Changes in montag, fahrenheit 451 - 1157 Words

Guy Montag, the main character in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, goes through a huge change in his life. He changes from a typical fireman who follows the laws, into a person who challenges the law. Montag wakes up from being numbed and realizes that he is unhappy. Montag s wife, Mildred, who is addicted to Television and radio, did not care about Montag s feelings. However; Clarisse and Faber played a big role in Montag s life. Montag is a metaphor for a numbed society and his courage is demonstrated as he wakes up and evolves into his real human self throughout the book. Montag s first awakening starts when he meets Clarisse,. A 17 year old girl, who liked to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night†¦show more content†¦Faber changed Montag from being a confused man, to an aware, thinking and analyzing person that is deferent from the society he lives in. after killing Beatty, the chief fireman at the station who has read many books and memorized most of them. Montag seeks Faber s help again, he was confused did not know where to do to escape from the mechanical hound that was running after him. Faber tells Montag to go to the forest, where Montag rested and thought about what happened and whether he did the right thing or not. At the forest, Montag meets a group of men that was lead by Granger; an author who is the leader of a group that hopes to re-populate the world with books. Another incident that stayed in Montag s mind is the old women who set her self and her books on fire. However, Montag tried stopping her by telling her that the books were not worth her life. Before she burned herself, Montag took one of her books and kept it. At that time Montag did not think about what did the old lady burned herself with the books, he did not think about it might be the value and morals that books hold to teach is. The old lady knew the importance of these books and what do they have, so she preferred to burn herself with them, and not watch the firemen burn them, who do not even know the importance of books. But they do know that books are unreal and there is so importance of them, plus they are against the law! TheShow MoreRelatedHow Does Montag Change In Fahrenheit 4511163 Words   |  5 PagesFahrenheit 451 Essay In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, there is a story of the character Guy Montag who is a fireman in a dystopian society, a society in which people get entertainment from giant TVs they call â€Å"Parlor Walls† and houses have been deemed fireproof. Since fireman do not need to run around and eliminate fires, they start them. The job of a fireman in this dystopian society is that they burn books and the places that contain them, all the while being the official censorsRead MoreFahrenheit 451; 3 Characters That Helped Montag Change790 Words   |  4 PagesFahrenheit 451: 3 characters who helped Montag change into a different person People’s actions and their individual perceptions can influence and develop change in another person’s character. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Guy Montag, makes a complete metamorphosis with the help from his neighbor Clarisse, his wife Mildred, and his boss Beatty. In the beginning of the novel, he despised the whole idea of reading, had no thoughts or questions about his life, and was justRead MoreEssay Montag ´s Change in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury858 Words   |  4 Pages From all outward appearances, Guy Montag is content in his job as a fireman in the 24th century town in which he lives. He has learned to accept that his society is dictatorial, expressly forbidding its citizens from reading or possessing books or seeking any other intellectual self-improvement. Montag has even learned to take pleasure in the flames that shoot from his igniter when he is called to burn the dwelling of the citizens that possess books or commit other crimes against the society. HeRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Should Not Be Banned1638 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Are you crazy? Fahrenheit 451 should not be banned! This is an astonishing novel, written by the ingenious author, Ray Bradbury. He is the one who wrote the novel with so many beneficial, underlying messages, which happen to be true about our lives and even more so about our society. It offers so much more than what you think†, I disagreed as I interjected the outraged crowd of opinionated individuals, who protested outside of the Wheatfield Public Library. As most in this community can tell,Read MoreRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451934 Words   |  4 Pagesreading Ray Bradbury’s â€Å"Fahrenheit 451†, the events that took place within the story caused others to unfold within a ‘domino like effect ‘, which went from a beginning to an end within the story. It is important to note not just how different situations within â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† occurred, but also what happened before the situation occurred and as well as to what happened follow ing the situation. Coinciding with a dystopian setting, â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† goes through dynamic changes within the story thatRead MoreSociety In Fahrenheit 4511659 Words   |  7 Pagessociety is heading for destruction, similar to the destruction in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. In this novel, the characters live in a society that is truly awful, but the author shows us that our society is heading down that path also. However, in the story, the beliefs of the main character Guy Montag change drastically, from beginning the novel as an oblivious citizen to ending it by trying to change his society for the better. Guy lives in a society in which the government outlaws booksRead MoreSociety In Fahrenheit 4511661 Words   |  7 PagesOur society is headed for destruction, similar to the destruction in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. In this novel, the characters live in a society that is truly awful, but the author shows us that our society is head ing down that path. However, in the story, the beliefs of the main character Guy Montag change drastically, from beginning the novel as an oblivious citizen to ending it by trying to change his society for the better. Guy lives in a society in which the government outlaws booksRead Morefarenheit 451 comparison book to movie946 Words   |  4 PagesComposition Ms.Giovanelli January 22, 2013 Fahrenheit 451 Books and movies are booth great kind of entertainment. Many great books have been turned into great movies by adapting every bit of detail from the book to the movie, but as well as good books are being turned into good movies there are also good books being turned into disappointing movies by changing the great meaningful story the original author had written into a shallow script. Fahrenheit 451 is a book written by Ray Bradbury in 1953Read MoreSociety In Fahrenheit 4511647 Words   |  7 Pagessociety that we live in at this moment may be headed for destruction. In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, the characters live in a society that is truly awful, but the author shows us that our society could be headed down that path. However, in the story, the beliefs of the main character Guy Montag change drastically, from beginning the novel as an oblivious citizen to ending it by trying to change his society for the better. Guy lives in a society in which the government outla ws books becauseRead MoreRay Bradbury Once Said, â€Å"Collecting Facts Is Important.1517 Words   |  7 PagesRay Bradbury once said, â€Å"Collecting facts is important. Knowledge is important. But if you don t have an imagination to use the knowledge, civilization is nowhere† (www.brainyquote.com). This powerful quote said by the author of the novel, â€Å"Fahrenheit 451,† provides insight to the overlying problems found in the futuristic utopian society. Ray Bradbury is well known for his masterful use of words to fill his novels with theme. Do we, as readers, pick up on the many universal ideas, or themes, authors

Do The time, Lower The Crime by James Q. Wilson and...

Prison reform has been talked about since the late 1800’s and early 1900’s with the goal of giving prisoners better living conditions. Today’s issues involving prison reform have caused many debates on whether or not prisons should change their traditional ways and try to find a more suitable solution with prison related problems like overcrowded facility and huge sums of money being spent on these prisons. Two article that are going to be analyzed in this essay are entitled â€Å"Do the time, lower the crime† by James Q. Wilson and â€Å"Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences Waste Resource† by Kevin Zeese. Both of these articles have opposite viewpoints toward prison reform. One side of the argument which is introduced in â€Å"Do the time, lower the crime†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦We see the author explain how minor offenders are hammered down with strict punishment instead of less time or maybe treatment. Another writer brings into conside ration treatment programs that can be put into place instead of excessive punishment to help offenders stay out of jail or prison and better their health. That author states in his article entitled â€Å"Do the time, lower the crime† that â€Å"within four years, according to a study by Professors Mark Kleiman of UCLA and Angela Hawken of pepperdine University, the violation rate among HOPE fell by 90%† (2). HOPE (Hawaii’s Opportunity for probations with Enforcement) is a treatment program in Honolulu that its objective is to keep offenders out of prison. Both of these authors bring up good points on why stricter prison sentencing is part of the problem and not the solution, but the author of â€Å"Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences Waste Resource† only specifies in a certain demographic area by using New York City in his results. While the second article entitled â€Å"Do the time, lower the crime† gives people a better understanding of the solution available to help our prison problem. For example, implementing programs like HOPE could help our overcrowded prisons and might also help reduce our spending on prisons. These authors provide an insight to pro prison reform. Another problematic issue people argue about is that prison reform can help with the amount of money being wasted on prison facilities. The article

Poverty as a Challenge Class Ix Ncert Free Essays

Poverty As A Challenge | Class IX NCERT (CBSE) Economics (Social Science) Chapter 3, Poverty As A Challenge Class IX, NCERT (CBSE) Economics Textbook Exercise Questions-Answers Q. 1: Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India. Ans: In India poverty line is measured or calculated considering the following factors required for subsistence: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Poverty as a Challenge Class Ix Ncert or any similar topic only for you Order Now Minimum level of food requirement, 2. Clothing 3. Footwear 4. Fuel and Light 5. Education and 6. Medical requirement etc. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices. The present formula for food requirement is based on the desired calorie requirement. On the basis of these calculations in 1999 – 2000, the poverty line in the rural areas was fixed Rs. 328 per capita per month and in urban areas, it was Rs. 454. People earning more than this amount were considered above the poverty line and earning less than this amount were considered as living below the poverty line. Q. 2: Do you think that present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate? Ans: The present methodology of poverty estimation does not look appropriate. It only takes one factor in view and that is the economic factor. Moreover it considers about a â€Å"minimum† subsistence level of living rather than a â€Å"reasonable† level of living. Poverty has many dimensions. It is no longer confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. Its concept has broadened to human poverty. A few persons may have been able to feed themselves but if they are without education, without shelter, without health-care, without job security, without self-confidence, without social equality, they are considered poor. If poverty is to be removed in real sense and the people are to be brought above the poverty line, not only that we need to increase their income but also, we have to provide the people with education, shelter, health-care, job-security, respect, dignity all. Therefore, the present methodology of poverty estimation needs to be modified and broadened in order to make it an appropriate method. Q. 3: Describe poverty trends in India since 1973. Ans: As per the data given in the book there is a substantial decline in poverty ratio in India from 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993. There was further decline from 36 percent in 1993 to 26 percent in 2000. Although the number of poor people remained stable (about 320 million) in the earlier two decades (1973 to 1993), there was significant reduction in the number of the poor to about 260 million till 2000. If the present trend continues, the people below poverty line may come down to less than 20 percent in the next few years. Q. 4: Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India. Ans: There are various reasons for poverty in India which are outlined below – (1) Prolonged Colonial Administration The policies of British Colonial government shattered the Indian economy so much that it could not be revived until the 1980s. (2) Unabated Population Growth The failures to promote both the required economic growth and population control have been the main cause of poverty today. (3) Illiteracy Illiteracy is also an important cause of poverty in our country. (4) Disparity in the Ownership of Land-holdings The unequal distribution of land, lack of land resources and failure in the proper implementation of land reform policies have been the major causes of poverty in rural areas. (5) Unemployment Lack of job security and unemployment are other causes. (6) Widening Inequalities of Income This is a feature of high poverty. Money has been concentrating in fewer hands, thus rendering a majority of people poor. (7) Slow Growth of Employment Opportunities Despite the implementation of various employment generating programmes our government has failed to provide the necessary employment opportunities. (8) Socio-cultural Factors In order to fulfill social obligations such as marriage etc. and religious ceremonies people in India including the poor spend a lot of money which makes some people even poorer. Q. 5: Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India. Ans: Social Groups vulnerable to Poverty in India (1) Scheduled Castes households. (2) Scheduled Tribes households. Economic Groups vulnerable to Poverty (1) Rural Agricultural labour households. (2) Urban Casual labour households. Q. 6: Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India. Ans: Poverty in India is not the same in every state. The success rate of reducing poverty varies from state to state causing inter-state disparities in poverty level. Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are the three poorest states in India with their people living below poverty line being 47, 42 and 37 percent respectively. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the three better-off states in India as far as the poverty is concerned. Q. 7: Describe global poverty trends. Ans: There have been substantial reduction in global poverty, but there are regional disparities described below – (1) Poverty declined in China and South-East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and huge investments in the development of human resources. 2) In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained almost the same. (3) In sub-Saharan Africa, poverty saw an upward trend rather than a downward trend. It rose from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 2001. (4) Poverty ha surfaced itself in some of the former socialist countries like Russia, where formerly it was non-existent. Q. 8: Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation. Ans: Removal of poverty has one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The current government strategy of poverty alleviation is based on two planks: (1) Promotion of Economic Growth 2) Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes Some of the anti-poverty programmes undertaken by government at present are discussed below: Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) Started in 1993, this programme aims to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) Launched in 2000, this aims to create and improve basic services like primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and rural electrification. National Food for Work programme (NFWP) Launched in 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country, this programme is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desired to do manual unskilled work. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) This act was passed in September 2005. The act provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts and also one third to the proposed jobs would be reserved for women. Q. 9: Answer the following questions briefly – (i) What do you understand by human poverty? ii) Who are the poorest of the poor? (iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005? Ans: (i) Poverty is multi-dimensional problem. As per the official concept of poverty, a person is considered poor if his or her income falls below a given ‘minimum level’. But human poverty is not confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. The official definition of poverty considers only a ‘minimum’ subsistence level of living rather than a ‘reasonable’ level of living. Many scholars advocate that the concept of human poverty must be broadened and should be looked through other social indicators like – illiteracy level, lack of general resistance due to mal-nutrition, lack of access to resources like health-care, safe drinking water, job opportunities, sanitation, lack of self-confidence without social equality etc. (ii) Women, children (especially the girl child) and elder people in a poor family are regarded as the poorest of the poor because they are systematically denied equal access to resources available to the family. (iii) Refer to the answer of Q. 8 above. How to cite Poverty as a Challenge Class Ix Ncert, Papers

Implement Continuous Improvement for CRM Systems - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theImplement Continuous Improvement for CRM Systems. Answer: On conducting research on both the systems (Customer Relationship Management and POS system), it was found out that CRM systems will help companies to manage as well as analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle with a goal to bring improvement and maintain relationships with the customers and assist in customer retention and drive sale growth in the near future (Trainor et al., 2014). There are several benefits associated if companies start implementing Point of Sale system in their operations as it will improve stock control, there will be speedy checkout, fewer repairs as well as provides security and loyalty cards to the customers. Both the systems, if implemented in this retail store will benefit all of us. And I would like to personally talk about the benefits of both the systems one by one. By installing CRM software, it will be easy for us to get access of customer information as well as can be documented into a single CRM database where the business users can easily access the information and manage quite efficiently without any issue (Rahimi Kozak, 2017). By implementing POS software, the retail store would be able to conduct operations with increased efficiency. This software system help in creating detailed inventory reports as well as allows the business to manage the inventory flow smoothly as well as efficiently (Khodakarami Chan, 2014). As a team leader, I would use interactive session methods where I would mentor and coach my team members by explaining the usage of both the new systems on how effective it is to use CRM software and POS system in the retail store. There will be transparent communication where all the team members will be free to share their opinions, views and feedback so that there is no confusion about implementation of new systems (Hollensen, 2015). Firstly, I would talk to that employee who is against both the newly introduced systems. After that, I would clear that employees doubts and make him understand first that implementing these new systems will make the job easier. I will further understand his viewpoint and provide a solution to it. There will be transparent communication where I will give enough time to listen to his grievances, viewpoint and queries. If I find that he is just over thinking or acting smart just to hamper the smooth work in the retail store, then I would give him a chance to improve and make him understand the importance of CRM and POS systems individually.V I will monitor the progress on weekly basis where at the end of the week, I will review each of the team members individually and take their feedback about the newly implementing software system (CRM system and POS system). Improvements can be judged when there is positive outcome from the newly implemented systems as they are quite beneficial for this retail store (Goetsch Davis, 2014). By using CRM software, it will be easy to enhance the marketing efforts to customers at various points in the lifecycle. The progress or improvements can be easily judged by the help of CRM software (Choudhury Harrigan, 2014). The system will help in tracking all the contacts as well as follow-ups between both the sides. To start with, i would like to highlight upon the recently implemented systems and these are Customer Relationship Management Systems and POS systems. After implementing this system, I can guarantee that this retail store will enjoy increase in profits in next few years and the work will be quite easy and comfortable for the employees. With the automated results, the employees can now relax as they do not have to work manually in any of the activities or operations after implementation of these new systems. I know change management or any change in this retail store is not easy for you to accept but this is something that will benefit all of us in long run. After implementing CRM system in this retail store, it will be easy to manage relationship with the customers and this I feel will be best practice till date as we are here to maintain cordial and long lasting relationship with our customers so that they come back to this retail store for purchasing any products or services from u s. It will even help in tracking customer contact information as well as interactions that will support the business in every possible ways. With the use of POS system, it will be easy to bring improvements in the stock control as it will help this retail store to manage the stock flow smoothly and efficiently at the same time. I need some suggestions and feedback from you because I feel there is always a room for further improvement in any changes that are implemented from our side. As a team, I am open to all negative and positive feedback that should be genuine and help us to bring any kind of changes in the near future. Any problem that is faced by you during understanding this concept should be highlighted with instances that will make the whole purpose feasible and viable. After getting the feedback from the staff members, if I find out that they did not understand the new system, then I need to report to my Senior Management. Personally, I found both the new systems quite beneficial for this retail store. And for this, I will further try to demonstrate practically the usage of these systems to the staff members so that they have visual presentation in front of them and that can make them understand in an easy way. Reference List Choudhury, M. M., Harrigan, P. (2014). CRM to social CRM: the integration of new technologies into customer relationship management.Journal of Strategic Marketing,22(2), 149-176. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hollensen, S. (2015).Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Khodakarami, F., Chan, Y. E. (2014). Exploring the role of customer relationship management (CRM) systems in customer knowledge creation.Information Management,51(1), 27-42. Rahimi, R., Kozak, M. (2017). Impact of customer relationship management on customer satisfaction: The case of a budget hotel chain.Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing,34(1), 40-51. Trainor, K. J., Andzulis, J. M., Rapp, A., Agnihotri, R. (2014). Social media technology usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM.Journal of Business Research,67(6), 1201-1208.

Scarlet Letter Essays (751 words) - Film, English-language Films

Scarlet Letter The human mind is a powerful force and often works in unexplainable and mysterious ways. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows this through the lives and actions of Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale; three characters in a Puritan society who are affected by the sin of adultery. Each character gives a perspective of how the beliefs of the human mind control ones body and quality of life. Hester is the woman found guilty of committing adultery, and as punishment, is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest. Hester believes that she has sinned, and thinks that she can redeem herself by doing good in the Puritan community. She is constantly reminded of her sin by her daughter, Pearl, who asks endless questions about the scarlet letter, yet Hester remains a strong role model to her. With Hesters positive attitude and by living her life the ways she is, many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able,; so strong was Hester Prynne (page 148). Hester is Able because she is a single mother raising a daughter, is skillful ay sewing, and also is considerate by giving money to the poor even though she does not have much herself. At one point during a brief period of happiness in the woods, Hester tears off the scarlet letter from her bosom, and removes her hair cap. Suddenly, her mind is free of the burdens she has end ured, and she is physically beautiful again. In this short time, where she is happy and her mind is set free, her body also changes and the beauty she once had reappears. Roger Chillingworth was once a kind-hearted man, and is also Hesters husband, although no one else is aware of this. When he discovers that the father of Hesters child is Dimmesdale, he slowly changes from a good, trustworthy man to an evil parasite possessed with revenge. His overwhelming jealously causes Chillingworth a lot of distress, and as he mentally becomes vengeful, his physical deformity worsens, and he also appears to be more evil and sinful. Much like a leech he used to hurt Dimmesdale, Chillingworth attaches himself to Dimmesdales soul, and is consumed with punishing, torturing, and sucking all the life out of him, like a leech does to its host. Chillingworth is so attached that once Dimmesdale dies, he himself dies within a year, as if he now has nothing to live for. Perhaps the greatest example of mind over body is the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Feeling guilty about the sin he committed, Dimmesdale repeatedly tortures himself both physically and mentally. Dimmesdale believes that torturing himself in the privacy of his home will make up for a public confession. He thinks that because of the sin he committed, and himself being a Puritan minister, he does not deserve anything but pain. The Puritan age is a time when people in society are expected to be literally perfect and free from sin, but under all the strict rules and regulations, one will eventually break down from all the stress and pressure. This is what happens to Dimmesdale. His mind is filled with chaos, as he sincerely wants to confess, but is unable to do so. As time goes by, Dimmesdale becomes more ill and weak. Finally, Dimmesdale confesses moments before he dies, and when he does, a scarlet letter A is seen on Dimmesdales chest. Although it is not certain how this mark appeared or how long it has been there, a possible explanation might be that through all the self-inflicted punishment, self-torture and guilt, Dimmesdales mind and conscience afflicted a scarlet A on his chest. In varying ways, these three characters of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter are forced to deal with the sin of adultery. Their actions are dramatically based on what their minds believe. Hester has the most strength; she is able to move on, live a life of integrity, and become accepted by society. Chillingworth is so consumed with revenge that eventually it consumes his life, and Dimmesdale is so caught up on how he should be punished that he too, is consumed. Hawthorne shows that the perceptions of

Agriculture Tax in Pakistan Essay Example

Agriculture Tax in Pakistan Essay Example Agriculture Tax in Pakistan Essay Agriculture Tax in Pakistan Essay Today Agriculture converted subsistence to commercializated level, being a student of economy is you favor or against the notion of â€Å"tax on agriculture† prove it with your argument? ANSWER Now a day’s Govt. of Pakistan take a steps about to collect more tax and they just do commercialized to their agriculture. They impose tax on their agriculture sector before that agriculture income was tax exempted. Before that there was no tax on this sector. Because Pakistan has more agriculture economy. Pakistan agriculture products are really famous in the word especially rice, cotton quality are really popular in international market. Land lord export their agriculture products more and they work hard more so in this way our country foreign reserves also increasing when tax will be impose so it will create negative impact on farmers. We all know how our country tax system is? It is really corrupt. A tax what have been collected from anyone that will not give rewards to public. People also not want to give tax. Pakistan has almost 14 million foreign reserves and agriculture sector is a sector that play really important role in this. Because Pakistan has agricultural economy. Most of their earning comes from these products. If tax will come on this sector than definitely people will start to hide their income and they really do not want to give tax and they will do different type of corruption that will definitely create negative impact on foreign reserves. Although State Bank of Pakistan is playing very vital role to develop agriculture sector. They are making different policies to give farmer interest free loan or minimum interest rate loan. Farmer is very happy with these policies and SBP force all commercial banks to make policies to farmer helps. Different banks hire an adviser in rural areas branch there is specially adviser department exist in which farmer come and if they have problem so they help and guide tham how they can increase their products and which land is better for which products. So in this way farmer personal earning will also increase. After imposing tax on agriculture sector farmer will not come to bank because they all wants to hide their income from tax. So according to my opinion imposing ta on this sector mean just destroying this sector. Govt. should not take tax from agriculture sector.

What are the best way to educate American children Essay

What are the best way to educate American children - Essay Example It helps an individual to grow as a person, by exposing them to knowledge and resources. First let’s take a look at what critical thinking is from a psychological view point. Our brain first must comprehend information before one can conceptualize or evaluate observations presented to us. In the simplest form critical thinking can be as minute as deciding to put another log on the fire or not because you intend to retire for the evening in the next 10 minutes. One must remember that at all levels out brain is collecting information to use and evaluate for our next actions. The thinking process that is appropriate for critical thinking depends on the information area (e.g. scientific, mathematical, historical, etc.) but some universal measures are: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound empirical evidence, good reasons, depth, extent and fairness. All in all, critical thinking is the process some refer to as "thinking outside of the box", which takes practice. Critical thinking is a developed skill in any one person; everyone can lapse into irrational or scattered thoughts. Critical thinking is measured by degree on the level of experience in a given area or pertaining to specific areas of questions. No one is a born critical thinker, but only through training can a person obtain higher degrees of quality in this area whereby he or she are less prone to subjective tendencies, and flawed insights or occasional gaps in experiences. Therefore, the mark of excellence in critical thinking is a lifelong undertaking. A college education helps to provide students with critical thinking skills, which may be said to include analytical, and problem solving skills. Assignments, tests, and class discussions develop critical thinking skills, and virtually every class at college requires some array of written and work participation. Universities and colleges require that students develop and share their own ideas about interesting subjects. These

The Influence of Technology on Contemporary Strategic Marketing Essay

The Influence of Technology on Contemporary Strategic Marketing Management Practices - Essay Example This essay also explores how strategic marketing management practices have been strengthened by conventional and latest information technologies. Examples from the health care organisation are used to support the arguments. An Overview Above all, it is important to consider the concept of ‘strategic marketing management’ to examine how technology has influenced marketing. As defined by Jobber (1998), strategic marketing management is â€Å"the approach a firm takes to securing and retraining profitable relationships with its customers.†2 It was demonstrated by Leverick and colleagues (1998) that numerous organisations have transformed their marketing strategies through the influence of technology.3 For instance, in the manner an organisation communicates with or approaches its customers and the way it carries out marketing activities. Technology, in particular, information technology (IT), helps an organisation build competitive advantage, enhance managerial outco mes, and attain more accurate and wide-ranging environmental scanning. As stated by Porter and Miller (1985), â€Å"the usage of IT enables companies to increase internal efficiency.†4 The application of information technology in marketing strategy has been talked about since the 1960s. Yet, it is only recently that strategic management has been gradually reinforced or remodelled by information technology5 (e.g. Internet marketing, database marketing, decision support systems (DSS), etc). Gaur and colleagues (2003) supports the earlier assumption that â€Å"the technological revolution is changing the nature and activities of the marketing function.†6 Traditional and emerging technologies allow the customer to communicate efficiently, directly, and openly with the marketers. By means of technology, companies are becoming increasingly informed about their customers in a more cost-effective way, which allows them to carry out direct marketing, particularly via interactiv e technology. According to Foskett (1996), the Internet has transformed marketing ‘from mass marketing to customised one-to-one marketing’7; the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) views e-marketing as a quantum leap for marketing because it facilitates genuinely customised and individualised marketing, availability of lower costs and the mass market for smaller companies.8 However, in the 1980s and 1990s, oversupply of information/data became a crucial problem. Data overload resulted in less accurate and appropriate management data. Technology created the groundwork for a better data management to work out this issue.9 Information technology provides ingenious processes of data gathering about customers’ needs, behaviour, and character. Examples of these data collection methods are online surveys or electronic mail surveys. Database methods, in addition to the Internet, have a considerable effect on strategic marketing as they help marketers refine outcomes i n seven major areas10: (1) understanding customers; (2) managing customer services; (3) understanding the market; (4) understanding the competitors; (5) managing sales operations; (6) managing marketing campaigns; (7)

Vlaue proposition-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vlaue proposition-2 - Essay Example According to Weis (2014) for a business to be successful it needs to have a strong value proposition. Most companies have failure in sales due to weak value propositions. Barnes (2009) adds that a business could have the best features, the best executed presentation, and the best and stunning price in the market, but this will have no meaning if the customers are not able to understand the high-level proposition. The following value proposition is for Lab Vlieland which is an innovative company that deals with creative and smart ways of using energy and raw materials. The company aims create and share the island developed knowledge and experience with its environment; the island with the shore and especially with related festivals. According to Dussart (2010) customers purchase products or services to get particular jobs done and this is why it important for businesses to identify untapped jobs. These jobs are simply problems that the customers are still facing even after buying the goods and services initially. Lab Vlieland’s customers’ needs are to attain Eco friendly services that will eventually help the customer feel good about environmental conservation. The customer will also be able to get recognition in the community and the society. Knowledge and skills will also be acquired to support the community. Customers are able to achieve financial growth and revenue generation. As the company strives to meet the needs of its customers, much attention should be given to the desires that are not yet met despite the previous services having being offered to them. Lab Vlieland works with a range of customers and it might be hard to identify all the needs of the One needs to give a description of the benefits that the customer expects, desires or will be excited to achieve. According to Osterwalder & Papadakos (2014) it is important to

The Importance Of Studying Money Finance Essay

The Importance Of Studying Money Finance Essay Money helps us in avoiding the double coincidence of needs as required by a barter economy and by enabling specialization. However, the money supply has a lot of effects on the well being of its users. Some of these effects can be summarized as inflation, wealth creation/destruction etc. Thus it is very important to study money. Banking and financial markets are intermediaries that help provide a common platform, or a market place, for all individuals to inter act with each other. Banking and financial markets provide liquidity to the system and helps 2 individuals with exactly opposite needs meet on a common platform. Without an apt knowledge of the banking and financial markets, it is impossible to understand how changes around us would affect our wealth and in which way can we best utilize our wealth and help it grow and accumulate. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries help us by bringing together those entities with surplus funds and willingness to lend, with those with a shortage of funds and willingness to borrow. The benefits of such intermediation include; maturity and risk transformation, lesser transaction costs due to higher liquidity, better bargaining power due to alternative options etc. The function of financial intermediaries is to provide these advantages and make a profit while raising the overall efficiency of the economy. The disadvantage of financial intermediation is that such intermediation may be expensive on occasions. As seen in the recent economic crisis, financial intermediaries may also falter on exploiting structural loopholes in greed of higher profits in the short term while posing a threat to the economic stability in the long term. The given computer entry tells us that the Northwestern Energy company has issued bonds on March 15, 2001, with a principal value of $100,000, expiring in 20 years on March 15, 2021 and carrying an interest rate of 6% payable semi-annually. In the event of interest rates rising for new bonds issued in to the market for the same quality, it would imply that the bonds issued by Northwestern will be relatively expensive and thus less attractive than the newer bonds. Therefore, the value of the Bonds issued by Northwestern will have to fall to an extent that the yield on the bond becomes equal to the yield of the newer bonds issued. In making this inference we are assuming that the yield and interest rates are same. Friedmanà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s belief that when Fed lowers interest rates, they fall but do not stay lower for very long, reiterates his belief that in a free economy, the market always sets up at an equilibrium. Even though, there may be interventions by monetary authorities desired to accomplish certain goals and objectives, such intervention only leads to a temporary imbalance in the demand and supply attributes and over a longer period of time, the market resets itself to equilibrium. In the graph above, we assume that Dd is the initial money demand curve and Ss is the initial money supply curve. Thus, at equilibrium i* is the market determined interest rate and Q* the money supply and demand. Now, if the central bank authorities bring this interest rate down to say ia, a new but short lived equilibrium is formed due to the shift of the supply curve from Ss to Ssa. At this equilibrium, the demand curve has not yet responded to the change in Fed rates. Now as per Friedman, due to a lower interest rate, the liquidity in the market increases, thereby pushing the income of individuals northward. With higher level of incomes, inflation sets in due to a shift in the demand curve from Dd to Dda and the price levels begin to rise to offset the increase in income. Since inflation is a component of interest rates, the interest rates also rise proportionately in order to reset the market at another equilibrium where, in the example above, i* is the equilibrium interest rate and Q*a is the equilibrium money supply and demand. A company that has never received a bond rating will have to contact the rating agency, say Fitch, first. Once the agency is contacted, a credit analyst collates and gathers information required to determine risk to investors who might own or buy the bond. The kinds of information that are to be dispersed are background and history of the company/entity, industry trends, management vision/mission, experience, track record, and attitude towards risk, organization structure etc. He then analyzes the information on hand and develops a conclusion in committee on the appropriate rating. The analyst may also seek explanations and clarifications in to business procedures and audit some financial statements. After the rating is finalized, the agency monitors the security on an ongoing basis. In 2009, the Fed and the treasury were facing the most difficult times they have had to face since the great depression. On 19th March 2009, Fed decided to expand its balance sheet by a US$1,000,000,000,000. The Fed announced that it would inject up to $750 billion in Agency MBS that year. This was over and above an earlier commitment of $500 billion. Fed also announced the buying in to Agency bonds for $200 billion. It further declared that it would purchase up to $300 billion of longer dated Treasuries over the term. So, what was the fear behind such drastic measures? Answer is deflation. Earlier that year in January, Fed took the historic step of cutting the benchmark interest rate to as low as zero. They also called for greater government spending to help revive the economy. Such drastic measures were the result of the failure of Fed efforts like record rate cuts, emergency lending programs and backstops for debt markets, to halt the crisis.

No reader of The Woman in Black, can be left in doubt about its conscious :: Free Essay Writer

No reader of The Woman in Black, can be left in doubt about its conscious evocation of the Gothic ‘No reader of ‘The Woman in Black’, can be left in doubt about its conscious evocation of the Gothic. It is full of motifs and effects associated with that genre.’ How far would you agree with this statement of the novel? There is absolutely no doubt that Susan Hill consciously evocates the Gothic in ‘The Woman in Black’. There are many obvious conventions she uses that create a great Gothic effect throughout the novel. It is clear that this novel contains most of the elements that constitute the genre, for example, an eerie atmosphere full of mystery and suspense, and a character feeling high or overwrought emotions. This concludes the novel into a sub-genre of the Gothic, a ghost story. The Gothic has been active since the eighteenth century; the genre was especially popular within the years of The French Revolution and The Great Terror, which fell between 1789 and the 1790’s. The Gothic can also be traced back to the original Goths, who were believed to have been around in the last days of the Roman Empire. However, there is no substantial proof as the Goths left almost no written records, and were mostly unheard of until the ‘first Gothic revival’ in the late eighteenth century. In Britain this revival involved a series of attempts to ‘return to roots’, in contrast to the classical model revered in the earlier eighteenth century. It is believed that the very first Gothic novel was invented solely by Horace Walpole, when he wrote ‘The Castle of Otranto’ in 1764. This novel was imitated throughout the following centuries because it contains essentially all the elements that comprise the Gothic genre. It is also believed to have influenced writing, poetry and film making to the present day. Other key Gothic novelists of this period that would also have contributed to this influence are Mary Shelly, the author of Frankenstein, which has had many film adaptations within the last century produced from it. And also Bram Stoker who wrote Dracula, which I think has an influence in ‘The Woman in Black’ as the narrator ‘Arthur Kipps’, has many similar characteristics to the narrator of Dracula, ‘Jonathan Harker’, such as them both being portrayed as commonsensical, rational, successful lawyers on a mission to single-handedly unravel the mystery they’re faced with. Ann Radcliff’s idea of Gothic horror has also clearly influenced ‘The Woman in Black’ too, because we notice our narrator on several occasions, contracts, freezes and is nearly annihilated by some unknown supernatural force. Arthur’s first encounter with The Woman in

How well does Zara’s advantage travel globally? Essay

Zara has several advantages when it expands its operation in global markets. Firstly, Zara has always promoted its products via its stores and it had its own centralized distribution center which will translate to low advertising and logistics costs when it enters new markets. As opposed to its competitors who would invest heavily on advertising and organize a distribution system. Secondly, apparel retailing was witnessing increasing concentration which would benefit Zara when it entered new markets. Thirdly, there was more homogeneity in fashion which supported Zara’s brand of clothing since its target market is consumers receptive to fashion. Moreover Zara has an adequate system of knowing local trends and tastes which it would reflect in its designs. The strategy of opening one store for information gathering in the initial phase of entering new markets is one of its key strengths. Lastly, economies of scale were another advantage for Zara when entering a new market. The International strategy of Zara. After opening its first store in La Coruna in 1975, ZARA expanded within the domestic market during the 1980s. International expansion started with the opening of a store in Oporto, Portugal in 1988 (Carmen & Ying 2009). Currently, ZARA is already operating over the five continents with over 1,700 stores. International sales accounted close to 70% of its total turnover, with Europe being its largest market by far. ZARA has been identified as a trans-national retailer (Alexander & Myers 2000). On the surface, this may appear as a peculiar classification since they appear committed to a highly standardized operating formula which provides little opportunity for market responsiveness. Analysis of ZARA’s internationalization strategy would indicate otherwise (Bruce, Moore & Birtwistle 2004). While the brand image is highly standardized, its product development and merchandising strategy are very flexible and allows for the integration of pan-national fashion trends as soon as it emerges. This is evident by its approach to trading in the British market. ZARA recognizes the appeal that their Spanish origin provided for its brand and clearly  understood the distinctive positioning they had within the United Kingdom as a fashion forward retailer. The company therefore focused upon the more fashionable lines within their British stores. Pricing policy within the United Kingdom has been more upscale than their home market in order to exploit their advantages within the British market. Best way to grow for Zara Zara is the meaning of â€Å"instant fashion†. Instead of creating demand for new trends and using fashion shows, Zara uses another method. They study the demands of the actual customers in their stores and then deliver that design at very high speeds. They save tons of money on their delivery methods. I would say they are very much ahead of the fashion market in terms of production and sales. Zara is the number 1 most profitable out of 8 other companies in the Inditex Group. Their production cycles are much faster than H&M. In 1 year Zara launches 11,000 new items compared to 2,000-4,000 from H&M. Over the next 4 years the brand plans to double in size opening over 4,000 new shops. They plan this expansion to mostly start out in Europe before pushing anywhere else.

The Burger Boy

The Burger Boy The case study is about a fast food restaurant experiencing several problems that have affected its productivity. Workers have different responsibilities. However, due to the absence of two employees, some of them are forced to work more. The problems are indicative of the poor working conditions at fast food restaurants.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Burger Boy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees are poorly compensated even though they serve a large number of customers especially during breakfast and lunch hours thus overworking. Employees yell at each other because they are under pressure while doing their job. The Burger Boy has experienced several problems that have affected the output, efficiency, and effectiveness of the employees. In addition, these problems strain relationships between the employees. They include the lack of employee motivation, interpersonal conflicts, low morale, poor comm unication, poor performance, poor leadership, and employee dissatisfaction. Some employees do multiple jobs due to the lack of clear distribution of duties and employee absenteeism. Poor communication among the employees causes interpersonal conflicts and poor leadership. The employees yell at each other and the manager treats them disrespectfully. There is also a lack of job evaluation because the employees receive low compensation even though they overwork. The manager does not hire additional employees to reduce the workload. The number of employees required for Friday rush is 13. However, only 8 are present, and moreover they overwork without the additional payment. Most of these problems are associated with compensation. They include the lack of motivation, poor communication, interpersonal conflicts, disgruntlement, and poor performance. One of the most effective methods of motivating employees is offering them adequate compensation based on the amount of work done. However, t he employees at the Burger Boy are poorly compensated even though they overwork. For example, due to absenteeism, some employees are forced to help their colleagues. The manager (Otis) breaches the psychological contract by declining to let Marge go home.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He declines to let her leave because there are many customers who need services. The employees dissatisfaction due to low compensation is also a cause of poor communication. Interpersonal conflicts between the employees emanate from poor communication. They shout at each other because they are in bad moods. Their low productivity is evident from the amount of time it takes to serve a single customer. Usually, it takes two minutes and thirty second but they are taking three minutes and five seconds. This problem has also resulted from understaffing. Instead of the thirteen emplo yees that work during Friday rush, only eight are present. One of the signs of poor compensation is the decline in the employee morale and the conflicts among employees. Rewards are important because they increase the employees’ motivation and consequently increase their performance. However, the employees at the Burger Boy do not receive any kind of rewards. Rewards could help to solve several problems including job dissatisfaction, low morale, and poor quality of work. Employee dissatisfaction is evident from the employees’ tendency to complain about their jobs. Many employees are dissatisfied because they overwork and are undercompensated. For example, Marge is forced to abdicate her work because her shift is over even though more customers are trickling in. Besides, Leon complains to Otis and says that he is vexed by the inefficiency at the workplace because the employees who work during lunch shift do not stock items as required. In response, Otis tells Leon that he is tired of his whining and storms out of the office and goes home. He also complains of low wages. Otis is a poor leader because communication between him and employees is very poor. Poor leadership leads to negative employee attitudes and relationships. These problems can be solved by establishing employee reward programmes. To improve employee morale, it is important for employers to establish fair compensation packages and reward programmes. Otherwise, productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction decline considerably.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Burger Boy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Additional hours of work are incentives that employers use to reward those employees whose performance is exceptional. It is similar to overtime. However, it involves working for additional hours besides overtime. Additional hours of work rewards are only effective if an employee is comfortable with the compen sation offered. Chuck was not happy with working for 30 hours per week because he was dissatisfied with his job and had low morale. Chuck complains about the low staffing because he is aware that he will do more work than it is required of him. With the amount of work done at the pay window, Chuck was probably not happy with working 33 hours per week. Newman was happy working 20 hours per week probably because he was satisfied with his work. In addition, he was comfortable with his compensation. Schedules may be used as rewards by allowing employees to work during their most favorable hours. Employers could allow employees to set their own working hours depending on availability and commitment to other responsibilities such as family and education. In addition, the employers could create flexible schedules that give their employees enough breaks and rest. It is important for the employees to get enough rest in order to avoid burnouts and stress that reduce performance.

The 1969 Redstockings Abortion Speakout Protest

The 1969 Redstockings Abortion Speakout Protest In 1969, the members of radical feminist group Redstockings were furious that legislative hearings about abortion featured male speakers discussing such a crucial womens issue. They, therefore, staged their hearing, the Redstockings abortion speak-out, in New York City on March 21, 1969. The Fight to Make Abortion Legal The abortion speak-out took place during the pre-Roe v. Wade era when abortion was illegal in the United States. Each state had its own laws about reproductive matters. It was rare if not unheard of to hear any woman speak publicly about her experience with illegal abortion. Before the radical feminists fight, the movement to change U.S. abortion laws was more focused on reforming existing laws than repealing them. Legislative hearings on the issue featured medical experts and others who wanted to finesse the exceptions to abortion prohibitions. These experts talked about cases of rape and incest or a threat to the life or health of a mother. Feminists shifted the debate to a discussion of a womans right to choose what to do with her own body. Disruption In February of 1969, Redstockings members disrupted a New York legislative hearing about abortion. The New York Joint Legislature Committee on the Problems of Public Health had called the hearing to consider reforms to the New York law, then 86 years old, on abortion. They roundly condemned the hearing because the experts were a dozen men and a Catholic nun. Of all women to speak, they thought a nun would be the least likely to have contended with the abortion issue, other than from her possible religious bias. The Redstockings members shouted and called for the legislators to hear from women who had had abortions, instead. Eventually, that hearing had to be moved to another room behind closed doors. Who Gets to Speak The members of Redstockings had previously participated in consciousness-raising discussions. They had also drawn attention to womens issues with protests and demonstrations. Several hundred people attended their abortion speak-out in the West Village on March 21, 1969. Some women spoke about what they suffered during illegal â€Å"back-alley abortions.† Other women spoke about being unable to get an abortion and having to carry a baby to term, then have the child taken away when it was adopted. After the Demonstration More abortion speak-outs followed in other U.S. cities, as well as speak-outs on other issues in the subsequent decade. Four years after the 1969 abortion speak-out, the Roe v. Wade decision altered the landscape by repealing most abortion laws then in effect and striking down restrictions on abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. Susan Brownmiller attended the original 1969 abortion speak-out.  Brownmiller then wrote about the event in an article for the  Village Voice, Everywomans Abortions: The Oppressor  Is Man. The original Redstockings collective broke up in 1970, though other groups with that name continued to work on feminist issues. On March 3, 1989, another abortion speakout was held in New York City on the 20th anniversary of the first.  Florynce Kennedy attended, saying I crawled off my death bed to come down here as she called for the struggle to continue.

Folklore in two cultures (Cultural Anthropology) Essay

Folklore in two cultures (Cultural Anthropology) - Essay Example This paper will describe and evaluate examples of folklore in Irish culture and Bhutan culture, in order to determine the values they convey while at the same time being entertaining and instructive. Bhutan, in the mountains of the Himalayas and bordered by India and Tibet, is still very much an oral society (Penjore, 2005) today, and one that is absorbed in their traditions with most people wearing traditional clothes (Mystic Bliss). One of their most prevalent folktales is the story of a man called ‘Meme Haylay Haylay’ and his turquoise stone (Penjore, 2005, p.259). The story tells of an old and impoverished man who finds a turquoise stone while digging in his fields. On his way back home he meets a variety of men with whom he makes a number of different trades; he trades his turquoise for a horse, the horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the sheep for a goat, the goat for a rooster, and finally he trades the rooster for a song. Singing his song and continuing his jour ney home he feels he is the happiest and richest man in the world (Evans, 2010, p.12). As this story is relayed by different people the ending changes in a number of ways, dependent on how they prefer to interpret the tale (Penjore, 2005) in terms of whether they consider the old man as foolish or as the provider of the secret to happiness. In another version he trades the rooster for a flute; while playing the flute he slips in a wad of cow dung and forgets how to play it and thus ends up with nothing (Penjore, 2005). Whichever version is preferred however, they are used as a satirical account of sound or bad business decisions and the making of profit, and thus while being a form of entertainment in their humor to be enjoyed by all who are listening, they are more importantly a vehicle of instruction; if taken from the perspective that the old man made sound business decisions by appreciating the futility of finding happiness with material possessions and wealth, the ridicule pert ains to the other men who traded their happiness for material possessions. If on the other hand, it is told with the belief that the old man is foolish, then it is used as evidence for bad business practice and one not to be imitated (Penjore, 2005). Within the folklore of Irish culture there is much reference to little people, of which the leprechaun is probably the most famous. Leprechauns are described as small, clever and roguish men who lived in Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. The story tells of these little men about two feet tall with green or red coats and leather aprons, working as shoe makers, hammering away all day long. Leprechauns are said to be unfriendly and miserly and while working on making their shoes, store all their money in a pot which they hide at the end of a rainbow. If you catch one of these leprechauns he will lead you to the pot of gold but if you take your eyes of him, even for an instance, he will disappear with the pot of gold. Also, if you fi nd the end of a rainbow you will find a pot of gold. Such a folktale is obviously entertaining, especially for children, and has been passed down through generations, and like the Bhutan folktale, is concerned with wealth. This tale however, illustrates the futility of believing that money and richness come easily but instead, like the leprechaun, people must work hard and save

How effective was the persecution of the Christians for the Romans Essay

How effective was the persecution of the Christians for the Romans - Essay Example Christianity was not begun within the social spheres of the more prominent people of the time period. The beliefs were spread through the impoverished, the lesser citizenry of Rome, and through connecting to the needs of those who were suffering. Therefore, those who believed became a threat to those who were satisfied with the state of society. One of the ways in which to eradicate the belief, or so thought those of prominence within the Roman Empire, was to martyr believers. The problem with creating a martyr is that a rallying point is created. Thus, the martyrdom of Christians within the Roman Empire became an act that helped to promote the beliefs, rather than a way to eradicate them. Because of the persecution of the Christians by the Romans, the religion found power within the martyrdom of its people, thus giving it needed sympathy which allowed for the beliefs to be spread further. The Christians of the first centuries were the anti-establishment group that came up against a goliath of a political system that was defined by its ties to the ritualized worship of the Roman people to the pagan gods. Christians refused to participate, putting their own beliefs above Rome, thus becoming enemies of the state. An example of the persecution of Christians can be found through the experiences of Vibia Perpetua through the firsthand account of Tertullian. Through understanding the sympathy that is created through the terrible events of the persecution, the psychology of martyrdom can help to explain part of the way in which the plight of these early Christians helped to further the expansion of the religion. Christians: The Hippies of Rome Despite the desire to eradicate the Christians, this was not an action that originated because of an objection to that belief. Nero used the Christians as a scapegoat in order to find a plausible criminal element behind the fire in Rome, although Tacitus wrote that Nero had ordered the fire (Cairnes, 1996, p. 27). Tacitus (109 A .C.E.) stated that â€Å"Therefore to stop the rumor, he falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians† (p, 286). Christians were used, according to the belief of Tacitus, which suggests was the common belief of the time period, as a scapegoat in order to alleviate political pressures. The first emperor of Rome to begin widespread persecution of Christians was Domitian (81AD to 95AD), the last emperor of the Flavian Dynasty. Belief was not an issue with the Romans, but the refusal to honor the emperor through sacrifice and to confer to him proclaimed divinity provided a fuel with which to separate the empire from the Christian sect and to begin retribution for this insult (Peters, 2005, p. 246). However, the close association with the Jewish community in Rome did not help the Christian cause. The Jewish community, during Domitian’s time, had refused to pay a tax that was to support the Capitolinus Jupite r. The Christians were the easier target to punish, although why it was effective as punitive to the Jewish community is unclear. One of the most potent uses of the Christian ‘plague’ in Rome was to focus on their participation in the economic difficulties of the age. One of the examples that can be appreciated is that the lucrative idol making business was harmed by the lack of

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

Prostate - Essay Example Benign prostatic hypertrophy is a nonmalignant growth of the prostate that is generated by overgrowth of the fibromuscular and epithelium flesh of the peri-urethral zone and the transition area. This illness is common in men aged fifty years and above. Its clinical presentation includes obstruction of urine flow, urethra compression, frequent urination, not being able to start urinating and leaking and urgency or dribbling (Zhou, Netto & Epstein, 2012). In regard to diagnostic testing, microscopic hematuria initial evaluation is done on a patient, the presence of palpable induration or nodularity of the prostate on digital rectal assessment reveals the condition. Prostate cancer does not cause any signs at all and can present at any level of the illness. In most cases, the cancer occurs in the prostate gland periphery and the signs arise when they have developed to compress the urethra or attack the sphincter. The prostate cancer presents in urinary tract obstruction (LUTS) symptoms. The LUTS is in three distinct groups associated with the post-micturition symptoms, storage of urine and voiding (Tewari, 2013). In regard to diagnostic testing, prostate cancer is diagnosed using imaging techniques such as MRI to detect tumors that are clinically significant. The treatment of prostatitis is difficult because of the presence of inhibited penetration of most antibiotics across prostatic epithelium and through the non-fenestrated prostatic capillaries to the infected fluids and tissues. The patient must be advised that the preferred drug is fluoroquinolone because of its quality of good penetration through the prostate. The time of antibiotic therapy is usually 2-4 weeks, and that depends on the severe nature of the illness. The patient is then reviewed for clinical symptoms and signs (Koda-Kimble & Alldredge, 2013). When patients suffer from mild symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy there no need for alarm but they should be

CanGo Essay Example for Free

CanGo Essay Issue 1: No clear strategy for expansion CanGo has had its success, and now they are looking into the future. Their question is, â€Å"What’s going to help them grow?† and as Liz said, â€Å"Turn them into a mighty oak.† CanGo recognizes that branching out and delving into new territory will be profitable and its popular with investors since they’re thinking of going for an IPO. The possibilities of adding e-books, streaming audio and video is hip but they also recognize that the online gaming industry is on the cutting edge for growth. With all of the brainstorming ideas CanGo has they do recognize there’s a scarcity of resources such as capital and people. Recommendation: The management team at CanGo is full of ideas related to expanding its product line. Liz has mentioned the possibility of E-books, music and video, and Andrew suggests online gaming. Expansion is just one topic, as the company is considering offering IPO (initial public offering). The brass is contemplating major decisions without professional guidance. The employees will soon be asked to juggle more responsibilities, without the appropriate resources. CanGo should seek additional consultation specific to the objectives it wants to achieve. In addition, the company must consider the risk and where to allocate resources to be maximize profit. Furthermore, there will have to be some degree of advertising and marketing to generate interests. CanGo feels that the best way to handle new ventures is to use in-house employees. Pulling employees from jobs they are already doing will no doubt take away from quality. We recommend that Warren and Liz take into consideration the opportunity cost of expanding at this time. Will the benefits outweigh the cost of expanding. Issue 2: No capital for expansion CanGo must consider how to combine its limited resources to produce the best mix of goods and services. A cost-benefit analysis will help them measure the cost and the benefits correctly. They will need to think about two types of analysis (1) Marginal Analysis and (2) Cost-Benefit Analysis. Recommendation: Performing a marginal analysis will examine how the costs and benefits change in response to their incremental changes in actions. Any additional action that CanGo does will bring about additional cost so, type of analysis will determine if the expected benefits of their actions exceed the added cost. It was mentioned casually that the only source of capital as an IPO. This point was expounded upon by the poor sandwiches being provided. I don’t think Warren made the comment to be rude, but to illustrate the point that financial capitol is limited – especially in terms of expansion. CanGo is generating interest in its industry and community. The time is ripe to offer an initial public offering. CanGo needs professional guidance in analyzing what is value and assess the possibilities of an IPO. It may consider taking advantage of its success in Japan. CanGo’s IPO does not have to be confined to its locality; it has to start thinking international in scope. Its popularity in Japan alone may generate the capitol necessary to expand in product, personnel, and infrastructure.

Effects of globalization in singapore

Effects of globalization in singapore For more than 40 years, Singapore has enjoyed economic success, allowing Singaporeans to have a raised quality of life and standard of living. However, due to this increase in standard of living, this has caused income disparity (Yeoh, 2007/2008) among Singaporeans, between the low income families and the high income families. This widening income gap was due to the side effects of the Singapore governments pro growth policies (Yeoh, 2007/2008). However, the income gap was pushed even more by globalisation and the recessions from December 2007 until now, 2011. This caused the depression the unskilled workers salaries while inflating the skilled workers salaries. Thus, this caused the widening income gap in Singapore. Due to the widening income gap, Singaporeans have become more aware of the differences in income among Singaporeans, which causes them to be more â€Å"class-conscious†. If the widening income gap continues to widen would cause unthinkable economic, social and political impacts in Singapore. The main challenge policy makers face today is to seek a balance between income disparity reduction, economic growth and budget feasibility (Yeoh, 2007/2008). The policies are mainly to help the lower income families with the proper opportunities in order for them to move up the social and financial ladder. Policy makers should be aware that an overly egalitarian approach towards reducing income inequality is suboptimal. On the whole, the government needs to face the issue of widening income gap with an emphatic heart and mind, thinking for the needs of the people. BACKGROUND Singapore, which used to be a small fishing village, has done well in the last decades of the twentieth century to rise from an entreport centre to be a global city and a developed nation. It had resolved most issues pertaining to underdevelopment and had developed the needed institutions to prepare its survival in the twenty-first century. From 2000-2008, these years mark the period in which globalization as a process affected all parts of the world. These years were significant politically, socially and economically for Singapore. (Amaldas, 2009) One part in this paper that we would like to focus on is the issue of the widening income gap in Singapore. In this paper, we would be discussing about how the widening income gap is linked to globalisation and what measures are used to solve it, as well as the impacts and reasons for the manifestation of widening income gap. Globalization is defined as the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process by which the western market economies have effectively spread across the globe. Although it does not constitute a new phenomenon, it is viewed as an inexorable integration of markets, nations and technologies to a degree never witnessed before in a way that is enabling individuals, and corporations to reach around the world further, faster, deeper and more economically than ever before (Heshmati, 2003). Globalization causes rapid changes in trade relations, financial flows, and mobility of labour across the world. The development has brought the economies of developed countries closer together and more strongly interrelated. However, there is a large heterogeneity in the degree of globalization process over time and across countries and regions. This heterogeneity causes disparity in development and urges the need for research to find sources of disparity and quantification of its magnitude and impacts (Heshmati, 2003). Many scholars regard globalization as a force which will inevitably bring about the decline (Held, 1995), erosion (Hall, 1991) or the end (Ohmae, 1995) of the nation-state. As the argument goes, the process of globalization in its various manifestations is increasingly undermining the territorial boundedness, sovereignty and traditional role of the existing system of the modern nation-state. With other major countries such as America and India facing the problem of the widening income gap as their countries continue to evolve, one major aim of this paper is to understand the risks of the widening income gap if Singapore ever falls into the trap with the advancement of our country. WIDENING INCOME GAP Economic inequality (or wealth and income differences) comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. Widening income gap refers to the differences of income received by the employees and is a global phenomenon caused by globalisation. Due to globalisation, the elite and higher-educated are coveted for their expertise, hence the demand for these professionals causes their salary to be raised higher. Those at the lower-income group however suffer from globalisation as the jobs available are scarce; hence, their salaries are pushed lower because many people are fighting for the same job. This is called widening income gap. The Gini coefficient is a standard measure of income inequality. It is given as a means of multiple observations for a given country in a given year. The multiplicity of observations is due to the different definitions of income, area coverage and units of measurement (Heshmati, 2003). The Gini Coefficient ranges between 0, where there is no concentration which is perfect equality, and 1 where there is total concentration which is perfect inequality (Slack and Rodrigue, 1998). Absolute poverty is where people do not have sufficient access to food, shelter, and clothing to provide a basic level of physical and mental development (Duncan, 2000). National Household Income In Singapore, the household income from work in 2010 increased due to strong economic growth. Median monthly household income from work in 2010 recovered to above the level before the economic downturn in 2009. Among resident households, median monthly income from work increased by 3.1 per cent from $4,850 in 2009 to $5,000 in 2010 (Table 1); in real terms, the increase was 0.3 per cent (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2010). Table 1 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Resident Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 3,638 3.9 2.6 4,988 5.7 4.2 2001 3,860 6.1 5.0 5,338 7.0 5.9 2002 3,628 -6.0 -5.6 5,069 -5.0 -4.7 2003 3,601 -0.7 -1.2 5,075 0.1 -0.4 2004 3,689 2.4 0.8 5,194 2.3 0.7 2005 3,860 4.6 4.1 5,447 4.9 4.4 2006 4,000 3.6 2.6 5,715 4.9 3.9 2007 4,375 9.4 7.1 6,295 10.1 7.9 2008 4,946 13.1 6.0 7,086 12.6 5.6 2009 4,850 -1.9 -2.5 6,826 -3.7 -4.2 2010 5,000 3.1 0.3 7,214 5.7 2.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Among employedhousehold, with at least one working person, median monthly income from work increased by 5.7 per cent in nominal terms (from $5,400 in 2009 to $5,700 in 2010) and 2.8 per cent in real terms (Table 2). Table 2 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Employed Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 4,000 5.3 3.9 5,456 7.0 5.6 2001 4,141 3.5 2.5 5,736 5.1 4.1 2002 4,038 -2.5 -2.1 5,572 -2.9 -2.5 2003 4,050 0.3 -0.2 5,618 0.8 0.3 2004 4,106 1.4 -0.3 5,761 2.5 0.9 2005 4,345 5.8 5.3 6,052 5.1 4.6 2006 4,495 3.5 2.5 6,280 3.8 2.8 2007 4,883 8.6 6.4 6,889 9.7 7.4 2008 5,475 12.1 5.2 7,752 12.5 5.5 2009 5,398 -1.4 -2.0 7,549 -2.6 -3.2 2010 5,704 5.7 2.8 8,058 6.7 3.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Overall, the monthly household income has increased in Singapore in the year 2010. However, there are differences in the increase between the lower-income families and the higher-income families which cause the widening income gap in Singapore. Gini Coefficient The income gap between household incomes from work per household member among employed households increased marginally in 2010. The Gini coefficient, increased slightly in 2010. In particular, including employer CPF contributions5, the Gini coefficient was 0.472 in 2010, compared to 0.471 in 2009 (Figure 1). Adjusting in addition for government benefits and taxes, the Gini coefficient was 0.452 in 2010 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Figure 2 below shows the Gini coefficient5 trend for Singapore from 1974 to 2006. Figure 2. Singapore Gini Coefficient from 1974 2007 Data from 2000 2007:Department of Statistics Singapore (2008)Source: Data from 1975 1999: Mukhopadhaya, Pundarik (2001) LINK BETWEEN GLOBALISATION AND WIDENING INCOME GAP What role has globalisation played in changes in income inequality? Most research on this issue has been concentrated in recent years on the changes in income inequality in the high-income countries. Discussion has mainly focussed on whether the widening wage gap is due to increased imports of labour intensive goods from developing countries (pushing down demand for low-wage labour) or technological change—in particular, improvements in information technology (increasing demand for high-skilled labour relative to demand for low-skilled labour). But besides these two factors, other factors thought to contribute are: slower growth in the supply of skilled workers (pushing up their wages relative to the wages of less-skilled workers); increased workforce participation of women and increased immigration of low skilled workers (pushing down wages of less-skilled labour); and the waning powers of trade unions (for a survey of the literature, see Tyers, Duncan and Martin 1999). Economics research generally gives more support to improvements in technology as being most important, and much more important than increased trade with developing countries (see Tyers, Duncan, and Martin 1999). Low and middle income countries account for about 80 per cent of the worlds industrial workforce and manufactures comprise about 60 per cent of their exports (up from 20 per cent in the 1960s). In line with predictions from economic theory, Williamson (1997) argues that the increased flow of labour-intensive goods and unskilled labour from developing countries to high-income countries in the latter half of the 20th Century reduced demand for lowskilled labour in the high-income countries, increasing income inequality in these countries. He argues that this is consistent with the Heckscher-Ohlin trade model that says that trade will tend to equalise factor payments, leading to greater cross-country income equality for low-skilled labour, increasing income inequality in the high-income countries, and increasing income equality in the lower-income countries. More importantly, he notes that in the earlier golden period of globalisation (1870 to 1913), the growing income inequality in the then higher income countries led to the reversal of globalisation (including restrictions on immigration) and the devastating 1921-38 period. REASONS FOR WIDENING INCOME GAP The underlying characteristic for the recent growing disparity is the difference in income growth for the bottom 20% and top 20% households (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Table 3 illustrates the different income growth rates for each income group since 2000. Table 3. Annual Income Growth for Various Income Groups Income Groups Real Annual Change in Average Monthly Household Income per Household Member (%) 2000 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 Bottom 10% 2.4 6.6 3.3 Bottom 11 20% 0.5 5.2 3.6 Top 11 20% 3.7 5.7 6.0 Top 10% 4.3 8.0 11.1 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2008). Key Household Income Trends 2007. Generally, the bottom 20% experienced slower growth rates than the top 20% of income earners during 2000 to 2007. Moreover, the ratio of average income of the top 20% to lowest 20%8 worsened from 9.99 in 2000 to 12.90 in 2007. Hence, these ratios show a widening income disparity between top and bottom income earners. Economists have also noted an understated stagnation of income amongst the middle class households that form the middle 60% of the income ladder. However, more employed households have moved up the social and financial ladder in 2007 as compared to 2006 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). There are differences between the different racial groups in Singapore as well. Table 4 below shows the income changes for each racial group in 2000 and 2005. Table 4. Income of the Major Racial Groups in Singapore Chinese Malays Indians Others 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 Average Monthly Household Income from Work ($) 5220 5630 3150 3440 4560 5170 7250 7250 Change (%) 7.9% 9.2% 13.4% 17.2% Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2006) â€Å"General Household Survey 2005 Statistical Release 2: Transport,Overseas Travel, Housing and Household Characteristics†. As depicted in Table 4, the wage difference between the Malays and other races remain very alarming. From 2000 to 2005, among all the racial groups in Singapore, Malays had the lowest increase in income as compared to other races. With regard to income disparity between occupations, skilled professionals continue to earn more than unskilled workers, and have extended their lead further since 1996. Figure 3 below shows the ratio of the respective occupations wages to the unskilled occupations wages. Hence, this relative stagnation of wage growth amongst the unskilled would certainly have an effect on the widening income disparity between the two ends of the occupational spectrum as shown in Figure 3. IMPACTS OF WIDENING INCOME GAP Singaporeans are mainly concerned about the inflation which has raised about 3%-4% this year (Channelnews 17 February 2011) and skyrocketed housing prices in Singapore. Thus, many Singaporeans are unable to retire as they do not have the financial stability to sustain the high cost of living without being employed. According to the survey carried out by The Straits Times, this is the income gap situation: The average incomes of the top 20 per cent of households rose by 53 per cent from $12,091 to $18,472 from 1997/98 to 2007/08. By comparison, the average incomes of the poorest 20 per cent of households were kept down as a result of globalization, competition from emerging economies and new technology. They fell by 2.7 per cent over the same period from $1,309 to $1,274. The living conditions of the lower income households in Singapore will cause them to lose enthusiasm and motivation for work, thus the productivity will decrease and in turn lead to stagnation of the economy. In the short run, the large proportion of the poor and their lower marginal propensity to consume will lead to a lower injection multiplier and possible slower growth. In the long run, if the widening income gap in Singapore is done put to a stop, many people will fall into the poverty trap. As George Orwell laments, â€Å"Being poor isnt about not having anything today, it is about knowing youll have nothing tomorrow.† Inequality and injustice in the society will also make people gradually lose national cohesion, and hence menace to act as a centrifugal force that tears the social fabric of our nation apart. The long-term stability of Singapores society will be severely disturbed. The widening income gap is inclined to inflict social cohesion and undermine trust in the society. At the same time, it will impair social capital thus compromise the stability of the society. Uslaner Brown found a correlation between the amount of trust and the amount of income equality. It can be explained that people can gain sense of security from high income equality therefore they are expected to trust each other. A related study by Putnam also demonstrated that economic equality tends to lead to a high level of social capital (or â€Å"connections among individuals†). People will show a tendency of engaging others and hence strong social connectedness and civic engagement can be forged. (Uslaner and Brown, 2002). In view of the squeeze on income of middle class, the incessant wide income gap will also produce more ‘quitters which is a term popularized by Singapores then Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong. This word indicates that the rich nowadays are more globally-connected but less locally-disengaged (Goodman, 2003).The well-heeled are more likely to show off their conspicuous wealth and this pushes the government to loosen its tightfisted stance on welfare in the national budget as it tries to defuse criticism of its policies which burdened the plight of the common people. On the other hand, the enduring income disparity will impel the middle class to seek greener pastures overseas thus choose to emigrate. In the long run, the economic development and competitiveness of Singapore will be suppressed due to the resultant brain-drain. According to Yeoh â€Å"A new social compact for Singapore†, rising income equality will impair the governments credibility in imposing policies as well such as raising income tax rates. It is significant that we have already seen public outcry and debate on such policies. The implicit social contract between the people and the government supports Singapores remarkable economic success. The widening income gap and the perception that a large proportion of the population has little access to the growth process and no share in the prosperity despite their ability and willingness to work has slowly but surely eroded this social contract. The ramifications of such a perception is indeed as the policymakers noted: â€Å"society would learn that economic growth would not always be the answer, and would begin to question and debate priorities and trade-offs†¦the policy issues that need to be re-examined are largely social and political.† This in turn translates into the shattering of the implicit social contract the ruling party has with its electorate, making it increasingly hard for the government to execute unpopular policies. Already we are hearing a chorus of dissent over recent policy decisions such as the ministerial wage hikes or the Goods and Service Tax increase, as well as the inextinguishable calls for increasing political openness, freedom to stage outdoor protests, among others. The present-day influence of rising income inequality will create a class-conscious Singapore. The widening income gap and the wage stagnation threaten to destabilize the society as well as weaken the economy. Rising income disparity is also likely to arouse the social discontentment, reduce the credibility of the government as well as increase emigration of middle class. POLICIES IMPLEMENTED Growing the Economy and Maximising Opportunities GPC Chair for Community Development, Youth and Sports Seah Kian Peng said: One part is to keep the economy running and booming like what it is now, just like what we have experienced last year. What it means is that unemployment is very low and we know that the majority of people are earning a salary and as the economy booms, the government will be in a position to also, in any budget, consider how it could possibly distribute and share the growth with as many Singaporeans as possible. We have to focus on growth and embrace globalisation, but manage its downsides and make it work for everyone. We will do this by maximising opportunities for all Singaporeans — the opportunities to get a good education, to work or grow a business, to retrain yourself and upgrade, and to own your own home. We must maximise opportunities for all, but we must also accept that doing so does not result in equal rewards for all. We should never reduce the incentive for Singaporeans to work and to make the most of their skills and talents, so as to get higher reward for themselves. That has to be the basis for our society, for how we keep our economy growing, and for how living standards of Singaporeans can rise over time.† In conclusion, our first priority to help the low-income group is to grow the economy. It is essential to attract new investments, grow new businesses, and create new and better paying jobs to replace old ones. As we grow the economy, it is important to ensure that no one is left behind and that all Singaporeans have the opportunity to succeed. Over the years, the Government has been helping the lower-income groups through various assistance measures. Since 2001, the Government has distributed more than $7.5 billion through the Progress Package, U-Save and SCC rebates, CPF top-ups and New Singapore Shares, to share budget surpluses with Singaporeans. In all these distributions, deliberate efforts were made to ensure that the lower-income groups get the greatest benefits. But going forward, we have to do more to help needy Singaporeans, and to do it more systematically. This is one of the challenges that the government faces and have to solve. Government Schemes Over the years, Singapore has introduced various schemes such as GST Credits, Senior Citizen Bonus and rebates on utilities, rental and service and conservancy charges. The GST (Goods Service Tax) is one of the ways to help the lower-income families affected by the widening age gap. A zero-rate Goods and Services Tax (GST) policy on household essentials is an effective measure to help lower-income families. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said: The bulk of the GST is collected from the top 40 per cent of the population and foreigners †¦ and we use the benefit to help those at the lower end. So if you talk about exempting food or any other essentials from GST, youre really taking away a source of revenue were getting mainly from those at the upper end and foreigners and reducing our ability to help those at the lower end. He added that lower-income Singaporeans get more Government benefits each year than the amount they pay in GST. The government has also revamped their policies and more citizens are now able to receive payouts and rebates according to their income. On average, the various government schemes added $1,110 per household member to resident households in 2010. The various government schemes gave a larger boost to those staying in smaller housing types. Resident households in HDB 1- and 2-room flats received an average of $2,650 per household member while resident households in HDB 3-room flats received an average of $1,480 per household member. This was higher than the $530 per household member for households in private properties. With the subsidies, it ensures that the lower-income group will be less burdened with debts for housing and other utilities. POLICIES THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED Singapore needs policies which can help the needy, disadvantaged and poor, in order to increase their income and reduce the widening income gap in Singapore. However, at the same time the government must not compromise economic growth and funding sustainability. Basically, Singapore has to find a perfect balance between income equality, strong economic growth and prudence in finances, where income disparity can be reduced without affecting growth prospects and budget discipline (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Expanding the Work fare of Older Workers The Workfare Income Supplement scheme (WIS) seems to be the policy that is able to have the balance and is able to cover the middle ground. The scheme is laudable even though a large amount of money is involved, in the form of quantum of pay. This policy reduces the income disparity by raising income levels of the lower income workers, and encourages long term employment (Yeoh, 2007/2008). It is argued that the current net payout of around $80 to $100 per month is insufficient for workers to accumulate surplus for further training and education (Yeoh Kam Leong, 2007). To address this problem, the WIS scheme also provides opportunities for worker

The Passion of Mountain Bikes :: Mountain Bikes Transportation Essays

The Passion of Mountain Bikes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been a decade in the making, but the mountain bike has become a passion for many people. Along with this passion it has also become the most environmental way to get from point A to B. It has gone through a very intense evolution process over the past decade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started with some guys from California who took their bikes out for a ride on their day off, they modified their bikes and turned a hobby of theirs into a worldwide phenomenon. The mountain bike's rapid increase in popularity was influenced by social and economic situations, and by technological improvements that had the needs of bike riders in mind. The introduction of the mountain bike at a bike convention in Long Beach, California, early in the 1980's coincided with the need for a bike that combined technical superiority, ease of care, and multipurpose use.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technological advances came extremely fast after it's introduction into the world. The advances have made riding mountain bikes easier, which makes it possible for the rider to explore new terrain. I hope that this report will be able to provide some information on the subject of mountain bikes and the advances in technology that the bike has gone through, and what might be in the future of the mountain bike.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The road bike has taken more than a hundred years to evolve into the frame that it is being used on todays bicycle. Because of the increasingly popularity of the mountain bike the demand for advances to be made have come very rapidly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evolution of the mountain bike has been a stormy one over the past decade. Within one decade the design has changed radically; this is due to three reasons. First , because geometry and design were copied from the first "Stone- Age bikes"; second, because off-road riding created different problems ; and third, because innovative frame design mirrored the "spirit of the times": young, new, dynamic, and strong. The off-road bike required extra stability. Frame   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to know the basic frame geometry and how to measure it. The combination of tube length and angle determines not only the maneuverability of the bike, but also determines the seating position and the transfer of power. Variances of 1 ° of the headset angle, or a 1' (2cm) difference in the distance between the rear-wheel axle and the center of the bottom bracket, can have very serious consequences. Frame Geometry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic elements of frame geometry are: A- Height of the seat tube; B- Length of the top tube; C- Seat-tube angle; D- Headset-tube angle; E- Trail, F-