Reading summaries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading summaries - Assignment Example This article has been authored by Rodrik and in this article the researcher states that policy reforms are not the only tools that can help a developing nation in increasing development. The author states that in order for policies to take effect, institutions that are in the backdrop are ill structured and thus any policy can only have a long lasting effect if the institutions are solid in nature. The author states that various policies such as the policy of trade liberalization cannot work effectively if there is lack of fiscal institutions and similarly if there is lack of a proper capital market then funds will not be allocated to those areas that need to be expanded (Rodrik 978). This is a discussion paper authored by Finn Tarp and in this paper the author argues that it is not necessary that foreign aid only works in those countries where good policies have been implemented. This is because Tarp believes that impact of foreign trade should not assessed in connection with good or bad policies because the policies that might be good might provide misleading information because it is not necessary that in developing nations there are institutions that are implementing these policies properly. In this article the researcher, Ravallion, identifies a new way of doing economics as identified by Banerjee as well as Duflo and according to this new way, decisions regarding economy should be based on randomized control trials or tests. The author states that performing randomized tests in order to conduct research related to economics is not new but these tests have provided surprising results. These tests are considered as important in order to identify causal relationship between different economic variables because these tests are easy to conduct as well as easy to explain. Another reason of these tests being good to perform causal study is that the

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example One of the noted weaknesses of Apple is its poor relationship with the market than Microsoft (Iftikhar, 2013). This means that for many years, Apple has the consensus of specifying its own standards, rather than the standards of customers. This could mean more of a production-centred management strategy of products, rather than market or customer-centred approach. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that Apple will take seriously the necessity of ensuring the voices of the customers are constantly heard in its production setting. On the other hand, Iftikhar noted that the products of Apple have very short life cycle, implying that constant maintenance of the research and development department has to be initiated. This prevailing management system has to be changed for good. Thus, the research and development department has to be dynamic, but on the other side, should also be one of the most expensive departments at Apple. Thus, it is necessary to ensure huge capital for this reason. The management therefore, in order to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage should further double its effort in research and development, primarily for the associated expenses of its actual operation. This is to suggest that point that Apple should primarily put the context of adjusting its budget for research and development much more than what is has tried so far from the past until recently. In addition, Apple according to Iftikhar has very low presence in the advertisement. The marketing department should therefore try to improve its strategic approach in communicating its product offerings. This means that in order to ensure a sustainable growth for its offerings and retention in the market, Apple should ensure constant communication and a wide coverage of its message to its market. Finally, Iftikhar also pointed out that Apple has very small market occupation. This issue is one pertaining to organizational

Existentialism vs. Relativism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Existentialism vs. Relativism - Essay Example Existentialists believe that personal choices are unique and do not have to be based on an objective form of truth (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). Relativism serves as the antagonist of absolutism. These are individuals who perceive every situation in life as having two different perspectives and understanding. Relativism personalities believe that the truth or falsity of a concept is relative to the social context from which the idea is generated. Their idea is that what is true for an age group, social class or tribe, might not be true for the same age group, social class and tribe in a different setting. They appreciate that there exists diversity in the norms that are upheld by various societies (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Key Distinctions between Existentialism and Relativism Sartre used existentialism following the World War II as a basis of framing the political and social issues. Camus on the other hand assisted in the popularization of the philosophy, by focusing on personal freedom and individualism. It served as a justification to challenge the regimes at that time and the administrators and citizens embraced the philosophy as a solace to the frustrations they were encountering from domestic and foreign policies between 1960s and 1970s (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). ... Unlike the existentialists who try to understand the events in their life after happening, the relativists expose the events of other people to research and gain knowledge that depict their future events (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Existentialists believe in human free will. They believe that religion, law, society, and ethics do not indentify an individual. They believe that an individual is able to define himself if he violates the norms set by the society and challenges the preset standards. They believe that an individual is at his best when he is struggling against nature and struggling to maintain his life. They are excited by challenges and find pleasure in going against all the preset rules. Existentialists believe that in doing this, they are able to attach meaning to what they believe in and also attach meaning to their life since they just do not follow rules without understanding them (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). However, relativists believe that an individual is defined by the society in which he exists. They believe that rules define the norms of a society and set apart what is right from what is wrong. Besides, they acknowledge the fact that different societies have different rules and regulations and hence respect the diversity that exists in individuals. Relativists do not struggle with life and they believe that life flows with nature and the life of others should be used as a specimen not to make the same mistakes. They have the notion that life should be programmed and should not be haphazard in bid to discover oneself (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Relativists believe in having their own way and they do not have the â€Å"it is my fault† mentality. They have the rationale that what they are experiencing is better placed than what

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example One of the noted weaknesses of Apple is its poor relationship with the market than Microsoft (Iftikhar, 2013). This means that for many years, Apple has the consensus of specifying its own standards, rather than the standards of customers. This could mean more of a production-centred management strategy of products, rather than market or customer-centred approach. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that Apple will take seriously the necessity of ensuring the voices of the customers are constantly heard in its production setting. On the other hand, Iftikhar noted that the products of Apple have very short life cycle, implying that constant maintenance of the research and development department has to be initiated. This prevailing management system has to be changed for good. Thus, the research and development department has to be dynamic, but on the other side, should also be one of the most expensive departments at Apple. Thus, it is necessary to ensure huge capital for this reason. The management therefore, in order to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage should further double its effort in research and development, primarily for the associated expenses of its actual operation. This is to suggest that point that Apple should primarily put the context of adjusting its budget for research and development much more than what is has tried so far from the past until recently. In addition, Apple according to Iftikhar has very low presence in the advertisement. The marketing department should therefore try to improve its strategic approach in communicating its product offerings. This means that in order to ensure a sustainable growth for its offerings and retention in the market, Apple should ensure constant communication and a wide coverage of its message to its market. Finally, Iftikhar also pointed out that Apple has very small market occupation. This issue is one pertaining to organizational

The Impacts of the Politeness Principle on Foreign Language Term Paper

The Impacts of the Politeness Principle on Foreign Language Acquisition, Geoff Leech - Term Paper Example An example of these words is the word conduct. If the stress is placed on the first syllable, conduct means â€Å"behavior.† But if the stress is placed on the second syllable, the word means â€Å"to carry out.† Plural words also cause difficulty on the part of the learner. It is sometimes very difficult to explain to the learner why some words can be made plural by adding -s and why some cannot. For example, words like monkey can be made plural by adding -s. But the rule cannot be applied to the word money. The teacher should pay attention to these idiosyncracies to help the learner have a clear idea of when and how to use an aspect of the language being studied. As a result, the learner is able to proficiently and efficiently make use of the language and avoid being misunderstood or hurting the feelings of the person he or she is talking to. This is where the politeness principle comes in. The politeness principle which was developed by Geoff Leech is a series of max ims which help explain how politeness operates in conversational exchanges. According to Leech, â€Å" politeness are forms of behavior that establish and maintain comity or the ability of participants in a social interaction to engage in interaction in a friendly social atmosphere(Leech, 2005). Leech uses two terms for referring to two kinds of illocutionary acts. He calls representatives â€Å"assertives† and directives â€Å"impositives† (Leech, 2005). The politeness principle is comprised of six maxims. Each maxim has a sub-maxim which has less importance (Leech, 2005). These are used to show that negative politeness or avoidance of discord is more important than positive politeness or seeking discord. Leech says that not all the maxims are equally important. He also says that speakers may adhere to more than one maxim of politeness at the same time. The Tact Maxim Theoretical Application The first of the maxims is the tact maxim. This maxim aims to minimize cost and maximize benefit to another person (Leech, 2005). Examples of the tact maxim are â€Å"Peel these potatoes†, â€Å" Hand me the newspaper†, and â€Å" Could you possibly answer the phone?†. According to Leech, there are two levels of politeness in the tact maxim. Commands like â€Å"Sit down†, â€Å"Get a cup of water†, and â€Å" Close the door† are considered impolite while requests such as â€Å"Please sit down†, â€Å"Could you kindly get me a glass of water†, and â€Å"Won’t you have another drink† are considered polite. Leech explains that indirect illocutions are more polite because they give the person being addressed to an option of whether or not to obey. Reiter explains in her book Linguistic Politeness in Britain and Uruguay: A Contrastive Study of Requests and Apology that â€Å"politeness is a form of social interaction, a form that mediates between the individual and the social† (Reiter, 2000). She also adds that politeness assumes that each society has its own prescriptive social rules for different cultural contexts (Reiter 2000). Trosborg in her book Interlanguage Pragmatics: Requests, Complaints, and Apologies that â€Å"politeness is a pragmatic mechanism in which a variety of structures work together according to the speaker’s attention to achieving smooth communication† (Trosborg, 1995). that Leech also explains that the more indirect

The problem of Gun control in America

The problem of Gun control in America This is an ever growing problem of violence faces Americans. The streets are becoming a battleground where individuals are been beaten for their belongings, women are terrified and viciously attacked and raped, teenage gangsters are shooting it out for a patch of territories to sell their illegal drugs, and innocent children are been caught every day in the crossfire of drive by shootings which end up in seriously injured or die. Society cannot look the other way and ignore the damage that these criminals do to the society, and people must take appropriate actions to try to stop these horrors. This paper will analyze different aspect of this problem the nation is facing. Gun control may be called the acid test of liberalism. All liberals who call or think themselves as the true one must favor stricter gun controls. After all, does the United States of America have the most heavily armed population on the earth? Is the United States of America the worlds most violent people? Surely, these facts must be at least casually connected. Therefore the apparently desperate need to do something about the vast quantity of firearms and firearms abuse is a major concern. Guns are been used in an enormous number of crimes in this country. In other places in the world with stricter gun laws, gun crimes are rare. Many of the firearms or weapons involved in crime are cheap handguns, and sometime called Saturday night specials for which there is no legitimate use or need. The public is deeply concerned on the issue of gun control; anti-gun control activists believe or think that it is each and every Americans individual right to bear arms. The Second Amendment to the Constitution proves that the people have a choice to own weapons. A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, and it is the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Advocates of gun control said that even with multiple gun control laws already in existence, the serious problems are due to firearm misuse each and every day. Furthermore, the controls that have been designed have not been sufficiently effective or progress. Therefore, those who favor gun controllers argue, we need more uniform into the legislation, more extensive gun controls, and effective enforcement. Various pro-gun control organizations argue on methods of gun control needed. For more examples, there are individuals who would ban all weapons as well as those who take a less radical stand and who would simply increase the controls on firearms. The moderate gun control individuals or groups propose measures such as requiring an individual to successfully complete weapons safety course before being allowed to possess a gun or the individuals have to wait for a mandatory period of time before taking possession of a gun. Today, there maybe over more 20,000 different gun control laws in existence, ranging from those enacted by counties and states, and to those enacted by the federal government. When gun control is ineffective and tougher sentencing of criminals or offenders and stricter parole policies should do far more to combat crime. Statistics prove that Canada has less violent than the United States. Fewer weapons are only part of the story. The inner city slums of the United States of America are murderous, and bombed out looking places. When Americans visit Canadas big cities, they often ask where the bad individuals are. The answer usually is, there really arent any slums, because the lack of violence there reflects it. According to the Economist magazine, blacks are 12% of the United States population, and account for 48% of murders, mostly because the inner city blacks are killing one another. Most of these guns were not purchased from retail gun stores. Gun laws will not keep guns out of these ghettos (The Economist, 1993). One of the founding fathers included Second Amendment from the Constitution, because it was made very aware of the fact that there might once again come a time when American citizens would have to fight for their freedom. Of course guns fall in the wrong hands or hands of criminals are harmful. But taking away guns from honest individuals or law abiding citizens do nothing to solve the problem of those who would misuse guns. Criminals will always have guns or find ways to get them, whether we accept it or not. Even in other countries where guns are completely illegal, criminals will simply manufacture or smuggle weapons. The Soviet Army was unable to successfully impose gun control on the small country of Afghanistan. In the United States of America today, criminals import weapons (guns) that law abiding citizens are banned from possessing. What would happen if a nation with guns in every household? The nation is Switzerland. The Swiss does not have to fight a foreign war for over hundreds of years (the last fight in Switzerland was a one month affair in 1847), and their crimes rate is among the lowest in the world. The United States of America can only envy their record. To carry a firearm in the state of California, it requires a permit commonly called Carry Concealed Weapons. CCWs are issued by the discretion of the chief of police of a city of the County, or a sheriff of the County, where the applicants live. As long as the applicants or individuals passes the background check provided by California Department of Justice (DOJ), and a chief of police or a sheriff may issue permit to applicants. In California where Carrying Concealed Weapons permits are obtainable, some studies reveal that the following: when more individuals were armed, the crime rates dropped down proportionally. It is not a surprise that when more citizens are armed there is less crimes. The examples from California and Switzerland were evidence to the fact. Some freedoms have already been lost in this country; can we afford to lose more? With many firearms regulations are now in the books, we do not need more gun control laws. We need to start enforcing the laws that we have now. The government put in place many gun control laws, but some of the laws were made to make the public feel safer. For instance the government has banned some assault rifles, but they were not even used for most gun related crimes. The government passed another law called the Bradey Law. The Bradey Law allows five day wait on the purchase of a handgun so a check can be done on the personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s background. None of these laws seem to decrease the amount of deaths caused by hand guns. The media play part in more laws being applied against guns and ammos. The media also helped to have bullets that may penetrate bulletproof armor get banned, but the bullets were made especially for law enforcement and licensed dealers. All of these laws should be made unconstitutional because it goes against individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ right to bear arms. They should find some other ways to deal with gun related crimes and violence. The United States of America was founded by people who believe that owning guns are to protect what they think is right. The constitution gives everyone the right to bear arms and protect themselves. Laws against guns should be unconstitutional but the laws were made because it is what some individuals want. The ban on assault rifles was in effect in the May of 1994. Many assault style weapons and broad categories encompassing many more semiautomatic firearms were among that were banned. Some weapons were banned, and were only used for three percent of all gun related crimes in 1993. Most of the crimes include murders were committed with handguns. The only reason for making to set these laws was to make the people feel good and safe. The reason for many to wait on obtain is to make sure no criminals or mentally disturbed individuals can buy guns. Did anybody really think that solve any of the problems? Many do not think so. The law prevented about 45 thousand individuals from getting guns. This number does not even compare to the number of deaths caused by guns. If the government really wants to stop the amount of killings, they would have to enforce gun education and enforce stricter punishment on murders. The media continue to play hugh part in gun control. If the news reported something was bad or wrong, people would always take their side and views. Rhino Bullets were banned also because of the media. What many individuals did not hear or understand was that they were for law enforcement officers and licensed dealers only. The bullets were banned because of lack of information. Society is the one who suffers because most people got the wrong image about the Rhino Bullets. When individuals are dealing with the interpretation of the Constitution, there are many views they can take. They can view the Constitution as a living document or in its original understanding. The main understanding that people are guided by is what the Framers of the Constitution had in mind when they created them. The Constitution may also be viewed as a living document, in which the interpretation should be surveyed in light of todays social and politics environments. Bill Clede ideas seem to be guild by the idea of the Constitution being a living document. When the Second Amendment was written, it already had a major impact on this country because state and national governments were unable, and were lacked the power to protect the people. The Amendment gave the power to the people to have guns for protection. As Mr. Clede points out, it was not the intent or purpose of the Amendment to give unlimited rights to the people. Many do not believe that the people are responsible enough to have the unlimited rights they seem to have under the second amendment. Clede stated that does not mean that the government can constitutionally prohibit all weapons, but it probably meant that the government can reasonably regulated and limit their use. Many individuals agreed with Cledes point. The nature of the Constitution is very vague. The second amendment stated that a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of Free States, the right of the individuals to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Constitution never defined or gi ves examples of what a well-regulated militia is or types of weapons deemed reasonable for protection. It should be left to congress, or more importantly the Supreme Court to interrupt this vague language. Many individuals think that the government could reasonable regulate guns, without compromising the second amendment, but like Clede, some believe congress should concentrate more on who is using the guns and not guns themselves. Patrick Henry felt that all of us should preserve our public liberties, and if need be by force. Patrick Henry stated that the great objective is that, every man be armed. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams also had the same views as Patrick Henry that every man should have the right to own weapons (guns) for private self-defense. Our forefathers felt that it was very important for people to bear arms for protection of property, life, or limb. When they created a document that protected these rights, this seems to be evident because to right to bear arms is in the Second Amendment. Once again, this issue must be raised, and the forefathers foresee a time when this freedom that they embraced would not cause such wide-spread crime in the country. Individuals asked how can they maintain their individual rights, and yet get the guns out of the hands of convicted felons, drug addicts, and people who are mentally impaired from owning guns as Clede described. Many self-respect gun owners are i n favor of a waiting period before the purchasing of any type of gun. Clede has clearly taken the stand of some type of tighter control on the sale of weapons, but without touching the Second Amendment. A major problem that has been addressed in Cledes statement is that no matter what changes, the element in this country will always be, any individual be able to obtain guns. Perhaps individuals should take a closer look at the manufacture of guns and why they are manufactured in such abundance when the numbers of guns already surpass the population of this country. Although state and federal laws forbid the ownership of automatic weapons, but they can easily be obtained for the right price, and always to the criminals in our society. These are the problems that should be made aware of, not the outright banning of guns.

Dioxin :: Essays Papers

Dioxin Out to Help, or Out to Hurt? Imagine yourself building a life in a neighborhood that has everything to offer: A playground for the children, a day care center, an elementary school, a hospital, and friendly people. Everything seems to be perfect until you find out that the hospital, noted for helping people overcome illness and other ailments, is in turn causing some of those health problems. This neighborhood is not so ideal anymore. You begin to ask yourself if there was something you could have done, something you should have known, but you just don't have the answers. You are not alone. Thousands of people are learning about the effects of dioxin in their neighborhoods all the time, and there is something everyone can do about it. For starters, pinpointing the source of the problem is essential. In this case, the dioxin is being emitted into the air, water, and soil by way of a hospital incinerator. However, this is not just an argument for the environment, it is an issue of morality as well. It is up to the people to take action and fight for their right to a clean, safe environment. The Cortland Memorial Hospital incinerator is a major producer of dioxin in the Cortland area, as are all hospital incinerators throughout the world (Gibbs 53). The Environmental Protection agency has estimated that roughly 53 percent of all dioxin is cause by medical waste being burned in the hospital incinerators, and most of this is unnecessary (55). Through much research and investigation, it has been discovered that much of this dioxin is coming from the improper disposal of ALL hospital waste. Pam Jenkins, a previous advocate to stop the amount of dioxin being released into the air by Cortland Hospital, shared some of her information with us about the disposal of the waste after it is generated by the hospital. She informed us that materials and products, which can be sent to the landfill, are in actuality, being burned right in the hospital incinerator. The fact that materials such as hospital bedding, IV bags, food waste, metals, plastics, and other hazardous materials a re being burned in the incinerator is affecting the neighborhoods surrounding the hospital because the smoke carries the toxins and deposits them all over. How is dioxin created in these incinerators, and how does it affect community citizens?