate the job he/she performed but more likely to be bribed and would not feel fulfilled with his performance but rather with the thing he/she got because of it. Teacher’s especially teaching children who are still in their formation years should be very careful as to how they deal with their students. Intrinsic motivation should likely be done in order for them to grow as responsible human beings who will do good things without bribing them of anything just to provoke them in doing a particular stuff. On the other hand, parents as well must do the same thing at home since discipline starts at home. Activities at school must possess more on the affective domain of the learner and the rest follows. Motivation at this early stage on the development of the child lies more on his/her environment. The very concern of the teacher now is the knowledge and application of motivation and its sustainability. A lesson plan without a motivation is considered as incomplete. A teacher carries out the potentialities of the students with the motivation he/she has in store and so therefore he/she should be very well oriented with the factor that affects motivation to motivate his/her learners effectively. References: Bustos, Alicia S.Ed.D and Espiritu, Socoro PhD. (1996). Anthrpological, and Sociological Foundations of Education.   Quezon City, Philippines. KATHA Publishing Inc. Deci   and Ryan.1985.Intrinsic Motivation. ChangingMinds.Org. http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/intrinsic_motivation.htm         

Ethnic adoption Essay

Transracial adoption also known as TRA, is defined as the adoption of children of a different race or culture from their adoptive parents, has been a controversial issue in the United States. Social workers are usually the one that match the child with the â€Å"parents† when it comes to adoption. The number of adoptive parents does not relate with the number of adoptive minority children. Therefore, more parents of a different race are able to adopt them. Many social workers see transracial adoption as an ideal solution to the lack of adoptive homes for children of color. However, that is not the case with all social workers. There are some social workers that do not agree with TRA regardless of laws that have been set. They can prevent the placement of children of color with families of a different race by deciding they are not fit for different reasons. They are overlooking the reality of the situation. The reality is that there are children in America that need homes, and homes that need children. These social workers would rather have these children raised by the system than belong to a loving family all due to their argument that children should remain with their race to sustain their cultural background. Children need more than their cultural background. They need love, stability, and a good home. In America, a social worker’s mission is protecting children. When a child is neglected and needs to be removed from the home or situation their job is to find them an appropriate home. In most cases social workers view the situation as a whole and see that the child is taken care of regardless of the race of either the child or the adoptive home. In the process of finding a suitable home it’s important for the state, the child, and the adoptive home for the adoption to be successful. In any situation when making a match that will be successful it’s ideal to have as many common factors as possible. Race would be a factor in adoption to considerate when finding common ground. However, when the common factor is not available the option of looking outside of the common factor can prove to be successful. However, there are some people out there that disagree with this. The family members of the child or even some social workers will overlook the disposal of a home outside the race of the child in hopes to find a home of common race. Their argument is to place the child in an environment and culture in which they come from. In the meantime these children will remain within the system costing the system and  taxpayers money. The money used from the child being in the system is wasted as there is an available home for them to be placed in. The system the child is placed in is the foster care system. Although foster homes and foster families are adequately trained and certified by the state in which they live in to take children in their homes they are not the best place for a child. A child needs stability and a loving home, a permanent home.

Analyse different types of business information and their sources Essay

Verbal communication is communicating a message verbally to whoever is receiving the message. An advantage of verbal communication is the opportunity for immediate feedback to make sure the message was understood. Another advantage is the opportunity to utilize nonverbal cues (tone, body language, inflection). These can apply to Barclays because it’s important for Barclays to receive immediate feedback which they can go on and improve on the Business. Also, Barclays will understand the message that is being given verbally even more clear because they’ll understand the body language of the person that is giving the message. A disadvantage of verbal communication is that the communication or message that was put across is not recorded (unless a video camera is used), this means that if there are any types of miscommunication such as an employee getting rude to a customer, there’s a high possibility that it won’t be recalled again. Another disadvantage of verbal communication is that it is harder to communicate around the world. These apply to Barclays because Barclays has to make sure that there verbal communication towards customers or employees are made clear meaning that they would have to outcome the disadvantage. Also, Barclays has many customers/employees around the world, this means that this is a disadvantage to them as it would be harder to communicate seeing as customers in other countries would be speaking a different language, meaning that Barclays would have to come up with a solution in order to ease verbal communication around the world. Written Communication Written communication means communication by means of written symbols either printed or handwritten. Advantages of written communication are that it is more accurate (errors can be corrected or content approved). Another advantage is that a physical record of the communication is made. These can apply to Barclays because Barclays has to make sure that their communication is as clear as it gets for their terms & conditions pages, and written communication makes this easy for them as there is a high possibility that they won’t make mistakes. Another way these benefit Barclays is that when there is written communication made, there is a physical record of the communication meaning that there won’t be any mistakes in communication between the employees and customers, also customers can refer back to these  communications. A disadvantage of written communication is that written communication takes more time and is more expensive to prepare because of printing letters about outstanding loan payments which leads to higher costs because of the printing and stamps to send these letters. Also, another disadvantage is that there aren’t any types of immediate feedback. These can apply to Barclays because Barclays rely on time and don’t have much of it which means that they have to decrease the amount of written communication. Barclays mostly rely on feedback, with written communication there isn’t immediate feedback meaning that this would be a disadvantage for Barclays. Multi-media/ On-screen Information Multi-media/ On-screen Information is media on new technologies such as text messaging. This can apply to many companies in today’s society. An advantage of Multi-media communication is that the information can be spread to a lot of people at one time. This applies to Barclays because they usually have many meetings, and in them meetings they can use a projector showing a presentation which allows all members in the meeting so see. Another advantage of Multi-media communication is that it’s cheaper to use. This applies to companies like Barclays, instead of Barclays sending information via a paper based system which costs more; they can distribute information to their customers through multimedia communication. A disadvantage of multimedia communication is that many of the elderly in today’s society may not know how to work and understand the technologies used in today’s society. This applies to Barclays because Barclays may use text messaging to their customers and some of their customers may be elderly people. Another disadvantage is that not all people in the world have access to multimedia communication. This applies to Barclays because Barclays now provide services of online banking, and text messaging to their customers, however not all of their customers may have access to multimedia communication meaning that Barclays would still have to use a paper based system for some of their customers which leads to more expenses seeing as it is expensive to maintain. Web-based Information Web-based information shows many benefits of multimedia technology. With the  fast broadband connections in today’s society, it is possible to stream sophisticated content to a computer anywhere in the world. A significant amount of interactive multimedia content is now delivered via the internet through web-sites such as www.barclays.co.uk. This is an advantage for many people and businesses as the information can be received and read wherever and whenever it is convenient for the person/business. This applies to Barclays because they can send information to their employees from anywhere which can be read by the employee at any given time. Another advantage of web-based information is that it is easier to distribute information through it. This applies to Barclays because if Barclays is to have a change into how the business operates and needs to inform their employees, they can easily distribute the information on the web to their employees. A disadvantage of web-based information is that not everyone can access the web. This applies to Barclays because Barclay’s employees may need some information from Barclays on any new information or changes to Barclays, however some of employees may not have access to web based information meaning that Barclays will have to distribute information through paper based information. Another disadvantage of web-based information is that it can be led to misinterpretation. This applies to Barclays because if information is distributed to customers/employees, because it’s through a web based service, the customers or employees may not understand it properly. One other disadvantage is that if the systems of Barclays crashes, it could mean that customers would not be able to access the website. This leads to unpleasant customers whom may write complaints to Barclays. Internal Sources of Information Internal sources of information are those which can give valuable information regarding the organization from within. For example, a business like Barclays can give new employees an insight of information regarding how the business operates. An advantage of internal source is that the information is most likely to be accurate because the source of the information is from within the company its-self which is reliable. Another advantage of internal source of information is that it can be shared amongst other departments and created analysed by experts with in that type of field. For example, financial reports are created and analysed. Disadvantages of internal  sources of information are that it can be costly to produce, for example many people are employed on a specific job to just collect and analyse data. This means that this could actually be cheaper for external companies to do it for them instead. External Sources of Information External sources of information is secondary research, for example if a business like Barclays wanted to find out information about one of their competitors such as Santander, but Santander doesn’t want to pass any information out to Barclays, Barclays would then ask a different organisation to collect as much information about Santander. Pros of secondary research is that the information already exists meaning that this will save time. Another pro is that it is usually cheaper to get secondary research instead of primary research which will save company money. Cons of secondary research are that in some cases, it is usually expensive as well (scanner data). You may have less control over how the data was collected. With secondary research, there could also be biases in the data that you don’t know about. Also another con of this is that the answers may not exactly fit in your research questions. This applies to Barclays because if Barclays was to require information ab out their competitors, they’d refer back to a different organisation to find this information out.

Characters and Plot in the Black Gold Essay

It is not so frequent to find a novel written with an animal as the main character and the story revolving primarily around him. Nevertheless, there are writers like Marguerite Henry who writes animal stories with so much fascination and passion, one of which is the Black Gold. It was based on true-to-life experiences set during the early 1990s in Oklahoma and Kentucky. Mixing her vast knowledge about the topic and her creative talent in writing, Marguerite Henry was able to weave a story with extraordinary characters confronted with extraordinary conflicts. Brief Summary The story evolved in the story of a colt named Black Gold, following his adventures being a race horse. He was regarded by many as weak and not good in racing since he possesses a smaller body compared to other horses. But through the help of his trainer Hanley Webb and rider Jaydee Mooney, the colt started to win and finally gained victory in the Kentucky Derby. His success continued to flourish until he got injured in one of the races he joined. His leg got a quarter crack. Eventually, the colt died. Black Gold was given a burial in the middle of a field in New Orleans. Analysis of the Characters Being an animal is not a reason to live a life less simple. It is very much evident in the story of Black Gold. His life is consisted of complex occurrences that can be considered as more intricate when compared to lives of other people. His birth was a product of a dream. Al Hoots, the owner of Black Gold’s mother named U-See-It, dreamt that if he will breed U-See-It to a leading sire, the mare shall give birth to the horse that will win in the Kentucky Derby. As a result, Hoots tried to mate U-See-It to a stallion named Black Toney. The money Hoots used came from the oil that during that time was being excavated from their land in Oklahoma. Here is where the name Black Gold originated. Among the individuals who imparted time and dedication to Black Gold was his rider Jaydee Mooney. Jaydee Mooney was the one who initially believed in the capacity and talent of Black Gold: â€Å" †¦us Mooneys always try. We do our best†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( p. 108). However, his spirit was pushed into limits when Black Gold got injured several days before the Derby: † †¦ It was the first loss for the team of Black Gold and Jaydee Mooney. Was it the soreness in his foot showing up again-the same trouble he’d had the week before the Derby? †¦ † (p. 143). Nevertheless, Jaydee Mooney proved to be not only as a rider but a friend as well to Black Gold, especially when the horse died. Analysis of the Plot Since the book was based from true stories and actual experiences, Marguerite Henry wrote it by narrating events in chronological order. Although written in this manner, the book is not boring and dragging to read. It is because the plot itself is a compelling one that catches and drawn immediately the attention of its readers. She used literary devices so as to show her creativity and mastery in handling and writing a topic such as that presented in the book. Henry was also successful in presenting transition of events. Every chapter in the book promises a more interesting and intense happenings from previous events and chapters. In addition, Henry was effective in inflicting transitional devices that guide the readers while reading. The use of illustrations in the book helped in the proper interpretation of events in the story since the readers will be carefully guided while going on through the story. However, the use of these illustrations somehow gives an impression that Black Gold is a children’s book. But all in all, the story’s plot, as well as the book in general, was a well- crafted depiction of an extraordinary tale. Reference Henry, M. ( 1957). Black Gold. Illinois: Rand McNally

Writting paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Writting paper - Essay Example It is in this regard that this essay aims to present what the concept of culture is. Further, this paper would delve into the influence of this concept to perceptions of health and illness in the health care profession. Finally, a determination of the importance of understanding culture when planning health care would also be identified. Delaune and Ladner (388) in their book on Fundamentals of Nursing defined culture as â€Å"knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, customs, languages, symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people†. Simple folks ordinarily know culture as a way of life. the roles and responsibilities of nursing evolving continuously, a conceptual framework to better understand the effects of cultures on health care was developed by Dr. Madeleine Leininger in her transcultural nursing theory. Dr. Leininger stated Culturally competent care can only occur when culture care values are known and serve as the foundation for meaningful care.† The assumptions incorporated in this theory are: (1) every culture has some kind of system for health care that is based on values and behavior of people; and (2) cultures have certain methods for providing health care often unknown to nurses from other cultures. (Delaune and Ladner 403) The relevance of understanding the concept of diversity in culture is of utmost importance to the nursing profession due to the different profiles of patients they administer health care to. Profiles of patients are incorporated in the culture of their specific countries. Their expectations to the delivery of patient care also depend on the orientations they are accustomed to in their respective countries. Delaune and Ladner (389) presented distinct characteristics of culture which exist among cultural groups and among individuals within a single culture, to wit: (1) culture is learned and taught; (2) culture is

Coaching and aligning a team Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coaching and aligning a team - Term Paper Example This cooperation among team members can be enhanced further by the leadership of the team leader. For the time being, the Chairman must play the role of the team leader and must consider the fact that even when team members are intelligent or hard-working, each member has their own strengths and weaknesses. His experience and wisdom can ably guide the management team to work together. However, initially it can be a daunting task to ensure that each team member has left any previous experiences and biases behind so they can focus solely on the current situation. Katzenbach and Smith (1993), write in an article titled, The discipline of teams, note â€Å"When individuals approach a team situation, especially in a business setting, each has preexisting job assignments as well as strengths and weaknesses reflecting a variety of talents, backgrounds, personalities, and prejudices† (p. 168). This meant being very effective in coaching the management team to focus on their rolees and stay out of politics. The chairman must also learn how to listen to the members of the Board but he must be firm in emphasizing that they should not be involved in the operational aspects. Another advice that the Chairman of the Board can take is that he must employ his excellent interpersonal skills. This would mean being open, frank, or straightforward in his transactions with both management team and board members. It would be helpful to have good demeanor in communicating with the team since they are all professionals; however, as Chairman, he must speak out his mind to arrest the situation. He could start by having a personal briefing to each member ( both mgt, team and board members) so he can address the issues directly and succinctly. By doing so, he is evaluating the opinion of each person which can help him make his own decisions later. In short, he is consulting the people as a coach. Managers do appear to prefer medium by corresponding it to the richness of the

LAB REPORT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lab Report Example The ultimate intention is to determine the polarity of these molecules based on the relative electro-negativities of the atoms relating to the molecular hence stating whether a molecule is either polar or nonpolar. It has been generally known that a non-polar solvent will often dissolve a nonpolar molecule but not a polar molecule. It is therefore to a large extent, necessary to understand the theory behind the polarity of a molecule. This information will be critical in making of prudent decisions in certain chemical practices such as extractions and separations. This report therefore practically looks at the various steps taken to concluding on the polarity of certain molecules. Prominently used in the procedure is the VPESR theory. The VPESR theory seeks to predict molecular shapes of compounds from their Lewis structure since the molecular formulas have no direct relationship to the shape of molecules. According to the VSEPR theory the molecule will take up the geometry so as to minimize valence electron repulsion in the central atom of the molecule. In addition, the presence of lone pairs and the number of valence electrons majorly influence this geometry. There are various geometries which a molecule can adopt. These include; linear, trigonal planar, tetrahedral, trigonal pyramidal and octahedral geometries. After the molecular shape has been obtained the polarity of a molecule can be predicted based on the presence of polar bonds. A bond is polar or non-polar based on the electro-negativities of the atoms in the bond. The greater the difference in electro-negativities the more polar the bond. The atom with a greater electro -negativity tends to pull the shared electrons towards themselves, hence giving them a partial negative charge and leaves the adjacent atom with a partial positive charge, thus polarity. The symbol for a dipole moment of a polar bond is -|-- > with

Theories and Techniques of Coaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theories and Techniques of Coaching - Essay Example The coach was an active and vociferous person who had a strong voice. His overall style of coaching appeared to be a domineering style in which he expected total compliance with his instructions leaving no ground to implement any suggestions from the participating players or managers that stood y the sidelines. On many occasions during the practice session the coach overruled placement of at least three players away from positions where they were apparently not performing well. The coach also appeared to have a control philosophy in that he had extra cordial interactions with a few players -two of these were the players that he insisted on retaining in fixed positions through out the practice session. It was also clear that the coach was brusque with few other players-these were particularly those that were in the university team as reserve players. In addition the coach was ignoring another set of players with only few of his instructions being addressed to them. This exception phil osophy was, strangely, not related to performance as most players that appeared close to him were not performing exceptionally-as yet the coach did not make specific and sufficient attempts to spur such players on. On the contrary the better players appeared to experience and feel the discrimination and in the matter of proper positioning they expressed often their exasperation at achieving no ground with the coach. These players were positioned invariably for long runs that costed them stamina and energy. This was an example of unclean play. This discrimination was apparently eating both ways into the morale and motivation of the divided team. Favorite players appeared to have turned complacent whereas the better performing players appeared frustrated by the discrimination. This discrimination was not only unethical but also an ineffective way of controlling the team towards learning objectives and performance. There was an intense feeling of having ended a routine session of game practice after the session was called off; encourse the session several passes and tackles-particularly from the favorite players-remained uncorrected. In a tell tale reflection of the divisionary practices of the coach ,at the end of practice session, the three groups of players departed three ways.-with the reserve players hurrying outside ,the better performing but slighted players going with the managers and the favorite players accompanying the coach to locker area where apparently they had an impromptu close group celebration. The same team was witnessed again in the major game they ha a few days later. It was almost a replication of the practice session with the team playing in three groups. The coach gave short running positions to his favorites and long running positions to better players-who were good at shots and shooting. The coach gave full exposures to his favorites ad the entire set of such players were retained through out the match ;whereas better players were chang ed with reserves to the maximum allowable extent. The overall morale and motivation of the team appeared very low and the team lost 6-2.The two goals were also scored by better players who were extra to do the jobs of favorite players who were not found in position. Discrimination and groupism cannot help

Free and Fair Elections - Canadian Politics Essay

Free and Fair Elections - Canadian Politics - Essay Example Though the Canadian electoral system to a large extent affiliates to many democratic imperatives like being a representative democracy where the legislative office is decided through popular competitive elections, a political system that affiliates to a multiparty system of democracy, accrual of a range of political choices to the voters, and a reasonably fair and transparent system of governance, still, it will be unfair to conclude that all is well with the Canadian electoral system. ... First past the post system first and foremost is quiet simple and straightforward. Thereby such an electoral system is easy and economical to execute and in no way bothers the people who cannot understand the more complex electoral systems.5 First past the post system is also economical in terms of time in the sense that it takes only a few hours to count the total number of votes and the results could be declared at the earliest.6 This system of electioneering tends to get a sense of the voters’ views as to which party ought to from the government in the simplest possible way and thereby presents a simple and straightforward view pertaining to the peoples’ will.7 However, it goes without saying that irrespective of being an utterly simplistic way of conducting elections, first past the post electoral system in a way suppresses the will and the views of a large number of voters and is certainly not good for democracy.8 Canada has been a thriving democracy since long and now is the high time that the Canadian electoral system must graduate to more inclusive and complex electoral systems. The biggest flaw with the first past the post system is that it readily facilitates a two party system and tends to favor single party governments who are not required to rely on the support of other parties to pass legislations.9 The first past the post system certainly tends to bypass the opinion and aspirations of a large chunk of voters, as the candidates even securing a marginal excess of votes could actually win.10 It does not matter how much votes the losing candidate accrues as the winning candidate is required to get more votes than the losing candidates. Besides, first past the

Conflict Resolution at the Place of Business Essay

Conflict Resolution at the Place of Business - Essay Example This complexity must be understood and overcome in order for both parties to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. The facts of the case are as follows: Our company (for this paper, "USCo"), a large, Midwest-based American medical company, had recently decided to increase its direct presence in the European healthcare market. Up to now, our company had some distributors in Europe, and some European countries in which we used distributors. While we intended to keep distributors in the smaller markets, such as Eire and Greece, we regarded the nine "major" countries as too important to leave to a distributor. The company we were negotiating with (for this paper, "FrenchCo") had been distributing our product, a line of sophisticated automation instruments for microbiology, for over 10 years in Italy and France. USCo had been successful with its automated instruments throughout the world, but was lagging against other key competitors in the European market. Of particular concern was our market share in Germany, France and Italy. In some European countries, such as the Nordic countries, we were direct and enjoyed a number one position in the automated segment of the market. We felt that FrenchCo, despite its strong reputat... Their ability to gain market share was unimpressive. We felt that FrenchCo's managers were hidebound and focused on "traditional" manual technologies. FrenchCo's viewpoint: FrenchCo had started with Louis Pasteur, and defined microbiology not just for France, but for the world. FrenchCo's mission was to offer the very best microbiology products, be they automated or manual, to the global market. Although FrenchCo was a smaller company than USCo, it was nevertheless a leader due to its history, its emphasis on quality, and its deep understanding of the science of microbiology. Expectations for the meeting: We at USCo could only guess what FrenchCo's attitudes were. We guessed that they knew we were unhappy with our current distribution results, and that they had watched us develop direct distribution in European countries around them. We felt that they were trying to develop their own automated instruments, but did not know how far along they were in the development. After the negotiations were completed, we hired one of the FrenchCo managers, and learned a good deal about FrenchCo's expectations. As it turned out, FrenchCo was developing an instrument, but did not want us to know that. While they were also unhappy with the business results, they felt that they could learn about our technologies and use that knowledge to effectively compete against us. They also felt that we would fail if we came to the French market without them. They were not particularly concerned about the Italian market. Start of the Negotiations We suggested the meeting time, but FrenchCo chose the venue. We met in a leafy suburb of Paris. The President met us at the door after a 40-minute wait. We were expecting to be led to a conference room.

Have technological developments undermined the truthful nature of Essay

Have technological developments undermined the truthful nature of photography or have they provided new creative possibilities - Essay Example In its earliest forms, due perhaps in large part to the fact that exposure times were lengthy as the technology was in its infancy, photography was used as a narrative form, but even this early in its history, technological developments were allowing for more creative expression than simply recording the ‘truthful’ image. â€Å"At the turn of the century [1900], a small group of serious photographers tried to rescue the art form from its low estate by turning their backs on the more blatant forms of narrative photography and its continued reliance on and subservience to painting. They sought a more independent poetic vision based on the camera lens and motivated by a concern with contemporary forms† (Brown, 1971: 31). Thus, while it might be said that â€Å"The new malleability of the image may eventually lead to a profound undermining of photography’s status as an inherently truthful pictorial form† (Ritchin, 1990: 28), the new technological develop ments offered to photography are merely the latest in a long line of photographic tools that can be used to explore new creative possibilities and/or provide truthful representation, based upon the decisions made by the photographer. At no point in its history can photography be said to have been limited to merely ‘true’ forms of capturing images. To understand this, it is first necessary to understand how the development of the digital camera is similar to the early development of the traditional camera and then to take a look at how each works to produce images which can be manipulated in various ways to arrive at an idea of ‘truth’. There is no doubt that the boom of available digital cameras and their immediate integration with desktop computers and other devices has been revolutionizing the photography industry. There are many physical advantages to going digital over more traditional methods. Although

Nclex ; Hesi Practice Tests Essay Example for Free

Nclex ; Hesi Practice Tests Essay Denial B. Anger C. Bargaining D. Rejection 2. Which of the following matches the definition: covering up a weakness by stressing a desirable or stronger trait? A. Compensation B. Projection C. Rationalization D. Dysphoria 3. Which of the following waveforms is most commonly found with light sleepers? A. Theta B. Alpha C. Beta D. Zeta 4. Which of the following months matches with an infant first having the ability to sit-up independently? A. 4 months B. 6 months C. 8 months D. 10 months 5. Object permanence for toddlers develops in this age range? A. 5-10 months B. 10-14 months C. 12-24 months D. 15-24 months 6. Which of the following matches the definition: attributing of our own unwanted trait onto another person? A. Compensation B. Projection C. Rationalization D. Dysphoria 7. Which of the following matches the definition: the justification of behaviors using reason other than the real reason? A. Compensation B. Projection C. Rationalization D. Dysphoria 8. Which of the following matches the definition: response to severe emotion stress resulting in involuntary disturbance of physical functions? A. Conversion disorder B. Depressive reaction C. Bipolar disorder D. Alzheimers disease 9. Which of the following waveforms is most commonly found when you are awake? A. Theta B. Alpha C. Beta D. Zeta 10. The REM sleep cycle occur approximately every ____ minutes? A. 45 B. 60 C. 75 D. 90 11. Which of the following reflexes is not found at birth? A. Babinski B. Palmar C. Moro D. Flexion 12. Parallel play for toddlers develops in this age range? A. 5-10 months B. 10-14 months C. 12-24 months D. 24-48 months 13. Which of the following is not a sign of anxiety? A. Dyspnea B. Hyperventilation C. Moist mouth D. GI symptoms 14. Which of the following best describes a person that is completely awake falling asleep spontaneously? A. Cataplexy B. Narcolepsy C. Transitional sleep D. REM absence 15. Which of the following best describes a person that is unable to tell you were there hand or foot is? A. Autotopagnosia B. Cataplexy C. Ergophobia D. Anosognosia 16. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a panic disorder? A. Nausea B. Excessive perspiration C. Urination D. Chest pain 17. Which of the following categories would a 70 year old adult be placed in? A. Intimacy vs. Isolation B. Generativitiy vs. Stagnation C. Integrity vs. Despair D. Longevity vs. Guilt 18. Which of the following categories would a 60 year old adult be placed in? A. Intimacy vs. Isolation B. Generativitiy vs. Stagnation C. Integrity vs. Despair D. Longevity vs. Guilt 19. Which of the following categories would a 20 year old adult be placed in? A. Intimacy vs. Isolation B. Generativitiy vs. Stagnation C. Integrity vs. Despair D. Longevity

Should college athletes be paid Essay Example for Free

Should college athletes be paid Essay Although the majority of college athletes have scholarships, I believe that they should be paid. In this speech I will tell you why I believe this. The first reason I have are scholarships. On average a Division 1 scholarship is $25,000. That’s $100,000 a year! But most athletes don’t last the full 4 years. Once a player is involved in a sport there’s politics, injuries and/or coaches calling them to the office to tell them that they aren’t needed anymore. Many players turn out to have a scholarship for only a year or 2 and then transfer to a different school which may turn out to be better in the end. It may seem like a lot of money but it only covers the basics, such as: mysterious, unknown university fees, tuition, housing, a meal-plan, and multiple hundred dollar textbooks. â€Å"Some players, if they come from a low-income household, get a few hundred dollars each semester from Pell Grants which enable them to buy chicken soup instead of chicken-flavored ramen.† Says Tyson Hartnett, a writer and Professional Basketball Player, October 21, 2013. Opposite of what everyone else thinks, being a college athlete is a full time job. On a typical day they wake up a little earlier than what they have to, to maybe get a morning practice or conditioning session before classes. After school they go to afternoon practices that could last hours, go to mandatory study hall and then get home to finish any homework that they have and/or study for a test. College athletes also have to juggle a job on top of that, if they are even lucky enough to have time for one. The only thing with jobs is that they would have to quit them as soon as the season started up. â€Å"Scholarships don’t equal cash in a player’s pocket. Even with any type of scholarship, college athletes are typically dead broke.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. There are people that say being an athlete is a choice and if they can’t handle all that is being piled on their plate that they should quit. And I understand what they’re saying but i t’s hard to give up something that you love so easily. My question is: Who makes money off of these near-professional level athletes? â€Å"First, their own coaches. Many coaches earn at least $100,000 per year to coach one of the major sports like baseball, basketball, or football at a school. These coaches will receive bonuses for getting to the playoffs,  winning championships, or breaking school records.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. You know what athletes receive as a bonus? Nothing. Second is the NCAA. Recently, the NCAA and CBS signed a $10.8 billion television agreement over 14 years. The NCAA is also considered a non-profit company.  Thirdly and lastly the athletic programs. On October 21, 2013 Huffington Post.com said â€Å"The universities bring in anywhere from hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars to their athletic programs each year. Most if not all from donations, ticket sales, media rights, advertising, and everything else with a price tag. These athletes are symbols for their school and their program.† On the other side of this topic, not all sports teams are profitable. The less popular sports like swimming, tennis, or volleyball don’t bring the University a lot of income. Obviously the more popular sports like basketball and football make up for the lost revenue. Most of y’all could be thinking: â€Å"Why would we pay athletes if entire teams are struggling to survive?† â€Å"We would pay athletes because when President Theodore Roosevelt helped create the NCAA in 1906, he had no idea what it would grow into. At first, it was a great place to watch athletes play sports while making sure the rules were being followed. But now in the 21st century, the NCAA is a billion dollar company. Why hasnt anything changed? Because the decision makers have the mentality of, ‘This is the way its always been.’ Theyre scared to make amendments, even when its necessary.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. I’m not saying we should pay them $5,000 or even $10,000 a semester. I’m just saying maybe at the most $1,000 a semester. This would allow them to go out to watch a movie once in a while, get something for dinner other than ramen noodles, and teach them how to manage their money responsibly. I get that most athletic programs can’t afford that on their own, so that’s why the NCAA should propose a way to start paying them. Athletes earn their schools hundreds of thousands of dollars, increase enrollment, and if they do well, provide a recruiting piece for generations. Top NCAA executives are getting $1 million per year while an athlete can’t earn $50 from signing a few autographs. The NCAA â€Å"prevents student-athletes  from allowing their likeness to be used for promotional purposes.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. There’s only one thing I can say to this: Why?

Merger between Vodfone and Mannesmann

Merger between Vodfone and Mannesmann INTRODUCTION The case on merger between two competing firms- British telecommunication firm, Vodafone Airtouch and German cellular provider, Mannesmann AG- shall be my highlight of this report. In short, this case illustrates a hostile takeover by Vodafone. Vodafone initiates the merger as it sees it as an opportunity for the firm to expand in a rapidly changing communications technology environment in Europe at that point in time. Initially, Mannesmann rejected the proposal. However, in a twist of event, it was eventually left without a choice but to merger with Vodafone. Third parties were enraged as they view this move as anticompetitive. They argued that the merging entity would gain dominant market power, raise barriers to entry and reap economies to scale which they could only dream of. The case was brought forth to the European Commission which only allow for the merger to succeed after Mannesmann de-merge with Orange and also after Vodafone ensured that it will enable third party non-disc riminatory access to the merged entitys integrated network so as to provide advanced mobile services to their respective customers. The Commission viewed these undertakings as sufficient to remove the competition concerns linked to the inability of third parties to provide competitive seamless pan-European mobile services. In this report, Ill analyze the economic benefits, how merger impacts upon consumers and/or producers benefit, as well as, the total welfare. Ill also touch on how merger has the potential to reduce competition and finally, the reasoning of the competition authoritys decision that leads to the success of the merger. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS The merger between Vodafone is Mannesmann is considered to be a horizontal one since both companies operates within telecommunication industry. The merger of the two entities reduces the number of competing firms by one and at the same time, increases the industrial concentration. In theory, a reduction in number of firms competing reduces supply whilst increasing prices of the good which is deemed to be harmful to consumers. The concept of improving/diminishing consumer surplus is further discussed later in the report. It is not always true that fewer firms and higher prices necessarily translate into higher profits for the merging firms. For instance, profitability of each firm is  ¼ in a four-firm industry. So, profits of two individual firms simply add up to  ½. Now, three firms remain after the merger of two. We observe a decline in profitability from  ½ to 1/3 for the merged firms. And although higher industrial concentration improves sales, this increase in sales is not enough to offset the rise in prices charged. Profitability still declines making the merging firms worse off. Thus, charging at price equals to marginal cost provides no incentive to merge unless all firms in the industry merge to form a monopoly. Having mentioned the above, merger doesnt only take place only when all firms merge. In reality, cases such as Vodafone/Mannesmann showed that mergers can lead to cost reduction. The efficiency that arises could be strong enough to drive this merger. Firms will want to produce at the minimum point of the AC curve where theyll be producing efficiently. They avoid duplication of fixed costs when they consolidate management and not employing two people to perform an identical task. By doing so, the firms are able to lower their cost of labour. In addition, both firms are only required to pay a fixed cost such as land and operating facilities, only once after the merger. Effectively, a cost saving of the fixed cost will increase profits, providing an incentive to merge especially when they increase their prices. Hence, the firms may do away with redundant labour, assets and facilities. As we know, a merger would lead to a rise in price as lesser firms are left competing in the industry. Firms are better off with a higher price imposed on consumers and when they gain from higher producer surplus. The opposite applies for consumers who are worse off when prices increase. When the increase in producer surplus outweighs the decrease in consumer surplus, total welfare is said to have increase. However, when the merger reduces marginal cost for Vodafone and Mannesmann, the merged firms may pass on such lower cost to their consumers in the form of lower prices. Lower prices are generally beneficial to consumers. As consumer surplus rise, there will be a subsequent increase in total welfare. Moreover, there might again be cost efficiencies which explain why merged firms can incur a lower marginal cost than the two pre-merger firms. Synergies can be easily exploited between the merging firms. Each firm knows what the other firm is capable of doing and thus, they only produce goods and services that give them the competitive advantage. Overall, a fall in marginal cost would mean cost saving that facilitates profitability. This profitability, in turn, promotes merger. Price, P P2 P1 = C1 C2 Demand, D 0 Q2 Q1 Quantity, Q Figure 1: Diagram illustrating welfare effects of a cost reducing merger (Adapted from lecture slides) From Figure 1, there is no producer surplus when price equals to cost (P1 = C1). Firms are only earning profits while producing at Q1. At this stage, consumer surplus resides in the area under the demand curve and above the C1 horizontal cost curve. After the merger between Vodafone and Mannesmann, lesser firms are left competing and therefore, price increases from P1 to P2. Consumers are gradually worse off with the rise in price. Now, their surplus is reduced to the area under the demand curve and above P2. The area enclosed within P2, P1 and Q2 is the surplus that is transferred from consumer to producer. On the other hand, the triangular areas under the demand curve, but bounded within Q1, Q2 and P1 signifies the deadweight loss. This deadweight loss refers to the surplus that is no longer gained by consumers and producers. Concurrently, there could be synergies between the merging firms that enable cost saving. This cost efficiency lowers cost from C1 to C2. Firms are better off. As shown in Figure 1, the area enclosed within P2, C2 and Q2 represents total producer surplus after the merger. The area within C1, C2 and Q2 is the surplus gained by producers from synergy that render better opportunities to grow margins. Looking at the above, we see that it is beneficial for firms to merge as they incur producer surplus. Total surplus improves as a result of a rise in producer surplus. Moving on, we shall consider competition with regards to the merger between Vodafone and Mannesmann. Assuming that theres no cost saving, a rise in price due to merger will ultimately erode consumer surplus substantially, to a point where losses to consumer outweigh gains to producers. From the producers point of view, this may provide an incentive for them to seek excuses to merge. They may falsify information to convince competition authorities to approve merger. Taking the impact of merger into account, competition authorities have to critically decide on whether to approve a merger especially those which involve large firms like Vodafone and Mannesmann. Such decision process will require them to get hold of accurate information which is not always easy to obtain. One main concerned of competition authorities is the size of the merged firm. Markets dominated by large firms tend to further inflate prices and force down consumers welfare. With reference to the case at hand, competition authorities were initially reluctant to grant merger to both firms. They were concerned that merger between the two large firms will turn out disastrous as they are already producing beyond Q* due to their sheer size. Approving their merger would only mean that these firms operate beyond the MES. Firms that merge at this stage face diseconomies of scale when cost is driven up as they continue to increase output along the AC curve. Cost, C Average Cost, AC MES 0 Q* Quantity, Q Figure 2: Diagram illustrating Minimum Efficient Scale (MES) on the AC curve. Rival firms strongly disapprove Vodafones proposal to merge with Mannesmann as they view the move as being anti-competitive. They argued that the merged entity will be able to provide exclusive services on a seamless basis because the merged entity has the integrated network that such services require. In the proposal, however, Vodafone claimed that if an interconnected network did develop it would not give rise to competition concerns, both because there will be scope for such networks to develop, and because there will be other routes for operators to ensure fair competition within the telecommunication industry. In any event, Vodafone considers that other operators will be in a position to provide seamless services on the same scope in the near future. COMPETITION AUTHORITIES DECISIONS The Commissions investigation has shown that with the complexities involved in agreeing on the modification on the existing network configuration, centralised management solutions and cost and profit allocation will make it exceedingly difficult for third parties to replicate. In addition to the uncertainty as to the replication of the merged entitys network by means of the right combination of mergers, this process would be extremely costly, time consuming and fraught with regulatory delays given the need for regulatory approval. This is supported by the significant number of failures over the past years in building similar solutions in related markets within the framework of joint ventures or strategic alliances. The merged entity would be the only mobile operator able to capture future growth through new customers who would be attracted by the seamless services offered by Vodafone/Mannesmann on its own network. Rival firms which could not offer a comparable service to attract enough market shares will find themselves losing out in the competition. Furthermore, given their inability to replicate the new entitys network, competitors will have, at best, i.e. if they are allowed access to Vodafones network at all, significant costs and performance/quality disadvantages given its dependency on Vodafone/Mannesmann. The merged entitys power to refuse third parties access to the its network or to allow access on terms and conditions entrench the merged entity into a dominant position and diminishes third party offerings. Whats more, customers would generally prefer Vodafone/Mannesmann to other mobile operators given its unrivalled possibility to provide advanced seamless services across Europe. This reinforces the merged entitys position in the industry as a dominant player. And through its unrivalled large customer base and position, Vodafone/Mannesmann will be in a unique bargaining power against handset manufacturers to negotiate design functionalities unavailable to competing operators. Customizing handsets make it more difficult for roamers from competing mobile operators to take advantage of the advanced pan-European services available over Vodafones network. Again, competitors lose out if the merger were to be approved. Upon investigation the Authorities revealed that the merged entity would face stiff competition from other operators and will not enjoy a dominant purchasing power in the long run. They agreed that the merged entity will be a strong buyer in the market for mobile handsets and network equipment, but there remain many other comparable incumbents competing in the market. So, the merged entity would not achieve the necessary buying power to become dominant on the market. In the light of the above the authorities concluded, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the notified transaction does not lead to the creation or strengthening of a dominant position in the global markets for mobile handset and mobile network equipment as a result of which effective competition would be significant impeded in those markets. Meaning to say, the authorities do not view the merger as a significant threat since its powers would have been neutralized by other relevant competitors within the industry. Further precautions were taken in ensuring fair competition within the industry as seen in the demerger of Orange with Mannesmann. This move aims at diluting the powers of Vodafone and Mannesmann after the approval of their merger. It is a well-received decision as it removes the competitive overlaps in the United Kingdom and Belgian markets of telecommunication services. Besides Vodafone has, on its own account, pledged to enable third party non-discriminatory access to the merger entitys integrated network that includes undertakings which cover exclusive roaming agreements, third parties access to roaming arrangements, third parties access to wholesale arrangements, standards and SIM-cards and a set of implementing measures aimed at ensuring their effectiveness. On top of that, it has proposed to set up a fast track dispute resolution procedure in order to solve disagreements in the mentioned aspects and also to reduce its anticompetitive stance. The undertakings as well as demerger is thought to be justifiable since it eliminates the competition concerns linked to the inability of third parties to provide similar competitive seamless pan-European mobile services. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Vodafones proposal to merge with Mannesmann is seen as an anticompetitive threat to other telecommunication service provider. Rival firms were concerned that the merger would bestow substantial market power to the merged entity. Thus, they were strongly against the merger proposal. However, after much consideration by the competition authorities, they concluded that the merger would not inflict much threat due to the presence of a number of strong, large and powerful buyers in the market which prevent Vodafone/Mannesmann from achieving dominant position on the provision of the related services. Moreover, the demerger of Orange with Mannesmann will erode market power of the merged entity. Furthermore, Vodafone submit undertakings that allow third parties access to its networks. Following the implementation of these undertakings, third parties will be in a position to offer competing advanced pan-European mobile services which also prevent the emergence of a dominant pos ition on the provision of these services. The possibility to offer similar services in competition with Vodafone will, in turn, also develop incentives for third parties to develop competing networks. Therefore, the authorities approved of the merger between Vodafone and Mannesmann. To some extent, I disagree that the merger should be approved. The authorities argument that the presence of comparable incumbents will be sufficient in reducing market power of the merged entity comes across as weak to me. Only few of such incumbents operate within the telecommunication industry. Thus, its influence on the merged entitys market power is almost negligible. Vodafone/Mannesmann could still operate like a monopoly by setting high prices and reducing output while erecting barrier to entry to deter competition. Consumer welfare would be greatly harmed as a result of the merger. On the other hand, I support the merger as it encourages innovations. In todays competitive society, only the strongest emerge as champions. Therefore, rival firms may invest in Research and Development (RD) in creating an innovative communicative technology or network system that gives it a competitive edge over Vodafone/Mannesmann existing resources. This encourages a forward-looking competitive that benefits society as a whole. Producers gain as it may develop ideas to increase efficiency while consumers may gain from perhaps cheaper pricing that is passed on to them from lower production cost incurred by producers. APPENDICES European Competition Commission, http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/decisions/m1795_en.pdf, assessed on 11 November 2010 Kendall (2010), Markets, Competition and Regulation Lecture Notes Session 8: Mergers; and Session 9: Competition Policy Merger Control and Remedies Policy in the E.U and U.S: the case of Telecommunications Mergers, http://www.cerna.ensmp.fr/Documents/GLB-TelecomMergerRemedies.pdf, assessed on 12 November 2010 United Kingdom Competition Commission, http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/2003/475mobilephones.htm#full, accessed on 15 November 2010 Europa Press Release Rapid Commission clears merger between Vodafone Airtouch and Mannesmann AG with conditions, http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/00/373 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/630166.stm, assessed on 16 November 2010