Health Care Finance Essay

Complete the following table by writing responses to the questions. Cite the sources in the text and list them at the bottom of the table. What criterion must be met for true comparability? Consistency, verification and unit measurement must all be met in order for true criteria. (Chp.14, pg.151) What elements of consistency should be considered? Provide an example. The elements of consistency that should be considered is time periods, consistent methodology, and inflation factors. An example of a time period would be that you could not compare a ten month time period to a twelve month period instead you would annualize the ten month period. An example of consistent methodology would be to use the same method throughout the entire time period. An example of inflation factors would be if expenses are expended then it is expected for expenses to increase. (Chp.14, pg.151-152) What is the manager’s responsibility in comparing data? The manager’s responsibility in comparing data is to recall and apply the elements of consistency. This is critical because the consistency of data will be used to make decisions. (Chp.14, pg.152) What are the four common uses of comparative data? The four common uses of comparative data are compare current expenses to current budget, compare current actual expenses to prior periods in own organization, compare to other organizations, and compare to industry standards. (Chp.14, pg.153-157) What is meant by standardized data? Standardized data is data that aids in comparability. (Chp.14, pg.161)

Americas Economic Development during the Colonial Period

During the 17th and 18th centuries, European nations were heavily influenced by the economic system of mercantilism—a system which aims at maximizing the wealth of a nation (Scott, 2001). Europeans came to the Americas to increase their wealth, expand their influence, gain more power, and build an empire. To acquire wealth for their motherland, Europeans had to have colonies. The colonists regulated the economic activities of their colonies and then accumulated wealth for the European powers (Score, 2006).From 1607 to 1732, the Europeans colonized thirteen countries, grouped as follows: (1) New England Colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut)—more on shipbuilding and fur trading; (2) Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware)—more cosmopolitan and trading raw materials for manufactured items; and (3) Southern Colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia)—predominantly rural ec onomy (Conte & Karr, 2001).The discovery of these countries resulted in a movement of European populations into the colonies. This demographic change facilitated the economic progress of the colonies. Their citizens of different origins developed a synergy to live together in harmony; utilized their crafts; and created towns with shops, markets, town halls (Think Quest). As the colonies became prosperous, the English realized that the colonies could expand their trade and further prosper.In 1650s and 1660s, England instituted a set of Navigation Acts to limit colonial trade solely to British—and colonies’ exports to and imports from other countries had to be shipped through Great Britain, thereby increasing the latter’s import duty collections, and incomes for re-exportation of goods (Scott, 2001). These trade restrictions somehow benefited the colonies, e. g. , New England’s ship building industry benefited from foreign competition protection, South Caro lina gained from an indigo subsidy, North Carolina profited from bounties on tar and lumber, and various other exporters benefited from zero import tariffs (Scott, 2001).The Navigation Acts were strictly enforced in 1763, which heightened the interest of the colonies to gain their independence from Britain (Scott, 2001). References Conte, Christopher, and Albert R. Karr. (2001). Chapter 3 – The U. S. Economy: A Brief History. An Outline of the U. S. Economy. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from U. S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs Web site: http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/oecon/chap3. htm. Score. (2006). A Study of the colonial economy from 1600-1750.Retrieved May 25, 2008, from Schools of California Online Resources for Education (Score) Web site: http://score. rims. k12. ca. us/score_lessons/. Scott, Carole E. (2001). Mercantilism and the American Revolution. In American Economic History. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from Ancestry. com Web sit e: http://freepages. history. rootsweb. ancestry. com/~cescott/mercan. html. Think Quest. (n. d. ). The Colonial Period. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from Oracle Education Foundation Web site: http://library. thinkquest. org/C007803/colonia_period. htm.

Great Lakes Dangerous Currents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Great Lakes Dangerous Currents - Research Paper Example These lakes develop substantial water currents which pose a danger to swimmers and other merry makers. Around the beach, strong currents from the lake may spill over causing immediate floods. In addition, storms may develop over the water, thus compromising on the safety of small water vessels like boats. Based on these facts, local authorities concerned with marine habitats have conducted research are analysis on dangers posed by Great Lakes currents. According to Allen (2013), research results on intensity and strength of dangerous currents are used in conducting public education on combat strategies and safety measures to adopt while swimming around the lake’s shores. This essay appraises the breadth and depth of hazard associated with the currents. Appraisal will involve acknowledging available scientific information related to causes and nature of Great Lakes dangerous currents. Nature of Currents Prior to evaluating the nature of Great Lakes currents, it is appropriate t o develop a comprehensive understanding of water currents in general. In this case, water currents refer to massive movement of water at significant velocity either towards or away from the shores. These massive movements result from phenomenal incidences like breaking waves, temperature difference and dynamics in direction and speed of wind. In the context of lakes, speeding wind may cause water to accumulate and move fast towards the shoreline. On reaching a lake’s shoreline, those currents break after hitting the solid sand and moves backwards into the lake. In most cases, what determines the level of danger associated with currents is the speed and direction of water movement. John and Stephen (2011) say that fast currents are more dangerous than slow currents. On the other hand, Allen (2013) agrees that currents moving out into the lake are more lethal compared to those moving towards the shoreline. Causes of Death Great Lakes of Michigan are known to develop dangerous c urrents causes drowning and eventual deaths. Statistics shows that every year, deaths recorded by authorities within the lake increase at a rate of 3%. In the recent past, young males are on the receiving end. Male college students and teenagers are prone to drowning because of their enthusiastic and adventurous nature of swimming. In most cases, those killed by the currents were either pulled away from the shore or they were trying to rescue a drowning friend. According to Michigan State University (2013), trying to rescue a drowning person can be dangerous, especially whenever the rescuer is not wearing floatation equipment. On the other hand, people tend to panic whenever they are caught up with a retreating current. As acknowledged earlier, these retreating currents develop as a result of breaking waves. Great Lakes have a lot of structures like piers and walls which can initiate currents. Actual Status of the Lakes Lake Michigan Of all the Great Lakes in the state Lake Michigan features as the leading cause of fatalities associated with dangerous currents each year. One reason for this notorious trend is because Lake Michigan is undergoing an infrastructural development period. These infrastructural breakthroughs are increasing the Lake’s popularity among domestic and international tourists. Apart from the significant tourists’ population, Lake Michigan also has unique beaches with pre-disposing factors which favor

The Redefinition of female gender roles in the 19th century and the Essay

The Redefinition of female gender roles in the 19th century and the use of Darwinism toward Political objectives - Essay Example History reveals the very fact that women had been leading an oppressive life in England as well as the rest of Europe for centuries, and their activities were confined to the four walls only. Being the reflection of the contemporary society, early nineteenth literature portrays the women busy in performing domestic chores and obligations without taking part in any political, social or economic activity. They used to go to excursions and attend balls and dinners under the supervision of family members; hence, they were not allowed to travel alone or without the prior permission of the family. The novels produced by Jane Austen, Dickens, Bronte sisters, Eliot and others depict the same male-dominated cultural scenario, where women were the direct target of discriminative behavior at the hands of male members of society. Somehow, the situation took a drastic turn during the second half of the same century, and the same Mary Evans Ann, who used to produce works under the male name George Eliot, got such courage that she started living with G. H. Lewes for more than 20 years quite as if his wife did not exist; Sarah Austin (the wife of the famous jurist), who wrote letters of such ardor and indiscretion to a visiting German prince as to invite blackmail. (Himmelfarb, 1961) The Victorian literature reveals that female writers, poets, intellectuals and artists used to feel hesitation in participating into any literary, social or political activity, for they were discouraged to get their works published. It is therefore the renowned authors and novelists including Bronte sisters, George Eliot and others had to conceal their female names while creating the pieces of literature. Though Victorian literature contained the works of female writers, but the atmosphere was not appreciable at all. The share of women community in social construction was not acknowledged, although they worked in fields, hospitals, teaching institutions and other professions at limited scale. Stil l the male domination was oppressive and tyrannical. At first, Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 19th century and Emma Goldman in the beginning of 20th century raised their voice for the women rights. However, later part of nineteenth century observed imperative changes in women’s role and responsibilities in society. It was the era when Charles Darwin presented his astounding Evolution Theory under the title â€Å"Survival of the Fittest† in his magnificent work On the Origin of Species (1859), and proved that only strong and powerful species maintained the right to survive and reproduce. Darwin vehemently argues in favor of the notion natural selection, and declares it as the law of nature. He is of the view that it is the law of nature that the favorable traits and features in species contain more probability of inheritance and transformation into next generations. (1872: 159) Renowned sociologist Herbert Spencer extended the same survival theory, called social Darwinism, a nd claimed that socially strong communities make sure headway in the world, while the financially weak people are sure to eliminate sooner or later. Nineteenth century women also got inspiration from this very notion to obtain freedom from the awkward clutches of suppression and humiliation. Thus, women’

Consumer Behaviour consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer Behaviour consumption - Essay Example 1). The innovative ways of using mass-production goods are conceptualized as 'styles' which are expressive of the individualities/identities of the users. In the construction of lifestyles, the use-value of an object of consumption is secondary to the object's signifying effects, to its 'sign-value', organized around what Hebdige calls, 'a theology of appearances' (1993:89, p.1). Within this cultural politics, beyond the individual styles, social collectives are deemed to be constituted of a 'series of narrowly defined markets, targets, consumption, taste and status groups' (Hebdige 1999, p. 1). The concept of identity is useful for conceptualizing interrelations between tastes, social and organizational factors, and consumption. Anthony Giddens (1991, p.37) pointed out that in typical societies, lifestyles, social roles, relationships, and daily activities were monitored by religion, ascribed status, and accepted practices. Post-modernism created more scope for people to establish their own identities by adopting lifestyles, self-manifestations, and self-concepts that have symbols, pleasures, and values significant to them. In this situation, consumption plays a crucial and defining role: given the fragmentation of socioeconomic life, observable aspects such as clothing, the type of vehicle, place of residence, and eating and drinking habits provide compact signals of how one wants to be seen, what resources one commands, and what one's values are. (Dolfsma 1999, 1993:88). SHOPPING AS A CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY The retail sector as a whole has been studied through analyses of 'shopping' as a social, cultural and economic activity (Falk and Campbell 1997), of shopping mall as a location of consumption of dreams and hopes, helped by architectural designs and display technologies, and of the interactions between the sales-person and customers in closing the sale (Peretz 1995). Consumer desires have been prompted by exposure to the possessions and lifestyles of a reference group. The reference group is a comparison group located nearby in the social hierarchy. In Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, the Pierre Bourdieu discovered a striking regularity in French consumer patterns in the 1960s and 1970s. Bourdieu discovered that a person's educational level and father's occupation revealed much about that individual's taste in music and art, what kinds of shops they patronized, and the type of cooking they did. In the

Barack Hussein Obama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Barack Hussein Obama - Research Paper Example President Obama has plenty of detractors and many blame him for things that he really has no control over. But despite this, Barack Obama represents America in ways that few other Presidents have in the past. He is a unique president that has been elected because he has experiences and attributes that appeal to the rapidly changing demographics of the United States of America. An important distinction that President Obama has that makes him unique among Presidents of the United States is his ethnicity. President Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was a student in Honolulu, Hawaii when she met Barack Obama Sr. They were both studying in the same program at the university. Ann was from a working class family that had lived throughout the Midwest before relocating to Hawaii. She was a smart, able student with a passion for learning about cultures from all around the world. Barack Obama Sr. was from the Luo tribe in Kenya. As a child, he herded goats in his native Kenya. He was attending college on a scholarship. Ann and Barack Obama Sr. married in 1961 and Barack Obama Jr. was born a few months later. The fact that Ann was a white woman from the Midwest and Barack Obama Sr. was a black man from Africa is significant. President Obama became self-conscious about his race when he was a young teenager (Barack Obama Biography, 2011). He wondered why being black was looked down on by some white people. This is significant because President Obama is leading America during an age when ethnic minorities are the new majorities in several major metropolitan regions. America is a more ethnically diverse place and it is important that there are people in leadership that have experienced discrimination first hand. Some minorities think the Barack Obama should do more for them than he has while he has been in office. There may be few legislative victories he can point to, but it is good to have an ethnically mixed President so the issue of race can be discussed in a more constru ctive way than in the past in America. Barack is an important President for our day and age because he is a minority and that helps all Americans know that minorities are capable of sound judgment and capable leadership. Barack Obama’s parents divorced when he was two years old. He then moved to Indonesia and lived with his step-father, mother and step-sister for several years. This is a second reason that President Obama is uniquely qualified to be our President. He is the only President in the history of the United States to have lived in a Muslim country for any period of time. America’s relations with the Muslim world are at an all time low in many respects. We still have close allies such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen. But many Muslim countries hate America and Americans. Having experienced Muslim culture first hand, President Obama is in a strong position to understand the Muslim world. He knows from first hand experience that not all people in the Mu slim world are bad. He understands that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people that want peace with America. President Obama gave a famous speech in Cairo soon after he was elected. In this speech he called for greater unity and understanding between the western, democratic nations and the Arab, Muslim nations (Holzman, 2009). It is interesting to note that many of those people that heard this speech would begin peaceful protests two years later,

Media Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Media Relations - Assignment Example There are several significant values that are attached to the Ramadan festivities in the Islam calendar, and being the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims are mostly expected to fast from dawn till sunset for about 29 or 30 days. Given that the Islamic calendar is determined by the lunar cycle including the Ramadan that comes after the ninth month, with the glimpsing of the new moon (Murray, 2012). Taken from the Arabic word ar-ramad implying dryness or scotching heat, Ramadan signifies a mandatory fasting season for the adult Muslims in which in the entire ‘blessed month’ they are required to abstain from foods, drinks and other physical needs. Ramadan is intended to be a time for cleansing the soul, focusing attention on God and enthusiastic self-sacrifice. Eating begins after sunset, taking into consideration the aspect of cleansing the soul for God. Hence, Ramadan can be perceived as a period when Muslims are educated on matters of spirituality, patience and humility (Murray, 2012). Persons are required not to engage in defiling activities that may hinder their purity. In other aspects Muslims are required to restrain their bodies, particularly the tongue from aspects of gossip and backbiting. Immediately after Ramadan, follows the celebrations for the holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr. Non-Muslims should perceive this month as a highlighting of the Muslim brotherhood customs, and brings a special feeling of closeness (Murray, 2012). â€Å"The philosophy of fasting calls upon us to know ourselves, to master ourselves, and to discipline ourselves the better to free ourselves. To fast is to identify our dependencies, and free ourselves from them.†- Tariq

Lens Crafters Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lens Crafters Case Study - Essay Example The value chain focuses on streamlining both the internal and external factors of the organization and improving on their human resource and product creation. Operation management activities are focused on ensuring an organization addresses specific issues affecting the organization by analyzing the effectiveness of each process undertaken by the organization (Tarun, 2012). Customer experience is improved by how effectively an organization handles both its external and internal operations. In creating an efficient operation administration scheme, one major impediment is creating an evenhanded system monitoring every operation. This could be solved by designing priorities in the operation within the association as Leitner & Sihn (2012) argue. An additional test is how effectual the changes in operation would manipulate customer awareness on an organization. This could be solved by enacting customer research approaches that would allow an organization understand the customer trends in terms of demand and opportunities. Lens Crafters value chain is effective in ensuring that the organization retains a significant competitive advantage in the market. The quality of the value chain has ensured Lens Crafters enjoy a comfortable market position in terms of customer satisfaction. The value chain mostly focuses on putting in place the right human resource team and creating customer satisfaction products. The value chain in Lens Crafters has enabled the organization to monitor and improve on its major operations. The most significant performance measurement strategy on the service delivery design would be consumer reaction and perception of the organization. This could be determined by analyzing the sales or consumer feedback on service delivery. Evaluation of sales and consumer feedback are most appropriate in gauging a service delivery design. The selection of sales numbers is based on the fact that sales depict the accurate consumer perception on a

The effects of invasive species on recreational fishing Research Paper

The effects of invasive species on recreational fishing - Research Paper Example First is that the species show very high rate of reproduction. The plant species that are invasive have a much higher rate of reproduction than any other species, which raises the second reason why they are so (Coulatti 138). Second is that the species fall prey to little or no predation at all. This fact gives the species leeway to reproduce and not worry about any form of predation. Thirdly, the invasive species are mostly hardy in nature. Being hardy means that the species can thrive in virtually any kind of environment, including different climates and habitats (Coulatti 140). The impact that invasive species cause on the environment are gross and sometimes irreversible (Verling 272). Destruction of landscape and severe loss of habitats and loss of life by both animals and humans are just but a few of the impacts. The effects the invasive organisms have on the environment include negative impact on bio-diversity, they can cause species extinction, soil erosion and land degradation and change in life cycles of organisms (Verling 273). The weeds found in lakes and rivers, for example the water hyacinth could cause destruction to water bio diversity. First, the weeds in the water destroy all other plant organisms in the water in order to establish their roots some of them even feed on other organisms. This ensures that the weeds remain the apex plant organisms on these water sources thus getting rid of any chance of bio-diversity in the water sources (Callaway 265). Second is the cause of species extinction in water sources (Coullatti 57). In order to fish, it is logical that there be something to catch in the water sources. The invasive species make sure that fishing does not happen. They do this by first, as mentioned above, eating up all the plant life in the water and thus rendering the fish without food. This the main reason for fish extinction. Land and soil

The French Colonization of Tunisia Research Paper

The French Colonization of Tunisia - Research Paper Example This paper will focus on the rationale behind the French colonization of Tunisia in the 19th century. The major question is: why did the French colonize Tunisia and what the French hoping to achieve? Before embarking on the French colonization of Tunisia, it is of essence to highlight the activities and effects of other powerful nations on Tunisia prior to the French. Ancient Tunisia was inhabited by Berbers, who led a nomadic way of life and lived in caves. However, in the 9th century BC, the Phoenicians arrived in Africa through the Mediterranean Sea and colonized Tunisia. The Phoenicians established the city of Carthage in Tunisia and influenced its religion, economy, culture, and politics. Consequently, Carthage became one of the most prosperous cities in the Mediterranean region. This prosperity, nevertheless, did not last long, as Carthage was involved in supremacy battles with Rome. Unfortunately for Carthage, it lost the battles to Rome, thus Tunisia was placed under the Roma n rule. Many roman businessmen settled in Tunisia and exploited its fertile soils, natural minerals, and consumer goods2. Within no time, Tunisia became famous for supplying agricultural products all over Europe. The Romans also established Christianity in Tunisia. The Romans were succeeded by the vandals who enhanced the agricultural and commercial life in Tunisia. However, the vandals did not recognize the native Berbers of Tunisia in their rule and this led to Tunisia being taken over by the Byzantine Empire. Constant battles between the Byzantine Empire and other nations wanting to control Tunisia led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire rule. In the 14th century BC, the Ottoman Turks, particularly the Beys invaded and conquered Tunisia. Under the rule of the Beys, Tunisia achieved economic, social, and political prosperity. For example, education was prioritized and nationalism upheld. At this time, European countries offered to help Tunisia in improving its international tra de. The Bey went on an extravagant mission to increase taxes and erect major buildings in the country. However, Tunisian economy suffered at the hands of European investors, which forced Tunisia to declare bankruptcy and ask for assistance from European powers. This call for help aroused the interests of Britain, Italy and France in colonizing Tunisia. Therefore, in order for France to gain control of Tunisia, the latter had to fight off the challenge posed by Britain and Italy. Particularly, Italy felt that it was more deserving of Tunisia because; one, it had invested more wealth in Tunisia than Britain and France. Secondly, Italy had more of its citizens settled in Tunisia compared to the number of Britons and French people in Tunisia. Nevertheless, Britain agreed to let France have Tunisia, if the latter left Cyprus to the British. In 1881, some men from Tunisia had crossed over to Algeria, a French protectorate and the French used this as a perfect excuse to invade and subdue t he Tunisians3. The Bardo Treaty was signed between Tunisian officials and the French officials that saw French take over the governance of Tunisia. Italy did not wish to fight with France over the control of Tunisia, thus in 1884, Tunisia was formally recognized as a French protectorate. Once France had solidified its control over Tunisia, France paid all of Tunisia’s foreign debt and as a result, Tunisia was completely under French rule. The question, therefore, remains; why did the

War Photographer and Stealingby Carol Anne Duffy Essay Example for Free

War Photographer and Stealingby Carol Anne Duffy Essay In Both the War Photographer and Stealing By Carol Anne Duffy the occupations of the narrator play a leading role even the titles are names of the occupations they both partake in. This is interesting because it seems that their jobs are their life and feeling even so they both share an extent of guiltiness related to their occupations, In War photographer he is guilty that he is at home in comfortable quiet rural England and all the people he photographs are still suffering. But in Stealing the guilt is underlying, less obvious and more of a guilt to himself like he owes himself a life without stealing or boredom. This shows a degree of selfishness which is evident when he takes pleasure in knowing the the children will cry in the morning he then goes on to say lifes tough like he had to harden to the world at a young age and so should they, he shows a bitterness towards the children as they have a childhood and he didnt and this bitterness seems to be aimed at all outsiders in both the poems . The Thief and the writer are issolated form society and therefore resent society as they see it and most of the suffering in the poems is blamed on the people The readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers. Because the people see the suffering and carry on with their on lives the narrator thinks the readers dont care so their portrayed as heartless and cold. Carol Anne Duffy seems to have a flair for writing poems from other peoples point of view this is most evident in Stealing were she tries to understand the narrators motive and attempts to make the reader sympathise and justify what he does when normally he would be portrayed as the bad guy . The thief wallows in self pity throughout and even says he is better of dead and is so lonely even a snowman is good enough to be his friend I wanted him, a mate The snowman is a metaphor for what he has had in his life he steals it then dustructs it like he is destructing himself. The stealing is a ploy for attention he wants to be caught or noticed as he would have a reason to have contact with people eventhough he insults the people or outsiders in the poem sometimes I steal things,I dont need. I joy ride cars to nowhere, break into houses just to have a look. It is hard to establish what the message is in the war photographer at times he is praising the war photographers job And condeming the people he works for at other time he shows compassion to the victims he encounters but in the last line The narrator seems numb to what he witnesses as he works From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care This line defeats what he has said before when he developed the films the feelings the images conjured up made him remember the suffering he encountered but that was soon forgotten on the way to his next job he is turning in to what he condemns. The use of the word they signifies his view of society, the people that read newspapers he puts them all in the same cattergory and labels them accordingly. The war photographer is set in four regular stanzas which emphasises the pattern of the war photographers day. The poem opens with the Photographer coming home from his job and ends with him flying out to another job this implies his life runs in a cycle. It is also written in present tense which make the events more realistic and shocking to the reader. Stealing is also in equal stanzas this time five . And ocaisionly the end of one line falls into another (enjambment) which help the reader to enact the incidents which occur. A sense of mystery surrounds the narrator in stealing you dont know if he is male or female or his age and background although many assume the narrator is a man due to stereotypical criminal gender.In War Photographer we are told the narrator is male this is the only information surrounding the narrator intrestingly there is no desriptions of the physical attributes of the narrators or outsiders which poems usually include to help the reader relate to the charactors within the poems. In the War photographer photographical launguage is used as metaphors to shocking images the war photographer encountered ; spools of suffering set out in ordered rows conjures images of body bags holding victims of war laying side by side. The only light is red the colour red is used to remind the reader of the blood shed during war. These metophores seem to be effective by shocking the reader I think Carol Anne Duffy has intended the reader to start to think of the effects of the war not only on the victims but on the people who work their such as the War photographer, newsreaders or charity workers who arent necessarilly thought of being affected by war. In stealing the thiefs motive seems to be lonliness and this is explored subtbly but although theres only traces of lonliness it seems to be the main theme in both the poems. Although they resent outsiders it is only because they wish they could be like the outsiders as their not doing a job which issolates them from society this jelousy also seems to be one of the themes which explain how and why the outsiders are portrayed. I cant decide if I like these poems or not I dont really feel anything for the characters Carol Anne Duffy hasnt made them likeable by not describing them and showing the bad traits of their personality which makes the poems seem gritty. There is many hidden messages which seem obvious but effective but the fact that I had to read them both five times before they made sense put me off right away.But maybe thats because im The cat in the hat rhyming poem kind of a girl !

The Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Thailand

The Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Thailand Identify the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism on Thailand Thailand is a very popular tourist destination. Nowadays, the world is experiencing a shift away from traditional patterns of international tourism because of increased wealth and access to travel and as a result and as TEFLAsia illustrates, Thailand is now in fact Southeast Asias biggest tourist destination. The reasons for its popularity as written by STA Travel (2003) include the ancient architecture, warm hospitality, savoury cuisine and overall natural beauty. Amongst computer parts, garments, rice and jewellery, tourism is one of the major industries of Thailand and is heavily relied upon. Thailand also receives higher levels of tourists as demographics change; older people travel more, more leisure time is available for individuals and because travel has become more sophisticated. Although, this has led to the development of more infrastructure and only now are governments and individuals alike becoming more aware of Thailand’s environmental, social and economic situations. This essay will establish the different impacts and effects that tourism has on Thailand. There are numerous positive and negative effects of tourism on Thailand’s environmental, social and economical situation. The most recent and obvious impact on Thailand’s economy has been the Tsunami disaster on 26th December 2004. The result of this disaster, according to Thadani, M (2005), will see the decline in the number of tourists who will visit Thailand in the coming years. Other negative impacts of tourism include the possibility of raised inflation so it is essential that the Thai government ensures that local people are employed to keep the money and skill within Thailand. Tourism accounts for 12.2% of Thailand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly, nine per cent of the population is employed within the tourism industry, a higher proportion of people to be affected if Thailand’s tourism industry collapses. Although, tourism in Thailand creates many jobs, these jobs are often poorly paid with little job security and have low career status. Ho wever, on a positive stance, tourism supports other industries such as agriculture because individuals are paid to supply extra food to accommodate tourist needs. This confirms that tourism is an essential industry for Thailand and in order for the country to prosper they need to attract the tourists, to avoid economic downturn. Further, without tourists Thailand would be significantly different and the more remote areas would suffer because tourists act as an economic catalyst for other areas of Thailand as well as the more popular resorts such as Phuket. Tourism can also be used as a tool for Thailand’s economic growth through improved conditions for the host community and will raise the profile of the country which will improve the level of service that can be provided. However, the Tsunami is not the only disaster/ event to affect Thailand in recent years. The country has also had to deal with the indirect effects of the September 11th 2001 crisis, followed by the SARS outbreak and also the Bali bombing attacks in 2003. All of which has reduced the number of tourists to Thailand. The effects of September 11th lead to a decline in outbound travel to Thailand, mainly from America and the SARS virus reduced all tourism to Asia except essential travel. After these events 2004 was showing signs of increased travel to Thailand until the Tsunami. As said by Thadani, (2005) the Thai Government were making efforts to invite tourists back to the country weeks after the disaster in a bid to prevent economic disaster. On a more positive note for tourism and the Thai economy, the country appears to be working towards recovery despite having lost nearly 10,000 people (unofficial estimates), many of who were international tourists. Thadani (2005) suggests that the government is keeping the actual death toll low so that tourists are not deterred from travelling to Thailand, which heavily relies upon the income from tourism. Thailand is estimated to lose US$260 million a month as a result of this disaster, which could destroy the economy and create irreversible effects to the local community. However, it must be noted that although popular destinations such as Phuket and Krabi were badly effected, other hotspots like Bangkok, Samui Island and Chiang Mai, Pattaya remain completely booked. Tourism brings many negative social impacts to Thailand as a host country of tourism. Firstly, tourism brings a change in characteristics of the host community. For example, many locals sell drugs to tourists as a way of earning money. The World Bank Office of Thailand recognises that, drug pushing creates problems such as anti-social behaviour, increased crime and reduced safety. This has an effect on tourist numbers as many will not travel to countries which are deemed unsafe. Further, as tourism grows in Thailand many businesses have moved from being run locally to being owned by national or international companies which creates leakages in the Thai government with less spending money going back into the Thai economy. Moreover, Thailand has seen an increase in staged authenticity for the tourists; local traditions have become a product for the tourist, which is slowly destroying the original culture in Thailand. Another, negative affect on tourism, according to Graham (2003) is th e demonstration effect which creates a long term effect on the local community by being exposed to different cultures and wealth. This changes locals’ behaviour and needs and may for example encourage the Thai people to dress differently or abandon their religion. However, tourism in Thailand has enabled the locals to earn money from the chores they initially completed in the home, such as cooking and cleaning. This has increased the living potential of many in the host community. Further, locals have a chance to mix with wealthier individuals which can give them an insight into what can be achieved if tourism is a success in Thailand. As Thailand relies so heavily on the income from tourism, the tourists’ needs outweigh those of the hosts. Therefore, Thailand is creating facilities at a fast rate to cope with visitor numbers. However, the locals and the government must realise that Thailand’s environment forms the attraction for people to visit the country. According to STA Travel (2003), over-development on Ko Phi Phi is starving the coral reefs of sunlight and smothering the surface in pollutants: the destruction of the reef is a small example of the problems occurring throughout Thailand and blamed on tourism. If Thailand’s natural beauty is not preserved tourist will likely travel to other destinations in the future. Other negative impacts include the deterioration in air and water quality, mainly due to air traffic and the urbanisation of natural areas. A good example of this is Krabi; it was fairly undiscovered but now hotel resorts are quickly being erected which is diminishing much of the natural environment that pre-existed. However, these newly developed areas do have a proper sewage disposal facility which earlier tourism developments did not which illustrates the Thai’s awareness of the need for environmental protection due to the impacts of tourism. The following example further shows peoples’ awareness of Thailand’s environment being affected by tourism because in May 1999, STA Travel describes how protestors packed the beach where the filming of The Beach was taking place. Environmentalists were concerned that filming would destroy the delicate eco-balance of the beach. These areas of natural beauty could well be conserved if awareness is created about the need for their protection due to increased tourism. This would create positive environmental impacts as Thailand can control and maintain its environment. An example of this is the Golden Temple which is located in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital. Through a visit I discovered that donations and government money are set aside to restore this building, which would otherwise be neglected. In essence it seems that Thailand is aware of the increasing number of tourists over the years and is therefore trying to facilitate this by increasing the country’s infrastructure. The government should ensure they regulate developments to ensure that every new hotel, business and attraction is built in keeping with the local style otherwise tourist will lose interest in Thailand. In accordance with Holden, (2000) Thailand needs to comply with four main requirements in order to ensure tourism is sustained. Firstly, it is essential that Thailand remains prosperous and maintains its original culture. This is likely to reduce the negative effects from tourism because and secondly, tourists will continue to demand trips and be attracted to Thailand. Thirdly, nothing must be done to the ecology; it must be protected in order for the natural beauty to remain and lastly, Thailand must ensure that it has an effective political framework in place. The abovementioned categories are used to establish issues and indicate if tourism has a positive or negative effect on the area in question. Holden describes that the impacts of tourism on Thailand can be identified by establishing the relationship between the natural environment, the local economy and tourism. To further explain the Thai economy is dependent upon tourism, if the country builds sufficiently and maintains env ironmental quality the country will likely benefit from a well balanced tourism industry. If the tourism factors which affect Thailand are better managed, it will create sustainable tourism in Thailand. According to the UNEP (2002), managing tourism destinations is an important part of controlling tourisms environmental impacts. As written by OurWorld, the tourism boom has had a negative effect on the Thai environment and as a result the government now manages ecotourism. Better management of tourism impacts will allow the Thai Government to better plan the use of their land, implement effective environmental regulations and rejuvenate buildings. Every environment in any country cannot be preserved intact, therefore it is necessary for the Thai government to use its resources sparingly within its limits of regeneration and natural growth. Furthermore, according to UNEP, the Thai government should establish licence fees for fishing and use these funds to maintain the forests and wildlife in Thailand. Better management of tourism facilities, especially hotels, will allow Th ailand to preserve its buildings and natural beauty. I agree with the UNEP that by Thailand planning early for tourism development, damaging and expensive mistakes can be prevented, avoiding the gradual deterioration of environmental assets significant to tourism. In every respect, tourism has the opportunity to increase public appreciation of the environment in Thailand and spread awareness of environmental, social and economical problems. As already mentioned tourism has a massive impact on the host community. It is also possible to better understand the impact of tourism on the tourist. Tourism in Thailand is becoming mass tourism and thus will become a greater income generator for the host community allowing them to improve their lifestyles. However, Buddhism is strongly indented into the Thai culture and tourism has not effected or changed the religion, which shows signs of a strong culture. The influence of tourism on the host community has however taken its toll as Thailand’s economy, amongst other aspects, has become too dependent on tourism and according to OurWorld people feel that change and development due to increased tourism is happening too fast. Moreover, the rapid change is due to the tourists’ increase need for tourism and their demand for better facilities and long haul holidays. These negative impacts have led the Thai government to introduce proper legislation to protect the poor Thai people and prevent tourists from destroying Thailand. According to ThaiTour, the government is looking to establish a ‘multi-agency’ task force to stop the confusion among the many different tourism departments in Thailand. In all it is evident that many tourism factors are contributing to both positive and negative impacts upon Thailand. It is important that the country realises the problems and take steps to sustain tourism. The key is to find a balance to manage the effects of tourism on the country. The type and volume of tourists that Thailand attracts and their activities and behaviour in the country will influence the nature of their impacts. Effective planning, development, management and marketing of tourism are essential to optimise the positive impacts and control and reduce the negatives. Further, the more we educate the tourists and the local community about the effects of tourism the better chance of Thailand succeeding in sustainable tourism, a stable economy and protected environment. Bibliography

Objectives and Benefits of Inventory Management

Objectives and Benefits of Inventory Management An inventory is basically a detailed list of all the items in stock. Inventory consists of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods. In todays highly competitive market, businesses need to maintain an appropriate level of stock to meet the customer demands at any time. Inventory management is part of the supply chain management. Over the past years, the concept of supply chain management SCM has been given a considerable attention. This is an approach to view the supply chain as a whole rather than as a set of separate processes (Weele, 2002). Mentzer, Dewitt, Keebler, Min, Nix, Smith and Zacharia defined Supply chain management SCM as the systematic and strategic coordination of the traditional business operations. The main aim of supply chain management SCM is to improve the long term performance of each firm as well as the whole supply chain (Mentzer, Dewitt, Keebler, Min, Nix, Smith and Zacharia, 2001). Inventory management involves system and processes of maintaining the appropriate level of stock in a warehouse (Barcodes, 2010). These activities includes identifying necessary inventory requirements, and creating replenishment processes, tracking and monitoring the usage of items/stock, reconciling inventory balances as well as reporting inventory status.(Barcodes , 2010). It is basically the process of efficiently controlling the amount of stock in order to avoid excess inventory. Reliable inventory management will therefore minimise the cost associated with inventory (Barcodes, 2010). Inventory management involves a wide scope of processes ranging from inventory forecasting , replenishment, demand forecasting as well as quality management (Wikipedia, 2009). Objectives and benefits of inventory management According to Stylus Systems, The 3 main objectives in inventory management are: Improved customer service Reduce inventory investment To increased productivity of business (Stylus, 2008) Benefits of inventory management (Stylus, 2008): Inventory management systems can help reduce the time to respond to changing market demand of products and can help control excess stock IMS provide a means for business to effectively manage or control their inventory IMS helps businesses to constantly analyse their business processes such as sales and purchasing in order to make efficient inventory decisions Stylus systems also reported that inventory management systems IMS can provide total insight on stock transactions ÂÂ  Stylus systems also stated that IMS can provide hands on knowledge on inventory which might lead to increased sales and efficient customer services. Development in inventory management Presently, there are two major approaches to inventory management Materials requirement planning (MRP):ÂÂ   MRP is simply a management system in which sales are converted into loads on the facility by sub-unit and time period. Here, orders are scheduled more closely thereby reducing inventory and delivery times becomes shorter and more predictable (Hedrick, 2003).ÂÂ   MPR review order quantities periodically and as such allow ordering only what is currently needed. This helps keep inventory levels very low. Just-in-Time (JIT): JIT approach ensures that a business should only keepÂÂ   inventory in the right quantity at the right time with the right quality (David, 2004) .Most organizations adapt to this system to integrate inventory managementÂÂ   for a more competitive advantage (Kaynak, 2005). It eliminates inventories rather than optimize them. Why keep Inventory Inventory refers to a detailed list of all the items in store or warehouse. According to Inman, Inventory refers to the items that are stored in warehouses or distribution centres in excess of what the store needs (Inman, 2010). The following are the reason why business keeps more inventory than they currently need (Inventory Management, 2010). Meet Demand: this ensures that customers get the product or item that they want when they want it. Keep Operations running: When for example manufacturers run out of stock to manufacture certain product, the whole production process or operations will be halted and thus manufacture of the finished product. In order to prevent this, most manufacturers purchase excess inventory. Lead time: When a shop or a factory places an order for a particular item, the period of time between the order placements and when the order is received is known as lead time. Business therefore should have hands on inventory during the lead time in order to keep its operations running. Hedge: This involves keeping inventory against inflation in price of products. This allows the buyer to buy at a lower price than when the price increases. Quantity Discount: Quantity discount refers to reduction in price of an item when purchasing in bulk. This always influences most businesses to buy more than it needs which might lead to excess inventory. Smoothing Requirements: businesses sometimes acquire access inventory for products that have unpredictable demands in order to meet demand. Best practice in inventory management In an effort to maximise their return on investment (ROI) and avoid excess inventory, many businesses invest a fortune in inventory management systems. In a report by Philip Slater (Slater, 2009), he stated that most of these systems fails to render expected services and rather result in excess inventory. This is because software can only optimise the values it has and not what it could be and as a result, it neglects some important external influences like changes in the management process. He stated that Worlds best practice inventory management demands that the inventory management system is optimised not just the inventory. Inventory management therefore goes beyond software system and as stated by Philip Slater (Slater, 2009) inventory management involves combination of know-how, process and reporting that collectively provide a means of maximizing availability while minimizing cash investment. In the report, he stated five level of worlds best practice inventory management that when fully implemented, can enable businesses to reduce their inventory investment or cost. These levels are: Ad Hoc: this level require less control as inventory is expensed when purchased on an as needed basis and used immediately. Storage: this level involves the storage of items for use and not strictly controlled. Here, inventory is expensed when purchased. This approach tends to increase total expenditure as items are purchased in economic quantities and discourage review and development due to lack of control Capitalisation: This approach entails the use of software solution to control inventory and provide good availability. Unfortunately, most businesses use their software mostly for counting and accounting. Software Optimisation: at this level, inventory is capitalised and the levels of stock are optimised based on a risk/return algorithm. Software solution can automatically adjust stock levels based on the history of demand and supply but these level are not trusted by most business because they believe the supply and demand may not represent actual usage System Optimisation: At this level, all factors influencing inventory investment are reviewed periodically. The main purpose of inventory management is to minimise overall cash investment without increasing risk. This according to Philip Slater is the worlds best practice in inventory management (Slater, 2009). Capitalisation and system optimisation goes hand-in-hand. For an effective system, the management is therefore required to possess the know-how, policy development, measures and reporting required to take the business to level 5 (System Optimization) and not just the software alone(Slater, 2009).

Anti-Semitism Essay -- Prejudice Jewish Anti-Judaism Papers

Anti-Semitism Discrimination and prejudice have been in our world for as long as humans have themselves. Discrimination has caused problems in societies all throughout history. But despite all of the terrible things that have happened because of prejudice and discrimination, it continues to live on in our world today. Anti-Semitism, prejudice against Jews, is a form of discrimination that has caused perhaps the most problems throughout history. Many people describe anti-Semitism as more than simply "prejudice" or "discrimination" against Jews. It is often the result of hatred and despise of the Jews, resulting in persecution and destruction. Anti-Semitism can often occur because a religious group is trying to make itself look better (Anti-Judaism/Anti-Semitism). Jealousy and envy are also major causes of anti-Semitism. A study on anti-Semitism found that people who are anti-Semitic are likely to also have negative feelings about African-Americans, Immigrants, gays and lesbians, illegal aliens, and women (JCRC - Anti-Semitism). As have all prejudices, anti-Semitism has been around a long time. It has been around since the time of Christ. One of the first events that gave rise to anti-Semitism was the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Mrs. Hahn's Notes). Jews were considered the murderers of Christ. Because of this hatred towards Jews, Jerusalem was destroyed, killing over 1 million Jews who resided there (A Calendar of Jewish Persecution). Jews were also persecuted extensively throughout the Roman Empire. In 135 AD, Roman Emperor Hadrian declared Jerusalem a pagan city. He forbade Jews to practice circumcision, the reading of the Law, eating of unleavened bread at Passover, or any Jewish festival. In 315, Constantine the G... ...ll eventually be gone along with all prejudices. Bibliography: BIBLIOGRAPHY Anti-Judaism/Anti-Semitism. (Online) http://www.yale.edu/adhoc/research_resources/dictionary/limited/anti_semitism.html Anti-Semitism...What Is It? (Online) http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/antiholo/summanti.html A Calendar of Jewish Persecution. (Online) http://www.hearnow.org/caljp.htm Definitions of Anti-Semitism (Online) http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/antiholo/defantis.html Jewish Community Relations Council - Anti-Semitism. (Online) http://www.jcrc.org/main/antisemi.htm Modern Anti-Semitism. (Online) http://www.remember.org/guide/History.root.modern.html A Summary of Anti-Semitism (Online) http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/antiholo/history.html Steven, Peter. "European Anti-Semitism-Disturbing, But Limited," The Miami Herald, May 22, 1990. Pg. 1A+

Federal Laws Essay -- essays papers

Federal Laws The federal governments stand on inclusion is somewhat indistinct. There are federal laws that govern education of children with disabilities. However, they do not require inclusion, but only that a significant effort be made to find an inclusive placement. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended in 1997. The term inclusion does not appear in the act, but does require that children with disabilities be educated to the maximum extent appropriate in the least restrictive environment, which is interpreted to mean the regular education classroom. The intent of IDEA is to educate as many students with disabilities as possible in the regular education classroom (--, 2002.) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that all recipients of federal funds must provide equal education of each qualified handicapped child in its jurisdiction with people who are not handicapped. Those schools that receive federal funding must place the handicapped child in the regular education classroom unless it is demonstrated by the recipient that this type of education with the added use of supplementary aides and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily (Schultz 2001.) Court Cases Court decisions provide guidelines governing placement of the child with special needs under IDEA. There are many court cases throughout the country involving challenges to placement of students in the least restrictive environment. In the case of Greer vs. Rome City School District in 1992 parents were fighting against the placement of their daughter in a self-contained special education classroom. The district argued that the costs of providing services in the classroom would be too high. The court ... ...d States of America: Pearson Education Group, Inc. Barry, Janet & Wise, B.J. (1997). Fueling inclusion through technology: Students with disabilities can rise to new heights with assertive technology Hornby, G. (1999). Inclusion or delusion : Can one size fit all? Support for Learning; 14 (4), p.152 Jones, M. Thorn, C., Chow, P., & Wild, C. (2002). Equifinality: Parents’ and students' attitudes towards a student-centered approach to integration. Education; 122 (3), p.624 Norwich, B. (2002). Education, inclusion and individual differences: Recognizing and resolving dilemmas. British Journal of Educational Studies;50 (4), p.482 Perkins-Gough, D. (2003). Teaching all students. Educational Leadership; 61 (2), p.92 Pi v ik, J., McComas, J., & Laflamme, M. (2002). Barriers and facilitators to inclusive education. Exceptional Children; 69 (1), p.97

Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights :: essays research papers

The purpose of this paper is to assess the novel, "Wuthering Heights," by Emily Bronte, particularly within the context of the character, Catherine. Catherine plays a prominent role throughout "Wuthering Heights." For the most part, it is her love of Heathcliff which represents the crutch of the human struggle encountered by Catherine, as well as other characters throughout the story -- but especially Catherine. Curiously, relationships of that period were more often than not governed by social convention. The relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is an exception to this...while, ultimately, one Thrushcroff Grange attracts Catherine, and thusly leads her to stray from her true nature. It is difficult to separate the character from the author, noting that the author's childhood was basically isolated and gloomy, and Catherine herself, is a truly private individual. It is this sense of privacy, in my opinion, that supersedes any other factor throughout the story. To understand this sense of inwardness, one must explore the novel itself. The story begins in the early 1800's (c. 1801) and one Mr. Lockwood removed from the narrative. The novel begins to take shape, only after some degree of reading, when we realize what is happening at Wuthering Heights in conjunction with Thrushcroff Grange. Soon afterwards, Nelly Dean makes her appearance, while she herself is somewhat unpreceptible. Overall, content and structure is rather fractured, although a so-called Satanic hero begins to emerge as a creature of darkness as well as rebellion and passion. Conversely, pressures on Heathcliff are internal. Results of his life emanate from his orphan years in Liverpool and his horrific treatment at Wuthering Heights. The author underscores the violence and darkness of man...even to such a primal and universal degree that it is impossible to overcome. In the beginning, Mr. Lockwood visits his landlord. He is a new tenant at Thrushcroff Grange and find s himself to be most unwelcome. His treatment by the landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, the servants, and even the dogs is less than welcoming. Heathcliff is something of a paradox. He exhibits the manners of country squire, urbane and handsome although aloof and private. Wuthering Heights itself is basically an old farmhouse and its namesake comes from the weather which it has had to endure. Overall, I found this book to be extremely personal, and almost eccentric. By eccentric, I mean the views that are put forth are very private and even difficult to understand.

Child Psychology Essay

Q1 what are the six sensitive periods? Write 7-8 lines on each of them. Answer. After working with children from all backgrounds, Maria Montessori concluded that despite their differences all children experience a time span when he/she acquires specific knowledge from his surroundings through his focused activities and that too without getting bored and tired. This time span or time periods are called as the sensitive periods. As and when the need of knowledge and understanding has been fulfilled, a child’s sensitivity naturally moves on to acquiring a new one. Thus, Maria Montessori observed six sensitive periods. They are as follows; 1. Sensitivity to Order 2. Sensitivity for refinement of senses 3. Sensitivity to Language 4. Sensitivity for walking 5. Sensitivity for small objects 6. Sensitivity to social aspects of life. 1. Sensitivity to Order: Appears in child’s 1st year and continues through the 4th year. Order is a sensitive period that exemplifies a child’s desire for consistency and repetition, along with established routines. The child has two different perspectives to order, the external order which relates to his/her environment and the inner order which makes him/her aware of his/her own external body parts and their relative position. A child who goes through this period can be extremely affected by disorder. The environment for this period should accommodate the need of order. During this period, the child desires to sort out and sequence everything that is appropriately placed for him/her to do so. Eventually this sense of order will become a permanent part of him/her. Stacking cups, resting stackers are great material to promote order. 2. Sensitivity for refinement of senses: It begins from the time a child crawls till the 8th yr. of his age. Refinement of the senses is a fascination with the five human senses i.e., the taste, sound, touch, smell and vision. In order to interact with the environment, children need to use their senses. The sharper the senses, the more information children can program in their mind. And it will stay so throughout their adult years. In this period the children also begin to co-ordinate the interaction between all the senses. Feel and touch books and boards, smelling bottles etc are good to enhance the sensing activity in children. 3. Sensitivity to language: This period lasts from the birth to 6yrs. A child begins his/her journey towards acquiring language by listening and observing others speak in their environment. And almost magically, a child babbles his/her first words. Soon he/she starts constructing grammatically correct phrases and sentences. All of this has developed as a result of the child’s inner need towards acquiring language. Dr. Montessori says that if for any reason a child is not exposed to language during sensitive period, he/she will suffer limitation in his/her intellectual growth that can never be totally compensated. First picture word books are good to promote sensitivity to language. 4. Sensitivity for walking: This period starts from 1yr. onwards. No other mammal has to learn to walk. Walking develops without it being taught. A child becomes frustrated when an adult impedes his motion by picking him/her up. A child walks to perfect his walking, whereas we walk to go someplace. Once the child has done perfecting to walk, it’s time to jump, hop, skip, climb, carry things, and balance objects etc. Balance beam, slides etc. are good to promote sensitivity for walking. 5. Sensitivity for small objects: From 1yr. till 4yrs. After perfecting to walk, a child focuses on using his/her hand. He/she wants to pick up small objects e.g. Small insects, pebbles, stones, grass etc. Thus he/she tries to refine his/her hand-eye co-ordination. The sensitive period for small objects also describes a child’s fixation on small things and tiny details. Thus, this is the child’s effort to build-up an understanding of the world. 6. Sensitivity to social aspects: It starts from about 21/2 yrs. Through 6yrs. At this age children starts understanding that they are a part of a group and thus begin to co-operate with others. This allows him/her to be safe and socially acceptable in his environment. Any deprivation of social interaction during this period will make him/her less socially confident and uncomfortable around others. Play dates, group activities are good to promote sensitivity to social aspects. All the learning that happens during the sensitive period of a child can happen quietly and unnoticed as long as the environment satisfies the child’s needs. Child’s learning during these stages is the foundation upon which much of their future gets built. Q2. What are the three stages of child development? Write two paragraphs on each of the two sub-phases of the first stage: 0 to 6 years. Answer: Child development stages are developmental milestones or specific achievement that children reach by a certain age. The three stages of child development are:- 1. First stage( 0 to 6years): – It has two sub phases: a. 0 to 3years b. 3 to 6 years 2. Second stage (6 to 12 years): This is a stage when a child is calm, happy, and self assured. They seek the company of their friends. 3. Third stage( 12 to 18years ): It has two sub phases: a. 12 to 15years(Puberty) b. 15 to 18years(Adolescent) There is a transformation in both physical and mental development of the child in this stage. 1. First stage: This stage is between 0 to 6years. It has two sub phases. The sensitive periods are the strongest in this stage. The sub phase 0 to 3years is also called as the unconscious absorbent mind. The child has a mind that cannot be taught by direct methods of teaching. Thus, there are no schools for this age children. Whatever the child learns is unconsciously from his environment by using his sense of seeing and hearing. Provision of a suitable environment greatly helps a child in this stage. The sub phase 3 to 6years is also called as the conscious absorbent mind. Child becomes receptive to adult influence. The child starts developing a personality by remembering and using what he learnt in first 3years of his/her life. The sense of touch is coordinated with the mind. Hands become a main tool of learning. This stage is also a time for social development and making friends. Q3. Write a short note on: A) Natural laws of development B) Characteristics of child development A) Natural laws of development Child development refers to the physical, mental and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence, as the individual progresses from being dependent to being independent. According to the laws of growth and development â€Å"Man creates himself†. The child is the constructor and maker of the adult or as to say father of the man. In the prenatal period the child has established all the vital organs which after birth are developed enough for survival. Nature has its own laws regarding what the human being should achieve, when and how. Genetics also plays its critical part. It is difficult for us to decide when we adults can and should take over the tasks hitherto done by nature. For example: a child cannot be forced to start walking before the right stage. Thus it’s for the parents and educators to provide a suitable environment, where a child will be free to develop, to learn to walk and explore and thus growing within the laws of natural development. The natural development of children proceeds through several distinct stages of development, each one having its own unique conditions and sensitive periods for acquiring basic knowledge in the developmental process. We cannot interfere with these laws of growth. We are facilitators and observers only. And each child has their own stages of learning and understanding the world around. B) Characteristics of child development Human development has two aspects- physical and mental or psychical. Dr. Maria Montessori identified certain human characteristics and they are- self preservation, orientation to the environment, communication, order, exploration, work or purposeful activity, exactness, repetition, abstraction etc. These human characteristics are the driving behavior in every stage of development of a child, and education should respond to and facilitate their expression. A well prepared environment is what is needed so that specific characteristics of a child at different ages are given a free expression. Its function will be to allow a child to develop wholly and independently in all areas. Education is not about a certain curriculum to be completed in a certain class and age; instead it is about developing a child into a whole human being by letting the child learn without force. The child will be stimulated to develop to his/her full potential as per his/her innate characteristics because of this prepared environment.

Wesfarmers : Financial Analysis

Wesfarmers : Financial Analysis Wesfarmers main focus is very simple but an effective objective of providing a satisfactory return to its shareholders. The beauty of this objective is that it is measurable, and they seek to achieve a return on equity, which ranks Wesfarmers in the top 20 percent of Australia’s listed companies and able to manage the portfolio of businesses which make up the group with strong financial focus (Australian Securities Exchange,2008). The ongoing success of Wesfarmers is based on shareholder focus, financial disciplines and goodwill and hence it has achieved significant financial growth in the preceding 6 years. It is a â€Å" diversified Australian group, provides home improvement products, building supplies, coal mining, gas, industrial and safety products, food, groceries, apparel, office products and insurance (Business Review, 2008). Wesfarmers key strategy is to grow through acquisitions. In line with the strategy, Wesfarmers made several acquisitions over the years which enhanced their financial position and stability. Over the years the group acquired Linde Gas, which is a major provider of gas to the Australian Industrial market. In 2003 Wesfarmers finalized the acquisition of Lumley Australian and New Zealand insurance business which helped diversify Wesfarmers business operations and finally in 2007, Wesfarmers acquired the Coles group (Greenhalgh, 2008). Table 1: Major Acquisitions BusinessPriceEBIT ($m)EV/EBIT multiple OAMPS7255812. 5 Linde Gas5007313. 5 Coles Group19,3001,15016. 8 Source: www. wesfarmers. com. au The most common form of financial analysis is undertaken using ratios, using the data from financial statements and other related sources. By analyzing and calculating the figures obtained from the Wesfarmers financial statements of the preceding 5-6 years we can develop an insight to the success and growth of the company (accounting text book). Over the years Wesfarmers has grown significantly both physically and financially. In 2003 the group achieved a result with net profits reaching $538 million, with an after tax net profit of 16 percent. Earnings per share before goodwill amortization were up by nine percent and shareholders received an increase in dividends by up to 14 percent. The total operating revenue increased five percent a revenue of 7. 8 billion when compared to the previous year, and a 20 percent increase in net operating cash flow due to a strong focus on working capital and preceding years higher profit (Wesfarmers 2003). Over the last 4 years Wesfarmers net revenues kept rising dramatically from 7. 54 billion in 2005 to approximately 8. 71 billion in 2007. With the acquisition of Coles retail assets in 2007, the scale of Wesfarmers retail operations increased extensively with operations from over 3,200 stores throughout Australia and total sales of $39. billion in the year 2007. This substantially demonstrates the significant buying power with suppliers manufactures and obtains benefits associated with dedicated networks and shareholder goodwill (Wesfarmers, 2007). There was a significant rise in net profit margin 7. 65% in 2004 to 9. 85 % in 2006. However 2008 being a difficult year due to the global financial crisis there has been a drop in ne t profit margin. There has always been a constant increase in the Return on asset from 8. 60% in 2004 to 12. 2 % in 2006 and also large increase on the return on equity a tremendous increase to 26. 15% in 2006. This demonstrates the overall growth and performance over the years (FinAnalysis,2009). As organizations grow and expand successfully they are also faced with a lot of challenges. Given the recent acquisition of Coles, Wesfarmers financial policies and liquidity position has changed significantly. Until 2008 Wesfarmers has a strong control over their assets, and the ability of the company to meet short term obligations were high. However off late their liquidity position is considered to be weak, considering the significant level of short term debt they have acquired, although a portion of it was paid off by the end of 2008, there is still a segment of it which is yet to be completely cleared off. However given the global financial and economic crisis, Financial experts have predicted that Wesfarmers debt levels are going to rise in the short to medium term of 2009 (Greenhalgh, 2008). This shows the ability of Wesfarmers to purchase assets using borrowed funds and thus lever up their total assets. The short to medium term debt will have to be refinanced in the coming months to assist it reducing any further risks. Wesfarmers services a diverse customer base reflecting the broad range of industries in which the company operates, given this diverse operations of groups they have a large number of competitors including MITRE 10, BHP, RIO and Orica, Caltex etc ( FinAnalysis, 2009). However the major one of them all being Woolworths. Woolworths has established a clear lead in sales growth in recent years, and is estimated to hold approximately 27% of the market with Coles falling down to 23%. Woolworths has clearly demonstrated a lead in terms of supermarket margins and supply chain automation resulting in heavy price discounting, and they have reported a solid growth in margins from 4. 7% in 2005 to 6. 2% in 2007(Woolworths, 2008). As Wesfarmers operate in various other industries and segments they have demonstrated a strong position in the market. General merchandising and apparel store Target has performed strongly compared to peers, reporting margins growing from 2. 1% in 2002 to 8. 8% in 2007. However both Coles and Woolworths operate in a duopolistic market for large scale retailers, with other competitors finding it difficult to compete with these two massive players. Stakeholder analysis: â€Å"The Board of Wesfarmers Limited is a strong advocate of good corporate governance and is committed to providing a satisfactory return to its shareholders and fulfilling its corporate governance obligations and responsibilities in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders complying with the ASX corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations† (Wesfarmers, 2008). The stakeholders include employees, customers, suppliers and other contractors, government agencies, local communities, and also shareholders in the parent company. The company strives to expand and improve its sustainability efforts into the future by enhancing the physical environment in which they operate, provide a safe working environment for employees, customers and other stakeholders, treating all stakeholders with respect, investing in the communities for development and better standards of living and most of all, behaving in a legal and ethical manner (Hill et,al. 007, p. 34 & Wesfarmers, 2008). However there were a few discrepancies and criticism in the early 1990’s, regarding environment and longstanding pollutions issue from sites used for fertilizer production by Wesfarmers. The government and the public were concerned about leaching of heavy metals into the water table. Criticism also leveled at the company over its adequate stakeholder involvement in the issue ( Sustainable Asset Management, 2003). It was also known that a large number of stakeholder of the parent company were now pleased and supportive of the acquisition of Coles group. However eventually it was understood that shareholders supported the proposal and realized it was an opportunity for future growth, increased market share, and higher share prices and returns (Bolt, 2007). Over the years Wesfarmers made strong efforts and changes to advocate the best practice in Corporate Governance by fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities. The board approved new terms of reference for the audit and compliance committee. The committee also has the responsibility to assess the effectiveness of the group’s compliance reporting programe to cover areas such as crisis management, legal liability, risk review, insurance, financial issues, environmental health and safely management (Wesfarmers, 2007). Wesfarmers also revised their disclosure process and policy and improved timely disclosure of relevant information to the market, this includes the conduct of investor and analyst briefing and communication with the media. Stakeholders are involved in reviews and stakeholders surveys to tackle key areas such as supply chain, OH&S, resource consumption, product stewardship, feedbacks and complaints etc to comment on the company’s performance. The Australian Standards Technical Committee, Australian Water and other authorities have concluded that Wesfarmers has involved in ensuring environmental responsibility and safety (Wesfarmers, 2007). Succession planning is another issue which is constantly under review within the group. Together with the mergers and acquisitions taken place over the years, Wesfarmers board ensured that these transitions were a smooth one, keeping abreast with the history and culture of the company. This evolution had diversified and strengthened the company together with the experience and knowledge and skill of highly committed directors (Wesfarmers, 2007). References Wesfarmers, 2008, ‘Corporate Governance’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Bolt, C, 2007, ‘Wesfarmers makes improved offer for coles, The West Australian, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Wesfarmers, 2008, ‘Submission on the federal government’s Green paper for a proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Sustainable Asset Management, 2003, ‘Sustainability Leaders Australia Fund’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Wesfarmers, 2007, ‘Annual General Meeting – Chairman’s Address’, retrieved 29 December 2008, .

Dark green religion and hunting Essay

Hunting and Dark Green Religion with a Twist of Sport Hunting Dark Green Religion and hunting go hand in hand in the traditional sense. According to Dark Green Religion, as exemplified by Bron Taylor, the death of an animal should be appreciated and teach us the ethics of loving and caring for the bounty of our planet. Farm animals are killed all the time with the justification that they are for food. The conditions those animals deal with are explicitly anti-DGR. There are several types of hunting but the main two are hunting for subsistence and sport hunting. Hunting for food is acceptable because since the beginning of time, animals eat other animals, due to our carnal nature. Numerous environmentalists, in accordance with Bron Taylor, agree that hunting is a life function for almost all animals its either for survival or for food, therefore it is acceptable, but the death of an animal should come at a price of great sadness and appreciation. Dark Green Religion and its followers believe that animals have some sort of spiritual value, this leads them to respect all living things whether they are sentient beings or not. Humans are omnivores by nature, so eating dead animals is as natural as it can get, as long as it is not factory farmed. One thought that arises is what is naturally acceptable and what is not? In the wise words of Henry David Thoreau what is wild is good or â€Å"all good things are wild and free. †1 Anything that is untainted by humans is natural, just like killing for food is natural, but killing to show off skill is not because other animals in the wild do not kill for pleasure or thrill. It is either for food or for self-preservation in some rare cases. Through the various DGR literature pieces that are analyzed in this paper there is a spectrum in the environmental literature. 2At one end is the view that hunting is justified only for self protection and for food, where no other reasonable alternative is available. Most writers, in this case Bron Taylor, Gretel Van Wieren, and Priscilla Cohn, also agree that hunting is sometimes justified in order to protect endangered species and threatened ecosystems where destructive species have been introduced or natural predators have been exterminated. Others, especially in western society, accept hunting as part of cultural tradition or for the psychological well being of the hunter, sometimes extended to include recreational hunting when practiced according to â€Å"sporting† rules. Nowhere in the literature as far as DGR is concerned is hunting for fun, for the enjoyment of killing, or for the acquisition of trophies defended. 3 Imagine being an animal†¦ getting chased and shot at by humans for pure enjoyment. It cannot be fun especially if they miss the vital organs and you are in severe pain. Sometimes the hunt will take hours and the animal will drag its mutilated body around trying to die in peace because that is all it can do at that point. Animals can feel pain just like us. In a movie that Dr. Ellard showed to us in class, a man with special powers transferred the pain and sadness of a dying deer to a hunter, the hunter screamed and writhed in pain. That just makes you think what must have been going through the deer’s brain. At what point is it acceptable to kill animals? For instance, killing in self defense is justified only if no effective nonlethal means is available. Some say the thrill of the hunt makes it worth whatever the cost may be. Killing to obtain trophies would be justified and only if trophies are an important nonsubstitutable good, or if some other important substitute good cannot reasonably be achieved by any other means. 4 Others say hunting does have a thrill but it shouldn’t be the only thoughts going through your head. According to Bron Taylor no small numbers of DGR folk hunt. Taylor does not approve of trophy or sport hunting. In his words; although there is nothing wrong in my view with appreciating and enjoying all that goes with the hunt, this is best combined with the feelings of sadness that I hope also comes with the taking of life. Dark Green Religion gives wildlife intrinsic value and a sort of spiritual relevance. Wild life is to be revered, not conquered and made to look inferior. 5 Humans are a part of the whole circle of life, and we should stay within our circle and not go out and destroy it. Bron and I discussed the main reason to which degree hunting should be considered acceptable. I think hunting is justifiable for food, as a philosophical understanding that we are not superior but rather are a part of nature and like other organisms, kill to survive and thrive, and it is also justifiable, sometimes, to promote the health of an ecosystem and the viability of other species populations. 6 According to Gretel Van Wieren agrees with me that there is less harm done in hunting that there is factory farming. In our case up here in the northeast, we have hunted the wolves to extinction in our region. The wolves were the main predators of the deer  population, since all the wolves have been killed; now it is our responsibility to hunt the deer since they are constantly overpopulating the region and devastating the flora of the region along with farmland. Bron Taylor and his colleagues who are mentioned above, joined us in our discussion, agreed with me wholeheartedly thru the lens of DGR. According to Ted Kerasote, avid outdoorsman, hunter, and author, buried in our animal nature lies an important but unstated fact: The drive to hunt and the drive for sex have much in common. Both are primal and both can be thanked for our presence here today. While the drive to hunt is less obvious than the drive for sex, the former probably contributed more to our culture. Sex is accomplished by two, but hunting is often accomplished in cohesive and enduring groups. 7 Before we became hunters, we met our need for animal protein by snacking on insects, snails, fledgling birds and other slow creatures too small to share. But hunting produced large, festive meals too grand to be eaten by any one person, meals which could feed large groups of people who would stay around the carcass not only to be sure of their shares but also to defend the meat from scavengers. 8 Based on the facts presented by Kerasote hunting, therefore, made us social. Since we have evolved and advanced so much that hunting is outdated in most cases, we hunt for other reasons. Hunting has brought us subsistence, and then the social aspect took over and now we are acting in the reverse direction of why we started hunting in the first place. The social aspect has led us to believe that hunting is acceptable just for the social aspect and not for that which it was originally intended. On the other hand, certain people, hold that animals were not put on earth for our use, certainly not so that we can kill them for pleasure. To the various DGR people mentioned in the paper, sport hunting is no more exalted than pulling the wings off flies. What the issue comes down to, then, is this: Now that we have become an industrialized society, should we indulge our instincts at the expense of other intelligent forms of life? That question has been very intelligently addressed in Ted Kerasote’s book called Bloodties. He makes a big a point in his introduction to the book that as long as we hunt locally (so that we don’t burn fossil fuel getting to our quarry) and as long as we eat the victim, we do infinitely less harm to the overall environment than we do by eating ordinary supermarket vegetables. After all, the vegetables are grown by an energy-hungry agribusiness whose pesticides decimate the ecosystem and whose combines fatally batter hundreds of small animals (insects, toads, snakes, ground-nesting birds, mice, voles, woodchucks, striped squirrels, weasels, skunks, foxes) in the course of each harvest. But venison is in dramatic contrast to the vegetables resulting from that harvest, as well as to feed-dependent pork, beef, mutton, chicken and turkey. Unlike agricultural produce, venison requires no pesticide or fossil-fuel to grow, and results in the loss of just one life: the deer’s. 9 Why don’t we all see this? Because to many of us, the little animals in the crops are vermin and the deer are Bambi, yet as Kerasote points out, life is precious to all creatures. This point that he makes shows us how deep this animal harm goes, people who are vegans probably do not think this deep. The land cleared for their food was once a home to animals. That same land is annually inhabited by other animals and every year they get killed or chased away by machinery. Kerasote hunts, probably very well. As a hunter he sounds more like an Inuit or a Bushman (or more like a wolf or a mountain lion, to name two other hunters of the deer) than like the camouflage-clad, beer-sodden macho types with automatic weapons who infest the woods each fall. And because he’s a hunter, Kerasote’s descriptions of hunts are realistic perfection, his detail is very vivid and proves the reader with imagery that makes you want to hunt. The thrill of the hunt is what our ancestors must have followed in order to even overcome the challenge of hunting with stones and on foot. Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial (usually the skin, antlers and/or head), the carcass itself is seldom used as food or mostly it is considered useless and thrown away. 10 Sport hunting goes back to ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. Kings would conduct lion hunts from chariots, and would often stock their lands with the beasts for this purpose. One of the oldest legends in history–Gilgamesh–celebrates his killing of lions and other beasts, mythic and real. Hunting–whether for food or for sport–has been directly tied to the extinction of megafauna in the Ice Age 41,000 years ago. The advent of firearms made hunting easier, and hunting expeditions (like the safaris of the 19th and early 20th centuries) became popular. 11 Before conservation laws, virtually anything was deemed fair game: elephants, tigers, rhinos, gorillas, wolves, deer, elk and most other large animals. Most of the animals involved with trophy hunting are either endangered or on the watch list. â€Å"Sport† hunting is a brutal business. It means taking the life of an innocent animal for personal gain. The hunting industry doesn’t like the word kill because it exposes the lie that animals die peacefully after being arrowed, shot, trapped, choked and generally tortured to death. So they sanitize the cruelty of hunting by using euphemisms to describe their evil deeds. 12 To make matters worse, not all of these animals that are hunted for sport are eaten; this promotes the lack of appreciation for their life. It is certainly true that many hunters seek to kill trophy animals which are precisely the animals that the species can least afford to lose: the â€Å"genetically prime† animals. 13 Since hunters look for the prime animals to kill, the stunted and genetically unfit animals are allowed to breed and then the offspring have less of a chance of surviving which further hinders the population as well as the hunters that are still hunting the species. A chief of this would be hunting elephants with big tusks. When the animals with big tusks are poached, the remaining population has to breed with males that would have otherwise lost in fights over mating partners. Since these elephants are genetically inferior precisely due to the size of their tusks, they are less likely to survive because during the dry season they will not be able to dig for water, and their offspring would have to endure the same problem. This would cull the population to the point where there would not be enough healthy elephants to keep the population alive. This just goes to show how such small actions by mankind can lead to such adverse effects for animals. Sport and trophy hunting have other deleterious effects on animal populations, as I discussed earlier in the paper with my example of the deer and wolf dilemma in northeast America. Hunting for sport has obliterated species. The dodo bird’s disappearance along with passenger pigeons’ is attributed mostly to sport hunters, and the historical decimation of the American buffalo from sport hunters nearly pushed that species to total extinction. Big game hunting was a craze in the 1800s, and their effect on animal populations was devastating. Sport hunters of the time were ignorant of issues like sustainable breeding populations, and there were no protected species until the first conservation laws were passed in the 20th century. 14 Dark Green Religion people have made it their mission to let society know of the harm they are causing by hunting for pleasure. If you look at the bigger picture here, anything that humans do for pure pleasure generally has a harsh consequence for the environment. If we paid attention to the devastation we cause we would probably help reduce the amount of damage we cause to our one and only planet. If the â€Å"pros† of sports hunting can be outweighed the â€Å"cons† by so much more it makes an obvious statement against sports hunting. Sport hunting has the direct effect of reducing animal populations; unless it is tightly regulated, this form of hunting can decimate species and disrupt the balance of ecosystems. 15 In many cases sports hunting has already upset an established ecological balance as in the case of the white tailed deer and the wolves. The message of DGR people is quite clear at this point, and we see that in some cases advocacy helps, but illegal sports hunting still proceeds unhindered in many cases and we need to help raise support against it by denying a market for illegal animal products. According to various environmentalists along with Bron Taylor, Gottlieb, and Henry David Thoreau, in order to fix the problem, we need to identify the problem and advocate to the public to the point where the public will be scrambling for a solution on their own. As these various authors are working on advocating the problem, the environment and society are still on a downhill plunge. In some cases we need visceral Dark Green Religion to come in explain why some groups regard wilderness with such reverence. It is because of Dark Green Religion that I even wanted to write this paper. I hope the rest of the world is as understanding as I am and attempt to do as much as anyone can to help improve the situation, because that is the only way change will occur. Bibliography Gunn, Alastair S. â€Å"Environmental Ethics and Trophy Hunting. † Ethics & the Environment. no. 1 (2001): 68-95. Kerasote, Ted. Bloodties: Nature, Culture, and the Hunt . New York: Random House, 1993. Priscilla Cohn Ethics and Wildlife: Hunting Myths, Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 1999. Swan, James A. In Defense Of Hunting. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Tallmadge, John, â€Å"Deerslayer with a Degree,† in Mark Allister (ed. ) Eco-Man: New Perspectives on Masculinity and Nature, University of Virginia Press, 2004, 17-27 Taylor, Bron. Dark Green Religion: Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2009. Wade, Maurice L. â€Å"Animal Liberationaism, Ecocentrism, and the Morality of Sport Hunting. † Journal of the Philosophy of Sport. (1990): 15-27.

Compair Voyages by Chinese Fleet in Early 1400s to Voyages of Lberians

Cody Gundick History Oct 8, 2012 History Essay For most of the last several thousand years, it would have seemed far likelier that Chinese or Indians, not Europeans, would dominate the world by the year 2000, and that America and Australia would be settled by Chinese rather than by the inhabitants of a backward island called Britain. (The Prequel, Kristof p552) The voyages by the Chinese fleet were very different but had some similarities to the voyages of the Liberians. The Portuguese and Spaniards had different goals, because of their heritage, in the voyages.Depending on what Spanish voyage it was the captain of the voyages were different but sometimes similar in some ways. The Chinese were far more advanced in technology that the Spaniards or the Portuguese were. Westerners often attribute their economic advantage today to the intelligence, democratic habits, or hard word of their forebears, but a more important reason may well have been the folly of fifteenth-century Chinese rul ers. (The Prequel, Kristof p. 553) Zheng He was a muslin from a rebel family and had seized by the Chinese army when he was a boy.The turning point in the 1400s was when Admiral Zheng He sailed from China to concur the world on several voyages. One captain similar to Zheng He was Vasco da Gama. In 1497 the Portuguese seaman led a fleet of for ships around the southern tip of Africa into the Indian Ocean. He kind of copied off of Bartolomeu Dias but Vasco da Gama didn’t return back to Portugal. Both of those men worked for their king while Zheng He did it all for himself. Not to be selfish, he didn’t keep all the knowledge he got for himself he just went on the expeditions and didn’t have to take orders from anyone.Vasco da Gama was trying to give riches to his king but he failed when none of his worthless gifts were successful. However, his voyages were all about trade routs. They were looking for another way to get to Europe instead of taking the treacherous wa y across the land. ZHeng He was not interested in trade routs nor with Europe at all. Another captain that has to take orders from a king is Christopher Columbus. He was an Italian sailor from Genoa. He tried to sail west to Asia but as many people know today that is impossible.Columbus reached the Caribbean islands thinking he was by China and Japan. Zheng He would probably laugh in Columbus’s face if Christopher came up to Zheng and asked him to fund his voyages. First Columbus named the islands after his king and queen then he wandered around looking for big cities. He was greatly interested in the people and wanted to learn their speech and ways. Zheng He would have showed up to the island, took one leader and some interesting items back home and try to learn about it from there.If Columbus had as much power, money, and technology as Zheng He there voyages wouldn’t have been much different. The goals of the Spaniards were far different from those of Zheng He. As I said before Zheng He was not concerned in spreading his religions, customs, or technologies. He just wanted to learn about the world in his own way. Yes he had a lot of soldiers but he didn’t capture and concur land with them. He just plundered the lands for knowledge and items. A far different captain from Zheng He was Hernan Cortes.Cortes, of minor noble descent, at the age of nineteen sailed to the Indies, where he established a big estate on the island of Hispaniola. When he heard stories of Montezuma’s gold he was determined to take it from him. (The Conquest of New Spain, Bernal Diaz p598) Unlike Columbus and Zheng He, Cortes geared up for war. He brought 500 soldiers, eleven ships, 16 horses, and several pieces of artillery. (The Conquest of New Spain, Bernal Diaz p598) Cortes still had to follow the rules of his leader but he later disobeyed him and became a wanted man back as his country.Cortes was not interested in trade or economic issues to better his home country. He was determined to have everything for him self and to try spread Christianity to please the king. That also comes with trying to in slave all of the Indians. That he did after he used his brilliant strategy to kill Montezuma and take over the city. The only thing that Zheng He did badly for himself was when he wanted to get items that he had nothing to give in return beside Peaceful power projection. It was that Zheng He promised to ally with the people that gave him what he wanted.The Spaniards did terrible things to the Indians. The took infants from their mothers breast, snatching hem by the legs and pitching them headfirst against the crags or snatched them by the arms and threw them into the rivers, roaring with laughter and saying as the babies fell into the water, Boil there you offspring of the devil. (The Devastation of the Indies, Bartolome De Las Casas p615) If Zheng He had that kind of attitude of capture and concur he could have easily done it. But thank god he didn’t.Zheng He, in my opinion, could do anything he wanted. China was the worlds powerhouse and I wish Zheng He went to the Indians before the Spaniards to give them Peaceful Power Projection because he could have allied with them and gave them protection from the evil blood thirsty Spaniards. Even though he was behind in time China was far more advanced than any other country. In Zheng He’s time, China and India together accounted for more than half of the world’s gross national produce. (The Prequel, Kristof p553) As they have for most of history.In 1820 China accounted for 29% of the global economy and India another 16%, according to the calculations of Angus Maddison, a leading British economic historian. Zheng He’s fleet was far bigger than any Spanish or Portugal fleet. Not until World War I did the west mount anything comparable to his fleet. His ships were filled with 28,000 sailors on 300 ships, (The Prequel, Kristof p552) and all he was con cerned about was learning. Zheng He could have easily continued around the Cape of Good Hope and established direct trade with Europe.But as they saw it Europe was a backward region and China had little interest in it. (The Prequel, Kristof p554) Because China was not driven by conquest or imperialistic domination I would have much rather be a soldier on his ship than any other ship sponsored by a king and queen. To conclude, the Spanish were concerned about spreading Christianity, Portugal wanted trade, that’s probably why they had one of the greatest ports, and China, well just the emperor wanted to learn about the world around him. Too bad that was not continued after his death.