The Most Frequent Neurodegenerative Movement Disorder...

2 Introduction 2.1 Overview The most frequent neurodegenerative movement disorder today is Parkinson Disease (Barth et al., 2011), with a prevalence which increases with age – from 0.01% of people in the age group 40 to 44 years, increasing steadily to approximately 1% at age 65 and 22% at age 85 or over. Due to an aging society, increasing industrialization and environmental factors, the number of patients will grow rapidly in the forthcoming decades. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of unknown etiology that has no cure. It is characterized by bradykinesia, rest tremor, cogwheel rigidity and postural instability, along with a number of non-motor signs. The neurochemical hallmark of PD is dopamine loss in the nigrostriatal dopamine system (Adler, 2011). In the substantia nigra (SN) of people with PD there is a loss of neuronal cells, demonstrated by the degeneration of brainstem nuclei (Brooks, 1998). This typically shows as Lewy bodies – spherical masses of protein that develop inside nerve cells. However the progression of neuronal loss is quite variable in different PD patients and at different phases of the disease. At present there is no treatment that affects the degeneration, for example by slowing the rate of cell death or by protecting neurons. Unfortunately by the time that PD is first diagnosed, 60% to 70% of the neurons in the SN responsible for dopamine have degenerated and the striatal dopamine content is reduced by 80% (Adler, 2011) andShow MoreRelatedParkinson Disease : A Progressive Disorder4669 Words   |  19 PagesOverview The most frequent neurodegenerative movement disorder today is Parkinson Disease (Barth et al., 2011), with a prevalence which increases with age – from 0.01% of people in the age group 40 to 44 years, increasing steadily to approximately 1% at age 65 and 22% at age 85 or over. Due to an aging society, increasing industrialization and environmental factors, the number of patients will grow rapidly in the forthcoming decades. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of unknown etiologyRead MoreChronic Conditions That Can Not Be Cured1878 Words   |  8 PagesLTC’s has been implemented due to the increase in the ageing population which in turn produces an increase in the incidence of LTC’s such as diabetes, Parkinson Disease [PD], pernicious anaemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neurological and heart conditions. Due to word restriction the author will discuss diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar to become too high or too low as the pancreas no longer produces the right amount

The Industrial Advances Of Europe During The Nineteenth...

At the start of the twentieth century, Europe was emerged in a crisis. Britain and France were almost at war and tensions between the Western nations were rising (Civilizations 541). Despite these negativities, Europe was advancing in new technologies making manufacturing goods easier and more efficient. Along with technological and industrial advances came wars, movements, and idealism. Europe suffered greatly between 1870-1920, but also made revolutionary advances. Following this further, some industrial advances that occurred took place in the steel, electricity, and chemical industries. Before the steel industry boom, to make steel people used the cementation process. The cementation process took days and was expensive. Henry Bessemer created an efficient and more effective way to produce steel with his invented of the Bessemer Process. In the 1880 s electricity was made available for commercial and domestic use (Civilizations 548). Electricity powered different ways of transport ation and helped to produce new chemical advances. The chemical advances helped in more ways than one. It produced textiles and soap since more people were concerned with their hygiene. In addition to the industrial advances came technological advances. Nikolaus August Otto invented the first practical four-stroke internal combustion engine in 1876. He called it the Otto Cycle Engine and proceeded to put it into a motorcycle (Bellis). To compete with the combustion engine, Rudolf DieselShow MoreRelated The European Expansion and its Effects on the World Essay1260 Words   |  6 Pagestechnological advances, which in turn stimulated, and were stimulated by science.† (p. 403) The European scientific revolution was fueled by the blending of â€Å"liberal† and â€Å"servile† arts, in other words, science and technology. Because of the European expansion taking place throughout the world, new commerce and industries were advancing, creating the need for new technolog y and science. The theories and inventions that Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton provided were the fist major advances during the scientificRead MoreThe Industrial Revolutions Influence on European Society1389 Words   |  6 PagesIn the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Industrial Revolution in Europe had a significant influence on society. There were many changes in social classes and equality. The rise of the middle class had a momentous effect on the population of Europe and was a catalyst for many changes in the social makeup of the region. The influence of technology and electricity changed many aspects of social interaction and created a new class system. The migration of workers and the separation ofRead MoreThe Decline Of Slavery During The Nineteenth Century962 Words   |  4 PagesFor roughly two centuries, millions of Africans were transported against their will to the New World to work in excruciating labor and withstand harsh conditions. Inhuman Traffi ck exceeds at indicating the revolutionary effects that would follow the end of slave trade on European countries. In order to understand this concept, it is crucial to note the changes European society went through during the abolitionist movements and the ending of slavery. Industrialization also attributes to the many ofRead MoreChanges Europe Experienced During The Industrial Revolution1620 Words   |  7 PagesChanges Europe experienced during the Industrial Revolution o The Industrial Revolution of the late eighteenth and middle nineteenth was progressive on the grounds that it modified, revolutionized the productive capacity of England, Europe and United States. In any case, the upheaval was something more than just new machines, smoke-burping processing plants, expanded efficiency and an expanded way of life. It was an upheaval which changed English, European, and American culture down to its extremelyRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of The Gilded Age1035 Words   |  5 Pagesend of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century many economic changes occurred, from booms to busts, but all effected minorities less favorably. At the end of the nineteenth century began an era of industrialization that created an economic upturn called the gilded age. Hallmarks of this age were technological advances, banking innovations, and wealth concentrations. Railroad construction, advances in steel production, and electrical innovation drove industrial and economicRead MoreMinstrel Shows and Theater856 Words   |  3 PagesThe 19th century was a time period full of disagreements and wishful thinking. During this time, African Americans were trying to become free from slavery. This led to a Civil War. The 1800’s were a hard time for African Americans, after the Civil War many expressed their thoughts and feelings through plays like Minstrel Shows and other forms of theatre. During this time period, America was in the middle of its Industrial Revolution. It was the beginning of the growth of the infrastructure forRead MoreThe Great Divergence : China, Europe And The Making Of The Modern World Economy Essay1726 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the long time of economic history, the Industrial Revolution happened in England in the eighteenth century is definitely a turning point which triggers many scholars’ interests. Gregory Clark, the author of A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, claims that the average person of 1800 was no better off than their remote ancestors of the Palaeolithic according to the Malthusian Trap. Then he focuses on solving three questions: Why did the Malthusian Trap persist so longRead MoreThe Rise Of The Industrial Revolution1464 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses,† said Henry Ford. The Industrial Revolution was a stage in the evolution of human society in which a lot of change was effected, not only because of all the new technology being invented, but in the structure of society. As people started to stand up for their rights and rejecting the long-standing institution of wealth determining status, the Old Regime had to adapt. France’s Constitution of 1791 had one law that classifiedRead MoreHow Did the Indsutrial Development Unite or Divide the North and the South?143 4 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Civil War, the advances of the Industrial Revolution introduced great changes in the industrial and technological development. Both the North and the South created many advances in railroad and water transportation. The Union, however, was far more advanced technologically than the Confederate states . Consequently, the North made greater and more effective use of progress in weapons, communication, transportation and medicine than South . Although the industrial development made the nationRead MoreImperialism in the 19th century1746 Words   |  7 PagesThere was a great deal of Imperialism in the 19th century, led by mostly westerners from Europe. Imperialism is the act in which one nation extends its rule over another. Imperialism had a substantial effect on the 19th century throughout the entire world by bringing upon changes to many different countries, for better and for worse, especially to Africa. Prior to the nineteenth century, westerners did interfere with many of the affairs of nations outside of their boarders, so signs of imperialism

Deception Point Page 21 Free Essays

Tolland groaned. â€Å"Now he’s showing off. What Corky means is that we can prove a rock is a meteorite simply by measuring its chemical content. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 21 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"Hey, ocean boy!† Corky chided. â€Å"Let’s leave the science to the scientists, shall we?† He immediately turned back to Rachel. â€Å"In earth rocks, the mineral nickel occurs in either extremely high percentages or extremely low; nothing in the middle. In meteorites, though, the nickel content falls within a midrange set of values. Therefore, if we analyze a sample and find the nickel content reflects a midrange value, we can guarantee beyond the shadow of a doubt that the sample is a meteorite.† Rachel felt exasperated. â€Å"Okay, gentlemen, fusion crusts, chondrules, midrange nickel contents, all of which prove it’s from space. I get the picture.† She laid the sample back on Corky’s table. â€Å"But why am I here?† Corky heaved a portentous sigh. â€Å"You want to see a sample of the meteorite NASA found in the ice underneath us?† Before I die here, please. This time Corky reached in his breast pocket and produced a small, disk-shaped piece of stone. The slice of rock was shaped like an audio CD, about half an inch thick, and appeared to be similar in composition to the stony meteorite she had just seen. â€Å"This is a slice of a core sample that we drilled yesterday.† Corky handed the disk to Rachel. The appearance certainly was not earth-shattering. It was an orangish-white, heavy rock. Part of the rim was charred and black, apparently a segment of the meteorite’s outer skin. â€Å"I see the fusion crust,† she said. Corky nodded. â€Å"Yeah, this sample was taken from near the outside of the meteorite, so it still has some crust on it.† Rachel tilted the disk in the light and spotted the tiny metallic globules. â€Å"And I see the chondrules.† â€Å"Good,† Corky said, his voice tense with excitement. â€Å"And I can tell you from having run this thing through a petrographic polarizing microscope that its nickel content is midrange-nothing like a terrestrial rock. Congratulations, you’ve now successfully confirmed the rock in your hand came from space.† Rachel looked up, confused. â€Å"Dr. Marlinson, it’s a meteorite. It’s supposed to come from space. Am I missing something here?† Corky and Tolland exchanged knowing looks. Tolland put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder and whispered, â€Å"Flip it over.† Rachel turned the disk over so she could see the other side. It took only an instant for her brain to process what she was looking at. Then the truth hit her like a truck. Impossible! she gasped, and yet as she stared at the rock she realized her definition of â€Å"impossible† had just changed forever. Embedded in the stone was a form that in an earth specimen might be considered commonplace, and yet in a meteorite was utterly inconceivable. â€Å"It’s†¦ † Rachel stammered, almost unable to speak the word. â€Å"It’s†¦ a bug! This meteorite contains the fossil of a bug!† Both Tolland and Corky were beaming. â€Å"Welcome aboard,† Corky said. The torrent of emotions that gripped Rachel left her momentarily mute, and yet even in her bewilderment, she could clearly see that this fossil, beyond question, had once been a living biological organism. The petrified impression was about three inches long and looked to be the underside of some kind of huge beetle or crawling insect. Seven pairs of hinged legs were clustered beneath a protective outer shell, which seemed to be segmented in plates like that of an armadillo. Rachel felt dizzy. â€Å"An insect from space†¦ â€Å" â€Å"It’s an isopod,† Corky said. â€Å"Insects have three pairs of legs, not seven.† Rachel did not even hear him. Her head was spinning as she studied the fossil before her. â€Å"You can clearly see,† Corky said, â€Å"that the dorsal shell is segmented in plates like a terrestrial pill bug, and yet the two prominent tail-like appendages differentiate it as something closer to a louse.† Rachel’s mind had already tuned Corky out. The classification of the species was totally irrelevant. The puzzle pieces now came crashing into place-the President’s secrecy, the NASA excitement†¦ There is a fossil in this meteorite! Not just a speck of bacteria or microbes, but an advanced life-form! Proof of life elsewhere in the universe! 23 Ten minutes into the CNN debate, Senator Sexton wondered how he could have been worried at all. Marjorie Tench was grossly overestimated as an opponent. Despite the senior adviser’s reputation for ruthless sagacity, she was turning out to be more of a sacrificial lamb than a worthy opponent. Granted, early in the conversation Tench had grabbed the upper hand by hammering the senator’s prolife platform as biased against women, but then, just as it seemed Tench was tightening her grip, she’d made a careless mistake. While questioning how the senator expected to fund educational improvements without raising taxes, Tench made a snide allusion to Sexton’s constant scapegoating of NASA. Although NASA was a topic Sexton definitely intended to address toward the end of the discussion, Marjorie Tench had opened the door early. Idiot! â€Å"Speaking of NASA,† Sexton segued casually. â€Å"Can you comment on the rumors I keep hearing that NASA has suffered another recent failure?† Marjorie Tench did not flinch. â€Å"I’m afraid I have not heard that rumor.† Her cigarette voice was like sandpaper. â€Å"So, no comment?† â€Å"I’m afraid not.† Sexton gloated. In the world of media sound bites, â€Å"no comment† translated loosely to â€Å"guilty as charged.† â€Å"I see,† Sexton said. â€Å"And how about the rumors of a secret, emergency meeting between the President and the administrator of NASA?† This time Tench looked surprised. â€Å"I’m not sure what meeting you’re referring to. The President takes many meetings.† â€Å"Of course, he does.† Sexton decided to go straight at her. â€Å"Ms. Tench, you are a great supporter of the space agency, is that right?† Tench sighed, sounding tired of Sexton’s pet issue. â€Å"I believe in the importance of preserving America’s technological edge-be that military, industry, intelligence, telecommunications. NASA is certainly part of that vision. Yes.† In the production booth, Sexton could see Gabrielle’s eyes telling him to back off, but Sexton could taste blood. â€Å"I’m curious, ma’am, is it your influence behind the President’s continued support of this obviously ailing agency?† Tench shook her head. â€Å"No. The President is also a staunch believer in NASA. He makes his own decisions.† Sexton could not believe his ears. He had just given Marjorie Tench a chance to partially exonerate the President by personally accepting some of the blame for NASA funding. Instead, Tench had thrown it right back at the President. The President makes his own decisions. It seemed Tench was already trying to distance herself from a campaign in trouble. No big surprise. After all, when the dust settled, Marjorie Tench would be looking for a job. Over the next few minutes, Sexton and Tench parried. Tench made some weak attempts to change the subject, while Sexton kept pressing her on the NASA budget. â€Å"Senator,† Tench argued, â€Å"you want to cut NASA’s budget, but do you have any idea how many high-tech jobs will be lost?† Sexton almost laughed in the woman’s face. This gal is considered the smartest mind in Washington? Tench obviously had something to learn about the demographics of this country. High-tech jobs were inconsequential in comparison to the huge numbers of hardworking blue-collar Americans. Sexton pounced. â€Å"We’re talking about billions in savings here, Marjorie, and if the result is that a bunch of NASA scientists have to get in their BMWs and take their marketable skills elsewhere, then so be it. I’m committed to being tough on spending.† How to cite Deception Point Page 21, Essay examples

Does it or Does it Not Essay Example For Students

Does it or Does it Not? Essay To be able to believe that some one or thing exists, it must be a universal idea that others have at least heard of. It also must be tangible to a human being and have some sort of physical evidence or others accounts of evidence to show that it does in fact exist. If the object or person cannot provide hard physical evidence, then how does it get humans such as our selves to believe in them? The answer seems simple enough, faith. Religion, in general, has been around since human beings have first graced this planet. No one knows exactly how it actually came about, but we know that it is here and still is here today. God may or may not exist. Through the faith of the people He most definitely exists to them.He is praised, worshiped, and glorified by over one billion people through out the world. Those one billion people trust and believe that God exists without having to have physical or logical evidence. They say that through all things God exists. Why? Because supposedly He created all living things on this planet. Scientists, however, have their own idea of how Earth was created. So, how do we know that He truly does exist? We cannot see what He looks like, or what He sounds like. We also do not have records of His birth or death. There are many beautiful murals and paintings of Him through out the world, but which one is He? How can someone devote their selves and time into something they cannot see or hear? It seems like a waste of time to some. To others, religion acts as a crutch for comfort and safety. Some say that he does exist in our everyday lives in everything that we experience. Others, however, believe that He exists in money and say that if people donate money the Good Lord will heal you and love you, but you have to donate some money first before he can do anything. It is sketchy and since when was having faith in God a paid service? Some people only pray for what they need, and sometimes might not even really need it and act as if God is Santa Claus. He is also a crutch for those who are insecure and need to find comfort. Therefore, meaning tha t it could be a trick of the mind. Which also demonstrates why He appears in visions and dreams to some people. The only real evidence that we have of God is through the bible. The bible is supposedly based on the first and second hand accounts of the apostles and his followers. Through out the bible it displays the many miracles performed by God, stories teach parables and morals, and most of all the Old Testament shows a great amount of faith in Him through his chosen leaders and the people. We do know that the apostles and Jesus did in fact exist then through birth certificates, baptismal certificates, or other means of showing that they were part of this world in their own time. Through them, they claimed, God performed his miracles and spread the good news. Our first pope in the church was one of the apostles, and some of the others to follow are descendants of him. That could also be another account of evidence that he did exist. Saying that God does indeed exist is like skating on thin ice, because it is too risky to go out there and just think everything is going to be ok without knowi ng for sure if it really will be. However, many people still believe that God does truly exist in their heart, mind, body, and soul. Also, that He does in fact perform miracles and helps those who are in need of it.In conclusion, to believe in something it should have physical and logical evidence that it indeed does exist, tangibly. If it cannot bring evidence that it does exist tangibly, does it really exist? If so, then how? Which brings Gods existence back to question. It is very hard to place a definite answer to this question. God may exist, no one

Summary of Best Seller free essay sample

Summary of best seller best seller deals with the life of a business worker of plate and glass company who believes that fictions are unrealistic and according to him a man always marries a girl of the same background. THE story starts with the narrator traveling in a chair car on his way to Pittsburgh where he meets John A. Fescue,an old acquaintance John was reading a bestseller thought that these stories were imaginary. Hen after a little formal chat on happenings in their lives John told that he was married. John was traveling to Cincinnati when he saw the finest maiden of all and fell in love then he followed her all the way to her home town keeping a sharp unpredictable distance from her eyes. He went in a hotel for the night to stay where the manager on asking said that the biggest mansion at top of the hill was of colonel Allan. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Best Seller or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then suddenly the maiden of his dreams came,he went to ere and started the conversation,which ended with her revealing the truth that she knew John was following her and she was glad he didnt talked with her and the next challenge to him was to enter the girls house which was none other than the colonels mansion. He next morning he went there by showing his business card and by pretending that he wanted to sell those plate glasses and hence wanted to meet colonel Allan. The place was a dead coffin and he with shaken legs numb hands and rack voice talked to the colonel and after sometime came to the point and asked for the girls hand and to his surprise the colonel gave an unexpected answer by agreeing and told him a lot of stories about his experiences apteral he got someone to listen to his stories and unwillingly he have to listen to him the story ends as train reaches to cotton and the so called traversal goes to dig petunias for his rose lady and he addresses that the old man is still in my house waiting to tell more and more stories

Volcano essays

Volcano essays There are different perspectives and opinions about volcanoes, but the two major expressions on volcanoes that come into mind are its beauty and its terror. Though many people may not agree, there is one side of volcanoes that do have an expression of beauty. Before it erupts, a volcano sits quietly with the mountains, and everything looks peaceful and beautiful as they are one with nature, but when this peace is interrupted by the eruption of the volcano, all that once looked peaceful and beautiful suddenly becomes surrounded with the overwhelming fear of nature. Volcanoes can cause a great amount of property damage as well as the loss of many lives, including both people and animals. In ancient times, people thought of volcanoes as mysterious, and they were very superstitious about them. Today, even with the tremendous advances in all the sciences, people still ask many questions about volcanoes that continue to be unanswered. However, it is believed that when we have learned more about volcanoes and their terrific power we may be able to find it to be a benefit of humanity. The great clouds of gases, vapor, and ash particles are the most noticable features of the explosive eruption of a volcano. The eruption cloud may be luminous or dark, depending on whether it is incandescent and whether it contains a small or large amount of ash particles. From a distance, the fiery and smoky appearances with the red glow of the lava escaping from the crater beneath can give an image of a burning mountain. There are two extremes of volcanic eruptions, one extreme being that the lava rises quietly to the surface and overflows the lip of the crater. The gases bubble through the lava and escape calmly, but there are instances when the gases rush out with so much force that they form lava fountains that shoot hundreds of feet into the air. On the other extreme, a giant explosion occurs in the chimney of the volcano, and when ...

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Research proposal - Essay Example A detailed literature review focusing on the works of Duncan Brown and Michael Armstrong (Paying for Contribution), Michael Armstrong and Murlis, H. (Reward Management) and Michael Armstrong (Employee Rewards). The Human Resources departments of various companies and corporate who are actively working on improving the performance appraisal processes or are preparing proposals to the management on implementing the performance appraisal process Initially a detailed review of the literature available on the topic is conducted. Based on these reviews, a case study is carried out for a company selected. The various aspects of the performance related pay prevalent in the company are discussed. Based on the literature review and the case study, the research objectives are drawn, both from employers’ and the employees’ perspectives. The research objectives will mainly focus on the best practices for performance related pay and also the effects it has on employees, such as productivity, satisfaction level, etc.., In order to conduct a credible research for the objectives that fall under the first category, it is essential to conduct a qualitative research. A questionnaire is prepared based on the research objectives under this category. This questionnaire is then presented a list of employers, HR professionals and experts in the field and an In-Depth interview is conducted. If viable, an in-depth interview will also be conducted with a representative from the HR department of the company that has been discussed in the case study. For the second category, as the research objectives focus on a wider population, it is essential to conduct a quantitative research. A questionnaire is designed based on the research objectives. An appropriate scaling method is used and the dependent and independent variables are fixed based on the objectives. Once the questionnaire is finalized, an online survey is then conducted to a

Review of Literature Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Review of Literature - Term Paper Example In chapter 1 of the book Global Islamic Politics, Husain discusses the connection between past and present revivalist movements. He asserts that Islam can be used as a tool for political changes. Like Nasr, he argues that Islam is too nuanced to be generalized as secular or extremist. Instead, its various concepts, such as jihad and taqlid or adherence to legal rulings, have been used and interpreted by diverse Islamic movements. The Quran is subject to diverse interpretations, because personal beliefs color the many ambiguous concepts and statements in it. It supplements the political dimension of Islam and can fit nicely into Islam: Religion, History and Civilization by Nasr. Love and friendship are integral concepts to Islam and can be used to promote interfaith interactions and religious tolerance. In a speech to the pope called â€Å"We and You-Let Us Meet in God’s Love,† Nasr asserts that Christianity and Islam share similar fundamental beliefs in one God and in t eaching the importance of faith in daily living. He understands that there are also core differences in Islamic and Christian beliefs and practices, but he stresses that these differences are not enough to justify centuries of conflict and opposition. He calls for peace between these religions and their followers, as they both pursue a life dedicated to God. He believes that it is possible for Christians and Muslims to be friends, since they are both advocates of love and peace: â€Å"We submit to Him, and ask for His help and affirmation in carrying out this momentous task of meeting with you in friendship and peace under the banner of that Common Word that unites us† (Nasr 4). This article reinforces the article by Chittick on love and friendship. Islam is not a religion of violence, but a religion of love and peace. Chittick argues that love and friendship cannot be separated in Islamic spirituality, because in Persian and Arabic languages alone, saying â€Å"I love youâ €  relates to having a friend in that person that one loves: â€Å"†¦to say â€Å"I love you† in Persian you say dustat daram, literally, â€Å"I have you as a friend† (1). He says that people should understand that the true aim of their love is God, and so they have to act in the kind of love that is characterized by â€Å"God’s beautiful character traits† (Chittick 16). God sends prophets, who teaches people how to love: â€Å"Only when they learn to love by following the prophetic example can they truly love God, and as a function of love for God, love their neighbors as well† (Chittick 18). This article is comparable to the speech of Nasr, because it signifies that love and friendship can also exist among different religions. Love should be the center of interfaith dialogues and instead of spreading hate and aggression, all religious and non-religious people should promote love and friendship that are based on the core of the human spi rit, as Chittick contends. Muslims are widely distributed across the world, and so they cannot be treated as a very small minority. According to the Pew Research Center: â€Å"A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion† (1). The main point of this article is that Islam is a potent force to

Personal Identity & Immortality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Identity & Immortality - Research Paper Example Millers main line of argument is that there is a correlation between body and soul and that even if the body dies, the soul may continue to live. Weiroib disputed this by asserting that there is no evidence that the soul exist and therefore we should not easily assume that something we know not of its existence will help us survive after we are dead (Perry 397). Here, miller tries to ask his friend if he can prove that he is the same person he ate lunch with last week to enable him see the sense of his claims of life after death. This is based from the fact that the other week they were at lunch siting opposite each other on the table and communicating with each other. This example brings in an important fact that miller was not aware of that soul if immaterial and therefore one should not conclude that the soul you met last time is the same soul you are meeting today. When Miller claims that he is the same person he saw last week, he gives Weirob a chance to prove to him that what h e saw was just the body and therefore, the claim that the soul exist cannot easily be substantiated. The caramel example is used to by Miller in his desperate attempts to show that there is a link between body and soul of a person. This view of however criticized by when Weirob asserts that there is no link between the body and the soul of human beings. In the Blue River analogy, is used by Weirob to show that a river contains different water every time in his attempt to disqualify his assertion that souls and body are the same. The issue of same body same soul is thus an issue that can only be discussed on earth in human context. Our personal identity is sometimes unknown since we are not sure whether there is a relationship between body and soul. The topic of the Blue river example is used to prove the concept that same characteristics do not necessarily require same substance and therefore, human soul and body may be different. Weirob tries to challenge her friend miller to comfo rt her on her death bead days before she passed away if there is a possibility of her surviving after her death. Miller claims that survival is possible after death for a person is identical to his soul and not his body as most people think. Miller highly believes in this and he thus asserts that survival after her death is possible because her personal identity is tied to her soul. Weirob on the other hand challenges this view by asserting that soul is something immaterial and cannot be seen or felt unlike our bodies that are physical and can be seen and felt. This disqualified millers claim that people are identical to their souls and thus can have a life after their death. Miller further claims there is a correlation between bodies and soul but his argument is also criticized by Weirob who argues that such a claim is baseless since there is no evidence that the soul is exist in the first place. Miller is never tired of her claims that soul exists and its correlated with the body by asserting that body exhibit certain behaviors that are in unison with certain psychological characteristics. Weirob criticizes this line of argument by asserting that similarity between psychological characteristic with the body since its not physical like most of the things we see around like rivers. He further states that human beings are not certain of how souls work and thus we can easily assume that there is a correl

The Hollywood Effect Of The Reel Bad Arabs Media Essay

The Hollywood Effect Of The Reel Bad Arabs Media Essay Watching Dr. Jack Shaheen documentary Reel bad Arabs, in which he discusses almost a 1000 Hollywood films featuring an Arab and concludes that the vast majority of which portray Arabs in a distorting manner, I found myself really fond of the idea of the power of media in positioning peoples minds in favor of a secret agenda and so forth, I found that I deeply agree with Dr.Shaheens claim that the Hollywood movie industry, almost always portrays Arabs as bad since it is influenced by the US foreign policy agenda. How Media Affects Public Opinion In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. We now live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction. The media has a huge impact on society and also in public opinion. It can shape the public opinion in different ways depending of what is the objective. Repetition Effect Al tikrar biallem il hemar -By repetition even the donkey learns-, this Arab proverb encapsulates how effective repetition can be when it comes to education: how we learn by repeating an exercise over and over again until we can respond almost reflexively. For more than a century now, Hollywood, too, has used repetition as a teaching tool, tutoring movie audiences by repeating over and over, in film after film, insidious images of the Arab people. From earlier times to the present day consider how these images have affected honest discourse and public policy. Building Stereotypes Stereotyping has existed with us since the beginning of time in our day to day life .With these repetitive patterns going over and over in front of our eyes, as audience, we start building our own images about others based on these patterns, breeding them into our minds and revitalizing them whenever stuck in a situation . Bottom-line, instead of getting to know the truth, we tend to resort to our preconceived notions rather than judging things as they are, which involuntarily, builds stereotypes in our minds. Manipulating Public Opinion Normally, stereotypes are fast and fairly effective because not everyone can be able to travel to every nation and verify the true state of affairs, thus techniques of misinformation and name calling are used by media outlets in attempt to convince the public to belief generalities made about a particular group, in this case Arabs, to be true in areas such as religion or politics. For example, after the attacks of 9/11 the media gave a huge coverage of the event and exposed Osama guilty for the attack as they were told by the authorities. This shaped the public opinion to support the war on terrorism, the same happened with the war on Iraq. The problem is that if media received inaccurate information then the public opinion supported a wrong cause, and this is the power of public opinion influence. Hollywood As A Source Of Knowledge And Influence A Positioning Weapon Hollywood movies have been around now for more than century and have and will continue to impact us and future generations. Nowadays, Hollywoods motion pictures reach nearly everyone. How Arabs Are Portrayed In Hollywood Seen through Hollywoods distorted lenses, Arabs look different and threatening. Projected along racial and religious lines, the stereotypes are deeply ingrained in American cinema. According to Dr. Shaheen words, What is an Arab? In countless films, Hollywood alleges the answer: Arabs are brute murderers, sleazy rapists, religious fanatics, oil-rich dimwits, and abusers of women. They [the Arabs] all look alike to me, quips the American heroine in the movie The Sheik Steps Out (1937). All Arabs look alike to me, admits the protagonist in Commando (1968). Decades later, nothing had changed. Quips the U.S. Ambassador in Hostage (1986), I cant tell one [Arab] from another. Wrapped in those bed sheets they all look the same to me. In Hollywoods films, they certainly do black beard, headdress, dark sunglasses, in the background-a limousine, harem maidens, oil wells, camels. Beginning with Imar the Servitor (1914), up to and including The Mummy Returns (2001), a synergy of images equates Arabs from Syria to the Sudan with quintessential evil. In hundreds of movies evil Arabs stalk the screen. We see them assaulting just about every imaginable foeAmericans, Europeans, Israelis, legionnaires, Africans, fellow Arabs, evenfor heavens sakeHercules and Samson. Dr Shaheen believes that such Arab images serves not only for dehumanation, but mainly for increasing abhorrence towards that group of people in an attempt to back up the U.S foreign policies and agendas. The findings of a recent study suggest that Hollywood films influence viewers perceptions and attitudes towards Arabs extensively. Similar approaches to Dr. Shaheens were taken and mostly rendered the same conclusions such as Jamie C. Friess, which pointed out that Hollywoods representation of the Middle East ebbed and flowed with the foreign policy realities of the United States across time underlying the belief in the presence of a link between U.S. diplomacy and popular films portrayal of Arabs. Possible Reasons Behind Hollywood Portrayal Complement American Foreign Policy The interpretations of Hollywoods representation of Arabs involve different, often contradictory, types of image. They also suggest that the intensification of the Arabs stereotypical image over the last century from comic villains to foreign devils did not occur in a vacuum but, certainly, with the intertwinement of both political and cultural interests in the region. It is believed that this was motivated indirectly by U.S imperial objectives. Justify War In Palestine, Iraq And Afghanistan Arabs are politically characterized as soldiers of Allah with no mercy and who do terrible things; they are not just villains but also dangerous and they need to be politically and militarily contained. The concept shows how the situation in the region is badly in need of help Western, and in particular American. Just the needed situation that can fairly justify wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq and work as a great cover of the real intentions behind such wars, which is clearly economic-oil-.Moreover; keeping the international world silent about the ongoing Palestinians killings. We -Arabs- Fail To Fix Our Image To bring about fundamental changes in how motion pictures project Arabs, a systematic lobbying effort is needed. Though the Arab-American and Muslim-American presence is steadily growing in number and visibility in the United States, Regrettably, only a few Arab-Americans meet with and discuss the stereotype with filmmakers. Though when dialogue does occur, some discriminatory portraits are altered. Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to re-insist on the fact that Hollywood movies- as a media outlet- can influence public opinion extensively on the way Arabs are perceived and that they can actually serve, in one way or another, as a tool of manipulation or oven be manipulated themselves in order to enforce different governmental policies. Both the American authorities and corporate media helped to outline the Middle East within an ideological bias that shapes the public understanding of the region. Such a cultural discourse has stressed an epic struggle between the civilized, democratic, modern West and the brutalized, barbaric, primitive East. This manipulation should be processed to maintain the notion that these nations need, and will continue to need, American protection not just from their enemy but from themselves as well.

Essay on the Symbol of Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Symbol of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl symbolizes a real and constant reminder of Hester’s sins, she is much more prominent and evident than the â€Å"A† that Hester wore, for she is a real living breathing person who will always remain a part Hester. Hawthorne places Pearl in the novel to explore the theme of Romanticism, to create a character who is passionate and true, one who questions the behavior and values of Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl’s behavior towards her mother varied at different times. She would often constantly nag her mother and became infatuated with the scarlet "A" which her mother wore. She is anything but a normal Puritan child, and Hawthorne creates her character very interestingly. â€Å"The child could not be made amenable to rules. In giving her existence, a great law had been broken.....† (91)Pearl was so very aware of this â€Å"A† even if she did not fully understand the meaning of it at her young age. Although, she did have a sense of what this letter meant, and would also make her own to wear. â€Å"Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet† (192). This symbolizes Pearl’s constant curiousity and truth, and her knowing that the letter her mother must wear retricts her from being ‘loved by the sun’, in other words, Hester must remain in the dark about her feelings, while Pearl can stay in the sun. Again another example of Pearl’s free emotion, a symbolism of the Romanticism in the novel. Although Hester had so much trouble with Pearl, she still felt that Pearl was her treasure. Being alienated from society and without Dimmesdale to confess his part in the sin, Pearl was really the only thing that Hester had in life. Hester cherished Pearl’s existence, though she was born out of what Puritans considered a sin. Here, Pearl symbolizes a person that Hester can hold on to and call her own, when it seems as though she has nothing left in the world.

Blue Ocean Strategy

In the past ten weeks, this class has tested me by having to read challenging articles that presented several different strategic theories to us. While all of the theories brought us interesting and valuable information, the one that resonated most with me and stuck out the most was the Blue Ocean Strategy. I have always been someone who enjoys a challenge and I feel that while this theory is a challenge, it has the most potential to bring organizations the greatest amount of success.To fully understand why I selected this theory opposed to one of the other ones, I feel that first I need to explain exactly what Blue Ocean Strategy is and who has used it and gained enormous amounts of success. While there are many people who believe taking down the competition is the best plan for their company and will result in huge success, Blue Ocean Strategy does not even factor it into their decision making process as a way to reach success. To discuss Blue Ocean Strategy, we also have to unders tand Red Ocean Strategy.Red oceans are all other strategies that are currently trying to out-compete one another in hopes of being the one on top. The first thing that comes to mind when I think off taxation such as this is the results of Apple first launching the pod. All a sudden a portable music player like this was what everyone wanted, so other companies started doing the same thing and came out with comparable products such as the Zone. Sadly, no one has been able to reach the success that Apple has when it comes to portable music devices.As you can see from the chart, Microsoft, the creator of Zone, tried to reach success by hitting all five points that were mentioned on the left side of the chart. However, they were unable to do so because they underestimated the demand that the pod was producing. Microsoft as well as other companies tried to compete, but could not maintain as high of a demand as the pod and eventually the market became too crowded and the products eventuall y became undervalued and over produced.When the creators came out with Zone it sounds like a Hyperventilation strategy was being used. Hyperventilation is defined as rapid and dynamic completion that is escalated on price-quality positioning (Divine, 1998). While a Zone is very similar to an pod, what the creators thought would make them out-sell the pod was that the Zone cost half of what the pod was. While often times cost is a huge consideration when buying a product or service in this case people were willing to pay the extra money and choose the company that used the Blue Ocean Strategy.Potential Risk: Now take a complete 180-degree turn and you have Blue Ocean Strategy. With this strategy, demand is created rather than fought over. By doing this, there is more room for growth that can be quickly profitable. At first when I read the article, I thought to myself that this seemed too risky and why would a company bother using this strategy; after doing a lot of different research on the topic, I have come to the inclusion that there is a minimal amount of risk.I think it is important to realize that with any strategy there is a certain amount of risk, no matter what choice you decided to make. For Blue Ocean Strategy, there are currently six key risks that a company could face (Kim & Maneuvering, 2004). Of these six risks, the first four revolve around the creation of the strategy itself and the final two relate to the actual execution of the strategy.Search risk Planning risk Scope risk Business model risk Organizational risk Management risk However, there are six principals represented in Blue Ocean Strategy that are signaled to protect an organization from that risk (Kim & Maneuvering, 2004): Reconstruct market boundaries Focus on the big picture, not the numbers Reach beyond existing demands Get the strategic sequence right Overcome key organizational hurtles Build execution into strategy The first principal identifies the direction by which managers ca n methodically create conclusive market space across diverse industry domains and crippling search risk. It teaches companies how to make the competition irrelevant by looking across the six conventional boundaries of competition to open up commercially important blue oceans† (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014). The second principal has to do with looking at the big picture and not focusing on Just what the numbers would be, it deals with planning risk. By looking at the big picture first and foremost I believe this is why, when using this strategy, there is such long-term success that comes with it. Using a visualizing approach that drives managers to focus on the big picture, this principle proposes a four-step planning process for strategies that create and capture blue ocean opportunities† (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014). To reach beyond existing demands hose using the Blue Ocean Strategy must challenge the traditional process of aiming for finer segmentation in order to meet ex isting customer preferences. Instead, this principle, which addresses scale risk, states the importance of aggregating demand, not by focusing on the differences that separate customer but rather by building on the powerful commonalities across uncustomary† (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014). In order to accomplish correct strategic sequence companies must ensure that their business model will be able to produce and maintain profitable growth. This sequence consists of the following: (1) utility, (2) price, (3) cost, and (4) adoption requirements (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014).When a company follows this sequence, it addresses the business model risk. The fifth principal is all about overcoming the hurdles that come your way. This is the first principal in the execution portion of the strategy and therefore in this principal the organizational risk is heavily considered. â€Å"This principle mitigates organizational risk, outlining how leaders and manager can surmount the cognitive, re source, motivational, and political hurdles in spite of emitted time and resources† (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014).Last, but certainly not least, is building execution into the strategy and this is defined as having the ability to encourage others to execute the strategy in the best way they know how. This principle addresses the management risk associated with people's attitudes and behaviors. â€Å"By integrating execution into strategy formula, people are motivated to act† (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2014). While there is still a certain amount of potential risk involved in this strategy, you can see that there are several different principals that were created to eliminate said risk.Cost and Value: A lot of traditional strategies state that you much choose if you want to be known for cost or for value. However, when deciding to use Blue Ocean Strategy, it is possible to have both differentiation and low cost. If you look to the chart to the right you can see that Blue Ocean Strategy has figured out that the key to value innovation is equal parts cost and buyer value. While the chart makes it look simple, in order for this to happen, utility, price, and cost all need to be aligned.By driving both the cost down and the value, the product has the potential to meet so many more people. A really good example of this balance is the Ford Model T. In 1908, Henry Ford was a person with vision who created a company and a product that was not in the market. He made it price friendly so that people could actually afford it and it would fall under the category of value pioneering. When the Model T first came out in 1908, it cost $ 850. 00, which was half the price of anything else out there at the time (Kim & Maneuvering, 2004).The key to success in this example was not using the competition as a benchmark. While Henry Ford could have followed everyone else and created a actionable and customizable car, he knew that it was not what the market needed; they needed af fordability and reliability. Long Term Viability: When a company or organization is in the process of selecting a strategy to use, they want something that will not only last a long time, but also help them build a brand. There have been several companies that have used Blue Ocean Strategy and have had decades of brand equity (Kim & Maneuvering, 2004).Companies will be happy with the results that many have and are expected to continue to use Blue Ocean Strategy multiple times. Blue Ocean vs.. Strategic Supremacy through Disruption and Dominance: Almost the opposite of Blue Oceans is the theory of strategic supremacy, which has been influenced by hyperventilation and understanding the relationships in this theory. By understanding the interaction between strategy and environment, managers can better tailor their strategies to the environment or change the environment to their advantage.This begins with analyzing the current competitive environment (opposite of Blue Oceans) then under standing the rules of the game in that industry. Simply put, the leaders in the industry control the â€Å"rules of the game†, if they do something, he smaller brands will follow to compete. Having the ability to control the rules of the game and controlling the evolution of the market and its competition is part of strategic supremacy. Sometimes old leaders in an industry do not want to change and this gives new entrants an opportunity to sneak in and disrupt the rules of the game and use it to their advantage.Overall, this strategy is all about controlling your market at large and if you do not have the caliber to do this, then you find a niche market to focus on. When competitors disrupt the â€Å"rules of the game† then it comes a competitive battle. When this happens, it eventually turns into a Red Ocean. Leaders often are in their position because they have battled with lowering prices and are able to compete with lower margins. If a leading competitor was disrup ted by a new entrant with lower prices it would change the game and they would be forced to lower their prices or create a new strategic approach to beating the new threat.In this business strategy, I think it leads to saturation in the market where there really isn't a new value for the customer; they Just battle over perceived values, marketing and price wars. If you are someone who is going to enter into a particular market strong, would you rather go into a bloody war with dominant leaders and try to find a way to sneak past them and out into the market with the threat of them copying you and crushing you because they have deeper pockets and more control or avoid this fight and go where nobody else has gone?I think that many existing firms find themselves battling for strategic supremacy and if you are a new business, you should let them fight and enter the market through a Blue Ocean Strategy instead, but you are also never too old to use your brand equity and create a ewe spac e. Blue Ocean Strategies vs.. Coping with Hyperventilation: Companies regularly struggle to sustain their competitive advantages and the reality is that no advantage is sustainable. Technological wonders can happen overnight, aggressive competitors enter the market, organizations are restricted, new laws change the field, markets and trends appear and fade away.In a hypersensitive environment companies must disrupt the advantages of their competitors. To fight back with this, managers must apply the g's according to this theory to analyze industries and competitions strengths and weaknesses. Huge companies that were once thought to be untouchable have been brought to their knees, such as IBM & GM. Having economies of scale, large advertising power, deep pockets and all the other things that give them buyer and supplier power is no longer enough. â€Å"Leadership in price and quality is also not enough to assure success. Being first is not always the same as being best.Entry barrier s are trampled down or circumvented. Goliath are brought down by clever Davis with slingshots. Welcome to the world of hyperventilation† (Divine, 1995). According to Divine, companies cake progress in hyperventilation by actively disrupting advantages to others in order to adapt the market to themselves; this is done by applying the g's framework. The new g's framework is: Superior stakeholder satisfaction, strategic soothsaying, positioning for speed, positioning for surprise, shifting the rules of the game, signaling strategic intent and simultaneous and sequential strategic thrusts.Before going further in depth with applying these g's, this would seem like a very bloodthirsty strategy to destroy your opponents. When you strike first, you better be ready to take a hit or keep swinging. I am not saying that this is not the way to compete, but I am saying that it is not the best way to be in business or enter. Hyperventilation is a Red Ocean Strategy and all of these battle ta ctics do not have to be your fundamental strategy in a Blue Ocean. Moving on, these g's are only based on a strategy of finding and building temporary advantages in the market.These advantages are from market disruption and not sustaining advantages because of the reasons mentioned in the beginning of this paragraph. Looking at the chart below, you can see the qualities of competition in different levels of competition. The g's are about paying in the 4th category whereas Blue Ocean Strategy is about figuring out a way to compete in the first or second category. Even if you are a company who is part of hyperventilation it does not mean you have to play a part of the price war, you can use your branding and find a way into an area of more moderate competition.Blue Ocean vs.. The Core Competence of the Corporation Another theory of competitive advantage is in the knowledge and diversity of core competencies. Focusing on your core competencies creates unique, integrated systems that re inforce your business model. Once you clarify your competencies, then you will know how to support them, increasing your competitive advantage and reducing the ability of a competitor copying you. The theory states that once you establish your competencies you must enhance them by investing in needed technologies and creating strategic alliances.This theory seems to be not as brutally competitive as some of the other theories. It is difficult to argue because identifying your company's core competencies is indeed very important for strategic decisions and success. The reason I believe Blue Ocean Strategy is still a stronger strategy is imply because I do not believe that understanding your core competencies alone will be a sustainable enough advantage. There will still be competitors who change the game, new technologies and entrants that will emerge and I do not think that focus on your competencies are enough in a highly competitive market.In a Blue Ocean Strategy you do not need to worry about the competition as much. This theory points out that your competition may not be able to copy you as easily but that does not mean that they wont be able to take more of the marketplace. For these reasons, I think blue ocean is still the smartest strategy. Blue Ocean vs.. Resource Based View of the Firm The resource based view of the firm (RUB) is a basis for the competitive advantage of a firm that is based on application of their tangible and intangible resources.By doing this a business can transform their short-run competitive advantage into a more sustained competitive advantage. The basic idea is that you first identify potential key resources within your organization. Next, evaluate if the resources are valuable, rare, in-imitable, non-substitutable and other criteria. By protecting and sustaining these resources you can achieve greater organizational success. Similarly to understanding the core competencies of your business, this business strategy is also diff icult to argue.A business should evaluate their resources and these resources may very well be their core competencies especially if they are rare, inimitable and non-substitutable. I believe that simply having a resource based view does not protect you from changes in the market, always or guarantee long-term sustainability or competitive advantage. As mentioned before, technology advances happen overnight and these types of changes can make resources obsolete. Example of Successful Blue Ocean Strategy – Apple: Sometimes the only way to fully understand something is by looking at examples to get a better idea.In my opinion, the most successful company using a Blue Ocean Strategy has been Apple. A game changer for Apple was when they launched what we know of today as tunes. In 2003, they launched tunes, which to this day has changed the way people buy and enjoy music (Blue Ocean strategy, 2014). They saw a need in the market for digital music that was not illegally downloaded and were able to fill the need by providing clear music that was priced reasonably. One of the biggest perks of this is because there are a lot of people that only want one or two songs and no longer need to purchase the entire CD.They have been able to maintain their success by launching a program that was easy for users to use and provide great customer service; it was very difficult for others to even try to replicate. Apple did not want to stop there and saw another chance to move a new idea into the market when they came out with the pad. Apple was getting people to move away from laptops and cheap notebooks and offered customers an entirely new experience. With billions of dollars of success, we have to wonder what they know that others cannot seem to figure out.I feel the biggest reason why this is happening is because they are focusing on the end user. Apple continues to create projects that are solely customer driven. Also, they do an excellent Job highlighting their asset s. For example, do you ever wonder why people get so excited when a new model of their device comes out? It is because Apple markets the parts that others want. I once watched a documentary that claimed when the pad 2 came out, it was almost exactly he same with the exception of the size and weight.This attracted business because the pad is portable and can travel anywhere. A theory that shares similar characteristics to Blue Ocean Strategy is Core Competency by C. K. Parallax and Gary Hammer; the products and services that are produced with this theory is hard to replicate (Hammer & Parallax, 1990). However, Blue Ocean Strategy stands out since they created a market of their own and they have a much greater chance of focusing on things like pricing. It is something that no one has ever seen before so it gets a lot of attention right off the back.Example of Successful Blue Ocean Strategy – WI: Another company who has displayed success as a result of Blue Ocean Strategy is Mic rosoft when they created the WI. Video games are a billion dollar industry and companies continue to try and top their competitors with what they can provide consumers. Instead of fighting this trend, Microsoft decided to ignore the standard features that most video game consoles offer, such as built in DVD players and low processor speed; and in its place offer us something that no one had ever imagined: a censored video game that requires the movement of the player (Stewarded, 2007).In the article, Nineteen's Blue Ocean Strategy: WI, the author writes, â€Å"In Kim & Embrasure's terms, this means that while Microsoft's Oxbow and Sonny's ASS are fighting each other fiercely in a red ocean (I. E. The existing market), Nineteen's WI is calmly sailing in the blue ocean it created for itself (I. E. A new market)† (Stewarded, 2007). This was an extremely successful strategy, to put WI into the market because not only did it attract video game users but also brought in a whole oth er market. When it first came out, I was surprised and shocked to see the gaming system in my grandfather's nursing home.I soon learned that not only were the gaming systems being placed in nursing homes all over the country, but they were also being placed in physical therapy and rehab centers. I believe this example especially proves that Blue Ocean Strategy is superior to Michael Porter's Theory. If Microsoft were to follow Porter's theory instead, they would have looked at the OXBOW or ASS gaming system and did something comparable because he believes that you should try to top the competition (Porter, 1996). This leaves very little room for creativity and the chance to create something as innovated as an interactive video games.Conclusion: â€Å"The only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition†. As you can see, Blue Ocean Strategy has a lot to offer companies and organizations that wish to succeed. Out of the eight strategies that we learned about, I feel that not only is Blue Ocean Strategy most different from all the others, but also offers people the most potential. Instead of going off what is already out there or creating something that resembles something else, Blue Ocean Strategy decides to do the exact opposite and create something that is not already out there.

Essay on Wartime Decision

Essay on Wartime Decision Essay on Wartime Decision Essay on Wartime DecisionAs the president of a country that is engaged in a war with another country, I am responsible for my citizens, but I should act ethically in relation to the citizens of other countries as well. I know that the country has a weapons factory from which it produces bombs and ammunitions that it is using to fight my country. The factory is located in a populated area. As the president I have to decide on a course of action, whether to bomb the weapons factory or not. According to military ethicists, â€Å"the pressures and high stakes in war, the moral legal tensions, and resulting conflicts, and the well-trained, but fallible, human beings making the decisions are inescapable sources of moral error† (Roblyer, 2014, p. 34). The choices that confront me and the consequences of each choice involve certain moral or ethical questions.One of the choices that confront me as the president is to bomb the weapons factory, even if it is located in a densely populate d area. In this case, the bombs targeted the weapons factory could kill civilians living or working nearby. I realize that this choice is unethical in relation to these civilians because the bombs could miss their military target, landing on the territory with dense civilian populations. However, it would be a correct choice to stop aggression against my country and my people. I would be able to destroy the weapons factory and my enemies would lack enough weapons to succeed in military operations. In this case, I could even win the war. Nevertheless, I should act ethically because the consequences of my choice could lead to immorality in military decision making. According to researchers, there are the so-called â€Å"neutralizers† that can effectively operate in any â€Å"wartime decision environment† (Roblyer, 2014, p. 32). These neutralizers make any successful decision morally justifiable. The application of ethics to military decision making is part of internation al law ethics (Johnson, 1999).   It is necessary to assess the actual effects of weapons used.Another choice that confronts me as the president is to avoid bombing the weapons factory. This military decision could be regarded as ethical. In this case, the civilians living or working nearby would not suffer. Opposing the use of the bombs on the densely populated areas, I should find another solution to stop the production of weapons. I would be focused on the use of some other strategies aimed at destroying the specific target, the weapons factory. This fact means I would not use the weapon for destroying a large area, but I would plan an operation locally. For example, skilled sabotage demolitionists could do it, avoiding numerous victims among civilians. Undoubtedly, in this case, there would be no serious damage caused to innocent civilians.Thus, it is necessary to conclude that military decisions should be aimed at avoiding striking a target in populated areas, placing innocent people at risk. As the president of my country, I should minimize harm caused to innocent civilians, even if they are the citizens of other countries. Military targets are not worth the lives of civilians. As the president of a country that is engaged in a war with another country, I should follow â€Å"morality of war† based on the legal standards and norms of international law of war.

Unions and Compensation in Major League Baseball

Unions and Compensation in Major League Baseball Baseball as a game in the U.S. traces its origins back to the year 1978, when the game had no formal rules and special equipments. Although the game at this time was â€Å"crude† due to lack of rules, proper organization and representation, this never prevented its spreading because of its popularity that was spreading fast among the American citizens. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Unions and Compensation in Major League Baseball specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By late 1860’s there was calls for need to professionalize the game; something that contributed to its development into a national game. Due to many complications that were arising due to the uncontrolled rate at which the game was expanding, there was need for formation of a national body that was to govern the game; hence the formation of the National Association of Baseball players (NABBP). Although not all clubs joined the organization, at least those that joined it made it to grow as a national organization that managed baseball activities. With time due to diversification of the game, there has been many major transformations and re-organization of the game, hence its present status as a well-known and respected game. For example, although previously individuals had tried to professionalize the game, there efforts achieved less due to many divisions and wrangles that existed. In many ways, this managerial wrangles and divisions were the main contributors or major building blocks of the currently existing baseball developments. For example, the managerial wrangles led to the formation of the USA Baseball in 1978; an organization mandated with the role of governing the game in the U.S. this organization closely collaborates with the U.S. Olympic committee in trying to improve the quality of the game. It achieves this through promoting of several activities that include major tournaments, minor and major leagues. Majority of participants in these activities are either high school students or individual who have embraced the game as their professional activity. This organization has led to the success of the game, because it has enabled the team to win a number of medals both in national and international tournaments (History of Baseball, (n.d.), p.1). This paper will discuss concepts of the unionization of professional baseball, impacts of the unionization of the game to players, managers and the game in general. It will further discuss the roles played by the baseball unions as concerns player remuneration and compensation; primarily on factors that determine player compensations.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More History of Professional Baseball Unions Prior to 1871, baseball had no organized professional management bodies, but rather the game followed informal procedures an d rules. In addition, because of the informal organization of the game, there were no special playing equipments and standards, which players and teams were to meet. Although this was the case, it never lasted for long with the formation of the National Association of professional Baseball players in 1871. The government mandated this organization with the overall role of controlling the game, organizing tournaments, and dealing with problems that arose in during the game or among different participants and stakeholders. Although this was a professional body, which in common scenarios is supposed to be well organized and structured, NABBP lacked the required structural organization, something that made it hard for it to control player’s affairs (Baseball Labor History, 1997, Para. 1-2) . This is because many players had no single clubs they could identify themselves with, because they kept on moving from one to another in for search â€Å"greener pastures†. This nev er lasted for long, because later on in 1876 under the leadership of Hulbert, the National League of Professional Baseball Players came to existence. The primary aim of this organization was to control the unrestrained movements of players across different teams with no formal procedures. In addition, William’s another aim was to ensure that, club managers had major control over these teams and not as the case was previously where players had all the freedom of doing whatever they wished. Many changes came as a result of the formation of this organization, an example being the selection of five best players to join major clubs that managements decided at the termination of each playing period. The managements named this the â€Å"reserve Clause†, something that contributed to the introduction of contractual terms. Contractual terms in many ways came with many limitations on players in that, there freedom was now limited because of denial of transfer rights. In additio n, previously players could negotiate their payment terms, however with the introduction of this clause, such rights were limited to players, instead the team owner had the rights of deciding the remuneration and benefit amounts. On the other hand, these introduced a new concept of contract renewing, whereby clubs could â€Å"sell’ their players to other clubs in exchange for money although players were unwilling to join such clubs. The whole idea of baseball players’ remuneration underwent many changes as time advanced because the quality of the game was deteriorating; a factor that resulted due to low motivational levels in players because, clubs denied then chances of joining clubs of their choices. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Unions and Compensation in Major League Baseball specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the introduction of the salary cap by one baseball club proprietor; Goodwi ll Spalding led to increased wrangles in baseball management. This is because each club player was to receive approximately $2500 annually, an amount that was far below what was appropriate. Many individuals received this with mixed reactions, hence causing the formation of another baseball union called Brotherhood Professional Baseball Players. This organization came into being because majority of individual felt that club owners were overexploiting players hence, misusing their talent. This received a revolt from club owners, because they too felt isolated and despised by simple players whom they could control. This prompted them to react back by imposing some uniform fees on players (Baseball Labor History, 1997, Para. 4). Although this league helped to fight for players’ rights, it never lasted for long because of the opposition that it faced from club owners; primarily Spalding, hence the re-adoption of the previous reserve clause. Many players opposed this clause becau se it constrained their rights, something that led to the filing of a court case in early 1920’s, which the baseball won. This marked the onset of the many cases that followed due to wrangles between baseball players and club owners; a factor that primarily contributed to the call for reformulation of the baseball antitrust law. This calls yielded little because, the overexploitation continued for some time, hence making players to consider the option of forming a giant baseball organization to defend their rights. In addition, the fact that players had problems with club owners as concerns pension plans also contributed greatly to the call for the formation of a grand organization that was to foresee the articulation of players’ rights. Although most baseball leader’s efforts gained little, the fight to unionize baseball never stopped because as time advanced many other individuals and players came up with initiatives whose main mandate was to fight for baseba ll players rights. For example, in early 1990’s through collaboration with other baseball stakeholders, baseball players formed the Player’s Protective Association (PPA). This organization’s main mandate was to fight for players’ remuneration rights and enhancement of playing conditions. Later on in 1912, through collaboration with other bodies that fought for other sport players’ rights, baseball players came up with the Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players; an organization that also was to fight for their rights. Little success of these organizations never stopped players from struggling for representation, because in 1946 they formed another body that was to articulate their rights called the American Baseball Guild (Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), 2010, p.1).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Still up to mid the 19th century these formed organizations had achieved little as concerned the abolishing or restructuring of the reserve clause. It is important to note here that, the major reason why the players wanted to eliminate or change the reserve clause is because, it had tied players to specific clubs hence, denying them transfer rights to clubs they longed to move to. The little achievement by previously formed baseball unions was not a demoralizing factor to players. This is because although the fruits from such organizations were less, in 1965 players re-organized themselves in order to develop proper strategies of putting forward their grief. Their struggle for recognition made then to seek help from external sources; hence the appointing of Marvin Miller as their leader. This marked the onset of a major transformation in terms of baseball unions because the appointment later turned out to be success factor because of his representational skills. Players appointed h im because they believed that Marvin had the power of influencing the government and negotiating with club owners on players’ rights. The concept of miller leading the players association received many oppositions from club owners, whereby their struggles to eliminate him from this leadership position were fruitless. Miller fought to ensure the union had enough funds to manage its affairs. To achieve this, he came up with the concept of a licensing plan that was to ensure that all baseball players were registered and accepted members of a specific representational organization. In addition, he came up with a tutoring and mentoring programs, whose main aim was to ensuring players expressed their grief with solidarity, hence the need to abolish differences that existed amongst them. His efforts gained many fruits for example, in 1968 through his leadership and using his influencing power, the union won a case that led to the formulation and signing of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is the sports sector. This agreement was one of its kinds in this industry because; it prompted most club managements to increase players’ salary to $10,000 (MLBPA, 2010, Para. 5). His struggle to see respect of players’ rights never stopped here, because in 1970 through negotiations with club owners and other stakeholders, players received arbitration rights, when it came to handling of players’ problems. Granting of arbitration rights marked the onset of many achievements that followed as concerned baseball players’ rights. It is necessary to note here that, Miller’s achievements not only enhanced the respect of baseball players, but rather it had impacts in all sports sectors; hence, the accordance of respect to professional sport. Throughout Miller’s reign much happened in the sports world, in terms of developments and respect of players’ rights. His great achievements included the introduction of licenses in spo rts, improvement of contractual terms, and adoption of correct pension schemes by organizations. In addition, his struggle to increase the unions saw the expansion of the union to international standards, something that unions and individual feel even today. This is because currently, MLBPA is one of the most prominent and powerful sports organizations in not only America, but also globally (Korr, 2003, p.1). The concept of the reserve clause received much opposition and faced many court challenges, whereby finally under arbitration the concept of free agency came into being. This abolished the monopoly enjoyed by many clubs in that, it helped to abolish the continuous tendencies of clubs renewing players’ contracts without their consent. MLBPA has undergone many changes, and has seen many leaders come an go, whereby some of the leaders who have seen the union sail through changing hard times include Ken Moffet (after miller) and Fehr. Other developments after Miller’s achievement include increase in revenue amounts, restricting of the free agent market that made club owners enjoy the monopoly as concerned the signing of new contracts. This in any ways has contributed to compensation of players for their rights abused by club owners, for example in 1990; players received $280 million from club owners. Achievement of these has never been smooth in that, it had to involve unrests and boycotts from players for example the 232-day boycott in 1994 to 1995. This in many ways enhanced negotiation standards and agreements rates, something that was very clear during the 2002 signing of a new sort contract (MLBPA, 2010, p.1). Impacts of the Unionization on Players, owners and the Baseball Game In common practice, the main aim of all players’ organizations is to fight and a ensure team managements and club owners respect all player rights. The case has not been different in MLBPA; owing to the many struggles, it has undergone to achieve its present status, primarily because of the much turmoil, which it had to undergo in the past. For example to achieve its present status, the union had to organize many strikes and work boycotts. In addition, in some instances it had to file court cases, whereby it lost and won some. On the other hand, where the court cases failed, arbitration had to prevail, hence the current achievements of the union. Although the quality of the game has had a major boost, players have benefited most because of the freedom that abolishing of the reserve clause granted them. Currently baseball players have employment rights, a scenario that contrasts to what existed previously where, club owners enjoyed the monopoly of controlling all baseball activities. Under Miller’s leadership, club owners granted players collective bargaining opportunities through agreements signed between the two parties; players and club owners. Such like developments have contributed to the currently earned good salaries by b aseball players, as compared to the past when their salary was little to sustain a good living (Goodman, 2000, p.1). In addition, players have arbitration rights, something that is a major boost to the formalities of solving players’ problems. These rights have achieved a lot for example, in 1989, players benefited from a damage compensation that amounted to $ 38 million. In addition through this arbitration rights, player have received other benefits either in form of salaries or compensations from club owners incase something in cases where problems occur during playing time. Currently players have information access rights, something that the club owners tried to constrain during early times when there existed many contending issues between the two parties. Apart from material gains, the unionization of baseball has created strong baseball teams whose solidarity has brought many achievements, which has contributed to talent exploitation hence the coming up of many stars fo r example, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa (MLBPA, 2010, p.1). On the other hand, the unionization has contributed greatly to the increasing bargaining power of players. MLBPA represents all players’ grievances in court and to baseball club owners. Hence, due the nature of the power they posses, they have helped baseball players to express their grievance hence, bettering their negotiating terms. Although the unionization of professional baseball has contributed a lot to players’ well-being, to some extent it has contributed to the downfall of players who never participated in the strike. This is because to the union the young players’ act of not joining others in the strike deviated from the union’s rules hence, the only way of punishing them is by denying them union memberships. This has greatly contributed to talent wastage, because they are not entitled to benefit from any deals by the union (Kendrick, 2010, p.1). To club owners, considering the amount of fines resulting from compensations, management of most baseball teams have little to celebrate for, because these compensations are major sources of looses. Baseball unions from time to time have challenged any management orientation club owners adopt; any time they feel, such changes are violating player’s rights. In many ways, this has made management hard in that, from time to time there are policy changes, something that costs club owners substantial amounts of money. Although the above is the case as concerns managements, at least the same has helped to shape management practices of teams. This is because currently, clubs give players the required respect and recognition, something that was rare previously during the reign of Albert Spalding as a club owner. The game has received a major boost in terms of quality and standards. Previously, the â€Å"reserve clause† and the contractual terms was a major demoralizing factor because, players could not afford to play for their dream teams. With the formation of MLPBA, club managers adopted better managerial policies that saw the change of contractual terms hence, guaranteeing players their individual freedoms. On the other hand, previously there were much segregation in terms of players in specific baseball teams, whereby there existed clear divisions between the whites and black Americans. This led to the formation of the Negro League Baseball Players Association. However, due to unionization such segregations have vanished because of equal representation. This in many ways has contributed to the development of the game to international standards, because every registered player has equal chances of exhibiting their expertise as far as the game is concerned (Negro League Baseball Players Association, 2007, p.1). Factors that Determine Player Compensation Packages in Baseball Currently, professional sport has undergone many transformations in terms of diversification, hence making the entire fi eld a multifaceted field. Depending on one’s competence in terms of playing skills and how much fans like one, one becomes a good marketing tool of clubs they belong. Majority of organizations adopt the incentive plan, for most management considers it the most appropriate mechanism of encouraging performance. The same is not different when it comes to professional sports, because for players to maintain high playing standards, club managements have to adopt the same measures. The overall role of determining the remuneration packages of baseball players rests with the Major League Baseball players Union. The league achieves its mandate by employing the use of collective bargaining agreements. Depending whether a player is in the national league or in the American league, the remuneration packages vary accordingly. In addition, negotiation also forms the foundation of any remuneration package a player receives hence, the importance of unions as main negotiators (Manzano, 2006 , p.1). Any baseball player is entitled to a specific minimum salary. In addition, to the minimum salary, clubs add other performance related monetary benefits; depending on terms of agreements. For a player to have arbitration rights, they have to be in the league for a minimum of three years, whereby contractual renewal terms determine the amount of salary that a player earns. After the third year; when the clubs are renewing contracts, the salary varies depending also on the new contractual terms. Generally, a player’s remuneration package depends on achievements; in terms of game quality and the representing union’s agents during negotiations (Miller, 2000, pp. 87-88). Roles of Unions to Player Compensation The remuneration packages of baseball players in most cases depend primarily on the strength of the negotiator(s). Players on their own cannot afford to negotiate good contractual terms hence, the need for representation by agent provided by unions where they be long. This is the case, because sometimes working conditions may be unfavorable or their may exist many contending issue under consideration. In addition, because majority of players have little knowledge about the nature of benefits they should receive from their clubs, special representation by union agents ensures club managers do not take advantage over them. This ensures club owners award players good remuneration packages through the process of structuring the wage benefits (Milkovich Newman, 2007, pp. 94-97). Although one may argue that, contractual terms are clear hence, no need for one to be represented by a union member, it is necessary for individuals to remember that, contractual term are alterable before one signs a contract. Hence, the use of an agent guarantees improved contractual terms, which translates to better benefits. In addition, unions’ representation can act as a security measure because many changes can occur in terms of skill demand and competiti on (Milkovich Newman, 2007, p. 504). Therefore, to ensure there is job security and assurance of continuous gaining, it is important for players to have representation from a union, it being a corporate and registered body, hence has rights to defend an individual in case something wrong happens in the course of the game. Conclusion In conclusion, baseball unionization has undergone a major transformation process. This is because a comparison between the past and present quality and standards of the game clearly shows that, the game has undergone an evolution. The evolution is in terms of managerial qualities, policy developments, and changes in the general practice of the game. Reference List Baseball labor History. (1997). An old fashioned game with old fashioned traditions. Retrieved from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CLASS/am483_97/projects/brady/labor.html Goodman, A. (2000). Sports Law History: the role of Marvin Miller. Retrieved from sportslawnews.com/archive/history/Marvin Miller.htm History of Baseball. (n.d.). Baseball. Retrieved from rpi.edu/~fiscap/history_files/hisproj1.htm Kendrick, S. (2010). 1994-95 effects are felt, at least on video games. About Baseball. Retrieved from http://baseball.about.com/b/2010/02/03/1994-95-strike-effects-are-still-felt-at-least-on-video-games.htm Korr, C. (2003). Baseball union. Dictionary of American History. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800383.html Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). MLBPA information. MLBPA Players. Retrieved from http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/info/ Manzano, C. (2006). The business of baseball: how do players earn such Big salaries. Law Offices of Catalina L. Manzano. Retrieved from http://manzanolaw.com/articles/baseball.html Milkovich, G., Newman, J. (2007). Compensation (9th e.d.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Publishers. Miller, P. (2000). A theoretical and empirical comparison of free agent and Arbitration-eligible salaries negotiated in major league baseball . Southern Economic Journal, 67(1), 87-104. Retrieved from jstor.org/pss/1061614 Negro League Baseball Players Association. History of Major Negro Leagues Association. NLPBA. Retrieved from nlbpa.com/history.html

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