Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Reaction paper - Essay Example While moving around the camp he mentions the presence of a swimming pool but he fails to see the size of the swimming pool carefully enough. Cole is suggestive that the inmates were allowed to use a swimming pool the size of an ordinary carpet rug. Given that Auschwitz housed thousands of people at the same time, it seems strange to notice that a swimming pool would be available to serve them. Instead, it seems more likely that the camp’s senior most staff would have been allowed to use the swimming pool. In a similar manner, much of the evidence presented by Cole is weak and circumstantial. Another major allegation by Cole is the absence of millions of human bodies in mass graves to prove Auschwitz gruesome nature. An entire Polish army worth of officers terminated by the Soviets in the Second World War were only found a couple of years ago in a remote Siberian forest. In a similar manner this secret has been well hidden enough to escape the scrutiny of time. However, it is undeniable that the Third Reich was able to consume millions of innocent people because these people were never seen or heard from again. Trying to discredit the holocaust based on a gas chamber in a concentration camp hardly lends credence to any

Pest Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pest Analysis Essay Knowledge Representation question and answers 1. Consider the following statements a) Reema is a super star. b) All super stars are rich. c) All rich people have fast cars. d) All fast cars consume a lot of petrol. Use predicate logic and inference rules to draw the conclusion â€Å"Reema’s car consumed a lot of petrol†. a. List any two knowledge representation techniques. b. Write Modus Ponens rule. c. Define disjunctive normal form with suitable example. 2. Consider given sentences: It is crime to steal Ram stole in exam Is Ram criminal? Write above sentences in First Order Predicate calculus and use resolution algorithm to answer Is Ram Criminal? 1. Why are propositional logic statements converted into conjunctive normal form (CNF)? Convert given clause to CNF. d. Define logical consequence. e. Why is propositional logic used? 3. Consider given sentences: Ram is a boy. Gita is a girl. Ram is husband of Gita If girl has husband then she is married. Write above sentences in First Order Predicate calculus and resolution algorithm to show Gita is married. . Represent the following paragraph using predicate logic and convert each sentence into clausual form. â€Å"The law says that it is a crime for an American to sell weapons to hostile nations. The country Nono, an enemy of America, has some missiles, and all of its missiles were sold to it by Colonel West, who is American. † a. In propositional logic what is meant by contradict statement? b. What is meant by conjunctive normal form? Show the relation between universal quantifier and existential quantifier a. Define conjunctive normal form and disjunctive normal form. b. Why is predicate logic better than propositional logic? Parse the sentence â€Å"Ram is a good boy† using bottom up parsing 1. Represent the following sentence using propositional logic:- â€Å"If the unicorn is mythical, then it is immortal, but if it is not mythical, then it is a mortal mammal. If the unicorn is either immortal or a mammal, then it is horned. The unicorn is magical if it is horned. † Also prove using resolution that unicorn is magical and unicorn is horned.

Tv Violence :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is human nature to try to solve every problem that comes up. Humans just do not feel comfortable saying, â€Å"I don’t know,† so we work long hours searching and studying to find solutions to every problem that needs one. So when kids started torching cars, shooting students and teachers at school, smashing windows, assaulting bus drivers, and even decapitating each other, where did parents and law enforcement officers look? This is not an easy question with a definite answer, but after researchers studied hard, they found an answer: television. Could that little box that places images on the screen really affect the behavior of people so drastically? People now blame television for everything. Irresponsible parents who do not spend enough time with their kids and law enforcement officers who do not want to investigate to find a real cause to a problem are quick to blame television when their kids do something wrong. Instead of taking responsibili ty for their own kids, these parents lobby for restrictions to be placed on television and ruin things for everyone else. I see two problems with that. First, it is constitutionally wrong for someone to try to limit someone else’s free speech. The constitution does not specifically mention television, but it does not mention any other form of communication so it is assumed that television is included. Secondly, it does not make a lot of sense for a few angry people to try to control what everybody watches. I love to watch television, and I would be very angry if I could not watch what I wanted because it contained too much violence or if the producers of one of my favorite shows changed it to decrease the amount of violence in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems like everyone has his or her own opinion on this subject. The two most obvious are that people think television violence is bad and something should be done about it or they think violence on television does not affect people’s behavior and nothing should be done. Jeffrey Klein, the author of the article â€Å"Fire Fighting Little,† believes television is causing problems everywhere in the world. In his article, he examines the causes of the rise in juvenile violence, not only in America, but worldwide. He tries to find the answer to the question, â€Å"Why is juvenile crime erupting worldwide at a time when adult crime is diminishing and there is much less violence among nations?

Structure of Language

he Structure of Language Language is a system of symbols and rules that is used for meaningful communication. A system of communication has to meet certain criteria in order to be considered a language: A language uses symbols, which are sounds, gestures, or written characters that represent objects, actions, events, and ideas. Symbols enable people to refer to objects that are in another place or events that occurred at a different time. A language is meaningful and therefore can be understood by other users of that language.A language is generative, which means that the symbols of a language can be combined to produce an infinite number of messages. A language has rules that govern how symbols can be arranged. These rules allow people to understand messages in that language even if they have never encountered those messages before. The Building Blocks of Language Language is organized hierarchically, from phonemes to morphemes to phrases and sentences that communicate meaning. Phon emes Phonemes are the smallest distinguishable units in a language.In the English language, many consonants, such as t, p, and m, correspond to single phonemes, while other consonants, such as c and g, can correspond to more than one phoneme. Vowels typically correspond to more than one phoneme. For example, o corresponds to different phonemes depending on whether it is pronounced as in bone or woman. Some phonemes correspond to combinations of consonants, such as ch, sh, and th. Morphemes Morphemes are the smallest meaningful units in a language. In the English language, only a few single letters, such as I and a, are morphemes. Morphemes are usually whole words or meaningful parts of words, such as refixes, suffixes, and word stems. Example: The word â€Å"disliked† has three morphemes: â€Å"dis,† â€Å"lik,† and â€Å"ed. † Syntax Syntax is a system of rules that governs how words can be meaningfully arranged to form phrases and sentences. Example: On e rule of syntax is that an article such as â€Å"the† must come before a noun, not after: â€Å"Read the book,† not â€Å"Read book the. † Language Development in Children Children develop language in a set sequence of stages, although sometimes particular skills develop at slightly different ages: Three-month-old infants can distinguish between the phonemes from any language.At around six months, infants begin babbling, or producing sounds that resemble many different languages. As time goes on, these sounds begin to resemble more closely the words of the languages the infant hears. At about thirteen months, children begin to produce simple single words. By about twenty-four months, children begin to combine two or three words to make short sentences. At this stage, their speech is usually telegraphic. Telegraphic speech, like telegrams, contains no articles or prepositions. By about age three years, children can usually use tenses and plurals.Children’ s language abilities continue to grow throughout the school-age years. They become able to recognize ambiguity and sarcasm in language and to use metaphors and puns. These abilities arise from metalinguistic awareness, or the capacity to think about how language is used. Ambiguous Language Language may sometimes be used correctly but still have an unclear meaning or multiple meanings. In these cases, language is ambiguous—it can be understood in several ways. Avoid biting dogs is an example of an ambiguous sentence. A person might interpret it as Keep out of the way of biting dogs or Don’t bite dogs.Theories of Language Acquisition The nature vs. nurture debate extends to the topic of language acquisition. Today, most researchers acknowledge that both nature and nurture play a role in language acquisition. However, some researchers emphasize the influences of learning on language acquisition, while others emphasize the biological influences. Receptive Language before E xpressive Language Children’s ability to understand language develops faster than their ability to speak it. Receptive language is the ability to understand language, and expressive language is the ability to use language to communicate.If a mother tells her fifteen-month-old child to put the toy back in the toy chest, he may follow her instructions even though he can’t repeat them himself. Environmental Influences on Language Acquisition A major proponent of the idea that language depends largely on environment was the behaviorist B. F. Skinner (see pages 145 and 276 for more information on Skinner). He believed that language is acquired through principles of conditioning, including association, imitation, and reinforcement. According to this view, children learn words by associating sounds with objects, actions, and events.They also learn words and syntax by imitating others. Adults enable children to learn words and syntax by reinforcing correct speech. Critics of t his idea argue that a behaviorist explanation is inadequate. They maintain several arguments: Learning cannot account for the rapid rate at which children acquire language. There can be an infinite number of sentences in a language. All these sentences cannot be learned by imitation. Children make errors, such as overregularizing verbs. For example, a child may say Billy hitted me, incorrectly adding the usual past tense suffix -ed to hit.Errors like these can’t result from imitation, since adults generally use correct verb forms. Children acquire language skills even though adults do not consistently correct their syntax. Neural Networks Some cognitive neuroscientists have created neural networks, or computer models, that can acquire some aspects of language. These neural networks are not preprogrammed with any rules. Instead, they are exposed to many examples of a language. Using these examples, the neural networks have been able to learn the language’s statistical s tructure and accurately make the past tense forms of verbs.The developers of these networks speculate that children may acquire language in a similar way, through exposure to multiple examples. Biological Influences on Language Acquisition The main proponent of the view that biological influences bring about language development is the well-known linguist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky argues that human brains have a language acquisition device (LAD), an innate mechanism or process that allows children to develop language skills. According to this view, all children are born with a universal grammar, which makes them receptive to the common features of all languages.Because of this hard-wired background in grammar, children easily pick up a language when they are exposed to its particular grammar. Evidence for an innate human capacity to acquire language skills comes from the following observations: The stages of language development occur at about the same ages in most children, even though different children experience very different environments. Children’s language development follows a similar pattern across cultures. Children generally acquire language skills quickly and effortlessly. Deaf children who have not been exposed to a language may make up their own language.These new languages resemble each other in sentence structure, even when they are created in different cultures. Biology and Environment Some researchers have proposed theories that emphasize the importance of both nature and nurture in language acquisition. These theorists believe that humans do have an innate capacity for acquiring the rules of language. However, they believe that children develop language skills through interaction with others rather than acquire the knowledge automatically. Language, Culture, and Thought Researchers have differing views about the extent to which language and culture influence the way people think.In the 1950s, Benjamin Lee Whorf proposed the linguistic re lativity hypothesis. He said language determines the way people think. For example, Whorf said that Eskimo people and English-speaking people think about snow differently because the Eskimo language has many more words for snow than the English language does. Most subsequent research has not supported Whorf’s hypothesis. Researchers do acknowledge, however, that language can influence thought in subtle ways. For example, the use of sexist terminology may influence how people think about women.Two ways that people commonly use language to influence thinking are semantic slanting and name calling. Semantic Slanting Semantic slanting is a way of making statements so that they will evoke specific emotional responses. Example: Military personnel use the term â€Å"preemptive counterattack† rather than â€Å"invasion,† since â€Å"invasion† is likely to produce more negative feelings in people. Name Calling Name calling is a strategy of labeling people in order to influence their thinking. In anticipatory name calling, it is implied that if someone thinks in a particular way, he or she will receive an unfavorable label.Example: On the day a student buys a new desk, he might say, â€Å"Only a slob would pile junk on a desk like this. † This might help ensure that his roommate keeps it free of junk. Bilingualism Although people sometimes assume that bilingualism impairs children’s language development, there is no evidence to support this assumption. Bilingual children develop language at the same rate as children who speak only one language. In general, people who begin learning a new language in childhood master it more quickly and thoroughly than do people who learn a language in adulthood. Language and Nonhuman PrimatesSome researchers have tried to teach apes to use language. Because of the structure of their vocal organs, apes can’t say words, but they can communicate using signs or computers. Using these means, a pes can make requests, respond to questions, and follow instructions. The Case of Washoe the Chimpanzee Researchers at Central Washington University taught a chimpanzee named Washoe to use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. She could sign not only single words but also meaningful combinations of words. She could follow instructions and respond to questions given in ASL.Later, Washoe’s foster child, Loulis, learned signs just by watching Washoe and other chimps that had been trained to use language. Some research even suggested that language-trained chimps may use signs spontaneously to communicate with each other or to talk to themselves, although this behavior is not thoroughly documented. Skepticism about Ape Language Critics of the idea that apes can learn and use language have maintained several arguments: Apes, unlike people, can be trained to learn only a limited number of words and only with difficulty.Apes use signs or computers to get a reward, in the same way that other animals can be taught tricks. But learning tricks is not equivalent to learning language. Apes don’t use syntax. For example, they don’t recognize the difference between Me eat apple and Apple eat me. Trainers may be reading meanings into signs apes make and unintentionally providing cues that help them to respond correctly to questions. Clearly, communication in nonhuman animals differs drastically from language in humans. The spontaneity, uniqueness, and reflective content of human language remains unmatched. Nonprimates Can CommunicateResearchers have taught nonprimate animals, such as parrots, to communicate meaningfully. Parrots that participated in language acquisition studies learned to identify dozens of objects, distinguish colors, and make simple requests in English. One famous example is Alex the African gray parrot, owned by Irene Pepperberg from the University of Arizona. Alex can â€Å"speak† hundreds of words, but what makes him mor e unique is that he appears to do more than just vocalize. Though Pepperberg does not claim that Alex uses â€Å"language,† she does believe that when Alex talks, he is expressing his thoughts, not just mimicking.The Structure of Cognition Cognition, or thinking, involves mental activities such as understanding, problem solving, and decision making. Cognition also makes creativity possible. The Building Blocks of Cognition When humans think, they manipulate mental representations of objects, actions, events, and ideas. Humans commonly use mental representations such as concepts, prototypes, and cognitive schemas. Concepts A concept is a mental category that groups similar objects, events, qualities, or actions. Concepts summarize information, enabling humans to think quickly.Example: The concept â€Å"fish† includes specific creatures, such as an eel, a goldfish, a shark, and a flying fish. Prototypes A prototype is a typical example of a concept. Humans use prototypes to decide whether a particular instance of something belongs to a concept. Example: Goldfish and eels are both fish, but most people will agree that a goldfish is a fish more quickly than they will agree that an eel is a fish. A goldfish fits the â€Å"fish† prototype better than an eel does. Cognitive Schemas Cognitive schemas are mental models of different aspects of the world. They contain knowledge, beliefs, assumptions, associations, and expectations.Example: People may have a schema about New York that includes information they’ve learned about New York in school, their memories of New York, things people have told them about New York, information from movies and books about New York, what they assume to be true about New York, and so on. Theories of Cognitive Development Cognitive development refers to the change in children’s patterns of thinking as they grow older. Jean Piaget’s Stage Theory The scientist best known for research on cognitive dev elopment is Jean Piaget (see pages 72–75), who proposed that children’s thinking goes through a set eries of four major stages. Piaget believed that children’s cognitive skills unfold naturally as they mature and explore their environment. Lev Vygotsky’s Theory of Sociocultural Influences Psychologist Lev Vygotsky believed that children’s sociocultural environment plays an important role in how they develop cognitively. In Vygotsky’s view, the acquisition of language is a crucial part of cognitive development. After children acquire language, they don’t just go through a set series of stages. Rather, their cognitive development depends on interactions with adults, cultural norms, and their environmental circumstances.Private Speech Vygotsky pointed out that children use language to control their own behavior. After children acquire language skills and learn the rules of their culture, they start to engage in private speech. They first talk to themselves out loud, and then, as they grow older, silently, giving themselves instructions about how to behave. Current Research on Cognitive Development Current research indicates that children have complex cognitive abilities at much younger ages than Piaget suggested. As early as four months of age, infants appear to understand basic laws of physics.For example, a four-month-old infant can recognize that solid objects cannot pass through other solid objects and that objects roll down slopes instead of rolling up. At five months of age, infants can recognize the correct answers to addition and subtraction problems involving small numbers. These observations have led some researchers to speculate that humans are born with some basic cognitive abilities. Critics argue that researchers who find these results are overinterpreting the behavior of the infants they study. Quick Review The Structure of LanguageLanguage is a system of symbols and rules used for meaningful communi cation. A language uses symbols and syntax and is meaningful and generative. Language is organized hierarchically from phonemes to morphemes to phrases and sentences. Children develop language in a set sequence of stages. Theories of Language Acquisition Behaviorist B. F. Skinner strongly supported the idea that language depends largely on environment. Skinner believed that people acquire language through principles of conditioning. Critics argue the inadequacy of behaviorist explanations.Some cognitive neuroscientists have created neural networks that can acquire some aspects of language by encountering many examples of language. They think children may acquire language in the same way. Noam Chomsky is the main proponent of the importance of biological influences on language development. Chomsky proposed that human brains have a language acquisition device that allows children to acquire language easily. Some researchers believe that language is both biologically and environmentall y determined. The linguistic relativity hypothesis states that language determines the way people think.Today, researchers believe language influences, rather than determines, thought. Two ways that people use language to influence thinking are semantic slanting and name calling. People master a new language better if they begin learning it in childhood. Nonhuman animals can learn some aspects of language. Language and Nonhuman Primates Some researchers have tried to teach apes to use language. Apes can communicate, but researchers are divided on whether this communication can really be considered â€Å"learning language. † The Structure of CognitionCognition involves activities such as understanding, problem solving, decision making, and being creative. People use mental representations such as concepts, prototypes, and cognitive schemas when they think. Theories of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget believed that children’s cognitive skills unfold naturally as they ma ture and explore their environment. Lev Vygotsky believed that children’s sociocultural environment plays an important role in cognitive development. Some researchers have shown that humans are born with some basic cognitive abilities. Problem-SolvingProblem-solving is the active effort people make to achieve a goal that is not easily attained. Three common types of problems involve inducing structure, arranging, and transformation. Some approaches to problem-solving are trial and error, deductive and inductive reasoning, use of algorithms and heuristics, dialectical reasoning, creation of subgoals, use of similar problems, and changes in the way the problems are represented. Researchers have identified many obstacles to effective problem-solving, such as focus on irrelevant information, functional fixedness, mental set, and assumptions about unnecessary constraints.Decision-Making Decision-making involves weighing alternatives and choosing among them. Additive strategies and elimination strategies are ways of making decisions about preferences. Using expected value, subjective utility, the availability heuristic, and the representativeness heuristic are all ways of making risky decisions. Using the representativeness heuristic can make people susceptible to biases, such as the tendency to ignore base rates and the gambler’s fallacy. Using the availability heuristic can make people susceptible to overestimating the improbable or underestimating the probable.In an effort to minimize risk, people also make decision-making errors, such as the overconfidence effect, the confirmation bias, and belief perseverance. Creativity Creativity is the ability to generate novel, useful ideas. Creativity is characterized by divergent, rather than convergent, thinking. Some characteristics of creative people are expertise, nonconformity, curiosity, persistence, and intrinsic motivation. People can best realize their creative potential if they are in environmental circumstances that promote creativity.

Khalifa Ali

IntroductionAli was born to Abu Talib himself a renowned Quraish chief and custodian of the Holy Kaaba. Abu Talib’s father, Abdul Muttalib was the son of the great Hashim. Ali’s mother was Fatima, daughter of Asad who too was a son of Hashim. Fatima was a cousin of Abu Talib. Thus both of Ali’s parents were Hashemite, which was considered quite prestigious.Ancestry of AliThe Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was Abdul Muttalib’s grandson. His father Abdullah was Abu Talib’s brother, which therefore made Abu Talib the prophet’s uncle and Ali his first cousin.Birth of AliAlthough his exact date of birth is not confirmed tradition says, Ali was born on the thirteenth of â€Å"Rajab† in the 28th year of the Elephant Era (whose commencement is marked by Yemen’s ruler Abraha’s failed attempt to invade Makkah and destroy the Kaaba) The Holy Prophet of Islam was born in the Year of the Elephant which according to scholars corresponds to the year 571 A.D. If we calculate then, Ali must have been born around 599 or 600 C.E.His birth was quite an unusual one. That day, his mother Fatima visited the Kaaba for pilgrimage. It was during her pilgrimage that she felt maternal pains and retired to a corner of the Kaaba and that is where Ali was born. Thus, Ali had the unparalleled honor of being born in the House of Allah bestowed upon him.The NameLegend goes that when Ali was born the Holy prophet and his wife Khadija came to see the infant. That the little boy had not yet opened his eyes was a matter of great worry for everyone. But when the prophet Muhammad held him in his hands young Ali opened his eyes, making the prophet the first person he saw after birth. The Holy Prophet named him ‘Ali’ the derivative of Allah, since he was born the Ka’aba.Physical AppearanceAli was of a moderate height. He held a gracious face which reflected his personality. His facial features were striking wi th a straight nose and a beautifully formed mouth. He possessed commanding eyes, full of light and luster.   It was as if rays of spirituality   beamed through him , and there was a certain sense of personal magnetism that attracted people towards him. As a young man, Ali was handsome, while in his later age, he became bulky with his gray hair of the head giving way to baldness. His beard, which was often dyed red, remained thick and luxuriant.Marriage of AliInitially when the Holy Prophet migrated to Yathrib he went alone but later Yathrib was named ‘Medina’ in his honor and he called his family and other Muslims there as well. At that time the prophet’s beloved wife Khadija had expired and he had married a woman called Sauda. A year later, he married Abu Bakr’s ( Islam’s first Caliph’s)daughter Ayesha. The Holy Prophet’s youngest daughter Fatima was also old enough to be married by that time. Abu Bakr and Omar both asked for her hand in marriage but there was no answer on the part of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.In those simpler times, age differences were not a concern in marriage. Khadija had been fifteen years older to Muhammad and he himself was much older to Ayesha at the time of marriage. It is thus important to note that this was not the reason the Prophet Muhammad remained silent to these proposals but it is reasonable to conclude that he was waiting for God’s approval and guidance in making this decision. After the Battle of Badr, it was Ali’s turn to ask for Fatima’s hand in marriage and he did so. The Holy Prophet replied that he needed Fatima’s consent. When he consulted Fatima she remained silent, a   sign of approval. The prophet also received a revelation signifying Allah’s approval of the marriage. Both families also mutually agreed.The marriage of Ali and Fatima is said to be the perfect one. Indeed two pure and blessed souls unified and bonded together. Ha fsa, a daughter of Omar and later a wife of the Holy Prophet described Fatima as an exemplary woman, one who’s face shone like the moon and who married a man with a superior personality.Induction of Ali as a member of the family of the Holy ProphetWhen Ali visited the Holy Prophet from the desert where he had been living, the occasion was also attended by a close few including Abu Talib and his family. The Holy Prophet loved Ali very much so much so that he requested Abu Talib to place Ali under his care. Abu Talib agreed to entrust Ali with the prophet because he knew he would care for him better than anyone else could.It is believed that the Holy Prophet did this to relieve Abu Talib’s increasing financial worries. However, this view seems to be untrue because Abu Talib was a Quraish chief and a trader. And had he been in any financial trouble the trouble he prophet would surely have helped him. Therefore it seems that it was because of the prophet’s fondness of Ali that he took him under his responsibility. Abu Talib would often visit and Ali would meet his parents everyday. The Holy Prophet kept Ali as a younger brother with much affection.Companionship of the Holy Prophet:The period of Ali's life which was spent with the Holy Prophet can be termed as the period of education and action. It was during these 32 years, from Ali's birth till the demise of the Holy Prophet, that Ali received his education under the loving care of the Last Prophet of Allah; embedded in himself the values of Islam; and acquired all the attributes that contribute to greatness. After the migration to Medina, he came to be known as a valiant soldier. His spoils in the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch and his awe inspiring success at Khyber earned him the title of â€Å"Lion of God†.   He acted as the Governor of Yemen, and acquired good deal of experience as an administrator and judge, acquiring fame for his wise and well reasoned judgments.The First Three Caliphs and Ali:At the time of the demise of the Holy Prophet, Ali was a young enlightened, experienced, wise and valiant man. Despite all his qualities, Ali was passed over in the election for a caliph, as Abu Bakr took the state of affairs under his control. Ali would have to wait for 24 years before he could hold the office of caliph. During these years, Ali acted as an adviser to the caliphs in office. This was a period of inaction and contemplation, inaction on the political front as Ali kept aloof from politics and contemplation on the spiritual front as this period of Ali’s life was spent mostly in seeking spiritual perfection through prayer and remembrance of God.The Caliphate of Ali:Following Uthman's assassination, Ali took office as the next caliph of the Islamic empire. His term was a short one, marred by political upheaval, defections of close aides and civil war.   Ali was accused of involvement in the assassination of Uthman by Amer Muawiya, who mounte d an anti Ali campaign. The results were the Battles of the Camel, Siffin and Nahrawan. During the course of these battles, many of his closest aides betrayed him and defected. The list of betrayals is long and includes Ali's brother, cousins, mother in law and the whole cities of Medina and Basra. The Kharijites who had originally supported Ali also seceded and Ali was finally martyred by a Kharijite.Ali's concept of GodIn his various sermons, Ali has dwelt upon on the various attributes of God in a skillful way. Extracts from some of his sermons are as follows:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us. No one can be nearer to us than He.His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in com prehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†Father of SufismAli's religious devotion and nearness to God has earned him the title of â€Å"Father of Sufism†. Most of the Sufi orders claim their descent from Ali, and according to Ali Hajjweri, Ali is ranked very high in the line of Sufism.   Ali is considered the Shaykh as regards the principles and practices of Sufism, as stated by Junayd of Baghdad.Communion with GodAt times, Ali would pray the whole night sobbing out of love and fear of God. For Ali, the purpose of knowledge was to awaken the spiritual faculties that every man possesses which in turn enable man to find his true and inner self.   Ali observed that man could only enjoy communion with God if he would stop being proud, embody discipline, overcome his lust and submit to the Will of God.He stressed on the people in his various sermons to lead a simple and pious life and not to indulge blindly in the pleasures of the world as the case was before Islam.. Ali said, â€Å"Man is a wave in the boundless Sea of God. As long as man's vision is clouded by ignorance and sensuality he will consider himself a separate entity, different from God. But when the veil between him and God is lifted, he will then know what he really is, the wave will then merge with the ocean†.Ali on the Spiritual Front:Ali was a wealth of knowledge. Several of the traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet are narrated by him. He was one of those companions of the Holy Prophet who used to learn the verses of the Quran as they were revealed. Later, after the death of the Holy Prophet, Ali also used to give sermons. In one such sermon, he explains the attributes of God with skillf ul oratory. Excerpts â€Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us.No one can be nearer to us than He. His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in comprehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†In another sermon, he reflected on the transitory stature of this world by remarking â€Å"For the wise, the world is a shadow, which may appear at one moment, and soon disappear.† In another sermon he makes pr ofound remarks by stating â€Å"Many men buy clothes, which instead of being worn by them are used in their coffin. Many persons build houses that instead of becoming abodes become their graves. No one has lived forever in this world, and no one has invented such a medicine which may make men immune from the clutches of death†. In another sermon, he discusses heaven and hell, stating his anxiety on man's subservience to lust, the excess of his longings. In yet another sermon, he termed the world as superficial, mortal and perishable.ConclusionShakespeare once remarked â€Å"Some people are born great, some achieve greatness while some have greatness thrust upon them†. As far as Ali goes, he achieved greatness through his excellent education under the watchful eye of the Holy Prophet, his absorption of Islamic teachings and virtues, his thirst for knowledge, bravery on the battlefield and the spiritual perfection that he embodied. Greatness need not be confused with suc cess. From the political point of view Ali may seem like a failure that was unable to quell the civil strife that raged his people and was eventually slay Ed. Instead Ali's greatness is of an unworldly nature for he set out to spiritually perfect those around him, in times of affluence and wealth.Ali was a man of remarkable qualities and principles. His personality embodied an unusual mix of spiritual perfection, bravery, knowledge and humbleness. He was one of those few people of his time, who could stare in the eyes of death so much that even death would start fearing of him He was an administrator, a judge, a philosopher, a statesman, a general and above all an exemplary for those seeking spiritual perfection.

The Great Gatsby Assignment Essay Example

The Great Gatsby Assignment Essay Example The Great Gatsby Assignment Essay The Great Gatsby Assignment Essay Essay Topic: The Great Gatsby ts a new year and after 2 seasons on my last steed I am lucky enough to be able to build up my new ride for the 07 season. While todays off the shelf rigs can offer an amazing value for what you pay, I wanted to build something unique that stands out a bit. What I ended up with is a 36. 3 lbs coil sprung DH bike that you wont see anywhere else. I have to say that coming in a close second to the actual riding, the technical aspect of mountain biking is what really excites me. I am a self admitted tech nerd. I can spend hours reading about the latest gadgets from any sport, be it Fl, MotoGP or ven tennis. If its lighter, faster or uses a new material then I am interested. The great part about our particular sport is that if you have the time, money and knowledge you can build some really neat things. I dont have a great deal of any of those three things but I still try, even though a smart guy once told me it was the first step towards failure. So what I did was try to build up a light and very functional DH bike. Actually what I built is a full on DH race bike. I Just happen to not race all the much, only hitting up a few each year. But what I do like to do is pin it. All-the-time. Weight was a huge concern for me, not because of any delusions of getting my pro number plate, but because this is my only bike. I have had more XC-type bikes in the past and I hated descending on them. It was not worth the uphill gain. I want to ride everything on my DH bike and to make that a little more enjoyable I had to pick my parts real carefull like. I Just happend to end up with a really light DH race bike! Fact: All 3 current Honda factory riders have raced World Cups on Oranges Fact: All 3 current Honda factory riders have raced World Cups on Oranges The biggest decision to make when building up your dream bike is which frame you will decide to hang all your parts on. I had a few on my short list so there was some thinking to be done. The U. S. made Iron Horse Sunday frame is one that Ive always had my eyes on (not that Id ever rail a corner like Sam even if I was on his bike). The Glory from Giant was also hard to say no to, being one of the best deals out there. The DW Link and Giants Maestro designs look similar but work in different ways and are about as far away as you can get from a well thought out single pivot design as seen on the Orange 224 frame. I have spent the last two seasons on an Orange 223 and came to love the light weight and simple bike, so even though the 224 frame is almost more than the Glory and Sunday put together, I still wanted one. After doing my homework on the frames the decision was made for me. The 224 was the only one that had the geometry that I liked. A bikes angles are absolutely the most important factor in its performance. There are a lot of different takes on suspension out there but the truth is that while some work different, they all do work good. But a DH bike with a 67 degree head angle will be ntirely different beast than a 64 degree monster. The 224 has that slack 64 degrees up front and also the low b. b. height and longer wheelbase that I feel at home on. Another consideration of mine was a full length seat tube on the frame. Some of my best rides are xc rides from home with my iPod and the seat on my DH bike Jacked up to the max. Oh, and it is light. The 224 is claimed to be one of the lightest production DH frames which is key when trying to piece together a light bike, might as well start off on the right foot. Suspension is the second most important part of any rig. Again, there are a lot of hings out there that do work great so it is more important to pick something based on your needs instead of Just looking for the trickiest possible set of sliders. But what if I could have a fork that came in at under 6. 51b, had a super low crown to axle length and worked great to boot? Id say that would be a pretty trick fork! So what I built is most likely one of the more unique forks out there. I started with a set of white 07 Boxxer lowers that use the Maxle system. Dropping the pinch bolts helped save a bit of weight but also means I only need a single allen key to get my wheel off. It doesnt hurt that the athena white lowers look dope next to my white 224 frame. I had originally planned on tracking down some of the old gold ti-nitrite stanction tubes, I did find a few but nothing in usable condition. Thankfully Tyler had some of the slippery silver tubes laying about from a buddies wrecked fork. The rest of the fork was garbage but the silver stanctions were mint so a small amount of money was exchanged and I nearly had a complete fork. Instead of dropping in some boring (but good working) World Cup internals, I installed a MOJO Boxxcart in the right leg and the ingle MOJO spring in the left. MOJO decals MOJO decals Now, you may or may not be aware that MOJO does not even produce these nice little units anymore. So why am I telling you about this stuff if its not made anymore? Because it is by far the best suspension I have even ridden. Ill admit, its not for everyone. It feels like ass in the parking lot (but thanks for telling me, everyone! ) but once you open it up on dirt it will blow you away. Stay tuned for pictures and details of the Boxxcart that will be in the (really long) review of the whole bike this summer. So what I ended up with is a 6. 1b coil sprung and MOJO damped Boxxer. The MOJO rebound knob Out back the boing is handled quite well by a Fox DHX 5. 0. Fox obviously know how to produce top end stuff as they have been in the suspension game for a long, long time. The great thing about the 5. 0 is the range of adjustment. If I am on a trail or course that would normally be faster on a smaller travel (read: stiffer) bike I can turn my 224 into that bike without to much hassle. Likewise, she can be a rock and root eating machine and all I need to do it is a single 4mm allen key and a simple shock pump. Another plus is the range of rebound adjustment. Some of the newer shocks on the market seem to have no noticeable difference in return speed until the final turn of the adjuster. All this adjustment is great if you know what is going on back there but one thing I did want was a slightly more active ride out of my 5. 0 shock. After some top secret trickery on a late night at the shop I think I have get her dialed. 5. 0 w/ Ti spring So you may be starting to see a trend here. I am building a very single purpose bike. A bike that is meant to pin it fast down fast trails. I am not the rider who stops to hit p the skinnys a few times or goes to sesh the local gravel pit drop, all I want to do is go. Sometimes the most important part of going is the stopping or Just slowing down a bit. Only a little bit though. I am a huge Avid fan, having spent time on the original Juicy 7s, 5s and Juicy Carbons. You cant really go wrong with any of those setups but I wanted something a little bit special. Last season some of the top SRAM riders were sporting the new Juicy Ultimate levers mated with Code calipers. Since I am nobodies top rider I had to spend my personal booty. Lucky for us peons the Code and Ultimate parts can be bought seperately. Using the Ultimates upper end saved some grams over the 7s master cylinders plus there are no finicky red dials for friends to play with. You still have the ability to fine tune the bite point but youll need an allen key to do it. Code caliper Code caliper The Code calipers bump up the power a bit by using four pistons and more importantly a much larger pad surface area. After a few bleeds the Ultimate/Code combo works great, much to my relief as SRAM does not advise combining the two systems. Two years ago I saw a picture of Fabian Barels bike sporting a 6 rear rotor o I decided to give it a try. It worked great with my old Juicy Carbons, actually saves nearly a 1/4 pound and should perform Just fine with the even more powerful Code calipers. I expect a lot of power but will my hybrid brakes keep the Juicy modulation that I love so much? X. O shifter and Ultimate lever mounted using Avids sweet Matchmaker bar clamp X. O shifter and Ultimate lever mounted using Avids sweet Matchmaker bar clamp It is no different with the wheels I chose but I did decide to avoid the more expensive rims out there. I put a rim thats on a DH bike in the same category as brake pads or a hain: Disposable. I wanted something light but nothing to expensive as I would most likely be going through a few as the season got bigger and badder. I have had nothing but great results with my set of Alex Supra Ds, under 600 grams, easy to build and very reliable (gotta love the anodized gold option! ). But at $90 msrp canadian they are a little expensive to be turning them into squares. The SingleTrack from Sun seemed to be the perfect choice. Closer to 500 grams then 600, a decent width and cheap! The msrp here in Canada is only $40 so it was hard to say no. Hubs re a hard one. There are a lot of amazing hubs out there, some seem to be more art then a bike component. The truth is that they all use wheel bearings that I can buy from local hardware store or distributor so why drop more on a rear hub then most regular people spend on a whole bike? Well.. l cant! As much as I wanted a Hadley or DT I could not Justify it. I would rather put that money into my suspension or brakes. I did manage to find a sweet set of hubs that come in at nearly half as much as some others, are lighter and are easy to service. WTB may not Jump out at you hen you are thinking about hubs for your big bike but you should really look them up. The Super Duty rear hub is an amazing little bit of work. Unlike most hubs, everything is a push fit which makes it super easy to disassemble and clean. The 12/150mm Super Duty rear hub has been stripped of absolutely any extra material that it does not need. You also slide your cassette onto a aluminum freehub body which is where most of the weight savings come from. WTB SuperDuty hub Check the aluminium freehub body Actually, the rear hub weighs 305 grams and the front comes in at only 190. The folks at WTB are also good people which has a lot to do with me picking their hubs over some others. Poor spokes. No one ever thinks about them and they do so much work. I really did want to build these wheels with Sapims super high end CX-Ray spokes but time was not on Sapims side. All my parts were where they needed to be and I had some very nice black DT Champion spokes to hold everything together so that is what I chose, pertinence be damned! The CX-Rays do make a lot of sense though and I hope to use them on my next wheelset. I have not had a spoke break in years but hey are light and the minimal middle section is bladed which makes building and truing alot easier as I can hold the spoke with a special tool to prevent and wind-up (wind-up is when a spoke turns with the nipple when truing, it makes things difficult). Aluminum nipples get such a bad rap but as long as you treat them right they work great. I weigh in at 1701b. which is not huge but I have run al. nipples exclusively for years now with no problems. I am sure I have had no trouble because I look after my wheels though. With A1. ipples you need to keep the tension from getting to low as he constant loading and unloading of spokes can snap the heads off. I also use a four sided spoke wrench to finish the build, tension and true. Holding onto all four sides minimizes the chance of rounding the corners on the softer metal and also dropping a touch of thin lube into the nipple now and then keeps things from seizing up. A light wheelset can be the k ey to a fun and nimble bike so I thought it was important to choose parts carefully to end up with the right package, something I think has been done. Everyone go buy Srams X. O shifters and derailleurs. And if you cant afford them then ell a liver or something because you owe it to yourself to roll with X. O. I like nice stuff (obviously) but my rides dont depend on it. If I am on a test bike with a lower end group set I will have Just as much fun as on some rare super bike. But this X. O stuff is amazing. Basically, you put it on your bike and then 6 months later you scrape the dirt off it and maybe make a small adjustment. The 1:1 cable pull ratio means that stretch and other variables that can cause shifting to go haywire will have half the effect that it would on Shimanos traditional 2:1 pull. I love how I am able to move the lower shift paddle to a more comfortable position for my tiny girls hands. Its a feature that I thought was more gimmick than function but now I Just would not be comfortable with a stock non adjustable shifter. All around quality parts and despite the fragile look they can take a beating. 0k people, stop buying outboard bearing cranksets. They are not better. In the real world they do not last longer and you can not tell me that you can feel a differance in stiffness on your mountain bike with big knobby tires and suspension. k, you can ell me whatever you want but I wont believe you. I will go through two ISIS b. bs in a year of riding. I gave outboards a shot a while back and if I had stuck with it would have gone through four sets of cups. Lame. Take your chain off your external bearing crankset and give it a spin, not to great eh? Even on a broken in external bearing b. b. you will have a ridiculious amount of seal drag, way too much to be accept able for the meager amount of power we put out. Unfortunetly, the amount of companies putting out nice light ISIS cranks is shrinking so hit up e-bay and scoop up what you can get

Parentheses, Braces, and Brackets in Math

Parentheses, Braces, and Brackets in Math Youll come across many symbols in mathematics and arithmetic. In fact, the language of math is written in symbols, with some text inserted as needed for clarification. Three important- and related- symbols youll see often in math are parentheses, brackets, and braces. You will encounter parentheses, brackets, and braces frequently in  prealgebra  and  algebra, so its important to understand the specific uses  of  these symbols as you move into higher math. Using Parentheses ( ) Parentheses are used to group numbers or variables, or both. When you see a math problem containing parentheses, you need to use the order of operations to solve it. Take as an  example the problem: 9 - 5 à · (8 - 3) x 2 6 You must calculate the operation within the parentheses first, even if it is an operation that would normally come after the other operations in the problem. In this problem, the times and division operations would normally come before subtraction (minus), but since 8 - 3  falls within the parentheses, you would work this part of the problem first. Once youve taken care of the calculation that falls within the parentheses, you would remove them.  In this case (8  -  3) becomes 5, so you would solve the problem as follows: 9 - 5  Ãƒ ·Ã‚  (8 - 3) x 2 6 9 - 5 à · 5 x 2 6 9 - 1  x  2 6 9 - 2 6 7 6 13 Note that per the order of operations, you would work whats in the parentheses first, then calculate numbers with exponents, then multiply and/or divide, then add or subtract. Multiplication and division, as well as addition and subtraction, hold an equal place in the order of operations, so you work these from left to right. In the problem above, after taking care of the subtraction in the parentheses, you need to divide 5 by 5 first, yielding  1;  then multiply 1 by 2, yielding  2;  then subtract  2  from  9, yielding  7;  and then add  7 and  6, yielding a final answer of 13. Parentheses Can Also Mean Multiplication In the problem 3(2 5), the parentheses tell you to multiply. However, you wont multiply until you complete the operation inside the parentheses, 2 5, so you would solve the problem as follows: 3(2 5) 3(7) 21 Examples of Brackets [ ] Brackets are used after the parentheses to group numbers and variables as well. Typically, you would use the parentheses first, then brackets, followed by braces. Here is an example of a problem using brackets:   4 - 3[4 - 2(6 - 3)] à · 3 4 - 3[4 - 2(3)] à · 3 (Do the operation in the parentheses first; leave the parentheses.) 4 - 3[4 - 6] à · 3 (Do the operation in the brackets.) 4 - 3[-2] à · 3 (The bracket informs you to multiply the number within,   which is -3 x -2.) 4 6 à · 3 4 2 6 Examples of Braces { } Braces are also used to group numbers and variables. This example problem uses parentheses, brackets, and braces. Parentheses inside other parentheses (or brackets and braces) are also referred to as nested parentheses. Remember, when you have parentheses inside brackets and braces, or nested parentheses, always work from the inside out:   2{1 [4(2 1) 3]} 2{1 [4(3) 3]} 2{1 [12 3]} 2{1 [15]} 2{16} 32 Notes About Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces Parentheses, brackets, and braces are sometimes referred to as  round, square, and curly brackets, respectively. Braces are also used in sets, as in: {2, 3, 6, 8, 10...} When working with nested parentheses, the order will always be parentheses, brackets, braces, as follows: {[( )]}

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2 Reading comprehension is like anything; to get good at it, you need to practice. Luckily, you can do that, here, with this Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2 – The End of Overeating. Directions: The passage below is followed by questions based on its content; answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. Printable PDFs: The End of Overeating Reading Comprehension Worksheet | The End of Overeating Reading Comprehension Worksheet Answer Key From The End of Overeating by David Kessler. Copyright  © 2009 by David Kessler. Years of research had educated me about how sugar, fat, and salt change the brain. I understood some of the parallels between hyperpalatable foods and drugs of abuse, and about the links among sensory stimulation, cues, and memory. Id met enough people like Claudia and Maria to understand how even the thought of food could cause them to lose control. But I wasnt fully prepared for the discoveries I made about irresistibility and whoosh, the Monster Thickburger and Baked! Cheetos Flamin Hot, about indulgence and purple cows. Without necessarily understanding the underlying science, the food industry has discovered what sells. I was sitting at Chilis Grill Bar in Chicagos OHare Airport waiting for a late-night flight. At a nearby table a couple in their early forties was deep into a meal. The woman was overweight, with about 180 pounds on her five-foot-four-inch frame. The Southwestern Eggrolls she had ordered were listed as a starter course, but the enormous platter in front of her had been heaped with food. The dish was described on the menu as smoked chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeà ±o Jack cheese, red peppers, and spinach wrapped inside a crispy flour tortilla, and it was served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce. Despite its name, the dish looked more like a burrito than an egg roll, an only-in-America fusion approach. I watched as the woman attacked her food with vigor and speed. She held the egg roll in one hand, dunked it into the sauce, and brought it to her mouth while using the fork in her other hand to scoop up more sauce. Occasionally she reached over and speared some of her companions french fries. The woman ate steadily, working her way around the plate with scant pause for conversation or rest. When she finally paused, only a little lettuce was left. Had she known someone was watching her, Im sure she would have eaten differently. Had she been asked to describe what she had just eaten, she probably would have substantially underestimated her consumption. And she would probably have been surprised to learn what the ingredients in her meal really were. The woman might have been interested in how my industry source, who had called sugar, fat, and salt the three points of the compass, described her entree. Deep-frying the tortilla drives down its water content from 40 percent to about 5 percent and replaces the rest with fat. The tortilla is really going to absorb a lot of fat, he said. It looks like an egg roll is supposed to look, which is crispy and brown on the outside. The food consultant read through other ingredients on the label, keeping up a running commentary as he did. Cooked white meat chicken, binder added, smoke flavor. People like smoky flavor - its the caveman in them. Theres green stuff in there, he said, noting the spinach. That makes me feel like Im eating something healthy. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese.... The increase in per-capita consumption of cheese is off the chart. The hot peppers, he said, add a little spice, but not too much to kill everything else off. He believed the chicken had been chopped and formed much like a meat loaf, with binders added, which makes those calories easy to swallow. Ingredients that hold moisture, including autolyzed yeast extract, sodium phosphate, and soy protein concentrate, further soften the food. I noticed that salt appeared eight times on the label and that sweeteners were there five times, in the form of corn-syrup solids, molasses, honey, brown sugar, and sugar. This is highly processed? I asked. Absolutely, yes. All of this has been processed such that you can wolf it down fast...chopped up and made ultrapalatable.... Very appealing looking, very high pleasure in the food, very high caloric density. Rules out all that stuff you have to chew. By eliminating the need to chew, modern food processing techniques allow us to eat faster. When youre eating these things, youve had 500, 600, 800, 900 calories before you know it, said the consultant. Literally before you know it. Refined food simply melts in the mouth. Reading Comprehension Worksheet Questions 1. It can be inferred from the authors description of the woman eating in paragraph four that(A) The woman prefers to eat at Chilis vs. other restaurants.(B) The woman truly enjoys the foods that she chooses to eat.(C) The womans efficiency at cleaning her plate adds to her dining experience.(D) The author is disgusted by the womans consumption.(E) The author believes the woman should take a course in healthy eating. 2. According to the passage, the main reason people overeat is(A) because salt and sweeteners, like corn-syrup solids and brown sugar, are added to the food.(B) because we dont have to chew our food very much.(C) because people like smoky flavor.(D) because sugar, fat and salt change the brain.(E) because we are used to eating quickly in this modern society. 3. The following are all ingredients in the egg rolls, EXCEPT(A) salt(B) binders(C) honey(D) spinach(E) dark meat chicken 4. Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of the passage? (A) If you eat too much food too quickly, youll gain weight and become unhealthy.(B) Because refined food is irresistible and easy to eat, it masks how unhealthy it is, leaving people unaware of the poor food choices theyre making.(C) Chilis is one of the restaurants in the U.S. serving unhealthy food to consumers today.(D) Food consultants and authors are making Americans aware of their unhealthy eating habits, thus, creating healthier generations for years to come.(E) Refined foods, with salt, sugar, and fat hidden inside, are less nutritious and more damaging than whole foods. 5. In the first sentence of paragraph four, the word vigor most nearly means(A) pleasure(B) flamboyance(C) lethargy(D) energy(E) craftiness Answer and Explanation More Reading Comprehension Practice

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus vs E.Coli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus vs E.Coli - Essay Example Effect of a microorganism or virulence of a bacterium may be caused by an organism being physically present in the host where it releases toxins to the host directly or its preformed toxins get into another organism’s body system through various routes such ingestion, skin etc. The virulence of microorganisms varies across genus as well as species. In this paper, I am going to describe two bacteria, explain their ecological niche, and finally compare them. Selection of bacteria After a thorough evaluation of bacteria I have rested on Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The reason for selecting the two organisms is that they share a common feature of exhibiting a rectangular shape but their behaviors are totally different. Their similarities and differences are expounded below. Lactobacillus bulgaricus Lactobacillus bulgaricus’ is a non pathogenic organism. It occurs in its natural environment and its ecological niche is where there is its requirements for gro wth are provided especially in dairy products that contain lactose. It is chemoorganotrophic meaning that it must obtain energy and carbon from organic compounds. It is a rod shaped and the rods join end to end to form a filamentous structure that are extensively long. This bacterium is a gram positive facultative anaerobe. Based on this fact, Lactobacillus bulgaricus can be homofermenative or heterofermentative. When it comes to motion, the bacterium is non motile because it does not possess locomotion. When conditions become unfavorable this particular bacterium does not form a spore. According to Guchte (2006) its size based on its shape ranges between 0.5-0.8 x 2.0-9.0mm. For this bacterium to grow it requires a medium whose pH ranges between 4.6 -5.4 (Guchte, 2006). The fact that it can only hydrolyse lactose sugar makes it quite important to food industry because of its by-products. When it is fed with lactose, the bacterium converts this sugar to lactic acid. This fact has be en exploited as a principle in yoghurt production where lactose in milk in converted to lactic acid and it is used as a preservative as well as well as giving the yoghurt an awesome a tart flavor. The bacterium reproduces asexually through conjugation. Conjugation is a process where RNA and DNA are transferred from one bacterium to another (PBWorks, 2008). Lactobacillus bulgaricus can also be found in human intestines. Escherichia coli This bacterium occurs in the natural environment particularly fecal contaminated one but it carves its niche in the lower part of intestines of organisms that are warm blooded because there is a well balanced ecosystem. In the intestines there are specific nutrients that are provided and conditions are favorable for its growth and survival. Some strains of this bacterium especially O111, O145, O104:H21, O157:H7, O121, O104:H4, O26, and O103 are very pathogenic (Nicole et al., 2001). About 0.1% of the bacteria that colonize mammalian gut belong to the E. coli specie (Nicole et al., 2001). The bacterium is a gram negative rod and it is a facultative anaerobe whose cell measures approximately 2.0 x 0.5Â µm (Nicole et al., 2001). When this bacterium is outside the host’s body, it is able to survive for some period of time which has made it to be used as indicator of

CAUSES of young adults low self esteem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CAUSES of young adults low self esteem - Essay Example There are a number of factors, which affect the self-esteem of a person positively or negatively. Development of high or low self-esteem of a person starts in a very young age. The age of 15 to 25 years is generally known as the age of young adults and this age is the most progressive age of any person. The people having high self-esteem face the challenges of life confidently whereas the people with a low level of self-esteem are not able to progress in life in an appropriate manner. Low self-esteem can lead the way towards various problems such as depression, hopelessness, despair, and antisocial behaviors. Amaechi (2007) asserts, â€Å"Low Self Esteem will make you act indifferently, negatively to the various events that occur in your life†. Some of the factors, which cause low self-esteem in a young adult, include parents’ expectations, social status, parents’ care, decision-making power, unemployment, disability, and educational performance. Let us discuss t hese factors in some detail in order to know how these factors influence the self-esteem of young adults. Parent’s Expectations Parents usually expect a lot from their young children. The level of self-esteem of young adults goes down when they do not live up to the expectation of their parents. The sense of failure and the fear of criticism of the society play a major role in causing low self-esteem in young adults. ... Those children, who do not get required care from their parents due to their busy routines, feel neglected which causes low self-esteem in those children. Decision-Making Power A person having fewer choices to take an appropriate decision is not able to calculate the accurate outcomes the decision that he intends to take. Such people hesitate to take risks related to different matters of life. The lack of choices to make a decision also causes low self-esteem in young adults which also affects their decision making power. Unemployment Unemployment is another factor that causes low self-esteem in young adults. Some adults do not find any sort of employment whereas some adults do not find opportunities to move to some better companies in order to get good jobs. Both of these factors work as the reasons for bringing down the level of self-esteem of a person. Young adults are generally very progressive by nature. They want to excel in their professional lives as soon as they graduate, bu t when they do not find any chance to progress in their professional careers, they feel highly dejected which causes their level of self-esteem go down. Disability and Appearance Physical or mental disabilities also cause low self-esteem in young adults. A person who is physically disable feels inferior and depressed. Even a person with bad looks or unattractive physical appearance feels unable to mark success in his life. A disable person also isolates himself from active social life due to the fear of ignorance and off-putting comments of other people. Educational Performance Poor educational performance is also one of the major causes of low self-esteem of young adults. The adults who show

Analyze a passage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Analyze a passage - Essay Example As the author puts it, it is finer and closely godlike to attain such success for city-states or for nations. The reasons support the thesis because they outline how success works to improve the growth of a nation. This refers to the all round development whereby all members of a given society, city or state, work hard t improve their status of living through pursuit if certain desires and sciences, as stipulated by the political leadership. The reasons are plausible in their own right that political science enables political leaders to forecast and determine the direction of growth and development that they want their nation to pursue. As such, they are able to determine the best sciences and studies for their citizens then encourage them to undertake a massive uptake for the general good of the nation. The passage plays an important role in the real world because it enables people to learn specific features of nation development and improvement. Political science enables unification of different opinions and converge them for the benefit of city-states or the nation. Such success receives nation-wide

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

1 - Assignment Example The private sector, on the other hand, is referred to as for-profit sector. These include businesses and institutions that offer goods and services for sale. Their main aim is to achieve profits in the sale of these products and services. This is quite different from the public sector that majors on service delivery not on a profit. It is through the revenue and taxes that the employees in the private sector fund the public sector. The private sector also through their corporate social responsibility programs help the community to develop. Non-for profit organizations are institutions that are not categorized in the public or private sectors and offers goods and services for free. In some situations, good corporate citizens donate to the public sector in an effort to give back to the community. In disaster situations, these groups are affected interdependently. For a case of a mudslide, the demand for public services is increased. Due to the increase in the demand of these services, the budget of the public sector is strained. Companies and businesses in the private sector are also interfered with due to the damage of the disaster. This results to less tax remittance since their services have been affected (Lyon & Hamlin, 2001). In worst cases scenarios, the staff at these businesses may lose their jobs on either a permanent or temporary basis. The tax remittances and contributions to non-profit organizations have to reduce since the businesses are not running as usual. In this type of scenario, the non-profit organization is faced with a decrease in contributions and sometimes an increase in demand of their services. Depending on the cruelty of the disaster and the strains on the local system, funds from outside of the resident community may be required to support the public in its salvage and go back to its normality. Question #2 Disaster and emergency management has had continual evolution through the years. There exists numerous career opportunities in this field since an individual can be employed in the private, public and non-profit sectors. It is a sophisticated field because it disaster affects any part of the community. This interrelationship between the sectors has affected the skills set for disaster and emergency managers. The careers range from the project managers on the ground to policy makers and executives in the office. Employment, therefore, in this field can be permanent or temporary since the disaster and emergency are not always happening (Haddow et al, 2011). An example of a full time employment is at FEMA. At FEMA, Permanent Full-Time (PFT) staffs are employed through a modest procedure that comprises an interview and application. Recruited employees can gain competitive status after one year of continuous service. Temporary employment at FEMA can be as Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE). These are employees hired to labour for a specific limited period. This is usually about two to four years. Em ployment is usually renewed if there is consistent disaster and funding for the program is available. These staffs can be employed under a rationalized method instead of a modest process. They are normally qualified for similar remunerations  as PFT personnel, but do not get modest career or status tenure during their period of employment. Other employment avenues are in the disaster management facilities or offices. These range from administrative, accounts, management to support staff who guarantee smooth running of the facilities.

Is Inclusion a Positive Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Is Inclusion a Positive Movement - Essay Example Thus, inclusive education has met with resistance from all quarters and just like those parents who felt that their children should not be educated with blacks, many parents and teachers today still have a muted sense of distaste for inclusion. However, it has to be understood that every child that is born in a society is owed something and has to live in the real world. Thus, inclusion is a better approach than segregation and the society will do far better if it were to try to accept the best inclusive practices and to try to embed knowledge into the environment for the continuous progress of all its members. This brief essay presents a discussion about inclusion in education. I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. Inclusion in education refers to the notion that students from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities should study in the same regular school with their normal peers and that schools should change the way in which they work to cater for the requirements of all students (Loreman, Pp. 15). It should be noted that inclusion has been encouraged in many countries from around the world as a positive means for encouraging the development of all students and also for encouraging tolerance (Hughes, Pp. 119). However, despite the fact that inclusion has been considered in a positive manner by many, critics of the policy of inclusion do exist and it has been said that the strain that is being introduced in schools as a result of inclusion is a time bomb which can explode unless inclusion policies are properly resourced (Allan, 2008, Pp. 1 -9). Although the concept of inclusion by itself has received much support, it is the financial and emotional cost for teachers who have to try so very ha rd to do

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

1 - Assignment Example The private sector, on the other hand, is referred to as for-profit sector. These include businesses and institutions that offer goods and services for sale. Their main aim is to achieve profits in the sale of these products and services. This is quite different from the public sector that majors on service delivery not on a profit. It is through the revenue and taxes that the employees in the private sector fund the public sector. The private sector also through their corporate social responsibility programs help the community to develop. Non-for profit organizations are institutions that are not categorized in the public or private sectors and offers goods and services for free. In some situations, good corporate citizens donate to the public sector in an effort to give back to the community. In disaster situations, these groups are affected interdependently. For a case of a mudslide, the demand for public services is increased. Due to the increase in the demand of these services, the budget of the public sector is strained. Companies and businesses in the private sector are also interfered with due to the damage of the disaster. This results to less tax remittance since their services have been affected (Lyon & Hamlin, 2001). In worst cases scenarios, the staff at these businesses may lose their jobs on either a permanent or temporary basis. The tax remittances and contributions to non-profit organizations have to reduce since the businesses are not running as usual. In this type of scenario, the non-profit organization is faced with a decrease in contributions and sometimes an increase in demand of their services. Depending on the cruelty of the disaster and the strains on the local system, funds from outside of the resident community may be required to support the public in its salvage and go back to its normality. Question #2 Disaster and emergency management has had continual evolution through the years. There exists numerous career opportunities in this field since an individual can be employed in the private, public and non-profit sectors. It is a sophisticated field because it disaster affects any part of the community. This interrelationship between the sectors has affected the skills set for disaster and emergency managers. The careers range from the project managers on the ground to policy makers and executives in the office. Employment, therefore, in this field can be permanent or temporary since the disaster and emergency are not always happening (Haddow et al, 2011). An example of a full time employment is at FEMA. At FEMA, Permanent Full-Time (PFT) staffs are employed through a modest procedure that comprises an interview and application. Recruited employees can gain competitive status after one year of continuous service. Temporary employment at FEMA can be as Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE). These are employees hired to labour for a specific limited period. This is usually about two to four years. Em ployment is usually renewed if there is consistent disaster and funding for the program is available. These staffs can be employed under a rationalized method instead of a modest process. They are normally qualified for similar remunerations  as PFT personnel, but do not get modest career or status tenure during their period of employment. Other employment avenues are in the disaster management facilities or offices. These range from administrative, accounts, management to support staff who guarantee smooth running of the facilities.

History, Point of View, Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History, Point of View, Interpretation - Essay Example 1 History is normally viewed as just a written narrative of past events. Allan Munslow however argued that although the facts are correctly stated, history is presented by historians through a narrative as to how he understands and interprets these facts, which is mainly biased towards how he interprets and understands the events of the past. As Munslow put it, history â€Å"cannot escape its authorship†¦ the past is not just re-interpreted according to new evidence but also through self-conscious acts of re-writing as well.†2 As such, there is a tendency of historians to offer their point of view according to their personal interpretation of events. Munslow contends that present day historical authors and is more inclined on presenting events according to their interpretation. The emphasis now is less on history as a process of objective discovery and report but, rather, accepts its unavoidably fictive nature, that is, its literary contractedness. By this I mean recognizing the figurative assumptions that underpin authorial activity in creating the text†¦often determining the selection of evidence and its most likely meaning†¦Postmodern history, because it is a literary†¦ cannot escape its authorship†¦the past is not just re-interpreted according to new evidence but also through self-conscious acts of re-writing as well†¦include the historians pre-narrative assumptions and how we translate those assumptions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 3 Antonia Castaneda’s, Spanish Violence against Amerindian Women present two different interpretations of events in the history of California. These different views are due to different ideological perspectives of the two authors. Castaneda focused on the oppression and sexual exploitation of Amerindian women by Spaniards. Her study discussed brutality of soldiers to the women, critically analyzing of situations of the Amerindian women before and during the Spanish conquest of California and how natives

Two Cheers for Materialism Essay Example for Free

Two Cheers for Materialism Essay Regardless of where we live, where we grew up, and where we are going, its influence has played an important role in our lives. Whether we know it or not, materialism is one of the most influential forces we interact with. In his essay â€Å"Two Cheers for Materialism† James Twitchell discusses the history, location, and impact materialism has had on society. With the use of the view points from many academics and historical figures, Twitchell offers insight into materialism’s effect on how we function in today’s world. He concludes all of this with the idea that materialism is not just the desire to collect commodities, but it’s a force that truly shows the advancement of society. From the days of horses and buggies, to modern day status quo of Hondas and Toyotas, the value of the commodity, both economically and personally, as drastically changed. The economic changing of materialism is obviously seen in the inflation of everything we buy (cloths, foods, cars, ect. ) whereas the value these items have to our identities is not as obvious. In the essay, Twitchell makes his major point by saying that over time materialism has morphed from what we have, to what we are—that is, materialism is our identity. Twitchell focuses a good portion of the essay on the development of materialism, and how it has become part of our identity. An important part of this idea, and how Twitchell views it, is that unlike how many academics view it, materialism is not this horrid idea that breaks us down into little soul-less robots, as depicted in The Great Gatsby. Twitchell argues that materialism is what makes us different then our pre-20th century selves. As Twitchell says â€Å"The outcome of material life is no longer preordained by coat of arms, pew seat, or trust fund. †(289) by this he means that materialism is now a choice. We can use it to decide who we are, by what we buy. No longer are we born into ‘what’ we are. This allows us â€Å"to be cool, hip, with it, with the ‘in’ crowd. † (289). I agree with Twitchell’s theory on this, and moreover can add that this change overtime of materialism’s role has led to groups such as â€Å"yuppies,† â€Å"indies,† and â€Å"preps. Without materialism, then we couldn’t purchase certain items that make us into the groups we want to be in. Materialism gets rid of the disadvantages we are born with, as anyone can fork over some money for knock off goods, or even splurge for the real version. Because of this, materialism has become our identity, and the beauty of it is, unlike genetics, we can change the hand we’re dealt. Twitchell says it best in this passage—â€Å"We live through our things. We create ourselves through things. And we change ourselves by changing our things. (282). Materialism is us. We are materialism. Along with suggesting this major role materialism plays in our lives, Twitchell makes various points on the academics that have critiqued materialism over the years. He scorns those who look down upon the materialistic world, while using their critiques to make points about it. I believe this condescension of academia goes hand in hand with his praise of materialism, as he points out, the academic world looks at themselves with such a high regard, they don’t see the hypocracy in their statements. Twitchell gives the example of the Volvo driving critic who will spend hours criticizing the bourgeois fascination with materials, but neglects the decals on his car, which prove to be just as materialistic. Along with scorning these critics, Twitchell praises many in their contributions to his essay. He uses an academic, Stanley Lebergott, to show the outcome of materialism’s effect on us. As Lebergott says, â€Å"most Americans have ‘spent their way to happiness’. This goes very far in enforcing the positives of materialism, and further scorns those who are against it. Twitchell’s use of other writers is very prominent in this essay, and very important in evaluating the essay as a hole. From history changing men like Karl Marx, to circle-known French sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Jean Baudrillard, Twitchell while reading this essay, it feels like Twitchell quotes anyone who ever wrote the word materialism on a published document before. This strategy makes me very skeptical of Twitchell’s knowledge. While I agree with most of the points Twitchell makes, I think he relies too heavily on the thoughts of others, which overall ends in a weak backing of his main point. Twitchell gets stuck between †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. All in all, Twitchell makes a very important point about materialism that to me saves its reputation in American culture. Regardless of what we think about materials, materials show how far we’ve come. No longer are we born into a role, materials make it possible to become who we want to be become.

Silvio Napoli At Schindler India Management Essay

Silvio Napoli At Schindler India Management Essay Schindler, a Swiss elevator company, had decided to develop and grow its international market share by planting a fully owned subsidiary in India. Its primary goals were to achieve 50 orders in its first year and break even after four years of trading. It also planned to win 20% of the market share inside of 5 years. Silvio Napoli, had been carefully selected as he was the author of the business plan which had documented this take-off. The mindset was that Silvio could replicate his winning Swatch strategy in a rising market that had strong growth prospects. The two key elements of his business plan strategy was (a) the introduction of a line of standardised and non-customised S001 and S003 elevators and (b) the local supply of materials and components. It had been eight months since he took up office and there hadnt been a single sale. Things had gone pear shaped frustrating Silvio as they had hindered his attainment of the targets set for him. Firstly, selling non-standard elevators in India was myopic where customised elevators were critical to new entrant strategies. Secondly, his strategic expansion highlighted cost reduction instead of focusing on product customisation. Thirdly, communication problems and lack of vital support beleaguered the new low-cost subsidiary from its parent company. Finally, it appears personnel were not listening. Introduction The Schindler dynasty had been established 1874 in Switzerland by Robert Schindler. Fifteen years later they were manufacturing elevators. The current successor was a fourth generation Schindler who had chosen to change the companys cultural orientation from an engineering based manufacturing model to a customer centric service company. Over time it had grown into a world class technology leader in elevators and at the time of study was second to none in the production of escalators worldwide. With such accolades it was amazing that it had no operations of its own in the second fastest growing market in Asia India. Schindler had collaborated with a couple of companies to sell its elevators in this market but terminated both agreements due to irreconcilable differences. So, after a long and drawn experience in the Indian market without much success, Schindler has now concluded its best option would be to utilise a Greenfield strategy. This would offer lower risks and higher control. The time was ripe, as in early 1990s Indias economic liberalisation was designed to welcome international competition and foreign investment . In line with this market entry strategy the corporate executive committee appointed Silvio Napoli to head the launch into India. Their decision was based on Silvios strong knowledge of the project derived from the various assignments he had undertaken for them. Other factors swung in his favour including his trustworthiness, flexibility, and more to the point, who was better qualified to realize the business plan than, him, the originator? The strategic implementation of the business plan was not as easy as anticipated. Whilst Silvios myopic vision may be partially blamed he cannot be impugned for other factors beyond his control. This report seeks to clearly show on conclusion that Silvio Napoli was suitable for the General Managers job. It evaluates his first seven months in this position as a leader and offers advice on resolving the challenges and issues that threaten to derail his thorough business plan. Finally, it will provide recommendations to Silvio Napoli for rectification of operational dysfunction and addresses actions Luc Bonnard should take with Silvio to move forward. Silvio Napoli and his Leadership Style Silvio comes across as a young dynamic leader, a company man at that, who leads from the front. Having graduated from Harvard with an MBA and his former semi pro rugby play makes it feasible to say he was gutsy, energetic, well-disciplined and not averse to strong challenges. These leadership qualities were no doubt essential in taking, what his contemporaries called a high-risk decision to spearhead a start up in a cross cultured environment like India. His leadership style isnt democratic which would have suited the task in hand. It seems a hybrid between bureaucratic and laissez-faire with more of a slant towards the bureaucratic. Leaders exploit or employ different power bases. Silvio opted to use the power of position and control. A pedigree from Harvard, he would have known the best leadership style to suit the situation. It seems he wanted to retain responsibility rather than comprehensively delegate otherwise, probably, this style gave him increased control. Whilst it could be used to indicate poor leadership skills, the authors view is that he may have adopted this tight control style to assist in cost cutting and productivity. Different styles offer different degrees of advantages or disadvantages. A negative side of this mixture of leadership style is the blocked contact aspect which creates barriers to communication which can, as seen in the case, hinder success. This is a classic example of a company charging forward wit h an ill-fated product solely because staffs are afraid to pass on negative customer feedback messages. Getting no feedback, positive or negative, should have set alarm bells ringing. At least positive feedbacks can be advantageous as they have a likelihood of producing increased returns. His hyper-focused work style would leave staff in unhealthy positions of weakness and demotivated. Leadership examination would be incomplete without considering the motivation of the leader or the role or motivations of their followers (Kellerman 2004). The mixed views of his team sum him up. His subordinates see him as impulsive, hard-driving, impatient and over-communicative and angry when deadlines are not met. The authors view is that he is not that kind of leader. He has set high targets for himself and knows he will be able to get his staff to emulate him. It could be that as a first time foreign manager he wants to set the boundaries for his new team but has clearly not communicated it well. Another plausible reason may stem from a clash of cultures both national and organisational because these underpin the attitudes, values and beliefs of the staff. Such differences can create misunderstandings, conflicts and tensions. Punctuality is important in Swiss culture where Silvio has begun his working life. However, in the host country the culture is a laid-back attitude. His contemporaries see him as focused, resolute and strong-headed. Such assertiveness does not help his team who are excellent world class professionals. This leader has a lot to learn. His actions suggest he has not quite understood the culture and the market he has been asked to tap into. To, make matters worse hes not ready or willing to change his views. Silvio knows his weakness in relation to the survival of Schindler India, which is a good thing. He sees himself as a warrior with need to have monk tendencies. He knows his controlling nature requires an infusion with patience. Luc Bonnard sums it neatly when he advices him to work on his monk part. As Silvio is a fledgling GM his priorities need to be more relationship-oriented than task -oriented. Getting this issue right would reduce his problems dramatically. Schindlers Penetration into India Alfred Schindler made an excellent choice of starting his own operation in India. His vision was that India would be testing ground for new products and if the project was a success it would be rolled out with modifications for various markets including China. His organisation had all the activities I the value chain (marketing, production, installation design and service) so having a subsidiary in India to design and test the market was a logical step of its evolution. As mentioned earlier, Schindler India planned to use standardisation to penetrate the market quickly utilising economies of scale. Their simple standard product lines had no allowances built in for customisation. It was strangely in direct contrast with the usual modus operandi employed by other Schindler subsidiaries and, in fact, their competitors who also had more product lines. Instead of using Schindlers successful strategy of offering custom equipment, they chose this entry method. Furthermore, to cut costs it would subcontract the manufacturing of the bulk of its component to local suppliers with the rest being supplied through its European counterparts. Many successful companies entering India create long term investments and a strong organisation obligation by assigning senior executives to work with established local personnel. Conquering this market would require recognition of Indias changing elevator landscape. Such knowledge would be instrumental in considering the next course of action where products can be tailored to budgets and tastes of the consumer base. To capture their custom and wallets successfully Schindler should adapt their business model to local environments. Schindler Indias Management Team Silvio has carefully selected from a set of personnel which have been recommended from a top recruitment firm. His core team were adept in their fields. Silvios real world experience on the platform of international trade is almost non-existent. One would argue that Silvio made up for this deficiency by the calibre of personnel he hired to make up his management team. He realised he was out of his comfort zone in India so he hired people that would complement his own weaknesses. Porter (1996) affirms it is possible to improve operational effectiveness by performing similar activities better than rivals through efficiency. It may be that he strategically hired the two people from Otis to pick their brains and share ideas to achieve this goal. Schindlers Key Problems The first error which snowballed into other areas was the decision to use the swatch plans of low-cost entry strategy to conquer India. The success of the low-end Swatch watches had impressed Alfred Schindler he commissioned Silvio to see if he could imitate their low-cost production approach. A big mistake!!! Schindler have always their markets and customers making them number one worldwide allowing them to maintain their strong position in the escalator market. Schindler didnt need to reinvent the wheel in India. The products were not meeting the needs of the market; as could be seen by their voting with their wallets. Drucker (1954) asserts there is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. Disregarding the opinions of the potential customer can be destructive. The choice as to how escalators should be sold should really be down to the market. Silvios strong- headedness and single mindedness, impatience and over communicative tendencies could breed foes or disgruntled subordinates and jealous colleagues. A variety of internal and external forces influence employee behaviour. Fig 1 shows the impact of top management behaviour and other forces on employees. Culled from Performance Measurement Management Control Fig 1. Forces influencing employee behaviour Another misaligned judgment is seen in how the Schindler Indias cost structures were developed. The strategy failed to take into account the corporate cost structures were based on a customisation model. It subsequently backfired as it meant he had to revise pricing for elevators to a point where building them would be sustainable. Increased costs sent Silvios budget rocketing. The unforeseen and unfavourable exchange rate hikes and hefty increase from 22% to 55% in duties created another problem. The increase in duty and custom tariffs were on the table. He just hadnt thought it through thoroughly. Likewise the increase in transfer pricing. Shipping the sub-assembly products become more expensive thus uneconomical and impractical. With his team, Silvio sought to find an alternate source locally to bypass the risen import duty. It took some time. Time which could have been utilised better if their European counterparts had warned them. This was a non-issue which could easily have been avoided. Silvio had to with resistance on two fronts. The conflict on the European subsidiaries side was based on change. There was no synergy as both sides had different goals. To cap it all two members of his team had sold customised models. Recommendations Solving this problem will entail Silvio Napolis re-evaluation of his strategy. Perhaps, even, he could opt for a new perspective. The swatch strategy is not compatible with the culture and the market they want to enter. Customisation will improve sales and offer higher gross margins. He should focus on orchestrating a new strategy for Schindler and its marketing of escalators in India. This means taking notice of what the customers want as opposed to what his Business plan says. Whatever strategy he chooses will rely heavily on quality business processes and systems. It will rely on synergy which may require training of personnel. To carry out any strategy would require further investment. This investment would be to cover some / all of the following options. One of their major problems relate to customisation. It therefore seems fitting that customisation is adopted to secure targets. Silvio should not digress from product development as it would detract from meeting Alfred Schindlers test track goals. Product development using latest technologies would allow them to stay at the forefront of their game and allow them to transform their vision into reality. The provision of a factory for these processes would be essential. Greenfield operations are particularly noted for the need for recruitment, management and training of local employees. Silvio organised some night-time training for his staff but he, as an expatriate, was not given cultural training. This would have alerted for example him to how cultures communicate differently through silent language. Being lonely in the middle is characteristic of an expatriate who has superficial familiarity of a territory and lacks cultural understanding. In such instances the local workforce manages operations. So his training will need to be done sooner than later. This will enable him to manage as he should as the current feeling of being in full control is illusory. Schindler must consider a merger with a local competitor to further improve local knowledge, offer an established customer base, and giving them access to local plant production units. Alfred Schindler needs to iron out a few issues relating to the structure of the new subsidiary in relation to Head Office. At the moment there uncertainty as to whether head office decides all global policy or if this Silvio has a say, or indeed if strategically the subsidiary operates autonomously. This uncertainty extends to whether Silvios subsidiary has been set up to access and evaluate long term opportunities in the region. He would also need to address cross-cultural management competencies. He will need to decide how various subsidiaries relate to each other. He will need to know if employees in his multinational teams share similar assumptions and causal relationships. A strong memo is required to the various branches to enforce cooperation. Coming from the CEO it will reshape the negative culture. In dealing with the non-standard glass elevator issue Silvio should be customer- centric and accept the order. It would reflect well and possibly give him a foothold to enter an otherwise dominated market if his company forward a superb service. Customers networking have been known to make or break companies. Again, the lack of support from his European counterparts should be reported to the CEO as it will continue to bug his strategy if he lets it fester. The transfer price issue and the lack of technical cooperation are detrimental to the organisation as a whole. It has far-reaching consequences that cannot be overlooked. A key component of his business model called for the outsourcing of manufacturing to Indian companies to give it the edge in the market through its cost differentiation. But if the supply of technical information is being withheld and transfer pricing is not being honoured then Alfred will need to know. Such Petty squabbles may ruin Schindler India especially if it fails to meet it targets constantly. As theres a lot of reverence for Alfred, his involvement could put Silvios backslide into reverse to progress and ultimately hit his set target. Conclusion Strategies are critical factors for the success and maintenance of competitiveness in any firm. All strategic components are vital, no matter how trivial, as all have impact on the implementation. Understanding the complexities of strategies for entering the Indian market was a tough lesson for Silvio who subsequently discovered planning and implementing the initial plans were different, especially where a lacking of inter-cultural competency and communication problems collided to misalign the strategy. His real-world experience to appreciate and recognise these threats were limited but these should in no way negate his qualification to manage the subsidiary in India. Hes the first to admit that the manager would be key to the success of the business plan and Alfred Schindler may have understood the situation and his company better when he predicted Silvio would feel what it means to be in a hostile environment where nothing works as it should. His first seven months may have been a painful lesson. Silvio has had to learn the hard way. It must be said these experiences have made him a better GM. He is made some positive strides since he took over. Juggling both family relocation and building corporate subsidiaries was not planned well. He should have focussed on one before the other as he wore himself out. Nonetheless, he had open two branches, hired the right calibre of people, especially as they were locals. From day one, he had positively tried to elicit commitment to his business plan. His decision to offer strictly standardised products without customisation was irrational especially in the face of customer feedback which indicated otherwise. Silvio should take time to reflect and reassess his business model with his team taking on board their views. He has failed this far because of his inflexibility and his failure to listen.