Thursday, October 31, 2019

Epicurus and epictetus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Epicurus and epictetus - Essay Example Essentially, these great scholars of philosophy had different consolation on the reasons for valuing and giving meaning to life (Pojman 530). Therefore, this essay will delve on two Greek philosophers, Epictetus and Epicurus, to try to understand their ideologies regarding the importance of living life without having to worry about the occurrence of death. 2. Epicurus According to ancient philosophy, Epicurus was an ancient philosopher that lived between two hundred and seventy one and three hundred and forty one B.C. He founded his school of philosophy in Athens where he spent most of his life. Epicurus was a philosopher who related the aspect of pleasure with good and the aspect of bad with pain concerning living. This concept became Hedonism, a Greek word meaning pleasure. For Epicurus, being sensuous and exalting life did not quantify for Epicureanism to form an opinion on the views of living. However, Epicurus was of the belief that a pleasurable life came from having calm emoti ons through the appreciation of honest but beautiful pleasantries of life. These pleasures include the good company of friends, a healthy diet, morally upright behavior, and good personal health. Epicurus insisted that people were not to worry about death, but only had to concern themselves with pleasure and pain (Pojman 531). Therefore, Epicurus believed that death was not a feeling hence advising people not to be fearful of death. Ideally, this Epicurus was an ardent believer in the doctrines of philosophy because to him philosophy was a constant factor in the life of any individual. Further, Epicurus felt that people needed to focus on the aspects of life that made them happy as part of living a fulfilled life. However, this Epicurus had a queer belief in matters related to God and other gods, but he acknowledged their existence. In essence, Epicurus believed that these higher deities received much accreditation for what they truly were not. For him, ill fate befell those that li ved wicked lives and blessings followed those that did well hence questioning the credibility of gods being the source of either blessings or curses. 2.2 Epicurus and his argument on death Arguably, Epicurus advised people to believe that death was nothing to them because it was a way of depriving human beings off sensation. In this regard, the understanding of death as nothing of concern influenced living life enjoyably because one lived without needing to be immortal. According to his philosophy, Epicurus encouraged people not to live in anticipation of the pain that would come together with death because this feeling would make them cower towards living. Epicurus pointed out that death did not form a part of people while they were still living but became a part of them once they seized existing. This meant that death was not a concern for the living because they did not believe in the existence of death while the dead could not associate with the same as they no longer existed. I n addition, Epicurus believed that a wise person needed not fear life nor death because life did not offend him neither did death appear evil. On the other hand, Epicurus punctured the belief that the young needed advice on how to live fulfilling lives while the aged needed advice on how to approach their sunset. Arguably, Epicurus reiterated that everyone had a deep desire to continue to live irrespective of his or her age because the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Clotel Analysis Essay Example for Free

Clotel Analysis Essay Clotel is an interesting piece of literary work by William Brown, as it exposes the depraved social conditions of Chattel Slavery and its effect on Marriage relations between slave and slave owner. Interestingly, I recognized the stereotypes that can develop from conditions of race and class in our society. More importantly, we see how race and class present higher priviledges to mulatto slaves (quadroons), than what William coins as the real negro. Undeniably, there is a stereotypical belief in todays society that light skin or fairer skin people have an esteemed privilege than that of dark skin people. Although fictional characters, Currer, Clotel, and Althesa are real-life representations of that belief because they were mulattos. One may imply that it is quite stereotypical to say that light skin people have a higher privilege that is not necessarily given to dark skin people, although many believe it to be true as a result of the conditions faced by non-mulatto slaves. However, others may not agree. Currer and her two daughters Clotel and Althesa are all protagonists in this literary work. Currer, a bright mulatto was a housekeeper for slaveholder Thomas Jefferson, upon which she beared Clotel and Althesa. Currer being of the higher class of slaves was permitted to hire her time for more than 20 years. Surely Currer wanted nothing more than to raise her daughters to attract attention in efforts that they might marry into their freedom. Compared to ordinary slaves, Currer and her daughters had once lived in luxury due to privileged conditions of being a mulatto slave. Nevertheless, they were still slaves, and often reminded that they were no different than ordinary slaves. For example, Clotel was only 16 when she was purchased by Horatio Green, son of a wealthy gentleman of Richmond whom promised to make her mistress of her own dwelling. She lived in luxury for a while, and even beared a child named Mary with Horatio. The time came that Horatio began to be involved with politics, and his success with politics being of greater importance proved his union with Clotel would soon end. Horatio took interest in the daughter of a wealthy man with whom he found a connect to success in politics. Horatio later married her, leaving Clotel to be sold to a slaveholder at the demand of his mistress. It is here that we discover that even the mulatto woman is not as esteemed with privilege as she was once perceived to possess. She is still a slave , born of that blood. She may have lived in luxury for a while, but it was very predictable that she would be sold again to the highest bidder, and for the latter purpose. What is so significant about not only Clotels character, but also for her mothers and sisters character is that they are symbolic of how mulatto slaves were used as an even bigger commodity during slavery. They were put on a pedestal to feel as though they had more privilege, only to discover that they really did not. Even more importantly, mulatto slaves knew the significance of having been mixed-bred, and how it could be used in attempt to free themselves, just as Currer had planned for her daughters from the very beginning. Mostly, the mulattos or quadroons were the house slaves, and occupied the best situation a slave could occupy. Most of the mistresses of the slave owners in the South sought to make the lives of quadroons intolerable, because they viewed them as rivals. For this reason, Mrs. Green had demanded that Clotel be sold out of the state. How soundly ironic that mulattos could be stuck at the center of the depraved social condition of marriage relations between slave and slave owner? And being of the higher class of slaves still be subject to the will of his master. Were they really of a higher class, or were they no better than an ordinary slave whom labored outside the masters house? Some people have their own prejudices toward blacks in general even in todays society. It is safe to say that some whites even still view blacks as slaves. No matter how fair or light the shade of their skin is, it still does not dismiss the fact that they are born of African descent. As William stated in his work, there was a depraved social condition that placed the slave under total control of his master from the very beginning no matter how light or fair their skin was. Therefore, the stereotypical belief that mulattos or light-skin people have an esteemed privilege over dark-skinned people is without a doubt, debateable.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Theories for Philanthropy: History and Background

Theories for Philanthropy: History and Background It is easy to motivate people to attend fundraising events just ask them to turn up and they will, because its the right thing to do. Discuss Introduction Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, services, time or effort to support something that is socially beneficial, has a defined objective, and no material reward to the donor. Whilst the majority of people see this as individual charity, the other side to giving without material reward is fundraising and corporate philanthropy. There is a view amongst some organisers of fundraising events that little extra motivation is needed for people to attend they will simply attend because it is the right thing to do. Of course, there are also those who see philanthropy as only occurring where there is some gain outside of money for the donor, especially when it comes to corporate philanthropy. Instead of being about the ‘right’ thing to do, it is more about the perception of doing the ‘right’ thing as a marketing and PR weapon. [1] This essay will examine the roots of philanthropy and look at some of the motivational factors involved. This will involve loo king at marketing techniques, psychological and philosophical theories as to why people give. The aim of this discussion is to provide recommendations to fundraising event managers to help them better promote their events in light of the motivations discovered. The first section will look at the history and background of philanthropy. History and background of philanthropy The earliest forms of philanthropy can be traced back to religion and the ideas of giving and charity within Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The idea of charity in these texts looks at helping the poor and those in need no matter what their faith or situation. This idea of charity set the beginnings for the secular concept of philanthropy. Where charity and philanthropy differ somewhat is that charity has a commitment to the poor and helpless, whereas philanthropy is not so closely linked to the poor.[2] However, religious faith is still a strong motivator behind philanthropy even today because it instils the belief that giving is the ‘right’ thing to do and an important part of faith. In this sense, it could be said that people need no more motivation than their faith to give to fundraising events. However, faith cannot explain all aspects of philanthropy for those who are not religious or where faith is not an important element.[3] Philanthropy developed into a concept in the seventeenth century to do with being kind and humanitarian, which in the 18th and 19th centuries was then to do with being actively involved in humanitarian projects, such as helping the insane or prisoners, and the abolition of slavery. However, it was towards the end of the nineteenth century that philanthropy began to mean the donation of money to causes that would benefit all levels of society and not just the poor. The emphasis of philanthropy has shifted from just helping the poor to helping all areas of society. The government is now seen as the primary carer for those under or around the poverty line, whilst philanthropists look to benefit society as a whole. This of course does not mean that the poor do not or cannot benefit from philanthropy, but that the goal of philanthropy is now wider than helping just those who are poor.[4] The modern version of philanthropy is very much to do with injection of money into causes and raising funds to help develop socially worthwhile projects. Philanthropy is not just about pouring money into something and forgetting about it, but about giving money so that results can be achieved. In fact, if results are not achieved through the donations then generally the donations to that particular project will be reduced. This is a method that wealthy individuals and organizations use to keep projects accountable and to have a measure of social control.[5] This social control may often be in the interests of the philanthropist and so it begs the question as to whether this is the only motivation behind modern philanthropy. If this is the case, then perhaps the idea that motivation to do the right thing is enough is no longer a valid way to promote or achieve fundraising. The next section will look at some competing theories of motivation with regards to philanthropy to see if this q uestion can be answered. Philosophy and models of motivation One idea of motivation behind corporate philanthropy is obviously that it improves the image of an individual or business whilst also providing an opportunity to shape society in a certain way. In modern philanthropy there is no doubt that this is a part of motivation, but in many ways it acts no differently to idea of ‘doing right’. An individual who gives because they believe it is the right thing to do will give in the same way as an individual or organisation who gives because they perceive that others think it is the right thing for them to do. Corporate philanthropy is a part of business culture today, and companies see it as an important marketing tool – to be seen as an ethical, responsible and socially aware company that looks to give back to the community and to society.[6] Also, there is the other side of fundraising that as a company funds are needed to be generated to be given by philanthropists, and so a good company that can benefit society will have a fundraising strategy. Mullin believes that the key to good fundraising is less to do with motivational factors and more to do with detailed strategic planning and advertising of the event is the key to its success.[7] For Mullin, fundraising works very much like any product with a life cycle of fundraising that determines where and when the best opportunities for gaining funding are within each project or event. Wendroff also believes that the key to successful fundraising is attention to detail and planning, and that there is no real need to look into motivational factors as much as there is to employ proper marketing and organization of the event. If this is taken care of then people will donate because of the feeling that this is a worthwhile cause portrayed by the quality of the event.[8] However, there are a number of other theories with regards to the motivation behind fundraising that can help fundraisers. Sargeant and Jay believe that the motivation for philanthropy comes from push and pull factors. People give not just for one reason but for a wide variety of reasons depending on the social climate, empathy and sympathy for a cause, potential for results from the donation and other factors. These push and pull factors are complex and it is believed that more research into why people give and also why they stop giving is important. If this is not undertaken then organisations are in danger of spending too long developing ‘techniques’ to gain funding rather than really knowing why people want to give and how to then present their project.[9] Other theorists see motivation behind giving as being somewhat different. The philosopher Immanuel Kant sees giving as a simply matter of duty, and that the act of philanthropy is an example of duty to our society. Kant doesn’t believe that humanitarian acts or charity are the motivations behind philanthropy, but rather the shaping of duty, society and law are the motivations behind donation. Whilst Kant’s view may appear somewhat cold and does not take into account the human or sympathy aspect of donation, there is evidence that modern philanthropy does on some level work like this. People give money because they feel it is their responsibility to help society with what they have, and this fits in more with a sense of Kantian duty than being charitable.[10] Despite this, Kant’s view is perhaps too narrow and does not take into account the fact that part of giving is certainly to do with personal feelings towards a specific project. Even if someone feels it might be ‘right’ or their duty to donate, they are less likely to do so if there is no personal fit with the project and understanding of its social worth. Perhaps the view of John Stuart Mill is a better explanation of motivation in this case. Mill’s idea is that people donate because they see it as the rational way of making society most efficient. Giving their wealth to help socially beneficial organizations means that they are helping to maximise utility within society. Whilst this theory also seems extremely well thought-out and neat in that it would be great to think that philanthropists and donors need only learn about a project’s benefit to society to give, it again seems that there is more to motivation than this. It also seems unlikely that all donors clearly see this ‘bigger picture’ and that their wealth being offered to others in this way really is helping the overall efficiency and utility of society. If this were the case then philanthropists would all give to very similar and large-scale projects that could benefit as many people as possible – clearly this isn’t the case.[11] Motivational factors and current climate The problem with all of these theories is that they seemingly take a narrow view on motivation to try and pin down why people donate so that fundraisers can develop techniques to increase funding. However, the situation should probably not be looked at in terms of strict individual motivational factors but rather in terms of the current climate of donation and philanthropy on a local, national and global scale. For instance, whilst values in the UK and US on many topics are quite similar, levels of philanthropic donation are much lower in the UK (less than 1% of GDP) than in the US (2% of GDP).[12] Understanding why different national markets vary in level of donation can help fundraisers to understand why people are donating in a particular area or during a particular time period. The US and the UK differ in their giving policies, with US philanthropy very much to do with ‘charity begins at home’, and that self-interest, social appreciation and public statement of giving are important motivational factors. However, in the UK the act of philanthropy is much more to do with the notion of ‘charity for all’ and the sense of duty that doing something socially worthwhile is important. This is done in a more private way and is not so much linked to personal interest or social acceptance. Despite the US and the UK being quite similar they have very different motivations for giving, and this shows how important it is to know the area and culture that the fundraising is being carried out in. This is perhaps more important than knowing individual motivational factors, because these are likely to change depending on the current climate and market conditions. Certainly, since September 11th and the bombings in London the attitude towards giving has changed as people look again to help others and make more of their influence and wealth than before. However, things are changing again as a worldwide economic slump means people are being more cautious, yet demand for funding is increasing as more is needed from individuals to help support the government.[13] In the current climate it looks like corporate donors will move away from corporate giving for PR, and move towards investing in communities to give them a strategic advantage in the future. With companies having less money and all individuals having to reduce their spending, it seems that currently the emphasis for fundraisers should be on showing worth and value to the companies and individuals who want to invest. Companies should also look towards diversifying their fundraising so that they can survive even if philanthropic donations are in decline.[14] Conclusion Although some people will always give money because they believe it is the right thing to do, philanthropy is no longer synonymous with charity. This means that fundraisers have to do more to get the funds they need than simply appeal to a sense of ‘right’. In an effort to find new techniques to generate funds, fundraisers have looked at the individual motivations behind philanthropy. Whilst the theories presented here all have their merits, individual motivations are too complex, unpredictable and diverse to base fundraising tactics upon. Instead, fundraisers should aim to base their tactics on the current economic climate as well as the fundraising climate within their locality or national culture. This is more likely to give general patterns that can be used to strategically improve fundraising. In the current climate, this means diversifying tactics and even looking to earn a certain amount of funds to offset the effects of the economic slump. Fundraisers should also emphasise the benefits to philanthropists with regards to social and corporate results, as anything that will give donors a strategic or social advantage in the future can be a factor in donation. In conclusion, it is no longer enough for fundraisers to rely on people’s sense of charity and humanity to generate funds. Instead, companies should focus on the worth and social benefit of their projects to attract investors in their particular region. Whilst individual motivational factors are complex and need more investigation, local and national trends can be used to develop fundraising strategies. Bibliography Bennett, R., 1997. Corporate philanthropy in the UK: altruistic giving or marketing communications weapon?. Journal of Marketing Communications, 3(2), pp. 87-109. Boney, R., 2008. Corporate donors adjust to economic slump. Philanthropy Journal, September 15th, 2008. Available at: http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/resources/special-reports/corporate-giving/corporate-donors-adjust-economic-slump Boswell, H., 2003. Motivations for Giving and Serving. (Online). Available at: http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/paper33.html (Accessed 15th November 2008). Bremner, R.H., 1996. Giving: Charity and Philanthropy in History. New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers. Johnson, G., and Scholes, K., 2002. Exploring Corporate Strategy 6th Edition. Prentice Hall. Matthewson, D.J., 2001. An analysis of John Stuart Mill’s Justification for Redistribution. Prepared for delivery at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, Alexis Park Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada, March 15-17. Available at: http://faculty.fullerton.edu/dmatthewson/Final%20Mill.doc Mullin, R., 1997. Fundraising Strategy. Directory of Social Change. Sargeant, A., and Jay, E., 2004. Fundraising Management: Analysis, Planning and Practice. London: Routledge. Slim, H., 2001. Not Philanthropy But Rights Rights-Based Humanitarianism and the Proper Politicisation of Humanitarian Philosophy in War. Centre for Development and Emergency Practice, Oxford Brookes University. Available at: http://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/confpapers/slim_new.pdf Wendroff, A.L., 2004. Special Events: Proven Strategies for Nonprofit Fundraising. John Wiley and Sons. Wright, K., 2001. Generosity vs. Altruism: Philanthropy and Charity in the United States and United Kingdom. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 12(4), pp. 399-416. Footnotes [1] Bennett, 1997, pp. 87-91 [2] Bremner, 1996, p. xii [3] Boswell, 2003. [4] Bremner, 1996, pp. xii-xiii [5] Boswell, 2003. [6] Johnson and Scholes, 2002, pp. 35-37 [7] Mullin, 1997, pp. 2-8 [8] Wendroff, 2004, pp. 195-198 [9] Sargeant and Jay, 2004, pp. 111-113. [10] Slim, 2001, pp. 2-5 [11] Matthewson, 2001. [12] Wright, 2001, pp. 399-400 [13] Boswell, 2003 [14] Boney, 2008

Friday, October 25, 2019

Adopting an Energy-Efficient Lifestyle Essay -- Environment Research P

Adopting an Energy-Efficient Lifestyle â€Å"Energy is critical for economic growth, social development and human welfare,† said the Honorable Shri Dilip Ray at the 1999 International Conference on Financing of Energy Sector in Developing Countries (Chaturvedi 29). However, it can also be detrimental to these necessary features of human life by affecting the environment we live in. The environment, comprising â€Å"both social/economic and physical/environmental elements,† is currently being damaged by the side effects of energy wastage (Cloke and Park 35). This damage to the environment, including biodiversity loss, ozone depletion, health problems, and decreasing abundance or degradation of natural resources, is primarily due to the immense requirement of energy needed to fuel electric power plants which supply home appliances such as electric lights and heating and air conditioning systems with energy. â€Å"The total electric energy consumed in the United States annually is more than 20 trillion ki lowatt-hours. Electric motors consume about 58 percent of that, or 13 trillion kwh† (Qayoumi 1). If we did not require as much energy to sustain our lifestyles, or in other words, if we lived in more energy-efficient homes and used more energy-efficient products, environmental damage could be substantially reduced. We could then derive the added benefit of having a reduced monetary cost for energy usage. Not much is required to reduce both monetary cost and environmental damage. â€Å"If the efficiency of every [electric] motor were improved by only 2 percent, and with an average electric cost of 6 cents per kwh, it would translate into annual savings of more than $1 billion† (Qayoumi 1). However, we cannot expect to help heal the wounds we ... ...Countries. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company. Cloke, P. and Park, C. Rural Resource Management. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1985. Earth Sheltered Home from Ecolution, the Eco-Home Network Newsletter. Eco-Home Network. 30 Sept. 1999 . Motors and Maintenance: Enhancing Energy Efficiency. Mohammad H. Qayoumi. 30 Oct. 1999 . ST-96-20R Estimates of Housing Units, Households, Households by Age of Householder, and Persons per Household: July 1, 1996. The U.S. Bureau of the Census. 30 Oct. 1999 . Sub-claim: Propose to show this with other examples of energy efficiency (passive solar heating, insulating homes, active solar heating, geothermal energy, hydropower, wind energy)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Core Values Of The Profession Education Essay

IntroductionSociety has changed on many foreparts in the last few decennaries. The rise of societal issues, like cyber-bullying, discourtesy for authorization and teenage gestations, among young person and kids have led to parents and the community desiring schools to take a tougher stance in developing the societal and moral capablenesss of the immature ( Lickona, 1991 ) . This has prompted the Ministry of Education ( MOE ) to implement alterations to the instruction system by stressing on Character and Citizenship Education ( CCE ) . The displacement from being accomplishments and cognition senders to 1s that incorporate moral considerations into the instruction pattern is expected of instructors today ( Hansen, 2001 ) . In this epoch of alteration, it has been really supercharging right from the start of the occupation for get downing instructors as they have to familiarise themselves with all the wide-ranging functions and duties of experient instructors ( Feiman-Nemser, 2001 ; L ortie, 1975 ) . With such demanding conditions, get downing instructors need to hold a clear sense of intent and uphold the nucleus values of the profession in order to win. Teachers must function as wise mans and good function theoretical accounts to their pupils. Harmonizing to Bandura ( 2002 ) , instructors are expected to modulate their behavior with regard to professional criterions. Teachers, being of import grownups in young persons ‘ lives, have an impactful influence on their pupil ‘s character growing and development ( Park, 2004 ) . As get downing instructors aspire to carry through their different individualities when they join the instruction work force, they seek to construct up good resonance with their pupils but so happen it hard to pull the line between being rigorous and friendly with them ( Zoe, 2011 ) . Get downing instructors will non merely necessitate the necessary accomplishments and cognition to pull off pupils efficaciously in the emotional and affectional spheres, but besides a strong ethical compass to professionally cultivate their pupils ‘ heads. Students will therefore be able to get the better of societa l quandary and title-holder morally responsible causes ( Gardner, Csikszentmihalyi & A ; Damon, 2001 ) . With the rapid influence of societal media, some beginning instructors are carry oning themselves unethically when they fail to separate the student-teacher boundary on internet ( Cindy, 2011 ) . The technologically-savvy beginning instructors are acquiring into more problem when they befriend their pupils utilizing societal media platforms like Facebook and Twitter ( David & A ; Patrick, 2012 ) . Such sites frequently blur the student-teacher professional lines. Get downing instructors, being new in their profession, may be used to showing their sentiments, posting inappropriate exposures or even utilizing expressed linguistic communication on such societal webs without recognizing that the populace and even their pupils they are friends with in the practical universe can see their stations. This would hold damaging effects on the immature, waxy heads that they are entrusted with. The instruction of non-examinable topic like CCE will be a desperate concern for get downing instructors who strive to do efficient usage of clip to fix their pupils for trials alternatively ( Darling-Hammond, 1997 ) . A study conducted among teacher trainees found that merely 26.5 % of them supported the thought of learning this non-examinable topic. Many of them felt the thought of learning the citizenship constituent of CCE as propaganda and disputing to integrate them into mundane instruction ( Wang, 2008 ) . Research has shown that when instructors are less enthusiastic about the capable affair, pupils ‘ intrinsic motive to larn will worsen ( Patrick, Hisley & A ; Kempler, 2000 ) . This definitely gives get downing instructors a difficult clip when they try to strike a balance between the school ‘s accent on academic accomplishments and to further character and citizenship values. With such immense functions in determining the hereafter coevals, instructors are seen as cardinal figures to maximise the potency of every pupil holistically ( Gregory & A ; Clark, 2003 ) . It is non surprising why MOE has invariably focused on instructors ‘ development by supplying them with appropriate preparation and support to authorise them with indispensable life-skills so that their pupils can besides profit ( Murray, 2002 ) . Schools besides engage in Professional Learning Communities to acquire experient instructors to portion their expertness on covering with debatable pupils with get downing instructors. However, the heavy work load get downing instructors struggle to get by in schools has made such extra enrichments to be jobs for them. Recent enterprises, like the Holistic Health Framework and Form Teacher Guidance Period which aim to develop good societal, emotional acquisition competences in pupils, will besides increase the load for get downing instructors who have to larn and rapidly accommodate to the new policies. The present coevals of pupils is more facile and educated as their attitudes and worldviews have been shaped by the economic prosperity and cyberspace revolution over the old ages ( Derfel, 2011 ) . The stable economic environment has caused them to be less afraid of alteration, while the easiness of information available on the cyberspace has made them more expressive in their positions. Students may be less fearful of authorization and go rebellious. Most get downing instructors will happen it a challenge in pull offing them and will hold to gain their regard from pupils by puting good illustrations, listening and handling them every bit, irrespective of their genders, races and categories ( Whitney, 2000 ) . Appropriate and just penalties should be given out to pupils where necessary. In most instances, blue pupils, normally boys, acquire more attending by their instructors ( Brophy and Good, 1970 ) . However, get downing instructors should besides larn non to pretermit praising t he well behaved pupils for their model behavior. This ensures every pupil receives equal intervention and is able to distinguish between good and bad behavior in category. Classroom diverseness can besides present serious challenges for get downing instructors, particularly since it involves associating to groups of pupils who may hold differing point of views, backgrounds and dispositions ( Holmes Group, 1986 ) . A survey by Goddard and Foster ( 2001 ) revealed that while get downing instructors may hold baronial aspirations to efficaciously learn a diversified category of scholars, they are incognizant of the existent universe demands on their patterns. Get downing instructors are often in for a ‘reality daze ‘ as pupils tend to joint out changing positions or experiences. Teaching pupils to be empathic, sensitive and accepting of one another ‘s sentiment is polar during CCE lesson. This allows pupils to be more engaged in national issues through active flow of advanced and enriching ideas, and do them esteem the cultural diverseness. In add-on, get downing instructors may meet pupils who come from hapless household backgrounds with out proper rearing support. They have to give more supervising to these pupils so that they will non experience ignored and go a threat to society. As parents play an progressively impactful function on the educational lives of their kids, a productive relationship with them will heighten the instructor ‘s abilities to develop good character and citizenship values in their pupils ( Fleming, 1993 ) . As Henderson and Berla ( 1997 ) wrote, when teacher-parent ties are close, pupils non merely profit in school but besides throughout life. Ironically, research shows that many get downing instructors fail to understand the demand to set up such relationships as they view parental engagement non built-in to their instruction and pupil ‘s acquisition ( Canter & A ; Canter, 1991 ) . This position among novice instructors has to be changed as parental engagement brings positive impacts on the kid ‘s holistic accomplishments ( Epstein, 1995 ) . Get downing instructors are frequently challenged when they have to cover with ill-disciplined pupils. By join forcesing with concerted parents, instructors will be able to promot e good behaviour in the pupils both in school and at place. If parents are unreasonable and demanding yet differing with the handling of their kid ‘s behaviour, it will further halter the instructor ‘s attempts in edifice good character in the pupil. It is besides important for instructors to actively seek interactions with parents and keep good relationships with them ( Howe & A ; Simmons, 1993 ) . However, many get downing instructors are missing these accomplishments to advance such bipartisan communications between parents and the school ( Shartrand, Weiss, Kreider, & A ; Lopez, 1997 ) . Communication is indispensable as it facilitates airing of critical information on pupil ‘s attitude in school to their parents. Concerned parents will mind the advice from instructors and pay more attending to their kid if needed, while casual 1s will merely make more duties for the instructors. With effectual communicating between both parties, the pupil ‘s character growing and development can so be closely monitored. In decision, get downing instructors have to lift up to the challenges when they take on the duties of developing character and citizenship values in pupils. To get the better of such troubles, they have to be adapted with new educational policy alterations through undergoing professional development developing invariably to get the necessity accomplishments to construct good character in pupils. In order to derive the regard from pupils, get downing instructors have to keep an ethical image within the profession and put good illustrations for their pupils while handling them every bit irrespective of their cultural diverseness. Looking in front, get downing instructors should besides take a leap forward and start working closely with parents and the community to raising and develop these values in the pupils. Through partnerships with assorted stakeholders, pupils will be more open to good cultural and social values, doing them better citizens for the hereafter.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Fate of The Universe Revealed

The Fate of The Universe Revealed Free Online Research Papers Abstract By introducing virtual 4th dimension to represent time in similar manner like 3 dimensions of space which can be measure in terms of length, the attempt is made to explain how velocity of the object in â€Å"Special Theory of Relativity† causes time dilation and how matter affects time in case of â€Å"General Theory of Relativity†. Same concept has been used to solve the â€Å"Galaxy Rotation Curve† problem and pioneer anomaly without need of any dark matter. Finally, it is shown that, increase in time affects gravity giving new definition to gravity based on which explosion of black hole and evolution of Universe is predicted. Keywords: Galaxy Rotation Curve, Dark Matter, Special and General Theory of Relativity. Introduction Our Universe is made of 3 dimensional space and one dimensional time (atleast these are the dimensions which are directly affecting to us in our day to day life and are not hidden like those remaining 7 dimensions in case of string theory). As per special and general theory of relativity, these 3 dimensional space and time are not two separate things, but are closely connected to each other. Hence, instead of measuring time in terms of unit of second, by introducing virtual 4th dimension, we can represent time in terms of measuring unit meter such that one second equal to 3*108 meter. Time Dilation in Special Theory of Relativity In following figure, the 3 dimensional space is considered as 2 dimensional sheet moving in remaining vertical virtual dimension at the speed of light, (c= 3 * 108 m) for mass less (energy) particles like photons. In real Universe, the vertical dimension shown in figure is not as like dimensions of the space having length, but it is an imaginary dimension. Here, for simplicity, it is assumed that the vertical dimension representing time is similar to dimensions of space having length as measuring quantity so that 1 second in vertical dimension is equivalent to 3* 108 m. In other words, 3 Dimensional Space is moving in 4th Dimension at the speed equal to speed of light for mass less particles like photon. Figure – 1.0 The above concept very well explains why particles like photons can travel at speed of light? It is a mass less particle which do not affect space-time geometry. Also, from figure it is seen that, for photon which is travelling at the speed of the light, its time from the frame of reference of the stationary object should be equal to zero i.e vertical distance measured in above figure should be zero. In other words, photon or energy particles should entirely live only in 3 Dimensional space. For the object having velocity less than the speed of light, the vertical distance or time can be calculated as shown in following figure. Figure – 2.0 In above figure, when the object is at stationary (V=0), the vertical dimension will always measure the distance equal to 3 * 108 m in 1 second. But, if the same object travels at velocity ‘V’, then, in one second, the vertical distance will measure [c*Sqrt{1-(V2/c2)}] m, because, the path of the object no longer remain perpendicular to our 2 Dimensional sheet but remains in inclined direction as shown in figure -2. Therefore, time of the moving object will always remain less than time in reference frame of stationary object or time is slowed down with increase in velocity ‘V of the object which is nothing but â€Å"Time Dilation† phenomenon in â€Å"Special Theory of Relativity†. Also, for moving object, time get slow down and not for the stationary object, hence, twin paradox will never happen. It is something like every object (moving as well as stationary) always remains attached with fixed or absolute frame of reference in their frame of referen ce. It means, the moving as well as stationary object in their respective frame of reference will always measure one second equal to 3* 108m in above figure. For stationary object, time and space never mixed with each other or remains as separate entities, while for moving object, its velocity V in space affects its time or vertical distance measured in virtual dimension. Time Dilation in General Theory of Relativity As per General Theory of Relativity, matter bends space-time making curvature of space-time around it giving effect of gravity and this curvature depends upon quantity of matter. More matter, more will be curvature of space-time. This concept usually demonstrated by scientists as the heavy object kept in middle of 2 dimensional rubber sheet representing fabric of 3 dimensional space which bends the rubber sheet due to its weight. When another light object is moved from edge of rubber sheet towards the heavy object, it got trapped in curvature (gravity effect) made by heavy object and follow inward spiral trajectory around this heavy object such that its velocity increases with decrease in distance from the heavy object. Finally, it collapsed into heavy object. Thus, in this demonstration, curvature of rubber sheet due to presence of heavy object very well explains gravity effect according to General Theory of Relativity. But, there is one hidden thing in above demonstration that is, in order to produce curvature effect on rubber sheet due to weight of heavy object, it requires additional force in remaining 3rd dimension (perpendicular to 2 dimensional rubber sheet) which is nothing but gravitational force produced by the Earth. For example, if same demonstration is done on the moon, the curvature produced by heavy object will become less than that on the Earth because gravitational strength of the Earth is six times greater than the moon. Now, Einstein is on right track with respect to his General Theory of Relativity which has been already confirmed through number of experiments like bending of light, mercury perihelion, gravitational lensing etc. It suggests that in order to produce effect of curvature of space-time, matter must have to produce force in the vertical virtual dimension so that this force causes the matter to move in opposite direction of flow of time. In other words, the object due to presence of its matter always moves in opposite direction wi th respect to direction of flow of time. It can be explained in the following figure: Figure – 3.0 From above, it is clear that presence of matter bends space-time slowing down time such that time near surface of the object is always less than away from it. But as already told, the vertical dimension is a virtual dimension representing time for our sake of simplicity, in real universe, instead of bending of space in time or virtual vertical dimension, it remains as flat 2 dimensional sheet such that its density become higher near the surface of the object which decreases as moving away from the object. Or space-time is not empty but filled with medium having its own density representing flat space-time which can be called as vacuum density. Thus, presence of matter causes increase in vacuum density near the object which decreases while going away from the object and finally become constant to represent flat space-time. But, if gravitational constant, G is really a constant, then curvature of space-time in above figure should not changed with increase in time difference, ?T because of increase in time itself. This can be achieved by keeping restriction on gravitational strength (acceleration) due to Gravitational Constant, G up to specified region such that beyond this region effect of G on gravitational strength become very negligible and it entirely depends upon increase in time i.e. changes in curvature of space-time is more beyond this region. The equation for gravitational strength can be written as: g = (G*M/r2)*{1+ (3P/?c2)} f(T) = a f(T) (1) -Ve sign indicates that spreading of curvature of space-time radially out. In other words, the force due to f(T) acts like repulsive force or opposite to attractive gravitational force. Where, g = Gravitational strength or acceleration, G = Gravitational constant = 6.67*10-11 m3/(Kg*Sec2); M = Mass of the object creating gravitational field, r= distance from the center of the object, and f(T) = Function of Time which acts opposite to gravitational strength. From above eq., for f(T) very less than a, G dominates the gravitational strength and as a becomes very less than f(T) because of inverse square relationship with r, g must be expressed in terms of f(T). Note that value of G always remains constant and changes in curvature of space-time is governed by f(T) beyond the region from where effect of G becomes negligible while effect of increase in time dominates beyond this region. The above analysis can be well illustrated in following figure; Figure – 4.0 From above figure, the region for which value of af(T) the change in the value of g is very small while for a

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism

Abstract It’s extremely important to develop belonging and affiliation in general education classrooms for students with autism. Students with autism have difficulty with social skills and friendships. Teachers may use different types of strategies to promote membership for students with autism in the general education classroom. The primary focus of these strategies are used for students in the primary grades, kindergarten through third. Introduction Though the classroom environment can be a helpful aspect into promoting friendship, sometimes other children aren’t so accepting. With the absence of friendship and good social relationships many things can happen. Among them a decreased likelihood of one day obtaining employment. A decreased likelihood of living independently, and a decreased life expectancy (Strain, 2001a). Children with autism have difficulty engaging in social activities, and social interactions. Amid them, language, social cues, physical contact, and nature of pretending (Clark & Smith, 1999). To avoid these problems teachers must do a number of things. They must promote positive interactions, reinforce positive interactions, limit the amount of adult interaction, and educate everyone about diversity. Teachers must also give choices. By giving choices positive antecedent intervention will help. Children with autism will interact more with peers. This will also be a naturalistic intervention, and is an i mportant variable for a student with autism (Carter, 2001). Teachers must also use peers as social models, by direct instruction, and by developing social skills. This can be done by developing friendships, and playing with children who have a variety of disabilities. Teachers can also teach children to engage in social play with children with autism (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Leal, 1995) Environment To promote friendship, affiliation, and belonging in a general education classroom, for a child with ... Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism Abstract It’s extremely important to develop belonging and affiliation in general education classrooms for students with autism. Students with autism have difficulty with social skills and friendships. Teachers may use different types of strategies to promote membership for students with autism in the general education classroom. The primary focus of these strategies are used for students in the primary grades, kindergarten through third. Introduction Though the classroom environment can be a helpful aspect into promoting friendship, sometimes other children aren’t so accepting. With the absence of friendship and good social relationships many things can happen. Among them a decreased likelihood of one day obtaining employment. A decreased likelihood of living independently, and a decreased life expectancy (Strain, 2001a). Children with autism have difficulty engaging in social activities, and social interactions. Amid them, language, social cues, physical contact, and nature of pretending (Clark & Smith, 1999). To avoid these problems teachers must do a number of things. They must promote positive interactions, reinforce positive interactions, limit the amount of adult interaction, and educate everyone about diversity. Teachers must also give choices. By giving choices positive antecedent intervention will help. Children with autism will interact more with peers. This will also be a naturalistic intervention, and is an i mportant variable for a student with autism (Carter, 2001). Teachers must also use peers as social models, by direct instruction, and by developing social skills. This can be done by developing friendships, and playing with children who have a variety of disabilities. Teachers can also teach children to engage in social play with children with autism (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Leal, 1995) Environment To promote friendship, affiliation, and belonging in a general education classroom, for a child with ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Canada as a 51st State essays

Canada as a 51st State essays Lately, living in Canada it is becoming clearer that our border with the United States seems to be vanishing. We have as a country always tried to stay independent and to be unique in our own ways. The multiculturalism and the way everyone lives together shows why Canada is one of the top countries. On the other hand Americans see us as if we are no different than themselves. In many cases they are correct, especially so after the September 11th attacks. Before all the worry about terrorism Canada was usually there alongside the United States to support them in their actions. Ever since the attack on the States, Canada was not only asked to be there for the Americans, they were just expected to be there. We helped them greatly by taking in all the people, having all planes land here, giving them support and raising money for the families whose members had lost their lives. Of course Canada never received much recognition for their great and sincere efforts. Lastly, and most importantly is Canadas geographical placement. With the way Canada is placed, having a long and open border with the United States almost melts the two countries together. If the United States was at war it would almost seem like Canada is at war as well. Canada mimics or follows the United States in many ways, sometimes without even realizing that they are doing this. Although Canada is only trying to help their neighbour and try to get along with them, they are also slowly handing themselves over, to become one with the United States and their people. ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

EXPLORING WORKING CLASS CULTURE Experience, Representation and Change Essay

EXPLORING WORKING CLASS CULTURE Experience, Representation and Change - Essay Example The proposal is made stating that working class culture can be understood by knowing and appreciating working class experiences in fields such as history, literature, cinema and soccer. This paper seeks to determine whether this approach is able to provide a single unifying thread common to all forms of working class culture which would help greatly in understanding its nature and form. Class experiences in literature and soccer are explored and analyzed on whether they shed light on the working class phenomenon. Can we find working class identity in the portrayals contained in literature? Working class identity is often associated with a person’s economic condition. Members of the working class are said to be those who produce the enormous wealth of capitalists and of nations but received only a small part of that wealth as wages. As Arbor (1994) had put it, they are the workers (slave, free, immigrants, locals, men and women) who share a common place of production with little control over the pace, content and products of their work and are not anyone’s boss. Working class culture and its members are considered almost diametrically opposed to high culture associated with the elite. Nonetheless, confining working class identity to economic conditions is limited as it also includes lived experiences, expectations, legacies and set of relationships. In retrospect, one cannot establish find a single discreet identity in working class culture but would instead find an uneasy and unstable amalgam of hybrid and fluid multiple identities. Working class literature and soccer involvement serves to illuminate those experiences, relationships and diversity by revealing the intricate world of class experience as it is lived by working class people. Will an analysis of the class experience narrated in working class literature and involvement in soccer

Friday, October 18, 2019

All Politics is Local Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

All Politics is Local - Essay Example Moreover, games both online and offline and smart phones are getting attention of learners. (Wagner et al.3) Laptops, videotapes, flash drives, cell phones, cell phones, networks, printers, tablets, computers, scanners, class management software programs, interactive whiteboards, internet technology and gaming consoles have one way or the other affected today’s schools. They have created a division in education system globally. In some way, technology use has serve schools well; modern technology has equalized educational opportunities and is playing an important role in all stakeholders who include parents, students, administrators, teachers, and school communities. For instance, Modern technology has removed geographical and generational barriers from learners; it has also lowered the cost of operational and instructional delivery of modes. This has also facilitated student-center education by allowing student to be more actively involved in technology-driven studying proces s and improve the quality of education aiming at individuals and it has made easier for remedial classes among individual students. Technology has been revolving in order to make studying process more efficient at a manageable cost. This has made legislators, policymakers, governors to have a tough time each year while trying to make attractive choices when it comes to educational improvement options. They have to know whether to use technology to invest in teacher training, class size reduction, or textbooks and tests. First, let us focus how technology has eliminated geographical and other barriers; internet connection has enabled everyone to get any online programs from any place in the globe it has brought impact in educational system. Any location someone is even it is overseas, one can access online program easily. Actually, the isolation or the geographical distance does not matter as it once did. The unseen web has, made a sense of togetherness possible to the whole world, b ecause the virtual classrooms have taken away geographical and time separation across the world. The classes are now archive, whereby someone can hold more jobs a day and later view or listen to class work later. In addition, modern institutions offer massive open online courses for free in order to reach on students from anywhere free so that they can cut the cost o education. Secondly, modern technology has reduced the cost of instructional operation; the overall operational cost of running a school has reduced by far with the use of modern technology. We know that running a brick and mortar school is costly than running an online school. No money I needed to invest in building infrastructure such as dormitories, library, classrooms, and other needed facilities such as parking lots. We do not need all this facilities in online programs, for instances, we can have ebray or cbrary created from consortium of schools from online school. Cybrary will make students who are registered to get resources of this consolidated library. Modern technology enables students and schools to leave behind a very small copy of carbon footprints as stunts do not go anywhere thus saving gas and making their cars to last because there is no wear and tear. The money saved from gas, for instances, can be used to upgrade the laptops o purchasing a quicker internet service provider. The initial cost of putting an online I very cheap compared to starting a traditional school. There is no need of many material things in starting

Advanced Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advanced Financial Management - Essay Example Implementation in the efficiency in a market proves that it is unable for any investor to beat the market consistently by using a common investment strategy. â€Å"The efficient market hypothesis is associated with the idea of a â€Å"random walk,† which is a term loosely used in the finance literature to characterize a price series where all subsequent price changes represent random departures from previous prices.† 3 But even very rarely efficient markets carry a negative implication for the investment strategy. An efficient market does not imply that the stock price cannot move away from the true value. Some times in the efficient market the expected return from investment will be consistent with the risk factor. Errors in valuation creates problems in efficient market. An efficient market is described as â€Å"Informationally Efficient†, because the investors can get all the necessary information that reflects within the market like political, economical and social. â€Å"The paradox of efficient markets is that if every investor believed a market was efficient, then the market would not be efficient because no one would analyze securities.† 4 As per behavioral decision theory of Kehneman and Tversky investors decisions are subject to the change of optimism and pessimism. These behavioral changes are reflecting their investment decision. Some investors are over confident they are able to forecast future stock price. 5 Share prices are reflected all information about the market so the investors are able to expect their returns and they can easily take decision about their investments. Market may needs to exist where the investors are unable to earn excess return over a long period. In order to maintain the market in a steadily manner it is essential to undertake the legal barriers about the publication of privatized information. In a weak form of market the prevailing share prices are

Current Event Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Event - Research Paper Example -related hooded sweatshirt and â€Å"up to no good.† Although not all specific facts of this case are known and may never be, enough evidence has been presented to make some rational conclusions. The general public was not aware of Martin’s killing for a week after it happened. The story didn’t go national for another week. Since then, the media frenzy has focused on three basic questions; who started the fight, did Zimmerman fear for his life and how impartial were Stanford, Florida law enforcement officials in response to this case? The mainstream news coverage, though very thorough, has not been able to or hasn’t ventured to answer these important questions conclusively. To answer the impartiality question theorize if the police, prosecutors and local press would have reacted differently if the races were reversed. Yes. No hesitation in anyone’s mind, not even among the right-wing media. The answers to the other two questions are almost if not as certain. Much depends on what Zimmerman did after the dispatcher told him â€Å"we don’t need you to do that† instructing him not to follow Martin. Zimmerman responded â€Å"ok† bu t what did he do? The unelected, unofficial self-appointed neighborhood â€Å"watchman† continued to follow Martin who was on the phone with his girlfriend well after the directive for Zimmerman to stop. Had he followed that directive, Martin would not have died that night. As for feeling threatened, it was Martin who was being pursued. He was fearful for his safety and may or may not have reacted physically as he was approached by a stranger in the dark. One of the last things Martin’s girlfriend hears before the phone and her boyfriend went dead was him saying â€Å"why are you following me?† Good question for local police and the prosecuting attorney. Zimmerman is hanging his hopes of not being hung on Florida’s â€Å"stand your ground† law. If he can prove self defense he is set free which is, by the grace of skin tone, his

Thursday, October 17, 2019

International Law & Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Law & Institutions - Essay Example This obligation, as it applies to the acts of a single nation, and the rather restrictive exceptions to it are known as the rules on unilateral use of force. At the same time, there is the concept of collective security, which allows the community of nations to arise and oppose an aggressor nation together. This is regulated by the rules of collective security. Therefore, there are many situations where disputes between nations can break down into open conflict, and such conflict may still be completely legitimate under international law. 'All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of an State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.'4 This builds on the preceding provision which places an obligation on Members to settle disputes peacefully5 which in turn follows from the very purposes and reasons for the United Nations, that being the maintenance of peace and security and the prevention and removal of threats thereto.6 De Arechega describes Article 2(4) as 'the cardinal rule of international law and the cornerstone of peaceful relations among States.'7 This altered the age-old rule, applying up till 1949, that use of force was a legitimate remedy of last resort in all international disputes. While the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Briand-Kellogg Treaty condemned the 'resort to war' this was interpreted as only covering an all out declaration of war, and not uses of force short of war, which became in practice, all out war so long as no declaration of such was made. Article 2(4) therefore refers to 'force' and not 'war' and it expressly includes the threat of force. Force has been interpreted as armed force of all kinds, but not political pressure or economic sanction. The wording of Article 2(4), although a marked improvement on predecessors, is still open to arguments as to interpretation. Probably the most obvious is the apparent qualification of the obligation only to cases where 'territorial integrity or political independence' is challenged. In the Corfu Channel Case (Albania v United Kingdom)8 the United Kingdom Navy entered Albanian waters to sweep mines. The ships did so and then left the Albanian waters. The United Kingdom argued that since its action threatened neither the territory nor independence of Albania, it did not breach 2(4). The International Court of Justice decided however that the action of the United Kingdom was an unlawful use of force.9 Article 2(4) can therefore, as far as it goes, be seen as a legal obligation on states to genuinely refrain from the use of force. However, despite its legal validity, it may not have been quite so successful in practice. If Article 2(4) can be seen as a failure, I think the clearest demonstration of this is seen in the context of the Cold War. The Cold War attacked the resolve of 2(4) in two ways. The first was by changes in technology and the scope and effects that warfare would take on in the post nuclear

Describe your professional progress to this point as well as your Essay

Describe your professional progress to this point as well as your short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect Fordham Business to benefit your future career needs - Essay Example Finance has always been my area of interest, and I think this is the right time for me to go further in this field as I have not only completed my graduation but I am also determined to establish my professional career as a skilled financial expert and accountant. My family’s professional background has shaped my overall personality, as well as my interest in finance and accounting. Both of my parents have been engaged in business and finance related work since my childhood. Therefore, I have had more exposure to the world of business than many of my peers. When I was little, I often heard from my parents some interesting terms related to business, such as import and export, finance, FDI, and so on. It kindled my curiosity and made me want to learn more, which in turn helped me shape my thoughts about my professional career, so I aimed to become a skilled accountant. Moving to New York City, the world center of business and finance, gave me a new perspective. I came to NYC in 2008, at a time when the world was battling the most severe financial and economic crisis. I asked myself, â€Å"Why does finance have such a strong power on economy? How is everything interconnected?† In search of answers and trying to make the best use of the many opportunities the city offers, I interned at the global headquarters of Ernst & Young during my high school summer vacation of 2010. The few weeks at its financial service department not only helped me understand the way different business verticals are connected, but also reaffirmed my determination to study finance and business management in college. With great interest in business and finance and with excellent academic performance, I was admitted to NYU Stern School of Business in 2011, majoring in both Finance and General Accounting. Through my four-year education at NYU Stern School of Business and internships at different

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Current Event Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Event - Research Paper Example -related hooded sweatshirt and â€Å"up to no good.† Although not all specific facts of this case are known and may never be, enough evidence has been presented to make some rational conclusions. The general public was not aware of Martin’s killing for a week after it happened. The story didn’t go national for another week. Since then, the media frenzy has focused on three basic questions; who started the fight, did Zimmerman fear for his life and how impartial were Stanford, Florida law enforcement officials in response to this case? The mainstream news coverage, though very thorough, has not been able to or hasn’t ventured to answer these important questions conclusively. To answer the impartiality question theorize if the police, prosecutors and local press would have reacted differently if the races were reversed. Yes. No hesitation in anyone’s mind, not even among the right-wing media. The answers to the other two questions are almost if not as certain. Much depends on what Zimmerman did after the dispatcher told him â€Å"we don’t need you to do that† instructing him not to follow Martin. Zimmerman responded â€Å"ok† bu t what did he do? The unelected, unofficial self-appointed neighborhood â€Å"watchman† continued to follow Martin who was on the phone with his girlfriend well after the directive for Zimmerman to stop. Had he followed that directive, Martin would not have died that night. As for feeling threatened, it was Martin who was being pursued. He was fearful for his safety and may or may not have reacted physically as he was approached by a stranger in the dark. One of the last things Martin’s girlfriend hears before the phone and her boyfriend went dead was him saying â€Å"why are you following me?† Good question for local police and the prosecuting attorney. Zimmerman is hanging his hopes of not being hung on Florida’s â€Å"stand your ground† law. If he can prove self defense he is set free which is, by the grace of skin tone, his

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Describe your professional progress to this point as well as your Essay

Describe your professional progress to this point as well as your short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect Fordham Business to benefit your future career needs - Essay Example Finance has always been my area of interest, and I think this is the right time for me to go further in this field as I have not only completed my graduation but I am also determined to establish my professional career as a skilled financial expert and accountant. My family’s professional background has shaped my overall personality, as well as my interest in finance and accounting. Both of my parents have been engaged in business and finance related work since my childhood. Therefore, I have had more exposure to the world of business than many of my peers. When I was little, I often heard from my parents some interesting terms related to business, such as import and export, finance, FDI, and so on. It kindled my curiosity and made me want to learn more, which in turn helped me shape my thoughts about my professional career, so I aimed to become a skilled accountant. Moving to New York City, the world center of business and finance, gave me a new perspective. I came to NYC in 2008, at a time when the world was battling the most severe financial and economic crisis. I asked myself, â€Å"Why does finance have such a strong power on economy? How is everything interconnected?† In search of answers and trying to make the best use of the many opportunities the city offers, I interned at the global headquarters of Ernst & Young during my high school summer vacation of 2010. The few weeks at its financial service department not only helped me understand the way different business verticals are connected, but also reaffirmed my determination to study finance and business management in college. With great interest in business and finance and with excellent academic performance, I was admitted to NYU Stern School of Business in 2011, majoring in both Finance and General Accounting. Through my four-year education at NYU Stern School of Business and internships at different

The Lost Girl Essay Example for Free

The Lost Girl Essay Declamation by dhang I am a girl, young in heart and in mind†¦ I am carefree, I enjoy doing nothing but play,play and play†¦ I seldom go to school but hmp! nobody cares! Instead,you will see me roaming around standing at the nearby canto, or hanging around at the sari-sari store standing beside the jukebox stand†¦ One day I asked I asked my mother to teach me how to behave, to live, and appreciate all the beautiful things in life. Would you like to know what she told me? She said†¦ Can’t you see, I have to hurry up for my majong session! So I turned to my father to console me. But what a wonderful word he did tell me†¦ Child, I have to finish my overtime work†¦Here’s 500 pesos, go and ask your teacher about that question†¦ Sadly,I attended my class†¦ But I heard nothing but the echoing voice of my teacher,torturing me with her words†¦ Hey yo lazy girl! Why waste your time studying those things? When up to now you can’t even multiply seven by nine? Go home and don’t bother me!!! I am lost†¦confused†¦I don’t know what to do with myself†¦ Where are my parents to guide me? My teachers to give me inspirations? My friends, when I play? I’m lazy and irresponsible. When I try to study, I get punished for not being able to answer. Where now†¦I’m confused†¦ Somebody, please help me†¦ You say that the world is beautiful, why is it treating me this way? Hear me please! Help me please! Help me†¦ I am lost†¦

Monday, October 14, 2019

Strategy-evaluation Framework for Mattel

Strategy-evaluation Framework for Mattel 1.0 Strategy Review, Evaluation, and Control The best-formulated and best-implemented strategies become obsolete as a firms external and internal environments change. It is essential, therefore, that strategists systematically review, evaluate, and control the execution of strategies. We have developed a general strategy-evaluation framework for Mattel: Reviewing bases of strategy Measuring organizational performance Taking corrective actions Besides that, we will introduce balanced scorecard as another strategy-evaluation tool to analyze Mattel from few areas of objectives: customers, managers/employees, investors/shareholders, operations/processes, community/social responsibility, and financials. 1.1 General Strategy-Evaluation Framework 1.1.1 Reviewing bases of strategy Reviewing the underlying bases of Mattels strategy could be approached by developing a revised EFE Matrix and IFE Matrix. As being well described and analyzed in Chapter 3 and 4 of this report, here, we will revise EFE and IFE Matrix to review and evaluate how effective Mattels strategies have been in response to key external and internal factors. External Factors Opportunities Mattel has a chance to market Barbie to the whole world and make it a recognizable brand worldwide. This has been proven that Mattel tries its best to improve its marketing strategies to penetrate different market segments and strive for stable revenue annually from international market. Weakening dollar makes the price of Mattels toys becomes more affordable. It is helpful in increase its revenue. To take this advantage, in fact, Mattel has reduced the selling price of its products in some countries. Threats Many children start abandoning tangible toys and looking for more interactive and technological toys or cyber/virtual games. That was why Mattel tried to diversify into software industry. However, until now, its result is not satisfactory. One of the reasons is, the adopted strategies are not matched with its corporate culture or operations. Global recession caused reduced spending or down trading for toys. This is inevitable despite how much effort has been made to stimulate the revenue. However, if Mattel is able to make it more affordable and create a need for customers, it might change its situation. However, strategies should be well developed. Different countries with different cultures and languages in fact have posed barriers which hindered market penetration strategies of Mattel. However, Mattel seemed to have overcome them well as it tried to market its products with different languages in different countries and modified the content of ads with some â€Å"local flavors†. Many other competitors keep coming out with different and better products, such high product substitution threat might threaten the competitive position of Mattel. Therefore, Mattel is particularly cautious with its product quality and safety issues. However, there was still an outbreak of toxic toy which caused few millions loss to Mattel. Due to the emergence of China market and since many production plants have been setup in China, raw materials are subject to price fluctuation when the economy of China appears to be unstable. To overcome this, possibly, Mattel can locate its plants at many different countries. The downfall in one country might be offset by the upturn of another country. Internal Factors Strengths With successful operational and marketing strategies, Barbie has been known as a long established brand for 60 years. With recognizable brand portfolio and wide product range to cater various life stage, in fact, Mattel has safeguarded its market leader position for years. One of the strategies is to have new product launch annually, so that, customers will have â€Å"surprise† every year. Such strategies are considered successful. With the effort and perseverance in maintaining business integrity and practicing corporate social responsibility, it has brought much credit to the reputation of Mattel. Despite the scandals, Mattel does have a group of loyal supporters and fans who will purchase new products of Mattel. Such strategy of creating loyalty and trust in customers is very effective in customer retention. Since Mattel has strategic partnership with Microsoft, Disney, BanDai and etc, this created an invincible strength for it. As there are so many other strong rivals who strive to win market share from Mattel, Mattel tries to form a strong alliance with other strong companies in the market. Devoted, highly-motivated and energetic management team which works together to make better and better products and performance and stay together during doom time, this shows that Mattel has a successful HR strategy which retains experienced and outstanding employees in the corporation. Since early year, Mattel has been keeping its intangible assets as its valuables, such as trade names and trademarks. That is why it has a particular department which deals with this issue. Weaknesses Unprofitable mergers and acquisitions of the Learning Company had made a loss of nearly billion in Mattels account. Although eventually Mattel sold off this subsidiary, this reduced the confidence of investors as Mattels management is perceived as too reckless in MA strategy. Due to many external changes, slipping popularity of their core product – Barbie has been shown in the declining sales of its product. Therefore, Mattel keeps coming out with new products to retain the interest and passion of customers. After the outbreak of toxic toys scandal, generally, the level of acceptance of customers has dropped. No doubt, Mattel has been striving to give the customers the best products, in terms of quality, safety, and etc, however, such an incident is nearly fatal to the reputation and future of Mattel. No matter how good the strategies are, one scandal might ruin the company as a whole. 1.1.2 Measuring organizational performance This includes comparing expected results to actual results, investigating deviations from plans, evaluating individual performance, and examining progress being made toward meeting stated objectives. Both long-term and annual objectives are commonly used in this process. Criteria for evaluating strategies should be measurable and easily verifiable. Generally, strategy evaluation is based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. For quantitative criteria, financial ratios are commonly used. There are three critical comparisons: Comparing the firms performance over different time periods Comparing the firms performance to competitors Comparing the firms performance to industry averages Mattels performance over different time periods has been well explained in Chapter 7. Overall, Mattel is able to maintain its financial ratios over years. It only has slight increase or decrease occurred. Therefore, internally, we may say Mattel is financially stable and strong over years. Even during economic crisis period, it was still able to maintain its financial performance at a satisfactory level. On the other hand, to compare the performance of Mattel to that of competitors and also industry averages, two main competitors, namely, Hasbro Inc. (HAS) and Jakks Pac Inc. (Jak) have been identified and served as a benchmark to compare the performance of Mattel Inc. (Mat). From the table below, it is obvious that Mattel is the market leader of this industry which having splendid financial performance as compared to its main competitors. By looking at its valuation, profitability, dividend, growth, liquidity and asset ratios, Mattel is far better than competitors and industry averages. In short, based on quantitative criteria, Mattels performance takes a leading position which created core competency for its sustainability and survival. However, it may guarantee long-term success if it does not proactively improve itself. Year 2008 MAT HAS JAKK Industry Averages Valuation Price/Earnings (TTM) 15.24 14.58 1.52 12.78 Price/Cash Flow 10.73 7.83 10.07 9.54 Price/Sales (TTM) 0.98 1.13 0.75 0.95 Price/Book 2.66 2.46 1.06 2.06 Per Share Data Last Dividend 70.09 42.11 0 37.40 Book Value 5.88 9.3 11.66 1.95 EPS (TTM) 1.07 1.9 -12.8 -3.28 Revenue 5.91 B 4.02 B 903.39 M 3.61 B Profitability EBIDTA 742.00 M 654.33 M 101.79 M 499.37 M Operating Margin 9.74% 12.29% 1.85% 10.29% Profit Margin 6.41% 7.63% 1.42% 7.49% Gross Profit Margin 45.19% 55.96% 35.56% 45.57% Dividend Dividend Yield 4.18% 2.96% 0.00% 2.38% Payout Ratio 70.09 42.11 0 37.40 Dividend Yield 5 Year Average 3.33% 2.07% 0.00% 1.80% Growth Net Income 379.63 M 306.76 M 76.05 M 254.15 M EPS (TTM) 1.07% 1.90% -12.80% -3.28% Revenue 5.91 B 4.02 B 903.39 M 3.61 B PEG 1.56% 1.44% 1.71% 1.57% Financial Strength Quick Ratio (MRQ) 6.41 7.63 1.42 7.49 Current Ratio (MRQ) 2.06 2.61 2.09 2.25 Long Term Debt to Equity Ratio (MRQ) 32.72 81.65 0 31.12 Total Debt to Capital (MRQ) 29.83 34.03 11.64 25.17 ROE 17.32 21.24 9.47 16.01 ROA 10.9 9.67 -46.98 -1.80 ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) 13.8 15.52 9.5 12.94 Assets Asset Turnover 1.43 1.29 0.88 1.20 Asset per Employee 143,123.72 528,095.93 1.03 M 0.57 M Inventory Turnover 6.72 5.74 6.79 6.42 Apart from quantitative criteria, there are some qualitative criteria needed to be taken into consideration. These criteria are presented in question forms, including the following questions: * Is the hiring and recruitment process matched with the strategy? Among the workers working at Mattels plant, a large majority of the workers (79%) got their job by applying directly at the plant site, while another 19% were referred by friends. The average length of employment among the interviewed workers was approximately 4.0 years. However, for 26% of the workers, employment at Mattel was their first job. This indicates that while the workforce includes a sizeable proportion of temporary and seasonal workers, the core group provides Mattel with a substantial number of stable and experienced employees. The hiring process includes general company orientation, which covers such issues as the employment contract, rules of conduct, disciplinary measures, grievance procedures, wages deductions and overtime pay policies, transportation services, facilities, amenities and tour of the factory. Newly hired workers also receive information and training in the topics of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS Orientation). Each worker at the Mattels plant ha s a signed contract on file. Employee personnel records also include illness and injury reports; disciplinary action reports; medical examinations and maternity leave reports. All new hires are also given a medical examination. They also received job-related training of varying length based on the specific requirements of their jobs. Based on these mechanisms on hiring and recruitment, Mattel is able to ensure they have selected the best and right people to achieve companys goals. Are the workers able to understand and practice GMP? GMP is very important in ensuring the quality of products. Interviewed workers largely confirmed that they were familiar with various provisions of Mattels GMP. Management Compliance Report (MCR) indicated that GMP document in local language was provided to all employees and is available in local language. The Plant Manager plays the key role in communicating GMP information to supervisors and employees. The MCR also stated that information on GMP is provided twice a year, through various sources such as the new hire orientation program, employee handbook, boards and the company intranet. Are the plants workers financially motivated to achieve companys objectives? Financial compensations to plants workers are very important to maintain the morale and motivation level of workers. The minimum wage for Tijuana is $41.67 (Mexican pesos) per day. Temporary workers at the Mexicos plant earn at least $74.00 per day; while the core groups minimum wage is $85. All overtime is paid at double wage rates, up to 9 overtime hours each week. All hours worked in excess of 9 hours per week are paid at triple rates. In addition, workers also receive attendance and punctuality bonuses. Besides, all confirmed workers are also entitled to annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, free vacation, free transportation, free coffee and bakery products, free training courses, and etc. These policies are able to match the workers objectives with companys objectives when they are well compensated. Are work environment of manufacturing operations and related facilities able to ensure the quality of work from workers? As an example, the plant in Mexico is a large plant consisting of one building covering an area of over 473,000 sq. square feet. The facility has installed a very modern and efficient delivery system for handling raw materials. Resins for manufacturing plastic are delivered by trucks to a roadside facility where they are stored in large silos. From there, they are delivered to the molding machines on the factory floor through a sophisticated computer-controlled system. The process is designed to keep the site clean and helps minimize spillage and waste. The facility maintains, among others, detailed and up-to-date records on plant maintenance, air filtration, noise control, fire prevention, and safe storage of hazardous materials. The high standards of environmental health safety of the plant were also confirmed by the ICCA professional engineering audit team through an extensive â€Å"walk through† of the entire plant. ICCAs inspection confirmed that the plant was in â€Å"good† operating condition internally and in â€Å"fair† condition externally. The plant provides free-of-charge Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all employees where use of such equipment is required and appropriate. The factory meets or exceeds the GMP requirements for bathroom, wash basins, and clean drinking water. Toilets are equipped with an effective flushing system and are maintained and cleaned on a regular basis. The dining area at the factory canteen is quite attractive. Colorful paintings, natural light through large windows a nd TV for entertainment provides the dining room with a pleasant environment. There is also an outside eating area for those who wish to smoke. Employees are served two meals per shift. The meals are mostly subsidized by the factory with workers paying only a nominal sum. In addition, the medical clinic at the plant is excellent and well-staffed. It is open 24 hours and seven days a week. It is staffed with one medical doctor and three qualified nurses. The clinic has a good record keeping system for the workers use of the clinic including work-related injury data. In short, Mattel has a well maintained facility and operates in an efficient manner while ensuring that the plant provides a clean, safe and healthy work environment for its employees. This also helps to ensure the workers produce high-quality products. 1.1.3 Taking corrective actions The final strategy-evaluation activity is about taking corrective actions, which requires making changes to competitively reposition a firm for the future. These corrective actions might be derived from the inspection of internal or external auditors who review and evaluate the practices and policies of a company. Some corrective actions, for example, like altering an organizations structure, replacing one or more key individuals, selling a division, or revising a business mission. Other changes could include establishing or revising objectives, devising new policies, issuing stock to raise capital, adding additional salespersons, differently allocating resources, or developing new performance incentives. As for Mattel, despites some of the scandals, it has been performing well since its establishment. When there were discrepancies of performance from target, Mattel had made corrective actions accordingly. 1. Mattel Independent Monitoring Council for Global Manufacturing Principles In this internal auditing practice, the physical plant, including all manufacturing and storage areas, were found to be in excellent condition. The plant and its related machinery were well maintained. The housekeeping appeared to be very good resulting in a neat, clean and safe operating plant. MIMCO was especially attentive to ensure that employees were properly using safety equipment and that environmental practices were being followed. However, there are few areas have been identified to make improvements. Employee Treatment by Line Supervisors MIMCO report of the previous audit had noted that the primary source of employee dissatisfaction pertained to incidents, albeit infrequent, of verbal abuse by line supervisors especially when it is meted out in public and in the presence of co-workers. It was recommended that Montois plant management review all pertinent issues of supervision and human relations in its weekly meetings. Further, the plant management should take action to strengthen its first-line supervisor training program. Work-place Hazards Mattel was found to have insufficient storage space as it had reached its maximum capacity. This shortage led to storage of volatile compounds in a tool crib in the middle of the factory assembly line. Another issue of concern was the noise level in some areas caused by the sonic welding machines. This noise level was found to be in access of Mattel GMP standards in the vicinity of the sonic welding operations. A possible work hazard described by employees was the risk of fire when water spilled from machines on the electric cables in work areas. MIMCO recommended an upgrade to the water feeding system and training of employees. The use of all-purpose utility knives to trim the mold marks was identified as a work hazard by management, production employees and the MIMCO team. These cuts were found to be a major source of injury and lost-days of work. Mattel had made corrective actions accordingly to rectify the mistakes and improve on the insufficiencies. Insufficient Bathroom and Toilet Facilities In the initial audit of Montoi, employees had complained about long waiting time for the use of bathrooms. The employees felt that there were not enough bathrooms to meet their needs when the plant was operating at full capacity. Although, the number of available bathrooms met both the GMP standards and the Mexican law, it was recommended that serious consideration should be given to expanding these facilities. The Montoi plant has added 11 more toilets for female employees and 8 for male employees. 2. Mattels corrective actions on ICCA 2004 Follow-Up Report of Mattel Owned and Operated Plants in China Regular and Overtime Work Hours ICCA found that Mattels plants were scheduling work hours in excess of Mattels 60 hour per week requirement. In response to this, Mattel has elected to limit the maximum number of working hours to 60 per week during normal operations, and 72 hours per week during peak periods and other extraordinary situations, provided that overtime is voluntary, the employees are paid appropriately and work hours in excess of 60 hours per week, but less than 72 hours per week, do not exceed 1/3 of the year for each employee. Payment of Minimum Wages Mattels China partner at the Guan Yao facility had made a good faith effort in negotiating a minimum wage that was competitive with other local cities, and had sought out and received approval for the reduced minimum wage originally stipulated for their area. With respect to this reduction of minimum wage at Mattels Guan Yao plant, Mattel has instituted a policy in conjunction with the new minimum wage increase slated for early 2005, which requires Mattels China partner to pay the stated minimum wage for the area. Due to the inconsistency in legal opinion regarding local waivers allowing a reduction of the minimum wage, Mattel will no longer accept these types of waivers from the local labor bureau. Inappropriate Wage Rate During Temporary Shut Downs and Other Circumstances There are three separate and distinct situations with respect to the amount of money employees are compensated for hours worked. In each case that ICCA has identified, Mattel has gone back and assessed an acceptable corrective action. For example, in the case of Guan Yao Chang An, with respect to the payment of minimum wages during down time for internal factors within control of the plant operations, Mattel has instituted a policy of paying the employees minimum wage during these unexpected shutdown periods. This policy change was instituted in January 2004. Mandatory Deductions and Legally Mandated Benefits Mattels annual leave policy has been amended to reflect the actual days of service an employee has worked over the length of their tenure at Mattel. In 2004, Mattel will compensate employees with 5 days of paid leave for those who quit before the end of the year and have one year of service. Mattels policy with respect to maternity leave was updated in 2004. All employees seeking maternity leave, regardless of whether they return to work, will be compensated for the full 90 days, as allowed under Chinese labor law. Mattels policy on deductions for room and board was changed in 2004. All employees who stay in the dorm and eat at the cafeteria will be charged no more than 50 percent of their minimum wage rate. It should further be noted that staying in the dorms is voluntary for employees. 1.2 Balanced Scorecard There are few criteria have been introduced to evaluate and review the performance of Mattel Inc. 1.2.1 Customers Product Quality and Safety Mattels reputation for product quality and safety is among its most valuable assets. Their commitment to product quality and safety is an integral part of their design, manufacturing, testing and distribution processes, and is essential to the success of their business. Childrens health, safety and well-being are their primary concern. They will meet or exceed legal requirements and industry standards for product quality and safety. They strive to earn their consumers trust through their dedication to safety, and to exceed the expectations of parents. Employees have an obligation to immediately report any concerns about product safety or quality to Mattels Worldwide Product Integrity Department. Consumer Information They respect the confidentiality of consumer information consistent with all applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations. They do not share, sell or trade any private or sensitive personal information obtained online from children without the prior consent of the parent or unless compelled by legal process. Advertising and Promotions Mattels brand and product promotion activities, including advertising, packaging, point of purchase displays, promotional programs and sweepstakes, should be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable laws and with their reputation for honesty and integrity. They adhere to high standards of commercial fairness in ads and promotions. They must accurately portray the features, quality and performance of their products in all advertising media and packaging in a manner appropriate for their target audience. They do not misstate facts or provide misleading or deceptive information about Mattels products, or the products of a competitor. They should be diligent in safeguarding the reputation of Mattel brands and products by being selective about promotional opportunities, such as event sponsorship and other joint promotions, avoiding association of Mattels name with any product, service or activity which might be considered unsafe or inappropriate for children, or with any person or organization if the relationship might be damaging to Mattels reputation. 1.2.2 Managers/Employees Respect They will treat others as they want to be treated with respect, dignity and fairness. They have the right to work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, social origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or other protected characteristics. They also respect their co-workers rights, and remember that such discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. They should speak out when the conduct of a coworker makes them or others uncomfortable. They each have a responsibility to report to Human Resources any such harassment or discrimination that they experience or observe. Diversity Mattel recognizes diversity as an asset, and is committed to actively seeking and promoting diversity in the workforce. They value the different perspectives, insights and experiences of diverse individuals and cultures, and they aspire to create a company culture that encourages an expression of, and a respect for, diverse viewpoints. They provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees, without regard to factors such as race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, social origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or other protected characteristics. They make employment decisions to meet their business needs based on factors such as qualifications, skills and achievement. They comply with local and national employment laws. Employee Health and Safety Mattel is committed to providing a safe, healthful and environmentally responsible workplace, and has established safety programs to provide information and training for safe practices in the normal conduct of business and for emergencies. They are responsible for observing safety and health rules, for taking appropriate precautionary measures and for reporting unsafe or hazardous conditions to their supervisors, to Mattels Global Sustainability Department, Global Security Department or local Mattel security personnel. In order to maintain their high standards for quality, productivity and safety, they should be in suitable mental and physical condition at work. Possessing, buying or selling, using or being under the influence of illegal drugs or engaging in any other activities which create an unsafe work environment while on duty, or when on Mattel premises, are expressly prohibited. The consumption of alcohol while on duty or when on Mattel premises is prohibited except during approved Mattel social functions, or during business meals. 1.2.3 Investors/Shareholders Protecting Mattel Assets All employees and Directors share in the responsibility to protect Mattels assets, including physical assets, financial assets, intellectual property and proprietary information from theft, loss, damage, misuse or waste. Those of them who have custody of company property, such as vehicles and laptop computers, should take appropriate measures to ensure their proper security and use.