Art is Art Essay

What is considered art has been a controversial question for many years in history and today. There are various forms and types of art. Because art is very complex and diverse, it is viewed and conceptualized in many different ways. Nancy G. Heller states even though a type of artwork is hard to understand, it’s considered art, and artwork that people don’t understand shouldn’t be disregarded from other types of art. She feels as though people shouldn’t be intimidated by artwork that’s hard to understand and her main goal is to try to help people feel more comfortable around art they don’t understand. Picasso believes that all art needs to be an original in order to be considerably successful. He states that nature and art are completely different things. Picasso explains that art is a lie that allows us to realize the truth. And finally, John Berger speaks about publicity being a form of art, and how it uses art to manipulate people into buy ing what is publicized. Berger says publicity ads have a way of working because ads focus on the future, which people are attracted to more than the present. Each of these authors have different opinions on how art is viewed and conceived, however they unite from similar points in their views. All art is art, and shouldn’t be dismissed. In â€Å"’Statement to Marius De Zayas,’ 1923,† Picasso states that art has to convince people of its truthfulness. In his article, Picasso defends the art of cubism.—because cubism, like many other types of art, is not understood yet by most people. However, cubism isn’t any different from a type of art someone likes and understands—it shares the same principles or elements as any/ all other types of art. Picasso elaborates on his claims by giving the reader an example of him reading an English book. He says that reading a book doesn’t make sense to him, yet it doesn’t mean that the English language doesn’t exist. He states that no one should be responsible for him not being able to understand what he doesn’t know much about. Picasso believes that an individual shouldn’t say a type of art isn’t art only because they don’t understand it. The individual should, instead, try to understand it, and if he/ she still doesn’t consider it to be an art, the individual should claim to just dislike that specific type of art. Picasso and Heller both agree that art is art and that it shouldn’t be questioned. Nancy G. Heller’s book, â€Å"Why a Painting is Like a Pizza: a Guide to Understanding and Enjoying  Modern Art† starts with the author’s experience making a pizza in Texas. From her experience, she concluded that painting is like a pizza. Just as many people have a variety of taste in pizza that they prefer, when people look at art, they have certain preferences in art as well. Some people usually completely dismiss certain groups of art, saying its not art at all. Heller defends artists who are victims of these cruel remarks by saying, â€Å"anything anyone says is art should be in fact be regarded as art† (Heller 10). All art should not only be regarded as art, but art also is a lie that uncovers the truth. In Heller’s article, one of her examples shows Rosa Bonheur’s painting â€Å"’The Horse Fair’ (1853).† This painting is very realistic like a photograph. On the contrary, the painting is just very convincing. Bonheur’s painting of the galloping horses lie to the viewer, because the horses aren’t actually galloping in front of the viewer. However, it helps the viewer recognize the truth from the artist’s lies. All art lies, which help the viewer, uncover the truth. Nature and art aren’t the same. Only something real can be natural. Picasso agrees with Heller by saying, â€Å"nature and art, being two different things, cannot be the same thing. Through art, we express our conception of what nature is not† (Picasso par. 5). Picasso states that art needs to be an original idea—otherwise it is useless. An artwork being orig inal allows the viewer to notice the truth. He suggests that art isn’t actually what the artwork portrays. â€Å"Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth† (Picasso par. 3). Although paintings aren’t real, it can symbolize something that is real. In â€Å"Ways of Seeing† by John Berger, the author talks about all art (publicity ads or paintings) must be convincing to the viewer. â€Å"Publicity begins by working on a natural appetite for pleasure. But it cannot offer the real object of pleasure and there is no convincing substituted for pleasure in that pleasure’s own terms. The more convincingly publicity conveys the pleasure of bathing in a warm, distant sea, the more the spectator-buyer will become aware that he is hundreds of miles away from that sea and the more remote the chance of bathing in it will seem to him† (Berger 132). The author gives an example of how publicity ads work by suggesting if a publicity ad was to show the pleasures of bathing in a warm  and distant sea, the viewer (or buyer) will realize that he is many miles away from the sea that the ad is portraying, and the chance of bathing in that sea will seem far to him. If the viewers aren’t convinced from art, whether it’s a publicity ad or a painting, that artwork is not successful. If a viewer thinks that the representation of whatever the ad is trying to sell is intangible, the viewer will be less convinced. John Berger and Picasso share the same beliefs that art should live in the present. Since there is constant exposure of publicity ads, Berger believes that ads live in the present. Publicity ads are located almost anywhere in this world. From magazines and TVs to buses and billboards, ads are everywhere. Publicity ads are not only constantly around a person’s surroundings, but also are always updated and/ or renewed. Although Berger talks about publicity ads living in the moment, they never represent the present time. Picasso similarly states, if a painting is looked at and appreciated by the viewer, it’s alive, living in the present. Picasso’s work has been echoed in his own idea. All of his work â€Å"was made for the present and with the hope that it will always remain in the present† (Picasso par. 11). Picasso gives an example of the Greek and Egyptian art. He proclaims that Greek and Egyptian art is more alive today than it was when the artwork as cre ated. People are intrigued about how the artwork was made back then, and that alone keeps the early Greek and Egyptian artwork alive in the present. All authors have common beliefs on how art should be viewed and conceived. Art is art and it shouldn’t be questioned. If art is hard to understand, it shouldn’t be dismissed as not art†¦ it should categorized as a type of art an individual dislikes. Furthermore, paintings don’t tell the truth; however it is filled with lies that help an individual recognize the truth through the painting being convincing. And lastly, an artwork lives in the present time—even if the artwork was made in the past. Work Cited Berger, John. Ways Of Seeing. London: Penguin Book, 1977. Print. Heller, Nancy G. Why a Painting is Like a Pizza: a Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002. Print. Picasso, Pablo. â€Å"Statement to Marius de Zayas.† The Arts. NY, May 1923. Translation approved by Picasso. Web. 18 September 2012. .

Brief Gonzales V. Raich

The case entitled ALBERTO R. GONZALES, ATTORNEYT GENERAL, et al. , PETITIONERS v. ANGEL McCLARY RAICH et al had the case no 03 – 1454. This was a case filed in the United States of America Supreme Court. The case was formerly known as the Ashcroft v. Raich. Substantive Facts The respondents, before the case was filed were growing and consuming cannabis. This is in accordance with the fact that they use the marijuana for medical purpose.The growing and consumption activities were authorized by the state of California; the Controlled Substances Act of the federal government had confiscated the medicines and drugs that were derived from the marijuana plants. Because of the confiscation of the drugs that were from marijuana, the respondents had posted a claim that the infliction of the CSA against them is a violation in the Commerce Clause. The inflictions also had violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment including the 9th and 10th amendments.Medical necessity is als o claimed to be violated with the inflictions of the Controlled Substance Act (AudioCaseFiles, 2007). It was noted that California is a state wherein the use of marijuana for medical purpose is allowed. Without the drugs derived from marijuana, there would be so much pain experienced by the patients and death could result from those pains. Procedural History Angel Raich together with her companions in the field of medicine had sued the government because of the interference done by the federal government to their endeavor of using marijuana for medical purposes.Their claim is that the federal government had violated the constitution since it is constitutionally right to use marijuana for it (marijuana) was permitted to be used within the premises of the California State. Moreover, the claim included that the marijuana used by the California’s Medical co-ops are not in the name of commerce, nor did they bought the drugs from other states. Thus, the resources used for growing t he marijuana plants were only obtained within the premises of the State of California.Another claim from the Angel Raich was that she had used marijuana to prevent herself from dying because her doctor had claimed that she has allergies to the medicines she was prescribed. The federal government on the other hand claims that it was written in the Controlled Substances Act that it does not permit the legal use of marijuana in terms of medical purposes. Moreover, when the California State will not cease in using marijuana, it would be unfair for the other states not to also use marijuana for medical purpose.Their claim is not to permit exemption in using marijuana as stated in the US Federal Law. Broad and Narrow Holdings There is a general rule in the Constitution of the United States of America that the constitution is not allowing or permitting police powers to be carried by the federal government. But it was also stated in a clause in the US Constitution that it the federal govern ment will have this limited power in terms of commerce regulation in other countries and within the several states of the country. The clause that had given a limited power to the federal government is the Commerce Clause.As written in the history of the Commerce Clause, the federal government did only a very little interference with the activities done in the states of the country. The case of Angel Raich is quite simple not like the several cases filed in the Cumpreme Court of the United States. It was very clear that there was no commerce that had undergone in the course of the marijuana usage by the California Medical Co-op. All the activities done by the Raich and company had been within the California State and it was clear that the drugs were purely used for treating illness and diseases, specifically used also by Raich (Guither, 2007).Doctrinal and Policy Reasoning The case of Wickward v. Filburn which is related to the wheat production was used t ocompare the Raich’s case. In the wheat production case which was also commerce related case, the farmers are regulate the production of wheat in order to have a control in the volume of wheat that is transported within the states of the country. Filburn had a process did not violate the law because he only sold a portion of his wheat and other wheat produced was used for home consumption and other purposes. Filburn had lost the case considering the unsold portion of the wheat (Guither, 2007).Miscellaneous Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who presented a dissent of the GONZALES V. RAICH case started her statement by citing come of the relevant issues that are related to the case. She had stated the action done by the Commerce Clause authority was related to the Federalism issue among the states. Federalism is the one which encourage innovation if the state of California had agreed to be the laboratory of the entire country and will have the role of doing and performing experiments and studies which would no t affect the country.It is a federal crime according to Justice O’Connor to grow marijuana in your backyard and use it for medical purposes but if the state of California was considered to be a laboratory, then the use of marijuana (for medical purposes) is not a question (Cornell University Law School, 2007). Justice Clarence Thomas had also written a separate dissent of the case. He mentioned that the cultivation as well as consumption of marijuana done by the respondents is not included running in the commerce industry since there was no production for marketing done nor the respondents had bought materials for the cultivation.Thus, there was no strong evidence that the respondents had violated the Commerce Clause or even any law that was listed in the Constitution. The federal government in return should not have prohibited such activities (Cornell University Law School, 2007). Literature Cited: AudioCaseFiles. (2007). Gonzales v. Raich. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://www. audiocasefiles. com/cases/detail/case/8834/ Cornell University Law School (2007). Supreme Court Colloection; GONZALES V. RAICH (03-1454) 545 U. S. 1 (2005) 352 F. 3d 1222, vacated and remanded. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://www.law. cornell. edu/supct/html/03-1454. ZD1. html Cornell University Law School (2007). Supreme Court Colloection; GONZALES V. RAICH (03-1454) 545 U. S. 1 (2005) 352 F. 3d 1222, vacated and remanded. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/03-1454. ZD. html Curtis, Parker, Douglas, Finkleman (2007). Constitutional Law in Context. Volume 1. Second Edition. Guither, Pete. (2007). Raich v. Ashcroft – A Guide to the Supreme Court Case. Drug Warrant. com. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://blogs. salon. com/0002762/stories/2004/11/23/raichVAshcroftAGuideToTheS. html

Is black cohosh a safe and effective substitute for hormone Article

Is black cohosh a safe and effective substitute for hormone replacement therapy - Article Example She tries to evaluate if black cohosh is an effective and safe substitute for hormone replacement therapy. According to the facts presented in the editorial, it is rather palpable that approximately 85% of women in the world experience night sweats and hot flashes, which are closely associated with menopause. These symptoms are triggered by the hormones in the body of the individual. Research asserts that black cohosh is a herb that is used to deal with vasomotor symptoms as a substitute for the hormone replacement therapy. The herb is widely used in the United States and Europe (Becker, Letham & Stoehr, 2009). However, black cohosh has numerous side effects to the women. As stated above, there are several inconsistencies that have been associated with the use of black cohosh. Some of these discrepancies are related to the dosing and side effects of the drug. Some of the complications that are able to result from the use of black cohosh include hepatitis, muscle damage and liver failure among other conditions. Several experts have critically evaluated the efficacy of the black cohosh for the vasomotor symptoms (Becker, Letham & Stoehr, 2009). In the clinical trials, there were several adverse effects of the drug to the

The interaction of individual agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The interaction of individual agency - Essay Example The structure of tennis (tournaments) consists of the four Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, the French Open, the US open And the Wimbledon, and the Davis Cup (for men) and the Fed Cup (women). (University of Texas: Introduction to Tennis - website) The Agencies in the game of tennis are the governing bodies, the clubs and educational institutions where tennis is encouraged and played and also advertising sponsors and media, which have a marked influence on the fortunes of the game. The individuals involved in the game are the players, the coaches, the members of administrative bodies that govern the game, its patrons, the persons in decision-making positions in educational institutions, companies that sponsor the game and in the media; and most important of all — the individuals that comprise the audience. How is the role of a tennis coach affected by the interactions among its various agencies, and those between the agencies and the overall structure of th e game? I propose to look at the question mainly from my own experience as a tennis coach for the past fourteen years, and shall also refer to the findings of a research study done for the Scottish Sports Council (Lyle, Allison & Taylor 1997) Individuals are attracted to coaching to prolong an involvement with the game and to help others —mostly younger persons — and to a limited extent, the top performers in the game (those who coach top performers are less in number.) Wanting to put something back into the sport motivates many to become coaches. Although in most sports financial reward is not a motivating factor for taking up coaching, in tennis this reason seems to be of greater importance, with 38% of the respondents stating this.

A Report on Quantum Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Report on Quantum Computing - Research Paper Example This report outlines an overview of the quantum computing, which is a significant area of modern research. It is aimed at developing computer based tools and machines based on the rules and regulations of quantum theory. Additionally, the quantum theory refers to the performance and environment of material and energy on the quantum, both at the atomic and subatomic level. It is an admitted fact that the quantum computing is not a new idea as it was first emerged in the 1970s. It is an admitted fact that the quantum computing is not a new idea as it was first emerged in the 1970s. In addition, the quantum computing is completely based on the ideas of quantum physics. For example, it uses the properties of atoms offered by definite quantum physics theories to allow them to get together in the form of quantum bits, which can be used for computer's processing (Stewart; Pawliw; Webopedia). This report explains the role and importance of quantum computing in modern day information technolo gy. An Overview of Quantum Computing A quantum computer is a next generation computer that is designed on the basis of laws of quantum physics to boost the overall traditional computational power beyond what is possible through traditional computing machines. Though, the quantum computers have been developed on a small level however a lot of research work is under progress to improve and upgrade them to more realistic models (Jones). Working of a Quantum Computer A quantum computer is a system that ties together the control of atoms as well as molecules to carry out memory related and processing functionalities. A quantum computer stores data and information in form of quantum superposition of the 2 working states (either 1 or 0). These bits are known as the qubits. However, Qubits offer a great deal additional flexibility as compared to the traditional binary computing system. In fact, a quantum computer is capable of carrying out computations on a far superior level of scale as co mpared to customary working systems. In addition, these systems can be used to break and detect complex cryptography and encryption codes. In this scenario, there can be a serious danger with practical quantum computers because they can destroy the world's economic system by detecting secret codes of computers (Jones; Pawliw). Classical Computing and Quantum Computing: A Comparison Classical computing works on the principles of Boolean algebra on the other hand; quantum computers are based on a 7-mode logic gate standard. These systems use two binary states, either 0/false/off or 1/on/true. With these combinations the overall working of traditional computer is performed. On the other hand Quantum computer can operate with a 2 mode logic gate: XOR and a working mode that is known as QO1. Additionally, these computers have the capability to transform 0 into a superposition of 1 and 0. In addition, in a quantum computer, a number of elemental units for example photons or electrons are used (actually, the accomplishment has also been attained with ions), through either their polarization or charge performing like an illustration of 1 or 0. In this scenario, each particle is recognized as a qubit (quantum bit). The nature and behavior of these qubit particles forms the foundation of next generation quantum computing (TechTarget). Quantum Computers Today It is expected that after some years quantum computers will replace traditional silicon chips as in the past transistors replaced the traditional vacuum tube. However, till now, the technology necessary to build up similar quantum computer is beyond our reach. In this scenario, the majority of research works in quantum computing are yet extremely theoretical. In fact, the majority of high level quantum computers have not moved further than manipulating more than seven

500 to 700 words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

500 to 700 words - Essay Example The project being undertaken by BP Solar Australia is specifically focused on poverty reduction and improvement of the wellbeing of people through development of packaged solar systems in the communities which can be harnessed as the enabling technology that can be used to meet various needs of the local people. The project is mainly concerned with inculcating a sense of asset management as a way of promoting the sense of belonging which encourages development initiatives being undertaken in the local communities. The success of the project is mainly determined by the involvement of the members of the local communities. The main aim of the project is improvement the wellbeing of the local members of the Philippines communities that were underprivileged through provision of facilities that were lacking such as electricity. It is also aimed at developing and supporting a culture of asset management among the community members as a way of establishing a sense of belonging. This is an attempt to make them part of the ongoing project initiative. The scope of the analysis is to establish the assertion that project development in infrastructure in previously disadvantaged communities is one way of stimulating social and economic growth while at the same time alleviating poverty among the members of the affected areas. A stakeholder is an individual or group that is directly or indirectly affected by activities of a certain project or can be any entity with a conceivable interest or stake in a project. BP Solar Australia is the major stakeholder which coordinates the project. The Australian government is also a stakeholder as it is responsible for providing financial assistance through grants and loans. The Philippines government is a stakeholder responsible for authorising the project. The local community members are stakeholders who are both part of the project and are

Knowledge Management in Accenture 1992 - January 2001 Essay

Knowledge Management in Accenture 1992 - January 2001 - Essay Example In the case of Accenture, the various issues related to the daily organizational activity have to be analyzed in order to identify the facts that have caused delays to the firm’s development in the long term. For this reason, the identification of the firm’s key managerial practices is necessary in order to understand the structure and the ethics of the firm’s administration and design the appropriate plans for the development of organizational performance. In order to identify the problems related with a firm’s performance within the international market, it is necessary primarily to describe the organizational environment referring to the key achievements of the firm both in its market and internationally. Accenture is a leading firm in the management consultancy and IT sector with approximately 75,000 employees worldwide. In August 2001 the firm ‘entered’ the New York Stock Exchange. The firm’s knowledge management (KM) department has just a few top executives and follows its own strategic plans. The structure of the operational activities has been proved quite important for the development of the firm up to now. Through the years, the firm’s structure has been reviewed and updated in order to meet the requirements of the market and the demands of customers around the world. For the future, it is necessary the Accenture will review its organizational practices and proceed to any requested change in o rder to meet the challenges set by its competitors within the international market. The current paper focuses on the strategic performance of Accenture (or ACN as it is known within the New York Stock Exchange) from 1992 up to 2001. The firm’s organizational structure for the above period will be examined and analyzed; appropriate recommendations will be then suggested trying to present a framework that could lead to the improvement of the firm’s performance for the above mentioned period.  Ã‚  

Interpretation of the Enron Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interpretation of the Enron Story - Essay Example Considering the unpredictable circumstances and calculated risks, Enron was successful on paper. This was reflected in the financial reports suggesting the extent of growth in the financial capability of the company. Specifically, the level of stocks reported by the company has skyrocketed. The information provided by the Enron 10-K annual report suggests that it was only in 1997 that the company experience a decline. The growth, however, can overcome such deficit. The best years of the company was observed from 1998 to 2000. Based on the information, the stock performance of Enron illustrated a positive growth of 37%, 56%, and 87% positive growth during the years mentioned in succession. Positive growth was also recorded from 1993-1995 which showed increase in stock ranging from 5%-25% (Healy and Palepu, 2003). The growth in stock is generally perceived as an advantage for the company. Increasing the stocks means that more investors become willing to invest in Enron. This will improve the financial resources of the company because the market capital also expands. Accordingly, this performance was fuelled by the intricate schemes of Enron in managing its operations. By 1995 accountants at Arthur Andersen knew Enron was a high-risk client who pushed them to do things they weren't comfortable doing. James Hecker wrote a parody to that effect in 1995. Discuss and analyze this parody and how it applies to Enron Accounting and Arthur Anderson. James Hecker was a partner of Enron based in Houston. Hecker became known for the parody of the Eagle's song Hotel California. Hecker made an analogy of the song as the likely situation that is observed between Andersen and Enron. Although the parody was written in 1995, it became an immediate source of reasoning for investigating Andersen for the Enron debacle. It has to be noted that Hecker also testified against Andersen further strengthening the evidences against the trouble auditing firm. According to Hecker, Andersen had knowledge on the nature of Enron's operations. The company even branded Enron as a high risked firm that is willing to do all means required to achieve its goals. Moreover, Hecker described the relationship of the Andersen employees to Enron. In the exact words, Hecker said: "Managers in the doorway, thinking out of the box. And I was thinking to myself, I'll bust by butt and then I'll bust my rocks (Schepp, 2002)." This satire showed how generously the employees of Andersen working for Enron were compensated and provided with great incentives. Moreover, Hecker described Enron as a lovely face and a fragile place. Basically, Hecker has knowledge on the true status of the company. Physically, Enron appears to be growing as it's financial reports suggest growth. On the other hand, Hecker had a premonition that the company was troubled inside. Hecker even mentioned in the satire that the managers will soon bring their alibis to court. Precisely, Hecker highlighted the events that will happen years later. Enron's malfeasance led to the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Please briefly describe the law and discuss its implications. Do you think it will eliminate future "Enron Like" scandals As U.S. witnessed the biggest corporate downfall in Enron, several policy makers have exerted efforts to prevent such from happening again. In response to the situation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed to emphasise management accountability. The Act

Critically evaluate the current political and technological drivers Essay

Critically evaluate the current political and technological drivers associated with mitigating CO2 emissions in the UK - Essay Example 78). The carbon dioxide emissions in UK take various forms. These include emissions relating to the production of goods and services produced by the various businesses, emissions from household generation through private motoring and heating, and the emission related to imported goods and services. The carbon dioxide emission reached the peak in 2004, after which it has fallen considerably. Emissions from agriculture and food services have decreased. Some key products groups that have shown an increase in carbon dioxide emissions include the warehousing and imputed rent services, fabricated metal products and the publishing services. The increased emissions from goods and services is related to the increased rate of spending offset by carbon efficiency during production and the shift to low carbon intensive products (Dixon & Bahleda 2008, p. 56). Over the period, the household emissions associated with imports, either for individual consumptions or businesses contribute considerably to the increased carbon dioxide emission in UK. However, the direct absolute emission from the household consumption is relatively constant, with emissions from heating fluctuating depending on the severity of winter. The private motoring increases the level of carbon dioxide emissions due to increased travel by motor cars, which has been offset by the introduction of highly fuel efficient vehicles (Edmunds & Wise 2011, p.90). The emission of carbon dioxide in UK has shown tremendous decrease due to the displacement of coal, which is the main source of carbon emission, with other fuels like electricity and nuclear power. However, there has been annual variation in the level of carbon dioxide emission since 1990s, with no defined upward or downward trend. In 2006, the emission from energy supply was the highest followed by emissions from road transport. Emission from business and household emissions formed the lowest percentage. The emissions from the

The Stone Angel Plot Summary Essay Example for Free

The Stone Angel Plot Summary Essay Hagar Shipley is an older woman who lives in western Canada with her son and his wife, Marvin and Doris.She starts to recall her life in Manawaka where she spent her childhood with family and friends. While the plot returns to present, her son Marvin and his wife Doris are trying to persuade Hagar selling their house and buying a smaller one. The proposal has been intensely rejected by Hagar, because she believes that the house is hers.Then, plot moves to the interview with the minister, Mr. Troy, however Hagar does not spend much time with him because she was suffering rib pain. Plot returns to her childhood while the interview finished, she recollects the memory while she backed to Manawaka from a young ladies academy in Toronto. She had conflict with her father when deciding her future because her father wanted Hagar to work with his company but Hagar wanted to become a school teacher.Finally, Hagar stayed in his father’s company as an accountant.At a dance, Hagar met Brampton Shipley who married with her. As a result, Hagar’s father removed the Hagar’s name from his will because of her marriage. Back to present, Hagar found out the information about the nursing house on newspaper and discovered that Marvin and Doris are planning to send her to there. Hagar was refractory while Marvin and Doris drove her to visit the nursing house. In there, Hagar recalled Bram’s business which is raising horses and Marvin’s birth. After visiting the nursing house, Hagar had a physical examination. As a result, the doctor suggested her to live in nursing house so that she can get better care. However, Hagar resisted the suggestion and still lived in her house. One day, Marvin tells Hagar that he booked a spot at nursing house so that Hagar has to move to there on Monday. Hagar was afraid and anger, therefore she planning to use her annuity for fleeing. At that time Hagar recalls the decision while she leaves Bram. Back to present, Hagar went to a place named Shadow Point alone and found an obsoleting house near to cannery. In the obsoleting house, she recalls her life when she w as a housekeeper for Mr.Oatley. Also she reminds the time when she went back to Manawaka because of the Great Depression, Bram was sick at that time and John who is second son of Hager took care of Bram until he passed away. Back to present, Hagar saw two children playing on the sand that makes her recalls the death of John and Arlene. In a night, Hagar encounters a man named Murray in the obsoleting house. Murray left in the morning next day but he returned to find Hagar with Marvin and Doris. Marvin and Doris sent her to hospital. She does not like the ward because they are many patients in the room that makes her no privacy. Finally, Hager has been moved to a private room, shares with another girl. Mr. Tory, Doris, the grandson Steven and Marvin visits her successively. The story ends while Hagar holds a glass of water and ready to drink.

Strategies for Managing Diversity and Cross-Cultural Issues

Strategies for Managing Diversity and Cross-Cultural Issues In the current business world, where time and distance are not barriers, organizations run their operations across the globe crossing the boundaries by bypassing the limitations. The working environment of such organization is diversified, filled with people of different skill sets, culture, religion, language, ethnic, mentality etc. As this diversified team needs to work closer and as it needs collaboration for the smooth operation of business, it is critical to manage efficiently the cross cultural environment in an organization. In this essay we critically analyze how diversity helps an organization to be competitive in the global market, the cross cultural issues and the importance and how to manage diversity efficiently in an organization. 1. Introduction Industries and organizations are fast growing with the help of innovative technologies. In the current business world, these technologies, the enablers, are helping the organization to expand the business across the globe crossing the boundaries of limits. As a result of this, the organizations environment is very much diversified with people from different countries, language and culture and so on. Organizations need to deal with people from this diversified environment. In the new generation business or service industry, even in a single project people from different culture or countries works together for the project completion. A close relationship between these people is very much essential for the uninterrupted continuation of the operations and for the successful completion of these projects. A small issue or fault in these relations could make a sever problem and the impact of the same on the organizations operations will be very high. So a cross cultural environment should b e carefully handled for not breaking the thread of operation of an organization. The truth is that, there could be several cross cultural issues arising in an organization due to several reasons. So, in such situations a manager should need skills for managing the diversity in an organization as well. This skill is very much important as globalization has become more and more relevant than the past. 2. Diversity An enabler for globalization As the business is becoming more and more globalize, diversity in an organization is a competitive advantage for leveraging the opportunity of business globally (Zainuba 1998). A good management of such diversity can help in enormous improvement of team work and also helps in improving the productivity of an organization. Zainuba (1998) points out that multinational companies like GE, Honeywell, BankAmerica and lot more has kept diversity leaders as their senior level employees in their organization. Diversity also has huge importance as it helps in satisfying multi cultural clients of an organization and also helps to handle the diversified market place in the globalize environment. Companies who run their business in multiple companies face competitive issues. For understanding those markets and competitive issue, a cross cultural collaboration and understanding is very much important. Due to this reason many companies has kept their managerial level employees or top level executiv es in foreign countries to be from a different country or culture to understand the global business and to pursue the advantage of the market. For example, Colgate Company has kept an Australian as the top level executive for their European division operations. By doing like this these companies get a better chance to be competitive in the global market and helps globalization effectively. 3. Cross cultural issues: It is obvious that when a diversified team work together, due to many reasons like language barriers, cultural difference etc, many issues may occur. But in any organization it is critical to analyze the cause of these issues and is necessary to find out what hinders the team work in such situations. Cultural difference is the major cause of the cross cultural issues in most cases in an organization. Hofstede (cited in Higgs 1993: 37) has identified four different dimensions which cause cultural difference or the factors which cause impact on the national cultural difference in an organization. Hofstede (1993) broadly classifies these dimensions as Individualism / collectivism, power-distance, uncertainty avoidance and Masculinity / femininity. The dimension individualism / collectivism represent the extent to which individuals are valuing their self determination which is as opposed to their behaviour, determined by collective will of organization. The next dimension which is power- distance also causes huge impact on cross cultural environment. Employee shows involvement in and also has a participative style of management in the low power-distance culture. The other side of this is that the employees always tend to accept and behave in certain ways as directed by the higher management hierarchy. Masculinity / femininity are considered to be one of the most difficult dimensions. There is always a high conflict between highly masculine cultural values and highly feminine cultural values in an organization. It is considered that the masculine culture values mostly related to material acquisition and assertiveness where as feminine culture values relates to the relationship and person and the quality of life (Higgs 1996). So these cross-cultural conflicts always tend to be high in a multinational organization. Uncertainty avoidance domain represents the employee tolerance of uncertainty in the work place. A research done by Higgs Phelps (1990) on Japanese organiz ations operating in United Kingdom also proves the practical evidences of these dimensions. Magdaleno Kleiner (1996) also points out that organizations behaviour and working environment is tightly coupled with the countries culture. They assert this point by giving examples of different organizations based in different countries like UK, Japan and Mexico. Magdaleno Kleiner (1996) demonstrate that the cultural trend of United States organization is to become a part of melting pot, Mexican organizations always filters ascription and tradition into the work place, UK organizations are characterised by homogeneity and Japanese organizations promotes work opportunities for the women. So taking these cultural difference into consideration, when a company is operating in a global market across the globe where different people across the globe work together in an organization as a team, the chance of occurrence of cultural conflict is quite natural, but systematic and efficient management of this issue could be very helpful to increase the productivity as well as for innovation in the global market by leveraging the competitive advantage of diverse team in an organization. 4. Managing Diversity And Cross Cultural Issues: Managing diversity in an organization has become the at most importance in this era of globalization. As we discussed earlier this efficient management is very much necessary to leverage the competitive advantage of the diversified team in an organization for achieving success and for the expansion of business through innovation. A study done by Aoun (2007) on international forum on managing the diversity revels the findings that diversity management has become the priority in most of the countries especially in work place and in institutions of higher education. A discussion between Lloyd Trompenaars (1993) suggests that riding waves of culture is becoming extremely important in the corporate world and day to day lives as well. Kandola Fullerton (cited in Maxwell et al. 2001: 468) says that managing diversity has its origin in United States of America. Maxwell et al. (2001) explains that this emerging importance of managing diversity was not only because of the widely spread demog raphic changes but also it offers equal opportunity approach. A research done by Schwabenland Tomlinson (2008) revels that managing diversity could become inherently problematic when it comes to some organizations like non profitable organizations when involving the process of undermining and when organizations efforts to organize and manage by themselves. But as diversity gives sustainable advantages, it is necessary to manage it efficiently through different ways by adopting new strategies in the organizations. Friday Friday (2003) points out that most of the current organizations implemented corporate diversity strategy but have not used planned change-corporate diversity. This could cause diversity initiatives to be ineffective. So a planned strategic management is necessary for efficiently managing diversity in an organization. Friday Friday (2003) also asserts that planned change-diversity strategy will also help in long term effectiveness and this is extremely important fo r managing human resource in organizations with highly diversified work force. Friday Friday (2003) also give systematic strategic management approach starting from strategic formulation, implementation and strategic evaluation. In strategic formulation we develop the mission, vision and the goal, conduct the SWOT analysis and also set the criteria for selection and then select the strategy. Then in strategic implementation phase we allocate appropriate resources and execute the strategy. In the evaluation process of managing the diversity, we set the control process, review and access the strategic execution and takes corrective actions when ever it is necessary. So this type of strategic management of diversity is very much important for ideally dealing with the cross cultural issues in an organization proactively. In general, in this strategic management for managing diversity, we are going through the process of Acknowledging diversity, valuing diversity and managing diversity. Friday Friday (2003) also projects eight steps which contribute to the efficient diversity management. These are exposure, experience, understanding, respect, knowledge, appreciate, modifying attitudes and the behaviours and finally healthy interaction. These could help in maintaining a healthy diversified team in an organization. Exposure, experience, understanding and knowledge broadly come under acknowledging diversity. Under exposure we promote the practice of acknowledging a person to know who he is, where he is from, promoting to receive others culture, unmasking and public noticing. Under experience, we insist personal involvement, information gathering, living through, encountering and doing. Knowledge phase is almost similar to this. In understanding, it tends to grasp the reality, share unique insights and share perception. Now in valuating the diversity we go through two phases that is, Appreciating and giving respect. By appreciating we give high regards to others opin ion, welcoming them and accepting the worth of their value and culture. By giving respect we need to give personal considerations, pay tribute to the value of culture, pay difference to persons culture, Pay attention as well to the persons culture and finally regarding a persons value. Higgs (1994) suggest certain tips for the efficient management of diversity in an organization. He suggests to built a strong corporate culture in the organization, adapt a strong human resource strategy and policy and then empower the subsidiaries of its own to adapt these strategies and implement it locally so that it cam meet the national cultural difference. He also suggests involving all locations globally for the formulation of such policies so that it supports corporate goals in a diversified environment. Higgs (1994) also suggests that for better management of diversity, it is necessary to identify the national cultural differences and its impact on a particular organization and the also necessary to develop an understanding of potential strength which influences corporate and the national culture with in an organization. Choy et al. (2010) stress the need of differentiated management approach which involves changing current management process. In differentiated management ap proach managers need to take a different managerial style which adapts to the business environment and the characteristics of multinational staffs. Choy et al. (2010) proves this with the example of established trade relation between China and Singapore where they needed to use differentiated management technique as these countries had different philosophies, political and cultural view for doing the trade. Also Janssens et al. (2004) points out the importance of diversity of languages and the importance of managing it by stressing the point that international organizations are multilingual organizations where language diversity needs to be organized for the effective diversity management. A case study on Siemens by Fredriksson et al. (2006) also proves the importance of managing diversified languages in a multilingual organization. In this case, Siemens subsidiaries in Germany and France preferred their native languages but managing those conflicts and promoting English as common l anguage needed diversified management skills and was successful evidence of efficient diversity and cross cultural management. Diversity management becomes much more important in these situations as we cannot avoid these situations because it occurs frequently in globalization era. As we discussed earlier, managerial skills need to be shifted from an organization level to a global thinking, by practicing to deal with the multicultural and multilingual environment. This also includes the need of practicing the equal opportunity theory and to be implemented by the organizations. Many studies also proves that managing diversity is not only for diversified recruitment of staffs, but also giving equal opportunity for everyone globally by accepting and welcoming different culture and by rewarding for different successful aspects of different talents. These kinds of effective diversity management in an organization reduces the friction of national, cultural and even mental differences as w ell thus by giving way to a smooth operation of the business and by giving competitive edge for innovation and success. 5. Conclusion In the present business world, due to the technology developments and innovation organizations and industries are fast growing. As a part of globalization, companies operate their business across the globe for expanding the business as well as to pursue the opportunity available in the world market. Such a working environment will be diversified with people from different countries with different philosophies, culture, language, gender, mentality, thoughts and lot more. For the successful operation of a firm globally, it requires a tight coupling between these people in an organization. For this tight coupling, a good relationship as well as trust is required. But chances of causing conflict in such multinational organizations are high. Instead of finding these conflicts as a negative impact on organization, we need to use the new trend of finding and utilizing opportunity from the conflict and need to leverage the competitive advantage of diversity which helps organization to expand business in the global market and to pursue success. For doing this an efficient management of diversity is required in an organization. Managers need to think about the diversified management of the diversity rather than the old management styles followed in the organizations. This diversified management should focus on the principle of giving equal opportunity to everybody. This should also involve the process of understanding, accepting and respecting everybody thoughts and aspects. Companies should hire diversified team for higher as well as middle level management to understand and leverage the opportunities in the market by using the experience and knowledge of these diversities. This could help organizations to root their business in other countries by a better understanding of their culture. Companies should also focus on developing a common human resource strategy and policy for everyone in the organization. Companies should also include every bodys thoughts and opinion wh ile developing these policies for better outcome. An efficient management of diversity will allow reducing or even avoiding the friction caused due to cross cultural issues. An efficient management of diversity could also help an organization to better understand the national difference and this will better help an organization to establish business across globe with out much issues. As a part of diversified management, companies should also give importance to language differences and need to try to make a common language. This is because most of the multinational organizations are multilingual. In general, diversity management has become the at most important process in an organization as it is directly linked with the companies strategic goals and success in the current globalize business world.

The Search for Identity in This Side of Paradise :: This Side of Paradise Essays

The Search for Identity in This Side of Paradise  Ã‚   In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel This Side of Paradise, Amory Blaine searches for his identity by "mirroring" people he admires.   However, these "mirrors" actually block him from finding his true self.   He falls in love with women whose personalities intrigue him; he mimics the actions of men he looks up to.   Eleanor Savage and Burne Holiday serve as prime examples of this.   Until Amory loses his pivotal "mirror," Monsignor Darcy, he searches for his soul in all the wrong places.   When Monsignor Darcy dies, Amory has the spiritual epiphany he needs to reach his "paradise" - the knowledge of who Amory Blaine truly is.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amory appears to be a rather vacuous choice for a protagonist.   He relies mainly on his breathtaking handsomeness and wealth in order to get by in life.   He has been endowed with brains, but it takes him years to learn how and when to use them.   Amory spends his late high school and college years frolicking with his peers and debutantes.   By constantly associating with others Amory creates an image of himself that he maintains until he becomes bored or finds a new personality to imitate.   Amory does not know who he really is, what he truly feels, or what he thinks.   He merely cultivates his personality du jour depending on how he believes he would like to be.   Essentially, Amory is shopping at a personality store, trying each one on until he can find one that fits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This personality imitation began when Amory spent his adolescent years in the presence of his flamboyant mother, Beatrice.   Beatrice raised Amory to be what she wanted him to be, as long as it was stylish and acceptable to coeval virtues.   When he goes to Princeton, the separation from his mother, who essentially thought for him, leads Amory to search for himself.   However, his idea of searching for his identity entails merely simulating the personalities of those he admires.   This trend becomes obvious in the pattern of Amory's love interests.   His first conquest, Isabelle, is a strong-willed girl who knows what she wants.   Amory falls in love with her because of her distinct personality; perhaps subconsciously he feels that by being in her presence he makes up for not having a personality of his own.   Amory's next love, Rosalind, represents Amory's latent desire for the riches and luxuries that he lost with the death of his parents.

The Lion and the Mouse who Returned a Kindness :: Aesop, Aesops Fables

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aesop among many other prominant authors wrote tales of animals taking on human characteristics, but none is so prevelant as the reputation of the mighty lion. Known as the king of animals, the lion appears as an object of strength and nobility in countless aspects of life including history, literature, art, astronomy, movies, and dance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Who is this amazing creature? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the lion (Panthera Leo) is a flesh-eating animal that live cheifly in sandy plains and rocky places where there are thorn thickets and tall grass. Male lions can reach a length of 2.50m (8ft), and a weight of 250kg (550lb). They can live for 15 years, but in captivity some have reached an age of up to 30 years. They mainly eat larger herbivores such as buffalo, zebra, and in cultivated areas an occasionally human. There strength is amazing, and both parents take great care in tending to their young, often referred to as cubs (168-69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much is to be said about the mannerisms and personalities of lions, and no one has summed this up as well as Aesop. There are four fables listed in our textbook dealing with the qualities humans believe to be true about lions. These assumptions may have begun with Aesop’s fables, but really knows.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first fable, The Lioness and the Vixen, the saucy personality of the lioness is shown. When denounced for the birth of only one cub, the lioness quickly snaps back aat the vixen, â€Å"Only one, she said, but a lion†(Aesop 607). This answers the question of quality over quanity; and for most the lion is considered the best in quality the â€Å"cream of the crop† as some would say. Aesop iterprets here that the lion knows he is the best, and doesn’t mind sharing it with the rest of the animal kingdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aesop again illustrates the lion as being king in The Lion, The Wolf, , and The Fox. Aesop clearly writes â€Å"all the animals came to pay respect to their king,† (Aesop 607). Even in the title of the fable Aesop lists the lion first before the wolf and fox. This could just be by mishap, or as seen in other fables the animals could be listed in order of appearance in the text. Regardless of the title Aesop gives the lion dominating powers of the other animals. He writes â€Å"the lion demanded to know at once what cure he had found,†(Aesop 608).

The Power of Shakespeares The Winters Tale :: Shakespeare Winters Tale Essays

The Power of The Winter's Tale      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of Shakespeare's later plays broke with customs of genre. The Merchant of Venice has all the elements of a comedy, but deals with very grave matters and ends ambiguously. Pericles foreshadows the novel in its romantic plot and use of narration. Such plays challenged prevalent Renaissance literary theory which demanded fairly strict adherence to classical values of realism and unity. The Winter's Tale is a self-conscious violation of these expectations, and a jibe at the assumptions behind them. Shakespeare uses the play itself to present his argument against what may be termed, "the mimetic theory of art." It was the established opinion of Elizabethan literati that art ought to imitate life (Kiernan 8). Shakespeare not only rejects this "ought,"1[1] but shows the absurdity of what it entails.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The categories available to a dramatist are laid out by young Mamillius when he is asked to tell a tale, "Merry or sad shall't be?" (II.i.22). The dramatist is presented with the options of tragedy or comedy. This bifurcation is repeated throughout the play, which itself is cleft in two between a predominately tragic section and a predominantly comical pastoral section. For this act, tragedy is chosen, "A sad tale's best for winter," (24) and the story begins, "There was a man... dwelt by the churchyard" (28-29). Here is where the play's self-consciousness starts to appear. It is the play which is a sad tale about a man who dwells by the churchyard, namely Leontes, who mourns at the grave of the wife and son he damned. It is also at this moment that the tragedy of the play begins, when Mamillius' tale is interrupted by the arrival of Leontes to accuse Hermione of adultery.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tragedy progresses to a climax by Act III, Scene iii, when Antigonus arrives on Bohemia's shore. This is the execution of Leontes' greatest sin, his rejection of his daughter. This is also the point at which the mood of the drama turns to comedy. The segue from the Sicilian tragedy to the Bohemian comedy comes in the form of a bear. Prior to his departure for Bohemia, Antigonus refers to bears in the context of folktales, "wolves and bears, they say, / Casting their savageness aside, have done / Like offices of pity" (II.

Oedipus: Aristotelian or Formalist Theory Essay

Teiresias’s speech at the end of scene one of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is fairly short but it is in this encounter between Oedipus and Teiresias where the main conflict of the story begins to unfold. This is a pivotal speech in the play as it helps to develop some of the major themes in the play as well as begin to build up the tragic irony at the center of the story. When this speech is analyzed using either Aristotelian or Formalist theory key elements can be found that are effective in increasing the drama in the play and in tying together one of the play’s central theme. In the Poetics Aristotle outlines his vision of a successful tragedy and states that plot and character are the first two principle features of tragedy. Teiresias’s final speech helps to develop both of these key components of tragedy in Oedipus Rex successfully. During his conversation with the king Teiresias introduces the first source of conflict into the play as Oedipus tries to convince the old man to reveal what he knows about Laios’s murder. Aristotle termed this moment of the plot the â€Å"desis† which in modern literary terms is known as the complication which serves to build up the drama of a story towards the climax, and Teiresias’s speech here achieves that purpose. There is also an effective use of foreshadowing in Teiresias’s speech in which he reveals to the audience the twist of fate that Oedipus will experience even though the king at this point is unaware of Teiresias’s true meaning. The reversal of fortune and recognition contained in Oedipus Rex are praised by Aristotle as being characteristics of an ideal plot and the foreshadowing found in Teiresias’s speech help to build up the anticipation towards the revelation of Oedipus’s identity. In the perfect tragedy Aristotle stated that character should support the plot and Teiresias’s final speech was indirectly very effective in building Oedipus’s character. Until his meeting with Teiresias Oedipus was seen a considerate king looking out for the interest of his people in trying to discover Laios’s killer. In his conversation with Teiresias the audience gets its first glimpse of Oedipus’s anger and can begin to see him as capable of being the murderer they are searching for. Teiresias’s final speech also reveals to the audience Oedipus’s â€Å"tragic flaw† of not knowing who he truly is, which will eventually be his downfall. In revealing Oedipus’s genuine ignorance to his true identity through this speech the audience feels more pity for the king when the revelation occurs and this heightens the tragedy of the play. From a Formalist theory perspective of Teiresias’s speech two literary devices are used that effectively increase the drama of the play and tie in a central theme and those are symbolism and tone. Symbolism in Teiresias’s speech begins to build the tragic irony of the play and to establish one of the themes of the play of sight versus knowledge. Teiresias describes the killer as â€Å"a blind man, Who has his eyes now†, but he is also referring to Oedipus’s inability to see the truth (Sophocles 720). Teiresias himself is a powerful symbol as well in the play as he is blind but he can see the truth of better than Oedipus despite the king’s attempts to discover the truth so vigorously. In the end of the play when Oedipus blinds himself upon finally learning the truth he completes the imagery that was begun in Teiresias’s final speech. The tone of Teiresias’s speech is ominous and foreboding and it serves to change the tone of the entire play. At this point the audience is becoming aware that things will not end well for Oedipus and his valiant quest to find Laios’s killer is going to result in dire consequences. The graphic imagery in the line â€Å"Who came to his father’s bed, wet with his father’s blood† helped establish this ominous tone that serves to build the tension through the rest of the play (Sophocles 720). After his encounter with Teiresias Oedipus becomes increasing confrontational with other characters in the play and the tone set by Teiresias’s speech helps to establish much of that conflict. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is such a well-rounded piece of literature that regardless of what literary approach is used to analyze it the play will provide an endless vehicle for discovery. There are so many complex images, themes, and symbols weaved together that it is an ideal story to study.

Chabros International Group: A World of Wood

The Chabros International Group started with fairly low-key beginnings in the late sixties, but has gradually become a respected name in a wealth of different timber markets. In particular, it has become a well-known wood and veneer supplier due to the relentless and often pioneering efforts of its president Antoine Chami, who has carefully built up a reputation for high quality products and exceptional service. The company employs more than 600 staff with an annual turnover of $100 million USD.Chabros is a leading producer and supplier of wood and veneer and a distributor of a wide range of interior and exterior products that have been specified and used in major high-end projects throughout the Middle East for over 40 years. With an aim to cater to the innovative needs of woodworking professionals, architects & interior designers as well as contractors, Chabros has established overseas production units and distribution points throughout the Middle East Region, targeting businesses that are in search for quality products and exceptional service.In addition to its strong presence of Lebanon, Chabros has always been devoted to expand its range of products to provide original and fresh design solutions to its customers. Chabros has also added a line of services to its current product offerings including veneer stitching & pressing, sanding, veneer finger jointing, parquet and exterior decking installation as well as teak yacht decking. Chabros is positioned as one of the market leading suppliers of Wood & Veneer with a large stock of wide range of products, exceptional service and unique expertise.The company’s success is driven by its loyal customers, their team and their unrelenting focus on delivering results by executing with excellence. In Lebanon, Chabros was one of the first to produce veneer products instead of solid wood because of its ecological and economical benefits. The company’s vision has always been to expand the business further in order to meet the industry’s demands and replenish the shortages that exist. However, due to the wars and political unrest in Lebanon, the company’s desire to expand was stifled somewhat until 1998 when it ventured into the GCC and could establish a branch in Dubai.In the midst of a growing global market, Chabros has established overseas production units and distribution points throughout the Middle East Region, targeting businesses that are in search for quality products and exceptional service. The company’s regional distribution centers are headquartered in Dubai covering a vast geographical area of supply. The Chabros International Group case studies how Chabros confronts a drastic drop in its largest subsidiary's sales after 2008's global economic crisis.Chami, the company’s owner and president, was reviewing his company's 2009 end-of-year financial statements and, in particular, a 30 per cent drop in sales in Dubai. In 2007, a year before the globa l economic crisis, Chami had invested more than $11 million to acquire and expand a sawmill in Serbia to meet Chabros's growing lumber sales demand. With a much higher capacity to produce lumber and a much lower probability to sell it, Chami had to decide what to do to overcome this challenge. Shocked, Chami went into crisis mode and consulted all of his top management to address these issues.Questions that were raised: Should he close parts of his Serbian sawmill? Should he try to boost his company's sales to use all of his sawmill's available capacity? If so, should Chabros try to increase sales within the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt or should it expand into a new country such as Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Syria, Tunisia? Would Morocco, among other countries, be the best country to expand into? Was it the right time to embark on such an expansion?The management also had explored different alternatives such as closing parts o f the Serbian sawmill and different strategies that they could follow if they decided to try grow the company’s sales. The future seemed so uncertain and the team did not know what to expect. It was clear that closing the Serbian sawmill was out of the question, mainly because the company had invested over $11 just less than two years ago. Closing that plant would put the company in a difficult financial situation as it invested for the long run.The company’s best alternative would be to continue operations in the Serbian sawmill and try to expand into other markets where such materials were in high demand. Prior to this, expansion, an extensive research would have to be conducted, particularly due to the crisis affecting many parts of the world. If Chabros was able to find an expanding market, they could continue operations in all of their sawmills. Another option would be to sell off either part of the operations or the entire sawmill.Both of these options would put them at a loss, however, it would be a better option than shutting the entire mill. Some of the strengths and competitive advantages, which Chabros International Group consisted of, were being simultaneously a manufacturer and a wholesaler, which gave them strategic flexibility. They understood and adapted to its Western suppliers and the Middle East and North Africa suppliers. Lebanese people are very adaptable due to their culture, which brought the main sawmill to a much greater advantage.Another strength which Chabros had, was providing its customers with more varied and customized wood products than most other competitors, which built distinctive relationships with its key suppliers. With strengths and advantages come disadvantages, which Chabros had as well. Being a lumber manufacturer put Chabros in the reverse situation and sometimes gave it a disadvantage compared to lumber wholesalers. This happened during the financial crisis, where euro reached an all time high of $1.55 and Chabro’s Russian supplier was able to sell at a lower price. A weak point where Chabros stands, is not working on their brand name. Although Chabros was operating in seven MENA countries, their name was not very well known, not to mention in its parent country, Lebanon. Through its affiliates all over the world, the company has established strategic alliances with mills in Africa, North and South America and Europe, which are responsible for sourcing, cooking, cutting, drying, grading and supplying the various wood products.In recent years, it has broadened its product lines to include new products such as mother-of-pearl laminates and Duroxill UF powder glue. The growth of the company means it has also extended its services, which have developed to include the production of lay-ons, veneered boards and parquetry designs through the use of various splicing, cutting and laser machines in its different locations. Chabros International Group: A World of Wood The Chabros International Group started with fairly low-key beginnings in the late sixties, but has gradually become a respected name in a wealth of different timber markets. In particular, it has become a well-known wood and veneer supplier due to the relentless and often pioneering efforts of its president Antoine Chami, who has carefully built up a reputation for high quality products and exceptional service. The company employs more than 600 staff with an annual turnover of $100 million USD.Chabros is a leading producer and supplier of wood and veneer and a distributor of a wide range of interior and exterior products that have been specified and used in major high-end projects throughout the Middle East for over 40 years. With an aim to cater to the innovative needs of woodworking professionals, architects & interior designers as well as contractors, Chabros has established overseas production units and distribution points throughout the Middle East Region, targeting businesses that are in search for quality products and exceptional service.In addition to its strong presence of Lebanon, Chabros has always been devoted to expand its range of products to provide original and fresh design solutions to its customers. Chabros has also added a line of services to its current product offerings including veneer stitching & pressing, sanding, veneer finger jointing, parquet and exterior decking installation as well as teak yacht decking. Chabros is positioned as one of the market leading suppliers of Wood & Veneer with a large stock of wide range of products, exceptional service and unique expertise.The company’s success is driven by its loyal customers, their team and their unrelenting focus on delivering results by executing with excellence. In Lebanon, Chabros was one of the first to produce veneer products instead of solid wood because of its ecological and economical benefits. The company’s vision has always been to expand the business further in order to meet the industry’s demands and replenish the shortages that exist. However, due to the wars and political unrest in Lebanon, the company’s desire to expand was stifled somewhat until 1998 when it ventured into the GCC and could establish a branch in Dubai.In the midst of a growing global market, Chabros has established overseas production units and distribution points throughout the Middle East Region, targeting businesses that are in search for quality products and exceptional service. The company’s regional distribution centers are headquartered in Dubai covering a vast geographical area of supply. The Chabros International Group case studies how Chabros confronts a drastic drop in its largest subsidiary's sales after 2008's global economic crisis.Chami, the company’s owner and president, was reviewing his company's 2009 end-of-year financial statements and, in particular, a 30 per cent drop in sales in Dubai. In 2007, a year before the globa l economic crisis, Chami had invested more than $11 million to acquire and expand a sawmill in Serbia to meet Chabros's growing lumber sales demand. With a much higher capacity to produce lumber and a much lower probability to sell it, Chami had to decide what to do to overcome this challenge. Shocked, Chami went into crisis mode and consulted all of his top management to address these issues.Questions that were raised: Should he close parts of his Serbian sawmill? Should he try to boost his company's sales to use all of his sawmill's available capacity? If so, should Chabros try to increase sales within the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt or should it expand into a new country such as Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Syria, Tunisia? Would Morocco, among other countries, be the best country to expand into? Was it the right time to embark on such an expansion?The management also had explored different alternatives such as closing parts o f the Serbian sawmill and different strategies that they could follow if they decided to try grow the company’s sales. The future seemed so uncertain and the team did not know what to expect. It was clear that closing the Serbian sawmill was out of the question, mainly because the company had invested over $11 just less than two years ago. Closing that plant would put the company in a difficult financial situation as it invested for the long run.The company’s best alternative would be to continue operations in the Serbian sawmill and try to expand into other markets where such materials were in high demand. Prior to this, expansion, an extensive research would have to be conducted, particularly due to the crisis affecting many parts of the world. If Chabros was able to find an expanding market, they could continue operations in all of their sawmills. Another option would be to sell off either part of the operations or the entire sawmill.Both of these options would put them at a loss, however, it would be a better option than shutting the entire mill. Some of the strengths and competitive advantages, which Chabros International Group consisted of, were being simultaneously a manufacturer and a wholesaler, which gave them strategic flexibility. They understood and adapted to its Western suppliers and the Middle East and North Africa suppliers. Lebanese people are very adaptable due to their culture, which brought the main sawmill to a much greater advantage.Another strength which Chabros had, was providing its customers with more varied and customized wood products than most other competitors, which built distinctive relationships with its key suppliers. With strengths and advantages come disadvantages, which Chabros had as well. Being a lumber manufacturer put Chabros in the reverse situation and sometimes gave it a disadvantage compared to lumber wholesalers.This happened during the financial crisis, where euro reached an all time high of $1.55 a nd Chabro’s Russian supplier was able to sell at a lower price. A weak point where Chabros stands, is not working on their brand name. Although Chabros was operating in seven MENA countries, their name was not very well known, not to mention in its parent country, Lebanon. Through its affiliates all over the world, the company has established strategic alliances with mills in Africa, North and South America and Europe, which are responsible for sourcing, cooking, cutting, drying, grading and supplying the various wood products.In recent years, it has broadened its product lines to include new products such as mother-of-pearl laminates and Duroxill UF powder glue. The growth of the company means it has also extended its services, which have developed to include the production of lay-ons, veneered boards and parquetry designs through the use of various splicing, cutting and laser machines in its different locations.

Noetic Structure Essay

View and take notes on the presentation, â€Å"An Overview of Issues in Contemporary Justification, Part 1.† What are 3 characteristics of a person’s noetic structure? The sum total of everything that person believes It recognizes the differing degress of certainty, firmness, and conviction with which people hold their beliefs. Characterized by how beliefs are related together. Explain coherentism and the 3 problems with it. Coherentism: All beliefs fall into one category. No beliefs are more foundational than the others. Problems: Circularity: How do I justify my belief in P? It coheres with Q. Isolation Problem: Coherentism isolates my beliefs from the external world. Plurality: It is possible to have 2 coherent systems that are logically incompatible. Read chapter 4 of Epistemology: Becoming Intellectually Virtuous, â€Å"Foundationalism.† As you do, consider the following questions and points: What is the root idea of foundationalism? Each of us holds a set of beliefs basically or immediately while we hold other beliefs non basically or mediately. Why would one adopt a foundationalist approach to justification? Because they are epistemic engies of our noetic structures, imparting to all of our non-basic beliefs, while not themselves requiring justification from any other beliefs – this support goes just one way. What is the regress argument? Taking for granted the general reliability of your conscious faculties, and indeed must take them for granted. What are the 3 basic components of foundationalism? Basic or immediate beliefs- Form the bedrock of what all we believe  undergirding everything else we are justified in believing. Mediate or non-basic beliefs- Everything else we believe Basing Relation- Specifies how the epistemic merit of our basic beliefs is to be transferred to out non-basic beliefs. What are the characteristics of strong foundationalism? Specifically explain: The 3 conditions for a basic belief. Must be self-evidently true: those we see to be true immediately, without the benefit of deliberation or argument, merely when we understand the term of the claim in question. Must be Incorrigible: The belief in question is one that is impossible to believe and be mistaken about. Evident to the Senses The means by which basic beliefs support non-basic beliefs. Entailment is the only logical relation that preserves certainty. If one starts with self-evidently true starting points and accepts only what can be validly derived from the same, one thereby insures that one’s entire set of beliefs is untainted and error free. Four â€Å"additional† features of foundationalism. One cannot claim to have knowledge simply by asserting that one knows One must be inwardly cognizant that one’s claims to knowledge is genuine. One must be prepared to show that this is the case. What are the main problems with foundationalism? Note: This section can be challenging; try to understand the main points raised; don’t be concerned about all the details except as a way to understand the following main points: Problems: One’s beliefs in the reliability of one’s senses or memory or consciousness; none of these beliefs is either self evident or incorrigible or evident to the senses, yet they are held as properly basic by virtually everyone. Any acceptance of supposedly pure and certain basic beliefs makes use of various background assumptions or information that compromises their certainty and undermines their basicality. Why only these conditions for a basic belief? Claims that foundationalism solves the regress argument fail (the arbitrariness of stopping points). Other means of supporting beliefs than just deduction/induction (best explanation, retroduction, concurrence, etc.). The security vs. content problem. The strict demands for four unimpeachable certainty leave one with so small a set of basic beliefs that they can’t possibly bear the heavy weight of all we believe. Other problems (excessive individualism, access requirements, noetic effects of sin). Pg 95 What are the similarities and differences between strong and modest foundationalism? Specifically: What is primae facie certainty? One’s foundational beliefs are not necessarily immune to any conceivable doubt – they can be overridden – but they are perfectly acceptable unless one has a good reason for thinking they have been undermined. Four of Reid’s contingent truths. The thoughts of which I am conscience are thoughts of a being I call myself. Those things really happened which I distinctly remember. Those things really do exist which we distinctly perceive by our senses, and are what we perceive them to be. What is to be will probably be like what has been in similar circumstances. Reid’s reliabilism of first principles. For our evidence concerning reliability would have to include deliverances of the faculties whose reliability we are accumulating evidence for. On behalf of his foundational principles, they can be correctly identified by their accompanying marks or signs. If someone persists in requesting additional assurances over and above the usual marks accompanying properly based beliefs, then the person holding such beliefs can only respond with genuine bewilderment. Two weaknesses with modest foundationalism. Reid may have underestimated the capacity for thinkers of sound mind and sincere will to disagree about alleged, philosophical first principles. The belief in God can be held in a basic belief. Alvin Plantinga’s belief in God as properly basic. The belief can be justifiably held in the manner of a first principle, that  is w/out the benefit of argumentative support. Terms Make sure you can explain the following terms and concepts: Indefeasible- Not able to be lost, annulled, or overturned. Retroduction- A king of reasoning from the best explanation. It is reducible neither to induction or deduction. Concurrence- Observations that cumulate in his belief.  Necessary First Principles- They are self-evidently justified, being believed merely upon being understood. Must have these. Contingent First Principles- Not self-evidently justified. Dependent upon something. Doxastic Assumption- A theory that a belief is justified if it coheres with other beliefs

Ethical Problems associated to Information Technology Essay

Information technology has been continuously booming with new technological products that create a more diverse information environment. There have been dramatic changes associated with the IT, and these changes create ethical problems and upheavals that usually have something to do with ethics. True, there has been technological development in the arena—one that occurs â€Å"when either the technological paradigm is elaborated in terms of improved concepts, theories, and methods, or in instances of the paradigm are improved† (Moor, 2008, p. 27), such as in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and safety. This creates an enormous social impact, and it has led to a technological revolution that considerably takes time and is difficult to predict. Information technology has gone over the introduction stage and the permeation stage. We are on the power stage wherein the technology is readily available, affecting people directly and indirectly. This creates an impact that is superbly enormous; yet, there are always the ethical problems that springs forth in the arena. Ethical problems that surround the self-identity, anonymity, and privacy of a person are always attached when it comes to IT. The technological revolution has a large-scale effect that transforms the society, while affecting the manner in which the society functions (Moor, 2008, p. 29). It is evident that open technological revolutions in open societies still need some enhancements, so that the ethical problems would be controlled and maximized. Main Body There are a number of important issues that surround the technological paradigm of IT, especially in relation to ethics. Some of these are in the form of self-identity, anonymity, as well as privacy. There are also other unethical issues (e. g. , cheating, hacking, wardriving) that are attached to the technological paradigm of IT. Ethical problems in self-identity The self-identity is being constructed according to how the individual interacts with the society and with himself or herself. In the social landscape of modernity, there are numerous major changes in the external social environment that affects the individual during this social transformation. In the age of the IT, people get to have the capacity to reconstruct the universe through the everyday realities and circumstances that take place in their specific worlds. It is a continuous state of affairs that largely creates the self-identity and the personal feelings attached to this paradigm. This new sense of identity are being formed with the intrusion of the IT in a person’s life, and people get to have personal relationship even with people who are unknown to them—people who suddenly pop out in their computer’s screens, with names that may or may not be factual. Personal relationships help form the self-identity, offering opportunities for self-expression and the self-renewal. According to Giddens (1991), The modern world is a ‘runaway world’: not only is the pace of social change much faster than in any prior system, so also is its scope, and the profoundness with which it affects pre-existing social practices and modes of behavior. (Giddens, 1991, p. 16) With this, it is apparent that the IT becomes an active component in the continuous transformation of a person’s identity, as it creates and affects the social practices and the modes of a person’s behavior. Thus, problems that affect the personal life of the individual could affect not only the self-identity, but the social practices and the environment as a whole. Ethical problems in terms of anonymity and privacy, for example, can lead to an identity that is blemished because of unethical conduct. Despite the fact that people always carry discursive interpretations of their behavior, this practical consciousness drives the person into creating or destroying the ontological security of human activity in a culture. As an effect, people tend to write comments anonymously while hiding their true identities. Ethical problems in anonymity According to the article that Richard Perez-Pena (2010) wrote entitled ‘News Sites Rethink Anonymous Online Comments’, it says that Internet users usually make use of the digital disguise, revealing their power and their sentiments without acknowledging their true identities to the viewers. This constitutes a sort of freedom for the digital users, and this is most typical in news sites, wherein the viewers are allowed to post comments without indicating their true identities, keeping their privacy in a world that is being presented in public. As indicated in the article, â€Å"Anyone could weigh in and remain anonymous† (Perez-Pena, 2010, p. 1), and this leads to the question on whether or not viewers of Internet sites should be allowed to remain anonymous when dictating their comments and suggestions. This is a very significant ethical problem associated to IT, since it has been ethically accepted that any type of idea or sentiment should be associated to the respectful person who has formed the idea. According to Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, Anonymity is just the way things are done. It’s an accepted part of the Internet, but there’s no question that people hide behind anonymity to make vile or controversial comments. (Perez-Pena, 2010, p. 1) It has, therefore, been advised that viewers should indicate their factual names, especially when making a significant commentary about the society. They should use their real names, and this may be done by requiring people to register first before posting their commentaries. Ethical problems in privacy According to the article that Scott Rosenberg (2010) wrote entitled ‘Online Comments Need Moderation, Not Real Names’, there is also the statement that defines how newspaper website managers have been reacting in terms of anonymity and privacy keeping. As stated, â€Å"If only they could make people sign their real names, surely the atmosphere would improve† (Rosenberg, 2010, p. 1). Online conversation spaces make media outlets turn the common software on and then leave them as it is, as if the discussions would â€Å"magically take care of themselves† (Rosenberg, 2010, p. 1). The problem, however, is that the commenters should not be faceless and should carry identities that are open for the other viewers. This problem is in the identity system, with the Web having no identity system that would ethically reconnect the idea to the person who has declared it. As stated in the article, The Web has no identity system, and though the FBI can track you down if the provocation is dire enough, and if you get editors mad enough they can track you down, too, most media companies aren’t going to waste the time and money. (Rosenberg, 2010, p. 1) Ethical privacy problems can also be in the form of ‘hacking’ or â€Å"using unauthorized access to an information system† (Floridi, 2008, p. 43). This indulges privacy and confidentiality. Conclusion There are other ethical problems associated with the IT of the modern social world, such as using the new technology in order to cheat one’s taxes, or deviating the user from his or her true name or identity. It can also be in the form of wardriving wherein people try to connect wirelessly to other people’s networks (Moor, 2008, p. 33). All these unethical conducts can create an enormous social impact that leads to technological revolution that can contract IT in its power stage. With proper management, it can develop the IT into something that is more powerful and enormous, without the ethical problems that have large-scale effects on the society. It is evident, therefore, that open societies through the IT still need some enhancements, so that the ethical problems would be controlled and maximized. References Floridi, L. (2008). Information ethics: its nature and scope. In Eds. Jeroen van den Hoven and John Weckert’s Information technology and moral philosophy. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: self and society in the late modern age. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Moor, J. (2008). Why we need better ethics for emerging technologies. In Eds. Jeroen van den Hoven and John Weckert’s Information technology and moral philosophy. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Perez-Pena, R. (2010, April 11). News sites rethink anonymous online comments. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from The New York Times Company database: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/04/12/technology/12comments. html. Rosenberg, S. (2010, April 13). Online comments need moderation, not real names. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from Salon Media Group, Inc. database: http://www. salon. com/news/feature/2010/04/13/newspaper_online_comments_moderation_open2010.

Skip navigation links BFS 3460-08B-2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS Essay - 4

Skip navigation links BFS 3460-08B-2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS (BFS3460-08B-2) - Essay Example Personnel who would be inhaling this toxicant will breathe heavier as well as this gas is much heavier than air. Inhalation of vapors of this product may also affect the cardiovascular and central nervous system and in extreme cases may even cause death (Kidde Aerospace, 2007). Perhaps the most poisonous element on this compound is Methanol which if ingested may cause irregular heartbeat, headache, dizziness, visual disturbances and blindness . As stated in the safety data sheet of Halon, Prolonged exposure to methanol may cause reproductive harm and heart, kidney, liver, and nerve damage. Other symptoms of prolonged exposure to this compund include nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, symptoms of drunkenness, disorientation, bluish skin color, and convulsions which are all the after effects of a heart and nervous system condition (Kidde Aerospace, 2007). Because this agent also effectively cools the temperature of any object it becomes proximate with, the usage of Halon also causes other side effetcs. If Halon comes in contact with the liquid of this product, it will cause frostbite to the eyes. Contact to the skin would also cause frostbite to the skin (Kidde Aerospace, 2007). Kidde Aerospace. (2007). Material Data Sheet of a Fire Extinguisher with recylced Halon 1301 and Methanol. Retrieved from:

English 102 the family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

English 102 the family - Essay Example Rosaldo and Sylvia Yanagisako, who quite persuasively argue that the family is not â€Å"a universal human institution† (p. 1). As controversial as this argument sounds, one finds support from it in Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of Love and Sara Ruddick’s â€Å"Thinking About the Father.† Both scientific and anthropological perspectives on the concept of the family invalidate earlier understandings of the concept and establish that the family is not a universal phenomenon and even where and when it exists in its traditional form, reflects the human desire for familiar patterns. The famed social anthropologists, Bronislaw Malinowski is responsible for the now popular misconception of the family as a universal phenomenon. As Collier, Rosaldo and Yanagisako argue, before Malinowski’s research and writings on the concept of the family, anthropologists believed that it was a culture-specific phenomenon, not a universal one (p. 1). Malinowski’s argument, which was based on his observations of the behaviour of Australian Aborigines, was based on the notion that sexual behavior was a determinant of the presence, or absence, of family. As he noted, insofar as Australian Aborigines only acknowledged one husband for any female and assumed that the husband was also the father, they acknowledged the phenomenon of the family (pp. 2-3). While he acknowledged the presence of sexual promiscuity among primitive groups such as the Aborigines and admitted that they engaged in orgies, he still argued that they recognized family units because, even in orgies, wome n were only allowed a specific sexual partner – their legally or socially recognized mate/husband (Collier, Rosaldo and Yanagisako, pp. 2-3). According to this argument, therefore, sexual behaviour was controlled in order to preserve the family unit and to ensure its survival. The family unit was preserved and protected by the

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example John Bezos, who is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, dreamt of books. In 1994, he founded Amazon.com, arguably the earth’s largest bookstore. Since then, the company has registered tremendous growth and has become a force to reckon with in its industry. The following is a report which traces the history of Bezos, events leading to the founding of the company, business strategies employed by the company, and finally it winds up with highlighting the company’s success factors. History of Jeff Bezos CEO and Founder Amazon.com Jeffrey P. Bezos was born in a place called Albuquerque, in New Mexico. At an early age, Bezos displayed an outstanding mechanical aptitude. He also developed passion for various technical fields. When he became a teenager, his family moved to Miami, Florida. In high school, Bezos became more interested in computers. He later joined Princeton University with plans to study physics. However, he abandoned this dream in pursuit of computer study. He lat er graduated from the university with an electrical engineering and computer science degree. Afterwards, he was employed by a firm on Wall Street, where computers were becoming increasingly in demand for use in studying emerging patterns in various industries (Brandt 2011, pp. 228). Thereafter, he was employed at Fitel, a new company that was designing a network to be used in the management of international trade. He then was hired by D.E. Shaw, a firm that specialized in computer science applications in the stock market. Here, he was hired mostly because of his general and conspicuous talent. It was also while working in this firm that he became a senior vice president, and was looking forward to a brighter future, when he made a finding that transformed his life as well as the course of the world history of business (Brandt 2011, pp. 228). His biggest test came in 1995 when he sought to raise a seed capital of $1 million in order to launch his firm. Over a period of six months in early 1995, he met with some 60 private investors. During this time, he was hiring programmers to design the firm’s website to market itself to the public. Bezos discovered that the use of Internet was increasing by 2300 percent each year. He quickly saw a chance for a new realm of business, and immediately started considering the potential (Hazleton 1998, pp. 56). Bezos later flew to Los Angeles to attend a convention of American Booksellers. While in attendance, he learnt all that he could with regard to the book business. He realized that the main book wholesalers had already composed electronic lists regarding their inventory. All that was required was to establish a single location for this important information on the Internet, from where the book-buying community could search the existing stock and then place orders directly. The employers of Bezos were not ready to proceed with such an undertaking. Bezos then realized that the only remaining way to seize the chance wa s to go into business as an individual. Nevertheless, this meant sacrificing a more secure job in New York. Despite the risk, Bezos together with his wife Mackenzie chose to take up the challenge (Hazleton 1998, pp. 58). In the year 1999, Bezos was declared Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Come 2008, he was selected by the U.S. News & World Report as one of the best leaders in America. In the same year, he also received an honorary doctorate degree in Science and Technology from the University of Carnegie Mellon. Furthermore,