The Challenges for Informatics in Developing Software for Modern Multikernel Computers

The challenges for Informatics in developing software for modern multikernel computers Abstract The purpose of this post is to examine the introduction of  parallel computing and the challenges of software development  for Parallel execution environment. First I will introduce the idea of parallel computing and up next I will present and evaluate the challenges of parallel computing along with their solutions and finally some conclusion will be drawn. Vertical & Horizontal Development in ComputingThe question arise when we are thinking about how the  complex scientific problems  of the twenty-first century including climate modeling, genomic research and artificial intelligence are testing the limits of the Von Neumann model of sequential processing. In the past, computer scientists worked on the new approach to extend the  power of computers in vertical manner, this means that they were working on producing huge super computers but with recent advances in technology and re ducing cost of resources and arrival of multi kernel processing has helped us to think about new ways to solve huge and complex problem in parallel manners.Introduction to parallel computing For the most part, along with a host of new research questions that have arisen in the last decade, there remains a significant challenge today. Parallel processing  offers the promise of providing the computational speed required to solve important large-scale problems. In fact, parallel processing requires a big shift in how we think to solve the problem. Regardless of new hardware technologies, we should think about the new approach of developing software systems and also the way we think about our problem and presenting our solution. (Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms).Challenges of parallel computing For the sake of applying the power and flexibility of multi-core processors, we should think about a new approach to  breakdown huge problems  into smaller elements. A better ill ustration of parallel processing occurs when a divide and conquer model is used to solve a task. In this approach the problem is successively partitioned into smaller and smaller parts and sent off to other processors, until each one has only a trivial job to perform. Each processor then completes that trivial operation and returns its result to the processor that sent the task.These processors in turn do a little work and give the results   back to the processors that gave them the tasks, and so on, all the way back to the originating processor. In this model there is far more communications between processors. n the next step, we should think about how to express our program which can be executable in a parallel computing environment. Functional Programming plays a vital role in this area, since it provide programmer to solve their issue in functional manner rather than sequential processing.There are simple principles in functional programming such as avoiding Mutable states, L ambdas, Closures and more importantly declarative paradigm which help programmers to free their mind about concurrency, synchronization, Race Condition and other multi core computation issues. Although parallel  functional programming  helps us to represent our program in declarative manner in order to be applicable for parallel execution, but the problem is remain unsolved without thinking about how we can manage data in parallel computing environment.Industrial Revolution of Data – Age of Big Data We’re now entering into new age of computing named as â€Å"Industrial Revolution of Data†. In fact, the majority of data will be produced automatically by different kinds of machine such as software logs, video cameras, RFID, wireless sensors and so on. Due to the considerable decrease in cost of computer resources, storing those data is so cheap, so companies tend to collect and store them in huge data warehouse for future when it can be mined for valuable info rmation.The  Big Data now comes to play, working with such distributed, huge and complex data would be impossible or better to say inefficient with existing software and databases system. We should think about other approaches for storing large set of data which is stored in different computers and in the next step effectively mining and executing queries from those sources. Perhaps the biggest game-changer to come along is  MapReduce, the parallel programming framework that has gained prominence thanks to its use at web search companies.The research in parallel computing has had the most success and influence in parallel databases. In fact, instead of breaking out a large problem into smaller element execute by different threads simultaneously, parallel database help us to store, querying and retrieve data from distributed resources over network effectively. MapReduce as Parallel Programming Framework MapReduce  algorithm is invented by Google to cope with Big Data in their s earch engine system. In fact, MapReduce is containing two simple primitives function which are available in Lisp and also in other functional languages.The computation include two basic operation, a map operation which execute on input records containing key/value pairs, and then invoking a reduce operation which collect and aggregate all responses from different nodes. There are many different Implementations in different programming languages which are exist and used in industry for processing large set of data. In fact, most of  NoSQL databases  use this algorithm for collecting data from different sources in distributed heterogeneous environment. The biggest advantage of MapReduce is that it allows for distributed processing of map and reduction function.In fact, it allows us, to collect and process distributed data stored in different machine simultaneously. Conclusion Parallel computing  can help us to solve hug complex problem in more efficient way. In order to parallel ize our task we should think about different challenges which we cope in developing software for parallel execution environment. However, we should bear in mind that parallel computing is useful when we are facing with a big problem which can distributed among different computing agents. In addition, we should deeply think about the  nature of problem,  time  as well as  limits  and  costs  of Parallel Programming.

Prejudice in of Mice and Men Essay

This essay is firstly going to look at racial prejudice. There is much racial prejudice shown in Of Mice and Men towards Crooks the black crippled stable buck. Crooks is more permanent than the other ranch hands and has his own room off the stables with many more possessions than them. This room is made out to be a privilege and also because it means he is nearer to the horses but in fact it is really because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunk house with them. As a result of this prejudice Crooks has become bitter and very lonely. When Lennie comes to pet the puppies, not even realizing that Crooks’ room is `out of bounds’, Crooks instantly becomes defensive and uncivil â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk room and you ain’t wanted in my room† but Lennie in his childish innocence is completely without prejudice † Why ain’t you wanted† he asks. Crooks retaliates to this with: â€Å"Cause I’m black, they play cards in there but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me† This line showing that Crooks desperately wants to join in, be accepted, but because of his colour he can’t and so he feels the only way he can make himself feel better is to cut himself off further. It is evident his life has become a vicious circle of resentment and mistrust of others. However, the author reveals that it has not always been this way. When Crooks realizes that Lennie means no harm, he invites him to â€Å"Come on in and set a while† before recollecting memories about his childhood. He speaks of it as a kind of paradise: â€Å"The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them and some of them were pretty nice. My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now†. Crooks didn’t experience racism directly in his childhood, making his current situation even worse. As the conversation continues, Crooks becomes fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, He questions their closeness, asking â€Å"Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then? † Crooks does not have any friends and wouldn’t know how losing one unexpectedly would feel. His mixture of curiousity and envy about the friendship of Lennie and George reveal the deep-seated cynicism that has developed within him. Although Lennie is retarded, Crooks takes advantage of his rare position of power to â€Å"torture† him mentally- â€Å"Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure at his torture†. Steinbeck aptly demonstrates the corruptive nature of prejudice. The pain of rejection and maltreatment experienced by Crooks, combined with his jealousy of the two protagonists’ friendship leads him to take it out on others. He will probably never experience a similar relationship and hence wants people to feel the way that he does, completely alone. Crooks goes on to talk about his loneliness † `A guy needs somebody to be near him’ He whined:’ A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you’ he cried `I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick'† Crooks is looking for sympathy, he is so incredibly lonely even to the point to saying that loneliness can make you ill. George continues to talk about his dream. Crooks, having been on the ranch for quite a while, has witnessed a lot of people with the same dream, he ridicules it â€Å"Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land† but when Candy comes in and backs up what George has been saying he begins to believe in the dream â€Å"If you†¦ guys want a hand to work for nothing – just his keep, why I’d come and lend a hand† Crooks sees the dream as his escape from what he is living in, somewhere like his childhood where his color wouldn’t be an issue. There are different levels of racial prejudice exhibited throughout the book. Most of the ranch hands don’t like or socialize with Crooks but would not go out of their way to insult him. Curley’s wife on the other hand is rude without excuse. † `Listen, Nigger’ , she said. `You know what I can do to you if you open you trap'† She abuses her position and has no respect for him at all, she doesn’t even refer to him by his name, looking down on him with utter contempt and disdain. It is attitudes like hers that have turned him into the bitter man he has become – â€Å"Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike† As with Crooks’ treatment of Lennie, however, the author reveals the reciprocal nature of prejudice and resentment in the farm. Curley’s wife encounters a lot of discrimination because of her sex over the course of the novel. Living on a ranch where the large majority of the inhabitants are male, she is very lonely. George knowingly comments, â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl† . Perhaps as a further representation of her apparent insignificance she is always referred to as `Curley’s wife’, never given a name. She experiences further sexual prejudice in that none of the ranch hands will talk to her. This is partly because she can make up things about those she dislikes who will subsequently get `the can’ and also because she is a `looloo’ with a very flirtatious nature. â€Å"She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck they eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants† says Whit. The ranch hands don’t trust her or understand her. An old lover told her that she â€Å"coulda went with the shows, not jus one neither† He promised her that he would write â€Å"Soon’s he got back to Hollywood† but he never did and so she married Curley. Because of this she’s dissatisfied and feels she’s been deprived by life. In fact she doesn’t even like Curley â€Å"He ain’t a nice fella†. Because she has nothing to do but sit at home she goes out on the ranch under the pretence of looking for Curley. Some of the sexual prejudice she experiences is her fault, she scares the ranch hands with her femininity but she isn’t really a tart, she just craves attention which she doesn’t get from Curley. Ignored by both the ranch hands and Curley she has ended up very lonely, the one thing she most wanted to escape. It is ironic that the traditional social pressure to marry has perhaps decreased her social status and increased her loneliness. Candy, the old swamper is prejudiced against because of his age and his disability. Because of his hand he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his dog, he was once â€Å"the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen† but now is next to useless, Candy’s life has gone somewhat the same way. Curley experiences social prejudice because he is the bosses son. The other workers are scared of him because of the position of power he holds over them. Because they can’t accept him he has become horrible â€Å"This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me, I don’t like mean little guys†. Curley is also very short, and therefore hates big men like Lennie. He is a very insecure man but hides these insecurities by acting as if he isn’t scared by anything or anyone. He has cut himself off from people as much as they have cut themselves off from him. Lennie is a victim of social prejudice in the fact that, being retarded, he can’t socially interact with the natural ease of George. He is left behind when the ranch hands go into town and he is left out of card games purely because he can’t play. Because he like others experiences prejudice, and also because he is very easy to talk to in that they know he â€Å"won’t go blabbing'†, Crooks and Curley’s wife feel they can talk to him. George and Lennie experience social prejudice in a sense that people can’t accept the unusual relationship they have with each other. The novel is a microcosm, a cross-section of society at the time, reflecting the prejudice that permeated the era . At the time of the novel blacks in America had no rights, they were seen as nobodies. Because of this prejudice many of them, like Crooks â€Å"retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro†. Women also had very few rights. There are many different levels of prejudice exhibited in Of Mice And Men. Through these prejudices the characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife have become intensely lonely but they are in hopeless position which they can do nothing about. These prejudices can still be seen in the world today.

Global warming essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global warming - Essay Example Since 1980, there has been a massive change in global average temperatures and this has certainly risen significantly within the last century. The core reason behind such indefinite rise in temperature has been caused due to the constant increase in greenhouse gas emissions which has been produced due to various human activities. As a matter of fact, most scientists have agreed on the fact that the atmosphere of the planet’s temperature has risen approximately by 0.7 degree Celsius since 1980 and it there is a threat that it may even continue to increase at this astounding rate in the near future. According to many scientists and researchers, 1990 has been recorded as the hottest ever year in the 20th century. Apart from that, the years 1991, 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1989 have been recorded as some of the warmest years in the 20th century. As a consequence, the constant rise in temperature has also been felt all across the globe. Reportedly, temperature of the earth may rise from a reported 1.6Â °C to 5.9Â °C within the next century (Hughes, pp. 56-61). A huge increase in the quantity of greenhouse gases definitely leads to an increase of global warming in the atmosphere. The increase in greenhouse gases leads to an increase in CO2 emission, which is proposed to be the single largest contributor for global warming because it has the largest share among green house gases within the atmosphere (Schneider, pp. 23-29). However, there are ways through which this issue can be mitigated. A good way to solve this problem is forestation. Plantation of trees can help in restoring the balance which was disturbed by greenhouse gases. The utilization of vehicles which are fuel-efficient and which have lower C02 emissions of dangerous gases can be used to control this global issue. There have been growing concerns regarding CO2 emissions and a massive increase in global temperatures have

Financial Mangement Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Mangement Decisions - Essay Example With an interest of capital at 10% seeing from the NPV table we multiply the values with the respective year cash flow. Then we add all the present values and subtract the initial investment to reach the NPV. The NPV is $1,021,901. The NPV shows a huge and positive value of $1.2 million. The accounting theory says that any project with a positive NPV should be accepted. This criterion is met and it is the most important criteria since it keeps the time value of money into consideration for the whole stream of the cash flows. Any changes done in the above cash flows can and cannot change the decision. However this depends on the value of the change at the end of the project. The additional building would have to be further depreciated and this may cause the change in decision. And depending on the amount of money invested the NPV could also become negative leading to a change in decision. Also it needs to be noted that the payback period is very close to the 3 year policy of the company. If the payback period changes and goes over the 3 year mark, then the project would be rejected. Question - Many corporate acquisitions result in losses to the acquiring firms' stockholders. Accordingly, why do firms purchase other corporations Are they simply paying too much for the acquired corporation A co-worker asks your opinion. Specifically state the reasons for your argument. According to a research done by Sara Moeller, Frederik ... 1,021,901 3) Based on your answer for question 2, do you think the project should be accepted Why Assume Superior has a P/B (payback) policy of not accepting projects with life of over three years. Yes, the project should be accepted based on the calculations done above. The NPV shows a huge and positive value of $1.2 million. The accounting theory says that any project with a positive NPV should be accepted. This criterion is met and it is the most important criteria since it keeps the time value of money into consideration for the whole stream of the cash flows. The criterion set by Superior is also met as the payback is less than three years (2 years 11 months). Since both criterions are met, it is advised that this project should be accepted. 4) If the project required additional investment in land and building, how would this affect your decision Explain. Any changes done in the above cash flows can and cannot change the decision. However this depends on the value of the change at the end of the project. The additional building would have to be further depreciated and this may cause the change in decision. And depending on the amount of money invested the NPV could also become negative leading to a change in decision. Also it needs to be noted that the payback period is very close to the 3 year policy of the company. If the payback period changes and goes over the 3 year mark, then the project would be rejected. Part Two Question - Many corporate acquisitions result in losses to the acquiring firms' stockholders. Accordingly, why do firms purchase other corporations Are they simply paying too much for the acquired corporation A co-worker asks your opinion. Specifically state the reasons for your argument. In your own words, please provide a

Chinese politics and government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinese politics and government - Essay Example Key characteristics of the Leninist-Marxist Influence on the Chinese government include: 1. Inevitable goals and Philosophical absolutism. The Chinese communist regime claims to possess universal and absolute truth (Guo 110). Marx’s dialectic and historical materialism are the main source of the communist party’s declaration of inevitable goals and universal truths. 2. The communist party’s Leninist party-state official, paramount and exclusive ideology that serves to justify the CPC’s political actions and goals. (Guo 91-108) Confucianism The main philosophical base that shapes the traditional Chinese political history and culture is Confucianism. It is a philosophy that can arguably be described as being hostile to individualism and any autonomy on the part of the individual; instead it encourages the individual to make self sacrifices on behalf of the state. This is considered to be the highest ideal of citizenship (Guo 47-56). Confucianism started domi nating Chinese thought shortly after 200 BCE and it was generally the main Chinese orthodox ideology for a period of over 2000 years before 1911. Despite the changes to the social and political structure imposed by the communist government, many Confucian ideas still remain and play a prime role in influencing Modern China’s main political culture (Guo 47-56). Influence of Russian Communism The inspiration for the formation of the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) came from the Russian Revolt. The party was formed by Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu in June 1921. Mao Zedong quickly became the most important member of the newly formed CPP and he adapted ideas that Lenin had used to achieve a successful revolution in Russian in the year 1917 (Guo 59-62). The May 4th Movement Due to the influence of the Chinese October Revolution, the May 4th Movement quickly came. The movement sprang up on May 4th 1919 and was in protest of the government’s perceived feeble reaction to the Treaty of Versailles; this is especially in the light of the Shandong problem. The movement had anti-feudal and anti-imperialist principles and set the stage for the continuous funding of the Communist Party of China. This is as a result of Marxism-Leninism ideologies linking themselves with the ongoing revolutionary practices of the people of China. Effect of Foreign Invasion and Historical Trauma The Communist Chinese government adopted the principle of â€Å"taking what is best† from the outside world during the 19th and 20th centuries. This was done in an effort to import only the positive things from the Western world while keeping out of China all the influences that they perceived as having a humiliating or weakening effect on China. This was especially manifested between 1946 and the late 1970s when mainland China was nearly closed to much of the outside world. The negative feelings that China derived from its foreign contact are still evident and linger under the surface in m odern day China. Similarities and Differences in Organization, Ideology and Power in Contemporary and Traditional China. Throughout the history of China, there has been a continuous emphasis centered on the maintaining and creation of order via the establishment of a benevolent authority that is usually perceived as playing what is considered to be a central role in

Business Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business - Personal Statement Example Controlling my emotions at the time was very difficult as losing that job was the first major problem I had encountered and it affected my self-esteem. I felt angry and frustrated, resulting in a lot of stress that really affected my relationship with my partner and closest friends. I was unable to control my anger and would often let it out on my friends, with some distancing themselves from me because of my negative attitude and bad temper. Several resources played an important role in helping me cope with the various issues that arose at the time. The first very important resource was prayer that really helped me to focus on my future options and forget the past negative experience. It also helped me cope with my feelings of anger, and anxiety as well as the various frustrations I experienced during that period I stayed jobless. Going in hand with prayer was my acceptance of the situation I was in at the time as this helped me to understand the position I was in and to identify the various steps I would undertake in order to get a new job. The second major resource was my mentor who helped me to understand that I was going through a normal phase of life that other successful people that I admire have passed through and were able to rise despite that hurdle in life. Mentorship is a very successful way of addressing and coping with change (Krayer and Lee, 78). My mentor was also very helpful in assisting me to find a ne w job by linking me with new resource people and organizations. The third major resource was my family and friends who provided me with an encouraging environment during the period I was unemployed. My family offered both financial and emotional support that was very important to me at the time. Despite my negative attitude towards them, they were able to share with me their own experiences after they lost jobs and the various steps they undertook to cope with the loss as well as some of the necessary

Immigration law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Immigration law - Essay Example Also, they helped provide information in regard to the socio-economic rights of asylum as interpreted by the UK courts. Question A. Over the years, conflicts of all dimensions have plagued several countries across the world; persecution, violence, and war have been taking places in some parts of the world on account of political opinion, religion, race, and nationality among others accounts. As a result, citizens of the affected countries often tend to run away from their countries and seek refuge in foreign countries that they deem to be safe and where their human rights will not be violated nor their lives threatened. This reality has prompted international organizations like the United Nations, regional integrations like the European Union, and nations have to establish conventions, treaties, statutory instruments, and domestic legislation relating to refugees and asylum seeking.1 An asylum seeker has been defined as a person who has flied from their country of origin and has appl ied for protection in a foreign country as a refugee.2 Such a person claims to be a refugee but those claims are yet to be validated by relevant national, regional, or international authorities. So, the definition of the term â€Å"asylum- seeker† is hinged on the definition of the term â€Å"refugee†. ... eligion.3 However, until such claims by such a person is evaluated and validated by relevant authorities in the country he or she is seeking asylum, the person will be considered as an â€Å"asylum seeker†. European Convention on Human Rights 1950 is one of the main international and European treaties or agreements that relates to refugees and asylum seekers. The Convention aims at protecting fundamental freedoms and upholding human rights in Europe. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is established under the Convention, its main purpose being to protect individuals regardless of their nationality from violations of their human rights. Individuals who feel that their human rights have been violated by a member state under the Convention are free to initiate legal proceedings against a member state in that court.4 However, many people and institutions agree that Article 3 of the Convention does not dictate a minimum standard of social support for those in need or even an automatic welfare obligation towards asylum seekers. It is no doubt that the asylum seekers are in dire need of social support; actually, the very sense of asylum seeking. Social support to asylum seekers is important in making them feel that they are cared for and have a sense of belonging even in a foreign country. Social support resources to asylum seekers include but not limited to the following: companionship so as to create a sense of belonging; emotional support; informational support in terms of advice regarding â€Å"live† in those particular countries, as well as financial support to ensure that they can attain the basic level of sustenance.5 Article 3 of the Convention is very general and tends to cover the general aspects of asylum seekers. As such, the minimum standard of social

Vlaue proposition-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vlaue proposition-2 - Essay Example According to Weis (2014) for a business to be successful it needs to have a strong value proposition. Most companies have failure in sales due to weak value propositions. Barnes (2009) adds that a business could have the best features, the best executed presentation, and the best and stunning price in the market, but this will have no meaning if the customers are not able to understand the high-level proposition. The following value proposition is for Lab Vlieland which is an innovative company that deals with creative and smart ways of using energy and raw materials. The company aims create and share the island developed knowledge and experience with its environment; the island with the shore and especially with related festivals. According to Dussart (2010) customers purchase products or services to get particular jobs done and this is why it important for businesses to identify untapped jobs. These jobs are simply problems that the customers are still facing even after buying the goods and services initially. Lab Vlieland’s customers’ needs are to attain Eco friendly services that will eventually help the customer feel good about environmental conservation. The customer will also be able to get recognition in the community and the society. Knowledge and skills will also be acquired to support the community. Customers are able to achieve financial growth and revenue generation. As the company strives to meet the needs of its customers, much attention should be given to the desires that are not yet met despite the previous services having being offered to them. Lab Vlieland works with a range of customers and it might be hard to identify all the needs of the One needs to give a description of the benefits that the customer expects, desires or will be excited to achieve. According to Osterwalder & Papadakos (2014) it is important to

Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Identity Essay Example for Free

Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Identity Essay I grew up in a country whose native language is not English. But I grew up learning the English language nevertheless. In my home, we had access to English shows which I was constantly exposed to at a very young age. This is the reason why I learned English without much conscious effort. The language learning was taking place within the sub-conscious, which is the best way to learn any language: constant exposure at a very young age. Mei-Yu (1998, paragraph 2) once said that in the acquisition of oral language, â€Å"young children are active agents†, constantly refining and defining the inputs that they get from their surroundings in way that makes sense to them. Children create hypotheses about language rules, constantly filtering them through active engagement with the more competent language users in their immediate environment. Unconsciously, they learn to recognize contexts and begin acquiring fine discrimination in their use of a language. Looking back, I guess the constant exposure to the English language is the reason why I grew up knowing how to use it. There was never a conscious effort on my part to use or learn English, because it was already ingrained in my person. The people in my household knew English and spoke it on many occasions. I also had access to English books which strengthened my phonological awareness or sound-symbol relationships. This happened side by side while I was learning my mother language as well. As a child with a facility for the English language, I was subject to an excess of attention that I would not have received otherwise, had I just spoken our native tongue and nothing else. There is a prestige attached to the English language that makes people in my country take a second look and listen closely to what I have to say. They also make speculations as to whether my family is reach and if I grew up in the United States or have been travelling there on a regular basis. Such is the high stature of the English language in my country that if you speak it well enough, most people that you are rich or your family is. Growing up, my situation as a multi-lingual was even more fascinating. Perhaps it was because as I grew older, I became more aware of people’s actuations, and I am also more able to discern their motivations for why they act the way they do towards me. In my country there is a fascination for the English language because there is a fascination for the country. My people look at the United States as magical place where dreams come true, and life is generally better. To them, it seems like those who can speak the English language have greater chances of going to the United States as well. This general notion extends in every situation. That is why in every conversation where my ability to speak the English language is displayed, people seem to treat me better and pay me more attention. Sometimes, in order to avoid embarrassment, I hide my fluency in English when interacting with my community. Clearly, there is an overt favor towards those who speak the language, as if we are better than the rest of the local people. This is consistently true in all areas of endeavors, from school to social, to professional career. It is a sad situation, but true nevertheless, and I used my fluency in English and strive to make more of myself, in order to meet society’s expectations. Sometimes it can be difficult, trying to rise up to expectations, but I felt that it was my duty to do so, especially for those who sincerely believed that I could. The situation changed when I moved to the United States. If you are multi-lingual, you are regarded as ethnic, especially if your pronunciation has a very thick and recognizable accent. You will be subject to stereotyping, and in some cases, be even regarded as second class citizens. While I am not saying that everyone will react negatively to your accent or your use of your mother language, it is a reality that there are some people who will take it against you. If there is any field that multilingualism is always an advantage, and that is in the corporate world. This is especially true in the age of globalism, where most companies deal with overseas transactions. Being multilingual means that I can communicate with my colleagues, and at the same time be able to communicate with a client or supplier who speaks my mother tongue, but nothing else. Thus, I am able to bridge the communication gap and make sure that there will be no misunderstandings and conflict later on because of the language barrier. Actually, upon deeper reflection, I realize that people do not react to your multilingualism as much as they are reacting to the accent or how you speak the English language. The lesser your accent, the better people regard you. And this is true regardless or what place you are in. What we speak and how we speak, speak about our history as an individual. How we speak makes a statement towards who we are as a person. And people, for better or for worse, react to that. In an era of increasing globalization, more and more people want to learn English to make themselves more marketable and competitive. However, the value of the mother tongue should never be forgotten. Our mother language keeps our identity intact and sets us apart from the rest. Knowing English is the ship that will help us to get where we want to go, but it is our mother tongue that will be our anchor; the one that will help us find our way should we get lost. Reference Lu, Mei-Yu. (1998). Language Learning in Social and Cultural Contexts. ERIC Digest. Retrieved: April 14, 2007 from http://www. ericdigests. org/1999-2/language. htm

Heritage Doll company Essay Example for Free

Heritage Doll company Essay I agree with Apex to attain full compliance with SOX. As you know about Apex is private company and will be seeking for new external funding to expansion into a new segment of the printing sector therefore, the new investors are needed for them because they have to access capital market to raise money for the expansion to a lot invest in equipment as well as substract inventory and adding more promotional costs thus they have to going publics and this is a time decision for them because it will be forever changes how Apex goes through doing their business so a Initial Public Offering (IPO) has access to more and deeper of information, sources of capital than a private company thus they needed the 1st thing to align with SOX by going to public. Apex need to assess their readiness for stable sustain as a public company by requires all management to be prepare to meet shareholder and market expectations and address ongoing compliance and regulatory requirements, operational effectiveness, risk management, periodic reporting and investor relations. The one of preparation if Apex established the necessary financial statement integrity through the implementation of effective internal control system to support management’s reporting obligations as a public company they needed to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 (SOX) for successful to going public. Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 (SOX) According to PricewaterhouseCoopers mentioned about SOX that it is current regulatory and disclosure issues if company will transform to IPO should consider the following: Internal Controls: Sarbanes-Oxley requires a management representatives are CEO and CFO to provide certain certifications in periodic with the Securities and exchange Commission (SEC) Audit committee: Sarbanes-Oxley requires public company to have set up audit committee by one of team have to expert in financial skill. Board of Director: Require external expert  = member from other company. Auditor relationship: Require company have to clarify their existing relationship with their outside audit firm. Code of ethics: Requires a code of ethics for senior financial officer. Loan to company executives: Prohibits public company from maintaining credit in the form of a personal loan. One of the advantages when they focus on SOX404 is that it forces company to think pro-actively, identify risks, document an assess existing controls and then design new preventive or detective controls. Moreover, Connor from Corporate Responsibility Magazine mentioned that SOX has benefited their company because of the recently proposed management guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) to improve efficiency and quality over the long term. Therefore, Apex needed to comply with SOX by going to public aimed to expansion business to other operation and adding more investor. This benefit for Apex to comply this standards. References: Connors, T. SOX Benefits. Retrieved from http://www.thecro.com/node/400 Medeiros, M. (2013). Preparing for SOX 404(b) and an IPO. Retrieved from http://www.wolfandco.com/solutions/insights/602-preparing_for_sox_404_b_and_an_ipo/view PricewaterhouseCoopers. Roadmap for an IPO. Retrieved from http://www.pwc.com/us/en/transaction-services/assets/roadmap-for-an-ipo-a-guide-to-going-public.pdf

Character And Traits In Leadership Philosophy Essay

Character And Traits In Leadership Philosophy Essay Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. Warren Bennis, Ph.D. On Becoming a Leader Building Excellence. >Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is being all you can be within the bounds of doing what is right for your organization. To reach excellence you must first be a leader of good character. You must do everything you are supposed to do. Organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character. This type of thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. When you do planning, you do it by backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence starts with leaders of good and strong character who engage in the entire process of leadership. And the first process is being a person of honorable character. Character develops over time. Many think that much of a persons character is formed early in life. However, we do not know exactly how much or how early character develops. But, it is safe to claim that character does not change quickly. A persons observable behavior is an indication of her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or bad. A person with strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve. She sees what she wants and goes after it. She attracts followers. On the other hand, a person with weak character shows none of these traits. She does not know what she wants. Her traits are disorganized, she vacillates and is inconsistent. She will attract no followers. A strong person can be good or bad. A gang leader is an example of a strong person with a bad character, while an outstanding community leader is one with both strong and good characteristics. An organization needs leaders with both strong and good characteristics, people who will guide them to the future and show that they can be trusted. To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your vision. Korn-Ferry International, an executive search company, performed a survey on what organizations want from their leaders. The respondents said they wanted people who were both ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any organization, a leaders actions set the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organizations continued vitality. One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973): Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is bad, what is human nature, etc. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are important as they influence a persons behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends more than privacy, while others might be the opposite. Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to study and practice. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. There are hundreds of personality traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will focus on a few that are crucial for a leader. The more of these you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you. Traits of a Good Leader Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group: Honest Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust. Competent Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings. Forward-looking Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values. Inspiring Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary. Intelligent Read, study, and seek challenging assignments. Fair-minded Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others. Broad-minded Seek out diversity. Courageous Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress. Straightforward Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time. Imaginative Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative! Retreat Hell! Weve just got here! Attributed to several World War I Marine Corps officers, Belleau Wood, June 1918 (key ideal take a stand) Attributes Attributes establish what leaders are, and every leader needs at least three of them (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973): Standard Bearers establish the ethical framework within an organization. This demands a commitment to live and defend the climate and culture that you want to permeate your organization. What you set as an example will soon become the rule as unlike knowledge, ethical behavior is learned more by observing than by listening. And in fast moving situations, examples become certainty. Being a standard bearer creates trust and openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions. Developers help others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This creates an exciting place to work and learn. Never miss an opportunity to teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests someone who cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are less experienced. Employees who work for developers know that they can take risks, learn by making mistakes, and winning in the end. Integrators orchestrate the many activities that take place throughout an organization by providing a view of the future and the ability to obtain it. Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort. Integrators have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make their presence felt during critical times. They know that their employees do their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework. Goddamn it, you will never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me! Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, USMC, Guadalcanal, 13 January 1943. (key words follow me, NOT go) Perspectives of Character and Traits Traits (acronym JJ did tie buckle) Justice Judgment Dependability Initiative Decisiveness Tact Integrity Enthusiasm Bearing Unselfishness Courage Knowledge Loyalty Endurance The Image of Leadership John Schoolland What kind of a leader are you going to be the kind who thinks he is the best? Or will you be one of the very few greats Who attributes success to the rest. The U.S. Armys Eleven Leadership Principles Be tactically and technically proficient Know yourself and seek self-improvement Know your soldiers and look out for their welfare Keep your soldiers informed Set the example Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished Train your soldiers as a team Make sound and timely decisions Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions Organizations consist of three components: The structure gives the organization its form and dictates the way it will interact. The followers respond to the structure and the leaders. The leaders determine the ultimate effectiveness of the organization as the character and skills that they bring determine the way problems are solved and tasks are accomplished. U.S. Army 23 Traits of Character Bearing Confidence Courage Integrity Decisiveness Justice Endurance Tact Initiative Coolness Maturity Improvement Will Assertiveness Candor Sense of humor Competence Commitment Creativity Self-discipline Humility Flexibility Empathy/Compassion Are managers leaders? Are leaders managers? Managers need to be leaders. . . their workers need vision and guidance! On the other hand, leaders need to be good managers of the resources entrusted to them. Is Character Developed Via Nature or Nurture (Ridley, 2003)? I do not believe that the nature vs. nurture debate is linear enough to put percentages on it on one side of the fence we have nature and on the other side we have nurture. And while nature (genes) certainly has its influences on us, the environment (nurture) normally determines the impact of a gene. For example, one of the classic examples for discussing genes is Konrad Lorenzs work on the imprinting that occurs in baby geese they have it within them to imprint whatever is moving near them, which is normally their mother. However, it could be anything else that is moving around them, such as a person. But no matter what they imprint on, rather it be their mother, a human, or an inanimate object, the piece of the environment that they actually imprint on is going to have a huge impact on their life. Thus genes provide the goal, but the environment provides the process. And it is what happens during the process that will determine the outcome. Piaget was probably the first person to think of children as species equipped with a characteristic mind, rather than as apprentice adults (little adults). He discovered they went through a series of five developmental stages that were always in the same order, but not always at the same rate: Sensorimotor Preoperational Concrete operations In adolescence they have Abstract Thoughts and Deductive reasoning Piagets two contemporaries, Konrad Lorenz and B. F. Skinner took up extreme positions. Lorenz as a champion of nature and Skinner as a champion of nurture. Piaget, however, dived right down the middle of this debate. He believed a genes meaning depends heavily on its context with the surrounding environment. That is, while a child goes through five stages of development (genes), it is the active engagement of the mind with the surrounding environment (nurture) that causes development. The two main forces of the environment are feedback and social interaction. From this, the child assimilates predicted experiences and accommodates it to unexpected experiences. For some time it was believed that animals grew no new neurons in the cortex of their brains upon reaching adulthood, thus their fate was basically sealed by their genetic nature. This was apparently proved by a Pasco Rakic, a neuroscientist. However, Fernando Nottebohm soon found that adult canaries made new neurons when they learn new songs. So Rakic replied that it was only adult mammals that could not grow neurons. But soon afterward, Elizabeth Gould found that rats grow new neurons. So Rakic replied primates could not. Gould next discovered that tree shrews grew new neurons. Rakic that higher primates could not grow new neurons. Gould then found them in marmosets. Rakic zeroed it down to old-world primates. Gould then discovered them in macaques. Today it is almost certain that all primates, including humans, grow new neurons in response to new experiences, and lose neurons in response to neglect. Thus, with all the determinism built into the initial wiring of our brain, experience with our surrounding environment refines and in some cases rewires that initial wiring. Nature may be our internal guide (map), but nurture is our explorer that has the final say in what we do (destination). References Ridley, M. (2003). Nature Via Nurture New York: Harper Collins. U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership. Leadership Styles Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership. This early study has been very influential and established three major leadership styles. The three major styles of leadership are (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973): Authoritarian or autocratic Participative or democratic Delegative or Free Reign Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style. Authoritarian (autocratic) I want both of you to. . . This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it is when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called bossing people around. It has no place in a leaders repertoire. The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare occasions. If you have the time and want to gain more commitment and motivation from your employees, then you should use the participative style. Participative (democratic) Lets work together to solve this. . . This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Delegative (free reign) You two take care of the problem while I go. . . In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and confidence in the people below you. Do not be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely! NOTE: This is also known as laissez faire (or lais ·ser faire), which is the noninterference in the affairs of others. [French : laissez, second person pl. imperative of laisser, to let, allow + faire, to do.] Forces A good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the leader, and the situation. Some examples include: Using an authoritarian style on a new employee who is just learning the job. The leader is competent and a good coach. The employee is motivated to learn a new skill. The situation is a new environment for the employee. Using a participative style with a team of workers who know their job. The leader knows the problem, but does not have all the information. The employees know their jobs and want to become part of the team. Using a delegative style with a worker who knows more about the job than you. You cannot do everything and the employee needs to take ownership of her job! In addition, this allows you to be at other places, doing other things. Using all three: Telling your employees that a procedure is not working correctly and a new one must be established (authoritarian). Asking for their ideas and input on creating a new procedure (participative). Delegating tasks in order to implement the new procedure (delegative). Forces that influence the style to be used included: How much time is available. Are relationships based on respect and trust or on disrespect? Who has the information you, your employees, or both? How well your employees are trained and how well you know the task. Internal conflicts. Stress levels. Type of task. Is it structured, unstructured, complicated, or simple? Laws or established procedures such as OSHA or training plans. Positive and Negative Approaches There is a difference in ways leaders approach their employee. Positive leaders use rewards, such as education, independence, etc. to motivate employees. While negative employers emphasize penalties. While the negative approach has a place in a leaders repertoire of tools, it must be used carefully due to its high cost on the human spirit. Negative leaders act domineering and superior with people. They believe the only way to get things done is through penalties, such as loss of job, days off without pay, reprimanding employees in front of others, etc. They believe their authority is increased by frightening everyone into higher levels of productivity. Yet what always happens when this approach is used wrongly is that morale falls; which of course leads to lower productivity. Also note that most leaders do not strictly use one or another, but are somewhere on a continuum ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative. People who continuously work out of the negative are bosses while those who primarily work out of the positive are considered real leaders. Use of Consideration and Structure Two other approaches that leaders use are: Consideration (employee orientation) leaders are concerned about the human needs of their employees. They build teamwork, help employees with their problems, and provide psychological support. Structure (task orientation) leaders believe that they get results by consistently keeping people busy and urging them to produce. There is evidence that leaders who are considerate in their leadership style are higher performers and are more satisfied with their job (Schriesheim, 1982). Also notice that consideration and structure are independent of each other, thus they should not be viewed on opposite ends of a continuum. For example, a leader who becomes more considerate, does not necessarily mean that she has become less structured. See Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid as it is also based on this concept. Paternalism Paternalism has at times been equated with leadership styles. Yet most definitions of leadership normally state or imply that one of the actions within leadership is that of influencing. For example, the Army uses the following definition: Leadership is influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization. The Army further goes on by defining influence as: a means of getting people to do what you want them to do. It is the means or method to achieve two ends: operating and improving. But there is more to influencing than simply passing along orders. The example you set is just as important as the words you speak. And you set an example good or bad with every action you take and word you utter, on or off duty. Through your words and example, you must communicate purpose, direction, and motivation. While paternalism is defined as (Webster): a system under which an authority undertakes to supply needs or regulate conduct of those under its control in matters affecting them as individuals as well as in their relationships to authority and to each other. Thus paternalism supplies needs for those under its protection or control, while leadership gets things done. The first is directed inwards, while the latter is directed outwards. Geert Hofstede (1977) studied culture within organizations. Part of his study was on the dependence relationship or Power Difference the extent to which the less powerful members of an organization expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Hofstede gave this story to illustrate this Power Difference: The last revolution in Sweden disposed of King Gustav IV, whom they considered incompetent, and surprising invited Jean Baptise Bernadotte, a French general who served under Napoleon, to become their new King. He accepted and became King Charles XIV. Soon afterward he needed to address the Swedish Parliament. Wanting to be accepted, he tried to do the speech in their language. His broken language amused the Swedes so much that they roared with laughter. The Frenchman was so upset that he never tried to speak Swedish again. Bernadotte was a victim of culture shock never in his French upbringing and military career had he experienced subordinates who laughed at the mistakes of their superior. This story has a happy ending as he was considered very good and ruled the country as a highly respected constitutional monarch until 1844. (His descendants still occupy the Swedish throne.) Sweden differs from France in the way its society handles inequality (those in charge and the followers). To measure inequality or Power Difference, Hofstede studied three survey questions from a larger survey that both factored and carried the same weight: Frequency of employees being afraid to express disagreement with their managers. Subordinates perception of their bosss actual decision making style (paternalistic style was one choice). Subordinates preference for their bosss decision-making style (again, paternalistic style was one choice). He developed a Power Difference Index (PDI) for the 53 countries that took the survey. Their scores range from 11 to 104. The higher the number a country received, the more autocratic and/or paternalistic the leadership, which of course relates to employees being more afraid or unwilling to disagree with their bosses. While lower numbers mean a more consultative style of leadership is used, which translates to employees who are not as afraid of their bosses. For example, Malaysia has the highest PDI score, being 104, while Austria has the lowest with 11. And of course, as the story above illustrates, Sweden has a relative low score of 31, while France has a PDI of 68. The USAs is 40. Note that these scores are relative, not absolute, in that relativism affirms that one culture has no absolute criteria for judging activities of another culture as low or noble. Keeping the above in mind, it seems that some picture paternalistic behavior as almost a barbaric way of getting things accomplished. Yet, leadership is all about getting things done for the organization. And in some situations, a paternalistic style of decision-making might be required; indeed, in some cultures and individuals, it may also be expected by not only those in charge, but also the followers. That is what makes leadership styles quite interesting they basically run along the same continuum as Hofstedes PDI, ranging from paternalistic to consultative styles of decision making. This allows a wide range of individual behaviors to be dealt with, ranging from beginners to peak performers. In addition, it accounts for the fact that not everyone is the same. However, when paternalistic or autocratic styles are relied upon too much and the employees are ready and/or willing to react to a more consultative type of leadership style, then it normally becomes quite damaging to the performance of the organization.

A Twiggy Image Essay -- Essays Papers

A Twiggy Image 1. Not merely handled as a precious package, but portrayed as one. Physically, she fit the part. Her hair was bobbed short to her jaw and always slicked down, parted from one side across to the other. It was a soft blonde; perhaps the only soft thing about her as the rest of her body met at sharp angles and was marked with dark lines. The skin appeared silky, unblemished and unwrinkled, still glowing with the youth of seventeen years. The eyes that met yours were large and dark, a very dramatic appeal. The lashes were fake; long and thick layers outlining the sunken pupils. Her lips sat pursed between a perfectly pointed nose and chin. This face graced the cover of Life , Look , Newsweek , Vogue , and Seventeen and filled pages within numerous American magazines and newspapers. The body that supported such a face stood as the foundation for fame and the force driving the photos. Measuring five-feet six inches from her blond head to her trendy shoed toes, she was lanky. At only ninet y-one pounds, the long limbs were nothing but flesh and bone. Knobby knees and jutting elbows made graceful movements angular. Flat. No breasts curved out from her torso and no buttocks rounded from her back. She was shapeless, asexual. Thus, she was distinctive; no one before had looked quite like her. She was the â€Å"It Girl,† who resembled an adolescent boy. She was England's â€Å"Face of ‘66† (Whiteside 87). And when she stepped off of the airplane at JFK International Airport in New York in 1967, Twiggy became a â€Å"universal heroine for teenagers† (Whiteside 54). 2. In 1967, America was hit with its newest trend—Twiggy. She emerged suddenly, appearing with the wink of a darkly lined and thickly lashed eye. Twiggy's impact, how... ...nda Benn. â€Å"This Year's Girl: A Personal/Critical History of Twiggy.† On Fashion . Ed. Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferriss. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1994. 41-58. Freeman, Jo. â€Å"The Women's Liberation Movement: Its Origins, Structures and Ideas.† 23 April 2003 . Lawson, Twiggy. Twiggy in Black and White: An Autobiography . London: Pocket Books, 1997. Twiggy. Twiggy . London: Hart-Davis, Mac Gibbon, 1975. Whiteside, Thomas. Twiggy and Justin . New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968. Williams, Raymond. Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society . New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. - - -, Marxism and Literature . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977. Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are used Against Women . New York: Doubleday, 1991. 9-19, 179-217.

J.P. Morgan and Ragtime Essay -- essays research papers

John Pierpont Morgan: The turn of the century in American, when E.L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime is set, was a time marked by rapid technological developments and industrialization. These years also brought a heavy flood of immigrants as well as an increasingly urban American landscape. Technological advancements enabled increased efficiency and mass production. However, Doctorow clearly brings into question the consequences of this new technology for the average American worker. J.P. Morgan's discussion with Henry Ford about the assembly line’s innovations brings this debate to the front. Doctorow writes, "From these principles Ford established the final proposition of the theory of industrial manufacture - not only that the parts of the finished product be interchangeable, but that the men who build the products be themselves interchangeable parts" (113). Here Doctorow clearly addresses the potential for technology to undermine the value of the individual and his abilities. Banker and industrialist John Pierpont Morgan was one of the world's foremost financial figures in the decades before World War I. He organized railroads and formed the United States Steel Corporation. His wealth and financial management skills were so considerable that he was able to steer the United States Treasury from the brink of disaster. Morgan was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1837, and educated at the University of Gottingen in Germany. In 1871, with members of the Drexel family of Philadelphia, he organized the New York banking firm of Drexel, Morgan & Company. It began lending vast sums to railroad builders and industrial corporations in the 1880s and was later reorganized as J.P. Morgan and Company. As noted by Erin Arvedlund, he was a â€Å"natural born financier [and] loved spreading his bank account among dozens of different foreign currencies.† John Pierpont Morgan and his father established a firm that was later to be known as J.P. Morgan & Co. Throughout Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow constantly refers to the economic status of the families and immigrants. J.P. Morgan’s companies and firms were large employers of these immigrants. His achievements in finance and business greatly affected the families in this novel. Money was something that could break a family apart if it was nonexistent. In 1857, John Pierpont Morgan’s father, Junius Morgan, decided to broaden... ...d genius that man possessed† (Lindstrom). John Pierpont Morgan is considered one of the founding fathers of the modern United States economy. Despite conflicting opinion on his persona, his influence and character shaped the business world more so than any other person at the turn of the century. Morgan was â€Å"a banker, railroad czar, industrialist, financier, philanthropist, yachtsman, and ladies' man† (Jones). He was an industrial genius that is accredited with the founding of many companies including General Electric and AT&T. However, Morgan is looked upon as â€Å"a saint and demon the same† (Arvedlund). He received a honorary degree from Harvard university that read: Public citizen, patron of literature and art, prince among merchants, who by his skill, wisdom and courage, has twice in times of stress repelled a national danger of financial panic. Arvedlund, Erin. Unmasking J.P. Morgan. 2000. 9 Apr. 2003 Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime. New York: Plume, 2003. â€Å"John Pierpont Morgan.† Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2001 Standard. 2003. Jones, Lisa L. A Collector’s Portait: John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913). 2003. 9 Apr. 2003 Lindstrom, Diane. John Pierpont Morgan. 2003. 9 Apr. 2003 .

Multiple Births: Twins, Triplets, and Beyond Essay

Abstract The high number of multiple pregnancies is a concern because women who are expecting more than one baby are at increased risk of certain pregnancy complications, including premature birth. Multiple Births: Twins, Triplets, and Beyond References Martin, J.A., et al. Births: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, volume 57, number 7, January 7, 2009. Reddy, U.M., et al. Relationship of Maternal Body Mass Index and Height to Twinning. Obstetrics and Gynecology, volume 105, number 3, March 2005, pages 593-597. Wright, V.C., et al. Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance–2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, volume 57 (SS05), June 20, 2008. Practice Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Fertility and Sterility, volume 86, Supplement 5, November 2006, pages S51-52. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Multiple Pregnancy and Birth: Twins, Triplets, and Higher Order Multiples: A Guide for Patients. Birmingham AL, 2004, accessed 12/16/08. Rossi, C., and D’Addario, V. Laser Therapy and Serial Amnioreduction as Treatment for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: A Metaanalysis and Review of Literature. American Jour nal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, volume 198, number 2, February 2008, pages 147-152. Lopriore, E. et al. Risk Factors for Neurodevelopment Impairment in Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Treated With Fetoscopic Laser Surgery. Obstetrics and Gynecology, volume 113, number 2, February 2009, pages 361-366. Senat, M.V., et al. Endoscopic Laser Surgery versus Serial Amnioreduction for Severe Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine, volume 351, number 2, July 8, 2004, pages 136-144. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Multiple Gestation: Complicated Twin, Triplet, and Higher-Order Multifetal Pregnancy. ACOG Practice Bulletin, number 56, October 2004. Institute of Medicine. Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guidelines. May 2009. New York: National Academy of Sciences, accessed 12/8/09. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Having Twins: Patient Education Pamphlet. ACOG, Washington, DC, 2004, accessed 12/9/08. When a woman is carrying one baby, it is called a singleton pregnancy. When She is carrying two or more babies it is called multiple births. In the past 2 decades, the rate of multiple births in the United States jumped dramatically. The rate of twin births increased by 70 percent between 1980 and 2004, and the rate of higher-order multiples (triplets or more) increased four-fold between 1980 and 1998 . However, the rapid rise in multiple birth rates may be ending. In 2005 and 2006, the rate of twin births remained stable . The rate of higher-order multiple births has declined 21 percent since its peak in 1998 . Today, more than 3 percent of babies in this country are born in sets of two, three or more; about 95 percent of these multiple births are twins. The high number of multiple pregnancies is a concern because women who are expecting more than one baby are at increased risk of certain pregnancy complications, including premature birth . Premature babies are at risk of serious health problems during the newborn period, as well as lasting disabilities and death. Some of the complications associated with multiple pregnancy can be minimized or prevented when they are diagnosed early. There are a number of steps a pregnant woman and her health care provider can take to help improve the chances that her babies will be born healthy. About one-third of the increase in multiple pregnancies is due to the fact that more women over age 30 are having babies. Women in this age group are more likely than younger women to conceive multiples. The remainder of the increase is due to the use of fertility treatments, including fertility-stimulating drugs and assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). In IVF, eggs are removed from the mother, fertilized in a laboratory dish and then transferred to the uterus.  About 44 percent of ART pregnancies result in twins, and about 5 percent in triplets or more. Doctors now monitor fertility treatments carefully so that women have fewer, but healthier, babies. This involves limiting the number of embryos transferred during IVF. In 2006, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology issued updated guidelines on the best number of embryos to transfer, depending on a woman’s age and other factors . For example, the guidelines recommend that doctors transfer no more than two embryos for women under age 35, and consider transferring only one embryo for women in this age group who are considered most likely to become pregnant. Doctors monitor women taking certain fertility drugs with ultrasound. If ultrasound shows that a large number of eggs could be released during a treatment cycle, the doctor can stop the treatment and counsel the woman accordingly. The following factors can increase the chances that a woman will conceive multiples: †¢Fertility treatment †¢Age over 30 years †¢A personal or family history of fraternal (non-identical) twins †¢Obesity or taller-than-average height †¢African-American race (African-American women are more likely to have fraternal twins than caucasian women, and Asian women are the least likely to have fraternal twins) Although previous generations often were surprised by a multiple birth, today most parents-to-be learn the news fairly early. A routine first-trimester ultrasound can detect most multiples. (Sometimes a twin pregnancy that is identified very early is later found to have only one fetus. This is called â€Å"vanishing twin syndrome,† and its cause is not well understood. The surviving twin generally is not harmed.) Other factors can alert a health care provider that a woman may be expecting twins or more. These include: †¢Rapid weight gain during the first trimester †¢The uterus being larger than expected †¢Severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting (morning sickness) †¢More than one heartbeat heard by a provider using a hand-held ultrasound device (Doppler) †¢More fetal movement than the woman experienced in a previous  singleton pregnancy †¢Abnormal results on maternal blood screening done around 16 weeks of pregnancy to screen for certain birth defects A health care provider who suspects a multiple pregnancy most likely recommends that the woman have an ultrasound to find out for sure. Women who are expecting more than one baby are at increased risk of a number of pregnancy complications. The more babies a woman is carrying at once, the greater her risk. Common complications include: Premature birth: About 60 percent of twins, more than 90 percent of triplets, and virtually all quadruplets and higher-order multiples are born premature . The length of pregnancy decreases with each additional baby. On average, most singleton pregnancies last 39 weeks; for twins, 35 weeks; for triplets, 32 weeks; and for quadruplets, 29 weeks. Low birth weight (LBW): More than half of twins and almost all higher-order multiples are born with low birth weight (less than 5 ½ pounds or 2,500 grams). LBW can result from premature birth and/or poor fetal growth. Both are common in multiple pregnancies. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS): About 10 percent of identical twins who share a placenta develop this complication. TTTS occurs when a connection between the two babies’ blood vessels in the placenta causes one baby to get too much blood flow and the other too little. Until recently, severe cases often resulted in the loss of both babies. Preeclampsia: Women expecting twins are more than twice as likely as women with a singleton pregnancy to develop this complication, characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and generalized edema. Severe cases can be dangerous for mother and baby. In some cases, the baby must be delivered early to prevent serious complications. Gestational diabetes: Women carrying multiples are at increased risk of this pregnancy-related form of diabetes. This condition can cause the baby to grow especially large, increasing the risk of injuries to mother and baby during vaginal birth. Babies born to women with gestational diabetes also may have breathing and other problems during the newborn period. Early diagnosis and management of these complications can help protect mother and babies. Women who are expecting multiples generally need to visit their health care providers more frequently than women expecting one baby. These extra visits  can help prevent, detect and treat the complications that develop more often in a multiple pregnancy. Health care providers may recommend twice-monthly visits during the second trimester and weekly (or more frequent) visits during the third trimester. During the third trimester, the provider may recommend tests of fetal well-being. These include. Eating right and gaining the recommended amount of weight reduces the risk of having a premature or LBW baby in singleton, as well as multiple, gestations. A healthy weight gain is especially important if a woman is pregnant with multiples because they have a higher risk of premature birth and LBW than singletons. The chance of a cesarean birth is higher in twin than in singleton births. However, a pregnant woman has a good chance of having a normal vaginal delivery if both babies are in a head-down position and there are no other complications. When a woman is carrying three or more babies, a cesarean birth usually is recommended because it is safer for the babies.

Waste Disposal

1. Advantages and disadvantages of landfill sites. Using Orgreave as a landfill site is a cheap waste disposal option for the local council. The site will look ugly whilst it is being used for landfill. Jobs will be created for local people. Dangerous gases are given off from landfill sites that cause local air pollution and contribute to global warming. Lots of different types of waste can be disposed of by landfill in comparison to other waste disposal methods. Local streams could become polluted with toxins seeping through the ground from the landfill site. The site could be re-landscaped and built on once it has been filled. This has happened nearby in Handsworth. Once the site has been filled it might not be able to be used for redevelopment as it might be too polluted. The gases given off by the landfill site could be collected and used for heating. The jobs created in the local area are likely to be low paid jobs. Waste transport costs will be reduced, as our waste will only have to travel a short distance to landfill. This will also reduce the amount of pollution caused by transporting the rubbish. The trucks delivering the waste to the site are very big and noisy. They will spoil the peace and quiet in the area and could also contribute to traffic congestion (traffic jams) in the local area. Local rubbish will be dealt with locally instead of shifting the problem to another area or country e.g. China. The gases given off from the site as the waste begins to decompose (break down) will cause the air in the local area to be smelly. 2. Problems of waste disposal * Waste is being dumped in the wrong culverts: the black and green culverts both have a mixture of food, metal, glass and plastic. * Animals (e.g. marabou storks and mongooses) get into the culverts and extract food and food contaminated burnable waste. * There is no separate place for disposal of non-burnable waste (metal and glass) – this is currently mixed with food and burnable waste. * Some culverts are full and waste is spilling out. These problems result in a highly unsightly, unhealthy environment for visitors, residents, and wildlife 3. How is waste disposal being improved for the future? * Sustainable installation and upgrading of waste management facilities * Extending sewage networks * Set up agency to monitor waste * Classification: now classified into inert, non inert non hazardous and hazardous * The need for a landfill liner and geological barrier on the base and sides of all non inert non hazardous and hazardous landfill sites * The requirement that all waste is pre-treated before being land filled * The requirement to have Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for all land filled waste * The banning of liquid, explosive, corrosive, oxidising flammable and clinical wastes * A requirement for a 60-year aftercare provision

Pursasive Paper on Why College Gap Years Are a Good Thing.

Another reason gap years are a good thing is that is enforces responsibility. When a student wants to undergo a gap year there are a lot of steps and processes that need to be made. Some might say that this might just overwhelm the student anyways, but it will not. It helps the students understand the responsibilities to have this goal of their pursued. Gap years, like stated before, are not just for getting out of school work for a year. By organizing your own gap year you are forced to take ownership and responsibility of your plan.You will have to decide where you are going to go, what exactly you are going to do and how you are going to pay for your trip. You may have to make your own travel plans and living arrangements. You are ultimately responsible for all the details that go into making your gap year dream become a reality. A gap year student, Ashley Jamkins, graduate from University of Arkansas 2011 says, â€Å"When I first discussed gap year with my parents I did not real ize just how much planning and organizing was going to be needed to make this happen.I am thankful though, because it made me an all-around better organized person in all aspects, not just in my schooling. † (Green). College is a child’s first time away from home, where no one is going to tell them to go do the work that needs to be done, planning a gap year and pursuing one definitely helps students get their head around being self-motivated and self-organized to get what they need to get done accomplished.Every parent’s worst nightmare is seeing their son or daughter get kicked out of school because they were lacking in school work and responsibilities. Gap years only help in the following fall for the responsibility students will not only need in college, but the rest of their lives. In conclusion, Students who take a gap year tend to be self-motivated, not afraid of taking a risk, not bound by conventions and open to explore their interests and discover their passions.

Alex Ferguson – Autocratic Leadership Style

Leadership Styles: Autocratic Leadership Style This is the type of leadership exhibits by dictators. A leader exerts high levels of power over his or her followers. An autocratic leader gives his or her idea which the team must follow. He or she has no time for deliberations on others ideas before chosing one. In autocracy, time wasting in long deliberations is reduced but most followers will not like being treated as bench warmers without having anything to contribute. For leading unskilled workers who do not have any skill about a job, this leadership style is appropriate.Charismatic Leadership Style This is the type of leadership in which the leader lead through encouragement and enthusiasm. A charismatic leader builds power around himself or herself which draws followers around him or her. Charismatic leaders wield so much power about their team that team success always depends on them. They control too much influence on their team. Bureaucratic Leadership Style Bureaucratic lead ers are principled and lead by instructions. They write instructions and expect workers and followers to follow these.It is good for works requiring rules like using machineries but not good for management and skilled staff because it delimits their initiatives. Influential Leadership Style An influential leader delibrates with his team members and followers and use thir contributions to make decisions. Where he or she has a clear road map on the way he or she wants to go, an influential leader will still brain-storm with his or her team member and help the team to come out with his or her idea as collective team decision. He or she is a good moderator nd effective talker. He or she communicates with the team and highlights what needs to be done. He or she rely on his or her team support for performance of the task. He or she develops the team members by delegating tasks and allowing members to air their opinions. This type of leadership is appropriate for managing people with skill and education but not people who do not have ideas about the tasks. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style This is free style leadership style in which the leader gives adequate authority to the team members to decide on their own.Laissez-Faire is a French word meaning individualistic. A Laissez-Faire leader does not encourage team work, but allows the team members to work individually. It is good to manage skilled workers and where everybody knows his or her role, for example, a University Departmental staff, but it may put a leader out of control if care is not taken. Participatory Leadership Style This is a type of leadership in which the leader shows examples by participating with his or her team members and showing them what to do so that they can carry out the task on their own in future.It asumes that all team members except the leader do not know the task. It encourages teamwork and ensures that all team members are aware of the task ahead. It is a good way of fostering collaborati on. Most skilled workers will not fancy participatory leader because he or she shows thinks that he or she knows all. Service-Oriented Leadership Style It is a type of leadership style in which the leader moderates all team members to reach decision. He is at the back watching proceedings and only comes out with what the team has ageed.It is a form of democracy except that the leader does not influence decision making. The leader only supply the team members with enough information and background for them to deliberate. It is a good way of leadership where the leader does not have knowledge about the technicalities of what is being decided. For example as a chairman of a committee in which he or she does not have knowledge of how things work. It may expose a leader as a novice if he or she does not manage the situation well. Managerial Leadership StyleA managerial leader is only interested in making sure that the job is done. He or she is only concern about the welfare of his or her team in as much as they can do the job. His or her team is measured by its performance. A managerial leader sees all his or her team members as tools for job performance and dispensable. He may be influential or autocratic depending on situation. He is a result-oriented leader. He puts the structure in place for team members to work and satisfy their requirements as far as they are getting results.He does not want to understand why there may be failure and does not give room for second trial. Transactional Leadership Style This is the type of leadership in which rewards are measured by performance. This leadership style believes fingers are not equal and deals with individuals team members according to their performance. Good performances are rewarded while poor performances are punished. Transactional leadership does not consider his or her surbodinates as members of his or her team but as workers who must be managed to get works done. His or her tool is â€Å"carrot and caneâ₠¬ .If works is going on fine, he or she can use award to motivate good work or fines to punish bad work. Transformational Leadership Style A transformational leader is a delegator of tasks and inspires his or her team to share in his or her vision and the objectives. This is a true leader who motivates and care for his or her team. He or she wants to achieve results through his or her team and take time to understand the conditions of all the team members. He or she is visible by the team members and show more interest in the team than in the task ahead.He or she is a good communicator and naturally influence the team. The team members work not only to get paid but for the transformational leader to succeed. The transformational leader sees all his or her team members as potentials and lead by examples. He or she supervises the ideas of his or her team members. This style is good for managing big organisations and large groups like a state. The team members know what the transforma tional leader requires from them and are ready to work without him. There is no leadership style that canbot be used to manage people in order to meet goals.After finding his or her leadership style, a leader should realise that human beings are different from each other in the way they think, see. feel and reason. Leaders should therefore, understand that everybody will require different kind of leadership style to be managed for results. While some people will require transformational leadership style, others will require influential or managerial leadership styles. Leadership Styles of Selected Successful Team Managers Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager in British football history – winning more than 30 trophies during his time in charge of the Reds.Yet despite more than two decades at the Manchester United's helm, he remains focused on increasing that tally, bringing yet more silverware to Old Trafford. The Reds boss enjoyed a playing career north of the Eng land border that saw him take in spells with Queens Park, St. Johnstone, Dunfermline, Glasgow Rangers Falkirk and Ayrshire United. But it is not for his playing of the game that Sir Alex was to become a success. Following a spell out of the game he moved into coaching, taking up the role of manager of East Stirlingshire, St Mirren then Aberdeen. It was his time at Pittodrie where he earned his reputation as a top coach.He broke the Glasgow dominance of Scottish football to lead Aberdeen to three Scottish titles, four Scottish cups, one League Cup and one Europeans Cup Winners' Cup. Following the sacking of Ron Atkinsons as manager of Manchester United, the Old Trafford hierachy moed quickly for his services. They got their man on 6 November 1986. Ferguson inherited a dispirited team of underachievers who had consitently, to their supporters failed to break Liverpool dominance to their supporters discontent. Ferguson motivates his team by listening to their needs and is ready to prov ide for them.He sees them as his sons and call everyone of his palyer â€Å"son†. He sees them as the greatest asset of his team and is reay to solve their personal problems as a manager. Ferguson does not allow inter team rivalry and has a good system of conflict resolution. All his team members, sees him as a father and not only as a tea manager. Sir Alex Ferguson is an Influential leader, approachable and humorous. In December 2009, he said the secret of his success is a scruffy old red Wakes wooly hat he nicked off Ryan Giggs (one of his team members) way back in Novemeber 1996 before playing against a team in Turkey.He creates atmosphere of friendliness in his camp and abhor segregation or the existence of unhealthy rivalry in his team. Ferguson said; â€Å"The only time Ryan has ever let himself down is letting me steal his Welsh bunnet. He is never going to get it back, because it is lucky for me. I have always worn it. I pinched it off him when we were in Turkey befo re a game against Ferneberche. At the time, I just thought it would look better on me than him†. He does not do sentimentality when it comes to naming his team. He believes whoever plays for the team is the best choice at the particular time.

GMO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GMO - Essay Example Unfortunately, majority of the people were against their existence in the country and made pleads to the government for them to be extremely regulated or better still completely banned. Consequently, it should be noted that as of now, Genetically Modified Organisms such as plants have both pro and cons that should be critically analyzed before they are let to be used in a particular countries or otherwise. Basically, Genetically Modified Organisms (plants) are denoted as crops that are generated for the sole purpose of making easier consumption by human beings and animals where the latest molecular techniques in biology are used. For instance, plants geneticists are responsible for the isolation of genes that are said to bring about drought tolerance and replace with those that are drought resistance (FAOUN 5) In this regard, the emergence and continuous existence of the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) plants could only be deemed as proper and as such should be allowed across the world. Scientists have continually argued that, it is through the use of such plants that the world will experience the impact of technology and the increase in food availability. Of most importance is that since the inception of these plants, it is believed that the world’s population has increased with approximately six billion people and it is believed that trend will continue in the next few years. FAOUN (7) argues that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) have been confirmed as been resistant to pest. For instance, it has been affirmed that losses emanating from insect pests have adversely impacted farming negatively through financial losses and lack of adequate food in developing countries. Similarly, these organisms have also been confirmed to have disease tolerance particularly in viruses, bacteria and fungi which are known to facilitate diseases in most crops leading to reduced yields. Another aspect that should encourage the continuous

Healthcare Administration Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare Administration Issues - Research Paper Example This will include scrutinizing and evaluating the nursing shortage in the facilities and how this affects service delivery (Rouse, 2006). Similarly, the research will also have to be based on the availability of resources in employing nurses. There are a number of factors that are considered vital when employing nurses. The demand for nurses is, therefore, affected with changes in the wage rate, training and training facilities, the working environment, education of health workers and the management in the workplace. These are issues that will have a direct impact on the nursing profession, which could create a shortage. For example, the retention of nurses is low in many parts, which shows that the management is not apt in executing its duties. Therefore, researching on all these factors would give the reasons behind the shortage of nurses. Research questions will be vital as they are likely to offer critical information in regards to the issue. For example, research questions will be asked concerning the staffing process, retention rate and nursing turnover. With such information, the research will gather information on how nursing facilities employ nurses and how they replace them in case of retirement or quitting. Similarly, the research questions will also reflect on the acceptable nurse-to-patient ratio and nurse-to-general population ratio (Kelly, 2011). These are crucial figures that will enlighten on the extent of the shortage of nurses and the acceptable ratio in the medical facilities. Apparently, when there is an influx of patients, it is obvious that there should be a corresponding number of nurses. However, limiting the number of nurses to a manageable level will almost certainly lead to poor service deliver as the few available nurses will be overworked. In addition, the research questions will also be us ed to gather information on the potential factors that have

Peace and Conflict Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Peace and Conflict Studies - Essay Example ric. To misquote from one of George Orwell’s lesser-known sayings, where the British press is concerned, the facts and the rhetoric do not logically connect. Particularly where Britain is concerned, it will be necessary to disregard the rhetoric (as both sides of what is politely called the debate are equally guilty of distortion) and take the facts and form a picture from them, accepting that what passes for the accepted wisdom is not so much a tissue of lies as a tissue of invention. On the other hand, it has proved most interesting to try and find out the real reasons for the (2003) Iraq disaster and make the most of this opportunity to set the record straight. Hypothesis The fundamental hypothesis that the author wishes to put forward for the 2003 Anglo-American intervention in Iraq is that the ‘intervention’ (disaster would be a better word) took place for internal political reasons. In other words, nothing the Iraqis themselves, UN, EU, Russians, Chinese etc ., etc. would or could have done would have prevented the war, as both the British and U.S, metropolitan elites were completely impervious to any outside persuasion. We will start with Todd’s (who, despite his Anglophone name and ancestry, is French) analysis. He cites the main American internal political factors [2004, Pp 207-211 inclusive) as â€Å"economic mystification, ideological crisis and denial of reality†. He also introduces â€Å"evil, as a central concept†. If the author understands Todd correctly, the Americans (or at least their metropolitan elite) intervened in Iraq in order to perpetuate the actual (as opposed to stated) ideological and psychological aims of using American military power (which, it must be said, looks impressive, even if it isn’t in reality) to ensure that international investment (chiefly the purchase of U.S. Treasury bonds) is then channelled into U.S. domestic consumption. The mechanism appears to be that the funds gene rated by the bond purchases are used to fund the American imperial military, the money then being channelled through equipment purchases, salaries and base maintenance into the American economy at large - much of the money then being channelled back to the U.S. government through federal taxes. The ultimate expression of this is that wars (what Todd calls â€Å"theoretical micro-militarism†) against small countries such as Iraq are much more effective than peaceable military commitments in achieving this, as otherwise the purchasers of U.S. Treasury bonds might start asking awkward questions about where all the money is going. So much for economic mystification. We will now examine Todd’s concept of ideological crisis. Since the end of the â€Å"Cold War† (the author prefers the term ‘Grand Area Planning‘