Evolving Through Ignorance Essay

Socrates Cafe, a book written by Christopher Phillips that unfolds his story on facilitating lots of free discussion forum in a lot of different places. But what is Socrates Cafe itself? It is a place; a place for people who wonder, a place for people with different backgrounds to immerse their own self into questions and ideas and dogmas through Socratic Method. Phillips made an effort to revive the condition of what Socrates more than two millennia ago did in Athens. He went through a lot of hard time in order to establish this and to start this out of nothing, which includes abandoning his occupation as a journalist. In this essay I would like to peel in a deep more into one section of the book in which Philips cited Richard Tarnas belief. According to Richard Tarnas, Socrates believed that â€Å"the discovery of ignorance was just the beginning of the philosophical task†, not the end (201) [1]. People believe that being ignorant is a bad thing, as a human being we have to be conscious of everything we do and take responsibilities of our actions. How can we know that we are being ignorant? To discover about our own ignorance to certain things is a stepping-stone for us to improve ourselves, that’s what Socrates believed and I do agree with him. After we are conscious about our own ignorance, we can start to inquire our own self and dig deeper to overcome our assumption about what it takes to be a human being – that’s what philosophical task is about for me. Over the last 10 decades, the Earth average surface temperature has rose by 0. 8  ± 0. 2 ? C, especially over the last 5 decades, the rise had been significant [2]. This kind of improvement tends to create serious problem, globally, not only in particular place. What caused this global warming to happen? The answer is the inhabitants itself, humans had been more and more ignorant about what crisis they face, we know about the fact of this but we choose to ignore it. We don’t accept the fact that we are being ignorant and we believe that we are not. The dominant mechanism of this issue is anthropogenic and mostly the result of human activities. Human increases the atmospheric concentrations of human gases through their industrial wastes. More than hat, we made a global change to the land surface such as deforestation, in order to make more fields for construction. We are being ignorant about what’s happening and continue to fulfill our needs, we are being greedy. So, what can we do in order to overcome this problem? The answer is to discover what we are being ignorant at, just as what Socrates believe as the start of philosophical t ask. By accepting the fact that we are so ignorant about our current condition we can start to make a move to overcome this condition that potentially will be the root of serious problem and make our way towards a better future. For me, the biggest obstacle for this is to overcome our tendency to pursue our goal without thinking about the risks, we tend to think laconically, not being able to imagine about the cause of our action and the impact to our surroundings. We were blinded by the prospect of our goals and its profit and when the problem rises we hide our hands, it’s an ill wind for me to see such an occasion. We ensconce under our own thought that we are doing the right thing whereas in fact we aren’t. In one way, we tried to establish something that contributes to the society but we are also down falling it. It will be better if we can do something while we are not damaging our environment before it’s too late. There’s no time like the present. I think it’s even worse when people aren’t ignorant of certain things and yet still act with ignorance,† John finally offers, â€Å"For instance, when a racist continues to be a racist, yet is aware of the reasons why he’s a racist – perhaps he’s even aware that his racism is illogical because he knows damn well that all of us are 99. 9 percent genetically identical – then that’s even more scary than when people are racist out of sheer ignorance. (204) [3] I have a many more examples about the impact of feigning ignorance and how scary it is. In my home country, there are still a lot of people living in urban slums. The government notices about this but they are not taking any action, because they think they wouldn’t be able to fix this because it’s too severe and widely spread. In my city, over one-fourth of the total citizen live in slums [4] and that’s not a number we can ignore. We really can’t ignore this kind of thing and the government really needs to take actions, instead of being ignorant. Through philosophical inquiry they can get the answers to this problem, and that’s why they need to discover and admit their ignorance before they can start the long journey to fix this. One of the biggest factor and something that has never been able to be resolved from time to time is the corruption in Indonesia. The percentage of corruption in the government reach a peak number of 91% [5] and that’s way too high compared to another countries. I can’t believe that we are still holding on with the 10% leftover from what’s not corrupted to manage the country. Just imagine if the government can eradicate the corruption culture, we would have 10 times of what we have now for our country formation and it would be amazing because we can solve a lot of problems from that. It’s a bigger ignorance if we close our eyes to this. And yes, the government had already established a corruption eradication commission, but they aren’t fruitful and the problem is still there. I think there’s corruption in the commission itself because they are not doing their job well and that makes it a corruption inside a corruption eradication commission, that’s way too ridiculous for me and it’s so hard to accept it. We’ll need a leader that can lead the country to the right path in his honesty and his desire to remove corruption in our country, the one that can reveal how chronic the level of ignorance in the government is. In fact, before I even have a chance to respond, a woman whose booming voice belies her diminutive stature, says â€Å"I don’t think we have a right to be ignorant. I think we have a responsibility to constantly educate ourselves, to make ourselves less ignorant. (201) [6] Quoting it from Socrates Cafe, I wouldn’t agree with her statement about we are not having the right to be ignorant since we actually do. As a human, we have freedom to do whatever we want to do – it’s our own life. What matters is the consequences of our actions, if you choose not to constantly educate yourselves and responsibly develop your talents then you have to shoulder the risks by yourself. You will be getting more and more outdated and you won’t be able to compete with those people who responsibly develop their talents. Socrates was fully aware of his own self – there’s one of his paradox that strikes me, â€Å"I only know that I know nothing†. He never claimed that he’s wise, he knew that there will always be spaces to improve as long as you breathe. Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance†, according to Will Durant Quoted from his Book: The Great Gadfly†, Time magazine, 8 October 1965 (review of The Age of Voltaire by Will and Ariel Durant). There’s no end to our education, we will progressively and continually discover new things over time if we are doing it in a right way. Through ignorance we evolve – we thrive and mature through ignorance. The more we realize that we are lacking in lots of aspects, the more we will be able to see the potential in us. Look. And think. Then look some more. And think some more. Don’t ever stop looking, or thinking† (206) [7]. We have to see the world in many perspectives, and be conceptual – there’s no way that we can learn about something in one go. Doing so will mislead us to misconception and prevent us to think creatively, our creativity will be restricted by our own belief – instead, we have to dive deep into it and broaden our knowledge about it by doing some research so that we can analyze and understand more complicated and abstract ideas. That is one of the reason on why we have to be conscious about our own ignorance and start our own Socratic Inquiry, to be a better person – and to get a better understanding about what it takes to be an entity that will never stop to learn and to grow exponentially. Discover your own ignorance and make it a foundation on building your blocks of life – always think about what changes can you bring to your own life and what do you have to do in order to achieve that – then start your progress enthusiastically so that when death draws near you will know that you are living your life to the fullest and have no regret.

Alberta Tar Sands

â€Å"Only when the last tree had died and the last river has been poisoned†¦will we realize that we cannot eat money†. This is an old Cree saying that is very applicable today. Is the mining of the Alberta tar sands worthwhile, knowing its devastating effects on the environment? There are very valid points for both arguments, being them economical, political, environmental, or moral. The mining of bitumen is not something that is sustainable for the environment, or the companies involved. Although these open-pit mines produce much of the world’s oil, people should consider paying more at the pumps rather than destroying the only world we have to live in. The tar sands in Alberta essentially benefit every country but Canada, and everyone will have to pay the price of the damage caused to the environment. Pollution is caused in the production of bitumen, as well as in its consumption. The first documented European discovery of the tar sands in the Athabasca region of Northern Alberta was made by Alexander Mackenzie in 1773. Over one hundred years later in 1899, Charles Mair and a party of Dene natives explored the Athabasca area by request of the Canadian government. 1 Mair and his party stayed at the northern fur trading post of Fort Chipewan. 1 Following his visit to the region, Mair made a very prophetic statement: â€Å"That this region is stored with a substance of great economic value is beyond all doubt, and, when the hour of development comes, it will, I believe, prove to be one of the wonders of Northern Canada†. 1 Commercial development of the Alberta tar sands first began in 1967 by Suncor . The oil crisis in 1973 sparked investor’s interest in mining development in Alberta, and Herman Kahn proposed that the Canadian government begin mining the tar sands. 1 However, the Trudeau government believed that it would overheat the economy, create steel shortages, unsettle the labor market, and drive up the Canadian dollar. 1 Now, instead of Canada mining the tar sands, global companies from the United States, China, Japan, Korea, France, and Norway have invested a total of 200 billion dollars in the Alberta tar sands. These investments account for sixty percent of global oil investments. Bitumen is defined as a naturally occurring semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons. The fields of bitumen are naturally occurring all around the Athabasca water basin. Most of the Alberta tar sands lie so deep underground that it must be removed by first separating the bitumen from the sand using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). 1 SAGD works by using water from the Athabasca River and heating it into steam. 1 The steam is then pumped into the ground using hoses. Steam melts areas of bitumen from top to bottom, and the liquid bitumen drains from to the bottom of the pit where it can be collected. This method was created by University of Alberta chemist, Dr. Karl Clark. It was first used by Suncor in 1965. Bitumen is considered one of the world’s dirtiest oils, because of its many impurities. 1 These impurities make a complex mining system necessary. Clearly, the harsh reality of having mined all of the clean oil is that we must now mine the dirtiest. Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta has changed dramatically due to the growth of the mining industry’s presence in the tar sands. 1 The growth in the area is said to be exponential, with no chance of slowing down anytime soon. This growth has completely changed the identity of the city. Housing in Fort McMurray is scarce and expensive. 1 It is nearly impossible to live in Fort McMurray unless you work in the mines. This has destroyed small business owners in the city, because they cannot get anyone to work for them at a reasonable wage. Also, the high average family income has caused high inflation rates. The mine employees who live in the city temporarily have caused the city shortfalls in roads, schools, and health care. Although shocking, these are typical problems that face cities that experience such a large econo mical boom in such a short period of time. The Canadian government has no regulations for the reclamation in the Athabasca region. 1 There is also little known as to how the diverse ecosystem of the region can ever be returned to its natural state. The wetlands that once covered the area cannot be replaced. Also, the large oil companies have not found any way to destroy the toxic waste byproducts in the tailings ponds. 1 In an effort of reclamation, 7. 5 million tree seedlings were planted in the area, but many did not survive because of the state of the soil. Syncrude spent 0. 20% of its total budget on reclamation efforts in 2005. There is estimated to be no bitumen left in forty years. The Alberta government fears that the cost of the reclamation will fall on taxpayers when the global companies leave. This is why it is essential for hold these companies accountable for reclamation while there is still money to be made in the tar sands. Bitumen requires much more energy in production than standard crude oil. 1 Producing one barrel of bitumen takes three times as much energy as producing a barrel of crude oil, and it creates three times as many pollutants. However, bitumen only sells for half the price of crude oil. Every day, the amount of natural gas needed to heat four million homes is used to boil water into the steam needed in SAGD. 1 The mines also use as much water per year as a city of two million people. To produce one barrel of bitumen requires the excavation of two tons of earth, and three barrels of fresh water from the Athabasca River. 1 1. 3 million barrels are exported every day. 1 Because of the oil production, the region has some of the most polluted air on the planet. The three hundred tons of sulphur that is released into the air per day has caused Alberta’ s eastern neighbor, Saskatchewan, to have recurring acid rain. This is just another example of how the destruction caused by oil production will ripple throughout the country. The forests in the area of the Athabasca oil sands have experienced extensive clear-cutting to make room for open-pit mines. 1 It is estimated that the mining developments in the region will eventually destroy a forest approximately the size of Florida. 1 Because of the destruction of the soil, the spruce and pine trees that once covered the region will never be able to grow in the now salt-rich soil. 1 This will obviously have a detrimental effect on the wildlife in the region. Already, the moose, deer, beaver, waterfowl, and other animals that once lived in the region are now scarce. 1 The delicate ecosystem of the area has been destroyed. The tailings ponds along the Athabasca River are used to hold the toxic waste that is produced in the production of bitumen. 1 These ponds now cover twenty-three square miles, and 400 million gallons of this toxic waste is produced daily. 1 It contains salt, phenols, benzene, cyanide, arsenic, as well as other carcinogens. 1 The tailings ponds pose a threat to wildlife that unknowingly enters the ponds believing them to be fresh water. This reality made headlines when 500 ducks were killed in the ponds on April 28, 2008. 1 The ponds are also not properly contained. Not only to the toxins leak into the groundwater, but many of the ponds leak directly into the Athabasca River. 1 There seems to be no real solution to this problem, as not even the experts know how to properly discard the waste in the tailings ponds. Canada has no official water policy, as well as the worst record of pollution enforcement among industrialized nations. 1 The tailings ponds contaminate the water, and Suncor and Syncrude are legally allowed by the Alberta government to ump 150 pounds of arsenic into the Athabasca River per year. 1 One hundred years ago, all of the water in Alberta was potable; it must all now be chemically treated. 1 Also, twenty-three percent of Canada’s freshwater can no longer support aquatic life because of watercontamination. Already, deformed fish are being found in Lake Athabasca. 1 Fort Chipewan is downstrea m from Fort McMurray and the mining operations. As an aboriginal people, they eat fish and wild game from the area. 1 They also drink the water from the Athabasca River. Five cases of cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile duct, have been recorded in Fort Chipewan in the last five years. 1 Cholangiocarcinoma typically occurs in one in 100, 000 people. 1 In 2006, Fort Chipewan’s population was 915. 1 These statistics speak for themselves; however, the province has denied the community a thorough health study. 1 The current state of Fort McMurray is due to the exponential growth that has taken place in the city. 1 However, the city’s seemingly thriving state makes it at risk for drugs, prostitution. Nearly half of mine workers test positive in drug screening. Therefore, most companies don’t do drug testing, because they would have nobody to work if they did. 2 The city and surrounding area have high rates of people driving while impaired, and road fatalities on Highway 63. 1 As well, the province of Alberta has the lowest voter turn-out in the country. 1 Fort McMurray has a high divorce rate, and a suicide rate thirty-one percent above the provincial average. 1 The city also has a high drop-out rate for high school students. The entire city is caught up in the money, not seeming to realize that their income is based on an unpredictable and unreliable market. The people living in Fort McMurray expect the money to keep on coming, and the people from outside of the city are only there for the money; when they’ve made the money that they went there to make, they will eventually leave. Alberta women also experience the highest level of abuse in the country. The province’s premier says that this is â€Å"the price to pay f or prosperity. Unfortunately, to some degree, he’s right. ElDean Kohrs is quoted as saying that â€Å"a history of power production synonymous with boom development usually leaves behind spiritual depression, divorce, drunkenness, dissension, and death†. The people of Fort McMurray can only hope that once the bitumen is gone, the city will not end up like the Klondike City of the gold rush. Although there are many devastating environmental effects of mining bitumen in the Alberta tar sands, the mining gives way to many opportunities for economic gain. The global demand for oil is a huge factor in why it is beneficial to mine the area. The Alberta tar sands are the world’s last remaining oil field, and have attracted sixty percent of global oil investments. 1 Although bitumen is referred to as ‘dirty oil’ it cannot be argued that all forms of oil cause some kind of environmental damage. Canada is now the second largest exporter of oil in the world. It is without doubt that the tar sands would eventually need to be mined, knowing our growing rate of oil consumption; but the rate of the growth is what has frightened people away from the idea of mining the area. Many of the large oil companies are making large strides in making better environmental choices. Suncor has reduced its water consumption by thirty percent in the last two years, and Syncrude has reclaimed twenty-two percent of its disturbed land. The Canadian government has also spent six billion dollars on climate change projects in the last fifteen years. 1 These are positive signs showing that the ways of mining land are changing for the better. The tar sands have also prompted growth all over Alberta. All major cities in Alberta have seen substantial growth in population over the past five years, and this growth as made Alberta one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada. Bitumen mining has also had a large effect on the Canadian dollar. 1 Between 2003 and 2006, the Canadian dollar went from sixty-four cents to eighty-seven cents on the U. S. dollar. This value is nearly parallel with the price of crude oil. Canada’s main exportation priority has become providing the United States with oil. 1 Canada is now the single larger exporter of oil to the U. S. 1 The U. S. has a high demand for oil, as U. S. citizens currently consume twenty-five percent of the world’s oil. 1 However, because of our high exportation, the Free Trade agreement is under intense scrutiny. It would seem that the agreement is no longer benefitting both countries. In summarizing the arguments, you could come to several conclusions. You may believe that the devastating effects on the environment are not worth mining bitumen. You may believe that to stay economically strong, Canada must mine the Alberta tar sands and have high exportation to the Unites States. Morally, it is clear what is right; however, economic decisions are never easy to make. The mining has devastated the region, and it is easy for a person to say that is wrong. However, these same people would not be ok with walking to work, or with paying high prices at the pumps. It is an ethical dilemma that faces the people today, between what we know is right, and what we are willing to go without. It is undeniable that the argument for the thesis is much stronger, but it may not have much validity to people concerned with the economy. The mining of bitumen is not sustainable, and will eventually recreate the identity of northern Alberta. 1 We can conclude that mining the Alberta tar sands has a detrimental effect on the environment that will eventually affect the entire world. â€Å"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world†-John Muir.

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example A Ltd operates in a very stable environment wherein there is hardly any variation in the different activities of the business like sales, inventory, closing stock, demand and profit. B Ltd on the other hand operates in a very dynamic environment. There are huge variations in the different activities of business continuously for which deciding a single course of action would be very difficult. Whether in stability or dynamism, zeroing on the suitable approach of forecasting and budgeting is imperative. Initiating the suitable course of budgeting helps the management to direct its employees in the desired manner. There are many types of budgeting like the traditional, performance, zero based etc. As A Ltd operates in a non-dynamic environment, traditional approach sounds to be an apt option for it. Traditional approach of budgeting: It is a procedure of forecasting contingencies and planning to overcome those situations effectively. It starts with the: Assumptions to be considered: Dev eloping up of assumptions and plans to mitigate those circumstances- The assumptions could be mostly economic in nature. Some of the economic considerations could be in terms of inflation rate, growth rate, exchange rate, interest rate etc. For example, if there is high inflation, the demand of our product could be low (Unless our product is a necessity). This implies an inverse proportion also as in the case of high interest rate. Similarly, the demand of our product is directly proportional to growth and exchange rate of that particular region. Once these assumptions are laid out, course of action plans which should be taken to control these situations have to be well drawn out in the form of budgets. (Chandra.P, 2006) Approval of the plan: It is like succeeding in the endeavor of convincing the management to take up a particular course of action. As such, a standard path has to be outlined to prepare a successful budget report as follows: Plan Administration: Senior officials of operations along with finance executives should get involved while execution of budgets. The plan should involve all related resources like HR, Technical etc. Planning Profit: Optimum production volume and desired profit have to be ascertained by considering the unit sale price, volume, mix, and cost of production per unit, research and competitive forces of markets. Operational strategies which could be alternatively followed in place of the current plan also have to be examined and the best one has to be selected. These plans usually deal with the realities of plan execution like objective, description of plan, assignment of responsibility, costs expected, need for research and deadlines for each stage and the expected results of those efforts. Planning for contingencies: In case of any contingencies, crisis response also has to be planned to mitigate the loss. Continuous observation of warning signals has to be undertaken. Once all these rigorous efforts have been taken up, by al l the functional departments namely sales, production, marketing, HR, Research, sales etc. all these budgets would be combined to form a master budget which would be approved for implementation purposes. (Shim.J.K& Siegel.J.G, 2009) Comparison of Budgets: After the budget period commences, the actual results of all the planned budgets have to be called for on a regular basis.

The condition of secondary education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The condition of secondary education - Essay Example lt, secondary schools in the US are under constant pressure to perform regardless of the availability of materials and programs capable of improving educational quality. The vast majority of American secondary schools are public institutions dependent on funding from local, state, and federal governmental sources. However, this funding is contingent on the performance of students on standardized tests within core academic areas. The â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† requires that schools maintain certain levels of achievement in math and English and provide proof of this through yearly state testing of the student body. This law applies to both primary and secondary schools, and facilities which fail to achieve the required standard risk losing their federal funding and may fall under the requirements of their state (New York Times, 2011). Besides the additional expense related to standardized testing, this increases pressure on teachers and administrators and limits the flexibility of the educational system in general concerning topics of academic concentration and teaching methods. While secondary education is subjected to constant governmental statues demanding compliance with current statutes, that funding which is available is not adequate to provide schools with all of the required materials, staff, faculty training, and educational programs needed to provide high quality education. As over 90 percent of secondary schools are public institutions, they bear near total responsibility for educating the minors within the population. Overcrowding within dense populations further strains available text books and other learning materials and limits the availability of instructors. Recent studies suggest that the combination of these circumstances greatly inhibits a student’s ability to learn (wik.edu.uiuc.edu, n.d.). This threatens the ability of individual schools to achieve testing standards in order to gain future funding while reducing the quality of education

I will upload the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

I will upload the topic - Essay Example In the film, The World, Jia’s character depicts these paradoxical results clearly. In his film, he focuses on the isolation of shifted persons in the urban setting and the collapse of the society. In the film, Jia undermines the attempt by government to globalize the country without the Medias democracy. In this regards, Jia attempts to give the implication the government is trying to globalize the country without any form of questioning. This situation gives a very huge gap between the government perfect society and the Chinese experience. Jia gives different perception to the Chinese society in terms of their place in the world, their uniqueness and their actual segregation from international society Film production has been internalized, gained popularity and more so gained popularized screen plays in international basis in the last few years. In this regard, Jia tries to bring out the inter-modality. Inter-modality contains subtitles and digital media used to show up film characters to convey the modern life, and more so create some understanding. Jia uses China to convey all the problems that all persons worldwide face i.e. both the Chinese and the foreign audience. Basing my idea on Tao, a character in the movie The World, who has a relationship with a Russian dancer by the name Anna and also has romantic moments with Taisheng i.e. Kin-Yang Szeto’s study reveal, â€Å"Set amid this grand image of national transformation, the film tells a story of romance between Tao and Taisheng, two young adults who work at an existing tourist attraction in Beijing called World Park.† Jia Zhangke uses subtitles for cross-cultural intermediation that enable his film to fit into different social backgrounds. The use of this has given Jia a chance to avoid Chinese government restriction. In addition, use of subtitle has enabled his film to be shown in different parts of the world without any official authorization. In the process, people worldwide get to know the new

Hospitality Management Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hospitality Management Industries - Essay Example In order to be relevant in the market in the coming decade resorts must give a comprehensive accommodation at reasonable prices suited for all their clients since pricing is a crucial variable in this market due to the cut throat competition (Fevzi and Levent 102). In addition, diverse cuisine ranging from Chinese, African, Japanese and western is a necessity for resort owners to satisfy their customers taste buds. These consumers love to do their business with pleasure and developers must find peaceful and discrete sites away from the noise and crowds that will offer the visitors with unrivaled ambiance (Fevzi and Levent 106). The resorts must excel in the delivery of quality for its clients endowed with well-trained staff who are welcoming and caring thus making the resort a place to fall in love with. Unlike any other destination in the world, resorts must be the essence of diversity, distinctive and final action venue in the coming decade. Fevzi and Levent (88) points that resorts must work to integrate their services thus ensuring maximization of their sales thus earn profits. Commendably, the future prospect of the resorts will be realized in large part by the capacity to foresee and take advantage of change. It is empirical to identify what will be required to survive in the competitive market and developers must invest in meeting customers needs and desires . The successful corporation of the year 2000 surveyed 600 senior resort executives around the globe with the intention to point out what will make a successful business in the next century. The results showed resorts must use and develop a management bank to tackle the diversity of the market place and employ it. In conclusion, to effectively and efficiently integrate expectations in future, developers must empower their staff and involve them in day-to-day operations of the business to make sure success.Information technology has become

Personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personality - Essay Example The judgmental way of thinking comes out as a result of my extroverted nature. Due to the fact that I am also feeling, this combination is what allows me to be empathetic toward others. By understanding the characteristics of my personality profile, I can be aware of what situations I will do well in and which ones I will not. In addition, it helps me understand how I get along with certain people and not others. This is incredibly important when taking a leadership position and learning how to interact and motivate followers. Sometimes, we act without thinking because that is the way our personality works. This automated form of behavior can be important in situations where you could say or do something that may be automatic to you, but might not be socially/culturally acceptable to people who do not share the same personality type. In organizational behavior, personality assessments are important in determining whether someone is going to be good for a particular job. For example, if someone is interviewing to work in customer service, however they score an â€Å"I â€Å" on their personality inventory, this would end up hurting the company.

Discourses on Latina femininity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discourses on Latina femininity - Essay Example Hence, Latino masculinity against the images of Latina beauty seems to be well shuttered. Traditionally, it is indicative of the Latino community that a woman is totally subject to a man. Here is the line of conflict. To say more, Latina representations in the field of contemporary showbiz affect Latino masculinity regarding hookups of Latina girls with the representatives of other ethnical identities. In this respect the figure of Jennifer Lopez is at the core of the discussion due to her relationships with black men which seemed affectionate or comfortable for her (Mendible 160). This is why the way Latina beauty goes today affects the apprehension among Latino men. Third, Latinas are subjugated by the Western culture and the US dominance in Hollywood and filmmaking industry. As was aforementioned, it is all about the values each nation promotes for the cultural turnaround worldwide. In other words, the competition between Latinas in the US is too high due to the fact that all of t hem are still considered the second class of people living in the country (Mendible 15). Overrepresented in the low (or even lowest) niche of the social life, the percentage of Latina beauties in Hollywood is to small to provide some radical change. Once again, due to the economic disparities among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white layers of the American society, there is plenty to talk on the â€Å"otherness† of Latina/o people according to the mainstreams cultural and showbiz standards and flows currently accepted in the US. Mendible points out in her study that this â€Å"gap† makes Latinas subjugated by popular media representations: Clearly, a complex... As was aforementioned, it is all about the values each nation promotes for the cultural turnaround worldwide. In other words, the competition between Latinas in the US is too high due to the fact that all of them are still considered the second class of people living in the country (Mendible 15). Overrepresented in the low (or even lowest) niche of the social life, the percentage of Latina beauties in Hollywood is to small to provide some radical change. Once again, due to the economic disparities among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white layers of the American society, there is plenty to talk on the â€Å"otherness† of Latina/o people according to the mainstreams cultural and showbiz standards and flows currently accepted in the US. Mendible points out in her study that this â€Å"gap† makes Latinas subjugated by popular media representations: Clearly, a complex array of competing interests and discursive forces produced the idea of â€Å"the Latin woman,† and it will take the collective efforts of Latino/a scholars, independent filmmakers, feminist writers, activists, and embodied others to slowly strip the myth of its power to bind and denigrate (15-16). To conclude, the issue of Latina sexuality and gender disparity within the Latino community is well established as a second-class way of entertainment for full-of-themselves Western consumers in the media sphere. Notably, it is all about buying or selling beauty in order to get rid of the burdens of life in the array of lower niche of existence.

Challenges in developing new Products in a Global Economy Essay

Challenges in developing new Products in a Global Economy - Essay Example Another major challenge is to anticipate the changing needs of consumers as this is essential for the success of any product launch (Chen, 2011). Consumer needs in a global market are changing rapidly and this is why it is difficult to keep up in a rapidly changing market. Because of this positioning of the product in the market becomes important. The launch of Apple’s I Pad is a very good example of how difficult it is to launch and market a product in a global marketplace. There are some many things happening in the world that it is difficult to garner the attention of the customers and this is a significant challenge. This is essentially why Apple creates a buzz on the internet before its product launches with rumors and speculations. The product launch is telecasted on the internet so that the global audience can have access (Friedman, 2012). While announcing a new product, Apple also focuses on exclusivity and invites only a limited number of technology experts. All this depicts the challenges that a firm face while launching a product for a global market. The launch of Samsung Galaxy S4 Smartphone is also an example of how firms are challenged when dealing with a global clientele. Samsung used different acts or plays to make it easy for the consumers globally as to how the phone can be used in performing day to day functions. One of the main challenges in marketing communication is to create a global message. This challenge was overcome by Samsung by using a medium (acting) that is understandable all over the world. Samsung is mainly a design oriented company that focuses on innovative designs that suits the needs of the consumers (Jones, McCormick, & Dewing, 2012). This was communicated to the consumers by playing daily life situations on the stage. Another major challenge for brands is to build a positive association in the international market before the launch of the new product. This is where power of branding comes into play. Positive associa tions and branding is so important that Research in Motion decided to change the name of its company to Blackberry in order to build a positive association in the minds of consumers before the launch of its highly anticipated BlackBerry 10 device (The Berkshire Eagle, 2013). By doing this RIM tried to associate itself with BlackBerry in the eyes of the public because BlackBerry had become a household name. How technology Assist in Development and Launching of New Products? Technology has assisted a lot in marketing of new products to global consumers. Internet has redefined communications industry and has dissolved geographical borders. People all over the world can stay connected with each other and this has done wonders for the marketing world. Now marketers can use innovative techniques to attract a large target market without spending too much money in a more targeted way. All this is possible because of the advent of internet and advancements in communications technology. Apple used internet to broadcast its launching all over the world which is a good example of how technology can assist in marketing of new products (Friedman, 2012). The company used technology to market its product to consumers as there was no other way to make sure that consumers all over the world can watch the launching ceremony easily. This is how technology can

Years 1515-1525 Henry Viii Essay Example for Free

Years 1515-1525 Henry Viii Essay Do you agree with the view that in the years 1515-1525 Henry VIII wholly surrendered power in government to Cardinal Wolsey? To a certain extent within †¨Source 4 (by J.J. Scarisbrick 1968) supports the idea that possibly Henry VIII actually did surrender power over to Wolsey. The evidence within the source that suggests this possibly for being the truth is ‘a self-indulgent King had wholly surrendered the cares of the state into the Cardinals hands’. To further support this case, it is clear that Wolsey was extremely powerful, he had vast amounts of bishoprics (Archbishop of Canterbury, Tournai, Durham just to name a few) and was the head of things such as the Star Chamber where Wolsey got himself heavily involved with. This is shown when you compared the number of cases Wolsey took on (120) compared to that of Henry VII who dealt with only 12. Also Wolsey had control of all of the state finances and could make large changes to things such as the taxation system he was able to introduce a new form of tax known as the ‘Subsidy’ which was more popular since it meant the poor payed far less tax than previously than with the old 15’s and 10’s taxation method. This new taxation method allowed Wolsey to pay for king’s foreign affairs. As well as this ‘subsidy’, since Wolsey had such significant power he was able to also raise considerable amounts of capital through other means, such as through ‘benevolences’ and enforced loans from the nobility, which raised  £200,000 in 1522. This shows that Wolsey was especially powerful as ‘benevolences’ was money disguised as a gift and was only ever done by monarchs, possibly suggesting that Wolsey could be classed as an Alter Rex. Despite the positivity and great power J.J. Scarisbrick gives to Wolsey within the source we also learn that George Cavendish influences this source significantly even right from the beginning ‘Cavendishtells us’. Cavendish was Wolsey’s friend and servant, meaning he would be more than likely faithful to his master and try and write as positively about him as possible. This means that potentially the source might not be so reliable. However, Source 5 written in 1994 by John Lotherington, appears to disagree with that of the view of source 4. In parts it appears to actually agree with source 4, ‘Wolsey held a dominant position in government and controlled the distribution of patronage’ but then the source continues to say, ‘And of course the ultimate source of all power was the King’. This quote can be proven true with examples of Henry preventing Wolsey from doing something, such as in 1523 when Wolsey launched a sea attack upon the French without the kings permission, this led to Wolsey having to apologize for his actions. This shows that Henry still had control over Wolsey and that he couldn’t get away with something so easily. Also even though source 4 claims that Wolsey had very strong control, that even with this power he couldn’t prevent such things like The Amicable Grant of 1525 from being a disaster, and without aids from The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk it could have been an even more disastrous, this proves Henry was more in control than Wolsey because the Dukes only subdued the rebellions on Henry’s behalf, not Wolsey’s. This is showing how Henry had not wholly surrendered his government power, and could still contest Wolsey’s decisions and problems. The source was also written in 1994, therefore the historians view is likely to be more factual rather than written in the period and being more biased, as can be the case, especially if that figure in question is still alive or has close descendants. Source 6 appears to agree with the opinions of Source 5 in that Henry VIII had not wholly surrendered power in government to Wolsey. Source 6 is a letter from Henry to Wolsey in 1520, it says, ‘I desire you to keep a watch on the Duke of Suffolk, the Duke of Buckingham, my lord of Northumberland, my lord Derby, my lord of Wiltshire and on any others of whom you are suspicious’ The source shows Henry giving orders to Wolsey, suggesting that Wolsey did not have all of the governmental power, I also know this from my own knowledge. For example Wolsey’s fall from grace on the 9th October 1529 (when he is charged with praemunire, which is exercising his legatine power to the detriment of the King) because he was unable to secure the divorce for Henry. The fact that the King was able to remove Wolsey’s power so quickly again illustrates how Henry had no wholly surrendered his government power to Wolsey, as his decisions overruled any of Wolsey’s. The source is also fairly reliable, as it was written by Henry himself and is clearly giving Wolsey orders, even before he has fallen from grace. In conclusion, I do not agree with the view that in the year’s 155-1525 Henry VIII wholly surrendered power in government to Cardinal Wolsey. This is because both sources 5 and 6 corroborate the idea that although Wolsey does have a large amount of government power, Henry still makes overruling decisions and exercises government power over Wolsey. This is also backed up with my own knowledge. Therefore, Henry did not wholly surrender his government power to Wolsey.

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden The fall of mankind and the expulsion from the garden of Eden is one of many depictions on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was originally commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and therefore is how it received its name (The Sistine Chapel). Sixtus then called a large variety of well-known painters, architects, and others to work on the inside walls and ceiling of the Chapel. However, in 1508 the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was in the beginning stages of being repainted by Michelangelo Buonarroti at the request of Pope Julius II (Januszczak). The Sistine Chapel was and still is used for ceremonial services and ceremonies. Michelangelo reluctantly started the project in 1508 and finished in the year of 1512, four years later. Michelangelo was accredited for being a trained sculptor, architect, and poet, although he is most notorious for his work on the Sistine chapel. Although Michelangelo thought of himself as mainly a sculptor a painting project of this size and importance would have been a challenge for him. The Sistine chapels ceiling is 10,000 square feet or roughly 930 square meters (Michelangelo 20). Michelangelo constructed a scaffolding system that curved at its top, mimicking the curvature of the ceilings vault. Michelangelo often had to bend backwards and paint over his head still an awkward position; which mustve made his neck and back ache, his arms burn painfully and, according to him, permanently screwed up his vision (Merlo). Although the ceilings decorations were broken up into different parts there were nine depictions from the book of Genesis in the Bible (Michelangelo 23). The Focus of the rest of this paper is going to be on the Fall of Mankind and expulsion piece of the Sistine Chap els ceiling. This particular piece of the ceiling only took thirteen areas of plaster, which compared to the other areas on the ceiling this is one third the amount (King 192). The figures in this section of the ceiling were all substantially larger than those in the other paintings and only had six figures which compared to the number of tiny and abundant figures in The Flood are great. This section of the ceiling is a diptych (Blech and Doliner 202), a painting of two equally important parts, the first part on the left of the scene is Adam and Eve still innocent, yet about to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. On the right side of the scene we see both Adam and Eve being exiled from the Garden of Eden. In the center, a serpent spirals around the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; it offers Eve the forbidden fruit. It is joined to a sword-wielding red cherub, whose arm seems to grow out of the serpent`s coils; these two figures are one. Parallel pairs of arms emerge on the right and on the left, combining the two scenes into this diptych. When Eve decided to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil it resulted in the awareness of the passing of time, You will surely die means you will understand that time means death. Awareness of time and life in paradise are mutually exclusive. Having tasted the fruit on the left they are instantly out of Paradise and into history, on the right (Milgrom and Duman). If you look closely at the left side of the frame we can see that Adam is indeed picking from the tree, we can see that the tree is a fig tree and in the Holy Bible in Genesis 3 it says once they ate from the Tree of Knowledge they took figs and made clothing to cover themselves (Holy Bible).Now in scripture it does not say that Adam picked from the Tree it actually clearly states that the woman was deceived and took from the Tree and ate from it then gave it to her husband to eat as well(Joyce). It has been said that Michelangelo did this to show that man was just at fault because Adam did not faithfully pass on the true words of God and that is why the woman, Eve, was so easily deceived(King 193). You may also see Gods mercy in all this. The bases of why Michelangelo used the Tree of Knowledge to be a fig tree is for a purpose. It is said in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 10 that God does not ever present us with a difficulty He will not give us a way out of or already knows the so lution to its problem. In this scene the fig tree is Michelangelos way of showing Gods way out. It shows Gods grace and mercy by using one simple visual affect (Blech and Doliner 204). If we decide to look at the fruit that Eve is tempted with in the Garden we notice that it is an apple in the scene. In most cultures and even in todays modern society we notice that the apple has a sense of mystery surrounding it, even in childrens movies such as Snow White when she eats a poisonous apple. If you look at the word apple, in Medieval Latin, the word apple is malum, malum is a most cases is the starting for male or mala, which is a synonym of evil (Blech and Doliner 203). Michelangelo was suggested to have joined both the serpent and the red cherub for two reasons. It is said in the book The Sistine Secrets that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the two inclinations of the serpent and the angel, are on both sides of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, since it is at this very moment and spot that humanity learns the difference for the first time. In another interpretation of this scene is that the serpent and cherub are one because like good and evil, life and death are flip sides of reality, they reflect the nature of the divine (Milgrom and Duman). Both are valid and similar arguments but put into two different perspectives. On the right we go back to the expulsion part of this scene. We see that the cherub with the sword is banishing Adam and Eve from Paradise forever. Immediately we can see the signs of the natural aging process. Part of their punishment was to lose their immortality and eternal youthfulness (Blech and Doliner 203). You can see the difference in the characters features more than ever when being exiled. The young beautiful woman on the left was transformed into someone almost completely different. According to Michelangelo and the Popes ceiling the young woman turned into a hideous ugly old crone with tangled hair, wrinkled skin, and a hunched back, the same female who is cowering in shame and covering her breasts. The thing that I notice as I am viewing this piece of art is you can see in Adam and Eves faces the shame and guilt that is already evident in knowing they made a mistake. The thought that in todays society we have so many rules and laws that we cant do but looking at this picture it shows how easily we fall. Adam was commanded only one thing! In Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. The Lord commanded Adam to do one thing and the shame he feels that the only rule God gave him he broke is on his face. Although like I mentioned earlier it was not the fault of Adam for the woman was the one deceived and gave some to Adam, he still plays a large role in this. My Interpretation For my interpretation of this piece of art I chose to make a short film of what the piece of art represents. In this film I go through daily scenarios of how in modern society we face the struggle of listening to what God tells us to do and actually following through with it. To start off the video I am talking giving the audience a foreshadowing of what is coming. Then the film starts off with Lizzie reading her bible on a set of couches. She talks to God and prays but during all of this she finds several distractions that keep her from hearing everything God is trying to tell her. She then has to make a decision as to which doorway she wants to enter. She chooses the right path after hearing Gods voice giving her guidance. The point of going down this path is to get to the other side, however, along the way she runs into six different struggles or different paths she can go down. She has to listen carefully and await Gods instruction on the right move to make for her. The second person she comes into contact with is trying to deceive her into thinking she is not cared about by her friends and family, the person tells Lizzie she is not worthy of love and her friends talk horribly about her. Lizzie then has the choice to fall into the trap Satan is feeding her (gossip). In other words take the apple and eat it or say no and go in the other direction. She makes the right choice and goes on down the path. Later down the path she runs into a third actor who is trying to convince her to go to a party. This person uses all the tactics to get someone to go to a party. He tells her that anybody who is anyone will be going and that it will be fun. Lizzie hears a soft whisper in the background telling her not to go and to make a left turn. Almost immediately down that hallway she runs into a man dressed in nice clothing trying to sell her fine clothes, house, car, and lots of luxurious items, this sin being love of money if she falls into it. The fact that almost immediately after saying no to the party another response shows up tells her she must be doing something right because the attacks are getting stronger and closer together which means Satan is getting nervous because she is doing something for God, and he does not want that. She tells him even though she would love to have all those things that is not how she wants them, that God provides what she needs and she has everything in Him. Then she walks away down another hallway. Towards the end of this hallway there is a three way stop. She looks and sees a handsome young man dressed nicely; she notices he is trying to get her attention. He starts to tell her how beautiful she is and how much she means to him. They start walking down the hallway together as he tells her of the life they can have together. This pathway is lust. As they are walking suddenly her friend appears behind her calling out to her telling her to come back. They stop and Lizzie realizes she made the wrong turn she ignored Gods voice and followed what she wanted. The three then bicker over Lizzie and her friend tries to convince Lizzie to go in her direction as well, giving the godly advice, it may still not be the right advice if you are looking for the answers in another human. They reach the crossroads of the three way stop again. They go into a tug-o-war over Lizzie and the camera widens and then you see all the sin that tried trapping her along the way tempting her again. Lizzie not ices what is happening but she strayed so far from Gods voice and into sin she cant tell what to do anymore. When all of a sudden Lizzie bursts out STOP! The whole frame is frozen except Lizzie and she pushes them all away. The frame moves into Lizzies face and back out again and when it moves out nobody is there except her. She sits on the floor and apologizes for everything and asks Gods forgiveness. Lizzie then hears Gods voice and goes through the middle doorway and into where God has led her. The rest of the movie is me explaining the circumstances of what just happened and the reasoning of the chosen film. In short my film is a modern version of disobedience to Gods voice or just the lack thereof knowledge. It is a depiction of how easily us as humans can fall and how quickly God is there to catch us.

Louis Braille Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis Braille Louis Braille was born in the Coupvray, France on January 4, 1809. His mother and father were Monique and Simon Renà © Braille. Louis was the youngest of four other children. Their names were Louis-Simon, Catherine-Josephine, and Marie-Celine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis’ father, Simon Renà ©, was a saddler. He made saddles and harnesses for horses. His father had also been a saddler. Louis family led a simple, ordinary life. They owned their farmhouse and seven and a half acres of land. Louis dad’s workshop was also on this land. The Braille’s didn’t have that much money, but there was always plenty of food on the table. The family lived on a road called Chemin des Buttes. It would later be renamed to Rue Louis Braille.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis would often visit his dad in the workshop. To Louis the shop was an exiting adventure every time he would walk in there. The workshop smelt of leather, and bridles, reins, and straps hung everywhere. In the middle of the workshop stood a bench with many sharp tool. Not a very safe place for a three year old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tragedy is not known in perfect detail. Nor is the exact date known. But it happened sometime in the year 1812. The investigating three-year-old boy climbed onto the workbench in the workshop when his father was not looking. Louis reached for an awl or knife. Soon after, people nearby heard yelling coming from the workshop. Louis was crying, and blood gushed down his face. His hands had slipped off the sharp tool, and the awl had cut into his eye. Louis mom and dad did every thing they could for the helpless child. They cleaned the bleeding eye and covered it up with bandages. When the bleeding stopped, they took Louis to the doctor. In those days doctors didn’t know a lot about helping infections. Powerless the doctor and the Braille family looked on as Louis’ infection spread to the other eye. Every thing became blurry for Louis. He began to bump into things; he would drop things, and began to stumble constantly. His family took him to an eye doctor in a adjacent town, but the doctor couldn’t help the poor child. Louis’ sight got even worse each day. Eventually, he lost all sight in both eyes.   Ã‚   ... ... of teaching for two years before he was able to come back to work. Only about a week after he was teaching he began to bleed. So the doctor sent him home once again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many years past before he go back to school. When he was able to get back on his feet there was a new school in place. Many famous people visited the school. The new buildings were ready in 1843. The students moved to the new school with all their belongings. The new building was clean and airy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By 1850, Louis was feeling very sick again. The school director let Louis stay at the school and teach a few piano lessons. By December 1851, Braille knew he was dying, so Louis put his will in order. He left many of his belongings to his friend Coltat, who gave them to the students who loved Braille. Louis gave the rest of his stuff to his mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis Braille died on January 6, 1852. He had just turned forty-three. Louis was buried at Coupvray. His final ride home was the same road he had traveled to Paris with his father. In 1854, France adopted the Braille system as its official system for blind people.

Crazy Horse :: Battle of the Little Big Horn

When I think back of the stories that I have heard about how the Native American Indians were driven from their land and forced to live on the reservations one particular event comes to my mind. That event is the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It is one of the few times that the Oglala Sioux made history with them being the ones who left the battlefield as winners. When stories are told, or when the media dares to tamper with history, it is usually the American Indians who are looked upon as the bad guys. They are portrayed as savages who spent their time raiding wagon trains and scalping the white settlers just for fun. The media has lead us to believe that the American government was forced to take the land from these savage Indians. We should put the blame where it belongs, on the U.S. Government who lied, cheated, and stole from the Oglala forcing Crazy Horse, the great war chief, and many other leaders to surrender their nation in order to save the lives of their people. In the nineteenth century the most dominant nation in the western plains was the Sioux Nation. This nation was divided into seven tribes: Oglala's, Brule', Minneconjou, Hunkpapa, No Bow, Two Kettle, and the Blackfoot. Of these tribes they had different band. The Hunkpatila was one band of the Oglala's (Guttmacher 12). One of the greatest war chiefs of all times came from this band. His name was Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was not given this name, on his birth date in the fall of 1841. He was born of his father, Crazy Horse an Oglala holy man, and his mother a sister of a Brule' warrior, Spotted Tail. As the boy grew older his hair was wavy so his people gave him the nickname of Curly (Guttmacher 23). He was to go by Curly until the summer of 1858, after a battle with the Arapaho's. Curly's brave charged against the Arapaho's led his father to give Curly the name Crazy Horse. This was the name of his father and of many fathers before him (Guttmacher 47). In the 1850's, the country where the Sioux Nation lived, was being invaded by the white settlers. This was upsetting for many of the tribes. They did not understand the ways of the whites. When the whites tore into the land with plows and hunted the sacred buffalo just for the hides this

Free Death Penalty Essays: Capital Punishment Around the World :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Capital Punishment Essays - Capital Punishment Around the World The essay pans the whole world and presents the death penalty practices. In the last paragraph the paper focuses on the USA exclusively. Over half the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice: * 75 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes * 14 countries have abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional crimes such as wartime crimes * 20 countries can be considered abolitionist in practice: they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more making a total of 109 countries which have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. 86 other countries retain and use the death penalty, but the number of countries which actually execute prisoners in any one year is much smaller.(Death) More than three countries a year on average have abolished the death penalty for all crimes in the past decade. Over 30 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes since 1990. They include countries in Africa (examples include Angola, CÃ ´te d'Ivoire, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa), the Americas (Canada, Paraguay), Asia (Hong Kong, Nepal), Europe (Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine).(Ibid) Once abolished, the death penalty is seldom reintroduced. Since 1985, over 40 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or, having previously abolished it for ordinary crimes, have gone on to abolish it for all crimes. During the same period only four abolitionist countries reintroduced the death penalty. One of them, Nepal, which reintroduced the death penalty for murder, has since abolished it for all crimes; one, the Philippines, has resumed executions, but there have been no executions in the other two (Gambia, Papua New Guinea).(Should) During 2000, at least 1,457 prisoners were executed in 27 countries and 3,058 people were sentenced to death in 65 countries. In 2000, 88 per cent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA. In China, the limited and incomplete records available to Amnesty International at the end of the year indicated that at least 1,000 people were executed, but the true figure was believed to be much higher. In Saudi Arabia, 123 executions were reported, but the total may have been much higher. Eighty-five people were executed in the USA.

A Critical Evaluation of The Value of Play Essay

Introduction Play has a vital role in a child’s learning and development. Each adult has their own interpretation of what play is, but play can be interpreted as, ‘children being given the opportunity to use resources and facilities provided in order to develop their skills and expand their knowledge. This can be done spontaneously through imaginative play, and using communication to enhance their independent learning. Play can also be seen as a way a child learns and develops emotionally, physically and socially. DEFINITIONS OF PLAY What is play? Play can be interpreted as, children being given the opportunity to use their imaginative skills, to learn as well as develop their physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills. Play can be child initiated, or adult led, where they provided with resources and support in both situations. Play is an attitude that manifests itself in different behaviours. Gavey (1991) stated â€Å"play was a forward and backwaref 7cd movement where different levels of action, communication, and interaction are needed. It could be regarded as deeply serious and purposeful or trivial and purposeless, (Attfiled 2005). Similarly, (Molyes J) stated â€Å"play is without a doubt the most natural way children learn all over the world†. Babies and young children learn through interaction with an adult, who could be parents, siblings, other family members as well as practitioners who have responsibility of looking after the well-being of a child. However, Froebel stated, play is what children are involved with when they initiate a task and work is what they do when fulfil a task required by an adult. Bruce 2005. The role of an adult is entering a child play that is child initiated, and intervening to extend the play without interfering. Bruce Children need to play with objects and materials and resources in order for play to integrate cognitive processes and stimulate the imagination. The value of play Play is seen as the â€Å"only† way that young children learn and develop their social, physical, cognitive and emotional skills. Bruce(2005) Value of play A practitioner who understands the importance of play, offers children  freedom, where they are able to choose their own activities. * Gives a child freedom * Responsibilities * Child initiated * Adult led * Risks * Consequences Child initiated play Child initiated play can be interpreted as any activity that is started by a child to meet their personal needs and interests, Moyles J (2008). This can alos be seen as active learning, where the childis engaging in the activity they are doing. Bruner argued and put forward children require choice and should be able to make their own decisions in order to learn and develop their skills. For example in a reception class where children are of the age 4-5 years, being given the freedom of being able to choose any activity available to them and to carry out their chosen task or activity in their choice of environment can be seen as child initaitiated play. The adult has no role in the choice of play as the child has the control of what they are setting out to do. However the adult provides the child with resouces. Through child initaied play children learn to become creative through critical thinking. When having achoen an activity to arry out they start to make cnectuoins which transfroms their understanding. Howevr if a child does not understand or have the skill to carry out an activity and feels they want to, they tend to approach an adult who then supports the child by interevening. (BRUCE) the adult can then support the child by scaffolding (BRUNER) for example Similary Vygotakys stated in his theory a childs needs to be independent in order to learn, however a child still requires the adult to present to aide them when needed. For example. By allowing a child the choice of free play they are able to explore DEFINITION By investigating childen learn and are able to ask the adult questions where the adult will support them by asking open eneded question and providing them with encouragement.

The Host Chapter 48: Detained

The red and blue lights swirled in time with the siren's cry. Before the souls had come to this place, these lights and sounds had had only one meaning. The law, the keepers of the peace, the punishers of offenders. Now, again, the flashing colors and angry noise had only one meaning. A very similar meaning. Still the keepers of the peace. Still the punishers. Seekers. It wasn't as common a sight or sound as it had been before. The police force was only needed to help in cases of accidents or other emergencies, not to enforce laws. Most civil servants didn't have vehicles with sirens, unless the vehicle was an ambulance or a fire truck. This low, sleek car behind us was not for any accident. This was a vehicle made for pursuit. I'd never seen anything quite like it before, but I knew exactly what it meant. Jared was frozen, his foot still pushing down on the gas pedal. I could see that he was trying to find a solution, a way to outrun them in this decrepit van or a way to evade them-to hide our wide white profile in the low, gaunt brush of the desert-without leading them back to the rest. Without giving everyone away. We were so close to the others now. They slumbered, unaware†¦ When he gave up after two seconds of frantic thought, he exhaled. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Wanda,† he whispered. â€Å"I blew it.† â€Å"Jared?† He reached for my hand and eased up on the gas. The car started to slow. â€Å"Got your pill?† he choked. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"Can Mel hear me?† Yes. The thought was a sob. â€Å"Yes.† My voice only barely escaped being a sob, too. â€Å"I love you, Mel. Sorry.† â€Å"She loves you. More than anything.† A short, aching silence. â€Å"Wanda, I†¦ I care about you, too. You're a good person, Wanda. You deserve better than what I've given you. Better than this.† He had something small, much too small to be so deadly, between his fingers. â€Å"Wait,† I gasped. He could not die. â€Å"Wanda, we can't take the chance. We can't outrun them, not in this. If we try to run, a thousand of them will swarm after us. Think of Jamie.† The van was slowing, drifting to the shoulder. â€Å"Give me one try,† I begged. I fumbled quickly for the pill in my pocket. I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger and held it up. â€Å"Let me try to lie us out of this. I'll swallow it right away if anything goes wrong.† â€Å"You'll never lie your way past a Seeker!† â€Å"Let me try. Quick!† I pulled off my seat belt and crouched be-side him, unfastening his. â€Å"Switch with me. Fast, before they're close enough to see.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"One try. Hurry!† He was the best at split-second decisions. Smooth and fast, he was out of the driver's seat and over my crouched body. I rolled up into his seat while he took mine. â€Å"Seat belt,† I ordered tersely. â€Å"Close your eyes. Turn your head away.† He did as I said. It was too dark to see it, but his new soft pink scar would be visible from this angle. I strapped my seat belt on and then leaned my head back. Lying with my body, that was the key. It was simply a matter of the right movements. Imitation. Like the actors on the TV program, only better. Like a human. â€Å"Help me, Mel,† I murmured. I can't help you be a better soul, Wanda. But you can do this. Save him. I know you can. A better soul. I only had to be myself. It was late. I was tired. I wouldn't have to act that part. I let my eyelids droop, let my body sag against the seat. Chagrin. I could do chagrin. I could feel it now. My mouth turned down into a sheepish grimace. The Seekers' car did not park behind us, the way I could feel Mel expected. It stopped across the road, on the shoulder, facing the wrong way for that lane's traffic flow. A dazzling light exploded through the window of the other car. I blinked into it, raising my hand to shade my face with deliberate slowness. Faintly, past the glare of the spotlight, I saw the gleam of my eyes bounce against the road as I looked down. A car door slammed. One set of footsteps made a pattern of low thuds as someone crossed the pavement. There was no sound of dirt or rocks, so the Seeker had emerged from the passenger side. Two of them, at least, but only one coming to interrogate me. This was a good sign, a sign of comfort and confidence. My glowing eyes were a talisman. A compass that could not fail-like the North Star, undoubtable. Lying with my body was not the key. Telling the truth with it was enough. I had something in common with the human baby in the park: nothing like me had ever existed before. The Seeker's body blocked the light, and I could see again. It was a man. Probably middle-aged-his features conflicted with one another, making it hard to tell; his hair was all white, but his face was smooth and unwrinkled. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, a blocky gun clearly visible on his hip. One hand rested on the butt of the weapon. In his other hand was a dark flashlight. He didn't turn it on. â€Å"Having a problem, miss?† he said when he was a few feet away. â€Å"You were going much too fast for safety.† His eyes were restless. They swiftly appraised my expression-which was, hopefully, sleepy-and then ran along the length of the van, darted into the darkness behind us, flashed forward to the stretch of highway ahead, lit by our headlights, and came back to my face. They repeated the course another time. He was anxious. This knowledge made my palms sweaty, but I tried to keep the panic from my voice. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I apologized in a loud whisper. I glanced at Jared, as if checking to see whether our words had woken him. â€Å"I think†¦ well, I think I might have fallen asleep. I didn't realize I was so tired.† I tried to smile remorsefully. I could tell I sounded stiff, like the too-careful actors on the television. The Seeker's eyes traced their route again, this time lingering on Jared. My heart jumped painfully against the inside of my ribs. I pinched the pill tighter. â€Å"It was irresponsible for me to drive for so long without sleep,† I said quickly, trying again to smile a little. â€Å"I thought we could make it to Phoenix before I would need rest. I'm very sorry.† â€Å"What's your name, miss?† His voice was not harsh, but neither was it warm. He kept it low, though, following my cue. â€Å"Leaves Above,† I said, using the name from the last hotel. Would he want to check my story? I might need someplace to refer him to. â€Å"Upside-down Flower?† he guessed. His eyes flickered around their course. â€Å"Yes, I was.† â€Å"My partner, too. Were you on the island?† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"The mainland. Between the great rivers.† He nodded, perhaps a little disappointed. â€Å"Should I go back to Tucson?† I asked. â€Å"I think I'm quite awake now. Or maybe I should take a nap right here first -â€Å" â€Å"No!† he interrupted me in a louder voice. I jumped, startled, and the little pill slipped from my fingers. It dropped to the metal floor with a faintly audible clink. I felt the blood drain from my face as though a plug had been pulled. â€Å"Didn't mean to startle you,† he apologized quickly, his eyes repeating their restless circle. â€Å"But you shouldn't linger here.† â€Å"Why?† I managed to whisper. My fingers twitched anxiously at the empty air. â€Å"There was a†¦ disappearance recently.† â€Å"I don't understand. A disappearance?† â€Å"It could have been an accident†¦ but there might be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, unwilling to say the word. â€Å"Humans may be in this area.† â€Å"Humans?† I squeaked, too loud. He heard the fear in my voice and interpreted it the only way he could. â€Å"There's no proof of that, Leaves Above. No sightings or anything. Don't be anxious. But you should proceed on to Phoenix without unnecessary delay.† â€Å"Of course. Or maybe Tucson? That would be closer.† â€Å"There's no danger. You can continue with your plans.† â€Å"If you're sure, Seeker†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm quite sure. Just don't go wandering off into the desert, Flower.† He smiled. The expression warmed his face, making it kind. Just like all the other souls I'd dealt with. He wasn't anxious about me, but for me. He wasn't listening for lies. And he probably wouldn't recognize them if he was. Just another soul. â€Å"I wasn't planning on it.† I smiled back at him. â€Å"I'll be more careful. I know I couldn't fall asleep now.† I glanced at the desert out Jared's window with a wary expression, so the Seeker would think that fear was making me alert. My expression tensed into a taut mask as I caught sight of a pair of lights reflected in the side mirror. Jared's spine stiffened at the same time, but he held his pose. It looked too tight. My eyes darted back to the Seeker's face. â€Å"I can help with that,† he said, still smiling but looking down now as he fumbled to remove something from his pocket. He hadn't seen the change in my face. I tried to control the muscles in my cheeks, to make them relax, but I couldn't concentrate hard enough to make it happen. In the rearview mirror, the headlights got closer. â€Å"You should not use this often,† the Seeker went on, searching the other pocket now. â€Å"It's not harmful, of course, or the Healers wouldn't have us give it out. But if you use it frequently, it will alter your sleep cycles†¦ Ah, here it is. Awake.† The lights slowed as they approached. Just drive by, I begged in my head. Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop. Let it be Kyle at the wheel, Melanie added, thinking the words like a prayer. Don't stop. Just drive. Don't stop. Just drive. â€Å"Miss?† I blinked, trying to focus. â€Å"Um, Awake?† â€Å"Just inhale this, Leaves Above.† He had a thin white aerosol can in his hand. He sprayed a puff of mist into the air in front of my face. I leaned forward obediently and took a sniff, my eyes darting to the mirror at the same time. â€Å"It's grapefruit scented,† the Seeker said. â€Å"Nice, don't you think?† â€Å"Very nice.† My brain was suddenly sharp, focused. The big moving truck slowed and then idled on the road be-hind us. No! Mel and I shouted together. I searched the dark floor for one half second, hoping against hope that the little pill would be visible. I couldn't even make out my feet. The Seeker glanced absently at the truck and then waved it forward. I looked back at the truck, too, a forced smile on my face. I couldn't see who was driving. My eyes reflected the headlights, shot out faint beams of their own. The truck hesitated. The Seeker waved again, more broadly this time. â€Å"Go ahead,† he muttered to himself. Drive! Drive! Drive! Beside me, Jared's hand was clenched in a fist. Slowly, the big truck shuddered into first gear and then inched forward through the space between the Seeker's vehicle and ours. The Seeker's spotlight outlined two silhouettes, two black profiles, both facing straight forward. The one in the driver's seat had a crooked nose. Mel and I both exhaled in relief. â€Å"How do you feel?† â€Å"Alert,† I told the Seeker. â€Å"It will wear off in about four hours.† â€Å"Thank you.† The Seeker chuckled. â€Å"Thank you, Leaves Above. When we saw you racing down the road, we thought we might have humans on our hands. I was sweating, but not from the heat!† I shuddered. â€Å"Don't worry. You'll be perfectly fine. If you'd like, we can follow you to Phoenix.† â€Å"I'm just fine. You don't need to trouble yourself.† â€Å"It was nice to meet you. I'll be pleased when my shift is over, so that I can go home and tell my partner I met another green-first Flower. She'll be so excited.† â€Å"Um†¦ tell her, Brightest sun, longest day' for me,† I said, giving him the Earthly translation of the common greeting and farewell on the Flower Planet. â€Å"Certainly. Have a pleasant journey.† â€Å"And you have a pleasant night.† He stepped back, and the spotlight hit my eyes again. I blinked furiously. â€Å"Cut it, Hank,† the Seeker said, shading his eyes as he turned to walk toward the car. The night turned black again, and I forced another smile toward the invisible Seeker named Hank. I started the engine with shaking hands. The Seekers were faster. The little black car with the incongruous light bar atop it purred to life. It executed a sharp U-turn, and then the taillights were all I could see. They disappeared quickly into the night. I pulled back onto the road. My heart pumped the blood through my veins in hard little bursts. I could feel the fierce pulse throbbing through to my fingertips. â€Å"They're gone,† I whispered through my suddenly chattering teeth. I heard Jared swallow. â€Å"That was†¦ close,† he said. â€Å"I thought Kyle was going to stop.† â€Å"Me, too.† Neither of us could speak above a whisper. â€Å"The Seeker bought it.† His teeth were still clenched in anxiety. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I wouldn't have. Your acting hasn't improved much.† I shrugged. My body was so rigid, it all moved together. â€Å"They can't not believe me. What I am†¦ well, it's something impossible. Something that shouldn't exist.† â€Å"Something unbelievable,† he agreed. â€Å"Something wonderful.† His praise thawed some of the ice in my stomach, in my veins. â€Å"Seekers aren't all that different from the rest of them,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"Nothing to be especially afraid of.† He shook his head back and forth slowly. â€Å"There really isn't anything you can't do, is there?† I wasn't sure how to respond to that. â€Å"Having you with us is going to change everything,† he continued under his breath, talking to himself now. I could feel how his words made Melanie sad, but she was not angry this time. She was resigned. You can help them. You can protect them better than I could. She sighed. The slow-moving taillights did not frighten me when they appeared on the road ahead. They were familiar, a relief. I sped up-just a little, still a few miles below the limit-to pass them. Jared pulled a flashlight out of the glove compartment. I understood what he was doing: reassurance. He held the light to his own eyes as we passed the cab of the truck. I looked past him, through the other window. Kyle nodded once at Jared and took a deep breath. Ian was leaning anxiously around him, his eyes focused on me. I waved once, and he grimaced. We were getting close to our hidden exit. â€Å"Should I go all the way to Phoenix?† Jared thought about it. â€Å"No. They might see us on the way back and stop us again. I don't think they're following. They're focused on the road.† â€Å"No, they won't follow.† I was sure of this. â€Å"Let's go home, then.† â€Å"Home,† I agreed wholeheartedly. We killed the lights, and so did Kyle behind us. We would take both vehicles right to the caves and unload quickly so they could be hidden before morning. The little overhang by the entrance would not hide them from view. I rolled my eyes as I thought of the way into and out of the caves. The big mystery I hadn't been able to solve for myself. Jeb was so tricky. Tricky-just like the directions he'd given Mel, the lines he'd carved onto the back of her photo album. They didn't lead to his cave hideout at all. No, instead they made the person following them parade back and forth in front of his secret place, giving him ample opportunity to decide whether or not to extend an invitation inside. â€Å"What do you think happened?† Jared asked, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The recent disappearance the Seeker mentioned.† I stared ahead blankly. â€Å"Wouldn't that be me?† â€Å"I don't think you would count as recent, Wanda. Besides, they weren't watching the freeway before we left. That's new. They're looking for us. Here.† His eyes narrowed, while mine widened. â€Å"What have they been doing?† Jared suddenly exploded, slapping his hand loudly against the dashboard. I jumped. â€Å"You think Jeb and the others did something?† He didn't answer me; he just stared out across the star-bright desert with furious eyes. I didn't understand. Why would the Seekers be looking for humans just because someone had disappeared in the desert? Accidents did happen. Why would they jump to that particular conclusion? And why was Jared angry? Our family in the caves wouldn't do anything to draw attention to themselves. They knew better than that. They wouldn't go outside unless there was an emergency of some kind. Or something they felt was urgent. Necessary. Had Doc and Jeb been taking advantage of my absence? Jeb had only agreed to stop slaughtering people and souls while I was under the same roof. Was this their compromise? â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. My throat was too thick to answer. I shook my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks and fell from my chin to my lap. â€Å"Maybe I'd better drive.† I shook my head again. I could see well enough. He didn't argue with me. I was still crying silently when we got to the little mountain that hid our vast cave system. It was actually just a hill-an insignificant outcropping of volcanic rock, like so many others, sparsely decorated with spindly creosote and flat-bladed prickly pears. The thousands of tiny vents were invisible, lost in the jumble of loose purple rocks. Somewhere, smoke would be rising, black on black. I got out of the van and leaned against the door, wiping my eyes. Jared came to stand beside me. He hesitated, then put a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Sorry. I didn't know they were planning this. I had no idea. They shouldn't have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But he only thought that because they'd somehow gotten caught. The moving truck rumbled to a stop behind us. Two doors slammed shut, and then feet were running toward us. â€Å"What happened?† Kyle demanded, there first. Ian was right behind him. He took one look at my expression, at the tears still running down my cheeks, at Jared's hand on my shoulder, and then rushed forward and threw his arms around me. He pulled me into his chest. I didn't know why this made me cry harder. I clung to him while my tears leaked onto his shirt. â€Å"It's okay. You did great. It's over.† â€Å"Seeker's not the problem, Ian,† Jared said, voice strained, his hand still touching me, though he had to lean forward to preserve that point of contact. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"They were watching the road for a reason. Sounds like Doc's been†¦ working in our absence.† I shuddered, and for a moment, it seemed like I could taste silver blood in the back of my throat. â€Å"Why, those -!† Ian's fury robbed him of speech. He couldn't finish his sentence. â€Å"Nice,† Kyle said in a disgusted tone. â€Å"Idiots. We're gone for a few weeks, and they've got the Seekers on patrol. They could have just asked us to -â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Kyle,† Jared said harshly. â€Å"That's neither here nor there at the moment. We've got to get this all unloaded fast. Who knows how many are watching for us? Let's grab a load and then get some more hands.† I shook Ian off so that I could help. The tears did not stop running. Ian stayed close to my side, taking the heavy flat of canned soup I picked up and replacing it with a big but light box of pasta. We started down the steep pathway in, Jared leading. The utter blackness did not bother me. I still didn't know this path well, but it wasn't difficult. Straight down, then straight up. We were halfway there when a familiar voice called out from a distance. It echoed down the tunnel, fracturing. â€Å"They're back†¦ ack†¦ back!† Jamie was shouting. I tried to dry my tears on my shoulder, but I couldn't get them all. A blue light approached, bouncing as the carrier ran. Then Jamie bounded into view. His face threw me. I was trying to compose myself to greet him, assuming he would be joyful and not wanting to upset him. But Jamie was already upset. His face was white and tense, his eyes rimmed in red. His dirty cheeks had rivulets through the dust there, tracks made by tears. â€Å"Jamie?† Jared and I said together, dropping our boxes to the floor. Jamie ran straight for me and threw his arms around my waist. â€Å"Oh, Wanda! Oh, Jared!† he sobbed. â€Å"Wes is dead! He's dead! The Seeker killed him!†

Human Resource Outsourcing in India Essay

This article attempts to discuss HRO in Indian context and the possible future of HRO in the Indian business scenario. Certain preparatory actions are also prescribed to effectively used HRO as a strategic business tool. HRO – HRM Architecture: Today, as we have moved into service – economy, dealing with knowledge and knowledge workers is very important as human capital has become a critical success factor for organizations. HRM is seen as a distinct identity, separate from Administration and Facilities section of the establishment. This can be clearly seen from the importance being given to HRM Architecture. In addition to the traditional roles for HR, over the years, in the IT and ITes sectors, distinct roles have emerged such as corporate HR, business HR, generalist HR, techno – functional HR, etc. The job holders in these roles are expected to give different â€Å"deliverables† as related to their functional aspects. It is pertinent to note that a 1998 survey by center for effective organization at university of southern California’s Marshal School of business shown that 79% of HRM managers describe themselves as â€Å"business partners† and 53% of line managers agreed that HR managers are now performing the roles of business partners. Thus, today HRM is getting well embodied into business functions such as marketing, finance or operations. This can be, in a way, considered as a starting point of HRO, because, from this, emerges the need for HR function to work smart for business results – whether by doing functions and activities all on their own, or by getting some of them done through outsourcing. Additionally, it also puts pressure on HR function to find â€Å"partners† who can â€Å"take over† specific transactions and processes at a lower cost. In this way, HR will get focused on â€Å"tangible† results (which was one of the complains against HR in the past). Thus, to some extent, it will help free up time for core-HR activities that result in improvements which positively influence the bottom line. A word of caution though that it may not â€Å"free up† time, and should not free up too much time. After all, HR is essentially a personal touch button of the organization and too much outsourcing might result in lack of personal touch and decreased human interaction which may frustrate the employees. HRO Evolution: HRO is always an evolutionary exercise for the organization. Initially, companies are reluctant to outsource, they prefer to do every act in the own backyard. As the organization grows in terms of its life cycle, slowly, â€Å"experimentation† phase will begin when they start outsourcing certain simple transactions or processes. Sometimes, they may even take a parallel run with the vendor. When the experience is positive and as they make progress, companies may make decisions to penetrate further into the HRO space. According to Everest Research institute’s annual HRO study, the most commonly outsourced HR functions include: †¢Pay roll †¢Benefits †¢Employee data management †¢Info systems †¢Contact centers. As the companies find that there are substantial benefits from outsourcing, they feel attracted to go in for deeper penetration. Thus, it is possible to categorize companies adopting different levels of HRO in their organization. (See Table 1) Table 1 LevelActivities OutsourcedType of HROBenefits 1Admin services, pay – roll, pension, PF mgt. , etc, temporary staffingTransactionCost efficiency 2L1 + training, new employee induction and executive searchProcess†¢Standardization †¢Cost †¢Replication of good practices 3L1 + L2 + campus hiring, online assessments, HR audits, employee surveys etc. Function†¢Quality †¢Cost, benchmarking etc. HRO in Indian Business The debate on HRO in India still hovers around the following questions: ‘Has HRO really arrived in India? ’ ‘Are we missing the HR outsourcing bus? ’ ‘Should companies outsource their HR functions? ’ We also seem to be aware that â€Å"The New Mantra is HR Outsourcing† In this maze of debates and arguments, some facts need to be cleared. â€Å"HR outsourcing in India has not seen the required momentum and is limited to trickle effect, with companies outsourcing a few selected, low end HR processes† – Says Anil Mahajan in an interview for an article on HRM. In India, most common outsource processes are related to training, pay – roll processing, benchmarks studies and legal compliance. Some HR consultants feel that in Indian HRO scene, quality is an issue. It is reported that some MNC’s wanted to outsource end to end HR solutions, but could find a suitable vendor and hence decided to set up its own outsourcing centre. While many experts in the field believe that there is a good scope for HRO in India, it is a fact that our present share in the global market of US $ 80 bn. is only a minuscule. Estimates show that size of HR outsourcing in India is about US $ 2. 5 – 3. 5 bn. But another study shows flat markets in HRO world wide between 2005 – 2007 but 2008 promises to be different! In the flat world of today, as India becomes more and more global in business and economy it will be a compelling need for companies to resort to outsourcing in the interest of survival and growth. Thus, even though, as of now, HRO in India has not caught up sufficiently time is right for making rapid strides to catch up and make best use of the opportunities presented by the wave of HR outsourcing. HRO as Double – edged Weapon: In India, we are fortunate to have the double advantage of HRO as we all know, HRO operates in an environment where there are abundant takers and abundant givers. HRO activities have two edges – one as the service provider and another as a client who is outsourcing the process / transaction. At present many Indian companies are acting as service providers as a natural step, India with its vast millions of English speaking, trainable youth who are willing to learn and serve clients as and idle platform to take on the HRO wave. Thus, India may finally become the outsourcing centre for HR services. The growth in the HRO itself may trigger further developments. Any HRO companies may, in turn, begin to outsource some of their process to another service provider. Thus, a virtuous HRO business cycle may get activated. After all, â€Å"We Are All in Services Now† (Prof. James Teboul). According to him, the process, people and credibility are 3 key elements in the making of value proposition. People interaction may place a sort of limitation on HRO spreading without a human face! The basic tenet of HR philosophy should be that HRO must be implemented with utmost regard to â€Å"Human face† of activities being outsourced. This is because of the uniqueness of the HR issues. There cannot be a straightjacket solution for all human issues hence human interaction element needs to be always kept in mind and given a priority. We need to get over certain drawbacks as a community of employers in order to benefit from the HRO wave. If we have to shape up, good future we need to know aht we should to and what we should not so that our progress is never stalled. Hence, it is necessary to appreciate the barriers identified for the spread of HRO in our country. The following are some of the barriers identified in literature on the subject: †¢Cultural shift and top management thinking †¢Confidentiality and cost factors †¢Lack of awareness on cost-to-benefit equation of HRO †¢Quality of end results. A word or two about each of these barriers will clear the aspect. Cultural shift requires us to trust and be trusted. The two parties’ involved, namely service provider and client, need to trust each other not only about confidentiality but also about the capability to delay it. Many employers and top management feel that it is better to have own HR persons dealing with all the issues instead of outsourcing. Reasons may be many for such outlook, but there is a need to change in order to think professionally and ethically. If we can trust an advocate or a doctor or the tax consultant, why not HR service provider? Confidentiality and cost factors relate to the ability of HR service provider to handle information professionally and confidentially. Ethics both personal and corporate – play a great role. If we think proper work ethics can be created through good leadership, we need to develop and nurture such leaders appropriately. Lack of awareness among persons about cost / benefit equation needs to be overcome by education right from the top level to look at HRO as a hard core business option and to quantify the benefits correctly. Lastly, quality issues need to be addressed again through building a quality culture by following the total quality management (TQM) practices. Internal and external customer orientation among all and education and training for all on TQ practices and bring about improvement in quality. The Indian experience of TQM is quite satisfactory in this regard and there is a bright chance of success for improving the quality aspects of HRO. Preparatory Activities: While is it necessary to be clear about changes that we need to make on an individual or a company basis, it is equally important to focus on the preparations needed by us a community of service economy. For any service economy to grow, especially in the network era of today, there is a need for adequate preparation so that ultimately, the environment of business responds favorably to the needs of the market. In this regard, certain preparatory activities have to be undertaken immediately. The various activities for this purpose can be broadly classified as: †¢Infrastructural †¢Educational †¢Business/ operational †¢Social Under each of these, there are various elements that have to be taken under consideration. The following matrix will show these points clearly. As most of these items are self explanatory in nature, a detailed description of individual items is not done in this article. However, it has to be emphasized that these sub elements are very important contributions to the climate of HRO in a microeconomic sense. The elements given in the matrix are only illustrative and are not exhaustive. Preparatory activities needed for HRO Infrastructural / Technical †¢Telecommunications and network accessibility †¢Roads †¢TransportEducational – Training Related †¢Curriculum in colleges †¢HRO training centers †¢E – Learning transactions / process Counseling centers Business Related †¢Performance parameters †¢Quality measures †¢Feedback †¢Relationships / Cultural sensitivitySocial †¢Quality of the work – Life balance †¢Stress management †¢Time management †¢Security at workplace Conclusion: In conclusion, it may be said that HRO is going to slowly but stead ily become a part of business strategy. HR professionals will drive the initiatives of HRO, of course with support from top management. The time is now ripe for HRO to succeed in view of HRM being seen and treated as an important element of business resources in the service economy of today. Certain new roles have emerged which confirm this position. Though the Indian share of the revenue pie today is very small, there is a very good possibility of our riding high on the HRO wave that is round the corner. As a community, it is necessary to identify barriers and identify the changes or adjustments we need to make as individuals and companies. As HRO operates as a subset of BPO and overall business environment, certain preparatory steps need to be taken as a community in general. With all this, it is possible to ride high on HRO wave in the next few years.