Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Responses to DQ1Selling ReceivableDW and DQ2 Use of Depreciation CH Essay

Responses to DQ1Selling ReceivableDW and DQ2 Use of Depreciation CH - Essay Example The mechanism of factoring is a good way for companies to improve their liquidity and cash position. DQ2 Your premise that depreciation is a technique that is used to devalue an asset instead of being a method for asset valuation is completely correct. When I first read the message of the president of Keene Company I thought, â€Å"Where did this guy go to business school†. The premise the person stated is illogical. The person is mixing accounting concepts. Depreciation only has one purpose which is to devalue an asset through the passage of time. As you stated in your response book value and market values are different. There are different methods of depreciation that can be used by an accountant. Four depreciation methods are declining balance, sum of year digits, straight line, and the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) (Fixedassetssoftware, 2011). The MACRS method is an accelerated depreciation method that is used of assets that lose value fast such as comp uters. References Besley, S., Brigham, E. (2000). Essentials of Managerial Finance (12th ed.). Fort Worth: The Dryden Press. Fixedassetssoftware.com (2011). Depreciation Methods. Paragon Systems.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Causes and Consequences of Reduced Biodiversity Essay Example for Free

Causes and Consequences of Reduced Biodiversity Essay Causes and consequences of reduced biodiversity in tropical rain forests In many tropical countries, the majority of deforestation results from the actions of poor subsistence cultivators. However, in Brazil only about one-third of recent deforestation can be linked to cultivators. A large portion of deforestation in Brazil can be attributed to land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, inappropriate World Bank projects, and commercial exploitation of forest resources. For effective action it is imperative that these issues be addressed. Focusing solely on the promotion of sustainable use by local people would neglect the most important forces behind deforestation in Brazil. Brazilian deforestation is strongly correlated to the economic health of the country the decline in deforestation from 1988-1991 nicely matched the economic slowdown during the same period, while the rocketing rate of deforestation from 1993-1998 paralleled Brazils period of rapid economic growth. During lean times, ranchers and developers do not have the cash to rapidly expand their pasturelands and operations, while the government lacks funds to sponsor highways and colonization programs and grant tax breaks and subsidies to forest exploiters. Clearing for Cattle Pasture Cattle ranching are the leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. This has been the case since at least the 1970s: government figures attributed 38 percent of deforestation from 1966-1975 to large-scale cattle ranching. However, today the situation may be even worse. According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europes processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent and by 2003 for the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production 80 percent of which was in the Amazon was largely export driven. Factors * CURRENCY DEVALUATION—The devaluation of the Brazilian real against the dollar effectively doubled the price of beef in reals and created an incentive for ranchers to expand their pasture areas at the expense of the rainforest. The weakness of the real also made Brazilian beef more competitive on the world market [CIFOR]. * CONTROL OVER FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE—The eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in much of Brazil has increased price and demand for Brazilian beef. * INFRASTRUCTURE—Road construction gives developers and ranchers access to previously inaccessible forest lands in the Amazon. Infrastructure improvements can reduce the costs of shipping and packing beef. * INTEREST RATES—Rainforest lands are often used for land speculation purposes. When real pasture land prices exceed real forest land prices, land clearing is a good hedge against inflation. At times of high inflation, the appreciation of cattle prices and the stream of services (milk) they provide may outpace the interest rate earned on money left in the bank. * LAND TENURE LAWS—In Brazil, colonists and developers can gain title to Amazon lands by simply clearing forest and placing a few head of cattle on the land. As an additional benefit, cattle are a low-risk investment relative to cash crops which are subject to wild price swings and pest infestations. Essentially cattle are a vehicle for land ownership in the Amazon. Colonization and subsequent subsistence agriculture A significant amount of deforestation is caused by the subsistence activities of poor farmers who are encouraged to settle on forest lands by government land policies. In Brazil, each squatter acquires the right (known as a usufruct right) to continue using a piece of land by living on a plot of unclaimed public land (no matter how marginal the land) and using it for at least one year and a day. After five years the squatter acquires ownership and hence the right to sell the land. Up until at least the mid-1990s this system was worsened by the government policy that allowed each claimant to gain title for an amount of land up to three times the amount of forest cleared. Poor farmers use fire for clearing land and every year satellite images pick up tens of thousands of fires burning across the Amazon. Typically understory shrubbery is cleared and then forest trees are cut. The area is left to dry for a few months and then burned. The land is planted with crops like bananas, palms, manioc, maize, or rice. After a year or two, the productivity of the soil declines and the transient farmers press a little deeper and clear new forest for more short-term agricultural land. The old, now infertile fields are used for small-scale cattle grazing or left for waste. Infrastructure Improvements Road construction in the Amazon leads to deforestation. Roads provide access to logging and mining sites while opening forest frontier land to exploitation by poor landless farmers. Brazils Trans-Amazonian Highway was one of the most economic development programs ever devised, and one of the most spectacular failures. In the 1970s, Brazil planned a 2,000 mile highway that would bisect the massive Amazon forest, opening rainforest lands to settlement by poor farmers from the crowded, drought-plagued north and development of timber and mineral resources. Colonists would be granted a 250-acre lot, six-months salary, and easy access to agricultural loans in exchange for settling along the highway and converting the surrounding rainforest into agricultural land. The plan would grow to cost Brazil US$65,000 1980 dollars to settle each family, an amazing amount for Brazil, a developing country at the time. Commercial agriculture Recently, soybeans have become one of the most important contributors to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Thanks to a new variety of soybean developed by Brazilian scientists to flourish in rainforest climate, Brazil is on the verge of supplanting the United States as the worlds leading exporter of soybeans. High soybean prices have also served as an impetus to expanding soybean cultivation. Logging In theory, logging in the Amazon is controlled by strict licensing which allows timber to be harvested only in designated areas. However, there is significant evidence that illegal logging is quite widespread in Brazil. In recent years, Ibama Brazils environmental enforcement agency has made several large seizures of illegally harvested timber including one in September 2003 when 17 people were arrested for allegedly cutting 10,000 hectares worth of timber. Logging in the Amazon is closely linked with road building. Studies by the Environmental Defense Fund show that areas that have been selectively logged are eight times more likely to be settled and cleared by shifting cultivators than untouched rainforests because of access granted by logging roads. Logging roads give colonists access to rainforest, which they exploit for fuel wood, game, building material, and temporary agricultural lands. Fires Virtually all forest clearing, by small farmer and plantation owner alike, is done by fire. Though these fires are intended to burn only limited areas, they frequently escape agricultural plots and pastures and char pristine rainforest, especially in dry years like 2005. Many of the fires set for clearing forest for these purposes are set during the three-month burning season and the smoke produced creates widespread problems across the region, including airport closings and hospitalizations from smoke inhalation. These fires cover a vast area of forest. In 1987 during a four-month period, about 19,300 square miles of Brazilian Amazon were burned. The burning produced carbon dioxide containing more than 500 million tons of carbon, 44 million tons of carbon monoxide, and millions of tons of other particles and nitrogen oxides. An estimated 20 percent of fires that burn between June and October cause new deforestation, while another 10 percent is the burning of ground cover in virgin forest Mining Mining in the Brazilian Amazon presently results in limited deforestation due to crackdowns on informal miners known as garimpeiros. The pig iron industry may have the largest role in mining-driven deforestation by consuming wood to produce charcoal to fuel steel production.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Atomic Bomb Essay -- essays research papers

The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6, 1945. The world would never be the same. This paper will discuss the significance of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how they led to the success of the Allied forces. It will also discuss how the United States developed the atomic bomb, the decision to drop the bomb, the weakening of Japan, the actual bombing an destruction of both cities, the surrender of Japan and the impact the atomic bomb would have in the future. During World War II, the United States was afraid that Germany would develop the atomic bomb first. Germany had taken over Norway, which was a heavy water supply and Czechoslovakia, which was a uranium supply. Both of these, water and uranium, were needed to make the atomic bomb. Therefore, the United States initiated a top secret program called the Manhattan Project. Even the Vice President didn't know about this project. The Manhattan Project cost over 2 billion dollars. Yet, Congress never voted to fund this program (Hoare, 1987, 10-14). Roosevelt authorized scientists to find out if an atomic bomb could be built. On December 2, 1942, scientists working in a secret laboratory under the bleachers of a football field in Chicago achieved the first man-made nuclear reaction. An atomic bomb could now be developed. Many scientists and other skilled workers participated in the making of the first atomic bomb. However, only few knew what they were making. In 1944, after D-Day, the Alsos (a troop sent to find how far the Germans had come in the building of the atomic bomb) radioed back that they had given up in their attempt to make it. Still, despite scientists' pleas with the President to discontinue it, the U.S. maintained the work on their atomic bomb (Conrad, 1982, 12-16). In Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb was detonated in the desert. The bomb was much more explosive than scientists thought it would be. The 100 foot tower which housed the bomb was totally destroyed by the blast. ("World War II", 1997, 1-2). After the bomb exploded, Robert Oppenheimer, the head of the Manhattan Project, said, "Behold. I have become death, destroyer of worlds." (Hoare, 1987, 18) When Harry Trum... ...p; The United States, as well as the Allied forces, saved many lives by dropping the atomic bomb. The dropping of the atomic bomb, even though it killed hundreds of thousands Japanese people, saved more Americans and other Allied soldiers that would have been killed in battle. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki may not have been exciting battles, but they may have been the most important weapons used in World War II. If Japan had not surrendered, more atomic bombs may have been dropped and it would be very significant that the United States had made them. Even though only two were dropped, they killed many Japanese, making the government fearful that more would be dropped if they did not surrender (Conrad, 1982, 20-22). When looking back upon the six years of World War II, the three days surrounding the dropping of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had far greater impact than all of the battles preceding them. The destruction they wrought far surpassed anything ever seen before. As cited in this paper, the atomic bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy, were pivotal to the success of the Allied forces.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Music Firms Want EU to Cut Off Pirates

The plan, backed by French President Sarkozy, asks Internet service providers to disconnect users who illegally download copyrighted music by Leigh Phillips With sales of compact discs across Europe in free-fall, the record industry has called on the EU to follow French president Nicolas Sarkozy's lead and force internet service providers to disconnect customers who illegally download music. â€Å"Up until now, ISPs have allowed copyright theft to run rampant on their networks, causing a massive devaluation of copyrighted music,† said John Kennedy, the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the record industry trade association. â€Å"The time for action is now — from the EU and other governments.† The IFPI believes the mood of indulging ISPs and their downloading customers is coming to an end. â€Å"2007 was the year ISP responsibility started to become an accepted principle,† he said. â€Å"2008 must be the year it becomes reality.† Last November, president Sarkozy backed an initiative in partnership with the record industry and internet providers that would see ISPs automatically disconnect customers who illegally download copyrighted material. â€Å"More than anyone else in 2007, our industry has to thank French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the chairman of FNAC [the France-based chain of record and electronics superstores], Denis Olivennes, for the change of mood,† said Mr Kennedy. The Sarkozy agreement, announced in November, is the most significant milestone yet in the task of curbing piracy on the internet. The French president's move requires ISPs to disconnect customers using an automated system and to test filtering technologies. Mr Kennedy made comments in an IFPI report on the state of the sector. Although there was a 40 percent increase in digital sales globally in 2007, according to the report, there was a 10 percent decline in sales of compact discs last year. The report also praised government moves against illegal downloading in Sweden, Belgium, the UK, the US and Asia. Provided by EUobserver—For the latest EU related news BusinessWeek Europe January 28, 2008 1:04PM EST

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Technology in Schools Essay

While some may argue that technology can decrease the engagement of the students and â€Å"may seriously mess up children's informational metabolism† (Source C), if used in the right environment and context, technology can, in fact, engage students even more. When used in an educational way, a laptop or tablet can be exactly what a student needs to get their undivided attention. Kids already live in a day and age where the internet and its mountains of information are available at the touch of a finger.When they go to school and are forced to use traditional dictionaries and encyclopedias, it's like being reinserted back to the Stone Age. Why not build 2 that Empire High School in Arizona is making â€Å"the laptops the key ingredient of the cake†. By adjusting school to the student's needs, you can make them more engaged. Some critics of this technology claim that the internet is a scary place that â€Å"it's also full of lies, garbage, and pornography so revolting yo u can't even describe. † (Source E). Haven't you ever heard of web filters? Apparently not.However, despite their doubts, there are many ways to ensure that the students are kept on track and stay away from these oh-so Cary websites. Besides, its not like this is a new problem; most schools have computers readily available for their students to use and have already solved this problem through previously stated methods. At this point there's no arguing that technology would only serve to increase the engagement Of the students in the classroom, not hinder it. Another aspect to consider is whether or not the technology will increase the ease of learning in the classroom.By allowing students to access the internet to communicate with the teacher and other students, you make the learning process easier. Many schools are allowing students to post assignments online â€Å"so other students can easily read and critique them† (Source B). In a way, switching to technology is lik e switching to a different tool. Let's say a farmer plants crops using the same tools his family has used for generations. When a new cheaper and more efficient tool comes out it would be irrational for the farmer to continue using his old tools for the sake of tradition.By switching to technology we are changing a task that was once done using pencil and paper, but â€Å"today belongs to the zeroes and ones† source D). Despite the facts, some people are still skeptical and question if this new technology will affect the children's ability to learn. Writer Esther Tyson asks if the children â€Å"will†¦ Be able to discern cause and effect, put together a coherent story line, think scientifically, [or] read a book with a single 3 argument rather than a set of essays? † (Source C). This argument is falsified due to the fact that a child's ability to learn isn't solely dependent On the tools they use to do so.This same situation occurred years ago when schools Egan to first put computers into the classrooms and libraries of schools. These new computers would not be able to determine whether or not one student is better than another. If a student is smart and a hard worker, the different technologies they use to do their work won't change those characteristics about them; it will only allow them to do what they do faster. While some cases might deter the learning process, its obvious that when considering the simplicity of learning in the classroom, technology is the way to go.The last thing to consider when switching to technology is how it will affect he relationship between the teacher and the student. By becoming more technologically capable, the teacher is able to bridge the generation gap that once separated the old and the new. For many years there has been a struggle for teachers to feel on the same level as their students and be able to understand what they need in order to learn. With technology, they can become closer to their students and perhaps be able to bond with those that once thought of their teachers as nothing more than strangers.Also, it allows students and teachers to communicate outside the classroom through arums and blobs so that the student can get extra help and the teacher can understand what they need to work on. Through this process, â€Å"the educators are beginning to interact with students, parents, and each other in ways they never have before. † (Source B). Through technology, we can better connect students and teachers to make learning more enjoyable. As time goes on the technology that humans develop seems to get crazier and crazier. With motion sensing and AD devices, its almost unbelievable that our generation will live to see these things established.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

SAFER Makes Safe to Walk in Space

SAFER Makes Safe to Walk in Space Its like a scene from a science fiction movie nightmare: an astronaut is working outside a spacecraft in the vacuum of space when something happens. A tether breaks or maybe a computer glitch strands the astronaut too far from the ship. However it happens, the end result is the same. The astronaut ends up floating away from the spacecraft into the endless void of space, with no hope of rescue. Thankfully, NASA developed a device for space walking that keeps an astronaut safe while working outdoors to prevent such a scenario from happening in real life.   Safety for EVAs Space walks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs), are an important part of living and working in space. Dozens were needed just for the the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS).   Early missions by both the U.S. and Soviet Union also relied on space walks, with astronauts tethered to their spacecraft by lifelines. The space station cannot maneuver to rescue a free-floating EVA crew member, so NASA got to work to design a safety harness for astronauts who would be working around it without direct connections. Its called Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER): a life jacket for space walks. SAFER is a self-contained maneuvering unit worn by astronauts like a backpack. The system relies on small nitrogen-jet thrusters to let an astronaut move around in space. Its relatively small size and weight allow for convenient storage on the station, and let EVA crew members put it on in the station’s airlock. However, the small size was achieved by limiting the amount of propellant it carries, meaning that it can only be used for a limited time. Its intended primarily for emergency rescue, and not as an alternative to tethers, and safety grips. Astronauts control the unit with a hand controller attached to the front of their space suits, and computers assist in its operation. The system has an automatic attitude hold function, in which the onboard computer helps the wearer maintain course. SAFERs propulsion is provided by 24 fixed-position thrusters that expel nitrogen gas and have a thrust of 3.56 Newtons (0.8 pounds) each. SAFER was first tested in 1994 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, when astronaut Mark Lee became the first person in 10 years to float freely in space. EVAs and Safety Space walking has come a long way since the early days. In June 1965, astronaut Ed White became the first American to conduct a space walk. His space suit was smaller than later EVA suits, since it did not carry its own oxygen supply. Instead, a hose to an oxygen supply on the Gemini capsule connected White. Bundled with the oxygen hose were electrical and communication wires and a safety tether. However, it quickly expended its supply of gas. On Gemini 10 and 11, a hose to a nitrogen tank aboard the spacecraft connected a modified version of the handheld device. This allowed the astronauts to use it for a longer period of time. The Moon missions had EVAs starting with Apollo 11, but these were on the surface, and required the astronauts wear full space suits. Skylab astronauts made repairs to their systems, but were tethered to the station. In later years, especially during the shuttle era, the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) was used as a way for an astronaut to jet around the shuttle. Bruce McCandless was the first to try one out, and the image of him floating free in space was an instant hit.   SAFER, which has been described as a simplified version of the MMU, has two advantages over the earlier system. It is a more convenient size and weight and ideal for an astronaut rescue device outside the Space Station. SAFER is a rare type of technology- the kind NASA built hoping that it wont be necessary to use it. So far, tethers, safety grips, and the robot arm have proved adequate to safely keep astronauts where they are supposed to be during space walks. But if they ever fail, SAFER will be ready.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Power As A Theme In Aeschylus Orestia

Power As A Theme In Aeschylus Orestia Power and its Effect What is power? Its meaning has been explored and subject to interpretation by many cultures, starting with early civilization. Power always plays a crucial role in any society, and dictates the future of that society and the members of that society. The usual reason for the collapse of a society is a group or persons want for power, and the lengths to which they will go to achieve this power. Hence, "the desire for power is the catalyst for tragedy." This was the case in Aeschylus's The Oresteia.English: Orestes slaying AegisthusIn the first two plays of The Orestia, Aeschylus explored the theme of power and the emotions behind the desire to control. Although Aeschylus lived during 458 B.C., and the play is set in the recesses of ancient Greek mythology, it's tale still has relevance today. Clytaemestra, driven by jealousy and envy, murdered her husband Agamemnon to claim the throne for herself in The Agamemnon. Much like Agamemnon's distraught son, Orestes, who revenges his father's death in The Libation Bearers by killing Clytaemestra and Aegisthus. The desire for power, which Agamemnon and Orestes experienced, is a catalyst for tragedy. Power the most important component in any societies, or family's political structure. And people's desire for power in either structure can create extreme consequences. Clytaemestra murdered Agamemnon with little emotion, driven by her desire for the attention she never received, and jealous of the power he possessed as a ruler. After the murder Clytaemestra banished Orestes from Argos, afraid that he would some day challenge her possession of the throne, and take back that which was rightfully his. Her fears were brought to life in The Libation Bearers when Orestes returns to morn for his father, and in a state of great anger and torment,

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Definition and Examples of a Lingua Franca

Definition and Examples of a Lingua Franca A lingua franca (pronounced LING-wa FRAN-ka) is a language or mixture of languages used as a medium of communication by people whose native languages are different. It is from the Italian, language Frankish and also known as a trade language, contact language, international language, and global language. The term English as a lingua franca (ELF) refers to the teaching, learning, and use of the English language as a common means of communication for speakers of different native languages. Examples and Observations Where a language is widely used over a relatively large geographical area as a language of wider communication, it is known as a lingua francaa common language but one which is native only to some of its speakers. The term lingua franca itself is an extension of the use of the name of the original Lingua Franca, a Medieval trading pidgin used in the Mediterranean region. (M. Sebba, Contact Languages: Pidgins and Creoles. Palgrave, 1997) English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) The status of English is such that it has been adopted as the worlds lingua franca for communication in Olympic sport, international trade, and air-traffic control. Unlike any other language, past or present, English has spread to all five continents and has become a truly global language. (G. Nelson and B. Aarts, Investigating English Around the World, The Workings of Language, ed. by R. S. Wheeler. Greenwood, 1999)Even though everybody around the world speaks Englishsort ofin their dealings with American media and business, politics, and culture, the English that is spoken is a lingua franca, a Bodysnatched English to be carefully scrutinized as to its meanings when it is used by a foreign culture. (Karin Dovring, English as Lingua Franca: Double Talk in Global Persuasion. Praeger, 1997)But what do we mean by the term English as a lingua franca? The term lingua franca is usually taken to mean any lingual medium of communication between people of different mother tongues, for whom i t is a second language (Samarin, 1987, p. 371). In this definition, then, a lingua franca has no native speakers, and this notion is carried over into definitions of English as a lingua franca, such as in the following example: [ELF] is a contact language between persons who share neither a common native tongue nor a common (national) culture, and for whom English is the chosen foreign language of communication (Firth, 1996, p. 240).Clearly, the role of English as the chosen foreign language of communication in Europe is an extremely important one, and one that is on the increase. . . . It is important to note that this means that both in Europe as well as in the world as a whole, English is now a language that is mainly used by bi- and multilinguals, and that its (often monolingual) native speakers are a minority. (Barbara Seidlhofer, Common Property: English as a Lingua Franca in Europe. International Handbook of English Language Teaching, ed. by Jim Cummins and Chris Davison. Spr inger, 2007) Globish as a Lingua Franca I want to draw a distinction between a language which is spread through nurture, a mother tongue, and a language that is spread through recruitment, which is a lingua franca. A lingua franca is a language that you consciously learn because you need to, because you want to. A mother tongue is a language that you learn because you cant help it. The reason English is spreading around the world at the moment is because of its utility as a lingua franca. Globisha simplified version of English thats used around the worldwill be there as long as it is needed, but since its not being picked up as a mother tongue, its not typically being spoken by people to their children. It is not getting effectively to first base, the most crucial first base for long-term survival of a language. (Nicholas Ostler quoted by Robert McCrum in My Bright Idea: English Is On the Up but One Day Will Die Out. The Observer, October 31, 2010) Cyberspace English Because the cyberspace community, at least at the moment, is overwhelmingly English speaking, it is appropriate to say that English is its unofficial language. . . .The colonial past, imperialistic stealth, and the emergence of other language blocs in cyberspace as it grows will minimize in due time the preeminence of English as the de facto language of cyberspace. . . .[Jukka] Korpela sees another alternative to cyberspace English and a constructed language. He predicts the development of better language machine translation algorithms. Such algorithms will result in efficient and sufficient quality language translators, and there will be no need for a lingua franca. (J. M. Kizza, Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. Springer, 2007)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

WHAT IS FRANKLINS ARGUMENT IN REMARKS CONCERNING THE SAVAGES OF NORTH Essay

WHAT IS FRANKLINS ARGUMENT IN REMARKS CONCERNING THE SAVAGES OF NORTH AMERICA WHAT EXAMPLES DOES HE PROVIDE TO PROVE THIS ARGUMENT - Essay Example He is championing for reverence of other people’s culture caused by cultural diversity in the world. In his argument, Franklin quashes the assumption that the whites are superior to the Native Americans. The whites feel that the Native Americans, due to their cultural background, live with ill manners. Benjamin Franklin tries to show that people are naturally innocent. Therefore, ones culture should not be a tool to put him down or demean him. He proposes that one should treat others, as he would wish others to treat him. He elaborates this by saying and proving, in his argument, that the whites were ignorant of the natives’ way of life. He uses a scenario when there is a public council, or even when people engage in a simple conversation. In the Indian culture, another does not interrupt one until he is through with what he is saying. In this culture, people reckon interrupting another person as highly indecent. Contrary to this, in an English society one has to deliver his speech with great rapidity or risk of someone cutting him off in the middle of his speech by the impatient loquacity of those he is conversing (The Norton anthology of English literature, 1962). This example comes in hand to illustrate the civility of the natives as compared to the British. Another example comes in form of the offer allowing half dozen Indian sons to attend Williamsburg College. The Indian leaders appreciated the offer but politely declined it. The Indians explain that their ideas of education differ from the one perceived by the British. This example simply implies that the natives are as smart and educated, but just in the same nature as the British (The Norton anthology of English literature, 1962). The visit of Conrad to a native’s house provided an example of their hospitality. Conrad Weiser was warmly welcomed and provided with spread fur to sit on. They

Movie reflection paper on the movie Avatar Research

Movie reflection on the movie Avatar - Research Paper Example and man’s quest for unknown, in terms of scientific exploration, has led him to find out various types of valuable items from different planets in the universe. The course of such quest led the scientists to obtain â€Å"unobtanium† on a planet, Pandora. The Pandora biosphere has almost the same elements as that of the Earth’s and it is inhabited by Na’vi. The species of the Pandora also has close similarities with the Earth’s and also provides a deep impression of the similarity that Earthly species as well as human inhabitants enjoyed during the days of primitive existence. Circumstances of the film take a serious turn as Jack Sully’s intelligence is used for the purpose of obtaining â€Å"unobtanium† and taking advantage of Na’vis’ primitive existence, human beings, with their superior technology and armed forces attempt to destroy the Hometree, a manifestation of Na’vis’ respect for values and traditiona l existence, to reach the mines. The entire Na’vi community fights back and despite their initial defeat, finally with the help of entire Pandoran wildlife they defeat artificial intelligence and technological supremacy (Avatar 2009). Main theme of the Avatar elaborates a symbolical criticism against man’s hedonistic and utilitarian aggression for everything that is natural, spontaneous and beautiful. It has also been suggested that free spirit cannot be dominated by the use of armed forces, artificial intelligence and threat of tremendous oppression. The history of human civilization provides numerous such examples that a superior community in terms of power, technology and massive support, has attempted to dominate the weaker ones but the moment such oppression has amounted to the level of violating self-respect, values and morality, a strong wave of protest has always emerged from the dominated side, resulting in fall of the dominating. The storyline of Avatar

Friday, October 18, 2019

Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Democracy - Essay Example Lord Bryce states that democracy is â€Å"the form of government in which the ruling power is vested not in a particular class but in all the persons of a state†. Abraham Lincoln defined it as â€Å"democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people†. Carl Becker defined democracy as â€Å"a democratic form of government has always meant one in which the citizens, or a sufficient number of them to represent more or less effectively the common will, freely act from time to time, and according to established forms, to appoint or recall the magistrates and to enact or revoke the laws by which the community is governed† (Modern Democracy). Pre-Requisites of Democracy Democracy is a system, which is successful in a sound political system. Such an atmosphere can be created by enhancing the literacy rate, improved socialization, active involvement of citizens in national politics, replacement of sentimental and violent politics with rational thi nking and pacific means, entrance of acceptance and tolerance in political life, and superiority of the national interests. Democracy may flourish only if everyone is given opportunity to participate in political activities and exercise of state powers on basis of merit and ability. However, several professional politicians are creating monopoly in politics due to political ignorance and lack of awareness. Political parties and democracy are nothing without each other. About all states in the world have political parties and representative groups to strengthen the democratic form of government. Democracy develops through unionism, associations, interest groups, and pressure groups. They communicate national problems to people and opinions of the people are made. Democracy is such a political system, which ensures right of opposition and criticism to put government on the right track. While exercising its powers, government may ignore the charter and abuse powers. A strong opposition is therefore necessary to keep government within its limits. Media is often considered as the backbone of democratic system. It serves as a bridge between government and the people. The role of media in the development of democracy is essential, therefore its independence must be ensured. Furthermore, development of democracy requires that regionalism and sectarianism must be discouraged and even to be rooted-out. These things divert attention of government from welfare and development activities. As rulers are representatives, they are responsible before people. Accountability to check government acts results in increased life and quality of democratic systems. Judiciary in this regard is a type of check valve in the system. It must be independent and effective to preserve the rights of the community. Characteristic Conditions of Democracy In democratic states, all people, irrespective of any discrimination, are citizens. According to the traditional concepts, as Aristotle says, à ¢â‚¬Å"all persons of a state are not citizens as slaves†. It is democracy, which gave equal rights and opportunities even to both sexes and all inhabitants. In this form of government, no one is allowed to rule forever but government changes according to changing conditions. Periodical elections are scheduled to change governments peacefully and through constitutional means. Government is responsible before parliament in parliamentary form of government and representatives are responsible before the electorates. In this political system, representatives have desire for re-election that compels parliamentarians to respect people suggestions. Democratic system ensures that all decisions are made on majority basis and state administration is run according to the will of the majority.

Project Management, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management, - Essay Example The involvement of the other tenderer that would assist to reduce the gap between the tender and the budget by offering a better solution out of experience from working with different types of tendering items. The tenderer can give directions of acquiring cheaper tools. At the same time, the tenderer can promise to offer a cheaper tender for the same contract. If there is a significant discrepancy noted between the new tenderer and the other tenders, adjustments should therefore be made to seek convenience in the contract. A notification of the tenders- This is to inform you that the scope of the tender has experienced some alterations. According to the budget issued by the principle of the contract, we comprehended that the tenders exceed the budget. Due to lack of enough funds to pay for the project, the project directors have called for the adjustments on the costs of the tender. In that response, I as the contractor, through the guidance of an electrical engineer, have decided to change the scope of the tender so as to reduce the amount of expenditure. The standing mixers in our water plant can be fitted with renovated electrical motors. This would assist the company to achieve some net saving. Legal bases that support this idea can be; according to the distinctions given in section nine, the quality of the materials of work can be changed relatively by the electrical engineer. Any advice given to the contractor by his adviser is adjustable and therefore the contractor has the right to change the scope of the tender. The adviser can change the order or direction in which the work is to be carried out (Engineering and construction, 2004, pg. 34). The specific recommended client can be informed through a notification letter which would provide the strategy arrived ay the contractor and their advisor. A notification to the client would read; After evaluating the three available tenders, PPK Ltd is placed forward with much recommendation. The tender is three hu ndred and sixty five dollars plus GST and comprises twenty tags. Upon the PPK recommendation; the tender has more tags that are accepted without any issue. It consists of the large number of tags yet there does not exist in a large difference in cost between PPK and LMN. ZXK Ltd. is the cheapest tender but has the lowest number of tags. Although the PPK tender is the best for this contract, it would require the highest amount of money. We can make much investment on the PPK so that we can get the best service that would meet our expectations. A notification letter to the tenderer. Kindly note that you, LMN and PPK Ltd, has been selected to perform the contract offered by our company. With respect to the featured information in the tender description, the company considered the PPK tender due to its reasonable number of tags provided in the description. With this response, the company wishes to invite you to a pre-contract meeting, which is programmed for date fourteen of this month. The company shall not violate the available rights of protection towards your tender. The pre-contract meeting shall discuss matters concerning cost, any payments and the reduction in scope of this tender. You will also be expected to provide a specific date for the start of your contract. Letter to LMN The XYZ company has accepted the revised tender amount with the revised contract period. In addition, the company holds much

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Solve a regression problem using SPSS Coursework

Solve a regression problem using SPSS - Coursework Example The Equation of Best Fit is a calculation or equation that attempts to minimize distance between all the data points and a fitted line. The general idea is that small and unbiased difference between a model’s predicted values and the observed values indicates the model of best fit. However, it is advisable to look at the residual plots before concluding about goodness-of-fit as a statistical measure. We interpret the slope b or regression coefficient as the amount of change in Y for each unit increase in X. that is b represents the effect of X on Y while the intercept a, is the predicted value of Y associated with X = 0. From our analysis, the slope (a = 0.124) and Y-intercept (-1.031), X-temperature, and Y ice cream sales. Figure 2 below shows the strong positive correlation between temperature and Ice Cream Sales (slope). The main idea for this task is to find out whether the number of ice cream sold varies with temperature. Based on existing literature, we would expect ice-cream sales to increase with temperature. In order to answer the questions for the exercise, the Number of Ice Cream Sales is the dependent variable (criterion variable), and Temperature is the independent variable. Overall, the task is a simple linier regression because there are only two variables. Figure 4 above shows the correlation coefficient (r) is +0.98, which tells us a strong positive correlation between sales of ice cream and temperature, at 0.001 significance level. Therefore, we establish that the relationship between sales of ice cream and temperature was positively and strongly related (r = +0.98), p

Alice in Wonderland - Costume Requirements Research Paper

Alice in Wonderland - Costume Requirements - Research Paper Example The vitality of costumes roots from the fact that they have the effect of reflecting the character’s personality in the play. Additionally, costumes can be of various colors, texture and shapes. Depending on the route that the costume designer takes in terms of color, shape and texture, the audience can get a powerful statement of vision. Therefore, costume designers should join forces with the directors, the lighting designers and the entire set to ensure the integration of the costumes into the production with minimal setbacks. Once there is proper collaboration, the stage costumes can now be used to inform the audience about the social status, age, individualism or occupation of the character (Poddubiuk). In this context, Alice, White Rabbit and Mum, who also doubles up as the Queen of hearts, are considered. One of the main themes used by Laura Wade in setting up the play is trying to relate the play to the modern world, or instance, the use of mobile phones. In a similar reasoning, the costumes of the characters have to be contemporary in order to achieve the intended objective. Since the play starts with a grieving moment whereby a traffic accident has taken away the life of Alice’s brother, it is required that she wears black attire so as to show the bereavement. By so doing, she will be joining the other characters that have come to console their family in expressing the grief. To induce the decency of the contemporary world, the attire needs to fit her well. Alternatively, a petticoat can be worn underneath a black dress in order to make her stand out in a nice manner. Black ballerina shoes with a black ribbon across the top should be used. Alice should also carry a flamingo plush since she was invited to play croquet with the Queen of cards together with her subjects. The flamingo plush should be pink in color to cater for the feminine attribute of Alice. In case the character lack the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Solve a regression problem using SPSS Coursework

Solve a regression problem using SPSS - Coursework Example The Equation of Best Fit is a calculation or equation that attempts to minimize distance between all the data points and a fitted line. The general idea is that small and unbiased difference between a model’s predicted values and the observed values indicates the model of best fit. However, it is advisable to look at the residual plots before concluding about goodness-of-fit as a statistical measure. We interpret the slope b or regression coefficient as the amount of change in Y for each unit increase in X. that is b represents the effect of X on Y while the intercept a, is the predicted value of Y associated with X = 0. From our analysis, the slope (a = 0.124) and Y-intercept (-1.031), X-temperature, and Y ice cream sales. Figure 2 below shows the strong positive correlation between temperature and Ice Cream Sales (slope). The main idea for this task is to find out whether the number of ice cream sold varies with temperature. Based on existing literature, we would expect ice-cream sales to increase with temperature. In order to answer the questions for the exercise, the Number of Ice Cream Sales is the dependent variable (criterion variable), and Temperature is the independent variable. Overall, the task is a simple linier regression because there are only two variables. Figure 4 above shows the correlation coefficient (r) is +0.98, which tells us a strong positive correlation between sales of ice cream and temperature, at 0.001 significance level. Therefore, we establish that the relationship between sales of ice cream and temperature was positively and strongly related (r = +0.98), p

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The impact of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources on Our Research Paper

The impact of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources on Our Earth... How does each one help or hinder our future - Research Paper Example However, energy can be classified into two main groups such as renewable as well as non-renewable energy (The National Academics Press, 2012). Renewable energy can be defined as the energy that is mainly created out of the natural sources such as sun, wind, rain, tides and can be reproduced as per the requirements. They are generally available in abundance and can be availed as and when needed. Renewable sources of energy are the cleanest sources of energy. Renewable energy sources are the sources that generally comprise wind power, geothermal energy, ocean energy, fuel wood, tar sands and oil share among others (The National Academics Press, 2012). On the other hand, the non-renewable sources of energy can be defined as the energy that has been prepared from those sources that are most likely to extinct fifty-sixty years from now. Owing to the fact that the non-renewable sources of energy are not environmental friendly, it is most likely to have an impact upon the health of an indiv idual. The main reason behind their name to be regarded as non-renewable is that they cannot be re-created within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources tend to prevail in the form of fossil fuels, oil, natural gas as well as coal (The National Academics Press, 2012). The study intends to identify the impacts of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy upon the earth. ... It can be stated that wind energy has become cost competitive with traditional energies in leading countries. Among all the renewable sources energy, it can be mentioned that the geothermal energy is practically infinite in nature in the long-term and it is also considered to be an abundant resource in the developing countries (The National Academics Press, 2012). Solar energy does not lead to air pollution when it is operated. The primary environmental and safety issues related to solar energy comprise the way they are created, installed and disposed of. There is a need of energy to create and hence install solar components. The fossil fuels used for this purpose can lead to emission of harmful gases thereby polluting the environment. Hence, one of the significant questions is related to the amount of fossil energy input needed for solar system in comparison to the fossil energy consumed by traditional energy systems. This generally alters based upon the technology and climate and t he remaining energy can be effectively utilized to solar systems in applications where they are generally cost effective and hence enhance with the improvement of technology. The materials that are utilized in a few of the solar systems can lead to health and safety issues for a person who comes into contact with them. The production of the photovoltaic cells needs hazardous materials such as arsenic as well as cadmium. Silicon which is a chief substance that is utilized in solar cells can prove to be detrimental to the workers if they inhale it with dust (The National Academics Press, 2012). Geothermal energy tends to produce heat that can be found beneath the surface of the earth. One of the widely developed geothermal energy has been

Monday, October 14, 2019

Contemporary Use of Rhetoric Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Use of Rhetoric Essay Aristotle believed that rhetoric is an art that could, and should, be studied and that good rhetoric is not only persuasive but also ethical. I agree with Aristotle’s claim that good rhetoric is not only persuasive but it is ethical. Rhetoric is value neutral in that the principles of rhetoric are not necessarily moral or immoral; it is dependent on how they are utilized. I believe it is unethical when good rhetorical principles are used to persuade the ignorant or the unwary of things which are against their best interest and is used to force the beliefs of the hegemonic group of our society upon other less powerful cultural groups. While many believe public engagement in rhetoric has been geared towards establishing absolute truth applicable to the universal appeals of human nature, I believe the principles of rhetoric are used in this modern era unethically to perpetuate certain dominant ideologies in order to maintain social hierarchies. By analyzing modern media and applying the theories and discoveries of the scholars we have discussed throughout the quarter such as, Nietzsche, Habermas, and Fraser it is apparent how language is currently used unethically in attempt to rhetorically persuade the public. As we learned in class, â€Å"rhetoric is one of the oldest and most studied human arts in Western civilization. † The rhetorical tradition can be traced back to the Sophists who first taught rhetoric in the ancient Mediterranean world and were viewed as controversial figures because of it. The Sophists, and specifically Aristotle, laid the groundwork for modern public communication. The Sophists were the first to systematize rhetoric into a true art or discipline and believed that anyone could become a skilled rhetorician with proper teaching and practice. Aristotle was essentially the ‘father’ of rhetorical study and was the first person to systematize the study of rhetoric into a rational system of argument and presentation. He was the scholar that created the three genres (deliberative, epideictic, forensic) and appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) of rhetoric and many of his ideas still remain extremely relevant today, nearly 2,500 years since his lifetime. Aristotle’s ideas are still considered and applied to many forms of contemporary rhetoric. However, although the Greek rhetorical tradition and Aristotle’s beliefs helped shape and define rhetoric and are grounded in its foundations, it has evolved greatly over the centuries and is now used in unethical manners. As we learned in class, although rhetorical tradition viewed rhetoric as an instrument, persuasion, rational, and public art that was a tool of cultural heroes, the contemporary era of rhetoric started focusing less on how to persuade and more on how public audiences are produced by rhetoric and language. Although I believe that the classical rhetoric as defined by the Greeks was accurate, informative, and ethical, I find that the contemporary beliefs of rhetoric are much more fitting in describing the current relation of rhetoric, public, and ethics. I agree that rhetoric is in fact constitutive rather than instrumental in that it constitutes our social world and creates identities within it. In the contemporary era rhetorical theory became less about how to produce good rhetoric and how to use rhetoric as an effective instrument as the Greeks were concerned with, and instead focuses more on how we are affected by rhetoric and how it constructs and reiterates certain cultural ideologies. This is extremely important to consider when examining how rhetoric is used currently in the media to produce persuasive messages to the public. A major theme of rhetoric in the 20th and 21st centuries is that â€Å"language doesn’t just describe reality. It helps create it and the way we talk about things has real material effects. † This is clear through rhetorical devices such as using language to describe â€Å"communism as cancer. † Not everyone defines communism as a negative concept- yet in our society we use language to compare it to cancer. By doing this our culture learns to associate communism with a terrible and tragic disease that there is no cure for. The rhetorical language used gives the term power and teaches the audience to associate the concept with illness and death- giving communism negative connotations. However, those in other countries that utilize communism are probably exposed by their media and government to language that teaches the audience to associate communism as a constructive and positive concept that is beneficial. This demonstrates the concept that Nietzsche introduced that language is power. As discussed in class Nietzschean influence introduced he theme that language cannot be separated from its poetic or metaphorical function and that rhetoric is inextricably linked to power. I agree with this concept and think it is important to analyze rhetoric in such a way when considering how rhetorical devices are employed currently in attempts to persuade the public and normalize certain ideologies through our media and pop culture. I believe it is imperative we consider the first persona or who the rhetors are, the historical context that shape rhetorical texts, and the messages they attempt to produce. Who has the authority to speak is extremely important to consider as one is exposed to messages of pop culture. In our society the dominant group is white, heterosexual men. When considering the statistics of who controls our media and pop culture it is overwhelmingly controlled by men included in this hegemonic group. By critically considering the messages constantly reinforced and presented by the media we can see how history has shaped the way media is written and the rhetoric that enables the perpetuation of binaries that divide our society in everyday life. Pop culture and media is driven, run and written by men, for men, and it is in their best interest to promote messages that maintain their place at the top of the hegemonic social hierarchy- demonstrating how the language they choose to use is power for them. The means of promoting messages through rhetorical devices that keep the dominant groups in power are what I consider to be unethical. The public sphere in theory is a positive concept that promotes democracy and equality by providing everyone with the opportunity to be heard and express their opinion. However, one major threat to the public sphere is the commercialization of the media. Media in our culture has become overwhelmingly commercialized which is a major reason I find current rhetorical practices unethical. Media is owned by different corporations that are overwhelmingly controlled by men so they can use their power to influence the messages presented in reporting’s and edge out alternative views and voices. The hegemonic group that controls the media can promote the messages they want to see that are in their best interest. This is apparent when we watch stations such as NBC that are ran by General Electrics. While watching, you can see the constant promotion of GE products everywhere in their broadcasting. Commercialization allows an unethical bias in rhetorical practices and does not allow for equal expressions of opinion or promotion. Instead it is the companies that have power that can promote their products and stay in power, which is an unethical use of rhetoric in that it is not equally accessible by everyone as it should be. The same bias that is apparent in rhetorical product promotion due to commercialization is also used to promote the values of the dominant group in control of the media. In accordance with Fraser’s critique of the public sphere, the public sphere excludes many groups because democracy is more complicated than Habermas accounted for. Access is essential and not everyone has equal access to the public sphere, which is overwhelmingly apparent when considering how minority groups are overtly portrayed in the media . The hegemonic group in control of media messages uses rhetorical devices to present persuasive messages about the other less dominant groups. For example through rhetoric, election coverage tends to portray political issues in a manner that reinforces sexuality, gender, and racial hierarchies in order to protect the privileged positions of those on the dominant side of our culture’s binaries. For example, specifically media rhetorically portrays women as emotional, uninformed, and thoroughly objectifies them. Media focuses on the way a female politician looks and acts rather than her merits or political stances and there is little to no similar coverage of men (the dominant group that has control over the public sphere) in this same way. Rhetorical tactics used to effectively do this include saying a woman â€Å"complained† while saying a man â€Å"stated. † This effectively makes women seem emotional, while men seem stronger. Another common tactic is labeling a female politician â€Å"Mrs. † instead of addressing her by her title such as â€Å"senator. By refusing to label a woman by her position the newspapers are unethically and effectively diminishing her importance and are presenting a rhetorical message about females in our culture. By focusing on a woman’s appearance, media unethically uses rhetoric to put the emphasis on female’s looks rather than policies which make them seem less powerful than men and this is reflected in our daily lives- demo nstrating how rhetoric can be used to create identities and normalizes beliefs while making them appear to be common sense. This concept is also apparent in the unethical representation of racial minorities in our media through rhetoric. For instance, when quoting a person of color the media will sometimes use tactics such as writing with poor grammar. To better explain, they may use the spelling â€Å"cuz† instead of correcting the spelling to â€Å"‘cause† or â€Å"because† to paint a picture that the minority group is ineloquent and uneducated in order to promote unethical messages that reconfirm the power of the dominant group that currently controls our media. Often this unethical use of rhetorical normalization is overlooked and goes unnoticed. This ostracizes anyone who does not fit clearly into the accepted categories by delegitimizing values and beliefs that are not in accordance with our cultures hegemonic ideologies. These concepts relate to Nietzsche’s concept that by abstracting, language tends to do away with differences and abolishes specificity by assuming sameness where there is none. Our society is composed of many unique individuals but the rhetorical language that is constantly presented to us does not account for differences and is responsible for creating binaries in our culture. Not everything is as simple as black and white and there are many shades of grey that need to be considered and accounted for, yet we assume these black and white binaries are common sense and that individuals can easily be grouped into common categories. This is why society views controversial issues such as racism and sexism the way it does- because those stereotypes or ideological norms have been so frequently mentioned throughout history and our culture that we accept them as common sense and feel no need for action to challenge and change these beliefs. As Nietzsche described there is no truth, truth is only to lie with the herd. To me, this theory can be applied to hegemonic ideologies. Our media promotes sameness in our culture where there is none making it seem like â€Å"common sense† and not accounting for the fact that our society is comprised of unique individuals. Social ideologies are constructed by society and are in no way innate. We are constantly exposed to these constructions from the moment we are born without even being aware. For instance, simple acts such as dressing girls in pink and boys in blue assume sameness about gender preferences where there is none. There is nothing predetermined that says boys cannot like pink yet our culture creates this assumption. Our pop culture, such as Disney reiterates these messages of â€Å"sameness† and â€Å"norms† as well by rhetorically promoting patriarchal ideologies that teach girls their goal in life should be to get married and depend on a man, since that is what the heroin characters of their stories all ultimately do. We are so often constantly exposed to these messages overtly that we start to view them as common sense and normalize them but the majority’s way is not the ONLY way there is to view the important issues of our society; we just tend to see things in accordance with the norms of the â€Å"herd† that are constantly reinforced. That is why I comply with postmodernist views that there is no truth- because everyone has a different idea of â€Å"truth† and we should not accept the version that is unethically reiterated in society and normalized through the media. In conclusion, it is extremely difficult to define rhetoric. Having been in existence for over three thousand years, one cannot hold rhetoric in the same light, as it is constantly shifting and evolving over time. We use rhetoric to help us explain things and mobilize action. Recognizing that rhetoric is a necessarily public deployment of discourse shows the crucial distinction between rhetoric and all other forms of language, which is the fact that rhetoric is utilized specifically to motivate action on the part of an audience. Rhetoric is a very useful and powerful tool that artfully can be used to persuade audiences. However, in my opinion it is currently used unethically in our society to push the beliefs of the hegemonic group in order to keep social hierarchies in place and make them appear as a normal â€Å"truth. † There are many opinions that are often not represented in our society through the language portrayed in our media. Rhetorical devices are used unethically to push what is presented to us as â€Å"common sense† or â€Å"truth† but true equality and equal representation can only exist when it’s reflected in the language of our media. This is why invitational rhetoric is an important concept to consider rather than rhetoric as merely a form of persuasion. In order to act as ethical rhetors in a world without universal truths we must acknowledge all cultural groups and beliefs in our use of rhetoric presented to the public and not just the dominant values of society. Rhetoric should be a tool used to promote democracy and equal representation of opinions instead of used unethically to hinder such attempts by reiterating and normalizing the hegemonic values of our culture.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

History Of The Hyundai Motor Company Commerce Essay

History Of The Hyundai Motor Company Commerce Essay Hyundai Motor Company, a major company in the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group which is the worlds fifth largest automaker as of the end of 2009, (In 2008, Hyundai ranked the eighth largest auto maker, without including Kia.) and the worlds fastest growing automaker. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai operates the worlds largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1.6 million units annually. The company employs about 75,000 persons around the world, Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 6,000 dealerships and showrooms worldwide. The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized H, symbolizes the company shaking hands with its customer. Hyundai translates from the word modernity, and is pronounced as Hyon-dae in Korean. Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Hyundai Motor Company was later established in 1967. The companys first model, the Cortina, was released in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in 1968. When Hyundai wanted to develop their own car, they hired George Turnbull, the former Managing Director of Austin Morris at British Leyland. He in turn hired five other top British car engineers. They were Kenneth Barnett body design, engineers John Simpson and Edward Chapman, John Crosthwaite as chassis engineer and Peter Slater as chief development engineer. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of Italian Design and power train technology provided by Japans Mitsubishi Motors. Exports began in the following year to Ecuador and soon thereafter to the Benelux countries. In 1991, the company succeeded in developing its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, and transmission, thus paving the way for technological independence. In 1983, Hyundai exported the Pony to Canada, but not to the United States because the Pony didnt pass emissions standards there. Canadian sales greatly exceeded expectations, and it was at one point the top-selling car on the Canadian market. The Pony afforded a much higher degree of quality and refinement in the lowest price auto segment than the Eastern-bloc imports of the period then available. In 1986, Hyundai began to sell cars in the United States, and the Excel was nominated as Best Product #10 by Fortune magazine, largely because of its affordability. The company began to produce models with its own technology in 1988, beginning with the midsize Sonata. In 1998, Hyundai began to overhaul its image in an attempt to establish itself as a world-class brand. Chung Ju Yung transferred leadership of Hyundai Motor to his son, Chung Mong Koo, in 1999. Hyundais parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, invested heavily in the quality, design, manufacturing, and long-term research of its vehicles. It added a 10-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cars sold in the United States and launched an aggressive marketing campaign. In 2004, Hyundai was ranked second in initial quality in a survey/study by J.D. Power and Associates. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. Since 2002, Hyundai has also been one of the worldwide official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup. Hyundai has invested in manufacturing plants in the North America, China, Czech Republic, Pakistan, India, and Turkey as well as research and development centers in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Pacific Rim. In 2004, Hyundai Motor Company had $57.2 billion in sales in South Korea making it the countrys second largest corporation. Worldwide sales in 2005 reached 2,533,695 units, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. Hyundai has set as its 2006 target worldwide sales of 2.7 million units (excluding exports of CKD kits). In 2007 it reached 3,961,629 worldwide vehicle sales-surpassing Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Hyundai Motor Companys brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and BusinessWeek survey. Brand value estimated at $4.5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai is one of the leading groups of Companies founded in South Korea. It is the general trading house of Korea, which provides various import and export services. There are several types of products are included in its import and export services such as plants machinery, automobiles, steel and chemical products, general commodities etc. Firstly it was founded as the construction company then the management of the company diversified its business activities in various business areas. The corporation operates its business worldwide through 34 worldwide offices. Through its global presence, it provides optimal solutions to the customer according their requirements. It is helpful to enhance its financial capability in the industry. Hyundai Motor Company is one of the divisions of the Hyundai Corporation, which is the fourth largest automaker in the world. Hyundai Heavy Industries division is the largest shipbuilder in the world (Hyundai Corporation, 2010). Internal Environment Analysis The analysis of the internal environment is an important component for the business as it helps to determine the effectiveness of the management strategies and the threats, which may cause problem for the organization. For the internal and external analysis the SWOT analysis tool could be used. The SWOT analysis tool would help to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. The internal environment analysis of the Hyundai can be analyzed through the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization Strenghs: Diversified business activities The Company is involved in the diversified business segments as it provides several types of import and export services to its customer worldwide. It is the largest automaker in Asia and fourth largest automaker in world, which enhance its effectiveness in global exposure. It also helps to capture a large amount of customer worldwide. Information gathering capability -The information gathering capability of the company is effective as it obtains prompt and extensive information from its sources worldwide. It also uses the advanced trading techniques to obtain the extensive information. Quality advantages The quality of the Hyundai automobile is better than the other manufacturers in Asia as owners of Hyundai cars are experiencing less problems from the owners, who obtains other brand. Sound financial position The Hyundai Corporation is enjoying a continuous increase in its sales revenue worldwide, which is also causing an increase in the net income of the business (Hyundai Motor Company, 2010). The business activities are operated in ethical and social manner, which causes an increase in the image of the company in the society. Weaknesses: An increase in the cost of production is reducing the net income of the company. It is also imposing commodity price risks on the company as the price of inputs such as steel, plastic, aluminum etc. The company is also experiencing the exchange rate risk because of the worldwide business activities. The exchange rate risk is affecting the total revenue of the business. The fluctuation in the foreign exchange rates is affecting the business performance as it is involved in the import and export of several services. Increase in debt to equity ratio The Company is also experiencing an increase in the debt equity ratio, which exhibits an increase in the interest expenses of the company. The external financial obligation is also increasing, which may create financial problems for Hyundai (Hyundai Motor Company, 2010). Analysis of the External Environment The business of Hyundai also operates in the external environment and there are several opportunities and threats are produced by the external environment for the company. The analysis of the opportunities and threats helps to achieve the competitive position for the company. The analysis of the external factors is beneficial for the company if it is performed effectively and efficiently. Hyundai is one of the leading companies in the automobile industry and it has the following opportunities and threats Opportunities: Entry in ship building business It is the leading company in the heavy industry and entry in the ship building business would be effective for the business in order to enhance its revenue and market share as well. New project development The launching and development of the new projects and products would also cause an increase in the performance of the business in the industry. The increase in the demand for fuel efficient vehicles would also cause the success of the new launched projects and products. Business expansion Hyundai also have the opportunity of the business expansion as it is an Asian company and had the opportunity of expanding its business in Asian Pacific Market. Reduction in cost The Company operates its business in several countries around the globe and it can reduce its cost of production by enhancing the production capacity in the countries with lower amount of cost (Hyundai Motor Company, 2010). Threats: Environment regulations The environment regulations are posing threats for the business as diversification of the business may cause the violation of the environmental regulations. Declining economy The decline in the economy is also causing a decrease in the market position of the company as well as also reducing the market capitalization of it. Political problems The business unit in the different countries may cause the problems for the business (Hyundai Motor Company, 2010). Environmental Analysis In the present contemporary environment every business operates its business activities in highly competitive environment. There are various environmental factors, which influences the operation of the organization. Entry 2 Effect of Economic Environment The Company is operating with a rapid economic growth in the business by capturing the environmental opportunities. The increase in the value of currency of Korea against the US dollar is also causing an increase in the profits of the business from the foreign business activities. Labor is not cheap in Korea but increase in the production capacity in the nations with lower wage rate is reducing overall cost of the business. In 2009, Hyundai Motor Company succeeded in selling 2.4 million vehicles overseas, a meaningful accomplishment considering the global economic crisis. In particular, Elantra, Genesis, Genesis Coupe, Santa Fe, and Veracruz were recognized as the best and safest cars in their categories by leading agencies and the media in the US. Also, Hyundai achieved cumulative export sales of 1 million cars in Africa during the 33 years since it first began exporting to the region. Hyundai Motor Company pledges continuous growth by maximizing brand value in developed markets and expanding its sales capacity in emerging markets. Entry 3 Effect of Industry Environment Hyundai Motor Company was named Carmaker of the Year by AM, UKs leading auto trade magazine, in the AM Awards 2010. Carmaker of the Year is awarded to companies that launch innovative vehicles that pioneer changes in the auto industry through continuous investment in RD and advanced dealer network programs. Highly recognized for its sharp sales increase, first-rate dealership programs, and growth in brand awareness, Hyundai Motor Company beat other candidates including Ford, Jaguar, and Landrover to be selected as the winner of the coveted title. In 2008, UKs Autocar selected Hyundai Motor Company as Automaker of the Year, praising Hyundai for having grown into a top-class global automaker with its competitive products. Entry 4 Effect of Political and Legal Environment The increase in the relationship between the different countries and their government is a good indicator for the business of Hyundai as it operates its business in various countries. It would generate business expansion opportunity for Hyundai. In order to ensure the proper compliance of the business activities with the applicable legislation, the corporation works on certain guidelines for the different business operation in different countries. It is essential as every country has different rules and business regulations. Entry 5 Effect of Socio-cultural environment The socio-cultural factors also affect the business effectiveness and performance. The business of Hyundai is operated in the several countries worldwide and the society and culture of those countries are entirely different (Wessels, 2000). The management of the company operates its business by studying the social and cultural factors of the country effectively. Entry 6 Effect of Ethical Environment Hyundai Corp. introduced Ethics Management at the beginning of year 2004, to build the basis for survival on its own and to seek mutual benefit of all parties involved including customers and business partners etc. by preventing moral hazard of the employees and implementing transparent, responsible, and honest management. The company organized its Ethics Management Office, with the Executive Director of the Corporate Planning Personnel Management Office serving as the Chief Ethics Officer, and also established the Principles of Business Conduct, the Code of Conduct, and the Self-Review Questionnaire. The Questionnaire pops up from the initial windows screen every day during the first week of any month when the employees check in to the intranet system, to remind them of and draw their voluntary participation to the idea and pursuit of Ethics Management in practice. Special training and educational sessions on best practices of ethical management from leading corporations and institutions will be presented regularly to the staff. All the members of the company have submitted his or her own pledge of compliance to the various ethics codes, and those in violation will be subject to discipline by the Human Resources Committee following due examination by the Ethics Management Office. Entry 7 Effect of Technological Environment The management of the company is continuously involved in using world class technology in order to achieve technological advancement. The use of most modern technologies causes an increase in customer service effectiveness. Financial data The business strategies of Hyundai are to increase the opportunities through the environmental factors is effective as it is causing an increase in the number of sales units continuously. But in the last year the economic factors has affected the sales of the business as total number of units sold were 1668745 in the year 2008, which is less in comparison of the year 2007 in which it was 1700297 units (Hyundai Motor Company, 2010). The decrease in the sales was domestically due to fluctuation in the current rate as well as in commodity rate. Recommendation There are various alternative strategies, which can be adopted by the management of Hyundai in order to improve business performance such as integration strategy, growth strategy etc. The company should use the integration strategy to expand the business worldwide. It would be beneficial for the business as it would reduce the impact of political and legal factors on the business operations. The affect of the economic factors would also be less due to proper knowledge of the customer behavior, their buying pattern in an effective manner. Implementation of Strategy Hyundai could implement the integration strategy in an effective manner through its diverse workforce and business activities. The diverse workforce would be beneficial to develop the motivation techniques within the organization according to their culture and beliefs (Ryall Craig, 2003). For the effective implementation of the integration strategy the management of the company should develop a proper plan related to the various aspects of the business operations. Evaluation Control Implementation of the integration strategy is not sufficient itself for the business effectiveness. The evaluation of the business effectiveness in timely manner is essential for rapid growth of the business. Company administration should periodically review its implementation process which is necessary for its efficient applications and future results (Ryall Craig, 2003). This step makes implementation process effective.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Chapter 5 of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein :: Free Essay Writer

Chapter 5 of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. I will be looking at why Frankenstein has become such a well known novel and reasons why Mary Shelly. I am writing an essay on one of Mary Shelley’s novels â€Å"Frankenstein†, this is unique to Mary Shelley because from a very young age she has had gothic horror involved in her life â€Å"she entered the world like the heroine of a gothic tale†. Gothic horror was so popular because people were starting to read and watch horror novels. I will be focusing this essay on chapter 5 of Mary Shelley’s novel â€Å"Frankenstein†. I will be looking at why â€Å"Frankenstein† has become such a well known novel and reasons why Mary Shelly chose to write a novel like this. Mary Shelley wrote this novel due to many set backs in her life such as; her mother dying at such young stage of Mary’s life, and the suicide of her half sister Frankenstein’s experiment was important to Mary because it was Mary wanted to do all her life; conquer death. The novel is written in the 1st person to make it look like Frankenstein’s series of events like a diary. The setting of chapter 5 is where Frankenstein has completed the monster and hates his creation so much. Frankenstein gives a vivid image of what is creation looks like; he shows all emotions in this chapter. Frankenstein is the main character in this chapter because it’s all his feelings and emotions. â€Å"I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health†, I feel this is effective because it shows how bad he feels towards and about his creation. Mary Shelley shows how Frankenstein had dreamed of this nearly all of his life but that all goes wrong; â€Å"I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart†, this emphasizes his disgust with the creature and himself. Mary Shelley describes the creature in a lot of detail to give a vivid image of what Frankenstein has created and that some things of Frankenstein’s creation were life like but others made it the monster it was; â€Å"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! -- Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but

Friday, October 11, 2019

Pixar †the Innovative & Creative Animation Company

PIXAR – the innovative & creative animation company PIXAR is a world class animation film studio. The Pixar organization culture is influenced the company to be more creative and innovation. This is helping her to achieve remarkable awards in their industry. The great successful for Pixar is the share values, all employees named â€Å"Pixarians† who are proud of their job and love their job. They are self-motivated and enjoyed to be work in Pixar. By using seven dimension of organization culture, Pixar culture is achieved at least 3 dimension, they are: â€Å"People orientation†, â€Å"Innovation and risk taking† and â€Å"Team orientation†.People orientation Pixar management believes that new talent can blossom creativity and innovation thus using appropriated candidate, no matter whom they are and where they come from being a critical success of the organization. Like John Lasseter hired Andrew Stanton who writes script of Toy Story that he canâ⠂¬â„¢t. Pixar does not like other assembly studios which employed a group of freelance professionals to work on a single project. They hired a permanent staff takes the full responsibility in their role from project to project.Pixar provides on job training to encourage lifelong learning cultural, the in house professional development school – â€Å"Pixar University† where allowed any levels of employees to miss work for classes. Furthermore, Pixar promotes a slogan â€Å"Try, Learn and Try again† for innovation development. It is a company culture that encourages the staff to try something new and think in different. Innovation and risk taking As Pixar is a creative animation factory, their working environment also creative and breakthrough the normal office layout.They are mixing fun with their work place. We can find basketball court, game centre, gym room and even bathrooms in the main office. From the relaxing fun and play area, all employees can take a bre ak and refresh their mind during office hour also meet different department people would interact creative and sparkling ideas. For individual staff, they can design and create their fun & play working spaces at their own preference. Pixar’s management will not disturb their staff freedom which can build another level of respect and trust. [pic] [pic] Fun & relax area pic] Employee can design their own workplace Team orientation Pixar has no organization chart which aims to erase the corporate control and power that forbidding creativity. Paxarians are freedom to communicate with anyone and contribute own creative ideas regardless the level or title, that removes communicating barriers and builds peer driven cultural within Pixar. They are project base team structure, so staff building a good relationship by project succeeds or process failures. To analyze above culture affects the management within Pixar Planning:Base on the business nature, Pixar would like to create a rela xing environment to the staff for encouraging creative thinking, therefore the office layout planning being informal and given enough individualized working area for their staff. Pixar understood that the common social area that can be exchange the working information and idea by a no pressure setting so the leisure facilities is planned for their office. Organizing: Pixar is an organic organization structure company. Their culture is forming a team for specific project. This flexible project based structure can fully utilize the staff talent by their specific strengthen.Also, the project owner can recruit the right person internal for their individual project. On the other hand, staff can meet different kind of team member from the company, it sparkle their mind from the new members. Leading: Pixar is will not hire the freelance designer for the specific project, the form of the team base on the staff talent for full time staff therefore, the leadership style is regarding the staff ability for each project. The chance to show the staff performance is not related on the organization structure but the personal ability.This leading culture gives the chance to everyone in the company to show their talent in their own professional. Their culture will not kill any creative and potential staff from the rigid company structure. Controlling: Pixar is a people orientated company therefore the on job training – Pixar University being one of the controls for the employee performance and level up the employee professional to be Pixar standard. From the training program, employee can understand more about the company requirement, as the same time Pixar can be evaluated the employee by the Pixar university classroom.This long time learning culture is covering all level of the employee which is not only for the working needs but also line up the Pixarians mind set to meet their company goals. Conclusion To sum up, as world-class animation company, Pixar did a very wel l company culture to help the innovative and creative happened. Top management understood that people is the most importance asset for the company so the people orientated management style being the key success for Pixar.Employees get the strong identity with Pixar culture and being loyal to the company, who called themselves â€Å"Paixarian† and so proud of being the member of Pixar. The staff and company are getting the shared values, principles and doing the same way to let company going forward. References: Pixar Official Website: http://www. pixar. com/ Pixar office photo : http://thechive. com/2009/12/22/pixar-offices-are-almost-as-cool-as-thechive-offices-27-photos/ Capodadli, B. & Jackson, L. (2010) Innovate The Pixar Way: Business Lessons From The World’s Most Creative Corporate Playground. New York: McGraw Hill. ———————– 4

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Monopoly essay Essay

Monopoly is â€Å"a firm that can determine the market price of a good. In the extreme case, a monopoly is the only seller of a good or service. † (Miller 103) Characteristics of a Monopoly. Are that there is one single seller in the market with no competition and there are many buyers in the market. The seller controls the prices of the goods or services and is the price maker as well. The consumers do not have perfect information on the goods or services. Advantages of a Monopoly. The Monopolies avoids duplications and hence wastage of resources. Enjoys economics of scale, due to it being the only supplier of the product or service in the market, makes many profits and be used for research and development to maintain their status as a monopoly. They also use price discrimination to benefit the weaker economic section of society. To avoid competition, they can afford to invest in the latest technology and machinery. Disadvantages of a Monopoly. Monopolies have poor levels of service, there is no consumer sovereignty, the consumers are charged high prices for such low quality goods, and lack of competition could lead to low quality goods, as well as out dated goods. What is required for a monopoly to earn profits in the long run? First off, any market type can see super normal profits in the short-run. What is more important is what happens in the long-run. Pure monopolies are not the only monopoly that can make profits. Natural Monopoly or a price discriminating monopoly can make profits as well. The only difference between them is â€Å"why† they are monopolies to begin with. Oligopolies are not monopolies, although they do tend to make above normal profits. Monopolistic competition does not yield these types of profits in the long-run. Economic profit goes to zero here in the long-run because there is a lack of barriers here to prevent competition from entering (as there is with perfect competition). If a firm uses economies of scale then I would be talking about a natural monopoly (or a few firms in oligopoly depending on how large or small the minimum efficient scale is). If the MES were small, economies of scale would not be an entry barrier to competition in order to achieve positive economic profits. If the MES were large, large enough to support one firm only, that would be the definition of a natural monopoly. â€Å"In the long run, a monopolistically competitive firm adjusts plant size, or the quantity of capital, to maximize long-run profit. In addition, the entry and exit of firms into and out of a monopolistically competitive market eliminates economic profit and guarantees that each monopolistically competitive firm earns nothing more or less than a normal profit. † (http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpd&c=dsp&k=monopolistic+competition, +long run+production+analysis). Works Cited Roger LeRoy Miller. Economics Today, Sixteenth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. , publishing as Addison-Wesley, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006. http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpd&c=dsp&k=monopolistic+competition,+long-run+production+analysis.

The Truth of Obama Care

Obama care 1 The Truth of â€Å"Obama Care† American National Government/ POL201 Nicole Emery Instructor: David Williams Obama Care 2The Truth of â€Å"Obama care† Obama Care is the unofficial name for The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which was signed into law on March 23, 2010. In a more general sense Obama Care and the Health Care for America Plan or any such name is a reference to the ongoing health care reform under President Obama. (http://obamacarefacts. com/whatis-obamacare. php) The ACA is landmark legislation designed to increase access to health care coverage for millions of Americans. Wizemann,2011) This legislation represents one of the largest and most comprehensive reforms to the American health care system since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The ACA seeks to extend coverage to roughly 50 million uninsured Americans, slowing down the growth in the cost of health care, and improving the quality of care health care by chan ging the delivery system. ( Some people who oppose the Act are concerned that it gives the Federal government too much control over personal health care decisions and benefits, forcing a complex one-size-fits-all health system onto the states.Some people who are in favor of the Act want lower health care costs overall by making it affordable for more people. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 significantly changed health care in the U. S. , making insurance available to 32 million more Americans — a total of 95% of the legal population. The Act, is being phased in over four years. By 2014, every citizen will be required to have health insurance, or face a penalty. However, they can choose how to get coverage.If they already have a plan, either through their employers, Medicaid, Medicare, or privately, they can keep it. Those who can't currently get health insurance will have additional options. They can purchase it from a state-based health insurance excha nge (and possibly get subsidy) or they may be eligible under expanded Medicare guidelines. Obama Care 3 The program is originally designed to add to the federal budget $930 billion dollars.The act was designed to offset the budget by lowering payments to hospitals, Increasing Medicare taxes on higher income households, assessing penalties on employers who don't offer, and individuals who don't take, health care insurance, assessing taxes on various health related activities, and reducing overhead by consolidating the higher education loan program with the Pell Grant program. Although there has been tremendous opposition before; during and after its becoming law, the Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional that all U.S. citizens must purchase health care insurance from a private carrier, or pay a penalty, is for the right for congress to impose a tax. Even with our house of representatives trying numerous times to repeal the law and still keeps getting over ruled. The opposition h as been so great that many Americans think the law has already been repealed. I am sure you are asking yourself what does this mean, when does this come to affect and how does this affect you? Here are the changes that happened in 2010.Medicare beneficiaries who fell into the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug â€Å"donut hole† received a $250 rebate. They received a 50% discount on brand name drugs in 2011 and the doughnut hole are eliminated in 2020. Children were allowed to stay on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26. New private plans were required to cover preventive services with no co-payments, and they are exempt from deductibles. Consumers who applied to new plans have access to an external appeals process if coverage is denied. Insurance ompanies were prohibited from dropping coverage if someone got really sick. They couldn't create lifetime coverage limits. They could no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. The same will appl y to adults in 2014. Until then, adults with pre-existing conditions who have been denied coverage will get access to temporary health insurance coverage until the exchanges is set up. These are the changes that happened in 2011Medicare-covered preventative services were Obama Care 4 xempted from deductibles and the co-pay was eliminated. Insurance companies must prove they spent at least 80% of the premium payments on medical services, rather than on things like advertising and executive salaries. Those that didn't were required to provide rebates to policyholders. States were funded to require health insurance companies to submit justification for all rate hikes. Funds were expanded to increase the number of doctors and nurses, and more community health centers — enough to double the number of patients they can treat in the next five years.These are future changes to look forward to. Medical expenses must be at least 10% of income before they are deductible for those under 65. Manufacturers and importers of medical devices will pay a 2. 3% excise tax. Federal funds will increase to allow Medicaid to offer free preventive services, and to extend CHIP for an additional two years. The Federal government will fund states to pay primary care physicians 100% of the Medicare fee. Medicare will start a pilot program to encourage hospitals to bundle services before submitting for payment.Additional taxes will be paid by the 1 million people who make more than $200,000 and the 4 million couples filing jointly who make more than $250,000. Specifically, they would pay 3. 8% Medicare taxes on dividends, capital gains, rent and royalties and 2. 35% (up from 1. 45%) Medicare taxes on income. In 2014, the state-run health exchanges will be set up. Medicaid eligibility will be expanded to include those with incomes up to 133% of the Federal poverty line ($29,000 for a family of four). New subsidies will become available for with incomes up to 400% of the poverty leve l ($88,000 for a family of four).Those who don't purchase insurance will be assessed penalties: 2014 – The greater of $95 or 1% of income. 2015 – $325 or 2% of income. 2016 – $695 or 2. 5% of income. Businesses with 50+ workers must pay $2,000 per worker (except for the first 20) if they don’t offer health insurance. Those that do receive a tax credit of 50% of the premium cost. (Donmoyer, 2012 ) Obama Care 5 References: Wizemann, Theresa.Health Literacy Implications for Health Care Reform: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC, USA: National Academies Press, 2011. p 5. http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/Doc? id=10488622;ppg=19 Copyright  © 2011. National Academies Press. All rights reserved. http://obamacarefacts. com/whatis-obamacare. php The Affordable Care Act Turns Two,Lee Goldberg, Sabiha Zainulbhai, http://www. nasi. org/discuss/2012/03/affordable-care-act-turns-two? gclid=CLOuyv-9vrICFURxQgod3TwALA March 2012 HealthReform. gov, Ryan Donmoyer, â₠¬Å"New Health Care Taxes,† Bloomberg, March 22, 2010) Article