Global Influence of Multinational Corporations Assignment

Global Influence of Multinational Corporations - Assignment Example Statistics from the Institute of Policy Studies revealed that of the 100 largest companies in the world, 51% are corporations and only 49% are national governments or sovereign states (Anderson & Cavanagh 2000). It was also indicated in the report, comparing corporate sales and GDP’s of countries, that practically General Motors is bigger than Denmark, Daimler-Chrysler is richer than Poland, Shell is wealthier than Venezuela, IBM is larger than Singapore and Sony is way too fiscally dynamic than Pakistan. In 1999, the combined sales of five biggest corporations (General Motors, Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil, Ford Motors and Daimler-Chrysler) exceeded the sum total of the GDP’s of 182 countries (Shah 2002). This exponential economic boom of private business entities has given them untold financial clout which precipitated the dependence of most government bodies around the globe.  Overwhelming Activities. Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company possessed quasi-political legitimacies such as the authority to wage war, sign diplomatic agreements, generate currencies and establish colonies (Ames 2008). The Walt Disney Company, in the Reedy Creek Improvement District in Florida, earned the legal prerogative to formulate its own building policies, to create power plants and fire departments, and to seize parcels of land under eminent domain. Moreover, the Hudson Bay Company and the United Fruit Company had its own law enforcement instruments and military forces to protect their property and workers (Tolentino 2003). A cornucopia of Contributions. From job creation, income accretion of families and revenue enhancements to financing government units and supporting non-governmental organizations, corporations seem to have institutionalized various functions and initiatives that are profoundly intertwined with all societal aspects. Their influence via mainstream media (advertising and informative programs) also bears much impact in contemporary culture (Fob ete 2008). The establishment of corporate-funded scientific investigations, academic associations and other think-tank groups catered to the universal goal of advancing education quality (Lara 2008).   Particularly in the United States and other wealthy nations, and even in Third World countries, the influence of multinational corporations on the lives of people is hardly unnoticeable. In fact, its sphere and scope that are derived from their economic and political power surpass that of most government units; only that the bottom-line of all their capacities would center on their corporate conscientiousness to avoid abuses and greed.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Fair Value accounting Essay Example for Free

Fair Value accounting Essay The squabble on the issue of what accounting measurements will be used as the standard for financial instruments had caused the on-going debate with various proponents of accounting standard; even today, proponents of every side argues on the basis of their advantages over the others. Among these contending parties are the proponents of the fair value accounting and those who favored accounting standard based on the historical costs. Hitz (2007, p. 324) pointed out the increasing importance of fair value as an accounting measurement attributes. Hitz stated that today, the â€Å"cost and transaction-based reporting model is in decline and a new market value and event-based model is on the rise† (Hitz, p. 324). Citing the significance of fair value accounting, Hitz mentioned that starting out as a specific remedy for the iniquities of the reporting model for certain financial instruments â€Å"fair value has manifested it self as a dominant measurement paradigm for financial instruments and, more recently, has increasingly been implemented for measurements of non-financial items† (Hitz, 324) such as investment property. On the other hand, while Hitz adhere to the tenets of fair value accounting, he recognized the views of the opponents of fair value accounting particularly the criticism regarding the questionable reliability of fair value measures notably for model-based estimates relying on management’s expectation and projections. However, Hitz asserts that results on empirical research regarding value measurement â€Å"support the incremental value relevance of fair value disclosure for securities (Petroni and Wahlen, 1995; Barth et al., 1996 as cited by Hitz). The Australian accounting standards Board (AASB) though recognizes other accounting standards it recognizes fair value accounting as the main financial instruments which applies in various financial processes and transaction within AASB. The AASB defines Fair value as â€Å"the amount for which an asset could be exchanged or a liability settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arms length transaction† (p. 21) Fair value has been the standards in evaluating and managing the performances of a group financial assets or financial liabilities. In the ASSB 7, paragraph 9 to 11 and B 4 the ASSB require the entity to provide disclosures about financial assets and financial liabilities it has designated at fair value through profit or loss including how it satisfied these conditions (ASSB, p. 17). This clearly indicate that fair value accounting as a financial standard instrument have been effectively use and provide significant contribution to the financial situation. This is clearly reflected in the following statement from the ASSB as follows: â€Å"investment in equity instrument that do not have a quoted market price in an active market, and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured shall not be designated as at fair value through profit or loss† (p. 18). The Fair value of any investment plays an important in determining market condition as the fair value of a particular financial instrument is based on the following factors a. the time value of money, b. the credit risk, c. foreign currency exchange prices, d. commodity prices, e. equity prices, f. volatility, and g. payment risk. Regardless of the accounting standard used, accounting plays an important role in financial reporting. While M. J. Milne’s discussion focus on the importance of accounting in financial management including accounting standards that lead to increases in reported earnings,   citing the arguments of Watt and Zimmerman Milne (2002) puts it â€Å"Managers have greater incentives to choose accounting standards which lower earnings thereby increasing cash flows, firm value, and their welfare, due to tax political, and regulatory considerations than to choose accounting standards which reports higher earnings and, thereby increase their incentive compensation† (p. 372). Obviously, accounting standards contributes to the financial situation not only of the firm that uses such standards but the entire financial realm. In this case, Milne partly hinted as to why trillions of dollars went off the global financial market balance sheets and why asset values experience decline. Milne seem to mean that managers choose accounting standards that reported lower earning yet, it increase the firm’s cash flows, the firm value, and their welfare, due to higher tax and political pressures. In this case the real market value as well as the real earnings were reassigned to somewhere else or as Milne suggest, to cash flows and their value. Given this accounting standard, it is no wonder that management will lobby financial instrument that reduce reported earnings to avoid taxes, regulatory procedures, and all other costs. As Milne stressed, â€Å"ordinarily, managers are predicted to have greater incentives to lobby for accounting standards that lead to increase in reported earnings and thereby management wealth. However, since changes in cash flows and stock prices can also be affected by taxes, regulatory procedures, information costs and political costs, managers also have to consider the effects of reported earnings might have on the likelihood that such costs could be imposed on the firm† (p. 372). The trillions of dollars that were written off the global financial market balance sheets and the massive decline of asset values can therefore be attributed to these factors accompanying this accounting standard, and the commentators were partly right in their opinion regarding this massive decline of asset values. However, this does suggest that that money going to taxes, regulatory procedures, political costs, and information costs are lost money and that regulatory procedure should be viewed as negative for business activities. Regulatory procedures should be viewed in even broader terms that include all forms of social control and influence. Michael Greiffin emphasized that this should also include â€Å"not only the corporations legislative requirement but also other rules and directions, such as professional accounting standards and stock exchange requirements† (p. 2 par. 3). Graffikin pointed out that regulation is considered desirable â€Å"where there windfall profits† – where through some fortuitous event is able to make above â€Å"normal† profits. Regulations should be seen as necessary in the rationalization and coordination of economic activity so as to organize behaviour of industries in an efficient manner (graffikin, p. 3).

The Journey Illustrated in Four Works: The Love Song of J. Alfred Pruf

The word â€Å"journey† describes a profusion of events. These events can occur physically; physical journey or emotionally and intellectually; inner journey. It is important to define the Journey achieved, while analysing any specific text. The set text in this essay â€Å"The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by TS Elliot and â€Å"Of Eurydice† by Ivan Lalic can be used to create a comparison in order demonstrate the uniqueness and significance of each journey. â€Å"Sky High† written by Hannah Robert and contemporary novel â€Å"48 shades of brown† can be compared with the set text to help identify the Journey enclosed in the text. These Journeys all relate to an explicit idea, all journeys are unique and have extreme significance in the life of the traveller. After completing these Journeys, the outcome is likely positive however can turn out negative. The poem Of Eurydice by Ivan Lalic based on a greek myth puts forward that journeys can allow one learn and gain knowledge, therefore this supports journeys usually have positive outcomes. â€Å"Eurydice† emphasises an inner journey prompted by physical journey set in â€Å"thick darkness devoid of time†; Hades. The journey is of Opheseus who, to regain his wife who passed away from a snakebite, travels to Hades. The use of strong adjectives for example â€Å"strata of dead birds† creates an accumulative effect of imagery that helps follow the dark and intimidating physical journey of Orpheseus into the underworld. The first stanza reflects failure â€Å"I return alone†, creates an anticlimactic start to the poem. This also implies Orpheseus was unsuccessful in bringing back his wife, however it creates sense of mystery for the reader. â€Å"I was alone, you see† reinforces heroism that is technically impossible, as he has... ...t directly with the situations faced by Dan and gives a better insight into Dan’s introspecting. The use of register in the novel is colloquial the author uses this technique to help engage the reader with the protagonist, as well as position the readers to have an humorous and unserious approach to towards the issues faced by Dan. Motif â€Å"postcards† have been used throughout the novel, the postcards emphasis the relationship of Dan with his parents that live in Geneva whilst Dan lives in Australia. The â€Å"postcard† shows the barrier and alienation that Dan comes across in Australia as being a typical teenager. The novel 48 shades of Brown presents a teenage inner journey that is inescapable. Overall, journeys can be inevitable though they can have negative outcomes. Journeys can also have major significance on an individual’s life, perspectives and psychology.

Blood Donation Essay Essay

As you are listening to me, you might not think that today is the day that you will save a life. It is quite easy to save a life any day and it only takes a little bit of your time. I’m not talking about being a paramedic or fireman; I am talking about the simple act of donating blood. Almost anybody can donate blood but in order to do so, you must be fit and healthy. In other words; you’re not suffering from a cold, the flu, or any other illnesses. Also, it is extremely critical that you meet the ideal weight which would be anything above 45 KG. You must be between the ages 16-70 if you wish to donate your blood. Make sure that you eat a healthy meal before your donation and that you are drinking an ample amount of liquids preferably juice or water (and absolutely no alcohol) 3 hours prior to donating. [1] There are four key tips in order to have a successful blood donation. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated, wear something comfortable, bring a list of medication that you are taking (as it is important for the doctors to know about any prescription and/or over the counter medications that may be in your system) and lastly, make sure you maintain a healthy level of iron in your diet before donating your blood. Most importantly, you have to relax and feel at ease! Blood donation is an extremely safe procedure and there should be absolutely nothing to be concerned about. [2] Why should you donate blood? The answer is rather quite simple; safe blood saves lives and improves health. Your blood’s main components: plasma, red cells, and platelets are vital for plenty of different uses. Plasma provides the body with plenty of nutrients and protein. Red blood cells are used predominantly in treatments for blood diseases along with cancer. They also help in the making of treating anemia. Platelets contribute to helping repair any signs of damaged body tissue. [3] The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour maximum. The donation itself is only about 8-10 minutes on average. The nurse will be sure to cleanse an area on your arm and then insert a sterile needle into it for the blood draw. This shot feels like a  quick pinch and is over in a matter of seconds. Certain donation types such as red cells, platelets or plasma can take up to 2 hours. The nurse draws approximately a pint of blood from you during every donation period. [4] So that now you know how easy it is to donate blood, it’s time to take action. After all, you have plenty of blood, so why not share? When you do, you will feel good about yourself and you will save a life. By giving blood, every donor is contributing to a nation-wide challenge to provide life-saving products whenever and wherever they are needed. Citation: [1] Australian Red Cross Blood Service â€Å"Am I eligible to donate blood?† http://www.donateblood.com.au/who-can-give/am-i-eligible Web. 2014. [2] The American Red Cross â€Å"Donation Process† http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/tips-successful-donation Web. 2015. [3] â€Å"Why give blood?† http://www.blood.co.uk/giving-blood/why-give-blood/ Web. [4] The American Red Cross â€Å"Donation Process† http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/donation-process Web. 2015.

The Influence of Tv Commercials on People

Short Essay on Generation Gap by  Bunty Rane Life styles, rapid changes in Science and Technology has transformed our outlook towards life, increasing the divide, much more than it has ever happened in the past. The divide has always been there but never before has it been so wide. Life style changes with the passage of time and with a changing life style, attitudes and values also undergo a transformation. No two generations have shared the same views and options. However, there has never been a greater divide between two generations than in modern times.With rapid changes in science and technology, the exposure, which today’s teenager is getting, is enormous. Value systems have gradually degenerated and the youth is assimilating a new culture. The result is confused parents who are unable to reconcile with the views of their children. There is a great divide between the perception of both, the young people and the adults. One finds that both are unable to communicate with each other, quite often. One of the reasons could be that neither knows what the other is interested in though they may be living under the same roof.This gap results in direct confrontation between the young and the old. This is a universal truth which is applicable to all times be it the past or future. Shakespeare King Lear beautifully depicts this confrontation between the young and the old. King Lear represents the older generation and the younger generation is represented by his daughters. Generation gap is not only reflected in the choice of dresses but also in music, opinions and other behavior patterns. The younger generation which has acquired a different set of values rebels against the older generation as they wish to impose their own value system on them.They resist this forceful intrusion as they are unable to reconcile with the thought of accepting what they think has become outdated. The parent’s displeasure is obviously natural as it is a defiance of their au thority and the right way to lead one’s life. Parents fail to realize that the wheel of change irreversible and those, who do not move with it, tend to become disillusion aggravating conflict. The kids are moving much faster on the technologic track, as well as in daily life, than the parents.Children, today, are capable using complicated gadgets and this phenomenon of superior knowledge children as compared to adults has never happened as much as now in 13 societies. The conflict arises when adults stick to their old ways and refuse accept any change while the world rapidly moves ahead. In short, Generation Gap is nothing but the resistance in adults to adapt| change – They forget that the only thing constant in life is ‘change’. The realization requires a lot of patience and understanding of change perceptions.The adults need to look back, introspect and think also the differences they had with their parents. No doubt, memory is she lived and one tends t o forget the past which they are fond of referring to ‘Good old days’, where they as children were obedient, respectful and servile. The gap between the old people and the young is called the generation gap. It is the difference in the attitude, priorities, and views among generations. As to the different attitude of life, the people belonging to the old generation always wonder what has gone wrong with the new generation.They feel that during their time, young boys and girls were better behaved, more obedient and had greater respect for elders. Young people, on the other hand, feel that they are capable enough to learn on their own rather than lean heavily on the older generation for any guidance. Young people do not like to be spoon-fed by their elders. The differences also appear in some other ways. For example, the way of entertainment. Our grandparents' generation never understood Elvis and the Beatles, frequently opposed to them, relating rock as â€Å"the devil' s music†.They did all they could to ban rock and contraceptives, mostly because they couldn't understand what was going on. Then came flower power and the hippie generation, who were smoking pot, protesting against Vietnam, taking acid and going to rock festivals, such as Woodstock. Essay Generation gap is unavoidable in not only extended families with many generations but also nuclear families between parents and children. A number of conflicts in a family are brought about by generation gap. In my opinion, to limit bad effects of generation gap, each family should use three following methods.First of all, it is important that family members discuss openly about their childhood or funny and sad incidents in family gatherings. This activity does not only create a close relationship but also helps build up understanding among all members. For instance, once children are aware that their grandparents and even their parents did not have a good upbringing during their hard childho od, they will stop complaining on the previous generations’ obsoleteness. In the meantime, once old people realize young people are nurtured in a new modern way, it is easy for them to be tolerant of young people’s new habits or hobbies.Secondly, people of each generation should not develop a very high feeling about themselves. In order to do that, they should not think that they are the only right people in their family because each person has his or her own limitation. When all members do not insist on their own opinions but listen to others, they can easily negotiate in case they have conflicting views. Also, together with keeping an open mind, each member should learn to respect one another’s good personalities.For example, teenagers realize that their parents have to struggle with pain to support them financially, and they stop rebel against their strictness. Parents realize that their children’s new style do no harm to their study and stop imposing their own unsuitable standard on their children. In general, generation gap and its bad effects can be limited if all members cooperate to build up a close-knit family in which they are open and tolerant of each other. I strongly believe that each family, by doing that, can enjoy a cozy atmosphere with the minimum interference of generation gap.Generation gap or a conflict between the old and the young is a topic of today. We often hear of conflict or a clash between the father and the son or between age and youth. Youth stands for adventure and enterprise. It is full of energy and enthusiasm, initiative and activities. It believes in going forward. It is not satisfied with the present. It is bubbling with new ideas. On the other hand age stands for old order or traditions. Today due to scientific development the youth have developed the spirit of enquiry and interrogation. They do not want to believe in ready-made belief.They are full of aspirations and ambitions. They wants to go ahead not caring for the consequences. When elders advise them, they feel annoyed, murmur and complain. Youth are sensitive by nature. Old order has lost its charm for them. Established values and traditions have lost their appeal for them. They are today living in the age of enquiry and experiment. When the elder dictate to them and impose their will upon them, the youth become defiant and rebellious. They feel frustrated and discontented, when their wishes are not fulfilled.The result is that today there is a direct clash between the father and the son. Family peace is disturbed. The society today faces a new problem and a new challenge. Life is dynamic and not static. Times change and with them values also change. The elder therefore, should change their mentality and attitude towards the youngsters. What was true yesterday is not true today. The youth are temperamentally and intellectually quite different from the elder. Every generation has its own dreams and visions—its hopes and ambitions. The old generation should change with the time.Let them wear colourful clothes and have flowering hair like hippies. The fashions of yesterday have no appeal to j youth of today. Both the young and the old should read the writing on the wall. The generation gap is not something which cannot be filled up. It can be bridged by apathy and better understanding. Faults on both sides must be overlooked and shortcomings should be forgiven. What is needed is greater affection. The key to this problem lies in one world â€Å"Adjustment†. Parents must appreciate f children for what they are and no for what they want them to be.The generation gap becomes wider when the elder and the younger generation refuse to understand and appreciate the view point of other. It is wrong for older generation to expect the same thing which they did to their elders. The youth today ignore the advice of the teacher and disobey their parents because their self-respect is injured. Chi ldren today enjoy those advantages which their parents lacked. A son's ambitions and dreams may be totally different from those of his father. For instance, the father may be a practical man who liked to build memorials, but life may have defeated his ambitions.The son on the other hand may be a poet and dreamer. The generation gap has to be bridge not by parental compulsion, but by mutual understanding, tactful handling, sympathy and understanding. The modern parent is busy with earning money. The result is that he neglects the child and throws him to the wolves. In the absence of parental influence and guidance, the youth lose spiritual ties which maintain life. The younger generation should show a deeper understanding to their elders who should turn a lenient eye on their shortcomings.The youth must pay heed to their elder's advice because age speaks with the wisdom of experience. What is needed is friendship, not animosity, sympathy, not criticism, understanding. To whatever gen eration we belong, we have to make journey from the cradle to the grave. Our elders should read the psychology of the youth and then try to deal with them, tactfully. The youth on the other hand should not cross limit of decency and propriety. There is no harm if they allow themselves to be guided by their elders whose rich worldly experience may prove useful to them.

nerves system essays

nerves system essays The two types of the nervous system are the Central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. They are responsible for integrating, processing, and coordinating Sensory data and motor commands the central nervous system, which interprets sensory input and carry information to maintain homeostasis. CNS can't be regenerate because a CNS consists of the spinal cord that mean if it's break the spinal cord is break also. The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves that branch from the brain and spinal cord. It is a thick bundle of nerve fibers located within the spinal cord. The PNS can be regenerate and it will regrow. The brain and spinal cord are the main parts of the nervous system. The brain controls every part of your body and is located top of our head inside our skull. The spinal cord with controls our movement. Nerve cells contain 3 parts: dendrites, cell body and the axon. Dendrite is the receiving part of the neuron. It is a short extension of the cell body And send signals toward the cell body and the cell body conducts nerve impulses which in the transmission of the nerve impulses from the region to the other cell. The axon is a single extension carries the message to the next neuron, which controls all of the nerves. The nerve impulse is response of the neuron. There are 3 classes of neurons: sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons. Neurons are also called nerve cells. A sensory neuron takes information from a receptor to the CNS. A motor neuron takes information away from the CNS. An interneuron transfer information between neurons in the CNS. It also sending out signal to the muscles resulting in contraction or movement. Nerves impulse occurs when an action potential changes rapidly. When action potential occurs, the sodium gates will open as Na+ flowing into the axon the changes from -65mV to +40mV, this is call depolarization and during repolariza ...

Anne Moodys Journey Essays

Anne Moodys Journey Essays Anne Moodys Journey Paper Anne Moodys Journey Paper The first step Moody took on her journey of activism was to join the NAACP and SNCC. The majority of work done by Anne Moody while working for these two organizations was voter registration drives. During Moody’s stay at college, she would often travel to the delta and stay in the Freedom House. Here, Moody and her colleagues would plan and execute the voter registration drives. Moody would also organize rallies. Unfortunately, these rallies were poorly attended, and not much was accomplished. Many Negroes were too afraid to vote and did not attend the rallies because of the threat of losing their jobs. The tactic of making Negroes aware of their civil rights in a nonviolent and passive manner failed from the beginning of Moody’s inception into the Movement. Moody’s â€Å"nonviolent† sit-in at the Woolworth’s lunch counter may be her most famous act not just during the Movement, but possibly her life. The idea behind the sit-in was to request service at the segregated lunch counter of Woolworth’s. As the sit-in progressed, the white population became more aware of what was happening, and they started heckling and threatening Moody and her fellow activists. Nonviolence turned to violence when a white man rushed Memphis, one of the sit-in members. He was beaten up and arrested. Moody was dragged out by her hair, and her friend was taken from her seat by force. A few days after the sit-in, a group of Negro ministers went to the mayor with demands. The mayor ignored them. The nonviolent sit-in was supposed to be a message to the community and the country. Unfortunately, the sit-in, in the eyes of Anne Moody, was a failure because it had accomplished nothing. The March on Washington should have been a high point for civil rights activists everywhere, but for Moody, it was another disappointment. She recalls, â€Å"Thousands of people just took off, leaving most of their leaders at the podium. It was kind of funny to watch the leaders run to overtake the march. The way some of them had been leading the people in the past, perhaps the people were better off leading themselves† (Moody, 334). Moody had begun to realize that passive strategies were not an effective and practical way to change laws. She had begun to realize that Negroes might have to meet violence with violence if they ever wanted their voices to be heard. During Martin Luther King’s speech, Moody thinks, â€Å"We had ‘dreamers’ instead of leaders leading us† (Moody, 335). Her uncertainty with the Movement had reached an all time high by this point. She believed that the leaders were out of touch with the black community, as seen by the emphasis on voter registration rather than the poverty in the rural south. On her way back to Mississippi, Moody wondered if she and the other 250,000 people at the march had made any impact on the government, a clear indication that her confidence was slowly decaying. Moody had begun working in Canton, Mississippi rallying the local black population and canvassing for voter registration. Every time it appeared that progress was made, there was a catastrophe. A church was bombed, people were beaten and killed, and black women were raped. The organizations in Mississippi decided to create a â€Å"Freedom Vote. † The Freedom Vote resulted in 80,000 blacks voting. Unfortunately, there were 400,000 blacks of voting age living in Mississippi. After the voting campaign, Moody was worn out and tired. She left the movement and made her way to New Orleans to stay with her grandmother and sister. After some time passed, she received her diploma from Tugaloo College and found herself back in Canton. She was persuaded to go to Washington and testify about the racism in Mississippi. On the bus, people were singing freedom songs in high spirits. A fellow activist named Gene turned to Moody and said, â€Å"We’re gonna git things straight in Washington, huh? † (Moody, 424). She thought to herself, â€Å"I wonder. I really wonder† (Moody, 424). The statement shows Moody’s doubts and frustration with the Movement. She had nothing to show for all her hard work in Canton, and there was no progress for equality on a national scale. By this time, Moody believed that more radical and militant action was required in order to gain the civil rights that whites had enjoyed for hundreds of years. Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Bantam Dell, 1968.

Practice in Correcting Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Practice in Correcting Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement Complete the editing exercise below after you have reviewed how to correct errors in subject-verb agreement, including tricky cases. Instructions Several (but not all) of the following sentences contain errors in subject-verb agreement. When you spot an error, correct it. If a sentence is free of errors, identify it as correct. When youre done, compare your responses with the answers below. Example Sentences Music soothe me.Billy bake brownies every Halloween.Peggy and Grace is arguing again.Elsie never takes the bus to work.The people who own that house has no insurance.One of these mechanics have a set of jumper cables.Felix and his brother is mending the wings of butterflies.Both of my essays is brilliant.The pulses emitted by a neutron star recurs at precise intervals.One of my uncles dances at the Rainbow Cafe.Phil and Jeremy has gone to the concert.Both of my daughters are professional dancers.Every one of the workers receive the same benefits.There is two gerbils in my bathroom.This box of toys belong in the attic. Answers Here are the answers below, with the corrected words in bold. Music  soothes  me.Billy  bakes  brownies every Halloween.Peggy and Grace  are  arguing again.CorrectThe people who own that house  have  no insurance.One of these mechanics  has  a set of jumper cables.Felix and his brother  are  mending the wings of butterflies.Both of my essays  are  brilliant.The pulses emitted by a neutron star  recur  at precise intervals.CorrectPhil and Jeremy  have  gone to the concert.CorrectEvery one of the workers  receives  the same benefits.There  are  two gerbils in my bathroom.This box of toys  belongs  in the attic.

Psychotherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychotherapy - Essay Example Using this technique requires the therapist or counsellor to have unconditional positive regard, genuineness and empathic understanding. (Wikipedia "Psychotherapy" 3) Carl Rogers in the 1950's was the proponent of this system and he became very controversial because he used the term "counselling" to connote a softer and more positive and humanistic approach to psychotherapy. The technique used in PCT is non-directive, where the therapists use effective listening skills in facilitating the face-to-face communication. "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy based on modifying everyday thoughts and behaviours, with the aim of positively influencing emotions." (Wikipedia: "Cognitive" 1) According to Wikipedia, CBT is based on the thoughts, the emotions and the behaviour, which are, how we think, how we feel and therefore how we act as a result of the interactions of how we think and feel. In other words, how we think influence how we feel and behave on a certain situation. The problem is created because of some irrational or unrealistic thinking that gives rise to a negative a feeling and leads to a problematic behaviour. An example of which, is a child who thinks his mother does not love him because he is "dumb" therefore keeps getting his mother's attention by being excessively naughty. CBT is applied to situations like this, sometimes ranging from ordinary problems to abnormal psychological conditions and are treated through series of face-to-face sessions with a trained psychoth erapist.Other Similar Approaches Person-Centred Therapy, considered "a founding work in the humanistic schools of psychotherapies" (Wikipedia "Client-Centred" 1), is a positive approach to psychotherapy that uses the concept "here and now" and self awareness. Carl Rogers patterned his works from the existentialism theories of Abraham Maslow and the hierarchy of human needs. Other approaches that were developed from this concept but branched out to more specific systems were the Feminist therapy, Somatic Psychology, Expressive therapy, Brief therapy, Systems therapy, all of which use the modern approach of valuing the client's will to heal himself. (Wikipedia "Psychotherapy" 3) The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy does not stand on its own. In other words, it is a general term for a classification of techniques, an "umbrella term for many different therapies that share common elements" (Wikipedia "Cognitive" 2). Albert Ellis in the 1950's was the first to develop the combination of cognitive and behavioural approaches, the Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) and Aaron T. Beck developed the Cognitive Therapy. Richard Heimberg based his Cognitive Behavioural Group Therapy (CBGT) on CBT applying group therapy which made patients feel better when they knew that

The origins of Industrial revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The origins of Industrial revolution - Essay Example Perhaps the first pastoral of its kind, if taken negatively, it would mean destruction of Luke and Michael both to some extent, as Luke could not live a positive life away from it and Michael could not live without the landscape and his son. The unprecedented evolving of society was diminishing the pastoral lifestyle in the late 18th century, and while mountains and land remained the same, shepherds and their herd were disappearing from the landscape. It was too early for the land to go through a transition, although industrial revolution was taken root in cities and was spilling over to rural space. The story is of Michael, a highly principles shepherd who lived with his wife and son, and had to send the son away to pay a debt on land. Luke was expected to go to industrial city to earn money and return to his land. But Luke fails to do so, falling prey into pitfalls of industrialization and fails to return home with the result that both his doting parents die heartbroken. A real event made Wordsworth to narrate the story with simple pathos. The effect of nature on man is highly evident, manipulating and overpowering him, to such an extent that when he is planted away from familiar space, he would be out of depth like Luke. The effect is powerful, overbearing and unbroken. With the advent of industrial revolution, Nature was losing its precious part, animals, and the continuation of pastoral human life that tended them. But there were choices in front of present generation represented by Luke, who had to choose between land and faraway options and this choice never existed for earlier generations and here industrial revolution becomes an alternative provider. "Though the industrial and agrarian revolutions may not have changed the appearance of the Lake District, they claimed the peasants' children. And the break-up of the family was a change which Wordsworth felt must be resisted," John Purkis (1970, p.57. When Michael was written, Britain was already going through the initial days of modernity and was losing her local identities and ecological landscapes. Wordsworth was aware that rural communities were losing their tie with land and were drifting towards cities. . REALISM Realism that reproduced visuals as eye sees it, almost photographic came into prominence in mid 19th century and continued beyond it and still remains as one the most favored form of art. Gustave Courbet who is revered as almost the initiator of Realism was unpredictable in his art. His Burial at Omans is perhaps the most impressive piece connected with the ongoing industrial revolution of the time. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/C/courbet/ornans.jpg.html Industrial Revolution had ushered in a sense of irreverence, acute reality, hardship and indifference in the society. It had defied the conventional piety, respect, honour and devotion and more than that, it has negated the class differences and gender equality is more pronounced with women opting to work. This made women more visible in all places, places of trade, mourning, market, and travel. Industrial revolution had introduced a defiant commonality into the European societies and the above painting

Routing Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Routing Protocol - Essay Example Enhanced interior Gateway routing Protocol is an advanced distance vector routing protocol which reduces routing uncertainty which developed after re-arrangement of various computer network elements. Routers which operate through EIGRP involuntarily spread data packets to the interior gateway routing protocol by changing the 32 bit enhanced interior gateway to 24 bit interior gateway. Since EIGRP uses a dual update algorithm (DUAL) its confluence is much faster. The time taken to transmit data packets through the telecommunication network from the source destination is from 65ms up to 185ms. Open Shortest Path first (OSPF) developed by Interior gateway protocol, conveys information in an automatic system. Different versions of OSPF include the OSPF version one and the OSPF versions two. OSPF has been widely used in large scale network connections. Open Shortest path operates by acquiring information from the neighbouring routers then developing a path for the network. The schematic arrangement of the network establishes the routing mechanism on the internet layer. If there are changes of the network arrangement, the OSPF closes in on a new loop, by analyzing the shortest path for the different routers using the graph search algorithm with all positive path costs. The main advantages of the Open shortest path first are it can reduce router paths as well as configuring an area through minimizing the size of a routing table. OSPF also supports various routes and length of an IP address. Comparing the two routing protocols regarding end to end delay, throughput and delay jitter, the end to end delay of EIGRP and OSPF is from 65ms to 185 ms with a 15% network load. As seen from the graph below, when the background load is set to 40%, The EIGRP raises to 200 ms while the OSPF rises to 4.4 seconds. With a more background load, EIGRP and OSPF delay, elevates to 600

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership Essay

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the general definition of contingency theories is that it is a class of behavioral theory. More so, contingency theory is a process of trying to identify and measure the conditions under which things or circumstances are likely to occur. These behavioral theories claim that there is no perfect way of organizing a corporation and the organizational structure of the company. An organizational or leadership style that is effective in some situations may differ from other organizations. This is so because organizations are different in structure and size. Therefore, the best way of having an organized organization is contingently depending on the external and internal situation of the company. This is the case because; external environments have numerous impacts on an organization in numerous ways. Critical external factors include the size of the organization, availability, labor markets, cost of capital, competitors, strategies, governme ntal laws and policies, managerial assumptions about employees, technologies used, and other diverse situations. Traditional leadership theories elaborated on leadership as nature borne of individual and established on the impossibility to create such attributes on a grown individual as illuminated by the great man theory, whilst a contrasting theory of the behavioral implicates on the possibility of an individual to be a leader as shown through traits.... Commonly, the contingency, transformational, and transactional approaches derive the best results whenever forecasting on the capabilities of an individual (CDR Associates, 2007:7). However, changes in leadership are continuously emerging because of the dynamics in the environment and acquisition of skill. Authenticity, building of trust and relationships are the modern approaches to effective organizational leadership. The cognitive perspective approach assigns that follower’s posses shared beliefs about a leader’s behaviors and beliefs about their leaders’ behaviors and traits (Gilbert, 2003:443). This influences how the followers encode information about their leaders by targeting the quality of ideas, quantity of speech and leaders ability to open up for friendliness. This means that the leader’s behavior influences his follower’s behaviors who perceive the reflection that leadership offers. Therefore, a leader should have the capability of buil ding up healthy and ethical relationships that would interconnect the personnel to a single group targeting to deliver performances to enhance organizational performances (Gill, 2010:50). The leader should remain emphatic to employees and avoid biases that would divide the employees. In order to ensure that the company performs obligations to the fullest, the leader should bear motivational characteristics and avoid any act that would seem to induce pressure on the personnel (Collins & O'Rourke, 2009:16). Though scholars had their own perspective of leadership, the bottom line of each of them was that every organization despite the size should have an efficient and outstanding leader. This is the case because efficient managerial leadership influences

Interview Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interview Project - Essay Example For that reason, the servant leader shares his power with the people and puts the needs of the people first and helps his subordinates to fully develop their potentials. The servant leader therefore views himself/herself as a servant of the people mandated by the people to lead them and to help them to exploit their potentials and be able to achieve their goals in life. This paper is an Interview project synthesis. The paper is composed of two parts. The first part is the summary of the interview on servant leadership that was carried out on Moses Charlton, chairman of a Catholic parish council based in Dallas Texas, while the second part is an evaluation of what has been learnt in the interview, and a synthesis of this information into a personal philosophy of leadership. Professional Background of the interviewee The interviewee said that he is a trained human resource manager. He said that he has a master’s degree in human resource management. He also said that he has atten ded various courses on leadership in the Catholic church and he is therefore well versed with leadership in the church. On his experience in leadership, the interviewee said that he has served as a human resource manager in various companies for a period of thirty years, before his retirement. Mr Charlton therefore said that he has extensive knowledge of leadership both in the cooperate world and also in the church. Charlton’s responsibilities as the chairman of Catholic Parish council in Dallas Texas As the chairman of parish council, Mr. Charlton is first and foremost, the head of the parish council and he is the one who chairs all the meetings of the parish council in the parish. Charlton also is in charge of all development projects in the parish; he oversees all the development projects in the parish. Mr Charlton also is the coordinator of all the activities in the parish, and he is therefore mandated to ensure that all the activities in the parish run smoothly in accord ance with the program of the parish. Charlton’s Philosophy of Leadership On his philosophy of leadership, Charlton said that he is a servant leader. And when I asked him what he understands the servant leadership to be, he said that, servant leadership is a style of leadership whereby the leader views himself not as the master or as the boss of the people, but rather as the servant, the steward, or the shepherd of the people. Charlton went on to say that the guiding principle of servant leadership is to treat people not merely as means to achieve some objective, but rather to see the people as the very objective or the goal of leadership. He went on to explain that, although in leadership making profits for the organisation is of course one of the goals of leadership, monetary profits however should not be made at the expense of the lives of the people/ workers. He said that for him, the primary objective of leadership is to empower his subordinates and to ensure that they ar e contented and to ensure that he has given them conducive environment and means to fully exploit their potentials. He went on to argue that, although at fast glance servant leadership may seen as a leadership style that will lead to massive losses in the organisation, servant leadership actually leads to making an organisation successful

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership Essay

Contingency leadership theories and contemporary leadership - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the general definition of contingency theories is that it is a class of behavioral theory. More so, contingency theory is a process of trying to identify and measure the conditions under which things or circumstances are likely to occur. These behavioral theories claim that there is no perfect way of organizing a corporation and the organizational structure of the company. An organizational or leadership style that is effective in some situations may differ from other organizations. This is so because organizations are different in structure and size. Therefore, the best way of having an organized organization is contingently depending on the external and internal situation of the company. This is the case because; external environments have numerous impacts on an organization in numerous ways. Critical external factors include the size of the organization, availability, labor markets, cost of capital, competitors, strategies, governme ntal laws and policies, managerial assumptions about employees, technologies used, and other diverse situations. Traditional leadership theories elaborated on leadership as nature borne of individual and established on the impossibility to create such attributes on a grown individual as illuminated by the great man theory, whilst a contrasting theory of the behavioral implicates on the possibility of an individual to be a leader as shown through traits.... Commonly, the contingency, transformational, and transactional approaches derive the best results whenever forecasting on the capabilities of an individual (CDR Associates, 2007:7). However, changes in leadership are continuously emerging because of the dynamics in the environment and acquisition of skill. Authenticity, building of trust and relationships are the modern approaches to effective organizational leadership. The cognitive perspective approach assigns that follower’s posses shared beliefs about a leader’s behaviors and beliefs about their leaders’ behaviors and traits (Gilbert, 2003:443). This influences how the followers encode information about their leaders by targeting the quality of ideas, quantity of speech and leaders ability to open up for friendliness. This means that the leader’s behavior influences his follower’s behaviors who perceive the reflection that leadership offers. Therefore, a leader should have the capability of buil ding up healthy and ethical relationships that would interconnect the personnel to a single group targeting to deliver performances to enhance organizational performances (Gill, 2010:50). The leader should remain emphatic to employees and avoid biases that would divide the employees. In order to ensure that the company performs obligations to the fullest, the leader should bear motivational characteristics and avoid any act that would seem to induce pressure on the personnel (Collins & O'Rourke, 2009:16). Though scholars had their own perspective of leadership, the bottom line of each of them was that every organization despite the size should have an efficient and outstanding leader. This is the case because efficient managerial leadership influences

Video Project Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video Project Reflection Paper - Essay Example In our case, the whole concept of professionalism boarded on respect, both for other members as well as for oneself. The task and the entire project were daunting, and it took a toll on everyone’s schedules; without self-respect, we would not manage to get everything going within the stipulated timeframe. Fortunately, most of us were extremely focused and aligned with the project’s requirements. As such, we exhibited a great deal of professionalism with respect to the expedition. However, a little lack of professionalism still surfaced, at some point some would not complete their duties in time, but with the help of others, they were successful in the end. On the same note, members were highly respectful and patience with regards to the opinions of other members. Each opinion, regardless of how wrong it may seem, was accepted and later isolated with facts, and in a way that left everyone satisfied. In any situation where more than one person is involved, conflicts of interest are bound to arise. Likewise, our team had to struggle with conflicts resulting from different points of view. Working in a team is never an easy task; everyone has their opinions, all which have to be harmonized and integrated with the overall objective of the project (Schon 9). On this note I found myself in a tight corner- most of the time having to deal with a mixture of feelings. From the onset of the project, I felt somewhat awkward; some members seemed to dislike the tasks they were allocated. Furthermore, the team had to evaluate all the different opinions given by the members. As is not enough, the introverted team members who rarely contributed to the discussions felt out of place, and somehow unrecognized. To contain the conflict that could probably blow out of proportion, everyone was required to contribute each time a motion popped up. The collectively, each proposal was evaluated in a more c omprehensive and inclusive

White Privilege in American Society Essay Example for Free

White Privilege in American Society Essay Privilege is the greatest enemy of equality. This quote from a noted Austrian novelist, Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach, perhaps describes the harm of white privilege on American society. By its very definition privilege is a grace bestowed on one over another (Webster, 2006). In that sense, privilege is in and of itself an opposition to equality. In racial terms, if one group has been historically privileged over another, there will never be equality between the groups until a catastrophic new beginning can occur removing all trace of the bestowed privilege. Privilege is the greatest enemy of equality. This quote from a noted Austrian novelist, Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach, perhaps describes the harm of white privilege on American society. By its very definition privilege is a grace bestowed on one over another (Webster, 2006). In that sense, privilege is in and of itself an opposition to equality. In racial terms, if one group has been historically privileged over another, there will never be equality between the groups until a catastrophic new beginning can occur removing all trace of the bestowed privilege. White American privilege is the result of a country developing around a racially charged society featuring whites on top. Since the inception of colonial America, Whites heeded themselves as the superior race. This is seen evident through the submission and elimination of the Native Americans as well as most directly in the institution of slavery. As the nation of riches began to develop, and the American Dream came into fruition, nonwhites were left out of any chance to profit. Skip ahead to present day and we see a nation that has made drastic leaps toward social equality between races, but still struggles with remnants of the past. Simply put, white privilege is the social advantage given to whites through wealth and power that nonwhites never had the opportunity to earn. Despite all of societys strides toward racial equality, how do you equalize the advantages one group has had over another? The most obvious advantage today is that of wealth. White Americans have had greater opportunity for previous generations to accumulate and pass on wealth to todays members, whereas nonwhite Americans were historically denied the opportunity to do so. Specific cases include the subjugation of a race with Native Americans, the enslavement of race as seen with Black Americans, and the fleecing of a race as seen with Japanese Americans. However, perhaps most prevalent, but certainly not obvious is the power that White Privilege bestows to White Americans. In a society being controlled by white Americans, it is natural for that society to show a bias toward whites. This bias manifests itself through legislation, opportunities and within the very fabric of society itself. However prevalent its effects might be, White Privilege seems nonexistent to those who benefit from it (McIntosh, 1989). In modern American society, as a nation that has existed with White Privilege, it is commonplace and goes by unnoticed to white Americans. Among its subtle manifestations, but arguably the most relevant, is the fact that actions committed by a white individual are attributed to that individual and very seldom to their race, whereas, actions committed by nonwhites are usually viewed as stereotypical of their race, even if those actions are in fact atypical. It is in these subtleties that the often made argument that disenfranchised white Americans do not benefit from the effects of White Privilege is proved inaccurate. The factor of wealth only gives a reason as to why white privilege exists. The fact that all but a very small percentage of wealthy Americans are white correlates to that fact that all but a very small percentage of Americans in power are white. The bias and controlling interest exerted by this white power majority is apparent through all aspects of American government. As described in The Coming White Majority a black man recalls coming to America, he quotes, We came here as Africans, but no one called us Africans. They called us Negroes (Maharidge, 1996). White Privilege is a phenomenon that cannot directly be undone. As discussed the underlying causes of White Privilege exist in the mindset and power structure of American society. Perhaps most conceivable would be to begin by diversifying the power structure of the government. However, as has been proven many times in American government, politics are won through financial support. So for this reason, we look again to wealth and must focus on equalizing the wealth of the nation. If, through these steps, we engineer a social system that has power equally distributed among races, there still remains the perceived power created by societal mindset. Unlike tangible aspects of government office and wealth, how can we conceivable attempt to change the minds of an entire society of people (Bonilla-Silva, 2006). It can be presumed that the only way to begin to undertake this task is through education. Contrary to popular belief, race cannot be ignored. Race education will help to educate both white Americans to be aware of phenomenon such as White Privilege, and to help educate nonwhite Americans in what to expect living in a society filled with White Privilege. As discussed, White Privilege is a permeating factor of American society and its effects slowly widen the riff between white and nonwhite Americans. However, although difficult, it is possible to begin to overcome the effects granted by White Privilege. Ignoring nonrealistic way such as a mass racial equalizing of wealth and power, the first step is to educate both sides of society in race relations throughout. After all, as has been coined may times, education and understanding are the end all of strife and despair. Works Cited Webster. Websters Dictionary. 2006 McIntosh, P. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Peace and Freedom. July 1989. Maharidge, D. The Coming White Minority. Random House Inc, 1996. Bonilla-Silva, E. Racialized Social System Approach to Racism, in Gallagher, Charles. Rethinking the Color Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.

Contingency Planning Policy Statement

Contingency Planning Policy Statement Disaster Recovery Planning plays a most vital part in major industries where stored information or so called data plays the key role. Every business organization can be subjected to serious incidents or accidents which can prevent it from continuing day-day or normal operations and may cause in huge loss in terms of time as well as money. These incidents can happen at any day and at anytime, these causes can be natural calamities, human errors and system malfunctions. All Disaster Recovery planning needs to encompass how employees will communicate, where they will go and how they will keep doing their jobs. The details can vary greatly, depending on the size and scope of an organization and the way it does business. For some businesses, issues such as supply chain logistics are most crucial and are the focus on the plan. For others, information technology may play a more pivotal role, and the Disaster Recovery plan may have more of a focus on systems recovery. In this paper we are go ing to primarily discuss about steps to implement an actual disaster recovery plan. Below is the brief description of how the plan is implemented. Developing a contingency planning policy statement Conducting the business impact analysis (BIA) Identifying preventive controls Developing recovery strategies Developing a contingency plan Planning, testing, training and exercises Planning maintenance activities All the above steps are planned and performed taking all factors of the business into consideration. We shall also discuss the limitations of implementing such a plan. We shall also include real time examples and the successful results yielded by implementing the Disaster Recovery Plan. So this plans would act like a backup recovery process or a kind of business continuity solution while the actual system goes offline or corrupted. DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING Have we ever imagined as to what would happen if we belong to a business and we lose critical data or information due to some errors like human errors or a server crash or a lost computer or any natural calamity? Such kind of loss of information could lead to major losses in information in turn would affect the company in term of time and money and in this current world where recession has struck real bad the stakes are even higher. Protection information or data in a company is one of the major tasks or responsibility a company should take, such is the time where the disaster recovery planning would come in great help. Disasters strike untimely in many forms like natural disasters, computer errors or human errors. These kinds of disasters could lead to major catastrophe in the companys future. Disaster Recovery Planning is a procedure or a plan which protects the business data and in case of a calamity would help in continuity of business operations with the least loss amount in ter ms of time and money. The terrorist 9/11 attacks on the United States are one of such great examples in history for many organization decision makers to focus on the need for disaster recovery. There was huge loss of data and resulted in great loss of money and jolted the market for a few months. Business continuity and Disaster Recovery are major components which help to ensure that systems essential to the operation of the organization are available when needed. The term disaster took to a new height after the 9/11 events, before many business used to think disasters in terms of natural calamities or computer errors. Some events occur in such a way that it may take months or even years to recover. Sources say that till date, 70% of small businesses in the U.S. experienced a data loss in the past year due to technical or human disaster alone [AMI U.S. Small Business 2009 Annual Overview]. 1Over years many companied have started to realize the importance of this recovery planning an d business continuity. Sources even say that the companies which have actually using these plans are very happy and secure and scare for any type of disaster has been reduced. Sources say that from the year 2000 there has been a gradual increase in the companies who have started to implement the Disaster Recovery solution and the Business continuity solutions. The IT business has always been a target for many hackers and terrorist organizations all over the world. Over the years IT has improved and has been a major source of money as well as information. The security in the IT organization has always been a question mark as through the years, many disasters have occurred and there has been huge loss of data. In the early years IT companies has always been the target as the security measures werent that strong, they were used to be called as Single Point of Failures. So with the increasing threats from external organization, recovery plans and solutions have started to improve and ga ined lot of Interest over the years. IBM was an organization which had made a major influence in the market in providing the recovery solutions. Many companies initially thought that the implementation of these disaster recovery plans could be really expensive and had to deal with a lot of money, but they soon realized the loss occurred during a disaster is far more than the amount required to invest for the solutions. The primary reason in order to implement this kind of solution is: To implement accurate and continuous critical records, data backup, and off-site storage. To develop various strategies in order to provide alternative sites for business operations. To construct a contingency organization. To resume business operations with the loss of least amount of time and money. The following are the key steps or procedures which are needed to be followed in order to implement a disaster recovery plan: Developing a contingency planning policy statement Conducting the business impact analysis (BIA) Identifying preventive controls Developing recovery strategies Developing a contingency plan Planning, testing, training and exercises Planning maintenance activities CONTINGENCY PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the following statement means that it is a set of management policies and procedures designed to maintain and restore business operations, possibly at an alternate location in the event of emergency, system failure or disaster.-2 This is one major component in the disaster recovery planning. In this, a plan is laid down keeping all the emergency situations in mind and preparation for any kind of disasters which may occur at any point of time. The policy statement is really talks about communication between management and those responsible for developing the plan. Keeping in view the driving goals of the project and the level of financial resources and other resources, the particular people who are involved and are to be responsible, this policy statement gives everything that the planners need to work out options in order to achieve the organizations goals. It also provides the scope to planners to interact with the management in case they need to re-assess the organization goals and resources from time to time. The importance of this step is not just for preparing the plan for the DR implementation but also at this step a major amount of cost is involved than the other phases of the DR implementation. Here a re the key points that the policy statement should address: What kind of disaster does the organization intend to cover? What do the organizations need to accomplish? How much time would it take in order to get things back to normal state? Where does the responsibility of the plan and planners end? How to take advantage of the crisis situation in order to improve your organization image with the stake holders? What level of system should be covered in case of any crisis? What is the maximum level of resources that the plan can command during the preparation, implementation, testing and maintenance? The initial draft for this plan may set goals that turn out to be impossible under the resource constraints specified. But as the time passes we need re-evaluate the policy and adjust the goals and resources according the situations. BUSINESS IMPACT ANALYSIS The primary purpose of this step is to ensure that everything is protected without any loss of resources. This will also facilitate as to how quickly the business operation should have to return to full operations in case a disaster occurs. These are analyzed and identified on the basis of the worst-case scenario which may occur that assumes that the physical infrastructure supporting each respective business unit would be destroyed and all records, equipment, etc. are not accessible within 30 days. The main objectives of the business impact analysis (BIA) are as follows: Estimating on what scale on each business unit can be affected financially, considering the worst case scenarios Estimating on what scale on the operations of each business unit can be affected considering the worse case scenarios. Identifying and estimating the amount of personnel required for recovery operations. Estimating the time frame required for each business unit, considering the worst case scenarios. The key business processes that act as backbones to the organizations ability to carry out its business are identified and the requirements that drive these processes are also analyzed. The above processes can be identified and sorted in two different ways. Outside-In Analysis: This analysis is conducted in consideration with external stake holders, outside suppliers and internal departments which depend on IT services. The outside-in analysis focuses on whole systems, at each layer taking into consideration, the current process or system as distinct from the users or other systems that depend on it and via versa. Depending on the overall complexity of your business and how it makes the ideal solution to divide things up in the context, we may end up with just a single layer or with many of them. Inside-Out Analysis: The inside-out phase primarily focuses on resources that are required in each layer in order to provide the services that have been identified in the Outside-In phase which covers everything from the core system to the IT resources in the organizations. Then for each of the above we shall determine the impact of a disaster which may cause disruption or damage of the resource on the functioning of the system and its ability to deliver the services on which other layers depend on. Then we determine the maximum time wastage due to the disaster test we conducted on each of the services on the basis of what other layers are dependent on these services. We shall also include in the analysis any indirect effects which were caused by the disaster on these services. The BIA Report should be presented to the Steering Committee PREVENTIVE MEASURES There has been a simple formula for determining the risk associated financially with a given type of disaster; $R=P*C*T where P is the probability that the disaster will occur, C is the hourly or daily cost of downtime in lost productivity, lost revenue, etc. and T is time outage. The primary purpose of this step is to reduce the time outage, which are also the main purposes of the DR plan. Since the risk and the other factor are directly proportional to the time outage associated, hence the reduction of time is the primary responsibility of this task. At the same time the reduction of the other two factors which is the probability of the occurrence of the disaster and the cost due to the downtime are equally important. So minimizing all the three factors would result in the least risk possible. Generally sources say that the cost of preventing a problem is far lower than the cost of fixing it after it occurs. Let us now look into how we can identify the above factors. Firstly the pr obability of disaster occurring is generally is the toughest one to say. Natural calamities come and strike without a sign. The only way to prevent them is to make the organization sites in safe places. Next is the computer malfunction or server crash, these can be prevented by regular maintenance, constant tracking through performance monitors, proper vigilance and good security. Secondly is the cost reduction, there should be maintenance in such a way that generally if by chance there has been any damage the system should be protected. We should not be in a position to replace and get a new one. Generally the cost associated in installing a new machine is always higher than the maintenance cost put on it. Even the cost of downtime can be reduced by reducing the organizations dependence on the system. Thirdly is the time outage, we need to have special ops teams which should act readily to any situational catastrophe. So by reducing all the above factors we can reduce the probabili ty of risk on the organization. RECOVERY STRATERGIES The primary task of this step is to determine how we have to achieve the disaster recovery goals for each of the systems and system components that were identified in the Business Impact Analysis. It is here that we do the core work of balancing costs and benefits of the available approaches. This step is not just about selecting specific vendors, determining exact costs, or developing detailed procedures, but the main purpose in this stage is to select the types of solution that you will use and to determine the scales of the costs involved. There are a set of consideration we need to follow while going through this phase. Firstly, we need to consider exactly what type of disasters may occur and classify them into different types based on the effectiveness Secondly; we need to consider solutions of differing range of coverage i.e. we need to determine solutions which can protect on the site failures as such a solution can also protect the system and its components. Lastly we need to consider are the characteristics of infrastructure, human and data aspects of recovery. Each of the above three factors should be considered separately and we should determine what type of solution and the cost associated for the solution. Out of the above three factors Infrastructure recovery is the simplest. The best feature of infrastructure is that it can be replaced easily. People are considered more difficult factors. Every personnel in the company are associated with particular skills and accordingly they are assigned roles. So if a recovery strategy is needed to be implemented on these people, suppose if a personnel has been fired or he quits then finding another personnel of the same skill set and roles is always an additional cost ,since we need to play better salaries. Thirdly it is the data; this cannot be replaced at any cost. Once a data is lost cannot be recovered at any cost. What we need to determine is to what extent of data we can lose and identify which is the c ritical data and we need to protect it accordingly. Once this is done, we have to note the recovery strategies for each system on the Master System Information form. DEVELOP THE CONTINGENCY PLAN This step is the apex or the peak activity of all your work. The main outcome of this phase is the documented plan and the complete implementation of the infrastructure in order to implement the plan. This documented plan includes each and every information of assumptions, constraints and specific procedure needed to be implemented. The implementation phase contains all the purchasing and setup of all the hardware and implementation at the sites, communication services etc. This phase itself is run by a team, just like a team which handles projects. Team which consists of different expertise with fixed timelines and deadlines. According to the NIST guide the following are some aspects or steps which needed to be followed during the plan. 1. Introduction: Here the main task is to document the goals and scope of the plan, along with any requirements that must be taken into account whenever the plan is updated. 2. Operational Overview: The purpose of this section is to provide a concise picture of the plans overall approach. It contains essentially two types of information: (1) a high-level overview of the systems being protected and the recovery strategies employed and (2) a description of the recovery teams and their roles. 3. Notification/Activation Phase: According to the NIST guide this phase defines the initial actions taken once a system disruption or emergency has been detected or appears to be imminent. This phase includes activities like notifying recovery personnel, assessing system damage and implementation of the plan. At the completion of this phase, recovery staff will be prepared to perform contingency measures to restore system functions on a temporary basis. 4. Recovery Phase: This section of the plan is one that documents in detail the solutions to be used to recover each system and the procedures required to carry out the recovery and restore operational activities. 5. Reconstitution Phase: This is the last of the three sections of the plan. As per the NIST guide this phase is where the recovery activities are terminated and normal operations are transferred back to the organizations facility. If the original facility is unrecoverable, the activities in this phase can also be applied to preparing a new facility to support system processing requirements. 6. Appendices: The appendices contains any information that (a) is necessary as reference material during recovery, (b) may be necessary during any revision of the plan, or (c) documents legal agreements. PLANNING TESTING TRAINING AND EXERCICES In this fast moving modern information technology world, with the change in time and things, many hardware components are replaced, softwares are upgraded, networks are reconfigured, data sizes grow. All the above factors play a major impact on the performance of the disaster recovery systems. Testing and exercising goals are established and alternative testing strategies are evaluated from time to time. Each and every procedure required for testing should be properly documented from time to time. Initially the testing should be done in sections and should be conducted after the office hours. Below are some types of testing: Check List Testing Simulation Testing Parallel Testing Full Interruption Testing Although these systems were fully tested when first installed, but the system is dynamic in nature, so proper training should be given to personnel from time to time. We need to conduct exercises from time to time to check the status and under different condition with the help from all the personnel in the organization. Once the plan has been properly tested and documented it should be approved by the top management to start off. The management would take all the responsibility of preparation of policies, procedure, responsibilities and tasks associated with it. It should make sure that they review the contingency plan at least annually and re-assess and approve it. At the same it should be responsible in making limitations and constraints. Proper implementation of the above all factors will lead to a smooth start up and helps the DR plan successful. PLAN MAINTAINENCE After developing a disaster recovery plan, it is equally important to ensure that the plan accurately runs accordingly to the current requirements and systems. There are three places, at which the plan can be reviewed firstly, during testing annually or semiannually, and secondly when changes are made in either the IT systems being protected or in the business processes they support. The first of the above two falls in the responsibility of the top management in the disaster recovery planning and so has to be done on a regular basis. The last requires that consideration of the impact of the changes on the disaster recovery plan to be introduced as a standard consideration in procedures that are outside the scope of direct concern of those responsible for the DR plan. SUMMARY The world is fast changing and organizations need to be prepared for natural or manmade disasters that could disrupt business processes. Customers and millions of dollars could potentially be lost and never be recovered if business processes are disrupted. The Business Continuity Plan helps resume the business processes and the Disaster Recovery Plan helps resume the IT systems. The core objective of a Disaster Recovery Plan is to restore the operability of systems that support mission-critical and critical business processes to normal operation as quickly as possible. Business continuity planning integrates the business resumption plan, occupant emergency plan, incident management plan, continuity of operations plan, and disaster recovery plan. Personnel from each major business unit should be included as members of the team and part of all disaster recovery planning activities. These people need to understand the business processes, technology behind those processes, networks, and systems in order to create the disaster recovery plan. Applications and systems are identified by the team that is mission-critical and critical to the organization. There would be a specialist disaster recovery team which will be responsible for training, implementing, and maintaining the plan. They will possess unique skills, knowledge, and abilities that should be updated in the plan. A Disaster Recovery Plan that is well developed, trained on, and maintained, will minimize loss and ensure continuity of critical business processes in the event of disaster.

The True Online Community Essay -- Internet Blogs Experience Essays

The True Online Community What makes a true online community? There are many different types of online communities. There are those that focus on role playing and living a secret life, and there are others that are there to provide a place to vent emotions and to provide helpful information. I tried to join an online classroom that was similar to blackboard in some ways, but it turned out that I could only read articles and not respond to them. The web site was http://cyberdash.net/online1102/. The setup of the site consists of links to online articles, posts written by students, and responses to both articles and posts. There are also several links to personal â€Å"BLOGS† or web logs, which are personal pages similar to a journal where you can post any sort of information you like. One student, Drew Rosener created a BLOG for his ENC1102 class, which is a writing class at Florida State University, in one of his articles he says that this site is â€Å"going to contain things that, you guess it, are interesting to me and uninteresting to you†. This is one of the things that I found appealing about this site. He directly states that not everyone’s views are or will be the same, but in this community students have the chance to put their own opinion into writing. I think that this illustrates why online communities are beneficial. In â€Å"real life† communities it is often hard to express what you think because many fear ridicule. In an online community you can freely post your opinions without worrying about a face to face conflict. Because it is a class there are several policies that the students must abide by, just like any other class there is an attendance policy. You must spend a certain amount of time on the site to meet the att... ...f Topic, 6 Feb. 2003 http://cyberdash.net/online1102/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=90. MahiMahi, â€Å"New Anti-Marijuana and SUV ads: Going to far?†, Off Topic, 12 Jan. 2003 http://cyberdash.net/online1102/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=32. Mdunn09, â€Å"Writing made Simple†, Writing, 18 Feb. 2003 http://cyberdash.net/online1102/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=106. Pav02, â€Å"Surprisingly, Proof-Reading is Helpful†, Writing, 12 Feb. 2003 http://cyberdash.net/online1102/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=98. Jayjay, â€Å"Tyson fight staged?†, Off Topic, 23 Feb. 2003 http://cyberdash.net/online1102/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=116. Rheingold, Howard, â€Å"The Virtual Community†, The Wired Society, Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1999.

Across a Hundred Mountains Short Essay Essay

The novel Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande is a story about two young girls and their struggling journey to find happiness between two conflicting and distinct worlds: the United States and Mexico. Juana on one side wants to get to the United States, or â€Å"el otro lado† as mentioned in the novel, to find her father who abandoned her and her mother after leaving to find work in the US. On the other hand Adelina escapes from her house in California to follow her lover to Mexico. The girls form a bond in the most unexpected of places, a Tijuana jail, and quickly form a friendship that will connect them for the rest of their lives. Through Juana’s story, Reyna, impersonates the journey and struggles that many people have to endure to get to the United States so they can have a better life for them and their families. Juana’s main motivation to cross over to the other side is to find her father that â€Å"abandoned† her and her mother when she was still a little girl, but she is also driven by harsh living conditions, oppression by a corrupt government, and hunger. Throughout her youth in Mexico Juana encounters many problems, both emotional and physical and these later encourage her to look for a better life in the United States. When she is twelve she is left in charge taking care of her baby sister in a flooded house while her mother goes out and looks for her father who still hasn’t returned from work. The next day as her father wakes her, she sees that her sister is missing and the baby is found drowned in the depths of the water of her flooded house. Juana has to deal with the guilt of her sister’s death, causing her great emotional and physical pain. As if things were not bad enough, this is not the only thing that Juana has to endure throughout her youth. After her sister’s death, her father leaves for â€Å"el otro lado† in search of work, leaving behind the debt of her sister’s funeral. No money is sent from the United States to pay the debt, so Juana has to sustain seeing her mother become a prostitute for Don Elias, the man her father owes money to. In Mexico all Juana finds are harsh living conditions and oppression that later give her strength to start her journey to the United States. Over time Juana has a more pleasant experience in the United States due to the kindness of strangers such as Don Ernesto but finds no peace until she recovers her father’s ashes and releases them where they belong. In the state of Guerrero, Mexico. The other main character of the story is Adelina a girl who leaves her home in California to go to Mexico. Adelina is driven out of the United States because her family won’t accept her relationship with her lover, so they both decide to go to Tijuana, a city in Mexico. Not much is said about Adelina’s experienced in the United States. What we do know is that she had a family that loved her, but she decided to leave it all behind to be together with her boyfriend Gerardo. In Mexico she finds nothing but shame and misery because Gerardo could not find a job and the only way for them to make money was for her to be a prostitute. Besides having to expose her body, Adelina, is physically and emotionally mistreated by her boyfriend until it finally leads to her death when she tells him that she is going back to the United States with Juana. My Personal Experience Juana’s and Adelina’s stories are slightly similar to mine but overall they are quite different. Me and my sister were born here in the United States. I was born in San Diego, California and she was born in Phoenix, Arizona. When I was little I lived in Tijuana for eight years and we had a nice house, but my father decided that me and my sister needed to get a better education so we moved to San Diego in 2002. I have lived there ever since. My father was born in the city of Torreon in the state of Coahuila, Mexico, but he applied for his US citizenship at a young age and they granted it to him so when we moved to San Diego all of us where US citizens except my mother but she recently obtained it too. To some extent you could say that both Juana and I were looking for a better life here in the United States, but my journey here was much smoother because we did not have to cross over to â€Å"el otro lado† illegally and we were not oppressed by harsh living conditions like Juana. Even today I still visit Tijuana almost every weekend because most of my family is over there. I know my way around there almost the same as I know my way around San Diego. I can definitely say that Mexico has a corrupt government and many poor colonies, but there is much beauty to be seen there and not just in Tijuana city but all 32 of Mexico’s states. Beauty that surpasses that of any of the 50 states of the United States.

Healthcare Finance Essay

Houston Dialysis Center is a department of Houston General Hospital, a full-service, not-for-profit acute care hospital with 325 beds. The bulk of the hospital’s facilities are devoted to inpatient care and emergency services. However, a 100,000 square-foot section of the hospital complex is devoted to outpatient services. Currently, this space has two primary uses. About 80 percent of the space is used by the Outpatient Clinic, which handles all routine outpatient services offered by the hospital. The remaining 20 percent is used by the Dialysis Center. The Dialysis Center performs hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, which are alternative processes for removing wastes and excess water from the blood for patients with end-stage renal (kidney) disease. In hemodialysis, blood is pumped from the patient’s arm through a shunt into a dialysis machine, which uses a cleansing solution and an artificial membrane to perform the functions of a healthy kidney. Then, the cleansed blood is pumped back into the patient through a second shunt. In peritoneal dialysis, the cleansing solution is inserted directly into the abdominal cavity through a catheter. The body naturally cleanses the blood through the peritoneum—a thin membrane that lines the abdominal cavity. In general, hemodialysis patients require three dialyses a week, with each treatment lasting about four hours. Patients who use peritoneal dialysis change their own cleansing solutions at home, typically about six times per day. This procedure can be done manually when active or automatically by machine when sleeping. However, the patient’s overall condition, as well as the positioning of the catheter, must be monitored regularly at the Dialysis Center. The hospital allocates facilities costs (which primarily consist of building depreciation and interest on long-term debt) on the basis of square footage. Currently, the facilities cost allocation rate is $15 per square foot, so the facilities cost allocation is 20,000 Ãâ€" $15 = $300,000 for the Dialysis Center and 80,000 Ãâ€" $15 = $1,200,000 for the Outpatient Clinic. All other overhead costs, such as administration, finance, maintenance, and  housekeeping, are lumped together and called â€Å"general overhead.† These costs are allocated on the basis of 10 percent of the revenues of each patient service department. The current allocation of general overhead is $270,000 for the Dialysis Center and $1,600,000 for the Outpatient Clinic, which results in total overhead allocations of $570,000 for the Dialysis Center and $2,800,000 for the Outpatient Clinic. Recent growth in volume of the Outpatient Clinic has created a need for 25 percent more space than currently assigned. Because the Outpatient Clinic is much larger than the Dialysis Center, and because its patients need frequent access to other departments within the hospital, the decision was made to keep the Outpatient Clinic in its current location and to move the Dialysis Center to another location to free up space. Such a move would give the Outpatient Clinic 100,000 square feet, a 25 percent increase. After attempting to find new space for the Dialysis Center within the hospital complex, it was soon determined that a new 20,000 square foot building must be built. This building will be situated two blocks away from the hospital complex, in a location that is much more convenient for dialysis patients (and Center employees) because of ease of parking. The new space, which can be more efficiently utilized than the old space, allows for a substantial increase in patient volume, although it is unclear whether the move will result in additional dialysis patients. The new dialysis facility is expected to cost $3 million. Additionally, furniture and other fixtures, along with relocation expenses of current equipment, would cost $1 million, for a total cost of $4 million. The funds needed for the new facility will be obtained from a 20-year loan at local bank. The loan (including interest) will be paid off over 20 years at a rate of $400,000 per year. Because the specific financing details are known, it is possible to estimate the actual annual facilities costs for the new Dialysis Center, something that is not possible for units located within the hospital complex. Table 1 (see Excel spreadsheet) contains the projected profit and loss (P&L)  statement for the Dialysis Center before adjusting for the move. The hospital’s department heads receive annual bonuses on the basis of each department’s contribution to the bottom line (profit). In the past, only direct costs were considered, but the hospital’s chief executive officer (CEO) has decided that bonuses would now be based on full (total) costs. Obviously, the new approach to awarding bonuses, coupled with the potential for increases in indirect cost allocation, is of great concern to Linda Rider, the director of the Dialysis Center. Under the current allocation of indirect costs, Linda would have a reasonable chance at an end-of-year bonus, as the forecast puts the Dialysis Center in the black. However, any increase in the indirect cost allocation would likely put her â€Å"out of the money.† At the next department heads’ meeting, Linda expressed her concern about the impact of any allocation changes on the Dialysis Center’s profitability, so the hospital’s CEO asked the chief financial officer (CFO), Roger Hedgecock, to look into the matter. In essence, the CEO said that the final allocation is up to Roger but that any allocation changes must be made within outpatient services. In other words, any change in cost allocation to the Dialysis Center must be offset by an equal, but opposite, change in the allocation to the Outpatient Clinic. To get started, Roger created Table 2 (see Excel spreadsheet). In creating the table, Roger assumed that the new Dialysis Center would have the same number of stations as the old one, would serve the same number of patients, and would have the same reimbursement rates. Also, operating expenses would differ only slightly from the current situation because the same personnel and equipment would be used. Thus, for all practical purposes, the revenues and direct costs of the Dialysis Center would be unaffected by the move. The data in Table 2 for the expanded Outpatient Clinic are based on the assumption that the expansion would allow volume to increase by 25 percent and that both revenues and direct costs would increase by a like amount. Furthermore, to keep the analysis manageable, the assumption was made that the overall hospital allocation rates for both facilities costs and general overhead would not materially change because of the expansion. Roger knew that his â€Å"trial balloon† allocation, which is shown in Table 2 in the columns labeled â€Å"Initial Allocation,† would create some controversy. In the past, facilities costs were aggregated, so all departments were charged a cost based on the average embedded (historical) cost regardless of the actual age (or value) of the space occupied. Thus, a basement room with no windows was allocated the same facilities costs (per square foot) as was the fifth floor executive suite. Because many department heads thought this approach to be unfair, Roger wanted to begin allocating facilities overhead on a true cost basis. Thus, in his initial allocation, Roger used actual facilities costs ($400,000 per year) as the basis for the allocation to the Dialysis Center. Needless to say, Linda’s response to the initial allocation was less than enthusiastic, but before Roger was able to address Linda’s concerns, he suddenly left the hospital to take a new position in another city. The task of completing the allocation study was given to you, Houston General’s current administrative resident. You believe that any cost allocation system should be perceived as being â€Å"fair,† but you also realize that in practice cost allocation is very complex and somewhat arbitrary. Some department heads argue that the best approach to overhead allocations is the â€Å"Marxist approach,† by which allocations are based on each patient service department’s ability to cover overhead costs, but this approach has its own disadvantages. Considering all the relevant issues, you must develop and justify a new facilities cost allocation scheme for outpatient services. Be prepared to justify your recommendations at the next department heads’ meeting.

Different political tribes’ opinions about Islam in Malaysia

Malaysia is a multi-cultural multi-ethnic and multilingual society with Malay, Indian and Chinese being the major races in the population. There are also other indigenous tribal groups and Bahasa Malaysia is the country’s national language although such other dialects like Mandarin, English and Tamil are widely spoken especially in the commercial and business sectors.The country’s official religion is Islam; practiced by majority Malayans but other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are also practiced (Verma 96). Malaysia is made up of two major regions that have been separated by South China Sea and consists of a federation of thirteen states and 3 federal territories. Although little interaction is notable, the communities are said to coexist in harmony regardless of their religious and cultural differences (Hussain).In Malaysia like in any other state that is predominantly Muslim it is hard to separate religion and state matters and much attention is paid to the manner in which Islam is represented in the socio-cultural and political spheres. It is no wonder then that in Malaysia, religion has become very much politicized while contentiousness marks the secular state (Lahoud 40, 43). In a multi-ethnic country that is on the modernization path like Malaysia the implications and reality of a government whose policies are rooted in Islam has begun to sink in the minds of most people.Such issues like Islamic state, freedom of religion, the hudoud law and freedom of expression have spilled out into the public arena as the two major Islamic political parties, the opposition PAS (Party Islam se-Malaysia) and ruling UMNO (United Malays National Organization) continue to struggle for political dominance in this nation. UMNO is the major political party and has dominated Malaysian politics for decades.After Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi came to power in 2003, there has been notable attempts to force Islamic values on non-Muslims and h is attempt to promote traditional Islam (Islam Hadari) has turned Islam into the integral part of all government policies (Esposito et al 94-103). The imposing of the Hijab on non-Muslim women in the police force and those working in restaurants, and the ban imposed on couples not to hold hands in public are clear indications of the way Malaysian government policies continue to affect the non-Muslim population.But PAS is opposed to Islam Hadhari and aims at establishing a state of Malaysia based on a theoretical approach of Islam as provided for in the Sunnah (way of the prophet and Quran) (Hussain). In view of the fact that Islam and Malay identity are so intertwined, there is a tough contest between the PAS and UMNO parties as they try to out-do each other on the political and religious arenas and win the role of Islam’s standard-bearer, and in such a way, the vote of the Malay constituents.UMNO has frequently been accused by PAS of failing to uphold Islam and its values wh ile UMNO accuses PAS of being fanatical and led by conservative traditionalists who pose a threat to the economic growth of the country. PAS goes on to criticize UMNO of practicing uneven development and in this way has managed to attract the appeal of the Malay Muslim. The PAS party has diverted its political propaganda from Malay nationalism and value of Islamic law and now stresses that is it’s committed to authentic Islam.The party leaders are using their position to transform social-cultural life among the Northern states governed by PAS (Esposito 94-103). Islamic institutions and mosques in opposition strongholds such as Selangor have been banned from any promotion of Islam Hadhari arguing that it is distorting the religion of Islam by including non-Muslims in its laws. PAS which is an opposition party goes on to argue that Islam Hadhari is leading to a loss of spiritualism in the Islamic religion and that Islam is being misused to promote economic development.Other opp osition parties like the people’s Justice Party (PJP) and Chinese dominated Leftist Democratic Party (CDP) have not opposed this ban. Various Muslim groups have also been debating over the role that Islam should play in Malaysian society, be it in relation to religious freedom in such a plural society, democracy or rights for minorities and women (Lahoud 40-43). In Malaysia, ethnic and religious diversity is prominent and certain religions are identified with certain ethnic groups for example Malays with the Islamic religion, and ethnic Chinese tribes with their traditional religions.The communalization of Islam by the Malays through their approach that ethical and religious interests are equal does not go well with non-Muslims who hold a view that Islam is to blame for underachievement in Malayan society (Verma 94). The Malaysian constitution defines all Malays as Muslim irrespective of their ethnic background and states that Islam should not be challenged either constitutio nally or conventionally. Introduction of religious discourse in national identification defining a Malayan as either Muslim or non-Muslim has not gone well with non-Muslims who view this move as discriminative.Although Islam puts emphasis on such principles as tolerance, peaceful co-existence, human brother-hood and respect for all, the Muslims in Malaysia like in any other Muslim dominated country seem to enjoy special rights and this status-quo is bound to continue until such a time that Islam gets modernized or reformed. Muslims in Malaysia have proved very reluctant to extend equal rights to the minority non-Muslim community and although other religious groups have been given freedom to practice their beliefs, this practice is limited and building of places of worship is sanctioned by the state.Demolition of some Chinese temples and several Hindu temples in 2004 and 2005 raised uproar within these communities leading to discontentment with the authorities. Worship places for Mus lims are also built from public funds while others are privately funded. The non-Muslim tax-payers are certainly not happy about this and view such a move as exploitation of the minority (Verma 94-103). Traditional Chinese’ view about Islam has however been more bent towards indifference rather than hostility.Ethnic Chinese are far above the Malays in the fields of trade, modern education and business and they find no good reason to show any interest in Islam because of its identification with inferior ethnic groups. The Malays on the other hand question the Islamic worth of ethnic Chinese cultural practices such as use of chopsticks for eating although this practice has been traditionally unacceptable to the Malays. Because of the attitude the Malay Muslims hold towards Chinese culture, the ethnic Chinese has got all the more convinced that Islam is not suitable for the Chinese people.Most of the Chinese oppose radical Islam because as they argue, it poses political oppositi on to Malaysia’s economic transformation. Non-Muslims and liberal Muslims accuse Islam of being intolerant to secularism and trying to interpret any issue on the basis of Islamic religion. They argue that Islam tends to be too rigid and fails to consider that social situations continue to evolve and change with time and that such interpretations as were used in ancient times re not compatible with the changing social situations (Esposito 92-107).In Malaysia, Muslims have all long enjoyed special religio-ethnic privileges at the expense of the Indians, Chinese and other indigenous communities that practice other religions. The non-Muslims are subjected to discrimination in the government-supported sectors such as education (scholarships, schools and universities) as well as in businesses and employment sectors. They are also subject to religious discrimination such as use of the Islamic Sharia laws to settle any religious disputes between the Muslims and non-Muslims, a practic e that is done in Islamic courts which remain inaccessible for non-Muslims.In the recent past, Shariah court rulings in marriage, conversion, child custody and divorce cases involving non-Muslim have also drawn much criticism from the non-Muslim community because the verdict is passed based on Islamic laws (Peletz 3-6, 12). But non-Muslims still continue to convert to Islam for marriage purposes and because they want to enjoy the special privileges accorded to the Muslims. A non-Muslim cannot be married to a Muslim unless the former converts to Islam first. But it is unfortunate that one cannot convert back to their original religion after a divorce because Islam gives no room for someone to desert the faith.They propagate that once a Muslim always a Muslim and those who have tried to change have only changed their belief but legally remain Muslim. In most cases in Malaysia conversion from Islam to another religion is not allowed especially for the ethnic Malay and such an offence w ill lead to a jail term or fine or in some cases both. Most public institutions are Muslim dominated and non-Muslims normally convert to Islam to be included in such institutions. The minority ethnic tribes of Malaysia also identify with Islam as the only means of being recognized by the state and benefiting from state programs (Esposito 92-96).Islam can be a blessing to all Malaysians if it is practiced the proper way. But the fact that the Muslims want to persuade the other communities into living an Islamic kind of life which according to the Muslims is the only acceptable way, has led to a lot of discontentment among the non-Muslims. Muslims forget that Islam is a religion and should not be forced upon others in a multi-racial country that advocates religious tolerance. It should therefore not determine the way of life of a different religious group or even determine the political system in such a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia.In a society where everyone pays tax irrespecti ve of their ethnic or religious background, it is most unfair that tax-payers money is only used to pay Islamic teachers and maintain Islamic institutions at the expense of others (Hussain). Views about Islam are also diverse among the Muslim believers and radical groups propagating for reform such as â€Å"Sisters in Islam† have become very strong in Malaysia. They are calling for more rights for women such as being allowed to learn and become judges in the countries judicial courts, and are also calling for an end to the outdated practice of polygamy.Such groups are fighting against religious radicalism that has been fighting to put the woman back to the confinement of the home in a society where formal education has been extended to every gender (Anwar). There is increased awareness that using Islam to design laws and public policies that will be used to govern private and public live in this country, will lead to a situation whereby it becomes very important to determine who is responsible for defining the role Islam plays in society.In Malaysia, women’s groups, political parties, NGOs, the Media and human rights organizations have began to engage in public debates on several such issues and the role that religion should play in political life. Most of these people feel that the state of Malaysia should be one in which there are equal rights for every citizen but not rights based on gender, ethnicity or religion (Hussain). Opinions about Islam in Malaysia therefore vary in different places depending on the ethnic and religious composition of the population and also depending on the political party that has its stronghold in a particular region.Different political parties, even those that are Islamist have had contrasting secular and Islamist stands. Such parties as DAP and PAS are extremely opposite in their view about Islamic law and practices where PAS takes a radical approach while DAP has a more secular approach. The struggle to attract t he Muslim vote that is going on between UMNO and PAS has however only led to a society where Islam is now more and more being used directly to define the way of life of the Muslims and indirectly that of the non-Muslims (Lahoud 40-43).