Thursday, August 27, 2020

Critical Thinking and Language Essay

I passed by a colleague who I have known for perhaps three years as of now however had not really become a companion. At the point when we meet, we would toss scarcely any words just to get ourselves refreshed with the happenings of one another. That day we had a discussion longer than what we normally had. I’ve discovered that he enjoys accumulating scenes of a few TV arrangement which he spares and keep as delicate duplicates so he could watch it without any breaks from TV plugs. I requested what he had that he could loan me. Also, he gave me Dexter. I viewed the entire season one of TV arrangement relentless. With the exception of obviously when nature calls or when my stomach snarls which signals me to take a couple of provisions from my mother’s chiller. Her chiller, not our own! She has made it her domain. She knows the entirety of the substance of that cool box and she could without much of a stretch notification in the event that I took a portion of those treats and brownies from it, its main substance. She wouldn’t suspect any other person yet me. I’m the grinch who took and will consistently take her Christmas! Treats and brownies are her joy. It’s hard for me to comprehend her dependence on it. My mother is a pooch with her treats and brownies the bones. In any case, Dexter was an incredible watch! My mom thinks that its upsetting and horrible, however I like it. It really began my dependence on TV arrangement. Presently, it turned into my quick bite. What's more, however it gives me additional baggage underneath my eyes, I’m as yet going to watch and watch to an ever increasing extent. What job does language and language assorted variety play in the basic reasoning procedure? Basic reasoning includes the contribution of data, the handling of this data, at that point, the examination to concoct an end. It is never consistently that basic reasoning finishes its stage when examination is introduced. In many cases, individuals utilize the consequence of the investigation to process new data and to accompany more examinations prompting the best assessments and translation. This makes basic reasoning a cycle. Language assumes a significant job in basic reasoning. Since basic reasoning includes contribution of data, the language utilized in the contribution of data turns into a basic factor in coming out the aftereffect of the investigation. The data can be completely seen, halfway comprehended or totally misjudged. Contribution of data implies understanding data before tolerating it as a reality or a thought for additional examination of the thought. That is the job of language. Here and there, the specific arrangement of words utilized can mean various things to various individuals. Similarly, some too extraordinary or estimated set of words can mean the equivalent to many individuals. It is when language decent variety steps in. Individuals partner various occasions, individuals and things to a word that occasionally, when a word is straightforward for one individual, it turns into a solid word for another. We have diverse comprehension of a language and we additionally have distinctive utilization of that is the reason it gets hard for us to pass on our messages to others. What they have comprehended from what we said isn’t precisely what we implied despite the fact that for us we said it right in light of language decent variety. In basic reasoning, it is essential to comprehend the setting of an announcement to guarantee that one will come to the best end result and to forestall error. Basic reasoning is utilized to come out with the best resolution that is the closest to reality or the best translation and comprehension of what the data or realities contain. On the off chance that the info data isn’t what it should be, one will show up with not great examination of things. Language truly hinders understanding. How does language engage or limit the statement of our contemplations? Language is a useful asset in communicating musings since it is simply the most straightforward approach to communicate beside activities. It can turn into a workmanship since we can discover and choose approaches to viably communicate the manner in which we need it. It can engage the outflow of our musings just in light of the fact that it is our method of communicating it. It can additionally engage the outflow of our musings when we pick suitable words to introduce our considerations how we would have preferred. Language can put accentuation to our considerations. An announcement turns into a solid and ground-breaking explanation when the correct words are utilized. This has made numerous incredible men in our history memorableâ€their explanations and we quote them. Our contemplations are best communicated when individuals concur that there is no other method to bring that thought we had than how we had communicated it. Language makes an idea incredible. It can likewise restrain the declaration of our contemplations in a few different ways. One way is the point at which we couldn’t locate the correct words to state to make our musings alright for others to hear. It is the point at which we pick not to state anything, however that involves individual decision. Language decent variety likewise restrains the declaration of our musings. At the point when we couldn’t get explanations, it gets hard for us to trade musings. Another way that language restricts the statement of our musings is when individuals utilize an unknown dialect or a language that is new for them. Due to the newness to the language, it gets hard for the individual to choose words that will communicate precisely what he had in mind how he has thought it. Newness to the language makes individuals experience trouble in explaining themselves. What is the job of basic intuition in influence? Convincing individuals is one of the most troublesome activities. The individual who is attempting to convince must have great relational abilities to make him credible and to create proclamations that are reasonable. Convincing includes introducing thoughts and data to individuals and cause these thoughts and data to appear the best to cause individuals to adjust to that thought or acknowledge the data. Basic reasoning is generally utilized by those individuals who are being convinced. Obviously, not all data that is introduced to us is valid and not all thoughts others explain to us are acceptable that is the reason we must be distrustful. To know whether what the convincing individual is letting us know merits accepting and adjusting, we utilize basic reasoning. We break down the thoughts and data dependent on a lot more data other than what is introduced on to us. Since we need to ensure ourselves and our wellbeing, we have to perceive each data and thoughts before tolerating them and be convinced.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Essay --

An officer, recruited or not, will confront numerous worries during their vocation. Serving for any measure of time is a preliminary, yet some are more fit to the military than others. A drafted officer may experience their whole compulsory term feeling hopeless and deficient, totally overpowered by the assignments that military experts effectively complete. These weights and the disavowal of a decision of vocation ought not be put on any individual. The possibility of a two-year term of required military assistance being embedded has been raised. Military assistance ought not be required not just in light of the fact that it disregards central individual privileges of people, yet additionally because of the way that a military dependent on volunteers would work considerably more astonishingly than one contained recruited troopers who might not have decided to serve in any case. One of the most major issues with induction is that it repudiates one of the primary ideas that the United States was based on. The whole idea of enrollment â€Å"violated essential standards of individual liberty† (â€Å"Should a Year†¦Ã¢â‚¬  n.pag.). To commit one to serve in a field which they regularly would not pick is to remove their privileges as a person to choose how best they ought to go through their working time on earth. Beside being morally off-base on a fundamental level, enrollment abuses a strict law made by the pioneers out of the United States. The thirteenth amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America says, â€Å"Neither subjugation nor automatic bondage, aside from as a discipline for wrongdoing whereof the gathering will have been properly sentenced, will exist inside the United States, or wherever subject to their jurisdiction† (â€Å"Should a Year†¦Ã¢â‚¬  n.pag.). This obviously demands any obligatory ... ...tary loaded with troopers with this issue could without much of a stretch become inadequate. Taking everything into account, in addition to the fact that conscription contradicts central human rights, it is likewise inadequate because of the for the most part lesser-quality officers that it will in general produce. One of the thoughts that the United States was based on, that people ought to have the freedom to choose how and where to function, is damaged by the possibility of induction. Most occasions, drafted warriors will perform less splendidly than their expert partners; the general reluctance to serve on the standard weights of the military can genuinely and intellectually sway them to a more noteworthy degree. Try not to endure the possibility of obligatory military assistance, particularly in times, for example, this wherein it isn't at all fundamental. Help the individuals who bolster it comprehend why induction is a barefaced infringement of human rights.

Friday, August 21, 2020

A Good Research Paper Outline Can Save You Time and Makes it Easy to Write

A Good Research Paper Outline Can Save You Time and Makes it Easy to WriteWriting research papers can be a very difficult process. It's really difficult to accomplish what you want when you're attempting to do research for an essay or a dissertation.The most important problem is that many people do not put much thought into it. Some just look at the word list on the paper, figure out what they want and go to work. Others attempt to write the essay but don't use the proper methods of doing it. Then they never make any progress whatsoever.There are a few mistakes that people make that don't just ruin the final product but also spoil the overall success of the project. One of the biggest mistakes is not making an outline. Having an outline is essential to success when writing a research paper. An outline will show you where to begin and how to get there.This is even more important when writing a research paper because if the writer doesn't have a plan, then the essay is worthless. You w ant to give you readers a reason to read your paper and not go the other way. If the reader sees no direction and no purpose, then they will give up and move on to something else. Without direction, you could have a million different things happening on different pages with no connection.For example, writing about different types of cancer will give a very different type of writing. The reason is that this is a specific type of health problem. The writer should outline what he is going to write about. If the topic is cancer and the researcher wants to write about the different types of cancer, then he or she should write one paragraph on each type. Then after writing about each type, they should add a summary of what each type is.If the writer didn't write the research paper that way, then the reader won't know if they are reading the right material. The information may be general enough that the writer knows what they are talking about, but it may not give the reader a great idea o f what type of cancer to expect. In order to get a good idea of what type of cancer the person was talking about, they should just write about the specific type.Writing research paper is very similar to other forms of writing. There are many different types of research papers that all need to be structured in a certain way. This is why research paper outlines are so important. They give the writer a good place to start and let them know exactly what they are writing about.In order to make it easy to read, some writers will have a few bullet points included in their writing. These should not be an excuse to skimp on the quality of the writing. A good outline will help the writer to finish the paper and leave the reader with a good idea of what the research paper is all about.

Monday, May 25, 2020

The Life of Rene’ Descartes His Works and His Beliefs in God

Was Rene’ Descartes just a visionary of truth, mathematical equations or was he truly a man that knew he was born to tell the world about life, knowledge, and how it all came together metaphorically? Please see the research on Rene’ Descartes cited accomplishments. Descartes was known as the first modern philosopher. Famous for making a connection between geometry and algebra, which allowed for solving of geometrical problem by way of algebraic equations, which promoted a new conception of matter, which accounted for physical phenomena by way of mechanical explanations and the premise of knowledge of ones self and the existence of God. (Descartes Life and Works, Kurt Smith. Fall 2010 ed) Descartes was born March 31, 1596 to†¦show more content†¦Discourse was Descartes first published work. This particular work told of Descartes early education and his love for mathematics. But, was most famous for writing a short work called, Meditations de Prima Philosoph ia (Meditations of First Philosophy). Published in 1641, this book provided a philosophical groundwork for the possibility of the Sciences. (Descartes Life and Works, Kurt Smith. Fall 2010 ed). Descartes famous phrase â€Å"I think, therefore I am†, searched for reason to find truth. He began to question his own existence and everything pertaining to life. His thoughts included nutrition and digestion, the blood circulation, muscles and transmission of senses from the brain. Meaning how the laws of nature could be in the world. He questioned the idea of the mind and if in fact it was the foundation, but initially through philosophy being detached from history and tradition. (Descartes Life and Works, Kurt Smith. Fall 2010 ed). He then questioned the existence of self, again the â€Å"I am theory† gave way to the existence of the ego or cogito, which gave way to the Cogito argument. He formulated that concepts are the existence of certainty. By which according to Descartes, whatever thinks must exist. Descartes truly believed that nature of a human mind is thought. (Daniel Garber. 1988, 2003 ed) Questioning the existence of thought of the human mind allowed Descartes to validate the existence of God, whereas the thought contained in theShow MoreRelatedDescartes : The Father Of Modern Philosophy1055 Words   |  5 Pagesthe fact that I am something.† (Descartes, â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy,† 182) Rene Descartes is widely considered the father of modern philosophy. He created many new ideas about the self, which is something that has been contested since the dawn of philosophy. Even now, the world is nowhere near a unified thought on the soul. Descartes is most famous for addressing this, and is often summarized by the famous â€Å"Cogito Ergo Sum (I think, therefore I am)†Descartes offers a great deal of importantRead MoreEssay Rene Descartess View on God1300 Words   |  6 PagesRene Descartess View on God      Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1996, songwriter Joan Osborne performed a song called One of Us that was nominated for three Grammy Awards.   What made this song so successful and interesting were the powerful lyrics that basically asked, What if God were a human being?   As she was writing the lyrics to One of Us, she was wondering about God and how the world would be different if God did exist in real life and not just a supernatural force.   You may be asking yourself, What doesRead MoreRene Descartes’s Trademark Argument States that God is the Center of the World875 Words   |  3 PagesGod’s respect. He believes that God exists due to the inference that if something is the cause of something else, that something exists. In the passage from page 25, part 5 of Renà © Descartes’s â€Å"Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy,† the author attempts to explain the meaning behind the way God decided to: create the world as we know it, and maintain it . Descartes uses logic-based reasoning to explain 3 things: why he has an idea about God at all, how his idea was formulated, and whyRead More Descartes Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pages In the early 17th century a philosopher named Descartes, questioned his existence. His life was dedicated to the founding of a philosophical and mathematical system in which all sciences were logical. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Descartes was born in 1596 in Touraine, France. His education consisted of attendance to a Jesuit school of La Fleche. He studied a liberal arts program that emphasized philosophy, the humanities, science, and math. He then went on to the University of Poitiers whereRead MoreThe Science Of Math And Science By Mathematical And Experimental Proof1144 Words   |  5 Pagesblasphemous through their beliefs or teachings. Two men, born and raised in religious and still skeptic times were Renà © Descartes and Charles Darwin who, with their most â€Å"infamous† books, â€Å"The Mediation† and â€Å"the Origin of Species† would create chaos in the minds of religious believers at the time but, in the long-run, would be considered to be true and deemed to have a major impact how humans handle situations in today’s non-religious world. The father of modern philosophy, Renà © Descartes, was born and raisedRead MoreThe Approach to Nature of Descartes and White Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesThe Approach to Nature of Descartes and White The approach to nature which Renà © Descartes takes is distinct from that of Gilbert White. Descartes and White have similar key methods of examining nature. It is mainly in Descartes’ deductive reasoning and beliefs that lead him to the methodRead MoreDescartes Belief in God Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes and God In his groundbreaking work, Meditations on First Philosophy, the French philosopher Rene Descartes lays the groundwork for many philosophical principles by attempting to â€Å"establish a bold and lasting knowledge† (171)1. The foundations for knowledge Descartes established would go on to influence a plethora of other philosophers and philosophical works. Descartes argues in his meditations first from the point of view of complete skepticism, using skepticism as a tool in order toRead MoreProposed Seven Philosophers On The Existence Of God And Their Development Of These Ideas1413 Words   |  6 Pagesand (7) Rene DesCartes. The specific three I want to focus on being; St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes. Lastly, I will proceed to relate their ideas on the existence of God and their development of these ideas. St. Augustine s epistemology is rationalization. In his argument for the existence of God, he is referring to varying degrees of perfection otherwise know as, an Ontological argument. He believed that in pursuing truth, it would lead to the epicenter of all truth, God. UponRead MoreMeditations on First Philosophy Essay examples1290 Words   |  6 Pagesnotion was dictated by Rene Descartes in his 1641 metaphysics work, Mediations on First Philosophy, and influenced all modern philosophical works written after Descartes revolutionary achievement. This work was written at a time when modern physics was being developed as a mathematization of nature. The principles of metaphysics contain in Meditations were developed in order to serve as the basis for this new system of physics. In it, Descartes refutes many Aristotelian beliefs that were popular andRead MoreDescartes and Hume: A Look at Skepticism and Finding Stability915 Words   |  4 PagesRenà © Descartes was a skeptic, and thu s he believed that in order for something to be considered a true piece of knowledge, that â€Å"knowledge must have a certain stability,† (Cottingham 21). In his work, Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes concludes that in order to achieve this stability, he must start at the foundations for all of his opinions and find the basis of doubt in each of them. David Hume, however, holds a different position on skepticism in his work An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding

Friday, May 15, 2020

Translation and Characters of the Japanese Word Atari

You probably recognize the Japanese word  atari,  particularly if you grew up playing on the popular gaming system of the same name. But the word actually means neighborhood, or  in the same vicinity as, or the surroundings. Pronounced just as it is spelled, the context of the word helps to define its specific meaning. Japanese Characters 㠁‚㠁Ÿã‚Š Example Atari niwa fukai kiri ga tachikometeita.㠁‚㠁Ÿã‚Šã  «Ã£  ¯Ã¦ · ±Ã£ â€žÃ©Å" §Ã£ Å'ç «â€¹Ã£  ¡Ã£ â€œÃ£â€š Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€š Translation:  A dense fog lay all around.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Negative Effects Of The Minimum Wage - 1282 Words

Minimum Wage Should the government raise minimum wage? Should the government lower or keep the current minimum wage? Minimum wage is a very controversial topic when it is discussed between all parties. For those arguing for minimum wage increase believe that it will bring people living below the poverty line above it. Former President Obama stated, â€Å" no one working forty hours deserves to be living in poverty.† For those arguing against the raise on minimum wage believe that it has more negative effects than just causing citizens to lose jobs. However, I believe that the government should control the minimum wage and if it is to be raised than it needs to be done in a manner that wouldn’t negatively affect the individual or the†¦show more content†¦Typically, this is seen in restaurant industry with servers, bartenders, and bar backs. These employees are paid below the minimum wage and then they collect tips from customers. How does minimum wage affect employees? Studies have shown that when minimum wage increases a decrease in employment of less educated workers. (Cato). The decrease in the employment of less educated workers is because due the minimum wage increase, employers begin looking for a more qualified candidate. Such as an employee having a high school education. With more increases in the minimum wage, than employers will raise their standard of their employee, requiring higher educations or some type of certification. (Cato). However, when there is an increase in the minimum wage there is an increase in high school drop out rates. Does minimum wage affect education? The correlation between minimum wage and a lower education level of citizens in the U.S. is considered a conflict theory by social scientists. A conflict theory means that without one than the other issue wouldn’t have occurred. Studies have shown that citizens who were able to drop out prior to turning 18 had an increase of 2% when the minimum wage increased compared to when they had to be 18 prior to dropping out. (Kasperkevic, 2015). Now the people who the minimum wage was originally set out to help is actually hurting them. (McConnell, 2015). What is the employer doing when they are faced with increasedShow MoreRelatedThe Positive and Negative Effects of Raising Minimum Wage805 Words   |  4 Pagessensitive topic for many Americans is their income. Many people’s income relies on minimum wage. In 2012, 3.6 million people received an hourly pay at or below minimum wage. There is an ongoing debate in government as to what the minimum wage should be. Stuck at $7.25, Obama has suggested raising the minimum wage to $9.00. Depending on a person’s perspective, raising minimum wage could be positive or negative. Minimum wage has the ability to change lives, and change the economy. Small businesses and unemploymentRead More The Negative Effects of Raising the Minimum Wage Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesIf we took away the minimum wage, we could wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at every possible skill level. -- Michele Bachmann Proponents of raising the minimum wage claim that if the minimum wage was raised, then many economic and social problems would be alleviated. This contention is at odds both with economic principles and years of creditable research. The effect of raising or even having a minimum wage has been studied extensively and theRead MoreThe Federal Minimum Wage Should Have Negative Effects On Employment1893 Words   |  8 Pagesfederal minimum wage. Stacey Brundson, a single father of two, said he has donated blood to bring in extra cash just to help his family afford the basics. â€Å"Sometimes there’s not enough in my paycheck to make it through the month,† said Brundson (qtd. in Harris). Although numerous conservatives and business owners believe that a modification in the current federal minimum wage will have negative effects on employment, on low-skilled workers, and on consumer’s prices, increasing the federal minimum wageRead MoreThe Effects Of Minimum Wage On The United States1168 Words   |  5 PagesResearch shows if minimum wage was to climb that it would hurt the least skilled and the least experienced people trying to seek a job the most. There are different of opinions people believe in about the positive and negative aspect of minimum wage. Supporters argue that such a boost will shrink poverty without plummeting jobs and that it will boost confidence, increase the normal living, and cut inequality and have businesses to be well-organized. Opponents that are not for minimum wage say it will increaseRead MoreMinimum Wage And The Wage960 Words   |  4 Pagescountry, or type of job believe that increasing the minimum wage would solve individual financial problems. It is important to know that this subject is not a black-and-white problem and can not be answered by a simple yes or a no answer. This article will be focusing on the minimum wage in America. Furthermore, we are focusing on the State s minimum wage rather the Feder al minimum wage. It is important to understand that the state s minimum wage is different than the Federal. In some states it mayRead MoreRaising The Federal Minimum Wage889 Words   |  4 Pagesthe federal minimum wage would positively effect the economy. In doing so, I will be discussing how an increase in the federal minimum wage would make a vast improvement on the way many low income families live, and also how raising the federal minimum wage would boost the economy as it desperately needs. In raising the federal minimum wage, one might argue that it would cause a spike in the unemployment rate. The reasoning is that it would force employers to balance the increase in wages that theyRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Law Should Not Exist1684 Words   |  7 PagesThe minimum wage law was first enacted in January 1938 (Mutari, Ellen), and since then, people have falsely been led to believe that it is beneficial to the economy as well as the general population. It has commonly been seen as a method to reduce poverty by redistributing income in order to make sure that people earn a healthy, living wage; however, evidence has shown that it in fact does just the opposite. Forcing a minimum wage goes against the free market, and severely disrupts the natural processRead MoreThe Effects Of Minimum Wage On The Economy1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects Minimum Wage on the Economy The controversial topic about increasing minimum wage is debated countless times over the years. Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay an employee permitted by law. The contemporary federal minimum wage is $7.25. Minimum wage applies to all domestic workers but teenagers are the main receivers of minimum wage. Minimum wage has a major effect on the economy. The question is are the effects positive or negative. There are many arguments on whetherRead MoreRaising The Federal Minimum Wage1225 Words   |  5 Pages Study shows that wage increases do lower poverty, by 2.4% if wage at $8.00, consistent with other studies. (Washington Post/ Arin Dube) 1. Raising the federal minimum wage doesn’t cause substantial unemployment as most economists agree, including over 600 economists who wrote a letter to Congress urging a wage increase, and the Economic Policy Institute. A. Identify shortcomings of the opposition (fallacies they make, or weaknesses in the evidence they use) 1. Arin Dube’s study would be great,Read MoreDoes the Minimum Wage Increase the Standard of Living for Low-Income People?1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States has maintained a minimum wage which was enacted since 1938. At the present time there is much political debate in regarding to increase the minimum wage to levels at the federal level, state, and local levels of government across this country. There are various theories regarding the minimum wage. Some believe it would circulate money into the economy faster which would negate and negative effects on employment, or even improve unemployment rates. Others point to the economic theory

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act Essay Sample free essay sample

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is an Act of the United States Congress that instituted federal background cheques on piece buyers in the United States. It was signed into jurisprudence by President Bill Clinton on November 30. 1993. and went into consequence on February 28. 1994. The Act was named after James Brady. who was shot by John Hinckley. Jr. during an attempted blackwash of President Ronald Reagan on March 30. 1981. ( Federal Register ) While the thought and execution of the act had all the best purposes it has non been a factor in cut downing gun-related homicides countrywide. At the clip of the Brady Bill’s transition. 32 provinces. including North Carolina. did non already have the background cheques and five-day waiting periods that the measure required. The jurisprudence did hold one positive consequence. The figure of gun-related self-destructions decreased 7 per centum more in the experimental group than in the control. Surveies showed the waiting period may hold helped cut down the figure of self-destructions countrywide by giving people â€Å"a opportunity to reconsider. † However. this portion of the act no longer exists-when the measure was passed. it included a proviso to take the waiting period demand by 1998 to pacify Republicans who might hold voted against its transition. The act did non set any limitations on private minutess or gun shows-hence its ineffectualness. It did maintain more than 40. 000 people with anterior felony strong beliefs from purchasing guns from accredited traders. but unregulated secondary markets such as gun shows and private minutess did non needfully turn away these consumers. An earlier survey found that 30 to 40 per centum of guns are bought in these markets. Criminals who use guns typically do non purchase them from a gun shop or a gun trader. They get them on the black market. Typically completed in less than one minute. a Brady Act background cheque can presently detect nine events or conditions from a person’s yesteryear. any of which. can forestall them from buying a gun. These are: Convicted of or under indictment for a felony. Fugitive from justness – flight to avoid apprehension. Condemnable drug usage or history of dependence. Found to be mentally unqualified. Entered the U. S. illicitly or under a non-immigrant visa. Dishonorably discharged from the U. S. military. Renounced U. S. citizenship. Placed under certain domestic force keeping orders and Convicted of domestic force offenses. In the first eight old ages of full enforcement of the Brady Act – from 1994 to 2002. 45. 7 million gun purchaser background cheques were performed. of which about 976. 000 ( 2. 1 % ) resulted in rejections. In 2002 entirely. 7. 8 million background cheques resulted in the cancellation of 136. 000 gun purchases. a 1. 7 % rejection rate. In the 10 old ages from 2001 through 2011. about 700. 000 possible gun purchases were denied due to the consequences of a Brady Act background cheque. Over 75 % of those denials were due to the find of past felony strong beliefs. In these station 9-11-01 yearss. and sing what we have to travel through merely acquire on an aeroplane. it may look that being a â€Å"known or suspected terrorist† is a glowering skip from the list of things that would forestall a individual from purchasing a gun. What’s go oning here? Since February 2004. Brady Act gun purchaser background cheques really have been accessing the FBI’s Terrorist Watch list. along with the NICS offense databases. While lucifers or â€Å"hits† on the Terrorist Watch list do non instantly forestall the gun purchase. they are reported to the FBI Counterterrorism Division and FBI field agents working with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces. In the event of possible Terrorist Watch list lucifers. gun traders receive a â€Å"Delayed Transfer† response from the NICS system. The hold halts the gun purchase for up to three concern yearss. during which the FBI investigates other factors under the Brady Act that might forbid the purchase. If no other prohibiting factors are found within the three-day bound. gun traders may continue with the purchase at their discretion. The FBI may so go on to look into the instance for up to 90 yearss. Should forbiding information be discovered during the 90-day period. the FBI can direct the NICS to direct a â€Å"Firearm Retrieval† notice to local constabulary bureaus and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents. who will try to recover the piece and take appropriate action. if any. against the purchaser. Note that absent any other forbiding information as provided for in the Brady Act. a lucifer on the FBI Terrorist Watch list entirely does non instantly call off a firearm purchase. a serious spread in the system that needs to be addressed. The Brady Act was a good thought that did non travel far plenty. Mentions: â€Å"Federal Register. Volume 62 Issue 124 ( Friday. June 27. 1997 ) † . Frwebgate. entree. United States Government Printing Office. gov. Retrieved 2013-2-6 â€Å"Implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. † Report to the Committee on the Judiciary. U. S. Senate. and the Committee on the Judiciary. U. S. House of Representatives. GAO/GGD-96-22 Gun Control. January 1996. pp. 8. 45 â€Å"Brady Background Checks To Resume Nationwide† . Treasury. gov. Retrieved 2012-12-16.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Biography of Architect Norma Merrick Sklarek

Biography of Architect Norma Merrick Sklarek Architect Norma Merrick Sklarek (born April 15, 1926 in Harlem, New York) worked behind the scenes on some of the largest architectural projects in America. Notable in architectural history as the first Black American woman registered architect in New York and California, Sklarek was also the first Black woman to be elected to the prestigious Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). In addition to being the production architect for many high-profile Gruen and Associates projects, Sklarek became a role model to many young women entering the male-dominated architecture profession. Sklareks legacy as a mentor is profound. Because of the disparities she faced in her life and career, Norma Merrick Sklarek could be sympathetic to the struggles of others. She led with her charm, grace, wisdom, and hard work. She never excused racism and sexism but gave others the strength to deal with adversities. Architect Roberta Washington has called Sklarek the reigning mother hen to us all. Others have called her The Rosa Parks of Architecture. Fast Facts: Norma Sklarek Occupation: Architect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also Known as: Norma Merrick Sklarek, Norma Merrick Fairweather, Norma MerrickBorn: April 15, 1926 in Harlem, New YorkDied: February 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaEducation: B.Arch. from Columbia University’s School of Architecture (1950)Architecture with Cesar Pelli: San Bernardino City Hall (1972) ; Columbus Courthouse Center in Indiana (1973); Pacific Design Center in California (1975); The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan (1978)Key Accomplishments: As a Black female, Sklarek became a well-respected project director and educator within the white male dominated field of architecture.Fun Fact: Sklarek been called The Rosa Parks of Architecture East Coast Years Norma Merrick was born to West Indian parents who had moved to Harlem, New York. Sklareks father, a doctor, encouraged her to excel in school and to seek a career in a field not normally open to females or to Americans of color. She attended Hunter High School, an all-girls magnate school, and Barnard College, a womans college associated with Columbia University, which did not accept women students at the time. In 1950 she earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree. After receiving her degree, Norma Merrick was unable to find work at an architecture firm. After being rejected by dozens of firms, she took a job at the New York Department of Public Works. While working there from  1950 to 1954 she studied for and passed the grueling, week-long series of tests to become a licensed architect in New York State - on her first try. She was then in a better position to join the large New York office of Skidmore, Owings Merrill (SOM), working there from 1955 until 1960. Ten years after earning her architecture degree, she decided to move to the West coast. West Coast Years It was Sklareks long association with Gruen and Associates in Los Angeles, California where she made her name within the architecture community. From 1960 until 1980 she used both her architectural expertise and her project management skills to realize the many multi-million dollar projects of the large Gruen firm - becoming the firms first female director in 1966. Sklareks race and sex often were marketing detriments at the time of her employment with major architectural firms. When she was a director at Gruen Associates, Sklarek collaborated with Argentina-born Cà ©sar Pelli on a number of projects. Pelli was Gruens Design Partner from 1968 to 1976, which associated his name with new buildings. As Production Director, Skarek had immense responsibilities but was rarely acknowledged on the finished project. Only the U.S. Embassy in Japan has acknowledged Sklareks contributions - the Embassy website stated that The building was designed by Cà ©sar Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek of Gruen Associates of Los Angeles and constructed by Obayashi Corporation, as straightforward and matter-of-fact as Sklarek herself. After 20 years with Gruen, Sklarek left and from 1980 until 1985 became Vice President at Welton Becket Associates in Santa Monica, California. While there, she directed the construction of Terminal One at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which opened in time for the 1984 summer Olympic games in Los Angeles. In 1985 she left Welton Becket to establish Siegel, Sklarek, Diamond, an all-woman partnership with Margot Siegel and Katherine Diamond. Sklarek is said to have missed working on the large, complicated projects of previous positions, and so she finished her professional career as Principal at the Jerde Partnership in Venice, California from 1989 until her retirement in 1992. Marriages Born Norma Merrick, she was married three times. She is also known as Norma Merrick Fairweather, and her two sons are Fairweathers. Sklarek was the name of Norma Merricks second husband, architect Rolf Sklarek, whom she married in 1967. It becomes understandable why professional women often keep their birth names, as Merrick changed her name again in 1985 when she married Dr. Cornelius Welch, her husband at the time of her death. Quote In architecture, I had absolutely no role model. Im happy today to be a role model for others that follow. Death Norma Sklarek died of heart failure at her home on February 6, 2012. She lived with her third husband in Pacific Palisades, an affluent residential area of Los Angeles, California. Legacy Sklareks life has been filled with many firsts. She was the first Black woman to be licensed as an architect in New York (1954) and in California (1962). In 1959, Sklarek became the first Black woman to become a member of the American architects national professional organization, the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 1980, she was the first woman to be elected a Fellow of the AIA (FAIA). Its notable that in 1923 Paul Revere Williams became the first Black architect to become a member of the AIA, and he rose to become a Fellow in 1957. In 1985, Norma Sklarek helped establish and managed the California firm Siegel, Sklarek, Diamond, one of the first woman-owned and operated architectural firm. Norma Merrick Sklarek collaborated with design architects to transform building ideas from paper to architectural realities. Design architects usually receive all the credit for a building, but just as important is the production architect who sees the project to completion. Austrian-born Victor Gruen has long been credited with inventing the American shopping mall, but Sklarek was ready to carry out the plans, making changes when necessary and solving design problems in real time. Sklareks most significant project collaborations include City Hall in San Bernardino, California, Fox Plaza in San Francisco, California, the original Terminal One at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California, Commons - Courthouse Center in Columbus, Indiana, the Blue Whale of the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, and the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a Black American architect, Norma Sklarek more than survived in a difficult profession - she thrived. Raised during Americas Great Depression, Norma Merrick developed an intelligence and tenacity of spirit that became an influence to many others in her field. She proved that the architecture profession has a place for anyone willing to persist at doing good work. Sources AIA Audio Interiew: Norma Merrick Sklarek. aia.org/akr/Resources/Audio/AIAP037892?dvidrecspecAIAP037892Bellows, Layla. Norma Sklarek, FAIA: A Litany of Firsts that Defined a Career, and a Legacy. AIA Architect. aia.org/practicing/AIAB093149Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. Norma Merrick Sklarek.  bwaf.org/dna/archive/entry/norma-merrick-sklarekBWAF Staff. Roberta Washington, FAIA, Makes A Place, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, February 09, 2012. bwaf.org/roberta-washington-faia-makes-a-place/National Visionary Leadership Project. Norma Sklarek: National Visionary. visionaryproject.org/sklareknorma/U.S. Department of State. Embassy of the United States, Tokyo, Japan. http://aboutusa.japan.usembassy.gov/e/jusa-usj-embassy.html

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Doing Business with Multinational Organizations Essay Example

Doing Business with Multinational Organizations Essay Example Doing Business with Multinational Organizations Essay Doing Business with Multinational Organizations Essay 1997). These communications styles are: 1. 2. 1. Explicit Vs Implicit Communication Explicit communications is where someone when someone talks it is straight to the point and unambiguous for example Americans. Implicit communication is usually indirect and inexact for example Indonesian communication. For instance a mother telling a man that he is not compatible with her daughter serves him with tea and bananas instead of telling him directly (Gallois and Callan ,1997). 1. 2. 2. Direct Vs Indirect Communication Direct communication states direct action for example ‘has this report done before you go home’. When someone hears direct speech they know what is to be done. Greek employees prefer this kind of communication as they prefer orders as compared to their contribution in management decisions. Indirect communication is not authoritative and encourages input from the listener. American managers prefer this kind of communication as it goes with their managerial style of participatory management. 1. 2. 3. Silence Vs Verbal exaggeration Silence is also seen as a way of communication but different cultures perceive silence in different contexts. The Japanese use silence during negotiations as a strategy to control the negotiation process however if their counterparts are 3 Americans, they would see this silence as lack of knowledge or an indication to move to the next point. On the other hand some cultures dramatization and over emphasize to express the gravity of the matter. This has been observed in the Arab states where common words are used at the end of sentences and pronouns will be repeated for emphasis also used are graphical similes and metaphors. Managers in multinational corporations should therefore study very carefully which communication style takes prevalence in what area and use what is preferred (Gallois and Callan ,1997). 1. 3. Non-verbal communication Non-verbal is another way of communicating messages and portrays messages with more emphasis than words as they say actions speak louder than words. Non-verbal communication includes body movements, posture and gestures, facial expressions. In intercultural communication, it is possible that people rely on nons of non-verbal communication cues are proxemics (space), tone of voice, body gestures, facial expressions and eye contact (Gallois and Callan ,1997). . 4. Negotiations This is a process where business people engage in discussions with the objective of 4 reaching an agreement that will result in the parties involved benefiting. Negotiations for multinational corporations are usually with the suppliers of capital (investors), suppliers, service providers, the Governments involved (either domestic or foreign), customers and the society. Managers should be aware of the sensitivity and complexities of negotiations especially that are caused by cultural differences as these are usually the key to success (Horst,1972). The multicultural negotiation process is as outlined below 1. 4. 1. Preparation: Understand the counterpart’s culture as compared to ours and identifying the differences. Meant to make us understand the counterparts culture 1. 4. 2. Relationship building: This stage is used to build trust, some cultures find this step irrelevant while others emphasize on relationship building and spend more time here. 1. 4. 3. Exchange task related information: Presentation of details by each the parties and they state their stands. Culture dictates how much information is revealed. . 4. 4. Persuasion: Each party tries to convince the counterparts to take their option by explaining the benefits each would get from their stand. 1. 4. 5. Concession and agreements: This is where agreements are reached and using culture, negotiators know how they will get to this point. 1. 5 Motivation This is what gives human beings or groups the desire or willingness to do something 5 in terms of work and person al life and such a context is greatly influenced by cultural variables that affect attitudes and behavior. Using Hofstede’s ultural dimensions we can evaluate how different motivation methods by multinational corporations would affect employees from different cultures especially if they use the same methods across several countries. 1. 4. 6. Individualism/Collectiveness People who are members to a culture that promote individualism such as the American culture would be motivated by opportunities for individual advancement and autonomy plus they would prefer individual rewarding systems than people of a collectivist nature who would prefer rewards of the entire group and would be motivated with what will advance the entire group. . 4. 7. Uncertainty/Avoidance People who are members of cultures who prefer to avoid opportunity would prefer job security while the opposite would be motivated with risky opportunities for variety and fast track development. 1. 4. 8. Power distance A low power distance culture will be motivated by team work, contribution coming from all members while in a high power distance, motivations comes from the relation ship of the managers and the subordinates. 1. 4. 9. Masculinity/Femininity A masculine culture would prefer the traditional division of work and roles by gender and each gender to stay in their positions for example the traditional African culture 6 while in a feminine culture is open and will motivate people through flexible roles and equal opportunity . (Harris and Moran ,2000) 2. ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES Globalization has led to the development of worldwide and regional governing bodies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), European Union (EU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). They are tasked with regulating interactions between economies and preventing conflicts as well as ensuring business ethics and legal measures are taken care of (Farrell et al, 2008) 2. 1Examples of Regional and world governing bodies 2. 1. 1. World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goals of the WTO include among others the administration of trade agreements, facilitation of trade negotiations, settlement of trade disputes, provision of legally binding ground rules for international commerce and trade policy. Basically WTO attempts to reduce barriers to trade between and within nations and settle trade disputes ( Ferrell, Fraedrich Ferrell, 2008). The WTO can be said to favour the powerful multi-national corporations, which daily strengthen their grip on the world economy. This has led to smaller nations being forced to open up their trade areas e. China being forced by US to open up its trade 7 to allow U. S imports. Globalization of multinationals has many adverse effects on millions of people throughout the world. The overriding aim of the WTO, in short, is to create a world eminently fit for the multi-national corporations to live in. 2. 1. 2. European Union The European Union is the economic association of over two dozen European countries, which seek to create a unified, barrier-free market for products and services throughout the continent, as well as a common currency with a unified authority over that currency. The EU relies on member states to protect collective labor rights. The EU expects member states to have thriving trade unions and employees associations to participate in the legislative process at EU level that can help to implement directives at the national level. The EU also places considerable importance on upholding human rights standards in its dealings with 3rd world countries (Alston, 2005). 2. 1. 3. COMESA The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a preferential trading area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. COMESA formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981. The main objective of COMESA is to facilitate the removal of all structural and institutional weaknesses of member States, and the promotion of peace; security and stability so as to enable them attain sustained development individually and collectively as a regional bloc. Among other things, COMESA member States have agreed on the need to create and maintain: 8 ? a full free trade area guaranteeing the free movement of goods and services produced within COMESA and the removal of all tariffs and non-tariff barriers; a Customs Union under which goods and services imported from nonCOMESA countries will attract an agreed single tariff in all COMESA states; ? free movement of capita and investment supported by the adoption of common investment practices and policies so as to create a more favorable investment climate for the COMESA region; ? a gradual establishment of a payments union based on the COMESA Clearing House and the eventual establishment of a common monetary union with a common currency; and ? The adoption of common visa arrangements, including the right of establishment leading eventually to the free movement of bona fide persons. 2. 2. Effects of World Governing Bodies on globalization and business World governing bodies have opened up trade between member countries and as a result increased globalization namely through: 1. Reducing barriers to international trade through international agreements such as WTO agreements 2. Elimination of tariffs; creation of free trade zones with small or no tariffs 3. Reduced transportation costs, especially resulting from development of containerization for ocean shipping. 4. Reduction or elimination of capital controls 5. Reduction, elimination, or harmonization of subsidies for local businesses 9 6. Creation of subsidies for global corporations 7. Harmonization of intellectual property laws across the majority of states, with more restrictions 8. Supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions (e. g. patents granted by China would be recognized in the United States) 9. Globalization has brought about the formation of alliances between countries such as the G8, NAFTA, EU, such alliances want to improve trade and business amongst themselves and companies operating outside these alliances have quite some disadvantage e. g. flower companies in Kenya selling flowers to the EU 10. World governing bodies and trade alliances such as EU, WTO stipulates the basic ethical rules that should be used in their member states. If companies do not comply they would have campaigns against them creating boycotts for their products. 10 3. STRATEGIES During the last half of the twentieth century, many barriers to international trade fell and a wave of firms began pursuing international strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Business strategies may include geographic expansion, diversification, acquisition, product development, market penetration, retrenchment, divestiture, liquidation, and joint venture. Strategic management enables organizations to recognize and a dopt to change more readily; successfully adapting to change is the key to survival and prosperity. 2. 3. Two types of international strategy 2. 3. 1. Global strategy Treat the world as a single market. It is applied where forces for global integration are strong and force for national responsiveness is weak. For example this is true of consumer electronics market. Global Strategy is suitable for: ? ? ? Product is the same in all countries. Centralized control little decision-making authority on the local level Effective when differences between countries are small 2. 3. 2. Multinational Strategy It treats the world as a portfolio of national opportunities. It is applied where forces for global integration are weak and force for national responsiveness is strong. For example this is true of branded packaged goods business for 11 example strategy pursued by Unilever. Multi domestic strategy is suitable for ? ? ? Products customized for each market Decentralized control – local decision making Effective when there are wide differences between the countries 2. 4. Strategies of investing abroad 2. 4. 1. Joint venture Marula (2006) defines joint venture as a venture that is jointly owned and operated by two or more firms. He further explains that many firms penetrate foreign market by engaging in a joint venture with firms that reside in those markets. Advantages of a Joint venture First these organizations are able to apply their respective comparative advantages in a given project and Marula (2006) gives an example of General Mills Inc which joined in a venture with Nestle SA so as that cereals produced by General Mill could be sold through the overseas sales distribution network by Nestle also Xerox Corp and Fuji Co. of Japan engaged in a joint venture that allowed Xerox Corp to penetrate the Japanese market and allowed Fuji to enter the photocopying business. Secondly a joint ventures enables organization especially in the automobile to offer its technological advantages for example General Motors has ongoing joint ventures with automobile manufactures in several different countries. 12 Disadvantages of Joint Ventures Association of Certified Charted Accountants (2004) asserts that disagreements may arise over profit shares, amount invested, the management of the joint venture , making the strategy and finally one partner may wish to withdraw from the arrangement. 2. 4. 2. Contract Manufacturing or Licensing Pearce and Robison (2004) define licensing as the transfer of some industrial property right from the licensor to a motivated licensee. They further explain that most tend to be patterns, trademarks, or technical know how that are granted to the licensee for a specified time in return for a royalty and for avoiding tariffs or import quotas. Advantages of Licensing Pearce and Robison (2003) argue that firms that use licensing will benefit from lowering the risk of entry into the foreign markets and used best in companies large enough to have a ombination of international strategic activities and for firms with standardized products in narrow margin industries. Disadvantages of Licensing According to Pearce and Robison (2004) is the possibility that the foreign partner will gain the experience and evolve into a major competitor after the contract expires as this was a case between U. S electronics firms with Japanese companies. Secondly they argue th at another potential problem stems from the control that the licensor forfeits on production, marketing and 13 general distribution of its products. And this loss of control minimizes a company’s degrees of freedom as it reevaluates its future options. 2. 4. 3. Franchising Pearce and Robison (2004) define Franchising as form of licensing which allows the franchise to sell a highly publicized product or service, using the parent’s brand name or trademark, carefully developed procedures, and marketing strategies. In exchange the franchisee pays a fee to the parent company, typically based on the volume of sales of the franchisor in its defined market area. The local investor who must adhere to the strict policies of the parent operates the franchise. Examples are Avis, Burger King, CocaCola, Hilton, Kentucky fried chicken, Manpower and Pepsi. ACCA (2004) asserts that the franchiser provides the name, any good will associated with it, systems, business methods, support services such as advertising, training and site decoration while the franchisee provides the capital, personal involvement, local market knowledge, payment to the franchiser for the rights, support services and responsibility for day to day running and the ultimate profitability of the franchise. Disadvantages of franchising According to ACCA (2004) search for competent candidates is both costly and time consuming where the franchiser requires many outlets for example McDonalds in UK. Also the control over franchisees is demanding as they are spread over many locations. 14 2. 4. 4. Transnational Alliances Levi (1996) defines transnational alliances as associations of firms in different countries working together to overcome the limitation of working alone. One of the motivations to form a ransnational alliance is cooperation over research where cost and risks may be too high for any one firm or where different firms may possess different abilities. He gives an example IBM and Siemens of Germany in Memory chip development or marketing of Geo produced in Korea by GM. He further asserts that transnational alliances are compromise between a firm doing everything itself and dealing with a stranger. Advantages Of transnational alliances As Levi (1996) argues organizations form tran snational alliances to gain access to foreign markets, to exploit complementary technologies and to reduce time taken for innovation. . 4. 5. Wholly owned foreign subsidiaries Based on a study done by Richard Vernon of Harvard Business School where 187 United States manufacturing with six or more foreign subsidiaries outside of Canada the researcher concluded that these multinational corporations tend to be larger, more profitable more advertising and research oriented and more diversified than firms which have not invested abroad. (Horst, 1972) 4. 0 INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS Economic reforms/environment affects the business and industry directly. Business plans and programmers are directly influenced by economic factors, 15 such as, interest rates, money supply, price level, consumers’ credit etc. Economic conditions leading to inflation or deflation affect the business activities. Inflation leads to rise in general price-level, whereas deflation leads to fall in price level. Higher petrol prices in the country resulted to a trend in favor of small like Maruti and starlet cars. State of industrial trade and business booms and slumps constitute the economics of market environment, (Lewis, 2006). Recently government initiated various economic policies. As such the impact of these reforms changes on business and industry in the following manner: 2. 5. Buyers’ market In the liberalized policy regime shortages of goods are no more, but there are surplus of goods. These arise due to competition, reduction in cost, up-gradation of technology, improvement in quality and customer convenience. Removal of government restrictions on capacity creation and capacity utilization has also helped increase in the supply of goods. Industry has been given total freedom to expand and diversify. Price control has been removed. Investment now takes place in the areas of demand. All these changes have made the buyer, the sovereign of the market. 2. 6. Export is required for survival Implementation of new trade policy has linked imports to exports. The enterprises should earn foreign exchange by exports and use the same foreign exchange for importing raw material spares and equipments. For example: Reliance Group, Essar World Trade, Ceat, Videocon, Eicher, MRF etc, are being benefited by the 16 new policy. 2. 7. Threat from multinational companies Due to the present policy of liberalization of our government, massive entry of multinationals in the country has started. The vast resources and the modern technology of the present multi-national companies have enabled their subsidiary companies to boost sales and enjoy strategic advantage over their competitors. The presence of multinational companies has been rendering valuable services to our economy. It is supplying superior quality of goods, generating more employment opportunities, promoting modern technology and awakening our business community. Presence of multinational companies has also boosted growth of small industries in the country. 2. 8. Overall competition The new competitive environment has thrown the economy open. There is tough competition between multinationals and there is also competition between local enterprises and foreign enterprises. Competition has now become global. It is not confined to national boundaries. For instance, Weston Electronics Company, which held about 18% of the television market, has been virtually thrown out of the market due to cutthroat competition and technological backwardness. . 9. World class technology Changes in government policy regarding business and industry have provided us with world-class technology. Most companies have also started making investment in research and development. Pharmaceutical industries in countries such as India made 2% investment in R D. In developed countries investment in 17 research and development is approximately 12%. Multinationals are also bring ing world-class technology in the country. This has enabled faster growth of industries. 2. 10. Future not guided by past failures It is rightly said that future starts afresh for companies. Future now needs new strategies, high technologies, determined efforts, enthusiasm, organization and leadership. New approaches, systems structures and new leadership must emerge to compete with the multinationals. We must forget the past, bury its failures and start working with new endeavor, approaches and leadership. 2. 11. Wider and diverse markets Due to globalization markets have been opened up and can now be widely accessed by companies from various countries. Countries have lift barriers improving flow of goods between them. This has boosted import and export trade among various countries. Regional trading blocks have been formed to improve trade and allow free flow of goods and services among member countries. In the agricultural sector, crop imports are traded at cheaper prices and exchanged for another commodity because of the free trade as entailed among the provisions of bodies such as COMESA or WTO. A country such as Philippines could purchase or import crops from another country at cheaper tariff rates, in case of a shortage. However, on the downside, countries that are more progressive agriculturally could just dump their third-rate or low-class products to their third-world trading counterparts. 18 2. 12. Foreign direct investment inflows Local industries which have invested abroad such as Bidco oil refinery is reaping huge profits from its foreign direct investments such as from its investment in Uganda palm plantation. Creation of common markets has given countries incentives to invest in those countries thus leading to investment inflows. Lowering of tariffs: countries such as India have been reaping from enormous opportunities emerging from globalization such as consequent lowering of tariff barriers. Information Technology has given Indian industries formidable brand equity in the global markets. Indian companies have a unique distinction of providing efficient business solutions with cost and quality as an advantage by using state of art technology. Outsourcing is the act of giving a third-party the responsibility of running hat would otherwise be an internal system or service. Due to globalization, most companies and businesses have sought to contract most of its services or processes to outsiders. Most industries now use outsourcing such as call centers and can outsource its functions such as marketing, financial, training, transport and distribution and so forth. Capitalize on global trade: most domestic industries now capitalize on global trade by concentrating on the domestic market and then leverage their eco nomies of scale overseas. 2. 13. Devaluation Some countries have had to cope up with the trend of globalization by devaluing their currency such as India. The first step towards globalization was taken with the announcement of the devaluation of Indian currency by 18-19 percent against 19 major currencies in the international foreign exchange market. This was a measure taken in order to resolve the balance of payment crisis. 5. 0 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION In conclusion my own critique on globalization is that the whole process has increased power that multinational corporations seems to enjoy . This is seen as a particularly worrying phenomenon because it affects the issues that are raised and witnessed everywhere we have a multinational company. An overriding concern is that globalization increases the gap between the haves and the have-not of the world. Unfair labor practices such as child labour, poor working conditions and low remuneration packages are some of issues that have been witnessed in the recent past. Although it’s not clear whether the forces of globalization may produce a general deterioration of working conditions around the world or increase the inequality of working conditions among countries . espite the above ,in rich countries the picture is totally different thus self-interested opposition to globalization with fears that cheap imports or immigrants from other countries will lower the relative wages of low-skilled workers, more rapid economic change and shifting patterns of comparative advantage will increase economic insecurity and internation al competition. Despite all this countering the claims of globalization skeptics is a century-old economy theory that predicts free trade will reduce a convergence of labour conditions around the world. 20 6. References: ACCA (2004) Strategic business planning and development (paper 3. 5). London: BPP Professional Education Alston, P. (2005). Labour rights as human rights. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Deresky, H. (2008). International Management : Managing Across Borders and Culture (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education. Gallois, C. , Callan, V. (1997). Communication and culture: A guide for practice. Chichester, UK, Wiley. Ferrell, O. , Fraedrich, J. , Ferrell, L. (2008). Business Ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Horst T. 1972) Firm and Industry Determinants of the Decision to Invest Abroad: An Empirical Study The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Aug. , 1972), pp. 258-266 Kotler, Philip: Market ing Management: nineth edition, Prentice Hall India Lewis D. 3rd ed. (2006): When cultures collide. Leading across cultures. London. Nicholas Brealey International. Levi, Maurice D (1996) International Finance; The markets and financial management multinational business (3rd ed) Singapore: McGraw- 21 McFarlin, D. B. , Sweeney, P. D. (2006). International Management: Strategic Opportunities and Cultural Challenges (3rd ed. . Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company. O’Carroll, G. (n. d. ). Intercultural Communication Module: [Intercultural communication]. Retrieved from ECO European Career Orientation website: http://eco. ittralee. ie// Pearce, J. and Robinson, R. (2004). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Schermehorn, J. R. (2005). Organizational Behavior (9th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ Thomas, D. C. (2002). Essentials of International Management: A cross culture Perspective. 2455 Teller Road, Sage Publications Inc. 22

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Lee Iacocca Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Lee Iacocca - Research Paper Example He was also fired from Ford Motor Company but revamped the image of Chrysler Corporation. He is considered as a man of vision possessing great leadership skills often appreciated and criticized by many in the business world. The assignment aims at highlighting the leadership traits, approaches and insights of Lee Iacocca that fetched him a stupendous achievement of being ranked 18th in the list of highly influential American CEOs by Portfolio. His ideas and philosophies are well appreciated making him one of the highly respected business personalities across the world. It might amaze many but Lee Iacocca did not start his career as a top leader rather he earned this reputation through some extraordinary leadership skills and clear vision. While working with Ford Motor Corporation, he introduced one of the most interesting sales and marketing campaigns; 56 for 56 that aimed at offering loans on 1956 model cars by paying 20% as down payment and $56 per month. This campaign earned him great recognition in the organization making early inroads for future endeavors. His leadership traits include effective communication, high level of motivation, encouragement, charisma, competence and courage. His positive attitude and zeal to succeed in the short as well as in the long run acted as a positive catalyst for the organization that further offered wide arrays of benefits and advantages. Lee Iacocca always supported changes along with promoting other’s ideas. He believed in empowerment and leading by examples that helped in winning the trust and loyalty of his followers. His profound insights and charismatic personality impacted his followers in a positive manner compelling them to think different and positively in worst of situations. Some of the highly admired and appreciated leadership traits and characteristics of Lee Iacocca include: Ethics are a set of moral rules and regulations perceived differently in the

Thursday, February 6, 2020

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Marketing - Essay Example Examples of multinational companies are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Toyota Motor Corporation and Procter & Gamble Company (Doole & Lowe, 2008). International Marketing In international marketing, multinational companies may adopt either a global marketing approach or a multi-domestic marketing approach. The global marketing approach involves developing a standardized marketing plan, which is implemented with minimal modifications in both home and all international markets. An advantage of global marketing approach is the economies of scale to production and marketing activities. This standardized strategy cuts costs since it allows large-scale production runs and strengthens the image of the brand. A global marketing strategy can nurture collaborative innovation and can excellently boost sales of goods and services to across markets that have common cultures and languages. This strategy is effective particularly in marketing goods with strong, universal appeal. Global advertising media su ch as international print and broadcasting channels help companies to convey a single message to the international audience (Kaynak, 2002). Cost-effectiveness in the implementation of the global marketing approach is its major but most multinational companies are often faced with the need to segment their international markets and develop marketing strategies that meet the unique needs of the target market in specific countries. Multi-domestic marketing approach takes into consideration the differences between the characteristics of different international markets and develops marketing strategies tailored for each market. Most multi-national companies modify their marketing approaches to successfully appeal to individual target markets in the belief that most goods and services demand multi-domestic marketing approaches to give them an appeal on the global market. Market characteristics such as geography, culture and language make it difficult to employ a single market strategy acr oss different segments of international markets. Nevertheless, some particular situations may let multinational companies standardize some aspects of the marketing strategies but tailor others. Some multi-domestic marketing mix approaches for selecting the most appropriate marketing strategy for a particular international market are product invention, straight extension, dual adaptation, promotion adaptation and product adaptation (Onkvisit & Shaw, 2008). Multinational companies may also choose among countertrade, distribution and distribution strategies. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart is one of the largest retail chains globally operating diverse kinds of retail stores. The stores range from neighborhood stores, supercenters, discount stores and online retail stores/clubs. Wal-Mart offers wide-ranging products, goods and services including drugs and pharmaceutical products; fitness and beauty aids; cameras, optical supplies and photograph processing; household goods and chemicals; apparels; clothes and shoes; stationery and books; housewares and furnishings; electronics; appliances; automobile accessories; horticultural products, sporting merchandises; toys; pet food and items (Kaynak, 2002). The neighborhood markets include fresh groceries, meat and dairy products, deli, baked foods, frozen foods, medications, paper goods and general merchandise

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Nature vs Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs Nurture Essay Abstract The discussion surrounding Stephen Pinkers book The Blank Slate: the Modern Denial of Human Nature has sparks some rather interesting arguments as to whether our being is a result of nature, genetics or is it learned through nurturing. The discussion revolved around Pinkers idea that there is no such thing as the Blank Slate theory, when it comes to human nature. He believes that the human mind, like the human body, has been designed by natural selection through the process of biological evolution (Bailey Gillespie, 2002, p. 2). The Blank Slate theory derived from John Locke, a great philosopher who lived in the 16th century. In John Lockes philosophy, tabula rasa was the theory that the (human) mind is at birth a blank slate void of all characters, without any ideas or rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing it formed solely by our sensory experiences. As understood by Locke, tabula rasa meant that the mind of the individual was born blank, and it also emphasized the individuals freedom to author his or her own soul. Each individual was free to define the content of his or her character but his or her basic identity as a member of the human species cannot be so altered. Implicit in this theory is the belief that individuals are infinitely and arbitrarily malleable by society: by changing the individuals environment, and thus sensory experiences, one can shape the individual with few, if any, restrictions. Steven Pinker challenges the Blank Slate theory. He thinks, we are genetically coded to be whatever we are. The experiences we encounter only have a minuscule impact on how we grow. Pinker argues about the idea of which nurture plays a more important role than nature in the development of the human mind. He believes a child is born with a personality, and parents cannot cause their children to have a different personality to that which is given. Pinker states in an interview by Bailey and Gillespie that: Blank slates do not do anything they just sit there. Human beings do things. They make sense of their environment they acquire language they interact with one another. They use reasoning to bring about things that they want. Even if you acknowledge, as you have to acknowledge, that learning, socialization, and culture are indispensable aspects of human behavior you have to admit that you cant have culture unless you have some kind of innate circuitry that can invent and acquire culture to begin with. (p. 5) Pinker also has an interesting notion, that there is no such thing as intelligence as we know it. If everyone is born void of everything, how do we explain intellectual difference among humans? One of his ways to solve the difference, because it is given to us genetically is to have its checks and balance. We have to match social structure to genetics. Pinker stated that the Blank Slate theory made divisions among humans socially, intellectually, racially and by gender. Method Participants Research participants stemmed from his research with twins where Pinker with the help of Jennifer Ganger, PhD. They gathered data. On the development of words, sentences and past tense forms in a large sample of identical and fraternal twins. In the research he looked at there gradual development of their language, if it looked like the development appear in closer synchrony in identical twins (who share all their genes) than in fraternal twins (who share half their genes, among those that vary), it would suggest that language development is paced in part by a genetically influenced maturational timetable. (Pinker research 2002 p. 1) Pinker also conducted research studies on Neuroimaging of inflection where he used (functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural organization of language. He also used a set of projects that focused on inflections such as the past tense and plural to understand the psychology of language. I have studied how past tense forms develop in children. I studied this processed in real time during speech productions. How they vary and do not vary? and how their details, quirks and exceptions are explained by linguistic theory. (Pinker ? research, 2002 p. 1) My view of this topic is that I think to some extent we are born with some kind of personality but our experiences molds what we truly become. I do not believe that nature give us, by genetics all the things we need in life. I think we are born with some intellectual capacity and by nurturing that, we improve our knowledge. I saw an example of nurturing on an interesting episode of CBS 60 minutes. A little boy was born severely brain damaged and was blind. He could barely walk, talk or move his hands. At the age of two, his parents gave him a piano, he began playing it, and by age five, he was already playing classical music. The gene found in this child is found, is found in one in ten thousand people and it allows him to read music. He just needs to hear a sound once in its entirety and he can play it on piano minutes later. No everyone with this gene has this ability. His parents nurtured him and invoked the intellectual part of his brain that allows him to be an extraordinary musician. Our experience in life and the way we are nurture plays a vital roll in the individuals we become. In closing, I think we do learn a great deal from nurturing and we are born with a gene that gives us certain personalities. Therefore, a human being cannot be completely void. References Bailey, R Gillespie, N (2002). Reason: Biology vs. the blank Slate. http://reason. com/0210/fe. rb. biology. shtml Pinker, S (2005) http://pinker. wjh. harvard. edu Wikipedia. Org http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tabula_rasa http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurture http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Blank_Slate.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Moral and motivation report - Working with people in teams. Essay

Moral and motivation report - Working with people in teams. TERMS OF REFERENCE ================== I Amanda Robinson, Assistant Personnel Manager with James Watt Hotel, have been asked by the Personnel Manager to submit a report on the subject of Moral and Motivation within the organisation. This report is a result of problems that have been highlighted by a preliminary survey conducted by an independent body. Report to be submitted by 28 January 2003. PROCEDURE After studying the preliminary report I spent 2 weeks researching the problem of Moral and Motivation within the hotel. My research took the form of observations and face-to-face interviews. Also researched were the personnel records of staff within the hotel. My observations gave me insight into how staff interacted with each other, management and our customers. Face- to- face interviews randomly selected from various departments within the hotel gave me great insight into more detailed problems and grievances felt by a number of staff. My reasoning for researching personnel records was to collect information on indicators of low moral such as level of absenteeism, level of grievances, incidence of complaints and the high level of staff turnover. FINDINGS The following problems have been identified from the preliminary survey conducted by an independent body. * Staff believe they are overworked. * Staff believe pay is low. * Staff believe promotion prospects are poor. * Staff believe little/no training is given. * Staff believe they are not encouraged to air grievances. * Staff perceive a "them and us" attitude between them and management. * Staff believe communications are very formal. * Staff are concerned that they are not consulted when new investments/equipment is ordered. * An analysis of customer complaints suggests "unpleasant atmosphere" "miserable staff" and "poor service" throughout the hotel. The survey also revealed a wide cross-section of managerial styles. Some members of management were only concerned about getting work completed, with no regard to the welfare of employees, some were concerned with only the welfare of employees with no concern for the standard of work, and then a few were neither concerned for the employees or the standard of work. After spending 2 weeks conducting my own rese... ...peak at length. It helps employees to unload problems and it's believed that the employee benefits psychologically. Outside agencies should be used to give the interviews to eliminate interviewer bias. EXIT INTERVIEWS- This is given when an employee is leaving the organisation. This benefits the organisation as they receive a more honest reply as the leaving employees feels he can speak more easily. This can provide essential information on moral and motivation problems throughout the hotel. CONCLUSION Simply by making a few adjustment in our working procedures can have great impact on others. Simply by saying please and thank you can lift a person's spirits. At the end of the day the loser is the hotel, as customers just wont return. It is vital to remember that all changes must be on going and monitored to judge their effectiveness. Remember that a happy customer will tell only 3 people, whereas an unhappy customer will tell nine other people. For the continued success of this organisation we cannot ignore these problems. For clarity on any aspect of this report please do hesitate to contact myself, Amanda Robinson, Assistant Personnel Manager, ext 1888

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Tragic Hero of “Antigone”

Lindsey Folcik Mrs. Monzel Period 1 8 April 2010 The Tragic Hero of Antigone In Sophocles’ play Antigone, both Creon and Antigone display some characteristics of a tragic hero. Creon is the king of Thebes following the late Oedipus and his sons. He decrees that no one should ever bury Polyneices because he was a traitor to his city, while Eteocles would be buried with full military honors. Antigone hears this proclamation and decides to bury her brother, Polyneices, in order to follow the laws of the gods. They could both arguably be the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero is usually of high birth that has a tragic flaw that causes them to fall from a great height after having a moment of recognition all too late. This comparison between Creon and Antigone will show that Creon best fits the characteristics of a tragic hero. The definition of a tragic hero includes having an anagnorsis, or moment of recognition when they realize their tragic flaw, and this is one way in which Antigone does not qualify as a tragic hero while Creon does. In the beginning, Creon is very stubborn in his decision to kill Antigone for burying her brother. Even after he hears Teiresias’ prophecy, de does not change his mind. It is not until later he realizes that â€Å"it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride† though it is still much too late for him (235). He sees that â€Å"the laws of the gods are mighty, and a man must serve them to the last day of his life! † (236). He has not served the gods by denying Polyneices a proper burial. By foolishly rejecting the laws of the gods, his â€Å"own blind heart has brought [him] from darkness to final darkness† (242). Now he has recognized the wrongs he has committed against Oedipus’ children, which ultimately causes his downfall. Antigone, on the other hand, is aware of the consequences of her actions from the very beginning. She says to her sister â€Å"I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy†, showing that she has very consciously made this decision. She is also aware of the inevitable outcome of her decision, but it does not stop her as she says to Creon, â€Å"I knew I must die, even without your decree† (208). She ends up accepting her punishment, and still stands by her decision. Even as Creon is about to send her to her death, she says sternly, â€Å"I have not sinned before God† (227). In contrast to Creon’s blind decision making, Antigone made her rash, yet conscious, decision fully aware of the bleak ending, so she never has a moment when she realizes her flaw. In Antigone, Creon is an excellent example of a tragic hero. He has a major tragic flaw and falls from a great height. It could be argued that his tragic flaw is excessive pride. He tries to reason his decision to kill Antigone by asking the Choragos, â€Å"Who is the man here, /She or I, if the crime goes unpunished? † (209). The power of being king seems to have gone to his head. He believes that his â€Å"voice is the one voice giving orders in this city! †, which is true, but his edict is still not popular with many of the citizens (220). He is so prideful, he will even hurt his son, Haimon, to prove his point. He plans to â€Å"Let [Antigone] die before his eyes! † (222). In the end, Creon locks Antigone up in a stone vault to kill her, but he was so full of pride and did not want to be proven wrong that he was willing to hurt his son. Another way that Creon is a very good tragic hero is that he falls from a great height. This great height is the throne of Thebes. Since the death of Oedipus and his sons, he has â€Å"succeeded to the full power of the throne† (196). He is now the most powerful man in the land. Creon states that â€Å"whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed†, and he insists on showing just how much power he holds. However, after he has his moment of recognition and his fortunes are reversed, he has fallen lower that anyone else. He says that now he has â€Å"neither life nor substance† (244). He has killed Antigone unjustly and indirectly murdered his son and wife. There is not much more miserable than that, in great contrast to his once high and honorable position as king. Through an examination of his tragic flaw and fall from grace, it is easy to see why he is a great example of a tragic hero. One of Oedipus’ daughters, Antigone, could also arguably be the tragic hero of Sophocles’ play. She has some of the main characteristics of a tragic hero, like having a tragic flaw, although she does not have a moment of recognition or fall from a great height. It seems that her tragic flaw is also excessive pride in addition to making impulsive decisions. After Creon’s decree, she refuses to give up, claiming â€Å"Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way† (191). Then, when her sister, Ismene, tries to caution her against such a rash and dangerous decision, Antigone rejects her, as she says, â€Å"I should not want you, even if you asked to come† (192). Sometimes, her great amount of pride comes off as insolence. While she is speaking to Creon prior to her death she says rudely, â€Å"Ah the good fortune of kings, / Licensed to say whatever they please! † (210). Ultimately, her pride and lack of thoughtful decision making cause her demise. But even though she has this tragic flaw, she does not fall from a great height. Her status in society is relatively low, especially compared to that of Creon. As her sister puts it, â€Å"We are only women† (191). In ancient Thebes, women are very low on the social ladder. Also, her family’s â€Å"curse† does not help her status as a woman. The Chorus says that they â€Å"have seen this gathering sorrow . . . / Loom upon Oedipus’ children† (215). The story of her father and family has brought her no honor because â€Å"The blasphemy of [her] birth† has plagued her her entire life (226). So, when she has been found burying Polyneices and is condemned, she does not fall from honor, as a true tragic hero would. Even though Antigone does posses some characteristics of a tragic hero, she does not match the definition as closely as Creon does. All in all, Creon is the true tragic hero of Antigone. He is a perfect example of one, because he has a significant tragic flaw, a moment of recognition, and falls from a very high place. Some may argue that the tragic hero is Antigone, because she has a tragic flaw. But she does not have a moment of recognition or fall from a great height. Clearly, through these examples, Creon is the tragic hero of the play. Works Cited Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. The Oedipus Cycle. USA: Harcourt, 1977. 186-245.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Poetry Exercise How to Write an Ode

Writing an ode is a fun task for anyone who wants to exercise both their creativity and their analytical mind. The form follows a prescribed format that anyone—child or adult—can learn.   What Is an Ode?   An ode is a  lyric poem that is written to praise a person, event, or object. You may have read or heard of the famous Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats, for example, in which the speaker reflects on images carved into an urn. The ode is a classical style of poetry, possibly invented by the ancient Greeks from an older form, who sang their odes rather than writing them on paper. Todays odes are usually rhyming poems with an irregular meter, although rhyme is not required for a poem to be classified as an ode. They are broken into stanzas (the paragraphs of poetry) with 10 lines each, typically consisting of three to five stanzas in total.   There are three types of odes:  Pindaric, Horatian, and irregular.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Pindaric  odes have three stanzas, two of which have the same structure. It was the style used by the Greek poet Pindar (517–438 BCE). Example:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Progress of Poesy† by Thomas Gray.  Horatian odes have more than one stanza, all of which follow the same rhyme structure and meter.  The form follows that of the Roman lyric poet Horace (65–8 BCE). Example: â€Å"Ode to the Confederate Dead†Ã‚  by Allen Tate.​  Irregular  odes follow no set pattern or rhyme.  Example: â€Å"Ode to an Earthquake† by Ram Mehta. Read a few examples of odes to get a feeling for what they are like before you write your own. Writing Your Ode: Choosing a Topic The purpose of an ode is to glorify or exalt something, so you should choose a subject that you are excited about. Think of a person, place, thing, or event that you find truly wonderful and about which you have plenty of positive things to say (although it also might be a fun and challenging exercise to write an ode about something you truly dislike or hate!). Think about how your subject makes you feel and jot down some adjectives. Think about what makes it special or unique. Consider your personal connection to the subject and how it has impacted you. Make note of some descriptive words you can use. What are some specific qualities of your subject?   Choose Your Format   Although a rhyming structure is not an essential component of an ode, most traditional odes do rhyme, and including rhyme in your ode can be a fun challenge. Test out a few different rhyming structures to find one that suits your subject matter and personal writing style. You might start with an ABAB structure, in which the last words of every first and third line rhyme and so do the last word in every second and fourth line—the A lines all rhyme one another, the B lines do the same, and so forth. Or, try out the  ABABCDECDE structure used by John Keats in his famous odes.   Structure and Write Your Ode Once you have an idea for your subject matter and the rhyme structure you want to follow, create an outline of your ode, breaking each part into a new stanza. Try to come up with three or four stanzas that address three or four different aspects of your topic to give your ode structure. For example, if youre writing an ode to a building, you might devote one stanza to the energy, skill, and planning that went into its construction; another to the buildings appearance; and a third about its use and the activities that go on inside. Once you have an outline, start filling in the ideas using your brainstorm and chosen rhyming structure. Finalize Your Ode   After youve written your ode, step away from it for a few hours or even days. When you return to your ode with fresh eyes, read it out loud and make a note of how it sounds. Are there any word choices that seem out of place? Does it sound smooth and rhythmic? Make any changes, and begin the process again until you are happy with your ode.   Although many traditional odes are titled Ode to [Subject], you can be creative with your title. Choose one that embodies the subject and its meaning to you. Need more help when writing poetry? A number of smartphone apps are available.