Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgender Individuals Essay

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, also known as LGBT population have experienced a great deal of oppression worldwide. These particular individuals undergo discrimination from society, whether for reasons of ignorance, fear or intolerance, this population faces challenges in multiple areas of social justice sexual. Although the LGBT culture has made some strides in the areas of state and federal legislation, there is still a wide range of criminalization that takes place within our culture. Understanding the LGBT community and the history of their oppression may be the first step in becoming culturally competent. For many years this culture was denied their basic constitutional rights that were afforded to their equal heterosexual peers. Basic rights such as, adoption and marriage were uncommon to this culture until the 20th century. Personal Views There are several religions which condemns the notion of homosexuality. Growing up in a Christian household I was taught that being homosexual is a sin in the sight of God. For example, in Jamaica my family practiced Pentecostal religion where they are very passionate about their traditions. There were unspoken beliefs that homosexuals were to be punished for their sexual practices. This belief followed me to the United States. Even though we went to a Baptist Church, the teachings were the same. I held on to this religious belief for many years and lived my life in a way that was conducive to my religion.Show MoreRelatedHate Crimes Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Individuals1197 Words   |  5 Pages Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals people make up more than ten percent of the population; that means if you are sitting in a classroom of thirty, then more than three of those people are LGBT individuals. 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From its beginnings, the United States has struggled with deciding who establishes the norms and values of society, given that we are a nation built primarily through immigration (Bessett, 1997). Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people have been a part of soc iety throughout history. There is evidence of same sex relationships at least as far back as ancient Greece (Crompton, 2003). 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The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Various Free Essays

Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Various or any similar topic only for you Order Now While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they need, this belief is false. Sleep, by definition, is the natural periodic suspension of voluntary bodily functions and complete or partial suspension of consciousness, during which the powers of the body are restored (Ratcliff Van Dongen, 2009). Only in the last century have the psychological and scientific areas of study began to investigate and explore the nature, purpose, and properties of sleep. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the value and effect of sleep deprivation on cognition. The majority of articles describe partial sleep deprivation as having negative effects on cognitive, behavioural, physiological, and emotional measures. From this information, it is derived that various cognitive abilities will affect productivity and performance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that sleep deprivation affects cognitive, behavioural, physiological and psychological measures because it increases and worsens stress, impairs cognitive function and emotional stability. How an individual responds to sleep loss, whether it is partial deprivation (sleeping less than 5 hours in one 24-hour period), short-term total sleep deprivation (no sleep for 24-48 hours),and long-term total sleep deprivation (no sleep for more than 48 hours) can vary. Ratcliff et al. 2009) indicate that sleep deprivation has been shown to impact negatively on a wide range of cognitive abilities, such as behavioural, physiological and emotional. For example, mood changes including irritability, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, and disorientation to short-term memory alterations are due to decreased attention, concentration lapses, and decreased motivation. Similar results were published by Alhola polo-Kantola (2007). The study concluded that the person deprived of total sleep experiences negative mood, sleepiness, fatigue, and decline in alertness and performance. Some sleep-deprived individuals report visual hallucinations or distortions and feelings of paranoia. Systematic studies of total sleep deprivation have revealed some temporary cognitive deficits but no permanent effects. Kloss, Szuba Dinges (2002) discovered the most significant effect of sleep loss is the physiological sleepiness, or the tendency to fall asleep when there is a lack of stimuli. Sleepiness becomes extreme after the loss of a single night of sleep. Without competing stimuli, an individual lacking a night’s sleep can fall asleep within 2 or 3 minutes the next day. This can cause dramatic affects on productivity. After about 48 hours without sleep, microsleeps become increasingly more common even when participants are physically active (Kloss et al. , 2002). Microsleeps are essentially several seconds of actual sleep with delta waves that interrupt the regular EEG of a person who is awake, which impairs his or her continuity of cognitive function (Kloss et al. , 2002). Therefore, as sleepiness increases, an individual must increase effort to maintain a stable level of performance because microsleep generally happens directly before performance failure occurs. In addition to the impairment of cognitive functions, adult symptoms of sleep deprivation may vary from those of a child. Yawning constantly, dozing off while watching a television show, poor concentration and grogginess while waking up are some of the symptoms adults display when they are deprived of sleep (Dahl, 1999). The symptoms of a sleep-deprived child include irritability, daytime naps, tantrums, hyperactive behaviour, and moodiness. Getting out of bed in the morning is a problem for children who experience sleep deprivation. Adolescents also experience a change in their sleep patterns that their bodies want to stay up late and wake up later, which often leads to them trying to catch up on sleep during the weekend (Dahl, 1999). This sleep schedule irregularity can actually aggravate the problems and make getting to sleep at a reasonable hour during the week even harder. According to Dahl (1999), following sleep loss and hyperactive behaviour, changes in attention and performance also represent a complex area of investigation in children and adolescents. Sleep loss is associated with brief mental lapses in attention during simple tasks that can be partially offset by increased effort or motivation. Sleep deprivation can sometimes mimic or exacerbate symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including distractibility, impulsivity, and difficulty with effortful control of attention. There is also emerging evidence that sleep deprivation has marked influences on the ability to perform complex tasks or tasks that require attention in two or more areas at the same time (Dahl, 1999). Therefore, a teenager should try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, allowing for at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep. On the other hand, many people are suffering from daytime sleepiness so pervasive that it interferes with their daily activities because they do not get the optimal amount of sleep they their bodies need. Lack of sleep and sleep problems can have serious, life-threatening consequences, as well as a significant impact on productivity (Alhola et al. , 2007). Many people suffering from routine sleep loss are not even aware of it, and many who do realize they are not getting enough sleep are not aware of what it is costing them. Sleep loss creates sleepiness, which can be associated with decrements in vigilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination, information processing, and decision-making (Rosekind et al. , 1996). With increasing sleepiness, individuals demonstrate poorer performance despite increased effort, and they may report indifference regarding the outcome of their performance. Even severely sleep deprived people are still able to perform to some degree on a verbal learning test. This implies that some other area of the brain must become active to compensate for the loss of temporal lobe functioning. Even though they can perform to some degree, sleep deprived people still do not perform as well on these tests as do fully rested subjects Rosekind et al. (1996) illustrate that not getting enough sleep affects the people in several ways, such as problem solving skills are impaired. Sleep loss noticeably impairs our ability to comprehend apidly changing situations, increases the likelihood of distraction, makes us think more rigidly and less flexibly, and reduces our ability to produce innovative solutions to problems. In addition, our communication skills also suffer because sleep loss reduces the words in vocabulary both verbally and in writing (Rosekind et al. , 1996). Learning and memory suffer as sleep loss diminishes scores on tests of memory, verbal fluency and overall creativity (Rosekind et al. , 1996). Therefore, if a person is not able to get a full night’s sleep after learning something new, he will not remember the new knowledge well. He will not fully assimilate the new ideas or task until he is able to go through a complete night of uninterrupted sleep cycles. In relation to our communication and memory skills, being sleepy on the job, whether the cause is simple sleep deprivation or an undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorder, can also have a vital impact on how well workers can do their job. For example, night-shift workers have poorer daytime sleep, reduced night-time alertness and performance, and an increased accident rate (Williamson Feyer, 2000). Since sleep deprivation causes individuals to feel so sleepy during the day, their concentration and performance suffer significantly. For example, sleep deprivation often leads to an increase in the incidence of motor vehicle accidents. One study found that individuals suffering from fatigue due to sleep apnea are six times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident than persons who are not suffering from fatigue (Williamson et al. , 2000). This is partly due to the person being groggy or sleepy due to lack of rest. It is also partly due to the fact that sleep deprived people tend to fall into sleep for very brief periods at unforeseen times. They also are more disposed to industrial accidents than non-apnea workers (Kloss et al. , 2002). Therefore, there is a direct connection between sleepiness and impaired hand-eye coordination. The degree of impairment has led researchers to compare it in severity to drunkenness and this can be represented by having an untreated sleep disorder such as insomnia, narcolepsy, or sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of having a motor vehicle accident. Since sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of having a motor vehicle accident, sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally (Landsness et al. , 2009). After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly affecting a person’s behaviour. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting (Landsness et al. , 2009). This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Different parts of the brain are rested and regenerated during different phases of sleep. During some phases of sleep, the neurons in the cerebral cortex regenerate (Landsness et al. , 2009). If sleep is interrupted so that this regeneration cannot occur, speech may be affected, since the temporal lobe of the brain is what controls speech (Alhola et al. , 2007). People who do not get enough sleep often have slurred speech. There is also measurably less activity in their temporal lobes than in those of well-rested people (Alhola et al. , 2007). During Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, memories are consolidated and categorized by the brain (Ellenbogen, 2010). New synaptic connections are also formed during REM sleep, aiding learning. If REM sleep is cut short, long-term memory may be affected and new knowledge might not be retained (Ellenbogen, 2010). Conversely, short-term memory might be better in the sleep deprived person because the part of the brain that controls short-term memory contains memories that are still fresh. In order to counteract sleep deprivation effects, the brain works harder but the effectiveness is low. There is a drop in the concentration level and it affects memory too (Lim Dinges, 2010). The effects of sleep deprivation include slurred and fragmented speech and slowing down of mental reaction time. Problem solving and decision making abilities of the brain are affected. Due to rigid thought patterns of the brain, new problem solving ideas do not get generated, and hallucinations are common for people who have insufficient rest (Kloss et al. , 2002). Sleep deprivation causes deterioration in emotional mood of human beings. Irritability and short temper are two common symptoms of sleep deprivation (Dahl, 1999). Consequently, emotional outbursts and even violence are noticed among people who are deprived of sleep because of a loss of emotional control (Dahl, 1999). Sleepiness leads to rise in stress and anxiety levels of these individuals. Stress and anxiety in turn will lead to insomnia and this kind of vicious cycle will lead to anxiety disorders and depression, if left unchecked. Our emotional moods are affected by exhaustion and fatigue. This condition in turn will lead to pessimism, sadness, stress and anger (Jennings et al. , 2003). To function effectively, the frontal cortex of our brain needs sufficient sleep. The ability to control speech, problem solving and accessing memory is all controlled by the frontal cortex and if there is not enough rest, these abilities are affected (Landsness et al. , 2009). One thing is for certain, that chronic sleep loss may lead to deterioration of mood and motivation, decrease in attention, energy, and concentration. It also causes an increase in fatigue, irritability, tension, anxiety, and depression (Jennings et al. , 2003). Any one of these consequences of sleep deprivation can seriously affect productivity and performance. There is no question about it that the problem of sleep loss and fatigue is one that impacts significantly on the professional and personal lives of all humans. In association to all these studies, the purpose of this essay was to analyze the importance of sleep deprivation on cognition. There is considerable evidence to support the hypothesis that sleep deprivation has negative effects on neurobehavioural (sustained attention, reaction time, and vigilance) and cognitive (memory and reasoning) performance in humans (Rosekind et al. , 1996, Williamson et al. , 2000, Kloss et al. , 2002 Alhola et al. , 2007). In some ways, sleep deprivation studies help us to study and understand the relationship between the brain and behaviour in a very unique way by observing how a person’s behaviour changes as the brain shuts down. Just like a person cannot jog for three continuous days, a person’s brain cannot operate without rest breaks. Since different regions of the brain rest during different stages of the sleep cycle, sleep cannot be cut short (Landsness et al. , 2009). Therefore, too little sleep can influence our intellectual capabilities, emotions, and motor performances, which creates major issues for sleep deprived drivers because they are falling asleep at the wheel. To reduce our behaviour in sleep deprivation, it is important for us to manage our activity so that we have more time to sleep. So, to have a good quality and quantity of sleep, time management is the key. How to cite The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Various, Essay examples

Letter Of Motivation Essay Example For Students

Letter Of Motivation Essay My educational background is quite diverse. I spent my last three years at the Geelong College Australia, and have successfully finished year 12 there. My choices of subjects reflected the diversity of my interests English, Mathematics, International Studies, Legal Studies, and Economics. I excelled in International Studies and was awarded Academic Merit. Upon my return to Surabaya at the start of year 1999, I attended IBMT (Institute of Business Management and Technology), an International University which follows the United States curriculum, at which I majored in International Management. The subjects I took were: Accounting I and II, Sociology, Psychology, World Civilization, English Composition, Public Speaking, and Organizational Management. I finished the semester with a GPA of 3.6. The excellent quality of the University, as well as helpful teachers and friends, have contributed immensely to my success. In the classroom I can do much more than to warm the seat; I can add a lot to class discussions. As I have grown older and more mature, I have begun to realise the value and significance of helping others and contributing to my surrounding community. I was involved in many clubs and social activities such as the United Nations Youth Conferences, Geelong Radio Station, Peer Education Street Theatre, 40 Hours Famine Committee, Amnesty International, a badminton club and basketball club. I also value very much my work experience at Weighton and MacDonalds Law Firm Geelong. My greatest accomplishment in social activities is to be one of the two students in my school selected, and awarded scholarship of AU$ 1000 to attend the National Youth Reconciliation Conference in Darwin, Australia. After I returned to Indonesia, I became an active member of the Rotary Club and The British Council. These extra-curricular experiences have provided me with a balance for the rigorous school works and fu rther developed my interests and talents while serving others. Living in Geelong, a small yet cosmopolitan city in Australia has influenced me interpersonally. The experience of living in such sharp contrast to my life in Surabaya, Indonesia, has given me a broader view of the world and the ability to adapt to a different culture which every international student must possess. Living isolated from Indonesian speakers has also made my English improve surprisingly fast. Im a blend of two contrasting lifestyles, and my thoughts, ideas, and actions reflect this blend. Of course if it wasnt for my parents giving me the opportunity to study in Australia, I wouldnt have been so privileged to have such an educational background. After finishing senior school, I would like to fulfill a life long wish, which is to study Asian Studies and International Studies. Indonesian reformation will open immense International relations opportunities in near future. I aspire to work closely with the Unite d Nations and to be involved in Indonesias international affairs. This is why I believe that an Asia Pacific Studies degree at Ritsumaikan Asia Pacific University would be the perfect course for me. There are three specific reasons why I want to study at APU, Japan. First, I wish to receive a high-quality Asia Pacific Studies degree. Second, I hope to take full advantage of one of the leading Japanese University in order to excel at my studies. Third, I desire to once again experience multicultural exposure and dynamic learning environment. Im aware that generally, Asia Pacific Studies is as a degree which develops many skills and covers facts that are valued and relevant in many walks of life. Whichever route I decide to take, I can be sure that the study will equip me with the necessary skills to continue to acquire new knowledge and understanding throughout my entire working life. I believe that the combination of my past experiences and academic knowledge will qualify me as an Asia Pacific University student candidate, and furthermore will prepare me to achieve my career goals in the future. Learning is what I do best, and in Japan I will have the perfect opportunity to excel at it. Acceptance Essays

Peer Pressure Essays - Youth, Human Behavior, Habits, Management

Peer Pressure Peer Pressures of High School Glaring down at the reddish glow coming from the tip of the cigarette, I found out that I was in a peer pressure situation. Peer Pressure can be a huge problem for some young adults. It can sometimes be positive, but most of the time it's negative and destructive. Smoking is just one of the peer pressures someone can go through. Alcohol and staying out late can also be huge peer pressures in high school. I know this because I have experienced them for myself. Drinking, smoking and staying out late were constant peer pressures throughout my high school career. Looking down at the cigarette and being encouraged by my friend to take a hit off of it, I knew that smoking was not something I wanted to do at that time in my life. Although smoking wasn't a huge peer pressure for me, it can be for others. Some of my friends did give into the pressure and are now addicted to cigarettes, and wish they hadn't give in to that peer pressure in high school. I would have say that during high school, smoking was the most persistent peer pressure. It was at every party and gathering. Although it was there all the time sometimes alcohol would ?rear its ugly head? at some of the parties. Drinking was probably the most dangerous peer pressure. It was extremely illegal for an underage adult to be caught drinking during this time. I never experienced this peer pressure during high school because I didn't hang around those types of people during that time. They were the types of people who didn't think it was a ?party? unless there was alcohol involved. I have seen drinking totally deteriorate people, because it got the best of them. Some of my friends totally changed after they started drinking. At first it was just a social thing to do at parties, but then lead on to drinking during their ?spare time?. It affected their grades and their overall behavior. I do think this was the most dangerous peer pressure in high school, but there was always the pressure to stay out late. Staying out late was a peer pressure I gave into on several occasions during high school. I know it affected my grades many times, and also made me late for school more than once. In high school you could always spot the students who stayed out late. Those students were always the ones falling asleep in class. When I was hanging around with the ones who never did stay out late, I always got to school on time and never fell asleep in class. Peer pressure was not impossible to resist in high school. I found out in order to keep you away from certain peer pressures just stay away from those who you knew would try to influence you. Resisting peer pressure is all in whom you go out with, and whom you call your ?friends?. Peer pressure cannot be totally avoided, but staying away from situations where you know a peer pressure situation will occur, will help your odds.

Free Essays on Emilia Cost Lago

Emilia may be considered to be a minor character in Shakespeare’s Othello, she does seem to play a major role in the play. Emilia, the wife of the villainous Iago is a confusing character to follow throughout the play. Not only is she the wife of the villain, but her character is also the mistress of Desdemona. Shakespeare does a good job of incorporating her hot/cold character into the play before her death at the end of the play. Throughout much of the play Emilia’s character takes a backseat role before she makes her presence felt in act three. She is the attendant for Desdemona who had been secretly married to Othello before the start of the play, but is also the wife of Iago. (Her character is finally introduced to the audience in the middle of act two.) By the end of act two it is obvious that she is just a pawn in her husbands scheme. He convinces her to speak to Desdemona on the behalf of Cassio. Iago in his devious scheme never thinks twice about using his wife to set his plan in motion, which proves to be one of his downfalls. This may be because Iago suspects that his wife has slept with Othello, though he has no proof and is unwilling to confront either on the subject. Emilia who appears loyal to Desdemona, before her loyalty suddenly switches to her husband (when she gives him the handkerchief) has now established herself as an unknowing accomplice to her husband. She later betrays Desdem ona again, when she lies of the whereabouts of the handkerchief. As mentioned before Emilia serves more as a pawn in Iago’s scheme, but she begins to become an elusive character as the play continues. Her Jekyll and Hyde actions seem to only confuse the audience and help seal the long-term fate of Othello, Desdemona and herself. Her loyalty towards her husband is bizarre considering he has asked her to steal Othello’s handkerchief as many as a hundred times. Emilia later tries to convince Othello that Desdemona is leading a f... Free Essays on Emilia Cost Lago Free Essays on Emilia Cost Lago Emilia may be considered to be a minor character in Shakespeare’s Othello, she does seem to play a major role in the play. Emilia, the wife of the villainous Iago is a confusing character to follow throughout the play. Not only is she the wife of the villain, but her character is also the mistress of Desdemona. Shakespeare does a good job of incorporating her hot/cold character into the play before her death at the end of the play. Throughout much of the play Emilia’s character takes a backseat role before she makes her presence felt in act three. She is the attendant for Desdemona who had been secretly married to Othello before the start of the play, but is also the wife of Iago. (Her character is finally introduced to the audience in the middle of act two.) By the end of act two it is obvious that she is just a pawn in her husbands scheme. He convinces her to speak to Desdemona on the behalf of Cassio. Iago in his devious scheme never thinks twice about using his wife to set his plan in motion, which proves to be one of his downfalls. This may be because Iago suspects that his wife has slept with Othello, though he has no proof and is unwilling to confront either on the subject. Emilia who appears loyal to Desdemona, before her loyalty suddenly switches to her husband (when she gives him the handkerchief) has now established herself as an unknowing accomplice to her husband. She later betrays Desdem ona again, when she lies of the whereabouts of the handkerchief. As mentioned before Emilia serves more as a pawn in Iago’s scheme, but she begins to become an elusive character as the play continues. Her Jekyll and Hyde actions seem to only confuse the audience and help seal the long-term fate of Othello, Desdemona and herself. Her loyalty towards her husband is bizarre considering he has asked her to steal Othello’s handkerchief as many as a hundred times. Emilia later tries to convince Othello that Desdemona is leading a f...

Whats Wrong with Aint

Whats Wrong with Aint Whats Wrong with Aint Whats Wrong with Aint By Maeve Maddox Back when I taught junior high school English I used to tell my students that they were allowed to use the word aint in their speaking and writing. When they recovered their composure I went on to explain that they could use it in only one context. They could not say or write I aint because there was a standard expression they could use: Im not. They could not say or write He aint, she aint, or they aint because there were standard forms for those: He isnt, she isnt, they arent. They could, however, say or write Aint I? I pointed out that the usual standard form of arent I was not exactly grammatical. Would anyone ever say are I not? My eccentric rule had the effect of making my students think about the verbs is and are. And it made us all realize how seldom anyone has occasion to say aint I? anyway. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingHow to Pronounce Mobile

Discussion borad about special education students Essay

Discussion borad about special education students - Essay Example Most practitioners maintain a reactive stance to various scenarios and the way majority respond to dilemmas or pressing situations are mirrored by the students who look on educators as role models. The diverse applications provided by technological breakthroughs and gadgets give students the orientation and privilege of locating solutions as the tip of their hands. Gone were the days when answers to traditional home works could only be researched by going to the school library and searching for the answers from diverse sources, using extra time and effort to prepare for the compliance of academic requirements. Now, students sit in front of the computer and navigate as answers unfold right in front of their eyes. But this is technological development and no one could contest the path it takes. The most that academicians could do at the point is to design strategies that would use technology in creative and innovative ways to hone problem solving and analytical skills of children. Our external environment provides immediate access to information and our students are just responding to the availability and easy access according to what is expected of them. As educators have already acknowledged that information is readily accessible, and its easy access endangers the ability of students to apply critical thinking, analyzing and problem-solving skills, the more that this environment should provide a challenge for us to use it to our advantage. We should be the one to change our stances to pro-active rather than merely reactive to address the dilemma of students’ inability to apply the needed skills in various scenarios. As a colleague has posted, â€Å"problem-solving, critical thinking and brainstorming often require additional time, team building skills and the effort to go the extra mile†. Teachers should provide the appropriate environment to hone these skills in students and enable them to discern the appropriate skills to use in times when these are needed.

The connection between happiness and religion in general and the Essay

The connection between happiness and religion in general and the positive correlation therein - Essay Example The purpose of the essay is to investigate the connection existing between happiness and religion. Happiness and religion exists mainly because many, if not all, of the religions tend to focus on the minds of the followers. Studies have revealed that while not many religions may explicitly express their full support or agreement to positive psychology, many embrace it. That is to say, the components of positive psychology are normally applied in many of the religious teachings though without using the same terms. In positive psychology, the central ideology is focusing on the positive even when faced with an enormous challenge. Similarly, in many religions, the followers are encouraged to rely on a being capable of helping them with the challenge. Therefore, when this happens, the people feel the burden is not insurmountable and tend to hold a positive attitude. Consequently, the religious people are compelled to remain positive in the midst of challenges. It is after remaining positive that religious people exhibit happiness since one’s psychological state is imperative to happiness. Notwithstanding these assertions, there is a disparity when it comes to the role played by religion in various social classes. For instance, the poorest people in the society may attribute much of their success to religion unlike the others who, despite holding religious beliefs, may take credit. In short, religion does indeed influence happiness but in different capacities depending on the class of people involved. Religious individuals of higher status in the society may not always ascribe to religion as their source of happiness. Conversely, the others who cannot in any way control their lives will most likely rely on the beliefs and practices to find insurance, happiness and satisfaction in religious places. In light of the above, it is evident that even though religion does indeed have a significant impact on one’s happiness, it

Example speech Essay Example for Free

Example speech Essay Good day! I hope you had a great start of the day just as I had. Of course knowing that I’ll be speaking here in front of you makes me feel very flattered and honoured. Before I start, I would like first to share a saying that I truly believe, communication starts for those who works for it. And that communication includes writing a letter, let alone writing a business letter. Writing a business letter is just like writing other types of letter it includes not only the message itself but also other important and optional parts. The important parts includes the heading which tells the identity of the sender; the inside address that tells the reader to whom the letter is address; greeting which introduces your letter in professional tone; the body of the letter is of course, the most important section of the letter-from both the writers and the readers point of view; the closing is typically a short, one word ending that tells your reading that they have reached the end of your letter and the signature, under the closing and reiterate the identity of the sender. The optional part that is only used when required it includes attention line, subject line which is used to give the reader advance notice of what your letter is all about and some note that is used when we included some envelope or package, send copy of the letter to one or more persons and wishes or not to let the addressee know, these notations can be enclosure notation, mailing notation, carbon copy notation or blind copy notation. While the most familiar, the post script is used when the writer has intentionally forgotten to mention something and to draw the readers attention to a particular important point. When writing a business letter, we dont just consider the part but also know how these parts should be arranged in other words the arrangement styles of the letter. There are different styles in which the parts are positioned. It can be block style in which all the parts begin at the left margin or modified block style where only the position of the date line, complimentary closing and the writers identification starts at the horizontal center of the page. But if you want your letter to have the format of modified block style and the first line of all the paragraphs are indented then you can use the modified-block style with indented paragraphs or semi-block style. While some people prefer the social business style because of it differs from regular business letter styles in a number of ways such as instead of opening the letter, the inside address may be typed at the left margin five lines below the signature line and the reference notations, enclosure notations, carbon copy notations and often the writers typewritten signature are omitted and so on and so forth. Using the formats and arrangement styles, you will be sure to send letters that look attractive and modern. However, they cannot be effective and promote goodwill if your writing is not well-organized and the ideas are not well-planned. Thats why we need to know the different kinds of the business letter. One could hardly name all the kinds of business letter written but here are the most frequently use. The request letter or â€Å"please send me† letter, these are letters written for simple request for information, literature, appointments, reservations and so on. And the kind of letter that answers these letters are called form the name it suggest without a doubt, the letter answering requests. Meanwhile, when the person who has been inconvenient or offended writes a letter of protest, it is called claim letter or also known as complain letter. And the letter that answer these letters are called adjustment letters. Next kind is for those who want to request for a credit or would like to remind the person who did not pay you what they owe to you, the credit and collection. Next is every letter business people write, the sales letter, these are written for specific purpose of selling good or service. And the kind of letter that everyone uses, especially you my dear listeners sooner or later, the application letter, it includes inquiring about a position, letters of application, letters thanking an employer and resignation letter. While there are different kinds of business letter, these kinds of letters can be handled simply in term of the readers anticipated reactions. These three basic letter patterns enable the writer to solve problems with request, order, claim, adjustment and what have you. First is the everday letter, it take a direct approach and are simple to write. While more skillfully writing techniques are needed when showing the reader why he/she should take and action before you actually ask the action to be taken, which is the persuasive letters. The last is the most difficult, bad news letter, it is when you are refusing request, adjustment or credit. Like the persuasive letter it should be take an indirect approach. Of all thats been said and done, the best way we all need to consider in writing a business letter or any letter is the preparation and proper approach to have a effective communication. Again like I said earlier, communication works for those who works for it. Thank you for inviting me here and listening to me for a couple of minutes. Thank you and God bless!

Plato :: essays research papers

Few definite details are known of Plato's life. He was born in Athens c. 427 BC and was the youngest son of Ariston, of an old and wealthy family. It is claimed that his real name was Aristocles, with "Plato" (meaning "the broad") being a nickname given to him because of his wrestler's physique. He served in the last years of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, and after democracy was restored in Athens in 403 BC he hoped to enter politics. However, the realities of political life as well as the execution of his mentor Socrates in 399 BC drove him to abandon this goal. After the death of Socrates, Plato left Athens and traveled in Italy, Sicily and Egypt, where he learned the function of a water clock. In Italy he came in contact with the ideas of Pythagoras, which gave him a new appreciation of mathematics. After serving again in the military, he returned to Athens in 387 BC and founded his Academy, which he presided over until his death in 347 BC and which survived for nearly a thousand years after. His works include discussions of mathematics, ethics, science and philosophy, usually in the form of dialogues. Some of the most famous are the Republic, Phaedo, and Symposium. Famous quotations by Plato: A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men. All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince. Courage is a kind of salvation. Courage is knowing what not to fear. Cunning... is but the low mimic of wisdom. Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike. Democracy passes into despotism. Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. He was a wise man who invented beer. He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden. Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty. Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

“Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence Essay

How an individual looks at life makes all the difference in how it will turn out. In the story, â€Å"Horses of the Night,† by Margaret Laurence, a young and innocent narrator, Vanessa, befriends the much older Chris, who deals with his problems by hiding in his own fantasy world. Chris and Vanessa are character-foils of each other, and their perspectives are represented accordingly. Vanessa’s perspective keeps her grounded to reality, and Chris’s is a very negative force in his life. Laurence shows that the abnormal perspective that Chris holds has very tragic consequences. Just as the time in which â€Å"Horses of the Night† is set infuses the story with an atmosphere of despair, so does the predicament that Chris faces from the beginning of his appearance in the story. Although Chris has at least high hopes on the outside that he will make it to college, the reader, his family, and possibly even him know that, â€Å"the answer is a foregone conclusion†: he won’t be able to afford it. Vanessa is aware that she is living during the Depression, but it affects her much less than it does Chris. From her perspective, â€Å"the Depression and drought were external and abstract, malevolent gods whose names I secretly learned although they were concealed from me, and whose evil I sensed only superstitiously.† Chris tries to escape from his hardships by taking a viewpoint of optimism, and often enhancing things to seem better than they are. For example, Chris tells Vanessa he is going to be a world traveler when in reality he is only becoming a traveling salesman. Chris wants people’s judgments of him to be good, and also believes his own mistruths to create a better sense of self-worth for himself. One of the reasons he is fond of children younger than himself is because of their adoration for him. Vanessa is also aware of being judged poorly, but more so by Chris than anyone else. From her perspective, the relationship between Chris and her is tarnished by the age difference. Although Chris is always hopeful on the outside, on the inside he is utterly pessimistic. On the night when Chris and Vanessa stay at the lake, he expresses his true feelings for the first time. When he is talking about the stars, he points out that, â€Å"we won’t ever get to know [about the stars]†. We  also learn that he is bitter about the nature of the universe. â€Å"People usually say there must be a God,† he said, â€Å"but that’s ridiculous.† On the other side of Chris is Vanessa. Vanessa is relatively unresponsive to Chris’s rants about the world. She was not going to argue with him at the time, but we learn that she does not take his cynical view when she hesitantly says, â€Å"sometimes,† when referring to his perspective of the stars. Laurence shows that as a character thinks, a character’s life unfolds. Vanessa and Chris, although good friends, have very different perspectives of the world they live in, and for Chris, his negativity ends up destroying his mind.

Vatican Council Ii

Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum Secundum (The Vatican Council II) The Second Vatican Council was formally opened by Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 8 December 1965. Its aim was â€Å"†¦ to throw open the windows of the Catholic Church so that we can see out and the people can see in. † – Pope John XXIII. T The main topics discussed were the Church itself, ecumenism and other religions, relation to the modern world and the liturgy of mass. The Catholic Church recognised the increasing rift between people and their relationship with God and the Church, and created four constitutions which addressed the issue.Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World), Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). These documents are responses to the external issues and internal issues that impac ted the Church, and are further discussed later. The 1960’s was a huge counter-cultural movement which challenged the traditional codes of behaviour linked to sexuality and interpersonal relationships.With the sexual revolution brought the normalisation of pre-marital sex, the contraception and the pill, homosexuality and later; the legalisation of abortion. There was a rapid evolution of a youth subculture which encouraged experimentation and change, and religious values were disregarded and replaced with hedonistic attitudes. This impacted the Church because the one of the fundamental teachings of the Church is that sexual intercourse is only to express married love and for the procreation of children.The Church opposed abortion and contraception as it goes against their teachings and this caused an uproar from the feminists. Their argument was that they should have â€Å"free choice because it’s my body†. The Church until this time was also a male dominant bo dy, and women began to fight for the right to become a priest and for female altar servers. The advancement of technology also impacted the Church as prior to TV and travelling technology, society had a narrow view of the world, and mainly stuck to their own local community.The Church had played a huge role in their life because of this. But when TV became more popular, people began to spend more time watching TV and learning about things more relevant to their lives, and it became another â€Å"voice† they listened to. With the rise of technology, the â€Å"voice† of the Church became less significant. These were the major social changes which impacted the Church and some changes were made to counter the issues. During this time the Church was also facing internal issues as well as being confronted with social changes.Mass attendance was falling due to a lot of social changes. This included the sexual revolution, the role of women in society and decreased respect for the church as an authority figure. â€Å"The sexual revolution was a development in the modern world which saw the significant loss of power by the values of a morality rooted in the Christian tradition and the rise of permissive societies of attitudes that were accepting of greater sexual freedom and experimentation that spread all over the world. † (Extract from Wikipedia).Falling mass attendance may also have been due to people not being able to understand the mass, as it was in Latin or maybe feeling that the Church was too hierarchal in the way that the laity weren’t allowed to contribute during mass. Another issue was that religious numbers were also falling as many of the religious and priests had left Europe on missions. There was also tension between Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church, as the Church’s main goal was to convert as many people to Catholicism as possible.The role and structure of the Church was also under speculation as many though t the Church needed an â€Å"update† to society, and others believed that the old traditions should not be changed at all, and this caused some conflict within the Church. In order to deal with these internal and external issues, the Vatican Council II created four documents which responded to these matters. The first dogmatic constitution was Dei Verbum which was about Divine Revelation.Divine Revelation can be defined as God’s activity in making himself and his purposes known to mankind through Christ, the prophets and the apostles. Pre Vatican II, the Church taught that only priests could read and interpret scripture. But Council stated â€Å"Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful. But since the word of God should be accessible at all times, the Church by her authority and with maternal concern sees to it that suitable and correct translations are made into different languages, especially from the original texts of the sac red ooks. †(Dei Verbum p. 22). This basically meant that anyone could read the bible, but the magisterium alone has been trusted with guiding and teaching the meaning of the scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit. The aim of this change was so that â€Å"Through the reading and study of the sacred books â€Å"the word of God may spread rapidly and be glorified† (Thessalonians. 3:1) and the treasure of revelation, entrusted to the Church, may more and more fill the hearts of men. This change was adopted because the bible was written for everyone and therefore everyone has the chance to learn all about God’s Revelation and his gifts to all people. The second dogmatic constitution is Lumen Gentium which redefined the structure and role of the Church. The church recognises Christ as the head of the body, and as the image of the invisible God, and that all members must be formed in his likeness until Christ is formed in them. It also became more focused on divers ity and pluralism, rather than being a private circle of religious.It said that â€Å"In virtue of this catholicity each part contributes its own gifts to other parts and to the whole Church, so that the whole and each of the parts are strengthened by the common sharing of all things and by the common effort to attain fullness in unity,† (Lumen Gentium p. 13), explaining that the Church is not just about bishops, priests and the pope, but also all the faithful. Priests were described as â€Å"its support and mouthpiece, called to the service of the People of God,† (Willis, M. Lumen Gentium Summary, p. 3), which clarified their vocation as not just preaching the word of God, but also being there to guide and support the community. A dogmatic constitution on the Church was also formed about sacred liturgy. This document revealed the changes made to mass. One of the external issues during the 60’s was falling mass attendance. The youth were rebelling and trying new things and their attitude towards the Church had changed. Before Sacrosanctum Concilium, there were several differences between the traditional mass, and the mass we know today. God who â€Å"wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth† (Timothy 2:4).Probably the biggest change was that the language of the mass changed from Latin to vernacular. This meant that the laity could now completely understand what was going on at mass. To promote participation, the people were encourages to take part by means of readings, responses, hymns and giving out communion. The communion rail was withdrawn, and the priest now has his back to the tabernacle to face the people. The document also allowed altar girls. These changes were made so that the Church was more appealing to people, so that they felt more welcome and interested in the Church again.The last dogmatic constitution made was Gaudium et Spes. This document deals with the relevance of the Church and its pla ce it society. It also talks about interaction with other faiths. The Council expresses a desire to engage in conversation with the entire human family so that the Church can cooperate in solving contemporary problems. It addresses this Constitution to Catholics, to all Christians, and to the whole of humanity. The Council sets out to establish a working relationship with the world, claiming â€Å"Christ, to be sure, gave His Church no proper mission in the political, economic or social order.The purpose which He set before her is a religious one. But out of this religious mission itself come a function, a light and an energy which can serve to structure and consolidate the human community according to the divine law. † (Gaudium et Spes p. 11). The Church is desired to assist the whole of humanity to overcome all strife and conflict between nations, and this sense of unity comes from one of its fundamental beliefs that the Church is one with the Holy Spirit. One way this was shown Pope John XXIII invited other Christians outside of the Catholic Church to send observers to the Council.Acceptances came from both the Protestant denominations and Eastern Orthodox churches. The goal of conforming people to Catholicism was no more, instead the Church now preaches Ecumenism. While helping the world and receiving many benefits from it, the Church has a single intention: that God's kingdom may come, and that the salvation of the whole human race may come to pass. â€Å"The Council wished to ponder the many problems and possibilities of the modern world â€Å"in the light of the gospel and of human experience†. Michael Paul Gallagher SJ, Reaching out to the world: Gaudium et Spes). In its final form, Gaudium et Spes encourages a â€Å"new humanism† marked by a greater sense of our responsibility for history. God, so to speak, gives the world into our hands. We are dramatically free and called, with the help of grace, to transform this planet throug h loving service. These responses strengthened the mission of the Church for a contemporary society. The Church acknowledged that there was growing secularism in society, and that growing numbers of people are abandoning religion in practice. Church does not only communicate divine life to men but in some way casts the reflected light of that life over the entire earth, most of all by its healing and elevating impact on the dignity of the person, by the way in which it strengthens the seams of human society and imbues the everyday activity of men with a deeper meaning and importance†, (Gaudium et Spes, p. 40) summarises the mission of the Church in contemporary society; to bring salvation. It was Pope John XXIII who realised that the Church had â€Å"†¦ o throw open the windows of the Catholic Church so that we can see out and the people can see in,† (Pope John XXIII), so that they can understand and come to terms with the always changing society, to reform itself to the needs of the people. Through the four dogmatic constitutions of the Second Vatican Council, the Church was able to renew their relationship with the world, renovate new ways to communicate with the whole of humanity, and achieve its goal of making Church more engaging and relevant to a contemporary society.The Second Vatican Council was the most significant event for the Catholic Church in the 20th century. It had four aims; to impart an ever increasing vigour to the Christian life of the faithful, to adapt more closely to the need of our age those institutions which are subject to change, to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ and to strengthen whatever can help to call all mankind into the Church’s fold.The four dogmatic constituents; Sacrosanctum Concilium, Gaudium et Spes, Dei Verbum and Lumen Gentium, addressed internal and external issues that impacted the Church, and endeavoured to answer them. Such issues included the sexual revolu tion of the 60’s, the feminist movement, the reformation of the protestant church, and falling mass attendance. The responses strived to improve these circumstances and help to bring people closer to God. The allowance of female altar servers, the changes to liturgy in order to make it more engaging to people and the preaching of ecumenism helped restore elationships between the Church and the faithful, and the Church and other religions. There are still unresolved issues and debates involving the Church, such as contraception and abortion and the request for female priests, and if the Church was to call another Council, these would be the issues discussed. Overall, the Second Vatican Council was successful in making a difference and re-establishing its role in the world today. REFERENCES Pope Paul VI; Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation – Dei Verbum. (n. d. ).Retrieved April  13, 2013, from http://www. vatican. va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/docu ments/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en. html Gaudium et spes | Catholic Social Services Australia. (n. d. ). Retrieved April  15, 2013, from http://catholicsocialservices. org. au/Catholic_Social_Teaching/Gaudium_et_spes Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word-Gaudium et Spes. (n. d. ). Retrieved April  12, 2013, from http://www. vatican. va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en. htmlSexual revolution in 1960s United States – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. (n. d. ). Retrieved  April  13 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sexual_revolution_in_1960s_United_States Dale A. Robbins; From the book, â€Å"What People Ask About The Church, What is the mission of the church? (n. d. ). Retrieved  April  13 2013 from http://www. victorious. org/churchbook/chur04. htm Michael Paul Gallagher S; Reaching out to the world: Gaudium et spes | Catholicireland. net. (n. d. ). Retrieved  April  12 2013 from, http://www. catholicireland. net/reaching-out-to-the-world-gaudium-et-spes/

Your Quick Guide to Capitalization Rules

Your Quick Guide to Capitalization Rules Looking for an easy-to-use reference for capitalization rules in English? Look no further, weve got you covered. From whether to capitalize days of the week to how to handle government departments and more- here is your quick guide to capitalization rules and examples of the rules used in a sentence, phrase, or word.Capitalize the first word of a sentence.This sentence begins with a capital letter.Capitalize proper nouns and their adjective derivatives. Keep in mind that proper nouns are nouns that refer to a specific person, place, organization, or thing.Ill have Canadian whiskey on ice, please.Capitalize brand names.NikeHiltonCinnabonSonyCapitalize days of the week, months of the year, holidays and historical episodes/erasMondayJuneHalloweenAmerican Revolutionary Warthe Great DepressionCapitalize institutions, governmental entities and departments, organizations and religions.University of Marylandthe Electoral CollegeDepartment of Agriculturethe Clinton FoundationBuddhistCapitaliz e races, nationalities, languages and tribes.CaucasianAmericanEnglishEskimosCapitalize titles when they are used before names unless a comma is used between the title and name. Do not capitalize the title if it is used instead of a name.The president will discuss the companys goals in coming months.President Trump addressed the nation on Monday.Chairman of the Board Michael Tucker will be speaking with us tonight.The chairman of the board, Michael Tucker, will be speaking with us tonight.When a formal title or kinship name is used as a direct address, capitalize it.Am I going to be okay, Doctor?Hey Mom, were going to a concert, do you want to join?Geographical regions should be capitalized, but not points on the compass.Shes from out West- you can tell from her accent.When you get to the end of the street, turn north.Do not capitalize the words city, town, and county if they come before a proper noun. If it is part of the proper noun, capitalize it.The city of Chicago.Millford Count y, West VirginiaThe county of MarionNew York CityMarin CountyThe first word in a complete quotation should be capitalized, even if it occurs midsentence. The only instance where the first word is not capitalized is if the quoted material is not a complete sentence and is only used to continue a sentence.The waiter only smiled and said, Youll have to sit at the bar if you want a seat.We did want a seat so decided the bar was better than nothing.Specific course titles should be capitalized but not academic subjects in general.Creative Writing 101He taught creative writing to undergraduates.Capitalize art, architectural, and literary movements.Surrealist painter Max Ernst is one of my favorite artists.The Colonial-style house sat on the northeast corner of the block.Lord Byron was one of the most well-known writers in British Romanticism.When capitalizing titles in heading case, capitalize all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. Do not capitalize an article (the, a, an), c oordinating conjunctions (and, or, nor, but, yet, so, for), or prepositions (from, with) unless they are the first or last word of the sentence. However, note that there are discrepancies in rules relating to capitalizing prepositions in a title depending on the style guide used.A Tale of Two CitiesMen Are from Mars, Women Are from VenusHere Today and Gone Tomorrow

Challenges of Electronic Records Management Program

Therefore, we design the system need to consider many issues when using the system, now we are going to discuss some cases and solutions about this topic. Email with attachments is the lower cost way to keep records. For example: order confirmation, quotation, invoice†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦etc. Many small organizations may not have a faultless email filing plan, they just provide email account which is using POP3 to receive email from SMTP server, even they won’t keep any copy on server if make sure the mail already transmitted to user’s PC. User can print out the hard copy if they think it is a record or they can press delete button on any mail they think it is not useful. But this method have some issues need to beware, if user just pressed the wrong button on some mail, then this mail will not be found anymore. Because we have not any extra copy of this mail, so must be keep the copy on mail server for back up use, we can create destruction period of these extra mail copy, maybe three or six months, it is depends on different company practice. Also, we can provide staff training to teach end user how to operate and fully use email tools to storage email records. Back up schedule for email system also necessary. Some organizations will create shared drive at their work place’s PC network to store or share some centralized files to let multi users read, modify†¦.. etc. This is best way to let users to get the updated information. We need to concern the security and how to protect records consistency, before to create home group network, we need concern how to set up permission of individual user, permission means the user can read, modify, delete files or folder on the network. In general, server’s administrator is allowed to full control the files and folders on shared drive, we won’t allow â€Å"everyone† to full control shared drive’s folder and files. This can avoid someone to destroy any data on shared drive. Also, all data on shared drive need to do the route back up; this avoids the hardware shut down suddenly. Back up can do by manual, copy and paste to external drive, or upload to cloud storage space, or other storage media which can be archival easier. Some organizations need invested many sources and IT support to manage their electronic records management systems (ERMS). For example, hospital and bank, they need storage and process many confidential and private records by daily work. Also, these electronic records system also need link up database to make sure records keep consistency. ERMS can let user to track and store records easier and centralize all the records. User can use sort function to search the records what they need. ERMS can allow multi users to login database. Therefore, should need set up some retractions when design the program. For example, if a record was modifying, system will alert other user this is not updated record. Also, ERMS need keep maximum protection of system to protect any attack from hacker or viruses oppositely. Therefore, these ERMS should need IT support team to monitor the systems daily operation to maintenance systems are operated smoothly and provide urgent support when the system was shut down and solve the trouble issues immediately. Some organizations start to change their paper-based records to digital images. Scanner is the common and user friendly. Their output files can be PDF, TIF†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦etc. We need use software (Adobe reader or window defaulted software) to open related files. Normally all scan copy should need contain at lease 200 dpi to ensure the soft copy quality. Digital images record is most convenience way and lower cost way to let user search for records and keep long storage life, avoid data will affected by storage environment. But also need select storage media carefully. We need select storage media consider on records’ retention period and activity level. We suggest keeping same retention period record on same storage media, please don’t mix up different retention period records together. Also, if save the records on external storage media, CD-Rom or DVD, it’s need consider the records privacy level, don’t put the storage media to public place, it is easy to disclose the private data if the record is confidential. For confidential records, we suggest to store or archival records use password to meet the protect purpose. Up to now, store electronic records is seldom, many organizations were developing their own electronic record management system. In fact, build up the new system is so easy, but going to maintenance system is hard task. Organizations should be concern and set up some policy is suit for own company to follow. Moreover, disposition procedure of electronic records also very important. If organization decide to use electronic record management system, design workflow of handle electronic records is necessary. Also, staff training is good way to teach end user to use systems to match their daily work for seeking records. This is direct affect records are storage or use well. If electronic records were stored properly, it is totally save organization cost to keep paper-based records and increase staff efficiency. Therefore, build up the faultless system can bring organization many advantages for business, of course need follow above solutions to improve system. If organization can managed electronic records very well, it is bring some confidence to customer; it can earn some goodwill value for business. For the future, we believe paper-less business will be more popularize, that’s why well prepare electronic record management system is very valuable. This can bring organization much future contribution.

Risk Assessment report on an organization (Toyota USA) Research Paper

Risk Assessment report on an organization (Toyota USA) - Research Paper Example It is one of the highest ranked car companies in the entire world in terms of global brands. Even when sales are low Toyota in the United States sold almost 1.8 million vehicles, thus the company is able to make 16.7% share in the market. Toyota Being the third largest car manufacturer in the world, it has been known as the most efficient. The main business segments include automotive and financial services. The automotive segment can account for at least 90% of the revenue in Toyota and almost 96 percent of Toyota’s operating income. The manufacturing, product development and vendor management practices of Toyota Company are known to be the best. This risk assessment was carried out on Toyota Company in the USA to find out on the risks that face the company during production, selling and distribution. Toyota USA is faced with major risks that can affect the profitability of the operations. Factors such as vehicle sales volume, marketing costs, sales incentives, and price discounts, the vehicle models and the options that are sold, customer warranty claims or customer satisfaction actions, cost of research and other costs, production capacity, changes in the value of currencies used in Toyota business, intensified competition, and regulation issues. In Toyota company product development can be highly capital intensive. In any automobile industry, this has been experienced. The automakers are faced with the challenge of making new models from time to time to stay up to standards. The automakers are supposed to standardize the core product through creating a platform on which, they can build feature. Toyota can be said to be the pioneer in product development that is lean. A philosophy where a company is supposed to come up with a development process that comes up with new products using minimum resources. According to Toyota Motor Corporation SWOT Analysis 10, the automotive market worldwide is very competitive. Thus, Toyota faces high

Contact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contact - Assignment Example Fitlife's quoted prices are based on the approved date of send out, and apply all through the period of contract, unless otherwise put forward. Packing, carriage, Sales Tax (where applicable) dues taxes, or other charges are extra to the quoted price and payable by the Customer whether or it exists at the date of quotation or contract, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Quotations in currencies other than Australian dollars, are subject to disparity in price based on variation between the exchange rate appropriate at the date of quotation and that appropriate at the date of payment(http://www.Universitypaton. com.au/pdfs/tandc.pdf, retrieved 17 September 2009). (b) Liability for GST (payable in respect of any taxable supply) is extra. It has to be paid by the buyer to the Company when the price and other moneys are payable(http://www. universitypaton.com.au/pdfs/tandc.pdf, retrieved 17 September 2009). the securing and/or shipment or delivery of the goods to the buyer is forestalled or held up by any reason outside our control the delivery and/or shipment shall be extended accordingly(http://www. universitypaton.com.au/pdfs/tandc.pdf, retrieved 17 September 2009). Since the Company is not the producer of the goods it does not give any guarantee with regard to the quality and does not accept any liability in respect of any blemish in or failure of the goods supplied. The purchaser assumes the guarantee of the manufacture which is the only guarantee given to the buyer in respect of the goods. The Company accords to allocate to the buyer on demand the advantage of any warranty or right to the goods that the manufacturer has contracted to the Company(http://www. universitypaton.com.au/pdfs/tandc.pdf, retrieved 17 September 2009). References: http://www. universitypaton.com.au/pdfs/tandc.pdf, retrieved 17 September 2009. http://www.advancedfit.com.au/page/terms_conditions.html retrieved 17 Sept

Law Hypothetical6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law Hypothetical6 - Essay Example He does not want to have any involvement in the event and is very concerned that he not suffer any potential liability except his investment. You all eventually agree to split the profits from the event on an equal basis. You question, however, the business skills of the dirt bike shop co-owner so that to have full responsibility over the business affairs of the event the biker shop owner will be restricted to marketing. The three parties are the dirt bike store (which is a partnership between two brothers), the money was (as individual) and the OUTAWAY INN (which is a sub chapter S corporation). The new venture should be structured as a partnership between the three parties. The three partners should have equal say in organizing and running the event. This means that the two brothers who own the bike shop should have one vote as should the owner of the OUTAWAY INN and the Canadian investor. The new structure should be more than a contract relationship. There should be formation of a new registered business entity to ensure continuity if the race proves to be a success. This will ensure easier periodical organizing of the race. It will also be easier to promote the race if it is a formally business than when it happens in an impromptu manner. The formal registration of the race would be in essence a new investment by the three partners. The partnership perfectly fits the description of a Limited liability partnership in that one if its partners; the Canadian investor has limited liability. The requirement of the Canadian that he has as limited liability will prompt the partnership to go for C Corporation which will tax the business separately from the owners therefore ensuring that the partner will in no way be required to directly pay any tax to the United States federal income tax law. This will ensure that only the returns from his initial investment will be taxed. The most strategic move however, should the

Construction of the road

Construction of the road 1. Introduction Roads are constructed to bring benefits to the people. Investment in roads is huge for which funding most time is limited. Therefore the decision to invest and protect the investment in form of maintenance is important so as to bring optimal benefits and value for money. In order to maximise the benefits in the choice of investment, road investment appraisal may well be part of the planning process. The purpose of economic appraisal is to determine the investment cost and economic returns expected from such investment. Investment cost consists of construction and annual maintenance costs and are normally shouldered by the road agency. While economic returnsis in form of savings to the road users resulting from new road facility. These costs are referred to as total (road) transport cost or whole life cycle cost (HDM-4 documentation). It is therefore necessary to determine the works that will minimise the total transport cost over the extended analysis period, say expected life of the road. This report presents the economic analysis of a project to upgrade an existing gravel road to a bituminous pavement. The aim is to assess the economic benefit resulting from the proposed investment. This is to be carried out using Highway Development and Management (HDM-4), a road investment appraisal tool. HDM-4 is known to have the capability which assist with the selection of appropriate road design and maintenance standards that minimises the total transport cost. The support system will also indicate the economic viability of the proposed upgrading. The run will include sensitivity analysis, which involves repeated economic evaluation changing one parameter at a time, to identify the parameter(s) which affect the viability of the road project. 2. Literature review: 2.1 Economic appraisal of a road project. Economic appraisal is very important in planning a road project. It enables the road agency knows the investment cost as well as the economic returns of various alternatives, thereby assisting them in the selection of that which gives the highest returns. Total transport cost, also referred to as whole life cycle cost, includes construction and annual maintenance costs as well as road user costs (RUC). The RUC, in most cases, is the benefit due to the provision of a better road facility i.e VOC, travel time, comfort, reduction in accident. HDM-4 is a decision support tool for the analysis of road management, evaluation of investment alternatives and strategic planning among others. It has four models that are used to predict the effects of road construction and operation. Road deterioration model considers pavement structure, traffic loading and climate condition to analyse and predict the progression of structural and surface condition variables. Works effects model uses these variables and application of maintenance and construction measures to predict the physical quantities of resources required. These are used to multiply the unit costs specified to obtain the construction and maintenance cost for the analysis period. Road user effect model uses vehicle characteristics, geometric data and the forecast condition variables (e.g. IRI) to calculate the expected travel speeds of the different vehicle types, which in turn affect the vehicle and owners costs. The social and environmental effect model can forecast vehicle emissions and energy consumption. 2.2 Method of economic appraisal of a road project. This is usually done in HDM-4 for at least for two mutually alternatives road construction, rehabilitation or upgrade, one of which is referred to Do nothing or base alternative. While others are do something or project alternatives. The Do nothing or base alternative is where minimum investment is carried out in form of continuation of current maintenance strategy. This alternative has no construction component but has high maintenance cost and RUC. On the other hand, the do something or alternative project is when the road standard is improved, the choice of which depend on many factors such as the road agencys standard, traffic level, political and social consideration etc. This would normally have construction cost with both low maintenance cost and RUC. 3. Methodology. Create Project Define road network Section 2 Section 1 Define road sections Improvement Standard Mtce Standard (After) Mtce Standard (Before) Mtce Standard (Gravel) Define Work standards With Project Without Project Define Project alternatives Run analysis with sensitivity Generate Outputs The above flow describes the procedure for the economic analysis of the project using HMD-4. 4. Procedure for project analysis. 4.1 Project description: This Project is a 49.9 km gravel road classed secondary road and it is situated in sub-tropical/humid climate. It passes through varying topography. The road is divided into two sections based on geometric, pavement condition and traffic volume. The traffic and condition data obtained in 2008 are represented in table 4.1. The road is proposed to be upgraded to bituminous pavement. Both the degree of conflict between motorised and non-motorised transport and the effect of the road side activities on traffic flow were insignificant. 4.2 Data Input: Using the flow chart in paragraph 3 above all the necessary data require for the project analysis is stored in the system in the appropriate folders. These include detailed traffic composition and growth rate which are provided in the Vehicle fleet folder. A uniform growth rate of 4% was used for all vehicle classes on this project. The sections of the roads are defined under the road network folder. Each of the sections is considered homogenous in terms of geometric, pavement condition, traffic volume and composition. Therefore the physical details of the sections (length, width, and surface class), traffic direction and pattern, pavement type and condition, horizontal and vertical alignment information are among data set in the road network definition. However, only motorised traffic is considered in this analysis. 4.3 Defining the works standards: This is where both the maintenance and improvement standards are defined. The details are on Table 4.3. The maintenance standards are in the works standard/maintenance standards folder while the improvement standards are specified in the works standard/improvement standards folders. The maintenance standard has great effect on rate of deterioration of a road. Road will continue to perform to standard throughout its design life only when adequate and timely maintenance is carried out. Defining maintenance standard in the system imposes a limit to which deterioration could reach before a trigger. Furthermore the long term performance of a road is also affected by the improvement standard 4.3.1 Maintenance standard: There are three maintenance standards under the study. These are Gravel road maintenance, Maintenance before upgrading and routine maintenance after upgrade (crack sealing and patching paved road). These are effective at different time for the two sections of the road as detailed in Table 4.4. Scheduled for specified years. Duration is one year. Both economic and financial costs for each of the work items were stored in the system. 4.3.2 Improvement standard: The improvement standard is to upgrade the gravel road to bituminous pavement. However the year of implementation for each of sections 1 and 2 are 2011 and 2012 respectively. These are indicated at the intervention tab while keying the information for each of the section. Furthermore the financial cost for sections 1 and 2 are US$120,000 and US$150,050. The economic costs were estimated as 85% of the financial costs. These were stored in the cost tab. 4.4 Defining the project alternatives. There are two project alternatives Without project (maintaining the gravel road) and With project (upgrade gravel road). Each of the alternatives has works standards specified for each of the two sections. The analysis type (by project), start year (2009) as well as analysis period (20 years) were specified. The currency output of US$ was also selected. 4.4.1 Analysis method: There are two methods of analysing road investment in HDM-4 Analysis by section and analysis by project. The formal (analysis by section) is when the sections in the road are considered separately and analyse against a base section. While the latter (analysis by project) is when the entire sections in an alternative are considered against a base alternative. For this case study the analysis is by project. In this instance, the annual cost and benefit are added for the sections in the With project to give the year total. The economic indicators so obtained are then used to compare the base alternative. 4.4.2 Without project alternative: This is the base alternative representing a continuation of current maintenance practice. The two sections were defined and assigned a maintenance standard Gravel road maintenance earlier defined under the works standard/maintenance standards folder. 4.4.3 With project alternative: This is the alternative where the road is to be upgraded to bituminous pavement. The two sections were defined with both maintenance and improvement standards. Both sections are to be upgraded in 2011 and 2012 respectively. However, they are to be maintained before upgrade according to maintenance before upgrading standard as defined. Furthermore, the period of maintenance after upgrade is also specified. 4.4.4 Sensitivity analysis: It is a technique used to find out the effect on the whole project of changes in value of each variable which is considered potentially serious risk to the project. In this case study, three variables Traffic growth rates, Construction cost and Initial AADT were considered as sensitive to the project. Therefore each of them was changed at a time by  ±20% from 20% to 80% to verify their impact on economic indicators. 5. Analysis concept, summary result and discussion. 5.1 Project analysis concept The concept of the project analysis, using HMD-4, is assessing the physical, functional and economic feasibility of the With project alternative and compares it with Without project considered as base case. The system uses Life cycle costing for the analysis period of 20 years. In achieving this cost, the system models and predict the road deterioration, estimates the road user cost, model the road works effects and the cost of these to the road agency as well as calculate the economic and financial benefits from the comparison of the alternatives. 5.2 Road Deterioration and road works effect modelling For each year of the analysis period, HDM-4 models the road condition and assigns road works effect using predefined works strategies. Road deterioration prediction is based on the data provided on such variables as the original design, material type, construction quality, traffic volume, axle load characteristics, road geometry, environmental conditions, age of pavement and maintenance standard. HDM-4 does predict change in condition, i.e. distresses, from the initial set conditions as a function of the above named variables. 5.2.1 Average roughness (IRIav) of project: The deterioration of gravel road is characterised by roughness and material loss. Therefore grading every six months was specified as one of the work items for its maintenance to keep the roughness within tolerable limit. Spot regravelling work item was to repair areas of severe depression, while gravel resurfacing is performed to augment gravel surfacing due to loss of material. These work items followed intervention criteria specified by the users. This is the logic HDM-4 uses to predict the gravel road deterioration and it is presented in graph 5.2. This graph correlates Appendix I which shows the pavement condition summary. The pavement condition of Without project is a reflection of the interventions of the work items under continuous maintenance of the gravel road. Grading and Spot regravelling were effective every six month with no significant improvement to IRI values. However, gravel resurfacing was done in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2023 a nd 2025. There is a drop in IRI value each time the work item was carried out. In general the IRI was consistently high at between 7-13m/km throughout the analysis period for Without project alternative. HDM-4 also predicts the deterioration of the road after improvement. This is done through surface distresses (cracking and potholing) and deformation distress (roughness). Out of the three work items for the maintenance of the paved (bituminous) road only resealing work item was triggered throughout the analysis period. This is a reflection of the intervention criteria specified. Under the With project alternative there is a drop in IRI values in 2011 and 2012 following the upgrading of sections 1 and 2 at these years respectively. For instance, for section 1 the IRI value was 11.26m/km in 2010 but drastically reduced to 3.01m/km after upgrade in 2011. This is similar to the effect of upgrading section 2 in 2012. However, it is noticed that IRI continued to increase steadily subsequently but at low rate. In 2018, 2019, 2025 and 2026 there was resealing which changed the rate of increase in IRI (between 2018 and 2019) and actually reduced the value (between 2025 and 2026). Surface dre ssing does not necessarily improve the smoothness of road surface hence its effect on IRI is not significant. 5.2.2 Road works summary: This summary, as contained in Appendix 2, confirmed graph 5.1 and reflects the pavement condition summary in appendix 1. It shows the works items as they were triggered with associate quantities and costs (economic and financial). For the With project the maintenance standard before upgrade is reflected in the two sections before the upgrade. Furthermore resealing was also carried out in 2018 and 2025 for section 1, while that for section 2 was in 2019 and 2026. On the other hand in the Without project the average roughness for the project is shown in graph 4.1. This graph correlates Appendix 1 which shows the pavement condition summary. Road User Cost (RUC): From the economic indicator shown in Table 4.3 there is a decrease of US$3.828 million in Road User Cost (RUC) compared to US$3.105 million increase in Road Agency Cost (RAC) for the proposed upgrade. This is an indication of the viability for the upgrade. Cost Streams and Economic Evaluation Table 4.3 reflects the economic indicator showing a positive Net Present Value (NPV) of US$0.723 million, indicative of the project viability. The Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) is US$12.6 million. The economic indicator summary with sensitivity included in the analysis is provided in Appendix 3 Sensitivity Analysis As discussed in paragraph 5.2.2 above Tables 5.4a, 5.4b and 5.4c show the effects in economic indicators (NPV and EIRR) of changing the percentages of Initial AADT, Construction cost and Traffic growth rates considered as sensitive to the project. Increasing both initial AADT and Growth rate indicates positive values of NPV and EIRR, while reduction in their values gives negative economic indicators. On the other hand, increase construction cost gives negative NPV and its reduction gives positive NPV. NPV sensitivity diagram in figure 5.3 below indicates that the three variables have various degrees of sensitivity on the project, with AADT being most sensitive. An increase in construction cost as well as drop in AADT will affect the chances of achieving the positive NPV values. Therefore the accuracy of their estimation and forecast is important. Switching Values: A reduction in percentage of AADT and Growth rate beyond 11.5% and 25.6% respectively changes the NPV values from positive to negative. Whereas increase in construction cost beyond 19.5% also changes NPV from positive to negative. 6. Conclusion: The economic analysis, using HDM-4, indicates that upgrading the gravel road to bituminous pavement is viable because of the positive NPV value obtained for the analysis period. In implementing the project the gain in RUC outweighs the increase in the RAC when this is compared with do minimum alternative. However, this result can only be achieved if the works are carried out according to the programme. The Initial AADT, Construction cost and vehicle growth rate have various levels of sensitivity on the NPV. However, AADT is the most sensitive. An increase in construction cost as well as drop in AADT is likely to affect the chances of achieving a positive NPV values. There is also an indication that more benefit could be derived from the project when AADT value grows even as high as by 80% of the initial value. Therefore the accuracy of the construction cost, AADT and its projection are important to getting the benefit from the proposed project

empiricism Essay -- essays research papers

Empiricism Empiricism by nature is the belief that there is no knowledge without experience. How can one know what something tastes like if they have never tasted it? For example, would someone know that an apple is red if they have never actually have seen one. Someone can tell you an apple is red, but, if you never have seen one, can you really be sure? Empiricists use three anchor points in which they derive their opinions from. The first of these points is; the only source of genuine knowledge is sense experience. An easier way to understand this is to compare the mind to a clean sponge. As the sponge touches things, it takes with it, a piece of everything it touches. Without this, the sponge would remain clean and be void of anything other than its own material. With this conclusion, empiricist believes we must be content with the knowledge we have at hand, rather than things we have not yet been privy to. The second anchor point is; Reason is an unreliable and inadequate route to knowledge unless it is grounded in the solid bedrock of sense experience. Empiricists believe that all of our words meanings are derived from our experiences. Everything can be traced back to a single moment in our lives. Empiricists understand that reason is necessary in helping us make our experience intelligible, but reason alone cannot provide knowledge. The third anchor point is; there is no evidence of innate Ideas within the mind that are known apart from experience. What this means is the mind does not possess ideas that are not backed by experience. In no case are there a priori truths that can both tell about the world and are known apart from experience. When asked the three epistemological questions the three empiricists all have different answers. The first of these questions is; is knowledge possible? John Locke (1632-1704) states â€Å"Knowledge, however, is not something lying out there in the grass; it is located in our minds. So to understand knowledge we have to analyze the contents of our minds and see what they tell us about the world† (pg. 93). Locke believes that all of our known truths are made up of simple ideas. Simple ideas are what make up the rudimental elements of everything else we know to be true to us today. For example, they consist of ideas such, hot and cold, soft and hard, bitter and sweet. They also give us experience through are own mental o... ...s not possible for our knowledge to truly represent what reality really is. He believes that â€Å"the only certainty that we can have concerns the relationships of our own ideas. Since these judgments only concern the realm of ideas, they do not tell us about the external world† (p. 108). This means that any knowledge about reality must be based on a posteriori judgments. These judgments are made by Hume because he believes there is no way to have a true reality through knowledge because you only gain knowledge through experience. In conclusion, Hume states that many empiricists discovered that reality is an impossible goal to understand. Overall, Empiricists believe that there is no knowledge without experience. While their individual views may differ, their fundamental ideas are used to make conclusions about theories in the world. Each of these men have ideas about how knowledge is used and what it creates for each person. Through each of these theories it is apparent that knowledge and reality are difficult to access in such a complicated world. References Lawhead, William F., The Philosophical Journey: An Interactive Approach, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Hamburger †Fast food Essay

Market and environmental analysis is an essential part of an organization’s External Analysis. The main objectives of a market analysis are; a)To determine how attractive a market is. b)To understand the dynamics of the market and amend strategies accordingly. Here we apply the dimensions of a Market Analysis to McDonalds corp. 1)Emerging submarkets; McDonalds failed to recognize the changing trend in customer’s preferences to better tasting, fresher food. This trend led to new sub markets emerging for tastier, fresher and fast food perceived as healthier. A few of the smaller/privately owned competitors (Cosi and Quizno’s) were able to operate in niche markets selling gourmet sandwiches and salads. The emergence of smaller restaurants offering easy access to exotic foods such as sushi and burritos created a more specialized niche market. 2)Size and Growth; With the emergence of these sub-markets and niche markets, McDonalds started losing market share. It now had to share its fast-food mass market with these newly created markets. Even though these restaurant chains were small in size, their growth opportunities presented a potential threat to McDonalds. They operated on service that was better than McDonalds at the same time providing better tasting food, which led to an increase in its sales. This sector was in the early stages of growth where as McDonalds was past the maturity stage. 3)Profitability; McDonalds profitability can be gauged by using Porters 5 factor model. a)Intensity of competition among existing customers was relatively high. Direct competitors like Wendy’s and Chik-Fil-A were able to out perform McDonalds based on service quality by providing quicker service. In comparison McDonalds had a large number of franchises, but will falling service time. b)Threat of new entrants: Other market niches like quizo’s, cosi and small restaurants offering exotic foods also provided a high degree of competition to McDonalds by offering food that appealed to changing customer preferences. The only barrier to entry that McDonalds used was to open a large number of franchises and offer an inexpensive menu; this is however changing as franchisees are leaving McDonalds, lowering the barriers to entry. c)Substitute products would include fast food options available in leading supermarkets, and cafe’s offering exotic foods like sushi. d)Bargaining power of customers. Customers are the main source of income for McDonalds. Customers were not happy with the menu offered at McDonalds and hence took their custom to other restaurants, leading to a drop in sales. e)Bargaining power of suppliers: McDonalds aimed to keep their menu prices low (source more details about suppliers) 4)Cost structure McDonalds strategic focus was on cost and service. In order to raise service quality new kitchens were installed. However, this installation was done for some franchises that did not need it and where the new additions did not help improve business. In order to keep the price of its burgers low, it asked the franchises to sell at a loss. Example: Promoting a $1 burger when the cost to make it was $1. 07. This lack in foresight resulted in rising costs to franchise owners who responded by leaving McDonalds and going over to competitors. This snowballed into falling investor confidence resulting in falling equity. Another cost issue was investing in too many takeovers which it couldn’t handle at the same time as improving service quality and revamping the menu. 5)Distribution Systems McDonalds distribution system was the large and growing number of franchises. However not many of the franchises were posting profits and as per Exhibit 1, more than 500 would have to be closed. One of McDonalds strengths is its distribution system, where in customers come in and have the same experience that they have at any other store. However, this can also be a weakness as providing a consistent experience soon becomes ordinary. 6)Market Trends The fast food casual market was quickly breaking up into fragments. With the rising immigrant population customers now had a choice of items. McDonalds realize this too late and try to counter this effect by introducing new burgers. However, the testing of the new menu does not gauge strongly enough the changing customer preferences and this poor planning led to its failure. Internally changing trends were also blindsided. Franchisees who were the closest to customers were not included in decision making and were thus disgruntled. Here was the need to change the management style from top-down to bottom-up. This would have solved some of the issues plaguing McDonalds, by providing data on what customers want and what products would have a greater chance of success. 7)Key success Factors McDonalds did have some strengths or key success factors; a)Large number of franchises that led to economies of scale. This however contrasted to the ‘small is beautiful’ concept of the niche markets. b)Complete training for franchisees to begin and run their own McDonalds proved to be a good team building exercise. c)Cost of food was low due to economies of scale and economies of size. Moreover, McDonalds was able to negotiate a reasonable price for high quality food products. McDonalds failed to realize the changing trends in the casual fast food markets, as a result of which, a large part of the market share was taken over by existing brands like Wendy’s and new players like Panera bread co. The company also failed to acknowledge competition from the niche markets serving gourmet and exotic foods. This lack in analysis led to lowering of entry barriers for new entrants, loss of market share to competitors (Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A. ), disgruntled franchisees, and a drop in sales leading to a fall in equity value. Environmental Analysis 1)Political. 2)Economic: 3)Socio-Cultural: There are three cultural forces that influence marketers: a) persistence of cultural values, b) subcultures and c) shifts in secondary cultural values. Of the three, secondary cultural values carry the largest influence on the fast-food market. When the market is interested in convenience, they are more likely to buy fast food; if the market’s secondary values shift and become interested in fitness and health, they will be less likely to buy fast food. (Monash university, 2006) The case shows this shift to gourmet and healthier foods. 4)Technological: McDonalds had begun to notice the importance of technology. The organization was looking at new technological solutions like ERP to improve their supply chain (Newman, 2002) 5)Environmental: 6)Legal. References: Monash university, 2006, Briohny’s Report, Language and Learning Online, Retrieved on 06 May 2008. http://www. monash. edu. au/lls/llonline/writing/business-economics/marketing/3. 3. 2. xml Newman, K, 2002. McDonalds seeks closer electronic relations, iStart. com:Technology in business, www. istart. co. nz, retrieved on 06 May 2008. http://www. istart. co. nz/index/HM20/PC0/PVC197/EX245/AR22537.