Unemployment in UK auses and effects on economy Assignment

Unemployment in UK auses and effects on economy - Assignment Example Unemployment is one of the challenging and serious issues that usually effect a country's economic development in negative manner and the countries having high rate of unemployment often face sharp economic downturn. In this regard the paper presents an overview of the unemployment situation in the country and discusses the causes and effects of unemployment on the economic development of the country. Furthermore, the paper also describes some possible ways that can help the country in reducing the unemployment rate.This paper is intended to identify the main causes of unemployment in the United Kingdom.The history of unemployment in the UK tells that during Great Depression the rate of unemployment was very high in the country. It reached to the level of 25 percent but after that time, unemployment rate used to remain at low level and with the help of different policies and strategies the government of the UK succeeded to attain more or less full employment level until 1970s. Howeve r, after oil prices fluctuation in 1970s the unemployment rate was also badly affected and gradually it began to rise. The recent rise in the unemployment rate is highest during the last decade and the country is facing worst situation with respect to unemployment crisis in the country (Pettinger, p2, 2009). The following table shows the United Kingdom unemployment rate during last three years and it is clearly seen in the table that unemployment rate is continuously increasing in the country with each passing year. Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2009 3.80 2008 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.60 2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.10 3.30 3.60 2007 2.90 2.90 2.80 2.80 2.70 2.70 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.50 2.50 2006 2.80 2.90 2.90 2.90 2.90 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 2.90 2.90 The recent statistics also show that the unemployment is recorded at highest rate in last eight years. The rate of unemployment is rising at alarming pace due to which the year 2009 is also expected as a stagnant year for the economy of United Kingdom. (Monaghan, p1, 2008) The country while responding towards the global financial crisis is witnessing worst situation of unemployment and there is high level of concerns and worries at all level regarding the rise of unemployment rate. The following chart shows the current situation of unemployment in the country that is expected to rise even more. Causes of Unemployment in United Kingdom Unemployment is closely related with the economic development of a country. When economy faces recessions, the rate of unemployment also increases. Thus, the economic recession is the major cause behind the high rate of unemployment in the UK and it is expected that if the UK will face deep economic recession in 2009 then the unemployment will also reached the level of 3 million. (Pettinger, p2, 2009) Hence, the recent economic instability can be sought as one of the major causes of unemployment in the UK. Furthermore, the credit crunch is also viewed as an important cause of rise in the unemployment rate in the country. Due to market uncertainty it has become difficult for the investors to get loans and credits from the banks and financial institutions. The financial instruments in the UK economy are witnessing worst effects of global financial crisis due to which the credit and mortgage market is also going through a recession phase. The banks in the UK are now reluctant towards le nding loans, credits and mortgages to the people and business that led to reduction in the consumer spending. The investment level is also very low and many of the bid investment projects are delayed. This entire situation is responsible for reduction in productivity and demand for labor in the country.

Compare the opening of Zeffirelli Essay Example for Free

Compare the opening of Zeffirelli Essay Baz Luhrmann and Zeffirelli both interpret the play differently, as they both had different target audiences. Baz Luhrmann made a modern version to appeal to teenagers. He wanted to get them interested in Shakespeare, and create a different opinion of Shakespeare. Whereas, Zeffirelli aimed to capture a slightly wider audience. He aimed to recreate the time in which Shakespeare intended the play to be set. He would make the date apparent through set designs and costumes. Baz Luhrmanns version was more modern; for example he used guns instead of swords, in the fight scene, in order to attract and capture his audience. However he kept the original script, so he didnt detract from the actual play and create a completely different film. He used cars and petrol stations, as apposed to a town with market stalls. This helped to make the action faster and more upbeat. As Baz used guns instead of swords, the word sword was in scripted on the gun, to make it easier to understand, with the original text. On the other hand, Zeffirelli wanted to keep as close to the time of Shakespeare, as possible. He set it in a town centre, with market stalls around. Zeffirelli wanted to get across the clear division of the families. You were either a Montague or a Capulet, there was no in between, I think this shows how damaging and serious the violence was. When the bell was rung in the town, it displayed the clear involvement of the whole town,, it also shows the rivalry and hatred between the families, when they raced out with swords, when the brawl broke out. In Baz Luhrmanns version the prologue was repeated in different formats. In the first format of the prologue, there was a blank screen, at the beginning, which built up the suspense. Then a few seconds later, a television screen, with a news reporter, zooms in. The reporter is reporting the brawl as the latest piece of news. There is s an image of a broken ring, which symbolises a relationship with a bad ending. The second format of the prologue is from a birds eye view, over the town. There is an image of a person lying dead on a mattress. This signifies the seriousness of the brawls and it shows that the families will go to any lengths to hurt the other family. Also there were images of fire, police and ambulances. This gives the impression of a corrupt society with no order. There is a large image of two buildings, with the names Montague and Capulet, clearly on the top of them. In the middle of the two buildings there is a statue of Jesus, this image signifies the direct competition between the two families. I think it also represents judgment and that at heart; both families want the same things. The last format of the prologue, text was flying across the screen. It was flashy and bold, which made it eye catching and easy to read. There was then sill close ups of the main characters, with their character name beside it. This made it easy to follow and clear who was who. Baz Luhrmann used bright colours for costumes and lively, fast, exciting music, which helped get the audiences attention. Whereas Baz Luhrmann has used loud, fast music, Zeffirelli has used the complete opposite. In Zeffirellis prologue he has used calm, peaceful music and he has used woodwind instruments, to create renaissance- style music. There is a voice over speaking the prologue. Like Baz Luhrmann, Zeffirelli has used bright colours. There is an opening image of the market, which sets the scene. It gives the impression of a town caught up in and gripped by hatred and rivalry. There is an angle shot of a Capulets legs and their costumes, this straight away emphasises the period. In Baz Luhrmanns fight scene, there is a sign, in the petrol garage saying Add more fuel to your fire, this has a double meaning. There is a close up of the heel grinding the cigarette, shows the rivalry and hatred. Also the close up of Tybalts eyes show the hatred he has and his anger, whilst at the same time displaying his pleasure in angering the Capulet family. This also creates suspense. The sound of gunshots and helicopters, indicate that someone has been hurt. Zeffirellis fight scene is set in the town centre. When an onlooker says Look at them, it gets the audience to focus on the rivalry, objectively, rather than being drawn in. the close ups of expressions, emphasise the hatred and disgust in each other. When they trip up an old man from the other family, it shows the cruelty of the brawls. Before Tybalt enters, there is no music, in order to show his importance. The close up of his eyes also shows his confidence. When the two sides are running into town from their different sides, it shows the clear divide of the two families. At the end of the brawl, when the prince enters, there is a low angle shot of him, to show his status. There is then a long shot of the big crowd to show the extent of the violence. In conclusion, they are both effective and successful in appealing to their target audiences. I think that Baz Luhrmann appealed to his teenage audience well, and I think he achieved his goal, as he made it fast and it was action packed. It was exciting and upbeat, in order to attract and grip his teenage audience. I think it gets teenagers to rethink their impressions about Shakespeare and start to understand more about his plays. However I think it differs from what Shakespeare intended and possibly relates a different message about Shakespeare (which may be a good thing however, it makes him seem like something he is not and Baz Luhrmann cant make a new and more exciting version of all Shakespeares plays! ) I think Zeffireli was very successful in recreating the period of Shakespeare, and he portrayed the divide within the town very well. However I think that maybe Zeffirellis version was a little too laid back and soft, as I think that Shakespeare would have intended a little more violence and a stronger sense of hatred between the two families, also I think Zeffirelli didnt really show the competition and enjoyment that the young rivals got from winding each other up and starting brawls, too well. However, I do think that both Baz Luhrmann and Zeffireli were successful in capturing the target audience, in the first scenes, and directing their adaptations of Romeo and Juliet.

Epicureans: A Debate Essays -- Philosophy, Rosenbaum, Luper

My topic focuses on Rosenbaum’s defense of the epicurean view, Luper’s critique of this view and my argument on who has a stronger position in regards to the topic. I am going to do this by describing both arguments in a detailed manner. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view while Luper argues against, both sides provide excellent arguments and my argument is that which I feel is more superior. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view throughout his essay. Epicurus â€Å"argued that since death is neither good or bad for the person dead and since the fear of that which is not bad for one is groundless, it is unreasonable to fear death† (Benatar, 175). A person when dead is lifeless and therefore cannot feel anything. This person is nonexistent and according to Rosenbaum because of this, the statement of whether death is good or bad does not apply to this situation. Since one cannot feel anything, one cannot experience a death situation and determine whether it is good or bad. Therefore it does not matter and there is no reason to fear death. According to Rosenbaum there are three different concepts, which must be understood. These are, dying, death and being dead. The first two are often not distinguished; Rosenbaum says they must be distinguished as they mean two completely different things. â€Å"Dying we may say is the process whereby one comes to dead or the process wherein certain causes operate to bring about one’s being dead† (Benatar, 176). This is essentially the last phase of one’s life. It is the prelude to death itself. It is the process, which leads to becoming dead. Rosenbaum goes on to explain, â€Å"the process of dying may be comfortable or uncomfortable† (Benatar, 176). The process leading to eventua... ...uper’s argument he is missing the point of Epicurus’s argument, which Rosenbaum has further explained. Of the two arguments Rosenbaum’s argument arguably has more points to back up the epicurean view than Luper’s. Luper’s is based on assumptions and we cannot live on assumptions. In my essay, I provided a detailed description of both Rosenbaum’s argument and Luper’s in an unbiased manner. I did this by highlighting the main points of both arguments and getting this main point across. Both sides of the arguments are presented and I contrast and compare deciding which one I feel is superior. In my argument, I present points, which I have, accurate counter points for, from each argument. In conclusion, Rosenbaum and Luper both present arguments both for and against the Epicurean view, this essay is mainly describing each one and choosing a side at the end.

In Search of a Methodological Foundation for Applied Ethics :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

In Search of a Methodological Foundation for Applied Ethics ABSTRACT: The problems that face contemporary applied ethics are indissolubly related to some characteristics of postmodern civil society. In this paper I will try to take a stand in the discussion between a proponent of a particularistic approach and one who favors a universalistic approach to the present difficulties that accompany human action. Karl-Otto Apel combines in his ethics of discourse a focus upon universal and normative structures of communication with a Kantian transcendental method of thought. Paul van Tongeren follows Aristotle and Nietzsche in arguing that the local and historically determined contingent traditions are the basis on which to approach our ethical questions. After giving a brief presentation of their respective contributions to the discussion, I shall end with some reflections on the difference between, and the merits and demerits of, a universalistic and a particularistic ethics. Until very recently in the history of mankind, most people lived in rather small communities. Their knowledge of and their influence on distant cultures was rather limited. With the rise of modern science, resulting in the present communication era, things changed considerably. Today, man's cultural evolution has reached a point where the local and the global dimensions of his actions are hard to distinguish. Another feature of our existence at the present 'fin de sià ¨cle' is the declining influence of the great narrative traditions. In our liberal democracies the new leading narrative is that of the free market, accompanied by the imperative of unlimited profit making and consumerism. The lack of a consensus on many basic social values which results from the declining influence of the 'great stories' of our traditions, generates a mentality of 'collective individualism' and value relativism. In this situation we face the danger of initiating a process in which the rather fashionable ideals of pluralism and tolerance turn out to be mere indifference. (1) The problems that face contemporary ethics are indissolubly related to these characteristic features of post-modern civil society. In this paper I will try to take a stand in the discussion between proponents of a particularist approach and those who favour a universalistic approach to the present difficulties that accompany human action. After giving a brief presentation of Karl-Otto Apel's and Paul van Tongeren's contribution to the discussion, I shall end with some reflections on the difference between, and the merits and demerits of, a universalistic and a particularistic ethics.

Eco Friendly Structures

Major elements of green building design which are: Sustainable Site Design Key Principles: Minimize urban sprawl and needless destruction of valuable land, habitat and green space, which results from inefficient low-density development. Encourage higher density urban development, urban re-development and urban renewal, and brownfield development as a mearns to preserve valuable green space. Preserve key environmental assets through careful examination of each site.Engage in a design and construction process that minimizes site disturbance and which values, preserves and actually restores or regenerates valuable habitat, green space and associated eco-systems that are vital to sustaining life. Water Quality and Conservation Key Principles: Preserve the existing natural water cycle and design site and building improvements such that they closely emulate the site’s natural â€Å"pre-development† hydrological systems. Emphasis should be placed on retention of storm water an d on-site infiltration and ground water recharge using methods that closely emulate natural systems.Minimize the unnecessary and inefficient use of potable water on the site while maximizing the recycling and reuse of water, including harvested rainwater, storm water, and gray water. Energy and Environment Key Principles: Minimize adverse impacts on the environment (air, water, land, natural resources) through optimized building siting, optimized building design, material selection, and aggressive use of energy conservation measures. Resulting building performance should exceed minimum International Energy Code (IEC) compliance level by 30 to 40% or more. Maximize the use of renewable energy and other low impact energy sources.Indoor Environmental Quality Key Principles: Provide a healthy, comfortable and productive indoor environment for building occupants and visitors. Provide a building design, which affords the best possible conditions in terms of indoor air quality, ventilation , thermal comfort, access to natural ventilation and daylighting, and effective control of the acoustical environment. Materials and Resources Key Principles: Minimize the use of non-renewable construction materials and other resources such as energy and water through efficient engineering, design, planning and construction and effective recycling of construction debris.Maximize the use of recycled content materials, modern resource efficient engineered materials, and resource efficient composite type structural systems wherever possible. Maximize the use of re-usable, renewable, sustainably managed, bio-based materials. Remember that human creativity and our abundant labor force is perhaps our most valuable renewable resource. The best solution is not necessarily the one that requires the least amount of physical work.

Free Essays on Infinitude And Emotional Recursion In Modernist Poetry

Oftentimes, authors use their writing as a means to express their ideas and theories on life. It can also be a means for them to define their existence or the world on a greater scale. Through reading many different modernist pieces, I have found an explanation of my own for existence or life. Upon reading these ideas in this paper, they may not seem to be so concrete as to define the ever present â€Å"why† that almost everyone in the world asks. Rather, it is a means to an end. The end may never be so easily defined and will certainly not be the same for every person. In the book Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, readers are introduced to many ideas on life, the world, religion, America and other topics in the poem called Song of Myself. More specifically readers see Whitman’s views of himself as he relates to these topics. Whitman tries to show that he is more that just the sum of his parts or just what may be perceived as his physical person. He is everything the world around him is, and the world around him is everything he is. Section twenty-four of Song of Myself is a good example of this particular idea. Whitman opens this section by writing â€Å"Walt Whitman, a kosmos, of Manhattan the son,† (Whitman 41). This statement of size and being shows that Whitman perceives himself to be a grand conglomeration of many elements just as a cosmos is many galaxies and stars. To be a cosmos would mean to contain everything in the perceivable universe. However, Whitman also states in the same line that he is a son of Manhattan, or a creation of the many elements within this city. Such a being would be made of the entirety of all the people in the city, including all of their emotions and perceptions, and still be part of the more encompassing universe. This idea that Whitman is made of all the world around him yet is still part of a smaller more finite world shows his idea of infinite existence and complementation. To be... Free Essays on Infinitude And Emotional Recursion In Modernist Poetry Free Essays on Infinitude And Emotional Recursion In Modernist Poetry Oftentimes, authors use their writing as a means to express their ideas and theories on life. It can also be a means for them to define their existence or the world on a greater scale. Through reading many different modernist pieces, I have found an explanation of my own for existence or life. Upon reading these ideas in this paper, they may not seem to be so concrete as to define the ever present â€Å"why† that almost everyone in the world asks. Rather, it is a means to an end. The end may never be so easily defined and will certainly not be the same for every person. In the book Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, readers are introduced to many ideas on life, the world, religion, America and other topics in the poem called Song of Myself. More specifically readers see Whitman’s views of himself as he relates to these topics. Whitman tries to show that he is more that just the sum of his parts or just what may be perceived as his physical person. He is everything the world around him is, and the world around him is everything he is. Section twenty-four of Song of Myself is a good example of this particular idea. Whitman opens this section by writing â€Å"Walt Whitman, a kosmos, of Manhattan the son,† (Whitman 41). This statement of size and being shows that Whitman perceives himself to be a grand conglomeration of many elements just as a cosmos is many galaxies and stars. To be a cosmos would mean to contain everything in the perceivable universe. However, Whitman also states in the same line that he is a son of Manhattan, or a creation of the many elements within this city. Such a being would be made of the entirety of all the people in the city, including all of their emotions and perceptions, and still be part of the more encompassing universe. This idea that Whitman is made of all the world around him yet is still part of a smaller more finite world shows his idea of infinite existence and complementation. To be...

Free Essays on Reality Vs Apperance

Appearance vs. Reality In the play "A Streetcar Named Desire," written by Tennessee Williams, there are many different themes. A main theme in this play is the contradiction between appearance and reality. Blanche Dubois hides from the truth and often escapes through illusions. At first, Blanche seems to be a high strung, but refined, woman who has come to New Orleans to pay her sister a visit. But as the play unfolds her past is revealed. She came to Elysian Fields seeking love and help, but she found hostility and rejection. Blanche has been scarred by her husband's suicide and by the lost of her home. She rejects reality in favor of illusion because reality has harmed her so many times before. Too much truthfullness destroyed her marriage and death has taken her ancestorial house. Her last resort was dreams therefore she says what should be true but in reality isn't. She realizes that she is no longer attractive to men. She flirts in very dimly lit places because she is afraid of what men might think of her if they see the real her. She believes that deception is half of a ladys charm. Stanley, her brother-in-law is set out to destroy her. He finds her a threat to his relationship with Stella. Soon enough Blache and Mitch start to talk. He is the first person to be attracted to her since she has arrived in New Orleans. Mitch sees a refined charming and intelliegent women. She never tells him the truth about her. Mitch talks of marriage around her and she get delighted that a man has thought of marrying her. She then reveals the truth of her husband. Blanch can't erase from her mind the image of his bloody corpse or the sound of his fatal gunshot. "...the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since then has there been any light that's stonger thnan thiskitchencandle."(pg 96)! She exposes the fact that she wants to have someone and wants to be marri... Free Essays on Reality Vs Apperance Free Essays on Reality Vs Apperance Appearance vs. Reality In the play "A Streetcar Named Desire," written by Tennessee Williams, there are many different themes. A main theme in this play is the contradiction between appearance and reality. Blanche Dubois hides from the truth and often escapes through illusions. At first, Blanche seems to be a high strung, but refined, woman who has come to New Orleans to pay her sister a visit. But as the play unfolds her past is revealed. She came to Elysian Fields seeking love and help, but she found hostility and rejection. Blanche has been scarred by her husband's suicide and by the lost of her home. She rejects reality in favor of illusion because reality has harmed her so many times before. Too much truthfullness destroyed her marriage and death has taken her ancestorial house. Her last resort was dreams therefore she says what should be true but in reality isn't. She realizes that she is no longer attractive to men. She flirts in very dimly lit places because she is afraid of what men might think of her if they see the real her. She believes that deception is half of a ladys charm. Stanley, her brother-in-law is set out to destroy her. He finds her a threat to his relationship with Stella. Soon enough Blache and Mitch start to talk. He is the first person to be attracted to her since she has arrived in New Orleans. Mitch sees a refined charming and intelliegent women. She never tells him the truth about her. Mitch talks of marriage around her and she get delighted that a man has thought of marrying her. She then reveals the truth of her husband. Blanch can't erase from her mind the image of his bloody corpse or the sound of his fatal gunshot. "...the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since then has there been any light that's stonger thnan thiskitchencandle."(pg 96)! She exposes the fact that she wants to have someone and wants to be marri...

Stylistics and grammar Essays

Stylistics and grammar Essays Stylistics and grammar Essay Stylistics and grammar Essay Even though you may be a great writer, sometimes you may not get the right marks and grades because you may be poor in grammar, typographical and stylistic writing. Unfortunately, all these count when marking of essays and term papers commence. To ensure you have the best of stylistics and grammar, you can as well write your own papers and then order for editing and proofreading services. When this happens, you are sure that the paper has all the ideas you wanted incorporated in the paper and now you have acquired the best grammar, good spelling and styles in the paper. Custom essay writers have all the skills in writing paper s of all styles and, therefore, it would be hard to loose marks written by the professionals loosing marks because of that. In fact, you do not need to worry about anything since the writers are professionals. All you need to have the best papers online is to select a topic and order an essay online, and when payments are done, you get your unique paper which is plagiarism free and tailored according to your instructions. As a matter of fact, it is important to note that academic papers written by professionals do not have any degree of plagiarism since they are skilled in citing, writing and paraphrasing ideas that have been developed previously. When dealing with custom papers online companies, personal information is used when payments are made but one does not need to worry about the privacy and confidentiality of having their papers done online because these companies safeguard their privacy. When you click on the accept button on terms and conditions, the company is bound to protect your personal information as written on the terms. All these are benefits of using freelance essay writing companies, and it should be the best option for students.

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc Essay

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc - Essay Example GM recorded revenues worth $192,604 million during the fiscal year ended December 2005. GM also owns equity partnerships in some regional subsidiaries and joint ventures like New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), Suzuki Motor Corporation, Isuzu Motors, Shanghai GM, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Company and CAMI Automotive. General Motors has been facing stiff competition from the likes of AB Volvo, Capital One Financial Corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company etc. for quite some time now. Owing to increased competition and reduction in margins General Motors Europe announced, during 2004, that it'll be resorting to the reduction in its annual structural costs by about 500 million by 2006. The plan included a reduction in the workforce by about 12,000 over this period. Considering such a scenario, the company requires to determine the priorities it should accord to certain products, so that better profit margins and long-term value creation can be ensured. BCG Matrix i.e. Boston Consultancy Group matrix is a very useful tool for identifying the products which contains both high-growth products in need of cash inputs and certain low-growth products which generate lot of cash. It's a two-dimensional matrix, depicting market share and market growth. Leading market position: GM has consistentl... In US it is the league of the big three with Ford and DaimlerChrysler. GM also has a strong market position in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Australia and China. Robust revenue growth in Asia Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region has proved to be very encouraging and having immense potential for the company. Despite the challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, GM recorded strong revenue growth in this region with continued strong performance by Shanghai GM in China and Holden in Australia. For 2003, GM Asia Pacific (GMAP) earned $577 million, more than three times the net income of $188 million in 2002. Company is also aggressively expanding its operations in India, another big market in the region. Such a strength in this region helps the company to offset its losses in some other regions. Strong brand portfolio: GM has a strong brand portfolio. The company has on board global brand names like Saab, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Weaknesses North America and Europe Continue to be loosing grounds: General Motors's largest geographical market, North America, accounting for nearly 75% of the total revenues, continues to show decelerating momentum. GM North America (GMNA) could earn $1.2 billion, down from $3.1 billion in 2002. Company has partially attributed this slowdown in profitability owing to the higher pension and health-care costs in the U.S, but the cause of worry for GM is its dwindling market share in US, which came down to 28.0 percent compared with 28.3 percent in 2002. Similarly for 2003, GM Europe (GME) had a loss of $286 million, an improvement from the $549 million loss in 2002. Large post retirement liabilities and high debt: GM has large unfunded other post retirement benefit obligations and high debt. As of now for every

Video Conferencing For Thronton's Training Department Research Proposal

Video Conferencing For Thronton's Training Department - Research Proposal Example Overall, it is estimated over 11 million business meeting occurring on a daily basis (Verizon, 1999). However, similar study in 2003 indicated that the majority of face-to-face meeting participants believe that meetings are a waste of time (Verizon, 2003). This situation reveals two organizational problems. First, the amount of time that people spend in meetings makes it difficult for them to participate in most of them. Second, it can be difficult to remember what was said or accomplished in each one. These problems arise primarily from how participants attend meetings and how archives of meetings are created for later remembering and information retrieval. As participants are frequently traveling to attend face-to-face meetings, the cost-benefit ratio of attending meetings is also soaring. This in turn gives rise to a feeling of â€Å"wasted time.† Similar situation when too much time, efforts and finances are spent ineffectively occurs with corporate training of personnel at Thronton’s company. Practically, for Thronton’s company yearly cost of corporate personnel training exceeds a million dollars due to traveling and accommodation expenses for hundreds managers. Global trainers are brought to Thronton’s training center in Kentucky two times per year to ensure that qualifications of company’s employees are current and adequately correspond to Thronton’s business needs. The training and development at Thronton’s is conducted in the several areas that are critical for any type of business, particularly: In addressing the need to provide wider access to professional development and offer a more flexible form of training, Thronton’s company should develop a three-year training and development strategy addressed entirely through videoconferencing technology, particularly desktop video conference (DVC) as a main method on delivering

How drugs cause crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

How drugs cause crime - Essay Example Thesis There is no evidence suggesting that crime results from the direct effects of the drugs themselves, but drug addiction leads to deviant behavior, unemployment, lack of financial resources and poverty - the direct causes of crime. The most obvious and superficial way to define crime is to say that it is the violation of regulations of society. In advanced societies which have transcribed their rules of conduct into criminal law, crime is a violation of the code. The statement is intended to show that the rules of conduct in society define and make crime. Whether society is dealing with crime in an advanced society having a written criminal code or crime in an unadvanced society having unwritten mores, it is evident that criminal behavior is a violation of the rules of the social order. Every society, through the accumulation of its heritages and culture, possesses a body of social values that are conceived to be important to its welfare. The mores define the rules of conduct so as to protect and preserve these important values (Akers and Sellers 26). Repeated use of a psychoactive substance or substances, to the extent that the user (referred to as an addict) is periodically or chronically intoxicated, shows a compulsion to take the preferred substance (or substances), has great difficulty in voluntarily ceasing or modifying substance use, and exhibits determination to obtain psychoactive substances by almost any means† (). Taking into account the psychological theory, it is possible to say that the drug addict as a degenerate and vicious criminal much given to violent crimes and sex orgies. More and more people are coming to understand the nature of opiate drugs and the meaning of addiction. Such pain-killers are the drugs of choice of most persons who are fully addicted in the sense described below (Akers and Sellers 34). This is an important point, because the continued use of these opiate-type

My Leadership Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Leadership Philosophy - Assignment Example Leaders solve problems and encourage creativity thus driving competitiveness in the organization (Martin, 2006). Effective leadership approach should foster the formation of meaningful relationships and enhance harmony in teams in order to facilitate job coordination and collaboration across the organization (Northouse, 2010). Accordingly, leaders should use their interpersonal skills to persuade their followers to dedicate their efforts and abilities towards the attainment of the outlined common goals. This essay will describe my leadership in terms of skills approach and present a plan of action to improve my leadership and motivation skills. The leadership approach that best describes me as a leader is the skills approach. This is a leader-centered perspective of leadership and I have certain knowledge and skills that are essential for effective leadership (Martin, 2006). According to Kaz field research, leaders demonstrate effective administration through use of knowledge and competencies to accomplish certain objectives (Northouse, 2010). I have technical skills and analytical skills in language and computer that will be essential in my future career. Accordingly, I have human skills that are essential in working with subordinates, peers and superiors. I am capable of creating an environment of trust since I am sensitive to the concerns of others and thus I will cater the ideas of others in my decision-making (Northouse, 2010). I believe I have well developed conceptual skills that are key to outlining the organizational vision and communicating new ideas to peers and subordinates. I am able to express the company goals with hypothetical notions in order to persuade the followers to accept my vision for the organization (Lussier & Achua, 2010). According to the skills model, I have skills and capabilities that are essential for high job performance that I have developed from my education and

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Companies Essay

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Companies - Essay Example In the case of a domestic airline, southwest airline has performed well and survived adverse effects on airline business like terrorism and inflation in the fuel prices. Similarly, the German based Lufthansa has operated internationally and maintained a good market share hence posing good financial performance (Lufthansa Consulting, 2011). The two firms recognized the need of improving the quality of their products while keeping their costs low to become more competitive. The two companies are in the airline industry and pursue strategies to improve the quality of their services. In the airline industry, the domestic and global organizations are interrelated and affected by similar environmental factors. To survive in the US domestic industry, southwest airline has engaged in restructuring and focusing on the customer service. The company believes that the satisfaction of customers is instrumental in gaining positive performance. At the same time, Lufthansa has restructured and enter ed into strong alliances that would allow the company be robust in the airline business (Lufthansa Consulting, 2011). ... For Lufthansa, their wide range of services focuses on quality and safety of their customers. This has been achieved by adhering to the set regulations and standards. Likewise, southwest airline mission is clearly hinged on the maintaining quality by adhering to the regulations set by the US authorities. The two organizations have entrenched in all the procedures and decisions of the firms. The first stage in the process is a well-defined mission and vision statement that demands employees to remain answerable to the company. This has also been integrated in the company strategic objectives of demanding commitment to law and procedure adherence. The second process for both the companies is the aligning the company acquisition and strategic alliances to achieve organizational order and efficiencies. The two firms evaluate strategic alliances and undertake evaluations to determine feasibility and profitability of the actions keeping in consideration the safety and demands of their cust omers. The businesses consider the health of their workers and customers essential for the smooth operation of the businesses. The obligation to make their stakeholders safe is not just, because it is a legal requirement but because the businesses consider it as a social responsibility (Southwest Airlines Co., 2011). Finally, the two companies have a similar procedure I their staff training and development. They believe that for success to be realized in the business the companies must have a staff capable of executing perfectly and in a timely manner, the chosen courses of actions. Both southwest airline and Lufthansa in its international operation trains its employees to improve the quality of

My Leadership Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Leadership Philosophy - Assignment Example Leaders solve problems and encourage creativity thus driving competitiveness in the organization (Martin, 2006). Effective leadership approach should foster the formation of meaningful relationships and enhance harmony in teams in order to facilitate job coordination and collaboration across the organization (Northouse, 2010). Accordingly, leaders should use their interpersonal skills to persuade their followers to dedicate their efforts and abilities towards the attainment of the outlined common goals. This essay will describe my leadership in terms of skills approach and present a plan of action to improve my leadership and motivation skills. The leadership approach that best describes me as a leader is the skills approach. This is a leader-centered perspective of leadership and I have certain knowledge and skills that are essential for effective leadership (Martin, 2006). According to Kaz field research, leaders demonstrate effective administration through use of knowledge and competencies to accomplish certain objectives (Northouse, 2010). I have technical skills and analytical skills in language and computer that will be essential in my future career. Accordingly, I have human skills that are essential in working with subordinates, peers and superiors. I am capable of creating an environment of trust since I am sensitive to the concerns of others and thus I will cater the ideas of others in my decision-making (Northouse, 2010). I believe I have well developed conceptual skills that are key to outlining the organizational vision and communicating new ideas to peers and subordinates. I am able to express the company goals with hypothetical notions in order to persuade the followers to accept my vision for the organization (Lussier & Achua, 2010). According to the skills model, I have skills and capabilities that are essential for high job performance that I have developed from my education and

Great Expectations and Life as a fruit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Great Expectations and Life as a fruit - Essay Example 23). The intense echo of this note is felt in Pip's relating to his own home and the surrounding marshes. However, even if the child sees the sky above the marshes as "just a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed" (Dickens, 1993, p.7), the adult returns to the long-familiar landscape with brighter views and a lighter heart. The home which "had never been a very pleasant place" (Dickens, 1993, p. 109) comes to be reconsidered in the end, when happier circumstances turn its windows "gay with flowers" (Dickens, 1993, p. 473). The contrast between the thoughts of the unhappy child and those of the relieved young man is made possible by a shift from the foggy atmosphere of the marshes during wintertime to the sunny air of the same marshes during June. The terrifying Hulks of a long gone cold season are forgotten to the advantage of more agreeable conditions. Once, the house set so close to the anchoring Hulks had occasioned nightmares to a small boy frightened not only by his sister's manner towards him, but also by an awful convict's threats. Now, the mists having risen and the boy no longer scared, the atmosphere is cheery as well. Therefore, places and people are strongly connected. ... The childhood marshes and house merge and generate an overall feeling that everything is wrong and nothing good will turn out of it. However, as the plot develops, Pip discovers that there is some kind of hope beyond the mists and the house. He 'escapes' into another despairing atmosphere, that of the Satis House. The gloomy exterior of the building, with "great many iron bars on it some of the windows walled up" (Dickens, 1993, p. 56), announces nothing constructive. The garden, "overgrown with tangled weeds" (Dickens, 1991, p. 65), causes more reason of concern. Everything here is out of date and creates the feeling that Pip has somehow entered a forbidden land. The feeling becomes even more intense when Pip meets Miss Havisham. The dressing room, where everything is "in a state to crumble under a touch" (Dickens, 1993, p. 89), the yellow-white colour of the bride-gown, the rotten bride-cake and the decaying bride herself compose an image of disintegration in the happening. What would have been of this alive, yet decomposing woman, had her hopes been realized Two conclusions can be drawn from her behaviour: one, she is a very decided character, and two, she carries her decision to the extreme. Nonetheless, even if everything in the Satis House is a "heap of decay" (Dickens, 1993, p. 89), the misery here is not equal to poverty. It is just the result of some rich woman's pain carried up to eccentricity. If the circumstances had been different, her will would have made her a popular, wealthy Victorian woman, most likely able and eager to manage the issues concerning the house, and to act as her husband's perfect companion at gatherings specific to their

Business Portfolio Presentation and Paper Essay Example for Free

Business Portfolio Presentation and Paper Essay The business organization of the consulting company is that the leadership group will work hands-on with the consultants to ensure internal customer knowledge and external customer satisfaction. The consultant staff will work with the sales staff for a week to understand the tasks that they have. The sales staff will work with the consultants at the business to better understand the customer’s expectation. The Human Resources Department will work all facets of the business to have an understanding, this will allow them to speak to performance issues if they should arise. The potential legal issues that this business might face are if there are inaccuracies with billing. The consultants will also face challenges with following both policies of the consulting company, and adhering to the policies of our client’s business. Failure to do so on our behalf will result in a breach of contract by our company. The ethical issues that the business will have is to act as if the consultant was an employee of the company. The consultant should refrain from the fraternization of employees of our client. Our client needs to know where they can optimize profit and fraternizing with their employees would hinder the consultant’s ability to give a fair assessment if they were looking to cut jobs to save costs. The business culture of the consulting firm will be customer-centric. Every employee with put the customer at the core of everything that we do. The leaders of the company will put the internal customers at their core and employees will put the clients at theirs. The company will build on the foundation of putting people first. The Human Resources Department will be in charge of following-up to ensure that we are executing at the highest level in this area. The company will use anonymous employee surveys and customer surveys to ensure the highest satisfaction to internal and external customers. The motivation that the company will utilize will be a comprehensive benefits  package to include 401K with a 5% match, health insurance, and performance based bonus program. The co mpany will also have a variety of cross-training to all employees to ensure that the employees are well trained to perform their tasks efficiently. The technology that the company will use will be computers, laptops, cell phones, and tablets. The computers will be used to process all the customers’ invoices and will store the customers’ contacts also. The company will store any excess information on an external hard drive. The laptops will be given to the sales, consulting, and to Human Resources Departments. The cell phones will be given to all employees to stay in contact with company personnel and the customers. The tablets will be given to the consultants to document notes while at the client’s location. The Human Resources Department will handle the five components of human resources management in the following manner: 1) Recruitment and Selection – The applicant selection process is based off their experience and education, with an emphasis on experience. Human Resources will also look into job history and background. Once HR screens the potential employee, they will schedule a second interview with operations leadership with the applicant. 2) Training and Development – HR will setup the training schedule for the new employees and will schedule the new employee with a top performer in the department. For the existing employees, HR will also schedule and track all the employees to ensure that they get cross-training in the other departments to understand the business better. 3) Performance Appraisal and Feedback – HR will be in charge of tracking performance appraisals and feedback. However, the leaders of each department will be responsible for executing this and forwarding the information to the HR Department. HR will put this information into the employees’ personnel files. 4) Pay and benefits – The pay structure and benefits will be looked at and setup with collaboration of the owner and the HR Department. HR will keep leadership aware of current pay in this field in order to retain employees. HR will ensure that employees receive the benefits package that the company offers when they become eligible for them. 5) Labor relations – HR will schedule employee commitment and satisfaction surveys and compile the results for the leadership of the company. Pulse surveys will also be used by HR to follow-up on results from the commitment and satisfaction survey opportunities that the employees highlight. The costs of operations  on the business would include the following: lease, payroll, insurance, taxes, legal fees, utilities, cell phone, and office supplies. The business would need all of these items to run the operations effectively. The company is relying on their quality service for their clients business to cover all these costs, and to ensure that the business is profitable.

Effects of the Financial Crash on Australias Economy

Effects of the Financial Crash on Australias Economy Executive Summary: This is a report of current Australian economic situation, and a forecast of Reserve Bank of Australia’s cash rate movements in 2015. This report will help the board and management to formulate budget and set goals for the upcoming years. The report will look into and analyse in details all economic indicators and other internal non-numeric based factors such as geographical advantages, politics, policies, regulations as well as external factors such as world economy, politics and laws of major trade partners, international exchange rates, etc. that directly and indirectly impact the economy. The report will show how simple forecasting of cash rate movement is a complex process, as it is directly related to Reserve Bank of Australia’s fiscal and monetary policy. Introduction: Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd once described â€Å"Australia to be a nation whose origins lie firmly in the west, but whose geo-political and geo-economic circumstances are shaped in large part by our location in the east, this is the inescapable expression of the Australian condition. (Economy Watch, 2010)† And he was right because where in the early 19th century Australia’s major trade partner was the Western world, along with time it shifted to the eastern side, and Asia became the primary focus of Australia’s economic policy. And understanding this is crucial to all large, medium, and small business in Australia, for budget forecasting, and goal setting, and this is true for every sector from hospitality and tourism, to mining and banking sectors. We will now look into current Australian economic situation and will conclude with a forecast of Cash Rate Movement. Body: The Australian Business Review published a report by Steen Jakobsen, Saxo Bank chief economist on 14th of November 2014 (AAP, 2014). In his report Mr.Jakobsen said Australian Economy will face recession in 2015, he also pointed out that ASX is dominated by mining companies and financial institution, and that the country should focus on technology sector, and small and medium size enterprises. Like many in past, the economist supported the idea that education and research should be the back bone of an economy. Understanding Australian Economy: The table below will show a summary of Australian Economy as at Demeter 2014 (Trading Economics, 2014). From the table we can see that Mr. Jakobsen’s reasons for such declaration. The Australian currency rate is still higher than sustainable, the stock market is down, high unemployment rate, lower consumer spending, budget deficit, everything contributed to it, and even an all-time low cash rate failed to attract more investments, for which probably high Australian labour cost may be liable. Australia | Economic Indicators The chart below will help us understand the current Australian economy from the viewpoint of the federal government. Where it shows how the western part of the country is based on mining industry where the eastern part especially New South Wales and Victoria are manufacturing, finance, and service based. The contrast between these two regions has often led to disagreements within the Australian government over developmental plans. Australian GDP is still dominated by service and financial industries, although they are struggling a lot after 2008 global financial crisis. On the other hand Western Australia is and its mining industry is enjoying a boom, even though some economist argue that resource based industry is highly depended on exports to China, and if the world economy is not doing well, then it will hurt the Chinese economy, and find its way to Australia (Economy Watch, 2010). Unemployment rate: From the graph released by trading economics using the data realised by Australian Bureau of Statistics, we can clearly see that in last four years (January 2011 to November 2014) the unemployment rate only went high and is now sitting at 6.30 % which is the highest in 11 years, the month of December 2014 should have a similar rate too. The ABS reported the number of people employed increased by 42,700 to 11,637,400 in November 2014 (seasonally adjusted). The increase in employment was driven by increased part-time employment for females (up 36,400) and full-time employment for males (up 23,300) offset by a fall in female full-time employment (down 21,400). Total full-time employment increased, up 1,800 (Trading Economics, 2014). Cash rate, Inflation, and exchange rate: On 2nd of Demeter 2014, the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to leave cash rate unchanged at 2.5%, even though American and Chinese is showing some sign of strength, Euro Zone, and Japan both seen weakness recently, some key commodity prices such as petrol has declined significantly in recent months, which indicated softer demand but increased supply, and therefore the central bank decided to keep the cash rate unchanged for the 16th month in a row. Inflation is running between 2 and 3 per cent, as expected, with recent data confirming subdued rises in labour costs. The exchange rate has traded at lower levels recently, in large part reflecting the strengthening US dollar. But the Australian dollar remains above most estimates of its fundamental value, particularly given the significant declines in key commodity prices in recent months. A lower exchange rate is likely to be needed to achieve balanced growth in the economy (RBA, 2014). The benchmark price for iron ore, which accounts for more than $1 out of every $5 of export income has fallen to around a third its 2011 high of $US190 (Greber et al, 2014). As at December 2014 it is $63 per tonne, and it seems like it will fall more in 20145. (Massola, 2014). Australian Economy and Cash Rate Movement in 2015: During a parliament briefing Joe Hockey says the federal budget will be used as a shock absorber to protect the economy from the largest fall in the terms of trade since 1959. The Treasurer who will unveil a larger deficit in 2014-15 and a slower return to surplus when he releases the midyear economic update on 15th of December 2014, said economic growth would remain about 2.5 per cent, while conceding unemployment would rise to levels higher than those forecast in the May budget (Massola, 2014). So both the Treasurer and the economist Steen Jakobsen agreed to the fact that currently Australian economy is not doing well, and there are many good indicators that it could get worse. I would agree with them that there are still hope, if the government invest in roads and infrastructure such as the East West, as well as further decrease the cash rate in 2015 as Jakobsen has advised to 2% percent or even down up to 1.5%, along with simplification of taxation and regulations might help in b oosting the economy and improving investments (AAP, 2014). The cash rate is sitting 2.5% for 16 consecutive months (RBA, 2014) but it was not good enough to turn the wheel of Australian Economy, and from the parliament bribing of the Honourable Treasurer Joe Hockey it could be argued that the Federal Government may push Reserve Bank of Australia to further decrease cash rate in 2015 to 2% along with taking other measures hoping it may help to improve the growth to 3% which Mr. Hockey is hoping to achieve. And if IMF is right the Treasurer will be able to achieve 3% growth in 2015, and added it will will remain there until 2019 (Jerico, 2019) Conclusion: To conclude, Australian economy showed a little sign of recovery in 2012 after the global financial crisis of 2008, but started to fall and 2014 is finishing without any sign of recovery, in fact data shows that 2015 could be even worse. IMF, The Treasurer of Australia, and economist Steen Jakobsen all believed that despite all there are still hope that the economy may grow 3% in 2015, even though unemployment rate might rise further and cash rate might continue to stay low at 2.5% or go even lower. World economy, investor’s confidence, fiscal and monetary policy as well as other internal and external factors will determine the end result.

Siddhartha Essay: The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha

The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An important symbol in Siddhartha is the smile. Each of the three characters in the story who attain a final state of complete serenity is characterized by a beautiful smile which reflects their peaceful, harmonious state. In each case this smile is a completely natural phenomenon; it cannot be created at will by people who have not attained the prerequisite state of harmony with life.    The first character who is described as possessing this smile is Gotama, the Buddha. When Siddhartha first sees him, he recognizes him immediately, largely on account of this mysterious smile. Gotama is imperturbable and he retains his smile - and his equanimity - even when Siddhartha engages in debate with him. As Gotama turns to leave, it is his smile which most deeply impresses Siddhartha, for in it the peace and saintliness of the Buddha is epitomized. The narrator comments that Siddhartha was to remember this smile for the rest of his life.    Vesudeva also possesses the mystical smile of peace and harmony. A man of very few words, the ferryman often allows his smile to speak for him, and it is a more effective agent of expression than any words could possibly have been. Like the Buddha, Vasudeva is satisfied that he is at peace with the world, and with existence.    Siddhartha does not possess this radiant smile at first. He sees it in Gotama and Vasudeva and recognizes its significance, but is too engrossed in physical things to be able to smile serenely himself. First, with the Samanas, he concentrates on mastering his bodily needs. Then, through Kamala and Kamaswami, he learns to enjoy sensual pleasures and soon masters this aspect of life. Finally his ... ...e lingering sorrow and pain he feels because of his son's departure. One day when Siddhartha sets out to search for his son, the river speaks to him - but not in its usual soothing tone. This time the river laughs at him. Siddhartha looks into the water and sees his own reflection, which reminds him, however, of his father. He is reminded of the pain he caused his own father years earlier when he departed, never to return, and gradually perceives that the river is pointing out to him the repetitious nature of events. Nothing is new, everything is an integral part of a unified whole, including such things as the inevitable separation of fathers and sons. The various voices of the river, the laughter and the sorrow, seem to merge, and finally Siddhartha hears only the sum: the word "Om."    Works Cited Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Dover Publications, 1998.

Comparison of poems. Essay -- English Literature

Comparison of poems. In this introduction I am intending to compare and contrast two poems. The poems I am contrasting are called ‘London’ and ‘Composed Upon Westminster’. These two poems are written in the 19th century. The writers had the same ideas about the two poems. The poems are both about London. The writers both give a different view of London. The London poem is written by William Blake in 1757-1827. The Westminster poem written by William Wordsworth in 1770 – 1850 Blake’s representation of London is bleak. The title London is short and gets straight to the point. The first verse is a description of the city, streets, rivers and the people in the city. The first line creates a feeling like London is being owned. It is described like hell. The quote is â€Å"I wonder thro each chattered streets, near were the chartered Thames does flow. Blake has a sinister view of London. He describes it like a prison. The second two lines inverse 1 is about the people. The quote is ‘and marks in every face I meet, marks of weakness marks of woe.’ These two lines mean when Blake sees people on the streets of London they have marks on their faces. The last quote means that the people are weak, have grief and sorrow. The imagery Blake creates in the first verse is of the empty streets and the flowing Thames. The second verse is about the people. â€Å"In every cry of every man† â€Å"in every infants cry of fear† the imagery the second verse suggests pain. â€Å"Infants cry† of mental torture â€Å"mind forged manacles†. There is a lot of repetition. In the second verse Blake emphasises on the word ‘every’ to really put the pain across. The third verse is about the institutions and culture. Blake says ‘the chimney sweepers cry’. ... ...s like heaven. Wordsworth is in a dream. He is describing London as romantic. The similarities both of these poems are that Blake says marks of weakness marks of woe. Wordsworth says mighty heart. Blake says blackening church, hapless soldier, palace walls. Wordsworth says ships, towers, domes, theatres, temples. Blake says chimney sweepers and blackening church. Wordsworth says smokeless air. Blake says chartered Thames does flow and Wordsworth says the river glideth at his own sweet will. Blake says midnight streets and Wordsworth says valleys rocks or hills. Blake says midnight and Wordsworth says bright and glittery. He also says morning. Blake says cry in every man and Wordsworth says calm so deep. The poem that gives me a better description of London is Blake’s point of view. He has a simple structure and his description is very descriptive.

Fast Company Analysis

Fastenal Company was founded in 1967 in Winona, Minnesota by Bob Kierlin. During the first month of business, Mr. Kierlin only managed to make $157 in sales. Despite the slow start, Mr. Kierlin knew what he wanted to do to make Fastenal successful, and that was to provide the kind of service that keeps customers coming back. This is when â€Å"Growth Through Customer Service† was invented. Since then, â€Å"Growth Through Customer Service† has been the mission of Fastenal. Fastenal is an industrial supply company and since 1967, 2,500 stores have opened across 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Europe, China, and Singapore. Each store utilizes local inventory, outside sales staff, and on-site delivery vehicles to help save the customers’ time and money. Fastenal also owns and operates 16 Distribution Centers with a fleet of over 180 semi-trucks and trailers. Fastenal’s organization structure allows a customer to receive a fully-customized part hand delivered by an employee within three days. Fastenal’s main inventory is fasteners like screw, nuts, washers, and threaded rod. Fastenal has over 700,000 individual inventory items that range from power tools to tape to janitorial supplies. Fastenal’s target market is mainly focused on companies that consistently need to buy parts for the jobs they need to complete regularly. Fastenal even has vending machines stocked with custom inventory to provide companies in need of access to certain parts without having to come into the store each time. Vending machines are critical to the business strategy of Fastenal; the machines provide excellent customer service and convenience without an employee having to be present. It ensures that the companies with the vending machine will continuously and consistently purchase products. Fastenal’s marketing plan relies on monthly product deals that are distributed to every account owner each month. Outside sales staff and managers will deliver the catalogs each month. Fastenal also has an online presence, companies have the ability to go online and design an order template for quick and easy purchasing. Fastenal currently sponsors Carl Edwards from NASCAR, America’s most viewed sport, as an additional source of marketing. In May 2011, Fastenal made over 200,000 sales, 29% more than 2010. Fastenal opened nine new stores this month and 57 this year-to-date. Fastenal has also hired 2,000 more employees compared to 2010. Performance of the company varies from month to month because the winter months of the year typically have less construction occurring which results in a smaller demand of what Fastenal offers.

Aircraft Solutions Essay

SecurityAircraft Solutions Security and Policy Assessment Table of Contents Executive Summary1 Company Overview1 Security Vulnerabilities1 Decentralized Anti Virus1 Access Control List Policy3 Recommended Solutions6 Bitdefender6 AlgoSec Security Management Suite7 Impact on Business Processes7 Budget8 Summary8 References9 Executive Summary As Aircraft Solutions takes the next step in its growth, it is imperative that its IT infrastructure keep pace as to not counteract gains made by the company during this expansion. This is especially important given it designs and fabricates components for both commercial and defense related industry. Given the increase in staff as well as outside vendors accessing the network, a more centralized approach to antivirus protection has to be adopted. It is equally important that certain elements within the network that have been done manually, such as Access Control List policy, be automated to avoid consuming the IT department in an ever escalating bar of employee hours. Company Overview Aircraft Solutions operates within California in two separate physical locations in San Diego and Santa Ana. Working within both commercial and defense industries, their products are used globally. Aircraft Solutions is overtly technical in nature utilizing Business Process Management (BPM) for end to end processes that interacts with customers, vendors, and suppliers. BPM also fills a critical role of internal communications for IT to ensure customer needs are being fulfilled precisely as they have been ordered. Security Vulnerabilities Decentralized Anti Virus In reviewing the software utilized by Aircraft Solutions, it is stated that security is handled by anti-virus software that is independently operated for all workstations and servers. This seems to be a continuation of the host centric theme as evidenced by host based IDS. Whereas host based IDS can be seen as a more viable alternative to network based IDS, the same cannot be said for anti-virus software in this scenario. Given that the company operates two individual physical locations that run the gamut from design to production, it can be assumed that their employee pool is not small despite actual numbers not being mentioned. With these numbers, it is quite unlikely that all employees are maintaining their due diligence in ensuring that they are properly updating their anti-virus applications and operating them in such a manner that they are being used efficiently. The primary weakness of this policy is that the end user is responsible for its upkeep. It is reasonable to assume that someone working in a loading dock may not have the same level of computer aptitude as an engineer and would be more likely to cause a break in security by allowing a virus into their computer and threaten the network (Department of Homeland Security, 2012). As security is only as strong as the weakest link, this opens the proverbial floodgates of illicit access to the company network. This is problematic in that official statistics gathered in 2012 estimated that the United States ranks third in the world with 50. 1% of all unique users detecting threats from a virus (Kaspersky Security Bulletin, 2012). The most common virus credited with 75. 01% of all online attacks with 712,999,644 instances are malicious URLs (Kaspersky Security Bulletin, 2012) that can infect a computer without the user even realizing what has occurred. Not even anti-virus software will keep a user completely safe as it is reported that 32% of all users have been infected with a virus despite such protection measures (Zorz, 2010). Once infected, viruses can either cause extreme lag with the network, slowly gather information to be used against the company or sold to anyone willing to purchase it, or even cause damage to physical components used in the business (Weinberger, 2012). There are many other nefarious effects of an infected computer within a network that can cripple productivity and cut into the revenue generating capacity of the company. When you take into consideration that a slower network will cause a decrease in company production and will not reduce the cost of daily operations in terms of equipment, utilities or workforce then you must look at the financial ramifications of such an event. The creation and dissemination of viruses has become big business that will grow exponentially as it has moved from the stereotypical basements of hackers into the realm of organized crime and legitimized aspects of armed services for many nations the world around (Fisher, 2012). It is reported that worldwide, viruses have stolen approximately $1. 6 trillion (CMP Media Inc. , 2013) from the global economy. Access Control List Rule policy Security policy at Aircraft Solutions dictates that all firewall and router access control rules pertaining to packet flow be evaluated on a bi yearly basis. Network infrastructure documentation for the company lists one firewall and two routers that are currently in operation that fall within these parameters. Within the San Diego headquarters, all of these devices act as a bulwark against any unwanted intrusion from the Internet at large. Documentation also details there are contractors and suppliers along with customers to contend with regarding external access to the network through these devices. Looking at the internal physical topology it is seen that there is a single router providing packet control for all traffic between the Defense Division in Santa Anna and the rest of the company consisting of Human Resources, Accounting, Direct Computer Numerical Control, Sales and Marketing, IT, and information from the database. Conversely, this same router would also have to act the single point of control between all internal departments at San Diego as it is the only piece of equipment that possesses layer three functionality before passing the firewall. Given these relationships this demonstrates these three devices, particularly the router connecting Santa Anna and San Diego, require extremely detailed and expansive routing rules to effectively run the business. Departmental access list rules could for the most part remain static and not require a great deal of attention once implemented as IP schemas would be established ahead of time for each department. Issues begin to arise when you take into account that over the course of two years, multiple projects will most likely be spun up, numerous â€Å"unique circumstances†, and growth of the network will create a myriad of antiquated access control rules that will represent gaping holes in security that can allow unauthorized access to sensitive company materials and intellectual property. This would also lead to a lack of documentation of access control rules so that there would be no manner in which to simply reference which rules were in place and for what reason. Each annual security review will then sideline the IT department as it analyzes the access control list rules and begins to path them out to their respective devices. At this point, ownership of the device would have to be established, the purpose of that device, and then verifying if access was still warranted. Disagreements at this juncture would result in managerial oversight as department heads would then have to present their cases for and against access. Obviously, this would draw management, especially that of IT, into contracted deliberation that would distract from day to day business. A lack of an overall firewall policy, a bi yearly evaluation of access control list rules, and the previously mentioned issue of non centralized anti-virus software creates a very dangerous environment for data security. A port that is opened for user access is a window into the company’s network that can ultimately be exploited. The more ports that are left open, the greater the opportunity for intrusion. This same lack of a detailed firewall policy also entails that these multiple holes in security can vary in scope since there is not a set control in place to reign in the extent of the security exception being asked (Hogg, 2011). These open ports make the company susceptible to port scanning as outside entities search for network soft spots that can be exploited to gain entry. These scans occur with such constant frequency that they are referred to as Internet background radiation (Notenboom, 2008). Given these factors it is a foregone conclusion that there will inevitably be a breach of the network as a result. Such an event would result in loss of intellectual property, decrease of production, and repeated incidents would create a devastating loss of trust in the eyes of customers. An ancillary security risk is derived from the time and energy spent by IT during each manual review of all access control listings in the firewall and routers. It is feasible that each rule will take an average of an hour to complete if all goes smoothly with tracing the routed path from beginning to end, complying with internal ticket work, verifying the device, and accepting a reason for the route to be in existence. More time would be expended by both engineering staff and then management if there was a dispute as to if a rule should be left in place or not. In terms of just the basic work to go through all the established rules that will accumulate over the course of 2 years, a conservative estimate of 25 requests for new rules per week (based on personal experience within a mid-sized company) would yield a total of 2600 new lines to be analyzed. Assuming approximately a third of these rules could be associated together as projects are increased or decreased, that leaves roughly 866 lines that translates into as many employee hours that will be occupied for this task over the course of 108 days. A team of five in the IT department would require just over 21 full working days to effectively handle this task at a cost of $2,898. 75 to have entry level Network Engineers (Salary. com, 2013) dedicated to the task . If a quarter of these rules are disputed, then the company will pay out another $9,964. 70 (Salary. com, 2013) of lost productivity as the IT manager has to contend with other managers to mediate the need for the rules. It is likely that this endeavor would constitute a major departmental project at the end of the 2 years instead of being worked on throughout the duration. During this time, other work will be assigned to secondary status and put projects and perhaps updates that could be critical in risk of being done on time as all energy and focus resides on the access evaluation. Recommended Solutions Bitdefender To effectively control antivirus from a central source that will push updates to all network devices, demand all equipment connecting has antivirus and allow for mobile devices to be used without issue, Bitdefender small business pack would be the ideal choice. Given that this application suite will provide service to all Windows OS’s from XP to Windows 8 along with Macintosh and Linux support [ (Squidoo. com, 2012) ], it is perfect for allowing outside vendors who may not conform strictly to the Windows platform adopted by Aircraft Solutions. Support for the product is offered by email, and phone coupled with configuration assistance free of charge. As it was not definitely declared how many employees are with Aircraft Solutions, there is a pricing scale of $449. 95 per year for 20 computers and 20 mobile devices [ (Bitdefender, 2012) ]. AlgoSec Security Management Suite In terms of Access Control List management on the firewalls, industry reviews would recommend a single piece of software, Algosec Security Management Suite. With this application, all a user is required to do is simply enter in the IP of the device wanting entry to the network as well as the IP of the device is wishes to access. Algosec will then compute the path from source to destination, provide a listing of all firewalls in the path, and then list out what changes would need to be made to firewall configuration. With a click of a button, it would even implement these changes thereby freeing an inordinate amount of time on the part of IT staff and management [ (AlgoSec, 2012) ]. Cost of the application is approximately $10,000 [ (AlgoSec, 2013) ] which also include support of the product and updates. Impact on Business Processes Implementation pains felt as both Bitdefender and AlgoSec are introduced will be minimal at best. In each instance, less work will be required of employees as they are no longer responsible for their own antivirus and the process by which firewall flows are drafted and put into configuration will be dramatically increased. The point of contention that might make itself known will be at the onset of these applications being installed as they will require some new policy changes. At first, there will most likely be an uptick in questions asked of IT as employees want to know what is required of them with Bitdefender antivirus. It will also require new policy on the part of IT in terms of management of the application as well as procedures for pushing updates into the network. AlgoSec will be almost entirely without incident as it will create a process by which a request is put in for access and instead of being delayed as the path is verified, it can move directly into managerial oversight for approval. Budget Product| Features| Cost| Bitdefender| Centralized AV updatesScalable user supportInternal firewallIntuitive GUIApplication supportInstallation assistance| $449. 95 per year per set of 20 computers/20 mobile devices| AlgoSec| Firewall path operation automationFirewall configuration change automationNegates access control rule auditsProduct support and updates| $10,000 (approximate quote)| Summary Without changes made to IT policy, requests upon the IT department for access to the network and the bi yearly audit of existing rules will eventually grind all departmental progress to a complete stop for months at a time. Automation in this arena as well as a universal standard for antivirus are dire in maintaining a secure network with the necessary resources to make changes as needed. In the face of company growth, if automation is not embraced, then it will become necessary to increase the IT staff by at least 50% within the next 2 years to simply maintain the status quo. Assuming an employee pool of 100, an investment in Bitdefender and Algosec at this time will cost $12,249. 75, with reoccurring annual fees of $2,249. 75. Such an amount if a far cry from an extensive uptick in staff. The end result will be a far more efficient IT department that will be able to accomplish more sustentative work with existing staff at hand. References AlgoSec. (2012, january). AlgoSec Security Management Suite. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from Algosec. com: http://www. algosec. com/en/products/products_overview AlgoSec. (2013, January). How to Buy. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from algosec.

Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Term Paper Example These customs may contradict with the common truth in a multicultural society. Some customs belonging to a particular community may appear to be evil or good in a different community. Therefore, a particular customary practice may have different consequences depending on the society judging the practice. The act of believing ones custom is the best or king over all customs is referred to as relativism (4). Customs define the morally accepted and morally rejected practices for a given society. Among the Japanese, bowing when greeting someone is considered to be a moral practice. This forces foreigners to forego their practices and adopt those of the locals. In Muslim countries, women have to veil their faces before appearing in public, and their hair should be covered always. Several societies consider keeping long hair and beard to be immoral. Customs upheld by communities define the right and wrong practices, which at times can be oppressive. In such cases, customs are considered to be the baseline of moral beliefs in the society. In Germany, the Nazis were against the Jewish religion and the leaders decided to execute them (6). According to Nazis, this was the accepted way of eliminating the Jews, but was considered to be evil by the Americans due to different customs. Individual values are gotten from parents, teachers, religious leaders, and historical books. Children internalize values learnt from different sources and form a sense of good or bad. This leads to the differences in moral values between different cultures. Ancient customs or cultures have different moral values, which are learnt by the children and subsequent generations. The conscience of a human being is also a product of the moral life. Conscience helps individuals identify wrong acts depending on personal and society values contributed to by culture. An individual picks up several values during childhood and along his or her lifetime that give the definition of a good human being (7). Cer tain individuals may adapt different values from other people within the same community due to external influence. In Germany, some Nazis rebelled, held out, and fled from the mass execution of Jews by Hitler. According to them, execution was immoral though it was being practiced by their fellow Nazis. Moral values can be influenced by external cultures and one’s own values cease to be superior to that of others. The society defines the morally acceptable values, but individuals may change their values depending on the influence. However, every individual or society believes to hold the highest values irrespective of their nature. Holding certain values does not mean they are the overall good, but they influence a person’s view of the right and wrong practices. This makes moral values to be relative to the society and the upbringing of an individual (9). The religion also determines the values regarded by an individual as good or bad. Some people believe that God revea ls the truth to human beings, which also defines the good and the bad. This forces them to line up their values according to the religious revelations and form a point of judging others. This makes them believe their values to be absolutely right and can act as the standard goodness. Some individuals do not believe in Godly revelations, therefore, their values are based on culture (11). Different objective points provide different justifications of moral assessments.

Form post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Form post - Essay Example Felix awakens from his naà ¯ve reverie to a complete grasp of his harsh reality. Nandi serves as a metaphor for the painful but necessary process of remembrance (Vimeo 2:43). Butler differentiates gender from sex, which nowadays many do not agree with. Nandi take her position to survey the bloody land after the brutal massacre and destruction. She makes Felix who is a man in a foreign country aware of what is happening in his homeland. She thinks here as a man though a woman. Butler state that individuals build their culture upon people they meet, education and living condition experienced. Nandi works alone in the harsh environment and takes the part of men culturally not to let the memories fade away. On contrary, Staurt describes cultural study as relationship between different culture and politics theoretically. Kentrige studies the South African past political events. He starts from the brutal killings and mass destruction to when there is first election. This displays transformation though the memories were still there for remembrance. Nandi a woman used as the surveyor to help cover all visible evidence of the past, portrays

Exploration of the Mississippi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exploration of the Mississippi - Essay Example This made their population drop hugely after the Spaniards visit (Geoghegan 1). In 1564, the ruler of Spain got news that French colonists had started a settlement at Fort Caroline. Fort Caroline was part of Spains terrain in the New World. The Spaniards felt this as a direct threat to their land that they had claimed in North America. The Spanish ruler wasted no time, and he decided to send Pedro Menendez along with his private army to destroy the small French colony (Shea 23). The only defense the French had was a tiny fort which they had set up on the St. Johns River in Florida. The Spanish warriors, because of this, took only little time to wipe out the tiny colony (Shea 23). A few of the French people, however, managed to escape by sea. The tiny French colony of Fort Caroline lasted only a year. This was the beginning of the fight between Spain, Great Britain as well as France over the possession of the region that would form the Mississippi. Immediately after the destruction of Fort Caroline, the Spaniards set up Fort St. Augustine, in 1565 (Gilmary 56). A period of about 130 years from De Sotos trek went by with no further exploration of the Mississippi. In 1673, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, who were French explorers, traveled down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Arkansas River. The same trail took place nine years later by a different French explorer, Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Salle claimed all the land close to the river for France. He named that vast area as Louisiane. This translated to English is Louisiana. He gave it the name Louisiane in honor of his ruler, King Louis IV. The Mississippi River played a vital role in the settlement of this wilderness region. After Salle, French settlers started to arrive and build forts along the Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast is presently the stretch from Louisiana to Florida. It also includes the Surgeres

Questions to answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questions to answer - Essay Example This method fosters the chief motivation for reimbursing as setting up a more promising rate of interest over the period of the new issue. 3. Recognizing the difference on reimbursing is the same as the difference on other prompt terminations (Carmichael and Graham, 2010). Auditors argue that organizations should recognize this difference in income in the term of the termination. The third method makes practical sense since it is the only argument where an accountant records the whole difference when the particular agreement is extinguished. This process affects previous terms when the agreement was valid. However, the third method is the generally accepted one (FASB, 1972). This is because many accountants contend that the recognition of this difference might compel an organization to record returns by borrowing funds at high rates of interest to settle discounted, low-rate debts. I favor the first option because it takes into account equity categorization for a part of or the entire outstanding convertible debt issue. As a result, the first option is suitable for fiscal auditing and reporting from a tax point of view (Grant Thorton, 2013). Instruments with the features of both equity and liability categorizations are compound. The first option also qualifies as a requirement for the categorization of fiscal tools (Schneider et al., n.d.). FASB. (1972). APB 26: Early Extinguishment of Debt. FASB. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/cs/BlobServer?blobkey=id&blobnocache=true&blobwhere=117582 0898212&blobheader=application/pdf&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs Schneider, D. K., Schisler, D., Mccarthy, M. G., and Hagler, J. L. (n.d.). Equity Classification of Convertible Debt? Tax and Cash Flows Considerations. Journal of Applied Business Research, 11(4), pp.

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Case Study Example The handheld solution was a lot better than the laptop solution because of various reasons. First reason being that the time needed to boot the laptop, login to the VPN and access the information was same as that needed to call CSRs. This meant that salespersons would rather call the CSR than use their laptop. This was not the case with Smartphone, information was accessible in seconds. Second was the portability and simplicity factor of the Smartphone. It was lot easier to carry and simpler to use when compared to laptops. The other types of information, besides inventory, that the salesperson might like to have access to over their BlackBerry phones are customer database, product catalogue, price details, order status information, sales forecasts, sales targets, sales force route planning and navigations, internet, market research, etc. There are numerous security issues that arise when there is mobile access to private corporate information. The company’s confidential information can be now accessed by anybody who can get through the network. Crackers can easily break into networks if there aren’t strict security policies. This information can be used against the company in numerous ways. Apart from access to information various changes can be made to the network that can make a deep impact on the company. Barriers that exist in businesses that hamper the adoption of enterprise 2.0 are traditional business culture and the belief that social networking leads to generation of huge amounts of worthless data. According to traditional business culture the time spent on social networking sites eats from the actual productivity. The best way to make a case for the implementation of Enterprise 2.0 is to highlight the effectiveness in communication among different departments of the company. It makes it even more attractive if the company has an international presence. Also, the wrong notion that Enterprise 2.0 applications

My First Day in Mrsm Taiping Essay Example for Free

My First Day in Mrsm Taiping Essay My entire life change in a blink of an eye after I was accepted into MRSM. I was very happy and nervous. I never thought that I was accepted into MRSM Tiping because I’m apllying for MRSM Balik Pulau. I know nothing about this school. I knew that MRSM Taiping is a smart school after I step my legs here. I thought all MRSM are the same, the best. After the registration process settled, I went to check out my room. It was preety cool~ at that moment I started to feel full of grief as my parents would left me alone ? My dad and mom unpacked all my things. see more:paragraph on my first day at school Then, I secretly went to toilet and crying alone in the toilet without my parents knowledge~ Hahaha. That was so shameful when I thought about it again. I never told my parents about this. I cried a lot when I gave my parents goodbye. It took about half an hour for me to let my parents go. It was the hardest time for me as I’m very close to my family. I was being pampered by my dad and mom but that doesn’t mean I cannot managed myself. My dad said I have to leave my family because I want to success in my life. I would remember that words if I felt like I want to go back. After my parents leave, I went back to dorm and try to make friends. Then I have a conversation with Zai and we started being friend. I went to Dewan Selera for dinner. All the foods were nice. Eventhough it were not as good as my mom’s cooking, it’s still better than my former school food. It was seriously bad! Haha I think I was so cruel to say that words~ At first, I had a terrible homesick but all my friend can peace me up especially Zai and Afza. Thanks to them I still being here ? I think that’s all I can share with you guys. I hope I can perfome better here and prove to my friends that MRSM Taiping is the best.

Christian And Jewish Marriage Customs Religion Essay

Christian And Jewish Marriage Customs Religion Essay Christian weddings usually take place in a Church. Like weddings around the world, rituals and traditions of a Christian wedding can be divided into terms of pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding rituals. Friends and family members of the bride and bridegroom participate to add joy to the wedding celebrations. The basic set of rituals of a Christian wedding usually remains the same, regional variations can be observed as communities tend to be influenced by the tradition of land they are living in. Traditionally, a Christian bride wears a white gown in western style and the groom wears a suit. The brides head is covered with a white veil and a crown a tiara or a bunch of white flowers, and she holds a flower bouquet in her hand. Pre-Wedding and Wedding Rituals Bridal Shower-Bridal Shower is one of the major pre-wedding customs of a Christian Wedding. This is a fun-filled and entertaining informal hen party, which is hosted by the brides female friends. It is mainly a female get-together with songs, dance and joyful game sessions. Friends and relatives present gifts to the bride-to-be and give blessings for a happy married life. Following the tradition, the bride serves a pink cake to all present. Uniqueness of the cake is that there is a thimble hidden inside this cake. It is believed that a girl who receives the piece of cake with a thimble will be the next to get married. Bachelors Party-Bachelors Party is the opposite version of the Bridal Shower and is hosted by the groom for his friends. It is essentially a stag party organized on the eve of the wedding or a couple of days before the wedding where the groom is expected to enjoy his last evening as a bachelor. A Bachelors Party typically begins by raising a toast before the drinking begins in earnest. It is mostly celebrated to have fun and enjoyment with close friends. Welcoming The Bride-The ceremony of welcoming the bride is conducted on the day of the wedding. The groom sends a car to pick up the bride and waits for her outside the church. Following the tradition, when the bride arrives, the Best Man welcomes her with a kiss on either cheek and hands her a bouquet of flowers. Following this ritual, the couple walks down the aisle slowly and gracefully accompanied by the wedding procession. Inside the church, the couple walks up to the place where the priest stands for the wedding mass. The priest then welcomes them and offers his best wishes. The Wedding Mass-When everyone is seated, the priest begins the wedding mass with hymns and selected reading from the bible. The priest then delivers the homily, with an emphasis on the sanctity of marriage. The next most important ritual is the blessings and the exchange of wedding rings and marriage vows by the couple. The wedding rings are first blessed by the priest in belief that it there will be everlasting love and an earnest faith. A Christian Wedding ceremony comes to an end with the final blessings of the priest. Then towards the end, the guests shower their blessings on the newlywed couple. Finally, the newlywed couple signs the register and walks down the aisle arm in arm. Post-Wedding Reception-Reception is the most vibrant and sought after occasion organized after a Christian Wedding. As the newlywed couple enters a grand reception ceremony they are welcomed by all with a shower of confetti. Following the tradition, the happy couple also cut a wedding cake and feed each other a bite of the first slice. The Toastmaster proposes a toast in honor of the couple. The reception is mostly celebrated with dance and dinner party. Some people also arrange for a live band performance where everybody dances to the tune of the band. Jewish Marriage Customs In Jewish marriage customs, the betrothal is as binding as marriage. It can only be undone by divorce on proper groundssuch as the bride not being found a virgin. Next in the ceremonial order is the placement of the sealed cup of acceptance before the bride and groom as per the ancient Jewish Wedding custom during the betrothal ceremony. You will be surprised to know that the groom actually proposes to the bride during this ceremony! The groom is expected to pour out the wine from the cup for his bride and wait for her to drink it as a token of her love for him and acceptance of his marriage proposal. This cup is looked at as a blood covenant. If the bride drinks the wine, the celebration begins with the groom giving his gifts to the bride. The groom then leaves the bride to prepare the Chuppah. The bride promises to wait for him. In the interregnum between the betrothal and the wedding, the groom has certain jobs to complete. You may be surprised to know that the Chuppah or Huppah is to be prepared by the groom with his own hands. This is a canopy that is prepared by the groom at his home to receive his bride as per the dictates of the ancient Jewish marriage customs. It is also the honeymoon room in the grooms house, where the wedding is consummated. You will also note that it is symbolized by the chuppah or canopy under which the wedding ceremony is conducted. Significantly the groom is not allowed to lack on the quality of work in preparing this room or canopy. The preparations have to be approved by the grooms father before he can consider it ready for his bride. The groom, therefore, cannot declare with any certainty the date of his wedding. It is incumbent upon the approval of the Chuppah by his father. Consequently you will find that as per the Ancient Jewish marriage customs the groom must answer Only my father knows to any query regarding the date of his wedding. The bride spoken for or betrothed will spend the time between the betrothal and the wedding under a veil whenever she steps out of the house. The Nissuin or the Marriage The Jewish wedding ceremony is called the Nissuin. As we said above, you will note that the date will be fixed whenever the grooms father considers the Chuppah ready to receive the bride. This can happen at any time so in ancient Jewish marriage custom, the term Nissuin also refers to the abduction of the bride from the home of her father. Consequently the bride must be ready for her groom at all times after the betrothal ceremony. She must keep her lamp, her veil and other things she needs beside her bed. Her bridesmaids must also be ready with oil in their lamps. The groom needs to shout Shofar as he nears the house of the bride. The purpose is to warn the bride that the groom is coming to claim her and she must be ready to leave to her new home! As with wedding around the world, you will note that the bride and the groom are richly attired and crowned. They pledge themselves to eternal happiness. All guests are then invited to participate in the marriage feast. A Quaint Custom and Virginity of Bride The bride and the groom spend seven days continuously, in the honeymoon chamber prepared by the groom. The grooms best friend stands guard outside the chamber to receive the news that the marriage has been consummated and the proof of the first intercourse is to be testified to by the blood on the bed sheets. You may note that the ancient Jewish marriage customs dictate that blood on the sheets is an indication that the bride is a virgin and the marriage is pure. It is also a blood covenant that the bride and groom have been joined in marriage. The guests will continue the celebrations for seven days till the bride and groom emerge from the chamber. A final wedding supper is then held on the seventh day.