Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Portfolio Essay

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Portfolio - Essay Example ess of the shopping malls all over the UK, the Metrocentre has been ranked 2nd in 2011 (Metrocentre 2012, Capital Shopping Centres 2012, Wood 2011, Capital Shopping Centres 2011). Apple’s presence can also be seen in Metrocenter’s lower red mall. The company sells its products and applications to its customers through its retail shop. Apple faces less competition in the shopping center since its major competitors, like Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, etc. are not present in the mall (Metrocentre 2012). Body shop is a world renowned fragrance seller and the company sells its products in different parts of the world. The company faces competition from other competitors like The Fragrance Shop (Metrocentre 2012). Barclays bank offers cash withdrawal facility to the customers who visit Metrocenter. There is only one ATM point placed by Barclays in the shopping mall in the Upper Red Mall. The bank is in direct competition with Lloyds TSB as it has also placed its ATM machine in the mall (Metrocentre 2012). Burger King, as the name suggests, is a burger expert which offers burgers in different varieties to its customers. Burger King is in direct competition with McDonald’s and KFC particularly. Moreover, it is in indirect competition with other restaurants operating in the mall. It is located in Lower Blue Mall (Metrocentre 2012). Cafà © Nova, which is engaged in the restaurant business, is also operating in the Metrocenter. The Cafà © provides different food items and beverages to its customers. The competition faced by the Cafà © is direct with other Cafà ©s situated in the mall. Cafà © Nova is located in Upper Green Mall (Metrocentre 2012). Claire’s offer accessories for women and children, which also include jewelry items for ladies. The retail outlet of Claire’s is situated at Lower Blue Mall in the Metrocenter. Claire’s is in competition with competitor like Pandora and others operating in the mall (Metrocentre 2012). Clarks is situated at Lower Red Mall in

Picassos Background And Life Experiences Essay Example for Free

Picassos Background And Life Experiences Essay Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz Picasso, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didnt satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art, as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism a radical art form that used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves. Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picassos Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world particularly Picassos it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions. Impoverished gangs scavenged in fields and rubbish heaps for anything they could find. A vast horde of ragged, jobless people  wandered around from town to town. On top of this the Fascists operated as a police state and therefore anyone who opposed it would be executed. This incident sparked the most important time in Picassos life. On April 26 1937, Nazi German bombers flying under orders from General Francisco Franco, laid waste to the town of Guernica, in the Basque part of Spain, killing many innocent civilians. The bombing of Guernica was an extremely cruel example to the rest o f Spain of what would happen if the Republican resistance continued. This action prompted Picasso to paint Guernica; some say his greatest masterpiece ever. It shows the suffering and destruction of the town, as well as Picassos own horror and outrage at what happened. The painting depicts death and carnage on a large scale. A grief stricken mother is holding her dead child, a woman is burning, a severed arm holding a broken spear is lying next to a dead man and a horse, which represents the people, has been speared through the heart and is in agony. The bull stands alone, above everything else. The painting shook not only the art world but also the political world. Guernica is Picassos major political expression of all his paintings. Even though it is a single painting, it did so much. And even though it is painted using expressionism, it is still so powerful and it made people realize what was going on in Spain and struck up sympathy for the Spanish people, and hatred for the fascists. Even though Picasso only aimed to express his own horror, outrage, suffering and sorrow of the Spanish people. By unleashing Guernica on the world, Picasso achieved more than he set out to do. Guernica struck up mixed emotions. The Nazis thought of his work as degenerate art not only did it defy the rules of painting; his artwork was anti-Fascist and therefore anti-Nazi. On the other hand, the British, Americans, French etc. loved his work because it expressed, as nothing else could, the horrors and atrocities of Fascism. When Nazi occupation of Paris came, Picassos work was prohibited from public exhibition. Picasso then took on a new role. He refused to leave Paris while the Nazis were there his fame protected him. But Picassos refusal to co-operate with the Germans also made him, as a person, a symbol of freedom, of the unvanquished spirit After the war however, Picassos work was not  met entirely with open arms. In Paris, those still influenced by Nazi propaganda, violently protested against Picasso. But this wore off and Picasso went down in history as not only one of the greatest artists ever, but also a hero, and a figure of defiance against Fascism. Works Cited Page  ·Pablo Picasso: The Early Years. E-Library Article Preview. http://ask.elibrary.com  ·Picasso and Braque : pioneering cubism : [exhibition] Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 24, 1989-January 16, 1990.  ·The Artist and the Camera : Degas to Picasso, by Kosinski, Dorothy M.

Annexation Of Texas Essay -- Texas Independence

Thesis: The nine years of Texas’s independence were long and seemed to be dragged out. Were those nine years unnecessary and could it have been done in a shorter period of time? 13 October 1834 was the first revolutionary meeting of the American citizens who’d settled in Mexico, in the area soon to be known as Texas. The people attempted a movement that soon was laid to rest by the Mexican Congress. Attempts at independence were silenced for the time being and the elections of 1835 proceeded forward. With Santa Anna moving to control Mexico, and taxes increasing, Texans grew restless and rowdy. A Texan, William B. Travis and a small group of Texans attacked a squad of Mexican troops in Anahuac with the motive that â€Å"taxes should not thus be collected from them to support a standing army in their own country† (SOS 1) and soon drove them back. Travis retreated to San Felipe and were assisted to Bexar. Skirmishes and the threat of war with Mexico soon followed. Come 1835, the idea of independence was extremely popular within the territory of Texas. Assemblies were held in the later months of 1835 and soon the revolution had spread like wildfire. From the interior of Mexico, Stephen Austin returned with news from Santa Anna (the Mexican President) and stated Anna wanted nothing better than Texas’ prosperity and would promote the idea everywhere. Texans felt these words to be hollow, and rallied to the idea of independence and annexation to the United States. Within months, the nation was on the edge of war. With the smallest little spark enough to explode into chaos. Mexico saw the fire of revolution in the Texans and acted quickly. They soon sent spies in to observe the actions of the Texans and slowly started to move troop... ... pro or an antislavery state? It took nine dragged out years to be annexed to the US. So with the new US president James K. Polk being inaugurated in 1845 and one of his priorities being to claim texas, it seemed to set things in motion. 12 April 1844 was the Treaty of Texas’ Annexation into the United States of America. We take note that Texas was accepted into the â€Å"Union States† as an anti-slave state, as were all the territories annexed from the Mexican War. So finally, on 29 December 1846, the 29th Congress met and concluded in the Joint Resolution of Congress that the Republic of Texas was to be accepted as a new state in the United States under a republican government, equal to all of the original states before it and in every respect. Texas was entitled to two representatives in the House of Representatives until the government did a census of Texas’s people.

Placing Blame for the My Lai Massacre

â€Å"As you can appreciate, our Army is faced with a tremendous challenge here in Vietnam. Initially our soldiers were committed strictly in an advisory role, and as such the number required was relatively small. But now it has become necessary to commit more and more US troops to actual combat. It is necessary therefore that our training programs in the United States be oriented toward the type of fighting we are involved in today in this country† (Westmoreland). From 1959-1975, America was involved in a prolonged conflict to prevent the spread of communism.Opposing forces were attempting to unify Vietnam under a communist government. In 1954, at the Geneva conference, Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel, splitting the country into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam. Communist sympathizers in South Vietnam formed the Viet Cong to use guerilla warfare against their fellow South Vietnamese. Fighting among the Viet Cong and South Vietnamese continued. When the North Vietnamese fired directly into two US ships in March of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the first US ground troops to Vietnam.The original goal of US involvement in Vietnam was to aid the South’s defense until they could fight for themselves. As it turned out, this was not the outcome (Vietnam War). There are several questions surrounding the Vietnam War, many of which are still unanswered. For years, Americans have posed the following question: â€Å"Why did our soldiers attack hundreds of unarmed South Vietnamese in the My Lai village in March 1968? † United States soldiers shot, beat, and burned innocent unarmed farmers, women, and children. Why was this allowed to happen?Anytime a country goes into war, brutality is expected; casualties are expected. But when this brutality and these casualties come at the expense of 400 innocent Vietnamese, we must ask why. Although most do not condone what happened on March 16, 1968, those soldiers cannot be held responsible for several reasons: the Vietnamese were treating the US soldiers in the same manner, Americans had dehumanized the Vietnamese people, soldiers were unsure of who exactly the enemy was, and the orders they received were vague, soldiers were unaware that they could question authority.The My Lai incident on March 16, 1968 was purely a â€Å"military crime of obedience† (Newman). American soldiers are accustomed to being treated poorly by the natives of an occupied country, but it still influenced the actions that occurred on March 16. Lieutenant William Calley testified about the violent, unnecessary assaults that South Vietnamese soldiers carried out. A radio operator was killed in the first Pinkville assault when â€Å"the bullet just took his entire kidney out,† Calley explained (Who is Responsible†¦). Six innocent Vietnamese women were gunned down on their way to the market by South Vietnamese police.After an assault that killed six men and left another wounded, Calley says that â€Å"it instilled a deeper form of hatred toward the enemy† (Who is Responsible†¦). These brutal acts all occurred at the hand of the people our soldiers thought they were helping. How can these nineteen year old soldiers be expected to react to these violent actions with anything other than more violence? Possibly due to the poor treatment of soldiers, Americans began to dehumanize the Vietnamese people. There are two qualities that make someone â€Å"human†, identity and community.The Vietnamese were simply not considered human beings anymore (Kelman and Hamilton). The American soldiers had come to believe that every man and every woman were Viet Cong and every child would grow up with Viet Cong ideals. Lieut. Calley wrote â€Å"I had no love for these people now. I did have a few weeks earlier, but it had been slowly driven out† (Sack 80). In the same work he says that a captain said to him: â€Å"I sit with my st arlight scope, and I see VC at this village every night. I could go home if I could eliminate it† (Sack 84).When all the South Vietnamese became Viet Cong instead of living, breathing, feeling people, soldiers no longer saw killing them as murder, but as a necessity. When veterans talk about Vietnam, they often talk about trying to find Charlie. Who is Charlie? Unfortunately, our soldiers did not know who this allusive Charlie was either. General W. C. Westmoreland, named by President Johnson to command all forces in Vietnam, knew his task was daunting. How could he root out and kill enemy forces when they could be any Vietnam citizen? Westmoreland says, in a letter to Lt. Col. Lewis L.Millet, â€Å"Here we have an enemy who operates covertly. The battlefield is everywhere-no front to it nor rear. The enemy is here today and fine tomorrow. He moves at night, concentrates, attacks, and then he disappears into the wilderness of a jungle or into the landscape when reaction force s are brought to bear† (Westmoreland, par 3. ) Here we have the commander of all US troops in Vietnam and he admits that they do not know who the enemy is. Twenty-year-old Bob Leahy writes home to his family and explains that when one is in a combat situation, a chance cannot be taken on whether or not a citizen is VC or not.If one waits to find out whether the civilian is armed or just an innocent bystander, it could be too late (Leahy, par 2. ) In addition to my last three points, the orders that the soldiers were issued were extremely vague. Kelman and Hamilton claim written orders were never issued (par 6). All orders were passed by word of mouth; by the time they had traveled through Barker, Medina, Calley and finally to the soldiers, the only message that was conveyed was this: the Son My area must be destroyed (Kelman and Hamilton, par 7). Soldiers were under the impression that only VC would be in that village.The Peers Report, mentioned in Kelman and Hamilton’s composition â€Å"The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience,† said that it is â€Å"reasonable to conclude that LTC Barker’s minimal or nonexistent instructions concerning the handlings of noncombatants created the potential for grave misunderstandings† (par 7). These vague directions were destined to bring about poor results. Because of the ambiguity of the orders, our soldiers cannot be held responsible for the outcome of My Lai. In the time period of Vietnam, soldiers did not question their commander’s orders.It did not matter how absurd the orders were: they were carried out. Lt Calley explains, â€Å"For refusing in order in the face of the enemy, you could be sent to death† (â€Å"Who is Responsible†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). He also states that if he had known My Lai would turn out this way, he would have run from the draft and gone to jail instead (His Own Story, 85). Bob Leahy, in his letter home, says that if someone disobeyed orders, and My Lai was not released to the public, he would serve 5-10 years in Leavenworth Federal Prison for â€Å"cowardice in the face of the enemy or some trash like that† (par 7).As I have previously pointed out, the American forces were following orders when they went into the My Lai village of Son My and killed innocent civilians. Yes, the My Lai incident was a crime, but it was a military crime of obedience. Lieutenant Colonel Barker and his staff planned the Son My raid as a search and destroy mission. Captain Medina was briefed on vague orders and in turn told his men. Lieutenant Calley and other soldiers are not responsible for the events that transpired on March 16, 1968. But perhaps their leaders are.Obeying orders from a lieutenant colonel is not an offense or a crime-it is a custom. Although the My Lai massacre was a horrific event that occurred at the hand of American soldiers, they are not to blame. It was merely a crime of obedience, even though the orders were vague and the soldiers did not know that they could or should question orders. Americans had dehumanized the Vietnamese people, and were very angry. Bob Leahy uses the following analogy: â€Å"If you enrage and tease a lion, and then an innocent person comes along and pets the lion, the innocent person will be mauled† (War Letters, par 4).He says â€Å"This is war and I’ll give a news flash to everyone back in the states-they’re playing for keeps over here. You cannot ask a man to risk her own life and chance of going home in one piece for a Vietnamese civilian who might not have a weapon. Especially when, as in My Lai, they were told only enemy troops and their families lived in the village. It is asking too much† (par 5). Could there have been a different outcome that day? Maybe, maybe not. What was the one true cause of the My Lai massacre? Will we ever know?

Lebron James

Joe Matela Mullins Green/1 April 13, 2012 Rough Draft They inbound the ball, he takes it past mid-court with only 2 seconds left; he dribbles to the three-point line and somehow gets the shot off. It goes in! They win the hard-fought game by nailing the buzzer-beater; this is just one of the 17 game-winning shots that LeBron James has made in his short, eight-year career to give his team the lead in the final seconds of the game. LeBron James is just one of the many athletes that play the exciting game of American Basketball, a fast-paced sport that is extremely entertaining and viewed by an abundance of people through-out the globe.There have been, there are, and there will be many individuals who play the game of basketball very well; however, none will measure up against LeBron James. LeBron has been a great basketball player since the very beginning, perhaps the greatest. Some say that James was being scouted since he was in the sixth-grade. LeBron James, overcoming extreme pover ty in his early childhood, has always been viewed as one of the greatest basketball players since the very start of his career, leading his high school and two professional teams to the national championship multiple times.Basketball is a fast-paced sport in which there are two teams trying to outscore each other by throwing the basketball into the other teams hoop more times than their opponent, (Thompson 143). Basketball has developed drastically since it was invented over a century ago by a middle-school physical education teacher, (Safra 941). This sport originated in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 by a PE teacher named James Naismith, (Safra 941). The goal was simple; outscore your opponent by making more shots than them, while at the same time, preventing the other team from scoring, (Safra 942).However, modern basketball consists mainly of enormous athletes performing flashy dunks, tough play in the post, and down-town shots for three points. Professional basketball consi sts of 4 twelve-minute quarters, whereas college consists of 2 twenty-minute halves. There are five people from each team on the court at once, therefore there are five positions. One of these five positions is called the, â€Å"Small Forward. † The Small Forward is responsible for scoring points by cutting to the basket and using dribble penetration, and on defense seeks rebounds and steals.There are few Small Forwards that preform at a high level of intensity every night; LeBron James is one of these elite few. LeBron James was, â€Å"born December 30th, 1984,† (â€Å"LeBron James† 1), in Akron, Ohio, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). At the time, the population in Akron was around 225,000 people, (Bissinger 7). â€Å"His mother, Gloria, gave birth to James when she was just 16 years old and became his biggest fan,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player†. Newsmakers 1). â€Å"He never knew his bio logical father, who was reputed to be a stellar street-basketball player,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. Newsmakers 1). The most stable male influence in his early life was his mom’s boyfriend, Eddie Jackson, who James sometimes refers to as his dad. However, in 2002, Eddie Jackson was sentenced to three years in prison for mail and mortgage fraud, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). James did not have an easy upbringing. His mother switched jobs and houses often. â€Å"By the time James was five years old, they had moved seven times,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1).He missed large stretches of elementary school and spent 18 months living with a foster family, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). â€Å"James’ basketball coach at the time, Frankie Walker, offered to school LeBron and give him a nice home until his mother Glo ria was able to afford to take care of him,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). During these tough times, LeBron formed an immense admiration towards his mother. During an Interview, James said, â€Å"My mother is my everything. Always has been.Always will be,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American†1). â€Å"Toward the end of elementary school, LeBron found a true stabilizing influence in his life: basketball,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). He first started playing basketball when he was about nine years old with a team called the Hornets at the Summit Lake Community Center (Bissinger 17). In 8th grade, LeBron joined an Amateur Athletic Union team called the, â€Å"Shooting Stars,† coached by Dru Joyce, a graduate from Ohio University, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1).Also on the team was Coach Dru’s son, nicknamed, â€Å"Little Dr u,† who would later become one of LeBron’s best friends (Bissinger 20). The Shooting Stars would continue on to win a handful of national tournament catching the attention of many recruiters. James’ and his team were later invited to a private Catholic school, St. Vincent- St. Mary high school in Akron, Ohio, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). Even Keith Dambrot put Coach Dru on the staff because of what he did with the, â€Å"Fab Four,† on the Shooting Stars, (Bissinger 72). LeBron made an instant impact as a high school player. â€Å"As a freshman, he led the St.Vincent- St. Mary Fighting Irish to a 27-0 record and the Ohio state basketball championship,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). Not only did he become the school’s star basketball player but he also played football for three years and maintained solid grades,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American 2). As a sophomore in football, he caught 42 passes for 840 yards and 11 touchdowns (Freedman 15). Such statistics ignite interest in college recruiters. In basketball, he was a team player, meaning, he spent as much time passing the ball to set someone else’s shot up as he did setting up his own shot.LeBron James was by far the best player on the team; he knew it, and so did his team. â€Å"They understood I was the best player on the team if we needed to get a point, but I still needed them to get the ball to me. They were adamant that this was a team, ‘You can’t do this without us, and we can’t do this without you. ’† (Bissinger 206). By his junior year, James had caught the attention of basketball fans across the country, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). â€Å"In 2001, during the summer leading up to his junior year, James was invited to attend informal workouts at, ‘Hoops the Gym,’ where Michael Jordan trained,† (Free dman 29).Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine in 2002, making him the eighth high school basketball player to be on the cover in 48 years, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). LeBron was also named, â€Å"High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year,† by Parade magazine after both his junior and senior year, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). By the time he was a senior, his nickname was, â€Å"King James,† and they were making little LeBron James bobble-heads. â€Å"James considered declaring himself eligible for the draft as a junior, but he decided to finish high school and declared ligibility for the 2003 NBA draft,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 1). â€Å"St. Vincent- St. Mary’s basketball team won the Division III state championship three of the four years James attended the school: his freshman, sophomore, and senior year,† (Bissinger 120). During his high school career, he played in three total All -Star High School basketball games, (Freedman 55). Originally, the team with the worst record in the NBA got the first draft pick. When the NBA suspected teams of putting no effort into a nothing–to-lose season, they decided to create a lottery, (Freedman 54).The teams that did not make it into the playoffs got put on a ping pong ball and were randomly selected, thus, choosing the order of the draft, (Freedman 54). â€Å"In the 2002-2003 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers went 17-65, tying the Denver Nuggets. They were arguably the worst team in the NBA,† (Freedman 53). So it was no surprise to anyone when LeBron James was the number one draft pick, being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. â€Å"The Cavaliers viewed him as a savior to their franchise; the league greeted him as a marketing tool,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. Newsmakers 1). LeBron entered the league signing a 4-year contract for 12. 96 million dollars, (Freedman 67). In his firs t professional game, he scored 25 points, passed for 6 assists and gathered 6 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings, (Freedman 69). Needless to say, LeBron James made a major impact for his team in his rookie year. At the end of the season he was named, â€Å"Rookie of the Year in 2003,† (â€Å"LeBron James† 1). â€Å"Soon after his rookie season, James was issued an invitation to join the U. S. Olympic team for the games in Greece,† (Freedman 81).His first six years in the league, James had already led the Cavaliers to the Finals and earned MVP honors twice while winning the MVP award in the All-Star Game twice as well, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). â€Å"He has appeared in 627 regular season games and started 626 of those games, averaging 27. 7 points, 7. 1 rebounds, 1. 72 steals and 40. 1 minutes, great statistics by most basketball experts’ standards,† (â€Å"LeBron’ James† 1). He has won the, â€Å"Eastern Conference Player of the Week,† title a league record 31-times (â€Å"LeBron James†1). He is, unarguably, a great overall player of the game basketball. Lebron James Joe Matela Mullins Green/1 April 13, 2012 Rough Draft They inbound the ball, he takes it past mid-court with only 2 seconds left; he dribbles to the three-point line and somehow gets the shot off. It goes in! They win the hard-fought game by nailing the buzzer-beater; this is just one of the 17 game-winning shots that LeBron James has made in his short, eight-year career to give his team the lead in the final seconds of the game. LeBron James is just one of the many athletes that play the exciting game of American Basketball, a fast-paced sport that is extremely entertaining and viewed by an abundance of people through-out the globe.There have been, there are, and there will be many individuals who play the game of basketball very well; however, none will measure up against LeBron James. LeBron has been a great basketball player since the very beginning, perhaps the greatest. Some say that James was being scouted since he was in the sixth-grade. LeBron James, overcoming extreme pover ty in his early childhood, has always been viewed as one of the greatest basketball players since the very start of his career, leading his high school and two professional teams to the national championship multiple times.Basketball is a fast-paced sport in which there are two teams trying to outscore each other by throwing the basketball into the other teams hoop more times than their opponent, (Thompson 143). Basketball has developed drastically since it was invented over a century ago by a middle-school physical education teacher, (Safra 941). This sport originated in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 by a PE teacher named James Naismith, (Safra 941). The goal was simple; outscore your opponent by making more shots than them, while at the same time, preventing the other team from scoring, (Safra 942).However, modern basketball consists mainly of enormous athletes performing flashy dunks, tough play in the post, and down-town shots for three points. Professional basketball consi sts of 4 twelve-minute quarters, whereas college consists of 2 twenty-minute halves. There are five people from each team on the court at once, therefore there are five positions. One of these five positions is called the, â€Å"Small Forward. † The Small Forward is responsible for scoring points by cutting to the basket and using dribble penetration, and on defense seeks rebounds and steals.There are few Small Forwards that preform at a high level of intensity every night; LeBron James is one of these elite few. LeBron James was, â€Å"born December 30th, 1984,† (â€Å"LeBron James† 1), in Akron, Ohio, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). At the time, the population in Akron was around 225,000 people, (Bissinger 7). â€Å"His mother, Gloria, gave birth to James when she was just 16 years old and became his biggest fan,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player†. Newsmakers 1). â€Å"He never knew his bio logical father, who was reputed to be a stellar street-basketball player,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. Newsmakers 1). The most stable male influence in his early life was his mom’s boyfriend, Eddie Jackson, who James sometimes refers to as his dad. However, in 2002, Eddie Jackson was sentenced to three years in prison for mail and mortgage fraud, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). James did not have an easy upbringing. His mother switched jobs and houses often. â€Å"By the time James was five years old, they had moved seven times,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1).He missed large stretches of elementary school and spent 18 months living with a foster family, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). â€Å"James’ basketball coach at the time, Frankie Walker, offered to school LeBron and give him a nice home until his mother Glo ria was able to afford to take care of him,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). During these tough times, LeBron formed an immense admiration towards his mother. During an Interview, James said, â€Å"My mother is my everything. Always has been.Always will be,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American†1). â€Å"Toward the end of elementary school, LeBron found a true stabilizing influence in his life: basketball,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). He first started playing basketball when he was about nine years old with a team called the Hornets at the Summit Lake Community Center (Bissinger 17). In 8th grade, LeBron joined an Amateur Athletic Union team called the, â€Å"Shooting Stars,† coached by Dru Joyce, a graduate from Ohio University, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1).Also on the team was Coach Dru’s son, nicknamed, â€Å"Little Dr u,† who would later become one of LeBron’s best friends (Bissinger 20). The Shooting Stars would continue on to win a handful of national tournament catching the attention of many recruiters. James’ and his team were later invited to a private Catholic school, St. Vincent- St. Mary high school in Akron, Ohio, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). Even Keith Dambrot put Coach Dru on the staff because of what he did with the, â€Å"Fab Four,† on the Shooting Stars, (Bissinger 72). LeBron made an instant impact as a high school player. â€Å"As a freshman, he led the St.Vincent- St. Mary Fighting Irish to a 27-0 record and the Ohio state basketball championship,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). Not only did he become the school’s star basketball player but he also played football for three years and maintained solid grades,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American 2). As a sophomore in football, he caught 42 passes for 840 yards and 11 touchdowns (Freedman 15). Such statistics ignite interest in college recruiters. In basketball, he was a team player, meaning, he spent as much time passing the ball to set someone else’s shot up as he did setting up his own shot.LeBron James was by far the best player on the team; he knew it, and so did his team. â€Å"They understood I was the best player on the team if we needed to get a point, but I still needed them to get the ball to me. They were adamant that this was a team, ‘You can’t do this without us, and we can’t do this without you. ’† (Bissinger 206). By his junior year, James had caught the attention of basketball fans across the country, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). â€Å"In 2001, during the summer leading up to his junior year, James was invited to attend informal workouts at, ‘Hoops the Gym,’ where Michael Jordan trained,† (Free dman 29).Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine in 2002, making him the eighth high school basketball player to be on the cover in 48 years, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). LeBron was also named, â€Å"High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year,† by Parade magazine after both his junior and senior year, (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 2). By the time he was a senior, his nickname was, â€Å"King James,† and they were making little LeBron James bobble-heads. â€Å"James considered declaring himself eligible for the draft as a junior, but he decided to finish high school and declared ligibility for the 2003 NBA draft,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American† 1). â€Å"St. Vincent- St. Mary’s basketball team won the Division III state championship three of the four years James attended the school: his freshman, sophomore, and senior year,† (Bissinger 120). During his high school career, he played in three total All -Star High School basketball games, (Freedman 55). Originally, the team with the worst record in the NBA got the first draft pick. When the NBA suspected teams of putting no effort into a nothing–to-lose season, they decided to create a lottery, (Freedman 54).The teams that did not make it into the playoffs got put on a ping pong ball and were randomly selected, thus, choosing the order of the draft, (Freedman 54). â€Å"In the 2002-2003 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers went 17-65, tying the Denver Nuggets. They were arguably the worst team in the NBA,† (Freedman 53). So it was no surprise to anyone when LeBron James was the number one draft pick, being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. â€Å"The Cavaliers viewed him as a savior to their franchise; the league greeted him as a marketing tool,† (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. Newsmakers 1). LeBron entered the league signing a 4-year contract for 12. 96 million dollars, (Freedman 67). In his firs t professional game, he scored 25 points, passed for 6 assists and gathered 6 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings, (Freedman 69). Needless to say, LeBron James made a major impact for his team in his rookie year. At the end of the season he was named, â€Å"Rookie of the Year in 2003,† (â€Å"LeBron James† 1). â€Å"Soon after his rookie season, James was issued an invitation to join the U. S. Olympic team for the games in Greece,† (Freedman 81).His first six years in the league, James had already led the Cavaliers to the Finals and earned MVP honors twice while winning the MVP award in the All-Star Game twice as well, (â€Å"LeBron James: American Basketball player. † Newsmakers 1). â€Å"He has appeared in 627 regular season games and started 626 of those games, averaging 27. 7 points, 7. 1 rebounds, 1. 72 steals and 40. 1 minutes, great statistics by most basketball experts’ standards,† (â€Å"LeBron’ James† 1). He has won the, â€Å"Eastern Conference Player of the Week,† title a league record 31-times (â€Å"LeBron James†1). He is, unarguably, a great overall player of the game basketball.

Free Essays on English As America’s Official Language

English As America’s Official Language It’s hard to imagine that one of the highest powers of the world doesn’t even have an official language. Believe it or not, this nation is the United States of America. With the United States being in the top five for population, and the large cultural and ethnic diversity that America is facing, I believe that there should be one language for all the citizens in a limited manner. This will enhance people’s lifestyles and simplify legal matters a great deal. I believe that the passage of English as the official language will help to expand opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, the single greatest tool that immigrants must have to succeed. At the time of the nation's founding, it was commonplace to hear as many as 20 languages spoken in daily life, including Dutch, French, German and numerous Native American languages. Even the Articles of Confederation were printed in German, as well as English. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the nation's linguistic diversity grew as successive waves of Europeans immigrated to these shores and U.S. territory expanded to include Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines. The debate over establishing a national language dates back to the country's beginnings. John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress in 1780 that an official academy be created to "purify, develop, and dictate usage of," English. His proposal, however, was rejected. It’s hard to say which language should be the dominant one in our country. With the wide variety of languages spoken in America, there definitely should be one language for the entire country. I think that this language should be base d on the great people who fought for our country’s freedom and be made English. In the early 1980s, again during a period of concern about new immigration, a movement arose that seeks the establishment of English as the nation's official language. The... Free Essays on English As America’s Official Language Free Essays on English As America’s Official Language English As America’s Official Language It’s hard to imagine that one of the highest powers of the world doesn’t even have an official language. Believe it or not, this nation is the United States of America. With the United States being in the top five for population, and the large cultural and ethnic diversity that America is facing, I believe that there should be one language for all the citizens in a limited manner. This will enhance people’s lifestyles and simplify legal matters a great deal. I believe that the passage of English as the official language will help to expand opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, the single greatest tool that immigrants must have to succeed. At the time of the nation's founding, it was commonplace to hear as many as 20 languages spoken in daily life, including Dutch, French, German and numerous Native American languages. Even the Articles of Confederation were printed in German, as well as English. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the nation's linguistic diversity grew as successive waves of Europeans immigrated to these shores and U.S. territory expanded to include Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines. The debate over establishing a national language dates back to the country's beginnings. John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress in 1780 that an official academy be created to "purify, develop, and dictate usage of," English. His proposal, however, was rejected. It’s hard to say which language should be the dominant one in our country. With the wide variety of languages spoken in America, there definitely should be one language for the entire country. I think that this language should be base d on the great people who fought for our country’s freedom and be made English. In the early 1980s, again during a period of concern about new immigration, a movement arose that seeks the establishment of English as the nation's official language. The...

Overpopulation in China and India Essays

Overpopulation in China and India Essays Overpopulation in China and India Paper Overpopulation in China and India Paper Some of the policies created by China and India have shown to be very effective in repressing the growth of the population while others barely make a difference. Differing Ideas and approaches to enforcement have produced different effects which, ultimately, help people know whose policy is more effective. Chinas One-Child policy has proven to be more successful than Indians policies because the when the policys enactment, paired with strict enforcement, brought about beneficial effects. When India gained its independence from England in 1947, their economy Egan to improve and the country started to establish their authority in the world. In addition, their population started to grow at a more rapid pace. India had old traditions embedded in their culture. Traditions like child marriage, early pregnancy and having many children lead to uncontrolled increase in population. In 1952, when the government finally saw how scarce their resources had become, the National Population Policy became the first official step towards control over population growth (India Population and). It sought to address the need for contraception, healthcare infrastructure and o provide basic reproductive and child health care to its people. However, India was not rigid in implementing its policies. They took a milder approach in controlling the population by integrating family planning with general health care. The policies helped spread the word of the importance of having less children but it did not help reduce birth rates. In response to further reduce birth rates, more programs and policies were enacted. By 1975, population control became a regularly taught subject in school curriculums. Also, financial rewards were given to couples who refrained from having hillier for n;v0 years. Despite these attempts, none made a huge impact on the countrys increasing population. The government was able to inform couples the importance of having fewer children which caused a minor drop in birth rates, but not a significant one. The policy could be effective; because the policy was lenient and unforced, citizens would be more open to following it. At the same time, though, the flexibility will cause people to not take the policy seriously, resulting in no decrease in birth rates. Like India, China also faced a decreasing amount of resources with the rapidly increasing population. In 1 956, China took action to suppress a rapidly growing population with the use of propaganda. They soon realized that it made very little impact. After many attempts and failures, the government enacted the One-Child Policy law in 1 979 (Worded). This law stated that each family could only have one child except those with special circumstances (Worded). The program was a sophisticated system which rewarded those who observed the policy and penalized those who did not (Worded). If a family did not follow the One-Child Policy, they could receive a high fine, some amounting P to six times a couples annual income (Worth). Forced abortions and sterilization was common in women who did not obey the law (China steps). Those who adopted the law received special benefits. If a family agreed to have only one child, they received $72, a fortune for the Chinese people, after they turned 60 (China Rewards). China, as a result of their strife, has prevented around 400 million babies from being born, a successful feat for the overpopulated country (Retell). China has seen healthy economical growth which might not have happened if the population had been inappropriately larger. Thanks to the policy, other negative effects of overpopulation were thwarted and did not create a major impact to the society. Even with these benefits, there remain downfalls. A new dilemma has arisen named the 4-2-1 problem, which states that since a daughter or son in a family will be an only child, that one child must care for their two parents and their four grandparents when they are too old (Hester). Also, an even graver situation looms over China. Because the Chinese prefer boy children, the One-Child Policy means some couples may only get a female child. The overspent allows couples to have a second child if their first is a girl, but there are no third tries, even if the second is a girl as well (Worded). Many families, upset with their female child, have resorted to condemning their newborns to orphanages, abandoning them or even killing them. Because of the persecution of the female children, there are a smaller percentage of female children to male children (Fitzpatrick). The One-Child Policys strictness has been very beneficial to China in that it has prevented millions of births from occurring and helped in the countrys fight against pollution. However, the stern enforcement and punishment has led to couples abandoning and killing their babies and possible dilemmas for the future generations. In comparison, Chinas policy is clearly more effective than India in controlling their population. While Indians policy is mild, modest and not enforced, Chinas policy is strict and rigid. Indians policies make the citizens less likely to oppose the idea, but that same reason causes them to not think much of the rule, resulting in no birth rate decline. China, on the other hand, treats their policy much like a law. This makes the policy much more difficult to bypass. The rule may have brought upon some dilemmas, but even so, it has resulted in positive effects. Because of diligent enforcement, Chinas One-Child Policy has been more effective than Indians policies. It is projected that in 2030, India will surpass Chinas population. The projected population in India is 1. 53 billion and 1. 45 billion in China, which will be the countrys climax population. It is important to note however, that despite the efforts of both countries, China is still seeing a continued increase in birth rates but at a less paid pace compared to India.

Creating Effective Matching Questions for Assessments

Creating Effective Matching Questions for Assessments As teachers create their own tests and quizzes, they typically want to include a variety of objective questions. The four major types of objective questions include multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, and matching. Matching questions are made up of two lists of related items that students must pair up by deciding which item in the first list corresponds to an item in the second list. They are appealing to many teachers because they provide a compact way to test a great deal of information in a short amount of time. However, creating effective matching questions requires some time and effort. Advantages of Using Matching Questions Matching questions have a number of advantages. As already stated, they are great at allowing teachers the ability to ask a number of questions in a short amount of time. In addition, these types of questions are quite useful for students with a low reading ability. According to Benson and Crocker (1979) in Educational and Psychological Measurement, students with low reading ability scored better and more consistently with matching questions than the other types of objective questions. They were found to be more reliable and valid. Thus, if a teacher has a number of students who have lower reading scores, they might want to consider including more matching questions on their assessments. Hints for Creating Effective Matching Questions The directions for a matching question need to be specific. Students should be told what they are matching, even if it seems obvious. They should also be told how they are to record their answer. Further, the directions need to clearly state whether an item will be used once or more than once. Here is an example of well-written matching directions:Directions: Write the letter of the American president on the line next to his description. Each president will be used only once.Matching questions are made up of premises (left column) and responses (right column). More responses should be included than premises. For example, if you have four premises, you might want to include six responses.The responses should be the shorter items. They should be organized in an objective and logical manner. For example, they might be organized alphabetically, numerically, or chronologically.Both the list of premises and the list of responses should be short and homogenous. In other words, do not put to o many items on each matching question. All responses should be logical distractors for the premises. In other words, if you are testing authors with their works, do not throw in a term with its definition.Premises should be approximately equal in length.Make sure that all of your premises and responses are on the same test printed page. Limitations of Matching Questions Even though there are a number of advantages to using matching questions, there are also a number of limitations that teachers must consider before including them in their assessments. Matching questions can only measure factual material. Teachers cannot use these to have students apply the knowledge they have learned or analyze information.They can only be used to assess homogenous knowledge. For example, a question based on matching elements with their atomic numbers would be acceptable. However, if a teacher wanted to include an atomic number question, a chemistry definition, a question about molecules, and one about states of matter, then a matching question would not work at all.They are most easily applied at an elementary level. Matching questions work quite well when the information being tested is basic. However, as a course increases in complexity, it is often difficult to create effective matching questions.

South West Airlines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

South West Airlines - Case Study Example The aim of this report is to analyze the operations and practices of Southwest Airlines. In the first section of the report, the SWOT analysis has been done to highlight the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by Southwest Airlines. After identifying the critical factors, in the second section, the conclusion about the overall situation has been presented. In the same section, the suggestions for improving the company’s strategies have been presented, after analyzing the current strategies of the company through theoretical concepts including Porter’s Five Forces Model and Ansoff Model. In the following section, Human Resource practices of Southwest Airlines have been discussed with a special focus towards the policies which have been created for the benefits of employees. After that an analysis has been done to identify the impact of the practices on the business strategy of Southwest Airlines. Since, Southwest Airlines is recognized for its customer services and culture therefore, in this section, I will also analyze how staff and management of the company are becoming as a prime source of competitive advantage for the company. The Southwest Airline is one of the successful low cost carriers in the United States and most of low cost carriers of the world have adopted the strategies of the company. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of Southwest Airline business model, another successful low cost airline company will be selected. In this section, the similarities and dissimilarities between the United States and Australian aviation industries will be done. Finally, the similarities and dissimilarities between the business models of the two airline companies will be also conducted. Southwest Airline is operating in a highly uncertain industry where the demand of the tickets fluctuates very randomly. In the following section, the SWOT analysis has been done to identify the major strengths and

Small business plan 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Small business plan 2 - Research Paper Example Typical example of how these behavior and preference is influenced would be the environmental factors which are media, culture and social influences. The level of awareness and knowledge about certain product types also significantly influences market preference. As such, business should always be aware of the changing market motivation and consumer psychology as this has a direct impact on the market’s buying decision. This is important for the company to be able to adapt to the changing environment and keep the business viable. a) Changing Fads – The core of our business which dual/triple SIM celphone is technology based that its trend changes at a dizzying pace. Given the past pace of technology turnover, it is normal that is â€Å"in† today will become obsolete tomorrow. Being in this business requires constant monitoring on technology trend to be able to adapt and respond to the changing fad in technology and guard itself from obsolescence. b) Reaction to Economic Crisis – The market’s buying decision is significantly determined by their purchasing power. As what we have learned during the recent financial crisis, consumers tend to delay or forego purchases to be able to adapt to the economic crisis. Anticipating how the market reacts to a crisis will enable a business to better adapt to a temporary set-back in demand by reducing inventory. This will save the company unnecessary cost as unutilized inventory is an unnecessary cost which could be considered a â€Å"baggage† for any business especially during a financial crunch. c) Innovation in technology – new technology innovations and emerging trends should be monitored by the company to keep itself relevant in the industry. Any trends which could threaten the existing product line into obsolescence should be carefully monitored so that the company could appropriately respond for its survival. a) Deterioration of Customer

The benefits of using the Smart Phones Assignment

The benefits of using the Smart Phones - Assignment Example In addition, the report has some visual effects that would enable the audience to clearly understand its content. Abstract The use of smartphones is the latest world trend with people of different ages opting to adopt the use of these gadgets in their everyday lives. This is because smart phones assist in informal learning, distance learning, increase quality and efficiency in health care, increase voter participations in elections, and also increased professional engagement in work. However, the use of smart phones has some disadvantages such as reduced social life and access to obscene adult content from the internet by teenagers. In general, the use of smart phones has played an important role in making the world a better and comfortable place to leave in. Benefits of Using Smartphones 1. Introduction Mobile phones and smartphones are both used with the primary function of being able to make and receive phone calls and send and receive text messages, but the smartphone has certain qualities that distinguish it from any usual mobile phones. Smartphones have additional features such as online gaming, online video watching, route tracking, GPS system and several other added features, which differentiate it from other usual mobile phones and, are more preferred than mobile phones. ... The research center further figured out that there are various benefits that can be obtained through smartphones, and these benefits are the primary reason for the high demand of smartphones in the US. Smartphones are not limited to the access of adults; they are even owned and used by several teenagers and the younger generation. Smartphones have gained immense popularity among the youth population because of the several benefits offered by these phones. On one end are those who propose that smartphones are a smart invention and are assisting the society in several ways; on the other end are those who are against the use of smartphones due to various negative effects associated with these phones. This writing will focus on the argument of whether the smartphones are beneficial for the society or not while defending the stance that smartphones have several more benefits to offer than costs. The writing will especially focus on the benefits offered by smartphones to both the adult as well as the youth population. Smartphones benefit both the adults and the youth in obtaining both formal as well as informal educations. They have become a major tool of in distance learning. They are used by users to satisfy their personal need, helps employees in remaining involved with their businesses, are assisting in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health care services, and are elevating the quality of health care, and can even help in increasing voter turnout during different elections. 2. Background The development of Smart phones evolved from the traditional mobile phones. Though both of them perform nearly the same functions, the Smart phones are

Branding & Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Branding & Communication - Assignment Example There are multiple stakeholders affected by corporate branding such as investors or employees. Impacts created by corporate branding can be determined in terms of evaluation of services or products, corporate culture and identity, brand extensions, employment applications, sponsorship, etc. Brand refers to design, name or term that can differentiate one product from another. Branding concepts are widely used in advertising campaigns, business and marketing activities. This study would comprise of implications of corporate branding. These implications shall be determined in context of both consumers and companies. Corporate branding examples will be included in this study in order to analyze consequences of corporate branding strategy. This approach facilitates economies of scope and initiates rapid new product acceptance. The reason being potential buyers are more familiar with brand name. There are negative implications of corporate branding. It reduces scope for positioning of a pa rticular brand. Different products encompass unique characteristics and this in turn requires distinguished branding activities. Multiple touchpoints can be effectively incorporated by branding. Corporate branding is not confined to any specific name or mark. The touch points emphasized on by branding approach are customer service, training and employee treatment, logo, product or service quality, advertising campaign, stationary and packaging. Brand is usually considered to be an intangible asset of a company. It is most valuable asset of any organization since it enables customers to strongly associate with any corporate brand. Brands are efficiently managed by owners so as to provide value to shareholders. This study will also comprise of differences between product and corporate brand, along with their symbolic and functional attributes. Effective corporate branding strategies not only initiate high sales margins but even guarantee long term customer relationship with

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to buy a car - Essay Example Know what car you would like to buy. Check out the internet and brochures about their technical specifications if they suit your preference and your needs. Check your budget for the car you would be purchasing. After browsing on the internet and many car brochures, be sure to have that money that would require you to own the car of your choice. You can then go to the store where your chosen car is available. Approach a car dealer to assist you with your purchase. Your car dealer would introduce a lot of options that would confuse you. Get straight and state your preferences and budget so that the dealer can easily assess the car for you. As you would be paraded with the many fancy cars in their showroom, get back to the reason why you are buying the car so that you will not be confused. If you have chosen the car, check out the technical specifications to make sure they suit to your needs and qualifications. Don’t be afraid, ask for test drives. You have to have a first hand e xperience with the car before purchasing it to make sure that it would be the car for you. If you have some doubts, try another one that you think might be better. In choosing the car for you, you have to be sure with everything. If you found the one, make sure it is worth it. Settle the payment methods with your car dealer and arrange for the papers and shipment of your

Creditworthiness assessment as a way of minimising credit risk Dissertation

Creditworthiness assessment as a way of minimising credit risk - Dissertation Example Introduction Financial firms or investors experience various kinds of risks, out of which the most important is the credit risk. Although the market participants commonly consider the â€Å"credit risk† as one dimensional however there actually are three dimensions f credit risk, namely: credit-default, credit-spread, and down-grade credit risks. Credit default risk is the one in which the issuer will be unable to fulfill the terms of the obligation according to the regular payments of interest as well as the actual loan (Fabozzi, Moorad and Steven, 2003). This type of credit risk includes counterparty risk in a derivative transaction or trade in which the counterparty is unable to meet its obligation. In order to measure the credit default risk, investors generally depend upon credit rating that is a formal perspective of a company functioning as a rating agency for the credit default risk experienced due to investing in a certain issue of debt securities. The nationally appr oved or known rating agencies are Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings. Credit spread risk is defined as underperformance or loss of some issue(s) as result of a rise in the credit spread that refers to the compensation desired by the investors so as to recognize an issue’s or issuer’s credit default risk. ... Downgrade risk refers to the risk in which an issuer or issue gets degraded that cause an increase in the credit spread desired by the market. Thus, downgrade risk is associated with the credit spread risk. Some times the potential of an issuer to earn interest and principal payments undermines greatly and surprisingly due to an unpredicted event. This could be any types of peculiar events that are related to an industry or the corporation, such as a natural or industrial accident, a takeover or a corporate restructuring, a regulatory change, or a corporate fraud. This category of risk is generally referred as an event risk and will compel the rating agencies to downgrade the issuer (Fabozzi, Moorad and Steven, 2003). 1.1. Factors Involved in the Assessment of Credit Default Risk The most evident and significant measure to avoid credit risk is to examine the creditworthiness of the borrower. In carrying out such an assessment, credit analysts investigate or measure the factors that i nfluence the business risk of a borrower. These factors are generalized in to four basic categories, which are: the quality of the borrower, the potential of the borrower to fulfill the debt obligation, the seniority level and the security provided in a bankruptcy proceeding, and the constrains applied on the borrower. The quality of the borrower, in the case of a corporation, includes the assessment of the business strategies and management policies of the firm. Being more specific, a credit analyst will examine the strategic plan, the financial philosophy, and the accounting control systems of the corporation in relation to the use of debt (Fabozzi, 2009). The potential of the borrower to fulfill its obligations starts with the assessment of the financial

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to buy a car - Essay Example Know what car you would like to buy. Check out the internet and brochures about their technical specifications if they suit your preference and your needs. Check your budget for the car you would be purchasing. After browsing on the internet and many car brochures, be sure to have that money that would require you to own the car of your choice. You can then go to the store where your chosen car is available. Approach a car dealer to assist you with your purchase. Your car dealer would introduce a lot of options that would confuse you. Get straight and state your preferences and budget so that the dealer can easily assess the car for you. As you would be paraded with the many fancy cars in their showroom, get back to the reason why you are buying the car so that you will not be confused. If you have chosen the car, check out the technical specifications to make sure they suit to your needs and qualifications. Don’t be afraid, ask for test drives. You have to have a first hand e xperience with the car before purchasing it to make sure that it would be the car for you. If you have some doubts, try another one that you think might be better. In choosing the car for you, you have to be sure with everything. If you found the one, make sure it is worth it. Settle the payment methods with your car dealer and arrange for the papers and shipment of your

The European Constitution and the Irish Constitution Assignment

The European Constitution and the Irish Constitution - Assignment Example It is a basic fact of the European Union and use of the European Convention as law that each member state of the Union must deal with internal strife and dissidence in accordance with nationalistic attitudes. Ireland in particular is dealing with these stresses because of its sheer youth as an independent nation, and because of the young age of the Irish Constitution the country wishes generally to stay the course when it comes to human rights laws and follow the Constitution to the letter instead of incorporating the use of the European Convention. Irish citizens are having difficulty managing with both an accepted and celebrated Constitution and a supranational doctrine that was put in place for exactly the same reasons. Factors like strong nationalism, European unrest as a unified state, and the belief that established practises are indeed better than the newer ideologies are all contributing to the fact that Ireland will never fully accept European Convention rules over its own Constitutional rights and policies. Authors and leading experts on the subject concur that despite the best intentions of the European government, Ireland is destined to follow its own regulatory path. Regardless of international opinion, however, Ireland seems to have unofficially decided that its own Constitution does hold higher prestige than any European Convention ruling. The Constitution of Ireland When the Republic of Ireland gained its freedom from the United Kingdom in 1922, the new nation drafted the Constitution of the Irish Free State, a document that would last until 1937 when the Constitution of Ireland was drawn up. According to certain researchers, there were two main reasons for the change: its affiliation with the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the fact that since its adoption so many amendments had been made it was difficult to understand1. The Anglo-Irish treaty was created during the Irish Civil War that broke out as the tensions between Great Britain and the Roman Catholic Irish population were at breaking point. In an attempt to quell the violence and still keep Ireland within the realm of the English monarchy, the United Kingdom offered up a treaty proposal that it hoped the angered Irish community would accept: ultimately the Britain would be disappointed at the outcome. The new Constitution was drawn up so that those important amendments could be brought up to date and written in accordance with the modern goals and ambitions of the relatively new state. The Constitution was written in both the Irish and the English languages; the content focused on establishing an Irish nationalist spirit, granting citizenship to its residents and those with parents born in the country, establishing the capital city in Dublin and working within a democratic political system2. The rights and provisions claimed by the Constitution were of great importance to its drafters and continue to be important in today's Ireland. Like all new nations, Ireland was proud to

Personal experience at Real Estate Development and Investment Essay Example for Free

Personal experience at Real Estate Development and Investment Essay It was either to be a blessing or cursing. I had just come from the university as a fresh graduate. Job insecurity is a thing that sends chills of tremor down the spine of each graduate. Thank goodness this never happened with me but a new challenge was ahead. The firm which I was operating was quite meticulous in its activities; was I to be their down fall as an omen of failure. No certainly I must work breath out of me to sustain or even improve if there was anything to improve. The workplace was the carrot to reward my personal and professional development or a cane to spank my etiquettes. This was what I was up to when I joined the Real Estate Development and Investment, in Chicago. In customer care office, there were new and old problems which were brought to our attention by the clients. This is when I recognized the question which was posed to me during the interview. The question was what I would do if the length of my tie varies interchangeably during the course of wearing it. Certainly here I was dealing with two anti-parallel problems brought forward by the clients. There were those who wanted new residential houses while there were those in pursuit of selling their houses. With time, I believed that my solid performance would improve. I remember the day a client came complaining we have delayed to find a potential buyer of her house. The lady was pugnant and cantankerous in her behavior. Not a single answer she would hear. I was perplexed because I was new and such an answer would only be averting from attending her problems. Certainly, customers are kings and should be attended to regardless on who first dealt with him/her. After all will s/he have to go home and wait till who attended him/her come? No this would be suicidal to the business. So here I was juxtaposed between a rock and a hard place. The information which I had acquainted myself with was the only arrow in the quiver. Now I had to give an answer for unfamiliar situations and conclusion on the problem raised by the client. To start with I answered that there was already a willing buyer but what he was offering was meager amount and thus we never saw the need to inform her. This was after realizing from her pass that the lady came from California. It was plausible that the house was in Chicago and not California and apparently the cheapest house was selling at $ 210,000. Therefore, by excusing the house was bargained at $ 110,000, the lady will accept that certainly this was cheap and not worth to inform her of such a buyer. Luckily, it turned that what I had said was the case although I had not dome an empirical enquiry on what had happened. Form this is learnt that it’s appropriate to give wrong information than no answer to the client as it would appear rude. Barely a week was not over and there was a crisis. The manager who assisted me to secure the placement at Real Estate Investment Development was linked to a corruption scandal in the organization. So bad for those were affiliated to him. The company decided to pay them prior to sacking them. I merely escaped the crack of whip which was lashing over the innocent and those assumed to be guilty. It was a hectic time trying to convince the management that I was not involved in the graft. Were it not for the quality work that I was delivering to the customers, I would have disappeared together with the rest. The customers complained bitterly of losing an agile and kindhearted official. Besides, everything I did was in accordance to the stipulated rules of the company. Other worker also considered me friendly and my latency was shown through teamwork. Jackson, whenever we meet considers that I came to replace him; therefore it was better not to have considered my request. However, we find ourselves laughing at the idea it was like a substitution reaction which we had earlier learnt in organic chemistry. The firm was behaving like alkanes; it functions by substituting what it previously had. The week days were exceptionally busy for me. I had to equip myself with the current changes in business trends. Changes that are inevitably setting in with advent of technologies were eyesore to the conservatives but an impetus to the radical. At lunch break, fifteen minutes I would spare to browse in the internet and peruse on books so as to keep abreast with changes taking place. My food I would take as if I was in a food eating competition. Two to three spoons were enough to summarize the heap of food lying before me. It was quite symbolical that for any firm to succeed must seize the opportunities as they come just as I was gulping at the food. In the afternoon long queues of people I would find awaiting me as if I was God and on mission to rescue them from Satan. In this case the Satan was financial issues. It was crystal clear that less time was required for each client and at the same time ensuring that a comprehensive and satisfactory answer is given. Most clients were eager to know the factors which they should put into consideration while investing in real estates. Though the factors appear to be obvious, I had to put them in a way they appear new to the client’s ear. To start with, I would give a preamble of what a good investment would include while enlisting the factors to consider. Through this short encounter with customers, there was what I would call ‘resonance transfer of information’. I would make sure the client and I resonate at the same frequency and phase. Anything beyond my scope I would simply seek the information over it for the customers. Real Estate Investment Development was like the components of the table salt how they complement each other. During the course of my internship, I was also experienced the leadership vacuum which arose after summary dismissal of my friend. Jackson even though he had a lot of wiles which led him to rub the management the wrong side; he had the potential to handle any difficulties which emerged. For example, there was no one who was directly responsible for the transactions of the business. The Real Investment Development was using other firms to do their advertisement and the profit leapt was divided according to the proportion of their contribution. The number of new customers dwindled since they feared joining a corporation where you don’t know who is really in control. Collective responsibility cannot fully be trusted since there vices such as sabotage still exist. Attempts to increase the number of directors only increased the cost of management and had little change if any. At Real Estate Investment Development, the number of ladies was more than the number of gentlemen. This though was not meant to be a problem turned out to be a problem. A competition arose among the ladies over men. The dressing code was the most affected. The skirts were shortened by quite a large number. Some were the length of a bow-tie and others were as transparent as a crystal. As if this was not the only problem, the shoes were irritating to the ears as they tried to attract the attention of the men. It was a wake up call of sort, trying to wake men from the cocoon of fleeing form ladies for lack of wooing words. The administration tried to address the problem of Lorita but this never changed the situation. Moreover, the number of absentees increased due to feministic issues which are inevitable. At first I thought the problem was not to affect me. My belief is that a seed needs decomposing materials to germinate. In this case, I was the germinating seed and the ladies the decomposing materials. In the office I was located at the corner at the desk and a lady was located opposite to my desk. This is where the drama started. The way she sat was embarrassing. Thighs ajar and a finger placidly put between the slit on her skimpy dress. This sometimes made my brain go blank as I found myself carried into nitty gritty of even knowing the weekly series of her knickers. This lass was quite provocative besides teasing her wanton eyes and leg theatrics as a seductress lady. At one time she made the boss to suspect there was a beef as she was mostly found reeling on my desk with her merely chest protruding forward. The last experience which I cannot forget was the amount of work. The work was quite exhausting. The number of clients attended to were quite many and the number of staff was a few. All days we were busy searching from the internet for information, replying some emails from clients or discussing with the clients in the office. Within a month my weigh had decreased by two kilograms the exact figure stipulated by physician for the AIDS sufferers. In fact I had to be examined to know my status.

homelessness Essay -- essays research papers

All over America, there are people wandering the streets without a home. These individuals are seen as a crowd, a separate collective existence. They are called the homeless, as if that defines who they are, but we too often neglect to add the unspoken word in that title: people. It seems today that the more fortunate citizens of America who have a roof over their heads have forgotten their innate responsibility to watch over those in this world whom are incapable of caring for themselves. Tragically, â€Å"thirty to fifty percent of the homeless have severe mental illnesses† (Torrey 1). These individuals live life in such a way that few people in this world could possibly even begin to compare their hardships. The fact that they survive completely independently, most without the medication they need, is bewildering. The problems resulting from the lack of attention given to the homeless who are mentally ill can be solved through the establishment of better health clinics, an d stricter laws involving patient care. If more clinics were to be established specializing in the mental health of the homeless, then the attention could be given to them that they need. E. Fuller Torrey, author of â€Å"The Homeless Mentally Ill Should Be Forced To Receive Treatment† describes the habits and reasons for the incredible amount of mentally ill homeless: â€Å"They sleep, importune strangers, gesture to imaginary accomplices, shout angrily at the wind, forage through cans, and sit quietly with glazed ey...

The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II Essay exa

The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II I. Introduction: â€Å"Glinting orange through the green creepers, the Kombi family's mud-hut is barely visible now. Alphonse Kombi was murdered by militiamen in February. His wife, Bimosa, watched them eat his heart before they raped her, neighbours say. The trauma drove her insane. Two of the Kombis' four children had already died of malnutrition. Then, a fortnight ago, a distant relative came to collect the two survivors - an emaciated eight-year-old and four-year-old†¦ ‘I have come to try to prevent these ones from dying," said Mr Kiyana, pointing to the two boney forms slumped on the ward's concrete floor. With their skin drawn tight over fragile bones, the children's ages and their sexes were almost impossible to guess.’† 1 One can easily associate suffering with tragedies in third world countries like the story above. However, suffering is not only the physical abuse of victims; suffering is the psychological, emotional, and physical pain experienced by any being. This distress is not only a result of everyday activities, such as conversations that may or may not happen, suffering is a continuous presence despite what one may do to eliminate it. I believe that suffering is endless. Despite the efforts of influential men like the Dalai Lama or Pope John Paul II, suffering will still exist in several forms. If it was even possible to end the genocides that are taking place in countries like Tibet or Cambodia, suffering would still occur in my life, as I am separated from the ones I love or in my neighbor’s lonely and miserable life full of material prosperity. Therefore, although the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II have done much work towards this ultimat... ...it symposium. (United States of America: Fordham University Press, 1999) 34. 10 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 126. 11 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 114. 12 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 124. 13 Davidson, Richard J. Visions of compassion : Western scientists and Tibetan Buddhists examine human nature. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002) 149 14 Piburn, Sidney, The Dalai Lama, a Policy of Kindness (New York: Snow Lion Publications 1990) 49. 15 United Nations. Dept. of Information. Pope John Paul II at the United Nations (New York : Dept. of Public Information, United Nations, 1980) 31 The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II Essay exa The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II I. Introduction: â€Å"Glinting orange through the green creepers, the Kombi family's mud-hut is barely visible now. Alphonse Kombi was murdered by militiamen in February. His wife, Bimosa, watched them eat his heart before they raped her, neighbours say. The trauma drove her insane. Two of the Kombis' four children had already died of malnutrition. Then, a fortnight ago, a distant relative came to collect the two survivors - an emaciated eight-year-old and four-year-old†¦ ‘I have come to try to prevent these ones from dying," said Mr Kiyana, pointing to the two boney forms slumped on the ward's concrete floor. With their skin drawn tight over fragile bones, the children's ages and their sexes were almost impossible to guess.’† 1 One can easily associate suffering with tragedies in third world countries like the story above. However, suffering is not only the physical abuse of victims; suffering is the psychological, emotional, and physical pain experienced by any being. This distress is not only a result of everyday activities, such as conversations that may or may not happen, suffering is a continuous presence despite what one may do to eliminate it. I believe that suffering is endless. Despite the efforts of influential men like the Dalai Lama or Pope John Paul II, suffering will still exist in several forms. If it was even possible to end the genocides that are taking place in countries like Tibet or Cambodia, suffering would still occur in my life, as I am separated from the ones I love or in my neighbor’s lonely and miserable life full of material prosperity. Therefore, although the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II have done much work towards this ultimat... ...it symposium. (United States of America: Fordham University Press, 1999) 34. 10 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 126. 11 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 114. 12 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 124. 13 Davidson, Richard J. Visions of compassion : Western scientists and Tibetan Buddhists examine human nature. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002) 149 14 Piburn, Sidney, The Dalai Lama, a Policy of Kindness (New York: Snow Lion Publications 1990) 49. 15 United Nations. Dept. of Information. Pope John Paul II at the United Nations (New York : Dept. of Public Information, United Nations, 1980) 31

Causes of International Conflict

Competing territory Is an Important cause of Internal conflict. An example Is the conflict over border between China and India In 1947. When India gained Independence from Brilliant, It Inherited the frontier drawn by the British; while China protested that It had not agreed to the frontier. It was difficult to have a clear border between the two countries because much of their frontier lies in the inaccessible Himalayas.In 1958, China announced that it had built a road on the Assai Chin plateau, which was one of the disputed territories, and the Indian government retested. Tensions worsened when fighting broke out in the disputed territories, which eventually led to a war. War ended quickly but issues are not resolved. Also, numerous border incidents have broken out. They then signed an agreement to address the border issue reasonably. The conflicts occur because the territories are claimed by the two countries.Control over certain tracts of land can be important to a country especi ally If It concerns its defended and national pride. As such, some countries may attempt to extend territorial control by taking over territories which do to belong to them, which may result In conflicts due to territorial disputes. Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the territories.Therefore, competing territory causes internal conflict. The two other factors that will lead to internal conflict is the competition over scarce resources and ideological differences. The competition over scarce resources Is a factor that leads to Internal conflict. For example, Iceland and Britain were In conflict over fishing grounds in the sass. Iceland has few natural resources and depended on the fishing Industry for Its survival. Fishes are very important to Iceland because the country depend a lot on fish for surviv al. 70% of Iceland's export is fresh fish and fish products.Therefore, it is important to maintain sufficient fish stocks in the seas around Iceland. Fishermen from European countries like Britain were overfeeding around Iceland, leading to the decrease in fish stocks and making Iceland felt that its nation interest were threatened. Iceland sought help from the United Nations which extended Iceland's fishing ground boundary, such that no country can fish within Iceland's boundary without permission. However, British refused to comply because they think that it was not their problem or fault.When Britain refused to acknowledge the new boundary, Iceland cut Its diplomatic ties with Britain, until an agreement was signed later on. The world's natural resources such as land, water, OLL and fish are unequally distributed. As such, some countries have more of these resources while others have less. Countries with fewer resources may use force to gain more, especially if these inflicts may arise. In this case, Iceland had to react as their livelihood was affected and they had to ensure their own survival. This concerns its country's survival, economic growth and national pride.Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the resources. Therefore, competition of scarce resources causes internal conflict. Ideological differences are different values and beliefs among countries that may cause conflicts. Countries pursuing different ideologies can come into conflict if they see that their ideological beliefs are threatened.For example, North Korea and South Korea fought a war in 1950 because they believed in different ideologies. North Korea, which believed in Communism, invaded South Korea which believed in democracy. The United Nations defended South Korea in fear that communist ideologies would be spread to South Korea. The war only ended when an agreement was signed and a demoralized zone was created. Ideological differences has causes both countries to not be able to accept the action as well as the values and beliefs oaken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country.This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the beliefs and values of their own country. Therefore, ideological beliefs causes internal conflict. Competing of scarce resources is a more important factor than ideological differences in causing internal conflicts. Scarce resources has a bigger impact than ideological differences for a country. This is because the scarce resources may be vital for the survival of a country. In the case of Iceland-Britain conflict, Iceland's was pendent on the fishing industry for its economic needs.As the livelihood of the Islanders would be threatened if fish stocks decrease, they were willing to risk clashes with Britain in order to protect their national interests and ensure their survival. Conflicts over ideology are less important because it does not affect the survival of a country directly. On the other hand, the natural resources that a country has would promote economic growth and allow a country to develop. Therefore, competing of scarce resources is more important than ideological differences.

Cultural Determinants of Terrorism Essay

Orchestrated objectives within well-organized terrorist groups suggest that principles of organizational psychology apply to terrorist organizations, under the cultural influence of each one (Borum, 2004). There is much cause for optimism in understanding terrorist organizations, for as Alder and Gunderson (2008) write, â€Å"Luckily, we have learned that global complexity is neither unpredictable nor random† (p. v). The call for research has never been more pressing. Introduction â€Å"Terrorism is an elusive subject, evading precise political, jurisprudential, and cultural definition† (Oliveri, 2008, p. 49). It depends upon the definition of ‘terrorism’. â€Å"With over 100 definitions, this is not an easy task; there is no common understanding of what constitutes ‘terrorism’; no clear and universally acknowledged definition actually exists† (Franks, 2007, p. 2). The definition Munger (2006) proposes that is used for this paper is, â⠂¬Å"Culture is defined as the set of ‘inherited’ beliefs, attitudes, and moral strictures that a people use to distinguish outsiders, to understand themselves and to communicate with each other† (p. 131). The distinguishing characteristic of ‘them’ and ‘us’ is perhaps the fundamental belief generated within cultures that makes terrorism towards others possible. Whether viewed in terms of extremist Muslim culture or right-wing American culture, cultural identity supports the conflict of ideologies. Ward (2008) says, â€Å"Terrorism has taken the academic world by storm† (p. 248). The Psychology of Terrorism only became a legitimate academic study in 1982; â€Å"terrorism is far from a new phenomenon, traceable to the French Revolution and the Nihilists of 19th Century Russia† (Franks, 2007, p. ). Undoubtedly, it goes much further into the annals of history than the 19th Century, â€Å"the concept of terrorism had no meaning in history until the modern era† (Bratkowski, 2005, p. 764). Prior to modernity, terrorism was so much a part of daily culture it was normal behavior, without a specific word for it. In fact, for most of Christendom, â €Å"humankind has always provided a justification for killing and instilling terror in fellow humans† (p. 764). It is only recently that most cultures have placed a label of immorality on selective murder to achieve political or cultural ends. Our species has a protracted history and prehistory of terrorism. One might wonder why terrorism has â€Å"taken the academic world by storm†. Insights from Psychology â€Å"Terrorist violence most often is deliberate (not impulsive), strategic, and instrumental; it is linked to and justified by ideological (e. g. , political, religious) objectives and usually involves a group or multiple actors/supporters (Borum, 2004, p. 17). Since terrorist objectives originate within multinational organizations, principles of organizational psychology apply to all terrorist organizations, under the cultural milieu of the organization in question. What is now certain is that terrorism is not a psychopathological aberration, as was originally thought in psychoanalytical circles (Crenshaw, 1992). Terrorist organizations are composed of clear-headed individuals, often with advanced university degrees. Merari (1991) collected empirical data on suicide bombers, and found that psychopathology is almost never a factor in a terrorist’s profile. In fact, â€Å"prevalence of mental illness among samples of incarcerated terrorists is as low as or lower than in the general population† (Borum, 2004, p. 34). This is a clear indicator that we are dealing with psychologies of organization, and not groups of crazed sociopaths. Survival of the organization, a tenet of organizational psychology, has clear implications for the terrorist mindset (Post, 1989), even though â€Å"research on the psychology of terrorism largely lacks substance and rigor. While cultural factors are important, much study remains. â€Å"Future research should be operationally-informed; maintain a behavior based focus; and derive interpretations from analyses of incident-related behaviors† (Borum, 2004, p. 3). The main problem with such a venture might be that terrorists are not giving interviews or taking surveys. Borum points out that â€Å"there is a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and organizations, each of which has a different psychology, motivation and decision making structure† (p. 5). This further underscores the need to be on guard against the ‘stereotypical terrorist organization’: there is none. In a terrorist organization, â€Å"two key narcissistic dynamics are a grandiose sense of self and ‘idealized parental imago’. If one can’t be perfect, at least one can be in a relationship with something perfect† (Borum, 2004, p. 9). Association with a world figure such as Bin Laden satisfies this need; this can lead us back to US culture: promulgation and amplifying worldwide terrorism, via the news media. Bin Laden often makes the evening news, and every time he does, his ‘world stature’ is elevated, especially in the min ds of his followers. It the name Bin Laden was unknown, how much less effective would al-Qaeda become? Media has some degree of culpability, if not complicity in promulgating terrorism worldwide by providing free publicity to organizations and their cause. According to Paul Marsden (CPM, 2001, p. 1), â€Å"the amount of media coverage devoted to these events, by television networks and newspapers, correlates positively with the rise in subsequent `copycat’ events. This is darkly consistent with the substantial body of evidence for suicide contagion – the idea that suicides beget suicide. † If distraught teenagers copy Columbine style shootings, how much more are suicide attacks from terrorist cells encouraged by watching the evening news? Unintentionally but effectively eulogizing angry teens and terrorists alike hold moral implications for the major news media, which need addressing by society. Organizational Psychology provides some insight: if a culture perceives it is losing its ability to contribute its share to the world stage, conflict will result (Rahim, 1986; Katz ; Kahn, 1978). Considering that entire cultures may feel they are losing their ability to contribute because of intervention of external cultures upon their own culture is likely one requisite to the creation of worldwide terror organization formation. Cultural factors of extremist Muslim society While many in the West view extremist Muslim terrorism as irrational behavior by deranged individuals, â€Å"it is perfectly possible to understand terrorism as a rational decision problem, if we accept the premise that culture matters† (Munger, 2006, p. 132). â€Å"Islamic societies, not exclusively, but perhaps to a greater extent than most other nations, are committed to an idea of the perfectibility of humans in societies, through moral education and imposition and enforcement of moral law (Sharia) based on the Quran† (p. 142). This religious adherence adds a great deal of resistance to compromise from outside cultures, and bolsters the extremist elements within Islamic society. Much of the cultural foundation of extremist Muslim culture is their unique interpretation of the Quran: â€Å"The contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate. Accommodation, bargaining, and mutually acceptable compromise are not envisioned as possibilities within many terrorists’ mental framework† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). It appears that once a terrorist organization is established, the only ways to eliminate it is either when they accomplish their objectives, to destroy them, or to take away their reason to exist, which will allow Skinnerian extinction to follow over time. The ‘destroy’ method is problematic and costly: how does one destroy an ideology? Islamic terrorists are well-connected using technology; their geographic locality is literally everywhere and nowhere. Culturally-attuned uses of information technology† are a major source of cross-cultural influences in the creation and sustaining of terrorist organizations (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006, p. 534). Terrorist organizations are expert in spreading and sustaining their ideology around the world. Once indoctrinated into a group, people will generally follow orders, no matter how extreme or violent, as long as the individual perceives that the order was issued from the appropriate authority (Milgram, 1965). Cultural influences caused normal students at Stanford to transform into ‘merciless prison guards’; once given the role and the authority, al-Qaeda recruits mold easily to orders from Bin Laden. Not only do they have a physical authority, which relieves their individual conscience from objecting, but also they further believe that Allah Himself sanctions Bin Laden and themselves in their efforts to establish Sharia law throughout the world (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006). There is substantial agreement that the psychology of terrorism cannot be considered apart from political, historical, familial, group dynamic, organic, and even purely accidental, coincidental factors† (Borum, 2004, p. 22). Borum also states, â€Å"Significant differences [exist] both in, 1) the nature and level of aggression in different cultures, and 2) aggression can be environmentally manipulated; both findings that argue against a universal human instinct [of violence]† (p. 12). Diamond (20 04) argues that environmental influences are paramount in understanding why cultures are the way they are. The Fertile Crescent, once the cornerstone of agriculture, became radically altered once all the forests were clear-cut, leaving mostly a barren desert environment. It is interesting to note that the foundation cultures which harbored the seeds of al-Qaeda all come from this former environmental paradise. Therefore, while culture probably has the most influence on the creation of terrorist organizations in the short term today, environment certainly has a large degree of impact over the long term, and might have a large impact in the short term via militaristic or political manipulation. For many critics, global or ‘hyper’ terrorism has become an ultimate expression of acutely depressed geopolitical chaos† (Ward, 2008, p. 252). Geopolitical chaos produces environments ripe with opportunity for recruiters toward the cause of terrorism. Without addressing and rectifying the chaotic areas of the world, it is highly doubtful, that global terrorism will end. Cultures th at feel oppressed or depraved on the world stage may rise in rebellion against the oppressing culture(s), with or without religious dictate. Muslim culture is producing the lion’s share of high-visibility terrorists in the world today (Borum, 2004). One way to understand Muslim culture as it relates to the creation of terrorism is to look at Hofstede’s dimensions. Generally, Islamic countries have large inequalities of status, forming a small ruling group, and a large ruled group with limited power. Hofstede (2001) shows, those Arab cultures have large Power Distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68). When these two Dimensions are combined, it creates a situation where leaders have virtually ultimate power and authority. It is not unusual for new leadership to arise from armed insurrection – the ultimate power, rather than from diplomatic or democratic change† (Borum, 2004, p. 44). Virtually the only method available for the downtrodden in Arab society to express their need for change is by armed insurrection. This is a valuable insight into the cultural creation of Arab-based terr orism, possibly the most important one. Naturally, from the ‘terrorists’ point of view they are not terrorists at all but â€Å"freedom fighters†, fighting with their only available means to enact positive change. Does this mean efforts at establishing democracy in Muslim states are likely to fail? Cultural roots run deep, and are resistant to change by outside cultures (Weiten, 2004), so the question of democracy introduced and established by Westerners is a highly speculative venture. Finally, take the case of a female suicide bomber. It was originally assumed that the young woman who committed this act was â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and of questionable morality† (Brunner, 2007, p. 961). It is difficult for Westerners to imagine otherwise. Subsequent interviews revealed that she was educated, showed no signs of emotional disturbance, and was â€Å"as highly intelligent and more independent than other girls in her society, but still fully within the range of normal† (p. 961). The key point is that she was â€Å"fully within the range of normal†, according to the culture that she grew up within. By not understanding her culture, Western culture had labeled her â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and immoral†, overlooking key factors with which to fully understand why a mentally stable young woman would commit such an act, and more importantly, to be able to deal realistically with the rise of extremist terrorism through a lack of cultural understanding. Cultural factors of the United States There is a cultural precedence of powerful nations to label other nations as ‘evil’: a threat to ‘civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). In the U. S. , â€Å"this is a very old cultural theme, deeply ingrained into the political psyche† (p. 56). This cross-cultural mindset of powerful nations is one part in the creation of terrorists in weaker cultures, a type of self-fulfilling prophecy: the call to destroy the ‘barbarians that threaten democracy’ is an ancient one; Greece and Rome had similar ongoing open-ended campaigns against terrorists, as does the U. S. today (p. 55). The main trouble with an open-ended campaign is that it never ends†¦ another cultural perception that needs adjustment on the world stage in order to arrive at peace in the world. Looking at the cultural history of the US, the ‘savage’ has always been the object of distain and genocide, in order to ‘make way for civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). The genocide of indigenous peoples of the North American continent is well documented, even using biological terrorist tactics of germ warfare; giving ‘gifts’ of small-pox laden blankets to Indians without acquired immunity against devastating disease (Diamond, 1997). Oliverio (2008) writes, â€Å"It was also a matter of common sense that the Aryan race was superior. This taken-for-granted reality of Aryan superiority led to the extermination of millions of American Indians, millions of African slaves bound for America, and countless indigenous cultures throughout the world† (p. 21). Powerful cultures that label weaker cultures as savages are a powerful impetus to the creation of terrorism. It is a recent habit of the American Right to wage war against abstractions (Comaroff, 2007, p. 381). The line between metaphorical and real war, blurred beyond recognition, gives rise to such cultural terms as ‘the war against drugs’, ‘the war against poverty’, ‘the war against illegal immigration’ (Sherry, 1995), and has become the standard of cultural mind-set in America today. Again, the US has a â€Å"militarized world-view extended to declaring metaphorical wars on disease, crime, engaging in ‘trade wars’ with foreign competitors, and fighting ‘culture wars’ with one another† (p. 58). â€Å"Culture wars† is the main point in question: how can peace ever prevail if acts of war against culture prevail? Even the Olympic Games that followed 9/11 became a forum for the core Bush Doctrine (Falcous ; Silk, 2005). How does the reduction of civil liberties fare with the response to terrorism? â€Å"Not allowing college professors to speak out against governmental policies associated with the war on terror† (Crowson ; DeBacker, 2008, p. 296) is one form of right-wing authoritarianism that many Americans think needs implementation. A disturbing trend of loss of personal freedoms that some associate with fascism. Taken as a whole, US domestic and foreign policy regarding oil consumption, and support for oppressive regimes, is set aside in deference to critical scrutiny of individual behavior and the forms of ‘moral lassitude’ associated with a culture of dependency† (Hay ; Andrejevic, 2006, p. 344). So at least part of the U. S. cultural mindset is about securing its own economic interests at the expense of decency and fairness on the world stage. Many people think that the U. S. would never have bothered with Iraq if they had no strategic oil supplies, especially in the Middle East and Europe. This belief can only inflame world tensions further. Understanding cross-cultural inter-dependencies A surprising interdependency, regards the Bush Administration itself. According to Kellner (2004), not only Jihadists are responsible for ‘spectacular acts of terror’, but also both Bush administrations. They deployed â€Å"Manichean discourses of good and evil which themselves fit into dominant media codes of popular culture; that both deploy fundamentalist and absolutist discourses† (p. 41). This is extremely similar to the â€Å"contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). The Bush administration openly declares its refusal to communicate with terrorist organizations or states, which is absolutist. We know that incentives flourish within such organizations (Munger, 2006). Incentives usually take two forms: 1) recruit members that are prone to obey and please within a cultural setting (e. g. collectivist rather than individualist cultures), and 2) â€Å"Create a set of incentives that reward loyalty, by giving access to excludable near-public (â€Å"club†) goods† (p. 131). Mohammed Atta reportedly was â€Å"at a strip club spending a lot of money, shouting anti-American slogans, and left a copy of the Quran before he left† (USA TODAY, 2001, p. 1). This incident seems to have fallen under ‘club goods’ instead of operational funds, because it was the night before the hijackings, and such excessive cash was no longer needed. This says nothing of the influence U. S. culture had on Atta, a devout Muslim going to a strip club, one day before he â€Å"meets Allah†. There is no such thing as a ‘terrorist state’, in the absolute sense. Triandis, Bontempo, Villareal, Asai, and Lucca (1988) have shown that national cultures never equate to individual or subgroup cultures, so while a totalitarian governing body may indeed be a terrorist organization, the general populace can in no way be held accountable for the actions of a few. It is a stereotypical mistake to label an entire country as terrorist. It is important to realize that â€Å"both differences and similarities in behavior occur across and within cultures; psychological processes are characterized by both cultural variance and invariance† (Weiten, 2006, p24). Regrettably, â€Å"quite a few nations are culturally reasonably homogeneous† (Hofstede, 1998, p180), and this may mean that a few nations may be mostly extremist in their outlook. Discourses from the Bush administrations paralleled closely to speeches given by Hitler, Pope Urban II, and others: â€Å"an appeal to a legitimate power source external to the speaker; an appeal to the importance of the national culture under attack; the construction of an evil enemy; and an appeal for unification† (Graham, Keenan, ; Dowd, 2004, p. 213). Kellner (2004) feels that â€Å"the disparity between the vast amount of information freely available to all through multimedia sources, and the narrow vision presented on the major news media via television is a travesty†, and a major cultural factor responsible for the deployments of the Bush administrations’ controlled mass media (p. 61). While arguments that ‘freely available news sources from uncontrolled sources’ might suggest this no longer to be a cultural factor, culture by nature takes time to change, and most Americans probably place more credence in the evening news than the newer Internet sources (Kellner, 2003). Another example of how cross-cultural misunderstandings regularly occur between nations: â€Å"when one cultural message sender transmits information to another culture, chances of accurate transmission are reduced† (Alder ; Gunderson, 2008, p. 72), and when nations or organizations refuse to send information between cultures as both the Bush administration and the al-Qaeda organization currently do, virtually no chance of accurate transmission occurs. Stalemate results and wars go on, indefinitely; clear contributors to terrorism. Perhaps nowhere is the question of terrorism more complex than in the European Union: â€Å"European counterterrorism culture is a difficult concept due to the fact that the regional level of analysis encapsulates a range of different national cultures. Europe has always been a rich mixture of various cultures, and ‘terrorism’ is a culturally charged term† (Rees, 2007, p. 220), hence the difficulty in consensus. Conversely, in China, we could expect to find a unified definition of terrorism under the centralized government (Diamond, 1997). While China is suspect of â€Å"using the post-9/11 discourse of counterterrorism to cloak their own domestic priorities† (Rees, 2007, p. 224), most of their counterterrorism efforts are likely to gain support with the Chinese public as being in the accord of the countries best interest: China being a collectivistic nation. â€Å"Terrorists focus their recruitment where sentiments about perceived deprivation are deepest and most pervasive† (Borum, 2004). This helps us to understand why American involvement in Iraq actually helps create recruitment opportunities for al-Qaeda. Destroyed economies, infrastructure, and family support (via killed family members), create extreme deprivation, desperation to right cultural wrongs, and enrage cultural dictates for retribution (Borum, 2004). It even gives insight into where al-Qaeda might be concentrating recruitment efforts in America. For youth torn between two cultures in a foreign land, identity crisis may result from exposure to the foreign culture, and the chiasm between their parent’s cultures: â€Å"radicalism offers simple answers to the big questions they are grappling with† (Ongering, 2007, p. ). The human tendency to stereotype will easily adapt to simple answers rather than grapple with difficult questions (Weiten, 2004). Extrapolated, it may be easier to recruit a terrorist, than to prevent a person from taking up the cause in the first place. Does cultural pressure on a subgroup help to create violent extremists? Muslim communities in America, â€Å"Not only had their religion being p resented incorrectly, but its adherents were being equated with terrorists† (Baker, 2006, p. 302). Considering the degree that Muslim communities in the Western world are subject to intensified scrutiny, and even unwarranted acts of violence against them by US citizenry (Ward, 2008), a good assumption is that many young Muslims will adapt an extremist ideology in response to cultural threat (Sirin ; Fine, 2007), and some of those extremists will turn terrorist. It seems to be a never-ending spiral escalation of one cultural assault upon the other: the ‘Crusades’ continue†¦ It is a real ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ’ question. Which side began this milieu of cultural attack and counterattack? Perceptions run the gamut: â€Å"The terrorist presents a story of heroism and necessary sacrifice. The counter-terrorist presents a counter-narrative of defiance and vengeance, replacing the image of the martyr with that of inhumanity, even bestiality† (Ward, 2008, p. 254). We reminded again of weaker cultures as ‘savage’, and as we have come to see, cross-culturally, nothing could be further from the truth from both extreme perspectives. Another cultural misunderstanding that may have helped to escalate tensions is the perception that the Muslim community in America did not stand up in unison and denounce the acts of 9/11 as atrocious. This initial silent response interpreted by many Americans as tantamount to condoning such acts of terrorism (Munro, 2006). Paradoxically, this lack of public outcry may have been the result of Muslim culture itself, with the majority of Muslims feeling that it was obvious that they had nothing to do with the attacks, and therefore no reason to take a public stand (Munro, 2006). A form of ‘vigilante counter-terrorism’ develops in American culture, which gives rise to anti-Muslim sentiment and acts of violence (Johnson, 2003). One probable contributing factor is termed: â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). The perpetrator, â€Å"for all outward appearances, a young Muslim man, well adjusted to Western society, considered friendly; one day, without warning, he acted out an independent Jihad, which injured nine students† (Pipes, 2006). Such unforeseeable and unpredictable behavior influences non-Muslims to stereotype many Muslims as having the same potential toward â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome†. This of course creates an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust between cultures: how can you tell who the enemy is just by looking at them? Discussion There is no cultural ‘quick fix’ to this pervasive problem confronting the modern world. â€Å"The general policy approach has to be adaptive, opportunistic, and multisided. The conventional problem-solving logic so attractive in American culture—find a problem and then fix it—is of limited utility, and a longer term, more contextualized approach is necessary† (Smelser et al. , 2002, p. 4). For instance, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) as espoused by the Bush Doctrine includes toppling ‘rogue nations’ as part of the effort to thwart terrorism (Borum, 2004). Focusing on ‘nation rebuilding’ of states, that are otherwise subject to deterrent, rather than on organizations that transcend geographic localities and are not subject to deterrent, is a lack of proper cultural understanding of the issues, and will lead to further cultural misunderstandings. It makes sense that if powerful cultures do not make accusations against weaker cultures not understood, or interfere in the sovereign rights of weaker nations, that a large amount of terrorism will fail to manifest by lack of unwanted cultural impetus from foreign powers. One of the biggest troubles seems to be, that powerful countries can arouse their masses which are â€Å"easily pressed into service to rally the nation, quell dissent and effectively inoculate the public against any alternative perspective† (Ivie, 2005, p. 56), the main point being to limit any alternative cultural perspectives as being legitimate relative to one’s own ‘superior’ cultural perspective. This is error. â€Å"An increasingly militarized culture of fear† (p. 9), such as is dominant in the US today, and which has been developing over many decades, cannot reduce the threat of terrorism in the world. Indeed, Muslim culture dictates that retribution be demanded when a family member is taken. Each errant US bomb inevitably creates more ‘terrorists’ (Borum, 2004), cultural ‘deviants’ are created that never would have existed otherwise. Rumors and hundreds of websites have sprung up claiming that FEMA has erected hundr eds of internment camps on American soil is a disturbing part of the changing culture in America today. A Google search of ‘American internment camps’ will pull up hundreds of unsubstantiated claims of such camps, including specific locations; further highlighting the cultural atmosphere of increasing paranoia. Finally, what can help prevent Muslim youth in the U. S. from taking a violent path? According to Sirin and Fine (2007)â€Å"Research that the successful integration of both one’s own culture and the dominant culture, leads to more positive developmental outcomes†¦whereas marginalization, that is disengagement from both cultures, is associated with mental health problems for immigrant youth† (p. 52). Society certainly would do well to address issues of marginalization, in order to help prevent future â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). Conclusion While this paper has focused mainly on US and Muslim extremist involvement, state and non-state respectively, it is important to remember that many other states and organizations exist whic h perpetrate terror. Terror is a two way street, with few exceptions. Perhaps the ultimate defense against terrorism is to understand the cultural and cross-cultural causes of it, and with proper knowledge, address the issues at hand. We must avoid stereotypes at all costs, because â€Å"Nearly all terrorists are extremists, but most extremists are not terrorists† (Borum, 2004). â€Å"Long-term orientation versus short-term orientation† (Franke, Hofstede, ; Bond, 1991) may provide insights into which culture holds greater strength in the GWOT. U. S. culture demands immediate results, and has little tolerance for long term strategies, while extremist Islamic culture is bond by the vision of Mohammed, and is prepared to sacrifice for centuries if need be (Borum, 2004). Fortunately, unnecessary warring between cultures may diminish substantially as one of the biggest single benefits of cross-cultural understanding and application of organizational psychological research (Brislan, 1983). â€Å"It is argued that we now live in an age of ‘hyperterrorism,’ where the nature and scale of terrorism has reached a new level, and that the question of ‘How to deal with international terrorism is quickly becoming the defining issue of our age’† (Ward, 2008, p. 248). It is imperative that we make every effort to understand the cross-cultural determinants of terrorism, regardless of cost. Additionally, â€Å"terrorism is a discourse that affects all our lives, and the collateral argument that terrorism somehow validates the occasional abrogation of so many of our most cherished legal principles, is something that should concern all of us† (p. 249). Hogan (2006) offers: â€Å"Due to the logistical and analytical challenges of cross-national comparisons, studies to date have concentrated largely on single nations† (p. 64). While much work remains, understanding the vast scope of cultural interdependencies that help create terrorism is an extremely complex task yet must be undertaken if we are to come to terms with global terrorism. As Hostede (1998) states, â€Å"constructs are products of the mind with which we attempt to understand and predict human behavior in an infinitely complex world†, and all constructs are flawed to some degree. In an infinitely complex world, we will never entirely eradicate terrorism in its many manifestations. Our best hope to eradicate the bulk of organized terrorism is through scientific understanding and conscientious application of rational solutions, freed from cultural bias. â€Å"Culture lies entirely on the â€Å"nurture† side of the ledger, as against â€Å"nature†, or truly nherited traits† (Munger, 2006, p. 134). Solutions to the specter of terrorism will manifest through understanding and responding to such cultural nurture. This paper has posited that understanding other cultures can help to reduce tensions between cultures, which give rise to terrorism and counterterrorism conflicts. As Munger (2006) points out, â€Å"a shared understanding of something that identifies insiders, and excludes outsiders because they do not share this understanding† (p. 133), is perhaps the fundamental commonality between conflicting sides. If we can short-circuit this exclusionary identity concept, by education and promulgate understanding by either, or both sides, and act upon it with responsible communication between parties, then perhaps modern terrorism as we know it will eventually end. It may take many years, because established terrorist organizations are not open to compromise (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002), but such efforts may play a large part in helping to prevent future recruitment, and help eliminate the need for terrorist organizations within the cultures that originally spawned them; losing their luster they slowly fade from existence.