Instant Noodle Market: An Economic Indicator in the Philippines Essay

INTRODUCTION Background of the Study With the Philippines’ worsening economy, people are becoming more concerned with their expenditures and are shifting their consumption to cheaper alternatives. Such an alternative for food is instant because these instant noodles are not only tasty and filling, but also very cheap. These three qualities have made it very popular among consumers who are tightening their budget. This paper aims to show that the increasing popularity and sales of this instant noodles are directly related to the worsening condition of the Philippines’ economy. When consumers experience lower income and lower level of spending power they tend to substitute cheaper, lower quality goods for relatively more expensive, higher quality goods. In this light, instant noodles are becoming an indicator of the country’s economic performance. Additionally, this increased consumption of instant noodles brings about many health and economic implications. Statement of the Problem In the current deteriorating state of the Philippine economy, instant noodles, because of their affordability and convenience, are slowly replacing traditional food staples and at the same time, becoming an economic indicator. In this research, the author focus on how instant noodles are gaining popularity in the Philippines in relation to this product’s characteristics and the influences of the economy and income per capita. The paper would also solve the following questions: how the consumption level of instant noodles is indicative of the country’s economic activity? What are the implications that the growing consumption of instant noodles may have on the Philippine economy and the health of the population? Importance of the study More knowledge on this topic could prove useful to understanding how the instant noodle market could become an effective gauge of a country’s performance and the state of living. In addition, by delving into the subject, more information may be made available and would allow future studies to look more closely on how instant noodles may be improved to further benefit the general population. Also, the growing industry may be prove to be useful as a mechanism of providing labor and other forms of economic benefits for the country. As poverty continues to be rampant and resources remain scarce, instant noodles may prove to be a solution to some of the problems faced by the Philippines today. Scope and Limitation of the Study The research will focus on the consumer activity of households with relatively low income and how it would relate to the economy. The survey for this paper will be conducted with 30 respondents at Brgy. 617, a relatively impoverished urban community situated in Sampaloc, Manila. The interview will also take place in the said barangay. Subject: Accounting Subject of Topic: Instant Noodles Topic: The effects of noodles to those family who has low income Purpose: The purpose of this research is to further increase the understanding of how the economic state of a country affects its consumers’ behaviors towards instant noodles or even similar products. Title: Instant Noodles Becoming a Replacement for Traditional Food Staples in Brgy. 617 Sampaloc, Manila and an Indicator of the Philippine Economy.

Activity Based Costing Essay

Activity based costing (ABC) is a relative new way to allocate costs to specific processes and services. This system assures that the costs are accurately distributed to the products or services that generated them. ABC illustrates costs more accurately, giving management insight to the cost associated with certain business activities. ABC extends the decision-making skills of management by expanding on traditional costing (job order costing/process order costing) techniques. However, since ABC’s introduction in the 1980’s, many corporations are not using ABC, despite gained managerial decision making capabilities. Even by the mid-1990s, ABC’s use has not spread throughout the accounting industry and its use is not obvious (Selto & Jasinski, 1996). The following article will discuss the pros and cons of the ABC method. ABC is an extension of traditional product costing techniques. These techniques are called job order costing and process order costing. A job order costing system arranges costs for each unit as it goes through a production process. A process cost system collects costs in work in progress account. The numbers of units worked are recorded for the accounting period. These systems alone do not accurately illustrate costs incurred. Instead, these two costing techniques generally lump costs into 3 main categories (cost centers). These three categories are direct materials, direct labor and overhead. Cost drivers are then assigned to represent the relationship between the cost and the process it is allocated to. ABC provides a better map of the costs of manufacturing products or distributing services. ABC uses a multitude of activity centers, which are the equivalent to the previously mentioned traditional cost centers. Each of these activity centers has its own cost driver and driver rate. ABC identifies many different costs to products by adjusting the cost driver and driver rates to specific activity centers. This process avoids across the board allocations of cost. For example, a product, which takes up .03% of space in the warehouse, would require .03% cost absorbed by product sales revenue. If the depreciation unit requires 5% cost to replace equipment at a latter date, 5% is the driver rate for that particular product. Unit, batch  and product level costs can be determined with ABC. The following steps can summarize the ABC process. The first step is to identify the activities that consume resources and allocate costs to those activities. For example, purchasing materials, record keeping, labor, materials, miles driven, machine hours and number of customers served are activities, which consume resources and needs costs to be assigned to them. The second step is to distinguish the cost drivers that are related to each activity. For example, if machine hours an activity used in the process, then the number of hours used in production of one unit would be the particular cost driver rate. The last step is to allocate costs to products by multiplying the cost driver rate by the number of cost driver units consumed by the process. There are many inherent strengths in the ABC model. The ABC model allows costs to be allocated to many different activity centers. Few corporations can focus on undifferentiated product lines and be successful. Having multiple product lines means the company has multiple cost drivers associated with each different product line. ABC is helpful in selecting which products are successful and which ones should be eliminated. Accurate cost information is key in determining the actual costs of frequent product changes. This cost is important because costs can be a good indicator of the justification or termination of varying product lines. Product lines have become more complex. Product lines of past were much simpler. For example, the Model T Ford came in one style and one color, black. Today, Ford cars have many different colors and styles. These different styles all have different cost drivers and activity centers. ABC illuminates hidden costs when high volume sales are not present and product differentiation is. This is advantageous because unprofitable lines can be replaced with lines that are profitable. Not many years ago, labor comprised 25 to 50 percent of a product’s cost. However, since the 1960s, labor is increasingly less involved in the  production process. For example, the textile industry replaced 100-year old shuttle looms for European air-jet looms, doubling output with less labor. In steel, the Nucor corporation used continuous casting machines to yield labor costs of $60/ton verses traditional steel’s $130/ton. Labor cost today is infrequently the driving force behind costs it was during the development period of cost accounting (1930’s). Instead, indirect costs have replaced labor as the dominant portion of costs for some products (Kelly, 1991). To use labor as the major basis for allocating as job costing or process costing accounting does, may lead to inaccurate decisions by management. The accounting profession has largely overlooked ABC. Among reasons cited for low adoption were employee resistance and the organizational changes essential with the use of ABC (Ness & Cucuzza, 1995). Some trace the source of hindered adoption of ABC to technical as well as cultural issues. Others feel that ABC would be more widespread in industry if it were marketed better by the accounts themselves (Brausch, 1992). There are several reasons for ABC low adoption rate. Complexity is an obstacle to implementing ABC. ABC requires detailed records of the costs associated with producing products and services as compared to traditional methods. This detailed record keeping requires more effort from the accountants and is more time consuming. The complexity of ABC can contribute to more errors. ABC can require more time to check and recheck to uncover errors. ABC generally requires more effort on the part of the accountant verses traditional methods and reduces the adoption rate of ABC. Another reason for not using ABC is the increased economies of scale. Many corporations are standardizing their products to reduce the costs to manufacture them. For example, Coca-Cola distributes its products in many different countries. The product varies very little in respect to packaging and manufacturing. Traditional methods of accounting can assign costs more easily, quickly and accurately for those products that have little or no product variation. ABC is a valuable tool in calculating the costs of producing varying product  lines. These differing product lines require more extensive accounting practices than traditional costing methods provide. The information obtained from ABC can help promote product lines that managers feel are profitable between those which should be eliminated. Labor is less frequently the major ingredient in the production process. ABC addresses this concern by examining and illustrating the overhead costs associated with particular activity centers. ABC describes these over head costs more accurately and is beneficial when increasingly more complex manufacturing processes are used. Adoption issues should be addressed to implement ABC method when costing decisions matter to managers. Bibliography: ReferencesBrausch, J.M. â€Å"Selling ABC: New Cost Systems Can Flounder if They Are Not Marketed.† Management Accounting, February 1992, pp. 42-46. Geishecker, M.L. â€Å"New Technologies Support ABC. â€Å"Management Accounting, March 1996, pp. 42-48. Kelly, K. â€Å"A Bean-Counter’s Best Friend.† Business Week, October 25, 1991, pp. 42-43. Ness, J.A. and T.G. Cucuzza. â€Å"Tapping the Full Potential of ABC.† Harvard Business Review, July/August 1995, pp. 130-131. Selto, F.H. and D.W. Jasinski. â€Å"ABC and High Technology: A Story with a Moral.† Management Accounting, March 1996, pp. 37-40. 17 Activity based costing Essay Executive Summary This report provides an analysis of Activity Based Costing systems and Conventional Costing systems to determine whether the application of Activity Based Costing concepts would be useful at DBS Consulting Services. A profitability analysis of the two consulting services offered by DBS Consulting Services (e-Commerce Consulting and Information Systems Consulting) was performed using Activity Based Costing and Conventional Costing. Using the conventional costing approach, the overheads of $342,000 were allocated at $129,960 (e-Commerce Consulting) and $212,040 (Information Systems Consulting). Using the Activity Based Costing approach, the overheads of $342,000 were allocated at $107,160 (e-Commerce Consulting) and $234,840 (Information Systems Consulting). Before implementing an Activity Based Costing system, management needs to assess the problems that the firm is facing so that the Activity Based Costing system can be designed to address those problems. DBS Consulting Services is in a tight local labour market and is having difficulty finding quality staff. It was found that E-Commerce Consulting Services provided a higher income per billings percentage than that of Information Systems Consulting Services (19% vs. 3%) under the Activity Based Costing approach. E-Commerce Consulting Services provided the higher return per sales dollar. These results would suggest that the professionals at DBS Consulting Services need to spend more time in e-Commerce. The success of failure of Activity Based Costing approach is determined by the reactions of the people who develop and use the system. An Activity Based Costing system can be costly and time consuming to  implement and maintain, it requires extensive training, expertise and information. However, the benefits of Activity Based Costing systems, being improved cost accuracy and assisting management with decision making, outweigh these costs. Introduction It is said that Activity Based Costing can result in improved costing accuracy when compared with Conventional Costing procedures. Arguments to support this claim are that companies who adopt Activity Based Costing are not limited to a single cost driver when having to allocate costs to their products and activities. Activity Based Costing allows companies to use non-unit cost drivers as well as unit cost drivers to allocate costs. Also, because use differs significantly amongst activities, no single cost driver can accurately assign costs for all activities whereas Activity Based Costing takes advantage of multiple cost drivers, not just a single cost driver. Arguments against this claim are that service industries often have higher levels of facility costs which mean fewer costs will be included in the Activity Based Costing system. Service industries also have a lot of non-repetitive activities which make it difficult to identify an individual activity to assign a cost driver to. Both the conventional costing system and the Activity Based Costing system calculate the cost of a product or service in relation to the revenue it generates. However, the conventional costing system assigns manufacturing overheads based on a volume-based cost driver, and Activity Based Costing systems assign the manufacturing and non-manufacturing overheads based on the activities required to produce the item. Part 3 Case Analysis Report – DBS Consulting Services (cont.) The Conventional Costing System Conventional costing approaches assume that manufacturing overhead costs are related to the volume of production which is usually measured by input measures such as direct labour hours or direct machine hours. The features of a conventional costing system are: Direct material and direct labour costs are traced to products Manufacturing overheads are assigned to products based on a pre-determined overhead rate The manufacturing overhead rate is calculated using a volume-based cost driver Non-manufacturing costs are not assigned to products The advantages of using a conventional costing system are: They are aligned with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) They are simpler than Activity Based Costing systems and easier to implement The disadvantages of a conventional costing system are: They are not as accurate as Activity Based Costing systems They can result in under-costing and over-costing of products They can lead to poor management decisions as non-manufacturing costs are excluded The Activity Based Costing System Activity Based Costing systems allocate manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs to a product based on the activities required to produce the item. Activity Based Costing systems calculate the cost of individual activities and then assign those costs to cost objects, such as outputs, based on the activities required to produce them. Activity Based Costing systems can be used to estimate the cost a product and also as a tool for management to monitor and control what is happening in the business by analysing the activity costs, the root causes of activities, the value of to the customer and measures of performance. The advantages of Activity Based Costing systems are: They provide a more accurate cost of products Manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs are included in the calculation They provide a greater understanding of overhead costs The disadvantages of Activity Based Costing systems are: Information can be misinterpreted by some users They can be costly to implement and maintain They involve major changes in data collection and analysis which can be challenging and also cause resistance amongst employees Current System at DBS Consulting Services Currently at DBS Consulting Services our administration costs (overheads) are allocated to both consulting services (e-Commerce and Information Systems) based on billable hours. The following analysis presents the profitability of the firm’s e-Commerce and Information Systems consulting services using Conventional Costing procedures and Activity Based Costing. Part 3 Case Analysis Report – DBS Consulting Services (cont.) Conventional Costing Procedures: Part 3 Case Analysis Report – DBS Consulting Services (cont.) Activity Based Costing Procedures: Analysis: Activity-based costing procedures result in a significant increase in the overhead costs allocated to Information Systems Consulting and a significant decrease in the overhead costs allocated to e-Commerce Consulting. The conventional costing procedures allocate overheads based on billable hours which results in 38% of overhead costs being allocated to e-Commerce Consulting (=1900 billable hours for e-Commerce / 5000 total billable hours), and 62% to Information Systems Consulting (=3100 billable hours for Information Systems / 5000 total billable hours). However Activity Based Costing shows that the overhead percentage allocations vary for each activity as summarised below. Part 3 Case Analysis Report – DBS Consulting Services (cont.) The e-Commerce Consulting services are allocated less overhead costs using Activity Based Costing when compared to the conventional costing approach. Using the conventional costing approach, $342,000 is allocated at $129,960 (e-Commerce Consulting) and $212,040 (Information Systems Consulting). Using the Activity Based Costing approach, $342,000 is allocated at $107,160 (e-Commerce Consulting) and $234,840 (Information Systems Consulting). E-Commerce Consulting Services provides a higher income per billings percentage than that of Information Systems Consulting Services (19% vs. 3%) under the Activity Based Costing approach. This shows that although both services are charged out at the same rate, and the labour rate for both services are the same, e-Commerce Consulting Services provides the higher return per sales dollar. By adopting the Activity Based Costing approach we can determine a more accurate method of allocating overhead costs to our services which in turn will provide more accurate profit analysis of each service. This will help to increase customer and shareholder value. Summary Given the very tight local labour market and the fact that it is difficult to find quality staff it would not be desirable for an aggressive expansion of either consulting service regardless of the fact that both generate a profit. If we opt to expand either service this would mean having to hire more qualified staff, which as mentioned above, is difficult in today’s competitive market. Before implementing an Activity Based Costing system, the following factors need to be considered: Management needs to show conviction that the benefits of the system will outweigh the costs Management and staff need to understand what Activity Based Costing is and how it can help the firm The requirement of resources to implement Activity Based Costing need to be considered Concerns about the resistance to change factors need to be addressed The success of failure of Activity Based Costing approach is determined by the reactions of the people who develop and use the system. Resistance to change can impede implementation, therefore in order to succeed, there must be a plan in place that is carefully thought out to take into account the factors above as well as determining the extent of change required and the different personalities involved. Employees should be encouraged to play a major role in developing and using the Activity Based Costing system to give them a sense of ownership and help them to view the system as a tool to help them manage their work. In conclusion, an Activity Based Costing system can be costly and time consuming to implement and maintain, it requires extensive training, expertise and information. However, the benefits of Activity Based Costing on improved cost accuracy and assisting management with decision making outweigh these costs. Part 3 Case Analysis Report – DBS Consulting Services (cont.) References Langfield-Smith, K., Thorne, H., & Hilton, R. (2012). Management accounting: Information for creating and managing value (6th edition). North Ryde, NSW, Australia: McGraw-Hill. Heisinger, K., & Hoyle, J. (2013.). Managerial Accounting,v.1.0. Retrieved April 10, 2014 from http:/catalog.flatworldknowledge.com Johnson, R. (n.d.). Traditional Costing Vs. Activity-Based Costing. Retrieved April 1, 2014 from http:/smallbuiness.chron.com Wilkinson, J. (July 23, 2013). Activity-based Costing (ABC) vs Traditional Costing. Retrieved April 1, 2014 from http:/strategiccfo.com Marx, C. (n.d.). Activity Based Costing (ABC) And Traditional Costing Systems. Retrieved April 4, 2014 from http:/financialsupport.weebly.com Keshav. (n.d). Advantages And Disadvantages of Activity-Based Costing (ABC). Retrieved April 1, 2014 from http:/accountlearning.blogspot.co.nz Delaware Technical Community College. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2014 from https://www.dtcc.edu

Risk and Quality Management Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk and Quality Management Assessment - Essay Example Hospitals usually contain specialized personnel and equipment that need a lot of training and experience. Apart from their treatment services, they also provide rooms and beds for patients and always have emergency and trauma sections. Discussion Quality management is basically about the patients’ confidence whereas risk management is about patients’ needs and priorities, and protection of hazards. Quality management puts more focus on the effectiveness of results and efficiency in utilizing the resources whereas risk management is more focused on the potential effectiveness of results and potential efficiency to utilize resources. Patients’ safety is generally very important to both the patients and the authorities (Joshi, 2009). This is why governments and medical practitioners including other professionals have launched a lot of researches to assess the severity, occurrence and reasons behind many adverse events. Ways to enhance safety and reduce risks in heal th organizations through quality and risk management range from good coordination, human resources, good communication, updated information technology, standardization and improvements of the health organization. ... These include wound infections, wrong site surgeries and medication errors. There is therefore a relatively high risk of unsafe situations in hospitals and thus calls for measures to prevent them through quality and risk management (Kavaler, 2012). Hospitals should have flexible, participative and customer focused administrations. They should also possess values that are associated with participation, affiliation and teamwork in each and every improvement to make the quality if the services given better. There should also be a developmental culture based on risk-taking innovations that are supposed to improve the overall services of the hospital. Therefore the idea is to improve the institution while keeping the patients and the staff out of hazards that may be brought about by errors and other causes in the hospital. The key concept of quality management in the hospital is the development of the systems to prevent hazards, and of risk management is the process of minimizing risk by developing the systems to identify and analyze potential hazards (Lighter and Fair, 2004). Risk management, being an on going activity, should not only be about identifying the risks upfront and then forging ahead regardless. It plays a critical role in identifying, managing and containing risks related to patients’ safety. In a hospital environment, communication and good governance together with a systematic and an integrative approach will make risk management easy and adjustable according to the size of the organization. The steps followed in risk management start with a risk strategy which is basically the establishment of the internal and external risk management context and defining its structure. The second step is risk identification

Managing the Personal Selling Function Assignment

Managing the Personal Selling Function - Assignment Example Marketing communication is a fundamental tool in any company that needs to satisfy their customer’s needs. It includes, advertising, packaging, personal selling and many more. In addition, marketing communication outlines the marketing communication concepts that include the positioning of a brand, the marketing message and how a company wants the consumers to view their brand. Â  Personal selling is a promotional method where a salesperson uses skills and techniques to build relationships with potential clients. This promotional method occurs through face-to-face meeting or through communication via the telephone that allows information to be conveyed. Personal selling involves finding new prospects where a sales person makes direct contact. A sales person needs to prepare adequately to meet a prospect buyer. In addition, they need to present their product in a manner that shows that they best understand their products. This is because, the clients might ask questions about the products, and the sales person should be able to address the clients concerns. Sales persons should be able to deal with obstacles put in their way by their clients. It is important to close a sale and this depends on the knowledge and skills of the sales person on how to close a deal. The sale persons should be strategic in convincing customers to buy a product (Hutt & Speh, 2007). Â  The sales management function is to facilitate activities that are involved in the movement of goods from the supplier to the customer.

Group project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Group project - Essay Example On the other hand, marketing is seeking to scoop profits after taking some selling actions. There are many ways in which companies or even and individual could use publicity for the good and profitability of their product. For instance sponsoring an event is a common practice among many companies whereby a company will ensure that in a particular event, its products are introduced. All the people attending the event are introduced to the product, and in some cases, the company could make some sales (Sako, p.22). In this case, Choco-pop could decide to be involved in an event especially one that has adults who aged between 30-49 and those that have no complaints about peanuts. An additional method would be staging a debate where people from all walks of life would throng avenue and participate. During this event, one of the company’s representatives could take some time to explain to the audience about a product. (Burnley p.108) noted that if publicity is done in the right manner on the appropriate audience, it could increase the sales volume. That is to say, a company has to be conscious of the target before publicizing. In the case of this product, it pretty obvious young people love these products as well as debating. Hence, by pairing the two, this would be a fantastic opportunity to make Choco-pop known. Offering incentives is another sure way of publicizing a product, which is never as expensive as the real advertising especially through that media. The essence of encouraging publicity is making people talk about a product as much as possible. Mostly, the reason a company struggles with marketing a product is the tendency to overlook the power of publicity (Burnley p.109). During these events aforementioned, the company will be offering some incentives to some members of the public with an aim to encourage promotion. Having elaborated ways, which the firm could

The vital factors of british and chinese student when they considering Dissertation

The vital factors of british and chinese student when they considering apply for the university during the globalization age - Dissertation Example The literature review chapter presented an overview of the factors playing and important and decisive role in determining the application process of the British and Chinese students while applying in universities. It was found that the demographic, socio-economic, social, and individual factors play an important role in the decision making process. Moreover, Chinese students are more careful while applying in universities as they seek reputation, image, brand, value for money, and future prospects. The research methodology chapter presented an overview of the different elements of the methodology along with discussing the overall relevance and importance of each element in seeking the answers for the hypotheses. The findings and analysis chapter presented an analysis of the findings based on the use of the SPSS statistical tool. The chapter highlighted the use of Chi Square, Anova, and Mean tests in understanding the relationship between factors affecting the applying process in univ ersities. It was found that there is a positive relationship between social, demographic, personal, and globalisation factors affecting the applying process in universities for oh Chinese and British students. ... TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1.Introduction 4 1.1Introduction 4 1.2 Research Aim 5 1.3 Research Objectives 5 1.4 Research Questions 5 1.5: Background of the Research 6 1.6 Rationale for the Research Topic 7 1.7 Scope of the Research 7 1.8: Proposed Methodology 7 1.9: Outline of the Dissertation 8 1.10: Summary 9 Section 2.0 Literature Review 10 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 Impact of Globalisation on Students 10 2.3 Perceived Isolation of Chinese Students in the UK 14 2.4 Academic Issues 16 2.5 Factors Affecting the Academic Performance of Chinese Students 18 2.6: Social Factors Affecting the Applying Process in University 19 2.7: Demographic Factors Affecting the Applying Process in University 21 2.8: Other Factors Affecting the Applying Process 23 2.9: Summary 25 Section 3.0 Research Methodology 26 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Research Philosophy 26 3.3 Research Approach 27 3.4 Research Design 27 3.5 Data Collection Methods 28 3.6: Data Analysis 28 3.7 Sampling 28 3.8: Questionnaire Formulation 29 3.9. Ethical Considerations 29 3.10: Strengths and Limitations of the Methodology 29 3.11: Summary 30 Section 4.0 Findings and Analysis 31 4.1 Introduction 31 4.2 Hypotheses Analysis 32 4.3: Summary 48 Section 5 Conclusion and Recommendations 49 5.1 Introduction 49 5.2: Conclusion 49 5.3: Recommendations for Students Applying in University 54 5.4: Recommendations for Future Research 54 5.5: Summary 55 BIBLIOGRAPHY 56 CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Introduction Globalisation can be considered as the main force connecting different nations and cultures in an easy and simple manner. Globalisation often helps in the expansion of international cultures, social, political, and economic activities (Brennan, et al, 2009). Globalisation

Action Assignment#3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Action #3 - Assignment Example I appreciate the support and encouragement that you have given and shown to me throughout my studies and I am truly grateful for that. The University here is great and I am learning a great deal in my classes. Thank you for always being there for me, and I promise to do my best to make my life better and also help you back at home. That is what I pray for and i will make it happen for us. My regards to you father. As a leader, if I was to receive this kind of letter I would be privileged and thankful to know that I helped someone to a point where they could be able to help themselves. I would be privileged to have impacted someone in their lives and to see them progress well. Written communication is important because it has a touching and lasting impact for both parties. Written communication tends to be a primary source that someone can use to speak what is deeply rooted in their heart. It exposes what we feel to the receiving party. 3. Create a concise (200-300 words) elevator/introduction statement that you can utilize in a variety of leadership situations (networking, interviews, etc.). Make sure to personalize your statement so that you connect most effectively with the individual you are networking with during that time. Remember, your elevator statement is a representation of your professional presence and "brand." My name is Mram. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. I have worked in an administrative position at the New Horizons educational institution. This position motivated me to want and accept a scholarship to study for my master’s degree in leadership at the University in the United States. During my work period at New Horizon’s educational institution, I managed to gain a lot of hands on experience and practical leadership skills that improved my administrative leadership gear. At the same point in time I also managed to work extra hours just to ensure that my work outcome was top level with the stated

Should France ban the veil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Should France ban the veil - Essay Example The act of covering the face by all Muslim women was banned by the French Senate and the National assembly during the same year. People within France and all over the world have started protesting against this act of the French government. In the region of France a total of 82% of the population is supporting the ban, while a 17% and those who are in favor of such a ban form a majority throughout the European Nations (Pew Research Center 1). A heavy debate between the supporters and opposition of banning of veil in France has started taking place. Those who are in favor of such a ban state that French government is disrespecting the freedom of individuals in regards of deciding what they should wear and what they should not. However, ban on the full-faced veil should be removed because such an action disregards an individual’s freedom. The French government took the measure of banning niqab because they believed that niqab was a sign of oppression which is against the norms of the French society. French levied a ban on the veil is because the veil is believed to be a sign of oppression that is being carried out by the male society to over the females of the Muslim society. Sciolino states that the French are connecting the veil to the burqa that has been used in Afghanistan â€Å"by Taliban to oppress the women in their own society† (Sciolino 140). This means that the French government believes that the Muslim women are forced to wear the veil by their male relatives to oppress their right of deciding their own clothes. This even means that the French believe that by banning the veil they are giving the female Muslims the right to decide what they want to wear. Another reason due to which the French have banned the veil within their nation is that they believe that veil is against their cultural norms. Scio lino states that French culture promotes â€Å"the meeting of eyes between two individuals in order to start a conversation† (Sciolino

Fish Depletion Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fish Depletion - Research Paper Example In addition, advancement in technology enabled more areas of the oceans to be exploited. According to a report by the Food Agricultural Organization, an estimated 25 percent of the global fish species have been depleted or fully exploited (Srinivasan 183). It is however unimaginable to have a world without marine life. More than 2.6 billion people in developing countries depend on fish to provide them with animal protein and depletion of fish stock would affect food security and nutritional status of this people. Moreover, fish depletion would have significant impacts to the world economy given that fishing industry employs more than 150 million people and is a source livelihood for the poor (Srinivasan 183). The causes of fish depletion include overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and invasive species. However, human causes are the cause of fish depletion. The paper will analyze the causes of fish depletion and recommend ways that will help reverse this trend. Causes of Fish Depletion The first main cause of fish depletion is overfishing where fish species are trapped at a rate that is faster than they reproduce (Scrimgeour, et al. 957).Overfishing is the biggest threat to fish population more than even the contribution of pollution. Overfishing results from better fishing methods and high demand for fish products are blamed for overfishing. Overfishing is a serious environmental issue given that depletes adult fish leaving fish that are not able to breed. The period between 1950 and 1994 saw the ocean fish catch grow by more than 400 percent and by 1998 the total global fish catch was approximated to be 93 million tons which and subsequent years were followed by a decline in the fish capture (Clare 73). The reduction is an indication that overfishing has led to fish declines. The main reason behind overfishing is due to global fishing vessels that are currently five times larger than the equipments that are required to sustainably catch fish produced in the oceans (Clare 73). In fact the worldwide active fishing vessels have a capacity to fill four planets equal to earth’s surface (Clare 75). Overcapacity is therefore removing fish at a rate faster than their rate of breeding. In addition to overcapacity of the fishing vessels, most fishing methods being used currently lead to negative impacts to the ecosystem. Bottom trawling for instance is a poor fishing given that it uses a non-selective fishing method and heavy gear leading to destruction of marine life. The method destroys fish breeding grounds and kills some fish species. Some fishing gears used currently also lead to trapping of fingerlings which are then killed thereby reducing the fish stock. In some developing countries, there have been cases of fishermen using mosquito nets whose pores are too small thereby catching the young fish. This has led to high rates of fish depletion with current data indicating that over 50 % of the fish stock are full y exploited, 20 percent have been moderately exploited while a further 17 percent is overexploited (Tsitsika et al. 731). 7 percent have been completely depleted although only 1 percent is recovering from depletion. In 1992, the formerly thriving cod industry came to a halt after there was no fish as the fishing season began (Tsitsika et al. 731). The other main cause of fish depletion is increased rates of pollution. Ocean pollution is negatively affecting the

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting Essay

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting techniques and explain its significance in the business environment - Essay Example In any organization, budgets are a representation of the future revenues and costs. The main characteristic of budgets is that they are prepared in advance and are derived from long term strategy of a company. The budgets relate to the goals and objectives of the organization and express in quantitative form, the monetary and physical units of activities. The main activities in companies include control and planning, and budgets are the centre of these activities. Budgets are crucial control systems that show estimates of expenses and revenues of a company over a certain period of time. Budgets are usually compiled and evaluated after certain periods. There can be a surplus budget when the company anticipates to get a profit, it can be balanced when the company expects the expenses to equal the revenues, or it can be deficit budgets when the expenses are expected to exceed the revenues. Budgets are usually prepared in companies based on their goals. The process of planning budgets involves preparing detailed, short-term plans for the organizations. Budgets are prepared by starting with an overall budget for the whole organization, which can then be broken down into smaller budget based on departments. The planning process involves consultations with the whole organization in order for the objectives of the company are achieved. The process of developing a master budget starts by preparing the sales budget. This is because the sales budget acts as the limiting factor in this company. This budget also affects other components of the master budget directly or indirectly. This budget shows the sales expected over a period of time. It is simply a product of the expected units of sales and the expected price per unit. This budget needs to be prepared carefully because other components of the master plan rely on it; otherwise the master budget will be ineffective for control and planning purposes. Once the sales budget has been done,

Customer Satisfaction Of Airtel & Grameenphone Essay Example for Free

Customer Satisfaction Of Airtel Grameenphone Essay 1. Introduction The introduction of the telecommunication sector has been pretty late in Bangladesh compared to that of the neighboring countries. The mobile telecommunication service has been doubling on an annual basis over the last two or three years. Now-a-days there are six mobile phone operators in the country with Grameen phone, Robi, Teletalk, Banglalink, Airtel and Citycell. They are offering different new package and offers different value added services to satisfy the customers ‘demands. Customer satisfaction is a fundamental marketing construct in the last three decades. In the past, it was unpopular and unaccepted concept because companies thought it was more important to gain new customers than retain the existing ones. However, in this present decade, companies have gained better understanding of the importance of customer satisfaction (especially service producing companies) and adopted it as a high priority operational goal. Customer satisfaction, a term frequently used in marketing, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals. People in Bangladesh are becoming busy day by day and more professional than previous. They need to share more information to each other because demography has changed due to the era of globalization. Mobile phone has introduced a tremendous change in the communication sector in our country. It has changed the communication structure also. People in various occupations and income levels are using mobile phone intensively for their occupational purpose and personal purpose as well. 1.1 Basic information The telecom sector of Bangladesh began its journey with land phone. Then SEBA was the first company to bring cellular telephone services. The telecom sector has completely changed both in terms of coverage and efficiency of services. Cellular telephone services have achieved great commercial success. For most firms, the preeminent goal is to maximize the value of the  firm for its owners or shareholders. Increasing competition (whether for-profit or nonprofit) is forcing businesses to pay much more attention to satisfy customers. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical variables, which correlate with satisfaction behaviors. For this majority of the firms is trying to be a customer-oriented, customer- focused, or even-customer driven enterprise. Airtel is one of the late movers in telecommunication sector of Bangladesh. And like all other telecom companies, it is trying hard to penetrate the market and get a hold of significant market share t hrough their valued customers. 1.2 Background information Airtel Bangladesh Ltd. is a GSM-based cellular operator in Bangladesh.Airtel is the sixth mobile phone carrier to enter the Bangladesh market, andoriginally launched commercial operations under the brand name WaridTelecom on May 10, 2007. Warid Telecom International LLC, an Abu Dhabi basedconsortium, sold a majority 70% stake in the company to Indias Bharti AirtelLimited for US$300 million. Bharti Airtel Limited took management control of thecompany and its board, and rebranded the companys services under its ownAirtel brand from December 20, 2010. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission approved the deal on Jan 4, 2010. Grameenphone widely known as GP, is the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh. With more than 46.04 million subscribers (as of September 2013), Grameenphone is the largest mobile phone operator in the country. It is a joint venture enterprise between Telenor and Grameen Telecom Corporation, a non-profit sister concern of the interna tionally acclaimed microfinance organization and community development bank Grameen Bank. Telenor, the largest telecommunications company in Norway, owns 55.8% shares of Grameenphone, Grameen Telecom owns 34.2% and the remaining 10% is publicly held. Grameenphone was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh. It also established the first 24-hour Call Center to support its subscribers. With the slogan Go Beyond, Grameenphone promises its customers to bring the best of communication technologies so that they can Go Beyond. 1.3 Objective of the report The objective of the report is divided into two parts. They are specific and  broad objectives. The specific and broad objective of this report is given below: 1. Broad Objective: The broad objective of this report is to find out the customer satisfaction level of Airtel Grameenphone customers. 2. Specific Objectives: The specific objectives will be To find out specific areas of satisfaction of Airtel Grameenphone users To figure out specific areas of dissatisfaction of Airtel Grameenphone users To know the overall satisfaction level of the customers To figure out possible improvement sectors to reduce dissatisfaction To know the better service provider between this two companies 1.4 Literature Review Airtel is the 6th mobile phone carrier to enter the Bangladesh market and launched commercial operation on May 10, 2007. Indias bharti Airtel limited bought 70% share of Warid telecom international. This is the largest investment in Bangladesh made by an Indian company. Airtel offers both prepaid and postpaid connections with lots of diversified packages to its customers. It also offers massive value added services to its subscribers. Below is a description of timeline of Warid Telecom in Bangladesh, Bharti Airtel and its taking over Warid: In December 2005, Warid Telecom International paid US$ 50 million to obtain a GSM license from the BTRC and became the sixth mobile phone operator in Bangladesh. In a press conference on August 17, 2006, Warid announced that its network would be activated two months ahead of schedule, in October, 2006. Again in October, 2006 Warid Telecom put off the launch of its cell phone services in Bangladesh until April, 2007 after its major supplier Nokia w alked out on an agreement over a payment dispute. Warid had a soft launch at the end of January 2007. It gave away complimentary subscriptions among a selected group of individuals, whose job was to make test calls and the operator adjusted its networks quality based on their comments. On May 9, 2007, Warid in an advertisement in some daily newspaper stated that it would be launching publicly on May 10, 2007. However, no call rate or any package details were revealed. The advertisement included an announcement for the people interested to buy Warid connections to bring the documents like ID card, etc., to the  designated franchise and customer care centers. On October 1, 2007, Warid Telecom expanded its network to five more districts raising total number of districts under Warid coverage to 56, said a press release. Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Rajbari and Narail towns were covered by Warid network. On November 10, 2007, 61 districts under Warid network coverage. On June 10, 2008, Warid Telecom expanded its network to 3 more districts Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati. Now all 64 districts of Bangladesh are under Warid network coverage meaning Warid Telecom now has nationwide coverage. On December 20, 2010, Warid Telecom was rebranded to Airtel. Bharti Airtel Limited is commonly known as Airtel. It is an Indian telecommunications company that operates in 20 countries across South Asia, Africa and the Channel Islands. It operates a GSM network in all countries, providing 2G, 3G and 4G services depending upon the country of operation. Airtel is the third largest telecom operator in the world with over 243.336 million customers across 20 countries as of March 2012. It is the largest cellular service provider in India, with over 181 million subscribers at the end of March 2012. Airtel is the third largest in-country mobile operator by subscriber base, behind China Mobile and China Unicom. Airtel is the largest provider of mobile telephony and second largest provider of fixed telephony in India, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services. It offers its telecom services under the Airtel brand, and is headed by Sunil Bharti Mittal. Bharti Airtel is the first Indian telecom service provider to achieve Cisco Gold Certification. It also acts as a carrier for national and international long distance communication services. The company has a submarine cable landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore. Airtel is known for being the first mobile phone company in the world to outsource all of its business operations except marketing, sales and finance. Its network—base stations, microwave links, etc.—is maintained by Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei, and business support is provided by IBM, and transmission towers are maintained by another company (Bharti Infratel Ltd. in India). Ericsson agreed for the first time to be paid by the minute for installation and maintenance of their equipment rather than being paid up front, which allowed Airtel to provide low call rates. Bharti Airtel began its journey in Bangladesh in December 2010 when it acquired 70 percent stock  of Warid Telecom of Abu Dhabi Group. So, it can be said that Airtel Bangladesh has just completed its maiden year in the country. And within this period of time, the operator has also created a vast job opportunity in diverse segments of the organization and as of August 2013, Airtel Bangladesh has 7.97 million subscribers with 7.3% of market share. Before Grameenphone’s inception, the phone was for a selected urbanized few. The cell phone was a luxury: a flouting accessory for the select elite.The mass could not contemplate mobile telephony as being part of their lives. Grameenphone started its journey with the Village Phone program: a pioneering initiative to empower rural women of Bangl adesh. The name Grameenphone translates to â€Å"Rural phone†. Starting its operations on March 26, 1997, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, Grameenphone has come a long way. Grameenphone pioneered the then breakthrough initiative of mobile to mobile telephony and became the first and only operator to cover 98% of the country’s people with network The idea of providing universal mobile phone access throughout Bangladesh, including its rural areas, was originally conceived by Iqbal Quadir, who is currently the founder and director of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT. He was inspired by the Grameen Bank microcredit model and envisioned a business model where a cell phone can serve as a source of income. After leaving his job as an investment banker in the United States, Quadir traveled back to Bangladesh, after meeting and successfully raising money from New York based investor and philanthropist Joshua Mailman, and worked for three years gaining s upport from various organizations including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank and the Norwegian telephone company, Telenor. He was finally successful in forming a consortium with Telenor and Grameen Bank to establish Grameenphone. Quadir remained a shareholder of Grameenphone until 2004. Grameenphone received a license for cellular phone operation in Bangladesh from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications on November 28, 1996. Grameenphone started operations on March 26, 1997, the Independence Day in Bangladesh. Grameenphone originally offered a mobile-to-mobile connectivity (widely known as GP-GP connection), which created a lot of enthusiasm among the users. It became the first operator to reach the million subscriber milestone as well as ten million subscriber milestone in Bangladesh. Since its inception Grameenphone has built the  largest cellular network in the country with over 8500 base stations . Presently, nearly 99 percent of the countrys population is within the coverage area of the Grameenphone network. Grameenphone has always been a pioneer in introducing new products and services in t he local telecom market. GP was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh when it launched its services in March 1997. Grameenphone was also the first telecommunication operator in Bangladesh to introduce the pre-paid service in September 1999. It established the first 24-hour Call Center, introduced value-added services such as VMS, SMS, fax and data transmission services, international roaming service, WAP, SMS-based push-pull services, EDGE, personal ring back tone and many other products and services. In October 2013 the company launched 3G services commercially. The entire Grameenphone network is 3G/EDGE/GPRS enabled, allowing access to high-speed Internet and data services from anywhere within the coverage area. There are currently over 7 million 3G/EDGE/GPRS users in the Grameenphone network. Today, Grameenphone is the leading and largest telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh with more than 47.64 million subscribers as of January 2014. Grameenphone has so far invested more than BDT 24,300 crore to build the network infrastructure Grameenphone is one of the largest taxpayers in the country, having contributed more than BDT 35,500 crore in direct and indirect taxes to the Government Exchequer over the years. There are now more than 1600 GP Service Desks across the country covering nearly all upazilas of all districts and 94 Grameenphone Centers in all the divisional cities Grameenphone has about 5000 full and temporary employees. 300,000 people are directly dependent on Grameenphone for their livelihood, working for the Grameenphone dealers, retailers, scratch card outlets, suppliers, vendors, contractors and others. In this report we tried to discuss the comparative analysis of Airtel 7 Grameenphone over the customers. 2. Research Method 2.1 Data sources †¢ There are two types of data sources are used to obtain the required information. 2.1.1 Primary Data †¢ Direct interview though a survey questionnaire 2.1.2 Secondary data †¢ Commercial websites of Airtel Grameenphone †¢ Online articles on telecommunication sector †¢ Previously conducted research papers on different issues of telecommunication Company‟s magazines, brochures, etc. 2.2. Method of collecting data 2.2.1 Selecting Sample The population of this study are customers of Airtel Bangladesh Grameenphone and we took interview 120 person of different age group in our study. We targeted different people from different age group. The target population were divided among following age groups- 18-30 years 60 30-50 years 30 50-70 years 20 70- above years – 10 2.2.2 Procedure of data collection After determining the target population and sampling frame we were looking forward to conduct the survey for collecting the information. As our extent of the target population was preplanned and structured, therefore, we did not have any trouble to collect the information from the fieldwork. Whenever we found a student who was sitting idle or gossiping with their friends we went to them, cordially introduced ourselves and asked them whether they were using airtel or GP. After receiving a positive response, we provided a questionnaire form and asked them to participate in the survey. Fortunately, no one denied participating in the survey because it did not take more than four minutes to finish. Moreover, every respondent was looking enthusiastic in taking part and some of them were very cooperative and supportive. They also assisted us to find out active airtel GP users. By this way, we collected data from 100 respondents. Rest 20 set of questionnaires were given to my friends and th e neighbors who were the Airtel or GP users. 2.2.3 Method of analyzing data After completing the research survey, we started the data preparation for the project. As soon as we received the questionnaires from the field I kept all the information in Microsoft Excel program. Since, this is a descriptive  research and the data analysis should be done quantitatively. For this reason, we used MS Excel software because we have enough insights of using this program. In the beginning portion of the questionnaire, there were some general questions to aware of the some information about the respondents, for instances, gender, age, duration of the network age and some direct question related to their usage pattern. This information is analyzed collectively rather than individually. Here, no statistical tools have been used. The next section of the questionnaire contains 13 statements. Each of the statements has been arranged in such a way which is directly related to the customer satisfaction factors. 2.3 Limitations of the study The survey is subjected to the bias and prejudices of the respondents. Hence 100% accuracy can’t be assured. The researcher was carried out in a short span of time, where in the researcher could not widen the study. The study could not be generalized due to the fact that researcher adapted personal interview method. It is so difficult to survey questionnaire among target samples. 3. Result Discussions: Findings 3.1. Findings on respondents’ analysis The general analysis of the 120 samples is presented in this section. The main objective of the respondents‟ analysis is to get the overview about respondents. Here, respondent‟s gender, age limit, duration of their network, and usage pattern, etc. have been discussed briefly. There is no statistical tool used to analysis the respondent’s overview because this information will not affect directly to the customer satisfaction factors. For collecting data from the field, the research survey has been conducted among 80 male and 40 female users of airtel GP users. Thus, the ratio of male user is 60% and the ratio of female user is 40%. We have conducted the research on 18-30 years 60 30-50 years 30 50-70 years 20 70- above years 10 From this scenario, it can be said that most of the airtel is more polular in  urban areas in young generation. There were also two direct questions asked to the respondents to know the reason of using Airtel and to know which of the value added services are used by the respondents. Research findings show that 40% of the respondents use airtel only for the lower cost. 20% of the respondents use airtel for the highest FnF benefits. 10% of the respondents said they are using airtel for low on-net tariffs. 30% of the respondents use GP for network, voice quality and for the brand image. 3.2 Findings on questionnaire analysis 1. How many sim do you use? Most of the respondents use 1 sim. Rest others use 2 sims for various purposes. 2. Which company’s sim you are using now? Most of the respondents use Airtel. Those who use 2 sims, they have Grameenphone, teletalk, Robi Banglalink sim. 3. What is the reason behind of your choice? Most of the Airtel users use Airtel for the lower call rate. Grameenphone users use it for better network service. 4. Who is following better business strategy? Most of the Airtel users think Airtel is following better business strategy at this moment to attract new young generation. Grameenphone users think GP should obtain more attractive business strategy to retain the existing customers as well as draw interest to new customers. 5. Who provides more facility for their customers? In this question, most of them think Grameenphone is providing more facilities to its customers. With their network, service customer care outlet around the country Grameenphone is far better than Airtel. 6. Who is more responsible for social welfare?  Most of the respondents expressed that being the most popular largest telecom company, Grameenphone is contributing more for social welfare of Bangladesh. 7. Call Rate  Most of the respondents are satisfied with the call rate of Airtel. Few of them think it is moderate. On the other hand, most of the respondents think call rate of Grameenphone is highly expensive. They are dissatisfied with this. 8. Service.  In service issue, most of the respondents feel moderate with the Airtel service but Grameenphone have many satisfied clients in this regard. 9. Network.  In network issue, Airtel has dissatisfied customers. The respondents are not satisfied at all with the striggling network of Airtel. On the other hand Grameenphone is reigning the telecom scenario with their operative network. 10. Bonus Offer.  The respondents are satisfied with the endless bonus offers of Airtel. Most of them are agreed with that. Contrariwise Grameenphone’s bonus offers are not so much satisfactory to its clients. 11. Bundle Offer.  Most of the respondents are satisfied with the bundle offers of Airtel. A small number of them are moderate with that. Inversely the bundle offers of Grameenphone are dissatisfactory to its clients. 12. Which company’s sim you will suggest for using to your friends? 60% of the respondents told that they will suggest Airtel sim to their friends. Rest of them stated that they will recommend Grameenphone to their friends. 3.3 Best According to Customers 3.4 Reasons of the First Choice: Grameenphone 3.5 Reasons of the First Choice: Airtel 3.6 Competitive Advantage of Grameenphone Airtel 3.7 Customers Recommendations In the respondent‟s opinion and suggestion section, 12 respondents did not put any opinion. However, rest 108 of the respondents shared their valuable opinion regarding Airtel Grameenphone services and those are given below accordingly: Most of the respondents suggested Airtel to upgrade its network coverage as soon as possible. The also suggested Grameenphone to reduce the  call rate. Some respondents also suggested to: Stop sending unwanted SMS Reduce VAS tariffs Increase the validity for bonus talk time Offer attractive handset bundle package

Evil in King Lear

Evil in King Lear Google definition has several definitions for evil that essentially encompass the same idea. According to Google, evil is the quality of being morally wrong. Although this is a good basis for a definition of evil, is evil deeper than Google can describe? One always hopes that good will prevail over evil, but this does not always happen. There are various factors that can determine the eventual outcome and several questions that need to be answered. Is evil intrinsic to ones nature? Can one person force another person to be evil? Are there different levels or degrees of evil? In King Lear by William Shakespeare, evil is a dominant theme. We are not born evil, evil is learned through experience and while no one can force another person to be evil, one can be influenced by another person to perform evil acts. Evil is the quality of being morally wrong, but there are different degrees of evil. In King Lear, evil and its degrees are illustrated through the characters. The sisters Goneril and Regan are an example of characters that take evil to a new level. It can be argued that they are the most malicious characters of the play. They have betrayed Lear several times and have inflicted horrors on many others for self gain alone. The first of their wrongs starts at the very beginning when they deceivingly tell Lear how much they love him. They do this only for the land he has promised them in return for their loving praise, along with housing, taking care of him, and one hundred of his knights. They go back on this deal, which is another, but not their worst of wrongs. They drive Lear mad, all as part of a plan to diminish him of his title of king and make him nothing. They drive him to the point in which he runs off into a raging storm and they urge Gloucester to not help him and leave him, which is said in this quote My lord, entreat him by no means to stay.(act 2, scene 4). Their worst does not stop there, Goneril plans to kill her husband and co mmits adultery and Regan urges Cornwall to pluck out Gloucesters eyes which leads to Cornwall getting stab and killed. In the midst of all this the two sisters develop a family feud over Edmund which inevitably results in their downfall. Edmund is of the same breed of evil. He is ruthless and deceitful; his evil appears to have no end. The first we hear of Edmund, he is scheming to overthrow his father Gloucester and acquire Gloucesters title of duke. To do so, he would also have to get rid brother Edgar, the rightful heir to the title. Edmund is the kind of guys who doesnt think twice to screw someone over. Edmund begins his long and evil plan by setting his brother up saying that Edgar wants to overthrow Gloucester. As planned, Gloucester banishes Edgar. Now looked at as the trustworthy son, Gloucester entrusted Edmund with a potentially dangerous secret; a secret in which Edmund did not keep. He betrayed his father and told the sisters and Cornwall of Gloucesters plans to help Lear escape to the safety of France. This resulted in Cornwall plucking out Gloucesters eyes, a deed Edmund did nothing to oppose. Edmund does not stop there, he knows of the sisters feud over him and he leads them both on to play them again st each other in which he states in this quote To both these sisters have I sworn my love; Each jealous of the other, as the stung Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take? Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoyd, If both remain alive. Edmund does all this for personal gain. He knows of his evil and he continues because he wants more power. The rest of the characters of the plays evil deeds do not rise to the same level of evil that our main conspirators, Goneril, Regan, and Edmund achieve; but they too commit evil acts. Arrogance and being self-centered can also be considered to be evil traits and they are two of Lears tragic flaws. Lear is arrogant, he believes that he can give up his responsibilities as king and keep the titles and benefits. He thinks that if he gives his daughters all his land, they will take care of him. He was wrong in his assumption, and when he was told that he was making bad choices by his most loyal friend Kent, he banished Kent. Lear was unjust to Kent, and it was wrong to banish him for caring. Lear also makes the mistake of banishing his daughter Cordelia for telling the truth to Lear. Lear is self-centered, everything is always about him. All he can think about is how everyone is doing him wrong. He believes that he is more sinned against than sinning Lears acts were evil, but minor compar ed to that of his daughters and Edmunds. In life one hopes that good prevails, but in the end this is not always the case. It is human nature to want to see evil doers get what they deserve, but that too does not always happen. In King Lear, some of the characters that perform evil acts get their just desserts, but there are casualties along the way and both good and evil die. Evil is not intrinsic to ones nature, but evil tendencies can be influenced along the way. A truly evil character can be identified by the evil he intends. As it is in Shakespeares King Lear, it is in life; human beings perform evil acts in different degrees. One can be an evil doer, an evil watcher, or the just the person who stands by and does nothing. Any way you view it, evil is as Google definition defines, the quality of being morally wrong.

The King Lears Enlightenment English Literature Essay

The King Lears Enlightenment English Literature Essay In King Lear, Lear goes through a process of attaining a true insight of himself, human nature, and the world. At the beginning, the vanity and the self-image of ultimate power dominate his character. However, a series of loss throughout his life provides him with many precious lessons about the conception of true love, about the nature of a man after rejecting his power, and about the real poverty of people around him. After the unexpected attitude of two older daughters, Lear realizes that real love is manifested not in words. At the beginning, a strong need for praise is set as a standard which he uses to divide his kingdom among his daughters. The one who praises him most will receive the largest dowry. Lear also finds himself blind to assume his reward will ensure his accommodation in the future. However, the following reality hurts him strongly. It is also the turning point for Lear when he realizes his partial blindness and learns the lesson about true love. When his daughters are reluctant to accept him in their houses, he shouts: O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! / Histerica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow; / Thy elements below.-Where is this daughter?(7.224-226). Histerica passio is referred to one kind of mental illness, and Lears sickness is the surprise, the fear, and ultimately, the pain in his heart. His previous assumption about his daughters love is destroyed. They sa id they loved him strongly, but where is this daughter?, he disappointedly asks himself without any reply. They just show their love when they need Lears reward of property; however, when Lear needs an accommodation, no one accepts him. Lear shouts how this mother swells up toward my heart to illustrate that an extreme sorrow fills up his mind and his heart. He cannot suffer it and runs off into a storm. The power of the storm elevates the process of change within Lear. What he changes is how he sees himself and his daughters. He realizes that his daughters love is for his kingdom, not for him. O Regan, Gonoril, / Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave you all- / O, that way madness lies (11.18-20), he states. The term frank heart can be interpreted in two different ways. It may be the divided kingdom Lear gives to his daughters, or it can be his strong hope and belief toward their loves they show up in the love test. In either meaning, he gives them to his daughters already. However, now Lear receives nothing, except their ungratefulness. Their love is just a rhetorical promise, or, more painfully, a lying story. Consequently, that way makes his madness. His enlightenment also illustrates when he insists, Ha, Gonoril! Ha, Regan! They flattered me like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard ere the black ones were there à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ When the rain came to wet me once, and the wind to make me chatter, when the thunder would not peace at my bidding, there I smelt them out. Go to, they are not men of their words. They told me I was everything; tis a lie, I am not ague-proof. (20.95-103). He uses an interesting metaphor the rain came to wet me to illustrate that his old assumption about his daughters love was wiped out of his mind. His suffering in the storm has brought him new insight that they are not men of their words. They swore they loved him to attain his kingdom, but then they betray their words. He subtly uses the term not argue-proof to show how desperate he is when gradually seeing the treachery of his daughters, Goneril and Regan. Argue-proof refers to the immune to fever or shivering, but, in this context, he is not argue-proof. He is a normal human-being so he still gets extreme hurt when his daughters betray their love toward him. True love should be expressed by action rather than by hollow words, and capturing that lesson requires Lear to ask for the forgiveness when he has made an error. The primary point about true love assumption is apparently illustrated when Lear meets his true daughter, Cordelia. She refused to exaggerate her love toward him and be banished, but she returned to take care of him. Experiencing her kindness, Lear easily feels that she truly loves him; consequently, he regrets about his folly treatment to her before. He offers to Cordelia, if you have poison for me, I will drink it. (21.69). Lear is in a state of illusion, but also of great humility because he knows he has wrongly punished her when it was her sisters who should have suffered that treatment. Lear shows more of his humility when he asks his daughter, Cordelia: You must bear with me. / Pray now, forget and forgive. I am old / And foolish. (21.82-84). An almighty king as Lear, of course, hardly says he is foolish, but now Lear does. It proves that Lear himself admits his previous serious blindness about love, and he gains a new visionary insight which is accompanied by a true humility. A series of loss throughout the play teaches him a lesson in common humanity. People respect him just for his title. Once he gives it up, he is totally powerless and becomes a normal man like others. His position as a successful king leads him to overestimate his power, and he thinks of himself as almost a God. This perspective turns out to be a fatal mistake only when the first acts of disobedience of his daughters occur. He confusedly re-evaluates himself: Doth any her know me? / Why, this is not Lear. Doth Lear walk thus, speak thus? Where are his eyes? / Either his notion weakens, or his discerning are lethargies. Sleeping or waking, ha? / Sure, tis not so. / Who is it that can tell me who I am? / Lears shadow? I would learn that, for by the marks/ Of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason/ I should be false persuaded I have daughters (4.215-225). Many questions are raised in succession, expressing clearly Lears confusion about his real power. Sleeping or walking, ha? These terms su ggest his incredulity at what seems to happen in front of him. He always assumes he can keep his daughters in line by virtue of his authority as a father, but, in fact, he loses all of his privileged position. That reality makes him frustrated. Additionally, the self-question who is it that can tell me who I am? / Lears shadow? demonstrates that Lear begins to realize the amount of control he possesses and his position in his own kingdom. Its not Lear himself any longer, yet Lears shadow. An image of an egocentric king is replaced by one of a powerless, weak, and despised old man. The struggle in his self-esteem causes him to run madly into a storm. At this time, he acknowledges that he has nothing. Additionally, when Lear meets Tom, the beggar, in the storm, he discovers humans as no more than animals, except how we wear clothes. Clothing makes him a king and nothing else. He sees all of humanity in a bare level: Is man no more but this? Consider him well. Thou owest the worm no si lk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Heres three ons are sophisticated; thou are the thing itself. Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. (11.92-97). By listing a lot of nice material from the animal for his clothes like silk of worm or wool of sheep, Lear illustrates that only clothing distinguishes between him and the beggar. Once they remove their clothes, they are equally unaccommodated man. Accordingly, Lear thinks the way to reach at mans essence is to uncover human nature; in particular, he strips away his clothing to cast aside his customary status as a king and therefore bring himself in line with common image of humanity embodied in the poor beggar. Clearly, Lear changes his vision about human nature in which his kingship is just a symbolic status; he is still a normal man once he rejects his coverings. During the storm, Lear also learns about the poverty of people around him. He begins to think of the poor who suffer the extreme storm with the little that they have: Poor naked wretches, wheresoeer you are, / That bide the pelting of this pitiless night, / How shall you houseless heads and unfed sides, / Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you / From seasons such as these? (11.25-29). He effectively uses many lively words such as houseless heads or looped and windowed raggedness to draw in the readers mind a picture of how harsh the poors condition is during the storm. He raises his concern for the poor as a big question that he had never posed in his life before. By those details, Lear approaches the notion of wide sympathies with his fellow sufferers, with the naked Poor Tom, and with the poor wretches. Now he feels the same needs like others and the basics needs of human beings when struggling with the nature. O, I have taen/ Too little care of this. Take physic, pomp,/ E xpose thyself to feel what wretches feel,/ That thou mayst shake the superflux to them/ and show the heaves more just (11.29-33), he states. With the regretful tone by the term I have taen / Too little care of this, Lear now has a better idea of how he should use his power as a king. He finally realizes that the throne must associate with privileges as well as obligations. Lears new lessons involves realizing that he was blind in judging the love of his daughters toward him, that all men are equal and it is only the clothes that make them different, and that many people in his kingdom are struggling with their poverty. The self-discovery in King Lear is not just for Lear himself, but also for other characters like Gloucester or Albany. Though most characters finally paid for their late self-awareness with their lives, what would their lives have been without it? The play has a sad ending, but its lessons still remain in any audiences mind.

Media Mergers :: essays research papers

Merging Media Corporations are in recent days becoming ever more controversial for the fact they control a massive amount of information reaching the public. With the recent merging of ABC and Disney, concern has grown about whether the information from all the news programs and magazines might not be telling the whole story all of the time. Picture this: An ocean full of small fish, all competing at the same level. All of a sudden a larger fish swallows up a few of the smaller fish for lunch. And to the surprise and dismay of the first large fish, an even larger second fish swallows it whole. This process repeats itself again and again, in the shape of an upward spiral. Media corporations are now exactly like that ocean of fish. But instead of an ocean full of many competing fish, there are now only five powerful ones. With these five â€Å"big fish† of media corporations, the communication of truth may be thrown off balance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time Warner merges with Turner. Viacom merges with CBS. Disney merges with ABC. Merger mergers with Merger. Tongue-Twister? - Or a large fear from the public? Mergers have become rampant throughout the United States and all around the globe. Large media corporations are being gobbled up by even larger media corporations in a matter of months. With all this in light, conspiracy questions are rising to the surface, as to how much power and information these â€Å"mega-merged† companies hold. One more merger could mean massive control by only a few men over what is sent into American’s households. Now that networks are allowed to own their own programs, information flow could be corrupted beyond recognition. Should the people of the free world be wary of what these mergers have in store? I would have to answer that with a definite yes, (unless of course I was hired by one of the big five).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scenario: A crude oil tanker crashes into a port off the coast of Africa. The oil spills into the water, killing millions of animals, land and sea alike. These sea animals are vital to the ecology of the world, but nothing can be done to save them now. If it just so happens that ABC reporters are the first and only ones to find out about this catastrophe, nobody will ever know it happened in the first place. If ABC willed it so, they could cover up the evidence as best they could.

Humorous Best Man Speech - The Groom’s Life Story :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Best Man Speech - The Groom’s Life Story Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It’s surprising just how far some people are prepared to travel for a free lunch. It’s a good job the groom didn't choose the menu, otherwise we would have had penut-butter sandwiches washed down with beer. Firstly, I have a feet messages to read out.(read telegrams etc.) As Bill Clinton said to each of his girlfriends, I wont keep you long. I’d like to begin by thanking the groom for asking me to be best man. I would also like to thank the bride for allowing him to ask me. The groom has a splendid set of friends, and to be nominated from such esteemed company is without doubt a great honor. Thanks also to the ushers, friends, and family who have all helped to make this day so special. (To the bride) You make a fine bride and look beautiful and radiant. I couldn't help but notice the groom swell with pride when he saw you walking clown the aisle in that dress. (To the groom) You are indeed a lucky man, you have married someone who is attractive, warm, loving and caring. A wife who will be all you could ever wish for and more. (To the bride) You have married someone who is: handsome, witty, intelligent, charming, good looking... (To the groom) Sorry, I'm having trouble reading your writing. When the groom asked me to be his best man, I consulted the Internet for help. I discovered that the job is essentially comprised of four main tasks: 1. Organize the stag party (bachelor party) - perhaps you could tell us again how you burst the inflatable sheep. 2. Help the groom dress (at last I found out where the G-string from Dublin went.) 3. See that all ex-girlfriends are kept at bay (quite a task as most of them have been released under care in the community.) 4. Make a speech. I thought it was going to be tough following a speech by the groom and I was right, I couldn't understand a single word he said. I did find a lot of other interesting things on the Internet but I wont go into that now. I met the groom over ten years ago, and I often wonder what it would be like if I didn't have him as a friend. Sometimes the smile lasts for days.

The Influence of American Culture in the 1950s and 1960s in Canada Essa

Canada as a nation has been striving to characterize itself as more ?Canadian? for decades. This has included numerous struggles and events such as protests, bans, and the creation of the Massey Commission, to encourage national development in the arts, and support major companies like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and National Film Board (NFB). However, this has not been an easy task for the Canadian government, as major influences from below the border (the United States) have been captivating the Canadian audiences by large. American media has had a momentous revolutionizing effect on Canada, even through efforts made to define Canada with its own cultural identity. Pop culture in the 1950s and 1960s began to spread and infest the nation from front to back through radio shows, books and magazines, television programs, and even motion pictures. Whether it is culture in terms of political affairs, clothing or the latest musical sensations, the United States has always played the dominant role when it came to who knows what is best, first. Some cases of Americanizati...

Impact of Turks and Mongols on the Islamic world Essay

The Turks and Mongols are two races that are an integral part in shaping the Islamic World as we know it today. Their roles in Islamic History are still visible when looking at the Islamic world in the present. The roots of Islam could be traced after the death of The Prophet, Muhammad. The early Islam world was dominated by the Umayyad from Damascus. The Umayyad was in turn succeeded by the Abbasids, which made Baghdad their capital. It was during the two caliphates that a majority of Muslim culture, government and society was established. The years of the Caliphates was known as the Golden Age of Islam. (Wilkinson and Salazar). The Abbasid Caliphate was ended by the Invasion of the Mongols. The Mongols were a nomadic tribe coming from the grasslands of Mongolia, their ruler then, The Great Khan Mongke, ordered his brother to attack the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. (Chaliand and Berrett) Baghdad, the capital of the Islamic world then was captured by Hulagu in 1258. (Bingham) This effectively destroyed most Islamic influence and put an end to the advances of the Golden Age. It became a region known as the Il-Khanate. The early years of the Il Khanate was characterized by persecution of the Muslims in the hands of the Buddhists and Christians in the area. However, when Ghazan, a Buddhist, became Khan, he converted to Islam and the whole region followed suit. Islam made a return as the dominant religion, driving out the Christians and Buddhists. (Halm) Schools and mosques were reestablished and peace again was at hand. (Wilkinson and Salazar) The Mongol Invasion effectively put an end to the Golden age. The various advancements in science, literature, medicine and the arts were in majority obliterated when the invasion occurred. The destruction of libraries, the killing of Muslim scholars and scientists all contributed to the rapid decline of Islamic learning. This was the major factor in the crippling of Muslim advancement in those fields by which at that time they were much more ahead than the West. Almost five hundred years worth of knowledge was obliterated upon the invasion of the Mongols. (Halm) The might and barbarity of the Mongol Hordes checked the advances of a larger empire, albeit one whose priority was not military, but religion and learning. The Ottomans were a group of Turkish tribes which united after being driven south by Mongol invaders. (Stefoff) They derive their name from Osman, who united the clans into a major force. They came into contact and embraced Islam as their faith. They were the frontier soldiers of the Islamic world, guarding against the Mongol Hordes. The invasion of Tamerlane weakened the Ottomans, but they recovered and began to take control of most of the Islam World. (Marozzi) It was under the Ottomans that the Muslims finally entered Constantinople, Turkey, effectively re breaching the barrier between east and west which was ended with the fall of Spain. (Halm) The ottomans were very effective in uniting the diverse people under their thrall. They developed an administrative system whereas religious autonomy was recognized under the sultanates, which greatly facilitated tax collecting. This millet system made the unification of ethically diverse people under a government of Islam not only feasible, but effective. (Stefoff) The Ottoman Empire became a bastion of the Islamic world against the west. At the same time, it was instrumental in allowing western advances in science and technology to reach the Muslim world. The military and economic strength of the empire prevented western influence from entering thru turkey and thus effectively ensured the maintaining of Islamic way of life in Southwest Asia. (Gardner et al. ; Kennedy) It was the ottoman Turks who nearly regained the lost glory of the Muslim Empire. Their management practice of dividing the Islamic world into sultanates, with each sultan acting as autonomous ruler greatly enhanced the stability of the empire. Their military strength secured Islam way of life up until the 1900s. The peak of the Ottoman Empire, under Suleiman, greatly enhanced Islamic way of life, introducing resurgence in Muslim culture and learning. (Meri and Bacharach) The strategic location of the Ottoman Empire gave them control of the land routes between Europe and Asia, thus making them economic powers. The two groups, the Mongols and the Turks, show how an outside force can impact a civilization. In the case on the Mongol Hordes, their impact upon the Islam world effectively retarded its growth, letting the West catch up to its advancement. The invasion brought an end to the Golden Age of Islam; however, it was also Mongols, those that converted, which started the revitalization of the Islamic World. (Gardner et al. ; Kennedy). The Turks also started as a separate ethnic group. However, with their conversion, the Islamic world gained leaders which spearheaded its strengthening, expansion and development. The role of these two groups in Islamic history is both significant, the Mongols in ending the Golden age, and the Turks, in revitalizing the Islamic way of life. References Bingham, Marjorie. â€Å"An Age of Empires, 1200-1750. † (2005): 157 p. Chaliand, Gerard, and A. M. Berrett. â€Å"Nomadic Empires : From Mongolia to the Danube. † (2004): xii, 135 p. Gardner, Robert, et al. Cities of Light the Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain. [videorecording] :. Unity Productions Foundation,, [Potomac Falls, VA? ] :, 2007. Halm, Heinz. â€Å"The Arabs : A Short History. † (2007): vi, 186 p. Kennedy, Hugh. â€Å"The Great Arab Conquests : How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In. † (2007): viii, 421 p. , [16] p. of plates. Marozzi, Justin. â€Å"Tamerlane : Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World. † (2006): xxiv, 449 p. , [16] p. of plates. Meri, Josef W. , and Jere L. Bacharach. â€Å"Medieval Islamic Civilization : An Encyclopedia. † (2006). Stefoff, Rebecca. â€Å"The Medieval World. † (2005): 48 p. Wilkinson, Philip, and Batul Salazar. â€Å"Islam. † Dorling Kindersley eyewitness books. (2005): 72 p.

The Need for Stronger Bullying Laws

Bullying is a very negative action and creates major problems in our society. Nothing good ever comes out of bullying someone. It can however change someone’s life forever. It actually does ruin many lives both of the bully and of the victim. The bully if caught and punished will then have a criminal record for the rest of their life. Unless they get psychological help, they will probably end up being a repeat offender. The victim often becomes depressed, withdrawn and often times either commits suicide or becomes a bully themselves. Bullying is more than just a part of growing up.It is a very violent form of aggressive behavior. Anti-bullying Laws will never completely solve the problem; only mask it temporarily until everyone starts working together to stop the root of this cruel behavior. Adults know that this behavior is wrong but many time don’t know when or if they should step in and do something. The important thing to remember when deciding to step in is how the adult feels about taking control of the situation versus how the victim might feel about having a parent or elder stick up for them. Sometimes the victim feels that elder involvement may make the situation even worse.They often feel the only way to solve the problem is to handle it themselves. â€Å"Anti-bullying laws are being enacted in almost every state in the U. S. However, they are not being enforced and are nowhere near strong enough to identify and make the abuser stop or continue to repeat his/her actions again on someone else or even sometime the same victim they began with. Only 44 of our 50 states currently have anti-bullying laws in place. Ohio does have a law in place and is found in the Ohio Revised Code, section 3313. 666. The law prohibits harassment, intimidation, or bullying in schools.It went into effect on March 30, 2007. † (University of Nebraska, 2006). This law applies to every public school in Ohio, however, does not apply to private schools. So, if the law only applies to certain people then how is it supposed to be a solution to the problem? Bullying happens very often off school grounds or even in the home. Often the school will deny that there is a problem and that the victim is either lying or exaggerating the story. When this happens the parent needs to take their complaints even further. The superintendent of the school ystem should be their next step. If that does not work they can then contact an attorney or even their city’s police force. All of these venues need to be reminded that refusal to recognize that the problem is going on violates the Ohio law prohibiting bullying. â€Å"Many parents end up feeling like they have exhausted all efforts in dealing with school authorities and/or they do not feel school officials have been receptive enough in meeting the child’s needs, especially when the child continues to being a victim of ongoing harassment, bullying, assaults, or emotional bullying.If the adul t or parent feels this way then they should not sit back and give up or feel defeated. They can however, pursue other means of support from medical, mental health, social services or even community based programs. But lastly, they can also contact the police. † (McGraw, 2008). As a parent myself of a severely bullied child, this advice really hits home for me. A parent often feels backed in a corner and helpless not being able to stop their child’s pain. This was an excellent book to read to teach parents, teachers and administrators that there is always help out there.They just have to know the channels to follow. In an article from the Register-Herald in Beckley, West Virginia, dated February, 26, 2011, a house panel agreed to arm educators with a stronger law to cope with cyber bullying over objections by some opponents that it goes too far by dealing with off campus texting and other wireless harassment. One major dispute was schools right to deal with bullying beyo nd school grounds, even on a vacation, for example. But in that scenario the bullying would have to spill over into school days and then disrupt the education process before it falls under a teachers right to act.Children should not be afraid to go to school. No matter where kids are no matter what time of year it is, a school now has jurisdiction to discipline now when they come back to school. Although, that is a great law parents also need to be more involved in the children’s lives. They need to know what is going on. They need to make their children feel that their home is their â€Å"safe place† and that they can come to their parents whenever problems arise. But the problem today is that the economy pulls parents in to working multiple jobs while older siblings or babysitters are left to care for the younger ones.Schools need to pay more attention and make use of their city’s Juvenile Court System to deal with unruly and abusive students and children. In another article by Tanya Roth of the York County Virginia Gazette dated August 9, 2010, a case that resulted in suicide caused by bullying resulted in a wrongful death suit seeking ten million dollars in damages. The mother of a high school freshman is suing school officials and one sheriff’s deputy for failing to enforce the anti-bullying policies she believes would have saved her sons life, but did not. Her son hanged himself on May 31, 2010.The suit details a meeting that took place at the school concerning the bullying, with all the defendants present. The school personnel should have been aware of the risk of emotional damage caused by the continued bullying, and should have enforced the anti-bullying policies available to them. Parents, elders and victims themselves are grasping at straws as a means to stop this physical and mental abuse. â€Å"Some parents are even filing law suits based on the theory of â€Å"premises liability. † Under this theory, occupiers and owners of land, including school, are required to keep their premises safe for those who are legally allowed to be there. (University of Nebraska, 2006). These laws are only a band-Aid to the reoccurring problem and in most cases never fully help the victim. The mental damage never goes away therefore just gives a victim â€Å"false hope† that they are going to be safe. Prevention of bullying needs to happen at the school, in class, and at the individual level. Bullying can also be prevented at home. â€Å"At the school level there needs to be better supervision of the students’ activities, an interesting, fun outdoor environment, contact phone numbers for the students and the parents, and teacher training groups.In the classroom there are many things teachers and students can do. They can make class rules against bullying and have activities that encourage good behavior. In the classroom, meetings between the teachers, parents, and students can help to prevent bu llying. Teachers or other authorities can have serious discussions with the bully to reduce the amount of bullying that occurs. † (McGraw, 2008). But everyone needs to wake up and realize that there is a problem in every state of the U. S. and in many cases in every home.Bullying creates a vicious circle. It makes the victim scared of the bully, which encourages the bully and makes it easier for him/her to bully the victim again and again. Repeated bullying keeps adding to the intensity and makes the victim more scared and it many cases suicidal and the circle keeps going on; unless the pattern is broken by someone outside this horrible circle. I chose this topic because I am amazed at the amount and severity of bullying that is allowed to go on in schools, the public and in many cases behind closed doors at home.After reading several books and articles and hours or research that I have spent on this topic; I am convinced more than ever that people truly need to take this prob lem seriously both at home and in school. The biggest problem is that both parents and schools turn their heads as a means to not have to admit that there is a problem to begin with. So, I am back to my original question: Are anti-bullying laws a solution, a band-aid to the problem or just a means of false hope to make the victim temporarily feel safe? I am not sure this problem will ever be solved.BibliographyMcGraw, J. (2008, November). Jay McGraw’s Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies. New York: Aladdin. University of Nebraska Lincoln. (2006, June). Facts about Bullying. Retrieved from www. targetbully. com/wst_page6. html Porterfield, M. (2011, February 26). Panel Agree to Stronger Bullying Laws. The Register -Herald. Retrieved from http://www. register-herald. com/local/x1709532935/Panel-agrees-to-stronger-bullying-laws/ Roth, T. (2010, August 9). School Bullying: Student Suicide Leads to Suit. York County, Virginia Gazette. Retrieved from: