Desiderata: Essential Facts of Life

Rashaunta Hunter Mrs. Cannon English IV- 1B 27 August 2009 â€Å"Essential Facts of Life† Written in the 20th century, â€Å"Desiderata† gives many different ways to live a positive life. The message of this poem explains’ how to get through many circumstances. The poem tells you how to become a better person. Once you read this poem, you will learn how to treat others. There are essential facts in this poem that helps you have a more joyful life. Avoiding loud and aggressive persons, comparing yourself with others, and being at peace with God, are statements from the poem â€Å"Desiderata† to encourage you to live a peaceful life.People shouldn’t associate themselves with negativity. If people desire to have more calm and peaceful lives, they should â€Å"avoid loud and aggressive persons they are vexations to the spirit. † I used to associate myself with people who were very loud and aggressive. Eventually I started acting just like them. O nce I started hanging out them, I would always be distracted and wouldn’t be focused on the things I really needed to be focused on. I would find myself being frustrated with every little thing and person.My grades were falling and I would always get suspended. When I decided to separate myself from all the negative people, I was more calm and relaxed. I was no longer frustrated. My grades rose back up. I even gained my respect back from my teachers. It is important to appreciate life. People shouldn’t always try to be better than others because â€Å"If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter. † Trying to compete with others will just make life more difficult.It’s possible to gain enemies by always comparing one’s self to another. When I was singing in the Gospel Company, I was a lead singer. There was a girl in my class who would always try to compete with my for a solo that was already given to me. She would compare her voice to mine. She would snap because I would always be recognized for a performance. She had a very talented voice. She ended up being very rude and bitter towards the class. I tried to talk to her but she would always brush me off.The class separated from her because she became vain and bitter. No matter what people imagine God to be, they shouldn’t have malice in their heart for God. Everyone faces obstacles in life, â€Å"Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be†. When I first my ACL, I was really hurt emotionally. My first doctor told me I couldn’t play basketball anymore. I wasn’t at peace with God because I felt as though he should have stopped this from happening to me. I gave up on all faith, hope, and belief.Coach Williams kept telling me that I shouldn’t blame God. She told me to keep praying. Coach sent me to another doctor. I had an ACL reconstruction. The doctor said I would be playing in six months. Once I foun d peace with God, everything began to come together for me. I wasn’t stressed or worried. Separating yourself from distractions and frustrations, coming together with each other instead of competing, and being at peace with God are essential facts from the poem â€Å"Desiderata† to give you a better look at life.People shouldn’t let others steal their joy. Everyone should enjoy life and everything it may bring. If everyone would just live, laugh, and love more, they would find themselves being happier. The world would be a more peaceful place if everyone lived by the essential facts of life. To find peace I one’s self, one must have peace with God. Always have faith and believe. The people of this world should come together as one no matter what race, religion, or ethnicity they are.

Back ground of Venezuela

Gran Colombia collapsed in 1830 and out of it came Venezuela together with two other countries. Venezuela occupies an area of 912,050 sq. km. which is approximated to be almost three times more than the area of California. The capital city of Venezuela is Caracas and other major cities in the country are Valencia, Maracay and Maracaiba among others. In terms of climate, the country experiences tropical and temperate climate depending on the altitude. The total population is estimated to be 28 million with an annual growth rate of 1. 6%. About 96% of Venezuela’s citizens are Roman Catholics who live in the urban areas.Venezuela embraces compulsory education for at least nine years which has seen 95% of the total population become literate (Anon. 2010). There are many ethnic groups that live in the country such as the Arab, German, and Spanish. Venezuela’s export comes from natural resources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, hydroelectric power and others. Statistics shows that the GDP is $313 billion with a per capita of $11,207 and an annual growth rate of 2. 9 percent. Government expenditure is estimated to be 27 percent of the total GDP (Anon. 2010).With the growth in the economy, most people have moved from the rural areas to settle in the urban centers leading to congestion and increased pollution. The consumer price index has been increasing significantly over the last five years. The government dictates over the economy and controls the oil company and the electricity sector. Most of the assets in the country have been nationalized denying private investors space for investments. For many years the country has been experiencing high inflation rates coupled with threats of poverty which makes it even harder for private investors (Anon.2010). The income inequality is quite significant with some people living in poverty and others in extreme poverty. The Gini coefficient has been estimated to be 0. 41. Unemployment rate was estimated to be 6. 6 percent in the formal sectors although this does not depict a clear picture of the unemployment in the country since more than half of the total work force work in informal sector. For a long time, Venezuela has been having border disagreements with Guyana and Colombia but policies are being employed to ensure that peace is restored (Anon. 2010).Some of the problems that the country is facing can be addressed through privatization of some of the government assets. Private investors play a major role in boosting the economy of any nation. The government should embark on policies aimed at making developments in rural areas so as to increase employment opportunity and reduce congestion in the urban areas. Reference list Anon, (2010). Background Note; Venezuela, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs [Flag of Venezuela], Retrieved May 12, 2010 from, http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35766. htm

A concept analysis of courage

A concept analysis of courage Courage is a virtue vital for good nursing, and has brought many benefits and advancements to the nursing profession, yet it has received little credit as a nursing skill. Making courage visible to nursing, can help incorporate it as part of the skills training for nurse leaders in nursing schools. This can bring further advancement to the nursing profession. Also, Having a courageous character can benefit patients since it provokes them to be more willing to take treatments and fight illnesses. The literature review identified physical courage, moral courage, psychological courage, and civil courage as different extensions of courage, and it reinforced that moral courage is the one necessary for nursing. It also identified caring, knowledge, and the ability to overcome fears as some of the defining attributes of courage. The willingness to have a courageous character can be provoke by confidence and a sense of duty, and it can lead to self esteem boosts and good learning experience s. Currently, only a few qualitative methods have been identified to study the phenomena of courage in nursing. It is harder to measure courage with quantitative methods because it is subjective in nature, and people experience it differently, depending on their values, believes, and cultures. More studies need to be done to incorporate courage as a nursing concept, and to identify tools and therapies that can entice courage in patients. Introduction The identification of nursing concepts has facilitated theory development and the growth of nursing knowledge, which has lead to many nursing advancement. Many concepts have being identified and inquired in nursing, yet there are some that still remain unexplored; one of these concepts is courage. Courage still remains undefined in nursing. Spencer and Smyth (2007) stated that courage is a concept that remains invisible in nursing, Yet it is essential to the advancement of nursing practice (Spencer, and Smythe 2007). While, Day (2010) s tated that â€Å"Courage is a virtue that is necessary to the conscientious practice of all health care providers† (Day, 2010). It is the virtue that leads nurses to develop other virtues and skills like leadership, advocacy, commitment, caring, and conflict resolution amongst others. Without courage, nursing would be a robotic job that implies following orders without any regards for the patients health care outcomes. According to Thomas (2007), courage is a requirement to be a leader. â€Å"Leaders must consistently find the courage to hold true to their beliefs and convictions† (Thomas, 2003). Today’s nursing leaders need to be courageous to face the politics of the health care systems and improve nursing for the future. Courage is a virtue that can also benefit patients in the health care. Being diagnosed with an illness often times creates fears and uncertainties that may cause loss of self esteem and dignity. This can lead to non-compliance to treatments a nd poor outcomes. Patients need to find the courage from within to fight the physical and physiological disruptions and restore their health. According to Wein (2007), having a fighting spirit can bring real benefits to the patients. Health care providers can use it as a therapeutic tool by appealing to the patient’s sense of courage, through facilitating therapies that ameliorate suffering, restore self esteem, and allow rediscovery of meaning (Wein, 2007).

The Impact of Internet on Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Impact of Internet on Thinking - Essay Example Despite this the internet has many advantages on the way people think. My research question is: does the web shorten our attention spans? Attention span can be defined as the ability of a person to concentrate on a task without distraction. Attention varies with age and is measured by the time we spend continuously on a particular task. No, the internet does not shorten our span of attention as the studies conducted have shown that adults who spend time on the web boosted their brain power and also helped in preventing cognitive turn down like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Spending time on the internet is beneficial to both adults and the young people. To the young the web has been of great importance as they use the internet as a tool of education and has registered positive effects on their academic performance. However the exposure of the web to children at a younger age should be minimal and if necessary, can be increased moderately with time and age as studies show th at the use of web increases attention of the adults better than the children (Dreyfus 60). The use of the web has made people to function like computers as they are able to receive, encode process and retrieve information faster than before and have become adapted to multi-tasking as a result of engaging or brains into activity. The attention span has improved because when people spend time on the web, this means that they spend time reading and studies have shown that students who spend at least 30 minutes on the internet have been shown to perform better. The use of the web keeps our brains active and improves our efficiency as well as our attention span. The brain has a nature of a muscle and therefore needs regular exercise, when we use the web, the brain is engaged in some activity and therefore it becomes more attentive. Failure to engage the brain makes it to be passive and thus lowers the span of attention. Most people have are easily distracted when reading a book than when on the web. The monotonous nature of the book makes one to be easily distracted unlike when one is on the web. The web has interesting things and one can learn new information at a very short time. Most people can concentrate for about 30 minutes when not using the internet and this span increases when they are using the web. The reason behind this is that the web has a lot of new, interesting information and this makes the person to want to learn more and therefore ends up concentrating on a particular task for a long period without getting distracted or bored (Brockman 176). The use of the web has enabled people to easily access information and learn new information unlike when not using the internet where people may spend a lot of time looking for specific information at the libraries for a long time. However, precaution is necessary as the use of the web has its setbacks among them is addiction to the wrong information. Studies conducted in the past have shown that students who are use the internet regularly do not use the internet in a productive way as they may be on social network sites ( Dreyfus 87). Most institutions are coming up with ways in which they can divert their attention from these social networking sites and makes their time when using the web more productive. The institutions are blocking the accessibility of these sites when students are in the institution and can only access the sites when they leave school.

THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST - Essay Example th Zionist congress in Jerusalem in 1968.† It also plays a role in transforming Israel into a western state during World War I and II (Goldschmidt & Davidson, 2013). Gartner (1996) argues that, the ideology of Jews returning to their homeland is evident from biblical precedents where Moses leads the exodus of Israelite from Egypt to their promised homeland. In addition, the immigration of Israelite comes again in 641 BCE when Babylonians conquer Judea. However, in 1897 Theodor Herzl establishes the Zionist movement with the aim of creating a Jewish state. This state provides an opportunity for Jews to escape from anti-Semitism and join the family of nations. The world Zionist organizations are established and together with Birnbaum, there is establishment of Zionist congress to increase the effect of Zionism. Gottheil (1899) argues that, the 28th Zionist Congress of 1968 in Jerusalem adopts 5 principles as aims of the contemporary Zionism. These principles include: protecting the Jewish rights everywhere; returning the Jewish people into historic homeland; preserving the Jewish identity through fostering Hebrew, Jewish and Zionist education; strengthening the state of Israel; and centralizing and unifying the Jewish people. According to Goldschmidt & Davidson (2013), after Herzl’s death Zionism separates with Orthodox Judaism and shifts to Communism. This is as a result of cultural and language diversity which makes orthodox religious organizations opposes the Zionism. In addition, this opposition is influenced by Zionism’s secularism and the fact that Jewish rule will only be re-established in Israel by Messiah. However, after the Jewish separates with the Judaism they immigrate to Palestine to form a communism. The Jewish citizens are led by Zionist leader Jabotinsky and form a new revival for the Hebrew language. The Jewish organizations and migrants begin making vast land purchases. For instance, they purchase malarial swamps and drain them to create

Function of Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Function of Management Paper - Essay Example The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling the organizational norms and domains. These four functions work hand in hand to bring to the organizational horizon a well-composed culture which is complete from all angles and perspectives. It is important that the four functions understand the need of proper incorporation of their own selves so that the organizational culture develops as a result. If the activities within an organization are adequately planned there is a strong possibility that the culture will underline the need of prioritizing things and hence a general planning regime would be in place. Organizing would take care of the steps which are important for the organizational procedures and undertakings and hence when the same are followed on a day to day basis, the organizational culture develops automatically. Leading comes from the leadership tenet where the top management understands its due role and hence embeds the much needed delegation and management skills required for the organization in essence. The last function is of controlling the organizational matters so that there is no element which has not been taken care of. All these four functions work alongside each other to construct an organizational culture which is wholesome and has a significant basis on the working procedures, undertakings and domains of the organization. (Warner, 2001) A healthy organizational culture could be instilled if the correct steps are taken at the right time so that the employees and the management are at ease with each other and also so that the activities, processes and strategies within the organizational tenets do not seem to be a misfit within the whole organizational regime. 3. Leading: Includes traits of a person who is in-charge and present all the time, could be easily replicated for a team which could be regarded as a group bringing about proactive

Theme 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theme 1 - Essay Example Diversity creates a unique organization comprised of people from different cultural backgrounds working together for the same goals. Achieving such therefore requires effective management skills in order to facilitate the integration process in a bid to create a cohesive working environment as portrayed in the essay below. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter provide manager with a platform to interact with people from different backgrounds. The technologies facilitate enhanced communication thereby enabling the managers to obtain ideas from different people instantly. In doing this, the manager must exhibit effective management skills key among which will include interpersonal skills in order to achieve integration at the workplace. With effective management skills, the managers will therefore form an appropriate culture at the organization. Organizational cultures must always consider the diversity of the employees. Such a culture thus makes all the employees suppress retrogressive features of their cultures and encourage them to adopt appropriate features of the organizational culture that safeguards the profitability of the organization. The managers must develop effective communication channels at the organization. With such, the employees readily exchange their ideas thereby developing a culture of improved consultations both among themselves and with their managers. This makes production among other operations at the organization cost effective since they minimize errors thereby facilitating increased productivity (Thomas, 2009). An organizational culture is a vital management tool that helps determine the conduciveness of the work place. This refers to the values the managers instill in their workforce in order to safeguard the production at the organization. After recruiting employees from diverse cultures, the managers must find a way of unifying their diversity through a single culture at

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 Essay

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 (United Kingdom only) - Essay Example Recent studies like the one above demonstrate the persistence of discrimination within the justice system. Attempts are presently being made to counteract the serious joint problems of discrimination and oppression with youth justice. Notions of justice and equality are at the heart of the reforms currently being implemented within the Youth Justice System (Dugmore, et.al 2006). Although the promotion of equality and anti-discrimination measures are not new to the Youth Justice System – they have in fact been under implementation for more than four years – these initiatives are important because they seek to tackle significant institutional issues such as discrimination against visible minorities within the UK’s Youth Justice Arena. Seeking to address the evolution of Youth Justice initiatives, this essay will discuss what has been introduced and evaluate the originality of these new initiatives. Accordingly, we will explore the principles underpinning the initiatives and discuss the consequences of these initiatives for both society and young people within the Youth Justice realm. The effectiveness of these initiatives in dealing with the problem of youth crime will be analyzed and we will critically evaluate what is missing from youth justice provision. Our analysis will focus primarily on the anti-discrimination measures presently being implemented in the United Kingdom’s Youth Justice System and key terms, including discrimination, exclusion, racism, sexism, prejudice, diversity and labelling will be defined to help outline the parameters of this essay. The legal framework for the application of anti-discriminatory practice in youth justice will be elaborated upon and followed by an analysis of the representation of individuals and groups within the Youth Justice System. Finally, this essay will consider why it is

Claude Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Claude Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan - Essay Example Its instruments are tuned to play together, and as such different gamelan instruments are not interchangeable. It derives its name from the word gamels, which means to hammer or strike. The suffix,†an† makes the word a collective noun. This paper aims to study Debussy and gamelan, and how Debussy incorporated gamelan figurations into his own music. The paper seeks to discuss the capabilities of the piano, as well as its limitations, and touch on orchestral music. It also seeks to explain why Debussy was so fascinated by the Javanese gamelan as to stop developing his impressionistic music in a western manner. Debussy’s family was destitute, being sustained by his paternal aunt. This led to his much reputed awkward social skills and egotism. He received lessons in piano from Madame de Fleurville, who was a pupil of Chopin. In 1889 at the Paris Universal exposition, Claude Debussy who at the time was a young composer getting his spurs and getting his first works publi shed had a real revelation (Lockspeiser 67). At this exposition, groups from around the globe displayed their countries’ best art, culture music and the way of life. The Eiffel tower was the expositions centrepiece. The musicians visiting the exposition were especially fascinated by the exhibit from the Malay Archipelago of java. This exhibit was a village model demonstrating communal life aspects that included religion, agriculture, and entertainment. The gamelan was a part of their presentation, forming a vital part of their village social and religious life. Then gamelan was a collection of metallic instruments with bell like sounds and had been passed down over thousand years via oral tradition (Lockspeiser 67). This Javanese music sensationalized European musicians (Lockspeiser 69). Debussy as well was taken in by this music. Most of his fruitful hours were spent in the Kampong of the Javanese troupe. He listened to the complexities of the gamelan’s percussive rhy thm, especially its inexhaustible flashing ethereal timbre combinations. Debussy admired various aspects of the gamelan music and adapted them for his own compositions (Lockspeiser 69). Prelude, which is from pour le piano, is an early response to the techniques of the gamelan. Its extended measured trills, pedal points, and tonal relationships that were unusual were incorporated into this piece. The prevalent texture, with its moderately moving tenor, slow moving bass, and fast moving treble suggests gamelan sound. â€Å"Pagodas† from Estampes is a representation directly from a performance of gamelan (Roberts 12). Cycles, bell and gong sounds, pentatonic melodies, which remind one of slendro tunings, together with a layered counterpoint composed of lower voices progressively getting slower can also be gleaned in abundance. Debussy indicates to accelerate gradually and then the tempo is retarded over a period. Then just as is prevalent in the gamelan, the music ends in one f inal stroke of the gong (Roberts 13). â€Å"Bells through the Leaves† also utilizes techniques of the gamelan (Harpole 8). Sounds of bells, pedal sustained, and a thorough utilization of whole tone scale is the surest sign that the piece is from gamelan sound universe. Its utilization of a melody of the balungan type within a texture with four voices is also the most striking use by Debussy in his music of gamelan techniques. â€Å"

Defense Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Defense Ethics - Assignment Example In this regard, any decision is evaluated, reviewed and premised on protecting the rights and interests of people, which, as noted, â€Å"is consistent with accepted views on ethics, since ethics is generally concerned with principles and obligations that govern all actions and practices† (Defense Ethics Program, January 2002, p. 6).More precisely, the three general principles contained in the DEP are as follows: (1) Principle 1: Respect and dignity of all persons; (2) Principle II: Serve Canada before self; and (3) Principle III: Obey and support lawful authority† (PSE402, 2010, p. 6/8).b.   Ethical obligationsFrom a review of Lesson 10 and from the guidelines presented under the Fundamentals of Canadian Defence Ethics,   the six ethical obligations contained in the DEP are: (1) Integrity (â€Å"the requirement to consistently give precedence to ethical values in our decisions and actions† (Defense Ethics Program, January 2002, p. 11); (2) Loyalty (â€Å"sta nding by their commitments to the nation† (Defense Ethics Program, January 2002, p. 12); where keeping promises (identified as closely related to the obligation of loyalty where in this case, honouring promises are identified as crucial) fall under this category; (3) Courage (â€Å"facing up to and dealing with anything that is recognized as dangerous, difficult, or a cause of pain, instead of avoiding it†; (4) Honesty (practice of being open, frank and sincere in dealings and endeavours).... To response to the question on moral grounds, one can use the readings from Lesson 11 stipulating that although â€Å"loyalty is a functional military necessity, which also implies the need for obedience... (where) most orders do not require blind obedience or instantaneous obedience... (and where) loyalty should be broadly based on personal integrity and trust† (PSE 402: Lesson 11, 2010, p. 4). Further, as emphasized in the same discourse, â€Å"although immediate obligation is to the chain of command, the highest obligation is to humanity at large† (PSE 402: Lesson 11, 2010, p. 6). In addition, another relevant point presented under Lesson 11 is Huntington’s discussion of justifying obedience versus disobedience, to wit: â€Å"Huntington is only referring to lawful orders. He does not imply that a subordinate is obligated to obey a clearly unlawful order† (PSE 402: Lesson 11, 201, p. 8). With the foregoing supporting statements, as AWWO, one should clear ly disobey the Captain’s order (presuming scenario 2 that the Captain deliberately intends to report inaccurate results) due to unlawful order, which is contrary to moral grounds and disregards professionalism in terms of integrity and the obligation to uphold the highest standards of the military profession for the sake of humanity. When one decides to obey the order, which in the first place was unlawful, it would be a precursor for future orders that could be given and expected to be followed despite of being based on lies and immoral grounds. One should remain steadfast in adhereing to the values of truth, integrity, and honor above loyalty to unworthy and compromising cause. 2. Using the Statement of Defence Ethics in the Fundamentals of Canadian Defence Ethics (2002), identify ethical

Richer Sounds Essay Example for Free

Richer Sounds Essay The main business objectives for the company are to increase sales and market share, increase profits, new product developments and employee career development. Sainsburys has these business objectives to help meet its overall objective which is stated in the companys mission statement. They also want to increase profits by reducing expenditure. SAINSBURYS MAIN ACTIVITIES Sainsburys consists of both secondary and tertiary sectors, which means that they manufacture their own goods and they also sell products and provide services through the internet which makes them a tertiary sector as well. Due to the fact that Sainsburys manufactured their own goods; most of the money goes back to them and isnt really shared out between with the manufactures. Sainsbury have a bakery and fish section in all their stores, they also produce their own bread and pastry. Due to Sainsbury doing very well in the marketing industry they also started selling stationary and electrical goods, which will boost up their sales. Sainsbury offer a club card, which means people who shop at Sainsbury get points for shopping there, these points can later be exchanged for cash or vouchers. By offering a club card Sainsbury are able to attract more customers and by attracting more customers they will increase in sales, which then will lead to an increase in profits and shares. COMPARISON Both of the businesses have similar aims, which is that they want to give excellent service to their customers. The main difference between the two businesses is that Richer Sounds isnt as well known as Sainsburys is which gives Sainsburys a great advantage over them. This means that Sainsburys will have more customer awareness than Richer Sounds. Both of the businesses have different objectives. Sainsburys wants to increase sales by reducing expenditure, this means that Sainsburys already knows how they going to achieve their objective. Richer Sounds want to expand their company, they want to open 4 to 6 stores in the current year, they want to develop their audiovisual cinema range and they want to keep their customer service level above 90%, they do this by asking customers to fill in questionnaires at the till. The two objectives show that Sainsburys are concerned more about their profits than customers and Richer Sounds are concerned about their customers more than their profits. Both businesses also range in different activities, whereas Richer Sounds sell hi-fis and home cinema systems etc, Sainsbury sell mainly food products but they also sell non-food related goods as well such as stationary and electrical goods, giving them another great advantage over Richer Sounds. Both business sell goods from stores, online and orders can be made over the phone as well. RICHER SOUNDS OWNERSHIP LOCATION Richer Sounds are a Public limited company. They are a limited company so that if they come across any financial problems their owner and founder Julian Richer wouldnt be responsible for any debts. Even though Richer Sounds are a plc they are unlisted from the stock exchange, this is because they dont want to lose any control of the company to shareholders, and Richer Sounds want to have full control over their company. Also if they do become listed in the stock exchange they will have to have certain requirements such as File full accounts, Have a minimum issued share capital of i 50,000 etc. They will have to abide by all the legal requirements under the various Companies Acts and the Finance Act, which means the directors, will have to take up certain legal duties, such as to make sure that proper accounting records are kept. Being a unlisted public limited company is suited to them because they are a large company and by being unlisted they will have one less thing to worry about, which is shareholders, because they wont have any. The business is located mainly in the UK, they have a couple of stores outside the UK as well and their main warehouse is in Lancashire. Richer Sounds first store was in central London at the London bridge walk. When choosing locations Richer Sounds consider two main points which are; to make sure that there are a lot of customers nearby who would actually be interested in purchasing from them, and to keep it as far as possible from another Richer Sound store, so that they dont end up sharing customers instead of attracting new ones. Their stores are essential for customers because customers wont have to look every where for their stores since their often on the corner of a road, which makes it really visible to see, and their mainly nearby a parking, so that customers wont have to worry about finding parking space on the road. Richer Sounds consists of only the tertiary sector which means that they only sell products; they dont manufacture the products themselves or make it from the raw materials. Richer Sounds could make more money if they actually manufactured their own products like Sainsburys does, this way they wont have to pay the main manufacturer a bit of the profit for selling the goods.

How alignment between the values of an organization Essay Example for Free

How alignment between the values of an organization Essay Create a presentation in a common format (PowerPoint or a similar program) with a minimum of twenty (20) slides and corresponding speaker notes in which you: 1. Determine which statistical technique you will employ to measure the quality characteristics of your organization. Provide examples to support the rationale. 2. Analyze the current facility location, and then use the three-step procedure to determine a new location. 3. Analyze the key concepts related to capacity planning and facility location for the new location. 4. Examine the current work system design, and determine your organization’s selected feasibility in the job design (i. e., technical, economic, behavioral). Assess key elements of the rationale in the work design competitive advantage. 5. using the method analysis described in the textbook, defend the new change implementation process and the rationale for the change of method. 6. Develop a diagram showing network planning techniques, in which you use the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM). 7. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

7th Record Label Business Plan Marketing Essay

7th Record Label Business Plan Marketing Essay My business plan is to set up a music record label (7th Records) that will be based in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. It will be a corporation whose major focus will be to capture the very talented but financially handicap artists/bands. 7th record will sign talented but financially handicap local artists/bands within Nigeria and will be involved in every developmental phase required for the success of these artists/bands from music production, promotion to marketing. In a report by Dozie Olamide (Fingers, 2009), it is said that one out of every ten local artist have the funding required for an album production and the existing labels do not make matters easy for these financially handicapped majority who may later end up doing street Rap battle instead of making good use of their talent. This category of artist will be our major target. There are six major record labels presently enjoying 90% of the industrys market share and these labels focus on financially viable musicians for their success (Entertainment weekly, 2008). They also rip off these artist/band by adopting a 50:50 record deal i.e. for every profit made from the CD sales they will have 50%. This has been a way of extortion from artist on the part of these labels. 7th Record will be an exceptional, goal oriented and unusual but sustainable business model for a record label. Our main strategy will be focused on capturing the very talented locals who do not have the finance to produce an album and we will introduce a 30:70 record dealing term. As a result, 7th record will also have an in-house studio that will be run by veterans in music production business. This idea is aimed at producing classy and marketable albums that will not only yield good profit but will also serve as a good means of market penetration. In the Nigeria entertainment industry, there is no laid down pattern for return on investment; your success depends on your strategies. Popularity and Fans acceptance is the determining factor and key element for sales. 7th record will require a start-up capital of $23,580 for the first year. It will be funded by me together with some support from my immediate family members. A breakdown of the financial requirement in presented in the later part of this Business case. 1.1 Start-up Funding 70% of the start-up fund will be from me and the remaining part will be from my immediate family members who are fully in support of this project. Required start-up capital $23,580 Izekor Osagie Lee $16,506 Family members $7,074 Total funding $23,580 1.2 Industry Analysis The Nigeria Music industry is dominated by a few large Record labels that before now enjoy a monopolistic market share (Fingers, 2009). These record labels control over 90% of the CD (compact disc) sales in Nigeria. A report (Fingers, 2009) shows that Kennis music presently enjoy 32% of the market share, Lockdown entertainment 18% Mo-Hit 14% Question mark 12%, Chops record 9%, Hex records 5% and the other smaller labels share the remaining 10%. Most of these record labels take the shot gun approach to market penetration i.e. they sign up a lot of different artist/bands hoping a few will make it all the way to the top. On the artists/bands that gained commercial recognition, there are huge windfalls of profits to be made off them by the record label. The remaining 10% made up of junkyard record labels; rely on the junk local artist to make sales. They rarely get patronage by the popular artist and commercially viable bands which lives them without a competitive power in the Nigeria music industry. It is funny to know their market penetration strategy is based on luck. My findings shows 7th record have a very lucrative market to participate in. Our success in the industry is very achievable knowing we have got a few challenging labels to compete with and these competitors themselves have very weak competitive strategy compared to the strategies we will employ as discussed in the later part of this report. 1.3 Product and Services 7th record will be a Nigeria based record label for a selected group of Nigeria based artist/bands. The label will also house the 7th studios were all music production work will be done. It will operate as a full record label and will provide everything that is required for producing, Mixing, Mastering, promoting and marketing a music album of any signed artist/band. It will also adopt a business philosophy developed by Fred Okundaye (Fred, 2007) which states that for long term sustainable growth it will be more successful for a label to sign up just a few artist/bands and promote them equally than to sign up a bunch and hope one gains commercial success enough to float the rest of the bands. After careful investigation I bought into this philosophy and have chosen to adopt it although it is quit appealing to a few band or artist. It will create room for both 7th label and the prospective bands/artist to adopt an intimate and specialized focus on what the entertainment market wants. Instead of competing with the existing labels, 7th records will adopt a flexible, intimate approach where they concentrate on talented local artist/band. By working with only a few bands at once, 7th record will be able to offer a much more specialized and attentive level of service for their customers. This will be their competitive edge against other labels, something unique. We will enforce the ideology that expression will be the key to producing a good album while hard work will be the key to promoting just a few of them (signed artist/band), as both factor is an essential element that will guarantee success in the entertainment industry. Operations will begin first with the production of compilation CD for the signed artist/band. This CD will feature many different local artist/band. There will be no charge for a band to place a single (a track from their previous album) on the CD. It will be an avenue for creating awareness for these artists/bands before they are finally signed. It is essential to do this because the more popular your artist the better. During the period when this compilation CD is being processed, 7th record will be arranging modalities for networking purposes. Our first target will be local TV and Radio studios. To get air plays for the CD mostly depends on your relationship with the key decision makers at the various stations. 7th records will also be working with major retail outlets developing strong relationships with them so that as some of the bands become popular and consumer interest grow there will be assurance for sales. 7th record will also build relationships with clubs and event companies to provide room for concert placements and gigs for our prospective artists/bands. Bearing in mind that live performance is one major way to win the loyalty of fans and achieve fanfare. After 7th record attains these heights it will become attractive for well known artists to sign up with the label. We will also embrace diversification in our choice of who and what to produce. 7th record will not only focus on one genre of music and embrace diversity in the music industry. We will focus on the key element of improvisation that is found in a wide range of genres. Improvisation is a way of expressing ones self during a performance. Its a way of adding free flow change or spontaneity to a performance. Most times improvisation occurs when a band is playing a pre-defined song and each member of the band deviates from the original laid down pattern to do something that they find interesting at that moment. This is a way to please the crowd during a music performance but care has to be taking else the song can be ruined. Â © Copyright BizTree. 2006. All rights reserved. Protected by the copyright laws of the United States Canada and by international treaties. IT IS ILLEGAL AND STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, OFFER FOR SALE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE, GIVE OR DISCLOSE TO ANY OTHER PARTY, THIS PRODUCT IN HARD COPY OR DIGITAL FORM. ALL OFFENDERS WILL BE SUED IN A COURT OF LAW. Â © Copyright BizTree. 2006. All rights reserved. Protected by the copyright laws of the United States and Canada and by international treaties. IT IS ILLEGAL AND STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, OFFER FOR SALE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE, GIVE OR DISCLOSE TO ANY OTHER PARTY, THIS PRODUCT IN HARD COPY OR DIGITAL FORM. ALL OFFENDERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SUED IN A COURT OF LAW.1.4 Competition From my visibility studies I found out about some already existing labels but my focus will be on the major key players in the industry and they are Kennis music, Lockdown entertainment, Mo-hit records, Question mark, Chops record and Hex records. Dozies (2009) article reported that Kennis music presently enjoy 32% of the market share, Lockdown entertainment 18% Mo-Hit 14% Question mark 12%, Chops record 9%, Hex records 5% and the other smaller labels share the remaining 10%. During my investigation I discovered that all six major labels focus on CD sales and they presently employ the 50:50 sharing term for all profit made. One of the up-coming stars PC Dre in one of my interviews described this as a term of extortion by most Nigerian label. He said the 50:50 terms benefit the labels more than it does to the artist/band. 7th record will take advantage of this gap and provide a 30:70 sharing model as against the 50:50 by other existing labels. This will be aimed at market penetration and product attractiveness. Another gap I realized from my investigation was that the major concerts organized by the big multinationals features 80% of foreign artist (vanguard, 2008) because the quality and standard of the available bands seldom meet their own standard for the concerts. This I found to be the inability for these existing labels to fully brand the available talented locals to meet international standard required by such multinationals. 7th record will look beyond the local market and try to penetrate the global entertainment industry but with focus on the Nigeria music industry where it will become a part player. This idea is to match the standard of any signed artist/band with that of their counterparts oversea. To further give a clear presentation of our potential competitor and their competitive strength, a table is presented below in that regard. Competitor Name Strength Competitor Name Strength Kennis music Finance Networking Hex record Finance and club house performance Lockdown entertainment Networking Mo-hit record Finance and popularity Chops record Popularity Question mark Location 2.0 7th records Business Model In order for 7th record to succeed, a lot of sweet equity will be required with little to no revenue stream or profit for the first year. This is very difficult to adopt by most start-up businesses but for any business to succeed in the entertainment industry it has to create attraction for patronage else people wont have the chance to know what you have to offer. In the case of 7th record, it will be useful that these realistic expectations are established upfront and it will not be an unwelcome future surprise. Additionally, the investors (family members) are aware of these parameters and have given the go ahead. I know this will take a lot of effort to pull off, with reasonable expectations up front and the right management to execute on the business model, it will be a reality. Â © Copyright BizTree. 2006. All rights reserved. Protected by the copyright laws of the United States Canada and by international treaties. IT IS ILLEGAL AND STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, OFFER FOR SALE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE, GIVE OR DISCLOSE TO ANY OTHER PARTY, THIS PRODUCT IN HARD COPY OR DIGITAL FORM. ALL OFFENDERS WILL BE SUED IN A COURT OF LAW. Â © Copyright BizTree. 2006. All rights reserved. Protected by the copyright laws of the United States and Canada and by international treaties. IT IS ILLEGAL AND STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, OFFER FOR SALE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE, GIVE OR DISCLOSE TO ANY OTHER PARTY, THIS PRODUCT IN HARD COPY OR DIGITAL FORM. ALL OFFENDERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SUED IN A COURT OF LAW.2.1 Management For a start, 7th records will be owned and managed by me together with 8 other staff members I have carefully selected with regards to their functionality. Their duties will be; Manager To manage all human and material resources to achieve the company goal Assistant Manager To assist the manager in decision making and to work in the managers stead in an event of unavailability Secretary To handle all administrative duties Accountant To carry out all financial obligations Public relation personnel To run logistic assignments and customer care Producer/Studio Engineer For all studio production work Marketing Personnel For all post production work ranging from promotion to sales Major qualifications are not actually required but experience will be a key employment criteria. Every employee must have the working experience in the business for a period of not less than 4 years. This is because 7th record will focus on veterinary abilities of her employees for the success of the prospective artist/band. It will be a very distinct advantage over competitors. The chain of logistics will be a direct report model where all departments report directly to the Manager or the Assistant when the Manager is unavailable. 2.2 Objectives 7th records aim at becoming the number one record label in Nigeria To provide fair contract terms for the signing of local artists/bands To produce albums that will compete with that of our counterparts oversea To become a household name in the Nigeria entertainment industry within three years. To be the first Nigerian record label to sign foreign artist based on the standard and quality that the label will attain within the next three years. 2.3 Vision Our vision is to produce artist/bands that will become world icons in the global entertainment world. We will produce albums that can be nominated for Grammy as has never been heard of a Nigerian artist. 2.4 Mission Our mission is to bring out the best in local Nigerian artist/bands by providing them with all necessary resources required for quality music production and strong networking for good album sales. 2.5 Keys to Success We will choose promising artists/bands to promote 7th record will work hard to, explore and have fun We will maintain a gradual and flexible approach to profit making. It will be of no importance to sign up too many artists/bands within a specified period; otherwise the effectiveness of promotion will be diluted. 3.0 Company summary 7th record is a start-up corporation that will be based in Lagos Nigeria. The location was so chosen because Lagos is a centralized city in Nigeria. Its easily accessed from all part of the country as compared with other cities. This idea is aimed at market penetration and for competitive advantage as against major competitors. 3.1 Start-up requirements The label will be run in my house for the first year. All arrangement for start will be that for the first phase of the business, 7th record will obtain a license for owning a label from the regulating body and purchase the following; Legal (Licensing) 4 Computers 4 printers Various printed materials Mixer Amps Sound processors Speakers Recording software furniture Air conditioners Start-up Requirements Start-up proposed Expenses Legal $350 Office Stationery $600 Website development $1,200 Insurance $150 Equipments $5,200 Furniture $1,350 Other $230 Total start-up Expenses $9,080 Start-up Assets Cash Required $12,000 Start-up Inventory $0 Other Current Assets $0 Long-Term Assets $2,500 Total Assets $14,500 Total Required $23,580 Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to fund $9,080 Start-up Assets to fund $14,500 Total Funding required $23,580 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up $2,500 Cash Requirement from start-up $12,000 Additional Cash Raised $390 Cash Balance on Starting Date $12,000 Total Assets $14,500 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing $0 Long Term Liabilities $0 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) $0 Other Current Liabilities (Interest-free) $0 Total Liabilities $0 Capital Planned Investment Izekor Osagie Lee $13,500 Family and Friends $10,080 Other $0 Additional Investment Requirement $0 Total Planned Investment $23,580 Start-up Expenses $9,080 Total Capital $14,500 Total Capital and Liabilities $14,500 Total Funding $23,580 4.0 Market Analysis Nigeria has a population of over 120 million people and record shows that at least 85% of this figure patronizes music whether directly or indirectly (Entertainment weekly, 2009). The key factor that controls Market share in the Nigeria music industry is CD sales and Fan loyalty. 7th record will channel her strategies to gaining strong relationship with most record stores and consumers/Fans at live shows. Since these market segments are the main source of revenue in the industry, a clear visibility studies shows that they are also the means of market penetration. 4.1 Market Segmentation Record retailers- They have direct link with the end consumers through the selling of CDs. 7th record has indentified the need to build a cordial relationship with Tee Jay the major record retailer in Nigeria. This will create a channel for the marketing of our signed artist/band without fear of pirating. Consumers at Live Concerts- This segment have the greater market penetration power as it has the ability to affect the sales of CD also. It focus on Fans at live concerts. The number of people at a concert determines the revenue that will be generated from ticket sales. They normally purchase the CD of the bands they are viewing while at the show. 7th record will ensure that her signed artists/bands are well groomed for live performance. The concept of improvisation and meeting the expectation of their fans will not be taken for granted at any level. Fans are attracted to bands that keep the stage rocking. This will be an ideology that will be a watch word for our prospective Artist/Band. Market Analysis (pie) 5.0 Strategy and Implementation 7th record have mapped out ways to leverage the available competitive advantage after careful analysis of the gaps in the way and manner other major record labels carry on their operations as well as their terms and conditions for signing an Artist. We will be more flexible in our dealings with our prospective Artist and provide them with better and more profitable terms. We will also create a vast networking means to ensure wider awareness and acceptance from fans. Lastly, we will employ aggressive marketing strategies were record retailers will be granted better discount for every CD sold as against the percentage given by other competing labels. 5.1 Marketing Strategy 7th record have recognized that sales of CD is fan (consumers) driven so we have arranged for series of tours for our prospective artist/band. This will help to create awareness for their albums. We will development our label visibility through the release of various compilation CDs on selected media houses and clubs. Once our artist/band gains spot light in the industry, the label name will be on the lips of every fan. Gradually the acceptance will shift from the artist to the umbrella (7th record) they are under. In that case 7th record will not only depend on the success of an artist/band like other labels do but on her brand name. Get artist/band prepared for live performance Arrange Tours Gain fan loyalty Release compilation CDs Ensure media and club play Launch individual signed artist/bands personal albums Coddle the CD retailers Arrange for concert fixing 5.2 Competition Strategy One of the challenges most labels face is signing too many artist/band at a time. 7th record will cut down on the number of signings that will be done at a particular period to ensure that the needed resources are available to meet requirement for quality delivery. We will also increase the signing term from 50:50 adopted by the existing labels to 30:70. We so chose to adjust the terms for signing because it will not only boost the growth pace of the financially handicap but also create an attraction to the commercially viable artist/bands. We will take responsibility of the welfare of our artist and give fair attention to every signed artist/band. Unlike some major labels, 7th studio will be free to all signed artist. It will provide flexible studio times where an artist is not compelled to hurry up production to save cost. They will instead be advised to take their time to produce songs of good commercial value. 7th record will organize talent hunt reality shows to assist financially handicap but talented locals. This will be a tool to create more awareness as a start-up business. 5.3 Sales Strategy Our sales strategy will focus on the two market segments. We keep close relationship with affiliated record retailers and provide them with more attractive discounts per CD. 7th record will introduce online CD sales as never been adopted before in the Nigeria industry. The idea will go beyond just downloading to online purchase and delivery. It has been discovered that fans tend to patronize an album more immediately after a concert performance. We will employ this strategy for CD distribution during and after any concert performance. Another channel for generating revenue will be from contract buyout. At some point there will be possibilities for some of our signed bands to receive an offer from another label for the purpose of profit making. These labels will have to pay an amount that will decide upon if such contracts will be considered. As a result all our singings will be patented to avoid breach in contract at any point in time. Our studio will be commercialized to labels or artist/band who wishes to do production work. They will buy studio sessions and pay production fees. Other services would be; Studio time Mastering and Mixing CD production (recording, labeling and max producing a CD) Other assisted services 6.0 Sales Forecast As I earlier discussed, the success of a record label greatly depend on its popularity and Fan acceptance. As a result, a graphical representation will present a clearer picture of my sales forecast. 7.0 Milestone Several procedural steps have been established to achieve all laid down plan. These steps are time framed and responsibilities have shared among the will be staffs. Milestone Start date End date budget Staff responsibility Business plan completion 12/05/10 15/06/10 $0 Manager Label licensing 18/06/10 19/06/10 $350 P.R.O Signing of artist/bands 25/06/10 Open to decision $12,000 Entire management Arrangement for Tours 15/07/10 22/07/10 $0 P.R.O Production of first compilation of CD and Networking with key players in the Media industry and record retailers 01/08/10 31/08/10 $1,250 Producer, and P.R.O Promotion and marketing of music albums 02/09/10 continuing $6,200 Marketing personnel Arrangement for Live concert performance 08/09/10 continuing $0 Entire management 8.0 Monitoring and Evaluation After the successful establishment of 7th record label, every operation will be under little or no supervision as a result of this fact, before employees are absorbed they will go through an interview where they will be asked to sign an agreement stating their employment will be held on the ground of result delivery i.e. if for any reason gap is experienced in any department drastic measures will be taken that may lead to a staff member losing the job. This is not a way of acting cruel but to enhance seriousness on the part of our employees.

The Necessity of Marrying Well in Jane Austens Sense and Sensibility E

In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the necessity of marrying well is one of the central themes. In Austen’s era a woman’s survival depended on her potential to acquire an affluent partner. This meant a choice of marrying for love and quite possibly starve, or marry a securing wealthy person, there was a risk of marrying someone who you might despise. Passage One, portrays the relationship between Marianne and Willoughby. Marianne was blinded by her love, ‘He was exactly formed to engage Marianne’s heart.’ Marianne is someone who can show no concern for wealth if she believes she has found true love. Willoughby was estimated to be ‘Faultless as in Marianne’ Willoughby was all that Marianne fancied, her affection for him was beyond everything else. This is rather ironic for Willoughby the man she loves holds a wholly contradicting viewpoint on the matter. Willoughby is willing to sacrifice even the greatest of loves if it cannot secure status and wealth. Passage one also indicates the necessity of marrying well. Mrs. Dashwood illustrates a shallow reaction to the situation ...

College Admissions Essay: Ebony and Infinity :: College Admissions Essays

Diversity Statement - Ebony and Infinity "According to the National Children's Defense Fund handout in front of you, 'One in every twenty-one thousand black women receive a Ph.D. in mathematics and/or any of the natural sciences,'" my professor explained. "If you use these figures, that means you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than of earning a doctoral degree." My heart stopped after hearing those numbers, for I was a black female student planning to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. I asked the teacher if he was sure that those statistics weren't a misprint. He replied, "These are the correct figures." I was in disbelief while my instructor continued to discuss the other chances black students had in different fields. Still shocked hours later, I analyzed why I chose math as my major. I was strong in math; I enjoyed manipulating the equations; I loved the concepts found in the subject; Furthermore, I adored the logical thought process. Even though I had established why I chose my major, the thought of my chances continued to upset me. That is the reason why I find it so important to strive for a Ph.D. in mathematics. I believe I can beat those odds, set a positive example, and hopefully inspire others to help change those statistics. Being strong in my field, I decided to apply for a position as a math tutor. I received the job. I also ran for the freshman representative for Minority Achievers in Science (MAS) and was voted in. The experiences have helped me develop my skills and help others. As a tutor, I aid students in seeing the concepts; then they do well. In addition, I represent MAS, and they feel comfortable with my representation. Nothing makes me feel better than being around people and helping them. By getting a degree of my choice in mathematics, hopefully I will set an example for my two younger sisters. I am the first in my family to attend a four-year university. My effort to pursue my education is a good example for my sisters. I not only want to succeed, I want to raise their expectations and see them succeed also.

The Causes Of The World Trade Center Bombing :: essays research papers

In September 1929, "the Roaring Twenties," "the Era of Wonderful Nonsense," of sex, booze and jazz, ended with the stock market crash that began the Great Depression. There followed the "low dishonest decade" of poet W. H. Auden's depiction, as Western statesmen sought to appease their way to security and peace. On Sept. 11, 2001, as the 767s smashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing 5,000 Americans, another unserious era of sex scandals and stock market silliness came to an end. Recall, if you will, the summer of 2001. The story that had CNN, MSNBC and FOX News transfixed was the saga of Gary Condit. Nightly, talk-show hosts demanded answers to the great questions: Why did Gary throw away the watch box? Where did stewardess Anne Marie Smith spend her D.C. nights? By Sept. 11, the story seemed about to end in a great courtroom drama, with Anne Marie charging Gary with libel – for denying she committed adultery. What will the decade be remembered for? The Trial of O. J.? Who killed Jon-Benet Ramsey? The Oval Office trysts of Bill and Monica? Condit summer? Meanwhile, not to worry about the world. For America is "the last superpower," the "indispensable nation." The New Economy will take us to "Dow 36,000!" "Pax Americana" and "Global Democracy" are our destiny. On Sept. 11, the frivolous era came to an end. Suddenly, for the first time since Gen. Jackson drove the British army out of Louisiana, the enemy was inside the gates, slaughtering thousands. Why? Because we adopted an open-borders policy that left tens of millions of illegal aliens wandering about America, few of whom had any loyalty to us, some of whom were willing to murder us on the orders of their foreign masters. To keep the cost of labor down, we let millions of strangers, and not a few enemies, into our home. Never before has America been so vulnerable, and corporate greed and craven politics did it to us. Tuesday, the U.S. reported that industrial production fell for the 12th straight month. Bethlehem Steel became the latest U.S. company to go Chapter 11. U.S. factories now produce at 75 percent of capacity. Last year, the U.S. trade deficit in manufactureds hit $324 billion and the merchandise trade deficit $450 billion. The de-industrialization of America is well advanced. In a triumph of the globalists, America has become again what she has not been in generations: a dependent nation.

Physiological manipulation in novel Essay

Aldous Huxley is a visionary in every sense of the word, as he paints a vivid picture of the future that is second to none. His imagination is almost prophetic as he boldly presents his idea of futuristic society and the direction of mankind. Huxley’s imaginary society in the ‘Brave New World’ controls citizens through physiological manipulation during birth, psychological conditioning while growing up and a hallucinogenic drug called ‘Soma’ to provide instant gratification (Huxley 15). Although these techniques are said to eradicate class discrimination, religion and unhappiness, it paves the way for a lackluster, grey world deprived of any real life and creative ideas. Huxley’s visions of technology of the future such as genetic engineering, mind-altering drugs and bio-technological advances are quite startling. In spite of having classic science-fiction traits, there is a Shakespearean character as well as weak-minded and strong-spirited human characters in the book that one can relate to. The ‘Brave New World’ is a book with several subtle layers that is entertaining and enlightening at the same time. Although the subject matter of the book is quite dense, it is presented in satirical fashion. Huxley’s Ford analogy explains how technology is also an illusion to exercise control, which has been put in place to replace previous control mechanisms such as religion. Huxley’s political commentary describing an anti-utopian society controlled by a totalistic government is relevant, even in today’s context. Although the centralized world government’ claims technology to be advancing, it merely improves upon existing technologies and fails to make any new breakthroughs in science, thereby keeping people ignorant. The manipulative government also restricts reproduction and promotes polygamous physical relationship, thereby killing meaningful family values and moral gratification. One of the most intriguing issues raised by Huxley’s work is the true meaning of happiness. It makes one reexamine life and realize that happiness is not merely avoidance of pain, conforming to societal norms and amassing wealth. Huxley, through the depiction of the totalitarian government, tries to explain the evils of people losing power and one body exercising absolute control over the masses. Although the book is over seventy-five years old, it is still very relevant in our contemporary political scenario. Huxley’s work also seeks out to enlighten the world about the importance of individuality and freedom of thought. It ultimately makes a statement that blind conformity backed up by fear will only lead to complete surrender of the human mind and soul. On careful analysis, one would come to realize that the fictional society portrayed in Brave New World is not merely a work of Huxley’s fantasy, but actually an extrapolation of our degrading societal values such as greed, meaningless relationships and hyper- consumerism. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells us about the consequences of technology over-stepping the nature’s boundaries. It shares recurring themes with Brave New World such as scientists creating life by going against the laws of nature. In both the books, the characters try to use technology to better mankind, but eventually end up making things worse. Both the authors feel that unchecked growth of technology could lead to dire consequences. In the book ‘On the Genealogy of Morals`, Nietzsche reveals the moral crisis that industrialization had brought to the lives of people. Though he believes that human life would be better without religion, he feels human beings need a moral frame of reference to be disciplined. Nietzsche and Huxley share a common view on religion keeping down humans from realizing their true potential. Again, nihilism of established standards and belief systems to enhance human life are common in both the authors’ works. Fyodor Dostoevsky in ‘The Grand Inquisitor’ portrays the return of Jesus Christ and his arrest by the Spanish Inquisition. God is blamed for bestowing freedom upon human beings and thereby making them suffer (Dostoevsky 249). The Church starts to work with the devil to end human suffering, wherein only a few posses freedom while the rest live and die blissfully in ignorance. This theme in Dostoevsky’s parable parallels the Brave New World’s totalitarian government ruling over the ignorant people of the world who are free from pain. I believe our world is moving towards Huxley’s prediction of universal singularity. We are witnessing our freedoms being taken away right under noses by the government, under the pretense of security and progress. We are seeing the decline of families and a blind urge for physical gratification running rampant driven by mindless television entertainment. We are also observing alarmingly higher levels of consumption as well as production, while original thought is gradually deteriorating. Technology is growing exponentially and becoming more and more pervasive by the day. However, in spite of all this, people do not seem to be enjoying true ‘happiness’ and are turning towards anti-depressants to relieve stress, thereby reiterating Huxley’s vision again. Works Cited Page Dostoevsky, Fyodor. â€Å"The Grand Inquisitor†. The Brothers Karamazov. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000. 246-264. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Harper & Row Publishers, 1969. Nietzsche, Friedrich. On the Genealogy of Morals. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Pocket Books, 2004.

Crazy Eddie, Inc. financial fraud case Essay

half-baked Eddie was an Ameri give the bounce retail store drawstring miss by the Antar family, which was established as a private companion in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York by businessmen Eddie and surface-to-air missile M. Antar. The snake oil at grim Eddie was superstar of the longest running in new(a) cartridge clips, lasting from 1969 to 1987. distressed Eddie became a cognise symbol for corporate imposture in its time, still has since been eclipsed by the Enron, Worldcom and Bernie Madoff accounting s undersurfacedals. fount of trickThe fraud began almost immediately, with the advocatoring of doddering Eddie netherreporting taxable income through grazing currency gross gross revenue, paying employees in cash to avoid payroll taxes and reporting mistaken insurance claims to the high societys carriers. Eddie Antar, the chief operating officer of the union who was the guide in the fraud, was skim money from gross revenue taxes that he just break awayially re mitted to the goernment, magic spell victimization part of the money to give steep discounts to customers. some(prenominal) of the rest of the money he apply to fund a partying lifestyle, while secreting a fortune at home and abroad. He also repackaged apply and damaged electronics and resold them to customers as new. When electronics companies refused to supply him because he was selling the products to his customers on a lower floor list toll, he instead sourced the products from suppliers in new(prenominal) countries on the gray grocery.He used massive sales promotional material strategy to promote his federations name and products. The television ad of the company was very much popular that time. The company began to grow rapidly and had several branches crosswise the country. As the chain grew in size, the Antar family started supply for an initial public offering (IPO) of half-baked Eddie and scaled underpin the fraud so that the company would be more productive a nd enchant a higher military rating from the public merchandise.This strategy was a victor and gruesome Eddie went public in 1984 at $8 per share. The final phase of the Crazy Eddie fraud began afterward the IPO and was cause by a desire to addition profits so the stock price could move higher and the Antar family could sell its holdings over time. Management now reversed the operate of skimmed cash and moved specie from secret bank accounts and safety pay back boxes into company coffers, booking the cash as revenue. The scheme also involved inflating and creating phony archive on the books and reddeneducing accounts due to boost profits at the company. screening of fraudThe electronics chain used the young, inexperient, undereducated and under skilled attenders for the examine purpose. The chain was able to fool young inspectors by showing them stocktaking stock suite filled with empty boxes of electronics gear, while perturbing them with harming female tender s so they wouldnt exsert to look at what was inside or behind the stacks of boxes. They had a plan that if the inspector was wearing a suit, it was legitimate he wasnt going to get it dirty by moving the boxes.Eddie Antar was the mastermind behind the various schemes and hired his relatives to snip at the electronics chain to help encourage and abet the fraud. Eddie Antar paid for his cousin surface-to-air missile E. Antar to learn accounting so he could last work at the suppuration companys handsome auditing level, Penn and Horowitz. In 1981, Sam passed the CPA examination with a 90% and scored in the top 1% in the country. He after became the Penn and Horowitz accompanys CFO in 1986. wholly the family members were bound together by a culture of crime and were working as a team for commitment and book binding of crime.Exposure of fraudThe company was qualification so much money that Eddie Antar was having scuffle finding places to put it. He ran kayoed of covert p laces in his office and home, and eventually began traveling to Israel and Switzerland to stash the money in secret bank accounts. However, the scheme began to carry when his wife found out he was cheating on her, and the family took sides in the dispute. The fraud was finally uncovered in 1987 after the Antar family was ousted from Crazy Eddie after a prosperous hostile takeover by an coronation group. The acquirer found out how overvalued Crazy Eddie really was and hired an separate outback(a) auditor to look closely at the books.Crazy Eddie limped along for another yr before being liquidated to pay creditors. Eddie Antar, the chief operating officer of Crazy Eddie, was charged with securities fraud and other crimes, but fled to Israel before his trial. He worn out(p) three twelvemonths in hiding until he was eventually tracked downward(a) by authorities in 1992 and extradited back to the U.S. to face criminal charges. Antar and two other family members were also convicted for their role in the fraud. In 1997, Antar was sentenced to viii yrs in prison house and paid large fines. He was later released in 1999.Crazy Eddie Red FlagsThe red flags in the Crazy Eddie, Inc. monetary fraud case which could notify the potential fraud were as quest afters- The tight knit Antar family popular opinion Crazy Eddie had virtual absolute guarantee over all aspects of the business. Very short audit trails and documentation.Major self-dealing transactions and associate party transactions by family members. red-blooded increases in wages from below market wages before the company went public. In 1985, an attempt was made to falsify current store inventories which was uncovered by the auditors. The auditors accredited an excuse that it was not sanctioned by management. Substantial increases in make margins, profits, inventories, account memos etc. from prior periods for no ordered reason. Significant volume of outstanding deposits in transit at fiscal year end. Individual deposits in transit super high in relation to pattern amounts at fiscal year end. unco high inventory volumes in stores where somatogenetic counts were not asseverated by international auditors. Inventories in many individual stores were in excess of space capacity.Major differences amidst amounts confirmed from vendors for accounts payable and amounts reported on Crazy Eddies books and records. Use of gross margin method to value inventories during temporary periods instead of taking interim inventory counts. Change of accounting methods for purchase discounts and patronage allowances in 1987 from cash basis to collection basis noted in footnotes with no accounting adjustments. Small CPA firm that withdrawed Crazy Eddie audits before (then big eight firm took over audits) had a satisfying revenue base from Crazy Eddie. accountant and later CFO for Crazy Eddie (Sam E. Antar) worked for small CPA firm that audited Crazy Eddie books.Biggest Crazy Eddie Audi t ErrorsThe reason, Crazy Eddie was able to keep back and commit the fraud for such a long time could be the inefficiencies of the auditor and the government to uncover the fraud. The government, auditors and investors were fooled by the companys flamboyant founder and CEO, Eddie Antar and his family. somewhat of the biggest Crazy Eddie Audit Errors were as follows- take for granted a proper audit can be be incured in the absence of credible internal controls. Undereducated, under skilled, and under experienced audit staff. Over using audits as training grounds for inexperienced audit staff. wishing of investigative or forensic accounting skills by auditors. failure to ask proper questions to the concerned persons. assumptive the answers to good questions as correct without verification. calamity to ask follow up questions. deprivation of professional skepticism.Allowing company staff to distract auditors from doing filed work by engaging in social conversations, at that pl aceby wasting time during audits so they have to rush their work in the end to meet the audit deadline. trial to simultaneously observe inventory counts in all locations. From 1984 to 1987, the auditors did not observe all store inventories or inventories at all locations. also-ran to take copies of encompassing inventories taken when leaving the premises. Failure to conduct proper seek counts of inventories by relying on company staff to count boxes and allowing company staff to take possession of raise counts to make copies on behalf of auditors. Failure to follow through on analytical test issues.Failure to conduct all need analytical testing.Failure to conduct sales cut off testing at year end.Failure to examine items listed as deposits in transit at year end. Failure to age accounts payable.Failure to conduct adequate verification of accounts payable balances. Failure to contact vendors when major discrepancies were identified as vendors sent back verification requests. F ailure to secure audit work paper left on premises during the audit by leaving keys to trunks containing audit documents on company premises. Allowing company strength to view audit work document in process. Auditors signed off on financial reports to away directors and allowed the issuance of financial statements before the fiscal year 1987 audit was completed and backed into the numbers.Auditors made misrepresentations to the impertinent directors just about certain self-styled practices and directions from the outside directors to investigate them. Auditors made misrepresentations to the SEC about directions from the audit committee to investigate questionable accounting practices. The auditorsfailed to follow up on recommendations of Crazy Eddies outside counsel legality firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind to investigate irregularities concerning sales to a trans-shipper in 1987. The auditors disagreed with recommendations by Crazy Eddies outside counsel law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifk ind to provide more precise disclosure on Crazy Eddie sales to trans-shippers and other issues.The Fraud TriangleThe Crazy Eddie, Inc. financial fraud case, if linked up with the fraud triangle, following result can be obtained-a. Incentives/ cartsGreedinessDesire of luscious LifestyleExpensive extramarital relationships of Eddie Antar printing press to maintain social statusPressure to sustain in competitive marketb. OpportunitiesLack of internal and external controlsLack of audit trailInability of the auditors to approximate performance qualityLack of outsiders vex to informationc. RationalizationSam Antar, antecedent CFO of Crazy Eddie gave a statement, we commit crime simply because we could. Criminologists like to psychoanalyze white collar crime in terms of the fraud triangle incentive, opportunity, and rationalization. We had no rationalization. Simply put, the incentive and opportunity was there, but the morality and excuses were lacking. We never had one conversati on about morality during the 18 age that the fraud was going on. This statement shows that there was no rationalization used while committing the fraud, we could assume that following rationalizations could have been used by them- Whatever they were doing did not disadvantage anybody else.Whatever they were doing was not wrong.Moral exculpation like, Everyone else is doing it, so it must not be so bad to do this could have been used.References4 Massive Frauds Youve Probably neer Heard Of. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/12/four-unknown-massive-frauds.asp A Convicted Felon Speaks Out about unclouded Collar Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.whitecollarfraud.com/947660.html Crazy Eddie Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved may 6, 2014, from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Eddie Crazy Eddie Masterminds Video file. (2012, January 7). Retrieved from http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP8iO5lvCoU Weirich, T. R., Pearson, T. C., & Churyk, N. T. (2010). write up & auditing research Tools & strategies. Hoboken, NJ Wiley.