Thursday, November 28, 2019

Antigone Was Right Essays - Antigone, Civil Disobedience, Haemon

Antigone was Right The story of Antigone deals with Antigone's brother who's body has been left unburied because of crimes against the state. The sight of her brother being unburied drives Antigone to take action against the state and bury her brother regardless of the consequences. The concept of the Greek afterlife was far more important and sacred than living life itself. Everything they did while they were alive was to please the many gods they worshipped. They built temples for their Gods, made statues to symbolize their Gods, and had a different God to explain things that we now say are an act of mother nature. Antigone percieved her actions to be courageous and valid, and Kreone, the King, percieved them as blasphemous. The entire story focuses on deciding who's right. The question arises, "Did Antigone take proper action?" Was it right to go against her Uncle Kreon's wishes and go ahead and bury her brother that was to be left out for the vultures? Would it have been better just to leave the si tuation how it was? The fact is, Antigone did the right thing. She was acting out of divine influence so to speak. Since divinity and humanity are shown to be colliding forces where divinity out weighs humanity in ancient Greece. Antigone was justified in her actions. Antigone was following divine laws, or walking with divine shoes, while Kreone followed the laws of the state. Her brother's afterlife was so important to Antigone that she was willing to give up anything to ensure her brother's happiness and "future" after his death. This supported in the play by the way she is so outspoken about what she had done after she is caught and while she is being questioned. "Why should I be ashamed of my loyalty to my brother?" (Sophocles line 624). Kreon didn't like her speaking in the manner such as this because it shows him that she has no remorse for disobeying his orders. Furthermore, it damaged Kreone's incredible pride. Kreone's pride is so great in fact, that he can't even be swayed by his son Haimon. Haimon asks his father to take his advice and not have Antigone executed, but, because of Kreon's stubborness for the law of the state, Kreon gets furious and makes the situation worse then it already was. He was way too proud to take advice from som eone younger, and in his anger he decided to kill Antigone right away in front of Haimon's eyes. "'Just understand: You don't insult me and go off laughing. Bring her here! Let him see her. Kill her here, beside her bridegroom'" (Sophocles 919-921). This was too much for Haimon to take, and he runs out of the room, yelling, "'?her death will destroy others'" (Sophocles 908). Blinded by his pride and arrogance, Kreon takes that remark as a threat to himself, unknowing that it wasn't directed to him, but was a suicide threat by his own son. Yet, Kreone may have been viewed as justified in his actions as well. Kreon states that the gods would be unhappy if a traitor to their earth were to be buried. Someone that was a traitor to the Gods land would not be admired. The gods would agree that the person should be punished. Kreon "should" have been taken as correct on this argument because kings were the lawgivers and thought to be god-like. The same type of thing goes on in today's government with our president. If we don't like him , which many may not, that does not give us the right to ignore his laws or the laws of this country. The fact is laws are made for a reason, be it good or bad. Even though they may seem a little far-fetched now, they were probably very reasonable then. The law may seem to be unjust to us in today's society but that does not give anyone the right to create their own laws to live by. Unless, they are rebeling against a absoulutism; and this is precisely what Antigone was doing. In the story, Kre one was refferred to as a tyrant. "In the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E. in one city-state after

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Weighing the Scales essays

Weighing the Scales essays Self defense is a defense of ones own person, property, or reputation. Premeditated is considered or planned before hand. Did Meursault, in the story The Stranger, by Camus, have a right to kill the Arab? Were Meursaults actions in the wrong? Was it his battle, or should he have walked away? Sundays for Meursault, are usually stagnant days, no routine, no fun, no importune outings. This Sunday, however, was the climax of the novels action, leading us to Meursaults philosophical insight and conversion, and then to his decapitation. It was one of those mornings when I should have stayed in bed. Certainly this is true in Meursaults case. This day, as we will discover is Meursaults last day of physical freedom, his last day to enjoy swimming and sunning and being with the girl he loves, and Camus has already prepared us for this most unusual and fateful day by blackening Meursaults waking mood and accentuating it with the brightness of Maries gaiety. Its extraordinary that Meursault feels particularly bad, most unusual for someone who was eagerly anticipating this bit of a holiday. The day was looked forward to providing Meursault a chance to get away to the beach with his friends. Moments later, Meursault describes himself as not only feeling rather ill, physically, but as if he were stroke down gleaned by the morning sun. Therefore that kind of puts Meursault in a bad mood basically. Raymond Sintes is one of Meursaults dearest friends. He lives on the same floor as Meursault, and is a pimp. To take things back to square one of the situation, everything happens because of Raymond. The main Arab that they got into it with, was the brother of one of the young ladys he was pimping. The Arab had problems with Raymond because he beat his sister. Therefore he was coming for revenge. Despite Meursaults weariness, one cannot say now that Meursault ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Human Stain, the Film by Robert Benton Movie Review

The Human Stain, the Film by Robert Benton - Movie Review Example   The film introduces Nathan Zuckerman, who leads a lonely life in New England due to his divorce and illness. Then Coleman Silk (protagonist), who is a professor expelled from his profession, is introduced by the director. He was expelled from his profession due to racist remarks. This incident affected his family life and he lost his wife. So he decided to write a book with the help of Nathan Zuckerman. When Coleman met Faunia Farley (divorced woman), his decision to write a book on the problems faced by him becomes unimportant. The individuals who are behind Coleman’s problem began to interfere into their relationship. When Lester (say, Faunia's ex-husband) enters, the plot thickens because he unveils Faunia's past. Lester reveals Faunia’s role in the accident which killed their children. Later, the viewers come to know that Coleman’s ancestry is rooted African American community and he was pretending as a Jew. Discussion: The discussion is divided into five sections, namely: human life, racism, identity crisis (Hopkins’s identity), complexity of characters and individual freedom of the director. A. Human life: In the film, the director tries his level best to unveil the secrets of human life and its complexity. For instance, the main characters in the film (Nathan, Coleman, Faunia and Lester) possess dual lives. Their real lives are hidden in their past and they are not ready to unveil the same in front of the viewers. For instance, Nathan does not like to reveal the secrets of his life and decides to keep aloof from the mainstream society. On the other side, Coleman decides to escape from the mainstream society and to hide his identity as an African American. Faunia does not like to reveal her past and her life with her husband. Within this context, Lester uncovers Faunia’s identity and the reason behind the psychological problems faced by him in his personal domain. So, one can easily identify that the main theme of th e film is human life and the secret behind the same. B. Racism: Racism is not the main theme of the film but it is inherent within the same. For instance, Coleman makes use of his fake identity to escape from racism. He very well knew that his real identity as an African American may create problems in his profession. So, he decided to pretend himself as a Jew. But this did not help him much because he became a victim of his own comments on racism. Foster opines that â€Å"Similarly, the passing story of The Human Stain (Robert Benton, 2003) would hold no interest without the inevitable â€Å"reveal†Ã¢â‚¬  (114). From a different angle of view, Coleman’s pretension as a Jew is to veil his real identity as an African American. At the same time, his mask (as a white Jew) did not help him to claim himself as the member of mainstream society. So, Coleman’s attempt can be considered as a futile attempt to escape from racism. C. Identity crisis (Hopkins’s ide ntity) The main characters, including the protagonist, face the problem of identity crisis and related problems in their personal lives. For instance, Nathan’s idle life is an attempt to escape from identity crisis. On the other side, Coleman’s relationship with Faunia is an attempt to escape from mechanical life.  Ã‚  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Design Innovation in Pakistan Textile Literature review

Design Innovation in Pakistan Textile - Literature review Example Art and craft is not schemed by the Ministry of Education, but teachers are availing lessons nowadays, with increased integration of the art and craft lessons in all levels of education curriculums in Pakistan would lead to innovations in terms of design. The textile University of Faisalabad, and University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore are the major players towards value addition in terms of textile related art and design courses. The government is obligated towards availing support to other institutions towards the textile design innovation. Hands-on or practical oriented courses are required for the art and design courses. The textile University of Faisalabad has courses in contemporary designs, Islamic arts, and various forms of designs for relevancy of their students in the job market. Other higher learning institutions as well contribute to both the Pakistan and global textile industry innovation; via design-oriented courses. The sculpturing and painting were developed in the Renaissance age. The Islamic art and designs for functionality and aesthetics were the key features in the industrialization period prior to transforming to the visual appeal art and design characteristic of the modern age. Different aspects of Islamic art features developments over the course of history were indicated. The transformation or evolution of art and design has been systematic since the stone age, early man era, through to the age of modern art. Various firms in Pakistan carry textile product design and production; this ranges from small scale to large-scale firms. Income and employment availed by the firm are some of the benefits; hence symbol of sustainability. The design and production or manufacture of the textile products via R & D production methods is yet to be fully embraced or realized, because of high initial cost of investment and high energy input costs Availability of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Introduction to operations and supply chain management Case Study

Introduction to operations and supply chain management - Case Study Example s by having electronics products that would otherwise pose health risks in landfills, being taken back to the factory to leave the lands free for other economic activities (Partridge, 2010). Thirdly, the specific consumers usually benefit from better, more functional electronic products by replacing their outdated versions with new ones. Finally, by absorbing the waste plastics and circuit boards of dysfunctional products, Samsung is technically saving the relevant governments of resources which would otherwise be used to maintain an eco-friendly environment (Partridge, 2010). This implies the electronics manufacturer has technically eliminated the need for governments in charge of its markets to create awareness on the need for environmental conservation and or to set up waste recycling plants such as plastic incinerators. According to Partridge (2010), building sustainable supply chains differs from good business practices because the former is more comprehensive. Sustainable supply chains involves incorporating ecologically and financially worthwhile practices in the core of supply chain processes, from R&D stages, to raw material selection, to production, packaging, haulage, storage, delivery, consumption and disposal. In contrast, good business practices are rather secondary to the production and supply of products. Samsung would still have implemented the Take Back and Recycling programs in markets where there are limited regulations, as a way of capping costs of production and keeping in pace with rapidly evolving technologies in the electronics industry. As Partridge (2010) noted, technology and electronic products are normally affected the most by rapid development of more sophisticated gadgetry. Constant evolution of technologies would have pushed Samsung into adopting Take Back and Recycling program on the basis of keeping the cost of production and distribution considering that procuring new supplies is usually costlier. The same case applies to

Friday, November 15, 2019

China’s Economic Expansion: Implications for U.S. Trade and Hegemonic Stability

China’s Economic Expansion: Implications for U.S. Trade and Hegemonic Stability A Changing Global Landscape China is very rapidly approaching economic parity with the United States, which may lead to significant global shifts in power.   Hegemonic stability theory suggests that an international system is more likely to remain stable if a single player is a dominant world power, thus the global equilibrium tends toward a hegemonic state.[1]   The United States emerged as the global hegemon after World War II, specifically in terms of economic power, and has largely provided stability for the global economic system since that time.   While the U.S. has been able to maintain this position throughout most of the 20th Century, China is rapidly rising as an influential economic player and could potentially displace the United States as the global economic leader.   China’s ambitious economic expansion projects, including the New Silk Road initiative and Made in China 2025, have the potential to shift the nexus of economic power from the United States’ and the West toward a Europe-China-centric scenario.   Additionally, the rise of populist-nationalist political rhetoric within the United States could portend a policy shift toward economic protectionism, which would further accelerate the demise of the U.S. economic hegemon and the rise of China as its successor.   It would be in the best interest of the United States to engage with China in a cooperative and mutually beneficial way, perhaps even as a partner in China’s economic development initiatives, in order to preserve American economic prosperity. China’s Economy: An Historic Overview Insight into China’s modern strategy for economic expansion is only possible within the context of China’s past.   Throughout most of China’s history, the Chinese economy was barely able to meet the basic needs of the country’s huge population, including its basic nutritional needs.[2]   Drought, war and social unrest often led to periods of famine and mass starvation before 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party came to power.[3]   After this transition, food storage became centrally controlled by the government.   This method allowed the country to successfully avert famine, and food production grew rapidly after 1949.   This increase in productivity was largely matched by population growth until the one-child policy was instituted in the 1980’s, thus the increased production capacity was not able to outpace essential consumption needs, and very little surplus was produced.[4] The long-term goal of the Communist party was to transform China into a modern, industrialized nation with improved living standards and minimal economic disparity (i.e. a classless society), and to modernize military equipment.   The government leadership initially adopted the Soviet economic model, which focused on achieving a high rate of economic growth that emphasized industrial development at the expense of agricultural development.   Through this process, a solid foundation was created in iron and steel manufacturing, coal mining, cement making and other modern industrial technologies.   Although the government also endeavored to facilitate the mobilization of agricultural resources by encouraging farmers to organize into increasingly large and socialized collective units, the results were not as dramatic as the level of growth within the industrial sectors.[5] In response to the tepid growth in the agricultural sector, in 1957 the Chinese government largely shifted authority for economic decision making to the provincial, county, and local level.   During this time, the Chinese leadership abandoned the Soviet model and instead adopted an approach that relied on spontaneous efforts by the entire population to induce a â€Å"great leap† within all economic sectors at once, which helped to stimulate agricultural growth.   The initial problem with this approach was the lack of sufficient capital to invest in both industrial development and agriculture simultaneously.   To overcome this problem, the leadership attempted to create capital within the agricultural sector by building vast irrigation systems, employing huge teams of underemployed farmers.[6] Despite these advances, the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s under Mao Zedong severely stifled technological innovation within China.[7]   This was largely a political phenomenon, where the Communist Party attempted to consolidate power by expelling any hint of budding capitalist ideas, Chinese traditionalists, and intellectuals.   However, it had a pronounced effect on the growing Chinese economy.   Factory managers were largely replaced with Communist Party operatives who had very little knowledge of management or of the enterprise they were supposed to run.   Engineers, scientists, and other professional personnel were sent to the countryside as laborers, or were jailed as dissidents.   Additionally, the Cultural Revolution forced the closing of Universities, which severely hindered China’s ability to develop new technology.   This loss of key knowledge resulted in a 14% decline in industrial production by 1967.[8] In the late 1970’s, after the death of Mao, the Chinese government reaffirmed the modernization program espoused prior to the Cultural Revolution.[9]   The Chinese leaders determined that the centrally planned economy had failed to produce sufficient economic growth, and had caused China to fall behind the industrialized powers of the West and the newly industrialized Asian nations.   While the Communist leadership did not want to completely abandon the centrally planned economy idea, it strived to make it work better by increasing the role of market mechanisms and by reducing the level of centralized government control.   For industry, this included increased autonomy and the ability of managers to keep profits instead of remitting everything earned to the state.   While some key industries were still centrally controlled, individual enterprise was allowed (to an extent) as a means to incentivize economic growth and to reduce unemployment.[10] In recent history, China has been less of an innovator and more of an imitator of foreign technology and innovations.   China’s modern industrial development paradigm lags behind that of the developed world.   While the Chinese government has policy initiatives to encourage internal research and development and technology transfer from outside economies, shortcomings from the pre-reform, planned economy era have constrained China’s ability to efficiently innovate.   China’s Modern Innovation Strategy   In order for any economy to innovate and grow, individual firms must focus on a combination of internal research and development efforts and external technology acquisition.   In this context, the definition of â€Å"technology† is expanded from the vernacular to include processes and ideas that enhance a firm or organization’s ability to compete.[11]   Establishing a strategy that combines these efforts most efficiently is necessary to maximize overall economic development.[12]   In modern microeconomic theory, internal research and development and external technology acquisition are considered to be complimentary innovation strategies.   Economic activities are complimentary if the adoption of one does not preclude the other, and if the sum benefit of implementing both activities concurrently is greater than the benefit of implementing just one or the other.[13]   Assuming the complementarity of internal research and development and external technology a cquisition, authors Fu, Pietrobelli and Soete argue that the absorptive capacity of any small or medium firm within a developing economy is the limiting factor to successfully executing technology transfer.[14]   The authors define absorptive capacity as â€Å"a firm’s ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends.†[15] In another study, Authors Hou and Mohnen[16] tested the complementarity of internal research and development and external technology transfer in Chinese firms and found that the two technology acquisition strategies are indeed complimentary, but that external technology acquisition yielded higher returns than internal research and development for small and medium firms.   Additionally, the authors found that state-ownership of firms correlated with both product and process innovation, presumably because of increased access to financial and policy support from the central government.   This relationship would likely increase the absorptive capacity of the firm.   This suggests that small and medium firms with no government connection may be at a disadvantage due to a reduced absorptive capacity, and may be incentivized to work closely with the central Chinese government in order to acquire the necessary resources to compete within the Chinese and global marketplace.[17]   Thus , while China’s modern economic development strategy is ostensibly about supporting the expansion of small, private firms, state-connections are highly incentivized by the market. The New Silk Road China’s New Silk Road initiative is a logical extension of China’s economic expansion and modernization efforts.   This initiative is an allusion to its namesake trade network stretching from China to Central Asia and the Middle East, which was established over 2,000 years ago.[18]   In 2013, China proposed establishing a modern analog to the ancient Silk Road; however, instead of transporting silk and spices, this would build a network of railways, pipelines and utility grids to link China to the Middle East and Eastern Europe via Central Asia.[19]   Also known as the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), this massive infrastructure project aims to create the world’s largest network for economic cooperation.   This development would make it much more efficient for China to trade with 65 countries, representing 60 percent of the global population.[20]   China markets the initiative as a net win for all parties involved, and host governments see the New S ilk Road as an opportunity for job creation, economic development, and participation in the global supply chain.[21]   The New Silk Road initiative would allow China to more efficiently project soft power within Asia, Africa and Europe, which could have significant trade and national security implications for the United States.   Chinese firms have increased their foreign investment within partner countries in order to pave the way for the New Silk Road.   According to the Economist, several economic research organizations predict that the total Chinese investment abroad could rise to $2 trillion USD by 2020.[22]   For comparison, this figure was less than $800 billion USD at the end of 2014.[23]   As stated previously, Chinese firms are strongly incentivized to maintain connections with Chinese state-owned entities (or to be state-owned entities themselves), thus it stands to reason that much of the value earned through this investment will directly benefit the Chinese government.   The Chinese regime’s entanglement within the region will likely introduce significant hurdles to U.S. activities, and may diminish U.S. influence in Central Asia, the Middle East, and possibly Europe.   It is worth noting that Beijing established $100 billion USD Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIID), a multinational funding body, to support New Silk Road investments. [24]   The AIID currently has 57 members, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Russia.[25]   Notably absent is the United States. Made in China 2025 Not only is China expanding its economic reach and soft power influence within Eurasia via the New Silk Road, but it is also working to shift its overall production upmarket from low level manufacturing to advanced technology development.[26]   Made in China 2025 is an effort to completely upgrade Chinese industry.   The Chinese government has outlined clear principles establishing the goals of the initiative, including a desire to comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry by making it more efficient so that it can participate in the highest-level global production chains.   It also strives to create more innovation-driven manufacturing that emphasizes quality over quantity, environmentally sustainable development, and human capital management.[27]   While these are worthy goals for any country, China’s upmarket shift from manufacturing large quantities of inexpensive, low-quality goods to high-tech, high-quality products could disrupt the global market for high-tech go ods because of China’s large production capacity.   In the same way that inexpensive Chinese manufacturing has shifted labor from the United States to China, an upmarket shift in China’s manufacturing may have the same effect on highly skilled workers within the United States. Implications for the United States In order to mitigate the global effects of China’s economic expansion that may be detrimental to the U.S. strategic position, it is imperative for the United States to engage with China in a cooperative and mutually beneficial way.   President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of trade deals, and has been especially harsh on Beijing, effectively blaming low Chinese labor costs for the perceived lack of American jobs.[28]   According to the United States Trade Representative, two-way trade with China was $598 billion USD in 2015, thus making China the United States’ largest trading partner.[29]   If the anti-Chinese rhetoric manifests as higher tariffs on Chinese imports, China may focus its trade efforts away from the United States and toward its New Silk Road partners, thus significantly reducing U.S. international trade.[30] The impact of arresting trade with China on U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is difficult to ascertain due to competing variables, but it is likely to have a net negative effect.   While tariffs would increase the net exports variable used in calculating GDP (the U.S. is a net importer from China), they may adversely affect other factors that contribute to GDP.   For example, Chinese goods are less expensive to produce than U.S. and most European goods.   Thus, if the United States diverts its import activities from China to Europe or increases domestic production, these goods will likely be more expensive than the Chinese alternatives, thus reducing overall domestic consumption within the United States.   This new equilibrium would also affect the supply of domestic goods as demand decreases, thus also reducing U.S. investment in domestic production (and a subsequent reduction in demand for labor).   Overall, this may lead to a net decrease in the U.S. GDP and a reduction in available jobs within the United States.   This American jobs loss would be exacerbated further as China shifts its manufacturing capabilities upmarket via the Made in China 2025 initiative, which may induce the offshoring highly skilled U.S. jobs in addition to skilled labor.   Not only would tariffs further incentivize China to focus its trade efforts on its New Silk Road partners, but they may evoke the second order effect of encouraging Europe to look to China for economic leadership.   This could occur if China responds to U.S. tariffs by accelerating its economic expansion into Eastern Europe.   This would likely reduce U.S. economic influence in Europe, and thus limit the U.S. ability to project soft power within the region.   This would further shift the hegemon toward China as the global economic leader.   In conclusion, Chinese economic expansion activities, including the New Silk Road Initiative and Made in China 2025, could lead to a global hegemonic shift.   This is especially true as China expands its influence toward Europe.   As the United States’ global influence wanes, Europe and U.S. allies within Central Asia may turn to China as the new hegemon – a new global economic leader.   Global power structures are dynamic, and it is unlikely that the future global power landscape will encompass a unipolar U.S. hegemon as it has in the past.   However, a multipolar hegemon including both the United States and China is surely possible.   It would benefit the United States to engage China in a cooperative and mutually beneficial way by preserving economically liberal trade arrangements.   Additionally, the U.S should strive to maintain its position as a major soft power player in Asia and Europe and work diligently to maintain its trade relationships withi n Europe and Central Asia, possibly through partnering with China on the New Silk Road.   This is of great strategic importance not only for the U.S. national security, but also for continued American economic prosperity. Bibliography Buck, John.   China’s Farm Economy. (University of Chicago Press, 1930). Carbaugh, Robert. Contemporary Economics: An Applications Approach. (Cengage Learning, 2006). Christensen, Clayton M.   The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change).   Harvard Business Review Press.   January 5, 2016. Cohen, Tyler.   â€Å"Seeing China Through its Economic History.† Bloomberg (July 25, 2016), Accessed 4 April 2017. https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-25/seeing-china-through-its-economic-history Cohen, Wesley M. and Levinthal, Daniel A., Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation, Administrative Science Quarterly 35, no 1 (1990):128-152. Elisseeff, Vadime.   The Silk Roads: Highways of Culture and Commerce.   Berghahn Books, 2000. Fu, Xiaolan, et al., â€Å"The Role of Foreign Technology and Indigenous Innovation in the Emerging Economies: Technological Change and Catching-up†, World Development 39, no 7 (July 2011): 1204-1212. Gramer, Robbie.   â€Å"All aboard China’s ‘New Silk Road’ Express.† Foreign Policy.   4 January 2017. Guluzian, Christine R. â€Å"Making Inroads: China’s New Silk Road Initiative.†Ã‚   Cato Journal, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2017). Heilmann, Sebastian.   â€Å"China’s Technology Grab.† The International Economy.   Spring 2016. Hou, Jun and Mohnen, Pierre, â€Å"Complementarity between in-house R&D and technology purchasing: evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms†, United Nations University Working Paper, (August 2011). Jinchen, Tian. ‘One Belt and One Road’: Connecting China and the World. McKinsey&Company: Capital Projects and Infrastructure.   July 2016. â€Å"Made in China 2025.†Ã‚   Center for Strategic and International Studies.   Accessed 31 March 2017. http://www.csis.org/analysis/made-in-china-2025. Miller, Berkshire, J.   â€Å"Dissecting Trump’s Hardline Rhetoric on China.† China U.S. Focus.   Accessed 4 April 2017.   http://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/dissecting-trumps-hardline-rhetoric-on-china. Morrison, Wayne M.   â€Å"China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges and Implications for the United States.† Congressional Research Service Report. (October 21, 2015). Oatley, Thomas.   International Political Economy, 5th Edition.   New York: Routledge, 2016. Office of the United States Trade Representative.   The People’s Republic of China.   Accessed 4 April 2017.   https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china. Slate, Robert. â€Å"Competing with Intelligence: New Directions in China’s Quest for Intangible Property and Implications for Homeland Security,† Homeland Security Affairs 5, no 1 (January 2009):1-27. â€Å"The New Silk Road.†Ã‚   The Economist Special Report. September 2015. Worde, Robert, et al., ed, China: A Country Study (Federal Research Division, U.S. Library of Congress, 1987). [1] Thomas Oatley.   International Political Economy, 5th Edition.   New York: Routledge, 2016. [2] John Buck.   China’s Farm Economy. (University of Chicago Press, 1930). [3] Robert Worde, et al., ed, China: A Country Study (Federal Research Division, U.S. Library of Congress, 1987), 207. [4] Ibid, 207. [5] Ibid, 215. [6] Ibid, 216. [7] Tyler Cohen.   â€Å"Seeing China Through its Economic History.† Bloomberg (July 25, 2016), Accessed 4 April 2017. https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-25/seeing-china-through-its-economic-history [8] Ibid, 220. [9] Wayne M. Morrison.   â€Å"China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges and Implications for the United States.† Congressional Research Service Report. (October 21, 2015). [10] Ibid, 223. [11] Clayton M. Christensen.   The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change).   Harvard Business Review Press.   January 5, 2016. [12] Jun Hou and Pierre Mohnen, â€Å"Complementarity between in-house R&D and technology purchasing: evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms†, United Nations University Working Paper, (August 2011): 1-23. [13] Robert Carbaugh. Contemporary Economics: An Applications Approach. (Cengage Learning, 2006), 35. [14] Xiaolan Fu, Carlo Pietrobelli, Luc Soete, â€Å"The Role of Foreign Technology and Indigenous Innovation in the Emerging Economies: Technological Change and Catching-up†, World Development 39, no 7 (July 2011): 1204-1212. [15] Wesley M. Cohen and Daniel A. Levinthal, Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation, Administrative Science Quarterly 35, no 1 (1990):128-152. [16] Hou and Mohnen. [17] Robert Slate, â€Å"Competing with Intelligence: New Directions in China’s Quest for Intangible Property and Implications for Homeland Security,† Homeland Security Affairs 5, no 1 (January 2009):1-27. [18] Vadime Elisseeff.   The Silk Roads: Highways of Culture and Commerce.   Berghahn Books, 2000. [19] Tian Jinchen, ‘One Belt and One Road’: Connecting China and the World. McKinsey&Company: Capital Projects and Infrastructure.   July 2016. [20] Robbie Gramer.   â€Å"All aboard China’s ‘New Silk Road’ Express.† Foreign Policy.   4 January 2017. [21] Christine R. Guluzian. â€Å"Making Inroads: China’s New Silk Road Initiative.†Ã‚   Cato Journal, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2017). [22] â€Å"The New Silk Road.†Ã‚   The Economist Special Report. September 2015. [23] Ibid. [24] Guluzian, Cato Journal. [25] Ibid. [26] Sebastian Heilmann.   â€Å"China’s Technology Grab.† The International Economy.   Spring 2016. [27] â€Å"Made in China 2025.†Ã‚   Center for Strategic and International Studies.   Accessed 31 March 2017. http://www.csis.org/analysis/made-in-china-2025 [28] J. Berkshire Miller.   â€Å"Dissecting Trump’s Hardline Rhetoric on China.† China U.S. Focus.   Accessed 4 April 2017.   http://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/dissecting-trumps-hardline-rhetoric-on-china [29] Office of the United States Trade Representative.   The People’s Republic of China.   Accessed 4 April 2017.   https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china [30] Gramer, Foreign Policy.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Chernobyl :: essays research papers

Chernobyl   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chernobyl was the greatest nuclear disaster of the 20th century. On April 26th, 1986, one of four nuclear reactors located in the Soviet Union melted down and contaminated a vast area of Eastern Europe. The meltdown, a result of human error, lapsed safety precautions, and lack of a containment vessel, was barely contained by dropping sand and releasing huge amounts of deadly radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere. The resulting contamination killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people and devastated the environment. The affects of this accident are still being felt today and will be felt for generations to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nuclear power has always been a controversial issue because of its inherent danger and the amount of waste that the plants produce. Once considered a relatively safe form for generating energy, nuclear power has caused more problems than it has solved. While it has reduced the amount of traditional natural resources (fossil fuels), used to generate power like coal, wood, and oil, nuclear generating plants have become anachronisms. Maintaining them and keeping them safe has become a problem of immense proportion. As the plants age and other technology becomes available, what to do with these â€Å"eyesores† is a consuming issue for many government agencies and environmental groups. No one knows what to do about the problem and in many areas of the world, another nuclear meltdown is an accident waiting to happen. Despite a vast array of safety measures, a break in reactor pipe or a leak in a containment vessel, could spell another environmental disaster for t he world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to the potential dangers of accidents in generating stations, nuclear waste is a continuing problem that is growing exponentially. Nuclear waste can remain radioactive for about 600 years and disposing these wastes or storing them is an immense problem. Everyone wants the energy generated by power plants, but no one wants to take responsibility for the waste. Thus far, it is stored deep in the earth, but these storage areas are potentially dangerous and will eventually run out. Some have suggested sending the waste into space, but no one is sure of the repercussions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nuclear power plants should be dismantled and replaced with safer energy generating sources.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Marketing Management Week 5

Strategic planning at the corporate level involves the formulation of strategies to achieve the corporate goals and objectives. Corporate goals and objectives are the specific goals or objectives that the company is striving to achieve to fulfill the corporate mission and vision. Examples of corporate strategies include product differentiation strategy which is employed by a company when the product or service launched to the market is something that does not exist yet in the market. At the division level, strategic planning involves the formulation of strategies to attain the divisional objectives and goals of the company. The company may be divided into functional divisions (marketing, finance, production, and human resource) which have functional goals and objectives. To reach these goals and objectives, the company devises strategic plans for each functional division. For instance, the company might have decided to use the just-in-time production strategy to attain the goal of reduced storage cost. Finally, strategic planning at the business unit level involves the formulation of strategies to achieve the goals or objectives of the strategic business units (SBUs). If the structure of the company is divided into product SBUs, for example, then as part of the strategic planning, the product SBU goals and objectives should be attained. Product SBU strategies may include promotional strategies to achieve product SBU goals like 100 percent increase in profit of a certain product line. (2) The marketing process involves conducting a situational analysis by considering the internal and external environment to determine the opportunities and threats the company may face. It also involves formulation of strategy by using the company’s strengths to exploit the opportunities and minimize threats and improve weaknesses (SWOT analysis). This would be followed by marketing mix decisions concerning the four P’s of marketing (product, place, promotion, and price). Finally, the marketing plan is implemented and adjusted in accordance to changes in consumer preferences. (3) A marketing plan includes a situational analysis to investigate the internal and external environment of the company. This involves conducting a company analysis where the goals and current capabilities (strengths and weaknesses) of the company are identified. This is followed by the presentation of market segmentation which involves identifying your market and how they can be divided into different groups of customers (segments). Through market segmentation, the company would be able to customize its approach to different market segments in order to satisfy the needs or preferences of each market segment. A marketing plan also includes a discussion of alternative marketing strategies. This part discusses the marketing strategies the company considered to employ before deciding to pursue the recommended strategy. Examples of alternatives marketing strategies include re-branding and discontinuing a product line. Finally, the marketing strategies for each of the four P’s of marketing (product, place, promotion, and price strategies) are discussed. (4) A thorough market research is imperative to effectively manage the marketing process the central focus of which is the market needs and preferences. Since the ultimate goal of the marketing process is to satisfy the needs and wants of the customers in order to maximize profit, a company needs to learn about all the details concerning its target market. Hence, the company has to conduct a market research on what would satisfy the customer’s needs and preferences. In this way, the company would be able to successfully manage the marketing process. This would also ensure that there is an existing market for the product. Â  An effective implementation of the marketing process would prevent the company from having financial losses due to bad investments. References Netmba.com (2007). The marketing process. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http://www.netmba.com/marketing/process/ Quickmba.com (2007). Marketing plan outline. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/plan/ Â  

Friday, November 8, 2019

Exploding Balloons Science Project

Exploding Balloons Science Project Im sure you are well aware you can fill a balloon with a flammable gas, ignite it and cause it to explode. How about something a little less dangerous? Heres a quick and easy project you can try that allows you to produce a fireball, without a whole lot of risk to yourself, others or property. Heres what you do: Exploding Balloon Materials You will need small balloons and one or more of the following powders: CornstarchNon-dairy creamerPowdered sugarPowdered milkLycopodium powder There are other powders that will work, but these are non-toxic and not ordinarily flammable. Make Exploding Balloons Add about a teaspoon of any of these powders to your balloon. If you have a small funnel, that will greatly simplify things. Otherwise, crease a sheet of paper and use it to deliver the powder into the balloon.Blow up the balloon and tie it off. You can do this the old-fashioned way or you can use compressed air. If you are a daredevil you can use oxygen or hydrogen, but that defeats the purpose of my nice safe project.Place the balloon some distance away from you and use a lighter or candle on a meter stick to pop it and ignite the powder. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

3 Tips for Staying Focused at Work During the Holidays

3 Tips for Staying Focused at Work During the Holidays Don’t let your holiday shopping, budgeting, travel-planning- or the weather!- get the better of you this season. Stay focused on wrapping up your year and gearing up for 2017. 1. Deflect the interruptionsThe holidays are always extra distracting. Prepare yourself for the inevitable onslaught and don’t let yourself give in. Instead, use the interruptions to structure your day. Online shopping session? Office cookie break? Set these as deadlines for you to work toward and remain diligent  until its time for your break.2. Look for the right projectsEveryone’s schedules are erratic during the holidays. If you’re stuck working when everyone else is out of office, use the peace and quiet to get work done on your pet projects and big picture tasks. And don’t forget that holiday parties and lingering team lunches can be a great networking opportunity, rather than a waste of time.3. Don’t take it homeStaying focused at the desk means you don’ t have to stay late to get ahead or be on your email 24/7. Make sure to save your off-work hours for all of those distractions you’ve been fending off so successfully. Save time for your shopping and traveling and package-mailing and savor it. Guard it, even. And if you’re worried about getting those things done, schedule them as though they were after-hours meetings.Being mindful about distractions and staying focused will make you more relaxed throughout the holiday season. You’ll probably find you’re way ahead of the game once the fun is over and everybody’s back at work.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other Article

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other disciplines - Article Example The field of Information System is dependent on knowledge and information concerning a world made up of physical systems, designed artifacts and human behavior (Gregory and Dennis, 2005, p.3). However, it is essential to ensure that only relevant knowledge is theorized, and in an integrated manner. Ideas may be retrieved from diverse disciplines; however this has to be done with an aim of focusing on the nature of information system and its uniqueness. A theory, according to Merriam-Webster (2004), can be said to be a hypothesis that is developed for the sake of an investigation. A discipline, on the other hand, may be referred to as a branch of learning or institution. This, however, does not mean that the disciplines are confined to only their areas of study. This supposition therefore means that Information Systems is by nature â€Å"single†. This, however, is not the case as Information System is regarded as â€Å"pluralistic† field. This is because it draws its kno wledge from other, different and more reputable disciplines. Some form of control should be established in each field to avoid cases where there’s no agreed upon area of teaching, practice or research. Such a case would result in incoherence and, low status for the discipline. A balance should be established to avoid total control or general incoherence of the discipline. Scoping Information System Applications in IT are now revolutionizing the way in which firms conduct their daily operations. Such changes have allowed researchers to contribute significantly towards helping the organizations to embrace thes changes. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states that, the advances and changes in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are revolutionizing economic activities just like electricity, steam engine or the railways in the past (OECD, 2001). The progress made in computer technologies has today led to the rise of diverse areas of appli cation. This has, therefore, contributed to an increase in the role of IS while expanding its scope. This makes ICT technologies present in numerous and diverse areas such as governments, health sector, etc. According to Avison and Fitzgerald (2003, p. xi), information systems are â€Å"†¦ the effective design, delivery, use and impact of information technology in the organizations and society†. This definition touches on one of the significant aspects of IS, that is the creation of IT applications. It also identifies the fact that a broader attention rather than just technology applies in ICT applications. IS discipline has moved from it technology centered focus to other areas that include management, technology, social and organization. Information System is not entirely about technology nor is it a management field like put by Webster and Watson (2002). Information system is distinguishable from these disciplines due to the incorporation of artifacts in machine-human systems. According to Lee: â€Å"Research in the information systems field examines more than just the technological system, or just the social system, or even the two side by side; in addition, it investigates the phenomena that emerge when the two interact.† (2001, p. iii) This, therefore, goes to show that information system is the discipline that combines the knowledge of humans with that of physical objects. One can draw relations between Information System

Friday, November 1, 2019

Professional Articles Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Professional Articles Review - Essay Example Journal Of Science Teacher Education, 21(2), 161-179. Doi: 10.1007/s10972-009-9161-8.758540. Mizrap, B. (2013). Teaching science through play in kindergarten: does integrated play and science instruction build understanding? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. Vol. 21, No. 2, 226–249, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2013.789195. The Effects of Kindergarten Experiences on Childrens Elementary Science Achievement educational policymakers struggle to form a curriculum that could help utilize the maximum potential of every child. It is apparent that the policymakers try to understand when and what should be done to enhance the cognitive growth in every child. The article The Effects of Kindergarten Experiences on Children’s Elementary Science Achievement presents answers to these issues obtained through statistical analysis of sample data consisting of 4,490 kindergarten children. The research conducted a quantitative analysis using the idea that there is a powerful connection between early childhood education and children intellectual development (Kumtepe, Kaya & Kumtepe, 2009, p. 978). Similarly, the authors talked about a study of student teachers attitudes that teaches science during preschool teacher education and how that influences them and affects their visions of the teacher’s role and th eir positions in science teaching. Furthermore, the author believes that a teacher’s role and attitudes toward science and science teaching will affect preschool teacher’s behavior and confidence in the training teacher program. In the article ‘‘Science Talks’’ in Kindergarten Classrooms: Improving Classroom Practice Through Collaborative Action Research, this article explores the importance of assimilating science talks in Kindergarten classrooms as a contemporary teaching technique of centralized learning. Sarah, a Kindergarten teacher, demonstrates the importance of science talks in promoting learning of science. Integrating