The Role of the Government on Tobacco Use Essay Example for Free

The Role of the Government on Tobacco Use Essay The article, â€Å"If It’s Good For Philip Morris, Can It Also Be Good for Public Health?,† which was written by business columnist Joe Nocera and published in the New York Times, basically explores the realities concerning the government, particularly the Food and Drug Administration, and the regulation of tobacco use. According to the article, although tobacco company executives themselves, notably Steve Parrish, senior vice-president of Philip Morris have openly supported the regulation of tobacco use, it appears that the move lacks a concerted effort from the government. Moreover, it is also apparent that tobacco executives like Parrish have their personal business agendas in advocating tobacco regulation. In general, it is safe to assume that the public is more than aware about the dangers and health risks associated with tobacco smoking such as lung cancer, emphysema, and various heart diseases, among others. However, it is interesting to note that despite the various campaigns against tobacco smoking and other educational advertisements about it, there are still millions of people around the world who smoke. In fact, based on the article, in 2005, Philip Morris USA alone hauled in $4.6 billion in profits. In this regard, it is quite obvious that the government’s main role is to somehow regulate tobacco use so that smokers will not suffer its deadly effects. However, this is easier said that done. According to the article, while there have been several initiatives to regulate tobacco use in the past, such as the ban on all cigarette advertisements, it seems to fall short when it comes to the actual implementation. The first plausible reason behind this is that the regulation would mean decrease in profits for tobacco companies, which in turn, would affect tobacco factory workers. And considering the global financial crisis, loss of jobs is not a logical option even though it’s for the benefit of the public’s health. In short, while the government’s duty in tobacco use is clear, it is virtually powerless to make any strong moves that would fulfill their role. The tobacco executives, on the other hand, may show that they support tobacco regulation, but their true motives are unclear. After all, they are still businessmen and it would not be surprising if their actions are simply meant to earn additional profits. References Nocera, J. (2006). If It’s Good For Philip Morris, Can It Also Be Good for Public Health? The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2009 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/magazine/18tobacco.html?pagewanted=3_r=1.

The Role and Importance of the International Law in World Politics Essay Example for Free

The Role and Importance of the International Law in World Politics Essay International law has been of increasing interest to scholars in recent decades, following several incidents that have severely challenged the concepts of how international order, peace, harmony, and justice between nations and states are maintained through the application of an international system of rules and sanctions. (Huysmans, 2006; Slaughter, 1993,1995; Nijman, 2007; Stahn, 2007; Goddard Nexon, 2005) One of the most significant events was the 9-11 Twin Towers attack in the Unites States, which precluded renewed aggression on the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan, and all other states considered to be aligned with the axis of evils or coddlers of religious and ideological extremism. The actions of the United States and its allies, particularly the attack on Afghanistan, deprived of international consensus, have understandably raised â€Å"questions about the relevance of international law, the legitimacy of torture, justification for pre-emptive use of military force, the rise of U.S. unilateralism, a crisis of the United Nations, etc.† (Huysmans, 2006:12) In the same manner, this has encouraged many scholars to study â€Å"how power constrains international law (or dooms it to irrelevance), how the powerful can harness international law to their ends, and how international law may reconfigure power in its own right.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006:64)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The increased concern over the importance of international law has likewise gained more impetus as the world entered the era of globalization. Indeed, in no other time has the need for laws with global scope become more paramount as in the information age, when the rise of transnational crime syndicates as the direct consequence of a better global information network and communications infrastructure, as well as the widely changing norms and perceptions of many cultures (Bentivegna, 2006: 341) has forced countries to work in untraditional ways to confront challenges and formulate solutions. It is therefore not surprising for the debates over the significance of international law be centred upon what an increasing number of scholars and critics have called â€Å"the politics of international insecurity,† which brings to the fore the problems on the conceptualization of the international legal infrastructure and the enforcement of its rules and sanctions. International Law, Politics, and Power The discourse of international law and its enforcement is necessarily a discourse of political power and its outcomes in the international terrain. In its inception and early stages, however, it was not recognized in its inception and early development that the two had a dialectical relationship, or indeed, that international law enforced and reinforced world politics in the same way that the latter affected the way the international system of policies and sanctions was structured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Doubtless, there remains a strong consensus today that the very nature of international law is rooted on its dialectical relationship with the political motivations, behavioral patterns and concepts of identity of states. However, in order to determine the extent to which international law remains an important influence in the conduct of world politics, it would be beneficial to examine the development of the concept of international law with respect to its historical and sociological framework. While it may be conceded that there are diverging opinions on the role of international law—or of its consequence, if at all—on international relations, the fact remains that it is presently active today than any other time in history although the reason for its existence has been very much contested.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The classic notion of international law assumed that governing states was as easy as governing people, with its basic assumptions moored on the belief in the peoples’—and states’, for that matter—ability to comply with rules and regulations. Underlying this belief was a concept of people as being inherently conformist based on a fixed set of norms that were universally accepted, largely influenced by those who believed in the rationality of law in the governance of societies which stipulated that â€Å"legal rules and institutions did not arise out of the power of the coercive state but, rather, out of custom, consensus, and private ordering.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006:66) International law was therefore optimistic in the outset, with the notion of its power perceived to be a function more of self-regulation among states rather than a product of force or coercion. Another important assumption was of international law’s being a â€Å"neutral, apolitical avenue in which to settle international disputes† owing to its separation from the sphere of politics. (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 67) The rise of fascism, however, provided enough reason for a change in viewpoint. At the heart of this was the growing recognition that international law was useless if it had no power at all to stop the aggressive tendencies of some states—or if did not present itself as a threat enough to be able to effectively police nations. Hence, there was an increased popularization and acceptance of the argument that international law cannot be separated from the discourse of politics and of the multiplicity of political agendas within the international community. Scholars such as Morgenthau (1959:502), for instance, suggested that â€Å"universal moral principles, such as justice and equality, are capable of guiding political action only to the extent that they have been given concrete content and have been related to political situations by society.† This mirrored the general attitude of realists, who argued that â€Å"international law could ever play more than an epiphenomenal role in the ordering of international life.† (Slaughter-Burley, 1993:206) Such an assertion stemmed from the core belief of the realists that international law merely reflected the â€Å"interests of powerful states,† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 67) which encouraged some scholars of the realist tradition to assert that international law was inconsequential as it was beholden to the powerful and could be bent to suit the interests of powerful nations. (Slaughter, 1995:1; Kocs, 1994) Morgenthau (1967), for instance, illustrated how the issue of intervention into sovereign states, which was declared unacceptable by the international law, was often violated by powerful entities acting for the preservation of their interests, which suggested that economic and political imbalances in the world—where the richer economies were able to influenc e the political and legal structure and framework of the developing world by dangling foreign aid—made the international law inutile in reflecting the interests of the poor and the rich on an equal scale. There have been departures to these beliefs, naturally, as new criticisms emerged from the constructivist camp which argued that interests and identities were inseparable from social groups and as such, â€Å"international law both reflects and reinforces identities and interests.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 82) Constructivists underlined the role of â€Å"norms, identities and other socio-cultural phenomena in international politics,† (Goddard Nexon, 2005: 29) which assert that like cultural symbols, norms and identities in international law and politics are constantly created and recreated by its actors. (Kocs, 1994) Therefore, the role of the international law and its influence on the behavior of sovereign states is mediated upon by the prevailing beliefs and concepts of order, justice and peace. The Dilemma of Hegemonic Power: Challenges to International Law Thus, the central role of international law in the world, today when violent conflicts and inequalities have sharply divided the world, has transformed into that of an equalizer of power, an expectation that is held by every individual and every society that ascribes to and believes in the tenets of democracy. The international law, through the international court, also functions as a last repository of justice for societies, and is instrumental in providing elusive justice to victims of human rights violations by despotic leaders and to victims of war atrocities that otherwise could not have sought redress from the domestic courts of their countries. (Stahn 2007) Whether the international law has been able to live up to these expectations is another matter, of course, and lately the power of the international law itself to maintain peace among states has been gravely challenged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the Second World War the United States emerged as the new superpower, which would give the realists their bases for attacking the role of international law other than in maintaining the interests of the status quo. Subsequent events that unfolded in history, from the Gulf War to the war on Afghanistan and the prolonged occupation of Iraq on the ground that it was harboring nuclear armaments have further highlighted the crises of the ability of international institutions such as the United Nations to enforce the international law. Another damning issue is the global climate change and the starkly bullheaded position of the United States and other developed countries on not signing the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases emission which puts the whole world at more peril than the nuclear armaments supposedly kept by North Korea and Iran that the U.S. has been keen on decimating. These events have therefore raised the questions of whether the U.N. and the international law are, as suggested by the realist camp, prevailed upon by powerful states so that these states are able to enjoy an â€Å"exceptionality† when it comes to demanding compliance by the international community.    In the same manner, recent events such as the Iraq War which the U.S. has failed to justify based on the context of abating a â€Å"clear and present danger,† and despite the absence of consent from the international security council to launch the attack, have highlighted the gross imbalance of power that undermines the very existence of the international court as a mediating body in transnational conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is unfortunate indeed not only for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan for all other peoples in the developing world as the current stance of the U.S. and other powerful countries not only tramples upon the very foundations of the international law but sets a dangerous precedent to ignore the rules set upon by the international community. Likewise, it presents a cause with which other countries may willfully violate the sovereignty of others regardless of international laws and based only on its perceptions of insecurity. It is in this context that the role of international law must be evaluated upon, on whether it has balanced out the capabilities of democratic societies to engage in fruitful relationships based on critical partnerships, or it has one-sidedly benefited the more powerful to the detriment of the weak, which it has, in recent years, appeared to be more and more inclined to do so. Works Cited: Bentivegna, S. (2006) Rethinking politics in the world of ICTs. European Journal of Communication, 21(3). Huysmans, J. (2006). International politics of insecurity: Normativity, inwardness, and the exception. Security Dialogue, 37(1):11-29. Goddard, S.E. D.H. Nexon (2005). Paradigm lost? Reassessing theory of international politics. European Journal of International Relations, 11(1):9-61. Kocs, S.A. (1994). Explaining the strategic behavior of states: International law as system structure. International Studies Quarterly, 38(4):535-556. Morgenthau, H.J. (1959). Dilemmas of Politics. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), 35(4):. 502. Morgenthau, H.J. (1967) To intervene or not to intervene. Foreign Affairs, 45(3): 425-36. Nijman, J.E. (2007). Paul Ricoeur and international law: Beyond ‘the end of the subject’ towards a reconceptualization of international legal personality. Leiden Journal of International Law, 20: 25-64. Stahn, C. (2007). The international criminal court and the shortcomings of domestic legislation: Introductory note. Leiden Journal of International Law, 20: 165-166. Slaughter-Burley, A.M. (1993). International law and international relations theory: A dual agenda. The American Journal of International Law, 87(2): 205-239. Slaughter, A.M. (1995). International law in a world of liberal states. EJIL, 6: 1-39. Steinberg, R.H. J.M. Zasloff (2006). Power and international law. The American Journal of International Law, 100(1):64-87.

Change Management And Systems Implementation

Change Management And Systems Implementation Introduction This essay is about the importance of change management in information systems development and discusses about the issues that will be the result of change in an organization and also the relationship between change management and system implementation. This essay will explain the theories with related examples that were the implications of change in an organization and will critically evaluate and discusses some ideas from my personal point of view. This essay will reflect upon my understanding of change management that I have learned from this module. Change and Change Management Change management is important in any kind of organisations and especially in information system development. It is a structured way to manage change. According to Disraeli as quoted in (Gilley, 2005) Change is constant. Change is present everywhere. The change can be in an individual, in a group or in an organization. When an individual is motivated to do something different, the change that happens in an individual is the main reason for the whole word to change. Since the individual is associated with groups, and groups are related to other groups to form an organisation, the important process in part of change depends on all individuals, groups or teams, and organisations and leaders also have an important responsibility in the process of change. (Cameron Green, 2009). Technology, globalization, society and evolving legislation forces many organisations to change constantly. The organisations ability to effectively implement change decides the success of the change process which completely depends of the person involved in managing the change. Change is necessary for an organisation nowadays because of competetive pressures and to meet the current customer needs. According to (Gilley, 2005), every four or five years, organisations findings planning to undertake major organisational changes and atleast once a year to undertake moderate organisational change. So change management is inevitable in every organisations to successfully manage the process of change. The induction of this module started with the justification for the need of IT professionals to know change management. Most of the projects related to Information Technology failed due to various reasons in which one would be due to poor change management. According to (Burnes, 2009) Brindle study states that UK government had to admit the failure of its 170 million pounds programme to change the old computer systems that holds the whole countrys National insurance records was a chaos that collapsed the system and leaving the social security number into agitation. According to (Burnes,2009) Done and Willman stated that the main reason for the BAs Terminal 5 debacle was the failure of its cutting-edge computerized baggage handling system. According to (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 1, Slide 11), the role of the IT professionals would be working in a team with other professionals, designing the system which other people will use, expecting how they will use the system and explaining the u sers how to use the system to their maximum potential. A change management process involves all the above mentioned roles of an IT professional. These points provided me a complete justification and understanding of the need of change management for a person like me who is an IT professional. The following week I learned about different type of systems and different types of implementations involved in an IT project, other considerations for an implementation, the reason for the implementation and the process of implementation. The different kinds of systems are software such as applications and desktop, hardware system and infrastructure systems such as buildings and network. The facts that should be consider while implementing a system are the level of knowledge in the system, technology, the level of importance with the system and people, whether it is in sourced/outsourced and using the maturity models. According to (Okrent Vokurka, 2004), there are three types of implementation 1) Pilot implementation in which the prioritized functional area which gives the most benefits is implemented first 2) Parallel implementation in which the change is tested in both old and new systems parallel and 3) Big bang implementation in which the data is migrated from old system to the new system all at once which is the most risky implementation. The big bang implementation is considered as most risky implementation since most of the projects implemented this way fails. For example, Heathrow Terminal 5 project was implemented using Big bang implementation. The cutting-edge computerized baggage handler system was considered to be one of the hardest-working IT systems as said by BAA and British Airways(BA) before its launch of the system and it didnt work when it was to work. (Swabey, 2008). There are different types of change such as reactive and proactive change, incremental and All at once change, planned and emergent change. According to (Orlikowski Hofman, 1997) the different types of change are planned(anticipated), emergent and opportunity-based change. Planned change is the change that is well planned and it happenes as we planned. Emergent change is the change which occurs spontaneously out of some experimentation which is not planned. The opportunity-based change is the change that is not planned but introduced purposefully to meet the opportunities that were not expected. Some various issues and aspects of change management can be illustrated with a case study: GK Printers Limited Background: GK Printers Limited is a small printing business established after the Second World War.It is a family business in which the current managing directors father established the business. The company was involved in printing jobs along with producing publicity catlogues for local companies, business cards and stationeries. The business went down due to various reasons such as recession, no computerised printing techniques and no graphics designed printing. This made the managing director to form some strategy along with the printing manager in which the first phase was to subcontract the printing works with graphical design instead of investing more money in new equipments. The company grew very well and they had a good profit and bought new equipments. In 1989, due to its growth in business, it was complicated to manage printing, designing and managing the subcontracting activities all together. The second phase of planned change was to manage companys costing system, controlling paper work and production scheduling. After many discussion, the company planned to install Computer Based System(CBS) and it took two years completely to install the working system after purchasing hardwares and refining the softwares according to the companys requirement. Training were provided to the users and also some managers to use the system effectively. The company had a growth again with their successful installation of CBS and they managed the changes that happened in their organisation. All the changes were in organisation and there were no change in the managerial behaviour of the organisation. The problem again aroused since the customers wants the company to reduce the cost of printing due to recession and they were giving smaller orders. This made GK to think about their survival. Since they were getting only smaller orders, their production cost remained the same and if they want to reduce the price to retain the customers, they will not have any profits. To find a soluti on, the managing director approached the marketing and design manager to come up with the problems and solutions. The manager came up with the problems and suggested to increase the design business by employing more design staffs. The senior staffs didnt agree and there were no decisions taken after the meeting. This made the managing director to consider and he approached a team builder to organise the teams inside the company. The team builder came up with a report that all the managers in the company are working and fully committed for the companys success and the negative point was the way the managing director approach for solutions. He made decisions himself or to consult only with one manager to make up with the decisions. The managing director was upset with this shock and he said he always wanted a team work in the company and henceforth all the decisions will be taken by consulting everyone in the management. This made the managers happy and they were asked to come up with solutions, and after six months, GK met all their customer requirements with the solutions the team came up with and there was a considerable growth in the business. The company also developed the business of designing and developing the websites for its customers in which this business was an accidental development and the managing director created a separate department for this business which become the most profitable and fastest growing part of GK. (Burnes, 2009:383-395) According to my personal point of view on the above discussed case study, the organisation had three phase of change which means this is a phased implementation. Even though the strategies were not planned and it emerged due to the problems, the approach to the change was planned rather than emergent approach. In the first two phase of changes, the company had changes in the organisation but not in the behavioural which led to some failures such as poor coordination and cooperation between the teams and managers and also the fighting for the position between managers. These led the company for the third phase of change which was the behavioural change in which all the members of the organisation understood and cooperated to work together and also the managin director decided to take decisions after discussing with the appropiate teams. The human implications of the change process can be noted in the above case study. When GK want to change their manual system to computerized system, the workers themselves suggested some companies to GK to discuss about the CBS system. The managing director gave the responsiblities of CBS system to the group of people who were the students analysing GKs requirements to install the systems and write softwares for the system. All the organisation changes that were made in the first two phases and the behavioural change that were made in the third phase were accepted by the individuals in the organisation. According to (Burnes, 2004) Lewin was interested to analyze the origins for change and he wants to understand why people dislike change. Lewins theories includes about the planned change embarked by the organization and unintended change that happens suddenly due to some contingencies, the three stage model (Unfreeze-movement-refreeze) and models of changes. But in this case study, t he organisation has no individuals who resisted change. According to (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 4, Slide 16) Mintzbergs definition of strategy as five P s can be applied on this case study as a prescriptive stream since the strategy preceds change and implementation flows from the strategic plan. Some of the plans involved in the GKs strategy was to make the manual systems computerized, meet the customer requirements and build a good team in the organisation. Some of the ploys involved were to provide customers with graphical design service and to satisfy all kind of customer needs.The position of GKs place in the market is high and they are one of the best among in providing creative website development for the customers. In contrast to the planned approach, the example of Volvos approach which is one the leading Swedish motor vehicle manufacturer to reorganising vehicle production from the traditional methods of car assembly can be taken as an approach to change as emergent. The decisions are based from the workers of the company and it is completely based on the group work in which Volvos approach to change is unique in its way in which it considers human-centered approach to work. A consultant is a person who is having skills that are different or unique and they have different perspective on an issue. The reasons for using this consultancy approach includes requirement of extra staff resources, on a temporary basis, need for expert help and knowledge to deal some situations, look differently about a particular situation and for outside opinion and disinterested information. (Nachimuthu, 23 November 2010). In the above case study, since no one in the organisation were aware of the changes to be brought, the managing director approached a lecturer at a polytechnic who is the friend of printing manager, in which the lecture suggested one of his student studying business can act as a consultant for the companys improvements. The student worked as a consultant, studied the company for two months and produced a report of the organisationss finding to the managing director and the printing manager which was the basis for the change in the organisation. Management involves doing things right whereas leadership involves doing the right things. Management is about maintaining stability and leadership is about bringing the change. Management processes focus on the present and leadership processes focus on the future. Management processes involves implementing policies and procedures whereas leadership processes involves creating a culture based on shared values. Management processes uses the power of their position and leadership processes uses the personal power. Leadership roles get strengths with different personality types. (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 7, Slide 21). For example, the case study that I was using in the seminar about the Shell Company fostering its new level of individual power can be taken. The leadership skills and personality types of Chris Knight were discussed. The case study explains the strategies followed by Knight. Chris knight was a good leader with skills such as motivation, knowledge of the business and abil ity to manage the change and system implementations that turn around the growth of Shell. (CMSI Seminars, 2010, Week 7) Whether if it is planned or emergent approach to change, if it is at individual, group or organisation level change, or incremental or continuos change, there should be one person to manage the change and take responsibility of the change. Change agent is the one who takes that responsibility who can be a managers, internal or external consultants or it can be a team. (Burnes, 2004) states that Expect the unexpected might be the motto of most change agents since the change agents should be capable of dealing with the unexpected.If I was an agent of change in the Heathrow Terminal 5 project, I would have tested the computerized baggage system with more load and would have given training to all staffs in how to get to the parking area and especially how to handle the baggage system. I would have not compromised on testing as the chief executive of BA did on the Terminal 5 project. (Massey, 2008). Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion on various issues of change, its implication on human as an individual and groups within an organisation, the different types of approaches to change, the need of consultants and importance of leadership that the knowledge of change management is inevitable in any organisation for a successful system implementation in which the GK case study is an example. The need of change management, its relationship with systems implementation and its importance in Information Technology is justified from the above discussions. [Word Count: 2508]

Creatine for Athletic Performance Essay -- Drugs Sports

Creatine for Athletic Performance The Advantages of Creatine for Enhancing Athletic Performance If, about 5 years ago, you were to tell an athlete there was a supplement (which was not an anabolic steroid or other bodybuilding drug) that would help bodybuilders and athletes pack on as much as 10 rock-hard pounds of muscular bodyweight (which could lead to better performance for athletes) in less then 2 weeks; increase their bench press by 25 lbs. (which also would help in enhancing performance) in a mere 10 days; "get a pump like you were loaded on Dianabol"(Phillips 48) (a pump that last for hours and hours which helps in muscle development); and, all the while, help you run faster, jump higher, recover from exercise more quickly, they would probably tell you to get lost. Well all these facts and more have now been proven to be effective on athletes. "Creatine is the safest, most effective supplement out on the market today," says Ron Terjung, a physiology professor at the University of Missouri. Millions of men are buying the dietary supplement, hoping it is the magic pill that can transform them from scrawny to brawny. Creatine has made a strong impact on the athletic world giving many an edge on the competition and enhancing athletic performance. The discovery of Creatine leads back to 1832. A French scientist named Chevreul, identified a naturally occurring organic compound in meat and then was later found to be manufactured by the liver, kidneys and pancreas using three amino acids. The scientist named the compound Creatine after the greek word for flesh(Phillips 8). Creatine is a compound that is naturally made in our bodies to supply energy to our muscles. It is an energy rich metabolite that is found mainly in muscle tissue. It is responsible for supplying the muscle with energy during exercise. Chemically, it is called Methylguanido-acid. Creatine is formed from the three amino acids, argentine, methionine, and glycogen that undergo a chemical process to form Creat ine. Creatine is manufactured in the liver and may be produced in the pancreas and kidneys. It is transported through the blood and taken up by muscle cell, where it is converted into Creatine phosphate; also called phosphocreatine. This reaction involves the enzyme Creatine kinase that helps bond Creatine to a high-energy phosphate group. Once Creatine is bound to ... ...rcise." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine, Science and sports 3 (1993): 143-149. Bamberger, Michael. "The Magic Potion." Sports Illustrated 4 (1998): 58-61. Casey, A. "Creatine Supplementation Favorably Affects Performance and Muscle Metabolism During Maximal Intensity Exercise in Human." American Journal of Physiology 271 (1996): 31-37. Creatine. Available [online]. Address. http://www.vitamin-planet.com/nutrition/creatine.htm Creatine Monohydrate Frequently Asked Questions. Available [online]. Address. http://www.rnlist.utl.pt/~rmlbgs/atpfaq.tex Phillips, Bill. Sports Supplements Review. Golden, Colorado: Mile High Publishing, 1996 Kreider, B. Richard. "Creatine Supplementation." (Internet) http://www.afpafitness.com/Creatine3.html Silila, I. "Supplementary Creatine as a Treatment for Gyrate Atrophy of the Choroid and Retina." New England journal of Medicine 304 (1981): 867-870.(Internet) Timberline, David. "Muscles for Sale: Is Creatine Right for You?" (Internet) http://www.accenthealth.com/mh/intheknow/1999/creatine.html What is the Deal with Creatine? Available [online]. Address. http://www.powersupplement.com/creatine.htm

Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt :: Egyptian Art History Essays

Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt â€Å"Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt† a special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art concentrates on 70 portraits painted in Egypt during the first few centuries of Roman rule. Rome controlled Egypt as it controlled much else, through a policy of calculated multiculturalism. Egyptian customs were tolerated; Romans brought practices and beliefs of their own. Before long, things shaded together. The mummy paintings are traces of that process in action. The paintings were made to be placed at the head level on the outside of cloth-wrapped mummies as part of Pharaonic mortuary rites focused on the afterlife. It was likely that the portraits were painted just before or after death. As one walks into the gallery an eire feeling is in the air. The eyes of the portraits seem to follow you around the room. The Roman influence among the people is easily seen. A quote on the wall reads â€Å" The arts in Roman Egypt were as complex as the society while temple building in the tradition Egyptian style continue with few interruptions until the end of the 2nd century A.D and many fine, relief’s, columns, and other architectural elements were created in the pharaonic manner, sculptures in a purely Egyptian style practically came to an end with the Roman conquest. Portraits from the Antioopolis tend to show their subjects in distinctively restrained clothing and hairstyle presumably inspired by the city’s interest in Greek classicism. A number of Mummy portraits depict young men between the ages of 14 and 20 with their first facial hair, a feature that had particular connotations in Greek educated society of Roman Egypt. The way Emperor Hadrian had his hair combed forward and wearing a short beard that demonstrates love for ancient Greece. There are several inscriptions on panel paintings written in Greek, which was the suggested language of the educated upper class. These are just several examples of Greek and roman influence on the Egyptian society. An exhibit I found more interesting was The Mary and Michael Jaharis Gallery of Archaic and Classical Greek Art. The Greek Art is elaborate with many of the statues being large scale. Many of the statues have a deep meaning behind them. Like the statue of Aphrodite it is a full body with animation appearing to be graceful and seductive.

Quest for Self-Identity in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and The Bell Jar

As the post-colonial criticism developed, the theorists have agreed upon the fact that the role of feminism in the post-colonial practice is crucial. Moreover, these two theories clearly have the same goals. On the one hand, the main objective of both of them is to disclose the traditional power structures, both patriarchal and imperial. On the other hand, both feminism and post-colonial criticism aim to show the way the writers challenge the respective forms of authority. The main concerns of the post-colonial criticism are the formation of canon, the phases through which imperialism and decolonization have gone, as well as how these processes are expressed in literature. What is more, the criticism is also concerned with the ways of resistance within literary pieces, such as rewritings of traditional concepts and creating voices that stand in opposition. All these issues become the matrix and concern of feminist criticism. Not the least, crucial to feminism is also pointing at the notion of diversity. For many women, the process of writing is an expression of themselves, it allows them to â€Å"throw off their chains† and to struggle for more autonomy. The twentieth century has given rise to women’s efforts to fight for their rights in the Western world. In the forties, they were relatively emancipated, since they perceived the encouragements to enter the workplace. There, they could enjoy a relative independence and they felt responsible. They proved that they can be â€Å"effectual workers†, but when the World War II was over, they had to face new requirements: they had to give up the jobs to the males coming back from the war (â€Å"Feminism†). They were and felt misplaced, everyone expected them to take care of their homeplace instead. ... ..., Eadaoin. â€Å"Colonialism in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing.† 12 Apr. 2003. Aspenlieder, Erin. â€Å"Tips for Surviving ‘Atwood’: Confronting the Complexities of the Wilderness Celebrity.† Margaret Atwood Studies. 3.1 (Sept. 2009): 3-11. Benson, E., and L.W. Conolly, â€Å"Routledge Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English. London: Routledge, 1994. Cheadle, Richard. â€Å"On: Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing.† 2006. 3 June 2010 Parker, Ema. â€Å"You Are What You Eat: The Politics of Eating in the Novels of Margaret† . Atwood.† Twentieth Century Literature. June 10, 2010. Perloff, Marjori (Autumn 1972). â€Å"A Ritual for Being Born Twice": Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar". Contemporary Literature (University of Wisconsin Press), March 13, 2012. Wagner-Martin, Linda (1988). Sylvia Plath, the Critical Heritage. New York: Routledge, May 21, 2001.

Accounting Assignment Week 5

16-1, 16-2, 16-3, 16-5 Exercise 16-1Identifying cash inflows and outflows Indicate which of the following items will result in cash inflows and which will result in cash outflows. The first one is shown as an example. Initial investment |Outflow | |Salvage values |Inflow | |Recovery of working capital |Inflow | |Incremental expenses |Outflow | |Working capital commitments |Outflow | |Costsavings |Inflow | |Incremental revenue |Inflow |Exercise 16-2Determining the present value of a lump-sum future cash receipt Stan Sweeney turned 20 years old today. His grandfather established a trust fund that will pay Mr. Sweeney $80,000 on his next birthday. However, Stan needs money today to start his college education. His father is willing to help and has agreed to give Stan the present value of the future cash inflow, assuming a 10 percent rate of return. Required A. Use a present value table to determine the amount of cash that Stan Sweeney’s father should give him.Using the Present Va lue of $1 table, The factor for 1 year at 10% rate of return is 0. 90909 The PV of $80,000 after year 1 is PV = 80,000 * PV factor PV = 80000 * 0. 90909 PV = $72,727. 20 Based of The Present Value, Stan Sweeney's father should give him $72,727. 20 B. ) Use an algebraic formula to prove that the present value of the trust fund (the amount of cash computed in Requirement a) is equal to its $80,000 future value. Investment + (0. 90909 x Investment) = $80,000 $72,727 + (0. 12 x $72,727. 20) =$80,000 $72,727 + $7,273 = $80,000 $80,000 = $80,000Exercise 16-3Determining the present value of a lump-sum future cash receipt Marsha Bittner expects to receive a $600,000 cash benefit when she retires five years from today. Ms. Bittner’s employer has offered an early retirement incentive by agreeing to pay her $360,000 today if she agrees to retire immediately. Ms. Bittner desires to earn a rate of return of 12 percent. Required A. Assuming that the retirement benefit is the only considera tion in making the retirement deci- sion, should Ms. Bittner accept her employer’s offer? Ms. Bittner should not accept the her employers offer.B. Identify the factors that cause the present value of the retirement benefit to be less than $600,000 Inflation is one factor that could affect the present value of the retirement benefit. Taxes is another factor that could affect the present value of the retirement benefit. Exercise 16-5Determining net present value Metro Shuttle Inc. is considering investing in two new vans that are expected to generate com- bined cash inflows of $28,000 per year. The vans’ combined purchase price is $91,000. The ex- pected life and salvage value of each are four years and $21,000, respectively.Metro Shuttle has an average cost of capital of 14 percent Required a. Calculate the net present value of the investment opportunity. |Present Value |FV X PRESENT VALUE |=  Ã‚   Present Value Equivalent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   | |Pe riod 1 |28,000  Ã‚   X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0. 877193  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |$24,561 | |Period 2 |28,000  Ã‚   X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     0. 769468  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |21,545 | |Period 3 |28,000  Ã‚   X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     0. 74972  Ã‚  Ã‚   |18,899 | |Period 4 |28,000  Ã‚   X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     0. 592080  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |16,578 | |   |TOTAL |$ 81,583 | b. Indicate whether the investment opportunity is expected to earn a return that is above or below the cost of capital and whether it should be accepted. The investment opportunity is anticipated to earn a return that is below the cost of capital. The investment should not be accepted.