Beautiful Boy and Tweak Essay

Reading two different accounts of the story of a drug addict allows much room for comparison between the two. In the case of David and Nic Sheff’s books, I was surprised at how much similarity there was between the two; they agreed on most points and there was no striking discontinuity in their stories. There is, however, a significant difference in the perspectives from which the two are told. Naturally, Nic, as the addict son, takes on a more self-centered view. In David’s book it is clear that Nic’s addiction is the one central driving force in their family life, especially in David’s daily life. In Nic’s book, however, his relationship with his father and the rest of his family is only one of the several focal points of the book; Nic is also preoccupied with girlfriends, friends, and his sponsor. David Sheff’s book is a very self-reflecting account. He is constantly analyzing the past, the decisions he’s made with Nic, and putting it all together in a desperate attempt to find answers to his son’s downfall. He struggles with a constant mental conflict: â€Å"What did I do wrong?† His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll, to the point where he suffered from a massive hemorrhage. David’s view of the progression of Nic’s addiction reflects the Social Learning Theories and Psychoanalytical explanations of American drug use. At first, David views the onset of Nic’s addiction as a cause of some childhood lifestyle factors he lived through (such as the divorce). Later on, however, David realizes that there are thousands of teenagers who are reeled into the dark world of drugs and do not necessarily come from traumatic backgrounds; that these two things are not always directly linked. They are simply reinforced by others, usually drug-using friends, regardless of how they were raised. Ronald Akers built on this idea of operant conditioning by pointing out that drug-using behavior is reinforced socially more than physiologically. This is exactly what happened to Nic as he surrounded himself more and more with friends and girlfriends who induced his addiction. As evident as it may have seemed, it took David a while to shift his focus from reflecting on the past to what was quickly making Nic’s situation worse. Nic, on the other hand, is not very psychoanalytic about his addiction.  David has hope for his son, while Nic has very little hope for himself. While telling his story, David is trying to discover and unveil what led to all of this misery in his family. He longs to find answers and causations for all of it. Nic, on the other hand, doesn’t focus on the â€Å"why.† Although he has moments where he confesses he never thought he would turn out this way, he doesn’t spend much time dwelling on what led him to his addiction. Instead, Nic just tells his story and focuses on the very near future. This is typical of an addict’s mentality. Each day is so unsure and unstable that they can’t manage to plan more than one or two days ahead. The deeper he sinks into his addiction, the more surprised he is to find that he wakes up alive each day. Rather than fight it, Nic accepts the fact that he is a hardcore addict and that his life will never be the same. It took his father a much longer time to realize this and fully accept it. I was genuinely shocked at how honest Nic is throughout the whole book while telling his story. He admits that his parents are forcing him to go into a treatment center and that he has â€Å"fucked everything up beyond repair.† Most addicts make themselves seem like the victim and leave out a lot of information about their bad habits. Nic openly shares everything, even his darkest moments of intoxication and suicidal depression. He looks for ways to support the high demands of his druggie lifestyle and makes the necessary amends, even if it means stealing from his own family while they are desperately trying to help him. Nic’s selfishness, however, turns into feelings of deep guilt toward the end on the book when he is on the road to recovery and with his two parents. When his mind clears up, he realizes how badly he has torn everyone apart, especially his mom and dad. These emotional realizations are part of his recovery. David, however, experiences the exact opposite. At the early stages of his son’s addiction, he dedicated all his time and energy to the matter, to the point where he forgot about his own health and happiness. As Nic’s addiction progressed, David shifted focus to himself and stopped obsessing over everything that had to do with his son’s addiction. David’s road to recovery meant almost the exact opposite of Nic’s: dedicating more time and energy to himself rather than taking others into primary  consideration. David Sheff tells his family’s story from the very early happy days and takes his readers all the way through Nic’s descent into his darkest moments, while Tweak begins with Nic already deep into his addiction. Nic Sheff’s Tweak is the dark counterpoint to Beautiful Boy. The elder writer’s grief-filled memoir glows dimly like a distant planet of despair, while the son’s account of the same events burns like an angry Mars.

Hamlet’s Madness

â€Å"I am but mad north-northwest: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw† (Foakes 213). This is a classic example of the â€Å"wild and whirling words† (I.v.134) with which Hamlet hopes to persuade people to believe that he is mad. These words, however, prove that beneath his â€Å"antic disposition,† Hamlet is very sane indeed. Beneath his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and hunting birds, he is announcing that he is calculatedly choosing the times when to appear mad. Hamlet is saying that he knows a hunting hawk from a hunted â€Å"handsaw† or heron, in other words, that, very far form being mad, he is perfectly capable of recognizing his enemies. Hamlet's madness was feigned for a purpose. He warned his friends he intended to fake madness, but Gertrude as well as Claudius saw through it, and even the slightly dull-witted Polonius was suspicious. His public face is one of insanity but, in his private moments of soliloquy, through his confidences to Horatio, and in his careful plans of action, we see that his madness is assumed. After the Ghost's first appearance to Hamlet, Hamlet decides that when he finds it suitable or advantageous to him, he will put on a mask of madness. He confides to Horatio that when he finds the occasion appropriate, he will â€Å"put an antic disposition on† (I.v.173). This strategy gives Hamlet a chance to find proof of Claudius's guilt and to contemplate his revenge tactic (Burton 2). Although he has sworn to avenge his father's murder, he is not sure of the Ghost's origins: â€Å"The spirit that I have seen May be the devil† (II.ii.596-7). He uses his apparent madness as a delaying tactic to buy time in which to discover whether the Ghost's tale of murder is true and to decide how to handle the situation. At the same time, he wants to appear unthreatening and harmless so that people will divulge information to him, much in the same way that an adult will talk about an important secret in the presence of a young child (Boyce 232). To convince everyone of his madness, Hamlet spends many hours walking back and forth alone in the lobby, speaking those â€Å"wild and whirling words† which make little sense on the surface but in fact carry a meaningful subtext. Although he appears to have lost touch with reality, he keeps reminding us that he is not at all â€Å"far gone, far gone† (II.ii.187) as Polonius claims, but is in fact very much in command of himself and the situation. With his ranting and raving and his seemingly useless pacing of the lobby, Hamlet manages to appear quite mad. The naive and trusting Ophelia believes in and is devastated by what she sees as his downfall: â€Å"O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! . . . The expectancy and rose of the fair state . . . quite, quite down!† (III.i.152,4,6). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are also fully convinced. They are Hamlet's equals in age but are far inferior in intellect and therefore don't understand that he is faking. However, although Hamlet manages to convince these simple friends and Ophelia of his insanity, other characters in the play such as Claudius, Gertrude and even Polonius eventually see through his behavior. Claudius is constantly on his guard because of his guilty conscience and he therefore recognizes that Hamlet is faking. The king is suspicious of Hamlet from the very beginning. He denies Hamlet permission to return to university so that he can keep an eye on him close by. When Hamlet starts acting strangely, Claudius gets all the more suspicious and sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Their instructions are to discover why Hamlet is pretending to be mad: â€Å"And can you, by no drift of circumstance, Get from him why he puts on this confusion Grating so harshly all his days of quiet With turbulent and dangerous lunacy† (III. i.1-4). The reason Claudius is so reluctant to believe that Ophelia's rejection has caused Hamlet's lunacy is that he doesn't believe in his madness at all (Kirsch 2: 507). When Claudius realizes through the play-within-the-play that Hamlet knows the truth about his father's death, he immediately sends him away to England. The prevailing piece of evidence demonstrating Claudius's knowledge of Hamlet's sanity is the fact that he feels threatened enough by Hamlet to order him killed by the king of England: â€Å"For like the hectic in my blood he rages And thou must cure me: till I know 'tis done Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun† (IV.iii.67-9). In the scene in his mother's bedroom, Hamlet tells Gertrude that his insanity is assumed: I have utter'd: bring me to the test And I the matter will reword, which madness Even without this confirmation, the Queen has seen through his act (Burton 2). While Hamlet is reprimanding her, she is so upset that she describes his words as â€Å"daggers† (III.iv.98) and claims, † Thou hast cleft my heart in twain† (III.iv.158). The words of a madman could not have penetrated her soul to such an extent. The queen takes every word Hamlet says seriously, proving she respects him and believes his mind to be sound. Furthermore, she believes Hamlet's confession of sanity immediately. She does not question him at all but instead promises to keep it her secret. â€Å"I have no life to breathe What though hast said to me† (III.iv.200-1). Even Polonius can see that Hamlet has not completely lost touch with the world. Although he frequently misses the meanings of Hamlet's remarks and insults, he does recognize that they make some sense. When asked if he recognizes Polonius, Hamlet promptly replies, â€Å"Excellent well; you are a fishmonger† (II.ii.172). Although the response seems crazy since a fish-seller would look completely unlike the expensively dressed lord Polonius, Hamlet is actually criticizing Polonius for his management of Ophelia, since â€Å"fishmonger† is Elizabethan slang for â€Å"pimp† (Boyce 237). He plays mind-games with Polonius, getting him in crazy talk to agree first that a cloud looks like a camel, then a weasel and finally a whale, and in a very sane aside, he then comments that â€Å"they fool me to the top of my bent† (III.ii.375). After the confusing conversation with Hamlet he remarks, † Though this be madness, yet there is method in't† (II.ii.205). When his theory of rejected love proves wrong, he becomes very suspicious of Hamlet's behavior and offers to test it by hiding behind the â€Å"arras† in Gertrude's bedroom so that he can listen in on Hamlet's private conversation with his mother. Polonius' suspicions about the legitimacy of Hamlet's madness lead to his death when Hamlet stabs the â€Å"arras† in the mistaken belief that the eavesdropper is Claudius. Hamlet's soliloquies, his confidences to Horatio, and his elaborate plans are by far the most convincing proof of his sanity. Throughout the play, Hamlet's soliloquies reveal his inner thoughts, which are completely rational (Kirsch 511). In one such speech, Hamlet criticizes himself for not having yet taken action to avenge his father's murder: â€Å"O what a rogue and peasant slave am I Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words† (II. ii. 545, 581-3). Hamlet calls himself a â€Å"dull and muddy-mettled rascal† (II.ii.563), a villain and a coward, but when he realizes that his anger doesn't achieve anything practical other than the unpacking of his heart, he stops. These are not the thoughts of a madman; his emotions are real and his thoughts are those of a rational man. Even when he contemplates suicide in the â€Å"to be or not to be† soliloquy, his reasons himself out of it through a very sane consideration of the dangers of an unknown afterlife: â€Å"And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought† (III. i. 85-6). A further important proof of his sanity is how patiently he devises plans to prepare for his revenge. As he explains to Horatio, his â€Å"antic disposition† is a device to test his enemies. His mounting of the play-within-the-play is another well-laid plan to trap Claudius into admitting guilt: â€Å"The play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king† (II.ii.602-3) and even when the play brings him concrete proof, he is careful not to rush to take his revenge at the wrong moment. He could easily kill Claudius while he is praying but restrains himself so that there is no chance of Claudius's entering heaven. Although Hamlet's patience can be seen as an example of his procrastination, the Foakes think that it is rather a sign of rationality. Hamlet shows himself perfectly capable of action, as well as of rational thought, in escaping the king's armed guard, dispatching Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in England, dealing with the pirates and making it back to Denmark. In addition, the letter Horatio from him through the ambassador bound for England is clear and precise and shows no signs of a befuddled mind (Burton 1). Finally, we are convinced of Hamlet's sanity by his very normal reactions to the people around him. He is perfectly sane, friendly and courteous with the players, giving them good acting tips, which they appreciate and respect. When Polonius and Claudius test the rejected love theory by â€Å"loosing† Ophelia to him, Hamlet acts completely rationally. He greets Ophelia sweetly, gets a little cold when he remembers that he has not seen her â€Å"for this many a day,† is very hurt when she returns his remembrances, and becomes completely furious, insulting womankind in general, when she lies to him about her father's whereabouts and he realizes he is being spied on. He reacts the way any hurt young rejected lover would. This shows that he is very sane and rational indeed Throughout the play, Hamlet†s calculating mind lets him get away with all of his actions. He is the most sane person in the play and he uses his â€Å"antic disposition† to manipulate people, confuse everyone, and investigate anything he wants. He is fully aware of all of his actions and the consequences that they will have on the other characters in the play. Shakespeare†s genius shows through in the character of Hamlet. He was able to show Hamlet outwardly as a madman, but still keep the audience believing that he was still very sane underneath. Hamlet puts on his antic disposition very well. He is, in fact, â€Å"sane throughout the entire play† (Boyce 239).

Company G 3 Year Marketing Plan Essay

Company G develops products that improve the lives of consumers with innovative electronic technology and reliable build quality. We believe that our new Radio CD recorder does just that, it improves the lives of our consumers and gives them a product they can rely on because of our product build quality. Our product is a solution for consumers who would enjoy the convenience of having their favorite radio programming at their disposal. This sample-marketing plan demonstrates the strategies employed to place our new product in position to reach our profit potential. Company G provides consumers with not only reliable appliances but appliances that are cutting edge in design. Our company keeps an eco-friendly attitude in mind during the process of producing our products so that waste is eliminated. Solutions have been utilized to reduce maintenance costs, equipment costs and other costs associated with producing our products. Mission Statement â€Å"We enable consumers to improve the quality and convenience of their lives by providing innovative electronics solution.† The Product The features of the Radio CD recorder include a CD player, radio, CD quality radio recording, small to medium build design for portability, strong light weight construction for portability, timer radio recording for use while away from home, a quality antenna for radio signal strength, five hour rechargeable lithium ion batteries for ease of portability, power cord for home use, a USB outlet for all mp3 device compatibility, and easy to operate controls that can all be done from a wireless remote control. These features give consumers the freedom and convenience to use our product in a variety of ways. Build quality of our product surpasses all that is currently in the market and improves the overall radio experience for consumers. Consumer Product Classification Our consumer product classification falls under a shopping product. Consumers will buy our product only after comparing other radio products price, quality, color, and style. Consumers have limited information as it relates to our product and will gather information during the buying process. Our product can also be seen as homogenous, as there is an array of other radios on the market. Target Market Our focus is on Caucasian female college students between the ages of 18 to 25. Majority of our consumers will be working part time jobs and have incomes ranging of $15 to $25K annually. Most of our consumers will be living on a college campus or apartment, and room mating with friends and or living at home with parents. We will market to tech savvy female college students that look for value in their limited amount of spending on electronic products. Also, our consumers will be music lovers that enjoy listening to the radio during studying and leisure time. The consumers purchasing our product will have a limited amount of space for many different products and will be looking for a product that can combine many of their other products all in one. Competitive Situation Analysis Analysis of Competition using Porter’s 5 Forces Model Competitive Rivalry: According to the amount of products available, rivalry intensity is high. What makes for a high intensity of rivalry includes competitors aggressively targeting each other’s markets and aggressively pricing products. Also, competitors are of equal size and market share and industry growth is slow. Lastly, industries fixed costs are high which creates intense competitive rivalry. Threat from New Entrants: Threats from new entrants are low. Reason being is because of significant upfront capital investments required to start this kind of business. Low barriers of entry are also evident by limited access to proprietary technology and proprietary production material inputs. Furthermore, distribution channels are difficult to access, which also causes low barriers to entry. The Internet has very little impact because of high technology development cost and high manufacturing costs. Threat from Buyers: In researching, buyer power has shown to be low with our product because buyer bargaining power is low. Sellers are concentrated compared to buyers and there are few sellers with many buyers, which makes buyer power low. Furthermore, consumer switching costs are relatively high and buyers would not easily be able to produce our products themselves, further supporting that the threat from buyers is low. The Internet can have an impact should buyers ban together on social networking sites to demand discounts. Threat from Suppliers: Threats from suppliers are high. The new technology that has gone in to producing our new product has been developed and is not mass-produced. Suppliers are few and buyers are many. Suppliers can also forward integrate and begin to produce our product themselves. This will impact how our company will be able to continue delivering our product at a reasonable price because suppliers can use the Internet to sell directly to online shoppers. This will have an impact not only on product price but also our distribution and marketing process. Threat from Substitutes: The threat of substitute products in the market is high. Consumers have the option of purchasing similar radios that record on cassette tapes with low switching costs. Also, the cassette radio recorders are cheaper than our product, which also makes a high threat substitute. But, when it comes to quality of both our product and the substitute product the threat of the substitute is low because our product is of higher quality. Before our product, consumers’ only option to record their radio shows or songs would have been to manually record on cassette radios. The Internet allows fewer barriers for substitute cassette radios to be sold online for less money than our product. SWOT Analysis SWOT is useful technique for understanding Company G’s strengths and weaknesses, and for identifying both opportunities open to the company and threats the company faces. What makes SWOT so important is that it can help bring to light opportunities that can be utilized as an advantage. Also, by understanding the weaknesses of our company, we can be ready to take care of and fix potential problems before they happen. Strengths – Our engineers and designers who develop our innovative products is our first strength. This is one of our core competency’s that gives our company a unique advantage over other companies. We can market how we employ the best and most qualified workers, which brings value and quality to the consumer. – An excellent relationship with current suppliers is our second core competency strength. These relationships have been built over time and are difficult to replicate. This gives us an advantage in that we can make our products available with few delays. – Efficient production process is our last strength that allows us to minimize waste in producing our products. We can market our product as being eco-friendly by minimizing waste in the environment. Furthermore, our products are readily available for restock as needed at any time should demand increase. With our products having an efficient production process they can be made with high quality, fr ee of defects. Weaknesses – Target market consists of college students that don’t typically have much money. Our typical target market will be part time working college students. This target market has yet to start their professional career and have a myriad of costs as they try to earn their degrees. Their costs may just be too high to warrant another electronic purchase. – Consumers may be reluctant to change from their lower priced radio cassette recorders to our new higher priced radio CD recorders. Consumers don’t like change, and if they have a radio that have some of the features our product has, they may elect to save money and stay with their old product. – There are a multitude of substitutes in the market that do very similar things to our product. Having consumers understand and feel a need to have an all in one product that has a combination of features that other substitute products have will prove to be difficult. Opportunities – Our product will be the first on the market that offers a CD recorder and recorder timer in an all in one system. There is no other small appliance exactly like our product and we may have an opportunity to change the way we all use radios. – The music related electronic device market is currently a hot trend. Many other electronics that combine phones with music players are dominating the market. Our product has an opportunity to capture a big piece of the market share by combining radios with new CD recording technology. – We can make radios relevant again in the twenty first century. Radios have been around for decades and have become somewhat obsolete to newer alternatives like mp3 devices. Their is an opportunity to offer a product that we all have utilized and make it a viable option for today’s tech savvy consumer and change the way they live. Threats – A potential lawsuit from music companies and artists for copyright infringement is a major threat. Our product will allow consumers to easily record copyrighted music to CD where they can than distribute the music online. This could potentially bring legal trouble to Company G. – Other established companies could not only develop similar products but also even better technology in the future. Competing companies can allow us to take all the risk in bringing our new product to market and if it does well, they can than reproduce something very similar and threaten our market share. – Copyright laws in the future may change, no longer allowing radio recording. The laws are constantly evolving, especially when it comes to the area of music recording. There is a lot of grey area when it comes to recording from the radio and our product could be the catalyst used to bring tougher restrictions on radio recording, making our product illegal to produce or own. Market Objectives Product Objective – Inform target audience about the value our product brings with the list of features and benefits that lead to a 10 percent gain in the small appliance radio market in one year. Price objective – Pricing range will be $79.99 to start for the first six months in order to attract consumers and gain market share. After six months price will move to $99.99. Place objective – Distribution channel length will be short. Distribution will move from producer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Wholesaler will warehouse products in various locations, to keep up with supply and demand as needed. Orders will be palletized and ready for shipment with in 30 minutes of each order placed. All products will be out fitted with radio-frequency identification for tracking and monitoring of our products every six months. Promotion objective – Increase product sales and new product awareness among target audience by 25 percent in the first year of product release. Bringing together this marketing mix gives our product the best possible chance to be successful. Showing our target audience the value in our products through price and features will be key in our consumers purchasing our product. Furthermore, by utilizing our introductory low price and taking advantage of short channel length will insure that our product not only attracts the attention of our target market but also allows our consumer to have easy access to our products. Lastly, the objectives we have set to increase sales and product awareness will insure that our product is known among the market and is a success. Marketing Strategies Company G’s market strategy will include the four elements of the marketing mix which includes product, price, place and promotion strategies. Each element will include three strategies each with a brief description. Product Strategies – Quality as a product strategy will be used in order to win repeat customers in the future. Consumers are frustrated with products that simply do not work or last. By giving our target market an item that is made with quality, our consumers will be more willing to purchase another item in the future and it will overall improve their life. – Development of product lines is our second strategy. The purpose of including a product line strategy is to grow the company’s position in the market place. Also, it allows for even more opportunities for more consumers to purchase our products by having specific needs met for different consumers. – Product design is our third and final strategy. Shopping products are an important factor in that they need to appeal to a consumer’s image. This will allow the product to be more attractive to the consumer and easier to purchase. Having an item aesthetically pleasing will likely be used more and noticed more amongst other products in the department store and at home. Price Strategies – Cost plus pricing strategy will be used to insure that products are sold with a profit. That way no matter whether we mark up or mark down our prices we will make sure to prevent financial losses on our products. – Penetration pricing strategy will be utilized in order to attract customers and gain market share. Penetration pricing will be in affect for the first six months of our initial product offering. – Psychological pricing will be used to have a positive psychological impact on consumers when purchasing. Consumers are more willing to purchase when they feel they are getting a good deal or value for their purchase. Place Strategies – Producer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer will be how we bring our product to consumers. This traditional channel is a simple but cost effective way of providing goods to our consumer in a quick and efficient manner. – Using a wholesaler is the second strategy. This would allow wholesalers to take responsibility of distributing goods to retailers and distributors. By placing multiple wholesalers in strategic areas we will be able to have our product available should demand rise at any time. – Intensive distribution is our third and final place strategy. Using an intensive distribution strategy will allow us to distribute our products through all available channels in order for consumers to purchase our products anywhere. This makes it convenient for consumers to purchase our products.

External and Internal Environments Research Paper - 4

External and Internal Environments - Research Paper Example Social and technological factors are the most important segments of the general environment affecting the fashion industry. Consumer factors like lifestyles, tastes and trends are the most critical within the fashion industry. For clothes to sell, companies ought to create designs that are in tandem with society’s preferences. Therefore, they need to study and analyze demands and patterns that exist at the time. This issue has affected Zara substantially because it has had to follow fashion trends closely during its entire period in operation. In order to stay in vogue, the company often sends a team of designers to fashion shows in Milan, London and New York. It also expects its team to read through fashion magazines, blogs, and other websites that discuss the latest trends. The organization also analyses daily sales data for all products sold in its retail stores. It liaises with buyers to determine what they might like to see within the stores. Therefore, it is a leading fashion retailer owing to its high awareness of consumer tastes and preferences (Crofton and Dopico, 2007). Technological factors also affect businesses in this industry tremendously. This may affect a company’s ability to get products to consumers quickly. Technology also introduces new sales models that may reduce brick and mortar sales. The growth of online selling has affected numerous organizations positively and Inditex is not an exception. It has used this opportunity to sell its products to individuals in relatively distant countries without having to invest in brick and mortar stores in those locations. Technology also facilitates rapid communication between customers and other fashion sellers thus making individuals more aware. Inditex’s business also depends on rapid gathering of information from its consumers. This has been possible due to the

Inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Inflation - Essay Example In case proportionately controlled incomes failed to bring about changes in demand, devaluation of money was used as a means of returning to efficiency. However, the failure of the Bretton Woods model led to a period of higher inflation caused by increases in additional demand. (Charles Bean, 2003, pp 1-4) The Bretton Woods model failed for three main reasons. Firstly, the gold standard exchange endangered the U.S. economy with a convertible crisis and the U.S. took stringent measures, which in effect made exchange even more difficult. Secondly, the adjustable peg system failed to work in the wake of capital mobility, which cause even small changes in parities to become large costs. Thirdly, the countries with a trade surplus were becoming progressively reluctant to adjust. The first world countries were uninterested in revaluating their currencies every time the U.S. had a trade imbalance. This resulted in the waning of the American economic power relative to European countries and Japan. The G10 lost its power and the stage was set for a more individualistic and decentralized system for stabilizing macroeconomic conditions. (Michael D. Bordo, 1993) In the 1980’s all monetary targets were unsuccessful because it was very difficult to predict if the policy goals would reap the intermediate or economic targets. So an inflation target was proposed- and the system converted in 1992. The target measure chosen was the Retail Price Index (RPI), which omitted mortgage payments. The target was set at 1-4% with the expectation that it would come to be so near the end of the parliaments term at office. The adoption of the system of inflation targeting was followed closely by utilitarian systems whereby the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England met together with their advisory teams and the minutes of the meeting were published in the Bank’s Inflation Report, which analyzed all inflationary trends with the

Platos Theory of Knowledge Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Platos Theory of Knowledge - Term Paper Example The final theory that he arrived at was that knowledge is true belief which has been â€Å"given an account of† – which means some kind of an explanation of definition has been provided of it. The theory of knowledge being justified true belief says that if one is to know that some scheme is indeed correct, the person should not just simply think it to be true but he should be having a logical excuse for that. One effect resulting from such an idea is that one would not be gaining knowledge simply because he believes something that was true. Platonic Version Plato’s theory of knowledge has been given in Theaetetus and it proves to be a substitute to the theory that Protagoras had proposed. Plato’s theory depicts reality to be the standard and belief and perception can be measured against it. It is how we perceive reality that leads to the creation of belief. One thing to consider here, before moving ahead, is that Plato’s theory of knowledge happens to be a theory of error as well as there is always a possibility of misperceiving reality and leading to an incorrect belief. Another thing is that there is no similarity between true belief and knowledge, although there could be a true belief merely through luck. For there to be an honest and actual knowledge of reality there is a requirement of there being a correct belief as well as enough proof for that belief. Plato has acknowledged that justification and belief do not have any real relation with each other. There cannot be any perfect way of making sure that the proof we have is enough. The history of philosophy has divulged several struggles undertaken for the correction of this absence. Scientific method is a system of building evidence by testing belief against observation (perception).   This was the account of Plato. Protagorean relativism says: Of all things the measure is Man, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, that they are not (L loyd and Pellegrin 204) According to Plato a theory by Protagoras was the basis of this statement and it considers that knowledge and perception are one and same (Schmitt 11). Plato pointed out that the implication drawn from this statement is that there is no difference between appearance and truth and a person can never say what he knows is wrong. As a metaphor, someone healthy and fine would find a wine to be sweet but the same person, when unwell, might find the very same wine to taste bitter. The truth of the matter is that the wine is not sweet of bitter in itself; the taste arises just when the person perceives it to be such and such due to certain circumstances. Actually, there is no permanent, immortal, truth at all. The reality comes into being and forms into objects and features when the person acts on it after having perceived it. There is a notion of our minds creating our own reality. This idea is quite popular in the current world and literature and besides this even in the modern accounts of constructivist educational theory. Knowledge as Perception If we bring out a comparison between this concept of knowledge and the one that Plato suggested through his theory we would find them to be extremely different; in fact, they are opposing each other in many ways. Protagorean theory is known as Relativism due to the fact that knowledge and being itself holds its dependency on relations that exist

Networking 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Networking 2 - Essay Example This was a big revolutionary change. Information could be shared at extremely rapid rates. It could be said that this was the beginning of the information age. Nowadays we think nothing of transferring massive amounts of information, be they databases or images, across telephone or optical wires. Much of our economy is dependent on these tools. And who looks after all of these apparatuses and functions? The computer networker. The position is becoming more and more important as the field and our reliance on information technology continues to expand. What sort of education is required by someone seeking a career in this exciting field? There are varying degrees of specialization and education, each requiring different amount of time and different kinds of aptitude. People have to know the hardware that they’re dealing with because this can be incredibly important when resolving problems. Another big issue is security. With the huge amount of viruses and worms out there, people need to know how to protect themselves. If you get a job working on the networks in a bank or at the government, for example, security is going to be a major concern because these kinds of institutions rely on confidentiality. Day to day, what do these people do with networks? The key aspect of computer networking is to share resources and to allow computers to communicate—not just from room to room but across oceans and continents. For any viable business in today’s world these are necessary facts of life. Another important thing to do is maintain the system. Computers need to be taken care of. They need updates, they need to be checked out, they need to be replaced when they get old or are no longer functional. All of these fall under the purview of the computer networker. Salary ranges across the field vary depending on the level of responsibility. Some positions play a very important role in designing networks or

Pre-Proposal Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pre- - Research Proposal Example The project will aim at educate students through training programs and environmental campaigns. Various environmental topics such as waste management and energy conservation will be focused on. The target of the project will be to plant 500 tree seedlings and to educate more than 5000 students. Different varieties of trees will be planted. The trainings will be facilitated by experts in the field of environment and will target 50 students per training session. Facilitators will only focus on environmental issues. Trainings will enhance environmental sustainability since students will be able to apply what they will learn. Concerning campaigns, two campaigns will be conducted each month. The campaigns are expected to bring various benefits to the population of Arizona. For instance, they will change students’ perceptions on various environmental issues as well as enhance students’ commitment towards practices that enhance environmental protection. The project will aim at utilizing the efforts of volunteers to ensure the outlined activities are implemented in an efficient and timely manner. Themes of the campaigns will incorporate issues to do with waste management and energy conservation. The project will positively impact sustainability at the university through enhancing environmental awareness and conservation as well as promoting environmental unity. 2. Stakeholders: Different groups of people will aid in the implementation process of this project. They will contribute to its success either directly or indirectly. The first group of people will be the board members of the University of Arizona. They will support the project through decision making. They will provide consent for implementation of various project activities. They will also decide where trees will be planted. The input of lecturers from the School of Natural Resources and Environment, as

Human behaviour in the workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human behaviour in the workplace - Essay Example According to Mullins (2010), a trait is a characteristic that is dominant in an individual that makes them behave in a particular manner. Traits have been greatly used ti study the personalities of individuals mostly in their workplaces. The theory majors on the differences between individuals and what makes them unique in their different ways (Uczynski and Buchanan 2009).   Further to that, the main purpose of this theory is to identify the differences between individuals based on their personalities. Traits theory differentiates individuals into cardinal traits, central traits, or secondary characters. Cardinal traits are traits that are evident in individuals whole life. The traits are unique to every individual to some extent they are identified on the uniqueness of the traits. Central traits are the obvious characteristics found in a person that can be used to define their personalities. Despite being unique to most individuals in most cases, to some situations they are not un ique. Last is a secondary trait; the trait exists in a person's life because of a particular attitude or preferences. They are not dominant in an individual's personality, but they occur under different circumstances (Uczynski and Buchanan 2009).Personality Questionnaires Theory.This theory focuses on using questions to measure the personalities of individuals. The questions used are based on a yes, no or I do not know answers. In workplace, questionnaires theory can be applicable in measuring the level of team building exhibited by the workers.

America's Infrastructure Failing Research Paper

America's Infrastructure Failing - Research Paper Example It is both an actual and metaphorical foundation of society. This has been an issue needing a solution for at least 25 years. An effort was made in the 1990’s but fell short of what was necessary even then. Today the situation is dire according to a study recently completed by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Though a slow economy is often blamed for not having the ability to fund massive projects nationwide, it is that very funding which would immediately improve the economy. A faction in Congress believes strict austerity measures are the answer to the National Debt problem and that the nation cannot afford a stimulus package to supply jobs, repair infrastructure and give the economy a boost. This is the same faction that caused the government to shut down for no reason and don’t acknowledge the failed austerity experiment Europe has been experiencing. It won’t likely be this historically inept Congress that pulls the economy out its slow growth period while building for the future but maybe the public persuade them if the problem is framed correctly, a task President Obama is attempting, again. What’s the cost of an aging infrastructure as opposed to repairing and replacing it? America’s answer has been to patch it as it breaks while other countries are preparing for the future while creating jobs. Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy along the east coast last year the electrical infrastructure was not worth salvaging. Instead of replacing it with a high tech ‘smart grid’ the same old system was rebuilt. A tragedy brought opportunity but it was an opportunity lost. The Chinese are replacing their electric lines, not because it was something they had to do, it is the smart thing to do. China’s new power lines lose seven percent of its energy after traveling1200 miles. U.S. power lines lose 80 percent over the same distance. Energy loss is expensive. A 2013 infrastructure report complied by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) predict that by 2020 business could be burdened with an additional $1.2 trillion in the cost of doing business such as problems associated with water main breaks, electric blackouts and shoddy roads which slows traffic and causes vehicle damage. â€Å"If we look at New Orleans alone,† said Assistant Legislative Director for the United Steelworkers Roxanne Brown, â€Å"it was ultimately a failure of infrastructure, the levees that devastated a commanding share of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.† Many businesses will never recover. It’s a ‘pay me now or pay me later’ proposition. It’s anybody’s guess how climate change will exacerbate an already critical situation. It’s certain though that the dilapidated, antique infrastructure cannot endure through climate extremes because it’s already been falling apart for decades. The ASCE predicts the total cost to do not hing is prohibitively high, again, 1.2 trillion for businesses and $610 billion for taxpayers. (Justuan, 2013). The nation’s infrastructure report card is in, graded according to facts obtained by ASCE. America’s bridges are narrow and old, many well past their projected lifespan. About one-quarter are deemed â€Å"structurally deficient.† Bridges built during and for another time, the 1950’s and 1960’s, cause traffic congestion because the bridge too often have fewer lanes that

Series of Psychological Stories Essay Example for Free

Series of Psychological Stories Essay Case I. My Husband is a Mama’s Boy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Simon had been extremely dependent to his mother in everything that he does. He would always expect her mother to be the one who would remind him of his daily routine in the office. He would expect that his mother would prepare his briefs and socks. â€Å"Don’t be jealous to my mom Fe, its just that, I got used of having mom as the one preparing everything for me†, this is what he always reasoned to his wife. Simon, did not know how to budget his money, so instead of giving his salary to his wife, he prefer to give it to her mother because he was used to having his mother as his â€Å"money keeper†. Whenever problems between them arise, Simon prefers to ask the thoughts of his mother instead of resolving the conflict between them. This has getting on and on until their two years of marriage. At the moment, Fe has been planning to divorce with her husband for the reason that she seems to be the second wife and the mother the first wife. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I could say that Simon had a dependent personality disorder. This unusual dependence of a married man like him, to the mother, can be traced to the way Simon was raised. For a number of persons that I had encountered with similar problems, most of them were raised in an environment with over protectiveness. In an overly protective environment, the person’s self-confidence is low and thus, (s)he is made to think that (s)he is weak, vulnerable and can’t live strongly without his/her support groups. The root of the problem is the support group of Simon-his mother. To overcome his over dependency to his mother, the latter should help Simon make decisions of his own and to teach him the right ways to deal with problems alone and even without the help of others. The mother should make the following changes to Simon slowly but persistently. Simon must realized how decisions are needed everyday and how important it is for him to decide on his own. Case 2. Marion with the big â€Å"I† Stories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marion has been my friend in high school. She had been a bubbly person; always seem conversational at a first meet. However, I had observed that she’s not conversational at all. When she talks, all her stories pertain to her; that she looks good in her new dress (even though her baby fats were bulging), that many boys were having a crush on her, that her teachers were all praising her. When you talk, she seems to care less, she did not really want to converse with you, rather, she wants you to listen to all the stories about herself stuffed with the â€Å"I† (I am the best speaker in our class, I had been to that place also, I am pretty, I have new dress, jewelries, etc.). Marion even during inappropriate time (like you are talking with somebody else) would butt in just to ask â€Å"do you noticed something is different with me today?† I had also remembered her of having loud voice; always talking of the latest movies that she had watched, talking how they share intimate moments with her boyfriend, etc. Discussion/ Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the case of Marion I have difficulty distinguishing what personality disorder she has. Finally, I am settled in saying that she has a narcissistic personality disorder due to the various symptoms that I had found in her. I had already mentioned above that she care less about what people say during their conversation, what matter to her is her stories to be heard. She had always overly emphasized her achievements, even the material things that she managed to acquire. Marion is very concern of grabbing one’s attention in school; it seems that when everybody hears her stories, everyone would admire her (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/personality-disorders/DS00562/DSECTION=2). The best approach for this type of person is to tell her frankly that she’s a boring listener, that a conversation needs exchange of ideas. It would also help if she would be given comments in a constructive manner. The way she manipulates people is not good, she should be informed with this and be given alternatives to deal with her behavior positively, Case 3. Solitude is my Company   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The daughter of my cousin is a very sensitive person. She was already fifteen and yet, she is very shy and detached to other girls of her age. When her mother’s voice rises a bit when irritated, she can’t help but cry and feel that it’s all her fault why her mother was angry. She did not want to go out with other children because she felt, she was ugly and she would only become a mocking subject. She did not want to go near other children of her age because she’s afraid of being bullied. In class, her teacher reported that she’s always crying whenever she fails to remember a term during recitation. Whenever we have a family gathering, she would refuse to join the crowd and reasoned that she wants to sleep early. She’s not snob at people, she’s just extremely shy. Discussion/Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The daughter of my cousin is experiencing an avoidant personality disorder based on my observation. There is no concrete cause for her behavior except that her parents failed to pay attention to her. She has always been alone in their house more often. She was also not brought to parties more often, because most of the social gatherings that her parents attended were formal and not suite for children of her age. Her self confidence is very low due to the lack of affirmation from her significant others. This leads her to be very sensitive to criticism, because she has always wanted to boost her moral through her achievements yet she felt like the world conspire against her even at the very simple and constructive criticism. To avoid this, she had voluntarily isolated herself away from others to avoid rejection. The best way to deal with this problem is for the parents to spend a significant quality time with their daughter for them to explain to her the things that are new to her. The parents should teach their daughter the realities of life and the ways to deal it constructively. Maybe, the child should be taught to make friends to the neighbor first, then followed by an affirmative attitude towards her performance in school, etc. References Mayo Clinic. (2006). Mental Health. Personality Disorders. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/personality-disorders/DS00562/DSECTION=2

Animal Lane Cattery Information Technology System Essay Example for Free

Animal Lane Cattery Information Technology System Essay The Animal Lane Cattery, a privately owned small business, needs an efficient, updateable, expandable, easily accessible information system to track and document clients needs for boarding/grooming services. The objective is to design and develop a system that fulfils the needs of the Cattery. An effective electronic filing system will eliminate lost paperwork, minimize errors, and provide a method for quality customer service. I will be designing and making the system that we choose for the Cattery. As the Cattery has expanded its boarding and grooming services to accommodate a total of 15 cats in separate pens, an increase in customer complaints have been received concerning the Catterys inaccurate and time-consuming tracking of specific client information. This inefficiency means that clients have to give an update of their felines information to the Catterys staff and has resulted in service errors. At the moment, they use a flatbed database, which only allows you to work with one table open at any time. The Cattery has considered using a pen and paper system, writing things out manually and storing information on paper, but a more efficient system would be a relational database. Their ideal system is a relational database, and this will allow them to have macros, reports, queries, and searches based on the information needed. This, therefore, is the system that I will be developing for the Catterys usage. Objectives: The user needs to be able to: -view the information -search for specific information -print out receipts for clients Alternatives: There are many relational database packages I could have chosen to work with, but I have decided to use the database package Microsoft Access because I have great respect for Bill Gates and also, Microsoft Access is an older program, therefore any bugs in the system will hopefully have been fixed and the package improved. I could have used Microsoft Works, but there cannot be any more than one table open at a time, and it is necessary that I have multiple tables. Users: The users of this database will be the Catterys staff- full and part-time employees responsible for the care and grooming of the cats. The Office Staff will be able to view and edit the data, whereas the Grooming Staff will only view the information they need. ANALYSIS The software I decided to use here is Microsoft Access to create and view the database. The hardware needed is a keyboard to enter data, a mouse, a printer to print out the receipts, and the computer monitor. All data will be output using the printer. I will need to ensure that there is enough memory for a relational database to function. This should not be a problem, as Microsoft Access (which I have chosen to use) does not require that much memory space, and there will be plenty of space available on their office computer, which, other than the necessary software components, will be used solely for the database used for the storing of data and the running of the Cattery. Backup copies of data will be stored on tape. The tape needs to be clearly labeled and stored in a water-tight case inside a fire-proof storage box away from the initial source of data, in case of fire or flood that may damage the computer that contains the original data. Using floppy disks as a form of backup was considered, but the database is relatively large and updated on a daily basis, so the floppy disks will not have a capacity large enough to adequately store the data. Data collection: The data will be collected from the clients using a form that they will fill in giving the information needed by the Cattery. The fields required will be on the data capture form given to clients. These will be in the form of questions, such as the ones below: -What is the cats name and owners contact information? -What is the cats vets contact number (in case of emergency)? -What is the cats meal schedule? -What are the boarding drop-off and pick-up dates? -What are the cats grooming requirements? There will doubtless be other questions that the staff will need to know the answers to. To update the data, I will need to remove certain clients information and replace it with new data when the first cats are collected. The printed data will be the reports when a search is started, and a second report to give as a receipt to customers when they collect their pet. DESIGN Two tables will be developed: owner information and services. The link between the two tables is the owner code. Each owner has only one address, but multiple cats may reside at the same address. Each cat has personal service needs even if it shares the same owner as another. The client names and cat names will not be used as key fields because there might be multiple clients with the same names or cat names. Office staff at the Cattery may view and modify the data in both tables, and the grooming staff may view data. Following are the hand-drawn designs of the database. First are the initial rough designs to show the basic layout of the database. I will then give a data capture form (next page) to one of the users (an office staff person) asking what things they think could be done better and how the design of the database could be improved to make using it easier. The users comments will then be taken into account when making the final designs of the database, detailed so that anybody could create the same database that I will be making for the Cattery. Final Users Comments (after having reviewed the initial designs) How effective do you think the designs will be? What do you think could be improved, from what you have seen of the initial designs? What is lacking from the database (if anything)? Other comments: IMPLEMENTATION On the following pages are the print screens of the way the Catterys database was created (tables, forms, queries, reports, macro code etc). EVALUATION The original objectives outlined in my Identification stage were met. The Cattery now has a useful and fast system to find and store their clients information, to view and search for specific information, and to print out things like receipts for clients. After having reviewed the owners comments and compared to the things I have changed, I feel I have improved the database enough for him to be comfortable with using it. I took in to account the things he mentioned about needing designs for reports and queries, and lessening vagueness of some designs. I feel I have achieved my objective in making the Cattery an effective, easy system to hold all their information.

Financial and Strategic Evaluation of Tesco Plc

Financial and Strategic Evaluation of Tesco Plc Financial and strategic evaluation of Tesco Plc Executive Summary To understand how a business is performing, understand what might be expected in the future and determine whether the business is a risky investment. An investor, analyst, researcher or accountant needs to understand the strategy of a business and how they plan to achieve this. The capital structure of a business can determine whether the company has enough finance in order to achieve targets and investments, determining certain risks involved and level of return required. This report looks at the level of gearing Tesco has whether financed by debt or equity, going on to look at the weighted average cost of capital. Investment is also important as investors expect, and the company looks to achieve growth. With Tesco this report looks at both future and past investments, analysing the non financial and financial benefits from them. Dividend policy and yields are analysed looking into theory behind them. Tesco shares are analysed using valuation techniques, looking at what may be the reason for Tescos success through the recession, helping them stabilise share price after the peak of recession despite some contractual and ethical issues. Finally looking into how the international market has benefited Tesco by non financial means. An overview of a few strategic issues Tesco has faced over the years is provided, looking into some of the challenges and results of these issues. Problems such as competition, international expansion and contract disputes are shown in detail later in the report. 1.0 Introduction Tescos overall strategy is growth, which has helped strengthen their core business within the UK, (Tesco, 2010). Tesco plan to achieve this strategy through diversifying their product range away from food and to include financial, non financial and telecommunication services/products also by penetrating new markets globally. This report evaluates Tesco, analysing their capital structure and the level of debt discussing how this can influences the company value and investing decisions, looking at how past investments and future investments are beneficial for Tesco. Dividend policies are related to theory and share prices are questioned using different valuation techniques available to any investor. Going on to look at survival through the recession looking at different strategic issues they have faced over the years. 2.0 Capital Structure and Finance agreement Figures above referenced from FAME database, show for expansion of its business Tesco Plc increased gearing from 51.58% to 91.38% within years 2000 and 2003. Increasing debt can be a cheaper less risky option as cost of debt is lower than equity and increasing levels of debt can reduce the weighted average cost of capital. By reducing weighted average cost of capital, company value can be increased and therefore shareholder wealth is increased. WACC can be used against cash flows in order to determine the net present value of a project. Tesco probably used this as a means to decide which investments are beneficial. After this period global financial crisis began to hit the market, Tesco Plc reduced its gearing ratio and kept the ratio level at around 75% until 2007. This was sensible at the time due to recession risk of lower turnover levels could mean the ability to repay certain levels of debt more difficult. Having higher levels at the time would have meant financial risk, repayment risk etc, would affect interest rates on loans and increase the cost of equity as shareholders are taking a higher risk therefore require a higher rate of return. Tescos main competitors suffer the similar situation; ASDA and Sainsbury were also affected by the global financial crisis, they also reduced their gearing ratio level and keep it to relatively low level to about 35%. However, with the positive profit figure, Tesco changed its current strategy. Tesco have geared up its business rapidly from 2008, and reached 149.14% in 2009. As the figures show that Tesco had borrowed in a huge amount of debt in 2009. R ecently, a joint venture between Tesco and property firm British Land has refinanced its retail portfolio with a new 315 million pounds five-year term loan. (British Land, 2010) it is to believe that a rapid market expansion and investment will be followed. Years 2005 to 2009, sales and income figures of TESCO have steadily increased; it generated a very positive profit return for investors. With the global finance crisis continuing to affect UKs economics, the government may loosen its restriction towards TESCO; whatever happens, people need foods and basic living materials, it is a perfect moment for Tescos expansion. The high level of gearing may support Tesco to expand its business; however there is potential risk of default on loans. Can Tesco maintain its level of income, if not how can TESCO to repay the debt it borrowed? This problem could influence investor decisions. 3.0 Investment UKs largest retailer Tesco expanded into foreign markets attempting to increase future growth in the global retail industry. The company initiated its international expansion strategy by venturing into Central Europe, Asia and the US. Figure 1 shows Tesco PLC sales profits before recession had an impacted. This shows sales profits in the overseas market amounted to a fair percentage of Tescos profit figure. Comparing growth over 5 years in the UK with Asia, UK only generates a 49% increase when the Asian market increased 250%. Tesco has placed increasingly focuses on their international venture. Nearly two-thirds of the groups space is now overseas, although these markets still only account for a quarter of group turnover (Rigby, 2009). Tescos Summary Five Year Record Year ended February 2001 (m) 2002 (m) 2003 (m) 2004 (m) 2005 (m) Group Sales 22,585 25,401 28,280 33,557 37,070 Turnover excluding VAT UK 18,203 19,821 21,309 24,760 27,146 Rest of Europe 1,737 2,181 2,664 3,385 3,818 Asia 860 1,398 2,031 2,669 3,010 20,800 23,400 26,004 30,814 33,974 Philip Clarke, head of Tescos international operations, singled out South Korea, along with China. Mentioned as Tescos two most promising markets, planning to open 100 new stores in South Korea alone (Rigby, 2009). This is a wise decision due to current economics Britain has been impacted among some of the worst around the world, where China especially was not greatly affected with vast growth. Probable reasons for Tesco expanding internationally rather than nationally may be due to competition policy trying to limit Tescos growth, also there is little land space to continue building new structures, and Tesco already purchased the most profitable local convenience stores in the past. 3.1 Environmental Tesco, now 4th largest retailer in the world, have announced that it will open the first zero carbon store as part of its bid to be a carbon  ­neutral company by 2050. They stated its corporate commitment towards reducing climate change, for example halving its energy use per square foot by 2010, reuse and recycling packaging where possible (Leahy, 2009). A green example of this is where they use returnable ‘Green trays saving around 132,000 tonnes of cardboard packaging in 2007/08. Tesco plans to invest  £100m in sustainable environmental technology which is finding more practical ways to use renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and to help develop the green technologies of the future (Tesco Media, 2010). Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important over the years. Climate change has become a huge focus for businesses. The Climate Change Act 2008 makes the UK the first country in the world to have a legally binding long-term framework to cut carbon emissions (OPSI, 2008). Government ensures that organisations are adapting and that its policies, programmes and investment decision are made in the context of climate change. By continuously making environmental changes Tesco builds reputation as a more ethical company. 3.2 Diversification On the other side of expansion, Tesco is looking to take advantage of the current mistrust towards banks following their role in the economic crisis. They had spent  £950m for purchasing 50% of Royal Bank of Scotlands share of TPF last year (This Is Money, 2008). It is also planning to expand its telecoms operation industry following the appointment of Tesco marketing director Lance Bachelor as Tesco Telecom chief executive. Tesco are going to attempt penetrate the finance market further by offering current accounts within two years and also offering mortgages for their first time. Offering credit cards, insurance and savings deals already Tesco has a huge customer base. They have a huge potential to increase turnover by selling more products to their existing customers. They plan to open branches globally not on in the United Kingdom which could be a huge challenge for the company. They need to time this investment perfectly, especially amidst the recession. They stated that it has to build the IT infrastructure which required supporting the bank system, and this project is described as a huge undertaking†. As a Tesco bank customer, you will also be able to accrue loyalty points under its Club card program (Tesco, 2008). 4.0 Shareholder Information An important factor in the eye of an investor is predicting the future. Shareholders are interested in company performance, both long and short term. They are also interested in the companys investment not only to expect growth but so they are able to assume levels of retained earnings and cash flows. This allows shareholders to make estimations on dividend payout, the only form of cash flows a shareholder receives and predict any growth on share price. 4.1 Dividend Policy Tesco pay cash dividends as interim and final year. The dividend is steadily increasing even through the Recession. Annual Dividends per share has increased 26.48% from 8.91p in 2007 to 11.27p in 2009 (Tesco, 2007-9). The company pay a fairly low dividend with a yield averaging 2.43% from 2007-09. Low yields can lead to possible patterns of high growth unlike high yields resulting in sharp falls (Arnold, 2008). Steady dividend payments and low dividend yield targets higher earners and those on looking for long term investment. Cash in the business is expected to be invested in projects with positive net present values as investors are looking for capital gains. This suits Tesco as one of the reasons for a lower yield and dividend is due to large investments in expanding and making the company more diverse. 4.2 Share Price Capture.PNGShares are hard to say what influences price, there are many factors which can all influence share price such as earnings per share and price earnings multiple. News can have affects such as bad press can decrease share price, disputes or contractual issues etc. Other areas may be dividends, although according to Modigliani and Miller theory whatever dividend policy is used, firms which pay more dividends offer less price appreciation and pay the same shareholder return, according to cash flows from investments and risk measurements (Arnold, 2008). This theory provides proof given assumptions of no tax, investment decisions are not affected by dividends and there are no transaction costs converting price into cash when selling stock. In the current economic position this theory would most likely be irrelevant as there are always taxes upon a business. Transaction costs would almost always apply therefore this theory has its limitations. If dividends were irrelevant, the business may be wasting time analysing which shareholder are indifferent (MM Theory, 1961). As market leader for United Kingdom Tesco has shown stability during the crisis. Share price over the peak of the recession until recently has remained more stable for Tesco than competitor Sainsbury. Sainsbury had been affected severely between August and November 2007 as Delta Two pulled out in belief Sainsburys did not have enough capital to maintain competitiveness (Birmingham Post, 2007). This was a high in the recession. Financial markets began to stop trading between each other and there was the near collapse of Northern rock, (Telegraph, 2009). The Sector was hit hardest in years however Tesco has begun to make its recovery with share price increasing unlike Sainsbury who only managed to stabilise over the last year. 4.3 Valuation Capture7.PNGInvestors may use share valuation techniques to determine whether shares are over or under value. Dividend yield valuation shows share price was fairly valued in 2007 but undervalued in 2008 and overvalued for 2009. This is calculated by dividing share price by the yield seen in Figure 3. Dividend yield was based upon Annual Dividend/ Share price. This valuation method can be affected by the level of dividend especially if the company is going to invest, which Tesco has made some huge investments purchasing 50% of RBS. This could be the reason why value is currently low here, whereas real value accounts for all affects. klll.PNGThe final method for this report is Price Earnings Valuation. Multiplying earnings per share by the P/E multiple. A higher P/E multiple indicates the price of stock is more than a lower P/E. In Figure 4 P/E*EPS shows similar results as using the dividend yield however P/E over the past 3 years has been decreasing, which shows investors are not willing to pay as much for a stock than previously. Tesco shares have remained strong, recovering after a downfall in peak of recession. Share valuation techniques however have shown share value may be overvalued in 2009. There seemed to be a recovery but using P/E and Dividend yield valuation, which provided a comparable result share value should be lower. This may mean it is safe to sell shares in Tesco now as price may fall. Dividend payment however suggest chance of expected growth in the future but looking at long term trends there have not been any dramatic changes in dividend payment or yields. 5.0 Surviving the Recession Researchers and Accountants believe Tesco was the number one company to survive the recession in the research survivability index. The information considered for this was not just cost cutting but based upon factors such as; branding, cost management, internet potential and customer targeting, (Ruddick, 2008). For instance, Tesco replaced a lot of high brand products with Tesco value products, which sell for less however attract more customers generating higher turnover, this helped reduce costs related to more expensive products. Other cost savings are through better use of IT, and from policies and management of suppliers to ensure the greatest value to the business and customer (Business, 2009). Tesco club card points and vouchers have been a huge impact for customer targeting, by offering double club card points many customers who arent regular shoppers become regulars. Tesco also monitor their customers far more intensely than other supermarkets. They analyse buying patterns and send vouchers in the post to attract customers back, or when customers have not returned for a while they send vouchers to entice them. 6.0 Competition Severe rivalry within the UK retail market is forcing cost cuts and ways news ways that they can differentiate themselves from competitors. The retail market is mature and oligopolistic in its nature, with a few major multiple retailers dominating the market (Business, 2009). Competition between the large retailers resulted in price wars with the big two, Asda and Tesco reducing price margins for the industry as a whole as other competitors have to react according to the market. The market is well regulated. The monopolies and mergers commission constantly examines the market to ensure fair competition. The government has also been active in planning restrictions for new store openings (BBC, 2004). Growth appears to come from gaining new customers, improving product offerings, and from non food products, such as financial services. In Tescos case they have expanded overseas as well as diversifying their product range. Customers are still number one in the eye of the retailers. Success in the industry is still dependent on how well the retailer can meet the customer needs. Price, particularly in the UK has become a dominant feature. Considering the recession, this will places stress on retailers to set low prices and maintain that level. The main reason being consumers are tightening their spending level and are not willing purchase luxury items and are purchasing the necessities. 7.0 Bad Credibility Tesco were faced with a big contractual issue back in 2007. Tesco delivery drivers were offered new contracts, which had worse conditions and around 3000 to 6000 pounds less pay. This resulted in drivers going on a 3day strike, causing problems for Tesco when shoppers refused to shop in their stores and many drivers rejected the new contracts which resulted in Tesco terminating their positions (BBC, 2007). This issue meant Tesco had to spend a lot of time and money with unions, whilst losing sales from shoppers refusing to shop with them and deliveries not being made. Although this issue was only in one area, the businesses image would have been damaged by news and publicity on the matter. The competition commission has started to realise that the bigger the retailer they have a stronger capability to force prices lower from suppliers. Described as a â€Å"master servant† relationship farmers complain about Tescos cancelling orders at last minute and forcing cost lower than production cost (Hird, 2005). In extreme cases farmers have protested especially over milk prices (Mullin 2009). This shows Tesco has done little to improve their relationship with farmers over the years. It could be assumed that government may begin to intervene soon as Tesco becomes more unethical. Issues like this make people lose trust, they are unsure if in the future more problems will arise. When looking at investing you must trust a company making sure they are reliable and able to give you what you want from them. Other investors who catch news of problems tend to back out and sell stock. If enough people sell share price will begin to fall, this may be an opportunity to purchase shares at a lower price as long as you accept the risks. 8.0 Environmental Issues One big issue that Tesco is facing is the environment element; as the increasing global concern of environmental problem, how Tesco react to this issue will have huge impact to its future business performance. The public demands more than ever that films should take their responsibility as a member of the society. Tesco has taken a lot of effort to respond the challenge; in 2007, Tesco unveiled its green pledges; â€Å"If we fail to mitigate climate change, the environmental, social and economic consequences will be stark and severe† Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco chief executive. (BBC news, 2007) In the statement, he promised that Tesco would cut emissions from existing stores worldwide by at least 50% by 2020, and would seek to restrict air transport to less than 1% of the firms products. Moreover, for cutting CO2 and energy saving, Tesco also introduce a series of strategy; by encourage customers to use reusable carry bag and reward shopping points to club members to reduce the usa ge of plastic bags; Tesco also introduce new energy saving store to the public; in January 2009, Tesco opened UKs most energy efficient store in Cheetham Hill. As part of the climate change program, the stores carbon footprint is 70% less than an equivalent store built in 2006. (Tesco, 2009) So far, Tesco has already made a lot of progress, yet there are much more problems waiting. 9.0 Overseas Tescos expansion internationally has not only benefited the company financial. They would develop new understandings and learn new techniques have diverse teams within the organisation. Tesco successfully penetrated the overseas market, being able to adapt to new cultures. To do this they would need incredible management with a perfect strategy. On the Tesco website they take a different approach internationally, strategy changes and their main focus is more of a cultural issue. For instance being â€Å"Flexible† as in Japan they shop in small amounts but prefer fresh items, also â€Å"Act local† such as in India, who prefer less or no packaging so they can go through piles of produce. With 10 years of experience Tesco has wide experience of cultures (Tesco, 2009). Culture isnt only going to affect Tesco through the market i.e. selling, but will be a part of the business. Tesco employees local staff this affects the organisations culture, especially within head offices and management. Teams will include people from all different ethnic backgrounds growing up to have different culture, educated with a diverse range of skills. Having this within a business can be very successful and can create more effective team working (Brooks, 2006). 10.0 Conclusion Tesco on a financial level has a lot of risk involved. They are currently very highly geared and have a huge financial risk which can and most likely will affect the company value and share holder wealth. However over the next 2 years could be a crucial time for Tesco as their investments go under way which could result in a very prosperous future for shareholders through diversification and international expansion. A lot of risk relies on customer targeting, which in the past Tesco has been very successful. Dividend yields and dividend payments seem to be targeting high earners who can face risk and are looking for long term capital gains; however share price for 2009 seems to be overvalued and may decrease. It may be safer to sell shares now and buy again after share price falls. Tesco has had a lot of success and faced many different strategic issues, some which could result in a stronger business such as cultural diversification within the company. A lot of issues have occurred though, damaging the image as a result. Little seems to have been done to improve some of these problems especially with farmers. Tesco only seems to care if regulation intervenes, then they will do something about it which could be seen with some of the environmental problems. As a result of the analysis provided throughout the report Tesco seem like an opportunity for those who are willing to take high risks. References Arnold, G. (2008) Corporate Financial Management. 4th edition. London, Pitman Publishing. BBC. 2004. Tesco sees profits jump to  £822m: New stores. [Online] BBC News. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3675164.stm [Accessed 20/3/2010]. BBC News, 2007. Tesco boss unveils green pledges [Online]. BBC News. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6276351.stm [Assessed 24/3/2010]. BBC News. 2007. Tesco dispute enters second day. [Online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6690475.stm [Accessed 20/3/2010]. BIRMINGHAM POST. 2007. Sainsbury shares plummet as Delta Two pulls out. [Online] Available at: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170795697.html [Accessed 18/3/2010]. BRITISH LAND. 2010. Press release. [Online] British land. Available at: http://www.britishland.com/media/pressreleases/pressrelease130110 [Accessed 15/3/2010]. BROOKS, I. 2006. Organisational Behaviour: Individuals, groups and organisations. 3rd edition. Pearson Education. BUSINESS, T. 2009. Challenges and outlook for the Tesco Stores Ltd. [Online] Available at: http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business-resources/case-study-database/tesco-case-study/ [Accessed 20/3/2010]. FAME, database. 2010. Detailed information on Tesco Plc. [Online] Available at: https://fame.bvdep.com/version2010226/cgi/template.dll?checkathens=1kick=1product=1user=n0242395%40ntu.ac.ukpw=nK9CXV0V3ZRxfmNkkx9ZjA%3d%3d [Accessed 23/3/2010]. HIRD, H and BURLEY, H. 2005. The Tesco Takeover. [Online] Available at: http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/marketing_material/tesco_takeover_leaflet.pdf [Accessed 20/3/2010]. LANGFELD, M, 2009. Tesco: Consistent Earnings Growth at Attractive Price, [online]. Available at: http://seekingalpha.com/article/159992-tesco-consistent-earnings-growth-at-attractive-price [Accessed 18/3/2010]. LEAHY, T. 2009. Press releases: SCI Conference. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/pr/pr2009/2009-10-16/ [Accessed 18/3/2010]. MM Theory, 1961. When Are Dividends Irrelevant? (The Miller Modigliani Proposition). [Online] Available at: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/invfables/dividirrelevance.htm [Accessed 19/3/2010]. MULLIN, D. 2009. Farmers protest at Tesco over milk price. [Online] Available at: http://www.farmersjournal.ie/myJournal/forum/content/farmers-protest-tesco-over-milk-price [Accessed 20/3/2010]. OPSI. 2008. Climate Change Act 2008. [Online] Available at: http://opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2008/ukpga_20080027_en_1 [Accessed 16/3/2010]. RIGBY, E. 2009. Tesco trumpets strategic success overseas. [Online] Available at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b824f06-2b88-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html [Accessed 20/3/2010]. RUDDICK, G. 2008. Tesco: most likely retailer to survive recession. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/3368164/Tesco-most-likely-retailer-to-survive-recession.html [Accessed 18/3/2010]. TELEGRAPH. 2009. UK Recession: Timeline of how the British economy has been hit. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/4320827/UK-Recession-Timeline-of-how-the-British-economy-has-been-hit.html [Accessed 19/3/2010]. TESCO. 2007. Press release. [Online] TESCO plc. Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/pr/pr2009/2009-01-13b/ [Assessed 24/3/2010]. TESCO. 2007-9. Tesco: Annual Report 2007/8 2008/9. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/annualreport09/downloads/ [Accessed 17/3/2010]. TESCO. 2008. Tesco takes full ownership of Tesco personal finance and targets  £1 billion from retailing services. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/storage/intannounce.pdf [Accessed 18/3/2010]. TESCO plc. 2009. International Strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/strategy/international/ [Accessed 19/3/2010]. TESCO. 2010. Our Strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/strategy/ [Accessed 19/3/2009]. TESCO, Media. 2010. Press releases: Tesco in  £100m to boost UK green economy. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/pr/pr2010/2010-02-03/ [Accessed 18/3/2010]. THIS IS MONEY. 2008. Tesco takes on banks after RBS buyout. [Online] Available at: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=448364in_page_id=3 [Accessed 18/3/2010].

The Problem of Youths Education and Socialization :: Teaching Education Research

Philosophic-Methodological and Social-Cultural Factors in the Problem of Youth's Education and Socialization Missing Works Cited ABSTRACT: The socialization of youth is currently in crisis. Education is in crisis across the world. The correlation between socialization and education is a crucial theoretical as well as a practical problem. Schools are the main institution of socialization. Education possesses two different functions: social reproduction and development. The way of life in any concrete society requires stable forms of socialization. The introduction of new generation into the social life—is one of the most ancient and eternal problems of humanity. The topicality of youth's socialization doesn't even grow dim in the present-day conditions but even becomes more acute and problematical character. There are many evidences which prove out it. Don't even remember the notorious problem of  «fathers » and  «children » it`s enough to say that not only in the course of the last decade one of the main institutes of youth's socialization—education—endures deep and protracted crisis. The different levels' instances nearly in all countries are busy now with the search of the ways regarding to the solution of the crisis of education and the increase of the effectiveness of the work with the youth. But the decision of these problems hasn't been found yet (see 1). Here we dwell only on some points which are important for understanding of the essence and necessary for the decision of these problems. In most problems and positions, in which now the processes of education are represented, and it obvious aim, as a rule, it is the development of person. As for the content, it realizes in the study of the bases of the scientific knowledge about the world social invironment, and also at the assimilation of the elementary labour skills, norms and values of the collective activity. However in connection with increase of standard of scientific equipement of life the content`s space of education is filled up more and more with actual scientific information, thus constantly excluding from it other components with persistence. We see 3 problems here, they are the aim, the completeness and the content of education. Let us dwell on them. First of all, we must point out that the institute of the socialization had appeared in our society long before the appearance of the necessity of mastering of the science information. Then socialization evoluated in education. Now they are often heard like the synonyms, as a result of not clear and to wide using of them.

The Importance of Exile in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney Essay -- Biogra

The Importance of Exile in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney   Ã‚   To be a poet in a culture obsessed with politics is a risky business. Investing poetry with the heavy burden of public meaning only frustrates its flight: however tempting it is to employ one's poetic talent in the service of a program or an ideology, the result usually has little to do with poetry. This is not to condemn the so-called "literature of engagement"; eye-opening and revealing, it has served its purpose in the unfinished story of our century, and now is certainly no time to call for the poet's retreat into the "ivory tower" of the self. Preserving the individual voice amidst the amorphous, all-leveling collective must be the first act of poetic will, a launching board from which each poet must start the effort of poetry. A mere glance at recent Irish history suffices to show a place where this preservation is particularly difficult. The pressures that the bifurcated Irish society exerts on its poets are enormous: taking a political stance is no longer a temptation (this implies a certain luxury of choice on behalf of the tempted) but rather an inescapable reality imposed by the agora of public discourse. Thus the condition of exile becomes the poet's only way out, the sole means of retaining the autonomy of his poetic voice. More than merely a survival tactic, however, it is a strategy of finding home "elsewhere," whether in the original language of the island (and today's minority), as in the case of Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, or in the larger reality of poetic imagination. Seamus Heaney, who occupies the precarious position of being Ireland's most famous and accomplished living poet while refusing to become its bard, calls our attention to the role of exi... ...Beckett, Samuel. Murphy. New York: Grove Press, 1957. Haviaras, Stratis, ed. Seamus Heaney: A Celebration. A Harvard Review Monograph. 1996. Heaney, Seamus. Crediting Poetry: The Nobel Lecture. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995. ---. The Government of the Tongue: Selected Prose 1978-1987. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989. ---. Selected Poems 1966-1987. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990. Kiberd, Declan. Inventing Ireland: The Literature of the Modern Nation. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995. Malloy, Catharine and Phyllis Carey, ed. Seamus Heaney: The Shaping Spirit. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1996. Said, Edward W. "Intellectual Exile: Expatriates and Marginals." Grand Street 47 (1993): 113-124. Welch, Robert. Changing States: Transformations in Modern Irish Writing. London: Routledge, 1993.

Art and History Displayed at the Pompeii Exhibition at LACMA Essay

The Pompeii exhibition at LACMA was an astounding visualization of history. The exhibition provided all sorts of objects; from sculptures, glass figures, painted art, and more. These art pieces specify the kind of life that was taking place in the Bay of Naples during the second century. As we know the cities around the Bay of Naples, which include Pompeii and Herculaneum, became tourist attractions when the cities were excavated after they were buried from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, the comprehension of how the art pieces made their way into the museum is just a little fact of the history behind them. With this exhibition we are able to feel like we are back in time and living in the exhilarating time of Pompeii. At the start of the exhibition we are presented with various busts and sculptures of certain, and presumably famous, figures. It is when we see the sculpture of Aphrodite (see Fig. 1) that we start sensing the significance of the exhibition. These sculptures were the norm during the second century in the Bay of Naples, and by viewing the intricate details in each art piece we understand how worthy each work meant to each of the artists. The sculpture of Aphrodite portrayed a serene greeting to the exhibitors. She stood in the middle welcoming us with a soft and warm smile. Through this sculpture we view how the Pompeii artist was following the Greek perception of the human body such as what we see in Polykleitos’ sculpture, Doryphoros; Aphrodite stands with the weight shifted on to her left foot portraying the cross balance of the human body. Once we appreciate the first art room we are then presented with various pieces of the gardens that were found around the Bay of Naples. In, w... ...hristen Kobke were on display including The Forum at Pompeii. The Forum painting depicts a tragic scene of Pompeii as it sits torn and destructed. Novels and photo albums also are displayed at the end of the exhibition. However, one of the last sculptures on view, Nydia, The Blind Girl of Pompeii (see Fig. 4), provides us with the fact that many people were truly inspired by the great tragic story of Pompeii. The sculpture of Nydia expresses the sadness and horror that many had experienced during that time. The Pompeii exhibition featured a number of objects, and how these objects were showed to the public presented a story. We were welcomed by the people into the home and gardens. Later we were given our parting with the photo albums and illuminated Pompeii art. This exhibition shows how much information and history can be presented in a few pieces of art.

Internet Regulation in Australia Essay

The Australian Communication and Media Authority – a media content regulating body has come out strongly to bar some oversea internet sites from being accessed albeit criticisms from not only oversea internet website owners but also some of her citizens. The reasons as advanced by this body are that, internet use is non-discriminatory. This means that, the age of the users does not matter to the internet content developers. The aim, according to this body, is not to deter consumers from accessing the sites they want to but instead, to protect consumers who may suffer negative consequences because of exposure to explicit media content. These consumers mostly include the children who are not adequately protected by the Child Online Protection Act. Importance of regulation Mitigation of insecurity deems of importance to the government as it comes to online information access. Cyber crime which include spam, hacking, online fraud, malware dissemination as well cyber bullying and grooming have detrimental effects on unsuspecting or naive users such as elderly people (Newton, 2008). Stalkers are also posing danger to individual’s security. Through censorship, the government endeavors to alleviate all these. Concisely, the government aims to regulate the online content, boost online security as well as uphold moral standards as required by the society. The government also aims at creating a more responsible population in economy building within the country through helping them learn how to protect their information, be it business of personal during use (Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). Channels of internet abuse The use of social media sites is on the increase. People who use these sites are on an upward trend, and proliferation of commission of crime are continues to increase. This is what the government is working hard to avoid by censoring access to some online sites at certain points within the internet transmission channels. The fact that internet service providers cannot hinder one to access whichever site he/she wants to puts the users of their service security at stake (Talbot, 2009). Inappropriate materials like pornography or even media violence cannot be controlled by these service providers because everybody asserts that they have freedom to information access and information dissemination. Online sex is on the increase and rendered incapable of determining who should participate in such or who should not, service providers can only play it safe when they block everybody. The government though does not intend to hinder everything but to create an environment of online responsibility by abating interactions online and having the appropriate content online only accessed. In his view, Gaylord (1999) argues that, internet service providers need to create a culture of responsibility by the users through establishing and overseeing the implementation of code of conduct whilst using internet. Parents play a great role in this censorship as they should control what their children do online. This is only possible by the use digital technology in order to block the inappropriate site. Criticism of regulation Many critics of this kind of control argue that their freedom to information is being curtailed. In the academic field, the move seems detrimental as viable information which is of academic value may be filtered at some points in the control system, as it may be grouped inappropriate (McCarthy, 2005). The question to most critics is that, ‘why deter freedom to access information? Some information might seem inconsequential to the government, but of great use to online writers and researchers. Blocking of some sites will lead curtailing of freedom of expression and part of leisure. Critics argue that the process of censoring has hitches and therefore need not to be implemented. In other countries like the US it has not worked and has proved otherwise counterproductive as those blocked from accessing some of these sites and images are students who really need that information for their study (Thierer, 2003). This led to massive protests creating a row between students and the administration. The same might happen in Australia. The advancement of technology might overthrow the control mechanism the government is advocating. This is because, the use of circumvention program will make all the efforts null and void as this endeavors to surpass censorship in all perspectives. According to Johnson, (2010), each time a national censor blocks news sites and You Tube, or an ISP or website loses or sells or gives away user data, people will seek solutions. In an article published by Electronic frontiers (2006), critics of this move argue that censoring will be a total waste of tax payer’s money. This is because most of the explicit materials that lead to exposure to sexually explicit material are distributed manually rather than through the internet. Therefore, censoring may not hamper children from accessing such content or participating in immoral activities as they will continue accessing these obscene materials. According to critics, regulating internet content is curtailing freedom. This is because one will not have the freedom to expression, through publishing something via the internet. A true free country like Australia should not do such a thing as it will not only portray it in the negative but it will also have a negative impact on the people who visit from other liberal countries (Dobija, 2007). Australia having a certain level of influence over other Western democracies, it might influence them to undertake the measures it is advocating to take, thus creating a kind of communist empire. Communism is oppressive, meaning that people in the countries affiliated to Australia will no longer be free in information sharing as they are. This is because, of the censored materials, most are unclassified and the scope of this information is very wide. Conclusion Though this censorship is a contentious issue, it should be put in mind that for as long as human beings yearn for freedom, unregulated freedom might be disastrous. On the other hand, high handedness might not solve the looming stalemate. Therefore the government and the die hard critics of this regulation should work together to reach to an amicable solution. This should however be done without having to suppress many individuals who use internet content. The government should let the individuals to regulate for themselves whatever they need to use, of course with education and awareness on the need to protect the vulnerable groups like the children (Corsa, 2008). This is because such regulation would put many internet users at ransom and freedom of expression would be a thing of the past. For example, regulation in China has made many not to be able to express themselves freely or even access information that deem of importance. The same applies to Zimbabwe where many journalists are hindered to post online content depicting violence or scenes of suppression and oppression as a way of government protectionism.