Effects of the Social Networking Sites to the Study Habits of the 4th year High School Students Essay

CHAPTER 1 Introduction Nowadays, technology is already taking over the world. They use technology in different ways. It is a big help especially in communicating. Social networking sites are products of technology and also one way of communicating with each other. Everyone is fond of using social networking sites. They consider it as a part of our daily lives. They love sharing pictures, expressing our feelings and thoughts, and blogging about new things. Almost everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and many more. They enjoy using them especially teenagers. They share almost everything they do and express their unsaid thoughts, ideas and emotions. But does their addiction in using these social networking sites still benefits them? They can say that social networking sites are good inventions in terms of connecting and socializing but teenagers who are fond of using these can’t seem to get enough. Some of them or MOST of them certainly use these every now and then. It is really ironic that they still have time to share in social networking sites that they have tons of home works and quizzes instead of just spending their time in studying and doing their school works. For the 4th year students, they really need to have a good time management because they need to imply the requirements they are obligated to do in order to graduate from high school. They need to be responsible in dividing our time in many things but how come that they can still find time to use these social networking sites? Do these social networking sites already affect their study habits? The  researchers want to know if these social networking sites affect the study habits of the 4th year students and how can they maintain good study habits without being distracted. We also wanted to know if these social networking sites can help them in their way of studying. This study is conducted to know the good and bad effects of social networking sites to the students and to know how to improve and prevent it. Background of the Problem One of the obligations of the teenagers is to study. Their role is to become a hardworking student and a good child to their parents. As students, they are expected to give their best in their studies to have good grades. Their parents give every effort they can give to send their children in school with a high quality education. Nowadays, there are a lot of ways in improving the way of educating the students. Technology is one of those. Technology like internet can help to broaden the knowledge of a student and makes it easier for them to study but technology can also be a reason for the students to limit their knowledge in what they can get from here. Internet is the best and easiest contribution of technology in terms of communicating, researching and studying. All of these in just one click. Internet cannot only help the students in doing their home works and researches but also in communicating and socializing. There are a lot of websites used by the teenagers to socialize. These websites are called Social networking sites. In these sites, they can chat with their friends and share photos and thoughts with them. These sites are also used in advertising products that can be useful for the students. These sites are a good invention but they also have disadvantages to the people especially to the students. Good study habits are important in maintaining good grades in school but students tend to overuse these social networking sites which limit their time in studying. They were expected to spend more time in studying but because of these social networking sites they tend to be distracted. They spent most of their time in using their social networking sites and lessen their time in studying. As time goes by, the situations are getting worse. There may come to a point where students will just use their social networking sites instead of studying which may lead to a bigger problem like affecting their grades and way of learning. It may cause their  laziness and non compliance in their subjects. These problems may lead to the bad academic performance. Statement of the Problem The researcher primarily aimed to know how the networking sites affect the study habits of the 4th year students in Divine Light Academy. This study is purposively conducted to know the advantages and disadvantages of the social networking sites to the graduating students and their way of studying. Specifically, this study ought to answer the following questions: 1. Before, students used to concentrate with there studies but now that social networking sites are invented, how does they spend their time in terms of studying? 2. The students are fond of using the internet to accomplish their school works easily but internet also allows them to use social networking sites, Can they concentrate with their school works while using social networking sites at the same time? 3. Good study habits are maintained by the students with the sense of discipline and good time management unfortunately, they became fans of social networking sites can they still have good study habits despite of their continuous use of social networking sites? Hypothesis Null Hypothesis 1. The 4th year students of Divine Light Academy are spending so much time in using social networking sites. 2. They spend less time in studying. 3. They have poor study habits and time management. Operational Hypothesis 1. The 4th year students of Divine Light Academy spend less time in studying when they are using social networking sites 2. They are used of doing their homework and researches while using their social networking sites. 3. They can’t concentrate when they are using social networking sites while studying and they can have better study habits without these sites Conceptual Framework Fig.1 Effects of the Social Networking Sites to the Study Habit Input * How students spend their time each day in terms of Studying and Using Social networking sites? * Do they use social networking sites while doing assignments, especially when doing researches? * Can they concentrate in doing their homework without checking on their blogs or other sites? * In what way can they maintain good study habits? With the use of social networking sites or without the use of social networking sites? * What do they do first once they open a computer to do a research or homework? Process * Observing their performance in class and if they can comply to the requirements * needed in their subjects. * Asking about their study habits and their use of social networking sites. * Interviewing them about their daily routine and their way of balancing their studiesand their use of social networking sites. * Giving questionnaires to the respondents to gather data. Output * By just simply observing, the researcher will know if the student’s performance is satisfying or not. * By asking about their study habits, the researcher will know the reason why their class performance is satisfying or not. * They would feel and know that they need to * improve their study habits and avoid or lessen the distraction. * The lack of study habits can be change with * the questionnaires that are given to them. Definition of Terms 1. Academic Performance- the basis for your overall grades. 2. Blogging- is a way of sharing comments, opinions or articles in internet 3. Communicating- is to impart; to reveal or to share 4. Daily Routine- is a set of things you do in your everyday life. 5. Education- is the systematic training of moral and intellectual faculties. 6. Facebook- is a social networking site wherein you can add new friends, chat and share pictures and comments. 7. Instagram- is a social networking site wherein you can share any photo and video you want. 8. Roles- is the function or part. 9. Social networking sites- are the websites wherein you can socialize with other people. 10. Socializing- is to render socially 11. Students- the beneficiaries and the ones who absorb all the things that the teachers are teaching. 12. Study habits- is the act of acquiring knowledge or application of the mind in a usual or customary time. 13. Teenagers- youth with between 13 and 19 said of age. 14. Time Management- this is the skill to manage your time to finish the things that you wanted to accomplish. 15. Tumblr- a social networking site wherein you can blog any photo, video, quotes or even an article about any topic you want. 16. Twitter- you can share or tweet (as what term used in that site) about anything using 140 characters only. 17. Websites- the pages you used when your using internet Theoretical Framework Before, students used to concentrate with there studies but now that social networking sites are invented their time is divided in using social networking sites and studying each day. They may spend more time in using social networking sites than studying or they may do it the other way around. The students are fond of using the internet to accomplish their school works easily but internet also allows them to use social networking sites while doing their assignments and when they’re doing researches. Can they finish their school works without checking their blogs or other sites? Good study habits are maintained by the students with the sense of discipline and good time management unfortunately, they became fans of social networking sites can they still have good study habits despite of their continuous use of social networking sites? By observing and asking them about their studies and daily routine, we can know if their studies are affected by their addiction of social networking sites. We can observe if they are doing well in their class and if they can concentrate to their studies without being distracted. By just simply observing, the researcher will know if the student’s performance is satisfying or not. The researcher can interpret the data gathered to know the reason why their class performance is like that. The interpreted data will give the researcher the conclusion to the problems stated in the study.

Memo Review Essay

The writer knowing the audience will help with what information to keep or remove, whether the memo will be formal or informal, and word choice. Memoradum Review An informal memo, typically, is between two colleagues for notification of information or to obtain input on different subjects. Andrew Accountant’s memo was an informal memo the teammates to obtain information on the inventory methods of LastIn/FirstOut (LIFO) and FirstIn/ FirstOut (FIFO). The review of Andrew’s memo will show what information to use or remove and word choice, which both depends on the writer’s knowledge of the audience. Repercussions can arise when there is no knowledge of the audience. Inclusion of Information The information of a memo is important because it tells the audience the reason for writing the memo. Memorandums can have information that does not apply to the message. For instance, Andrew had information about Macy’s winning the test case against the United States right to use LIFO. This information is not necessary because it does not apply to the company. A memo with information overload can cause the audience to lose their attention, and it has the potential of letting the audience know that they have no knowledge of the subject. Word Choice â€Å"The words that communicate best will be those that appeal to your particular readers and enable them easily to understand what you are trying to say† (Flatley, Lesikar, & Rentz, p. 27, 2008). Word choice is important to written communication because it conveys the tone and personality of the writer; the audience cannot see the nonverbal communication, which it conveys the emotion and feelings behind verbal communication (Beebe & Masterson, p. 144, 2006), in written communication. For example, Andrew wrote stating the possibility that the team will recommend LIFO. The statement conveys the decision of which inventory method to recommend is made without team discussion. The team could have confusion on team leadership and feel their opinions do not matter which can harm the group communication. Andrew should have started the statement with ‘in my opinion’ and then the supporting details of his opinion. Jargon is a special language used in a group (jargon, n. d. ). The use of accounting terms is necessary for Andrew’s informal memo because it is the language used between the team. If the memo were to be directed at a different audience, there should be explanations of the accounting terms, so the audience can understand, or do not use the terms. When the audience cannot understand the message, they will lose attention and feel the writer was in rush and did not care about the message. Conclusion Overall, the audience is important because the audience has an influence on the language, format, and information. The writer wants to keep the audience attention and make sure the audience can understand the memo. Written communication can improve or harm a relationship depending on how the audience interprets the message. To achieve this, proofreading and editing is important to having an effective memo. Well-written memos are a good way of communication and show others with â€Å"respect and friendly human concern† (Flatley, Lesikar, & Rentz, p. 76, 2008). References Beebe, S. , & Masterson, J. (2006). Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices (8th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Flatley, M. E. , Lesikar, R. V. , & Rentz, K. (2008). Business Communication (11th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. jargon. (n. d. ). The American Heritage ® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved February 05, 2013, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/jargon INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FROM:AFTDEN WHITE & TEAMMATES SUBJECT:LAST IN/FIRST OUT & FIRST IN/FIRST OUT DATE: FEBRUARY 5, 2013 In response, to the request of overview inventory methods: Last In/ First Out and First In/ First Out. The team researched and discussed the contrast between the two inventory methods. The choice of Last In/ First Out and First In/First Out will influence the profit and loss statements. The company should continue using Last In/ First Out if the costs remain the same, but we should move to First In/First Out if the costs increase, as expected. The question of whether the company’s Cost of Goods Sold and inventories cost will increase or decrease with the use of the two inventory methods. To our findings, the First In/First Out will decrease the value of the Cost of Goods Sold and have an increase value of inventory. The Last In/ First Out will decrease the value of Cost of Goods Sold and decrease the value of inventory. To improve the company’s cash flow and profit margin, the Last In/ First Out method is best. With Last In/ First Out, we can continue to reduce federal and state corporate income taxes. The reduction of corporate income taxes has leaded the company to better cash flow and profit margin. We recommend continuing to use the Last In/First Out because of the improvements it will have on cash flows and profit margin. Please find the overview to be helpful in making the decision of which inventory method to apply to the company. .

Becoming an Optimist

I woke up early, finished the reports I was supposed to submit during the day drove to the office and I was not late. Then, my boss hands me the memo and says that I am given until tomorrow to submit a written explanation. I mumble incoherently but feel crushed and almost in tears and angry at my boss. Belief I am not a good worker, I am always tardy and hence I have become a liability to my department. I do not have any place in this office anymore. I have no choice but to resign.Consequence I am depressed and angry and hurt. Disputation I am not a bad worker, I have met deadlines, I have been innovative at my work and I give my best in every task I am assigned to. I have had high performance evaluation ratings for the last 4 years in this job. My reaction to the memo was overreacting; of course it is company policy to call the attention of employees who had been late for work a number of times to make sure that they can do something about it.I was late a couple of times but that di d not mean I am a lousy employee, even my boss comes to the office late at times. I had been working two jobs and going to school at the same time and it means that I am tired and exhausted thus if I wake up late in some mornings it is understandable because my body has to rest at some point. Thinking that I am a bad employee and that I have to resign is not really doing me anything good, instead of checking my behavior; I felt utterly depressed and had to miss work in the afternoon.It does not do anything good to think these thoughts. Energization I decided that I can prove to myself that I can be punctual everyday, thus I have made a contract with myself saying that I will never be late for work anymore, starting today! Being optimistic is related to motivation because it gives that extra boost to the person who is faced with challenges and difficulties (Seligman, 1991). Optimism is a state of mind and heart, that is, to think positively about the outcome of the situation or event .When a person thinks that a problem is a challenge, and then he/she would face it head on and believe that he/she can overcome it, if a person thinks that a problem is a punishment, then he/she would not do anything at all since he/she has already accepted defeat. References Kady, L. (2006). Being an optimist. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from http://www. articlejuice. com/Article/Being-an-Optimist—Part-1/200 Seligman, M. E. (1991). Learned Optimism. Alfred A. Knopf Inc.

Determinants and testing of meat quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Determinants and testing of meat quality - Essay Example The determinants of quality for beef and lamb in Australia include texture, colour, flavour, marbling, nutrition variables and juiciness. All of these factors maintain radically different methodologies for ensuring that a quality meat product is placed into the retail supply chain. Scientific and qualitative studies contribute greatly to the process of improving operating standards for slaughter, processing and quality evaluation in the Australian meats industry. Determinants of Quality Meat Standards Australia (MSA) was established in the nation to take the guesswork out of quality meat purchasing options for Australian consumers related to beef and lamb. Supported by the Food Science Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, the scientific community and over 600,000 samples tested by actual Australian consumers (MLA 2012), the MSA established a grading system that informs consumers of the juiciness, texture, and tenderness that should be expected by certain grades of lamb and beef. This system is the driving catalyst for the variety of experiments and sampling that occurs to ensure quality both pre-slaughter and after processing of animal carcasses. The establishment of the Meat Standards Australia grading system, as it pertains to consumer purchases of beef and lamb, also maintains a colour gradient chart to assist in making quality purchase decisions. One of the most fundamental scientific methods of determining meat quality is the pH test, which maintains several different scientific methodologies for testing. An industry norm was established in the 1970s, still used today, that has determined the most viable pH for optimum meat quality. The pH standard is 5.5, the optimal acidic range before texture and tenderness become negatively affected (Seideman et al. 1986). This is measured by considering meat proteins’ isoelectric point, where a pH of higher than 5.5 â€Å"results in an open structured muscle and a greater diffusion of light between the myo fibrils of the muscle†, leading to a darker meat colour (Seideman et al 1986: 57). Darker hues of beef and lamb, on the consumer and commercial market, are unfavourable and generally lead to poor texture and considerable drop in tenderness ratios. The pH of lamb and beef is often measured pre-slaughter and post-slaughter, taking into consideration a variety of variables that contributed to the acidic nature of the meat. Such tests are conducted with traditional litmus testing, electrical measurement, or through chemical manipulation in a variety of laboratory testings. Temperature control variables are considered critical factors in producing effective and quality meat products. One pH test, referred to as electrical stimulation (ES), is utilized to enhance meat tenderness. Generally conducted post-slaughter, the carcass is exposed to varying levels of electrical stimulation to promote muscular contraction prior to the natural rigor mortis processes. It is common practice in t he beef and lamb slaughtering and processing industry to fast chill meats upon slaughtering to prevent meat degradation that occurs during rigor mortis. To improve pH levels and also assist in preservation, electrical stimulation expedites the process of degradation within myofibrillar and cytoskeletal proteins (Hwang et al. 2003), which naturally occurs during elongated decomposition of the carcass in a natural environment. ES stimulates immediate muscular contractions, and protein degradation, thus allowing for rapid chilling or

Periodisation Justification for football season Essay

Periodisation Justification for football season - Essay Example This matters includes their family member health and other domestic issues. When the member of coachs family is sick in the course of training period, he should not take time off. Periodization can be defined as the long-term variation planning of the intensity and volume of training. Periodization prevents overtraining and ensure performance is optimal at the speculated time (Eikenberry 2010). Volume in periodization is amount of exercise that is performed either monthly, annually, or per day. Volume is measurable in terms of sets in reps. The intensity is measured in terms of work and time done. The intensity and volume of training can be estimated in terms of exercise volume which is computed by the average lifted weight (Elliot 2003). The training volume can be estimated by the load of the volume. Intensity of the exercise is evaluated by competing the relative intensity. Consequently, training intensity is estimated by the average mass that is lifted annually, monthly, or daily. Therefore, periodization involves moving the priority activities not related to sports to activities that are sports related. Non- sports related activities includes low intensity and high volume. however sport related activities include the high intensity and low volume. Periodizati on in football is important because it ensures performance is optimized and reduces overtraining. Diagram 1 and 2 shows the periodization model of an advanced footballer (Francis 2010). For many years the professional footballers have recognized the need for emphasizing on various aims and objectives during and off the season. Their aim is to be at peak at a specific period. In planning their exercises and coaching over a long time, the athletes aim for various principles. They principles include: their bodies adapt to fewer stresses at a given period. For example one is able to develop their high physiological stress at the same time develop their

Globalisation High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalisation High School - Essay Example These two books are Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, and Tarek Barkawi's Globalisation and War. As pertains to the concept of the state within the era of globalisation, neither of the authors engages in the explicit discussion of this question. Their position on the question, however, is implied throughout each of their works and, a close reading indicates that they adopt diverse positions. Friedman, a globalisation proponent and optimist, believes that globalisation has minimalised the role of the state in both the economic and, interestingly enough, political spheres. Globalisation, as he argues, implies the triumph of rational economic considerations over, often emotional and ideologically-based, political ones. The state, in other words, has not simply been eliminated as a market-player but, to a great extent, it no longer has the requisite power or capacity to impose its will over the market nor, indeed, to stand in the face of globalisation. To protect their status and maintain their control and authority over their territories, states customarily imposed artificial barriers to the movement of people, goods and services, let alone information, across borders. With these barriers in place, the world was a vast space, comprised of politically and economically sovereign nation-states wherein states primarily governed on the basis of political ideology. Not only that, but as major market players/shapers, states based economic and market decisions on ideological considerations. Globalisation did not, according to Friedman, simply flatten the world, as in make it infinitely smaller (9-10) but it effectively minimalised the role of the state. Trade networks, inextricably connected nation-states together, concomitant with the emergence and proliferation of the information highway, implying the interconnection of cultures and diverse peoples, rendered states incapable of controlling economic activities within and across their borders any more (Friedman, pp. 8, 45, 74, 102-103). Globalisation, in other words, rendered politics/state, an instrument of economics/trade/market, as opposed to the traditional and historic voice-versa. The state, from Friedman's perspective, has been flattened by the force of globalisation and, positively so. By claiming that globalisation has flattened the state, along with the world, Friedman does not mean that the state has been rendered ineffective. The state still has a role to play within the context of globalisation, although that role may be very different from its earlier one. Rather than an overtly political role which renders economic considerations subservient to ideological ones, the state now plays the role of coordinator, or protector of national economic interests. It does so, as may be inferred from the entirety of Friedman's treatise, not because it has been bought out by big business' but, because globalisation has rendered the national interest an undeniably, and overtly, economic one. In order to protect its national interests, as it is expected and required to do, the state need protect its economic interests and the

The business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The business law - Essay Example However, there are certain norms and formalities to be followed with respect to the grant of loan to CPI since as per law, the company and its principle shareholder are distinct entitites. Hence, in the eyes of law, the shareholder Luigi Gelata and the loaner Company, ICCI are two distinct entities. If the event of LG acting on a personal capacity with regard to matters that effect the company, it is necessary that he seek the permission of the Board of Directors and seek their consent in such matters, especially in the case of granting, or receiving loans, or other matters which affect the company as a whole. ICCI should authorize the grant of Shareholder Loan to CPI. Next, the Shareholder Loan Document has to be duly authenticated in a Board Meeting duly convened, minuted and signed by the Board of Directors of the lending Company, ICCI. Further, the Board of Directors should ratify Luigi Gelati's authority to disburse the loan. The terms governing the granting of loan should be clearly specified in the document, including the interest rates (if any), mode, term and value of repayment or amortization scheduling and whether the loan is repayable on demand or is for a specified period. The conditionalities to be imposed in the event of default of the loanee, that is, in the event of inability on the part of CPI to service the interest or principal amount should be clearly specified in the Shareholder Loan Document. It is advisable... judicious to have the loan document witnessed and notarized since this is an accepted practice used by Banks and Registry, should such a need arise for the loaner Company, ICCI, to utilize their services in future. (Shareholder Loan Agreements. 2008). In the second part the main facts that need to be considered are as follows: Issue 1: Whether ICCI could lay priority to claim goods over bank and employees Law: The unpaid seller has the highest priority to lay claim over the goods over other creditors in the event of goods being sold and delivered to the bankrupt debtor. However, the following conditions apply: Debtors must have be unable to pay for the full price of the goods bought. Next, the seller has claimed return of the goods within 30 days of delivery to the buyer, but this has not been done by the buyer. The debtor has been rendered bankrupt or a receiver has been appointed, as is evident in this case. Further, the goods are still in the same state, condition and possession of the buyer and finally, the goods are identifiable as belonging to the debtor. Application: It is seen that in this case the following aspects are applicable, except whether the claim for return had been served to MMRI (unclear) Issue 2: Could the Bank claim a security interest in the goods: Law: Order of priorities on bankruptcy: unpaid seller, PMSI secured creditor, other secured creditor, preferred creditors (including employees for up to 6 months wages (max. $2,000), other unsecured creditors. In this case bank could lay claim of being a secured creditor after the claim of ICCI, and to the extent of balance unpaid amounts, the bank would be treated as an unsecured creditor. Application: Since ICCI are 1st preferential creditors, it ranks over the secured and unsecured

Mabel Cooper's Life Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mabel Cooper's Life Story - Essay Example ‘Mabel Cooper’s Life Story’ is a heroic tale of a very determined individual who survived in society against all odds. Qs. 1. Discrimination and stigmatization that Mabel encountered during her life Mabel was born to a poor and homeless mother on the 10th of August, 1944 in Islington, London, but was moved into care when she was just four months old. Thereafter, her childhood was spent in different care schools and finally she was moved to St. Lawrence Hospital, Surrey, where she spent the next 20 years of her life. Mabel was discriminated and stigmatized because she had a learning disability and had never been to school and moreover she had a very poor background history. Mabel was told that she was not capable enough to study and so was put in a ward where they learned basket making. They also had the option of working in the laundry or workshops or even remain idle if they wished. A learning disability proved to be a real setback for Mabel and besides not being allowed to go to school, she was also not allowed to use her own clothes or shoes but had to make do with the ones given by the hospital. Though dances were conducted on the premises, they were again segregated with males on one side and females on the other. There were a good number of staff and they had to dance in between them. Mabel and her friends were discriminated from society by not being allowed to go out and mix with the regular people. Money in the form of green coins were given to them but it could only be used in their own hospital canteens and not outside. People who ran away were brought back and put in a ward called G3 where they were locked up as punishment. In this manner people with learning disabilities were discriminated and segregated from society in contemporary Britain. 2. Explain the concept of 'social role valorization' and describe how you would ensure Mabel becomes a valued member of the community. Banks, S (2001) in the book, ‘Ethics and Values in Social Work’ sheds light on the contribution of social workers in fulfilling the concept of ‘social role valorization’. Broadly speaking, people with learning difficulties are looked down upon and discriminated by society for the mere reason that they are much less productive and very little use to the community and society at large. 'Social role valorization' (SRV) is defined as  "The application of what science can tell us about the enablement, establishment, enhancement, maintenance, and/or defense of valued social roles for people" (Wolfensberger, 1995a). The primary goal of SRV is lending support to people in society so as to enable them to enjoy all the good things that society has got to offer. Some of these good things are love and friendship, respect and dignity, acceptance and belonging, good education and status in the society. In the case of people with learning disabilities, it becomes impossible for them to find a valued place in society since th ey are not in a position to contribute to their community and society and automatically become devalued members of society. Hence being devalued members of society, they are not in a position to enjoy the good things in life. On the other hand, such members are rejected by their community and society, and thereby receive a lot of negative responses and in most cases become objects of abuse and violence. SRV is a response to such groups of devalued members and lends great support in helping them to become

Introduction to Economics Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction to Economics - Dissertation Example There are several advantages and disadvantages of low-cost health insurance. The advantage of low-cost health insurance is that it would help cater for the health needs of lots of people, it would also make the poor people and the elderly people benefit from the programs, the low-cost insurance program would also save the people from the financial hardships that is caused by the high-cost insurance schemes. The disadvantage of the low-cost health insurance program is that it might not really cover the costs associated with the healthcare of the people as it has several limitations. The reason that people invest in low-cost health insurance program is due to the fact that these set of people live on low-income earnings and they are compelled to invest in low-cost health insurance schemes that would cover their entire household. The poverty level of different countries is also the reason that these people invest in low-cost health insurance programs (O'Sullivan, Sheffrin & Perez, 2010) . The reason for the golf boom that is experienced in China is not far-fetched. The reason for the golf boom is due to the commitment of the Chinese government towards developing the sport.

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Business Ethics - Article Example In court, Sergeant Brash provided evidence on how he tried to contact the mortgage company, PHH Mortgage. One arm of the company kept sending him late payment notices while the other arm kept refusing his automatic payments. His attorney sued the mortgage company under Georgia and federal laws. Sergeant Brash had taken out the mortgage in November, 2007. The court has finally made a judgment on the case and awarded Brash $21 million dollars. 2. Did PHH Mortgage as a business have any good defense that could oppose the sergeant's suit?. It is the eighth largest mortgage company in the United States and in this case it was pursuing a military man. It could be suggested that PHH Mortgage was doing all it can to maximize profit in favor of the open and free market that is unregulated. Another view would be that it was following a trend of the market, which at this time is to simply move people out of their homes. 3. What is the moral issue involved? Could the Sergeant pay for the home? Y es. It appears there was some duplicity involved on behalf of PHH Mortgage. Rawl's theory of distributive or contractual justice would have people hide behind a "veil of ignorance" to make decisions giving to all the most extensive basic rights of liberty.

Welcome Remarks Essay Example for Free

Welcome Remarks Essay In behalf of the graduating class, it is my honour/pleasure to welcome all of you this afternoon to this solemn and joyous occasion. To our parents, guardians, friends and family, I express the deepest appreciation to you not only for your presence today but also for your endless love and support to us. I also like to extend our gratitude to our beloved teachers, faculty, and members of the ASIST for the patience and guidance you have shown to us which we will carry to face the upcoming chapters of our life. The next stage of our life is about to begin but without the supports from you, we may not have made it to this day. So again, thank you and welcome. To my fellow graduates, congratulation, I am honour to be here today graduating with all of you. These past four years has been an unforgettable journey which prepared us for what the future holds. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the bonds we developed during our time. Many of us will surely miss these years, on how we survived here together at ASIST, and the memorable and influential moments of our lives. We began high school as children and today we leave and say good bye as adults. Remember, four years ago we walked into this halls as nervous as we were on the first day of school we were so called the freshmen before and now here we are we’re leaving the school behind. We say good bye to our four sided classroom which we have known too well, to our 30 minutes lunches, to our teachers and for those who become part of it. The most important good bye we will say is to each other and the past we created as a class, and now we welcome the opportunities of the future. Today, it’s not only does this class graduate, but we also leave behind significant talents, wisdom and legacy. The skills and talents that once roamed these halls will be set out into this world, and I am confident they will be put to good use. We owe all of these to our beloved alma mater. Thanks to ASIST for providing us a high quality education, for helping us enhance these abilities. We are privileged to have attended this school. I am sure that the fine education that we received will stand us in good stead time and again. Thus I say so my dear friends let us not stop gaining knowledge. If we have done all that we could in high school, let us further our study by putting even more effort into our own chosen paths. For our knowledge is yet to grow  into true maturity. But for now, let us sit back, think and reflect. As we go on with our graduation rites today, it is time to gather all that we have learned and think about them. And celebrate for all our efforts in making it into this level. For surely, we would not have achieved a great feat such as this without the wits, the power, the strength, the brains and the dedication that would usher us into further development. Before I let my emotion sweep me away I would like to tell all my classmates who are sitting here with a square piece of cardboard on their head just one little thing. Thank you for all the memories. The fights, the team efforts, the assignments, the laughter, the tears, the prom, the photos; all of them. Wherever we go and whatever we do, may we always be friends when we meet again. We might have ended up today another chapter of our life, and soon to travel our own path but always remember that, â€Å"Every ending is just a new beginning†. Good luck and Congratulations my fellow graduates of the class of Fourth Year Emerald batch 2015. ASEAN 5-Year Work Plan on Education (2011-2015): 4 priorities 1. ASEAN Awareness; 2. (a) Increasing Access to, and increasing Quality Primary and Secondary Education; (b) Increasing Access to, and Quality of Education-Performance Standards, Lifelong Learning and Professional Development; 3. Strengthening Cross-Border Mobility and Internationalization of Education; 4. Support for other ASEAN Sectoral Bodies with an Interest in Education †¢ Many actions are consistent with targets expressed in the MDGs Brief Introduction †¢ â€Å"develop human resources through closer cooperation in education and life-long learning, and in science and technology, for the empowerment of the peoples of ASEAN and for the strengthening of the ASEAN Community† (ASEAN Charter) †¢ Social dimensions of development in ASEAN: promote greater educational cooperation among ASEAN Member States and strengthen education within them: (1) to narrow the development gaps, (2) to prepare youth for re gional leadership, (3) to increase the competitiveness of the people.

The Doom of the American Dream Essay Example for Free

The Doom of the American Dream Essay The United States in the 1960’s was going through hard events. Many things happened in this decade like The Vietnam War, that was going on for a while and it affected most people in the U. S. The Cold War was also going on, but people were mostly worried about the Vietnam War. Pres John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy where assassinated in the 1960’s. Martin Luther King was also assassinated, and the whole country went on chaos. The baby boom’s 70 million children became teenagers and young adults in this decade. The Civil Rights Act was amended to include females. So many things were happening, but the main problem going on was the addiction with drugs and alcohol. There are many literature works coming from this decade, and all reflects to what was going on in that time, like the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream written by Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter talks about his journey to Las Vegas and it reflects what was going on in the country. The United States in the 1960’s was falling apart is what is being present in Hunter’s book. Hunter S. Thompson believed he had the talent to become a writer and he wrote every day. He was really upset by the death of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy because he really believed in them and he called them his guys. After he was in the Chicago’s Democratic Convention where he saw people getting beat, he had the idea that the American Dream was vanishing. He had no time to think about writing this idea of the American Dream because he decided to run for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, his campaign adopted the name of the Freak Power. He lost the election and then he really knew that the American Dream was dead, at least that is what he thought. A while later he had to go to Las Vegas to cover the Mint 40, a motorcycle race. Hunter spent some time in Las Vegas as he discovered that the heart of the American Dream happened to be there, and he went on the search for it. The idea he had about this is what the book it’s all about, the subtitle says it all â€Å"A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. † Hunter’s book is in the category of nonfiction/journalism. The book goes in chronological order with all the events that happened while Hunter was in Las Vegas. In his book he starts by going to the Mint 40, and all his crazy adventures with drugs and alcohol. He disobeyed all the laws he could think of, and he was in constant paranoid. This was a good thing because it reflected how bad the country status was. After all the trouble he causes he wants to leave, but he stayed to cover a Drug Convention in a hotel in Las Vegas. After the Drug Convention, and before leaving, he went on the hunt for the American Dream. He stops at a fast food restaurant where he asks where he can find the American Dream and he is sent to an old Psychiatrist’s Club â€Å"The owner of a gas station across the road said the place had ‘burned down about three years ago. ’† This only proves that the American Dream is dead, even if it was just a causality that he was sent to that particular place. At the end he lives Las Vegas and ends somewhere else to keep living his life. There are many characteristics that express this period of time 1960’s their people and places; one of them is no rules, out of control. There are many examples in the book to prove this right like drugs, alcohol, guns, and leaving the hotels without paying, all over the book. It all starts in the beginning of the book where he starts talking about all the drugs that they got for their trip to Las Vegas, â€Å"Getting hold of the drugs had been no problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (12) On one of his flashbacks he remembered a night in San Francisco, â€Å"’All this white stuff on my sleeve is LSD. ’ He said nothing. Merely grabbed my arm and began sucking on it. †(66) it’s really crazy to know that this really happened. When he was trying to leave Las Vegas for the first time, he end up with a gun and start to think what he would say if he gets caught with it, â€Å"A good. 357 is a hard thing to get, these days. So I figured, well, just get this bugger back Malibu, and it’s mine. My risk—my gun: it made perfect sense. †(71) Things like these happened throughout the book and it got worse and worse, like the time where he tried this new drug and took too much of it even when his attorney told him not to, he was paralyzed for a while, â€Å"You took too much. You’re about to explode. Jesus, look at your face! †(133) These kind of problems with drugs, not only happened to Hunter because it was also on the news he read and wrote in his book, â€Å"Doctors said Friday they were uncertain whether surgery would succeed in restoring the eyesight of a young man who pulled out his eyes while suffering the effects of a drug overdose in a jail cell. † (101) Another example for this characteristic is the fact that they stayed at two different hotels in Las Vegas without money. In both hotels they left without paying, but first they destroyed the room; â€Å"We had ordered everything into that room that human hands could carry—including about six hundred bard of translucent Neutrogena soap. † (70) When he tried to leave the first hotel he was freaking out, while waiting for the carboy to arrive â€Å"The Shark! Where was it? I tossed the paper aside and began to pace. Losing control. I felt my whole act slipping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (75) On the second hotel he did the same thing, he lied to get away by saying he was a Doctor of Journalism. A second characteristic is the lost generation. The first young adult they met appears at the beginning of the book they never got his name, but they called him hitchhiker. The hitchhiker got in the car and kept quiet as he listened to all the nonsense from Hunters and his attorney, a couple of miles later he decided to run away, â€Å"His feet hit the asphalt abnd he started running back towards Baker. Out in the middle of the desert, not a tree in sight. † (19) The second young adult they met in this trip was Lucy. A young girl that Hunter’s attorney met on the plane to Las Vegas and gave her drugs, then took advantage of her; â€Å"She’s running away from home for something like the fifth time in six months. †(114) They knew what they did was bad and they tried to get rid of Lucy. What were two young adults doing away from home like the hitchhiker and Lucy? This only shows that parents didn’t have the control on their kids, mainly on young adults that run away searching for something only they know or at least hope to find. Another characteristic is paranoid and fear, this is in several pages just like the drugs and alcohol. They knew they were breaking the law, even though they didn’t care they were still afraid of getting caught. Like when they tried to get rid of Lucy as soon as possible, he thought of all the things that could happen to him, â€Å"What would happen to this poor wretch when we cut her loose? Jail? White slavery? † (117) He got really nervous when Lucy called their room after they thought they got rid of her, he imagined being in court and that they would all believe the innocent Lucy. Or when they left the first hotel and Hunter was afraid of being followed, â€Å"BOOM, Flashing paranoia. What kind of rat-bastard psychotic would play that son—right not, at this moment? Has somebody followed me here? † (85) Lastly power seeking, all authority figures and trying to be someone important is a strong characteristic in the book. Like a man that even though he was a police officer he didn’t get the respect he wanted, when Hunter arrived the hotel and got his room everybody where astonished. â€Å"They were stupid with shock. Here they were arguing with every piece of leverage they could command, for a room they’d already paid for—and suddenly their whole act gets side-swiped by some crusty drifter who lloks like something out of an upper-Michigan hobo jungle. † (108) Also, through the book Hunter would use identities that weren’t his, like Doctor of Journalism, police officer, or that they were undercover detectives, all to just get away with what they wanted. Even at the end to get drugs, â€Å"I jerked out my wallet and let her see the police badge while I flipped through the deck until I located my Ecclesiastical Discount Card—which identifies me as a Doctor of Divinity, a certified Minister of the Church of the New Truth. † (203) this part is a little ironic because of what it says and what he is trying to get with it. The United States being presented in Hunter’s work is really unbelievable; at least it is compared to now in the year 2008. In the book all the people were divided in two, the good guys and the bad guys. But the good guys were ten years behind the bad guys and of what they are trying to stop, â€Å"†¦and all I learned was that the National District Attorneys’ Association is about ten years behind the grim truth and harsh kinetic realities of what they have only just recently learned to call â€Å"the Drug Culture† in this foul year of Our Lord, 1971. †(201) He good guys are going to take a really long time to stop this and there’s nothing they can do, just like in the essay â€Å"Drugs† by Gore Vidal, is hard to stop something like drug addiction that has been going on for quite a time. Another essay like â€Å"Cultural Critique† by Anthony Burgess, a foreign man that spend some time in the United States and wrote this essay saying how bad was the U. S. he noticed that the country is in a bad shape, but what I like about this essay and what I agree with is that the country is still young and growing up because it is being reflect now almost 50 years later. After all the time of confusion and chaos there finally a little peace today, except for the war in Iraq. Maybe we have learned from our past mistakes because even though drug is a big thing today too, I feel it is not as bad as it used to be before. I see the 1960’s as a bad decade, but also fun at the same time because the country being so young it was easy to get away with anything; not like today that you get caught for anything. I wish I could have lived in that decade because I would have had fun, not with drugs, but with not paying hotel bill and driving nice cars. I could have been anything like a police officer and nobody would have notice I’m lying. Also, even thought the book reflects the American Dream dead, for me and many others think otherwise now-a-days with our new future president being elected, Obama. Obama represent hope in times like these that reflects a little what was going on in the 1960’s, hope that everything will get better, the hope that its retaining young adults from confusion. A president that is half African-American, it reflects that also racism is being left begin. Hopefully the 1960’s will be more than a bad/fun decade, because we have to learn from our mistakes like we have been doing, â€Å"a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid-Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody—or at least some foce—is tending that Light at the end of the tunnel.

The Oil And Gas Industry

The Oil And Gas Industry Des Plc, one of the largest and world leading drilling companies in the oil and gas sector of Germany. The company was established by Engr. Joe and Mr. Onos in the year 2004 when the German government initiated the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP) policy aimed at providing state-of-the-art, secure and climate compatible supply of energy in Germany in order to restrict dependency on imported oil and gas products. Driven by the need to expand, Des Plc has decided to embark on business operations in Nigeria. The aim of this report is to, as a researcher, advise the CEO of Des Plc as to whether DES Plc should export or go into foreign direct investment (FDI), as its approach in Nigeria. This feasibility study tends to explore and look into the analysis of the national business system and cultural conditions prevalent in Nigeria and Germany while assessing the pattern and trends of trade and investment in both countries within the Oil and gas sector with key emphasis on protection measures against imports and foreign investment in Nigerian oil and gas sector; advise on whether Des Plc should export or go into foreign direct investment, or combine the methods, considering the effect of the exchange rate regime for Germany and Nigeria. And, on the whole, it assesses the level of risk exposure and corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues Des Plc of Germany may encounter in Nigeria as a foreign counterpart in the Nigerian Oil and gas industry. By the end of this research, the best strategy will have been established for adoption taking into cognizance the recommended approach considered optimal 1.1 THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY The oil and gas industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world today. Oil and natural gas products touch our lives in countless ways every day. Together, they account for more than 60 percent of our nations energy. They fuel our cars, heat our homes and cook our food (EAPI, 2011). It may also be worthwhile to add that Nigeria is the 10th largest oil producer in the world, the third largest in Africa and the most prolific oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. And while the Nigerian economy is largely dependent on its oil sector which supplies 95% of its foreign exchange earnings, the German government is trying to lower the level of dependency on the importation of the product (MIS, 2011). 2.0 AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL BUSINESS SYSTEM AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS 2.1 NATIONAL BUSINESS SYSTEM The national business system approach explains international differences in firm organisation and firm behaviour. The focus is on the coordination of economic activities and on governance issues. National differences in the organisation of firms and markets are explained by differences in culture and in formal institutions. The business systems approach, while originally rooted in sociology, increasingly has become based on economic theory with slight emphasis on legal, political and educational frameworks (Lundvall 1999). Owing to the implication of the preceding analysis, an emphasis is placed on the following institutional arrangements in the Nigerian political, economic and legal system with the analysis of the national business system in Nigeria in connection with Des Plc of Germany as a prospective entrant to the Nigerian business space- as shown in the table below: DIMENSIONS BRIEF OVERVIEW POLITICAL SYSTEM IMPACT ON BUSINESS The Federal Republic of Nigeria is governed in accordance with the provisions of a Constitution. The most recent came into being in May 1999.The new Constitution is based essentially on the report of a Committee which had collated the views expressed by Nigerians in the 1995 constitution. Significantly, the Constitution affirms that Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state, whose constituent units are bound together by a Federal arrangement. It provides for a presidential system of government in which there is an Executive, a Legislature and a Judiciary, with each acting as a check and balance on the powers of the other two arms. The Constitution further provides for the operation of three tiers of government, at the Federal, State and Local levels. These provisions are binding on all authorities and persons throughout the Federation. This akin to the German political structure in terms of power distribution (TBTIG 2011). However, this democratic system of government has made the business space so unstable for some years owing to election irregularities and political manoeuvres. TERRORISM AND NIGERIAS DEVELOPMENT THE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS ACTORS IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR Terrorism has been on the increase since 2002 when a sect called Boko Haram started signalling disintegration of the Nigerian economy. Under past leadership, the group demanded that Nigeria become an Islamic state but it is now believed to be made up of several factions, with various demands which distort the political future of the nation (BBC Africa) The Nigerian government has embarked on robust policies to privatise its sectors in the recent years and as such, has boost efforts to attract foreign investment (TBTIG 2011). SHELL, TOTAL, CHEVRON are some of the key players in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria. They all have to thrive in the face of ethnic disparities because their major operations are in the remote areas of the notable Niger Delta region where militancy- oppositions are prominent. In 2004, Niger Delta activists demanding a greater share of oil income for locals began a campaign of violence against the oil infrastructure, threatening Nigerias most important economic lifeline (BBC Africa). DIMENSIONS BRIEF OVERVIEW ECONOMIC SYSTEM IMPACT ON BUSINESS Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an ethnically and religiously diverse population of 140 million. Nigeria has the second-highest GDP in Africa (US$166.78 billion in 2007), reflecting the countrys substantial oil reserves. However, oil has proved a mixed blessing for the country (CIA 2011). Nigerias economy has much in common with those of China, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia and India; free enterprise is the norm. However, electricity and water continue to be partially government owned and controlled. Outside of transportation and, perhaps, a small section of the industrial sector, the petroleum economy has very little linkage with Nigerian production (Daudu) The Nigerian government has a policy which is to promote the commercialization, restructuring and privatization of certain government-owned enterprises. Privatization has also been accompanied by deregulation of various economic sectors to encourage private sector participation, notably in telecommunications, power, and downstream petroleum sectors. Most of Nigerias economic activity occurs in key metropolitan areas-Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Onitsha and Port Harcourt (online). Although petroleum continues to dominate the public finances and foreign exchange resources of Nigeria, the sector is, in reality, an enclave economy employing less than 100,000 Nigerians directly in production. The Nigerian government is restructuring and diversifying the economic base of the economy and reducing the dependence on oil, and as such will have bearing on the industry prominence and strategic posture. ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OVER 12 MONTHS FOREIGN RESERVE SIGNIFICANT RATES The strongest performance of Nigerias non-oil economy allowed the economy to avoid a substantial slowdown in 2009 and it expanded by 4.9%, compared to the growth rate seen in 2008. In April 2010, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted growth rate of 7% and 7.3% for Nigeria in 2010 and 2011 respectively and said that the economy was recovering faster than it had earlier anticipated. These forecasts are predicted on the belief that oil prices will remain relatively stable as the global economy recovers, and on the assumption that the truce with militants in the Niger Delta holds. Attacks by militants on oil infrastructure and kidnappings of oil workers cut exports sharply in previous years (CIA 2011). Nigerias foreign exchange reserves had fallen to US$40.67 billion at the end of March 2010, down from US$42.4 billion at the end of 2009, and from US$52.7 billion at the of 2008. Nigeria disbursed about US$3 billion from its oil windfall savings to the three tiers of government in February and March 2010, which contributed to the depletion of its foreign exchange reserves. Interest rate: 6% (Central bank, April 2010) GDP growth: 4.9% (official, 2009) Unemployment: 4.9% (2007 est.) FDI: US$71.59 billion (December 31, 2009, est) Nigerias economic decline, especially during the last 20 years is illustrated by the fact that per capita income, which was the US $1000 in 1965 had declined to the US $300 by 1998. Within some 18 years, Nigeria had declined from being a low middle-income country and amongst the fifty richest countries in the world to one of the 30 poorest (Daniel 2011). LEGAL SYSTEM Nigerias legal system is based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law 2.2CULTURAL CONDITIONS Business is an integral part of society and both influence each other. Social-cultural environment refers to the influence exercised by certain social and cultural factors which are beyond the control of the business unit. Such factors include: attitude to work, family system, religion, languages, habits, preferences, tradition, value system, business ethics etc. Any change in cultural factors like education affects the lifestyle and thinking of the people living in society and thereby bearing on business activities in such society (Jain et al 2009). Managing the problems created by cross -cultural differences increases the transaction costs of conducting international business activities. Consequently, if cultural differences between potential trading partners are large, the economic and/ or strategic benefits of engaging in business activities must be large enough to offset the extra costs of doing business with difference cultures (McDonald and Burton 2002). However, putting the importance of cultural implications in the business space into consideration, planning to do business in the Nigerian oil and gas industry will require a look into some cultural factors as follows: Traditions and family system: Oil and gas operations are prominent in the Niger-Delta region of the country as the major oil wells are found in such rural areas of the region. Chevron is the third-largest oil producer in Nigeria and one of its largest investors, spending more than $3 billion annually. Chevron as a core player in the industry enters into serious business negotiations with traditional institutions in host communities before the commencement of oil explorations (Chevron 2011) Religion: Nigeria has Christianity and Islam as major religions major religions. However, these religions have little or no effect on the consumption of oil and gas products in the country. Ethnic Groups: Nigeria as Africas most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5% (CIA 2011). Language: English is the official language in Nigeria. The country is composed of diverse ethnic groups with several languages but three major languages (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba) are spoken in a general sense. Although, the Pidgin English is prominently used across the nation because it remains the best way in which the uneducated ones communicate. This may constitute a major implication for Des Plc because German is the official language in Germany. So many stakeholders in the Nigerian oil and gas host communities do understand just the Pidgin English. 3.0 TRADE PATTERN BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES 3.1 TRADE PATTER IN GERMANY Germany is one of the constituents of the European Union (EU) and also a member of the WTO. The WTO has a single trade policy and tends to demonstrate the possibility of exploiting the Collective nature of the communitys membership in order to maximize the political pressures brought about by WTO approached sanctions exists and has been noticed the communities trading patterns. However, the ultimate Machiavellian approach might be to target precisely those members states that do not benefit from WTO-incompatible measure of the community and are in favour of removing or amending it (Borght 2007). Developments in Germanys trade patterns in recent years have generally been conducive to the international use of the Deutsche mark on several accounts. First, Germany has become the worlds largest supplier of exports to the world, surpassing the USA since 1986 and enhancing the potential role of the mark as an invoicing vehicle. The bulk of German imports were raw materials particularly oil and gas from Russia and the bulk of German export were manufactured goods. Second, between 1986 and 1989 the share of specialized manufactured goods (primarily machinery and transport goods) in relation to total exports rose from 38 to 47 percent (ECB 2011). 3.2 TRADE PATTERN IN NIGERIA Nigeria has always reinforced commitment to improving her business environment so as to integrate into the global economy. However, oil and gas have been Nigerias bulk of export (Iwela 2007). The United States is Nigerias largest trading partner after the United Kingdom. Nigeria supplies around 11% of US oil imports and 4.5% of German Imports. Crude Oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) account for 98% of exports and around 80% of government revenue (Qfinance 2011). 3.3 THE PATTERN OF TRADE BETWEEN GERMANY AND NIGERIA Nigeria and Germany have maintained a consistent trade relationship over the years. Meanwhile, recent trade statistics (2007) showed that Nigerias export to Germany amounted to 911,5 million Euro, a decrease of 35% compared to 2006. Imports to Germany have increased by 10% to 1083,3 million Euro. In 2006, the trade figure was in favour of Nigeria, with exports to Germany amounting to 1402,6 million Euro and imports from Germany worth 973,9 million Euro. The different trade figure is mainly due to lower oil exports to Germany and higher imports of semi-finished goods (Abah 2011). 3.4 TRADE IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY BETWEEN NIGERIA AND GERMANY Britain was the chief beneficiary of Nigerian oil in the early years of the colonys oil industry. After gaining independence, Nigeria expanded its export to destinations to include Western European nations, especially Germany and the United States (Levi 2004) However, the Germanys presence in the Nigerian oil and gas sector has declined over the years. Just as earlier stated that in 2006, the trade figure was in favour of Nigeria, with exports to Germany amounting to 1402.6 million Euro and imports from Germany worth 973.9 million Euro. The different trade figure for 2007 is mainly due to lower oil exports to Germany. 3.5 RESTRICTIONS AND PROTECTIONS ON TRADE IN NIGERIAN For two decades prior to economic reforms, Nigerias trade regime was viewed as complex, restrictive, and opaque (WTO, 2005). Following the structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1988, a seven-year tariff schedule was adopted which significantly reduced tariff averages. However, further tariff revisions were made, often in response to pressures from domestic lobbies. Since 1978, the government had also introduced policies on import prohibitions which banned selected products that were viewed as strategic for the economy or which needed infant industry protection. However, prior to the recent economic reform, Nigeria maintained a complex tariff structure consist of about 19 bands and 5,146 lines (at the HS-8 digital level), with tariff ranging between 2.5 and 150 percent. Nigeria liberalized its import tariff regime by adopting the Common External Tariff (CET) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) (Iwela 2007). 3.6 RESTRICTIONS IN THE NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY Oil and gas operations commenced in Nigeria effectively in 1956, with the first commercial find in that year by the then Shell DArcy. Before this time, that is, from November 1938, almost the entire country was covered by a concession granted to the company to explore for petroleum resources. This dominant role of Shell in the Nigerian oil industry continued for many years, until Nigerias membership of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971, after which the country began to take a firmer control of its oil and gas resources, in line with the practice of the other members of OPEC. This period witnessed the emergence of National Oil Companies (NOCs) across OPEC member countries, with the sole objective of monitoring the stake of the oil-producing countries in the exploitation of the resource. Whereas in some OPEC member countries the NOCs took direct control of production operations, in Nigeria, the Multinational Oil Companies (MNOCs) were allowed to continue with such operations under Joint Operating Agreements (JOA) which clearly specified the respective stakes of the companies and the Government of Nigeria in the ventures (Iwela 2007). 4.0 EXCHANGE RATE REGIME IN GERMANY AND NIGERIA Numerous exchange rate regimes are practised globally, ranging from the extreme case of fixed exchange rate system, such as the currency boards and unions to a freely floating regime. In practice, countries tend to adopt an amalgam of regimes such as an adjustable peg, crawling peg, target zone/crawling bands, and managed float, whichever suit their peculiar economic conditions. (McDonald and Burton 2011). The exchange rate regime of Germany and Nigeria are considered as both countries use different currencies (naira and euro) respectively. 4.1 EXCHANGE RATE REGIME IN NIGERIA Nigeria has switched between exchange rate systems over the years. During the first phase (1970-1985), Nigeria operated a controlled exchange rate regime where exchange rate of the naira was pegged to the dollar. The second phase of exchange rate history in Nigeria began in 1986. Following the oil glut of the early 80s, it became clear that Nigerian economy which depends on oil was not able to sustain the fixed exchange regime because its foreign reserves not only depleted but foreign debt also mounted. As an integral part of the Structural Adjustment Programme introduced in 1986, the country adopted a flexible exchange rate through the Second tier Foreign Exchange Market (Iwela 2007). The Nigerian exchange rate. The most critical are the creation of a high propensity to import because an over-valued currency makes import cheaper and promotes a balance of payments deficits. In the quest for a realistic naira 9 exchange rate, the CBN employs the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) model as a guide to gauge movements in the nominal exchange rate and to determine deviations from the equilibrium exchange rate. Although the PPP as a relative price does not provide clear criteria for choosing a base period and is generally criticized for its insensitivity to short-term policy actions, it nonetheless, provides a reasonable framework for a comparative analysis of trading partners performances (Iwela 2007). 4.1 EXCHANGE RATE REGIME IN GERMANY Germany operates a floating exchange regime system. Germany is much more competitive than its southern counterparts and this biggest economy in the Eurozone relies heavily on net exports and fixed investments while private consumption takes only a second place (ECB 2011). Growth in the Eurozone will remain sluggish and is expected to underperform the US in 2011. The economy in the 16-nation region is expected to grow +1.7% in 2011, followed by +1.8% in 2012, almost half of the growth in the US (ECB 2011). 4.2 THE EXCHANGE RATE IMPLICATION ON NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY The peculiarity of the Nigerian foreign exchange market needs to be highlighted. The countrys foreign exchange earnings are more than 90 per cent dependent on crude oil export receipts. The result is that the volatility of the world oil market prices has a direct impact on the supply of foreign exchange. Moreover, the oil sector contributes more than 80 percent of government revenue (CIA 2011). 4.2 IMPLICATION FOR DES Plc Thus, when the world oil price is high, the revenue shared by the three tiers of government rise correspondingly and, as has been observed since the early 1970s, elicited comparable expenditure increases, which had been difficult to bring down when oil prices collapse and revenues fall concomitantly. Indeed, such unsustainable expenditure level had been at the root of high government deficit spending. DES performance could, to a large extent, be tied to this economic phenomenon. In addition, the removal of fuel subsidy signaled danger by the Nigerian masses as their standard of living is largely dependent on the oil and gas production and performance. 5.0 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ISSUES IN THE NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY With regard to driving forces for CSR implementation, philanthropy gets a high priority in Africa. This is due to the huge socio-economic needs which have resulted in philanthropy becoming an expected norm in society. According to the theoretical findings, the philanthropic motive has also the highest priority in Nigeria (Helg, 2007). DES Plc cannot over emphasize the issue of CSR in order to consider doing business in the oil sector of Nigeria as many players in the industry have had to put with this situation as much they can (Skjeraseth et al 2004). However, it can be said that CSR is viewed by host communities as ethical and moral obligation of investing companies and as such should not be undermined. CSR ISSUES IN THE INDUSTRY OVERVIEW RESPONSE MEASURE PLAYERS EXPERIENCES While ExxonMobil and TotalFinaElf see their responsibility primarily in terms of providing affordable and environmentally clean fuel and investments in the countries and regions in which they operate, BP aims to be a force for good (BP, 2001), and Shell will strive to build a better world (Shell, 1999) .Shell, Chevron and other players in the industry have suffered kidnap of expert rates over the years. Militancy has been on the increase in the Niger Delta region where exploration is prominent in Nigeria. The youth regard this approach as the only means to benefit from their natural endowment since there are no other ways. Provision of employment, construction of roads and employment may be some available measures to keep the potential situation in check for DES Plc. HUMAN RIGHTS In Nigeria, CSR is viewed as giving back to society and as such their ultimate right. In Nigeria, philanthropy is more than charitable giving. HIV/Aids is an example where the response by business is essentially philanthropic but clearly, in companies own economic interests. DES Plc can make provision to partner with human right organizations in order to effectively address potential issues EMPLOYEES RIGHT The Nigerian government has also through its NEEDS strategy (Nigerian National Planning Commission 2004) set the context by defining the private sector role as by stating that the private sector will be expected to become more proactive in creating productive jobs, enhancing productivity, and improving the quality of life. Nigerians maintain that companies have a responsibility to do more than maximize profits and returns to shareholders? If they do, how far does it extend? Does it include the provision of good wages and working conditions for employees; DES Plc already has a good reputation for job enhancement and upholding that corporate culture will position it against undue pressure in this regard. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Nigerian communities tend to maintain a level of ownership over natural resources and as such never want to part ways with what they consider as stake. There are Landlord groups formed to foster strong opposition against whatever they perceive as injustice in oil exploration Working on the CSR agenda in Nigeria in partnership with different stakeholders in the society. Involve community leaders in the determination of locations. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Maintenance of the highest environmental standards. Oil spillage and gas flaring have been major issues hosts communities emphasize while maintaining a strong opposition against the investors. The introduction of local agricultural schemes to appeal to the affected public. SUPPLIER RELATIONS Company relations with suppliers and contractors are always questionable and not viewed as a priority (TBTIG 2011). Multinational companies initiate co-operation with the SMEs in both the formal and informal sector for local supplies. To develop a joint corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda for Nigerian and non-Nigerian firms. This could be explored by DES Plc while sourcing materials for local use in the region 6.1 INVESTMENT METHOD However, Nigerias libralised business regime and proactive reform measures are making it easier to do business in the country (TBTIG: 2011). Owing to the preceding issues considered in this report, Foreign Direct investment will be recommended to DES Plc as a measure for expansion and penetrating into the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The Nigerian government has put incentives in place to attract foreign investors. Nigerias investment regime has been geared towards encouraging private sector involvement in the countrys economy. The corporate tax rate is 30% in all sectors except petroleum, which is taxed separately under the Petroleum Industry Bill. According to the World Investment Report 2011, prepared by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, FDI inflows into Nigeria fell from $8.65bn in 2009 to $6.09bn in 2011, with the blame placed on delays to the Petroleum Industry Bill (TBTIG: 2011). 6.2 MODE OF ENTRY However, The Nigerian government operates a deregulated society which could favour the brownfield approach. DES Plc can adopt this suitable means by merging and acquiring an asset of a firm in the industry owing to the market share core players like Shell, Total, Chevron etc already have in the industry. 7.0 CONCLUSION In spite of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues identified in the Niger Delta region in recent years, Nigerias huge wealth of oil makes it singularly attractive to the multinational majors, most of which are represented in Nigeria. More recently, multinational oil companies have been focusing their attention on exploration projects. They and their likes promise much for the future of oil industry investment since they allow the oil majors to diversify their investment in the country and bypass the troubles of the Niger Delta region (TBTIG: 2011). Nigerias liberalised business regime and proactive reform measures are making it easier to do business in the country. Germanys presence is scanty in the oil exploration space of Nigeria and as such that remains a quick and ample opportunity to be explored by DES Plc taking the aforementioned policies into consideration. However, owing to the issues discussed in this report it is obvious that the most suitable form of investment is Foreign Direct Investment FDI by merging or acquiring existing firm in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. REFERENCES Abah M. (2011). 50 German Firms Storm Nigeria for Investment. http://www.jangola.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=141:50-german-firms-storm-nigeria-for-investmentcatid=45:businessItemid=87 [Accessed 04/01/2012] BBC News, Africa, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13949550 [Accessed 26/12/2011]. Chevron (2011). Nigeria Highlights of Operations. http://www.chevron.com/countries/nigeria/ [Accessed 03/12/2012] Danial, B. J. ( 2011). The Nigerian Economy in the 21st Century. http://www.onlinenigeria.com/economics/?blurb=498 [Accessed 26/12/2012] Daudu http://www.dawodu.com/okigbopanel1b.pdf EAPI: Energy API (2011). About Oil and Natural Gas. http://www.api.org/aboutoilgas/ [Assessed 17/12/2011]. ECB: European Central Bank (2011). Key Interest Rates for the Euro Zone. http://www.ecb.int/stats/monetary/rates/html/index.en.html [Accessed 15/01/2012]. Helg, A. (2007), Corporate Social Responsibility from a Nigerian Perspective. http://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/4713/1/07-23.pdf [Accessed 10/01/2012] Iwela, O.U. (2007). Nigerias Economic Reform: Progress and Challenges. The Global and Development Programme. Brookings Institution, Washington DC http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2007/0323globaleconomics_okonjo%20iweala/20070323okonjo_iweala.pdf [Accessed 30/12/2011]. Jain T. R., Trehan M., Trehan R. (2009). Business Environment. FK Publications. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Y77EEOe6cTECpg=PA15dq=cultural+conditions+in+business+environmenthl=ensa=Xei=aG4DT4KEKciEOr-ovLMBsqi=2ved=0CF8Q6AEwBg#v=onepageq=cultural%20conditions%20in%20business%20environmentf=false [Accessed 27/12/2011]. Kim van der Borght (2007) WTO Obligations and Opportunities: Challenges of Implementation. Cameron May LTD. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rMRbKGyEp_gCpg=PA263dq=germany+and+wtohl=ensa=Xei=ZoMDT5rqBYfI8gPUsZ3HAQved=0CEIQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=germany%20and%20wtof=false [Accessed 04/01.2012]. Lundvall, B. (1999). National Business System and National Systems of Innovation.[Online] International Studies of Management Organization, Vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 20-21. Available at http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001824019 [Accessed 20/12/2011]. MIS: Mbendi Information Services (2011). Oil and Gas in Nigeria- Overview http://www.mbendi.com/indy/oilg/af/ng/p0005.htm [Accessed 20/12/2012]. Mcdonald F., Burton F. (2002). International Business, G. Canale C. Italy. Patricia Levi (2004). Cultures of the World: Nigeria. 2004http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Q_lCFcabj0MCpg=PA40dq=nigeria+oil+export+to+germanyhl=ensa=Xei=b7UDT5nlE82r8AOx3tHSBwsqi=2ved=0CFUQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=nigeria%20oil%20export%20to%20germanyf=false [Assessed 28/12/2011]. Qfinance (2011). The Nigerian Economy. http://www.qfinance.com/country-profiles/nigeria [Accessed 01/01/2012] Skjà ¦rseth, J. B. Skodvin, T. (2003). Climate Change and the Oil Industry: Common problem, varying strategies. Manchester: Manchester University Press. http://www.fni.no/docpdf/FNI-R0704.pdf [Accessed 15/01/2011]. Shell (1999). People, Planet and Profits. An Act of Commitment. Report. London. TBTIG: The Business, Trade and Investment Guide (2011). Corporate Nigeria: Incentives for Investors http://www.corporate-nigeria.com/index/fdi/incentives_for_investors.html [Accessed 3/01/2012]. WTO: World Trade Organization (2005), Trade Policy Review of Nigeria, Geneva: World Trade Organization. The oil and gas industry The oil and gas industry INTRODUCTION The oil and gas industry is essential to survival of the economy for different purposes. The industry provides energy and chemicals to the economy vital for transport, companies and household in U.K. Through the industry the government earn valuable and substantial tax and export revenue to support the economy. The figure below tells it own tale: v Three quarters of the UKs primary energy. v Employment for more than 380,000 people. v Has invested  £ 150 billion over the last 25 years. v Has paid  £ 150 billion in taxes since the 1970s. v Adds  £4 billion a year to balance of payments. v Accounts for one-fifth of UK annual investment. (oilcareers.com) This primary aim of this report is to consider key environmental factors that are currently affecting the industry. This will be done through PEST (Political, Environmental, Social and Technological) analysis. This report will also take into consideration rationale of industry and companies chosen for this project, in addition a number of financial ratios will be considered to determine the performance of the companies in the industry. This will help in establishing where each company stands in relation to their competitors; as well allowing the strongest and weakest companies to be determined. RATIONALE FOR INDUSTRY This Oil and Gas industry contribute significantly to the economy. The rationale based on this industry choice is to gain an insight to how prepared companies are regarding the risk posed by climate change. According to a report by Palma (200*) she explored increasing pressure in the Oil and Gas industry face from climate change. She indentified such risk as: Damage to corporate reputation: As the understanding and awareness of the damages posed by climate changes increases and develops, failure to observe and account for the impact of climate change on social and environmental resources is progressively likely to damage companys status and reputation. Increasing pressure on water resources: There are growing concerns regarding changes in rainfall patterns. This has led to water shortages, poor water quality and drought and flooding has significantly increased the demand for water. For companies that rely heavily on water, increase competition for available resources could create operational problems for companies. Drop in value of financial assets: In order to meet the economy increasing demand for energy, oil and gas companies need to secure further investment for exploration, production, and manufacturing. Shareholders are placing more and more importance on the business impacts of the change, as risk impact cost and revenue drivers. It is probable that insurance cost could rise due to greater chance of physical plant damage because of weather events. Dealing with such risk is not as easy as it may sound, some companies profit may decline due to the necessary changes in order to combat climate change. It will take a collective effort as well as individual effort for the industry to maintain its status as one of Britains strongest industry. RATIONALE FOR COMPANY CHOICES The diagram below shows that the companies are similar in size, employees employed and turnover. This makes is easier for comparability purposes in finding out how each company are performing. In addition all companies chosen are in the FTSE 350. JKX Oil and Gas JKX Oil and Gas plc principle activity is developing and producing oil and gas reserve, which is conducted through there subsidiary undertakings. JKX main principle interests are located in Ukraine and in Russia, with further interest in Georgia, Bulgaria and United States. As of December 31, 2008, the Company drilled two exploration wells. As of December 31, 2008, the Company acquired 25% interest in the Svidnik, Medzilaborce and Snina from Aurelian Oil Gas plc. Cairn Energy Cairn energy Company is an independent public oil and gas exploration and production company. Together with its subsidiaries, the company engages development and the production of oil and gas largely in countries such Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. The company also operates in Tunisia, Australia, Spain and Papua New Guinea. The companys headquarter is based in the United Kingdom at Edinburgh Tullow Oil Plc Tullow Oil plc operates as an independent oil and gas exploration company. The company has over 100 licences in more than 20 countries. The group accomplished a 77% exploration success rate with 17 out of 22 successful wells in 2008. Currently in 2009, Tullow has drilled 12 successful wells out of a total of 14. FINANCIAL RATIOS Financial ratios are calculated to provide a quick and relatively easy means of measuring the financial wellbeing of a business. Ratios assist to highlight the financial strength and weakness of a business. PEST ANALYSIS In order to understand factors that affect the industry, the PEST analysis could offer some help. PEST analysis helps is the analysis of external factors which are beyond the control of the companies and these factors sometimes could be a potential treat. Moreover these factors can lead to new opportunities being created for companies to explore. Political Factor Political decisions made by the government will definitely affect the oil and gas industry in one shape or another (more (directly or indirectly)). One of the main political talking points is the effect the industry has on climate change. According to Chapman (2009), companies do not really recognize the effect the industry and company has on climate change. Steps have and are been taking to ensure that companies recognize changes in climate. The U.K government not long ago, update the Petroleum Act, tightening the law on decommissioning, making it adamant and compulsory that companies take into account the impact of climate change. The government realizes that actions and policies are needed in order for the industry to continuing providing energy for the economy while the industry reduces the amount of emission they produce and also providing new powerful energy option. In 2000, the royal commission proposed that U.K would need to reduce it emission of CO2 by 2050 and if possible t o reduce it by 80% by 2100. This was an international agreement proposed in other to prevent concentration of carbon dioxide from rising above 550 parts per million in volume. At 2000 it stood at 380 and rising, moreover in it would be safe to assume that it has risen significantly. The political factor takes into consideration political stability, pricing regulations, industrial safety regulations, tax rates and incentives and many more. An effective way in which government believe would encourage the industry to limit the amount of pollution they create is the carbon tax charge. The purpose of this is to lower greenhouse gas emission produced by the industry. Similar to this charge is the climate change levy (referred to as tax on energy). This was put in place on the 1st of April 2001. The importance of the tax is to encourage change in the industry. This has persuaded the industry to start looking new renewable energy source or risk having to pay additional cost of the levy on their energy bill. The levy applies to electricity, oil and gas industry, if a company produces the energy the use from renewable energy source they will be exempt from this levy. Furthermore companies that agree to the governments emission target will be given an 80% discount. Economical Factors The economical factor takes in consideration of such issues as exchange rates, economic growth rate, unemployment rate, inflation rate and price in oil and gas. The Oil and Gas industry is one that holds a stronghold in the world and the U.K economy and it provided 450,000 jobs in UK in 2009. It diagram below an increase in employment from 2007 and to 2008. Unfortunately the increase from 2008 to 2009 could not be shown has it had not been inputted. But from the diagram, it shows signs of improvement since 2004 to 2008. The economy in U.K receives a massive boost when there are increase of activity drill in respect to Oil and Gas. As by (========) Oil and gas production contributes massively to the government through tax revenues with a report  £271 billion being paid over the last 40 years (2008 money). Unfortunately high price for oil in the modern day is major problem for economies around the world (both rich and poor). The reality is that in many countries including UK, oil is becoming unaffordable for more and more people. In the fiscal last year (2008-2009)  £12.9 billion was contributed by the industry in terms of tax revenue, this was likely due to high oil and gas prices. If oil and gas price continue to increase this could change the balance of trade between countries and exchange rate. This increase would cause a decline in the balance payment of net oil-importing countries thereby putting downward pressure on exchange rate therefore import become more expensive and export less valuab le which leads to a drop in national income. Social Factors There different social factor affect the industry such as customer buying patterns, ethical issues and the environment. Due to very nature of the industry, the environment in real danger from drilling and transportation process. The chemical used in drilling can be harmful to the environment. The burning of oil as fuel creates destruction, whereby it contributes to such problems as global warming and acid rain. In addition, forest are now at major risk as there are increase pressure applied by the oil and gas industry leaders pushing for new drilling in sensitive and regions which were once protected Two main factors affect the industry are major event and consumer attitudes and opinion. Consumer attitude and opinion are changing in the modern day environment. More and more people are moving to solar energies instead of using fuel or gas, this is called the GREEN CULTURE. There are more concern for the environment now than ever, prompting the search for alternatives. The government intend to have in place coal and gas fired and nuclear power in place by mid 2020 as alternatives. Furthermore, employees health and safety is another political talking point. Due to the volatile conditions in which employees have to work in and also sub standard physical asset could potential have a negative impact on the health and safety of the employees which would therefore compromise the employer and public liability insurance cover. Technological Factor Technologies are essential to oil and gas industry, due to the harsh and demanding environment we currently live in; the industry leads in technological innovation in order to overcome challenges of recovering oil and gas from difficult reservoirs and deeper waters. For the industry, the need of need technology is need in order to discover new ways of reducing production cost, improving performance and making marginal fields economic to develop. The effort put in by the industry to develop new technologies for locating and producing oil and gas has led to various inventions and technical advances that have been used elsewhere. An area in which the government and the industry highlight as potential growth area is in the field of Carbon Capture and Storage. European Union alongside with other countries has recognised this potential and legislation have been put in place and funding made available in order to finance demonstration plant in Britain and other countries. The industrys knowledge of undersea geology, reservoir management and pipeline transport will undoubtedly play an important role in making this fledgling technology work effectively Advantages of PEST Easy to do The analysis provides a deeper understanding of the wider business environment in which they operate. Provides an understanding of the wider business environment. Raises potential threats to a project Through this analysis organisation can foresee future difficulties and take a course of action in order to minimise their effect It could help a company realise opportunities and utilise them Disadvantages of PEST Could take considerable time to do Variable pace of change could make it difficult to predict development which may affect a company in the future The analysis might be based on unfounded hypothesis

Phantom Towers: Reconstructing the Normal Essay -- Personal Narrative

Phantom Towers: Reconstructing the Normal Every night before going to bed I used to stare at Manhattan at its best. The tall buildings with the lights on give you the impression of diamonds laid on black velvet. It is such a treat to live on the 26th floor, to not have the suffocating sight of walls and windows obstructing the view. But the scenery has changed drastically since September 11th. White smoke was everywhere. At night the smoke became even more apparent with the shine of the stadium lights at Ground Zero that aided the workers making it through the night. From my window you would not pay attention to the buildings that survived the attack, your eyes could not leave that spot where the fumes and light were glowing. In the same way you see a hurricane from a distance, its dimension, its movement, its strength; in the same way you could see that spot on the tip of Manhattan where light hit the tiny molecules of dust giving an eerie impression of death and spirits. The word "debris" was in the news, in my neighbor's mouths, in the press; but I couldn't think of debris per se, people were scorched to death. The Twin Towers became a crematory of innocents. The souls of the deceased were roaming about before going to the other world, the after-life. No matter the distance, you could see that uncanny cloud even from New Jersey. I stood at my window for hours, hoping to see the black smoke turn to white; a good signal that fire was being extinguished. For a moment, I saw it happening and felt relieved. But the sudden and unexpected surrender of the towers after those agonizing hours filled me with disbelief for I knew I was "witnessing thousands of deaths," as John Updike describes the tragic scene. The follow... ... Professor Gilbert explains, it is what one does with time. I wonder how long this country can live in the fallacy of predictable and understandable normalcy while seeing a world that is neither. Works Cited "Filling the Void." The New York Times Magazine 23 Sept. 2001: 80. Gilbert, Kathleen R. "What is Grief?" 2 Jan. 1997. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.indiana.edu/~hperf558/sprng97/unit1.html>. "Kearl's Guide to the Sociology of Death." Kearl's Guide to Sociological Thanatology. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.trnity.edu/~mkearl/death.html>. Longaker, Christine. "The Normal Process of Mourning."Spiritual Care Program. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.spcare.org/practices/suddendeath/bereavement- processofmourning.html>. Updike, John. Reflection. New Yorker. 24 Sept. 2001. 11 Nov. 2001. <http://www.newyorker.com/THE_TALK_OF_THE_TOWN/?01092ta_talk_wtc>.

Comparing Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bro

Comparing Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte In the novels Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the theme of loss can be viewed as an umbrella that encompasses the absence of independence, society or community, love, and order in the lives of the two protagonists. They deal with their hardships in diverse ways. However, they both find ways to triumph over their losses and regain their independence. The women in both novels endure a loss of personal freedom, both mental, and physical. Jane Eyre, in her blind infatuation with Mr. Rochester, allows her emotions to enslave her. She realizes her obsession when she states, "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven. He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sun. I could not, in those days, see God for his creature: of whom I had made an idol" (Bronte 241). By design, Rochester seduces Antoinette and deliberately makes her depend on him. Christophine, Antoinette’s servant, in a conversation with Rochester accusingly contends â€Å"you make love to her till she drunk with it, no rum could make her drunk like that, till she can’t do without it. It’s she can’t see the sun any more. Only you she see. But all you want is to break her up (Rhys 153). After becoming totally enslaved by her feeli ngs for him, Rochester adds insult to injury by physically abusing Antoinette. Her complete and total love for Mr. Rochester, who is passionless and devoid of any empathy, causes her to lose her mind. She realizes her mistake in marrying this cold, calculating man and vehemently states, â€Å"You see. That’s how you are. A stone. But it serves me right†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rhys 148). Jane and Antoinette’s uninhibited desire to please those whom they love becomes detrimental to their peace of mind. Jane does everything she can to please St. John, her cousin, which ends with her completely paying no heed to her own thoughts and feelings. She realizes her dependence on his opinion, declaring â€Å"As for me, I daily wished more to please him: but to do so, I felt daily more and more that I must disown half of my nature, stifle half my faculties, wrest my tastes from their original bent, force myself to the adoption of pursuits for which I had no natural vocation. He wanted to train m... ...'I scorn your idea of love,' I could not help saying, as I rose up and stood before him, leaning my back against the rock. 'I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer: yes, St. John, and I scorn you when you offer it'" (Bronte 359). Jane similarly leaves Rochester when she finds out about his deceit. When Antoinette realizes Rochester does not love her, she scorns him, saying â€Å"my mother whom you all talk about, what justice did she have? My mother sitting in the rocking chair speaking about dead horses and dead grooms and a black devil kissing her sad mouth. Like you kissed mine† (Rhys 147). Although the two women are fundamentally different people, they face many similar challenges throughout their lives. Jane and Antoinette respond to each type of loss they experience differently, and these choices ultimately demonstrate Jane’s inner strength and Antoinette’s inherent vulnerability, resulting in two very different endings, one happy and the other tragic. Work Cited Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. Ed. Angela Smith. London: Penguin, 1997. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Penguin Books Ltd.: 1996. (Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Mason).