Monday, September 30, 2019

SWU Food and Beverage

Southwestern University (SWU), located 30 miles southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, has witnessed tremendous growth in its football program. With that growth, fueled by the hiring of legendary coach Bo Pitterno, has come more fame, the need for a bigger stadium, and more complaints about seating, parking, long lines, and concession stand prices.Southwestern Universitys president, Dr. Marty Starr, was not only concerned about the cost of expanding the existing stadium versus building a new stadium, but also about the ancillary activities. He wants to be sure that these various support activities generate revenue adequate to pay for themselves. Consequently, he wants the parking lots, game programs, and food service to all be handled as profit centers. At a recent meeting discussing the new stadium, Starr told the stadium manager, Hank Maddux, to develop a break-even chart and related data for each of the centers.He instructed Maddux to have the food service area break-even r eport ready for the next meeting. After discussion with other facility managers and his subordinates, Maddux developed the table below. This table shows the expected percent of revenue by item, the suggested selling prices, and his estimate of variable costs.Selling Variable Percent ItemPrice/UnitCost/UnitRevenue Soft drink$1.50 $ .75 25% Coffee 2.00 .50 25% Hot dogs 2.00 .80 20% Hamburgers 2.50 1.00 20% Misc. snacks 1.00 .40 10%Madduxs fixed costs are interesting. He estimated that the prorated portion of the stadium cost would be: salaries for food services at $100,000 ($20,000 for each of the five home games); 2,400 square feet of stadium space at $2 per square foot per game; and six people in each of the six booths for 5 hours at $7 an hour. These fixed costs will be proportionately allocated to each of the products based on percentages provided in the table. For example, the revenue from soft drinks would be expected to cover 25% of the total fixed cost.Maddux wants to be sure that he has a number of things for President Starr: 1, the total fixed cost that must be covered at each of the games. 2, the portion of the fixed cost that must be covered at each of the games/ 3, what his unit sales would be at break-even for each items- that is, what sales of soft drinks, coffee, hot dogs, and hamburgers are necessary to cover the portion of the fixed cost allocated to each of these items. 4, what the dollar sales for each of these would be at these break-even points, and 5, realistic sales estimates per attendee for attendance of 60,000 and 35,000 (in other words, he wants to know how many dollars each atendee is spending on food at his projected break-even sales at present and if attendance grows to 60,000).He felt this last piece of information would be helpful to understand how realistic the assumptions of his model are, and this information could be compared with similar figures from previous seasons.DISCUSSION QUESTIONPrepare the report with the items noted so it is ready for Dr. Starr at the next meeting.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Filipino Woman in the Biography by Lucy Komisar Essay

Literature is any form of expressing human’s simple to complex experiences that blend, combined and applied into words, well-chosen and arranged. It is full of thoughts, feelings, dreams, sorrows, aspirations and grief of human expressions in every harmonious way of expressions. It is a choice, choice of expressing everything without the hesitation from any hindrances. It is just like entering into a voyage, not to find good fortune but to have pleasure and satisfaction. It can be compared to choice of writing. Humans are writing not because of compliance but because they want to express something for the sake of self- satisfaction. They are not reading because they want to learn a lot but because to feel enjoyment while reading. It is not like going abroad for good but because of the experience. Through literature, people confide on to, talk to, rely on and can be the source of every emotion that they have to feel, feelings that distinguishes the level of their personality th at evokes their admirations. It is believed that the social and sexual conditions of women essentially embody their nature that the manner they are treated in society is congruent with what they really are. Thus, women’s social environment, can be generally described as subordinate to men, sexually colonized in the system of dominance, submission and denied rights and the basis of sex, historically chattel, basically considered biologically inferior confined to sex and reproduction. For most part of society and across time and space, man dominates the upper level of political, economical and social power while women are rarely or only partially included. The worth of men is generally more valued than that of women and is usually more compensated. Men are typically more valued in themselves as person, a fact often expressed in social customs, rights and laws. In fact, in almost every culture, the tools and conditions necessary for analysis, the means of communications and the forms of legitimating of knowl edge have been jealously and effectively kept from women. Today, Filipino women are no longer confined to the manual task of household chores but their full potentials, talents and innovativeness are explored and utilized. The power of women is such a huge and limitless tool of intellectual resource, a very vital factor behind a nation’s growth and development. Empowering the women at home, in the community, in work, in every aspect of society would mean empowering the other half of every aspects of nation’s human resource. At present, the Filipino women are already leaders in their own rights. They occupy high positions in the society. As they are free, they are also able to participate in social, economic and political activities. They command the respect of men – rights denied to them with the introduction of the Spanish culture in the country. After, nearly four hundred years after the Spaniards conquest of the Philippines, the Filipino woman has come full circle. She is now able to cooperate more effectively with men with the realization of common aspirations—a better world to live in, governed by the principles of justice and good will. Many writers have been supporters of Cory. They have produced books and a journal containing Cory’s life and Lucy Komisar is one of them. Lucy Komisar is a free-lance journalist, whose articles and analysis of foreign affairs have appeared in the wide variety of publications, including the â€Å"New York Times, the Washington Past, the Christian Science Monitor, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Miami Herald, News day and the Toronto Star, among many others. She is the authors of two books; â€Å"Down and Out in the USA: a history of Public Welfare and the New Feminism and has lectured at universities through out the country. She a member of the executive board of PEN, American Center, a past National Vice President of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She reported from the Philippines during the election campaign and peaceful revolution only in 1986 and returned recently to write the biography of Cory Aquino. The book â€Å"Corazon Aquino: the Story of Revolution†, is the first biography essay of Corazon Aquino by Lucy Komisar. The book traces her life from the childhood in the wealthy family in the Philippines, her marriage to Benigno and her life in exile, a dramatic revolution that install her as President. It also describes the evolution of her life as political leader as she began putting a government together and taking on political and economic problems that face her country. A timely and evocative book, Corazon Aquino is moving portrait of a woman who demonstrates a new kind of heroism. Indeed, there is no doubt that Komisar is one of the writers and journalists who believes in the proper rights of women exercised in the society. The researchers believed that the writer, though an American journalist and writer has a big concern in the status of women in the society. Thus, the thorough analysis of Lucy Komisar’s biography â€Å"Corazon Aquino: the Story of Revolution† vividly reflect the personalities of the former president Corazon Aquino and the women’s rights that rarely Filipino women exercised. Theoretical Framework The study is anchored on the general view of women’s right as well as human’s right. According to Legazpi (1998), the 1987 Constitution declares that â€Å"the state shall value the dignity of every person and guarantee full respect for human rights.† Enshrined therein, as a state policy is the recognition of the role of women in nation building and fundamental equality before the law of men and women. Within this framework, guaranteed respect of their personal dignity and human rights and equal treatment in all aspects of life is presented. The Constitutional Acknowledgment of Women’ rights are reiterated in numerous statutory enactments and relating to such subjects as civil relations, family rights and labor conditions. Various internal instruments to which the Philippines are the signatory signify and reinforce the state’s commitments towards upholding these rights. With particular focus on the character of Corazon Aquino as a Filipino woman, the researchers gave much attention on how the former president exercised her rights on every character and how she gained recognition from these characters. Meanwhile, through the application of formalistic approach of literary analysis, the writer’s point of view in his essays such as styles, purpose and theme were studied. Statement of the Problem The study discusses the Character of Corazon Aquino as a Filipino Woman in the biography by Lucy Komisar. Specifically, this study answers the following questions: 1. What are the events that project the character of the First Female President? 2. How does Corazon Aquino show the character as a Filipino Woman in the following personalities: 2.1Wife and Mother, 2.2 Widow, 2.3 Leader? 3. How do the author reveal the character of Corazon Aquino in relation to: 3.1Style, 3.2Purpose, 3.3Theme? 4. What implications of the essays are portrayed to uphold women’s right? Scope and Limitations The study focuses on the Character of Corazon Aquino as a Filipino Woman in the biography by Lucy Komisar. In the study, the researchers gathered the events that project the character of the First Female President. It also analyzes how the late president shows her character as a leader, wife, and widow that makes her a strong and powerful president. The style, purpose and theme are also analyzed The study is significantly devoted to the evaluation, analysis and interpretation of the biography written by Lucy Komisar, â€Å"Corazon Aquino: the Story of Revolution†. Significance of the Study The study on the Character of Corazon Aquino as a Filipino Woman in the biography written by Lucy Komisar, â€Å"Corazon Aquino: the Story of Revolution† is important in providing greater understanding and insights about the social issues in the society. Nevertheless, for those who specialize in English, the study could serve as a literary drill so that they may engage into critical analysis and interpretation and in the process that understand their value and significance. With the dynamism of education, the teaching approaches, instructional materials, references should conform to the changing times of our societal history. In this regard, the study can be used as a reference and instructional materials or tool in teaching the life of Corazon Aquino. For the teachers of literature, the study can help them generate insights on how students will be directed and/ or guided in dealing with and analyzing literary works. Likewise, the study may also enlighten the Filipino women especially of the contemporary times with regards to their rights and their roles as individuals, and as members of the society. For future researchers, the study may help them bring about the techniques, treatment and approaches in analyzing literary works. The study may also be used as a reference in sociology. It may help the readers understand the nature of the Filipino woman and her complexities. Most of all, the study may serve as a significant indication on the life of Corazon Aquino and the Filipino woman that can set a great pattern for the rights of women. Definition of Terms For the purpose of clear and consistency of terms used in the study, the following terms are hereby defined: Character – combination of qualities that distinguishes as individual person. In the research, it refers to the personality of Corazon Aquino as a wife, widow and leader. Civil Law – refers to the body of customs or practices applicable to specific group of community. It is the kind of law that the Corazon government exercise during her term. Concepts – it is the general idea toward a thing of universal specially, an abstract one. These are the ideas about the character of Corazon Aquino as Filipino Woman. Criticism – it is an intelligent appreciation of any work of art. It is the process of studying the literary piece in the present study. Descriptive Research – type of research that requires a detailed analysis of various aspects and phenomena and their interrelationship. It is the kind of research that researchers used in the present study . Historical Research – the systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe explain and thereby understand actions or event that occurred in the past. It is the basis of the researchers to present study, to collect data and references about the life of Cory Aquino. Liberalism – a doctrine of constitutional promulgation that presents liberty and freedom leaned on the consumption that liberty is natural right and that all over are born free. It is the vision of Corazon Aquino to the Filipino women during her presidency. Maidens of Antiquity – they are women who are perceived to play the traditional child hearing and house keeping. It is the kind of Filipino women that Corazon Aquino wants for a change. Silent Dictatorship – this relates to the characteristics of unobtrusive women over the household, personally take care of everything and have the power over all action and decision of a household. It is the relationship of husband and wife. The wife took all the responsibility and household chores while the husband holds the power. Social Liberation – refers to the ideology that women are capable of fuller and more positive involvement in the growth of the society in which they are apart of advocates, the woman should be viewed as valuable human resources of every fact of natural and international life. It is the organizations that builds women as part of the society and play a crucial role. Women are the center of society and highly regarded. Style – the manner of writing or composing piece with passion or elegance. It is the manner on how the author writes the essay in formal form. Personality – excellence or distinction of social and personal traits. It refers to the characteristics of Aquino as a Filipino woman and all women in the society. Purpose – the aim of an essay which is intended to deliver to the reader him/herself. It refers to the goal of the author on how to show the character of Corazon Aquino in the essays. Presidency – the office, dignity, terms, jurisdiction or residence of a President. It is the position Corazon Aquino holds after the EDSA revolution of 1986 over Marcos’ government. Theme – an idea or motive in a work which may be varied or developed. It is the basis of the topic or concept in the present study. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents the review of related literature and study of the research. Related Literature Foreign Literature During the time of Roman republic, women are underestimated by men. In the women’s lifetime, they have to obey their husbands as well as their father. Women are to take care of their guardian. Roman women are typically married off by the age of eighteen. After marriage, women cannot claim rights in her husband’s property and can not appeal in court. But the law has changed, wherein woman becomes powerful in terms of rights and can inherit the property whenever their husband dies. Some women in the elite class become powerful because of their richness, power through marriage and their adulterous. (Russel, 1996) Before, women were not allowed to vote, to be part of the public and political life and even going out without covering everything except their eyes. In other countries, they were not allowed to drink alcohol and if they were caught, they would be punished severely or punished to death. Women have played different role in different society and in different times. In matriarchal society, women are more powerful than men. In paternal society, men are everything to women. Women and men have the same right. Men occupy the position as the group leader more often than women, but old women assume such roles. Women are now working industriously and earn money to support their family. They work hard as men, but they do not get some respect and salary as men. Women have been tired and worked hard to gain some rights as men. (www.women @society.htm, 2008) It has been clear over the last half of the century that women have made the great strides and effort to achieve equality in all areas of society. It might be able to shed some lights as to where our society is going in regard to women in elected office. One will surely think that men are the ones against women in politics; in fact, in the beginning, men are the ones who vote before a woman president, before the women can. The same instance holds for the amount of people who believe that women are not suited for politics. The religious and non- religious sects are expecting more liberal views about women in politics as time passes. But people have believed that women have the right to be representatives in politics. The trends that people see bring up the problem in our society. Yes, it is true that men and women, the religious and non religious, all feed that women have place in the politics but still lack in equality as to the number of offices that women hold. In order for a change to be made, women must have the courage and belief that they are just as qualified to be in politics and must be extremely aggressive in their action. (www.women@politicshtml, 2008) Frummer (1981), states that critical essay helps reader understand a subject. To be critical means to be keen in every detail of the research a person is studying. Its Greek root means â€Å"to separate, discern or choose†; thus the critical essay attempts to enhance the reader’s understanding of subjects by analyzing different parts and interpreting its meaning. It may deal with any subject worthy of serious study like a painting, a film, a social movement. In most writing classes, however, the critical essay assignment focuses in literature although similar procedures are followed in writing other essays. The success of the critical essays depends on another process- the informed reading of another imaginative literature. According to Harmon (1992), the essay is divided into two: the formal essay and the non formal essay. Formal essay is diversified in form, spirit and length. At one extreme, it is represented by brief, serious magazine article and at the other by the scientific and philosophical treatises like books rather than essays. The technique of the formal essay is now practically identical with that of all factual or theoretical prose in which literary effect is secondary. The informal essay, on the other hand, has its beginning in aphoustic and moralistic writing, animated by the infection of the personal, broadened and lightened by a free treatment of human manners, controlled somewhat by the limitations of periodical publications has developed into a recognizable genre, the first purpose which is to entertain. Stanford (1999) suggests that when responding to an essay one should consider its central purpose. An essay may make significant comparisons or contrasts; it may explain the reasons of an occurrence or explore the effects of a particular event or action. Some essays contemplate or speculate on an idea, exploring many possibilities without insisting on one final conclusion; many other essays, in one way or another argue for or against a point of view, a solution to a problem or a new way of thinking about the word. Whatever the essay’s purpose, a reader should look carefully at the writer’s choice of words as well as the way he or she structures both the essay itself and its sentences and paragraph. Local Literature The highly personalized word of action in an impediment to the development of a wider, institutional sphere is based on abstraction such as â€Å"the rule of the law† and â€Å"the common good†. It may be assumed that this has much to do with the central position of the mother in the Filipino household and all the burdens that it entails. This position becomes the ideological pivot that places women apart from men. The purity of women symbolizes the wholeness of the home. As a superego representative, the term â€Å"Mother† remains the primary embodiment of conscience. In extending and symbolizing warmth and goodness, the female as a wife and mother should love, that is forgiving: she should be gentle and compassionate with those who morally depend on her. (Mulder, 1997) According to the Asian Development Bank (2002), the major constraints affecting the sociological status of Filipino women are very often quite separate from the substantive nature of law itself. Even in countries where women’s right are fully guaranteed in law, the actual implementation and protection of those rights are often compromised by a complex system of practices based on historical, cultural, linguistic, religious, political and other traditions. In many cases, the factor giving rise to the discrimination is many deep-rooted and relate to non legal or paralegal issues. During the period of revolution, the aim of Katipunan was to work for the independence of the Philippines. Besides the pursuit of this aim, there was valuable reaching which the manners were strictly required to follow. Respect for womanhood was the moral qualification of an applicant before she could be accepted as a member. The observer of the article referring to woman was strictly demanded during the early days of the association. There were not a few in who was expelled because of failure to live up to teachings of the organizations. (Kintanar, 1996) Among all the domains in which the Fili pino woman participates, it is perhaps in the home where she enjoys the highest status. When women themselves strongly believe that their place is at home, they become household centered. The wife’s work is to be a loving and loyal mate to her husband. She is responsible for keeping the marriage intact by means of her patience, hard work, submissiveness, and virtue. A mother must attend to her children’s needs such as meals, health, clothing, school needs and moral and religious development. She remains a good household manager and puts her own welfare before that of her husband and children. The recent upsurge of interest in advancing the development of women and increasing their participation in community affairs has also resulted in a realization that they can and should become effective partners of men in development endeavors. Women are therefore urge to refrain from confining themselves to the home and household work– their social, economic, political and religious endeavors altered to. (Torres, 1995) Cory Aquino has already earned a unique pl ace in the history. In the world dominated by men in action, she is a rarity by virtue of her sex; in a political world, where man assumed power through the traditional electoral process or violence, she became the nation’s President through circumstances without any known precedent. As a family member, she is a very clear about her likes and dislikes. She has never been neutral. She tries to do it in a nice way but she makes it very clear that, for example, â€Å"I’m sorry, I can’t support you†. As a mother, she has always cooled under pressure. When her husband was arrested, she was upset that she was in perfect control. Her siblings could always look up to her as a source of strength. (Crisostomo, 1986) As a housewife, she never missed a chance with her husband. She stood by the side of her husband and never questioned all his decisions. She never chided him for the troubles he brought into her family. When Ninoy was challenged by Imelda in his prison cell, Cory took his p lace in the campaign. She, who did not have the experience in the political stage, nor entertained much, hope that she would make it. For seven and a half years, she stood outside the gate of his maximum security prison. As the color of her life changed, she followed a few days later, no longer as a housewife but as a widow to lay his body in the grave. The military soldiers took away her husband’s life by shooting him at the back of his head. Before, she was declared as a President, there were lots of consequences she encountered. The chanting done in the computer during the election offered to her just to reject the position and more. Despite of this consequences and offer, she was not dictated by them; instead, she made some moves to fight for what she deserved. (Tica, 2007) As a president, she forced three major tasks: rebuilding democracy, reserving the economy and ending the communists’ insurgency—the longest running of its kinds in the world. Her camp and her military advisers suggested that the inauguration be held inside Camp Crame where they would ensure security. But the civilian activists wanted it before the huge crowd of EDSA to dramatize the fact that she was being installed not by military but by People’s Power. For almost 13 years of Marcos service in the government, the communist turned into a formidable force enjoying the distant admiration of the nation. Everybody wanted Marcos government to lose, but nobody wanted communists to win. Cory Aquino was fortunate. Almost everybody wanted her and they did everything just to place Cory in the position. It made the Filipino people admire the power and bravery of Corazon Aquino. She was the first Filipino woman president who proved to the nation that women could also place in the politics of a society. (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2003) The essay is the communication from the individual author, as person to the reader. Like fiction, the essay is read rather than heard or seen and for these reasons, the author will typically identify himself as one addressing the audience. Since the essay is read from the printed page, its content is not objectively present. This is also true of fiction. However, the typical essay is thought off by the reader as a communication from the author to itself. (Tan, 1995) According to Ramos (1991), an essay may be of any length, breadth, death, density, color, savor, odor, appearance, volume or uselessness. It is broadened on one side by the hell fire sermon and or the other by geometrical demonstration; and it ranges easily between these extremes of heat and occasionally steals from both of them. The main division into which the essay may be divided, is the personal/ familiar essay – a transcript of a personal reaction to some phase or fact of life; the author does not regard life with the cold eyes of the scientific thinker. The second is formal essay – a serious and personal. It undertakes to discuss a subject critically and coldly; and though it also reveals the author’s tastes and views, the intimacy between writers and readers hardly exists, for the personality of the former is suppressed. (Roseburg, 1969)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Lagaan

The movie entitled â€Å"Lagaan† is a depiction of ancient Indian society. Indian is full of dignity in this story. The director and the writer wanted to convey in their film the meaning and essence of Indian culture. Despite of all the odds, circumstances, and failures that they experienced within their environment and in the hands of the colonizers, they strive hard to be the best at anything. Playing cricket is one of the most significant occurrences that they wanted to share as a way of showing their culture and tradition. Bhuvan as the main character in the story became the leader of everyone in their community. They accepted the challenge of the British captain and convicted to gain their dignity and pride. The story showed the narrative of Indian life during the colonial period. It represents the social, psychological, political, and economic life of Indians where culture surrounds all of it. The director wanted to share his thoughts on the issues that Indians always experience all throughout their lives. However, Indian culture and society has no fear of everything whether things go wrong or right within them. This is what the director and the writer wanted to impose in their story. They wanted their audience to understand the meaning of India not as a country in defeat and weaknesses but also with pride and strength to face anything. At the end of the story, the director leaves its audience the imagination of overcoming the circumstances in the community. There is a question in the end of the movie – will Bhuvan and his team win from the captain? There is one big conflict at the end of it – one of Bhuvan’s team was paid to lose the game. It shows that the resolution of the story lies within the audience. It depends on what they wanted at the end whether to win the Indians or losing their dignity and pride towards the colonizers. Reference Ashutosh Gowariker. Lagaan. 2002.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Economics - to develop an understanding of what has happened in the Essay

Economics - to develop an understanding of what has happened in the economy of the United Kingdom over the last two years - Essay Example eported the gross domestic product rose by 0.2 percent in the quarter ending June 30th, which brought down the annual GDP rate to 1.6 percent from 2.3 percent in the first quarter this year (Duncan, 2008). United Kingdom is one of the most developed countries in the world and has made a mark for itself throughout the world. United Kingdom comprises of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The capital of England London is rated as the world’s most expensive city. According to Professor Bean’s (Bank of England chief) bleak assessment, the United Kingdom has seen an undisturbed and unbroken expansion for over sixteen years and as mentioned earlier the country is starting to face recession. Almost every country has been facing an economic slowdown since the market crash in 1970s however there have been strong efforts from almost every economy to ensure the economies get back into stable positions. United Kingdoms has held the fifth position in the global economies however the risk of the recession since the 1990s is now growing for the country and the living costs are also growing along with this. This has made it difficult for the Bank of England to cut down the interest ra tes and is causing a lot of issues with the Labour governments’ handling the economy as the public is extremely dissatisfied with the growing interest rates (Reuters, 2008). It has been noted by economist James Knightley at ING that the growing credit crunch and the rising food and energy prices is disrupting the growth of the country and there is no solution to this by the fiscal and monetary policies. This slowdown was triggered by the biggest drop in the construction sector during 2005. This resulted in a drop in the decline in the building industry which converted the decade long housing boom into slums. The government however did its bit by contributing to the infrastructure projects which helped the industry stabilise and get back into action. The service sector contributes to almost

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Teachings of Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teachings of Islam - Research Paper Example Islam is just another monotheistic religion like Judaism and Christianity and like them preaches the oneness of God whom the Muslims call Allah. There are differences present in the practices but Islam in originality is a peaceful religion and it is the practice of the few which has gotten it labeled as a terrorist, violent or extremist religion. The basic beliefs and tenets of Islam The main belief of Islam lies in monotheism. Islam's fundamental belief is that God is one and Mohammad is His messenger. This belief can be elaborated by believing that God is one and supreme, unique, all encompassing and powerful. The second belief lies in the prophet hood of prophet Mohammad who initiated the religion in 610 A.D. Their belief relative to prophets is that prophets are human being sent for the guidance and showing the right path. Also that out of many prophets sent by God Mohammad is the last prophet. Thus Islam acknowledges the presence and the prophet hood of Jew and Christian prophet s like Jesus, Moses etc and their names are mentioned in the holy book of Muslims, the Quran. The third belief of Islam states that God sent Holy books of which Quran is meant to be for eternal guidance and all other books are negated by the revelation of Quran. The fourth belief lies in angels who are pure non-human beings performing divine jobs and the last belief lies in resurrection and the day of judgment. This day of judgment, according to Muslim beliefs will be the day when all actions will be weighed and decision regarding heavens or hell will be made. (Alhoda, 2001) There are five basic tenets of Islam of which the first and the foremost is belief in God with all his attributes and attributing no other partners with him. The second is saying prayers five times a day and men gathering in the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. The third is fasting from dawn to duck in the Holy month of Ramadan (Muslims follow the lunar calendar) and the fourth is giving a fixed percentage o f wealth in the path of God to the poor and the needy. The last is performing pilgrimage to Mecca once in the lifetime for all those who can afford to do so. (Devera) Islam and Muslims in the U.S Muslims entered the United States as Moriscoes who accompanied Columbus when the continent was first discovered. These were followed by slaves who were brought to work in the US and the waves of migrations increased the number of Muslims (Kabourra). In the U.S. today there are between 6-8 million Muslims in the United States out of which African-Americans are predominant. It is the fastest growing faith in the United States (A brief history of islam in the United states) and mosques, Islamic centers and Islamic schools are found in every Muslim community. Regional and national conferences of Muslims are held and issues of common concern are streamlined. Muslims in the USA are allowed to freely practice their religion and MSA's (Muslim Students Association) are present and active in all coll eges and universities. A survey reports that there are 1000 mosques, 400 Islamic schools, 400 associations and over 80 Islamic publications in the US. (A brief history of islam in the United states). Thus Muslims in the United States can practice their religion more freely than a few Islamic countries for example like Turkey where the headscarf is banned or like Egypt or Morocco where being extremely devout is often

Perestroika Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Perestroika - Essay Example The development of strategic plans worldwide is based on specific criteria. Most usually, the targets set have to be feasible – in terms of the resources and the time required – while the potential failures need to be identified in advance in order to ensure the limitation of failures. On the other hand, not all organizational initiatives have the same characteristics; when the achievement of specific targets is attempted then the methods used have to be carefully chosen – a balance between the cost of a specific strategic project and the expected benefits of this project must be pursued by managers in modern organizations. Current paper focuses on the examination of the strategic plans required for the increase of the market share of the firm LG in a particular sector: the televisions and audiovideo equipment. The firm’s current pricing strategy is reviewed and evaluated in order to decide on the appropriate of the marketing plans used in relation with th e specific marketing plan. It seems that the achievement of the specific target is feasible but specific measures will be required especially if taking into account the position of the firm’s competitors but also the challenges of the specific industry in all markets internationally.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Four Videos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Four Videos - Essay Example As the essay discusses the outline demonstrated by the professor included US and UK parallels, British Academy initiatives, relation of language and national security, business, trade, big cities, media and culture. The first point of the outline was based on the issues of linguistic complacency, decreasing of language status in the sphere of education, high language skills of the population, especially in the spheres of business and policy. The role of tongue in the security and diplomacy was also denoted and analyzed by the professor. It is necessary to notice that ideas of Nigel Vincent related to different aspect of language in modern society were take from analyzing the reports that include national and international language data. One of the projects chosen by him was devoted to understanding the needs of language in the industry. From the report it is clear that next aspect of language that was analyzed by the professor was its power, contrasted to the military one and demonstrated on the examples of spreading of the British power by means of English language. It as characterized as 'soft power' in the lecture. Next, language from the cultural position was also analyzed in the lecture, particularly on the example of possibility of understanding the cultural phenomena and issues that becomes possible only in case of understanding the native language of the culture. There was a connection between social aspect of language and its cultural performance.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Counsel Retainment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Counsel Retainment - Essay Example The following is the criteria that a firm should have for the fulfillment of the needs of the company for a general counsel. Such a firm should have significant experience in high dollar manufacturing and product liability. Due to the many laws and regulations in the aviation industry, the firm should have experience and expertise in cases and litigation involving aviation and be thoroughly familiar with FAA regulations. Additionally, international experience in the same areas is critical. These criteria have been chosen due to the high sensitivity of the contract. The company has been awarded a $50,000,000.00 subcontract to produce landing gear components for the next generation of commercial aircraft. This contract is very important to the company and, therefore, must get the best law firm to review the contract. It is also because the company has neither had an in-house counsel, nor been involved in litigation and, thus, has never retained outside counsel. It is important the best counsel be retained for the review of the contract. Following the research and recommendation of outside law firms, the fol lowing was documented as the recommendation: The firm seems to have all our requirements. The firm has an extensive list of awards and recognition including high honors for superior client service among law firms serving Fortune 1000 companies by BTI Client Service 30, 2015; and ranking in U.S News Media Group and Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2015. Additionally, 164 of the firm’s lawyers were recognized in the oldest lawyer-rating publications â€Å"Best Lawyers in America 2015†. A large majority of the firm’s aviation experience has been in product liability representation and counseling. They have provided product liability counseling to companies such as Boeing, Quest Aircraft, McDonnel Douglas Corporation and Garmin, and have represented clients manufacturing clients in cases involving airline

Monday, September 23, 2019

Biblical Exegetical paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biblical Exegetical paper - Essay Example Admittedly, Israel in this context is accused of disobedience to God. Before probing further, I would like to shed light on two commentaries on Micah 6:8 to know how this verse is understood widely. To begin with, Barnes on his commentary on Micah says that the prophet through the 6:8 versus tells the people ‘what thing is good; the inward man of the heart righteousness, love, humility’. This is a question from them â€Å"with what outward thing shall I come before the lord†. What the lord requires is an earnest search within. God seeks you, your heart and your spirit rather than yours, your substances and ram or goat. To seek mercy and love there requires righteous judgment. It is not right if you praise yourself and accuse god for evil in you. It refers to the duty of the man too. As god himself humbled in flesh we need to humble ourselves with God, walk on with him. Matthew 5:48 says be ye perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect. Be merciful as you r father also is merciful. God is not pleased when they offer creatures ‘blood that cannot take away their sin; and instead they themselves become sinful. In the sight of the lord no man living in this world are righteous. No human can wipe away sins that there is nothing that can wash away the stains of offences. It reveals the helplessness of people that they are not at all able to please god by their own abilities except with the help of god. As we are ignorant about what to do to get our sins forgiven, being hesitated we ask, where and how shall I come before the lord. The obedience to god by the people, especially the Pharisees went single dimensional. They lacked the true meaning of it. It was evidential in their Sabbath practices, their offerings and their interpretation of the law and so on. The blood of the animal cannot compensate our sin but that of us. And Barnes continues that even though we dedicate ourselves with all we have, they are not a repayment for our sin s; only the blood of Christ can cleanse our hearts. Micah adds nothing new to the law but only repeating what is in the law. Micah reveals to the people about their half service to God and that is contrary to the law of God. Micah changes the way people looked at and observed the words of Moses to expose unforgivable sins of Israel. According to Barnes, Micah includes nothing more to the law when he prophesies. He just reminds the people who are doing countless rituals and meaningless practices to please God. God being kind towards his people again asks them to pay attention to the same thing that he had been telling through his prophets before. But on the other hand, Matthew Henry in his commentary looks at the verses of Micah with a different perspective. According to him, the people had been trying hard to please God whenever they were warned by God about their ingratitude towards Him. ‘Where with shall I come’ signifies the inner cry of everyone. People still believ e that there is a God who saved them from slavery and who guided them. First of all they seek to come before God and they also want pay homage to him. Further they inquire what the Lord will be pleased with. Like Barnes Matthew Henry also focuses further on the three requirements that God expects from us. Firstly we must do things justly in our daily life and we must be righteous. Secondly, as God does, love to be merciful. Thirdly, the most important is to walk humbly

Sunday, September 22, 2019

My Exchange Experience Essay Example for Free

My Exchange Experience Essay Ocean is more resplendent because of its waves; forest is lusher because of the rainstorms; and life is richer because of all the milestones. I always believe that what makes people different is not the starting point, but the turning point. Twenty years had been gone in my life, but I did not feel my growth and maturity until I went to California as a foreign exchange student. In 2006, I should be like many other sixteen-year-old teenagers who go to school every day and spend time with parents at home. However, I made a decision to come to the United States for ten month with AFS Intercultural Program. At first, my English teacher in China asked me if I want to go to the AFS winter camp, which is for selecting exchange students across the country. At that time, I had absolutely no idea about doing abroad. What I pictured my life was to finish high school, go to a college, and get a decent job. My parents advised me that there were two choices lying in front of me. On one hand, I could ignore the exchange program and live like what everyone does, whereas on the other hand, I could try to go to a different way of living. Finally, I was selected to be one of the sixty three exchange students who would go to the United States. Since I stepped onto the land of United States, lots of hardships have already waited to test me. The very beginning thing I had to handle was to become adapted to the American style of living, such as trying all different kinds of food, watching movies together with the family, getting up early on Christmas day morning to open presents from â€Å"Santa Claus†, and so on. Then, I had to get used to the life in school. In China, we do not have the opportunity to pick courses; whereas here in the United States, I got so many classes to choose from. What was more, I had to make decisions on my own instead of asking my parents like what I normally did back home. Usually, I had to prepare a lot of work for whole night, but I never told my parents how tired and hard I felt here. I never wanted them to worry about me, which was another big difference. In China, I could tell them all my feelings, however, in America, all I could do was to bear everything on my shoulder and kept going on without hesitance. I felt so lucky to get involved in this exchange experience, which is a really important milestone in my life because I harvested and grew up a lot from it. I got the chance to practice my oral English skills because I was the only Chinese in that town. And then, without the aid of Mom and Dad, I managed to do many things well relying on myself, which really steeled me. Instead of looking at America through TV shows, I was personally on the scene to experience American culture, especially the education system.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Pros and Cons of Airport Privatization

The Pros and Cons of Airport Privatization I. Executive Summary Airports have evolved mainly as government-run enterprises. Now, many airports seek privatization in part to improve their abilities to compete in the new global economy. The manner of ownership covers a wide spectrum: government-owned and controlled airports, government-owned corporations, independent airport authorities, public-private partnerships with government majority ownership or with private majority ownership. Reasons to privatize an airport include an improved ability for an airport to diversify its operations to enhance profitability, to fund expansion, and to improve competitiveness. The arguments for privatization include that the falling availability of public funds, and a need to change to the market-oriented outlook that private businesses develop. Objections to airport privatization are related to the apprehension that a private operator will take advantage of the monopoly that airports represent in air travel. Not all airports are suitable for privatization. Some i n the developed world, such as in the USA, are controlled by local governments and affected by airline requirements. The less developed countries and their airport authorities lack sufficient funds to develop their airports; although these countries need these airports, privatization is impractical, and alternate business plans must be developed. Unlike other countries, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have taken the path of mixed public-private control to maintain power over matters that affect the public good. Privatization enables a long term focus to meet the demands of international competition, to maintain a customer-focused plan, and to free the government from providing subsidies to an unprofitable enterprise. The potential for Canada to completely privatize the National Airport System Airports is small due to the serving of the public good under the current system. II Introduction Airport privatization has become a trend in the past thirty years as economies change and the air transport sector matures. Airport management and ownership, once mainly the domain of governments, has evolved into a mix of public and private airport ownership. Airports must now compete with other airports around the world for business, and government may not be the best owner for a globally-competitive enterprise. Airports must have the freedom to compete on the commercial level, and not just provide a service to the travelling public. Airports seek privatization in part to improve their abilities to develop a customer-focused business plan. This paper will present a review of the history of privatization and predictions for the future of this trend, and a comparison of the means, effects, and relative success of government/ public vs. private control. What is airport privatization? Simply put it is the transfer of ownership or management or both to the private sector (Graham 2008, 15). The manner of ownership covers a wide spectrum: airports owned and operated by government departments, 100% government-owned corporations, independent airport authorities, mixed enterprises with government majority ownership and mixed enterprises with private majority ownership (Tae et al 2006, abstract). Analysis of the need to privatize Airports have evolved mainly as government-run enterprises. They serve the public good, and were thus taken on as any other part of public infrastructure would be. Bridges, roads, ports, and other transportation-related projects have traditionally been part of the public good. However, many of these facilities are being privatized. Roads and bridges are now conceived of as wholly privately developed and owned, or as public-private partnerships. Privatization can provide several benefits. It can remove the burden from the governments finances, spread the risk associated with operations, and introduce ways to improve efficiency and competition. Often better airport management can be put in place. For example, if the airport is run under a government department, facility commercialization would be difficult. Private management can reorganize the accounting so that the airports costs and revenues can be monitored and adjusted, costs can be cut, and revenues boosted. The arguments for privatization are many. Less public investment is needed; on the one hand, public funds are less available than they once were, and on the other hand, private corporations have a market-oriented outlook for their business plans. Improved access to commercial financial markets, improved ability for an airport to diversify, and improved operational efficiency may be the result. Employees and management are motivated to perform better. Lastly, a deregulated airline industry led to growth which the existing model of airport management and ownership could not handle. Privatization may be a better option if market forces can enable competition rather than a monopoly, meaning less government regulation is necessary. This preserves the public good and makes the enterprise more likely to be profitable. Conversely, if the potential exists for a monopoly in a market, then the involvement of the government in ownership is necessary, and so is more government regulation. Table 1: Government Control of Essential Elements of operations in three countries, shows how Canada, Britain, and Australia deal with these concerns by maintaining control in key areas of the public good of aeronautical standards, access, and pricing. III.  Privatization Strategies Privatization does not mean handing over of complete ownership to a corporation. The most practical scenario would be for a government to retain control over the type of facilities to be developed and other changes, while the operator, the commercial enterprise, oversees day-to-day and year-to-year operations of the airport (de Neufville 1999, 6). The net benefit to the public interest would seem to be the lack of necessity to raise funds to expand or run the facility, or to service debt. Types of Privatization transfer of operations to private sector (Graham 2008, 25). transfer of ownership to private sector (Graham 2008, 25). share issues, IPOs: airport needs to make a profit; shareholders assume the risks trade sale sale of facilities concession control passes to private operator for a fixed period this is how some new roads and bridges are managed in North America annual fee paid to government, which retains ownership (Graham 2008, 32). a private operator finances and builds new facilities, pays annual fee to government, thingies ownership to the government after a fixed period management contract an operator runs the facility, and either the operator gets a fee or the government receives a percentage of revenue (Graham 2008, 34). The better way to privatize is to share control between government and private interests. See Table 2: Degree of control mix among different styles of government and full private ownership (from de Neufville 1999, 17) for an illustration of how this is so. Determining the potential of an airport for privatization Not all airports are suitable for privatization, and the experience differs in the developed and less developed worlds. In the developed world, the USA is an anomaly. Less privatization has happened there, and this may be because most airports are under local control, and also under significant pressure from the airlines that use them (de Neufville 1999, 5). Both entities can interfere with any contemplated changes. The approach used in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, has been to turn the airports into not-for-profit corporations. Such airport authorities as Vancouver Airport Services, a not-for-profit corporation, operate their own and other airports. The case in the less developed world for airport privatization differs due to the lack of both public and private funds for infrastructure development. Still, these countries need these airports, and alternate business plans must be developed. Less developed countries have much more growth potential in air transport and that can be met with improved facilities and increased capacity (Button 2006, 14). The major part of their revenue is airside (Button 2006, 14). Figure 1: A generalization of airport trends in developing and developed countries will illustrate this phenomenon. Button (2006, 14) adds that airports in less developed countries do not generate sufficient revenue to cover costs, so the governments must provide subsidies, and this makes these airports unsuitable for privatization. A full privatization cannot be expected until a national economy can support infrastructure improvements and an airport can prove its potential for profitability. IV. Operating environment considerations regarding privatization The operating environment needs some favourable market conditions for success in privatization. External market forces can encourage or prevent successful conversion to private control or ownership; Button asserts that [r]egulatory changes in airport policy in countries such as the UK came against a backdrop of successful liberalization of many other markets, quite strong macroeconomic growth, and with fairly well defined objectives (2006, 3). A privatization could not proceed in the absence of these factors, as in the case of a less developed country. There, the private sector has limited access to capital markets and the government may not be able to afford to borrow internationally. The catch is that these economies lack sufficient development for an investment to have acceptable risk levels; without the airport and other transportation infrastructure, though, the country cannot develop. The common operating factors are: Competition exists for investor dollars with other forms of real estate malls, offices, developable land. The author of US Airport Privatization speculated in 1993 that the market for airports was not a speculative one. Now, market opportunities are being found in airport privatizations. Developers may not want to work with the government bodies, which regulate airports and airlines, or to be tied to a long-term investment. Developers would look for opportunities that facilitate adaptability to changing market conditions. Only a long-term strategy would work in this investment. The labour contracts in force when the ownership switches over from public to private would likely have to continue, hindering potential private operators. Property taxes would have to reflect enhanced market value of an airport property. Most of an airports real estate is empty land, and therefore not directly capable of providing a profit to an operator. Any airport has relations with the surrounding communities, but a private operator would be unable to negotiate in an area of government responsibility. In addition, other challenges, which may have hampered airport profitably before privatization, remain. These include security, air traffic growth, airline strategies, airport competition, and international incidents such as SARS or terrorism. Political interference is always a possibility in the area of airport regulations, industry deregulation, and the changing nature of the airline industry. A conflict exists between the desires of a private operator to have looser regulations and the need for government oversight of the industry. Objections to airport privatization are related to the monopoly that airports represent in air travel (Graham 2008, 16). The fear is that the private operator will make a profit that could have gone to the government. These fears are addressed by the nature of private enterprise, which seeks to run a business profitably. Potential Economic Benefits of Airport Privatization Originally airports were considered to be part of a nations essential infrastructure, and less attention was paid to profit than to operations (Frost Sullivan). The three means of economic gains to be found in privatization are: improvements in operating efficiency: the private for-profit business model more often leads to a further exploration for means to cut costs and boost revenues than does public management; the introduction of new management styles and marketing skills directed to serve users with a more consumer-oriented approach; and the ability to make better investment decisions. The trend in many countries is now to contemplating the potential for profit from an airport. The example of the Vienna airport will serve to illustrate how privatization in a developed country can benefit an airports operations. Before 1978, the airport was a public utility and had to seek subsidies to cover losses. In 1978, the airport management was reorganized so it would work like a commercial enterprise, but with public sector shareholder ownership. A further reorganization took place in 1992 to address industry and customer needs separately from the service divisions. Measures such as strategic planning and cost control were introduced to improve the airports competitive advantage (Graham 2008, 17). A share issue was made in 1992 for expansion and improved commercial operations, signaling a transition to private sector control. Privatization enables a long term focus to meet the demands of international competition, to maintain a customer-focused plan, and to free the government from providing subsidies to an unprofitable enterprise. Many privatizations have taken place because the potential for airside growth is limited. In other words, the developed countries have reached saturation on airside growth, so they seek growth from commercial services. This means shopping, restaurants, hotels, joint ventures are added to the airport to add value and capture more dollars. In addition, Button asserts that the success of privatized airports has encouraged governments to change the management and operations of their airports to mirror what the privately-run operations are doing (2006, 3). Then, the facility is seen as a single monopoly, but as separate revenue-generating businesses. Privatization seems to enable a better response to market forces by developing commercial potential. VI. Potential for Further Airport Privatization in Canada Canada has followed the route of maintaining almost all operational facets under shared control, with no airports being fully privatized. See Table 3: Status of Privatization of Airports in Australia, Britain and Canada before (B) and after Privatization (P) for a comparison of how control was changed after a degree of privatization. Australia and Britain have given control of finance and operations to the private operators, while Canada has retained it. To address local community and economy concerns, maintaining a partnership may be the better route to follow, and experience will show which method is better. Despite what the author of US Airport Privatization found, privatization in the airport industry is attractive to investors. However, Frost Sullivan report that by 2006, only two per cent of the worlds commercial airports had been privatized, either through management or ownership. Canadian airports are classified as one of two types: Non NAS airports, meaning National Airport System airports, with fewer than 200,000 passengers per year and which are locally and provincially owned and operated; NAS airports, with more than 200,000 passengers per year, are owned by the federal government but managed by boards of non-elected representatives. See Table 4 NAS Airports- Canadas National Airport System, for a list of these NAS airports. They operate as not-for-profit entities under long term leases with the federal government that are reflective of fair value, including the future earning potential (Canadian Airports Council 2008). Transport Canada, as the owner of the airports, has several aims in setting NAS airport rents. First they relate to infrastructure stability, and ensure the air transport sector remains financially healthy, meaning both the airport infrastructure and the airlines. The second aim relates to market conditions: to ensure an air transport sector that is competitive with both other forms of transport and with international air transport systems, and responsive to changing market conditions. The third serves the public good: the obtaining of a fair value for the government (National Airports Rent Policy Review 2010). The NAP, the National Airport Plan, appears to indicate that the federal government has no plans for complete privatization. Rents charged by the federal government to the local airport authorities are calculated with respect to long-term cash flow forecasts and capital expansion needs, and to valuations of international commercialized airports, particularly in the USA, Austra lia, New Zealand, and Britain. Therefore, the NAS airports serve the Canadian public good by providing a benefit to the Canadian public while remaining competitive. VII. Conclusion The encouraging factors include: continuing growth in air travel requires improvements in infrastructure that most governments cannot afford; improvements in economies of scale through expansion of facilities and concentration of services; still more commercial opportunities to be found for exploitation; investors with longevity have the better chance for continued profitability than would newer entrants. Privatization seems suitable for airports in more developed countries, because while more developed countries used to rely on government financing, the private sector has more to invest in major infrastructure projects than the government does. Allowing a private sector corporation to make profits could encourage the expansion of facilities sooner than a government-owned airport would do this. The fears that privatizing airports could be unsuccessful for the buyers and operators because of the untested variables, such as real estate values and external forces acting on an enterprise, seem to have calmed down with the growing body of experience in these operations. While ownership of facilities might be transferred to the private sector, government regulations still affect the business. A private operator cannot exercise eminent domain; it has to follow laws, while seeking to maximize his gain. Therefore an airport will never operate as an entity that is entirely separate from government. Now the focus is on the next step. The potential for future privatizations depends on the countys economic development and on its growth potential. In the long run, both central and local authorities may have to pursue the course of even greater diversification and commercialization of airport ownership structures. Works Cited Button, K 18 September 2006, Air Transportation Infrastructure in Developing  Countries: Privatization and Deregulation. Fundation Rafael del Pino conference on Comparative Political Economy and Infrastructure Performance: the Case of Airports. http://www.frdelpino.es/documentos/CONFERENCIASYENCUENT ROS/Reuniones%20de%20expertos/Aeropuertos/Button%20Madrid%20Conference.pdf. Canadian Airports Council 2008. Ownership and Management of Canadas Airports.  http://www.cacairports.ca/english/canadas_airports/index.php. Craig, V J 2 March 2000, Risk Due Diligence in Airport Privatization.  http://www.icao.int/icao/en/ro/nacc/aps/09_craig.pdf. De Neufville, R 1999, Draft: Airport Privatization Issues for the United States.  http://ardent.mit.edu/airports/ASP_papers/airport%20privatization%20issues%20for%20US.PDF. Frost Sullivan 25 April 2006, Abstract: Potential Economic Benefits of Airport  Privatization. http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid =1286859. Graham, A 2008, Managing Airports: An International Perspective. 3rd edn.  Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford. http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=5 Aa0rtzn8vgCoi=fndpg=PR7dq=The+privatization+and+commercialization+of+China%27s+airportsots=BbvkOe6cjusig=TiTmeH5HQg0RTuYo7IShMjE2kcY#v=onepageq=privatizationf=false. Oum, T, Nicole A, and Chunyan Y May 2006, Privatization, corporatization, ownership  forms and their effects on the performance of the worlds major airports. Abstract. Journal of Air Transport Management Volume 12, Issue 3, Pages 109-121. Air Transport Research Society Conference, Rio de Janeiro, July 2005. Vancouver. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_ udi=B6VGP-4J14SM6_user=10_coverDate=05%2F31%2F2006_rdoc= 1_fmt=high_orig=search_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1273863512_rerunOrigin=scholar.google_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=1c0d7c71dc3b52a6727c4c147f36f7c5. Transport Canada 15 March 2010. National Airports Rent Policy Review: Terms of  Reference. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/policy/ace-nap-nap1-762.htm. US Airport Privatization: Why It Wont Work 1993, Airport Aviation Appraisals,  Inc. http://www.airportappraisals.com/includes/articles/Article-Privatization.pdf.