Baseball economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Baseball economics - Essay Example A libertarian is one who prioritizes individual rights over the welfare of the state, one who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state (AHD, 2000a). On the other hand, utilitarianism is the belief that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility or usefulness (AHD, 2000b). Bowie Kuhn's view is that the introduction of massive cable television broadcasts of baseball will be economically bad for the sport because it will reduce gate receipts and network television revenues, as well a make watching baseball games available to cities without the consent of anybody in baseball management. From the point of view of baseball team owners, who derive revenues from the games, Kuhn's view is libertarian and anti-utilitarian. It prioritizes the rights of the baseball team owners and those of baseball management. However, from the point of view of baseball fans, it is anti-libertarian because it prioritizes the welfare of a few over those of t he general public.

Challenges Of Human Resource Information System Information Technology Essay

Challenges Of Human Resource Information System Information Technology Essay In this technological world, a lot of things are run by the most advanced technology. Therefore, those managers are using the latest technology to operate the whole system in the company. By using these latest technology can help the company work more effective and can help keep their company information more safe and secure. It is same as for the Human Resource Information System (HRIS). Human Resource Information System (HRIS) could be count as the latest technology that can help analyze the data necessary for human resource department to do its jobs properly. So, William (2006) say the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is usually a part of the companys larger Management Information System (MIS) that to help the company to making recruiting, promoting, payroll, employee selection and placement, intake and training projections, career-pathing and productivity evaluation. These information systems help the administrative more effective and produce reports capable of improving decision making. But there are some challenges to make this useful Human Resource Information System cannot work well at all and will make Human Resource Information System work fail. The following are the challenges of Human Resource Information System: Training the users to use HRIS. Cost to purchase and implementation of HRIS. Time to adapt the HRIS. Lack functional expertise in designing. Improper vendor provide illegal copy of HRIS. 4.1 Training the users to use HRIS (by Choo Jun Cheng) The first challenge of company to implementation the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is ensuring that a HRIS for a company involve one key issue that is have the users that can use this HRIS as well as he/she can said by William (2006). The HRIS could be count as the latest technology to operate to human resource department, but there is not every manager and employees know to use this system well and some of them even do not know what this system is and what this system is for. For this case will make the company face the challenge to use this HRIS to help their human resource department to do its jobs perfectly. This will also cause the company cannot work efficiently, quick access to information and the information will be have risk to stole by other company easily. So, human resource department need to provide training to employee of a company in certain areas and the human resource department must make sure that the employees in the company are properly trained to use t he HRIS well. However, teaching the employees how to use system is not the only component needed and it is also critical to teach the employees know to use the HRIS to locate the answers to solve the human resource questions. This requires the employees who under this training program need to adopt the new mindset of self-service rather than turning the human resources questions to the answers by using the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) and make employees become a part of HRIS. 4.2 Cost to purchase and implementation of HRIS (by Choo Jun Cheng) Next, the one of the most significant challenge facing by the company to run the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is the cost to purchase and implementation of a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) said by William (2006). If the company is looking the cost to justify a HRIS new system or upgrade one, they will much need new HRIS software. But for the company already have a policy to cost justifying any new technology for their produce and investment and this cause the company facing the lack capital problem to purchase and implementation of HRIS. Besides that, HRIS system represents a large investment decision for company of all sizes to purchase and implementation this HRIS and this will become the challenge that is the lack capital problem facing by the company. Therefore, some company does not want to upgrade their HRIS system to a new one, even some of the company still using the traditional way to operate their human resource department. This situation will lead the company cannot get the benefits from HRIS that is improved accuracy of information, the provision of timely and quick access to information and the saving the costs of human resource. So, having an HRIS system in the company are very important and it can also bring a lot of benefits to the company and help to reengineer the entire Human Resource (HR) function to work more effective and help the human resource department can use full of HRIS advantages and the company can operate properly too. 4.3 Time to adapt the HRIS (by Choo Jun Cheng) Besides that, the challenge facing by the company is the time that employees and managers need to take to adapt the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) said by K. Michele (2006). Although for the company have already send the employees and managers who in certain area of human resource department to training to use the HRIS, but the employees and the managers need to take times to adapt the new system. Even if the employees and managers know how to use the system, it will not serve the company if they cannot perceive any benefits from its use said by K. Michele (2006). Besides that, some employees are not good in using computer, they will take very long time to adapt this new system even they are trained employees. Not only that, by using the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) will help to reengineer the entire Human Resource (HR) function and this also need take time for employees and managers to adapt this system. Some of their companys HRIS system are lack flexibility w ill cause the employees and managers use more time to adapt the system. Even this HRIS need some time for employees and managers to adapt for it but HRIS still can bring a lot of convenient to human resource department and it can help the company can operate properly. 4.4 Lack of functional expertise in designing (by Choo Jun Cheng) The challenge facing by the company is lack of functional expertise in designing of Human Resource Information System (HRIS) said by K. Michele (2006). The HRIS could be count as the latest technology to operate to human resource department to do the job properly, but there are not yet become a flexibility system for operate the department and company need to hire the expert in this HRIS system keep maintain the system in perfect condition. The lack of flexibility of HRIS would have a risk hacking by theft of information, the companys information would easily know by other people. Besides that, the HRIS cannot solve the difficulty situation and sometime the system will solve wrong problem because of the lack of functional expertise in designing of HRIS. But if the company can keep upgrade the functional expertise in designing of HRIS and it can overcome this problem and it can help company operate the human resource department work efficiency. So, the company need to keep maintain th e HRIS system and always make sure the system are at the perfect situation. 4.5 Improper vendor provide illegal copy of HRIS (by Choo Jun Cheng) The last challenge that face by the company is the improper vendor that provide the illegal copy of HRIS said by Pamela (2006). It is because the HRIS is the latest technology for the company to operate the human resource department and implementation HRIS are expensive, so many of company willing to implementation the illegal copy of HRIS because the improper vendor cost the company cheaper than others. The illegal copy of HRIS possible have the virus that always make the system clash down then the company need to ask the improper vendor repair it and improper vendor can keep charge the company repair fees. Besides that, the illegal copy of HRIS possible have the spyware that let the improper vendor have the backdoor that allow the improper vendor can stole the information from the company. So, for every company need to avoid buy the illegal copy from improper vendor. 4.6 Conclusion (by Choo Jun Cheng) In the conclusion, Human Resource Information System (HRIS) plays an important role to operate the company, even the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) are facing many of challenges to use this system in the company. But if we can overcome those challenges and situation to make the HRIS can run perfect inside the company, we can gain a lot of advantages and by using this system can make sure our human resource department can work more effectively and more efficiently. This HRIS system can also help reduce errors, increase efficiency, and reduce costs for the company and this system are very useful and helpful to the company. 4.7 Reference William P. Anthony, K. Michele Kacmar, Pamela L. Perreve (2006) Human Resource Management (Fifth Edition) Thomson, the Star logo, and Custom Publishing, Chapter 4.

What was the 1850 Compromise and Why did it Fail? Essay -- politics sl

What was the 1850 Compromise and Why did it Fail? In 1850, Henry Clay one of the most influential political leaders in American history introduced a set of resolutions, which aimed to please both North and South America. The five proposals were rolled into a single 'omnibus' bill, which offered a solution to the growing sectional conflict over slavery and westward expansion, which arose from the 1846 Mexican War. The 1850 Compromise, which Senator Douglas stripped down and effectively helped pass, failed for a number of reasons, the greatest of which was that it was unable to please both anti-slave and pro-slave groups. In fact it merely 'papered over the crack', and did not prove, as Daniel Webster a Clay supporter had hoped, 'a finality that would give peace to a country long distracted by the quarrel over slavery'. Why did the Compromise ultimately fail, and lead to polarization, featuring a party, which had begun to establish itself in the 1820s. The conflict between the North and South stemmed back to 1846, when the U.S.A won a huge area of Mexican territory as the result of what became known as the Mexican War. The land acquired revived controversy over the extension of slavery, as many Northerners wanted the new territory to become a free state with no slavery, and many Southerners wanted slavery to expand. Numerous compromises were conceded, to try to resolve the sectional conflict, for example the Wilmot Proviso of 1846 attempted to exclude slavery from any territory gained as a result of the war. The Calhoun Doctrine issued in 1847, and known as 'The Platform of the South', asserted that the territories were common property of all the states. However the argument of whether slavery should be... ... of the affects to their economy. However many Northerners who did resist slavery probably had a free labour ideology; that Northern farmers could grown cotton to fuel the trade industries of the North, as a replacement for slave labour. The events that had occurred before and after 1846 had shown that expansion of America created major sectional conflict and jealousies, due principally to the question of slavery. The resolutions had actually managed to delay the immediate danger of sectional split. However as the apparent fairness of the Compromise was false, like all other attempts at compromise it failed. Slavery was a moral issue, which proved that more than a compromise was needed to resolve it. The Compromise of 1850 ultimately resulted with a large number of Southerners seceding from the union, furthermore political polarization of the Democrats.

Foundation and Empire 14. The Mutant

The â€Å"hangar† on Kalgan is an institution peculiar unto itself, born of the need for the disposition of the vast number of ships brought in by the visitors from abroad, and the simultaneous and consequent vast need for living accommodations for the same. The original bright one who had thought of the obvious solution had quickly become a millionaire. His heirs – by birth or finance – were easily among the richest on Kalgan. The â€Å"hangar† spreads fatly over square miles of territory, and â€Å"hangar† does not describe it at all sufficiently. It is essentially a hotel – for ships. The traveler pays in advance and his ship is awarded a berth from which it can take off into space at any desired moment. The visitor then lives in his ship as always. The ordinary hotel services such as the replacement of food and medical supplies at special rates, simple servicing of the ship itself, special intra-Kalgan transportation for a nominal sum are to be had, of course. As a result, the visitor combines hangar space and hotel bill into one, at a saving. The owners sell temporary use of ground space at ample profits. The government collects huge taxes. Everyone has fun. Nobody loses. Simple! The man who made his way down the shadow-borders of the wide corridors that connected the multitudinous wings of the â€Å"hangar† had in the past speculated on the novelty and usefulness of the system described above, but these were reflections for idle moments – distinctly unsuitable at present. The ships hulked in their height and breadth down the long lines of carefully aligned cells, and the man discarded line after line. He was an expert at what he was doing now and if his preliminary study of the hangar registry had failed to give specific information beyond the doubtful indication of a specific wing – one containing hundreds of ships – his specialized knowledge could winnow those hundreds into one. There was the ghost of a sigh in the silence, as the man stopped and faded down one of the lines; a crawling insect beneath the notice of the arrogant metal monsters that rested there. Here and there the sparkling of light from a porthole would indicate the presence of an early returner from the organized pleasures to simpler – or more private – pleasures of his own. The man halted, and would have smiled if he ever smiled. Certainly the convolutions of his brain performed the mental equivalent of a smile. The ship he stopped at was sleek and obviously fast. The peculiarity of its design was what he wanted. It was not a usual model – and these days most of the ships of this quadrant of the Galaxy either imitated Foundation design or were built by Foundation technicians. But this was special. This was a Foundation ship – if only because of the tiny bulges in the skin that were the nodes of the protective screen that only a Foundation ship could possess. There were other indications, too. The man felt no hesitation. The electronic barrier strung across the line of the ships as a concession to privacy on the part of the management was not at all important to him. It parted easily, and without activating the alarm, at the use of the very special neutralizing force he had at his disposal. So the first knowledge within the ship of the intruder without was the casual and almost friendly signal of the muted buzzer in the ship's living room that was the result of a palm placed over the little photocell just one side of the main air lock. And while that successful search went on, Toran and Bayta felt only the most precarious security within the steel walls of the Bayta. The Mule's clown who had reported that within his narrow compass of body he held the lordly name of Magnifico Giganticus, sat hunched over the table and gobbled at the food set before him. His sad, brown eyes lifted from his meat only to follow Bayta's movements in the combined kitchen and larder where he ate. â€Å"The thanks of a weak one are of but little value,† he muttered, â€Å"but you have them, for truly, in this past week, little but scraps have come my way – and for all my body is small, yet is my appetite unseemly great.† â€Å"Well, then, eat!† said Bayta, with a smile. â€Å"Don't waste your time on thanks. Isn't there a Central Galaxy proverb about gratitude that I once heard?† â€Å"Truly there is, my lady. For a wise man, I have been told, once said, ‘Gratitude is best and most effective when it does not evaporate itself in empty phrases.' But alas, my lady, I am but a mass of empty phrases, it would seem. When my empty phrases pleased the Mule, it brought me a court dress, and a grand name – for, see you, it was originally simply Bobo, one that pleases him not – and then when my empty phrases pleased him not, it would bring upon my poor bones beatings and whippings.† Toran entered from the pilot room, â€Å"Nothing to do now but wait, Bay. I hope the Mule is capable of understanding that a Foundation ship is Foundation territory.† Magnifico Giganticus, once Bobo, opened his eyes wide and exclaimed, â€Å"How great is the Foundation before which even the cruel servants of the Mule tremble.† â€Å"Have you heard of the Foundation, too?† asked Bayta, with a little smile. â€Å"And who has not?† Magnifico's voice was a mysterious whisper. â€Å"There are those who say it is a world of great magic, of fires that can consume planets, and secrets of mighty strength. They say that not the highest nobility of the Galaxy could achieve the honor and deference considered only the natural due of a simple man who could say ‘I am a citizen of the Foundation,' – were he only a salvage miner of space, or a nothing like myself.† Bayta said, â€Å"Now, Magnifico, you'll never finish if you make speeches. Here, I'll get you a little flavored milk. It's good.† She placed a pitcher of it upon the table and motioned Toran out of the room. â€Å"Torie, what are we going to do now – about him?† and she motioned towards the kitchen. â€Å"How do you mean?† â€Å"If the Mule comes, are we going to give him up?† â€Å"Well, what else, Bay?† He sounded harassed, and the gesture with which he shoved back the moist curl upon his forehead testified to that. He continued impatiently, â€Å"Before I came here I had a sort of vague idea that all we had to do was to ask for the Mule, and then get down to business – just business, you know, nothing definite.† â€Å"I know what you mean, Torie. I wasn't much hoping to see the Mule myself, but I did think we could pick up some firsthand knowledge of the mess, and then pass it over to people who know a little more about this interstellar intrigue. I'm no storybook spy.† â€Å"You're not behind me, Bay.† He folded his arms and frowned. â€Å"What a situation! You'd never know there was a person like the Mule, except for this last queer break. Do you suppose he'll come for his clown?† Bayta looked up at him. â€Å"I don't know that I want him to. I don't know what to say or do. Do you?† The inner buzzer sounded with its intermittent burring noise. Bayta's lips moved wordlessly, â€Å"The Mule!† Magnifico was in the doorway, eyes wide, his voice a whimper, â€Å"The Mule?† Toran murmured, â€Å"I've got to let them in.† A contact opened the air lock and the outer door closed behind the newcomer. The scanner showed only a single shadowed figure. â€Å"It's only one person,† said Toran, with open relief, and his voice was almost shaky as he bent toward the signal tube, â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"You'd better let me in and find out, hadn't you?† The words came thinly out the receiver. â€Å"I'll inform you that this is a Foundation ship and consequently Foundation territory by international treaty.† â€Å"I know that.† â€Å"Come with your arms free, or I'll shoot. I'm well-armed.† â€Å"Done!† Toran opened the inner door and closed contact on his blast pistol, thumb hovering over the pressure point. There was the sound of footsteps and then the door swung open, and Magnifico cried out, â€Å"It's not the Mule. It's but a man.† The â€Å"man† bowed to the clown somberly, â€Å"Very accurate. I'm not the Mule.† He held his hands apart, â€Å"I'm not armed, and I come on a peaceful errand. You might relax and put the blast pistol away. Your hand isn't steady enough for my peace of mind.† â€Å"Who are you?† asked Toran, brusquely. â€Å"I might ask you that,† said the stranger, coolly, â€Å"since you're the one under false pretenses, not I.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"You're the one who claims to be a Foundation citizen when there's not an authorized Trader on the planet.† â€Å"That's not so. How would you know?† â€Å"Because I am a Foundation citizen, and have my papers to prove it. Where are yours?† â€Å"I think you'd better get out.† â€Å"I think not. If you know anything about Foundation methods, and despite your imposture you might, you'd know that if I don't return alive to my ship at a specified time, there'll be a signal at the nearest Foundation headquarters so I doubt if your weapons will have much effect, practically speaking.† There was an irresolute silence and then Bayta said, calmly, â€Å"Put the blaster away, Toran, and take him at face value. He sounds like the real thing.† â€Å"Thank you,† said the stranger. Toran put his gun on the chair beside him, â€Å"Suppose you explain all this now.† The stranger remained standing. He was long of bone and large of limb. His face consisted of hard flat planes and it was somehow evident that he never smiled. But his eyes lacked hardness. He said, â€Å"News travels quickly, especially when it is apparently beyond belief. I don't suppose there's a person on Kalgan who doesn't know that the Mule's men were kicked in the teeth today by two tourists from the Foundation. I knew of the important details before evening, and, as I said, there are no Foundation tourists aside from myself on the planet. We know about those things.† â€Å"Who are the ‘we'?† â€Å"‘We' are – ‘we'! Myself for one! I knew you were at the Hangar – you had been overheard to say so. I had my ways of checking the registry, and my ways of finding the ship.† He turned to Bayta suddenly, â€Å"You're from the Foundation – by birth, aren't you?† â€Å"Am I?† â€Å"You're a member of the democratic opposition – they call it ‘the underground.' I don't remember your name, but I do the face. You got out only recently – and wouldn't have if you were more important.† Bayta shrugged, â€Å"You know a lot.† â€Å"I do. You escaped with a man. That one?† â€Å"Does it matter what I say?† â€Å"No. I merely want a thorough mutual understanding. I believe that the password during the week you left so hastily was ‘Seldon, Hardin, and Freedom.' Porfirat Hart was your section leader. â€Å" â€Å"Where'd you get that?† Bayta was suddenly fierce. â€Å"Did the police get him?† Toran held her back, but she shook herself loose and advanced. The man from the Foundation said quietly, â€Å"Nobody has him. It's just that the underground spreads widely and in queer places. I'm Captain Han Pritcher of Information, and I'm a section leader myself – never mind under what name.† He waited, then said, â€Å"No, you don't have to believe me. In our business it is better to overdo suspicion than the opposite. But I'd better get past the preliminaries.† â€Å"Yes,† said Toran, â€Å"suppose you do.† â€Å"May I sit down? Thanks.† Captain Pritcher swung a long leg across his knee and let an arm swing loose over the back of the chair. â€Å"I'll start out by saying that I don't know what all this is about – from your angle. You two aren't from the Foundation, but it's not a hard guess that you're from one of the independent Trading worlds. That doesn't bother me overmuch. But out of curiosity, what do you want with that fellow, that clown you snatched to safety? You're risking your life to hold on to him.† â€Å"I can't tell you that.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. Well, I didn't think you would. But if you're waiting for the Mule himself to come behind a fanfarade of horns, drums, and electric organs – relax! The Mule doesn't work that way.† â€Å"What?† It came from both Toran and Bayta, and in the comer where Magnifico lurked with ears almost visibly expanded, there was a sudden joyful start. â€Å"That's right. I've been trying to contact him myself, and doing a rather more thorough job of it than you two amateurs can. It won't work. The man makes no personal appearance, does not allow himself to be photographed or simulated, and is seen only by his most intimate associates.† â€Å"Is that supposed to explain your interest in us, captain?† questioned Toran. â€Å"No. That clown is the key. That clown is one of the very few that have seen him. I want him. He may be the proof I need – and I need something, Galaxy knows – to awaken the Foundation.† â€Å"It needs awakening?† broke in Bayta with sudden sharpness. â€Å"Against what? And in what role do you act as alarm, that of rebel democrat or of secret police and provocateur?† The captain's face set in its hard lines. â€Å"When the entire Foundation is threatened, Madame Revolutionary, both democrats and tyrants perish. Let us save the tyrants from a greater, that we may overthrow them in their turn.† â€Å"Who's the greater tyrant you speak of?† flared Bayta. â€Å"The Mule! I know a bit about him, enough to have been my death several times over already, if I had moved less nimbly. Send the clown out of the room. This will require privacy.† â€Å"Magnifico,† said Bayta, with a gesture, and the clown left without a sound. The captain's voice was grave and intense, and low enough so that Toran and Bayta drew close. He said, â€Å"The Mule is a shrewd operator – far too shrewd not to realize the advantage of the magnetism and glamour of personal leadership. If he gives that up, it's for a reason. That reason must be the fact that personal contact would reveal something that is of overwhelming importance not to reveal.† He waved aside questions, and continued more quickly, â€Å"I went back to his birthplace for this, and questioned people who for their knowledge will not live long. Few enough are still alive. They remember the baby born thirty years before – the death of his mother – his strange youth. The Mule is not a human being!† And his two listeners drew back in horror at the misty implications. Neither understood, fully or clearly, but the menace of the phrase was definite. The captain continued, â€Å"He is a mutant, and obviously from his subsequent career, a highly successful one. I don't know his powers or the exact extent to which he is what our thrillers would call a ‘superman,' but the rise from nothing to the conqueror of Kalgan's warlord in two years is revealing. You see, don't you, the danger? Can a genetic accident of unpredictable biological properties be taken into account in the Seldon plan?† Slowly, Bayta spoke, â€Å"I don't believe it. This is some sort of complicated trickery. Why didn't the Mule's men kill us when they could have, if he's a superman?† â€Å"I told you that I don't know the extent of his mutation. He may not be ready, yet, for the Foundation, and it would be a sign of the greatest wisdom to resist provocation until ready. Now let me speak to the clown.† The captain faced the trembling Magnifico, who obviously distrusted this huge, hard man who faced him. The captain began slowly, â€Å"Have you seen the Mule with your own eyes?† â€Å"I have but too well, respected sir. And felt the weight of his arm with my own body as well.† â€Å"I have no doubt of that. Can you describe him?† â€Å"It is frightening to recall him, respected sir. He is a man of mighty frame. Against him, even you would be but a spindling. His hair is of a burning crimson, and with all my strength and weight I could not pull down his arm, once extended – not a hair's thickness.† Magnifico's thinness seemed to collapse upon itself in a huddle of arms and legs. â€Å"Often, to amuse his generals or to amuse only himself, he would suspend me by one finger in my belt from a fearful height, while I chattered poetry. It was only after the twentieth verse that I was withdrawn, and each improvised and each a perfect rhyme, or else start over. He is a man of overpowering might, respected sir, and cruel in the use of his power – and his eyes, respected sir, no one sees.† â€Å"What? What's that last?† â€Å"He wears spectacles, respected sir, of a curious nature. It is said that they are opaque and that he sees by a powerful magic that far transcends human powers. I have heard,† and his voice was small and mysterious, â€Å"that to see his eyes is to see death; that he kills with his eyes, respected sir.† Magnifico's eyes wheeled quickly from one watching face to another. He quavered, â€Å"It is true. As I live, it is true. â€Å" Bayta drew a long breath, â€Å"Sounds like you're right, captain. Do you want to take over?† â€Å"Well, let's look at the situation. You don't owe anything here? The hangar's barrier above is free?† â€Å"I can leave any time.† â€Å"Then leave. The Mule may not wish to antagonize the Foundation, but he runs a frightful risk in letting Magnifico get away. It probably accounts for the hue and cry after the poor devil in the first place. So there may be ships waiting for you upstairs. If you're lost in space, who's to pin the crime?† â€Å"You're right,† agreed Toran, bleakly. â€Å"However, you've got a shield and you're probably speedier than anything they've got, so as soon as you're clear of the atmosphere make the circle in neutral to the other hemisphere, then just cut a track outwards at top acceleration.† â€Å"Yes,† said Bayta coldly, â€Å"and when we are back on the Foundation, what then, captain?† â€Å"Why, you are then co-operative citizens of Kalgan, are you not? I know nothing to the contrary, do I?† Nothing was said. Toran turned to the controls. There was an imperceptible lurch. It was when Toran had left Kalgan sufficiently far in the rear to attempt his first interstellar jump, that Captain Pritcher's face first creased slightly – for no ship of the Mule had in any way attempted to bar their leaving. â€Å"Looks like he's letting us carry off Magnifico,† said Toran. â€Å"Not so good for your story.† â€Å"Unless,† corrected the captain, â€Å"he wants us to carry him off, in which case it's not so good for the Foundation.† It was after the last jump, when within neutral-flight distance of the Foundation, that the first hyperwave news broadcast reached the ship. And there was one news item barely mentioned. It seemed that a warlord – unidentified by the bored speaker – had made representations to the Foundation concerning the forceful abduction of a member of his court. The announcer went on to the sports news. Captain Pritcher said icily, â€Å"He's one step ahead of us after all.† Thoughtfully, he added, â€Å"He's ready for the Foundation, and he uses this as an excuse for action. It makes things more difficult for us. We will have to act before we are really ready.†

The Price of Happiness

People all around the world work their hardest to ensure that they have a happy life for them and their families. Happiness as we know cannot be bought with money, but Ben L. Ashcraft states that everything in life comes with a price tag, including happiness, and through our choices we select the price we are willing to pay. Ashcraft refers to a quote by James E. Fraust who stated â€Å"If you're not willing to pay the price of success, you will pay the price of failure.†Ashcraft says that being successful will lead to a happy life, although success has an up-front fee where not all beings are willing to pay, as opposed to failure where you are allowed a grace period before you are required to begin paying. He suggests developing a â€Å"long-term vision† in which people may see the result of their actions down the road. So does happiness have a price? it does, the price is the choices we make in our lives, the choice to travel the road of success of failure.Happiness c annot be bought with money, as cliche as it sounds it is absolutely true. The price of happiness can be paid by the choices we make in life. People always state that we pay the price of our mistakes , but we also pay the price of happiness. Ashcraft writes that being responsible, admitting to mistakes, apologizing, getting an education, telling the truth, making changes, repairing relationships, etc†¦ are the cost of success. As simple and easy as they sound they might be truly difficult in some situations.For example, an employee in a company makes an unintentional error at his job that leads to a chain of mistakes throughout the place of work which causes major commotion and confusion. That employee, although being terrified of his mistake, admits the fault he has done, takes responsibility and becomes determined in fixing his blunder. By that difficult choice, he has shown that he can be a responsible and dependable being, which can be a major positive feature to his future in that company.However, most people will not own up to their mistakes which may begin their travel on the road of failure. Suppose that employee does not take responsibility of his error but instead be dishonest about the situation and inflict the damage he has done upon another worker where he aims to be clear out of any trouble, which at the time may have been an easier choice. Ashcraft calls that a grace period before you are required to begin paying, in this case paying for his mistakes.It is known that no mistake goes unpunished, when the company figures out that the employee responsible was deceitful and corrupt, they take severe actions toward him. Not only did he lose his job, but he lost his credibility and trust between his colleagues and other companies who have heard of his name and his procedures, thus making it tougher for him to find another job in his area of expertise. Ben L. Ashcraft suggests that â€Å"long-term vision† can be of magnificent help to avoid failure, which in my opinion can be a great benefit in our lives.He compares it to driving on a windy dark road with poor headlights. You could miss a curve or crash. Long-Term is like turning on the bright light and seeing what the results of your actions might be â€Å"down the road†. Although the price of success may be rather difficult in the beginning, or a certain amount or pressure may come with it, but in the long-term it will decrease tremendously and become easier to pay.Not so the price of failure, for it may stack up to enormous amounts, that will cause grief and despair in your life and those around you. There is no way to escape paying the price of your actions. Take that young man who took responsibility for his slip-up, he was clearly looking forward towards the future for he knew if he was untruthful that would be a vast hit to his career which may cause a great amount of unrest and instability in his life. Indeed there is a price to happiness, every choice w e make whether good or bad will affect it.As hard as paying up-front for success may be, we must always accomplish it or try our best to, for in the long-term we will reap the goodness out of that choice. On the other hand, we may have the option of taking a different path that may lead to failure. That path may be trouble-free and uncomplicated at first, but the problems will catch up to us, those we thought we were liberated from, and they will ruin our lives. We have the ability to decide what the price of our happiness is, how abundantly present it may be in our lives or the opposite. Choose wisely.

Free Essays on Amendments

Amendment I (1791) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Amendment II (1791) A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Amendment III (1791) No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV (1791) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Amendment V (1791) No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Amendment VI (1791) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with... Free Essays on Amendments Free Essays on Amendments Amendment I (1791) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Amendment II (1791) A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Amendment III (1791) No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV (1791) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Amendment V (1791) No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Amendment VI (1791) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with...

Corporations and the Environment essays

Corporations and the Environment essays I feel that the responsibility for keeping the environment clean does not rest with the corporations who pollute it, but with the government who does not stop them. If there are no laws and regulations that are enforced by the government for the corporations to follow then they are in no way accountable for their actions. They will in most likely hood simply pollute the environment in order to gain a buck or save a buck. A good example of this is when certain corporations turn their filters off at night time in order to save money on energy. If the government does not enforce the laws the corporations will continue doing so and adding pollutants to our environment. Changes need to be made in the monitoring of the amount of emissions that certain corporations put out on an ongoing basis. This is needed to track the corporations who are following the laws and the ones who are not. Government needs to establish a system that will enable them to enforce corporations to meet their guidelines. Perhaps a system that deals out a suitable punishment that fits the crime as well as incentives for those who meet and go beyond the system. Possible ideas are tax credits and rebates for companies meeting the targets set by the government. Another good idea would be for the government to offer incentives for investors who look at environmentally friendly companies as opposed to looking at those corporations who are not known for being environmentally active. Such incentives could include tax credits on the individuals tax return. Corporations need to be held accountable and the government needs to be the one responsible for making them so. Laws, regulations and incentives need to introduced and enforced if we want to leave our children and their children a world in which they can live without fearing the air that they breath and the water that they drink. ...

10 Neon Facts †Chemical Element

10 Neon Facts - Chemical Element Neon is element number 10 on the periodic table, with the element symbol Ne. While you might think of neon lights when you hear this element name, there are many other interesting properties and uses for this gas. Here are 10 neon facts: Each neon atom has 10 protons. There are three stable isotopes of the element, with atoms having 10 neutrons (neon-20), 11 neutrons (neon-21), and 12 neutrons (neon-22). Because it has a stable octet for its outer electron shell, neon atoms have 10 electrons and no net electrical charge. The first two valence electrons are in the s shell, while the other eight electrons are in the p shell. The element is in group 18 of the periodic table, making it the first noble gas with a full octet (helium is lighter and stable with only 2 electrons). Its the second lightest noble gas.At room temperature and pressure, neon is an odorless, colorless, diamagnetic gas. It belongs to the noble gas element group and shares the property with other elements of that group of being nearly inert (not very reactive). In fact, there are no known stable  neon compounds, even though some other noble gases have been found to form chemical bonds. A possible exception is solid neon clathrate hydrate, which may be formed from neon gas and water ice at pressure of 0.35-0.48 GPa. The name of the element comes from the Greek word novum or neos, which means new. British chemists Sir William  Ramsay and Morris W. Travers discovered the element in 1898. Neon was discovered in a sample of liquid air. The gases that escaped were identified as nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and krypton. When the krypton was gone, the remaining gas was found to emit a bright red light when ionized. Ramsays son suggested the name for the new element, neon.Neon is both rare and abundant, depending where youre looking for it. Although neon is a rare gas in the Earths atmosphere (about 0.0018% by mass), it is the 5th most abundant element in the universe  (1 part per 750), where it is produced during the alpha process in stars. The sole source of neon is from extraction from liquefied air. Neon is also found in diamonds and some volcanic vents. Because neon is rare in air, its an expensive gas to produce, about 55 times more expensive than liquid helium.Even though its rare and expensive o n Earth, there is a fair amount of neon in the average home. If you could extract all the neon from a new home in the United States, you have about 10 liters of the gas! Neon is a monatomic gas, so it is lighter (less dense) than air, which consists mostly of nitrogen (N2). If a balloon is filled with neon, it will rise. However, this will occur at a much slower rate than you would see with a helium balloon. As with helium, inhaling neon gas poses an asphyxiation risk if not enough oxygen is available to breathe.Neon has many uses besides lighted signs. It is also used in helium-neon lasers, masers,  vacuum tubes, lightning arresters, and high-voltage indicators. The liquid form of the element is a cryogenic refrigerant. Neon is 40 times more effective as a refrigerant than liquid helium and 3 times better than liquid hydrogen. Because of its high refrigeration capacity, liquid neon is used in cryonics, to freeze corpses for preservation or for potential revival in the future. The liquid can cause immediate frostbite to exposed skin or mucous membranes.When low pressure neon gas is electrified, it glows reddish orange. This is the true color of neo n lights. Other colors of lights are produced by coating the interior of the glass with phosphors. Other gases glow when excited. These are not neon signs even though many people commonly assume they are. One of the more interesting facts about neon is the light emitted from ionized neon can pass through water fog. This is why neon lighting is used in cold regions and for aircraft and airports.Neon has a melting point of  Ã¢â‚¬â€˜248.59  Ã‚ °C (‑415.46  Ã‚ °F) and boiling point of  Ã¢â‚¬â€˜246.08  Ã‚ °C (‑410.94  Ã‚ °F). Solid neon forms a crystal with a close-packed cubic structure. Because of its stable octet, the electronegativity and electron affinity of neon approaches zero.

Economic growth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic growth - Assignment Example Viele Accounting. Pg 224-225, Question p6 a) Truck 28200 Notes Payable 28200 b) Truck 28200 Capital lease liability (4.6229 * 6100) 28200 Depreciation Expense 4700 Accumulated Depreciation 4700 c) Interest Expense 2256 Capital Lease Liability 3844 Cash 6100 d) The expenses for the first year are Interest Expense and Depreciation = 2256 + 4700 = $6956 Somers and Seville. Exploration 8. Chapter 6 pg 118. a) 67.38 is the population in our base year 1980. We are considering the growth rate from this year which is around 102% or 1.206. This shows the rate of increase in population each year from 1980. b) 67.38. (1.206)^10 = 438.53 Million. McConnell and Brue pg 151. Chapter 8. Study Question 1 and 2. Real GDP growth Rate = (31200-30000)/30000 * 100 = 4% GDP per Capita in year 1 = 30000/100 = 300 GDP Per Capital in year 2 = 31200/102 = 305.9 GDP per capita growth = (305.9-300)/300 = 1.96% Economic growth is a measure of the increase in the productive potential of a country. It is important because it reduces or lessens the problem of scarcity. Since it helps the economy to produce more, more goods are produced and everyone has more goods for consumption and as a result, living standard in the economy increases. This is why economists rate economic growth as a matter of great importance. We can use the 70 rule to determine the effect of the difference between 2.5 and 3 percent of economic growth over few decades. If an economy is growing at 2.5%, the economic growth or total output will double from the current level in 70/2.5= 28 years.

Child care should cut mothers tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child care should cut mothers tax - Essay Example But it is also mentioned by peter that taking such steps actually cause the rise in child care fees, which was according to the statistics provided by peter was 49 % more rapidly than inflation from 2000 to 2004. So the government during the election of 2004 proclaims an aid such that families can make reduction in their income tax equivalent to the 30 % of what they spent on their child care. Then all the related organizations, companies and societies came up with their own suggestions and improvement ideas, made to the government in order to improve child care facilities. Some suggestion were to make child care fees to be employee's pre-tax sacrifice, where as liberal 's want income tax reduction to be amplify to 50%, ACTU suggesting for spending $10 billion to construct new child-care centers and last but not the least Australia council of social service also demanded immense increase in child-care benefits. Peter also give reference of Families Ministers Mal Brough which identify the problem to s

Severe Storm exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Severe Storm exam - Assignment Example It is because of this movement that a derecho is referred to as a; â€Å"straight-line wind damage†. Derecho winds originate from downbursts. They possess almost similar characteristics. The inherent difference is that; derechos assume a curved shape, while downbursts maintain horizontal dimensions of approximately 4 to 6 miles. Winds in a derecho have must be greater than 57mph for them to be considered as severe wind gusts (according to the National Weather Service). There are three different types of derechos: serial derencho, progressive derencho, and boundary waters-Canadian derencho. The serial derencho originates from multiple bow echoes in a wide squall line. The progressive derecho originates from single bow echoes in short line of winds and thunderstorms. The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho develops from a narrow progressive derecho in the bow echo system. The ‘derecho triangle’ is extensive; from Minneapolis to Dallas to Pittsburgh. Derechos occur mostly in the late spring and summer seasons. They take place along two axes: the extensive â€Å"corn-belt† region; from the upper Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley and from the mid Mississippi Valley to the southern plains. They are not common during autumn and winter. If they occur during these seasons, they are experienced in eastern Texas to the south eastern states. Isolated derecho have been experienced in the western United States during the spring. In the mid-Atlantic, derechos are mostly experienced in the warm season. They take place on the fringes of great heat waves. Large-scale heat waves provide conditions that are conducive for the development of derechos. The heat waves and derechos are linked by an Elevated Mixed Layer (EML); mid-tropospheric layer of air that develops over the elevated arid terrain. Emls exhibit steep reductions in temperature with height. These temperature differentials enhance

The Advent Of Globalization And Business Cultures Essay

The Advent Of Globalization And Business Cultures - Essay Example Power Distance: This deals with acceptance of the less powerful sections of an organization pertaining to the uneven distribution of power therein. Britain is a country that ranks low in PDI, indicating that it is a society that believes in minimising the inequalities among people. However, China is a top scorer in PDI, which implies that inequality in the distribution of power is acceptable in there and that power abuse is prevalent. Individualism: The issue addressed by this dimension is related to ways in which the society portrays itself, implying whether it is an inter-dependent society or an individual one. The UK is a country with a high individualistic approach, where children are taught to think and fend for themselves from a young age (Tanielian 90-96). Hence, personal fulfillment is a topmost priority in such societies. China appears to have a rather collectivistic approach, where people strive as a team and perform tasks that cater to the interest of a group or an organiz ation. Masculinity: This dimension explains dominant values of the society. A masculine or high-score on this dimension would indicate towards a society that is driven by achievement and success. A low-score (feminine) on this dimension would mean that the society is more inclined towards living a quality life and caring for others. Both China and the UK are strongly masculine societies, where people are ready to sacrifice family life in order to achieve success in the professional life. Leisure takes a backseat in such societies.  

The Process of Benchmarking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Process of Benchmarking - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to examine how the process of benchmarking is important in financial decision making. An online quantitative research study of Jackson Health Care title Nurses downtime 2011 survey elucidates various aspects of benchmarking. This survey offers information that can be used by other organizations for comparison. Factors for comparison outlined in this survey include time spent in indirect care, issues that affect bedside nurse, recommendations on how to increase time spent on patients bedsides, job satisfaction among nurses, and ways to improve job satisfaction. Jackson Health Care has implemented strategies to improve these areas between 2009 and 2011and hence offers a credible basis for comparison. This article informed my understanding of benchmarking in that inequalities in relation to performance gaps are prevalent in healthcare and identifying these variances can help align processes in low performing institutions with those in organizations that perform highly. Subsequently, this article informed my understanding in that benchmarking can either be internal or external. External benchmarking is what is denoted as comparing the processes of an institution with another. Benchmarking involves the creation of specific objectives that ought to be achieved in a healthcare organization to achieve high levels of performance. In my organization, benchmarking can be used to assess the existing strategies under implementation and as mentioned earlier, compare them with those in other similar organizations. During this process, financial data relating to other organizations are collected and analyzed. It is only through this process that what needs to be done to improve performance in terms of finances can be identified and achieved in my organization. As Baker and Baker (2014) points out, "Benchmarking is used for opportunity assessment" (p. 220). In other words, benchmarking can help my organization to identify opportunities and

International Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Marketing - Assignment Example However, one glaring difference has to do with the issue of search for competitive advantage. Cameron et al, (2009, p. 6) actually notes that such competitive advantages have become necessary because of â€Å"the current economic instability, volatile prices, fluctuating exchange rates and the keen competition for customers.† It would be noted that existing multinational who have been in the system for long depend largely on their brand names as their competitive advantage. By brand names, reference is being to the fact that the companies have a thought that they will automatically appeal to customers because of their long existence. This often brings about complacency on the need to look for new and challenging competitive advantages. However, new global challengers take inspiration from the fact that they are not well known to look for new and attractive competitive advantages that includes the need for modernity and low cost of products and services. Because the world is ge nerally battling a global economic meltdown, such new competitive advantages tend to attract more focus than those used by existing companies. a) Some of the new global challengers seek organic growth while others internationalize through acquisitions. What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with each strategy? (6%) The major advantage associated organic growth is that it is less costly and makes room for sustainable growth. It is therefore not surprising that Cameron et al, (2009, p. 11) captured in their report that of the many new challenger companies they sampled, â€Å"only 1.4 average deals per company† was recorded within that whole time frame. What this means is that as new companies, organic growth gives companies a lot of opportunity to study a specific market and become well acquainted with that market and so put in place strategies and plans that suit those markets only. The disadvantage however is that international exposure becomes limited and so th e likelihood of building an international brand becomes hindered. With acquisition, the fact that it is expensive to start is the major disadvantage. It however creates the opportunity for businesses to record outright growth and expansion without the need to start from the scratch. What is more, once an acquisition is made, there is the tendency that existing customers of the acquired company will become the automatic customers of the acquiring company. a) Consider all strategies the new challengers appear to use. Are there other strategies available to them? Will these strategies ensure sustained growth? (6%) On the surface of it, one may think that is should be more costly doing business in rapid developing economies than in low-growth economies. However, the reverse is rather true. Based on this, challenger firms have a strategy whereby they focus their attention on rapidly developing economies as their start-up points. By this, they are privileged to a number of business climat e advantages such as tax exemptions and access to credit; which are unfortunately

The Process of Benchmarking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Process of Benchmarking - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to examine how the process of benchmarking is important in financial decision making. An online quantitative research study of Jackson Health Care title Nurses downtime 2011 survey elucidates various aspects of benchmarking. This survey offers information that can be used by other organizations for comparison. Factors for comparison outlined in this survey include time spent in indirect care, issues that affect bedside nurse, recommendations on how to increase time spent on patients bedsides, job satisfaction among nurses, and ways to improve job satisfaction. Jackson Health Care has implemented strategies to improve these areas between 2009 and 2011and hence offers a credible basis for comparison. This article informed my understanding of benchmarking in that inequalities in relation to performance gaps are prevalent in healthcare and identifying these variances can help align processes in low performing institutions with those in organizations that perform highly. Subsequently, this article informed my understanding in that benchmarking can either be internal or external. External benchmarking is what is denoted as comparing the processes of an institution with another. Benchmarking involves the creation of specific objectives that ought to be achieved in a healthcare organization to achieve high levels of performance. In my organization, benchmarking can be used to assess the existing strategies under implementation and as mentioned earlier, compare them with those in other similar organizations. During this process, financial data relating to other organizations are collected and analyzed. It is only through this process that what needs to be done to improve performance in terms of finances can be identified and achieved in my organization. As Baker and Baker (2014) points out, "Benchmarking is used for opportunity assessment" (p. 220). In other words, benchmarking can help my organization to identify opportunities and

Moslem Converts and Born Moslems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Moslem Converts and Born Moslems - Essay Example Islam, like the other monotheistic religions, was born in the Arab Middle East but unlike Christianity or Judaism, is regarded as an alien and obscure faith. The reason for the stated difference lies in that while both Christianity and Judaism were Westernized and, in more instances than not, informed and shaped Western culture, Islam, with some exceptions, remained fixed in the Middle East. Added to that, Islam was surprisingly resistant to trans-cultural transferences. For centuries, Islam, largely represented by Egypt's Al Azhar, maintained that the religion was fixed in language, culture and tradition, with the implication being that people came to Islam and Islam did not go to them. Hence, translations of the Quran were deemed misrepresentative of the faith because much was lost n translation and it was, consequently, expected that people learn Arabic as a prerequisite to their learning the faith itself, let alone embracing it. It was only upon the relaxation of the aforemention ed strictures that understanding Islam became somewhat easier, although not easy. The West, however, has only recently met Islam and the circumstance of the meeting were fiery, to say the least. The September 11th terrorist attacks only confirmed the Western perception of Islam as an incontrovertibly alien faith, a "Green Menace" and an "ancient" belief system (Esposito, 1994). Descriptors which inspire fear and suggest a persistent failure to modernize, to become part of the contemporary world (Esposito and Piscatori, 1993; Esposito, 1994). Indeed, the misunderstanding and stereotypes which surround Islam, largely instigated by the 2001, September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, have enabled the propagation and proliferation of Islamophobia. Paradoxically, however, even as Islamophobia grows, so does the number of converts to Islam, not only in the United States but across Europe. Converts to Islam and the attitudes of these converts to the religion they have embraced, is an interesting topic of exploration, because converts to Islam differ in significant ways from those who were born into this faith. While the belief system, as in the five pillars, rituals and principles have remained the same, Western converts have, largely as an outcome of the manner of induction on the one hand, and the reasons for conversion, on the other, have adopted a paradoxically usouli (traditionalist) and modernizing interpretation and conceptualization of Islam. This argument is supported by both the literature on the topic and the results of a limited survey which I carried out on 5 born Moslems and 5 moslem converts Terrorism Westerners who embrace Islam are largely regarded as having betrayed their cultural heritage, their traditions and their national ethos. Such perceptions are expressive of popular condemnation of converts and the very prominent and real fear that converts have adopted, or have rendered themselves vulnerable to the later adoption of, a militaristic, antagonistic and destructive interpretation of Islam. Objectively speaking, a minority does but the majority does not, with the difference largely determined by the reasons for c

INTERNATIONALISATION STRATEGY OF THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

INTERNATIONALISATION STRATEGY OF THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY The concepts, models and ideas related to internationalisation has been provided by, who provided a comprehensive study that, discussed several theories in detail related to issues of internationalisation. These interests in the internationalisation strategies and processes of firms have arisen to the development of models used to illustrate how firms internationalise. Mintzberg, 1987 stipulated that strategy making is about changing perspectives and positions which involves international operations across borders (Welch and Luostarinen, 1988) encompassing changed perspectives and changed positions. Lyles (1990) also argued that the internationalisation theme concerning global competition has been viewed as the coming decades most important area of strategic management research. Therefore, this concept or idea of internationalisation is defined below to give a clear and vivid understanding as to what researchers in the past have been able to develop. DEFINITION OF INTERNATIONALISATION Cavusgil (1980) describes Internationalisation as the process through which firms adopt international business activities or the process by which firms gradually increase their international involvement (Johanson and Vahnlne 1977 p.23). According to Cavusgil (1980, pp. 273-8), it is a gradual process taking place in incremental stages, and over a relatively long period of time as a result of greater uncertainty, higher costs of information and the lack of experiential knowledge in foreign marketing activities . In other words, it involves the process of increased involvement in international operations which involve the inward and outward processes linked with the dynamics of international trade. While some researchers have attempted to give clarity concerning trade flows (i.e. inter industry and intra industry trade) on a country level, others have given explanations as to the processes of internationalisation on an industry or firm level. For the purpose of this research however, the main focus would be on internationalisation processes on the industry level (i.e. the automobile industry). Certain factors, internal and external have played major roles to these processes and in understanding those processes, initial studies of internationalisation is explained below in detail. The FDI theory and the establishment of chain or stage models of internationalisation are research areas identified by Johanson and Vahlne (1990) in the understanding and concepts of internationalisation. THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF INTERNATIONALISATION To understand the concepts of internationalisation, Johanson and Vahlne (1990) identified three general research areas. They include; the establishment chain or stage models of internationalisation, FDI (I.e. Foreign Direct Investment) theory, and the network perspective. FDI THEORY According to Ruigrok and Wagner (2003), FDI theories which are economics driven and hence focused on the factors located in the firms external environment gives an explanation as to why multinational companies exist. For example, Hymer (1970) theory of market imperfections and Buckley (1982, 1988); Buckley and Casson (1976, 1985) theory on internalisation have led to the concerns extending direct operations of firms and bringing collective ownerships and control of activities conducted by intermediate markets with links of firms and consumers. They argue that firms would expand their internal market so that transactions are carried out at a lower cost within the firm. In contrast to these views, Dunning (1980) and Fayerweather (1982) argue that the propensity of a firm to initiate foreign production would depend on the specific attractions of its home country such as internalisation gains, ownership specific advantages and location specific advantages, compared with resour ce implications of locating in another country. THE ESTABLISHMENT CHAIN OR STAGE MODELS OF INTERNATIONALISATION The establishment chain theory is also known as the stage model of internationalisation. It has been questioned by authors who have associated the Uppsala model with earlier works of Johanson Wiederheim-Paul (1975) stating that these studies only concentrate on the exporting and non-exporting factor, identifying a number of firms that have been active in international markets shortly after they have been established. (Moen Servais 2002). However, Zannder Zander 1997 challenged that notion by stating that firms follow a number of alternative routes to foreign markets. The establishment chain theory generally concerns the idea of incremental development in foreign markets as well as uni-linear sequences of servicing modes and how they should be de-emphasised in favour of irregular and reduced routes where different patterns of change is common (Turnbull and Ellwood, 1986; Zander 1997). Mahoney (2000) contends that irregular processes are explained by the fact that a particular internationalisation process is embedded in a network of other internationalisation processes. They go on to further explain that at points where different processes collide, discontinuities may arise, i.e. a particular internationalisation process may break by taking a path that does not bear the imprint of the initial choice. In other words, they suggested that a particular internationalisation process is not an autonomous sequence of servicing modes, but instead, it is subject to the effect of other sequences of servicing modes. THE NETWORK PERSPECTIVE According to this perspective, firms internationalise because other firms in their national network internationalise. The industrial system is made up of firms engaged in production, distribution and the use of goods and services. The relationship between firms is described as a network. Firms within the network rely on each other and their activities therefore need to be co-ordinated. These networks are stable and changing but the transactions take place within the framework of these established relationships. However, Johanson Mattson 1988; Thorelli 1990; Ghauri 1992 argue that some new relationships are developed and some old ones are disrupted because of competitive activities. Therefore, although there are competitive relationships in the network approach, interdependences are stressed. Firms develop and maintain relationships with other firms within the network which in most cases is of a cumulative nature as firms strive to establish prominent positions in their networks. The firm, at each point, has a position in the network which explains its relationship to other firms. A fundamental assumption however is the fact that a firm is solely dependent on its network while internationalising. A high degree of internationalisation would mean that there are strong relationships between different national networks which are thus considered as market investments. On the other hand, the firms which are highly internationalised would prefer to have a number of activities performed by subcontractors and can still have the desired control arising from these relationships The above mentioned are the most established theoretical concepts of internationalisation. The establishment chain theory has initiated a vast amount of research which has suggested that omissions in the stage pattern in any one foreign market may result from learning across the firm. In other words, learning from other foreign markets. MOTIVATIONS FOR INTERNATIONALISATION Empirical studies done by Kogut Chang, (1991); Pugel, (1985); and McClain (1983); have found a positive correlation between outward investment activities and intangible assets measured as RD and advertising intensities. Foreign direct investment according to Kindleberger (1969) has been treated as a kind of international capital movement subject to interest rate differentials accompanied by differing degrees of control. Hymer (1960) argued that a monopolistic advantage encouraged firms to invest overseas. Caves (1971) interpreted it by identifying the sources of monopoly power with rent-yielding intangible assets such as technology and marking skills- the knowledge base of a firm. Furthermore, another important stream of research on foreign direct investment done by Buckley Casson, (1976); Hennart, (1982) and Rugman (1981) concerned multinational enterprises minimising transaction costs not only by internalizing technology or marketing know-how but also by internalising the sourcing of raw materials and intermediate goods (Hennart, 1982). For example, Hennart and Park (1994) showed that the larger a Japanese firms RD expenditures, the greater it is to most likely manufacture in the United States. From the transaction mode perspective, Hennart (1991) and Hennart and Park (1993) examined the mode of Japanese entries into the United States and found that the higher the RD expenditures, the more likely it is to enter via Greenfield operations rather than acquisition. However, they highlighted that RD expenditures were not related to decisions concerning the choice of a joint venture or a wholly owned subsidiary structure. While the monopolistic advantage theory and the transaction cost theory have explained the motivations for foreign direct investment to an extent; from different theoretical perspectives, the key motivations for this strategy identified by previous scholars are identified below. KEY MOTIVATIONS FOR INTERNATIONALISATION Resource seeking, market seeking, strategic asset-seeking and efficiency seeking according to the World investment report (WIR 1998) and Dunning 1993 are the key motivations for extending production activities across national boundaries. Market Seekers- This motive for internationalisation focuses on how decision makers in an organisation acknowledge the importance of accessing specific target markets abroad. In other words, it focuses on demand aspects and the belief that an international direct presence is essential for this access that would focus on market seeking motives. Dunning (1993) argued that there are several other reasons why companies take such actions. He stipulates that firms carry out investments on foreign markets in order to exploit new markets and to take advantage of market share indicating that the Company would generate profit. Furthermore, foreign governments encourage investments from companies in other countries by providing incentives such as subsidized labour; trade barriers also play a major role for companies to invest in these countries. According to Harris Wheeler 2005, much of government export promotion policies centre on encouraging organisations to internationalise using business education and training. In essence, this fosters direct trade links in other countries and financial incentives. Strategic resource seeking- These are intangible resources that deal with the technology and core competence of the firm; for example, patents, knowledge, skills of the employees and strategic supplies necessary for competitive advantage. The main motive is to sustain and strengthen the competitive position or to weaken that of their competitors (Dunning 1993) Efficiency seekers- Dunning (1993) established that the purpose of efficiency seeking is to rationalize structures of established investments in order to gain from common governance. He argued that those benefits came from economies of scale and scope as well as risk diversification. In other words, efficiency seeking serves as an advantage because firms gain from factor endowments (value-adding activities that are labour or resource intensive), cultures, institutional arrangements, and economic systems which in most cases imply the concentration of production in limited number of places. Firms that seek efficiency are often experienced, large and diversified multinational enterprises. On the other hand, Root (1987) noted that manufacturing and service internationalise for the following reasons: Stagnation of home market and a faster growing foreign market The need to follow domestic customers who have gone international Firms in oligopolistic industries go abroad to match the international market entry of domestic rivals (also known as the bandwagon effect) or counter foreign firms penetrating domestic markets. Search for greater sales volumes in order to reduce the unit cost of manufacturing overheads, thus strengthening competitiveness at home and abroad. He finally concludes by stating that the fundamental or strategic motives for internationalising or entering foreign markets becomes apparent only after it first tentative venture in that direction is made THEORIES OF INTERNATIONALISATION The theories mentioned above are early theories on international trade and investments written by classical economists whose main concern was on the political economy of a nation (Tayeb 2000). Recently, the internationalisation processes has been explained with the use of simplified models and frameworks to analyse internationalisation processes. They include; The Uppsala model, The OLI framework, and the Product life cycle. These theories focus on firms that are heavily involved with exporting and international trade and are therefore relevant for this research. UPPSALA MODEL Johanson and Vahlne 1977, 1990 argue that the central issues on the Uppsala model are concerned with knowledge acquisition, how organisations learn and how their learning affects their investment behaviours. According to Cyert March 1963; Johanson Wiedersheim-Paul 1975, a firm undergoes expansion starting from psychically closer countries in a sequential process in order to avoid uncertainty and minimise risks. The interplay between knowledge of and commitment to a particular foreign market (Johanson Vahlne, 1977) comes as a result of the internationalisation pattern of the firm. Secondly, internationalisation processes are often slow and gradual (Johanson Vahlne 1977, 1990) which usually comes as a result of the incremental expansion of a firms absorptive capacity (Cohen Levinthal, 1990) Examining theoretical assumptions and implications across various spatial and temporal contexts has sparked off a number of empirical studies since the Uppsala model was introduced (Andersen 1993, 1997; Casson, 1994; Forsgren, 2001; Hedlund Kverneland, 1985; Sullivan Bauerschmidt, 1990). Luis and Sergios (2004) article paid particular attention to an interesting argument on the notion that the Uppsala model pays little attention to the internationalisation processes of multinational corporations (MNCs); a point which was acknowledged by the originators of the model (Johanson Vahlne, 1990). Secondly, decisions and implementation concerning foreign investments are made incrementally as a result of market uncertainty. This can be seen as a management learning process whereby learning through doing is the basic logic (Lindblom 1959, Quinn 1980, Johnson 1988). Therefore, as a result, the more a firm knows about the market, the lower the perceived market risk would be and the higher the level of foreign investment in that market. According to Johanson and Vahlne 1977, p. 34, the firm postpones the each successive step into a certain market until the perceived risk associated with the new investment is lower than the maximum tolerable risk. In other words, the perceived risk is the main function of the level of market knowledge acquired through owned operations. OLI FRAMEWORK The OLI framework provided by Dunning (1988) is also known as the Eclectic Paradigm. The model asserts that at any given moment in time, production financed by FDI and undertaken by MNEs would be determined by the configuration of three sets of forces. The competitive advantages which firms of one country posses over another in supplying any particular market may arise due to either the firms privileged ownership of, or access to, a set of incoming generating assets or from their ability to co-ordinate these assets with other assets across national boundaries in a way that benefits them relative to their competitors, or potential competitors. The extent to which firms perceive it to be in their best interest to internationalise the markets for the generation and the use of these assets; and by so doing, add value to them The extent to which firms choose to locate these value adding activities outside their national boundaries. The eclectic paradigm asserts that the significance of the advantages listed above and the configuration between them is most likely to be context specific; and is likely to vary across industries and geographical dimension among firms. For example, while the relationship to the comparative location advantages of the Chinese and Japanese manufacturing base for motor vehicles may be differently regarded by (say) Toyota than (say) the Honda Corporation. Furthermore, Arvidsson (1997) emphasizes that; it is favourable to internalize the function which may occur due to high transaction costs in the market for this specific function, instead of selling to local firms through a market. PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MODEL According to this theory, a product goes through several stages of development with the first stage being the innovation stage. When the product is newly invented, it attracts high income groups as customers because its demand grows more rapidly in more developed countries where this target group is mostly present. At this stage, the production also starts in other advanced countries, sometimes in a subsidiary of the inventing country. If at this stage, the cost benefits of producing in the second or third country are large enough to offset transportation cost, then the foreign producer may export back to its home country. With the benefits of these operations, a number of firms start producing and exporting the product. The companies imitate the original innovating company and would often even produce in the same geographic locations. The second stage is the introduction of the product to the domestic market. The third stage is the export of the product while the final stage is the maturity stage. As the product becomes standardised at this phase, it is imitated and is even produced overseas by foreign markets. **insert brief intro THEORETICAL CONCEPTS FOR ENTRY MODES BY MNEs From the points listed above, the choice of entry mode is an important part of a firm or industrys decision to internationalise and it would depend on factors associated with the companys business interest. Chang and Rosenzweig 2001 laid emphasis on the fact that firms are not only concerned with what foreign to enter, and on what activities they perform in those markets, but also on how to enter i.e. whether by Greenfield investment, by acquisition or by joint venture. This is because choosing a mode of entry can have enormous strategic consequences for the firm. Research on the performance outcomes of foreign market entry strategies has been primarily considered from the perspective of multinational corporations (Ghosal 1987; Burgers 1989). The internationalisation trend for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has prompted increased research interest in explaining the factors that contribute to success, but sufficient theoretical framework is lacking (Lu Beamish 2001) which is why the main focus of this research would be on Multinational Enterprises. Entry modes have diverse implications depending on the degree of control the firm can exercise over foreign operations (Anderson Gatignon 1986; Caves 1982; Root 1987), the resources it must commit to the foreign market (Hill et al 1990; Venon 1983); the risks it must bear to enter that market (Hill et al 1990; Hill Kim 1988); and the share of economic rents the firm can generate and keep for itself (Anderson Gatignon 1986; Buckley Casson 1996). For these reasons, the entry modes used to penetrate foreign market can have a profound impact on the success of international operations, even among large multinational corporations (Hill et al 1990; Root 1987). An excellent lens through which the benefits of relative costs are examined is provided by the transaction cost theory (Wiliamson 1975; 1985); and more importantly, for understanding how those costs and benefits vary based on the type of knowledge that is transferred between partners. This theory is also called the internalisation theory within the international business literature (Rugman 1981) and has been used to examine the entry mode choices of multinational firms (Denkamp 1995) on an extensive scale. It has also been advocated as a means of understanding the entry of entrepreneurial firms into foreign markets. However, the use of large samples of international new ventures has not been tested empirically. Furthermore, the collaboration with local partners benefit multinational firms by providing knowledge and access that might otherwise be unobtainable or extremely costly to obtain experientially via internalisation or repeated arms-length market transactions (Kogut 1988). Specifically, local partners provide knowledge about local economies, politics, business customs, demands and tastes and other factors required to conduct business in their countries. Knowledge gained this way is particularly beneficial to high-technology firms because the geographic scope with which technology can be exploited is normally much wider that a firms marketing expertise (Buckley Casson 1996), especially among international new ventures (Coviello Munro 1992) Hence, if the entry mode decision is considered such an important strategic decision and the success of MNEs under globalisation depends on the formulation and implementation of strategy (Knight 2000 p. 13), then the strategic decisions on whether MNEs follow similar patterns as their large counterparts; and whether the strategic decision processes that influence success for larger companies should be examined. ENTRY MODE CHOICES Foreign market entry mode according to Calof (1993) is defined as institutional arrangements that allow firms to use their product or service in a country or an institutional arrangement that makes possible the entry of a companys products, technology, human skills, management, or other resources into a foreign country (Root 1987 p.5). Firms enter foreign markets in different ways. From a management perspective, firms entering new foreign markets choose from a variety of different forms of entry, ranging from: Exporting (directly or through independent channels). Licensing and franchising. Foreign direct investment (FDI) i.e. joint ventures, acquisitions, mergers. Wholly owned new ventures. Calvet (1984); Caves 1982; and Root (1987) suggested that each of these entry modes is consistent with a different level of control. Control according to them means authority over operational and strategic decision making. Resource commitment means dedicated assets that cannot be redeployed to alternative uses without loss of value. A review of the literature of manufacturing firms by Hill et al (1990) suggests that while wholly owned subsidiaries can be characterised by a relatively high level of control and resource commitments, the opposite can be said of licensing agreements. With respect to joint ventures, although the levels of control and resource commitments vary with the nature of the ownership split between the manufacturing firms, their extent can nevertheless be said to lie between that of wholly owned subsidiaries and licensing agreements From an economists perspective however, a company can enter a foreign market through exporting its product or transfer its resources in technology, capital, human skills, and enterprise to the foreign country, where they may be sold directly to customers or combined with local resources in the manufacturing process for sale to the local market. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHOICE OF ENTRY MODE. In order to expand the existing entry mode analysis beyond the narrow confines of each entry decision listed above in isolation; this research would also consider the extent of global concentration, global synergies and global strategic motivations exercised by manufacturing firms. This broader concept gives an opportunity to expressly consider and understand the strategic relationship a multinational firm envisages within the manufacturing industry on its operations across borders in reaching its entry mode decision. The diagram below shows three groups of variables that are believed to influence entry mode decision. These variables are the global strategic variables which have already been highlighted as well as the already well established environmental variable (host country risk, location unfamiliarity, demand uncertainty, and competition intensity) and transaction-specific variables (i.e. the value of firm-specific-know-how and tacit nature of know-how) Firm specific know-how is knowledge that is proprietary to a given firm. Tacit know-how involves non-codifiable knowledge not embodied in physical items such as capital, goods, equipment, and blueprints. While it is believed that this is collective, simultaneous considerations of all three groups of factors that determine the ultimate entry mode decision, it is also argued that environmental and transaction specific factors and global strategic Source: Kim Hwang 1992 Global concentration on the other hand, involves multinational corporations (MNCs) increasingly finding themselves in industries that are characterised by a limited number of players who confront each other in many different national markets around the globe; i.e. the global industry has become highly concentrated. In such industries, conditions of oligopolistic interdependence spill over national creating a high level of competitive interdependence among players. When global competitive interdependence exists, the actions taken by an MNC in the manufacturing industry would often have repercussions in other national markets (Watson 1982; Kim Mauborgne 1988). Competitive interdependence implies that organisations can influence one another not only directly, but also indirectly in any of the diverse national markets in which they compete. INTERNATIONALISATION AND THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. The automobile industry has played a significant role in the advancement of industrialisation in many countries in this century. Automakers have internationalised their operations for a number of reasons that have led way for moving production abroad. Its significance arises from the fact that the industry has been a major pioneer in inventing cutting edge innovations that has changed the organisation process of manufacturing. As a result, it has dramatically increased labour productivity and industrial development to varying degrees that has transformed the manufacturing industry as a whole. There is a mounting interest in the internationalisation of Research and development (RD) activities by multinational firms. The two motives for this are the exploitation of the firms technology abroad through adaptation of technologies and local circumstances and the creation of technologies through access to overseas technology and know-how. Recent work has suggested an increasing importance of foreign RD associated with a growing role of global technology creation. Evidence provided by Kuemmerle, 1997 and Gerybadze and Reger 1999 has shown that more RD sites are assigned the role of creators of basic technologies and developers of completely new products for world markets. Foreign direct investment plays a major role in the internationalisation of RD, and MNEs are the main actors (OECD 2008). According to UNCTAD 2005, more than 95% of the 700 firms with the largest RD expenditure are MNEs; they account for close to half of the worlds total RD expenditure and more than two-thirds of the worlds business RD. An analysis of the top spenders reveals that over 80% come from Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Only 1% is from emerging countries but their importance is growing especially the MNEs from China, Korea, Brazil, South Africa and Chinese Taipei. In 2004, expenditure on RD by top MNEs grew much more in the rest of the world (+17%) than the Triad (+4%); (UNCTAD 2005; European Commission 2005) Based on the above, it is important to highlight and note the relative contribution that the theories of internationalisation play to manufacturing firms. In essence, the OLI framework, Uppsala model of internationalisation and the network perspective previously mentioned would be applied to the internationalisation of manufacturing firms so as to give a better understanding of the theoretical frameworks. OLI FRAMEWORK AND THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS According to the eclectic theory, all three OLI factors (i.e. Ownership, location and internalisation) play a significant role to the entry mode decision and strategy of manufacturing firms. Dunning (1980, 1988) laid emphasis on the fact that the ownership advantages of a firm will dictate the internalisation advantages and that location advantages would depend on the combination of the two former advantages. Moreover, following the OLI framework, Ekeledo and Sivakumar (1998) suggests that of the three factors, location advantages is the most important factor applicable to the internationalisation of manufacturing firms. This is because location is almost defined as where they choose to start up their international activity abroad which is the whole essence of their motive to investment. This distinction is likely made on the basis of their comparison of manufacturing and service firms as some services such as restaurants are non-separable from their location. It is most likely that for service firms, the internalisation factor would be the most important (Arvidsson, 1992a). UPPSALA MODEL AND THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS Psychic distance is an issue addressed Johanson and Vahlne (1977) in explaining the fundamentals of firms facing internationalisation. According to them, this includes factors such as language barriers, culture as well as differences in consumer taste and preferences in values behaviours and attitudes. Based on the experiences of Swedish manufacturing firms, Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) highlighted four stages of the internationalisation process starting with exporting through independent representatives to a final phase of overseas production. The Uppsala internationalisation model assumes the process is made up of stages too and that manufacturing firms begin with less risky ventures in physically close markets and gradually increase it commitment and it geographical reach through a process of experiential learning. Valne (1995) suggested that MNEs engaged in manufacturing are influenced by their internal resources in terms of their business territory. That is, social networking and entrepreneurial quality may influence a firms ability to identify and acquire external resources, as well as its ability to utilize such resources for its operations and marketing mix. However, Andersen (1993) suggested that the Uppsala model of internationalisation which is based on empirical findings from manufacturing firms is more general and is further developed that other process models. He argues that the model applies both to small and large manufacturing firms and that time and space play a lesser role, giving the model higher generalisability that other process models. NETWORK PERSPECTIVE AND THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS Most manufacturing firms are initially engaged in primary domestic networks. As ar

Circadian Rhythms :: Environmental Cues, Scientific Research

Circadian rhythms are endogenous and self sustaining in all animals and plants. These rhythms are present in the absence of environment clues such as light, temperature and social clues. In absence of clues, animals free run in constant darkness due to programmed genetic interactions. Some of the genes involve in this processes are Per, Clock and Cry. The expressions of these genes are tightly regulated at molecular level by proteins which bind to promoters and repressors to create a rhythm throughout the day. For example, bmal and clock bind to ebox region to produce cry and mper proteins (Hong and Chong, 2007). These proteins are concentration dependant which means high level binds to repressor region to avoid further transcription. Such oscillations work on close to 24 hour cycle in animals and plants. These processes occur without any environmental clues. In case the environment clues are introduced to animals, they tend to synchronize internal clock with external signals. One such example of synchronization is shown in dorsophilia which increase Tim protein at night and the presence of external light decrease the production of Tim protein. This results into phase delay in dorsophilia (Leuloup and Goldbeter, 2001). The idea of phase advance and delay were first proposed by Aschoff and Pittendrigh (1960), but subsequent genetic studies have shown exact genes involved in phase delay and advance occurs due to over or under production of proteins as described in dorsophilia studies. Many knock out studies have shown that disruption of genes involve in circadian rhythm have created arrythmicity in animals. Low-Zeddies and Takahashi (2001), created clock mutants which were arrhythmic when exposed to dark condition. The period of clock mutants were greater when compared to wildtype mice. The mutant also showed higher phase-shifts hours and lower circadian amplitude. Although clock expression has been important to understand rhythm, the initial information from retinohypothalamic tract to core or ventro-lateral region of the SCN has been a prime focus of the recent studies. It is widely known that information from ventrolateral region of SCN communicates with other regions of the SCN. Buhr and Yoo (2010), show ventrolateral and dorsomedial neuronal connection exists and this connection has a role in circadian rythm. Their data shows that tetrodoxin can make SCN temperature incompensated due to inhibition of signal from core to shell regions. Similarly, vasoactive intestinal peptide and peptide histidine iso-leucine are expressed in SCN when light information travel from retinohypothalamic tract.

Dance with the Music :: essays research papers

When we think of gifts, we picture little boxes covered with shiny wrapping paper and a cute little ribbon on top. For my fifth birthday, my present didn’t exactly fit these â€Å"requirements†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sitting down in front of the piano every night, I can remember the time when one little girl’s dream came true. Immediately after I woke up on the day of my fifth birthday, my parents blind-folded me and led me to the dining room. Taking off the handkerchief, I stood in front of the most beautiful piano I had ever seen. In front of me was a brown, upright Wurlitzer, my very own piano. I immediately pulled out the chair from under the piano and opened the lid. I took a deep breath and played Jingle Bells, the only song I could memorize at the time. Gliding my fingers over the smooth piano keys, I couldn’t believe that this was actually happening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turning five, I was only interested in music. While other children would sit in front of their televisions and bug their eyes out watching Barney and Sesame Street, I became engrossed in watching tapes of ballets, concerts, and musicals. It was evident that I was a child who would grow to love music and its art; however no one could ever imagine that this interest would evolve into a significance that would change my childhood forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At around the same time, I realized that my cousin Caroline was my role model. She was a tall girl that would blow people away as soon as she stepped into a room; you could sense her magnificence from a mile away. Caroline was attracted to just about everything that I was, and excelled at all the things that she attempted, which included the art of piano. Once I learned that she was such a brilliant musician, I started to beg to learn how to play the piano. Most of my family members thought that this was just some childhood stage that I would quickly get over and drop.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mother brought me to my first keyboard teacher, Scott. He taught me about all the essentials including the notes, their values, and some simple songs. Although I learned nothing more then the basics, I was overjoyed, treating the uncomplicated steps as gold. Every week after lessons, I would rush to my parents, skipping with delight, eager to show them what I had learned.