William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet - 1326 Words

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story which results in both of the lovers’ deaths. Romeo and Juliet come from feuding families who have a strong hatred. When they fall in love, they obviously don’t want their families to know. The story tells of how they try to maintain their love until both lovers kill themselves out of grief. Many characters have an influence in their deaths and in theory, every single character could blamed to some degree. But Friar Laurence, a man of the church and a good friend of Romeo, is most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Despite other characters actions, Friar Laurences failure to notify Romeo of his plan, marrying them secretly, and his advice to both Romeo and Juliet played the biggest role in their deaths. From the very minute the Friar is introduced he immediately begins to make decisions that will impact the rest of the story. In Act 2 Scene 3 the Friar says, â€Å"In one respect, I’ll thy assistant be: For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households rancor to pure love.† This quote states his decision to secretly marry Romeo and Juliet as an attempt to help the families get closer and develop acceptance. Although this may have seemed appropriate for the time, this would only further complicate their relationship. As a man of God, the Friar would have had a holy influence on the families if he attempted to counsel with them. During this time period, the power of religion and the church was astronomical. If theShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1287 Words   |  6 PagesLizzy Baginski English Composition 2 Mr. Spera March 10, 2015 Romeo and Juliet Research Paper The movie Romeo and Juliet is a modern classic film that took place in 1996. Overall this is a timeless story that everyone should go and watch. This movie has an intriguing plot line that tells the story of two feuding families, The Montagues and The Capulets, and how the children of these two different families fall in love. The two children overcome various obstacles such as hiding their chemistry fromRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet 966 Words   |  4 Pages Beauty Over Gold â€Å"Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.--William Shakespeare, 1623. In his book As You Like It, William Shakespeare pointed out the supremacy of love rather than the want of gold and wealth. Truly, beauty is more important to thieves than wealth. Many of the thieves in this world would rather have an elegant woman than to obtain precious rubies. After all, what good is a prosperous man if he doesn’t have a charming woman? Two famous men grab my attention who didn’t fear forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet Essay1024 Words   |  5 PagesRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. The plot is based on an ItalianRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe play Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. Its plot is based onRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet861 Words   |  4 Pagesgreatly shown in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It was love at first sight with Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Meeting at a party and falling in love to get married without even spending quality time with each other. Romeo and Juliet couldn t tell there parents because the Capulets and Montagues are long term rivals. Both Romeo and Juliet had to find different ways and excuses to make this marriage work. A big problem was developed. Romeo kills Juliet s cousin and is banishedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1770 Words   |  8 Pagesof Romeo and Juliet. The story of two destined lovers who were killed by their own doing. But what if they weren t two destined lovers who got unlucky, but doomed partners that were never going to have a good-life to begin with.William Sha kespeare gives us a view of early signs of gang conflict in the early age of Verona, Italy. He gives us a perspective of the norms and customs of Italy during the Setting of William Shakespeare s most famous story. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, givesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1616 Words   |  7 Pageslove can also cause some of life s most controversial battles. These battles could stem from lack of patience, disagreement of moral values, and in some cases, an absence of attraction overall. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the issues that drive Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet s to each of their dreadful misfortunes are inevitable. When it comes to many of Shakespeare s plays, Aristotle s theory is used to describe them as tragedies. Romeo and Juliet is known by many as a tragedyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1264 Words   |  6 Pagestheater-going public the most important dramatist in English literature, Shakespeare oc cupies a well-known position in the world of talented authors. His canon contains thirty-seven plays, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Additionally, throughout the years, they continue to sustain critical attention, with the majority of his works circling tragedies, one being Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet speaks to the timeless appeal of star-crossed lovers. Their loveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet924 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy that follows the so-called love of two teenagers. The two fall in love at a masked ball and have a secret marriage. Throughout the play, their actions show how ridiculous love is, and how it is a danger to anyone who become twisted in its choking grasp. However, in the death of the youth and survival of the elders, an alternative explanation for the tragic events may be found. Although Shakespeare seems to be mocking love throughout the play, itRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1279 Words   |  6 Pagesour lives. The great, classic writers teach timeless, valuable life skills. Shakespeare was the greatest writer of all time. His writings mainly consisted of dramas and sonnets. Romeo and Juliet, as well as, A MIdsummer Night’s Dream were written about the same time period. He was able to inter relate everything that wrote. For example, the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe could possibly be an advertisement for Romeo and Juliet. The basic structure of the two dramas is the same; two forbidden lovers meet

The Laws Of Our Society - 980 Words

The laws of our society at its best do not depict equality to every substantial entity that graces the land of the United States of America. The turmoil that is documented and/or reported that flourish our different media outlets, struggles in people day to day lives, or the great strain against indivisibility or a simple liberty or justice for all. Everyone will not always agree if ever. Some may choose to be belligerent with their voice—where others may bid for peace. Perhaps is it greener on the other side—may be it is—may be it is not. The effects of law on society vary from topic to topic. The topic may rub some the wrong way, may stem as a voice for others, or it may be just another conversation for many. â€Å"†¦the U.S. Supreme Court†¦show more content†¦Those who believe that there is â€Å"Final say-so God† awaits judgment amid their last breathe on this side of the spectrum. The land of the living has many majorities. These majorities have a right to stick together and demand for a sought after equality. Many may express that this present time warrants the welcoming of same sex marriage, but with the majorities a fight is sure to be ensued. â€Å"†¦ Americans are deeply divided -- and often deeply ambivalent -- on the subject of same-sex marriage. Regardless of the public s feelings about same-sex marriage, it appears the controversy is here to stay. A flurry of gay marriage lawsuits is being filed across the country, and more are sure to come (Kiefer 2003).† The flurries ar e beginning to freeze. The tone is set. Many same sex marriages are concealed. The concealing of these marriages is not limited to the fails of a normal marriage. There is no special divorce package. If children are involved, child’s support is granted to the one who has the full custody—that is if there is not a joint custody. The same goes for alimony as well. The fore-mentioned are only negative attributes, but the effects that are greatly appreciated are the benefits that same sex marriages qualify for which are as follows: insurance, pensions, shared estates, bills, and the list goes on. â€Å"In 1996,

Idea Migrations in Strategic Management †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Idea Migrations in Strategic Management. Answer: Introduction: The group maintained the sustainability of competitive advantage by acknowledging the importance of information technology. The process of updation of information technology is done on an ongoing basis. JHK has also carried out various strategic corporate social responsibilities activities in its several areas of operations and for ensuring the sustainability of their business. Implementation of strategic capabilities is done in an integrated way for enhancing the business operations sustainability (Keells.com 2018). Group also makes employment of holistic approach in the process of strategic planning and the business cycle. It was perceived by group that placing their stores in strategic locations would help in driving revenue for business and the five-year strategic mapping exercise of business. Projects relating to logistics and transportation sector would be developed by enhancing skills and knowledge of employees. Group also relied on differentiation strategy by way of innovation of products, technological superiority, reliability, comprehensive customer services and quality of products. Therefore, JHK undertook strategy of differentiation in the past years for gaining competit ive advantage in the industry. Innovative thinking has always been the core strategic thinking of JHK for enhancing product development and therefore, efforts have been taken in terms of creating product innovation and meeting changing requirements of customers. In the initial years, locating retain stores in strategic location was done with smaller format. However, with the changing time, there has been placing of stores in such locations with bigger format for gaining higher market shares. Technology implementation in recent years was to maintain international standards hygiene and safety in the products. It has been done by the employment of modern automated machineries that also contributed to cutting down of the cost of operations. Keells has been the customer centric organization as the group is inclined towards delivering excellent services to its customer base (Goetsch and Davis 2014). Moreover, providing customers with quality products have always been the core business practice of Keells. New product formulation forms the part of innovative ideas that helps in retaining customers and building brand loyalty. One of the key strategies that is pursued by business is to locally source raw materials and thereby leading to purchase cost optimization and ensuring that social license of operation is maintained. Strategy for implementing sustainable practices in the value chain process and at retail stores is entrenched. Offering customers with unparalleled services is one of the objectives of group in every sector and focuses on building long-term strategy (Frynas and Mellahi 2015). Bargaining power of suppliers for John Keells is high and the reason is attributable to increased demanding on customer front that put pressure on long-run profitability of company. In order to deal with such higher bargaining power, Keells is required to expand their customer base and streamline their sales and production process (Nerur et al. 2016). Moreover, rapid product innovation should also be incorporated in the strategy of group. Threat of substitute is considered low when the value proposition of products in uniquely different from what is being offered in industry. Substitute threat of Keells could be low as requirement of maintaining higher quality standard of products might create difficulties for its competitors to substitute (Fisk 2014). However, substitute threat can be handled by making the group more service oriented along with product oriented. Moreover, switching cost of customers should be increased by way of implementing suitable strategies. Suppliers in dominant position can reduce the profit margins earned by Keells considerably. Suppliers can use their negotiating power for extracting higher prices and therefore, it is required by the group to build efficient supply chain with many efficient suppliers. Product design should be experimented by using different materials so that if raw material price from one supplier increases, they can easily switch to other suppliers (Kim and Mauborgne 2014). The lower pricing strategy employed by John Keells group would be pressurized if there is higher rate of new entrants in the industrial sectors of Sri Lanka. In order to safeguard the competitive edge of business of Keells, strategic capabilities should be build. Rivalry threat faced by Keells can be regarded as high and this can be dealt by building sustainable differentiation. In extreme case of competition, group can opt for collaboration with competitors for increasing the market share by increasing market size (Knott 2015). Intellectual capital is regarded as one of the crucial value factors and the dynamic management of intellectual capital is the part of strategic management of group. Strategic allocation of resources is the rarity factor along with assessing the verticals of business. Sustaining competitive advantage by making it costly for competitors to imitate its valuable and rare resources is the imitability factor of group. Volume driven strategy is one of the ways in which keels does the strategic allocation of resources (Engert et al. 2016). The business model of John Keells is formulated in such a way that it incorporates vision and hence, mission and vision are at the core of business. Mission statement of the group is to retain its pre eminent position as rubber and tea broker of Sri Lanka. Significant investment opportunities are being evaluated by the group and its investment in consumer and retail business have been fruitful. However, in light of changing economic conditions of Sri Lanka, it is perceived by the group to revise its mission statements. There should be increased investment in transport and airline services due to increased demand. An appropriate mix of skills and experience in board is done by reviewing the composition and aligning it with the current and future business needs (McKiernan 2017). In recent years, the group is committed to carry out its business in an efficient way and ensures establishment of procedures and policies. Commitment of group is also driven towards serving communities by redu cing the impact of their operations of environment. Slow down of global economy have contributed towards low profit generation in sectors such as transportation. Business sentiment and behavior of consumers was impacted by economic growth slowdown. Increase in global commodity prices affected the consumer food sector and in relation to group, the impact was not regarded as material. The core areas of operation of business are advanced materials, energy storage, nanotechnology, biotechnology, renewable energy generation and synthetic biology (Husted et al. 2014). In light of changing economic conditions of Sri Lanka, it is required by group to make some modifications in the process of business activities. In order for business to defend its core strategies, it is required by John Keells to formulate appropriate strategies that would help in addressing such operational areas. The application of model of blue ocean strategy would help in creating innovation that are value based and help in considering of the factors that should be addressed effectively and factors that should be eliminated. The factors that are involved in the framework of blue ocean strategy are elimination, reduction, raising and creation. Value innovation can be created by organization using the blue ocean strategy framework by creating factors that are unique to industry. The factors that are below the industry standards should be reduced while raising the factors that are above the industry standards. Moreover, the factors that are competed in the industry for long should be eliminated by organization. Therefore, in this regard, the factors that are competed for long in the industry should be eliminated. Elimination of such factors would help in lowering cost by reducing scale of operations complexities. Group should raise factors that are above industry standard and this involves inv olvement of high degree of retail stores and introducing unique events. The factors that should be eliminated, raised, reduced and created by John Keells are explained by implementing blue ocean strategy. Elimination factor- In hotel sector, there should be elimination of less efficient standard air conditioner and it should be replaced with type air condition unit that are energy efficient. Consumption of energy in plantation services sector should be eliminated In the cinnamon project, equity and debt infusion should be eliminated due to long gestation period. Reducing factors- In different sectors, energy consumptions should be reduced In several areas of business operations, associated level of risks should be reduced Reducing requirement of water by way of recycling of treated effluent and bringing it to quality that is acceptable. Reducing impact on environment due to its operational activities and associated operational cost. Creating factor- Completing round trip offerings of hotel sector portfolio. Product portfolio in the consumer food sector should be expanded Creating strategic expansion of retail footprint by way of capitalizing retail sector of group on low penetration of modern retail. Creating growth platform by increasing production capacity and Widening portfolio offerings to customers. Creation of diversified offering to customers by addressing the ever-evolving trends of travel and leisure industry. Raising factor- Systematic execution of brand strategy of Cinnamon. Making continuous improvement in efficiency of carbon and increasing the production volume in the consumer food sector. Integration of intellectual capital management in the strategic management process. Operational activities across all the sectors of group should be performed optimally. There are several areas where change is needed such as consumer food sector along with transport and financial service sectors. Different sectors of group should maintain highest regulatory standard in terms of the quality of products and services. This requires them to maintain compliance with statutory and regulatory environment at both domestic and international levels. Within residential and commercial property market, group is required to place more emphasis on unique product propositions identification. The group in gaining advancement in productive improvement and marketing sales should implement new technologies. Implementation of change process within the organization requires employees to enhance their skills and upgrade their knowledge. This should incorporate promotion of innovative thinking within the organization and encouraging diversity at workplace. Customer centricity within the organization should be enhanced by incorporation of technological platforms within the core activities. Patentee technology should be properly utilized by examination of commercial viability of prototype product. It is essential for group to implement several infrastructure projects and promote community development for strengthening the core business of organization. Therefore, in order to implement changes within the organization, it is required by John Keells to undertake several infrastructure projects. When it comes to making changes in skills of human resource and upgrading their skills, it is essential to provide training to employees and such training should be aligned with business specific requirements. Training activities and professional development of employees should be done by way of framing several internal and external programs (Baumgartner and Rauter 2017). Strategic capabilities should be modified in accordance with changing business environment due to changing economic conditions of business. There should be development of integrated strategy so that change is implemented by aligning to the needs and demands of customers in the market. Customer food sector and transport sector should be dealt strategically in line with economic changes. Tackling resistance of employees by providing training and development of employees and therefore, addressing the hurdle to change implementation. References list: Arikan, A.M. and Stulz, R.M., 2016. Corporate acquisitions, diversification, and the firm's life cycle.The Journal of Finance,71(1), pp.139-194. Baumgartner, R.J. and Rauter, R., 2017. Strategic perspectives of corporate sustainability management to develop a sustainable organization.Journal of Cleaner Production,140, pp.81-92. Dlken, F., 2014.Are porters five competitive forces still applicable? a critical examination concerning the relevance for todays business(Bachelor's thesis, University of Twente). Dess, G.G., McNamara, G. and Eisner, A.B., 2016. Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages, ch3 pp74-106. Engert, S., Rauter, R. and Baumgartner, R.J., 2016. Exploring the integration of corporate sustainability into strategic management: a literature review.Journal of cleaner production,112, pp.2833-2850. Fisk, P., 2014.Gamechangers: Creating innovative strategies for business and brands. John Wiley Sons. Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015.Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Grant, R., Butler, B., Orr, S. and Murray, P.A., 2014.Contemporary strategic management: An Australasian perspective. John Wiley Sons Australia, Ltd.. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hubbard, G., Rice, J. and Galvin, P., 2014.Strategic management. Pearson Australia. Husted, B.W., Allen, D.B. and Kock, N., 2015. Value creation through social strategy.Business Society,54(2), pp.147-186. Jenkins, M., Ambrosini, V. and Collier, N. eds., 2016.Advanced strategic management: A multi-perspective approach. Macmillan Education. Johnson, G., 2016.Exploring strategy: text and cases. Pearson Education. Keells.com. (2018). Investment in Sri Lanka | John Keells Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka | JKH | Careers. [online] Available at:https://www.keells.com/[Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R.A., 2014.Blue ocean strategy, expanded edition: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Harvard business review Press. Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R.A., 2017.Blue Ocean Leadership (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business Review Press. Knott, P.J., 2015. Does VRIO help managers evaluate a firms resources?.Management Decision,53(8), pp.1806-1822. Lasserre, P., 2017.Global strategic management. Palgrave. McKiernan, P. ed., 2017.Historical Evolution of Strategic Management, Volumes I and II(Vol. 1). Taylor Francis. Morden, T., 2016.Principles of strategic management. Routledge. Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H. and Zentes, J., 2015.Strategic international management(pp. 978-3658078836). Springer. Nerur, S., Rasheed, A.A. and Pandey, A., 2016. Citation footprints on the sands of time: An analysis of idea migrations in strategic management.Strategic Management Journal,37(6), pp.1065-1084.

The Korea Question Essay Example For Students

The Korea Question Essay What is national identity? This question may seem to be to simple to even bother answering. The easy answer is that national history is the events in a nations past that, when put together, unify all aspects of life in that nation. From this rough definition it would make sense that all of the nations in the world have a national identity. However, this question is not as black and white as it may seem. Some people believe that a nation whose history is nothing more than occupation by other countries should not be considered an independent nation. This can be seen very well in the case of Korea, which ahs had a history filled with Chinese, Japanese, and western influence. However, though Korea has strong ties to all of these imperialistic powers; it still shows aspects that are uniquely Korean. Korea has a history that includes dominance, subservience, and reemergence. The people of the Korean peninsula have had a very colorful history. Through the period of the Later Bronze Age the Korean peninsula experienced significant political development. Perhaps the most important of these developments was the creation of the walled-town states. We will write a custom essay on The Korea Question specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The six walled-town states of the Korean peninsula are seen in Chinese records. The most advanced of these states was Chao-hsien. The early leaders of Chao-hsien called themselves tangun wanguom to signify both their descent from the divine creator and their monarchial status . The leaders of Choa-hsien soon realized that in order to maintain power over the peninsula they would need to join with other walled-town states to ward off invaders. By the fourth century BCE the confederated kingdom was created and served as an extended political unit of substantial military power . Shortly after the confederated kingdom was created it was challenged by the powerful Yen faction, a powerful contender from northern China. The Yen people asserted that Chao-hsien was arrogant and cruel. By the fourth century BCE the Yen faction invaded the Korean peninsula resulting in the inevitable decline of Chao-hsien. The Yen invasion stimulated new waves of Chinese traffic in official, administrators, traders and military personnel . Chao-hsien was able to use the Chinese influence to strengthen allowing it to subdue its neighbors. This new strength ushered in the Three Kingdoms Period. The Korean peninsula was divided into three sections, Kingdoms, known as Kroguryo, Paekche, and Silla. As is the case throughout history, one of these kingdoms eventually rose to become the dominant force on the peninsula. In the sixth century BCE Silla felt confident enough to expand its domain. It consumed the small neighboring tribes in southern Korea and then prepared to take on the other kingdoms of Kroguryo and Paekche. In the end Sillas goals of unification did not come to fruition. Much of Manchuria remained out of the reach of Sillas armies. However, it was Sillas unified rule over the bulk of the peninsula that laid the basis for the subsequent course of Korean history . Throughout its history the Korean peninsula has always been crucially affected by political developments on the Asian land mass. This phenomenon can be seen during the chaos that accompanied the end of Tang and the Five Dynasties. It was then that Wang Kon was able to overthrow Silla and establish the Koryo dynasty. The Koryo dynasty found itself having to ward off many enemies. In the beginning they felt pressures from the Mongol barbarians who eventually allied with Koryo becoming their sole protector. In the last century and a half they saw the emergence of the Japanese marauders intent on raiding the peninsula. After the collapse of the Mongol Empire Koryo fate was imminent. They had no way to fight off invaders and were bound for failure. The peninsula may have slipped into foreign control if General Yi Songye hadnt mounted an offensive against the Ming armies. In 1932 Koryo finally fell opening the door for Songye and the Yi Dynasty in Korea . The Yi Dynasty, the longest in Korean history saw many revolutionary ideas introduced to Korea. .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .postImageUrl , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:hover , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:visited , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:active { border:0!important; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:active , .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321 .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u360fbffc6d5f64c2ed23214318fb3321:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Chicken Soup For The Soul EssaySongye had become not only a military leader but also the leader of a new literati class. Songye encouraged a wide range of cultural activities such as persuits in Confucian studies, the writing of histories, the development of fine arts, and progress in science and technology . Two of the principle innovations of the Yi Dynasty were the redistribution of farmlands and the advancement of Confucianism at the expense of Buddhism. Songye moved quickly to confiscate lands owned by former landlords and to distribute these to deserving government officials. Buddhism was discouraged because of its hostility to the virtues of manual labor, a necessity for the new regime. A famous historical Confucian text, the Choson Kyonggukjon, was recommended as the basic philosophical guide for the rulers of the new kingdom. At the same time many innovations were introduced in such areas as state administration, the shape of the government bureaucracy, state examinations, taxation policy, social discrimination, and facilities for transportation and communication . Aside from the political examples of a unique Korea there are many cultural identifiers of the people of this region. Koreans believe that there are many aspects of life that can be controlled be the individuals. There are differing ways of dealing with circumstances. The Korean temperament is well adjusted to the possibility, and necessity of making choices. The individualistic temperament that formed the structure of Korean culture is illuminated in the lives and writings of the countrys greatest philosophers. Among these philosophers was Chong Tojon, who guided the constitutional character of the Choson dynasty away from Buddhism to Confucianism. The Grand Rule of Laws, which he propounded, interpreted Confucianism with a pragmatism that made it different from the Chinese model . Examinations to choose government officials, Chong insisted, must not be based merely upon mastery of the literary classics but also upon administrative knowledge and skills , an idea that sought to create a more qualified ruling class. Chong also proposed that a prime minister, who could always be removed if his authority proved to be ineffective, should exercise the duties of administration. Laws were to be framed and executed not for punishment but as deterrents to crime. Above all, Chong insisted that life must be lived according to a governing principle, which he proposed as being devotion to righteousness. To allow selfish interests to determine conduct is to make man similar to beasts. There must be an inextinguishable light to keep individuals on a right path. Both Taoism and Buddhism, e claimed, were destructive of social responsibility, since both emphasized self-fulfillment, and therefore were a threat against humanity. Above all, he renounced the Buddhist view that the phenomenal world is an illusion. For Chong, reality consisted of the circumstances that must be dealt with . Another Korean Philosopher, Yi I, founded the Ki School of Neo-Confucanism. According to Yis theory of enlightenment what exists and what is taught to exist both vitally affect human conduct. Recognition of the importance of both is necessary if society is to be rightly organized. He believed everyone should enjoy normal human rights. To accomplish such results, both the facts of nature and the guiding principles of moral behavior must be brought into accord. The reforms he called for were (1) to reshape the government towards the goal of insuring an acceptable standard of living for everyone; (2) to revise the tax collection to prevent corruption, to increase government revenues, and to protect people from illegal over-collection of taxes; (3) to regulate the local loan, insurance, and savings systems and institutions to insure fairness; (4) to reform the recruitment for military service, to make it apply equally to all social classes; (5) to insure equality of opportunity for education to all social classes; (6) to create jobs for everyone who is willing and able to work and insure adequate support for the aged, the handicapped, and orphans; and (7) to allow widows to remarry. .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .postImageUrl , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:hover , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:visited , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:active { border:0!important; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:active , .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6 .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3c2cd7b309b8cebd4f9bc65e6ccd35d6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cider House Rules EssayAlthough these reforms were not adopted the received widespread recognition as a special Korean interpretation of Confucian ethics . The final factor that supports the claim that Korea has a national identity is language. The importance of language can scarcely be overemphasized. Language and culture are inextricably intertwined. People who talk alike not only understand each other, they also feel a strong kinship. Language is more than vocabulary, more than grammar, more than words; language is and essential mark of identity. This mark of identity can be seen in Korea. Chu Si-gyong realized that dependence upon Chinese ideographs for writing was a f orm of cultural slavery. He devoted himself to the study of the hangul alphabet and undertook to modernize it so that it could suitably represent the new knowledge and the ideas and the attitudes of the liberal reformists. The modernization of the hangul alphabet opened the door for the first Korean literary works. This strictly Korean alphabet was fully adequate as a medium of communication to serve all the needs of discourse, for the high and the low, the noble and the despised. The Korean tribes, despite the broad Chinese and Japanese hegemony throughout its history, have developed a culture that is uniquely Korean. They have a long and colorful history that includes independence, dominance, revolutionary reformist ideas, national language, and Korean philosophies. The dispute over this peninsula is rooted in ancient imperialistic ideas. To force Korea to become part of any other country would be to rob the world of a unique entity. By forcing assimilation we would be destroying a culture that has just as much right to exist as any other. Many nations have a history of outside influence. If we say that Korea lacks national identity because of years of foreign influence, we should say the same for all of the Americas, who have governmental, economic and cultural ties to their imperialistic European father countries. Korea should be treated not as a possession to be quarreled over by stronger countries but rater it should be looked on as a country rich in heritage and culture.

20 Synonyms for Expert

20 Synonyms for Expert 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† By Mark Nichol Just as the many synonyms for beginner should be picked over with care to capture the correct connotation, the numerous alternatives available for referring to an expert have sometimes unique or specific senses appropriate for some contexts and unsuitable for others. Here’s a usage guide to such words: 1. Ace (ultimately derived from the Latin word as, â€Å"one,† â€Å"unit†): Originally, a combat pilot with at least five (later, ten) confirmed kills, or enemy planes shot down, and by extension a highly skilled person. The slang designation stems from the most valuable card in a deck and far predates powered flight; it was used to denote excellence, and eventually â€Å"top of the deck† athletes were so designated. The term is still employed in sports, as in gaining a point on a serve in tennis or hitting a hole in one in golf, as well as in the scholastic sense of performing well in a course or on a test. 2. Adept (from the Latin word adeptus, â€Å"having reached, attained†): Usually has the connotation of a mystical or secret pursuit or body of knowledge; this sense stems from the use of the term in Middle English to refer to an alchemist, and the term is widely used in heroic-fantasy literature featuring wizards and sorcerers and in writing about mysticism, though it is appropriate for general usage. 3-4. Artist (ultimately from the Latin word ars): Originally referred solely to a practitioner of art, but now often applied to someone who demonstrates skill with an artistic flourish in any pursuit. The French form, artiste, is used only facetiously or by or in reference to the pretentious. 5. Authority (from the Latin word auctoritatem, â€Å"advice, opinion†): Connotes the go-to source for, well, authoritative information or advice, or the governing agency or institution for a body of knowledge. As you may have guessed, the Latin term from which this word derives is also the source of author. 6-7. Connoisseur (from the Latin word cognoscere, â€Å"to know†): Usually employed in gustatory or artistic contexts, identifying someone with a refined taste in wine, for example, or a specific school of painting. The term, which comes to English from French, has an Italian cognate, cognoscente, which, when borrowed into English, has the same sense or that of â€Å"one in the know.† (The plural is cognoscenti.) 8-9. Doyen (from the Middle French word meaning â€Å"leader of ten,† stemming from the Latin term decanus, and ultimately from the Greek term dekanos, both with the same meaning): Carries a connotation similar to that of connoisseur or maven, of a person with knowledge about or skill in a rarified topic or area. Dean, sometimes used to denote an expert in or master of a specific field as well as in its academic sense, derives from doyen. 10. Guru (from the Hindi word for â€Å"teacher† or â€Å"priest,† from the Sanskrit term guru-s): Originally denoted a spiritual mentor, but the meaning was later extended to a secular sense and then generally to an expert. 11. Hotshot: Originally referred to a headstrong person or a headlong object; it now is usually employed in the sarcastically derogatory sense of someone who considers themselves more knowledgeable or capable than they are. 12. Initiate (from the Latin word initium, â€Å"beginning†): Originally, this word identified one who had undergone or was about to undergo an initiation ceremony, but now it is also a designation for one privy to certain knowledge or skills. 13-14. Maestro (from the Italian word for â€Å"master,† ultimately from the Latin term magister): A term for a gifted composer, later extended to orchestra conductors and now sometimes used facetiously to refer to those with pretensions of genius. The English form master denotes both an academic leader (hence â€Å"master of arts† and so on) and one who is eminent in any given field of endeavor. 15. Maven (from the Yiddish word, meyvn, â€Å"one who understands,† ultimately from the Hebrew term mebhin): Generally used in the sense of someone with expertise in a sophisticated area of study or skill. 16. Pundit (from the Hindi payndita, â€Å"learned man,† ultimately from Sanskrit payndita-s): Usually employed to refer to commentators, analysts, or consultants, often with a negative sense because of the widespread realization that one can find â€Å"experts† who will support or attack any position one favors or opposes. 17. Scholar (from the Latin word schola, â€Å"school,† ultimately from the Greek term skhole): Originally, referred to a student, but now, except in formal or jocular contexts, denotes an academician. 18. Virtuoso (from the noun form of the Italian word meaning â€Å"skilled, learned,† from the Latin term virtuosus, â€Å"virtuous†): Originally applied to highly talented musicians, but now appropriated in many other contexts to refer to manual or mental dexterity. 19-20. Wizard (from Middle English wys, â€Å"wise,† and -ard, â€Å"one who [is]†): The supposedly traditional connotation, that of a person with magical powers, supplanted the original meaning of â€Å"wise man,† and the modern sense, outside of fantasy-literature and computer-gaming circles, is of someone astonishingly good at a certain endeavor. Whiz is either a short form of wizard or a variant of the onomatopoeic whizz, â€Å"humming, hissing sound or movement.† 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†How to Style Legislative Terms

Why Cant I Trust Microsoft essays

Why Cant I Trust Microsoft essays Microsoft has been in the sights of the US Government for almost eleven years now. According to a Wired News timeline way back in 1990 the Federal Trade Commission began to investigate a possible conspiracy between IBM and Microsoft. After that Microsoft had been in and out of courtrooms for about five years without any punishment. Then in July 1994 Microsoft settled antitrust charges with the Justice Department, signing a decree that forbid Microsoft from using its operating systems dominance to squelch competition. (Wired News) That decree was used against Microsoft in the courts for the next four years. According to the article U.S. Justice Department attempts to rein in Microsoft in Information Intelligence Online Newsletter, The main complaint is that Microsoft was illegally forcing retailers to bundle Microsoft programs with new PCs or else they would not grant them official retailer licenses. The biggest complaint was that Microsoft was designing windows with an already incorporated web browser, taking away customers from Netscape and its navigator web browser. In October of 1998 Microsoft was taken to the US court on charges of violating the Sherman Antitrust act of 1890, This was the first time that Microsoft had actually been formally charged of being a monopoly that hurt US consumers. The trial was drawn out and went through many appeals from both Microsoft and the FTC before it would come to an end. After 76 days of testimony lasting nearly eight months, the trial adjured on June 24, 1999. On November 5, 1999 Judge Thomas Jackson issued his initial findings of fact. He found that Microsoft held monopoly power and used its power to harm consumers, rivals, and other companies. Microsoft had finally been convicted of being a monopoly; in response Microsoft filed an appeal to try to get the case thrown out for various reasons. The biggest of those being the merger between Time-Warner and AOL. Micros...

Applying Organizational Management to Work and Life Term Paper

Applying Organizational Management to Work and Life - Term Paper Example 2. Corporate culture also affects talent management and the overall success of the organization. B. Explain the effect of power and influence on leadership 1. Effective leaders use their personal power rather than position power. C. Explain the centrality that ethics has to leadership within organizations 1. Ethics provide a set of principles that guide leaders in making decisions. III. Viewing the course learning outcomes in light of my experience in the army A. The U.S. Army follows the transformational leadership style wherein a leader can influence followers to transcend self-interests and commit themselves to excellence. B. Not all managers are leaders. C. A good leader is one who can switch instinctively between leadership styles based on the people and work that they are dealing with. IV. Applying the course learning outcomes to my personal and professional goals A. Use my influence and power to provide the best qualified LNLs who can assist military units in Afghanistan in th eir varied and complex missions. B. Ensure that the corporate culture within the organization encourages creative talent, sincerity and trust. C. Be sensitive to cultural differences and maintain ethical responsibility. V. Insight that I gained from this course A. The organizational culture established by leaders is key to organizational success VI. Conclusion A. Organizational management is a complex process. However, its success rests on leaders who provide a supportive culture for employees to feel committed to achieving organizational goals. Applying Organizational Management in Work and Life Organizational management has been a subject of great interest to me. Since I have worked in the army for twenty two years in a supervisory role and I am currently working as a site manager for the linguist program in Afghanistan, I have been able to look back at my experience and compare and contrast it with what I learnt in this course. In simple terms, organizational management is define d as, â€Å"the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts of organizational members and resources to achieve stated organizational goals† (Schermerhorn, 2002, p. 9). As part of their roles, organizational managers need to achieve certain specified goals and thereby ensure that each person does their part in unity and integrity. To achieve this, managers need to make decisions and resolve problems on a daily basis. These decisions are made to benefit the organization and improve organizational performance. Although, organizational management is an extremely complex process, organizational success depends on leaders who establish a supportive culture within the organization to ensure that employees are committed to achieving the goals of the organization. Three course learning outcomes important to me After reviewing the course learning outcomes, I feel that the following three learning outcomes are very important because they form the foundation, bas ed on which a leader would try to find solutions to address any given problem in an organization: 1. Analyze the ways leadership is affected by corporate culture, personal values, globalization and outcomes performance According to Rue (2001), a noted ethicist and educator, â€Å"Values are the essence of who we are as human beings. Our values get us out of bed every morning, help us

Strategic Management and Leadership Techniques Efficiency Research Proposal

Strategic Management and Leadership Techniques Efficiency - Research Proposal Example The present century is mostly expected to do his own works like typing emails and reports and also handling his own computer apart from his abilities towards budgeting and forecasting. In an age where information plays a major part in the framing of strategies, it is important even for the manager to avoid the luxury of an assistant in every trivial job in order to maintain privacy and security. Organizations are therefore becoming flattered and the â€Å"†¦ modern workplace is more stressful, moves at a faster pace, and is more demanding than before† (Teik, 2009) The use of technology has brought about the dehumanization of the workforce and human resource has turned into a product which can easily be discarded on grounds of effectiveness (Green, 2008). The modern day’s leaders need to alter their tactics and ways of dealing with the subordinates in order to keep parity with the changing time. Therefore, their strategies towards management will also change. The layers of management are gradually being eliminated such that costs might be reduced and decisions are made faster than usual. This gives rise to a flatter organizational structure. This again imparts greater responsibilities to the managers who will now have more workers reporting to them. The managers need to work under stress and empower themselves with coaching abilities such that some of their tasks might be passed on to their subordinates. This also gives rise to team leaders who are designated to take care of their small teams. No more can an autocratic structure be used in the firm. Motivation is the main factor where the managers need to lay stress upon. However, owing to the enormous stress at times the managers forget the small notes of appreciation towards those who are indispensable to the organization in terms of know-how.  

Teenage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Teenage Drinking Essay For the past decade, there has been a major problem with underage drinking in this world. Many of teenagers have been able to buy consumed drinking without the appearance of their parents. Today, many teenagers experience different things in the world. Whether it is their first date or first day in high school, teens are always eager to try something different or new. One of the things that teenagers try is drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, underage drinkers often abuse alcohol. Many reasons why underage teens are consuming alcohol because there were alcoholics in the family, peer pressure, stress and family problems. When growing up with an alcoholic, the kids mind thinks that it is normal to drink non-stop. The emotional and psychological scars that children can develop in alcoholic homes can be so deep that they can last well into adulthood. If you were raised in a home with alcoholism or addiction, you may find that some of the following characteristics are very familiar(Dr. Jan Woititz). People tend to become isolated, fear people and authority figures become approval seekers, be frightened of angry people, be terrified of personal criticism, become alcoholics, marry them or both view life as a victim have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, be concerned more with others than themselves, feel guilty when they stand up for themselves, become addicted to excitement, confuse love and pity love people who need rescuing, stuff their feelings lose the ability to feel, have low self-esteem, and judge themselves harshly. Those are just few of the effects of alcoholic problems in the family. Studies state that people look to alcohol because of economic, job stress or marital discord. In humans between certain types of alcoholism and adverse early childhood experiences. High levels of stress may influence drinking frequency and quantity. This relationship between stress and drinking even is stronger when alternative coping mechanisms and social supports are  lacking. Finally, when individuals believe that alcohol will help to reduce the stress in their lives, alcohol is most likely to be used in response to stress. Drinking appears to follow stress but some evidence also links excessive drinking to the anticipation of a major stress or even during times of stress (BRESSERT). Stress can lead to being a alcoholic because the person is so tired of being in a state of stress so they look for something that can calm them down so they turn to either weed or alcohol. They drink as much as they could until it goes away but in reality the stress does not go away. So if it do not work then that means they going to keep looking towards liquor to get rid of it. This drinking can make their way of thinking change. Over time, heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in the brain that are needed for good mental health. So while alcohol may help deal with stress in the short term, in the long run it can contribute to feeling of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with (Eva Cyhlarov). Joseph A. Califano, Jr says The media focuses on illegal drugs [ such as ] heroin, but thats the tail. The dog is alcohol and the dog is really biting our kids (69). This can cause you to hurt others, get you into illegal trouble, and damage your relationships. Alcohol can damage the young brain, interferes with mental and social development, and interrupts academic progress. Alcohol is attracts teenagers easily and leads to the three leading causes of teen death: accidents, homicide and suicide. You can also harm your body now and when you grow up and also get you addicted. When drunk people tend to not notice anything so they start fights, unprotected sex, driving drunk and heavy hangovers. People have died from drinking on the beach and like to go swimming which leads to death. It is said from Anthony that people dont die from smoking weed, they die from drinking alcohol(70). It seems to be true because you cannot die from a plant but you can die from something that is mix with ma ny chemicals. They can die from intense alcohol intoxication. Why do teens drink? Teens seem to look towards drinking as a pleasure but what they do not notice is messing up their body. Even though they know its bad for them, they insist that alcohol isnt really a drug, however kids  know that beer, wine, and liquor can you into big trouble. It is said by CASA that 8th graders used 47.0% of alcohol, 10th graders used 66.9% and 12th Graders used 78.4%. Used in past year, 8th graders are 38.7%, 10th graders are 60.0%, and 12th graders are 71.5%. Used in the past months, 8ths graders are 19.6%, 10th graders are 60.0% and 12th graders are 48.6%. Seventy-two percent of college students report that they used alcohol at least once within the 30 days prior to completing the Core survey. Within the last year, 84 percent of students report they drank alcohol (Alcohol and College Students Drinking Fact Sheet, 1). 82% of students under age 21, using alcohol within the past year. Student athletes are more often the heaviest drinkers in the overall student population. Half of college athletes (57 percent of men and 48 percent of women) are binge drinkers and experience a greater number of alcohol related harms than other students. College athletes are also more likely than other students to say that getting drunk is an important reason for drinking(Dying to Drink by Henry Wechsler, Ph.D.). Seventy-eight percent of college athletes report that they used alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days prior to completing the Core survey. Within the past year, 88 percent of student athletes report using alcohol. One in five athletes believe others students drinking adversely affects their involvement on an athletic team or in other organized groups. Some athletes do not think of the repercussions while they are out with fellow teammates, drinking a limitless amount of alcohol. They are caught up in the moment and want to be cool with friends and associates. They don’t think how this is going to affect their upcoming game or practice. Some athletes believe they can handle excessive drinking and performing well in games. There thought pattern is party hard right now and worry about practice or the game later. This is a poor thought pattern that will always harm their performance. Athletes know alcohol affects their system in a negative way, yet they still consume large amounts(Nelson and Wechsler1 2001). Colleges and pro-football leagues look at this kind of things. They have a wide-range programs that can track and also test 100% if someone is under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Today, as you may have read many teenagers are under the influence of alcohol in the stages of high school and college. There were many studies  that were conduction that gave us information about the average student alcoholics or up and coming alcoholics. There were many effects of alcoholic that people did not understand. These kids do not understand what it can do to your life and physical-self in the future. They wont understand the outcomes until it hits them clearly in the head.

To Download Or Not To Download :: essays research papers fc

The Internet is an extremely useful resource. Using it, one can obtain information on nearly any topic. A relatively new item of Internet technology for sharing music has emerged and brought with it, countless legal debates: Napster. Napster allows people to share music files, discover new artists, and become part of the online-music community. Although Napster’s opponents argue that sharing music files is immoral and should cease immediately, the positive elements that Napster brings to the Internet overshadow any regret for its use. Marc Geiger, executive of â€Å"Artist Direct,† an online music-marketing firm and Napster champion, states, â€Å"Napster is totally community oriented. It brings artists and fans together, and can allow struggling musicians a chance to be heard; that’s what the program is all about. The more people hear the songs, the more they want {to} buy the CD† (Sullivan). Struggling musicians who do not receive widespread media coverage to enhance their own album sales find Napster invaluable (Sullivan). These avid Napster supporters can use the medium to distribute and publicize their music with literally no cost (Sullivan). Richardson, CEO of Napster, Inc., is promoting the good side of the software, and trying to make upset artists understand that this program is for the little guys (Sullivan). Richardson maintains that Napster will not hinder music sales, but will have an opposite effect (Sullivan). Napster is an MP3 file-sharing program that enables users to share their music with one another. Anyone with a computer can download the program, sign the user agreement contract and then start swapping music. The program includes chat features, top music sharing lists, search capabilities, charts showing the status of the file transfer, and other assisting utilities (Allen). The chat rooms allow users to converse and exchange information with other people â€Å"in† the room (Allen). The search feature allows the music consumer to search by song title, artist, along with a myriad of other variables. The file transfer element of the program allows listeners to manage file downloads (files which they are receiving) and uploads (files which others are copying) (Allen). Napster also includes a â€Å"library,† a utility for sorting and listing music files stored on a given computer (Allen). Napster users can also listen to their newly downloaded files with Naptster’s built in mp3-player (Allen). The program is easy to use and does not contain too much technical jargon (Allen). A Northeastern student named Shawn Fanning developed Napster in his college dorm room to share ideas and music with his friends.

Macbeth Newspaper Essay

One way Jewett dramatizes the character of the young girls adventure is by using personification. Jewett uses personification. Personification gives human qualities to objects as a way of describing them to strengthen the description. In the story A White Heron Jewett uses personification when she says â€Å"There was the huge tree asleep yet in the paling moonlight. † Jewett here is showing the tree as a peaceful tree sleeping under the moonlight. â€Å"It must truly have been amazed. † This is when Jewett is trying to show how the tree is amazed by Sylvia and from that point it started to help her. â€Å"It felt this determined spark of human spirit. † This is when Jewett is showing that the tree felt a spark of human spirit. â€Å"And the tree stood still and frowned away the winds. † This was when Jewett was trying to show that the tree frowned away the winds and did not want the wind to make Sylvia’s journey hard for her. â€Å"The old pine must have loved his new dependent. † This is when Jewett is showing that the old pine tree now has helped Sylvia to the top and actually loves his new dependent (Sylvia). Another way Jewett dramatizes the character of the young girls adventure is by using Diction. Diction is the author’s word choice. It is very important because it strengthens the description of something or someone. In The White Heron Jewett it helps contrast between the huge tree and the small girl. Words that was used to describe Sylvia in the story was â€Å"little,† â€Å"small,† â€Å"clumsy,† â€Å"bare feet,† â€Å"weak creature† and â€Å"Harmless housebreaker. † All of these are words chosen by Jewett that describes the character of Sylvia. It strengthens the characterization of Sylvia. Those words mostly are showing that Sylvia is weak and small. She is a small girl that goes on a journey that leads her to becoming a young adult. Also words such as â€Å"determined,† â€Å"daring,† spark† and â€Å"dazzle† shows that Sylvia is determined and is daring herself to climb the â€Å"huge† tree. Jewett also uses words to describe the tree. Words such as â€Å"huge,† â€Å"strong,† â€Å"old pine,† â€Å"sturdy,† â€Å"monstrous ladder† and â€Å"great main mast† to describe the tree. This is showing that the tree is very powerful. These two are exactly opposite when Jewett describes them using word choice and diction. For example she says the girl is â€Å"small† and the tree is â€Å"huge,† she is â€Å"weak† and the tree is â€Å"strong† so there is a contrast between them. Contrasting diction and word choices contrasts the Sylvia’s personality and the tree’s.

Four characteristics of Romanesque art

The Romanesque art period started from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque. The term was invented by 19th century art historians, which retained many basic features of Roman architectural style. Mostly round-headed arches, as well as barrel vaults, apses, and acanthus-leaf decoration but had also developed many very different characteristics. The Romanesque style was the first style to impact the whole of Catholic Europe, from Denmark to Sicily.Romanesque art consisted of sculptures, made out of metal, enamel, and ivory work. Metals were a very high status in this period, much more than the paintings. Metal sculptures included enamel decorations, for example The Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral by Nicholas of Verndun. It is said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men. The shrine is a large gilde d and decorated triple sarcophagus placed above and behind the high altar of Cologne Cathedral.It is the largest reliquary, which is known as a shrine, in the western world. Another example of Romanesque metal work is the Cloisters Cross. It is an unusually complex 12th century ivory Romanesque altar cross in The Cloisters. The cross is carved from walrus ivory and measures 22 5/8 by 14 1/4 inches. The carvings that are covering both the front and the back contain ninety-two carved figures and ninety-eight inscriptions. The figures, each of which is only about one-half inch tall, illustrate a number of Biblical scenes. Also read  Driver’s Ed Module Reflection JournalAside form the sculptures Romanesque art was known for its wall paintings. The large wall surfaces and plain, curving vaults of the Romanesque period lent themselves to mural decoration. Many of the early wall paintings have been destroyed by moisture and some walls have been re plastered and painted over. Majority, if not all, wall paintings were in churches. The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, which is located in Poitou, France, is home to many of these murals. One of these murals is, â€Å"God speaks to Noah†. This mural was done using the Fresco technique.The Fresco technique is a painting done on fresh plaster (calcina), which is done immediately on freshly applied plaster before it dries. Another type of Romanesque art is embroidery. Romanesque embroidery is best known from the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is a 0. 5-by-68. 38-meter long embroidered cloth, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. The tapestry is annotated in Latin. Another popular type of embroidery is called the Opus Anglicanum or English work.It is a contemporary term for fine needlework of Medieval England done for ecclesiastical or secular use on clothing, hangings or other textiles, primarily by nuns and then by professionals who had served seven years' apprenticeship in secular workshops. Stained glass is the colored and painted glass of medieval Europe from the 10th to the 16th century. For much of this period stained glass windows were the major pictorial art form, particularly in northern France, Germany and England where windows tended to be larger than in southern areas.Glass was both expensive and fairly flexible meaning it could be added to or re-arranged, seems to mostly be used in churches, but were also found in wealthy domestic settings and public buildings such as town halls. The purpose of stained glass windows in a church was both to enhance the beauty of their setting and to inform the viewer through narrative or symbolism. Most of the magnificent stained glass of France, including the famous windows of Chartres, dates from the 13th century. Few large windows that date back from the Twelfth century are intact, one of them being the Crucifixion of Poitiers.It is a remarkable composition that rises through three stages. The lowest with a quatrefoil depicting the Martyrdom of St Peter, the largest central stage dominated by the crucifixion and the upper stage showing the Ascension of Christ in a mandorla. The window has been described as, â€Å"a remarkable beauty†. The earliest intact figures are five prophet windows at Augsburg, dating from the late Eleventh century. The figures, though stiff and formalized, demonstrate proficiency in design, both pictorially and in the functional use of the glass. One particular is called, â€Å"The Prophet Daniel†.

English Pronunciation Exercises - U Sounding Vowels

English Pronunciation Exercises - U Sounding Vowels The following series of pronunciation exercises combines words beginning with the same consonant sound followed by similar vowel sounds. Voiced and voiceless consonants are paired (b - voiced / p - voiceless, d - voiced / t - voiceless, etc.) to help students compare and contrast similar consonant formation.   Repeat each line slowly, listen for the minor differences between the vowel and consonant sounds.Repeat each line three times. Each time repeat more quickly trying to keep the sounds distinct.Find a partner and listen to each other repeat the lines.Try to invent sentences using each sound at least once. For example, The butcher put on his boots but he forgot his hat.   Dont worry too much about the sentence making much sense! long uh as in put short uh as in up oo as in shoe butcher but boot put pup poof! duh duck do Tokay tough tooth good gulp Google cook cup cool soot supper suit Zeus Wazup? zoom shook shut shoot jut jump June churn Chuck choose hook hub who Sentences to Practice with Minimal U Sounds B - The butcher wanted to cook, but he forgot to wear the right boots. P - My teacher put the pup into the magic circle and it went poof! D - Duh! I shouldnt have let the duck do the dishes this evening. T - If you think the Tokay was OK, youll find the Chardonnay tough on the tooth. G - Just gulp your beer, and youll be good enough to Google the answers on the quiz. C - The wonderful cook cooled the cup of tomato soup before he served it.   S - The man walked in and shook the soot off of his suit before he sat to supper.   Z - Zeus said wazup to Thor as he zoomed through the Greek heavens.   SH - The boy wanted to shoot the kid who had shook him and told him to shut up. J - He jut his chin out and jumped into the air on a beautiful day in June. CH - Chuck told the students that they should choose carefully, and not churn through the mess. H - Janes mom, who was the hub of gossip in town, hooked everyone into something.    Vowel Sounds eh - as in let, ih - as in hit, ee - as in see, and ae- as in catlong ah - as in car, short ah - as in gotlong uh - as in put, short uh - as in up, oo - as in through Diphthong Sounds ay - as in day, ai - as in skyou - as in home, ow - as in mouse, oi - as in boyieh(r) - as in near, ehi(r) - as in hair

The Top 10 Secrets Nurses Never Tell Their Patients

The Top 10 Secrets Nurses Never Tell Their Patients Nursing is a tough job and doesn’t get enough credit. Nurses go through a lot and that doesn’t come without developing their own fair share of secrets. Here are 10 secrets nurses never tell their patients:

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example The main goal of creating internal business policies dedicated to advancing corporate social responsibility is to ensure that the organisation takes direct responsibility for regulatory compliance and encourage the production of positive outcomes that impact a diverse group of organisational stakeholders. There are some members of society that believe corporate social responsibility detracts from the organisation’s primary objective which, according to respected business theorist Milton Friedman (1970) is to advance attainment of profitability. Other societal stakeholders believe that CSR is a fundamental obligation of businesses to protect the interests of society whilst also maintaining a dependability and conscientiousness, thereby providing a valuable good to all stakeholders in society. This paper critically examines the conception of corporate social responsibility, its historical ramifications, and the potential future implications of contemporary CSR policy for busines s leaders. The historical context of CSR By the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the advancement of modern commercialism and production capacity with thriving industrial businesses, CSR took on a more modern context that did not focus specifically around God’s potential condemnation for failing to abide by ethical and moral principles. Andrew Carnegie, a 19th Century business philanthropist and an influential figure in expanding the prowess of the American steel industry, was a well-respected theorist who often publicly condemned businesses for seeking profitability as a primary goal whilst abandoning social welfare as a business objective. In 1868, Carnegie drafted a letter which stated, â€Å"amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry. There is no idol that is more debasing than the worship of money† (Klein 2004, p.57). The philanthropist philosophy of Carnegie (as well as several other 19th Century businesspersons) served as a foundation for opening new avenues for business leaders to seek moral and ethical business behaviour as a primary business objective, which laid the foundation for much of modern corporate social responsibility that guides contemporary business practices. From a regulatory perspective, in 1976 the United Nations, utilising the ethical support of many member nations, began establishing a rigorous and strict code of conduct for businesses that would serve as the modern foundation for corporate social responsibility (Asongu 2007). Further, in the 1980s, the pro-business Ronald Reagan presidential administration in the United States began to seek corporate deregulation in an effort to open new trade channels internationally and expand overall corporate profitability. What occurred was a short-term stalling on negotiations that would enhance the UN CSR contract for ethical and responsible business behaviour as businesses sought to expand their domestic operations across the globe, thereby exploiting cheap labo urers and a wide variety of negligent environmental standards. The stalling of long-standing corporate codes of responsibility changed after the post-September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center which again put ethical and moral behaviours into the proverbial spotlight, giving such groups as Amnesty International and the

Secession of a Federal State Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Secession of a Federal State - Term Paper Example One who swore to override laws and constitution in order to reach his legitimate goal to divide the union between the South and North, and the ever-compromising force in executing charters beyond human demand. Republican viewed the strengths from slavery as values objectionable to Northern voters' republican ways. Leadership from Southerners was seen as a mere handful to the nation represented by the paradox of republican government, which, in essence, a minority rules the majority awaring that Lincoln was withheld from providing declaration on strategies, fearing that they would be perverted in both North and South. He declared that people would find him as his records earlier stated. I find this well demonstrated in the controversy on administration and enactment of laws, which brought wrinkles in Northern faces as they defied to honor guarantee to return slaves to the South. Lincoln was clearly stating, â€Å"I will not impose fugitive slave laws† (Wright 11). A constitutio nal crisis arose, as the federal states were not ready to embrace the laws, which would rather favor the Southern people. Failure to abide by the majority feeling at the brink of division crisis led the Southern people to extreme reputation not to surrender to people they had beaten in the election, unless the government broke up. Lincoln was unable to find good, capable generals in the beginning of the division. He tended to favor the Southern people as he felt they were more martial and occupied higher ranks, unlike the Northern people. Abraham Lincoln never supported the slave as he tells Douglas â€Å"I have no purpose, either directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery where it exists† (Current 7). When the states seceded, many generals left their ranks; however, the people from North sat underneath them. Lincoln was devastated in choosing men like Sir Grants so that he could use them, being aware that surrendering would lead to losing all office s they held and prohibition against holding more territories. In this era, Lincoln seemed relentlessly upbeat about the union and rationalist of secession. It is true to say that neither of the sides had a favorable advantage or the ability to enforce submission of the other’s will. Southerners gathered into gangs that fought as armed mobs. Lincoln’s victory was used, by secessionists, to excuse themselves to act, on threats, to abandon the union of federal states and save the power of slave politically, which was viewed as proponent of minority rule. Lincoln could not believe that Southern people meant secession and war, although frequently told by his royal states-men. He became skeptical and wondered if he would be inaugurated in Washington. He was provoked and could publicly announce that he gained no credit to himself for his power, but he was blind to view the stormy wide cloud, which no machines could overturn. Abraham Lincoln certainly understood the nature of the black republican who had no sympathy on him. Events in the South were comprehensible. Animosity was widely spreading while temperament was flawed. The republican followers were young and unknowledgeable. Lincoln stated â€Å"I intent to unite both the south and north for the sake of country’s unity† (Cline 13). After the election, he was determined to show a former face of the Republican Party a

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives Essay

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives - Essay Example What are the advantages and disadvantages, or more specifically, the risks and rewards, of several common currency overlay schemes? In â€Å"Mean/Variance Analysis of Currency Overlays† by Philippe Jorion, three of the four most common strategies are discussed and analyzed. These are 1) joint, or unit, currency management, its goal to optimize or hedge the entirety of the underlying assets, be they stocks, bonds, or currencies themselves; 2) partial optimization over the currencies, given a pre-determined position in the core portfolio; and 3) a separate optimization over currencies. In unit or joint hedging, it is assumed that â€Å"the manager has expertise in many asset classes and can structure a portfolio to account for correlations between assets and currencies,† (Jorion, 1994). Partial optimization manages currencies â€Å"separately from the core portfolio, but the manager still controls total portfolio risk.† Employing the method of separate optimization means to manage the currencies â€Å"completely independently of the rest of the portfolio,† even going so far as to measure their performance against a separate benchmark or hire a separate currency overlay manager to deal with this part of the portfolio as opposed to the equity manager. In the unit hedging approach, the tools work together to maximize the performance in light of the unique composition of the portfolio. Clearly, if done properly, this is the optimal approach.

Google Inc. is an American multinational corporation Essay Example for Free

Google Inc. is an American multinational corporation Essay These include search, cloud computing, software, and online advertising technologies. Most of its profits are derived from AdWords. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Together they own about 16 percent of its shares. They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. An initial public offering followed on August 19, 2004. Its mission statement from the outset was to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful, and its unofficial slogan was Dont be evil. In 2006 Google moved to headquarters in Mountain View, California, nicknamed the Googleplex. Rapid growth since incorporation has triggered a chain of products, acquisitions and partnerships beyond Googles core search engine. It offers online productivity software including email, an office suite, and social networking . Desktop products include applications for web browsing, organizing and editing photos, and instant messaging. The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system and the browser-only Chrome OS for a netbook known as a Chromebook. Google has moved increasingly into communications hardware: it partners with major electronics manufacturers in production of its high-end Nexus devices and acquired Motorola Mobility in May 2012. In 2012, a fiber-optic infrastructure was installed in Kansas City to facilitate a Google Fiber broadband service. The corporation has been estimated to run more than one million servers in data centers around the world and to process over one billion search requests and about 24 petabytes of user-generated data each day. In December 2012 Alexa listed google.com as the most visited website in the world. Numerous Google sites in other languages figure in the top one hundred, as do several other Google-owned sites such as YouTube and Blogger. Its market dominance has led to criticism over issues including copyright, censorship, and privacy. History Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both PhD students at Stanford University in Stanford, California. While conventional search engines ranked results by counting how many times the search terms appeared on the page, the two theorized about a  better system that analyzed the relationships between websites. They called this new technology PageRank; it determined a websites relevance by the number of pages, and the importance of those pages, that linked back to the original site. A small search engine called RankDex from IDD Information Services designed by Robin Li was, since 1996, already exploring a similar strategy for site-scoring and page ranking. The technology in RankDex would be patented and used later when Li founded Baidu in China. Page and Brin originally nicknamed their new search engine BackRub, because the system checked backlinks to estimate the importance of a site. Eventually, they changed the name to Google, originating from a misspelling of the word googol, the number one followed by one hundred zeros, which was picked to signify that the search engine was intended to provide large quantities of information. Originally, Google ran under Stanford Universitys website, with the domains google.stanford.edu and z.stanford.edu. The domain name for Google was registered on September 15, 1997, and the company was incorporated on September 4, 1998. It was based in a friends . In January 2013, Google announced it had earned $50 billion in annual revenue for the year of 2012. This marked the first time the company had reached this feat, topping their 2011 total of $38 billion. Financing and initial public offering The first funding for Google was an August 1998 contribution of from Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, given before Google was incorporated. Early in 1999, while graduate students, Brin and Page decided that the search engine they had developed was taking up too much time and distracting their academic pursuits. They went to Excite CEO George Bell and offered to sell it to him for $1 million. He rejected the offer and later criticized Vinod Khosla, one of Excites venture capitalists, after he negotiated Brin and Page down to $750,000. On June 7, 1999, a $25 million round of funding was announced, with major investors including the venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers and Sequoia Capital. The company offered 19,605,052 shares at a price of $85 per share. Shares were sold in an online auction format using a system built by Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, underwriters for the deal. The sale of $1.67 billion gave Google a market capitalization of more than $23 billion. The vast majority  of the 271 million shares remained under the control of Google, and many Google employees became instant paper millionaires. Yahoo!, a competitor of Google, also benefited because it owned 8.4 million shares of Google before the IPO took place. There were concerns that Googles IPO would lead to changes in company culture. Reasons ranged from shareholder pressure for employee benefit reductions to the fact that many company executives would become instant paper millionaires. As a reply to this concern, co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page promised in a report to potential investors that the IPO would not change the companys culture. In 2005, articles in The New York Times and other sources began suggesting that Google had lost its anti-corporate, no evil philosophy. In an effort to maintain the companys unique culture, Google designated a Chief Culture Officer, who also serves as the Director of Human Resources. The purpose of the Chief Culture Officer is to develop and maintain the culture and work on ways to keep true to the core values that the company was founded on: a flat organization with a collaborative environment. Google has also faced allegations of sexism and ageism from former employees. The stock performed well after the IPO, with shares hitting $700 for the first time on October 31, 2007, primarily because of strong sales and earnings in the online advertising market. The surge in stock price was fueled mainly by individual investors, as opposed to large institutional investors and mutual funds. The next year, against Page and Brins initial opposition toward an advertising-funded search engine, Google began selling advertisements associated with search keywords. When the company changed names to Overture Services, it sued Google over alleged infringements of the companys pay-per-click and bidding patents. Overture Services would later be bought by Yahoo! and renamed Yahoo! Search Marketing. The case was then settled out of court; Google agreed to issue shares of common stock to Yahoo! in exchange for a perpetual license. In 2001, Google received a patent for its PageRank mechanism. The patent was officially assigned to Stanford University and lists Lawrence Page as the inventor. In 2003, after outgrowing two other locations, the company leased an office complex from Silicon Graphics at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California. The complex became known as the Googleplex, a play on the word googolplex, the number one followed by a googol zeroes. The Googleplex interiors were designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects. Three  years later, Google bought the property from SGI for $319 million. By that time, the name Google had found its way into everyday language, causing the verb google to be added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, denoted as to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet. 2013 onward Google announced the launch of a new company called Calico on September 19, 2013, which will be led by Apple chairman Arthur Levinson. In the official public statement, Page explained that the health and wellbeing company will focus on the challenge of ageing and associated diseases. As of September 2013, Google operates 70 offices in more than 40 countries. Google celebrated its 15-year anniversary on September 27, 2013, although it has used other dates for its official birthday. The reason for the choice of September 27 remains unclear, and a dispute with rival search engine Yahoo! Search in 2005 has been suggested as the cause. The Alliance for Affordable Internet was launched in October 2013 and Google is part of the coalition of public and private organisations that also includes Facebook, Intel and Microsoft. Led by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the A4AI seeks to make Internet access more affordable so that access is broadened in the developing world, where only 31% of people are online. Google will help to decrease internet access prices so that they fall below the UN Broadband Commissions worldwide target of 5% of monthly income. The corporations consolidated revenue for the third quarter of 2013 is reported in mid-October 2013 as US$14.89 billion, a 12 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. Googles Internet business was responsible for US$10.8 billion of this total, with an increase in the number of users clicks on advertisements. Acquisitions and partnerships Since 2001, Google has acquired many companies, primarily small venture capital-funded firms. In 2004, Google acquired Keyhole, Inc. The start-up company developed a product called Earth Viewer that gave a three-dimensional view of the Earth. Google renamed the service to Google Earth in 2005. Google acquired Urchin Software in April 2005, using their Urchin on Demand product to create Google Analytics in 2006. In October 2006, Google announced that it had acquired the video-sharing site YouTube  for US$1.65 billion in Google stock, and the deal was finalized on November 13, 2006. Google does not provide detailed figures for YouTubes running costs, and YouTubes revenues in 2007 were noted as not material in a regulatory filing. In June 2008, a Forbes magazine article projected the 2008 YouTube revenue at US$200 million, noting progress in advertising sales. On April 13, 2007, Google reached an agreement to acquire DoubleClick for $3.1 billion, giving Google valuable relationships that DoubleClick had with Web publishers and advertising agencies. Later that same year, Google purchased GrandCentral for $50 million. The site would later be changed over to Google Voice. On August 5, 2009, Google bought out its first public company, purchasing video software maker On2 Technologies for $106.5 million. Google also acquired Aardvark, a social network search engine, for $50 million, and commented on its internal blog, were looking forward to collaborating to see where we can take it. In April 2010, Google announced it had acquired a hardware startup, Agnilux. In addition to the many companies Google has purchased, the company has partnered with other organizations for research, advertising, and other activities. In 2005, Google partnered with NASA Ames Research Center to build of offices. The offices would be used for research projects involving large-scale data management, nanotechnology, distributed computing, and the entrepreneurial space industry. Google entered into a partnership with Sun Microsystems in October 2005 to help share and distribute each others technologies. The company also partnered with AOL to enhance each others video search services. Googles 2005 partnerships also included financing the new .mobi top-level domain for mobile devices, along with other companies including Microsoft, Nokia, and Ericsson. Google would later launch AdSense for Mobile, taking advantage of the emerging mobile advertising market. Increasing its advertising reach even further, Google and Fox Interactive Media of News Corporation entered into a $900 million agreement to provide search and advertising on the then-popular social networking site MySpace. In 2007, Google began sponsoring NORAD Tracks Santa, displacing former sponsor AOL. NORAD Tracks Santa purports to follow Santa Claus progress on Christmas Eve, using Google Earth to track Santa in 3-D for the first time. Google-owned YouTube gave NORAD Tracks Santa its own channel. In 2008, Google developed a partnership with GeoEye to launch a satellite providing  Google with high-resolution imagery for Google Earth. The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on September 6, 2008. Google also announced in 2008 that it was hosting an archive of Life Magazines photographs. Some of the images in the archive were never published in the magazine. The photos were watermarked and originally had copyright notices posted on all photos, regardless of public domain status. In 2010, Google Energy made its first investment in a renewable energy project, putting $38.8 million into two wind farms in North Dakota. The company announced the two locations will generate 169.5 megawatts of power, enough to supply 55,000 homes. The farms, which were developed by NextEra Energy Resources, will reduce fossil fuel use in the region and return profits. NextEra Energy Resources sold Google a twenty-percent stake in the project to get funding for its development. In February 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC granted Google an authorization to buy and sell energy at market rates. The order specifically states that Google Energy—a subsidiary of Google—holds the rights for the sale of energy, capacity, and ancillary services at market-based rates, but acknowledges that neither Google Energy nor its affiliates own or control any generation or transmission facilities. The corporation exercised this authorization in September 2013 when it announced that it will purchase all of the electricity produced by the not-yet-built 240-megawatt Happy Hereford wind farm. Also in 2010, Google purchased Global IP Solutions, a Norway-based company that provides web-based teleconferencing and other related services. This acquisition enabled Google to add telephone-style services to its list of products. On May 27, 2010, Google announced it had also closed the acquisition of the mobile ad network AdMob. This occurred days after the Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation into the purchase. Google acquired the company for an undisclosed amount. In July 2010, Google signed an agreement with an Iowa wind farm to buy 114 megawatts of energy for 20 years. On April 4, 2011, The Globe and Mail reported that Google bid $900 million for six thousand Nortel Networks patents. On August 15, 2011, Google made its largest-ever acquisition to-date when announced that it would acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion subject to approval from regulators in the United States and Europe. In a post on Googles blog, Google Chief Executive and co-founder Larry Page revealed that the acquisition was a  strategic move to strengthen Googles patent portfolio. The companys Android operating system has come under fire in an industry-wide patent battle, as Apple and Microsoft have sued Android device makers such as HTC, Samsung, and Motorola. The merger was completed on the May 22, 2012, after the approval of Peoples Republic of China. This purchase was made in part to help Google gain Motorolas considerable patent portfolio on mobile phones and wireless technologies to help protect it in its ongoing patent disputes with other companies, mainly Apple and Microsoft After the acquisition closed, Google began to restructure the Motorola business to fit Googles strategy. On August 13, 2012, Google announced plans to layoff 4000 Motorola Mobility employees. On December 10, 2012, Google sold the manufacturing operations of Motorola Mobility to Flextronics for $75 million. As a part of the agreement, Flextronics will manufacture undisclosed Android and other mobile devices. On December 19, 2012, Google sold the Motorola Home business division of Motorola Mobility to Arris Group for $2.35 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction. As a part of this deal, Google acquired a 15.7% stake in Arris Group valued at $300 million. On June 5, 2012, Google announced it acquired Quickoffice, a company widely known for their mobile productivity suite for both iOS and Android. Google plans to integrate Quickoffices technology into its own product suite. On February 6, 2013, Google announced it had acquired Channel Intelligence for $125 million. Channel Intelligence, a technology company that helps customers buy products online, is active globally in 31 different countries and works with over 850 retailers. Google will use this technology to enhance its e-commerce business. The official confirmation of Googles acquisition of the Israel-based startup Waze occurred in June 2013. Waze is promoted as a community-based traffic and navigation app. Following the acquisition of Waze, Google submitted a 10-Q filing with the Securities Exchange Commission that revealed that the corporation spent US$1.3 billion on acquisitions during the first half of 2013. The filing also revealed that the Waze acquisition cost Google US$966 million, instead of the US$1.1 billion figure that was initially presented in media sources. The 2012 acquisition of WIMM Labs, a company that previously made an Android-powered smartwatch, was confirmed in August 2013. As of August 31, 2013, Google has not publicly commented on the news concerning WIMM Labs. The acquisition of  Flutter, a creator of hand gesture recognition technology, was confirmed by the corporation in early October 2013. The reported price is US$40 million and Google spokesperson stated: Were really impressed by the Flutter teams ability to design new technology based on cutting-edge research. Flutters technology allows users to enact hand gestures to control navigation for apps such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Winamp. Google data centers As of 2011, Google Inc. owned and operated six data centers across the U.S., plus one in Finland and another in Belgium. On September 28, 2011, the company announced plans to build three data centers at a cost of more than $200 million in Asia and purchased the land for them. Google said they will be operational within two years. Products and services Advertising For the 2006 fiscal year, the company reported $10.492 billion in total advertising revenues and only $112 million in licensing and other revenues. In 2011, 96% of Googles revenue was derived from its advertising programs. Using technology from the company DoubleClick, Google can determine user interests and target advertisements so they are relevant to their context and the user that is viewing them. Google Analytics allows website owners to track where and how people use their website, for example by examining click rates for all the links on a page. Google advertisements can be placed on third-party websites in a two-part program. Googles AdWords allows advertisers to display their advertisements in the Google content network, through either a cost-per-click or cost-per-view scheme. The sister service, Google AdSense, allows website owners to display these advertisements on their website and earn money every time ads are clicked. One of the criticisms of this program is the possibility of click fraud, which occurs when a person or automated script clicks on advertisements without being interested in the product, causing the advertiser to pay money to Google unduly. Industry reports in 2006 claimed that approximately 14 to 20 percent of clicks were fraudulent or invalid. In February 2003, Google stopped showing the advertisements of Oceana, a non-profit organization protesting a major cruise ships sewage treatment practices. Google cited its editorialpolicy at the time, stating Google does not accept advertising if the ad or site advocates against other individuals, groups, or organizations. The policy was later changed. In June 2008, Google reached an advertising agreement with Yahoo!, which would have allowed Yahoo! to feature Google advertisements on its web pages. The alliance between the two companies was never completely realized because of antitrust concerns by the U.S. Department of Justice. As a result, Google pulled out of the deal in November 2008. In an attempt to advertise its own products, Google launched a website called Demo Slam, developed to demonstrate technology demos of Google Products. Search engine According to market research published by comScore in November 2009, Google Search is the dominant search engine in the United States market, with a market share of 65.6%. Google indexes billions of web pages, so that users can search for the information they desire through the use of keywords and operators. In 2003, The New York Times complained about Googles indexing, claiming that Googles caching of content on its site infringed its copyright for the content. In this case, the United States District Court of Nevada ruled in favor of Google in Field v. Google and Parker v. Google. The publication 2600: The Hacker Quarterly has compiled a list of words that the web giants new instant search feature will not search. Google Watch has criticized Googles PageRank algorithms, saying that they discriminate against new websites and favor established sites. The site has also alleged that there are connections between Google and the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. Google also hosts Google Books. The company began scanning books and uploading limited previews, and full books where allowed, into its new book search engine. The Authors Guild, a group that represents 8,000 U.S. authors, filed a class action suit in a New York City federal court against Google in 2005 over this service. Google replied that it is in compliance with all existing and historical applications of copyright laws regarding books. Google eventually reached a revised settlement in 2009 to limit its scans to books from the U.S., the UK, Australia, and Canada. Furthermore, the Paris Civil Court ruled against Google in late 2009, asking it to remove the works of La Martinià ¨re from its database. In competition with Amazon.com, Google sells digital versions  of new books. On July 21, 2010, in response to Bing, Google updated its image search to display a streaming sequence of thumbnails that enlarge when pointed at. Though web searches still appear in a batch per page format, on July 23, 2010, dictionary definitions for certain English words began appearing above the linked results for web searches. The Hummingbird update to the Google search engine was announced in September 2013. The update was introduced over the month prior to the announcement and allows users ask the search engine a question in natural language rather than entering keywords into the search box. Productivity tools Gmail, a free webmail service provided by Google, was launched as an invitation-only beta program on April 1, 2004, The service was upgraded from beta status on July 7, 2009, at which time it had 146 million users monthly. The service was the first online email service with one gigabyte of storage. It was also the first to keep emails from the same conversation together in one thread, similar to an Internet forum. The service offers over 15 GB of free storage, shared with other Google Apps, with additional storage ranging from 20 GB to 16 TB available for per 1 GB per year. Gmail uses AJAX, a programming technique that allows web pages to be interactive without refreshing the browser. Steve Ballmer, Liz Figueroa, Mark Rasch, and the editors of Google Watch have criticised the privacy of Gmail, but Google claims that mail sent to or from Gmail is never read by a human being beyond the account holder and is only used to improve relevance of advertisements. In 2004, Google started opensource software project hosting, called Google Code, which allows developers to download incomplete programs at no charge. Google Docs, another part of Googles productivity suite, allows users to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in an online environment, similar to Microsoft Word. The service was originally called Writely, but was obtained by Google on March 9, 2006, and was released as an invitation-only preview. On June 6 after the acquisition, Google created an experimental spreadsheet editing program, which was combined with Google Docs on October 10. Enterprise products Google Search Appliance was launched in February 2002, targeted toward providing search technology for larger organizations. Google Apps allows  organizations to bring Googles web application offerings, such as Gmail and Google Docs, into their own domains. The service is available in several editions: a basic free edition, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps for Education, and Google Apps for Government. In the same year Google Apps was launched, Google acquired Postini and proceeded to integrate the companys security technologies into Google Apps under the name Google Postini Services. Other products Google Translate is a server-side machine translation service, which can translate between 35 different languages. The software uses corpus linguistics techniques, where the program learns from professionally translated documents, specifically UN and European Parliament proceedings. Google launched its Google News service in 2002, an automated service which summarizes news articles from various websites. In March 2005, Agence France Presse sued Google for copyright infringement in federal court in the District of Columbia, a case which Google settled for an undisclosed amount in a pact that included a license of the full text of AFP articles for use on Google News. In 2006, Google made a bid to offer free wireless broadband access throughout the city of San Francisco along with Internet service provider EarthLink. Large telecommunications companies such as Comcast and Verizon opposed the efforts, claiming it was unfair competition and that cities would be violating their commitments to offer local monopolies to these companies. In his testimony before Congress on network neutrality in 2006, Googles Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf blamed the tactics on the fact that nearly half of all consumers lack choice in broadband providers. Google currently offers free wi-fi access in its hometown of Mountain View, California. In 2010, Google announced the Google Fiber project with plans to build an ultra-high-speed broadband network for 50,000 to 500,000 customers in one or more American cities. On March 30, 2011, Google announced that Kansas City, Kansas would be the first community where the new network would be deployed. In July 2012, Google completed the construction of a fiber-optic broadband internet network infrastructure in Kansas City, and after building an infrastructure, Google announced pricing for Google Fiber. The service will offer three options including a free broadband internet option, a 1Gbit/s internet option for $70 per month, and a version that  includes television service for $120 per month. The project, called Android, turned out not to be a phone but an operating system for mobile devices, which Google acquired and then released as an open source project under the Apache 2.0 license. Google provides a software development kit for developers so applications can be created to be run on Android-based phones. In September 2008, T-Mobile released the G1, the first Android-based phone. On January 5, 2010, Google released an Android phone under its own company name called the Nexus One. A report in July 2013 stated that Googles share of the global smartphone market, led by Samsung products, was 64% in March 2013. Other projects Google has worked on include a new collaborative communication service, a web browser, and a mobile operating system. The first of these was first announced on May 27, 2009. The company described Google Wave as a product that helps users communicate and collaborate on the web. The service is Googles email redesigned, with realtime editing, the ability to embed audio, video, and other media, and extensions that further enhance the communication experience. Google Wave was initially in a developers preview, where interested users had to be invited to test the service, but was released to the general public on May 19, 2010, at Googles I/O keynote. On September 1, 2008, Google pre-announced the upcoming availability of Google Chrome, an open source web browser, which was then released on September 2, 2008. On July 7, 2009, Google announced Google Chrome OS, an open source Linux-based operating system that includes only a web browser and is designed to log users into their Google account. Google Goggles is a mobile application available on Android and iOS used for image recognition and non-text-based search. In addition to scanning QR codes, the app can recognize historic landmarks, import business cards, and solve Sudoku puzzles. While Goggles could originally identify people as well, Google has limited that functionality as a privacy protection. In 2011, Google announced Google Wallet, a mobile application for wireless payments. In late June 2011, Google soft-launched a social networking service called Google+. On July 14, 2011, Google announced that Google+ had reached 10 million users just two weeks after it was launched in this limited trial phase. After four weeks in operation, it reached 25 million users. At a launch event on July 24, 2013 in San Francisco, U.S., a newer version of the Nexus 7 Google tablet device was released to the public, alongside the  Chromecast dongle that allows users to stream YouTube and Netflix videos via smartphones. In 2013 Google launched Google Shopping Express, a delivery service initially available only in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Moto X  Speaking at the D11 conference in Palos Verdes, U.S. in late May 2013, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside, a former Google employee, announced that a new mobile device will be built by his company, which is wholly owned by Google, at a 500,000 square-feet facility in Texas, U.S. formerly used by the Nokia company. The facility will employ 2,000 people by August 2013 and the new phone, named the Moto X, will be available to the public in October 2013. The Moto X features Google Now software, and an array of sensors and two microprocessors that will mean that users can â€Å"interact with in very different ways than you can with other devices,† in the words of Woodside. Media reports suggest that the phone will be able to activate functions preemptively based on an awareness of what the user is doing at any given moment. Corporate affairs and culture On Fortune magazines list of best companies to work for, Google ranked first in 2007, 2008 and 2012 and fourth in 2009 and 2010. Google was also nominated in 2010 to be the worlds most attractive employer to graduating students in the Universum Communications talent attraction index. Googles corporate philosophy includes principles such as you can make money without doing evil, you can be serious without a suit, and work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun. Employees After the companys IPO, founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page and CEO Eric Schmidt requested that their base salary be cut to $1. Subsequent offers by the company to increase their salaries have been turned down, primarily because their main compensation continues to come from owning stock in Google. Before 2004, Schmidt made $250,000 per year, and Page and Brin each received an annual salary of $150,000. In 2007 and early 2008, several top executives left Google. In October 2007, former chief financial officer of YouTube Gideon Yu joined Facebook along with Benjamin Ling, a high-ranking engineer. In March 2008, Sheryl Sandberg, then vice-president of global online sales and operations, began her position as chief operating officer  of Facebook. At the same time, Ash ElDifrawi, formerly head of brand advertising, left to become chief marketing officer of Netshops. On April 4, 2011, Larry Page became CEO and Eric Schmidt became Executive Chairman of Google. In July 2012, Googles first female employee, Marissa Mayer, left Google to become Yahoo!s CEO. As a motivation technique, Google uses a policy often called Innovation Time Off, where Google engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their work time on projects that interest them. Some of Googles newer services, such as Gmail, Google News, Orkut, and AdSense originated from these independent endeavors. In a talk at Stanford University, Marissa Mayer, Googles Vice President of Search Products and User Experience until July 2012, showed that half of all new product launches at the time had originated from the Innovation Time Off. Googleplex  Googles headquarters in Mountain View, California, is referred to as the Googleplex, a play on words on the number googolplex and the headquarters itself being a complex of buildings. The lobby is decorated with a piano, lava lamps, old server clusters, and a projection of search queries on the wall. The hallways are full of exercise balls and bicycles. Each employee has access to the corporate recreation center. Recreational amenities are scattered throughout the campus and include a workout room with weights and rowing machines, locker rooms, washers and dryers, a massage room, assorted video games, table football, a baby grand piano, a billiard table, and ping pong. In addition to the recreation room, there are snack rooms stocked with various foods and drinks, with special emphasis placed on nutrition. Free food is available to employees 24/7, with paid vending machines prorated favoring nutritional value. In 2006, Google moved into of office space in New York City, at 111 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The office was specially designed and built for Google and houses its largest advertising sales team, which has been instrumental in securing large partnerships. As of February 2012, a significant engineering team is based in New York City, and has been responsible for more than 100 engineering projects, including Google Maps, Google Spreadsheets. As of September 2013, Googles East Coast office is located at 76 Ninth Ave, New York City, New York. In November 2006, Google opened offices on Carnegie Mellons campus in Pittsburgh, focusing on shopping-related advertisement coding and smartphone applications and  programs. By late 2006, Google also established a new headquarters for its AdWords division in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Other office locations in the U.S. include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; Cambridge, Massachusetts; New York City; San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Reston, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Furthermore, Google has several international offices. In October 2006, the company announced plans to install thousands of solar panels to provide up to 1.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to satisfy approximately 30% of the campus energy needs. The system will be the largest solar power system constructed on a U.S. corporate campus and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world. The idea of trimming lawns using goats originated from R. J. Widlar, an engineer who worked for National Semiconductor. Google has faced accusations in Harpers Magazine of being an energy glutton. The company was accused of employing its Dont be evil motto and its public energy-saving campaigns to cover up or make up for the massive amounts of energy its servers require. Easter eggs and April Fools Day jokes Google has a tradition of creating April Fools Day jokes. On April 1, 2000, Google MentalPlex allegedly featured the use of mental power to search the web. In 2007, Google announced a free Internet service called TiSP, or Toilet Internet Service Provider, where one obtained a connection by flushing one end of a fiber-optic cable down their toilet. Also in 2007, Googles Gmail page displayed an announcement for Gmail Paper, allowing users to have email messages printed and shipped to them. In 2008, Google announced Gmail Custom time where users could change the time that the email was sent. In 2010, Google changed its company name to Topeka in honor of Topeka, Kansas, whose mayor changed the citys name to Google for a short amount of time in an attempt to sway Googles decision in its new Google Fiber Project. In 2011, Google announced Gmail Motion, an interactive way of controlling Gmail and the computer with body movements via the users webcam. Googles services contain easter eggs, such as the Swedish Chefs Bork bork bork, Pig Latin, Hacker or leetspeak, Elmer Fudd, Pirate, and Klingon as language selections for its search engine. The search engine calculator provides the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the  Universe, and Everything from Douglas Adams The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. When searching the word recursion, the spell-checkers result for the properly spelled word is exactly the same word, creating a recursive link. When searching for the word anagram, meaning a rearrangement of letters from one word to form other valid words, Googles suggestion feature displays Did you mean: nag a ram? In Google Maps, searching for directions between places separated by large bodies of water, such as Los Angeles and Tokyo, results in instructions to kayak across the Pacific Ocean. During FIFA World Cup 2010, search queries including World Cup and FIFA caused the Goooogle page indicator at the bottom of every result page to read Gooooal! instead. Philanthropy In 2004, Google formed the not-for-profit philanthropic Google.org, with a start-up fund of $1 billion. The mission of the organization is to create awareness about climate change, global public health, and global poverty. One of its first projects was to develop a viable plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can attain 100 miles per gallon. Google hired Larry Brilliant as the programs executive director in 2004, and the current director is Megan Smith. In 2008 Google announced its project 10100 which accepted ideas for how to help the community and then allowed Google users to vote on their favorites. After two years of silence, during which many wondered what had happened to the program, Google revealed the winners of the project, giving a total of ten million dollars to various ideas ranging from non-profit organizations that promote education to a website that intends to make all legal documents public and online. In 2011, Google donated 1 million euros to International Mathematical Olympiad to support the next five annual International Mathematical Olympiads . On July 2012, Google launched a Legalize Love campaign in support of gay rights. Tax avoidance   Google uses various tax avoidance strategies. Out of the five largest American technology companies it pays the lowest taxes to the countries of origin of its revenues. The company accomplishes this partly by licensing technology through subsidiaries in Ireland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Netherlands. This has reportedly sparked a French investigation into Googles transfer pricing practices. Following criticism of the amount of  corporate taxes that Google paid in the United Kingdom, Chairman Eric Schmidt said, Its called capitalism. We are proudly capitalistic. During the same December 2012 interview Schmidt confirmed that the company had no intention of paying more to the UK exchequer. In 2013, Schmidt responded to questions about taxes paid in the UK by pointing to the advertising fees Google charged UK companies as a source of economic growth. Google Vice president Matt Brittin testified to the Public Accounts Committee of the UK house of commons that his UK sales team made no sales and hence owed no sales taxes to the UK. Environment Since 2007, Google has aimed for carbon neutrality in regard to its operations. In June 2013, the Washington Post reported that Google had donated US$50,000 to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank. In July 2013, it was reported that Google had hosted a fundraising event for Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, who has called climate change a hoax. See also Comparison of web search engines Criticism of Google Dont Be Evil Google Google Balloon Internet Google Catalogs Google China Google Chrome Experiments Google logo Google platform Google Ventures – venture capital fund Google X Google+ Googlebot – web crawler Googlization List of Google domains List of mergers and acquisitions by Google Ungoogleable References External links not add links at the Internet Archive at Hoovers Bibliography: Wikipedia