Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Truth, Belief, And Justification - 982 Words

According to the questions raised by the directions of this essay, the central questions in the Theory of Knowledge are usually found in the most central areas of western philosophy as one studies the nature, source, and validity of knowledge. Despite the fact that people might use the word â€Å"know† but many have difficulty grasping the concept. Although you could classify knowledge in different ways but the main concern of epistemology is a propositional knowledge which is the facts, analyzing the truth, belief, and justification. Epistemology is important in how we think. How we rely upon our senses and develop concepts in our minds. Are humans capable of knowing, understanding everything or something in the universe too complicated for any human being (essay directions). As a human, there are many limitations and the brains are faulty. A perfect example is one person could not visit the trillions of solar systems and explore all planets in the universe. Our jour ney through life is constantly a learning process. God knows that man is limited because he made him that way. He knows that man will side with many ways of the world, as he has given man a soul which gives man the opportunity to learn the true knowledge. There are facts to true knowledge and yet there are many guesses and opinions (essay direction). Atheists disagree about the existence of god, to believe in miracles, or to accept the revelation and scriptures as authoritative which lead up to theShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Knowledge? : Nature Of Belief, Justification And Truth Essay1581 Words   |  7 Pagescan be taken many ways. Knowledge is a justified belief, one that is different opinion. Knowledge is the basis to which beliefs are known, whereas an opinion is a belief which is not known. Unit III A focuses on the etymology of the word knowledge which is defined as the study of epistemology. Philosophy finds its â€Å"true beginning† from the study of epistemology. To have knowledge means to find an equal ground between true beliefs and justified beliefs. For the basis of this paper, the three sub topicsRead MoreInternalism Theory of Knowledge1183 Words   |  5 PagesInternalism is one of the epistemic theories of knowle dge and is explained as the effects that cause beliefs to be justified or unjustified. They are called J- factors and they must in some way, be internal to the subject. The best way to internalize J-Factors is to limit them to beliefs. The constraint internalists place on J-Factors is more plausibly constructed in terms of intellectual convenience. What meets the requirements as a J-factor must be something that is cognitively easily reached toRead MoreUse The Justified True Belief ( Jtb ) Theory909 Words   |  4 PagesJustified True Belief (JTB) theory to define knowledge. As according to JTB theory, knowledge constitutes three attributes that include: truth, justification, and belief. According to the traditional analysis of knowledge, JTB is sufficient and necessary for knowledge. In the tripartite analysis of knowledge, the first condition is; S knows that P if and only if P is true. In the second condition, S must belief in p, and the last condition is that S must be justifie d by believing in P. For a belief to beRead MorePlato s View On Epistemology1459 Words   |  6 Pagespresenting the issues with both Plato’s and Gettier’s arguments. Plato’s view on epistemology is an attempt to explicate propositional knowledge; the knowledge of facts. It is composed of three separate conditions, truth, belief, and justification. I will begin by explaining the truth condition. This condition is generally unrefuted by epistemologists for how can we know something that is false? We can think we know something and then it turns out we don’t, but that just means we were wrong to thinkRead MoreWeaknesses And Philosophies Of The Correspondence Theory Of Truth733 Words   |  3 PagesINTRODUCTION Truth is a tricky thing. What is truth? How is truth determined? How is truth verified? There have been many theories surrounding this idea since practically the dawn of human sentience. Philosophers have developed theory after theory to try and answer these questions. One of these theories is called the Correspondence Theory. The Correspondence Theory, also known as the Correspondence Theory of Truth, is significant to the epistemological study of truth. It has been a revolvingRead MoreReasons For Thinking That Either Foundationalism Or Coherentism About Justification Must Be True?1621 Words   |  7 Pagesabout justification must be true? In a discussion of foundationalism and coherentism, the pyramid and raft are metaphors frequently used to help explain how these two theories respectively function. Foundationalism implies that any body of knowledge can be divided up into parts that relate or constitute some understanding of this knowledge. The foundationalists’ pyramid represents such a body; the axioms (self-evident truths) of the system all sit at the bottom of the structure and each truth throughoutRead MoreIs Reliabilism Is True, Could We Ever Know Whether We Know Anything?1158 Words   |  5 Pagesthat will be presented, it is suggested that there is no way of knowing whether we know anything, when using the reliabilist form of justification as a way to reach truth. To begin, reliabilism is a form of justification where we do not need to account for the exact sources our beliefs come from because it â€Å"is externalist in character† (Handout 10). Moreover, a belief is justified if it was formed by an unconditionally reliable process, or by a conditionally reliable process that receives input fromRead MoreEmpirical Justification On The Right Track By Accepting Basic Belief Essay949 Words   |  4 PagesFoundationalism empirical justification is on the right track by accepting basic belief although there are some complications I will be attempting to show how non-propositional and non-conceptual states can stand in evidentiary relation to propositions. There is still some work must be done to prove what can constitute as basic beliefs and how they develop a sense of truth. â€Å"Epistemological account of empirical knowledge must provide a general account of standards of epistemic justification that pertains toRead MoreTheories Of Knowledge, Justified Belief And Truth897 Words   |  4 PagesThe concept of knowledge, justified belief and truth has been a primary focus of philosophers for a long time and I believe will continue to be. What I consider to be the biggest issue when it comes to Epistemology is how we justify our beliefs. How can we be sure that our justifications for our beliefs are sufficient? Also, how do we ensure that our sources of knowledge have sufficient justifications for their knowledge and beliefs? Distinguishing between reliable sources of information andRead MoreThe Difference Between Truth And Belief1585 Words   |  7 Pages I would argue that the single most important feature that defines the difference between truth and belief is faith. If truth is justified belief I think in a lot of ways faith is unjustified belief . And by unjustified I mean there is not always a logical justification, in some cases there is but logical justification is not a requirement for faith, at least in my experience. I understand that to have faith in something is often considered a positive thing, and do not get me wrong, it can be. I am

Friday, December 13, 2019

Upgrading an HR System Free Essays

string(94) " will test the new system, document any errors, and report any errors to the project manager\." Manufacturing is a company looking to upgrade their HR System. Their HR System is out of date and needs to improve its usefulness and effectiveness. Based on the Service Request SR-rm-004, this paper will prepare and describe information-gathering techniques and design methods for the Riordan Manufacturing HR System project. We will write a custom essay sample on Upgrading an HR System or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper will also identify key factors that will help ensure information for the project is gathered. The paper will also explain the scope and feasibility of the project.Finally, this paper will design and implement a new HR system for Riordan Manufacturing. Information-gathering techniques Information-gathering techniques are one of many important roles that will help with Riordan Manufacturing HR System. Gathering information from sources must be reliable and valid for the project. In addition, the information must relate to the project and fulfill the requirements as well. For the current project of collecting information, several techniques will be used for the project. The techniques on gathering information will be from surveys/questionnaires and interviews.The information will be gathered from individuals that work in the HR Department. This will help the project to indentify the HR system, how effective it operates and how it functions within the organization. Gathering information from the HR Department will help identify what will work best for the HR System. The information that comes from individuals will need to be from people who work in the HR department. Information collected from individuals who work outside the HR department can sometimes give false information and result in a project failure or errors that will occur in the new system.Other sources that will be used when gathering information will be books, journals, articles, and experts. These sources can assist the project by gathering information from the Internet, which helps to complete the project on time and reduces cost. Another aspect would be gathering information and collaboration and brainstorming with experts. Collaboration and brainstorming helps create ideas and gathers information about the subject for the project. This part of gathering information will be from people who are experienced in the field and are experts about creating an HR System.The individuals that will be working on this project will also research the type of software and hardware that will be used to determine what is best for the project. Information gathering design The design aspect when gathering information will be organized accordingly to the project. The project will examine the current HR System for their functional effectiveness. Once the current HR System has been examined, the information will determine what needs to be improved. Another part of the project will be gathering information that relates directly to the outcome of the project. The first parts of gathering information that will be used in the project are identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques that will be used. As soon as the techniques have been identified, the best techniques will be used accordingly. The next step will be using the techniques that fit best to gather the proper information. Then the information will be analyzed to see if it is compatible for the project. Once the information is analyzed, then the most effective information will be used to complete the project. The information needs to be valid, accurate, precise, and reliable.These factors are crucial concerning gathering information because it helps obtain the correct information about the subject. After gathering information for the design of the project, it has been determined that the Riordan manufacturing will be adding software to its HR system and will be upgrading its current hardware because of its lack of feedback and effectiveness of its current HR system. Scope Feasibility The scope and feasibility is an important part of the project. This determines the project’s outcome, usefulness, effectiveness, cost, and time it takes the project to be completed.This also determines the future outcome of the project and will be needed for an upgrade. The scope of the project will be determine and completed within six months. The resources constraints of completing the project will be determine by cost and time. The cost could be higher from the original cost for the completion of the project. The expected cost of the project will be $50,000. This will include paying the project team, cost of software, and hardware. The V. P. of operations of Riordan Manufacturing will approve any changes made to the project.The project team that will be working on this project will be the IT department within the company. Each phase of the project will be completed within the time that was given. IF the project team cannot complete each phase on time, the project team will work overtime. Each phase of the project will be tested and a detailed report will be created after each phase is completed. The V. P. of operations will sign off the report when each phase is completed. The individuals that will test during each phase of the project will be several members of the HR department.As soon as the HR System has been tested and finalized, each member of the HR department will be trained to operate the new software that will be added to the upgraded HR System. Application Architecture and Process Design The first step of the process design is determining the requirements for the project such as software, the project team, and hardware. The project team includes the project manager, three programmers, four IT techs, and testers from the HR department. The project manager will keep track of the project by documenting each phase aspect, determine the software and hardware requirements for the project, and report to the V.P. of Operations. The programmers will implement the new software and install / customize according to the project needs. The IT techs will install the hardware, test the hardware, and network the new system within the HR department. The testers will be employees directly from the HR department. The testers will test the new system, document any errors, and report any errors to the project manager. You read "Upgrading an HR System" in category "Papers" If any errors occur during each testing phase, the project team will be able to resolve them, retest the system, and document the conclusions after the phase has been completed.When each phase has been completed and passed, the V. P. of Operations will sign a document of completion. The hardware needed for the project will be new computers that will use the new software. The computers would need to be up to date and powerful enough to comply under the policy of the company. The computers will be networked within the HR department. This will allow each member of the HR department to access the company’s data. Other hardware being upgraded will include the router, switches, and cabling to network the new computers to the server.We will need to upgrade the server accordingly to the project specifications. Each computer will be password protected. The network setup will remain in the same format as the original setup. The only difference from the original setup is the upgraded hardware. The applications will be upgraded from the current software. The original software being used for the HR Department was Microsoft Office 1997. The project team will be upgrading the software to Microsoft Office 2007. Using the upgraded software will add more features, a better interface, and be current.Microsoft Office 2007 will be used to create customized documents, and keep track of employee information. The company will be adding proprietary software, which will require training be used properly. The software is called Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. This software is ideal for the upgraded HR System. The software will be used to manage payroll and employee information, keep track of expenses, manage the company’s bank accounts and used for accounting purposes, keep track of sales, manage customer information and purchases, and track inventory.Options of using reporting and analysis tools, data protection, password protection, will be considered. Another part of the design that will be upgrading is the Operating System (OS). The OS that will be used is Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate. Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate is ideal for the application design software for the HR department. Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate has more options compared to other versions of Windows software. It can be easily customized and adjusted for businesses needs. Unlike the other versions of Windows, Windows Ultimate is more secure and has more compatibility options than previous versions.An option example would be the Windows XP Mode. This mode would allow the HR department to use older business applications that was specifically for Windows XP. Norton Antivirus will help protect the system as well in case a virus may have compromised the system. The OS, Microsoft Office 2007, and Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise Solution, and Norton Antivirus will be added to the HR system. Security Security is important concerning a business’s system. If a system is vulnerable, then the system is not protected and data will be at risk. To help improve security, each computer will have password protection.The type of security that will be used when a member of the HR department logs on to the HR system will have a administrator password. The HR and IT department will have only access to the HR system. The new system will store the data on the HR system server. Changes made to each file such as employee information, customized documents, and payroll will be stored on the upgraded HR system’s server. Each created file will be backed up to a separate backup server in case the system should fail. In addition, the HR department will create copies of the files to be used in case the file or the data is corrupted.If the file or data is corrupted, the IT department will determine the problem, and either fixed the corrupted data or replace the corrupted file with one of the backup files. Norton Antivirus will be used on each computer in case a virus accidently gets into the system. The antivirus program will keep the system clean and protected from any viruses that may have infected and compromised the integrity of the system. The system will be monitored at all times by the IT department. If the system should fail, the backup server will be used in place of the original server.As soon as the original server is fixed, the files will be copied from the backup server onto the original server. Each member in the HR department will be monitored. The activities that each member does on each computer will be monitored in case the employee should compromise the system’s security. If a member of the HR department should leave or quit, every computer and system’s password will be changed to keep security at a high level. Each computer will have access to the Internet but will be limited to certain websites to facilitate higher security and work productivity.Physical Data Flow Diagrams Project Team Flow Diagram [pic] Hardware Flow Diagram [pic] Applications Flow Diagram with OS [pic] Implementation stage After designing the system, the implementation stage will begin. The implementation stage is the outcome of the design stage. After the system has been tested, the system will be up and running. Implementation stage will continue until it meets the company’s requirements for completion of the new HR system. This stage will take approximately one month to complete. The V. P. f operations will sign a completion document stating that the project has been completed and will be ready for operation. The implementation stage contains six stages. These six stages are coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. Coding The programmers will be writing code for the HR system. The software is Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise, Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate, and Norton Antivirus. The programmers will make a few minor changes to these programs to better fit and operate within the system’s design.The IT Techs will maintain the software and apply updates to the system accordingly. Coding will also include password protection. Developing code for the new HR system for password protection is vital to keep employee’s personal inform ation, company’s records and finances protected. Having the system protected keeps intruders such as hackers out of the system. If there are errors when the programmers are coding, then the programmers will resolve the errors. Once coding has been completed, the V. P of operations will sign a document stating that the coding has been tested and completed. TestingTesting is an important activity during the implementation stage. The testers that be involved are part of the HR department and IT department. These testers will test the HR system for any type of error and if the system is stable when operational. These tests include probing the new system for errors, glitches within the modified software, coding, and hardware. Programmers will also test the code to see if there are any errors. These errors must be resolved in order for the system to be certified completed. The HR department will test the software modifications. The IT techs will test the hardware.Each tester will document a written report of what was involved, tested, and if there should be changes or improvements to the system. When there are no more changes needed, and no improvements need to be made, then the testing phase will be considered complete. Once it has been completed, it will be documented and signed by the V. P. of Operations stating the testing stage have been completed. Installation Installing the hardware will be one of the IT techs main functions. The hardware to be installed are computers, the server, router, printers, switches, and the cabling.The setup of the network will be the same as the original network setup. The IT techs will test the hardware to make sure it is working properly. If the network should fail, the IT techs will resolve any errors and maintain 100% uptime. The installation of the hardware will be documented by the IT techs. The completion of the hardware installation will be documented and signed by the V. P. of Operations. Installing the software will be one of the programmers main functions. The reason is that the programmers will modify the software accordingly to the company’s needs.The software will be modified to the needs of the HR department. Once the installation of the software has been modified and completed the HR department will test it. Once it passes the testing phase, the V. P. of Operations will sign a documentation of completion. Documentation Each member of the project team will document what was involved during each phase, errors, what needs to be improved, resolving errors, and the completion of each phase. The testers will document what was being tested, if it needs to be improved, errors, and if it passes the test phase. The project manager will sign off and present the documents to the V. P. of Operations. The V. P. of Operations will sign off the completion of each stage, the project, and a document stating the system is operational ready to be implemented. Training The HR department employees including the supervisor will be trained to operate the new software that is installed for their department. The training will take about two weeks to complete. Each member will sign a documentation of completion of understanding and how to operate the new software. Support The IT department will support the new system.They will make any changes to the system if need be. They will also maintain and update the software and hardware according the system’s needs. The HR system will be monitored daily for any issues, errors, or intrusions. If the system should fail, the IT department will implement the backup system. The IT department will resolve any issues or problems if the server should fail. Once these problems have been resolved, the server will be brought back online. The IT department will document daily what was done to the system on any particular day. Benefits of using defined and repeatable processesThe benefits of using defined and repeatable processes in these activities in the implementation stage are that it allows having proper and well structured stages to complete the project and it eliminates errors. This also allows the project team to complete the project within the six months time frame and within the cost of the project. Developing a well proper structured implementation stage also lets the project team to work together rather than as separate entity, which can cause issues among the project team. If this should occur, then the project will not be completed. Each phase of the project can run smoothly without creating errors. Another benefit is that there is more of a complete understanding of the project. Conclusion In conclusion, the project team can complete the project within the time frame and within cost. The HR department sees that with the hardware installed the system will function correctly. The new system will be monitored and maintained daily by the IT department. References Exforsys Inc. : Execution for system. (2000-2010). Feasibility Study – Why needed before Programming. http://www. exforsys. com/tutorials/programming-concepts/feasibility-study-why-needed-before-programming. tml   Intuit Inc. (2010). Compare the advanced features of QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions with QuickBooks Pro and Premier. http://enterprisesuite. intuit. com/resources/switching/outgrowing/   Martin E. Model. (2007). The Interview And Other Data Gathering Methods. Http://www. martymodell. com/pgsa2/pgsa07. html Microsoft. (2010). Compare Editions. http://www. microsoft. com/windows/windows-7/compare/default. aspx Neville Turbit – Project Perfect. (July 19, 2010). Defining the Scope in IT Projects. http://www. projectperfect. com. au/info_define_the_scope. php How to cite Upgrading an HR System, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Market Towards Sustainable Consumption †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Marketers are not doing enough in directing target market towards sustainable consumption. Answer: This is the world of limited resource and in this world, it is necessary that the use of resources should be minimum. Growth in such a world should be economically, socially as well as environmentally sustainable. The marketers play a major role in making the consumption of the customers sustainable (Thorpe, 2010). Sustainable consumption can be referred as the use of the product and services that have minimum impact on the environment and so that our future generation can make use of it. Sustainability in the consumption and production is very important and also act as the challenge for the marketers. Due to different forces such as government and stakeholders, pressure on the companies for being sustainable is increasing. The major challenge that has been faced by marketers is about identifying the sustainable brand and to communicate it to the consumers (Prothero, Dobscha, Freund, Kilbourne, Luchs, Ozanne and Thgersen, 2011). The company and the customers communicate and interact through theadvertising and marketing channels. Thus, marketers have the major role in maintaining the sustainability in consumption by the customers because they are the one who are responsible for attracting and forcing the customers to buy certain kinds of products. Marketers are the one who provides the information of sourcing and production o the products to the consumers and that is the only information that acts as the base for the customers to take their buying decisions. One of the major questions that arise is why there is a need for sustainability in consumption. The big reason is the urbanisation and the increasing population. More and more people are shifting from rural to urban areas, this leads to change in their demands and exploitation of the resources available (Peattie and Peattie, 2009). The rise in population also leads to over consumption of the resources as the numbers of people using the resources are increasing day by day but the resources availability is limited. It has been analysed that the marketers are not playing their role efficiently in catering the target market with the true information. There can be many reasons by marketers are not playing their role efficiently. The first reason is business. in order to enhance business the markets do not look for the sustainability aspect but market those products that are giving high profits to them without considering the harmful effects they may have on the society and the environment if they are consumed by the people (Kang, Liu and Kim, 2013). Another reason that restricts the marketers to provide the information about the sustainable consumption to the customers is the dilemma of choosing the sustainable brand from the competing brand. It is the challenge for the market to select one of the brand out of so many brands that is sustainable and using the sustainable processes and sources in production. The ever increasing demand of the people these days is also forcing the companies to make changes in the products now and then, these changes requires them to make use of the resources and exploit them (Tukker, Cohen, Hubacek and Mont, 2010). Thus, sourcing and producing the products sustainably is also very difficult for the companies. Companies are fooling the people by providing them false information through marketers regarding the process they use and the ingredients they use in producing their products. There are many false practices used by the companies an d the marketers to target the customers. Marketers try to sell more and more products to the consumers (Fedrigo and Hontelez, 2010). For customers, consumption is buying things and stuffs which lead to use of more and more resources and thus sustainability. This is a misconception in the minds of the customers that buying more things is consumption and this has been created by the marketers only. Customers think that consumption can be made sustainable only by using or buying things that are organic and not making use of more resources. However, they have to make sure that they are using the products in the amount that is enough for them and not more than that. This is because even the excessive use of sustainable products is creating and developing unsustainability in the environment (Tukker, Charter, Vezzoli, Sto and Andersen, 2008). Marketers act as the mediator between the consumers and the companies. They have the responsibility to provide correct information to the target customers by using some of the methods such s green marketing. Even inmarketing practices, the company should promote environment friendly behaviour and products. The marketers nee to boycott the products they found are unsustainable in any of the way whether it is economic, social or environmental. This discussion suggests that marketers are not playing their ole properly of creating the awareness among the customers about sustainable consumption. This is because of their greed to enhance their own business (Young, Hwang, McDonald and Oates, 2010). It is the need of hour for the marketers to realize their duty and communicate the target customers with the proper information through different medium of advertising and social media campaigns. These are the very important tools that can be sued to make the society aware about sustainability an d its importance in production and consumption. References: Thorpe, A., 2010. Design's role in sustainable consumption.Design Issues,26(2), pp.3-16. Prothero, A., Dobscha, S., Freund, J., Kilbourne, W.E., Luchs, M.G., Ozanne, L.K. and Thgersen, J., 2011. Sustainable consumption: Opportunities for consumer research and public policy.Journal of Public Policy Marketing,30(1), pp.31-38. Peattie, K. and Peattie, S., 2009. Social marketing: A pathway to consumption reduction?.Journal of Business Research,62(2), pp.260-268. Kang, J., Liu, C. and Kim, S.H., 2013. Environmentally sustainable textile and apparel consumption: the role of consumer knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived personal relevance.International Journal of Consumer Studies,37(4), pp.442-452. Tukker, A., Cohen, M.J., Hubacek, K. and Mont, O., 2010. Sustainable consumption and production.Journal of Industrial Ecology,14(1), pp.1-3. Fedrigo, D. and Hontelez, J., 2010. Sustainable consumption and production.Journal of Industrial Ecology,14(1), pp.10-12. Tukker, A., Charter, M., Vezzoli, C., Sto, E. and Andersen, M.M., 2008.Perspectives on radical changes to sustainable consumption and production(Vol. 1). Greeenleaf Publishing. Young, W., Hwang, K., McDonald, S. and Oates, C.J., 2010. Sustainable consumption: green consumer behaviour when purchasing products.Sustainable development,18(1), pp.20-31.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Texoil Negotiation Essay Example

Texoil Negotiation Paper Value based pricing was going to be the key, I thought, from the moment I looked at the Texoil case as the service station owner. From my perspective, the owners not only owned the station, but had acquired a loyal customer base. They had knowledge of the regional environment. They themselves were part of the reason the station was successful. My contention was that if Texoil built a station without them, it would be both risky and potentially unsuccessful. Based on the above value analysis, my partner and I decided that the total value of the station was: the cost of a new building for Texoil plus lost revenues during construction plus the lifetime value of previously acquired customers plus the risk reduction of a failed venture – a total of two million dollars. We knew that the above figure was quite high, and we planned to come out quickly and anchor the discussion there with our supporting evidence. [1] Since the preliminary analysis showed it would cost Texoil 650k to build and 553k was our minimum desired selling price, our goal was to walk away with any deal above 650k. We will write a custom essay sample on Texoil Negotiation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Texoil Negotiation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Texoil Negotiation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I was open to thinking creatively about a deal that was not all-cash. [2] We recognized quickly that our BATNA so-so. If we sold for 400k it might be enough to pay for the sailboat, but it would not be enough to live on later. However, we realized that even in this worst case scenario, the boat could be sold upon returning in order to finance subsequent expenses. It wasn’t perfect but it was palatable. Ultimately, a deal that beat 400k would also work, but it would be leaving value on the table. Looking forward to the negotiation, we knew the Texoil rep would remark on the fact that we had been running ads in the newspaper. We felt that this was a disadvantage as it made us look desperate to sell. We wanted Texoil to think our BATNA was not only another offer but also continuing to enjoy running the station. The concocted story was: we started running the ads after we got an ‘out of the blue’ offer by a large competitor. We were SO surprised by this generous offer that we decided to go fishing to see what other interest was out there, though we had by no means decided that we wanted to sell. Process My partner and I as well as the Texoil rep spent some time getting acquainted and exchanging pleasantries. Relationship building before a negotiation is a key to successful outcomes. [3] He asked us why we were selling, and we trotted out our planned back story. A silence came over the discussion, and my partner proceeded to share our estimated two-million-dollar valuation. The Texoil rep’s brow furrowed, he scribbled on his paper, and said that based on his analysis he could offer us 200k! I was taken aback. My first instinct was that he was re-anchoring low. For most of the subsequent negotiation I felt he was playing hard ball. I countered by returning to the value discussion. I elaborated once again about how starting a gas station in a tough region with plenty of competitors was not a slam dunk; that there was a risk of failing, and that was the reason to pay a premium. The Texoil rep nodded his head and said, I still don’t understand how you’re getting to two million. At this point, I realized we had been doing too much talking, and potentially giving up too much information. We hadn’t asked why Texoil was interested, what their assumptions were, what they were looking at? Not letting the opposition speak was a blunder. Unfortunately, however, the rep didn’t give much information away. I redirected the conversation. I said, â€Å"our data shows it would cost you at least 650k to build, plus the customer base. † So how in the world are you getting somewhere between 200k and 300k. This was a smart move, because it got him to acknowledge that indeed the price to build was 650k, but that was for a new facility, potentially with the convenience store. I said sure, but then you’re going to be competing against me, and you’ll lose. Clearly existing relationships matter. He said price matters more. We went back and forth a little. At this point, I introduced the idea of us having a partial stake in the gas station. The Texoil rep seemed to be more ok with that idea, but the percent was still low. We appealed to his honest side. â€Å"Look,† we said, â€Å"We started at two million, we’ve gone way down. Do you want a deal or not? † He admitted that he had a cap on his spend. He offered $450k. I said at that level we’ll need a 20% stake. We went back and forth and landed on $450k, 15% stake, and 40 hours of work between the two of us upon returning from the vacation. Learning About Self I believe I showed a couple key strengths in this negotiation. First, by continuing to re-center the discussion about value, we earned a higher ending agreement. [I believe we had one of the most favorable agreements in the class for the gas station proprietors. ] We were able to sell the Texoil rep on the concept that he needed us and the skillset we brought. When we got down to a number that worked for him, he was open to non-cash solutions. One of the challenges in this case was information asymmetry. Not knowing the opponents’ information, limitations, and whether they were just pulling our leg. After the rep brought up that $650k was the price including an entirely new station with a convenience store, plus new pumps, I realized we had to be willing to pivot down. We acknowledged that taking into account the store and new pumps, the number was at least 500k to build, and they still needed us or it wouldn’t be a successful business. Knowing when your value proposition is different than originally stated is another key to getting the deal made. At one point my partner said, â€Å"Do you want a deal or not? You approached us to buy the station, but it seems like you’re not actually interested. Are you? † That did elicit the reaction of, â€Å"well yeah. † I think this shows that sometimes, when you’re stuck, zooming out to the 10,000 ft level can be beneficial. The mistake I made during this negotiation was that I let my mouth run wild for too long at certain points. I need to be more conscious, and actively listen. One thing I’m proud of is that we were open to a lot of creative solutions that were non-cash based. This gets at my own decision making criteria, where I land somewhere between a â€Å"charismatic† and a â€Å"thinker. †[4] I like seeing both the big picture and seeing the data. The thinker side that relishes the data feed, in some ways is very challenged by the ambiguity of negotiation. In some ways you don’t always know if you got the best deal you could get. That’s hard as a thinker who wants to win. Having that â€Å"charismatic† side, however, helps in terms of creating the grand strategy; coming up with the value proposition. Maybe I don’t get the most perfect deal, but at least the conceptual thinking and game-plan is on solid footing. What would you do differently? I have two regrets. First, my partner and I should have listened more to the rep at the start of the conversation. He was great at letting us talk. It turned out he didn’t actually know much about the situation, so we played right into his hands. The second mistake was not creating some sort of hierarchy of who was chief negotiator or roles. We discussed our overall plan, and that we were setting our initial value at two million, but after he re-anchored at 200k, we were off our game. There were a few times when my partner said something that I wasn’t completely in agreement with, and probably vice versa. We ended up taking a break a little more than half way through to resettle and to discuss where we were at. This was partially due to frustration. In retrospect, this was a shrewd decision and could have been taken early. I think the lesson is, if the opponent is doing something unexpected, stop and think deeply or take a break. It doesn’t seem to hurt.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Museum of Tolerance essays

Museum of Tolerance essays As I explored the Museum of Tolerance, I was surprised to find what is an environment of high tech media in your face interactive screens that educates visitors with human rights issues all over the world. The Museum explores areas such as the exploitation of women and children, threat of terrorism and engages visitors to finding solutions to the problems of human rights violations. I became a witness to the events of World War II while I was toured around room to room as if we were reliving the decades events in Germany from pre-World War II, through the rise and fall of the Third Reich, and liberation. I received photo passport card of a young boy whose life was changed by the events of the Holocaust. Throughout the tour, my passport is updated and at the end, the ultimate fate of the child is revealed. I felt Death. The Museum of Tolerance also showed an unforgettable timeline of all the victims of the Holocaust as well to all the patrons. From Hitler's rise to power, which was the initiation of a period that produced great fear to millions, to the destruction of almost an entire civilization. Millions were forced to live in ghettos, only to be deported later to the concentration camps to be inhumanely slaughtered via gas chambers or shooting gallery. Below are the chronological tragic details and events that remained quite vague until the liberation of the death camps: 1. THE RISE OF THE NAZI PARTY (1918-1933): It is interesting to find that many do not know that the Nazi Party started as a gang of unemployed soldiers in 1919. It is also surprising that this gang would become the legal government of Germany by 1933. In the next fourteen years, a once obscure corporal by the name of Adolf Hitler, would rise to be the Nazi party leader, would become the Chancellor of Germany. This type of movement in the world geographic sense, would be symbolic to the claiming of territories, people, o...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nursing and Self-Care Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 41

Nursing and Self-Care Management - Case Study Example The hands are to be washed and before doing anything to the patient it is vital to explain to Mrs Smith whatever action about to be performed. I will enquire medical records of in a bid to establish the medical history of the patient as well as her feelings and perception towards the recent diagnosis. Finally, it will also be vital to enquire if there is any information that may be of great help towards the determination of the ailment as well as any leading factors that may have contributed to the patient’s latest predicaments (Paraska, 2012). Mrs Smith previous history indicated that she had been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and lately congestive heart failure. Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the joints of the human body. Normally the joints are cushioned with a cartilage that prevents friction between the joint bones during motion. However, when the cartilage deteriorates these bones rub on each other resulting in painful inflammation. The condition is common in women and children with the grossly affected age being the age of 40 to 60 years. Its characteristic symptoms are morning stiffness, pains at the joints, swell at the affected joints and reduced activities. Conversely, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a condition characterised by loss of or shortness of breath, fatigue, and reduced activities. This is due to the heart fails to supply oxygen and nutrients to other organs or to all parts of the body (Fawcett & Madeya, 2013). The self-care management goal that is related to the above-discussed ailments is by examining Mrs Smith’s lifestyle and giving appropriate advice on the need to readjust her lifestyle.In most cases, individual lifestyle is always the causative factors that lead to arthritis. This can be due to remedied through regular exercising, maintenance of proper diet, proper sleep and others (Williams & Hopper, 2011). The intervention strategies that can be employed in the above-mentioned cases factoring her age is by advising her to try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by continuously getting involved in light activities, ensuring that she adheres her eating habits to proper dieting.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Contrasting the Hobbesian and Lockeian Social Contracts Essay

Contrasting the Hobbesian and Lockeian Social Contracts - Essay Example John Locke’s â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government† and Thomas Hobbes’ â€Å"Leviathan† both present theories for the construction of social contracts that would enable the sanctioning of a sovereign force to protect the whole. Where Locke takes a more liberal perspective, inviting the ideal that people can function by accepting a ruling authority for the greater good, Hobbes takes a similar yet opposing stance that while a ruling authority is key in the success of protecting the human race, people cannot accept such influence without giving up certain inalienable rights including their own personal sovereignty. With that said, a closer look will be taken into the contract theories of both Hobbes and Locke to determine how their different assumptions yield two distinct forms of social contracts and illuminate which political thinker’s ideal holds more value today. To begin with, John Locke has long been thought to be one of the most archetypal the orists in all of American political thinking. His ideas are so fundamental in the political landscape that it has been understood that his beliefs backed the foundations of the American Revolution in 1776. In his essay entitled â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government: An Essay Concerning the True Original, Extent, and End of Civil Government,† Locke details his theories for a distinct form of social contract in which he states that people would be bound by a moral code to uphold a certain dignity when dealing with others. By this code, people would do no harm to others or the property of others, but this could only be regulated by a governmental force that could provide protection from the inherent fear that not everyone would abide by the moral code set forth. Moreover, it is because of this need for protection from those of wavering morality that people would come together and form a state-sanctioned force which would umbrella a safety net upon their lives. It is important to note, however, that since this governmental faction is elected in a pseudo-democratic fashion for the need of the many that faction is only in place as long as the legitimacy of freedom remains intact. Moreover, the governmental faction is there for the protection of the whole, as an impartial judge, and will not persecute anybodyfor protecting his land or family. On the other hand, Hobbes’ â€Å"Leviathan: Or, the Matter, Form and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil† theorized that life was an anarchic mess, where people were unable to act for the good of the many and instead only focused on their own selfish needs. His moral code is similar to Locke’s only in the realm that people come together for a fundamental purpose – but that is where similarities end. Hobbes believed that people had to give up something to be part of the whole. It was regulatory without leadership, a constant realm of chaos and anarchy unless the social contract c ould be enforced which would essentially require everyone to act in the greater interests of the whole by giving up their own individualized sovereignty. Further, in Hobbes’ contract, people are inherently selfish beings. Unable to share the vested interests of others, people lived in an anarchic state that teetered between the needs of the one and the sacrifice of the many to achieve that fact. In this, Hobbes is almost the complete opposite of Locke in that people are unable to declare a sovereign ruling force without giving up their individualized sovereignty. People are unable to become part of the state without asserting that they no longer need any sort of individualism. Hobbes details that â€Å"therefore before the names of Just, and Unjust can have place, there must be some coercive Power, to compel men equally to the performance of their Covenants, by the terror of some punishment, greater than the benefit they expect† (Hobbes 97). Essentially, for the social contract to function in the ways Hobbes has detailed, people must be compelled by some

Monday, November 18, 2019

Financial crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial crisis - Essay Example Compared to the traditional savings deposit, this 3% is way higher which explains why a lot of depositors and investors put their money in WMPs. The reason why WMPs have higher interest yields is because they are tied up with riskier bank loans of intermediaries. WMPs are also not held in bank’s balance sheets which means that that there are no capital set aside for them during defaults. Shadow banking creates a vicious cycle because intermediaries or trust companies also loans out to a companies which in turn can also deposit back to a bank which will again transfer it to an intermediary. Such money will again be recycled except that a certain portion of it held through the mechanism of RRR or reserve requirement ration (which is really just liquidity ratio) which is portion of the loan that must be withheld from loaning out. This cycle is vicious because a $10 deposit can be loaned for $8 to another company which can again deposit it to a bank which will again loan it out for $6.4 where the same amount diminishes in the cycle. In the process, the investor is guaranteed a 3% return for the deposit. This kind of banking is not sustainable in the long run. Shadow banking in China is US equivalent of credit swap which is tied up to riskier loan. In China’s shadow banking, WMP’s are tied up intermediaries riskier loans which are not registered in company’s balance sheets and therefore not backed up by capital in case of default. In the US, credit swaps are credits lumped together with riskier loans such as subprime mortgage and then sold to another entity. The principle are the same except that US credit swap is riskier to China’s shadow banking which only guarantees a 3% return on WMPs credit swap contains subprime loans that are almost certain to default. This shows that both system is not sustainable in the long run because of the risk involved and the investments not guaranteed by capital for potential

Friday, November 15, 2019

Low Cost Carriers (LCC) Tiger Airways’ Marketing Strategy

Low Cost Carriers (LCC) Tiger Airways’ Marketing Strategy Executive Summary Since the late of last century, the business model of low cost airline represented by Southwest Airlines has been spreading all over the world, has influence and changed the framework and development of the world airline industry. This report is the analysis of the youngest airlines companies of Low Cost Carriers (LCC) Tiger Airways’s marketng strategy. Firstly, it is focused on the macro environmental factors affecting Tiger Airways. Next, it analyzes the competitors including direct and indirect competitors to point out the competitive advantage of Tiger Airways. Finally, this report is focused on the core competence analysis of Tiger Airways. 1. Introduction The low cost carrier is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. The concept originated in the United States and subsequently spread to much of the rest of the world. The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. The first successful low cost carrier was Pacific Southwest Airlines in the United States, which pioneered the concept in 1949, then this concept has been incorrectly given to Southwest Airlines which began service in 1971 and has been profitable every year since 1973.[1] Today, the low cost carrier model is applicable worldwide. One of the famous and successful airlines is Tiger Airways. Tiger Airways Private Limited is a low-cost airline which set up their headquarters in Singapores Changi International Airport. It is operated by one of the premium airlines in the world (Singapore Airline). The parent company is Tiger Aviation Private Limited that consists of The Tiger Singapore and Tiger Australia, Incheon Tiger Airways with slogan â€Å"Get The Real Deal†. The company was established from December 2003 to September 15, the 2004 maiden voyage.[2] It is currently the largest low cost airline operating in Singapore in terms of the amount passengers. Tiger Airways is Asia Pacifics true low fare airline. It offers the lowest fares of passenger safety and convenience of air travel. Tiger Airways from Singapore in September 2004 brought in two aircrafts in its fleet, the network of three routes. In the four years of operation, the operation of Tiger Airways from Singapore and Melbourne bases, base and third-party action in Adelaide in early 2009. Tiger Airways currently fly to over 25 destinations in nine countries in Asia. In only one year (2006), the airline served 1.2 million passengers; it is a growth of seventy five percent compared to the previous year. [3] Through the internet (the public and agents), it accounts for seventy five percent of Tiger Airways seats sold. In other words, passenger book from call centers and airport outlets accounts for twenty five percent. This indicates that the low cost carrier (LCC) model uses online marketing and technology to reduce operating costs is working. [4] 2. Macro-Environmental analysis 2.1 Technology Singapore is a technology driven country. From wireless internet to escalators, advanced technology is found everywhere in the country. People use technology here for the better quality of their lives. Under the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), [emailprotected] is a government initiative to build Singapores infocomm infrastructure. Working through IDAs call-for-collaboration, SingTel, QMax and iCell deploy a municipal wireless network throughout Singapore. Internet based booking adopted by Tiger Airways is one of the technological benefits. E-ticketing is the fastest way of booking tickets in the 21st century. Tiger Airways attracts most of its customers online. In addition, Tiger Airways operations are based on high-technology, and the company is constantly striving to bring customers the best services available in the industry in terms of operational efficiency, reliability and safety.According to industry standards, the on-time departure is the one that departs from the designated bay less than 15 minutes from the scheduled departure time.[5] That means they are not only doing their every effort to ensure that their planes leave on time (and get customers there on time), but also remain in tiptop condition as well, thus, customers will always get the same great experience that have come to expect, every time. 2.2 Demographic and economic The population in Singapore has increased and the visitors coming into Singapore has also increased. According to government statistics, the population of Singapore was 4.84 million in 2008, of whom 3.64 million were Singaporean citizens and permanent residents.[6] Singapore has one of the world largest GDP growths, which means that the people in Singapore are growing richer with higher rate of success. Singapore has a highly developed market which has historically revolved around extensive exports trade, in other words an export driven economy hugely dependant on export of goods to other countries. Along with Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers countries. The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing. Moreover, Singapore is also a popular travel destination making tourism one of its largest industries. There were about 7.8 million tourists visited Singapore in 2006.[7] It has also indirectly resulted in booming development of aviation industry. Singapore gets its revenue mainly through tourism and most of people coming from different nearby countries prefer these types of airline for their short travel. 2.3 Governmental Political forces are one of the most important factors for budget or low cost airlines. Forty nine percent of the shares of Tiger Airways are owned by Singapore Airlines (SIA). The chairman of the Singapore airlines belongs to the advisory council of the president which gives an added advantage to expand their network relationships with other airlines and countries. Singapore has a successful and transparent market economy. Government linked companies are dominant in various sectors of the local economy, such as utilities, media, and public transport. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least corrupt country in Asia and among the worlds 10 most free from corruption by Transparency International.[8] Apart from that, the Economic Development Board (EDB) together with the Information Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) aim to make Singapore the region’s major center. Their purpose is to promote Singapore as a compelling location for companies across the entire industry value chain; creating a self-reinforcing, inter-dependent ecosystem that will continuously attract talent, capital, ideas, and enterprises to create international products and services from Singapore. [9] 2.4 Cultural Singapore is a mixture of an ethnic Malay population with a Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants. There also exist significant Eurasian and Peranakan who are known also as Straits Chinese communities. Around 78,000 people work in the media in Singapore, including publishing, music, broadcasting, print, film, digital and IT media sectors. The industry contributed 1.56% to Singapores gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 with an annual turnover of S$10 billion. The industry grew at an average rate of 7.7% annually from 1990 to 2000, and the government seeks to increase its GDP contribution to three percent by 2012.[10] Singaporean cuisine is an example of diversity and cultural diffusion, with influences from Chinese, Indian, Malay and Tamil cuisine. In Singapores hawker centres, traditionally Malay hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil food. Chinese food stalls may introduce indigenous Malay ingredients or cooking techniques. This continues to make the cuisine of Singapore a significant cultural attraction. That is one of reasons why Singapore is a popular tourist country. 3. Competitive analysis The cost of competition in airline industry is high. Tiger Airways, due to its low cost nature, has cut throat competition with the rival airlines like Virgin Blue and Jetstar. The industry growth is average for switching between airline companies which brings more convenience to the customers. The fixed cost is high for the Tiger Airlines and there is opportunity for it to sell unsold seats cheaply which results in pricing wars between the rivals. Tiger Airways competes in terms of price technology, customer services, in-flight entertainments and many more areas. 3.1 Comparison of Tiger Airways with Direct Competitors Air Asia: Air Asia is a low cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is the first airline in the region providing ticketless travel and implementing comprehensive unassigned seats. With the domestic and international flight reservation Air Asia operates 656 flights daily, 102 routes to 57 destinations in 12 countries.[11] Destinations Covered: Air Asia covers fifty seven destinations as Tiger Airways which covers only nineteen destinations. It covers three times more than Tiger Airways’. Cost Analysis: Air Asia is approximately thirty percent more expensive as compared to Tiger Airways. For example, Tiger Airways ticket to Phuket is seventy two SGD whereas Air Asia charges one hundred and ten SGD. Air Asia charges one hundred and seventy SGD to Bangkok whereas Tiger Airways charges one hundred and thirty SGD. Baggage Allowance: Tiger Airways allows a maximum of fifteen Kg check in luggage and charges 25 SGD whereas Air Asia charges 7.50 SGD. Air India Express: Air India express is India’s first international airline that offers great value for money and provides convenient connectivity in the short range routes. Air India Express and Tiger Airways both connect India to Singapore and vice versa through Chennai.[12] Destinations Covered: Air India covers ten international destinations whereas Tiger Airways covers nineteen destinations. Cost Analysis: Air India Express is more expensive than Tiger Airways, for example, Air India charges 306 SGD to Chennai whereas Tiger Airways charges 269 SGD to Chennai. Baggage Allowance: Air India allows a certain limit of free of charge baggage whereas Tiger Airways only allows seven Kg of free hand baggage. Lion Air: Lion Air is Indonesia’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy and business class seating. It operates scheduled passenger services on an extensive domestic network from Jakarta to forty destinations with 210 daily flights as of May 2008.[13] Destinations Covered: Lion Air covers 7 international destinations whereas Tiger Airways covers 19 destinations. Cost Analysis: Lion Airways is a little cheaper as compared to Tiger Airways. For example, Lion Airways charges 89 SGD for a ticket to Ho Chi Minh City whereas tiger airways charges 102 SGD. Baggage allowance: Free baggage allowance by Lion airs is 20kilos for economy class and 30kilos for business class whereas tiger allows only 7 kilos. 3.2 Tiger airways facing Indirect Competitors: Indirect competition includes trains and buses as other means of transport to reach a destination. Land transport that includes trains and buses are the indirect competition to air travel because they permit far greater capacity and frequency of service which is not possible by aircraft and their schedules are less interrupted by bad weather than airlines. Tiger Airways covers destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phuket and other destinations where are also accessible through other means of transportations such as trains and buses. Trains and buses hence are an indirect competition because of various reasons, such as time, price, and luggage allowed to carry, etc,. For example: 1. Tiger Airways has daily flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok from Singapore but the frequency of buses from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur are ten times more. 2. Tiger Airways charges 59 SGD for a one way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur whereas the bus charges 33 SGD. However there are few buses such as Transnational Express which costs 15 SGD. Therefore, the ticket price varies depending on the type of bus passengers choose and the place from where passengers board the bus. A slower, costlier, but more comfortable way to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, would be by rail. To Kuala Lumpur there are two day time trains and one over night sleeper train daily. The charges vary depending on the seat passengers choose. For instance, if passengers choose a first class seat it will cost approximately 28 SGD whereas a second class seat would cost around 14 SGD. 3. Tiger Airways charges 131 SGD for a one way ticket from Singapore to Bangkok and the train charges approximately 82 SGD for second class sleeper. However there is no direct train from Singapore to Bangkok. Therefore, passengers have to change minimum two to three trains further down to Bangkok. Obviously, convenience of travel is a known fact as traveling by air is the fastest means of transportation as compared to any other means. Basically for an airlines industry the main substitutes are travelling by train, bus or car to any desired destination. The various factors affecting these substitutes are money, convenience and time. However Tiger Airlines being price sensitive lures many travelers away from these substitutes. Thus, the cost is the key consideration for many travelers. The competitive possession of tiger airlines is affected by the bargaining power of the buyers. The potential buyers can put a lot of pressure on airline business which further affects its price, volume and profit margin. Tiger Airlines flying from the Gold Coast airport is competing for the same customer, which in turn is strengthening the buying power. A lot of buyers are attracted to tiger airlines as it main strength is its price. The threaten route for Tiger Airlines in the future is determined by the existing barriers to entry. Cost of entry is the biggest barrier. The cost of buying and leasing aircrafts, safety and security measures, customer services and man power is high. Tiger Airways itself a new entrant in the Airline industry has added a lot to the competition. This means a major constraint on the profit margin for the Airline industry. 4. Core Competences Analysis In order to satisfy the visitors on the Asia-Pacific region, Tiger Airways relies on low fares and the reliable regional air services. That is a true low fare airline which operates on three customer-focused core strategies: First of all, market stimulation. Tiger Airlines creates opportunities for new travelers and empowering budget conscious people to fly more often by making travel affordable with its consistent low fares. Tiger Airlines facilitates its processes of providing effective consumer service by online sales services, they provide hotel accommodation for the passengers, car rental and travel insurance benefits to passengers online. Huge response is generated by the consumers through the process of online sales as the number of seats booked online is increasing year after year. Services provided to travelers with benefits like offering them more options in terms of increased capacity in routes. Tiger Airlines is still under process of opening more travel options for the employees. Secondly, Tiger realized the importance of stringent cost control through their operations, so that they can keep our fares consistently low for travelers. Tiger Airways empowers budget conscious people to fly more often by making travel affordable with its consistent low fares. The market share of the airlines has increased due to the low price. Tiger airways offered 100,000 seats at 9.95 for Australian destinations. To book return flights from Melbourne at Mackay at 49.95 per flight and there were no server problems as in the case of Jet star. They charge $30 for exit row seats and $8 for all other seats. Thirdly, capacity utilization maximizes the number of sectors served by their aircraft per day with efficient air traffic planning. Tiger Airways has effective workforces, who work diligently to make the airlines a success. With the increase in the number of phone customers, due to good salesmanship done by the employees working in the call centers, the airline has decided to increase the number of staff in call centers. Generally the tickets are sold online or in airports. After sale services like delivering the purchased ticket at the house of customers adds to its marketing strategy. Moreover, Tiger Airways seeks to act as a good corporate citizen at all times and undertakes contributions and sponsorship programs as part of its partnership with the community. For example, it is currently making conscious efforts to conserve wildlife and sponsors the upkeep of Winnie, a white Tiger at the Singapore Zoological Gardens for the purpose of conservation, education and recreation Tiger Airways business model is based on the success of Ryanair, which uses a very low cost competitive basis, the basis of low fares. It also involves examining every aspect of the business, in an effort to eliminate non-essential costs, but it will not cut any corner of the passenger safety and on time. However, Tiger Airways should be constantly looking for good business opportunities available to the market. For example, one glaring advantage of using YouTube is that it serves 100 million videos per day. No matter what YouTube content (unlicensed, kids falling of skateboards, etc), thats a huge number and there are tremendous opportunities for Tiger Airways to benefit in order to reach such a huge audience for any business opportunities. Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale are opportunities that Tiger Airways can also utilize. According to Forrester Research, online consumer auction sales will reach US$65 billion by 2010. This is almost one-fifth of all online retail sales. The growth of high speed broadband, and the number of online users, has opened new windows of opportunity for reaching viewers. The aims is to find the most effective internet advertising techniques for making full use of the internets, rapidly expanding, global marketplace. 5. Conclusion Based on above analysis, it can be seen clearly that Tiger’s success is no accident. It is based on their effective correct marketing strategies and operation performance. Although Tiger Airway is a successful company and has achieved good brand recognition widely, it still has much to improve in order to maintain the momentum it has generated over five years in operation. From the research point of view, with the marketing mix audit, I m able to identify and provide suggestions based on the aspects which we feel have to be improved, reinforced, developed to be the most effective. Besides that, I get an obvious view of the marketing strategies employed by Tiger Airways through the macro, competitive and core analysis. Reference [1] The History of PSA, http://www.jetpsa.com/index/history.html [2] Company Overview, http://www.tigerairways.com/sg/en/about_us.php [3] Tiger Airways sees 75% jump in number of passengers. Channel NewsAsia, Janauary 2007 [4] Tiger Airways new Advertising Campaign sees sales up more than 60%, 26 October 2005, http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news05/2610-Advertising.shtml [5] On-Time Performance, http://www.tigerairways.com/id/en/on_time_performance.php [6] Singapore Statistic, http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/keyind.html#popnarea. [7] Record Year As Tourism Exceeds 2006 Targets With S$12.4 Billion Tourism Receipts And 9.7 Million Visitor Arrivals, http://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/new/new03a.asp?id=6243 [8] Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2006. http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. [9] Singapore Paves the Way as Trusted Global E-Commerce Hub http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20060926094702.aspx?getPagetype=20 [10] Media 21: Transforming Singapore into a Global Media City. Media Development Authority Singapore (PDF). Retrieved on 17/09/06 [11] AirAsia, http://www.budgetairlineguide.com/airasia [12] Air India Express, http://www.airindiaexpress.in/airindiaexpress/Home.asp [13] Lion Air, http://w3.lionair.co.id/ [14] Tiger Airways, http://www.tigerairways.com/sg/ [15] Cheap Airline Tickets! http://www.kipaddotta.com/travel/cheap-airline-tickets.html [16] Gross, S./Schroeder, A. (Eds.): Handbook of Low Cost Airlines Strategies, Business Processes and Market Environment, Berlin 2007

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Analysis of the First Paragraph in Porter’s Old Mortality :: Porter’s Old Mortality

Analysis of the First Paragraph in Porter’s Old Mortality First, I would like to make some broad generalizations about Katherine Anne Porter’s stories. The selections of stories that I have read could be considered stories about transition, passage from an old world to a new. There is a prolific amount of life and death imagery related to changes from slavery to freedom, aristocracy to middle-class, and birth to death. Her stories contain characters from several generations and the narratives move through out this multi-generational consciousness. The stories are as much about antitheses as the move from tradition to modernity or new ideas/ideals. The narrative perspectives illustrate the chasm between old and young/old and new. I believe the opening text of â€Å"Old Mortality† illustrates both the conflicting views of different generations/values and ideals as well as the attempt to understand and resolve each other’s opposite. The first paragraph gives the reader a description of Aunt Amy. It is difficult to distinguish who the narrator of the text is at this particular point. It is neither Miranda or Maria nor the Grandmother. It would appear to be an omniscient narrator of no relation to the characters. Yet, the narrator displays the affect of both the young girls’ feelings and thoughts about Aunt Amy’s picture as well as the Grandmother’s perception of Amy. While the first sentence is mostly objective description, the second sentence is full of the affectation of a subjective point of view. Aunt Amy is described as wearing a â€Å"white collar [that] rose from the neck of her tightly buttoned black basque, and round white cuffs set off lazy hands with dimples in them, lying at ease in the folds of her flounced skirt.† Words like â€Å"tightly,† â€Å"lazy,† and â€Å"ease† seem to describe what would be considered the traditional concept of the Southern woman. The wealthy Southern female is conservative, pure, fragile, peaceful, and delicate. These descriptive words could be viewed as an alignment with the traditional Southern view of women; therefore Amy is â€Å"beautiful and charming† in the eyes of the Grandmother and â€Å"every older person† and â€Å"everyone who had known her.† However, within those same words there appears the rather opposite yet still highly subjective view of t he young girls who are attempting to reconcile the new values and ideas of the present with the old traditions of the past. The words â€Å"tightly,† â€Å"lazy,† and â€Å"ease† could be seen from the young girls perspective as negative descriptions suggesting boundaries, confinement, limitations, and exclusion.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Cause & Effect of European Exploration

Cause & Effect European Exploration Essay Throughout history, people have been curious about finding new land and exploring. Many different factors stirred interest in colonization and exploration for Europeans. During the 15th and 17th centuries Europe was changing rapidly and had its own reasons for growth. All of Europe had the excitement and hesitation of finding new places. There were many reasons for Europe to grow and expand, some of the causes for Europe’s expansion were; a search for new trade routes, religion, new technology, the desire for new products and gold.Europe wanted to find a new trade route to Asia because they wanted the silk, spices, jewels, and riches from China and India that were very valuable. One of the problems that were faced was that when they arrived in Western Europe, the products had been taxed so many times along the way that they were extremely expensive. They wanted to find a route around so that they could get the goods first. They wanted to find a northwest passage.Christian rulers in Europe wanted to spread their religion of Christianity throughout the overseas exploration, they felt they had a duty to keep fighting for Muslims but also to convert non- Christians throughout the world. Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese explorer) said that his motive was â€Å"to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do. † European explores had better navigation skills and equipment to help them find their way.They had a compass and moveable rudder which allowed the explorers to sail even further than before. They also used an astrolabe which used the stars to determine how far north or south they were from the equator. European explorers were on a mission to find these new lands and new technologies, those causes stimulated effects for the aftermath of the exploration. One of the effects on European exploration was the Columbian Exchange. This exchange consisted of trading between the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.The Americas sent over squash, pumpkins, turkey, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peppers, tobacco, pineapple, cacao, beans and vanilla. Europe, Africa and Asia sent over citrus fruits, bananas, grapes, sugar cane, honeybees, onions, olives, turnips, peaches, pears, and coffee beans. They also sent over items other then food such as grains, wheat, rice, barley and oats. They sent many types of live stock and a huge thing they sent over was disease. The Triangle Trade was another trading system between New England the West Indies and West Africa.New England sent West Africa rum, guns/ gunpowder, cloth and tools. West Africa sent sugar and molasses to New England and New England sent back livestock, lumber, flour and fish. As the trading increased during the sixteenth and throughout the eighteenth century, millions of people were taken out of their home and deported to plantations in the New World. Europeans r isked their lives to explore new lands, the expansion abroad come with hopes for land, riches and social advancement.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Master Thesis

Master Thesis Master Thesis Master Thesis This page contains information that should help you to define and select a suitable thesis. The important step of master thesis writing is motivation. You have to argue why the thesis topic is worth of investigation. Write what is already known and what your work can add to the existing knowledge. Master thesis should not be short! References and details should be included in the chapter Background. Don't forget to write a thesis statement or research question. The thesis statement will provide the focus on the essentials of your master thesis. The goal of the thesis writing is to produce some new knowledge. You should structure and identify an old problem, develop a new solution to it. It is not easy to produce a new result, task but it is your chance to explore a new area and demonstrate your profound research skills. Describe the contributions you will make through writing a thesis; explain what the added value it creates to the existing body of knowledge and practitioners. For in stance, you may create models, guidelines, methods, processes, test hypothesis, evaluate feasibility, etc. Present the main considerable research that you would like to build upon in your master thesis. Show which references or paradigms you plan to follow and why. Present the fundamental concepts that are needed, define the objectives and scope of your work. Write a paragraph on each and refer to existing literature. Describe how you plan to address the problems and reach your goals, how you plan to conduct the necessary literature survey. Write what is already known about the area and the problem you are investigating. While writing a thesis don't forget about outline which can greatly help you with master thesis writing. Thesis Proposal Writing a thesis proposal, define a research problem following the below format: Background of the research problem. Problem definition. Theoretical background. Procedure. Materials and support Project schedule Bibliography Background of the research problem tells the reader the actuality of the master thesis. Problem definition states a problem and describes the previous approaches and explains why your approach is more effective. Theoretical background gives theoretical information and review of some published literature that is relevant to the thesis proposal problem. Procedure explain the reader how you will approach the problem by providing a detailed information. Materials and support describes what materials, instruments and facilities you will need to carry out your research. List and briefly discuss them. Project task breakdown and schedule - prepare a task breakdown and schedule of your work. Bibliography lists the publications you have consulted while writing a master thesis. Custom Thesis Writing Help If you are not sure in your ability to produce a well-researched master thesis meeting all academic requirements, you are welcome to place an order at and we will write a good master thesis for you in accordance to the instruction you provide.   We guarantee timely delivery and instant feedback!   We employ only professional master thesis writers!

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Write an English Term Paper

How to Write an English Term Paper The notion of a â€Å"term paper† relates to the written assignment composed by university, college or high school students over an academic term. It is aimed at summarizing the gained experience in the chosen area combined with already existing information in printed and electronic sources. To cut a long story short, a term paper is a kind of enlarged essay. You will probably need to complete several term papers during your academic career, so it would be better to master the appropriate skills while you are underclassmen. So, if you are to compose a term paper in English, this would be easier for you to divide the complete process into several phases. First of all you are to brainstorm a bit and choose the original and up-to-date topic for your term paper. Take advantage of this process unless you are limited in the topic choice by your instructor. Once you have selected and narrowed your topic, you will want to research to see what experts on the topic have to say. While getting acquainted with the works of content experts, try to take notes and highlight the points that will be cited by you in the term paper. These notes will help you to plan and structure your piece of writing at least instinctively. As soon as this process is finished, here comes the next stage: English term paper outlining. Be sure to include all the structural parts of a correctly composed term paper into yours: Introduction – where you present the general topic statement and your paper’s main points; Main Body – where you are to give the most important details and results of your investigation; Conclusion – that sets the summary of the main points expressed in the previous parts and tells the audience whether you have coped with the task of your paper. Remember about the logic in your term paper – it should capture the readers interest in your English term paper and help them to understand your main ideas better. While using the quotes from works of other researchers, you must give credit to establish the authorship – otherwise you will be guilty of plagiarizing, that is, stealing the ideas, research, and words of others. What is more, try to use only reliable and proven sources; do not resort to doubtful arguments and statements. When you complete the writing process, it is the time for proofreading and checking your English term paper. The three pillars of the â€Å"polishing† process are proofreading, spell-checking, and editing. Ensure that your paper is totally devoid of misspelling and typographical errors, as well as vocabulary and grammar mistakes before you submit it to your tutor. It really is enjoyable to read a paper that is well-written and presents the topic in the most logical way. When you need professional help with writing English papers from academic experts contact our term paper writing service. We will help with writing your term paper on any topic.

Monday, November 4, 2019

How Neorealism before 1950 Affected Film History Essay

How Neorealism before 1950 Affected Film History - Essay Example Instead of overblown and idealistic propaganda films celebrating the ideals of a fascist state, film makers turned to the simple lives of rural peasants, and the struggles of ordinary workers in the cities. The three most famous neorealist directors are Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica and Luchina Visconti. One critic notes that the neorealist movement is widely regarded to have started with Rossellini’s gritty and unsentimental about a resistance prieced Rome, Open City in 1945. This kind of film became famous for â€Å"a sparse style of shooting on actual locations, with mostly nonprofessional players, and emphasizing themes of basic human problems and issues.† (Hamilton, 2006, p. 61) Children often feature, as in the film Shoeshine by Vittorio De Sica, which tells the at times harrowing tale of two boys who dream of owning a horse and fall into the hands of some corrupt policemen. The realistic portrayal of the sufferings of the boys in prison, raises issues abou t the kind of society that Italy can and should be setting up now that the war is over. Another critic notes: â€Å"neorealism became the repository of partisan hopes for social justice in the postwar Italian state.† (Marcus, 1986, p. xiv). The films of Rossellini deal with the devastation that has been caused by the war in Europe, and he made a trilogy which explored how the poorer people in Italy and German came to terms with the turmoil. These films do not have a traditional narrative line, but show episodes which between them build up a picture of life in those difficult days. Small visual items can have symbolic meaning far beyond the immediate context of the film, and the skill of Rossellini and others was to use the camera to illuminate deeper issues through images. The camera work is the opposite of Hollywood’s slick and artificial interiors, preferring the rather stark and ugly landscape of the war-torn countryside, and the dirty streets where people have to s cratch a living any way they can. The films were popular at the time, despite their lack of a clear plot. People learned to look at the films in a new way, as a window on life itself: â€Å"Even the Italian neorealist directors, who stress everyday reality in their films and deny the validity of invented stories, argue that their particular brand of everyday reality is not boring because of its complex echoes and implications† (Boggs and Petrie, 2000, p. 37) Another feature of the neorealist directors’ work was that it had universal appeal, despite being very firmly tied to local scenery. Rossellini’s vision of a bombed and derelict Berlin in Germany, Year Zero, for example, juxtaposes a blond child and the colossal ruins of the city, with tragic consequences. The overwhelming message of the film is the destruction and futility of war. Heaps of rubble obliterate the civilization that was there before, leaving the boy adrift and hopeless, with no past and no futu re. The second film in Rossellini’s trilogy, Paisan, depicts the American soldiers’ encounter with demoralized Italian rural people in different regions, distilling the experiences of the war years in to the faces and conversations of unsophisticated farm workers. The human cost of the war is depicted starkly, and there is newsreel footage interspersed with the fictional episodes. The director makes every effort to present the material in a clear, unadorned way, so that

Friday, November 1, 2019

Essay question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essay question - Assignment Example The Roman Empire was ruled Patricians and they were considered to be the most powerful ones in the region. It has been known that there was a lot of mismanagement and uneven distribution of wealth in the Roman Empire. The poor got poorer and rich got richer. The Roman leaders involved in battles, trying to capture territories of their allies, them being not present in the capital to handle state affairs and other such matters led to the Roman demise. Eventually, the death of Julius Ceaser proved to be the last nail in the coffin of once great and mighty Roman Empire and led to its demise. Clarifier: Before the 20th century, muckrakers were simple investigative journalists but with the start of 20th century they worked as reform journalist and started a movement to finish off corruption in the system. The Muckrakers are known as pioneers of proper investigative journalism in the history. Historical Significance: The muckrakers and their movement in the 1900s was aimed to improve the standard of journalism. The movement started in the early 1900s and was very popular till the Second World War. They worked to expose social ills in the society and to stop corruption in the system. After the Second World War this movement faced its end due to dirty political skills showed by the government. Clarifier: Sit-Down Strikes gave way to a new sort of protest so that the authorities would have no other option but to meet their demands in order to start the progress otherwise they would have to face huge losses. Historical Significance: History is full of examples of sit-down strikes in which workers of factories protested for raises or bonuses. One such example is the strikes of American factory workers during the industrial revolution. More than 3,000 workers stopped work and protested. Other notable examples include the strike of United Auto Workers and the French revolt which is marked till today on May 1st every year. Historical

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Cooperative Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cooperative Group - Essay Example In the European Union and in large regions of America, cooperatives, with associations, foundations and mutual funds are considered parts of the social economy. The International Cooperative Alliance, established in 1895, is considered to be the final authority for defining cooperatives and the principles by which they operate. The organization has made three formal statements of cooperative principles over the past 100 years in an effort to keep them relevant to the contemporary world. At its 100th anniversary meeting in September, 1995 in Manchester, England, the Alliance adopted the "Statement of Cooperative Identity." which made the definition, values and principles of cooperatives. Definition: cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Values are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others. Principles: Voluntary and Open Membership, Democratic Member Control, Member Economic Participation, Autonomy and Independence, Education, Training and Information, Cooperation among Cooperatives, Concern for Community (Statement of Cooperative Identity 1995) 2. A critical analysis of the organisation's internal structure Like any organization, cooperative has own structure, which may various from number of its members and the area of activity the co-op involved. There are tree main components of internal structure of cooperation: the Board, Management and Members. The rights, duties and coordination of work of governing team are reflected in scheme, which where adopted from the work of Garoyan and Mohn (1976 cited Cooperatives 2006): BOARD MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABIITY To Members To Board AREAS OF CONCERN Idea Decision , Judge Ends/Purpose Action Decisions, Manage Means/Activities COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES Determine Values Long-Range, Consequestial Set limits, Monitor Intermediate and Short-Range Organize and Control Resources GOALS, POLICIES Determine Implement MANAGEMENT EVALUATION Set Policies Regarding Results to be Achieved and Limitations on Activities Monitor Progress Toward Results Monitor Compliance with Limits Provide Information for Monitoring OPERATIONS Determine Values and Goals Set Limits Monitor Conduct PERPETUATION Assurance of Capable Management and Board Succession Support, Participate BOARD PROCESS Determine Structure, Behavior, Performance Evaluation, Calendar and Agenda None Board of directors by law is legally responsible for cooperative and it's critical that all directors are highly qualified. Furthermore, directors of board need to represent the cooperative membership as a whole. (Cropp 2005) 3. A critical analysis of the organisation's objectives and/or strategy plans Jeffrey Royer (2002, p.12) from University of Nebraska noted that "because cooperatives are complex definition organization, that served to wide variety of purposes, and perform the wide variety of functions, there is no single objective, , that is accepted by board, management and members. A cooperative may pursue the number of objectives

Monday, October 28, 2019

Spies Essay Example for Free

Spies Essay Michael Frayn uses a unique style of writing in the novel Spies, dual narration. So in this essay there will be an investigation into this distinctive style of writing that magnetises the audience, as it makes the audience feel part of the story. Stephen and Stefan versions of accounts vary, this appeals to the audience as it leaves you guessing too many unanswered questions during the plot. Dual narration has many positives to contribute to the novel, for example numerous independent viewpoints. However during this novel not entirely independent view points, as the narrators remain the same individual in two separate time periods. The older character Stefan has the benefit of hindsight whilst remember the events of that summer in the 1940’s. Whilst Stephen as the enthusiasm of a typical young lad. The two accounts vary as memories are forgotten or Stefan hasn’t remembered the events in the correct chronological order. (Frayn, Spies, p. 32) So this essay will look into the effect that dual narration has upon on the reader throughout the novel. Michael Frayn is capable of using dual narration to such an impressive extent during Spies because he as an author is able to connect with the character Stephen and Stefan. The reason as to why these connections can be made is because Michael Frayn would have grown up as a child during the same time period as we see Stephen growing up in the novel, World War 2. (literature. britishcouncil. org/michael-frayn). This also indicates that Frayn would have same ability to remember certain events and recall the memories in the same manner as what Stefan does. The nature of the dual narration in this novel can become frustrating for the reader. (Hudson, everything is as it was, but everything has changed) The slow progression through the story generates complacency, as the reader wants to advance to the significant events, before the story arrives at them. As you seem to progress quicker than Stephen is able to, because of the hints and clues Stefan has informed you off prior to Stephen’s narrating. Even when Stephen finally describes the event, many of the questions you find yourself asking do not get answered. However the tension and anxiety that Frayn is capable of creating whilst leaving many questions opened and unanswered can entice the reader further into the depth of the novel. (Holtsberry, 2004). This effect gets the readers mind thinking about the possibilities and directions the story could precede and conclude in. Nevertheless you do find yourself bemused when the story continues in an opposite direction as to the one you had expected it to follow. During Spies dual narration is capable of portraying how an individual’s outlook can change over a period time. The memories can be forgotten, they can be missed interpreted, or the memories Stefan possesses may not even be his memories, instead they maybe what he wanted to happen instead. (Frayn, Spies, P. 233) This specific passage of the text indicates that Stefan is capable of remembering and realising how significant certain childhood memories are, even though he did not realise the importance or even consider the possible outcomes at the time as a child’s memory is an innocent one. It’s only with hind sight that Stefan is capable of understand the importance of Stephens memories. (Lancaster, the New York Book Review). The reader is allowed to accept and believe in Stephens’s memories and recollection of events only for Stefan to later on correct the series of events. This can also get extremely confusing for the reader, because Stefan and Stephen at various points with in the Novel have a conflict or memories. The way in which Michael Frayn has used the dual narration technique to write Spies has made the novel one of mystery and suspense. It engages the reader into the depth of the Novel. This leaves many readers having to restart certain chapters, or even rereading the entire novel to obtain and figure out the answers to the questions Frayn has cleverly left opened. The way in which in the novel flows from past to present also engulfs the reader, as you are always trying to figure out Stephens next move through the narrative of Stefan. As a reader this absorbs you into the novel as you feel as though you’re a character in the novel alongside Stephen in his childhood.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Bipartisanship :: essays research papers

Recently, the debate of whether bipartisanship has completely left this country incapacitated due to the lack of cooperation between Senators and House members with conflicting opinions has grown especially due to the Clinton Impeachment Debates. Many individuals feel that the only reason William Jefferson Clinton was impeached in the House was due to the fact that the majority of the House is republicans. This research proposal will attempt to define if the concept of bipartisanship does exist. If it does exist, what are the contributing factors to it (convincing individuals, convincing corporations, money, the Senators or House member’s families)? These can be considered to be the independent variables. Presently, the Internet consists of numerous, almost uncountable, sources on bipartisanship. Many magazines and newspapers are major contributors to this subject as well. The amount of scandal contributing to this particular issue creates a level of curiosity that intrigues a ll aspects of this society. When the public seems to want press on a particular issue, they seem to get it. The most notable feature of the current state of journalism in the U.S. is the total dereliction of duty on the part of national political reporters. More than fifty congress critters, senators, and state governors have announced their retirements in the past year, after they received packets from a group of hackers called the Fifth Column detailing illegal and unreported income from bribes, kickbacks, payoffs, and whatnot. This story of the wholesale sell-out of the U.S. political process should rank as one of the top stories of the decade. But the national media blandly reports the contrived explanations ("I just want to spend more time with my heretofore neglected family") and speculates on the sad loss of Washington country-club camaraderie that used to keep such fine people in public office forever. There are certain hypotheses in question on this particular issue. Hypothesis #1: Other than wartime issues, republicans seem to vote with republicans while democrats choose to vote with their fellow democrats on various issues. Hypothesis #2: Money, big corporations, and fellow party affiliates affect the voting patterns of Senators and House members. Hypothesis #3: Due to the fact that there are contributions coming in at both sides for different politicians, nothing actually gets accomplished. This can compared to a negative (-1) added to a positive (+1) which eventually comes back to equal 0 (consequently resulting in some aspects of government effectiveness going back to â€Å"square one†).