Banner depicts earthly life Essay

Artifacts which are found in burial shrines and in tombs are often rich with cultural and religious imagery. Not only are the types of artifacts which are selected to be enshrined within a given tomb of significance for inferring historical and cultural information, but the aesthetics evident in the individual items themselves can be studied in order to discover important cultural, religious, and historical information. Such is certainly the case regarding the silk funeral banner known as the â€Å"name banner† which was uncovered as part of the Mawangdui â€Å"tomb of the Marquisite. † This banner, which is shaped like a â€Å"T† depicts a Chinese astrological configuration of the cosmos (including the afterlife) which can be understood as being â€Å"current† in the Han Dynasty. The top of the â€Å"T† section of the banner shows ‘heaven† while the middle section of the banner depicts earthly life. One interesting aspect of the sectional representation is that certain figures travel through the sections. There are â€Å"angels† of heavenly entities who descend to carry Lady Dai to heaven. The images of the banner suggest a cosmos in constant motion, a dynamic â€Å"interdimensional† universe which is both physical and spiritual in nature. Also depicted on the silk banner are images if Lady Dai’s earthly family, who perform rituals for her safe-passage in the afterlife. The funeral banner indicates a culture which believed in both life-after-death adn in the efficacy of ritual and prayer. There is a graceful harmony present in the banner which suggests that Chinese culture at the time of the Han Dynasty had a vision of life and death which was â€Å"seamless† and that death was viewed as a continuation of life — and life as a â€Å"prelude† to death. Viewed this way, the banner is an uplifting and spiritually exalting work of art, one which offers a dramatically different view of life and death than is prevalent in the Western world.

Aproaches to learning †Theories of learning styles and learning strategies Essay

Kolb (1984), in introducing the idea of the experiential learning cycle and of learning styles, defines learning as the process whereby â€Å"knowledge is created through the transformation of expertise†. He suggests that ideas are not fixed but are formed and modified through current and past experiences. His learning cycle consists of four stages; completing each stage is important to improve learning in the next stage : Active Experimentation (The learner actively uses the theories formed and also tries them in new situations. The latter takes him back to the start of the cycle. ) – Concrete Experience (The learner is encouraged to become involved in new experiences. ) – Reflective Observation (The learner reflect on his experience from different perspective. Enough time and supportive feedback is helpful in this stage. ) – Abstract Conceptualisation (The learner forms ideas and logical theories. ) Of course, not everyone acts in the same way, some prefer considering all possible alternatives whilst others like trying out as much as possible. Hence, Kolb associated four learning styles with his learning cycle: the Converger, who applies ideas in a practical way, the Accommodator, who carries out plans and tasks involving him in new experiences, the Diverger, who has good imagination and ideas, and finally the Assimilator, who creates theoretical models. Kolb also points out that learning styles are not fixed personality traits but relatively stable patterns of behaviour. Based on Kolb’s model Honey and Mumford (1992) developed a similar model with new terms for Kolb’s learning preferences (Honey and Mumford terms in brackets): Active Experimentation (Activist) – Concrete Experience (Pragmatist) – Reflective Observation (Reflector) – Abstract Conceptualisation (Theorist) According to Honey and Mumford four learning styles can be distinguished: the Activist, the Pragmatist, the Reflector, and the Theorist: Activist’s strengths: – Acting quickly; interested in actually doing things – Putting ideas into action Activist’s weaknesses – Lack of planning and attention to detail – Unlikely to consider many alternatives Pragmatist’s strengths – Integrating theory and practice. – Testing things out to get correct solutions Pragmatist’s weaknesses – Lack of imagination – Impatient – Not interested in concepts and theories Reflector’s strengths: – Collecting data from variety of sources – Reflecting on experiences Reflector’s weaknesses: – Needs a lot of time before he is able to start – Dislike precise instructions Theorist’s strengths – Creating theoretical models – Paying attention to detail and systematic analysis Theorist’s weaknesses – Overcautious – Relies on logic and usually does not trust feelings – Needs a stated purpose. Honey and Mumford developed a Learning Styles Questionnaire to be used as a checklist to identify one’s learning preference. Kolb states the combination of all four learning forms produces the highest level of learning by allowing more powerful and adaptive forms of learning to emerge. But still, there is the danger of labelling people as ‘theorists’ or ‘pragmatists’ although most people exhibit more than one strong preference. To overcome this problem other theorists, e. g. Schmeck (1988) and Entwistle (1998), use the expression ‘learning strategy’ which also includes personal traits. According to them people can not be labelled because they usually react flexibly on learning, depending on the expected outcome: A student may read a book about the British history because he is actually interested in or because he needs to read it to pass an exam. Either way involves learning, but in the second case the student is unlikely to take notes about facts he is interested in but those the tutor may ask. Bibliography: Bendrey, M. et al (1996), Accounting and Finance in Business. London: Continuum. Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook. New York: Palgrave Macmillian. Entwistle, N. (1998) Styles of Learning and Teaching. London: David Fulton Publishers. Brown, R. and Hawksley, B. (1996) Learning skills, studying styles and profiling. Dinton: Mark Allen Publishing. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1992) The manual of learning styles, Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (2000) The learning styles helper’s guide. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd. Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Foundations of Human Development in the Social Environment Essay

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you examine the foundations of human development in the social environment. Address the following in your paper: Describe the interactions between the bio-psycho-social dimensions of development. Explain the concept of human diversity and cultural competence. Explain the connection between general systems theory and social order. The bio-psycho-social dimensions of human behavior are made up of biological, psychological and, social factors that explain human behavior. The biological dimension refers to the role of biological systems—meaning our bodies. The psychological dimension refers to the role of thoughts, emotion, and behavior on others. The social dimension refers to how individuals relate to various groups and institutions in society–and how groups and institutions relate to individuals, or classes of individuals. Social workers can understand a person’s behavior through subjective development. Viewing problems through a bio-psycho-social lens allows a social worker to help clients solve problems and learn coping skills through an understanding of behaviors and how biological, psychological and social aspects of ones life plays a role in behavior. When a Social worker has a better understanding of a client and the relationships in which the client is incorporated in, the social worker can set up a plan of action and the healing process can begin (Dale, Smith, Norlin,, Chess, ,2009).. The strengths perspective is a tool that helps aids in the understanding of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; diversity. Different segments of society interpret things such as hand motion, eye contact and, other non-verbal communications in different ways. When a social worker can become proficient in cross cultural interaction, they will be much better  able to help clients that are from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. This proficiency requires intense observation, superior listening skills, and a true desire to learn about different cultures, beliefs and traditions. The concept of human diversity can be described as a person or organization clearly understanding different cultures, languages, and beliefs of people and families from all around the world. Cultural competence can be described as skills, behaviors, attitudes, and policies implemented that assist social workers and organizations to efficiently deal with cross-cultural (socialworker.org, 2014). â€Å"Culture refers to integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups. ‘Competence’ implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities. (Minorityhealth.hhs.gov ,Adapted from Cross, 1989).† According to NAACP.org, cultural competence also focuses on population specific issues such as health related beliefs, cultural values, disease prevalence, and treatment efficiency. A culturally proficient social worker can make the difference in the success and failure of their clients. In the human service field when a social worker has an understanding of human diversity and cultural competence he or she can better understand clients from diverse backgrounds such as those with disabilities, the elderly, and the gay and lesbian community (NAACP.org, 2014). General systems theory is comparable to business and industry in the manner in which it is structured. In the business world, inputs are managed by organizational systems to produce outputs. In the field of social work, social workers use resources (inputs) to develop processes and procedures to produce services (outputs). Systems theory can help social work professionals comprehend how systems establish and the order of that social system. When explaining the connection between general systems theory and social order one must describe the two individually. General systems theory can be defined as components, which are in transaction and bounded. The components complement a system that functions within an environment. A component can be anything and exchanges are any relationship that exists between the components. A person is able to be aware of the boundaries  because it is what he or she can see, hear, feel, or sense. Social order is described as the demeanor in which a culture is organized and the standards that are required to manage the organization. Looking at what general systems theory and social order are separately one can see that both deal with groups and environments when working in human services both can work hand in hand when trying to find help and create goals for clients. The general systems theory is used in all aspects of social work, such as children and families, policymaking, and advocacy. Social order refers to a relatively stable system; institution, pattern of interactions, customs, and facts regarding society. To have a systems theory there must be social order. Without social order, one cannot determine the causes and factors within an environment that are causing a problem. Without social order we cannot provide proper treatment. Social order gives us a set of norms within a system. Without social order one cannot use systems theory (Mosby, 2009). In social services, bio-psycho-social dimensions, human diversity, cultural competence, general systems theory, and social order all work together to create a better environment for their clients, and enable social work professionals to better serve their clients. References Dale, O., Smith, R., Norlin, J., & Chess, W. (2009). Human behavior and the social environment: Social systems theory. (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon Zastrow, C., & Ashman, K. (1990). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (2nd ed.). Chicago: Nelson-Hall. Naacp.org, 2014

How To Tame a Wild Tongue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How To Tame a Wild Tongue - Essay Example In order to engage the reader with a topic and understanding, Anzaldua finds it necessary to fully utilize Aristotle’s three strategies of argumentation: ethos, logos, and pathos. As a function of this particular understanding, this brief analysis will seek to analyze and draw inference upon the way in which Anzaldua utilizes rhetoric as a means of proving the points that she illustrates within her essay. Within Aristotle’s definition of the word â€Å"ethos†, the understanding and importance of character and the means by which this character is related is ultimately the most important aspect. Likewise, in seeking to understand the rhetorical means by which Anzaldua utilizes ethos as a means of engaging the audience, the reader need look no further than the fact that she does so not by setting herself up as an exception to the norm but rather by exhibiting her personal story through the likely and believable lens that it is necessarily indicative of a broader hum an experience. Although Anzaldua places a strong level of focus upon the personal struggle and unique aspect of identity robbery that language is ultimately affected upon her, this close level of analysis does not preclude the means by which Anzaldua’s character is analogous to humanity in general. In such a way, the defaults that she displays within her argument is born not upon the shoulders of a hero that exhibits a hyper intellects or some other amazing attribute; rather, the strength of her rhetoric buys upon the foundation that it is exhibited within each and every individual. Similarly, with regards to the logos of Anzaldua’s claim, this is clearly exhibited with regards to the sociological and psychological aspects of culture and development that she references within the text. Although the main point of her essay is to underscore the importance that formative experience has upon identity creation, it is impossible to perform such a task without first seeking t o direct a level of analysis based upon the academic understandings of the terms in which she uses. This should not be understood to mean that Anzaldua relies heavily upon an academic interpretation of the experience which she had; rather, it merely illustrates the point that for argument is fully cognizant of the fact that the subject matter in which she attempts to grapple with is ultimately something that can be understood far outside the scope of personal experience. Finally, the last rhetorical approach that Anzaldua utilizes is with regards to pathos. Aristotle necessarily defines pathos as a means of rhetorical argument in which emotional appeal is utilized. It should be understood from a careful analysis of Anzaldua’s essay that this particular method of rhetorical argument perhaps utilize the most. Typically, arguments that are steeped in pathos have traditionally been understood as necessarily weaker. However, within the case of this particular essay, it must be und erstood that the utilization of pathos as a legitimate means of which workable argument is not misplaced nor is it overstated. This is of course due to the fact of the subject matter in which Anzaldua seeks to engage the reader with is naturally one which engenders a great deal of emotion and psychological trauma; both for the writer herself as well as countless other

Intercultural encounters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intercultural encounters - Assignment Example differently to such encounters of cultural difference for instance some people may accept such cultural difference, others may reject while other may make the adaption (Gert et al., 2002). Communication and lingo is one of the mainly common intercultural encounters that a person is likely to face in the world today. Smiling for example is a non-verbal gesture of communication use in the world. However, a smile is often misinterpreted because it has different meanings in different cultures. In the Angolan culture, for instance a smile is used as a friendly gesture of welcoming another person. A smile in Asian cultures may often be used to signify discomfort, confusion, or even embarrassment. In some cultures, a smile is only for family and friends for instance in Germany. A smile in the Middle East has a significant difference from other parts of the world especially a smile from a woman to a man. Such a smile may mean sexual attraction (Deardorff, 2009). Different cultures have different interpretation of a particular aspect of life. Smiling for instance is a communication gesture that may be applicable across the world. Nonetheless, different cultures apply and interpret a smile differently. It is therefore important for a person to understand cultural interpretation and meaning of different aspects otherwise a risk of misinterpretation is very likely. It is obvious that different cultures conflict in a number of ways for instance a smile from a woman to a man in the Garman culture may signify friendship while in the Middle East it signifies a completely different thing and that is sexual attraction (Gert et al.,2002). The conflict and culture is indeed applicable in the day-to-day encounters of an individual particularly with the aspect of globalization and the world becoming a global village. One of my life experience regarding conflict and cultural differences was in Japan. Japanese interpret a smile as a sign of discomfort or confusion while people from

IPv6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IPv6 - Essay Example The 32-bit addressing system employs packet switching to facilitate communication. IPv4 can thus be treated as an upgrade of IPV4, to improve the IP protocol system. There are a number of significant dereferences between the two protocols that will be essential in determining one’s choice for usage. Discussed below are the major differences: Address length- IPv4 is a 32 bit address while IPv6 is a 128 bit. This is the basic difference observable at a glance. These DNS names differ by a wide margin if compared by the number of addresses each can yield. In fact, to completely cover the IPv6 address, it is written in hexadecimal numbers as compared to IPv4 written in dotted decimal numbers. This forms of representation are all interpreted in form of binary numbers by the computers (Huitema, 1996). Packet header-generally, packet headers are always affixed at the start of Internet protocol addresses. It normally contains the address of the destination of a given packet. IPv4 has got packet headers only. This differs from IPv6 that has the header, although with more advanced functionalities. The header of IPv4 is 20 bits as compared to the 40 bits of IPv6. The advancement in the header allows addition of extension headers, a functionality not provided for by IPv4 computers (Huitema, 1996). Address resolution- the process of address resolution involves mapping of various IP addresses to the MAC address or rather, a link address. IPv4 employs the RFC 826. This is an Ethernet address resolution protocol. This resolution protocol has over the years exposed users to cyber threats because the protocol is within the link layer. IPv6 on the other hand makes use of Neighbor discovery Address resolution. Its protection is secured because the IPSec is employed to secure the connection in tunnel or transport mode (Amoss, & Minoli, 2008). Configuration- users of IPv4 have to ensure all configurations are done prior to internet usage. The IP address and routes

Discussion Summary-Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Summary- - Assignment Example Fellow classmates have provided a raft of examples and the corresponding lists of examples supporting each of the four proximity levels. Bishop Pearce provided the example of the Waterbrooke Assisted facility, located in Elizabeth City, NC. The facility provides personalized care including three meals and snacks a day, physician and psychiatric services. On environmental proximity, he identified each of the four levels drawing the work by (Sigh, 2010) to be the foundation on which he drew the four levels on proximity. The work drew a number of replies, most notably Kathleen, who wanted to know if the facility were next to hospital, would it have been a source of hindrance or help. Yvette De Leon, on the other hand cited the Arbors of Port Warwick Facility that is in Newport News, VA. The hospital provides 24 hours services to the residents, though only a meal day is provided. Just like the first contributor, Yvette cited (Singh, 2010), when updating the four Environmental Proximity Model. Kathleen Almeda, on the other hand, gave Dominion Village at Williamsburg that is owned by Five Star Senior Living. Â  Dominion Village offers assisted living, memory care, outpatient rehab services, and respite/short-term stays. Felisa Artis provided the example of the Consulate Health Care as the facility of choice, which specializes in post-acute care, operating 200 centers in 21 states. However, her focus is the one that is at Norfolk, VA. She explicitly provides the examples to match the four levels of proximity and a discussion ensues between the classmates and her. Jennifer Supples provides an example of a facility located 15 minutes from his place of residence, Willows at Meadow Branch which is part of the Consulate facilities. However, he does provide examples on the environmental proximity models. The level of services provided in the facilities were also different, for example, Paola Williams mentioned that Hopkins center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare,

Financial economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial economics - Essay Example Theories that have brought about pop assume that at some circumstances, it would cost exactly the same number of for exampleUs dollars to buy euros and then to use the proceeds to purchase the same basket as it would cost to use those US dollars directly in buying the market basket of goods. For example, a cake that sells for C$1.50 in Australian city should cost US$1.00 in a U.S. city when the exchange rate between Canada and the U.S. is 1.50 USD/CDN. (Both cakes cost US$1.00.) Therefore, the fundamental for PPP is the "law of one price". Consequently, on elimation or assumptiontransportation and other transaction costs, competitive markets will have same price for identical good in two countries, on expressing the prices of involved countries into the same currency. The concept and principle of purchasing power parity enables and aids in estimation of what the exchange rate between both currencies should be in order for the exchange to be the same with the purchasing capability of the currencies of the two countries. Thus, when a countrys domestic price level is increasing as it is in the case when it is experiencing inflation that countrys exchange rate must depreciated so as to stabilize the PPP. PPP exchange rates is significant in that it helps to avoid inaccurate and erroneous international comparisons that arise due to use of market exchange rates. A good example is when two countries output similar physical amounts of goods in two separate years. Due to adverse fluctuation in market exchange rates when the GDP of one country (measured in its own currency is converted to the other countrys currency using market exchange rates) one country can be deemed to have higher real GDP than the other country in one year but relatively lower in the other; both of these comparisons wouldmiss-reflect the reality of their relative levels of

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR (EXAM PREPARATION) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR (EXAM PREPARATION) - Essay Example Schouten and McAlexander (1995), in the work, try to explain that the responses of individual consumers can be explained by using what the term as the subcultures of consumption. The subcultures arise from the fact that people will tend to organize their lives along particular lines. The organizing process results in one making choices in their lives. The sub-groups can be defined as the authentic sub-units that can offer a self-reflection as to the relations of consumption. That is on the basis of the commitment that the people share in terms of the product, the brand or the activities being undertaken in the use circles. Other characteristics that may exist include unique jargons, rituals as well as the shared beliefs. The authors try to understand the consumers as well as the manner in which these consumers organize their various identities, as well as their lives. The most powerful organizing forces are the activities as well as the associated relationships. These interpersonal relationships are taken into consideration by people, and they make up a bigger percentage of the contributory factors towards consumer mannerisms. In trying to understand the fundamental alignments within the subcultures one would need to understand the ethnographic analyzes behind these groupings. Take for members club whereby on requires some subscription. Here there is a gathering of people with similar interests that have led to being together since they share the same mannerisms. For one to study the consumer behavior within this grouping, one would need to understand the overall structure of the subculture, as well as its ethos. The ethos represents the moral standing of the group as well as its values (Schouten and McAlexander, 1995). The grouping has some impact on the lives of the members since they are prescribed by an absolute code of conduct that distinguishes them from the rest, and that also aligns their consumption behaviors

Video games and time wasting Essay Example for Free

Video games and time wasting Essay There is a fine line between using your time to your advantage and one of which you’re on a couch watching the latest Hannah Montana episode. I plan on explain how you use video games to achieve that maximum goal. Many adults over the age of 40 don’t take the classic controller or the player seriously and from that you get the hate and criticism you see today. From here on out I will take you on an in-depth tour of the latest video games and how they apply to different subjects. Firstly, this is my thought in the matter; video games are not a waste of time. Video games help you relax, they are just for fun. What most people fail to see when they say things like, video games are a total waste of time is that they too have areas of their life which could be deemed pointless. They however do not see it this way. This is because whatever their time-waste is has something to offer that person. Do you like to watch movies? Few would say no, yet what have you gotten done after an hour and half of sitting in a chair, staring at a screen? Yet these same people can attack video games. True, there are those who play way too much, (I am not one of them), and there is a point where it becomes a problem. The fact is that every form of media has something you can glean from it. This includes movies, games, T. V, books, ect. Movies contain inspiration, Books and T. V contain knowledge, relaxation and humor. Games likewise contain a mixture of all of them, and throw in strategy and interactions to boot. Many people say they are a waste of time, but really they are about as much waste of time as say reading a magazine or a taking a walk in the park. You might not be accomplishing much, but it is entertainment. It’s Simple as that. Let me brief you up on the history at the start of the video game era. The first commercially available video game was Computer Space in 1971, which laid the foundation for a new entertainment industry in the late 1970s within the United States, Japan, and Europe. The arcade game industry entered its Golden Age in 1978 with the release of Space Invaders by Taito, a success that inspired dozens of manufacturers to enter the market. In 1979, Atari released Asteroids. Color arcade games became more popular in 1979 and 1980 with the arrival of titles such as Pac-Man. The Golden Age had a prevalence of arcade machines in shopping malls, traditional storefronts, restaurants and convenience stores. The first home console system was developed by Ralph Baer and his associates. The system was released in the USA in 1972 by Magnavox, called the Magnavox Odyssey. At the end of 1983, the industry experienced losses more severe than the 1977 crash. This was the crash of the video game industry, as well as the bankruptcy of several companies that produced North American home computers and video game consoles from late 1983 to early 1984. It brought an end to what is considered to be the second generation of console video gaming. Causes of the crash include the production of poorly designed games such as Custers Revenge, E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 that suffered due to extremely tight deadlines. It was discovered that more Pac-Man cartridges were manufactured than there were systems sold. In addition, so many E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial cartridges were left unsold that Atari allegedly buried thousands of cartridges in a landfill in New Mexico. The new decade (2010) has seen rising interest in the possibility of next generation consoles being developed in keeping with the traditional industry model of a five-year development cycle. However, in the industry there is believed to be a lack of desire for another race to produce such a console. Reasons for this include the challenge and massive expense of creating consoles that are graphically superior to the current generation, with Sony and Microsoft still looking to recoup development costs on its current consoles. The focus for new technologies is likely to shift onto motion-based peripherals, such as Microsofts Kinect and Sonys PlayStation Move. One new console is Nintendos new handheld: the successor to the Nintendo DS known as the Nintendo 3DS. The system is due for release by the end of the fiscal year (March 2011). The system will incorporate 3D graphics and effects without the need for using 3D glasses. Other features include three cameras (one internal and a dual 3D external set), a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and a Slide Pad that allows 360-degree analog input. Sony is also using 3D technology, with some PS3 games compatible with their 3D TV, the Sony Bravia, also using 3D glasses So you see video games have been around for a long time and I don’t see a point where the will become obsolete. Secondly, videogames have genres much like books. There are several different kind of genres. For example; Role-Playing, First Person Shooter or Third Person Shooter, Adventure, Puzzle, and Education, etc. are all genres of videogames. Many just provide fun and entertainment but they all provide learning one way or another. The learning comes from these topics; hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, teamwork, tactics, reflex improvement, vocabulary, cash management, multi-tasking, etc. A famous video game is Call of Duty. There are many different variations but it will always give you a little history lesson. Like in the 5th one; World at War, it puts you in the place of an American soldier in World War Two. There is also a softer side of videogames such as the Wii console. There are many videogames for the young gamers such as; Brothers Sesame St: Elmos A to Z Adventure for Nintendo Wii, Math Blaster for the Pc, Magic School bus, and plenty more. As a matter of fact I was walking down an isle at a Toys R Us and picked up a copy of World of Warcraft and a lot of younger kids recognized it. Videogames also have a lot of backstory in it. People get paid just to re-write history straight out of a textbook, script it, then code to where it’s a game that you can play. Burger King also released a videogame a while ago that came with the big kids’ meal. It consisted of some cheap coding and crappy graphics. Strategy Games have you devise methods to solve a goal which is working your mind, thus making you smarter. Same goes with puzzle games like Bejeweled. There are also games that can test your reflexes like that one app for the iPod touch. Of the topic of puzzle games there is one that can be played off of the screen and on a piece of paper. It’s called Sudoku. Sudoku is a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9? 9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3? 3 sub-grids that compose the grid. Many accomplished surgeons come from a video game background. The hand eye coordination practice they received from games is the reason they succeeded. Although gaming is a great past-time it also has some serious downfalls that you need to take into consideration. 1. An increased rate of aggression or violence because of the graphic content and violent images games. 2. A sedimentary lifestyle can result in childhood obesity. 3. Seizures or epilepsy. Those are the many side effects from gaming. Although those may seem serious, playing games for only an hour or two at a time is relatively healthy and stimulates brain activity. So if you read everything carefully you have come to understand that videogames are not a waste of time and are simply just a past time. Just imagine you could be improving your reflexes instead of catching up on the latest Oprah show. I hope this essay enlightened you.

Decrease Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

Decrease Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Patients on ventilator support are very prone to respiratory infections. These patients have no means or control over what enters their lungs or what does not. One prevalent infectious process that can occur in these patients is ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), and affects many patients every year who require ventilator support. Ventilator associated pneumonia is a form of pneumonia, a lung infection, which occurs in mechanically ventilated patients. It develops at least 48 hours or more after the ventilator is utilized (Powers, 2006). Ventilator associated pneumonia is caused by bacterial organisms entering the patients lower respiratory tract usually by aspiration of oral pharyngeal secretions. The bacteria colonize within the lungs causing immune response or infection to occur (Powers, 2006). The development of this infection can lead to a decline in the patients outcome and increased healthcare cost to the patient as well as the health care facility (Mori, 2006). With all t hese problems VAP can produce it is important to the patient as well as healthcare providers to be able to find ways to reduce the development of VAP cases in patients. The purpose of this paper is to determine if routine oral care can decrease the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. The picot question guiding this paper is what effect does routine oral care have on the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia rates in mechanically ventilated patients. Background and Significance Ventilator associated pneumonia is a serious infection affecting both the patient, healthcare facility, and staff. It is the second most common healthcare-acquired infection (Koening, 2006). Incidence of VAP is estimated as high as 65% and it occurs in up to 28% of patients who have been on the ventilator 48 hours or longer (Powers, 2006). The mortality rate associated with VAP ranges from 12-50% (Sona et al, 2009). Studies on the mortality rates of VAP also show that patients who develop VAP have a 2.2 to 4.3 times higher risk of death compared to other mechanically ventilated patients who do not have pneumonia (Powers, 2006). A couple affects that VAP has upon the patient and healthcare facility are time of hospitalization and healthcare costs. Ventilator associated pneumonia causes the length of a hospital stay to increase significantly. It can increase the hospitalization time anywhere from four to nineteen days longer (Powers, 2006). This extra hospitalization can cause additional stress for the patient and their health. As the incidence of VAP causes longer hospitalizations to occur, patient and health care facility costs climb also. It is estimated that the average increase in hospital costs is around $57,000 per VAP occurrence (Powers, 2006). There are also increases to the hospital that occur due to increases in supplies used, staff that is utilized, and more medications used. Since VAP has such a negative impact upon patients and healthcare facilities many interventions have been tried to prevent the incidence of VAP. One intervention utilized is keeping the head of the patients bed raised to at least thirty degrees to prevent aspiration of bacteria in secretions. Another is sedation vacations which consists of interrupting the patients sedation medication until patient shows signs of alertness, to assess if patients can be weaned off the ventilator more quickly. Other notable interventions that have been utilized in the past and some in todays practice as well include: suctioning secretions, good aseptic techniques such as hand washing, and oral care (Pruitt Jacobs, 2006). Patients are continually developing VAP and having complications from the infection. If it is found that routine oral care, defined as teeth brushing with the use of an oral antimicrobial within this paper, can reduce the incidence of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients it could decrease length of hospital stay, keep costs due to incidence of VAP down for both patient and healthcare institution, as well as decrease mortality rates in these patients. Clinical Question Ventilator associated pneumonia occurs way too often in the hospital setting. It causes significant stress on the patients already problematic health status. The writer of this paper has observed many nurses who are vigilant in providing oral care to ventilated patients, but has also observed other nurses who forego oral care as if it not important and has no affects upon the patients health. This made the writer question what the actual effectiveness of oral care has upon reducing the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. This issue is very relevant to nursing because the ultimate goal of a nurse is to help the patient have the best possible outcome. Trying to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient makes infection control is a very high priority for nurses. Patients who have infections are more prone to get other infections and require more nursing care and more time to recover from their illnesses. Although VAP will continue to occur in patients, and oral care is not a cure for ventilator associated pneumonia, there is valuable information included in research studies included within this paper that shows the incidence of VAP can be reduced in mechanically ventilated patients by implementing routine oral care. Empirical Review 1 The purpose of the first study, conducted by Sona et al, 2005 was to determine the effect of a routine oral care protocol upon incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. The research design was a quantitative, experiment, quasi-experimental study which utilized a non-equivalent control group before and after the design. The study had no conceptual framework stated by the researchers. Within the study, the variables of significance to the clinical question being looked at were the routine oral care protocol and the ventilator-associated pneumonia rates. The independent variable of new oral care protocol was defined as the mechanical cleansing of the teeth or gums to remove plaque with a tooth brush and the application of an oral antimicrobial. The study went on to further discuss the protocol as brushing the teeth for one to two minutes with a regular toothbrush and then applying .12% chlorahexidine to all oral surfaces every twelve hours. The dependent variable was the ventilator associated pneumonia rates. It was defined as a common hospital acquired infection and is the leading cause of death in ICU patients who are ventilator dependent. Ventilator associated pneumonia rates were measured using the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) criteria.The reliability nor the validity of this instrument was addressed within the study. Another variable that was studied was length of stay. This was just measured by the number of days that the patient spent within the ICU after a ventilator associated pneumonia infection occurred (Sona et al., 2009). This study took place at Barnes Jewish Hospital on a 24 bed intensive care unit (Sona et al., 2009). The study focused particularly on patients that were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) whom required mechanical ventilation. The subjects consisted of all patients who had mechanical ventilation between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2005. Subjects were chosen using non-probability convenience sampling. The pre-intervention was implemented for patients that were admitted between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2005. The size of this sample was 777 patients. The pre-intervention phase consisted of standard care the nurse provided to the patients, no changes were provided during this time; only observation took place. One month before the end of the pre-intervention phase all nursing staff working on the SICU were debriefed and educated on the aims of the study as well as the new routine oral care protocol by two clinical nurse specialists and a nurse educator. This was to help pre vent discrepancies in the intervention. During the post intervention phase of the study which took place between June 2004 until May 2005 the sample size consisted of 871 patients who were all nil per os (NPO) (Sona et al., 2009) On June 1, 2004 the new routine oral care protocol was implemented (Sona et al., 2009). The intervention/protocol consisted of the nurse brushing the teeth of the patient for one to two minutes with a regular toothbrush, rinsing the mouth with water and suctioning it out, and then using 15 mL of .12% chlorahexidine to cleanse the mouth. The intervention was repeated every 12 hours by the registered nursing staff. Compliance of the protocol was estimated to be around 90% and the implementation was carried out for 12 months before results were analyzed(Sona et al., 2009). For this study the level of significance was expressed using p-values. A p value of less than .05 was considered significant (Sona et al., 2009). For the data analysis, two statistical tests were used: The Mantel-Haesnel Chi Squared . After the analysis of data, it was determined that p=.04 showing that the routine oral care protocol did cause a significant reduction in the ventilator-associated pneumonia rates within the subjects studied. The pre-intervention rate for VAP was 5.2 infection per 1000 ventilator days while post-intervention rate for VAP showed 2.4 infections per 1000 ventilator days (Sona et al., 2009). Other statistics for the study showed the patients number of days the patient was on ventilator was decreased(Sona et al., 2009). From the statistical analysis within the study, the researchers derived certain findings and conclusions (Sona et al., 2009). One of the findings was that the post intervention group had trends toward shorter time on the ventilator, as well as length of hospital stay. The main finding within the study found that when the routine oral care protocol was being utilized, the rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia were significantly decreased. The researcher makes it a point to state that although the finding suggests that the implementation of the protocol reduces rate of VAP this cannot be proven (Sona et al., 2009). This study is a nonrandomized controlled trial. The quality of this evidence was convincing and significant. It was a consistent study and it is considered to be of Level II quality. Certain extraneous variables that could have had an effect upon the outcome of the study, as identified by the student, could have been the condition the patient was in before the ICU admission, any pre-existing conditions that could alter health and increase the risk of infection, and the nurses attitude toward performing oral care. Although the study was a strong and consistent one, it did have both strengths and weaknesses. There were no strengths identified by the researchers. However, the student did identify some strengths within this study. One of the first strengths was the education that was given to the nursing staff prior to the implementation of the protocol. This helped the study to be more valid by increasing the continuity of the care and way the nurses performed the protocol. The other strength of the study was the design being a quasi-experimental. This is because quasi-experimental studies usually can be generalized to the population that is being studied. Weaknesses that were addressed within the study by the researchers was that the researchers themselves did not evaluate the teeth brushing portion of the intervention to make sure that the nurses were being consistent in the way they did it, and if the nurses performed it for the correct amount of time (Sona et al., 2009). This resulted in the lack of control over nursing techniques. Another weakness of the study recognized by the researcher was the study did not take into account the change in the patient population over the duration of the study (Sona et al., 2009). Some weaknesses the student identified within this study was that the study was very susceptible to bias because no blinding or masking was used within this study. Everyone knew what was occurring and this could have had the researchers looking as if the intervention helped more than it actually did. Within the study the researcher did not address if the study could be generalized. However, the writer of the paper believes that this study can be generalized. The intervention is a very simple one. Most cultures have no problems with utilizing oral care. Also, most hospitals have intensive care units and/or ventilator dependent patients which were the population within the study. This intervention within the study does not have a lot of risks. The only risks mentioned were possible tooth staining from the antimicrobial and poor taste (Sona et al., 2009). Also, this intervention is very feasible. To implement oral care there is no special training needed, although education should be provided. The oral care routine is a relatively quick intervention that takes no more than 5 minutes to implement, which would allow nurses with busy schedules to still be able to perform the intervention. Also, this intervention is very low cost compared to the cost of ventilator associated pneumonia c ases. Therefore, the cost-benefit ratio would be a great benefit to health-care facilities. This study suggests that oral care can be very effective in decreasing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia rates. Although a very valid study, one study is not enough evidence to implement a new protocol into a nurses practice. One must look for more studies and literature to support the finding in order to attempt to implement it into practice. The next study that was appraised by the writer of this paper seems to support the findings that were found in this study. Empirical Review 2 The next study examined by the writer of this paper was a research study conducted by Mori et al.,2005. The purpose of the study was to determine if oral care of mechanically ventilated patients contributed to the prevention and reduction of the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia (Mori et al., 2005). The research design utilized for this study was a quantitative, experimental, quasi-experimental which used a non-equivalent before and after approach. Within the study the researcher did not state any theoretical framework to guide the study. The study was not randomized, and used a non-probability convenience sample method (Mori et al., 2005). The research study took place on a medical/surgical intensive care unit in an urban university hospital which was not named by the researcher (Mori et al., 2005). The population of interest was ventilator dependent patients with tracheal intubation. Since subjects were chosen by convenience sampling, they were chosen as they became available on the unit. Inclusion criteria for subjects were that they must have been receiving mechanical ventilation and have tracheal intubation. Exclusion criteria for the study were patients whose conditions contraindicated oral care, patients with severe bleeding tendencies, or patients with iodine allergies. The sample for the oral care group was patients admitted to the intensive care unit between January 1997 and December 2002, and consisted of 1,248 patients. The sample for the non-oral care group, or the control, was patients admitted during January of 1995 until December of 1996; this sample size was 414 subjects (Mori et al., 2005) For this study, the independent variable was the oral care being delivered (Mori et al., 2005). This variable was defined as cleansing of the oral cavity three times a day by nursing employees following the specified new protocol. The protocol was that the nurse would check the patients vital signs and then do oral suctioning, followed by positioning the patients head to the side to prevent asphyxiation and determine the condition of the oral mucosa. After this the nurse would clean the mouth with a 20-fold diluted solution of providone-iodine gargle (antimicrobial). Then the use of a standard toothbrush was used to brush the teeth; the patients mouth was rinsed with water. Directly following the brushing and rinsing, the providone-iodine was utilized again by swabbing the mouth and teeth. Finally, oral suctioning was done one final time. The dependent variable in the study was the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia. This variable was defined as a hospital-acquired pneumoni a that becomes present after 48 hours of the patient being mechanically ventilated. Ventilator associated pneumonia was suspected if patch infiltrates were present upon the patients chest x-ray and two of the following were present: a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, white blood cell count of 10,000 m3 or higher, or purulent respiratory secretions were observed. A definite diagnosis of ventilator associated pneumonia, which was used for evidence of the incidence in this study, was determined by trancheobronchial secretion cultures showing a result of 1+ or more. Other variables were duration of hospitalization defined as length of stay measured by the number of days and the causative agent of the pneumonia identified by bacterial cultures (Mori et al., 2005). Reliability and Validity of the cultures and radiography used to measure if ventilator associated pneumonia was present and causative agent were not addressed within the study by the researcher, so the validity is unkno wn.

Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus :: Dharma Bums Essays

Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   From its beginning, the literature of the 1960s valued man having a close relationship with nature. Jack Kerouac shows us the ideal form of this relationship in the story of Han Shan, the Chinese poet. At first, these concerns appear to have little relevance to Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth. However, by mentioning Gauguin, Roth gives us a view of man's ideal relationship to nature very similar to the one seen in the story of Han Shan. The stories of Han Shan and Gauguin offer an interesting commentary Neil and Brenda's relationship, as well as insight into its collapse.    From the beginning, 60s literature advocated that man have a close relationship with nature. This is easily seen in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. In this book, he repeatedly invokes the names of older writers concerned with living a life in harmony with nature. By mentioning such writers as Muir, Thoreau, and Whitman, Kerouac makes a statement about man and nature. The behavior of the characters in the book is in keeping with this environmentalist message. The high points of the book are characterized by a nearness to nature. A good example of this is when Ray and Japhy climb the Matterhorn. The fact that Kerouac peoples his book with characters inspired by people important to the Sixties, such as Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsburg, helps tie these environmental concerns to the decade as a whole.    The most direct example of what Kerouac feels is the ideal relation between man and nature is the story of Han Shan. We are told that Shan is Japhy's hero because he "was a man of solitude who could take off by himself and live purely and true to himself"(Kerouac, The Dharma Bums, 22). By escaping society and living close to nature, he was able to live his life the way the was supposed to. If he had remained in a society in conflict with nature, he would have been twisted and distorted, unable to obtain his true shape. Both Ray and Japhy see reflections of Han Shan in each other.    At first glance, there seems to be little in common between these environmental concerns and Goodbye, Columbus. Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus :: Dharma Bums Essays Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   From its beginning, the literature of the 1960s valued man having a close relationship with nature. Jack Kerouac shows us the ideal form of this relationship in the story of Han Shan, the Chinese poet. At first, these concerns appear to have little relevance to Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth. However, by mentioning Gauguin, Roth gives us a view of man's ideal relationship to nature very similar to the one seen in the story of Han Shan. The stories of Han Shan and Gauguin offer an interesting commentary Neil and Brenda's relationship, as well as insight into its collapse.    From the beginning, 60s literature advocated that man have a close relationship with nature. This is easily seen in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. In this book, he repeatedly invokes the names of older writers concerned with living a life in harmony with nature. By mentioning such writers as Muir, Thoreau, and Whitman, Kerouac makes a statement about man and nature. The behavior of the characters in the book is in keeping with this environmentalist message. The high points of the book are characterized by a nearness to nature. A good example of this is when Ray and Japhy climb the Matterhorn. The fact that Kerouac peoples his book with characters inspired by people important to the Sixties, such as Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsburg, helps tie these environmental concerns to the decade as a whole.    The most direct example of what Kerouac feels is the ideal relation between man and nature is the story of Han Shan. We are told that Shan is Japhy's hero because he "was a man of solitude who could take off by himself and live purely and true to himself"(Kerouac, The Dharma Bums, 22). By escaping society and living close to nature, he was able to live his life the way the was supposed to. If he had remained in a society in conflict with nature, he would have been twisted and distorted, unable to obtain his true shape. Both Ray and Japhy see reflections of Han Shan in each other.    At first glance, there seems to be little in common between these environmental concerns and Goodbye, Columbus.

Civil Disobedience Martin Luther King David Thoreau LA riot Essay

Civil Disobedience On April 29, 1992, the City of Los Angeles was surrounded in a riot in response to the "not guilty" verdicts in the trial of four white Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers accused of unlawfully beating Rodney King. Six days later, when the fires were finally extinguished and the smoke had cleared, â€Å"estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion, 54 people had been killed, more than 2000 injured, in excess of 800 structures were burned, and about 10,000 people were arrested.†(Khalifah 89) The 1992 riots in the City of Los Angeles were arguably the most devastating civil disturbance in the history of the United States. Anyone can say that a law is unfair and unjust. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against this law? Is breaking this law really worth the punishment? The government is the one to decide whether a law is reasonable, but what if a member of the public believes that a law is not? Should he rebel against this law? Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. answered yes to this question and believed that one should speak out against an injustice. They both believed that government had many flaws. They shared many beliefs in the same subjects concerning Civil Disobedience but had many different views on how the government should work and how the citizen should be treated by society. Civil disobedience can turn into civil disturbance. When a white truck driver, Reginald Denny, was dragged from his vehicle and severely beaten by an angry mob. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Thoreau believed that one should act out against an unjust law by means of peaceful protest. Therefore both King and Thoreau would not support the rebels’ violent behavior of the LA riots. If one is going to openly express his ideas of disagreeing with an unjust law, he must be willing to accept the consequences. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Thoreau demonstrated this acceptance of consequences by going to jail without repercussion. This shows that they truly believed in the eradication of such a law that forces them to do something that they do not want to do. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for gathering with others to protest peacefully, which the police claimed was unlawful, because they were parading without a permit. Martin Luther King Jr. peacefully went ... ...or not paying taxes. Martin Luther King serves a sentence, which is usually longer than a day, for a peaceful protest. Not paying taxes seems a lot more incriminating than having a peaceful gathering. However, the laws have changed considerably since the time of Thoreau. Despite this, there still was a double standard that people of different races had to deal with. The answer to the question whether one should disobey an unjust law is yes. One should stand up for what he believes in, and not have anyone else dictate to him what is right or wrong by passing unjust laws. â€Å"According to the U.S. Constitution, one has the right of free speech; the ability to speak out against a law that he believes is morally unjust.†(____) People should not be treated differently because of their race, color, or beliefs. Laws should not be passed that impose bad intentions upon certain groups. In conclusion, King and Thoreau believe one should have the right to question their authority if the authority has passed an immorally just law. The way looters questioned the injustice has gone overboard, affecting the lives of innocence is not what King and Thoreau believed in terms of civil disobedience.

Spinal Cord Injury Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Spinal Cord Injury Spinal cord injury is a serious problem that effects close to 250,000 people in the United States with 10,000 people being injured per year . There are many things that can lead to spinal cord injury, including athletic injuries, car accidents, and recreational activities like swimming and biking. It primarily effects those between the ages of 16 and 30 and drastically effects the rest of their lives. It is a very debilitating injury that requires extensive medical care, often leaves the patients in a great deal of pain for the rest of their lives(2), and the treatment of which costs $10 billion dollars a year in the US.(facts from site 1) With all of these factors spurring research on there is a strong drive to find a cure for such a devastating injury. Spinal cord injuries can happen anywhere along the spinal cord, but the exact location of the trauma determines the effects that the injury will have. Injuries in the lower back, between the Sacrum(S1-S5) and Lumbar(L1-L5) vertebrae mainly effect the legs. Breaks in the Thoracic(T1-T12) vertebrae, located in the middle of the back, effect the torso and portions of the arms. While injuries in the spine above the shoulder blades, the Cervical(C1-C8) vertebrae, effect not only movement in the neck, but functions such as breathing, speaking, and eating. In the past, some functions have been able to be regained by some individuals, but after the initial recovery period most people see little improvement over the course of their lives. The main reason for such a poor recovery is that the nerve cells in the spinal cord do not regenerate on their own. Once the spinal cord develops, two things keep it from growing. One of which is an inhibitor protein and the ... ...en very bleak in the past, major hurdles have been overcome and science is now working on a way to help people recover from their injuries instead of teaching them how to live with them. Web Sites used in this Paper (1) Welcome to the American Paralysis Association - APACURE.COM http://www.apacure.com/mainfram.html -This site contains a short video on axon degeneration and an animated illustrations on the process of death and regeneration in nerve cells. (2) Theories on the Effects of Acupuncture on the Nervous System Emma Christensen, [deals with concepts of pain] http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Christensen.html (3) Spinal Cord Injury - - Research Highlights http://www.nin ds.nih.gov/healinfo/disorder/sci/scispec.htm (4) Spinal Cord Injury Center http://www.med.nyu.edu/clnre s95/spincord.htm

Bp Corporate Strategy

This model presents a strategy framework built over variables like surrounding political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects, which actually shape the initiatives ND decisions of any organization In the global market. As far as global oil industry Is concerned; It Is more adequate to state that since offs, the entire Industry Is facing an economic slump due to unsuccessful exploration results faced by all the major oil and gas companies.Furthermore, incidents and naturally occurring accidents (along with their respective costs of elimination) are causing extra damages to this industry which produces one of the biggest daily consumption commodities – oil.. This reflects the significance of product this industry Is producing and providing globally. In this regard, The PESTLE analysis for this particular Industry (with respect to BP) suggests that: 1. The global oil industry has become increasingly politicized in the recent years.More specifically, with the critical position of Middle East and other major oil producing regions, the global investments have increased into the areas of alternative energy sources, suggesting a close figure of USED 336. Bib In the last financial year. And expected to rise up to USED 653. Bib (Perl, 2009). BP has been moving with the trend, and also putting heavy investments in the area of alternative energy. Therefore, with the increase of volatile elements in the Middle East, oil giants including BP are looking for other alternatives to secure their respective businesses. 2.According to Manning (2010) and Arenas (2010) the current financial year has shown an Increase in oil demands, leading towards Increase In petroleum prices. This Increased demand and supply has profited the BP Pl with E. B only In the first quarter of 2010. Further, the dependence of countries' economies on OLL Imports Is also found increasing (extracted from the fact that decrease in the price of dollar increased the global oi l prices) which is an indication that economic factor for companies like BP is always promising, even amid the consequences like Deep Water Horizon (Madame, 2010). . The global oil industry is getting much more criticized (and as a result, regularities) due to increasing concerns of global warming and production of carbon doodle In the environment. For this reason, OLL Industry giants including BP have shifted their focus on exploiting more and more natural resources in order to produce alternative energy from wind, water, sunlight, etc. This shifting is also a result from global media campaign against oil hazards and their other byproducts.As a result, the social aspect of global oil industry is much more worsened in the past few years. 4. With the decreasing resources of global oil and Increasing demands from around the globe, BP along with other OLL giants have been putting much more Investments Into proactively Increasing techniques Walt ten Nell of technology induction. Further more, the recent incident in the Gulf of Mexico has led the technology giant to spend times more in the technology driven safety and regulatory procedures.A reflection of this can be given by BSP recent initiatives like Local and Bridgewater, which are both productivity increasing initiatives led by technology which ensures secure and environment friendly way of operations. 5. This particular aspect has been most challenging for oil producing companies (including BP), which are obliged to reduce their carbon emission rates by 80% by the year 2020. This indicates that BP and other oil giants are under great pressure from external forces to shift their focus mainly from oil and its production. B.Internal Environment Analysis (BP): The internal environment analysis of an organization is a multi-dimensional aspect of business management studies. Internal environment of an organization refers to the culture it pertains, its financial status, its employee relationship with each other and behavior towards business, its strategic approaches, management philosophy and approaches, etc. An analysis of such an environment is never considered to be generalized in its nature, but only taken as a mere reflection of current organizational standing and strength.In this regard, an appropriate tool of analysis is SOOT strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats): SOOT analysis tool was developed in early sass's to evaluate any organization's standing and position as compared to its competitors in the market. This type of analysis is preferred for succinct internal environment analysis (along with the consideration of facts) since its two elements I. E. Key strengths and weaknesses determine an organization's reflection in a succinct, summarized, and neutral manner.Following is the brief presentation of SOOT analysis (based on current facts) for oil industry giant BP Pl: 1 . Strengths: Strong market position. * Increased global production from last financial year. * Increase d product (oil) refinement availability. * Sustained momentum and business growth. * Increased intangible/tangible assets. * Success in exploration projects. 2. Weaknesses: * Inefficient risk management practices (losses in thunder horse project). Decreased revenue and profits as compared to last year. * Decreased workforce as compared to last year. * Increased liabilities as compared to last year. * Decreased business goodwill. 3. Opportunities: * Globally sustained oil demands. New exploration initiatives in countries like Iraq, Indonesia, Pakistan & Jordan. B NT water Ana Local. * Increased demand for LONG (liquefied natural gas) in global market. * Penetration into Chinese oil market through Joint venture with Since. 4.Threats: * Increased global natural disasters. * Decreasing earnings per share trend. * Decreasing market image. * Increasing costs in drilling safety operations. * Global initiatives for replacement of energy sources. C. The strategic options available to the oil company and what they need to follow o remain competitive Market development is used to imply to a strategy of growth in which case oil company BP will attempt to sell the products that already exist in the new Mexico market.The achievement of this strategy is based on the adoption of different ways namely: * Exploration of new geographical markets such as exporting of the products of the company to new countries * Establishment of new dimensions of products * Establishment of new channels of distribution * Adoption of new policies of pricing for the purpose of attracting divergent customers in an attempt of creating new segments of the market.The BP Company has striver to expand the capacity of production through the improvement of its rig equipments in addition to the level of technology coupled with expansions to other countries (Bag, 2007). Diversification Diversification in Oil Company BP is a growth strategy dealing with the marketing of new products in the new Mexico markets and the company will face a lot of challenges in the process of diversification because of lack of sufficient experience in the process of achieving diversification.Oil Company BP therefore needs ideas of expectations and assessing the potential risks that are associated with the undertaking. The strategy taken in oil company BP involves the formation of Joint ventures in the countries dealing with the production and marketing of oils as well as bio-fuels aiming at the improvement of the production capacity coupled with gaining an access in to the non-traditional markets dealing with energy.The company has also initiated an independent business that specifically deals with alternative renewable energy forms that are called the BP Alternative (Insofar, 2007). Entry Strategies Bp Global will use several strategies, which vary in aggressiveness, risk, and the mount of control that the firm is able to uphold when entering this new market. They include the following: Exporting which is a low risk policy in which few investments are going to be made Mexico.Bp global should look for an importer to do a trade of marketing because it may be more difficult for the firm to enter on its own later if it decides that larger profits can be made within the country. Licensing and franchising where by Bp global should allow someone else to use its trademarks and accrue expertise. The associate puts up the money and assumes the risk. Bp lobar should use familiarity and expertise it has gained in one or more markets to provide a working project.It can use help of investments already made in technology Ana expansion Ana snouts De addle to receive netter pronto since tense Investments do not have to be started from scratch again. Bp global should agree to administer a facility in Mexico, using knowledge gained in other markets. It should be able to transmit technology be able to work in Mexico with a different infrastructure, culture, and political environment. Direct entry strate gies where by the Bp either acquires a rim or builds process involve the chief exposure, and has opportunities for profits.The firm gains more knowledge about the Mexico market and maintains greater control, and gains enormous investment All Bp products for example the solar products have some service constituent which include a warranty, documentation, and distribution, this service section is an integral part of the product and its positioning. Therefore, it may be more useful to look at the product-service field as one between very low and very elevated levels of tangibility of the service. Pressures that can be faced by Bp global in Mexican market:Resource boundaries: * core instigate teams can rapidly be assembled, and specialist expansion can be done progressively, creating a large resource gap during the implementation phase Monetary pressure: * as financial targets and expectations can be set prior to launch, any unpredicted market activity and instigate delays can disturb i nitial customer take-up and revenue generation Time restriction: * rapid use can be crucial to avoid increase in market share cost and to deliver predicted financial results Market Segmentation To segment customer goods and service markets, Bp global will use market information that has collected based on definite key customer-, product-, or situation- related criteria. These are classified as segmentation basis and include profile; behavioral (where, when, and how does my market behave? ); and psychological criteria (. Why does my market behave that way? ). The demographic basis implies that differences in causes for buying, in brand choice influences, in occurrence of use, or in susceptibility will be reflected in differences in age, sex, income, and geographical location.The Mexican Market should be inspected for vital differences in buyer attitudes, usage patterns, motivations, values, aesthetic preferences, or degree of susceptibility. These may not have demographic correlative s. Bp global must never suppose in advance that it knows the best way of looking at a market. All habits of segmenting markets must be considered, and then Bp global must choose out of the various methods available the ones that have the most imperative implications for action (Steel, 2004). Having determined the more general segmentation characteristics BP GLOBAL should analyze the Mexico market through the following of ways: Size – employees, revenues, locations Based on volume gallants resources snouts give greater value, Ana teen ten target should be the larger ventures.Job position BP GLOBAL will be offerings positions ranging from managers and cleaning agents for Time related factors Some services in this category are vacation related industries in summer and tax planners in the spring. Language An example off language specific service is a Mexican TV channel. Status in the industry BP GLOBAL can target businesses that are the technology leader or revenue. Accessibility To minimize promotion and sales expense BP GLOBAL can to target urban rather Han rural or local rather than nationwide prospects. Ability to make a quick purchase decision of its products. By targeting individual purchasers versus business committees can considerably reduce BP GLOBAL marketing expense and increase the probability of a quick close in the Mexican market (Palinode, 2008).

Differences in People’s Perception of Reality in the Context of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

The inadequacy of humans' ability to discern what is real amid complex situations is a factor that forces people to have different meanings and views on all things existing. Heightened by people's internal and external conflicts, the different perspectives of reality are proven to be an unconquerable source of conflict in the society. The differences in people's perception of reality transcend beyond the definition of a systemic psycho-social problem because such differences include opposing value systems, institutionalized beliefs, social ethical codes and the omnipresent patriarchal ideology in the socieities.Such differences are all seen in gender issues as men have their own vision of reality built with their ethical and moral constructs in which women are of inferior status. One insightful literature that exposes the differences in people's perception of reality as a major source of conflict is the book titled A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams. This book is a reflection of how patriarchy remains dominant in the struggle against people's incapacity to discern what is real. This book reveals the uncertainty of destiny and failure to cope with complex situations.The female characters in the story, Blanche and Stella are passionate women who are controlled by their external and internal conflicts. These conflicts overshadow their strong desire for love and freedom making them vulnerable and susceptible to harsh attacks from the patriarchal society. The external conflicts that overpower the life of Blanche are a valuable factors that give great contradictions to her. Economic background is one external conflict inherent in the character of Blanche. Even though she has noble features embedded in her personality, and a lofty social background, her destiny is doomed from the very beginning.This is because she is ignorant about how complex and cruel life can be amid wealth and luxury. As Belle Reve, the family mansion has been traded in exchang e for the epic fornications of their grandfathers, uncles, and their father, Blanche goes to Stella's refuge to start a new life but is failed to do so (Tennessee 2004). Her shift from high social status becomes her external conflict that weakens her against the male characters, the domineering Stanley and Mitch. She lives under the pressure of a failed status and failed marriage and the social rules in which Stanley is the tyrant.Living with Stella, Blanche fails to see the â€Å"reality† of the world that contrasts with her beautiful and luxurious dreams. Blanche fails to overcome the cruelity of the real world because she has covered her eyes with horror, uneasiness, revenge and frustration. She never find a way to face the truth head on and all the she does is to take a detour and away from the world that she does not expect. The inner conflict existing in Blanche include her sexual involvement with strangers as the embodiment of her irrational indulgence for sex and cari ng for a lonely heart.The satisfactions of her desire has been the main context of her living and she will take no initiatives to suppress it. She makes her own reality by committing to take her passion to life while neglecting ethical standards and moral values. Her untamed tongue is a reflection that she would not take any negation and considerations when it comes to her desire. As for Stella, she fails to see the cruelty of her husband because her eyes are pointed only to one direction and one belief: that her man cannot do such a thing because of love and commitment. Stella's external conflict is her marriage to her husband.She cannot face the harsh truth because she defines her marriage as fidelity and righteousness alone. She is blinded by her love and cannot see the several dimensions surrounding marriage such as lust. Another conflict in Stella's character is her economic role of making her own living (Tennessee 2004). Stella is so consumed with making money and establishing her own life that she forgets to be sensitive to the needs of her significant others. All that she cares for is her marriage and moneymaking. Stella's one vision of reality reflects a peaceful and successful marriage with Stanley whom she loves most and loves her faithfully in return.Her reality is built within the constructs of society's ethical and moral standards. Her whole life is controlled by fantasy to which she creates an unbreakable bond. The male characters in the story Mitch and Stanley represent life's antagonistic feature that human beings tend to negate or consider as unreal. As the antagonists, they are the object of the assumption that conflicts arise when humans fail to recognize cruelty as part of llife's reality. The imperfection of the two characters substantiate the fact that Stella and Blanche are blinded by their illusions, fantasies and fulfillment of their desires.Stanley and Mitch bring the illusion of the female characters into fierce confrontation with t he cruel reality. Mitch and Stanley also represent the dominance of patriarchy in conflicts. They have the edge in the conflict because they fulfill the illusion and dreams of Stella and Blanche while at the same time make up the cruel reality of the female characters' lives. Mitch and Stanley are the unconquerable force that lead to the external and internal conflicts of the female characters. Stella and Blanche tend to establish that men are solely owned by their worlds of dreams instead of considering them as objects of life's reality.The differences in people's perceptions of reality are determined by their external and internal conflicts. These differences create an outwardly conflict that may destroy personal relationships. Such differences arise when people focus on only one aspect or dimension of life instead of creating a holistic picture of life's reality. The external and internal conflicts lead to such differences and bring constant suffering. The male antagonists symbol ize tension and cruelty which are all part of life that tend to crush people emotionally and physically.

“How does Alfred Hitchcock explore the duality of human nature in the film Psycho?” Essay

Alfred Hitchcock uses many ways to explore the duality of human nature in his films, especially in the 1960 horror thriller Psycho. The duality of human nature represents our inner self, aspects that are mainly opposites, the light showing good, the dark showing evil, the natural and the unnatural, are just some examples of human nature. Hitchcock explored the duality of human nature using ways such as lighting, dialogue, camera angles, music, comparing and contrasting what different characters would do when facing the same problem and individuation. According to Carl Jung, individuation is when a person confronts they inner side (usually the dark, negative and evil side). He believed that successful individuation meant that a person not only confronted their dark side, but conquered it as well and that people needed to recognise and confront the negative aspects of their personality or their â€Å"dark† side would destroy the person. This means that inside everyone, there is a darker side, an evil and bad side, that must be confronted, or it will ruin you. By looking at the two main characters Norman and Marion, and two minor characters, Sam and Lila, we can see the duality of human nature. Both Marion and Norman are being confronted with their inner dark self, yet, Marion conquers her dark side, while Norman lets it take over his life. Sam and Lila, however, are mostly seen as good and â€Å"natural†. There are many key scenes throughout the movie Physco, which explore the duality of human nature. Some of these scenes include the opening scene, the scene in which Marion is driving away after taking the money and the parlour scene. The blackness of Psycho’s opening credits sequence symbolizes death and the opening scene of Psycho starts with a pan view of the cityscape of Arizona. The shot, from a wide pan into a dark bedroom, leads the viewer into a dark, secretive space, showing the viewer immediately that we will witness something secretive and dark occurring during the film. The viewer also knows that the theme of hiding from something is established, as the two are hiding their affair, and Sam is hiding, or shying away, from marriage to Marion. We learn that the two have money problems, from Sam, who says, â€Å"I sweat to pay off my father’s debts and he’s in his grave. I sweat to pay my ex-wife alimony, and she’s living on the other side of the world somewhere†, and â€Å"A couple of years and my debts will be paid off, and if she ever remarries the alimony stops. † Marion knows the only problem between the two of them is money, and that if it wasn’t for money, the two could be together. It is at this time, that Marion begins to confront her inner self, the need for more money, so she herself can marry Sam, and not have to worry about her job. When Marion returns to work after her â€Å"lunch hour† she complains of a headache. When Marion’ s boss asks her to deposit $40,000 for him, â€Å"I don’t even want it in the office over the weekend. Put it in the safe deposit box in the bank and we’ll get him to give us a check on Monday instead†¦ † Marion sees this as a chance for her to finally be with Sam and solve all her financial problems. Behind Marion’s desk are paintings of sprawling lands, including images of trees, woods and natural landscape. These images juxtapose her isolation and show her desires for freedom. The scene in which Marion is driving away from Phoenix is also a key scene in which Hitchcock explores the duality of human nature. We see Marion driving away, after she leaves Phoenix and after she meets with the Police Officer, trades her car, and as she does so, the audience sees how uneasy she feels, the tension in her expressions, and we hear the imaginary voices she is hearing in her head, about what may be happening because she has taken the $40,000. Marion is thinking about what the consequences of her â€Å"theft† were, and what is happening back in Phoenix. The audience hears the voices in Marion’s head, the voices of Marion’s boss, her sister, what Marion is thinking. The audience is put into Marion’s mind. We feel the tension when she is being interrogated by the Police Officer and in a way, we feel relieved when she is let off, even though what she did was morally wrong. In many places in this scene, we are put into the point of view from Marion’s perspective, which brings duality of human nature not only to her, but to us as well, as we feel like WE are in the scene. Hitchcock does this as he wants the audience to think, what they would do if we were Marion’s position, which questions our own duality. Marion, while she is driving away with the stolen money, has currently let her dark, inner side take over her. She is taking advantage of her boss’s trust in her and is doing this out of personally greed and wealth. Here, Hitchcock is showing us what giving in to your inner dark side can result in. One of the major key scenes in Psycho that shows how Hitchcock explored the duality of human nature is the parlor scene, between Marion and Norman. At the start of the scene, after Norman returns from the house with milk and food, they converse briefly outside on the porch, and we see a reflection of Norman on the window. This shows his other side, his â€Å"mother† side, which has just been â€Å"lit† in him. The framings of Norman and Marion are unnatural. She is roundly lit, while he is being lit at angles and relatively more dim than Marion. He is a man, offering milk to a woman, and the openness he shows towards her symbolize the fact that he has chosen her as his next victim. However, it is not till they go into the actual parlor that Hitchcock explores the duality of human nature even more. The parlor room is quite small, which forces Marion and Norman to sit quite closely to each other. Even though they are both in the same room, the lighting the two receive is considerably different. Marion sits near a lamp, and her frame looks more lit, and well-rounded, giving her a glowing and warm feeling, as if she is good and positive. It appears to seem that she is redeeming herself from what bad she did before. Norman, however, has a frame with many shadows- a symbol of darkness and evilness and the lighting on him seems both angular and irregular, and unlike Marion, we cannot see the whole of Normans face, like as if Norman is hiding something. Also, while Marion looks like she is at total ease, Norman seems to be irregular and the atmospheres around him seems to be evil and dark. During almost the whole scene, Norman’s left side of his face is the only side that’s visible, while we can see the whole of Marion’s face. While both characters do not look to out of place in they individual frames, when they are put side by side, there is a clear contrast between Marion and Norman. Marion, in light colored clothing, seems to represent goodness and normalness, while Norman, in dark colored clothing, seems to represent evil, darkness, and a sense of abnormality. Here, we see very, very clearly the duality of human nature. Marion symbolizing the good, and Norman symbolizing the bad. But there is even more to this scene that adds onto the duality of human nature. We learn that Norman has a hobby for stuffing birds, and we see them, around the walls of the parlor, the camera often using a low angle shot to capture them. They seem to look over what is going on, and as they appear above Norman, look as though they are overpowering him, making his decisions and such. This shows that while Marion is trying to conquer her inner side, Norman has already let it conquer him. Norman asks Marion â€Å"What are you running away from? † and Marion seems shocked that he would ask. But when Norman says, â€Å"No. People never run away from anything. The rain didn’t last long, did it. You know what I think? I think that we’re all in our private traps–clamped in them. And none of us can ever get out. We–we scratch and claw, but only at the air–only at each other. And for all of it, we never budge an inch†, Marion begins to realize that she needs to go back and get out of her â€Å"trap† instead of trying to run away from it. We also find out that Norman himself is also in a trap, but he says, â€Å"I was born in mine. I don’t mind it anymore†, it shows us that Norman has not been able to conquer his inner side and has let it conquer him. Unlike Norman though, Marion does conquer her inner dark self and we know this when she says, â€Å"I’m very tired. And I have a long drive tomorrow–all the way back to Phoenix†, â€Å"I stepped into a private trap back there and I’d like to go back and try to pull myself out of it before it’s too late for me too. † This again emphasises the point that Marion is the good and natural side while Norman is the dark, evil and unnatural side. So by just looking at some of these key scenes in the film Psycho, we know that Alfred Hitchcock used many ways to explore the duality of human nature. He used lighting to bring some characters into â€Å"good light† and show the â€Å"goodness† in some and the â€Å"darkness† in others. He also used camera angles, the show the sense of normality in some and abnormality in others, making them natural or unnatural. What different characters said also explored the duality of human nature, as the dialogue was very important, as it gave us an inside view to what the characters were thinking as well as what they said. Individuation- confronting and conquering your inner dark side, also explores the duality of human nature. Comparing and contrasting characters was another way Hitchcock explored the duality of human nature as he compared the good characters to the bad, and what different characters would do under the same problem. So, it is clear to see, that Hitchcock used many successful ways to explore the duality of human nature in the film Psycho.

Philip II Essay

King Philip II ruled over the western Habsburg kingdom, which included Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia. When he got married to Mary I, he then ruled over England and Ireland. There were major challenges that Philip II faced during his reign. Some of the problems were finances and control over some of his countries, such as Spain and the Netherlands. Philip II had many problems throughout Spain since the time it had grown unstable. Philip II had a debt and needed to pay back his bankers and mercenaries. He was able to make some money from the silver from mines in Bolivia. Since there was money coming from the Americas, Europe was able to gain some wealth. Europe also gained an increase in its population. This caused inflation, which was less food and fewer jobs, while still having the population overflow. There was an obviously visible gap between the richer people and the poor ones. Because of a need for money, the unprivileged people of Spain suffered greatly from the harsh taxes of Philip II. Philip II also wanted an efficient bureaucracy and military. He made the lesser nobility into the bureaucracy because if he would have used higher nobles they may try to gain more power. Philip II had to deal with a Turkish threat in the Mediterranean. So, Spain, Venice, and the Pope created the Holy League. In a naval battle, The Battle of Lapanto, they defeated the Turks who had tried to invade Austria. Control had been secured in the Mediterranean and then Spain annexed Portugal. Philip eventually declared bankruptcy and could not pay his soldiers. They became known as the Spanish fury when they attacked Antwerp. While Philip II was dealing with many complications, the Netherlands came along and caused more damage for him. The Count of Egmont and William of Nassau, or William of Orange, started a strong opposition to Spanish overlords. Because of this, Philip II decided that the decrees of the Council of Trent and the Inquisition were to be enforced in the Netherlands. Louis of Nassau led the opposition of Philip II’s decision. This caused Protestants to riot throughout the country. In response to this, Philip sent the Duke of Alba to suppress the people. Alba publicly killed thousands of suspected heretics. This was known as the Council of Troubles, but it was referred to as the Council of Blood in the Netherlands. The Duke of Alba also enforced taxes, such as a ten percent sales tax that caused people to flee the country. Furthermore, Philip II only had one chance left to destroy the Netherlandic resistance, so he called William of Orange an outlaw and even placed a bounty on him. But William of Orange had a speech, the Apology, which called Philip a tyrant, causing the Union of Utrecht to disregard Philip as their ruler. King Philip II went through a lot during his time of reign. He was dealing with many different countries, some under and some not under his rule. Spain had a very bad economy that was not going far. There was an inflation, which made everything even more difficult. Then in the Netherlands, they wanted to be free. They caused trouble for Philip and tried to resist whatever he did. Philip even had to send over the Duke of Alba, and the people of the Netherlands hated him for it. The problems in the Netherlands led to the Twelve Years’ Truce, where the northern provinces gained independence. Later on, their official independence was from the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 155

Essay Example Socialism is often perceived, by many, as the softest form of Communism. It is a political, social, and economic structure that advocates â€Å"collectiveness,† which grants the means of production and distribution of goods into the hands of the government and out of the hands of companies and individuals; essentially eliminating â€Å"private† property all together. Libertarianism and Conservativism were the two most common and widely embraced political and governmental ideologies throughout large parts of Europe in the 19th century. However, towards the latter part of the 19th century the socialist ideology first became more popular. No doubt a direct reaction to the Capitalist ideology that was ideal for the upper class, but was far less beneficial for the working class and the poor, made Socialism so attractive. Karl Marx wrote the â€Å"Communist Manifesto,† detailing his vision of the ideal society; he believed that could never be achieved through Capitalism. Capitalism is like a pyramid it is really only going to be beneficial for those at the apex, never those at the foundational base. Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German born philosopher and thinker. He became a journalist and harsh political critic with strong opinions, many of which were rather controversial. His socialist and budding communist views would ultimately get him literally exiled from both France and Germany. He would eventually spend his exile in London, England, where he would ultimately remain until his death at the age of 65. He believed that the class struggle would never end and the gap between them would only widen. He believed that Capitalism was, in fact, a kind of â€Å"dictatorship of the bourgeoisies.† Eventually their irreconcilable differences would result in the fall of Capitalism and then the people would implement Socialism. However, Marx

Proof reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Proof reading - Essay Example he council planned to be charging staff for parking in other to encourage them to use public transport, which they thought would be more cost effective. The council also wanted to measure any changes in behaviour that occurred as a result of the campaign that was planned for this autumn. The results from the sample were analysed by gender. Just 6% of males traveled to work by bicycle and 9% of females did the same. The results for males and females were remarkably close but were not representing. Furthermore, 20% of male staff used the bus to get to work while 14% of female staff used the same mode of transportation; according to this survey, more males use bus to get to work than female staff. It is amusing to know that 17% of male staff use the car car to get to work while 16% of females use the same mode of transportation too. Analysing the results for both male and female reveals no difference between the car users, and the results suggested that the respondent preferred to use this mode of transportation more than any other mode. 3% of male staff traveled to work on a motorcycle while there is no single female in the survey that used this mode of transportation. It could be that it is not a preferred mode of transportation for female respondents. 20% of males u se trains compared to 24% of females that use the train as a mode of transportation. The underground is even more popular with females as 26% use this mode while only 21% male in the survey. 16% of males preferred to walk to work and 9% of females also preferred walking. The mean amount of time it takes Camdington Council staff, based on the results of the survey, was 34 minutes to travel to work for males and the same amount of time for female staff members. The standard deviation was 19 minutes for males, which was an equal time for females at 19 minutes. The (Coefficient of variation for males was 56% and 58% for females). These figures showed that there was no bias, even though the respondents were

Advise to Rig Repair & Parts Limited in its International Business Coursework

Advise to Rig Repair & Parts Limited in its International Business Expansion - Coursework Example The issue with Agency B is a very complicated one. Agency B has the sole agency rights for RRP in South Africa. This makes them the only agency that can source for projects in South Africa for RPR. If care is not taken by RPR, it could get involved in a breach of contract with Agency B if it goes ahead to sign this contract with Agency A. If this happens, Agency B will be entitled to claims for damages. Secondly, if RRP goes ahead to sign this contract with Agency A, granting it exclusive rights without a proper care with regards to the agreement with Agency B, Agency A will not get access to the exclusivity it desires. This could also pose legal problems for Agency A and B in their operations in South Africa. This arrangement is a principal-agency arrangement in an international context. A principal-agent relationship exists when a party pursues to direct the actions of the opposite party to his own ends for mutual benefits like shareholder-manager and employer-employee relationships (Jager, 2008). This, therefore, means that the principal-agent arrangement is one where the principal allows the agent to further his interest and in that process, there is a symbiotic relationship whereby the agent also benefits from some consideration from the principal. The principal gives out a duty to the agent and as the agent goes about it, he gets some benefits and rewards for his efforts. This, therefore, makes it a mutual relationship between both parties. Under international law, the UN Convention on Agency in the International Sale of Goods offers a very broad and comprehensive framework for principal-agent relationships between parties from different parts of the world (Cheng, 1990). South Africa is a signatory to the convention. Under the convention, there are three main elements that are crucial and must be honored by both parties.