Internet Addiction Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet Addiction - Article Example Some of the effects include increased depression, loneliness, antisocial behaviors influence into drug use and anxiety, which are exhibited by internet-addicted persons. In addition, the article claims that internet usage has grave effects on the mind of users. The article suggests that the effects on the mind are negative since internet usage requires less utilization of the brain hence reduced brain development. The most important fact in this article is that internet addiction is harming the users. This can be deduced from the author’s argument that â€Å"The current incarnation of the Internet--portable, social, accelerated, and all-pervasive--may be making us not just dumber or lonelier but more depressed and anxious, prone to obsessive-compulsive and attention-deficit disorders, even outright psychotic. Our digitized minds can scan like those of drug addicts, and normal people are breaking down in sad and seemingly new ways.† One of the strengths of the article is that the author makes use of convincing evidence obtained from credible sources. Almost all the claims are supported by evidence from a published study. An extra strength is that the author rarely uses his own opinion to prove a claim. One of the weaknesses of the article is the lack of conclusion. The author puts forward several arguments on how availability and use of the internet have affected human beings but never come to a conclusion. Another weakness is the several unanswered questions that the author has posted. A good example is on what should be done on the issue of internet addiction. The author keeps arguing about the effects of internet overuse but never gives a solution to this problem. In addition, the thesis statement is not well stated. It is only after reading a large part of the article that one can tell the question under discussion.

Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Branding - Essay Example The primary thing is that branding is not a straight jacketed, isolated and sterile activity that is totally severed from the nature of the product being branded, but is rather an aspect of the overall process of product designing, manufacturing and marketing (LePla & Parker 2). The primary purpose of branding is to educate the consumers regarding how a high quality and innovative product stands apart and is way ahead of the substitutes being offered by other competitors. The popular belief is that it takes loads of money to create a successful brand. Yet, the fact is that brands are built in the minds of the actual consumers. Hence, there is no consumer who does not want a product to be bereft of the time tested attributes like quality, utility, usability, durability, credibility, reliability and reputation. Therefore, if a company has a viable product that meets all these attributes and possibly a little extra, the concerned marketing experts can easily push that product into the c onsumer consciousness, within an affordable budget and some productive effort. Thereby, the primary purpose of branding is to bring to fore the key attributes that differentiate a successful product from its competitors, to be consistent about the claims it tends to make regarding a particular product and to make sure that the products stands by these claims when actually bought and used by the consumers, to identify and target the particular audience who have a need for that particular product and to educate and convince them regarding the product (LePla & Parker 5). Products like people have a character and a personality. However, in the recent times, marketing experts have been so entangled in the personality ethic that they have simply lost sight of the relevance of the overall character of a product. A branding approach based on personality ethic is more about believing that success of product is solely dependent on its public image and the mass perceptions associated with it ( Covey 19). In contrast a branding approach based on character ethics holds that if a product like a person is supported by a quintessential solidity of quality, character and integrity, it will definitely be able to hold on to and justify the image and perceptions being created about it, thereby leading to a successful brand (Covey 22). This is my essential belief about professional branding. Certainly, creating and managing consumer perceptions is important, but such perceptions are bound to fizzle out in the short term, if not backed by a product that is about quality, technology, utility, durability and reliability. Many apt examples do support this essential belief about branding. For instance, the success of many famous brands created by Apple like iPod and iPhone owe it to the fact that Apple places the consumer needs and requirements at the center of its closely integrated effort at product designing, manufacturing and marketing (Greg 1). The crux of Apple’s branding a pproach is to identify the consumer needs, to design and manufacture a quality product that fulfills those needs much better as compared to other competitors, and to eventually educate the consumers and highlight the key attributes of that product in a consistent and planned manner, thereby leading to a successful brand that is able to withstand the challenges posed by time and altering technologies. Take another

Personal delelopment in Accounting and Finance Personal Development Essay

Personal delelopment in Accounting and Finance Personal Development Essay Introduction Personal Development in Accounting and Finance course overall helps me to understand how did my career goal comes about, where do I stand now, and understand the journey and process which I will have to go through in order to achieve my career goal. 2. What did I learn / achieved in PDAF? In PDAF, Belbin lesson, I understand that a team role is a pattern of behaviour. Different team role have different characteristics and all team roles have both strengths and weaknesses. A person could be having a few team roles at a same time. Through the questionnaire, I manage to identify a few team roles which I will normally adopt at work, which include the specialist, the completer/finisher and the shaper role. I manage to identify what are my strengths and allowable weakness. As I am showing the shapers weakness therefore I hope to improve on this area. (See appendix 1). Through this MTBI personality test, I discovered that the personality type which I belong to is ISTJ (introverted sensing with extraverted thinking), whom is a duty fulfiller. This test also allows me to identify my strengths and weaknesses at work and home. I also realise that possible careers for ISTJ are accountants and financial officers which is what my career goal is. (See appendix 3). It was feedback from my group member that she feels that Im in the right career path as the ISTJs personality described me truly. 3. My Career journey thoughts feelings Looking back at my lifeline during lesson 2, I feel that whoever I am now depend on the decision which I had made when I was 19 years old. To choose between going to a polytechnic for engineering course or a private school for CAT made my career journey changed. It is also because of great interest on figures and influences from family, that why I decided to choose a private accounting school for CAT courses rather the other. (See appendix 2) I also feel that all these while in my career journey, I was consider quite lucky. I am lucky in a sense that, I have a lot opportunity to learn new things and gain experience on accounting field compared to the others. I started my first job as Account Assistant with no relevant working experience. Yet I have the opportunity to learn from scratch. I understand that not much company is willing to teach fresh graduate especially when this so called fresh graduate had not officially graduated at that point of time. My career goal is to be an accountant. After doing some website research on the responsibilities for this role, I realise the main duty for an accountant in Singapore public or private sector is about the same. I believe in term of working experience I should be able to fit in as I have pick up quite a valid experience in this area. But looking at the current market entry requirement, sad to comment, although I have the experience and skills in accounting software, I see myself in a non-favourable position in obtaining this position at the current moment. I will need to upgrade my qualification and that is to take up a degree course so that I can fit into the position. (See appendix 4) After working in accounting line for so many years, sometimes I do feel that my interest on my job had faded quite a lot. Sometimes I do not have the energy to move on. I feel that this might be due to long working period with no proper break or rest. As my career goal is to be an accountant, so I will not give up this goal so easily. If financially allows, I am considering of moving out of my working life temporary to have a good break while pursuing my degree course. I think by doing so, I can rest and replenish my energy level on my job, and I can place full time concentration on my study. My follow-up after PDAF After attending this Belbin lesson, I will like to improve on my weakness by showing more concern on the others. Now I tend to think twice before commenting remarks. Although is hard to do it, I hope I can do in time to be. (See appendix 1). I also hope that I can control my emotion (See appendix 2), by not being so affected when my close colleagues left the company. Im happy to know that I am in the right career path and see myself having more strengths than weaknesses being an ISTJ. Being someone whom honored our commitment, loyal and faithful, I hope I can continue this way especially toward my family. There is one weakness which had been around for quite a while and it had been happening quite often at work. It needs a lot of skill and effort in order for me to strengthen it. This weakness is having too strong sense of duty until I had difficult time to say no to others when I was given more work than what we can reasonable handle. I see the need for me to reduce this strong sense of duty image in front of others. I have to control it well so that my sense of duty still exist but yet I know how to say no to them when too much work is being passed down to me. (See appendix 3) I also realise I do not have a proper written cover letter, the current one which I have now contain only a few lines which does not state any impressive remarks to employers. I also did not amend the cover letter accordingly to fit well to each individual job requirement. Therefore I need to pick up some skills on improving my cover letter. My CV was not updated with my latest experience and skill which I have obtained in my previous company. I need to update it regularly or as and when I have done any special projects or obtain any extra skills. Appendices The Group Presentations Appendix 1 Team Roles (Belbin) Presentation content Through the Belbin questionnaire, the team role which I have normally adopts is the Specialist role. Based on the information located from the website http://changingminds.org/explanations/preferences/belbin.htm, specialists strength is it has expert knowledge and skills in key areas and will solve many problems while its allowable weakness is it can be disinterested in all other areas. I do agree on the questionnaire that most of the time at work I have been adopting the specialist roles strength. Example, in my current position, I am handling GL (general ledger) function. Due to job responsibility, I often have to provide knowledge and assistance to other colleagues especially colleagues whom handle Accounts Receivable and Payables on any un-cleared issues or problems. I do not agree that I have adopted specialist roles weakness as in not much of showing disinterest in other areas. Example, usually at work I am very concern about other areas as I often have to attend other departments queries. I agreed that another role which I have also adopted successfully is the Completer/Finisher role. Example, as my position covered month closing and reporting. I often have to do detail checking on entries for errors and omissions before presenting the data to my superior. Also I tend to worry too much when my colleagues do not finish their areas of work on time. Reflection In the Belbin lesson, I understand that a team role is a pattern of behaviour. Different team role have different characteristics and all team roles have both strengths and weaknesses. A person could be having a few team roles at a same time. Through the Belbin questionnaire, I manage to identify a few team roles which I will normally adopt at work. Beside the contributions side of the specialist and completer/finisher, I realise that sometimes I tend to adopt the Shaper role. This role is full energy and action, challenging others to move forwards. This role can be insensitive. Example, at work I often have to push other colleagues and make sure they meet the closing deadline on time, by doing so, I tend to show the shapers weakness which is being insensitive. I sometimes tend to comment blunt remarks show poor attitude to the others when jobs were not done in time or properly. Appendix 2 Job Motivation Presentation content Reasons why I have decided to have accounting as my career choice are because of my interest and influences from my family member. Since I was young, I always like figures and counting, solving problem sums in school. It is also due to my sisters influences, that why I chose to further my study in accounting and hoping to be an accountant. My sister is the first one who enlightened me. She convinced me to convert my interest into my career since my interest is on figures, and I am always being good at mathematics. A few values which are important to me, one of which is money. I personally feel that money comes in hand in hand with hard work so with the hard work I have put in; I will want a justifiable amount of salary. Next value is happiness at work and good relationship with colleagues. I feel that in order to achieve happiness at work, we must maintain good relationships with colleagues. By having that, it will help to motivate us to go to work. Finally is appreciation from superior and career advancement. I feel the needs to have good opportunity to learn and do more things, follow-by promotion. I also need appreciation from superior by recognizing my hard work. Co-workers are the ones whom will influence me at work. Relationship with them often will affect my mood of working. With close and good relationship with my colleagues, I feel happy and more motivated to go to work. As I am a very emotional person. I will feel affected if a close colleague left the company. I know because, in my current job, my mood was greatly affected when my accountant and a close colleague left the company. It is a sense of loss especially toward my accountant as she had given me very good appreciation and opportunity. When she left the company, I feel I have not only lost a good colleague/superior, I also lost my value. Market requirement will affect my career choice. I always feel that accounting roles are always valuable in the market as all companies have accounts department and therefore accounting staffs will never be jobless. Reflection After working for quite a number of years, I realise my interest on my career had faded. My interest on figures is no longer existed. I value my values especially money at work more than interest. I see the important of these values, when my values are being achieve, I tend to be more motivated to move on but when values are not being achieved, it will influence me by affecting my motivation and emotion. Appendix 3 MBTI Presentation content The personality test located from the website http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm shows that my MBTI type is ISTJ, the duty fulfiller. ISTJ primary mode of living is focused internally, where we take things in via five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Our secondary mode is external where we deal with things logically. Accountants and financial officers are the one of the possible career paths for ISTJ. One of the ISTJs strength is we are people whom honor our commitment. We are loyal and faithful. We are people who can be depended on to do the right things for our families. Another strength which is, we are stable, practical and down-to-earth. We tend to believe in laws and traditions. We often tend to believe that things should be done accordingly to procedures and plans. ISTJs have strongly-felt internal sense of duty which lends them a serious air and motivation to follow through on task. Because of this strong sense of duty, ISTJs may have difficult time saying no when we are given more work. Another weakness which we have is we will resist putting energy into things which dont make sense to us. I agreed the strength about believing that things should be done accordingly to procedures and plan. I usually like to do proper planning before proceeding. Example, I have habit of listing down the works I have to do for month end closing. I will note it as done once complete. Sometimes because of too many pieces of work coming in at the same time, I tend to state the items down and do it based on priority. I dont quite agree to the point that ISTJ tend to resist of putting energy on things which dont make sense, because perhaps I believe that sometimes at work, things might not be within our control so I often just continue to put in energy even if the things dont make any sense to me. Feedback from my group members One of my team-mate comments that I have performed well in the group presentation. While another feel that Im in the right career path as I fit truly well in ISTJ personality. Reflections Based on the personality test, I feel that I have chosen the right career choice. In term of personality at work, it reflected the very true side of me. It best described what kind of person I am at work or home. It highlighted to me what are the strengths and weaknesses I have. ISJT has such a strong sense of duty that we may have a difficult time saying no when we are given more work than what we can reasonably handle. Looking at this point, I realise that this had happened quite often in my working life. I never say no to my superior when I was given too much work to do. I feel that there is a need for me to reduce my strong sense of duty image to the others especially to those who had been taking advantage of me. Appendix 4 Careers Presentation content The job which I have chosen is accountant position. Employers for public sector include local authorities, schools and etc, while employers for private sector range from large multinational organizations to small local businesses. Accountants in both public sectors and private help to prepare examine and analyze financial statements and other financial reports. They check for accuracy in these records and this allows them to provide a clear picture of the companys financial activities. They report to the management regards to all the finances issues. They develop, maintain and analyze budgets. They also check and pay creditors invoices, collect debts and charge customers for goods and services. Although the duties for accountants in both sectors are similar, a public sector accountants main concern is not raising profit but to make best use of public money. They aim to balance the cost of public services against income. They may carry out internal audits if required. Another difference is as all limited companies must be externally audited therefore accountants for private sector are not allow do audit check. The entry requirement for accountant is at least a bachelors degree in accounting or a related field. In term of skills and abilities requirement, both sectors need the accountant to have a good level of numeric. They should be able to use spreadsheets and specialized finance-related software to analyze and interpret figures and explain them to laymen. Both will need good communication skills, in both spoken and written. They should process good problem-solving skills, and have the ability to work well under pressure. Reflections Looking at the market requirement, I feel that my market value had dropped a bit although I do have the relevant experiences. The reason is because entry requirement had changed compare to the past. In the current situation, a degree qualification is a must. Appendix 5 Job Adverts Presentation content My job ideals is to find a job which is of accountant level and its responsibilities should be similar to what I am currently handling, but it should have some extra work which I am able to gain some experience from it. I have chosen 3 jobs which are all accountant level position. They are accountant, finance for AIC (Agency for Integrated Care), accountant for NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) and accountant for Amanresorts International Pte Ltd. And the one which I have finally decided on is the accountant role for AIC. This roles responsibilities match with my current responsibilities. In this role, they are looking for someone whom will ensure timely month end activities as well as submission of financial and management reports. This role also needs to manage cash and banking matters, liaise with audit firms on audit matter and support budgeting and forecasting exercise. In term of skills and abilities, they are looking for someone whom has minimum 2 years experience in full set of account and knowledge of SAP accounting system. I had exposure on full set and SAP in my previous company, and I was there for more than 2 years. I feel that this job is suitable for me the role responsibilities are scopes which I had handle before and I am comfortable with. In term of accounting system, they are using SAP which I rather preferred. AIC is a private limited company under healthcare industry. It was set up by Ministry of Health but was now under National Healthcare group. In term of benefit, I feel that it should be well too. Reflections I feel that in term of experiences, I do have the opportunity to fit into accountant level position once I obtain my degree. Appendix 6 Draft CV How did I choose the format, layout and content of my CV, and what are the specific problems I have had in designing a targeted CV, The CV format which I have been using is the combination CV. I obtained this format from the website many years ago. The layout for combination CV shows both skills and abilities and employment history. The total pages for current CV I had with me now makes up of 5 pages. In term of contents, I state a bit on my skills on accounting software and Microsoft office, and very detailed employment histories. For the employment history wise, information on the work I had been doing was stated in point form with no strong words to attract interviewers attraction. The whole CV also reflected repeated job-scope as I am doing almost the same job-scope for my initial employment. Overall to comment is I find my CV a bit lengthy. The problem I faced in designing a targeted CV is I am not sure of how to make use of strong wording. Also sometimes I find it hard to describe the effort that we have put on a task on paper so that readers can understand. Assignment 2 Application Pack Introduction Job Title I have chosen to apply for the position of Accountant, Finance for Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). 1.2 Requirement of the Job The responsibilities include handle full set of accounts and ensure month end closing activities. This role needs to handle grant administration, manage cash and banking matters. She/He needs to liaise with audit firms and tax consultants on audit and tax matters. She/He needs to support budgeting and forecasting exercise. The entry requirement is a recognised degree in Accountancy or equivalent with minimum 2 years experience in full set of accounts. It will be an added advantage if she/he has knowledge of SAP accounting system. Job Advertisement This is the job advertisement for the position of Accountant, Finance which I am applying for: Advertised:23-7-10 | Closing Date:22-8-10 Accountant, Finance (Singapore) Responsibilities: You will report to Manager, Finance. Handle full set of accounts (GL, AP, AR and Fixed Assets) and ensure timely and accurate month-end closing activities as well as submission of financial, management and statutory reports, implementation and compliance with Internal Controls Handle grant administration, including prompt claims submission, disbursement and tracking Manage cash and banking matters Liaise with audit firms and tax consultants on audit and taxation matters, including preparation of audit and tax schedules Support budgeting and forecasting exercises Requirements: Recognised degree in Accountancy or equivalent with minimum 2 years experience in full set of accounts Knowledge of SAP accounting system will be an added advantage A team player who is meticulous and able to work independently Good communication and interpersonal skills Please do not use the buttons below to apply for the above position. Kindly forward your detailed resume in MS Word format only, stating full details of qualifications, experience, current and expected salary, to . Top of Form Bottom of Form   Ã‚  Company Information   Ã‚  Email to Friends   Ã‚  View Similar Jobs   Ã‚  Location Map   Ã‚  Save This Job   Ã‚  View Salary Report   Ã‚  All Jobs From Company   Ã‚  Report Advertisement Agency for Integrated Care 5 Maxwell Road #10-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Website: http://www.aic.sg/ Reasons for choice of job Through searching for job advertisements from internet, I have set my focus on job advertisements for Accountant role. Among the advertisement that I have reviewed, I shortlisted 3 which are listed below: Company Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Job Title Accountant, Finance (b) Company Amanresorts International Pte Ltd Job Title Accountant (c) Company National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Job Title Accountant These 3 were shortlisted because the job responsibilities are similar to the current job responsibilities which I am currently handling which is involve in month end closing activities and year end budgeting and forecasting exercise. I feel comfortable to advance my career in this scope of duties. Of the above 3, I have selected (a) as the one that I will focus on in Assignment 3. The reason for choosing this job is because the responsibilities for this position in AIC is not only something which I am familiar with but it also has some other responsibility which I will like to learn from. This is preparation of statutory reports. I will like to take this opportunity to pick up this skill. This company is using SAP system, which is a well known accounting system. I feel more comfortable using SAP system compare to other software like Accpac (as per stated by Amanresorts International Pte Ltd). Skills Attributes My suitability for the job Skills My current accounting role with Volkswagen Group Singapore Pte Ltd includes handling month end closing activities. My duty also includes preparing month end financial reports. In my previous exposure in Hercules Chemical Solution, I handle full set of accounts for both Singapore and India accounts. In both company, I used SAP system. Personality Based on the MBTI, I realise that my personality type is ISTJ, which the possible career is being accountant or financial officer. I am someone whom has excellent ability to take on any task given by my superior. I will follow through the task till completion by organizing and planning. I am hard worker, who do now allow obstacles to get in my way of performing my duties. Motivation I am currently motivated mainly by values. Value like money is very important to me now. I hope to find a company which not only pay well but also give good staff benefit. Value like appreciation from superior and career advancement is also important to me. I hope to see myself being recognised through my hard work. Weaknesses What may hinder me in applying for this job My limitation for this job opportunity will be I do not have the experience in preparing statutory reports, which I am not sure if the company is willing to train me on this area. I also do not have the experience in working in healthcare industry. Cover Letter Name Tay Siew Ling Address Blk 684B Choa Chu Kang Crescent #11-330 Singapore 682684 Contact 92975400 (Mobile) Email [emailprotected] 09 August 2010 Agency for Integrated Care 5 Maxwell Road #10-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Dear RE: Application for the position of Accountant, Finance Refer to your job advertisement on the  www.jobstreet.com.sg on 23 July 2010; I will like to express my interest to apply the position of Accountant, Finance. I am a CAT holder and currently pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with University of Bedfordshire. In my current employment with Volkswagen Group Singapore, my responsibilities include handling month end closing and preparation of financial reports. I am also involved in year end budgeting and forecasting. In my previous employment with Hercules Chemical Solution, I am responsible in handling full set of account for both Singapore and India account independently in Singapore with reporting head in Shanghai. Additionally, I have hands-on experiences on SAP system, financial module for more than four years. With these exposures, I am confident that I will be able to perform well in AIC I greatly appreciate you taking the time to review my credentials and experience. I hope that youll find my experiences  intriguing enough to warrant a face-to-face meeting, as I am confident that I could provide value to you and your  company as a member of your team. Please feel free to contact me if you have any query. Hope to receive a favourable reply from you. . Yours sincerely, Language Proficiency Spoken Language: English and Mandarin Written Language: English and Chinese Skill Proficiency Well versed in Microsoft Office Software: Words and Excel. Proficient with accounting software: SAP system, Accpac Dos Version, Solomon and Incadea. Proficient with internet online banking: Citi-Direct, Bank of America online banking, Deustche online banking and DBS DEALS Education Qualification University of Bedfordshire Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Accounting (July 2010 to Jan 2012) The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) (1998 to 2003) Fairfield Methodist Secondary School Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education-Ordinary Level (O-level) (1996 to 1997) Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education-Normal Level (N-level) (1993 to 1996) Queenstown Primary School Primary school leaving examination certificate-PSLE Employment History Details Volkswagen Group Singapore Pte Ltd Account Executive (14 May 2008 to Current) Handle the full spectrum of General Ledger and Fixed Asset Ensure proper documentation for all fixed assets and depreciation amount was taken up correctly Month end journal preparation and posting. Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly account Prepare and review monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet. Analysis monthly expenses and common cost allocation for respective department. Prepare inter-company reconciliation and ensure AP Executive to follow-up on any invoices not received Prepare reconciliation on Receivable and Payable sub-ledger against General Ledger Prepare weekly cash position report Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Prepare monthly audit and closing schedules Responsible for Fixed Deposit placement and coordinate with AP Executive on any fund transfer and huge payments Quarterly GST preparation and submission Involve in bi-weekly COE bidding process Involve in year-end stock take for vehicle and parts inventories Assist in year-end budget and forecast Liaising with external auditors during yearly audit Assist the Finance Manager in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Back-dated perform bank reconciliation for January to May 2008 Manage to perform reconciliation between Incadea and SAP system, also reconciliation between AP/AR control account against sub-ledger Involvement in change of chart of account and roll-back project on the accounting system Energy Market Company Pte Ltd Account Executive (June 2006 to April 2008) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Fixed Asset for EMCs operating account Handle partial spectrum of General Ledger Ensure proper documentation for all fixed assets and depreciation amount was taken up correctly Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly operating account Ensure timely billings on Industrial Training program fee and seminars Ensure timely posting of all collections received Ensure all supplier invoices matches with purchase orders issued Ensure proper coding of GL code and posting of supplier invoices and staff reimbursement Ensure timely cheque and telegraphic transfer payments to suppliers and staff reimbursement Prepare cash position report Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Quarterly GST preparation Submission on Statistic survey for energy industry Involve in year-end fixed asset checking Liaising with internal and external auditors during quarterly and yearly audit Assist the Finance VP and Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Involvement in change of chart of account and update of accounting system Successfully roll-out the E-Fixed Asset module Attended the Microsoft Excel Expert course sponsored by company and was award a Microsoft Office Specialist at the Expert level from Microsoft Hercules Chemical Solutions Pte Ltd Account Executive (June 2004 to June 2006) Handle the full set of account for Singapore and India accounts (up to Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss) Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly account for Singapore and India Ensure timely billings on services fees and royalty income to inter-company Ensure timely posting of all collections received Ensure all supplier invoices matches with purchase orders issued Ensure proper coding of GL code and posting of supplier invoices and staff reimbursement Ensure timely cheque and telegraphic transfer payments to suppliers and staff reimbursement Prepare and review monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet including expenses analysis Month end journal preparation and posting. Prepare monthly audit and closing schedules Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Monthly Australia VAT preparation and submission. Quarterly Singapore GST preparation and submission. Quarterly preparation of reconciliation reports for SOX control requirement Liaising with external auditors during quarterly and yearly audit Liaising with tax agent from India on india tax issue Assist the Financial Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Involve in moving the manual set of account for India into SAP Involve in change of bank from Citibank to Bank of America SNP Corporation Ltd Accounts Assistant (June 2003 to June 2004) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable and credit control Ensure timely billings on non-stock related items example rental and advertisement Responsible for proper sort and filing of high volume of tax invoices and credit notes on stock related item Ensure timely posting of all collections received Responsible for customer code creation Prepare month end reports, example sales records and aging reports. Assist the Senior Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Tee Hai Chem Pte Ltd Accounts Assistant (January to May 2003) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable Responsib

Paideia, Prejudice and the Promise of the Practical Essay -- Philosoph

Paideia, Prejudice and the Promise of the Practical In an age of radical pluralism it is increasingly difficult to affirm and sustain the educational aspirations of Greek paideia (Latin humanitas). The most challenging attacks on these aspirations come from standpoints which share a postmodern attitude of opposition towards inherited cultural ideals, especially those which claim universality. This paper first examines optimistic and pessimistic prospects for the educational heritage of humanitas, concluding that, in the face of cultural disparateness which is increasingly evident in post-Enlightenment cultures, the pessimistic case seems to be more convincing. Recognizing that this gives added impetus to postmodernist standpoints, the second section examines some key features of these, taking as its examples arguments of Lyotard, Foucault and Rorty. I show that the prejudices of the postmodernist arguments are as invidious as the discriminatory assumptions and the neglect of the quality of educational practice in the Western cultural inheritance. Recalling some insights which can be gleaned from the educational practices of Socrates, the last section joins these with findings of contemporary philosophers on the pre-judgements and partiality which are inescapable features of human understanding. This is a reclamation and elucidation of a practical and promising humanitas which does justice to the claims of diversity and universality. Introduction: Hard Times for Paideia To many it may seem quaint or quixotic to make the ancient notion of paideia the theme of a world conference of philosophy in cultural circumstances which are variously described as post-industrial, post-Marxist, post-Christian, post-religious, or post-mod... ..." in R. Hollinger (ed.) Hermeneutics and Praxis (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame, 1985). (16) Richard Rorty, "Private Irony and Liberal Hope" in his Contingency, irony, and solidarity (henceforth CIS) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989). (17) Richard Rorty, Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (henceforth PMN) (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1980) pp.357-365. (18) Hans-Georg Gadamer, Truth and Method (T&M) translation of Wahrheit und Methode (W&M) by G. Barden & J. Cumming (New York: Seabury Press, 1975). (19) T&M, pp.10-11; W&M, pp.6-7. (20) PMN pp.358-359. (21) PMN p.351. (22) CIS, p.73. (23) CIS, pp.74-75. (24) Heraclitus, Fragment 45, quoted by Jaeger in Paideia, Bk.1, p.179. (25) These earlier Dialogues include Gorgias, Protagoras, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Bk.1 of Republic. (26) Plato, Apology, 23. (27) D&P, p.27.

Effective Training †Expectancy Theory Essay

Expectancy theory maintains that people will make an effort to achieve a standard of performance if they perceive that it will be rewarded by a desirable outcome (Wilson, 1999), giving more effort will result in better performance, these probable organizational rewards are valued by the employee, and better job performance will result to organizational rewards which includes an increase in benefits or salary. Desirable outcome is essentially a product of individual circumstances and perceptions and is therefore a subject to change. According to Wilson, at one time, lifelong employment and security of tenure at an equitable level of remuneration may have been the driving force for many employees. Those who have suffered the effect s of downsizing and redundancy are now likely to view the world in different manner, where jobs offering short term and reasonably remunerated employment prospects are more attractive than no job at all, and similarly, those in employment and those seeking employment are likely to have a positive view of work offering the prospect of development of differentiated and transferrable skills, as an investment in their future employability (Wilson, 1999). If one of the managers will say that he doesn’t have time for this theory stuff and he wants real-world training that will help him in his job, I will tell him first that, outsourcing, downsizing, delayering, and casualisation of jobs are all fashionable but these trends affect employees’ explicit or implicit relationships with their employer, and similarly, reduced career oppurtunities, shorter tenure, the need for transferrable skills to assist employability, and increased used of fixed term contracts weaken the traditional ties of loyalty to their company’s destiny psychologically as well as formally (Wilson, 1999). I will tell him that he should do anything which will encourage his employees to trust their organization or company because it is important to earn employees’ trust and loyalty to the company to achieve better productivity.

Are Movie Stars’ Weddings Too Extravagant?

Dear Editor, Noticing the trickles of extravagant weddings sta+ged by movie stars in recent years, I cannot help suspiring how millions of dollars could have been better spent instead of being squandered on events that could have been just as beautiful and memorable if the budget was cut half. I am therefore writing this letter to express my serious concern over the despicable behaviour of these public figures who clearly have little idea of what it really takes to have an unforgettable wedding. It is not exactly inconceivable why movie stars tend to spend profusely – that they wish to garner media attention and show off their wealth and affluence to the world. But as often as we learn of star wedding news, equally frequently are we aware that they divorce a few years – or more outrageously a few months – after marriage. I have to say I am surprised at how marriage could be as disrespected as such. I am doubly surprised at how forgetful these people are, obviously having no memory of their vows and commitments on their lavish wedding day. It is henceforth a headache think of marriage being treated as a ridiculous game. With this in mind – that marriage is now nothing more than an empty concept that lacks respect and dignity – one comes to the conclusion that it is simply pointless in holding wedding parties at exorbitant prices. Name any loving couples around you and you realize the key to long-lasting marriages is not to make the wedding as unreasonably expensive as possible but to truly devote oneself to the relationship. Regardless of whether the wedding is huge or humble, so long as the two persons are faithful to and caring for each other, their marriage will always be graceful and memorable. In this era where divorce is no longer a taboo and divorce rate is shooting relentlessly worldwide, it seems grievously insensible and frankly wasteful that wedding ceremonies should be so luxurious. People may not agree with the notion that â€Å"Simple is beautiful†, but they can absolutely hold an equally enviable wedding while the money is spent on places more worthwhile. These dollars spent on creating an epic event which wastes countless flower baskets, barrels of fine wine and insanely overdone decoration can be donated to charity instead, giving guests a philanthropist image of the couple. Good deeds remain in the heart of people but good food are used up sooner than they think. By making the world a better place to live in, the couple is also making themselves better people to look upon. Hosting wedding receptions in a six-star hotel's grand ballroom may sound lovely, but the money could have been saved and spent on less expensive venues that can be just as elegant. Hiring famous public relation companies to organize the whole wedding ceremony is not really economical, while engaging oneself in the wedding preparation is even more fulfilling than making it a cat's paw of someone else. The guest will also be impressed by the couple's involvement. I am sure these people will be amazed at how much they can save and how much blessing they will receive from the world by spending their sums of money in a smarter and a more caring way.

Political Ideology of the Whig Party

Political Ideology of the Whig Party The Whig Party was one of the political parties in the U.S. that was formed during the Jacksonian period of democracy that was from the early 1830s to the mid 1850s. The name Whig was chosen in honor of a group referred to as American Whigs formed in 1776 to fight for the country’s independence. People who wore Whigs during that time were seen to oppose any tyranny and dictatorship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Ideology of the Whig Party specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Political ideology of the Whig Party was to support the supremacy of Congress over that of presidency in the United States. The party also focused on political ideologies that were centered on modernization and economic protectionism (Mueller 11) The Whigs, who were modernizers and supporters of President Jefferson’s democracy, saw President Andrew Jackson as a threat to the modernization of the economic, social and poli tical forces in the country during that time. This parricular Party drew its political principles from the Jeffersonian democratic system that mostly centered on national unity, concession, a balance in regime control and support of the country’s transport network. The Whig party served to dissuade the Jacksonian Democrats who supported the governance and political ideologies of President Jackson (Mueller 12). One of the founders of the Party was Henry Clay who came up with the American system, a concept that promotes the rapid industrialization and economic growth of America during the Jacksonian era. The Whig party demanded the government’s support so that it could create a modern economy that was market oriented. This economy would see the skills and expertise of workers being utilized more than their physical strength. Bank credit and bank services would count more than land ownership or the ownership of assets. The party sought to increase industrialization in the country by proposing a business oriented money supply that was based on the national bank and a program that would see the road network facing major renovations and improvements. Political Ideology of the Jacksonian Democrats The Jacksonian democrats were viewed to be a political philosophy of President Jackson and his democrat supporters who followed Jackson’s policies after the era of President Jefferson’s democracy. The term Jacksonian democracy was derived from President Jackson’s equal political policy that emerged from the Jeffersonian democracy that was mostly characterized by a monopoly of the government.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The political ideology that underlined the Jacksonian democrats was to support the presidency and its executive branch rather than support the Congress. The Jacksonian democracy also sought to broaden the publicâ⠂¬â„¢s participation in the government’s activities by involving American citizens in voting and decision making exercises (Pearson 176). The Jacksonian democracy was built on certain political principles that included manifested destinies where Americans were destined to settle and expand their control from the Atlantic to the Pacific region of America, expanded suffrage where voting rights were extended to white men, banking where Jacksonian’s opposed the monopoly the government had on the national, federal and central bank, patronage where political supporters were placed in appointed offices, strict constructionism where Jacksonian democrats favored a federal government that had limited powers and an economy that incorporated a hands off approach (Pearson 178). The policies that were implemented by President Jackson were based on the political principles highlighted above. These policies saw the role of the national bank being terminated in the U.S. and there was a broadening of citizenry in the government. President Jackson also implemented policies that saw the country expanding its boundaries westward and removing the American Indian communities from the Southeastern parts of the country. These policies saw the president being labeled as a tyrant and dictator by the Republicans who came to form the Whig Party (Pearson 178). Jacksonian Democracy Era The Jacksonian era began when President Jackson lost his presidential election in 1824 to Republican John Quincy Adams who was one of the founders of the Whig Party. During this time President Jackson used the Democratic Party to launch his campaign bid for the 1828 elections by focusing on issues such property qualifications for officeholders where most U.S. offices elected state representatives rather than appointed them. Jackson also focused on voting issues that arose during the election campaigns where opponents were involved in smear campaigns, forgetting the pertinent issues that needed t heir address. A new party system was developed to deal with the high competition amongst presidential opponents but these new system required a lot of financial resources, people and organizations to run the campaigns and ensure that American citizens voted in the elections. Jacksonian Democrats believed in the strength of the common man and they did this by trying to protect the American Constitution and ensuring that there was political democracy in the country. The Jacksonians also advocated for the individual liberty of white males on suffrage and also for the economic equality of the average and low income American citizen (Johnson par.6). On entering political office, President Jackson protected the contents of the U.S.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Ideology of the Whig Party specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Constitution despite the fact he was protecting his presidency. He mostly advocated for the freedom of the states from any federal laws that infringed on the rights of the state’s citizens. President Jackson ensured the edifice of the constitution when he barred in the Congress a vital internal enhancement bill that would refute federal funding for the building of the Maysville Road found in Kentucky (Johnson par.2). President Jackson who was a firm believer in the common man used these issues to gain more votes that would see him securing the presidency in 1828. His Jacksonian supporters included both rich and poor American citizens, and people who practiced slavery and those who called for the abolition of slavery. Jackson promised his supporters economic freedom as well as ensuring that the average American had a say on how the government’s affairs would be performed. Such policies saw an increase of respect and empowerment of the common man in the United States. The Jacksonian democracy mostly centered on the presidency rather than the congress, a concep t that saw President Jackson utilizing the Union to negotiate for trade agreements with Britain and France. The democracy under President Jackson also focused on the nullification of federal laws that were used to govern the states by proposing that each state have its own laws and rights for its citizens without invoking the use of the Civil Union. President Jackson also advocated for the unification of the Northern and Southern parts of America to form one state so that citizens could move from one region to another without any form of hindrance or obstruction. The Jacksonian democracy also saw the reduction of high tariffs that had been imposed on imported goods by the Jeffersonian democracy to a lower rate. President Jackson lowered the tariff rate for South Carolina who had called for a nullification of the tariff rates. The actions indicated that he stood by the federal authorities that had been outlined in the constitution that stopped federal states from asserting whichever rights had not been approved (Johnson par.2). A notable achievement of the Jacksonian democracy was the two party system where the needs of the common man could be met and their opinions input into government policies that were developed to serve the interest of the average American citizen. This system was also preferable as each party had to compete for public support by meeting their needs and opinions. The Jacksonian era was seen to be the birth of the modern day Democratic Party in the United States. The Jacksonian era also protected the individual liberties of the average white male who had an entitlement to a position of power and authority in the government.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jacksonian democrats were also guardians of economic equality amongst American citizens. When President Jackson eliminated the national and central banks, he did so because he thought these banks benefited the rich classes in the American society (Johnson par.5). Eliminating the federal and central/national banks in America during that time saw economic equality amongst average American citizens and the lower class citizens as the economic privileges taken away from the wealthy class were allocated to these citizens. This period of economic equality and stability saw a decrease in poverty levels as well as a stable economy in America during the 1820s and 1830s. Johnson, Cory. Flaws of Jacksonian democracy. 12 August 2008. Web. Mueller, Henry R. The Whig party in Pennsylvania. New York: Read Books, 2009. Pearson, Charles, M. A history of American political theories. New Jersey, US: Transaction Publishers, 2008. Print.

Contemporary issues in Multimedia and IT

Contemporary issues in Multimedia and IT Ethics are the principles that dictate right and wrong, and act as agents of decision making guidelines of behavior. On the other hand, laws are rules developed by an administrative system to combat crime. Most ethical issues are consequences of individuals trying to make decisions within or without the law that govern a system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary issues in Multimedia and IT specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When computers were first invented , scientists said that the whole of America would only need six computers for its operations. A couple of decades later, information highway has grown so fast that every household at least owns a computer. Computers have evolved from the bulky gadgets they used to be, to pocket size gadgets, making it easier for individuals to own. Businesses are run easily through computers, for instance shopping malls and food joints have created sites through which pe ople can select items and have them delivered to them. Marketing has been made easier as consultants don’t have to meet with their clients face to face. Introduction of e-learning in most academic institutions has helped create more learning opportunities while saving time and space. Academic research by students has been simplified because they no longer need to carry bulky books. Besides, many job opportunities have been created for information technology specialists. Just like any inventions, Information technology has its merits and demerits. Therefore, it is in order for governments to come up with strategies to regulate the use of information technology gadgets as a precautionary measure against information technology stress caused by security breach in the private or public network systems. Though the invention of internet networking has facilitated the transformation of the world into a global village, eminent threats on security of information systems is real. Thus, this reflective treatise analyses contemporary issues in information technology and multimedia. A big wave of positive change was seen in various fields such as education, business, and politics among others. Unfortunately, Criminals saw this as an opportunity for fraudulent deals. For instance, hackers, crackers and stalkers took advantage of this wave of change to unlawfully access private information that could harm companies (Moore, 2006, pp.101-105). In response, the government introduced the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. As stipulated by this law, trespassers of protected computers were to be prosecuted. The CFAA merged with the National Information Infrastructure Act to create a compact regulatory law on information technology. Given that dependence levels on technology have increased, the advances in data storage have made the process cheaper, hence are used by local retail firms to identify customers.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the, major search firms such as Google, yahoo, and messenger generates more than 200million searches per year. Therefore, a lot of information can be found about an individual through their profiles and blogs. Information perceived as private can viewed in public social sites. This heightens ethical concerns because a lot of information is out and can be misused. These laws made it illegal for any unauthorized person to access private computer network for financial gains. CFAA in its current jurisdiction protects users and operators against computer related crimes such as obtaining national security information through illegal entry into Federal computers with the aim of harming the state, and for the benefit of another state. This law is punishable whether information was acquired or not. Besides, the law is clear on the illegal entry of a protected computer to access financial or credit information, includ ing credit card fraud (Solove and Schwartz, 2009, p. 43). Moreover, unauthorized access of any protected computer used by the Federal government or the government computer agencies is also included. It can be considered as treason if one is found hacking into the state’s security systems. Since data has become easily accessible, government security agencies have come up with detailed and advanced security systems. They can obtain information on suspects of terrorism and security threat. In the automated scan systems, possession of illegal weapon, drugs, and other material perceive harmful to the public can be detected. At global level, intentionally damaging, either through corrupting by viruses or physical destruction of a protected computer and worms program that can make information disappear or even disable a system intentionally is punishable in the International Law Court. Physical destruction includes trashing or removing some parts of the machine to put a halt to norm al functioning ability (Solove and Schwartz, 2009, p. 50). Illegal trafficking of passwords or any other information which can be used to gain access to a protected computer for whatsoever purpose is illegal. This law was mainly put to stop the hackers from cracking passwords and accessing information systems for information, and using them to corrupt the information systems. The above laws makes it illegal for one to access information without permission from the owner, the operator or the management information system, especially information on business operations or national defense. This covered all the data on atomic weapons manufacture and storage in the United States (Solove and Schwartz, 2009, p. 55).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary issues in Multimedia and IT specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The electronic communications privacy act is a law which was passed to regulate efficiency of Informatio n technology. This law makes it illegal to tap information without authorization. Besides, it protects information transmitted through wire, radio, electromagnetic waves, and optical wave tracks that affect business transactions of the state. Cyber Security Enhancement Act was passed together with the Homeland Security Act to increase penalties set in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. CSEA reduced the thoroughness of privacy and made it easier for the ISP to hand over information to the government whenever the relevant authority suspects unlawful dealing in the local networks. This law passed harsh punishment on persons who knowingly committed computer crimes that resulted in physical injury or even death (Solove and Schwartz, 2009, p. 53).Those who have established their careers in business, should sensitize their employees ICT departments to safeguard the quality of the systems and hence protecting privacy of society. The digital millennium copyright act mainly protects programs a nd soft wares against piracy. This law was put in place to help people who operated their businesses online from having their products duplicated. This law promotes the sale of soft wares and programs that help parents control what their children view in the interne (Tim and Paul, 2004, p.46). Traditional laws can also be used to prosecute crimes committed on computers. For instance, Economic Espionage Act makes it illegal for one to steal information or ideas from another business through copyright or duplication for any reasons whatsoever. This law also spells out the boundaries of benefitting from other information systems in place by either competitors or perceived rival. The Virginia internet policy act advocates for freedom of information, penalties on persons who commit computer crimes, and protection of children from explicit pornographic materials and indecent images on the internet. Before, children were used by perverts to boost business and the websites at the expense of their rights. Another law is the software privacy and control act. This act deals with the criminals who register online under false identity, and commit online fraudulent crimes on the domain receptor. However, providing false information without getting involved in criminal activities is excused (Tim and Paul, 2004, p.46).Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the numerous efforts by the government, internet criminals somehow find a new route in committing cyber crimes frequently. Factually, it is not very easy to detect a cyber crime until its consequences surface. Smarter hacking minds have developed complex ideas of invading the snares and traps constantly revised by the government information technology experts (Warren and Louis, 1989, pp.89-97). Even the most secured sites such as that of the homeland security and Microsoft report numerous attempts of hacking on their websites. Funnily, some of these crimes are only meant o draw attention and disapprove the security system of the targeted sites. In the recent part, a group in America threatened to close down face book site for what they called breach of personal privacy and stalking by the government. Hackers have decided to corrupt the system with graphic images, just for satisfaction of having control over this global site (Trout, 2007, p.43). This however does not mean tha t we are completely hopeless against finding solutions to deal with these intelligent minds who find pleasure in putting a halt to global growth and development on the facets of information exchange. The existing laws may not be perfect, by some how are effective in minimizing the intensity of information system abuse. In the recent past, many successful abuse cases have passed through the court system on sms or email abuse. Governments still deal with threats to life and properties sent via email, as punishable under traditional laws. Governments also need to introduce e-governance, like in Bangladesh, which make control and review of laws of the internet much easier to implement. Through this, governments will easily deal with the increasing innovative techniques of web piracy hacking and cracking (Tim and Paul, 2004, p.49). The implementation of these laws may be hindered by administrative obstacles. For instance, lack of trust and faith on a government by its citizens may make f ighting cyber crime a hectic procedure. Due to this, citizens may shy away from reporting instances of cyber crimes committed or fail to cooperate with the authority in investigations. However, the overhead cost of adopting e-governance is very heavy on most governments. With the current unfavorable economic climate, the priorities of most governments are to ensure costs of any project are within manageable limits. Besides, there is an inadequate specialized skill in information technology across the globe to monitor and constantly track the ever complex crimes undergoing metamorphosis. Reference List Moore, R. (2006) Cybercrime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime, 1st ed., Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Publishing Solove, D. and Schwartz, P. (2009) Privacy, Information, and Technology, 2nd Ed., New York, NY: Aspen Publishers Tim, J, and Paul, T. (2004) Hacktivism and Cyberwars, Alabama: Routledge Trout, B. (2007) Cyber Law: A Legal Arsenal for Online Business, New York: World Audience, Inc. Warren, R. and Louis, B. (1989) The Right to Privacy, 4 Harv. L. Rev. 193., Massachusetts: Harvard University Publications

Definition and Examples of Verbal Placeholders

Definition and Examples of Verbal Placeholders A placeholder is a word (such as whatchamacallit) used by speakers to signal that they dont know or cant remember a more precise word for something. Also known as a  kadigan, tongue-tipper, and dummy noun. Examples and Observations You need something to sell. Now this could be anything. It could be a thingamajig. Or a whosi-whatsi. Or [pulls out a Watchamacallit candy bar from his pocket] a Whatchamacallit.(Steve Carell as Michael Scott in Business Office, The Office)Work, the whats-its-name of the thingummy and the thing-um-a-bob of the what dyou-call-it.(P.G. Wodehouse, Psmith, Journalist, 1915)I have unspiked the sliding doors at the far end of the barn, so that the greatly increased flow of visitors can move past the whatchamacallit without eddies and backwash. In one end they go, and out the other.   (Kurt Vonnegut, Bluebeard. Delacorte Press, 1987)It will do magic,Believe it or not,Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.Now Salagadoola meansA-Menchika-boola-roo,But the thingamabobThat does the jobIs Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.(Al Hoffman, Mack David, and Jerry Livingston, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. Cinderella, 1950) Doodad doodad n (Variations: do-dad or do-funny or doofunny or do-hickey or doohickey or do-hinky or doohinky or do-jigger or doojigger or doowhangam or do-whistle or doowhistle or do-willie or doowillie) Any unspecified or unspecifiable thing: something one does not know the name of or does not wish to name.  (Barbara Ann Kipfer and Robert L. Chapman, American Slang, 4th ed. Collins Reference, 2008) Placeholders Placeholders . . . have little or no semantic meaning and should rather be interpreted pragmatically. The placeholder words that Channell discusses... are thing, thingummy (with the variants thingummyjig and thingummybob), whatsisname, whatnot, whosit, and whatsit... Incidentally, they are all defined as slang in Cassells Dictionary of Slang (2000)... The situation where the next dialogue occurs reveals that Fanny does not know the name of the boy who was laughing with Achil and uses thingie as a placeholder: Fanny: And I walked off and like I just walked away and Achil and thingy were laughing at, you know, just not at me at how how crap [name]Kate: [Yeah.]Fanny: had been and how I had to go away.(142304: 13-215) Thingamajig occurs four times with reference to an object and twice with reference to a person. In (107) we meet 14-year-old Carola and Semantha . . . from Hackney: Carola: Can I borrow your thingamajig?Semantha: I dont know what thingamajig it is.(14078-34) Semanthas reaction shows that there is no doubt that thingamajig belongs to the category of vague words. It obviously refers to an object that Carola would like to borrow, but Semantha apparently has no idea of what she is referring to.  (Anna-Brita Stenstrà ¶m et al., Trends in Teenage Talk: Corpus Compilation, Analysis, and Findings. John Benjamins, 2002) Douglas Adams on the Placeholder in Do-Re-Mi One particularly niggling piece of Unfinished Business, it occurred to me the other day in the middle of a singing session with my five-year-old daughter, is the lyrics to ‘Do-Re-Mi,’ from The Sound of Music... Each line of the lyric takes the names of a note from the sol-fa scale, and gives it meaning: ‘Do (doe), a deer, a female deer; Re (ray), a drop of golden sun,’ etc. All well and good so far. ‘Mi (me), a name I call myself; Fa (far), a long, long way to run.’ Fine. I’m not saying this is Keats, exactly, but it’s a perfectly good conceit and it’s working consistently. And here we go into the home stretch. ‘So (sew), a needle pulling thread.’ Yes, good. ‘La, a note to follow so . . . What? Excuse me? ‘La, a note to follow so . . . What kind of lame excuse for a line is that?â€Å"Well, it’s obvious what kind of line it is. It’s a placeholder. A placeholder is what a writer puts in when he can’t think of the right line or idea just at the moment, but he’d better put in something and come back and fix it later. So, I imagine that Oscar Hammerstein just bunged in a ‘a note to follow so’ and thought he’d have another look at it in the morning.Only when he came to have another look at it in the morning, he couldn’t come up with anything better. Or the next morning. Come on, he must have thought, this is simple. Isn’t it? La . . . a something, something ... what?’...â€Å"How difficult can it be? How about this for a suggestion? ‘La, a ... a ...well, I can’t think of one at the moment, but I think that if the whole world pulls together on this, we can crack it.(Douglas Adams, Unfinished Business of the Century. The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time. Macmillan, 2002)

World Applications Of Statistics ANOVA and Nonparametric Tests Essay

World Applications Of Statistics ANOVA and Nonparametric Tests - Essay Example The variance in the data may be within the realm of chance. However, there may be other factors that are affecting his sales. By analyzing a small amount of data among a few groups, a non-parametric test can show which factor is the cause of the variance. Inferences can be drawn from ANOVA from very small sample sizes and limited data. This makes it practical to use when the cost of data collection is a consideration. While larger samples will increase the power of the test, small samples can be measured by their degree of variance and further increase the power of the test if the variance is small. Another lesson learned was that the analysis of variance is so complex that it is impractical to perform on a calculator. There are many computer programs that calculate ANOVA such as Excel and SPSS. Today, this complex area of statistics can be performed on a limited budget with a minimum amount of computer software. The simulation demonstrated that meaningful information about a varianc e among groups can be tested with limited resources. The concept of using small sample sizes makes analyzing business data convenient for small-scale operations. The knowledge that it can be done with Excel makes it even more valuable, as I am moderately proficient at using it. Another key feature of ANOVA is that it can work with ordinal or interval data. This is especially useful when gathering data through a questionnaire. In addition, ANOVA is able to measure the interaction between multiple factors.

English Literature Religion in the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Essay

English Literature Religion in the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - Essay Example In the novel, Lauren criticizes the American Christian tradition. Lauren, who is the daughter of a Baptist teacher, has lost faith in her father’s God, the God of Christianity. Her feelings are clear in the novel when she writes, â€Å"At least three years ago, my father’s God stopped being my God. His church stopped being my church† (Butler, page 7). According to Lauren, the Christian God is nonsensical regardless of the environmental and social problems. She, therefore, merges what she learnt from her biblical scripture as the truth due to her experiences of suffering, hatred, violence, and murder. Lauren’s way of thinking becomes understandable when she reflects on a storm that was raging in the Gulf of Mexico which claimed lives of hundreds of people. Lauren writes, â€Å"Is it God? Most of the dead are the street poor who have nowhere to go and who don’t hear the warnings until it’s too late for their feet to take them to safety. Whereà ¢â‚¬â„¢s the safety for them anyway? Is it a sin against God to be poor? We’re almost poor ourselves†¦.How will God my father’s God behave toward us when we’re poor (Butler, page 15)?† She inquires how the relations between poverty and suffering mirror her knowledge that it is the unfortunate who suffer most in her society. But she does not truly think there is a God in heaven that punishes the unfortunate. She considers the Christian God is just a justification for others’ poverty while others flourish. The blame for poverty and lots of suffering is put on God so that those in authority do not have to be accountable for it.Lauren continues with her criticism when she writes that the Book of Job â€Å"says more about my father’s God in particular and gods in general than anything else I’ve ever read† (Butler, page 16). Lauren summarizes the Book of Job as follows: â€Å"In the Book of Job, God says he made everything and h e knows everything so no one has any right to question what he does with any of it. Okay. That works.

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' Essay

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' - Essay Example Karl Marx, a great philosopher, believed that societies progress through a coherence of class struggle between the rich who controls societal systems and underprivileged members of society who act as their subjects. According to Marx, the scenery of societal systems could be improved through the idea of socialism where all members of the society enjoy a fair and equal share. The essay will examine how the societal systems contribute to poverty whose impacts are felt in access to health care. This essay offers valuable and elaborate guidance for health service providers. The assessment of the aspects poverty in relation to access to health care shows a close link both abstractly and operationally. Link between Health and Poverty Access to good health care is dependent on the financial status of an individual. Poor people have limited access to health care facilities as compared to the rich people. It is worth noting that material deficiency and the numerous social disadvantages associ ated with poverty makes it impossible for poor people to access health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). Due to the strong connection between poverty and health, there have been deliberate efforts to reduce poverty as one of the ways to make it possible for all people to access health care. ... These mechanisms can help clarify why the impacts of poverty on health may continue to hit if poverty is considered in relation provisions rather than as an absolute deficiency (Saunders, 1998, p. 13). Assessing the links between poverty and health is significant for policy makers since it draws consideration to the likelihood that poverty can be associated with adverse health outcomes. It also helps in examining the distribution of income and health inequalities. Moreover, social aspects of health and social environment give rise to the values and practices that control health conditions and costs (Saunders, 1998, p. 17). Since the health sector has minimal authority over most powerful influences on health, such as education, food, shelter, environmental risks, and work conditions, it meets the practical difficulties of recognizing how it can successfully work to disrupt the brutal cycle of poverty to access to health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). Marx criticized capitalism s ystem arguing that it resulted in class struggle where some enjoyed prime services at the expense of the underprivileged (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). The basic principle of human rights, which include health, upholds all people equally. The issue of the guidelines to be adopted in human rights has been controversial due to differing policies, culture and beliefs in the society (Young, 1999, p. 269). Marx stipulated that the human dignity should be respected including other necessities of life. He argued that capitalism results in discrimination, which may cause high poverty levels in a country due to poor policies and implementation of the government policies, high incidences of impunity, skewed

Disaster Management and Emergency Planning Essay

Disaster Management and Emergency Planning - Essay Example This report would highlight, in clear terms, the actions expected of the emergency response units: with a great emphasis on how the casualties are attended to; how the public is being warned of the danger of the incident; and how media representatives are properly handled in the course of this catastrophe. The magnitude of this disaster calls for rapid establishment of an effective command structure. According to the classification of emergencies in UK, this scenario can be categorized as a â€Å"serious emergency† (Level 2), because it is a terrorist attack on the welfare of people. In such a situation, a Co-ordinated Combined Government Command Structure (CCGCS) may be necessary to help the casualties. This depends on which section first of all responds to the incident. The UK Central Government, after deliberating on the urgency of the issue may firstly activate Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR), chaired by the Prime Minister. Since this incident occurs in the Promenade of Blackpool, which is located in Lancashire, North West of England, the response would be led by the appropriate Lead Government Department in that English Region. Initially, local responders are naturally expected to start the rescue operations: and when this is carried out by the local police led by Police Gold Commander, Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG) would be activated (which comprises of all the representatives of rescue/ emergency organizations and agencies in that locality). The main guiding principles behind the operations of the Co-ordinated Combined Government Command Structure include preparedness, situation monitoring, continuity, subsidiarity, crisis detection support, containment, communication, integration, response, de-escalation and recovery (Moore & Lakha 2006). The Strategic Co-ordination Group may involve Regional Resilience Team

Memo and sales letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memo and sales letter - Assignment Example I urge that you To employ humanity in dealing with the issue. I also would like to take you back to an issue that occurred 2 months ago where Jane Sanders, another employee, was forced out of her parking space by male employees under threats of physical abuse. The company appeared not to accord the occurrence the seriousness it deserves. Although the male employees have been reprimanded, I feel that was not at all due appeasement to the harassed employee. Furthermore, Mrs. Sanders did assert repeatedly that some of the male employees in the incident in question have made inappropriate passes at her in the past. This brings the focal point of that particular case not only to gender inequality but also sexual harassment. I would like to remind the company of the country’s constitutional provisions for gender sensitivity. The constitution provides that female members of the workforce be treated in a just and fair manner as the male members of the workforce. An oversight of this is therefore liable to legal complaint. It is only after this assertion is taken into account that the situation will be remedied. An assurance from the Human Resource department that the issues above will be handled with the utmost solemnity and reassurance of our safety in the workplace will go a long way to instill change. This would be the first, among many steps to remedy the crisis. Our company is extremely appreciative of the time that we have been able to serve you. We are honored that you have chosen us as your product provider. The last time you wrote to us you had a challenge with the gear that you purchased. I believe that the issue was well taken care of by our repair and maintenance team. Kindly get back to us and inform us whether you were fulfilled with the results. Our customer service team will review your recommendations depending on your response. We take great pride in being able to learn from our most valued and loyal

Psychological Biological Bases of Behavioral Replies to Classmates Essay

Psychological Biological Bases of Behavioral Replies to Classmates Papers- - Essay Example 41). Generally, the paper presents details in precise manners, carefully satisfying what is asked of the author. Reference Smith, F. P. (2001). Neurology and neurosurgery: Basic principles. Suffolk, UK: University of Rochester Press. sara9.doc Both the pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems have delineated functions in movement. In her paper, Holland accomplishes the tasks of describing the structures and known functions of both systems. The parts of the pyramidal systems are presented together with their anatomy and physiology, including the importance of decussation. Paralysis as a result of injury to either upper or lower motor neurons and their corresponding affected sides are mentioned, but specific conditions to exemplify them are not given. The different extrapyramidal tracts are also elaborated with their specific functions. The paper concludes by briefly passing through the discussed points, but an idea probably overlooked is that a dichotomy between the pyramidal and extrapyr amidal systems do not really exist, where both of these descending tract systems are interconnected with the basal ganglia anatomically and functionally (Noback et al., 2005, p. 419). Reference Noback, C. R., Strominger, N. L., Demarest, R. J., & Ruggiero, D. A. (Eds.). (2005). Nervous system: Structure and function (6th ed.). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press maggie4.doc Tygart’s article on the significance of the concentration of potassium ions in the neuron relative to the concentration of sodium ions in the extracellular fluid and the contrast between the inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic potentials is clearly and comprehensively stated. Beginning with a background on the fundamentals of a neuron and how it works, she enables readers not to â€Å"get lost† in her article. The importance of the sodium-potassium pump and its balance is emphasized to play key roles in life functions, and the effects of imbalances are also presented. Through this carefully-written paper, t he author implies to readers that indeed the said system is important in the human body. To take as an example, the case of using potassium chloride in lethal injection is evidence that induced unregulated amounts of potassium can cause death (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso, 2007, p. 72). Reference Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2007). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lipponcott Williams & Wilkins. overlie.doc The human brain is likened to a high-rise executive office complex, and the tour given in the article is detailed in its structures and form. By emphasizing on the different divisions and then elaborating on it systematically, the investor may be more compelled to buy the investment. The article presents how the human brain is capable of performing numerous and complex tasks, and how it controls our life functions. It is also noticed that despite the wonders of the brain, malfunction may occur as a result of damage in a certain part, a nd exemplified in the paper is Huntington’s chorea. Moritz (2005) illustrates the brain’s capability to do numerous tasks in one setting in the case of an artist working his art, minding his music, the audience, and various functions and responses that would affect his performance (pp. 39-40). Indeed, â€Å"

Memo and sales letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memo and sales letter - Assignment Example I urge that you To employ humanity in dealing with the issue. I also would like to take you back to an issue that occurred 2 months ago where Jane Sanders, another employee, was forced out of her parking space by male employees under threats of physical abuse. The company appeared not to accord the occurrence the seriousness it deserves. Although the male employees have been reprimanded, I feel that was not at all due appeasement to the harassed employee. Furthermore, Mrs. Sanders did assert repeatedly that some of the male employees in the incident in question have made inappropriate passes at her in the past. This brings the focal point of that particular case not only to gender inequality but also sexual harassment. I would like to remind the company of the country’s constitutional provisions for gender sensitivity. The constitution provides that female members of the workforce be treated in a just and fair manner as the male members of the workforce. An oversight of this is therefore liable to legal complaint. It is only after this assertion is taken into account that the situation will be remedied. An assurance from the Human Resource department that the issues above will be handled with the utmost solemnity and reassurance of our safety in the workplace will go a long way to instill change. This would be the first, among many steps to remedy the crisis. Our company is extremely appreciative of the time that we have been able to serve you. We are honored that you have chosen us as your product provider. The last time you wrote to us you had a challenge with the gear that you purchased. I believe that the issue was well taken care of by our repair and maintenance team. Kindly get back to us and inform us whether you were fulfilled with the results. Our customer service team will review your recommendations depending on your response. We take great pride in being able to learn from our most valued and loyal

Marley is warning Scrooge Essay Example for Free

Marley is warning Scrooge Essay Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in October 1843. It was the voice of the poor in London at that period. There was a great divide between the classes, Dickens wrote a Christmas Carol so that his readers could learn about the class divide and the suffering of the poor in London; Dickens shows the contrast very well in A Christmas Carol. Dickens came from a family who experienced debt. Charles younger years where evidently very hard, although he quoted that himself and his family loved Christmas and celebrated it with a smile, even thought he family lived on a low wage. When Dickens started to write A Christmas Carol he often walked the streets of London gathering ideas and looking at the poor people living in their slums. There is no doubt that Dickens life encouraged him to write A Christmas Carol, his father was thrown in prison for being in debt and Charles had to work at a boot blackening factory on the banks of the Thames. In A Christmas Carol we meet Scrooge a tight fisted and very rich man, who lived life on as little as possible so not to waste his well earned money. In a Christmas carol he is a caricature the worst possible person anyone could have met. Dickens lists negatives in the story to display the kind of man he is; Scrooge was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner Dickens also uses similes to describe him through out the book, it begins on a simile as dead as a door nail this is a clichi d simile a simile that is constantly used in common vocabulary. Dickens used a clichi because the poor and uneducated would have recognised and enjoyed his language, and the wealthy would realize the unarguable nature of the fact. He also uses then to describe Scrooge he was as solitary as an oyster he refuses to speak with anyone long terms at the start of the book, Dickens writes that even blind mans dogs even hide form him, backing up that scrooge was a caricature. Scrooge plays the part of the upper classes in London, not noticing the divide in society. The upper classes believed that the poor where too lazy to work. Therefore the Victorians created workhouses a place where the poor worked for a bed and food for them self and their families. These places were help slightly by the work of the philanthropists. Scrooge also does not like philanthropists people who want to collect money to help the poor are there no prisons? asked Scrooge. The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then? said Scrooge. Both very busy, sir. This show that Scrooge considers money over human welfare, and that he does not want to learn about the plight of the poor; this reflects the views of many wealthy businessmen of the day. Im very glad to hear it answers Scrooge to help the philanthropists regarding the workhouse. Many cant go there; and many would rather die. This depicts the truly callous side to the class division. If they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. The poor law was the only way of collecting money for the poor, and this tax was so very little that it hardly helped any of the poor or needy. The first ghost Scrooge is haunted by is that of his old business partner Jacob Marley. He warns of three other ghosts that will haunt Scrooge in the coming night. Jacob and Scrooge ran the business of loan agents their aim was to target the poor people of London lending them large amounts of money, money these people could ill afford and when the deadline came to pay him back; and may couldnt they where thrown into prison and their belongings sold. Marley wore chains I wear the chain I forged in life, said Marley I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Marley wore the chains because of every bad thing he did in his lifetime another link was added to the chain. This shows us that Marley was not a kind person. Is its pattern strange to you? The ghost questions Scrooge. Marley is warning Scrooge that when he dies he shall have a chain of his own due to all his bad deeds. Marley states that making money was his business mankind was my business At one oclock, the ghost appears, the features of the ghost were ever changing an old man a young child. This portrays the two ages that would suffer the most at Christmas time; it also shows the in fluctuation between past Scrooges youth and the present -Scrooge nowadays.

Cosmopolitanism Ethics In A World Of Strangers Philosophy Essay

Cosmopolitanism Ethics In A World Of Strangers Philosophy Essay The book, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, is a clear and well-written book which is enjoyable to read. K. A. Appiah is himself a citizen of the world: a professor of philosophy at Princeton, with a Ghanian father and an English mother, he was raised in Ghana and educated in England, and also lived in Africa, Europe and North America. After reading this book, I have to say that Appiah skillfully blends his philosophical ideas with anecdotes about his own life and background. It brings us too many places and we come to know him a little and also his father, mother, and various other kinsfolk and tribe members. He introduces us to many traditions, practices and ideas of his African ancestry to clarify his ideas on human interactions, conversations, and globalisation. It reassesses the case for reviving an ancient stream of thought in a world full of strangers, and finds that Cosmopolitanism is a universal trait of humankind. The overall scheme of the book concerns the p rinciples of the existence of different people bound by a simple nexus of common values and humanity.   1.1 Introduction: Marking Conversation Appiah starts with the fact that our ancestors lived in small tribes where they interacted with a small set of people who they knew. Others were of rival tribes and to be viewed with suspicion. Information about other ways of life didnt really flow into the village. That was in the old days. Nowadays, our human world is getting smaller now, because people have more access to each other than ever before in history. We are getting to know and access each other through migration, international trade, tourism, and the worldwide web of information, which comes from radio, television, telephones, and especially the internet. This mass media and the amazing cyberspace give us plenty of opportunities not only that we can affect the lives of others everywhere but that we can to learn about life anywhere, too'(p xiii). The world is getting smaller and we are living in a new global tribe in the face of the world globalization. How are we to deal with these new circumstances? What ideas and institutions can help us to live together in this global village? Appiah addresses the notion of cosmopolitanism, that is the challenge to take minds and hearts formed over the long millennia of living in local troops and equip them with ideas and institutions that will allow us to live together as the global tribe we have become'(p xiii). The notion actually combines two inter-related strands: One is the idea that we have obligations to others, obligations that stretch beyond those to whom we are related by the ties of kith and kin, or even the more formal ties of shared citizenship'(p xv). The other is that we take seriously the value not just of human life but of particular human lives, which means taking an interest in the practices and beliefs that lend them significance (p xv). Appiah believes that it is an obligation to understand those with whom we share this planet. People are different, and there is much to learn from our differences. Because there are so many human possibilities worth exploring, we neither expect nor desire that every person or every society should converge on a single mode of life. Appiah also stresses that whatever our obligations are to others (or theirs to us) they often have the right to go their own way (p xv), it is respect for difference. According to Appiah, cosmopolitanism is more accommodating of diversity than the current liberal consensus but does not fall into moral relativism. Cosmopolitanism embodies two core values: universal concern for all humanity above family and nation and a respect for legitimate difference. Appiah recognizes that these two values clash, and as such cosmopolitanism is the name not of the solution but of the challenge (p. xv). Appiah takes a step further to summarise the challenges, which are: (1) to avoid falling into moral relativism while respecting difference; (2) to find a middle way between an unrooted abstract universalism and self-interested nationalism; (3) to recognise that cultural difference has been exaggerated by an order of magnitude (p. xix); and (4) to work for conversation, in the sense both of association and exchange of ideas, while realising that humanity will never arrive at an agreed hierarchy of universal values. Cosmopolitanism is a process involving the human co mmunity in habits of co-existence, of conversation in its older meaning, of living together, association (p. xix). The crux of getting along is to recognise that while one might live with integrity in accordance with ones own beliefs, one does not need to share the same rationale with someone else to develop this habit of conservation. In the interpretation of cosmopolitanism, Appiah is sympathetic to the view that local loyalties and allegiances are important because they determine who we are. So he encourages us to embrace both local and universal loyalties and allegiances and denies that they necessarily come into conflict with each other. He holds that we need to take sides neither with the nationalist who abandons all foreigners nor with the hard-core cosmopolitan who regards friends and fellow citizens with icy impartiality. The position worth defending might be called (in both senses) a partial cosmopolitanism. So he stakes out his middle ground of partial cosmopolitanism more by talking about what its not. On the positive side, we get a lot of generalities: its important to talk with people from other cultures, to maintain mutual respect, to learn about other ways of life. We need the curiosity inherent in a partial cosmopolitan outlook so that we can get used to one another and live peacefully together. We do not, he stresses, need to share underlying values or agree on everything. 1.2 The Shattered Mirror Appiah argues that looking at the world clearly shows that there are a variety of ways of life and thought. Human beings are different and that we can learn from each others differences (p4). When we are exposed to the range of human customs and beliefs, a cosmopolitan openness to the world is perfectly consistent with picking and choosing among the options you find in your search (p5). However, such exposure to different human customs and beliefs hardly leaves the traveler unattached from his own. Thus, not all disagreements can be resolved and it urges us to accept differences. (pp.4-7) Appiah holds that a complex truth is like images of the shattered mirroreach shard of which reflects one part of a complex truth from its own particular angle. He supposed the deepest mistake is to think that your little shard of mirror can reflect the whole. Actually, Appiah points out that there is no singular truth. In that case, theres no one shattered mirror; there are lots of mirrors, lots of moral truths, and we can at best agree to differ (p11), therefore, we need to embrace pluralism, and adopt a live-and let-live attitude. Appiah cites works by ethnographers, and draws a number of persuasive parallels to establish universality and shared values (good and bad). He stresses that people in far-flung places are the same in that [they] have gods, food, language, dance music, carvings, medicines, family lives, rituals, jokes and childrens tales.   They smiled, slept, had sex and children, wept, and in the end, died (p.14). Another commonality according to Appiah, is that a lot of what we take to be right or wrong is simply a matter of customs.   His argument about ideas and concepts which are common to most cultures in the world, draws further on acts like good parenting, as well as taboo, which exists in his native Ghana (akywandee), or in Igbo land (nso), but is Polynesian in origin. 1.3 The Escape from Positivism Appiah writes of relativism, positivism, and particular the fact and value distinction in this chapter. Appiah claims that the influence of positivism has led to value relativism by splitting values (or ends) from facts about the world (or means), in other words, what philosophers have called the naturalistic fallacy, or the inability to derive an ought from an is. Appiah avers that relativism and positivism often get in the way of the cosmopolitan project and undermine conversation across boundaries. Because every people finds its own ways (to be) good (p16), this conversation is important. It helps us to know others who are different and to learn from them. Simply put, if when we disagree we are both right, then there is nothing to talk about. if we cannot learn from one another what it is right to think and feel and do, then conversation between us will be pointless (p31). From a positivist slant, Appiah observes that what is custom is linked to values, which in the end, guide our acts, thoughts and our feelings (p 25). It is in this context that he underscores that being kind is an attribute of experience more than any other variable since people learn to be kind by being treated kindly and noticing it.   Appiah also emphasises the way our values are shaped by conversations with others, in which we try to shape each others views and feelings, but relativism of that sort isnt a way to encourage conversation, its just a reason to fall silent (p 31) because of the relativists toleration. 1.4 Facts on the Ground The chapter is an attack on the positivist notion of fact. Appiah argues that facts are not as solid as we may suppose. He tries to show that facts are on no more solid ground than values. He uses the example of trying to persuade a traditional Asante (his kinfolk) that witchcraft cannot harm people, to show that facts largely depend on what you already believe and what ideas you already have. 1.5 Moral Disagreement In this chapter, Appiah goes on to look at the various ways we can come in conflict over values, which are more likely to arise between people from different societies. They are: (1) no shared vocabulary of evaluation. Value terms are essentially contestable and they will always be argued about both across cultures and within them. (2) Even when we share the same moral vocabulary, conflict over values might come in varying interpretations of the same vocabulary and (3) giving the same values different weight. However none of this is insurmountable: we can agree to do things without agreeing on why (p67), but more important is Appiahs point, pace Samuel Huntingdon, that most conflict is not articulated through warring values in the first place. In fact, intense conflict may arise through dispute over the meaning of the same values (p67), e.g. on abortion, American pro-lifers and pro-abortionists both respect the sanctity of life, but differ on why it is precious and on when life begin s. To better understand this point, Appiah gives us other example that, the US and Iraq being at war is not because the people of the two countries have different values. But this is not a point the politicians in Washington would readily accept, certainly, not the ideologues.  Here, Appiah analyses that the Golden Rule-what you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others- requires that we should take other peoples interests seriously, take them into account. Appiah suggests that encouraging cosmopolitan engagement, presupposes the acceptance of disagreement.   Perhaps, this is why cosmopolitans endorse as a key aim, that we learn about other peoples situations and then use our imagination to walk in their Moccasins (p.68). He also exposes the failings of the Golden Rule as a principle to live by. Its just that we cant claim that the way is easy. 1.6 The Primacy of Practice Appiah argues that even though moral disagreements can happen and are real, crosscultural conversations about values do not have to end in disagreement, because it is often possible to agree about what to do even when we do not agree on the reasons behind it. For example, we can live in peace and harmony without agreeing on the underlying values. (pp.69-81) Appiah discourages us from insisting on reaching agreements on values by means of reasoned arguments and persuasion. These very often fail to move people. Moreover, if we make this insistence, then we will lose what is worthwhile about conversations across boundaries. As Appiah avers, conversation is hardly guaranteed to lead to agreement about what to think and feel. Yet we go wrong if we think the point of conversation is to persuade, and imagine it proceeding as a debate, in which points are scored for the Proposition and the Opposition. Often enough, as Faust said, in the beginning is the deed: practices and not principles are what enable us to live together in peace (pp.84-85).When Appiah proposes conversations between people, what he has in mind by conversation is really an engagement with the experience and the ideas of others (p85). In this sense, conversations do not have to lead to consensus about anything, especially not values; its enough that it helps people get used to one another (p85). 1.7 Imaginary Strangers Appiah argues that the points of entry to crosscultural conversations are things that are shared by those who are in the conversation. They do not need to be universal; all they need to be is what these particular people have in common (p97). And human beings everywhere have so much in common. These include everyday activities, such as buying things, eating, reading the paper, laughing, going to movies, parties and funerals. They also include universal values such as kindness and generosity. He argues that these can be entry points to cross cultural conversations, because once we have found enough (things which) we share, there is the further possibility that we will be able to enjoy discovering things we do not yet share'(p97), and we can open up more to other ways of thinking, feeling and acting. That is one of the payoffs of cosmopolitan curiosity. Appiah also notes that the problem of cross-cultural communication can seem immensely difficult in theory, when we are trying to imagine making sense of a stranger in the abstract. But the great lesson of anthropology is that when the stranger is no longer imaginary, but real and present, sharing a human social life, you may like or dislike him, you may agree or disagree; but, if it is what you both want, you can make sense of each other in the end (pp.98-99). 1.8 Cosmopolitan Contamination In the seventh chapter called Cosmopolitan Contamination, Appiah argues against those who criticize globalization for producing homogeneity and getting rid of cultural differences. He claims that globalization is also a threat to homogeneity because it creates new forms of difference (p101-105). He thinks that instead of the talk of preserving diversity and trapping people in conditions they want to escape from, we have got to let people choose for themselves. He mentions that cosmopolitans think human variety matters because people are entitled to the options they need to shape their lives in partnership with others (p104). Appiah also writes of the trouble with cultural imperialism, he believes that people in each place make their own uses even of the most famous global commodities (p113). Such as the fact that Levis are worn on every continent. In some places they are informal wear; in others they are dressy'(p113).They are not blank tablets on which global capitalism can write wh atever it wants, they are not fools but they can resist. That is why something does not ever change, like the identity of a society can survive when cultures are made of continuities and changes. 1.9 Whose Culture Is It, Anyway? Appiah begins by pointing out that some of the museums of the world, particularly in the West, have large collections of objects and artefacts which were looted from poor and developing countries. He then asks: who owns these cultural artefacts and properties? Our first answer may be that since they make up the cultural heritage of a people, they belong to the people and culture from whom they were taken. Appiah disputes this and argues that the right way is to take not a national but a cosmopolitan perspective: to ask what system of international rules about objects of this sort will respect the many legitimate human interests at stake (pp.126-127). If some cultural artefacts are of potential value to all human beings, they should belong to all of humanity. He thinks that when they make a contribution to world culture, they should be protected by being made available to those who would benefit from experiencing them and put into the trusteeship of humanity (pp.130-134). Appiah argue s that rather than focusing on returning stolen art and putting a lot of money and effort into it, it may serve the interest of those whose artefacts were stolen better to be exposed to a decent collection of art from around the world, like people everywhere else. 1.10 The Counter-Cosmopolitanism Appiahs writing on Believers without Borders as in Doctors without Borders is instructive in explaining universalism as well as its driving motives and consequences: They believe in human dignity across nationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ share ideals with people in many countries, speaking many languagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they would never go to war for (a) country, but they will enlist (in a) campaign against any nation that gets in the way of universal justice.   They are young, global Muslim fundamentalist; they are the recruiting ground of Al Qaeda (pp. 137-138). Appiah goes on to suggest that such fundamentalism exemplifies the universal ethics, which inverts the picture of Cosmopolitanism and in the absence of toleration, turns easily to murder (p141).  For example, Islamic and Christian fundamentalists who seek a community of those who share their faith and reject all national and local allegiances have no tolerance for religious difference. We should be wary of and reject universal community, because they can lead to bloodbaths, which is one lesson we can learn from the sad history of Christian religious warfare in Europe (p141). Then Appiah turns to argue that their universalism is contrary to cosmopolitanism which embraces pluralism and promotes the view that our knowledge is imperfect and provisional and that we might learn something from those we disagree with. As he writes: to say what, in principle, distinguishes the cosmopolitan from the counter-cosmopolitan, we plainly need to go beyond talk of truth and tolerance. One distinctively cosmopolitan commitment is to pluralism. Cosmopolitans think that there are many values worth living by and that you cannot live by all of them. So we hope and expect that different people and different societies will embody different values. (But they have to be values worth living by.) Another aspect of cosmopolitanism is what philosophers call fallibilism the sense that our knowledge is imperfect, provisional, subject to revision in the face of new evidence (p 144). If cosmopolitanism is, in a slogan, universality plus difference, there are the other enemies of cosmopolitanism. They reject universality altogether, and claim that not everyone matters. One such inescapable obligation is this: when you do something that harms someone else, you must be able to justify it. Those we think of are willing to claim that not everyone matters. They tell us why. Such and such people are destroying our nation; they are inferior; It is not actually that they dont matter; its that they have earned our hatred or contempt. They deserve what we are doing to them (pp.150-152). Appiah avers that the real challenge to cosmopolitanism isnt the belief that other people dont matter at all; its the belief that they dont matter very much. Its easy to get agreement that we have some obligations to strangers. We cant do terrible thing to them. (p153) 1.11 Kindness to Strangers Appiah looks at the question of what do we owe strangers? His answer is mainly negative. Appiah begins by referring the viewpoints of Peter Singer and Peter Unger. The Singer principle (from the works of Peter Singer) states: If you can prevent something bad from happening at the cost of something less bad, you ought to do it (p 160). Unger takes it a step further by stating that it would be immoral not to donate all of ones wealth to organizations, such as UNICEF and Oxfam, which benefit less fortunate people. Based on these beliefs, Singer and Unger would likely agree that it would be wrong to spend money on the opera if that money could otherwise be used to save the life of a child (p159-162). Appiah, however, doesnt agree with that decision. He believes that Singer and Unger are missing a key piece of morality and human nature: It is illogical-and just plain wrong- to assume that a person values all lives equally. In reality, a person is likely to value the people around them, su ch as family and friends, and even themselves, over those whom they have never met. Thats not to say that such a person does not care about other, unknown people; it is only to reaffirm the fact that humans prefer familiarity. Cosmopolitanism cannot and does not demand from us to have more sympathy and concern for strangers than those close to us. In addition, Singer and Ungers principles are vague and without exceptions. They dont seem to consider all possible situations and they fail to account for human nature. As Appiah mentions, if everyone spent all of their money to save starving children and none on activities they enjoy, the world would be a flat and dreary place. (p 166) No one would want to live at all if they werent able to do things other than saving other peoples lives. People need entertainment and joy in their lives in order to be happy and successful. These thinkers are mistaken to burden us with incredible obligations which would dramatically reduce the quality of our lives (pp.156-166). It is much more helpful, as Appiah believes, to contribute, in whatever way possible, to a cause that will focus on improving the general living conditions of a location, which, in turn, will eliminate the hunger of the children living there. Providing clean water or a better education system to Third World children will do more for their future than simply feeding them for a day, which, as Appiah points out, may actually be detrimental to the farmers and the economy of the area. And it wouldnt necessarily require all of ones wealth to be donated to the cause in order to make it happen. As Appiah points out, Singer and Unger seem to imply that all values can be measured in a single thin currency of goodness and badness and those decisions should be made based on a comparison of the amounts of this currency for each possible outcome (p 166). That theory is a misguided and an inaccurate one, as it fails to account for outside forces. All decisions must be made by considering the many variables involved; this morality price, as one might call it, is only one such variable. According to Appiah, whatever our obligations are to strangers, they must not be too burdensome because these are not the only obligations that matter. As such, Appiah is correct in his conclusions that neither the Singer principle nor Ungers beliefs should be the sole guiding force in ones decision-making process. While it may be appropriate to assign the morality price a heavy weight when it comes to making a decision, it is impossible to force the human mind to think only of such a value. As Appia h argues, human values and decision making processes should be based on more than just one specific rule-designed by one specific human. The world is too complex for one sentence to handle. Appiah also makes an argument based on the saying that the end justifies the means. Slavery, in and of itself, is wrong; the existence of the pyramids or of the United States, however, is not. Plus, it is unreasonable to assume that giving away all of ones wealth will cause any permanent change. It is more likely that doing so would simply prolong the possibly-dreadful life of a starving child for a set period of time. After that, the living conditions of the child would simply return to their previous state. 2 Evaluations 2.1 The Notion of Cosmopolitanism Appiahs chosen word to describe this task in this book is cosmopolitanism. This term can be traced back to the founding father of the Cynic movement in Ancient Greece,  Diogenes of Sinope  (c. 412 B.C.). Of Diogenes it is said: Asked where he came from, he answered: I am a citizen of the world (kosmopolità ªs)  [1]  . The word of Cosmopolitan derives from Greek  cosmos  (the  Universe) and  polis (city). Appiah picks this term to suggest the possibility of a cosmopolitan community in which individuals from varying locations (physical, economic, etc.) enter relationships of mutual respect despite their differing beliefs (moral, religious, political, etc.). According to the meaning which is intended , he finds cosmopolitan superior to globalization, which is an overused word that can mean everything from a marketing strategy to an economic thesis, or multiculturalism, which he says is another shape shifter, which so often designates the disease it purports to cure. App iah admits that cosmopolitanism can have elitist connotations. But its actually a term rooted more in the idea of cosmos the universe: talk of cosmopolitanism originally signaled a rejection of the conventional view that every civilized person belonged to a community among communities. In order to better understand the notion of Cosmopolitanism in the book, it is necessary to make a brief survey of the differences in meaning among some conceptions, which are: relativism, universalism, nationalism, patriotism and liberalism. Relativism refers to any of several descriptive, meta-ethical, or normative positions  regarding the differences in moral or ethical judgments between different people and cultures. Universalism is the meta-ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for all similarly situated individuals, regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexuality, or other distinguishing feature. Nationalism  involves a strong identification of ones social identity with that of a  nation  or state.  Patriotism  is love and devotion to ones country.  Liberalism is the belief in the importance of  liberty  and  equality. And, Cosmopolitanism is in a slogan, universality plus differen ce (p151). 2.2 Relativism and Cosmopolitanism Relativists claim that not everything is local custom, and they argue that education must be morally neutral, and that all values are situational and negotiable. Appiah thinks it is mercifully fading out. Appiah rejects cultural relativism, he pushes it further toward obsolescence and denies a key tenet of relativism, which he describes as the basic suspicion that moral claims just reflect local preferences rather than universal truths. Before relativisms destruction, its proponents relied on the comfortable certainty that tolerance trumped all other values. For relativists, dealing with multiple cultures was easy: Just tolerate everything. But in the absence of that idea, how do we relate to what Appiah calls a world of strangers? Since there are some values that are, and should be, universal, do we deliberately rinse away all expressions of cultural diversity that dont uphold those universals? If values are universal, how can we maintain them while still respecting cultural distinctness? How can we avoid the pitfall those relativists feared, that of imposing our values on others? Appiah makes it work. He avers that Cosmopolitanism helps us find ways to consider such conceptual complexities. As mentioned before, Appiahs cosmopolitanism intertwines two ideas, obligations to others and value of particular human lives. For the cosmopolitan, then, no local loyalty can ever justify forgetting that each human being has r esponsibilities to every other. Those responsibilities are best played out in conversations across differences where the language of values helps us coordinate our lives with one another. 2.3 Globalization Appiah talks about globalization in chapter 7. He is dismissive of those who are critical of globalization and focuses only on one aspect of their criticisms, namely their worry that globalization wipes out local cultures. So he does not address the worry that the global financial institutions and multinational corporations want to expand the world markets for their own interests and that they undercut and weaken local governments, laws, and decision-making. Western industrial nations promote free trade, but this in fact benefits them and makes them richer and more powerful. The agriculture and export subsidies in the West are one of the main causes of agricultural decline in many developing countries. So globalization per petuates and worsens the unequal balance of power between rich industrial and poor developing countries, rather than addressing it in any way. Appiah casts the critics of globalization as people who are afraid of change, but some of the critics are legitimately con cerned with global justice and local sovereignty. 2.4 Cosmopolitan Justice Cosmopolitan justice is discussed in Chapter10, but it is a little weak. One of the main components of Appiahs cosmopolitanism is ethical commitment to strangers. But his view of what this amounts to is very thin. Instead of speculating about what commitments we incur if we want to make the world a substantially better place, Appiah comes up with a list of constraints. He is very critical of the idea of world government as a vehicle for upholding and guaranteeing peoples basic rights. For Appiah the primary mechanism for ensuring basic rights is the nation-state. Appiah then warns us about those who want to burden us with too much and urge us to overlook our obligations to those close to us and to our own self and projects. It is difficult to see how the concerns which underpin cosmopolitan ethics or justice can be addressed solely in the context of national politics. Those who are passionate about cosmopolitan justice are concerned about extreme poverty, tyranny, oppression, and environmental degradation. Seriously addressing these seems to also require working with international organizations which go beyond national borders and forming connections and associations with others elsewhere who have similar goals. Moreover, despite Appiahs legitimate worries about establishing a world government, it is clear that world governing bodies and institutions, such as United Nations and World Bank, already exist, deal with cosmopolitan justice issues, and have much power. At the least, making the world more just would demand that these institutions become more democratic and fair and do a better job of protecting peoples rights. 2.5 Global Conversation Cosmopolitanism works because values like courtesy, hospitality, generosity and reciprocity are widely shared, alongside other basic concepts and social customs, to enable differences to be explored. Appiah thinks that we share enough to work through human differences. Commonality allows for a global conversation. In the end, attaining a state of peaceful, diverse co-existence is more important to cosmopolitanism than resolving all conflict over human values either philosophically or politically. Appiah calls for a global conversation to make our world suitable for coexistence and living well. But he does not refer to appropriate ways. When we look for some enlightenment in the context of Chinese Confucianism, we can find that Confucian toleration has some characteristics of engagement in such conversations; the characteristics are: openness to t