Acctg discussion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acctg discussion - Case Study Example The ethical issue for Jim is whether the increase that he is calling for is due to a specific and truly justifiable reason(s). Secondly there is the issue that this budget is used in the allocation of bonuses and capital improvements. His calling for the increase in the budget may be so as to unfairly place him at a position to get more money for these two items. This is despite the fact that he might not be rightfully entitled to them. The two factors together bring with them an ethical dilemma seeing that he stands to profit personally by the higher bonuses that would be paid to him by headquarters. Also that he would have a larger budget according him the increased option of taking on additional risk, which may not be possible with the original budget The first point of consideration is if these numbers have been inflated for the wrong reasons. Discovery of this by headquarters may lead to him losing his job. Secondly the headquarters may instigate investigations into the hotel’s books for the period during his tenure to make a determination as to how long this has been going on. This is so as to ensure that all the previous budget numbers were above board. There is also the possibility of budget cuts and allocations from headquarters that may actually affect the hotels operation for the coming year. If these figures are actually justifiable on the other hand, there may be increased scrutiny of the hotel just to ensure that the budgeted items are accounted for in the new financial year. If this directive came from the bank manager then Jim has two options. On the one end being the controller he has the ability to counter check the managers directives so as to make a determination of whether these are true claims or not. Secondly he may engage with the manager to discuss the basic ethical concerns that the issue raises

Rfid in the Medical Field Essay Example for Free

Rfid in the Medical Field Essay RFID is now being used in the medical field to track and monitor the use of medical devices and also to locate medical personnel and patients. A company such as AwarePoint uses RTLS or real time locating systems to help their clients run their businesses efficiently and effectively. This company relies on RFID to provide its service to its clients. Awarepoint provides workflow automation and tracking solutions for acute care hospitals. Awarepoint automatically manages patient flow in clinical units, it locates and routes movable medical equipment to ensure proper cleaning, maintenance, distribution, and security. It also monitors and documents medical personnel compliance with hand hygiene requirements and other infection-containment protocols. It monitors areas that are supposed to be temperature controlled environments. It even logs out of range events and documents corrective actions. Awarepoint facilitates management of turnover of inpatient beds by monitoring occupancy, status, and availability. By using this service, it helps medical facilities to also run more cost effectively and efficiently. The process of purchasing and installing Awarepoint is quite simple. Once the medical practice develops a floor plan and its business needs are determined, AwarePoint installs sensors in throughout the medical facility which allows the facility to have access to Awarepoint’s mesh network. The next step is to attach RFID tags to the equipment and to have patient and medical personnel tags. Patient and medical personnel tags come in many forms; they can be attached to belt clips, lanyards, badges or an ID bracelet. After these two simple steps are completed, the medical facility is now able to track and locate the medical devices, staff or patients by using Awarepoint’s search engine. The search engine is simple to use and requires very little training. A medical facility which has installed Awarepoint is able to effectively track their medical equipment which helps to decrease cost to the facility by reducing the number of â€Å"unable to locate† assets. Being able to locate the assets the facility spends less money replacing equipment. It also helps the facility to keep track of its inventory and prevents excess orders of inventory. The service also offers a temperature tracking component; by tracking the temperature in specific locations, it could assist the medical facility in controlling the temperature in locations such as the pharmacy,  lab or dietary refrigerators. Awarepoint facilitates all levels of medical personnel, from the administration to the infection and safety department. It helps administrators by increasing capacity and decreasing reimbursement. By providing real time location of equipment, patients and medical personnel, Awarepoint decreases room for delays; it facilitates the management of equipment budgets, increases staff efficiency and improves safety and compliance. As far as medical staff, Awarepoint makes sure the appropriate equipment is being used on the right patient and the right medical personnel are attending to the patient. Therefore, making it easier for the doctors and nurses to focus on patient care. Awarepoint also facilitates the IT department. It removes the threat of data loss and eliminates any other health IT complications to the Wi-Fi network. Awarepoint also offers many different types of applications so medical facilities can choose one that is best suited to the facility. It offers an application that will manage the operating room schedule from personnel to equipment. This application streamlines the process of OR scheduling so the hospital can optimize its OR utilization. Awarepoint also provides an application geared to the emergency department. This application helps the emergency room to control their workflow therefore ensuring the patient receives the best care. It contains modules for EMS calls to admissions on the floor and even provides a module for documentation. Given all the information, it is clear by using a company such as Awarepoint, a hospital would run most efficiently and most cost effectively to the facility. This company addresses the facility as an individual and assesses the company’s individual needs and concerns. It makes sure the medical practice receives the most bang for its buck. It ensures a rapid, clean and minimally invasive installation of its product. It also guarantees reliability and accuracy of its services. Best of all, the software is simple to use and requires minimal training. Awarepoint prides itself on its return on investment for companies that use their product. It is proven that Awarepoint has enabled a facility to save  $2 million just by â€Å"right-sizing† their mobile medical equipment capital expenditures. By using Awarepoint, the hospital was able to eliminate its need for rentals, saving the company $147, 776. Lost or stolen equipment rates dropped from 13.8% to an astounding 0%. The company projected savings of $1 million from improved management and utilization of assets. For the emergency room, Awarepoint has increased revenue by $14.8 million annually because it was able to decrease the number of patients who left without treatment. In the operating room, Awarepoint added an average of 49 new cases per month, increasing revenue by $24 million annually. As you can see this product streamlines processes so well that it guarantees a return on investment. It is practical and sensible to have software like Awarepoint to facilitate hospitals. It increases efficiency, decreases cost and provides increase revenue.

Manoeuvre Warfare Applicability In Mountains And Developed Terrain Philosophy Essay

Manoeuvre Warfare Applicability In Mountains And Developed Terrain Philosophy Essay 1. Nothing has decided the fate of nations and people as war has- cultures and civilisations have vanished, the people absorbed by the victorious armies. War fare is thus the ultimate survival of the fittest environment, and the evolution of war fare within the environment has occurred through an almost unconscious, Darwinian, process of natural selection It is therefore imperative that a nations armed forces match this evolution process. In order to achieve this they must embrace the latest technology and constantly endeavour to redefine and upgrade their strategy, doctrines and war fighting philosophy. 2. 2100 years of recorded history of warfare has led to the emergence of two distinct styles of warfare Attrition warfare and Manoeuvre warfare. The simplest comparison between the two is that the former is akin to arm wrestling where the basic reliance is on strength or force on force with limited application on targeting the mind through speed and agility, while the latter is akin to Judo or Taekwondo where the main thrust is on speed and agility to target the opponents mind and limited emphasis is on strength per se. In fact, the strength of the opponent is rendered ineffective and is utilized to defeat him. 3. Indian army executed the most brilliant campaign based on manoeuvre warfare the Bangladesh War 1971 wherein Bangladesh was liberated at a relatively low cost and the Pakistan Army largely intact was defeated and 93.000 prisoners were captured. By manoeuvre in time and space, the enemy mind was paralysed into inaction. The Bangladesh campaign is taught in foreign countries as the most complete campaign based on manoeuvre warfare. Yet it is an irony that our Army is just loosely following manoeuvre, in both theory as well as practice, for decades now. 4. Military theorists state that it normally takes a 50 years cycle in respect of changes in military equipment, force structure and doctrine to stabilise. It is no wonder that the winds of change are sweeping across military thought and several of worlds major armed forces are in a greater or lesser flux. On one hand, technological changes are influencing the warfare, on the other hand, military thought is looking towards better method of war fighting with the aim of switching from attrition warfare to manoeuvre warfare. 5. There is therefore a need to understand, institutionalize and apply the war fighting philosophy of manoeuvre warfare in the present times as it does not permit us a long battle. The study focuses on the vital essentials of manoeuvre warfare and analysis how this approach can be satisfactorily applied in mountains and developed terrain in the Indian context. Definition of Manoeuvre Warfare 6. Manoeuvre is one of the two basic components of combat. The other is fire power. It is some times taken to be simply another word fir the move of forces. More often, it is used to mean relational move, i.e. move relative to an opponents position. Manoeuvre is defined in the Glossary of Military Terms as, move of forces in the field in order to place the fire power of the fighting elements in a favourable position. Combined with surprise, deception and speed, manoeuvre may be used on occasion to offset enemy superiority in the power and increase the offensive of own force. 7. The US Armys Field Manual defines manoeuvre as move of forces in relation to the enemy to secure or retain positional advantage. In this essence, Manoeuvre means an attack on either or both of the enemys flanks. Move into his rear to disrupt his support elements, or encirclement. The essence of manoeuvre in the classic usage of the team is not move per se but the achievement of positional advantage. Because of basic human psychology, a force that is hit where it is weak, where it does not except to be hit, or in such a manner as to have it cut off from its supplies. Reinforcement or line of retreat tends to panic and disintegrate. The principal effect or manoeuvre is the more mental the physical and therefore more powerful than simple physical attrition. In manoeuvre warfare, the objective is the enemys collapse as a cohesive, functioning force, not his incremental destruction through the application of firepower. 8. Manoeuvre Warfare depends upon out manoeuvring the enemy, both in the spatial and the temporal sphere, through a faster tempo The leverage achieved by placing ones own mass in a position of advantage through spatial manoeuvre at a faster tempo than the enemy brings about the dislocation and psychological disruption to paralyze the enemy commanders mind, leading to his defeat. 9. Manoeuvre is a frame of mind and a style that has application at the tactical, operational and strategic level. Mobility is the means to execute a manoeuvre. Only when mobility is applied with the aim of inflicting paralysis on the enemy commands, does it get translated into manoeuvre. Thus, manoeuvre is not a way of movement but a way of thinking. 10. Inherent in the Manoeuvre Warfare is the need for violence, not so much as a source of physical attrition but as a source of physical dislocation. Towards this end, we concentrate strength against critical enemy vulnerabilities, striking quickly and boldly where, when and how it will cause the greatest damage to the enemys ability to fight. Once gained or found, any advantage must be pressed relentlessly and unhesitatingly. 11. Surprise remains an integral weapon in the arsenal of Manoeuvre Warfare. By studying ones enemy we should attempt to appreciate his perceptions. Through deception we should try to shape his expectations. Then we will dislocate them by striking at an unexpected time and place. In order to appear unpredictable, we must avoid set rules and patters which inhibit imagination and initiative. In order to appear ambiguous and threatening, we should operate on axes that offer several courses of action, keeping the enemy unclear as to which we will choose. Manoeuvre and Manoeuvre Warfare 12. It is an accident of language that the word Manoeuvre and Manoeuvre Warfare have been confused and taken to be synonyms. Manoeuvre can be defined as the organised movement of forces during combat in combination with fire or fire potential to achieve a position of advantage relative to the enemy in order to deliver a decisive strike. Elsewhere, the term is also used as synonym for movement as in fire and manoeuvre, in small unit tactics. Since everyone is generally clear about manoeuvre, Manoeuvre Warfare is generally perceived as warfare employing manoeuvre. Consequently the retort, it is just a fancy new name for what we have always done. 13. The fact of the matter is that in Manoeuvre Warfare, manoeuvre means much more. It is not only a question of movement in space to gain positional advantage, but also to gain temporal advantage, through generation of a faster operational tempo. One aspect that stands out clearly on all victorious campaigns based on Manoeuvre Warfare is that one of the proponents, by his actions, brought about a sudden change or a series of changes on the battlefield to which the adversary could not adjust in a timely manner. As a result he was defeated and that too at a small cost to the victor. METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem 14. The aim of the study is to examine the significance of manoeuvre warfare and to analyse its application in mountains and developed terrain in the Indian context. Hypothesis 15. Manoeuvre warfare is a war fighting philosophy that seeks to shatter the enemys physical and psychological cohesion through a series of rapid and unexpected actions and can be successfully applied in any terrain or scenario from the tactical to the strategic level provided the basic tenets are adhered to. Thus, the concept can be equally and efficiently applied in mountain and developed terrain in the Indian context. Justification of the study 16. The Indian Army Doctrine Section 20: Para 7.14 directs our focus on the intellectual understanding, institutionalisation and implementation of manoeuvre warfare and Directive command. The challenge before the Indian Army is to apply this sub doctrine of war fighting and command. Although this war fighting philosophy was successfully applied by Indian Army in the 1971 war, but no significant gains were made in the western sector. Therefore it is imperative that we give a more detailed look at what can be done to achieve a vital breakthrough and a decisive victory, especially in mountain and developed terrain. 17. Even though manoeuvre warfare is today a much talked about subject in our army, its application and convention to a doctrine or war fighting philosophy in mountains and developed terrain is a long way off. The possible reasons for this are many, which include cynicism that manoeuvre warfare is nothing new, a traditionally attritionist approach, resistance to change, over emphasis on no loss of territory and so on. There is a need for us to analyse how this approach can be satisfactorily applied in the Indian Armys context especially in mountains and developed terrain. 18. In the light of the arguments given above the subject Manoeuvre Warfare and its Applicability in mountains and developed terrain has been chosen for the study. Scope of the Study 19. The research shall seek to study the essentials of manoeuvre warfare and its characteristics and to make it more meaningful the study will narrow down its focus on application of manoeuvre warfare in the developed terrain in Indian context. It will concentrate on the aspects needing attention in our thought process and the organisational and institutional changes necessary to facilitate this approach. The basic premise of the research is that manoeuvre warfare is a war fighting philosophy and can be successfully applied in any terrain or scenario from the tactical to strategic level provided the basic tenets are adhered to. Operational Definitions Methods oF Data Collection Organisation of the Dissertation 20. The dissertation has been divided in following chapters:- (a) Chapter I . Introduction. (b) Chapter II. Essential Elements of Manoeuvre Warfare and Analysis of 1971 Bangladesh Campaign.. (c) Chapter III. Emerging Principles for Application of Manoeuveristic Approach in Developed Terrain. (d) Chapter IV. Characteristics, Challenges and Analysis of Own Concept of Operations in Developed Terrain. (f) Chapter V. Recommendations and Suggested Changes for Application of Manoeuvre Warfare in Developed Terrain. Directive Style of Command. Leadership Doctrine. Changes in Tactics and Equipment. Education and Training. Restructuring Strike Corps. Domination of Electromagnetic Spectrum. (g) Chapter VI. Conclusion.

Eudora Weltys The Golden Apples Essay -- Eudora Welty The Golden Appl

Eudora Welty's The Golden Apples The review "Technique as Myth: The Structure of The Golden Apples" by Daniele Pitavy-Souques presents an easy and reasonable approach for reading Eudora Welty's The Golden Apples. Her ideas, which address structural unity, represent a sound foundation of simple fact, which in turn, provides a better understanding. The finished product, written with concise and understandable language speaks to a clearer vision of Welty's ever-present themes of fascination, mirroring and separateness. Daniele Pitavy-Souques begins her review by pointing out difficulties most articles have with the structural unity of The Golden Apples. She says,"Nearly all articles dealing with The Golden Applesas a whole tackle the problem and attempt to solve it by establishing close parallels between (mostly) Greek mythology and the various characters and incidents in the book" (109). She continues with:"Content cannot be dissociated from form; the text should be analyzed as a whole. Indeed, its narrative functioning deserves the closest attention since alone i...

Argumentative Paper

American dollars into the Iraqi infrastructure. 1) Military and police force trained at the hands of American taxpayer dollars. (2) Facilities that have been built by American's and gone to waste. (3) Global understanding of foreign aid. (4) Iraq's capabilities of taking care of their own financial aid. (5)Statistics in regards to dollars spent on what projects to Iraq become a better nation. IV. America's public school system. A. Budget cuts to the educational budget. B. Classroom growth. C. Educational cut back programs. (1) City of Phoenix cut backs. 2) Educational Job market flooded with teachers and no positions available. 3) Interview with Kerry. Help V. American's need to tighten the purse strings and take care of the issues at home. Too Much Foreign Aid in America's Budget The act of charity is something that most people are raised on; if a person has been blessed with wealth, it is always good to help those less fortunate. However, there comes a time when too much is too muc h. The United States, among other countries, developed the practice of foreign aid after World War II.It was designed to help those countries in desperate need of temporary help when they could not manage on their own. Foreign aid is something that has been in effect over the last few decades and some say has been used to excess and argue the point that if our own country is in debt and suffering, how can there be so much money spent on foreign aid. Others say that we are prosperous and should help those that need it no matter what. Whichever side of the argument is brought up, there are certain facts that do not change.The United States has spent too much money taking care of other countries financial disasters despite the trouble within its own borders. The United States of America has long been considered one of the most remediable countries in the world leading the pack of economic growth, democracy, innovation and financial dominance. However, lately it seems that the United St ates is in as much financial strain as the other countries it helps regularly. American's are experiencing the pinch of billions in budget cuts on education programs, eliminating teaching positions and higher taxes to fund a war with Iraq.Even through all of these financial hardships, the United States still manages to give billions of dollars in financial aid despite the economic crisis of their own. A country that receives a large portion of American foreign aid is Haiti. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and is one of the countries that recently, receives the most financial aid world wide. In mid-January of this year, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake that destroyed most of the county. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without homes, clean drinking water or electricity, with debris and rubble making it unsafe territory.Bret Stephens, a Journalist for the DOD Jones & Company, uncovered news from the World Bank and exactly how much additional aid w as going to be allotted to Haiti for relief efforts. Stephens article states: The World Bank–now about to throw another $100 million on Haiti–on what it achieved in the country between 1986 and 2002: The outcome of World Bank assistance programs is rated unsatisfactory (if not highly so), the institutional development impact, negligible, and the sustainability of the few benefits that have accrued, unlikely.Stephens goes on to quote that the Bank noted, â€Å"Haiti has dysfunctional budgetary, financial or procurement systems, making financial and aid management impossible. The Bank makes the claim that the Haitian government does not take ownership and initiative for formulating and implementing assistance programs. A breakdown of foreign aid by country, provided by Guardian, a United Kingdom based awareness blob, shows a grand total of 3. 5 billion dollars already donated and another 1. 1 billion dollars pledged to help with this disaster (Guardian).America, leading as the highest donor, among other countries such as United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. Many countries making absolutely no contribution whatsoever during this time. American's are going broke and continue to keep giving. In fact, the United States has only been debt free for two years, 1834 and 1835, according to Marie Clammiest. Clammiest states in another article that, â€Å"†¦ The federal governments $14 trillion debt as an emergency that demands big cuts in domestic programs†¦ The majority of this debt is said to have come from the war in Iraq, heavily financed by borrowing from China to fund the war. Lira Logan reported, â€Å"The problem for America is that its greatness has always been rooted in its economic dominance and that debt has forced the U. S. To keep borrowing from foreign countries. † According to statistical ATA provided by the Bureau of the Public Debt , in 1991, the national debt for the United States was under $3 Trillion, even though a large amount, it was still within the realm of being paid off.However now in 2011, the debt recently went over the $14 trillion mark, a number that is in no way obtainable (Madame). Logan also quoted Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, saying, â€Å"Can the world's greatest power remain the world's greatest power and also be the world's greatest borrower? I don't think so. † Over the past four years fighting the war n Iraq, the United States has spent $500 billion dollars on Just the war alone (Skeletal).In addition to the funding of occupying this country, the United States has spent over $50 billion in reconstruction costs, that unfortunately, most say will be wasted dollars due to Iraq's incompetence and capabilities to utilize the reconstructions. As a country, the United States has invested hundreds of billions of dollars on equipment, buildings, infrastructure, electricity and water facilities in third world countries. In an article rec ently published by USA Today written by Matt Kelley, mints out that, â€Å"The United States has spent $44. Billion in taxpayer funds on rebuilding Iraq, about half of it to train, equip and support Iraq's military and police forces. † Kelley also quotes Rusty Barber, the head of the Iraq program United States Institute of Peace, â€Å"There has been some significant progress, but there's a long way to go before Iraq can really be a stable, secure country that's able to provide for its people's basic needs. † Iraq is a country that has undergone massive abuse over the past 10 plus years, with no end in sight, and has been rebuilt about ten times over.The amount of money that America has spent in rebuilding Iraq, by all means a country that has minimal interest in being rebuilt, is atrocious. American tax payer dollars are being spent to fund many projects in Iraq, such as schools, hospitals and prisons, instead of spending those same dollars on the same problems at hom e. According to Timothy Williams, many of these facilities have remained empty after completion because there were not enough Iraqis trained to operate them. Williams goes on to state that â€Å"†¦ 4 million maternity hospital built by the Americans is open, but the staff members cannot operate much of its equipment†¦.. Sinai Hospital in Baghdad, which had been the American military's largest medical center in the country, has been closed because the Health Ministry lacks the staff and equipment to reopen it, though the American military said it left $7. 9 million in equipment behind†¦ † He also states that there was a $165 million children's hospital that was delayed by more than four years and $115 million over budget (Williams). When a country is in desperate need of help, it is up to others to step up and give aid.When that aid is given, it is under the understanding that the money is going to e used to go towards the rebuild of the crisis. However, what ha ppens when the country receiving large portions of aid do not need that aid? For example, according to James Gland and Campbell Robertson's article in August of 2008, by the end of 2009, the Iraqi government ended up with a surplus of almost $80 million dollars. The article stated that, â€Å"The United States has spent $23. 2 billion in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion, but from 2005 through April of 2008, Iraq has spend Just $3. Billion on similar services. † Another report room the Government Accountability Office estimates Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year [2008] will amount to at least $156 billion dollars. † So what this is stating is that the Iraqi government is not only holding their oil money in a United States bank collecting somewhere in the range of $400,000 in interest, but for some reason they are collecting foreign aid when they are capable of funding and fixing their own problems.Ca rl Levin, a chairman of the Senate Armed Services was quoted saying, â€Å"The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its espousal to fund large-scale reconstruction projects. It is inexcusable for U. S. Taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank. † Very well said and a statement many American citizens support full hardheartedly.However, we are still sending foreign aid to Iraq, building Iraqi schools, hospitals, prisons, and fortifying their country's security but it does not look like the money is going to stop going into Iraq. If the United States spends 165 million dollars on one hospital, one can only imagine the cost of rebuilding schools during war time; as well as imagine how many of those schools were destroyed intentionally and unintentionally during or after their construction because of sa id war. America's public school system drastically needs help and no one is coming up with any solutions but budget cuts.The American public school system is already the victim of systematic budget cuts are now getting ready for another huge blow to their financial status; one some say that is going to cripple our youth's outlooks on a better education. † Education Weekly reported that â€Å"the spending bill that President Barack Obama signed into law March 2 severed current fiscal-year funding for several literacy programs at the Education Department as a part of a government- wide reduction of $4 billion† (Rose). For an example, Arizona has taken hard drastic cuts recently.Classroom sizes have grown from 24 children per teacher to roughly 30 plus children per classroom. After school and during school education enhancement studies to help children who fall below the average or have special learning needs eve all but been eliminated. In previous years, children who may not have passed a subject were allowed the opportunity to attend intercession, a program during the school breaks where they attend class for a few hours a day over a two week time frame intended to get them back on track.Unfortunately, as of the 2009-2010 school year, Circle Cross Ranch, a local elementary in San Tan Valley Arizona, now requires parents pay $25 per class session if a child fails at any point in time the classes are mandatory. In Phoenix, they are experiencing even more of an unnecessary set back. The city as had a drastic decline in their hiring for the 2010-2011 school year. Roughly 7,400 public-school teaching positions have been eliminated across the state because of budget cuts proposed by the Legislature, according to Arizona Educators Association spokesman John Heartfelt (Quinn).With the amount of children that are still enrolling and moving into the Phoenix area, this only bodes ill for the amount of attention each child will receive. Education is important to the growth of any society and if that keeps getting hit time and time again with no solutions on how to fix that budget crisis, things will only get worse. The amount of educational Jobs are decreasing but the amount of applicants only increase. The educational Job market is being flooded with teachers that have experienced the layoffs and cut backs, while schools hiring, go for the more seasoned experienced teachers.Internships have been eliminated across the board for new teachers because the Jobs Just are not readily available eliminating many of the opportunities for young teachers. Kerry, a 4th grade teacher for xx Elementary in xx, has felt the pinch of educational budget cuts along with thousands of other teachers. XX teaches a very owe-income community with children that speak more Spanish than English and she struggles some days to provide the best educational experience she can. â€Å"The school just can't afford what we need and its sad.I have children that come to s chool almost every day hungry because they don't have proper meals at home. They come to school with no supplies because their parents can't afford them. As a teacher, how can I sit by and watch my students go with out the fundamental things that they need to get an education? † XX stated that she spends over $500 every year on school supplies that she does not get reimbursed for, â€Å"l have to do it. If I don't, no one will and these children don't deserve to suffer because of our budget cuts.How can they learn if they have no paper to write on or a pencil to write with? † When asked about the financial crisis the schools are experiencing, she replied, â€Å"Its sad and disturbing at the same time. How can I teach properly without the books and tools required to teach!? I know this sounds selfish, but doesn't they saying go, you need to help yourself before you can help others? If we [Americans] keep giving everything away, there's not going to be anything left for us to help ourselves. We could have so much more for our own kids! America's future are its children, those children are not educated properly, who's fault is that going to be? No matter who's fault it is, the problem needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. The United States has received a hazardous blows over the past few years with several crippling hurricanes, oil spills and a continued economic and financial crisis. The United States is falling further and further into debt with the war in Iraq and an economic crisis that has America considered ‘rich nations' among one of the poorest (Belittler).If the United States cut back some of the foreign aid given to the same countries regularly, then those countries receiving the public assistance will have no choice but to learn how to support themselves. By continuing to give aid and support them without teaching them how to figure out how to do it for themselves, the problem only gets worse. It Just seems that the United States is giving a lot of more hand outs while its own citizens are suffering. When that happens, that is when its time to close the purse strings to take care of American's with American tax dollars. Argumentative Paper The United States has spent too much money on other countries financial disasters despite America's own economic crisis. L. American foreign aid. A. Why foreign aid was implemented and how it was meant to be used. B. America and its status. C. Budget cuts. II. American foreign aid to Haiti. A. Wait's reliance on financial aid. B. Statistical data on the amounts of aid Haiti has received. II. America and its debt. A. 1991 debt verses 2011 debt. B. The war on Iraq and its cost to national debt. C.American dollars into the Iraqi infrastructure. 1) Military and police force trained at the hands of American taxpayer dollars. (2) Facilities that have been built by American's and gone to waste. (3) Global understanding of foreign aid. (4) Iraq's capabilities of taking care of their own financial aid. (5)Statistics in regards to dollars spent on what projects to Iraq become a better nation. IV. America's public school system. A. Budget cuts to the educational budget. B. Classroom growth. C. Educational cut back programs. (1) City of Phoenix cut backs. 2) Educational Job market flooded with teachers and no positions available. 3) Interview with Kerry. Help V. American's need to tighten the purse strings and take care of the issues at home. Too Much Foreign Aid in America's Budget The act of charity is something that most people are raised on; if a person has been blessed with wealth, it is always good to help those less fortunate. However, there comes a time when too much is too much. The United States, among other countries, developed the practice of foreign aid after World War II.It was designed to help those countries in desperate need of temporary help when they could not manage on their own. Foreign aid is something that has been in effect over the last few decades and some say has been used to excess and argue the point that if our own country is in debt and suffering, how can there be so much money spent on foreign aid. Others say that we are prosperous and shoul d help those that need it no matter what. Whichever side of the argument is brought up, there are certain facts that do not change.The United States has spent too much money taking care of other countries financial disasters despite the trouble within its own borders. The United States of America has long been considered one of the most remediable countries in the world leading the pack of economic growth, democracy, innovation and financial dominance. However, lately it seems that the United States is in as much financial strain as the other countries it helps regularly. American's are experiencing the pinch of billions in budget cuts on education programs, eliminating teaching positions and higher taxes to fund a war with Iraq.Even through all of these financial hardships, the United States still manages to give billions of dollars in financial aid despite the economic crisis of their own. A country that receives a large portion of American foreign aid is Haiti. Haiti is one of th e poorest countries in the world and is one of the countries that recently, receives the most financial aid world wide. In mid-January of this year, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake that destroyed most of the county. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without homes, clean drinking water or electricity, with debris and rubble making it unsafe territory.Bret Stephens, a Journalist for the DOD Jones & Company, uncovered news from the World Bank and exactly how much additional aid was going to be allotted to Haiti for relief efforts. Stephens article states: The World Bank–now about to throw another $100 million on Haiti–on what it achieved in the country between 1986 and 2002: The outcome of World Bank assistance programs is rated unsatisfactory (if not highly so), the institutional development impact, negligible, and the sustainability of the few benefits that have accrued, unlikely.Stephens goes on to quote that the Bank noted, â€Å"Haiti has dysfunct ional budgetary, financial or procurement systems, making financial and aid management impossible. The Bank makes the claim that the Haitian government does not take ownership and initiative for formulating and implementing assistance programs. A breakdown of foreign aid by country, provided by Guardian, a United Kingdom based awareness blob, shows a grand total of 3. 5 billion dollars already donated and another 1. 1 billion dollars pledged to help with this disaster (Guardian).America, leading as the highest donor, among other countries such as United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. Many countries making absolutely no contribution whatsoever during this time. American's are going broke and continue to keep giving. In fact, the United States has only been debt free for two years, 1834 and 1835, according to Marie Clammiest. Clammiest states in another article that, â€Å"†¦ The federal governments $14 trillion debt as an emergency that demands big cuts in domestic programs†¦ The majority of this debt is said to have come from the war in Iraq, heavily financed by borrowing from China to fund the war. Lira Logan reported, â€Å"The problem for America is that its greatness has always been rooted in its economic dominance and that debt has forced the U. S. To keep borrowing from foreign countries. † According to statistical ATA provided by the Bureau of the Public Debt , in 1991, the national debt for the United States was under $3 Trillion, even though a large amount, it was still within the realm of being paid off.However now in 2011, the debt recently went over the $14 trillion mark, a number that is in no way obtainable (Madame). Logan also quoted Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, saying, â€Å"Can the world's greatest power remain the world's greatest power and also be the world's greatest borrower? I don't think so. † Over the past four years fighting the war n Iraq, the United States has spent $500 billion dollars on Just the war alone (Skeletal).In addition to the funding of occupying this country, the United States has spent over $50 billion in reconstruction costs, that unfortunately, most say will be wasted dollars due to Iraq's incompetence and capabilities to utilize the reconstructions. As a country, the United States has invested hundreds of billions of dollars on equipment, buildings, infrastructure, electricity and water facilities in third world countries. In an article recently published by USA Today written by Matt Kelley, mints out that, â€Å"The United States has spent $44. Billion in taxpayer funds on rebuilding Iraq, about half of it to train, equip and support Iraq's military and police forces. † Kelley also quotes Rusty Barber, the head of the Iraq program United States Institute of Peace, â€Å"There has been some significant progress, but there's a long way to go before Iraq can really be a stable, secure country that's able to provide for it s people's basic needs. † Iraq is a country that has undergone massive abuse over the past 10 plus years, with no end in sight, and has been rebuilt about ten times over.The amount of money that America has spent in rebuilding Iraq, by all means a country that has minimal interest in being rebuilt, is atrocious. American tax payer dollars are being spent to fund many projects in Iraq, such as schools, hospitals and prisons, instead of spending those same dollars on the same problems at home. According to Timothy Williams, many of these facilities have remained empty after completion because there were not enough Iraqis trained to operate them. Williams goes on to state that â€Å"†¦ 4 million maternity hospital built by the Americans is open, but the staff members cannot operate much of its equipment†¦.. Sinai Hospital in Baghdad, which had been the American military's largest medical center in the country, has been closed because the Health Ministry lacks the staff and equipment to reopen it, though the American military said it left $7. 9 million in equipment behind†¦ † He also states that there was a $165 million children's hospital that was delayed by more than four years and $115 million over budget (Williams). When a country is in desperate need of help, it is up to others to step up and give aid.When that aid is given, it is under the understanding that the money is going to e used to go towards the rebuild of the crisis. However, what happens when the country receiving large portions of aid do not need that aid? For example, according to James Gland and Campbell Robertson's article in August of 2008, by the end of 2009, the Iraqi government ended up with a surplus of almost $80 million dollars. The article stated that, â€Å"The United States has spent $23. 2 billion in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion, but from 2005 through April of 2008, Iraq has spend Just $3. Billion on similar services. † Another report room the Government Accountability Office estimates Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year [2008] will amount to at least $156 billion dollars. † So what this is stating is that the Iraqi government is not only holding their oil money in a United States bank collecting somewhere in the range of $400,000 in interest, but for some reason they are collecting foreign aid when they are capable of funding and fixing their own problems.Carl Levin, a chairman of the Senate Armed Services was quoted saying, â€Å"The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its espousal to fund large-scale reconstruction projects. It is inexcusable for U. S. Taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank. † Very well said and a statement many American citizens support full hardheartedly.However, we are still sending foreign aid to Iraq, building Iraqi schools, hospitals, prisons, and fortifying their country's security but it does not look like the money is going to stop going into Iraq. If the United States spends 165 million dollars on one hospital, one can only imagine the cost of rebuilding schools during war time; as well as imagine how many of those schools were destroyed intentionally and unintentionally during or after their construction because of said war. America's public school system drastically needs help and no one is coming up with any solutions but budget cuts.The American public school system is already the victim of systematic budget cuts are now getting ready for another huge blow to their financial status; one some say that is going to cripple our youth's outlooks on a better education. † Education Weekly reported that â€Å"the spending bill that President Barack Obama signed into law March 2 severed current fiscal-ye ar funding for several literacy programs at the Education Department as a part of a government- wide reduction of $4 billion† (Rose). For an example, Arizona has taken hard drastic cuts recently.Classroom sizes have grown from 24 children per teacher to roughly 30 plus children per classroom. After school and during school education enhancement studies to help children who fall below the average or have special learning needs eave all but been eliminated. In previous years, children who may not have passed a subject were allowed the opportunity to attend intercession, a program during the school breaks where they attend class for a few hours a day over a two week time frame intended to get them back on track.Unfortunately, as of the 2009-2010 school year, Circle Cross Ranch, a local elementary in San Tan Valley Arizona, now requires parents pay $25 per class session if a child fails at any point in time the classes are mandatory. In Phoenix, they are experiencing even more of an unnecessary set back. The city as had a drastic decline in their hiring for the 2010-2011 school year. Roughly 7,400 public-school teaching positions have been eliminated across the state because of budget cuts proposed by the Legislature, according to Arizona Educators Association spokesman John Heartfelt (Quinn).With the amount of children that are still enrolling and moving into the Phoenix area, this only bodes ill for the amount of attention each child will receive. Education is important to the growth of any society and if that keeps getting hit time and time again with no solutions on how to fix that budget crisis, things will only get worse. The amount of educational Jobs are decreasing but the amount of applicants only increase. The educational Job market is being flooded with teachers that have experienced the layoffs and cut backs, while schools hiring, go for the more seasoned experienced teachers.Internships have been eliminated across the board for new teachers beca use the Jobs Just are not readily available eliminating many of the opportunities for young teachers. Kerry, a 4th grade teacher for xx Elementary in xx, has felt the pinch of educational budget cuts along with thousands of other teachers. XX teaches a very owe-income community with children that speak more Spanish than English and she struggles some days to provide the best educational experience she can. â€Å"The school just cant afford what we need and its sad.I have children that come to school almost every day hungry because they don't have proper meals at home. They come to school with no supplies because their parents can't afford them. As a teacher, how can I sit by and watch my students go with out the fundamental things that they need to get an education? † XX stated that she spends over $500 every year on school supplies that she does not get reimbursed for, â€Å"l have to do it. If I don't, no one will and these children don't deserve to suffer because of our b udget cuts.How can they learn if they have no paper to write on or a pencil to write with? † When asked about the financial crisis the schools are experiencing, she replied, â€Å"Its sad and disturbing at the same time. How can I teach properly without the books and tools required to teach!? I know this sounds selfish, but doesn't they saying go, you need to help yourself before you can help others? If we [Americans] keep giving everything away, there's not going to be anything left for us to help ourselves. We could have so much more for our own kids! America's future are its children, those children are not educated properly, who's fault is that going to be? No matter who's fault it is, the problem needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. The United States has received a hazardous blows over the past few years with several crippling hurricanes, oil spills and a continued economic and financial crisis. The United States is falling further and further into debt with t he war in Iraq and an economic crisis that has America considered ‘rich nations' among one of the poorest (Belittler).If the United States cut back some of the foreign aid given to the same countries regularly, then those countries receiving the public assistance will have no choice but to learn how to support themselves. By continuing to give aid and support them without teaching them how to figure out how to do it for themselves, the problem only gets worse. It Just seems that the United States is giving a lot of more hand outs while its own citizens are suffering. When that happens, that is when its time to close the purse strings to take care of American's with American tax dollars. Argumentative Paper The United States has spent too much money on other countries financial disasters despite America's own economic crisis. L. American foreign aid. A. Why foreign aid was implemented and how it was meant to be used. B. America and its status. C. Budget cuts. II. American foreign aid to Haiti. A. Wait's reliance on financial aid. B. Statistical data on the amounts of aid Haiti has received. II. America and its debt. A. 1991 debt verses 2011 debt. B. The war on Iraq and its cost to national debt. C.American dollars into the Iraqi infrastructure. 1) Military and police force trained at the hands of American taxpayer dollars. (2) Facilities that have been built by American's and gone to waste. (3) Global understanding of foreign aid. (4) Iraq's capabilities of taking care of their own financial aid. (5)Statistics in regards to dollars spent on what projects to Iraq become a better nation. IV. America's public school system. A. Budget cuts to the educational budget. B. Classroom growth. C. Educational cut back programs. (1) City of Phoenix cut backs. 2) Educational Job market flooded with teachers and no positions available. 3) Interview with Kerry. Help V. American's need to tighten the purse strings and take care of the issues at home. Too Much Foreign Aid in America's Budget The act of charity is something that most people are raised on; if a person has been blessed with wealth, it is always good to help those less fortunate. However, there comes a time when too much is too much. The United States, among other countries, developed the practice of foreign aid after World War II.It was designed to help those countries in desperate need of temporary help when they could not manage on their own. Foreign aid is something that has been in effect over the last few decades and some say has been used to excess and argue the point that if our own country is in debt and suffering, how can there be so much money spent on foreign aid. Others say that we are prosperous and shoul d help those that need it no matter what. Whichever side of the argument is brought up, there are certain facts that do not change.The United States has spent too much money taking care of other countries financial disasters despite the trouble within its own borders. The United States of America has long been considered one of the most remediable countries in the world leading the pack of economic growth, democracy, innovation and financial dominance. However, lately it seems that the United States is in as much financial strain as the other countries it helps regularly. American's are experiencing the pinch of billions in budget cuts on education programs, eliminating teaching positions and higher taxes to fund a war with Iraq.Even through all of these financial hardships, the United States still manages to give billions of dollars in financial aid despite the economic crisis of their own. A country that receives a large portion of American foreign aid is Haiti. Haiti is one of th e poorest countries in the world and is one of the countries that recently, receives the most financial aid world wide. In mid-January of this year, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake that destroyed most of the county. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without homes, clean drinking water or electricity, with debris and rubble making it unsafe territory.Bret Stephens, a Journalist for the DOD Jones & Company, uncovered news from the World Bank and exactly how much additional aid was going to be allotted to Haiti for relief efforts. Stephens article states: The World Bank–now about to throw another $100 million on Haiti–on what it achieved in the country between 1986 and 2002: The outcome of World Bank assistance programs is rated unsatisfactory (if not highly so), the institutional development impact, negligible, and the sustainability of the few benefits that have accrued, unlikely.Stephens goes on to quote that the Bank noted, â€Å"Haiti has dysfunct ional budgetary, financial or procurement systems, making financial and aid management impossible. The Bank makes the claim that the Haitian government does not take ownership and initiative for formulating and implementing assistance programs. A breakdown of foreign aid by country, provided by Guardian, a United Kingdom based awareness blob, shows a grand total of 3. 5 billion dollars already donated and another 1. 1 billion dollars pledged to help with this disaster (Guardian).America, leading as the highest donor, among other countries such as United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. Many countries making absolutely no contribution whatsoever during this time. American's are going broke and continue to keep giving. In fact, the United States has only been debt free for two years, 1834 and 1835, according to Marie Clammiest. Clammiest states in another article that, â€Å"†¦ The federal governments $14 trillion debt as an emergency that demands big cuts in domestic programs†¦ The majority of this debt is said to have come from the war in Iraq, heavily financed by borrowing from China to fund the war. Lira Logan reported, â€Å"The problem for America is that its greatness has always been rooted in its economic dominance and that debt has forced the U. S. To keep borrowing from foreign countries. † According to statistical ATA provided by the Bureau of the Public Debt , in 1991, the national debt for the United States was under $3 Trillion, even though a large amount, it was still within the realm of being paid off.However now in 2011, the debt recently went over the $14 trillion mark, a number that is in no way obtainable (Madame). Logan also quoted Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, saying, â€Å"Can the world's greatest power remain the world's greatest power and also be the world's greatest borrower? I don't think so. † Over the past four years fighting the war n Iraq, the United States has spent $500 billion dollars on Just the war alone (Skeletal).In addition to the funding of occupying this country, the United States has spent over $50 billion in reconstruction costs, that unfortunately, most say will be wasted dollars due to Iraq's incompetence and capabilities to utilize the reconstructions. As a country, the United States has invested hundreds of billions of dollars on equipment, buildings, infrastructure, electricity and water facilities in third world countries. In an article recently published by USA Today written by Matt Kelley, mints out that, â€Å"The United States has spent $44. Billion in taxpayer funds on rebuilding Iraq, about half of it to train, equip and support Iraq's military and police forces. † Kelley also quotes Rusty Barber, the head of the Iraq program United States Institute of Peace, â€Å"There has been some significant progress, but there's a long way to go before Iraq can really be a stable, secure country that's able to provide for it s people's basic needs. † Iraq is a country that has undergone massive abuse over the past 10 plus years, with no end in sight, and has been rebuilt about ten times over.The amount of money that America has spent in rebuilding Iraq, by all means a country that has minimal interest in being rebuilt, is atrocious. American tax payer dollars are being spent to fund many projects in Iraq, such as schools, hospitals and prisons, instead of spending those same dollars on the same problems at home. According to Timothy Williams, many of these facilities have remained empty after completion because there were not enough Iraqis trained to operate them. Williams goes on to state that â€Å"†¦ 4 million maternity hospital built by the Americans is open, but the staff members cannot operate much of its equipment†¦.. Sinai Hospital in Baghdad, which had been the American military's largest medical center in the country, has been closed because the Health Ministry lacks the staff and equipment to reopen it, though the American military said it left $7. 9 million in equipment behind†¦ † He also states that there was a $165 million children's hospital that was delayed by more than four years and $115 million over budget (Williams). When a country is in desperate need of help, it is up to others to step up and give aid.When that aid is given, it is under the understanding that the money is going to e used to go towards the rebuild of the crisis. However, what happens when the country receiving large portions of aid do not need that aid? For example, according to James Gland and Campbell Robertson's article in August of 2008, by the end of 2009, the Iraqi government ended up with a surplus of almost $80 million dollars. The article stated that, â€Å"The United States has spent $23. 2 billion in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion, but from 2005 through April of 2008, Iraq has spend Just $3. Billion on similar services. † Another report room the Government Accountability Office estimates Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year [2008] will amount to at least $156 billion dollars. † So what this is stating is that the Iraqi government is not only holding their oil money in a United States bank collecting somewhere in the range of $400,000 in interest, but for some reason they are collecting foreign aid when they are capable of funding and fixing their own problems.Carl Levin, a chairman of the Senate Armed Services was quoted saying, â€Å"The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its espousal to fund large-scale reconstruction projects. It is inexcusable for U. S. Taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank. † Very well said and a statement many American citizens support full hardheartedly.However, we are still sending foreign aid to Iraq, building Iraqi schools, hospitals, prisons, and fortifying their country's security but it does not look like the money is going to stop going into Iraq. If the United States spends 165 million dollars on one hospital, one can only imagine the cost of rebuilding schools during war time; as well as imagine how many of those schools were destroyed intentionally and unintentionally during or after their construction because of said war. America's public school system drastically needs help and no one is coming up with any solutions but budget cuts.The American public school system is already the victim of systematic budget cuts are now getting ready for another huge blow to their financial status; one some say that is going to cripple our youth's outlooks on a better education. † Education Weekly reported that â€Å"the spending bill that President Barack Obama signed into law March 2 severed current fiscal-ye ar funding for several literacy programs at the Education Department as a part of a government- wide reduction of $4 billion† (Rose). For an example, Arizona has taken hard drastic cuts recently.Classroom sizes have grown from 24 children per teacher to roughly 30 plus children per classroom. After school and during school education enhancement studies to help children who fall below the average or have special learning needs eave all but been eliminated. In previous years, children who may not have passed a subject were allowed the opportunity to attend intercession, a program during the school breaks where they attend class for a few hours a day over a two week time frame intended to get them back on track.Unfortunately, as of the 2009-2010 school year, Circle Cross Ranch, a local elementary in San Tan Valley Arizona, now requires parents pay $25 per class session if a child fails at any point in time the classes are mandatory. In Phoenix, they are experiencing even more of an unnecessary set back. The city as had a drastic decline in their hiring for the 2010-2011 school year. Roughly 7,400 public-school teaching positions have been eliminated across the state because of budget cuts proposed by the Legislature, according to Arizona Educators Association spokesman John Heartfelt (Quinn).With the amount of children that are still enrolling and moving into the Phoenix area, this only bodes ill for the amount of attention each child will receive. Education is important to the growth of any society and if that keeps getting hit time and time again with no solutions on how to fix that budget crisis, things will only get worse. The amount of educational Jobs are decreasing but the amount of applicants only increase. The educational Job market is being flooded with teachers that have experienced the layoffs and cut backs, while schools hiring, go for the more seasoned experienced teachers.Internships have been eliminated across the board for new teachers beca use the Jobs Just are not readily available eliminating many of the opportunities for young teachers. Kerry, a 4th grade teacher for xx Elementary in xx, has felt the pinch of educational budget cuts along with thousands of other teachers. XX teaches a very owe-income community with children that speak more Spanish than English and she struggles some days to provide the best educational experience she can. â€Å"The school just cant afford what we need and its sad.I have children that come to school almost every day hungry because they don't have proper meals at home. They come to school with no supplies because their parents can't afford them. As a teacher, how can I sit by and watch my students go with out the fundamental things that they need to get an education? † XX stated that she spends over $500 every year on school supplies that she does not get reimbursed for, â€Å"l have to do it. If I don't, no one will and these children don't deserve to suffer because of our b udget cuts.How can they learn if they have no paper to write on or a pencil to write with? † When asked about the financial crisis the schools are experiencing, she replied, â€Å"Its sad and disturbing at the same time. How can I teach properly without the books and tools required to teach!? I know this sounds selfish, but doesn't they saying go, you need to help yourself before you can help others? If we [Americans] keep giving everything away, there's not going to be anything left for us to help ourselves. We could have so much more for our own kids! America's future are its children, those children are not educated properly, who's fault is that going to be? No matter who's fault it is, the problem needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. The United States has received a hazardous blows over the past few years with several crippling hurricanes, oil spills and a continued economic and financial crisis. The United States is falling further and further into debt with t he war in Iraq and an economic crisis that has America considered ‘rich nations' among one of the poorest (Belittler).If the United States cut back some of the foreign aid given to the same countries regularly, then those countries receiving the public assistance will have no choice but to learn how to support themselves. By continuing to give aid and support them without teaching them how to figure out how to do it for themselves, the problem only gets worse. It Just seems that the United States is giving a lot of more hand outs while its own citizens are suffering. When that happens, that is when its time to close the purse strings to take care of American's with American tax dollars.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Oil and Gas The WritePass Journal

Bridging the Gender Gap in Oil and Gas 1.0 Introduction Bridging the Gender Gap in Oil and Gas ), the reality is a labyrinth of professional obstacles described as the ‘glass ceiling’ metaphor where female progression in the industry is limited due to concerns of increased need for consideration of factors of the work-life balance that are less present in their male counterparts (European Commission, 2009). As a result, women are often worked out of these executive and management positions, because companies offer incomprehensive policies that do not consider individual career and family outcomes (European Commission, 2009). 3.3.1 Current Changes in Policy Direction to Increase Diversity and Retention of Female Staff – A corporate perspective 3.3.2 International Instruments Mandating Diversity in Oil and Gas MNEs 4.0 Discussion 4.1 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Region 4.2 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Employment Level 4.2.1 Executive 4.2.2 Managerial 4.2.3 Non-managerial 4.2.4 Labour 4.2.5 Discussion 4.3 Current Examples of Corporate Policy for Non-Discriminatory Work Practices 4.3.1 Strengths 4.3.2 Weakness 4.4 Current Examples of Employment Schemes aimed at Female Inclusion in the Workplace 4.4.1 Strengths 4.4.2 Weaknesses 5.0 Conclusion The gender gap in the oil and gas sector is very current and topical debate as gender equality in the workplace is becoming a diversity goal around the world. Careful understanding of the causes and effects thereof are imperative for the management of these companies and the greater macro-economic goals of development and growth. This research therefore aims to contribute to the current understanding of these goals in order to further the studies and make concrete recommendations in order to close this gap and further growth and development in the sector. 5.1 Recommendations 5.2 Conclusion References Al Munajjed, M. (2008) Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia: A Major Challenge, Ideation Center Insight: Booz Co Al Tukmachy, S. (2012) ‘Interview with Saba Al Tukmachy, Career Development Manager at ENOC’ Leaders of the Future Summit: Bridging the gap in oil and gas, 1 – 12 April 2012, Abu Dhabi: UAE Eftimie, A., Heller, K. Strongman, J. (2009) Gender Dimensions of the Extractive Industries. The World Bank: Extractive Industries and Development Series European Commission (2009) Women in science and technology: Creating sustainable careers. EUR 23740 EN Musvoto, A. (2001) Gender and Mining: Community. Birnam Park: African Institute of Corporate Citizenship Smyth, R. (2004) â€Å"Exploring the usefulness of a conceptual framework as a research tool: A researchers reflection†, Issues in Educational Research, 14(2), 167-180. United Nations (2008) Equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men. United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women. Expert Group Meeting, Geneva, 6-9 October, 2008

Capital Punishment and John Grisham essays

Capital Punishment and John Grisham essays Every society in history has wrought punishments upon those who have violated its laws and/or codes of conduct. From Hammurabis eye for an eye to the some Middle Eastern countries practice of amputating the hands of thieves, many of these punishments involve violence and pain. Some governmental systems are willing to execute those convicted of the worst crimes. The United States of America is one of the countries which feels comfortable with killing its own citizens. The Chamber by John Grisham deals, in detail, with the subject of capital punishment. This novel forces its readers to seriously consider the consequences of the death penalty, especially in the broken, lumbering legal system existing today in the United States. The book discusses almost every possible argument against capital punishment. The character who is set to die in the gas chamber, Sam Cayhall, is a textbook example of most of them. First, there is the issue of what to do with a person who has, in the past, done horrible things but is now harmless and deeply regretful of his/her actions. The crime for which Sam is on death row occurred more than 30 years before his execution. He has definitely been denied a timely punishment. He is already in his 60s and will likely die soon anyway. There is also a question as to whether execution is giving a criminal the easy way out. Sam says he is happy that he will be executed and that if, by some outside chance, he got a last-minute stay of execution, he would rather kill himself than spend more time rotting alive in his tiny, hot cell. Another point of contention for those opposed to the death penalty is that inevitably, innocent people will die. With the death penalty, there is no way to take it back if a mistake is discovered after the punishment is carried out. Sam has been convicted of a bombing in which two ...

Essay 2 1984 Final Draft

Essay 2 1984 Final Draft Essay 2 1984 Final Draft Kelly Hall Professor Walter English 210 10 November 2014 The Dangers of Totalitarianism In George Orwell’s Ninteen Eighty-Four, all the citizens of Oceania live under the rule of a totalitarianistic government who is in complete control of their thoughts and actions. In this novel George Orwell tells a fictional story of a totalitiarinistic society, where the citizens of Oceania are under the complete control of the Party, and continually manipulated to know and do only what Big Brother wishes them to. In a study performed by Lupia and Menning it was concluded that â€Å"Fear affects politics† (103). Fear and power have been proven to be powerful tools of manipulation in any society; George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, demonstrates this claim with many striking similarities to another infamous totalitarian government under the rule of Nazi Germany in 1933. Through the close analysis of the novel’s protagonist, Winston, the reader is able to see how Orwell projects his thoughts and views to remind readers just how dangerous totalitariani sm is. These dangers include lack of individualism and freedom as well as lack of societal development and economic progress. Lastly, totalitarianism in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four causes most of society to live in poverty. â€Å"Totalitarian government is government by a dictator, operating through and with a single political party which comprises a minority, usually a small minority of the nation, but which is more or less hand-picked severely disciplined, and equipped with a monopoly of the means of influencing public opinion and enforcing the will of the government† (Hayes 21). Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts this scenario very well. Through Winston’s eyes the reader learns about the society of Oceania. There is only one political party, the Inner Party, of which its members are hand selected and controlled by Big Brother. The Inner Party is a very small percentage of Oceania’s population, the majority of the population is the â€Å"proles† or the lower class. One of the many dangers of totalitarianism is that it causes a complete lack of individuality and freedom. Winston demonstrates throughout the story the lack of individualism that is demanded from the citizens of Oceania in many ways. In the opening scenes we see Winston begin to rebel against Big Brother by writing in a journal, which is strictly prohibited against by Big Brother. However, away from the prying eyes of the telescreen, Winston begins to journal. Initially Winston is unable to write, he lacks individual thought to put down on paper. Winston had thought about writing for weeks but then when it came right down he was unable to come up with anything to write. â€Å"For some time he sat gazing stupidly at the paper† (Orwell 10). Eventually Winston found much to write about, the progression of Winston’s writing gives a clear understanding why writing is prohibited. As Winston’s character progresses he begins to write, Winston remembers more and m ore of his past and then he begins to have individual thoughts and feelings. Orwell understood that conformity is an essential part of a totalitarian society, with conformity no citizen is able to have, or display, their own unique thoughts or ideas. This is also why reading any book not first deemed appropriate by the Inner Party is prohibited. While the uniformity of society seen in Nineteen Eighty-Four is not as drastic as the elimination of an entire minority as we saw during Nazi Germany, still all citizens of Ocenaia were groomed to look the same wearing â€Å"blue overalls which were the uniform of the part† (Orwell, 4). They were also forced to think the same, and act the same. The danger of conformity to create a totalitarian society seems like a far off concept to those of us enjoying democracy; however, around the world in many other countries we see socialism as well as many past totalitarian societies in which dictators were able to create conformity.

Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Diversity - Essay Example personality and even income and marital status all differ from person to person (Ironson, et al., 1989) This paper would like to focus on managing diversity in these organizations, and how the members belonging to such organizations manage to deal with their differences, along with the differences of others. Through this paper, the writer would like to investigate how organizations are structured in such a way that its members are all respected and valued. Furthermore, the writer would also like to study the positive and negative effects of diversity issues, and the controversies that surround it. Â   The concept of managing diversity in an organization basically focuses on strategies that can be taken in order to create a positive work environment for a diverse group of people. Differences between individuals tend to create problems in an organization because it is a given fact that two people cannot possibly be alike in all aspects (Child, 1973) Therefore, this could result in poor production of work and could possibly hinder or slow down progress within an organization. In the workplace, diversity could mean issues regarding discrimination against individuals, which naturally, could lead to problems within the organization, as a result of conflicts that could occur. In the United States, the 1970’s saw a need for a federal enforcement of equal employment opportunity, or EEO and affirmative action, or AA law that was intended to abolish discrimination in the workplace. Affirmative action would refer to policies that provide equal opportunities to individuals regardless of their race, gender and ethnicity. These policies are not limited to the workplace but also extend towards educational institutions and as well as health care programs and facilities. The aim of such programs were to show the Americans the importance of social equality among its people and the others who have chosen to consider America as their home. Furthermore, the programs were aimed to

Case analysis on Terri Schiavo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case analysis on Terri Schiavo - Essay Example After a few weeks, she was taken off life support and allowed to breathe on her own. Terri's husband and appointed guardian, Michael, put her into therapy at a Florida nursing facility, then filed and won a medical malpractice suit against her primary care physician and gynecologist in 1992. He had her removed from life support, put into a hospice, and then tried to move on with his life. The main argument of the case on ethics happened between Terri's husband and her parents. They believed that she could potentially thrive with additional therapy, but her husband decided it was time to let her go. The case was highly-publicized and taxpayer-funded. Mrs. Schiavo, doctors agreed, for all intents and purposes, was clinically â€Å"brain dead.† Her case changed the laws on America's spin on handling the final hours of the legally brain dead, even when their hearts are still pumping. I would have sided with the parties who knew that her life ended on the day she was pronounced bra in dead. The infamous and late Dr. Jack Kevorkian would have agreed. Dr. Daniel Eisenberg, an expert on Jewish medical ethics, currently employed by the Department of Radiology at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, would not have agreed.

RIBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

RIBA - Essay Example The RIBA plan of work is prepared by the Royal Institute of British Architects in conjunction with other stakeholders to provide a regulatory framework for practitioners in the building and construction industry (Cross, 2013). The RIBA plan of work is widely used in the UK as the official guideline and directive indicating the best practices in the industry (Farrelly, 2014). The plan of work has been extremely efficient such that it has been benchmarked by numerous countries worldwide, modeling their building and construction industry regulatory framework on RIBA’s. RIBA has continued to update its plan of work since 1963 as times and circumstances change (Hopkirk, 2014). The latest plan of work was prepared in 2013 and represented a paradigm shift from the previous one prepared in 2007. The stages of work have essentially remained the same only that they have been categorised and labeled differently (Architecture.com, 2014). Instead of the eleven stages that were explicated b y the tasks to be conducted, the new plan of work has eight stages and eight task bars under each stage indicating the tasks to be conducted.

American Business History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Business History - Essay Example Professionalism ensued and caused the struggle to narrow down the social divide in terms of equality that was now prevailing against women. The expansion of this trading by reaching new geographical terrains due to the demand of the end products that was coupled by improved transportation links in the world, saw it advancement to the present global form of business corporations. In this recent stage of business evolution in America, women have started coming out of the lime light and are starting to be appreciated again in the business community. During the early times, before the eighteenth century in America, where the household economy was in effect, women and men worked hand in hand. They shared the same energy and responsibility in maintaining their business. This exhibited a high level of equity and equality in the performance of their tasks as they were not biased in terms of gender. However, women were like a sole property to the women once they entered marriage, and therefore had little command of decisions. The advent of industrialization forced women to accustom themselves with domestic ideals. Their importance became insignificant and thus, resistance became inevitable and many women who could not embrace this idea had a rough time in trying to adjust. In an exemplary situation in Illinois, it is noted that not all white women agreed to the domestic status that was being imposed on them due to the encroachment and establishment of separate spheres. Researchers have since established that quite a number of women who had established themselves in Illinois ignored the idea of civilizing the wilderness via domestic work. Many of these settlers had migrated from the rural South, where they had not seen themselves entangled in the wider economic 'metamorphosis' that provided the grounds for division of labor and the formation of divided spheres. (Wilson, Douglas, 1998) Importance of the Early American Woman in Business Women were very important to the business of the early America. Albeit their major role which was domestic, the early American women were serious business people let alone investors. It is noted for example in Boston that, about five of the eight major seed retailers where women during the early 1770s. married women of the time were describe as "deputy husbands" because they were left with the responsibility of taking care of their husbands' enterprises while they were away which was often some long time. The example Elizabeth Meredith of Philadelphia and her hard work in the financial sector of America reveals the enormous importance that was accorded to women that led to the growth of the present America. She was the wife to Jonathan Meredith, a tanner too by profession. Meredith controlled the tannery company's account books, negotiated for money for the company's running, collected debts, and contracted with workers, suppliers, and customers. (Branson, 1996) The early American women even if not married or widowed were very industrious in the financial field and many of them could be found in the heal care field, authors, tailors, cobblers, brewers among a multitude of other professions. This was because no legalities were imposed on them to restrict them to domestic work. However, certain aspects of their existence with respect to the ideology of the divided sphere caused a reduction in domestic routines to a new form of leisure and hence sought to diminish the economic and

Rhetorical Analysis Macroeconomic Policy and Diversity Conservation Research Paper

Rhetorical Analysis Macroeconomic Policy and Diversity Conservation - Research Paper Example The article may not be emotional in its tone due to the nature of the literature which is academic writing that follows the formal rules of writing, but the topic nevertheless touched on our concern about the environment. It appeals to our sense of responsibility that we have to do something to save our environment from degradation and to do that we should regulate the pollutants emitted by industry. The topic has emotional significance to the readers because the reader is aware how ruined our ecosphere is and how it contributes to global warming. Considering the source of the journal which is EBSCOhost, the article has the assurance of the integrity of its argument to be grounded on sound scientific study having been scrutinized by the stringent academic standard. This was evident with how the author argued on how to regulate the industry by using the government’s macroeconomic tools to regulate the emission of industrial pollutants from an economist point of view. The author wrote with authority to convey that she is an authority on the subject.Being an academic journal, the article posed its appeal to the readers using logic or logos. It reasoned that by taxing heavily industries which pollute, it could encourage business to be ecologically responsible. The variations of the government’s macroeconomic policy which are the fiscal and monetary tools were argued from the point of the reason how the author’s proposal is feasible in controlling industrial pollution.

Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australia - Essay Example They were thought to have arrived here from the South East Asia during the last ice age. The belief is that the aboriginals numbered at least one million and scatter across 300 clans with at least 250 languages and 700 dialects between them. Due to the relatively dry environment of the country, the aboriginals were forced to become nomadic tribes traveling on a quest of trade, finding water, and food. Australia was founded in unforgiving territory. Stemming from the outback desserts, tropical rain forests, and snow capped mountains, the early aboriginals believe in the myth that the totemic spirits ancestors are all connected to nature, the past, present, and future (â€Å"Australias History†). This was the state of Australia before the British colonized the land for their own means. It was Captain James Cook who in the 17th century chartered the east coast in the name of Britain. When he first landed on Australian soil, the continent was recognized by most sailors as New Holland. Britain was more than happy to claim the land because its location made it perfect to use as a penal colony. As a new outpost, the penal colony came into being on January 26 1788 with the first British inhabitants alighting in Australia. A fleet of 11 ships carried 1.500 people with more than half of them being convicts. By 1868 it is believed that at least 160,000 men and women had settled in Australia as convicts being punished or banished by Britain. Of course life was different for the free settlers who came in during the 1790s. The convicts were constant under threat of losing their lives in the harsh conditions and even harsher treatment from the officers of the colony. Suffering alongside the convicts were the aboriginals who were displaced, their lands, stolen, and their tradit ional lifestyle and practices no longer fitting into the new world of Australia as

American Business History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Business History - Essay Example Professionalism ensued and caused the struggle to narrow down the social divide in terms of equality that was now prevailing against women. The expansion of this trading by reaching new geographical terrains due to the demand of the end products that was coupled by improved transportation links in the world, saw it advancement to the present global form of business corporations. In this recent stage of business evolution in America, women have started coming out of the lime light and are starting to be appreciated again in the business community. During the early times, before the eighteenth century in America, where the household economy was in effect, women and men worked hand in hand. They shared the same energy and responsibility in maintaining their business. This exhibited a high level of equity and equality in the performance of their tasks as they were not biased in terms of gender. However, women were like a sole property to the women once they entered marriage, and therefore had little command of decisions. The advent of industrialization forced women to accustom themselves with domestic ideals. Their importance became insignificant and thus, resistance became inevitable and many women who could not embrace this idea had a rough time in trying to adjust. In an exemplary situation in Illinois, it is noted that not all white women agreed to the domestic status that was being imposed on them due to the encroachment and establishment of separate spheres. Researchers have since established that quite a number of women who had established themselves in Illinois ignored the idea of civilizing the wilderness via domestic work. Many of these settlers had migrated from the rural South, where they had not seen themselves entangled in the wider economic 'metamorphosis' that provided the grounds for division of labor and the formation of divided spheres. (Wilson, Douglas, 1998) Importance of the Early American Woman in Business Women were very important to the business of the early America. Albeit their major role which was domestic, the early American women were serious business people let alone investors. It is noted for example in Boston that, about five of the eight major seed retailers where women during the early 1770s. married women of the time were describe as "deputy husbands" because they were left with the responsibility of taking care of their husbands' enterprises while they were away which was often some long time. The example Elizabeth Meredith of Philadelphia and her hard work in the financial sector of America reveals the enormous importance that was accorded to women that led to the growth of the present America. She was the wife to Jonathan Meredith, a tanner too by profession. Meredith controlled the tannery company's account books, negotiated for money for the company's running, collected debts, and contracted with workers, suppliers, and customers. (Branson, 1996) The early American women even if not married or widowed were very industrious in the financial field and many of them could be found in the heal care field, authors, tailors, cobblers, brewers among a multitude of other professions. This was because no legalities were imposed on them to restrict them to domestic work. However, certain aspects of their existence with respect to the ideology of the divided sphere caused a reduction in domestic routines to a new form of leisure and hence sought to diminish the economic and

Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australia - Essay Example They were thought to have arrived here from the South East Asia during the last ice age. The belief is that the aboriginals numbered at least one million and scatter across 300 clans with at least 250 languages and 700 dialects between them. Due to the relatively dry environment of the country, the aboriginals were forced to become nomadic tribes traveling on a quest of trade, finding water, and food. Australia was founded in unforgiving territory. Stemming from the outback desserts, tropical rain forests, and snow capped mountains, the early aboriginals believe in the myth that the totemic spirits ancestors are all connected to nature, the past, present, and future (â€Å"Australias History†). This was the state of Australia before the British colonized the land for their own means. It was Captain James Cook who in the 17th century chartered the east coast in the name of Britain. When he first landed on Australian soil, the continent was recognized by most sailors as New Holland. Britain was more than happy to claim the land because its location made it perfect to use as a penal colony. As a new outpost, the penal colony came into being on January 26 1788 with the first British inhabitants alighting in Australia. A fleet of 11 ships carried 1.500 people with more than half of them being convicts. By 1868 it is believed that at least 160,000 men and women had settled in Australia as convicts being punished or banished by Britain. Of course life was different for the free settlers who came in during the 1790s. The convicts were constant under threat of losing their lives in the harsh conditions and even harsher treatment from the officers of the colony. Suffering alongside the convicts were the aboriginals who were displaced, their lands, stolen, and their tradit ional lifestyle and practices no longer fitting into the new world of Australia as

HRIS Vendor Analysis Essay Example for Free

HRIS Vendor Analysis Essay Competition is the hallmark of the modern market place and facilitating availability of information has become the tool with which to develop a competitive edge. As a result, the area of human resource information system has been enjoying enormous demand in the US. The popular drive to adopt human resource information systems comes from the need to develop a position of cost leadership. Because the human resource information systems facilitate the availability the information, it reduces costs of operations at the companies adopting the methods. However as the products and services of the five companies profiled here show, these systems, in addition to making the necessary information available, also automate some of the repetitive HR functions. As the profiles also demonstrate, the human resource information system is not just a question of automation, it is also a question of partnering with HR consultants to outsource tasks to more capable hands. For example, client organizations can outsource their payroll processing tasks to Paychex so that these organizations can free up resources to devote to strategic management. The question as to why human resource functions were among the first among business functions to be automated is easily answered. Relative to other business functions, the human resource functions have a more structured framework. For example, the function of payroll processing does not vary from time period to time period. Thus it is a waste of human talent to have human capital spending time in this area. In fact, due to the repetitive nature of the tasks of this sort, human error is all too likely. That is the reason companies like Trinet are offering total human resource solutions built on a platform of integrated technologies so that the part of human resource that is repetitive can be left to the digital prowess of computers. This frees up employee creativity and develops more human capital, giving the companies a competitive edge. However human resource management is not all repetitive. The task of strategic human resource management is the motivation of employees and that cannot be automated. However CheckPoint has a solution in this area in the form of self-service applications for employees and managers. Using these applications, the employees and the managers can answer their own questions. Thus this is a very good empowering tool. Using these applications, the employees and the managers can also evaluate different company benefits on their own and enroll as they see fit. Administaff offers a different business model according to which the company partners with client organizations to share HR functions. This is of strategic importance to the client organizations because by outsourcing HR functions, these organizations can focus on their core competencies and thus further hone their strategic focus. When it comes to adopting a human resource information system, the management of the organization contemplating this move has a major investment in its hands. Therefore it has to conduct an exhaustive cost benefit analysis which will indicate whether the benefits of adopting the system will outweigh the costs. Automation does not always pay off because the process of adoption is out of alignment with the strategic focus of the company. Therefore the management has to make sure that it is automating the human resource functions not just for the sake of automating, but for greater focus of resources on management of strategies for developing a competitive edge. Maintaining competitive edge means that the client organization will continue to change in terms of its work processes. At some point in its operations, the management might have to automate supply chain management as well. In that case, the human resource information system already existing must be integrated into the supply chain management system. Otherwise the company will end up with two different systems maintaining which will be prohibitive in terms of cost. Therefore if I were the management in the market for HRIS, I would want to know from the vendors whether the systems they are selling are flexible and scalable to accommodate different organizational structures. Profiles Name of Organization: Paychex, Inc. Website: http://www. paychex. com Key products and/or services provided: The company provides payroll processing services which allow client organizations to submit their payroll details via phone or web to local payroll specialists in the employ of Paychex. At the end of each period Paychex sends payroll packages containing all processed checks to the client organizations. The company also helps clients in the area of tax services and administration of employee benefits. Customer profile: the products and services described above are customized towards both small organizations with 49 or less employees and large organizations containing 50 or more employees. Indications of organization size: The company has offices all over the US and also in Germany. Currently it is serving approximately 561,000 businesses all over the US. Brief company history and background: It was founded in 1971. At the time there had been other payroll processors in the market. However none of them had been paying attention to smaller organizations with fewer than 100 employees. Yet these organizations constituted the majority of American businesses. Primary focus of operations: To offer outsourcing solutions for administrative tasks so that client organizations, both large and small, can free themselves of administrative hassles and focus on the bottom line. Recent financial performance: revenues in the year 2007 exceeded $1. 9 billion. Name of Organization: Administaff, Inc. Website: http://www. administaff. com/index. asp Key products and/or services provided: Administaff is a professional employer organization that in the form of strategic alliances with client organizations offers services in the areas of training and development, employer liability management, benefits and performance management, recruitment and selection, government compliance and employment administration. Administaff also has an e-business model which facilitates availability of information. Customer profile: the company provides these services mostly for white-collar and skilled blue-collar workers in industries where unemployment risks are low, such as technology, engineering, real estate, light manufacturing, banking, insurance etc. Indications of organization size: The company has 47 offices in 23 markets and is publicly traded on the NYSE. Brief company history and background: the company was established in the year 1986 in April. The current chairman and CEO is Paul J. Sarvadi. In 2003, Administaff was named in Fortune’s Most Admired American Companies for the fifth consecutive year. Primary focus of operations: Sharing of human resource management with client organization in the form of a co-employment relationship. Recent financial performance: 2006 revenues: $1. 4 billion. Name of Organization: TriNet. http://www.trinet.com/

Is Immortality Desirable?

Is Immortality Desirable? Abstract In this paper I discuss whether immortality in the physical form is desirable. In accordance with the deprivation account I seek to defend the commonsense view that death is a bad thing for the individual but will argue that consistency and logic does not require me to believe that an immortal existence is to be desired. I defend Bernard Williams claim that with an immortal life we are doomed to an eternity of never ending repetition, boredom and indifference and that death is a necessary evil if we are to avoid a life devoid of freshness. I will also argue that death and the very limitation that its sets down gives life meaning. In support of Victor Fankl I will defend the claim that it is time pressure that shapes our lives. In developing my argument I will oppose the counter argument that it is death that makes life meaningless not meaningful. Is Immortality desirable? Is it simply a design fault that we age and die? Are we living in a culture of death whereby we die simply because we accept it as an inevitability? â€Å"All men are mortal† said Socrates, however, a lifetime spent on in-depth research has led pioneering scientists to deem aging not as an inevitable consequence of the human condition but as a preventative disease. Perhaps these scientists are far too optimistic in their search for a virtual fountain of youth, or is it simply the case that death – the end of the physical being, is accepted by the mind and embraced through reinforced teachings and observation. Whether you believe that a quest for immortality will or will never be achieved is irrelevant to the question at hand. The focus will be on whether immortality is desirable, assuming something can be desired yet impossible. Clarification of what I mean by immortality is essential; I will focus on what can be described as physical immortality- by this I mean that on e can live for eternity as a human physical being on earth (where everyone is immortal). In my interpretation, I will also assume that there is no get out clause, take for example one is offered an elixir of immortal life, once taken a person cannot change their mind opting for death- immortality is forever. My definition will also incorporate a block on aging; eternity will be lived through a perfectly healthy functioning body. Accidents will be possible but can be fixed with ease. Intentionally, I have painted a picture of immortality which may at first glance seem desirable, as one may be quick to argue that an immortal life where a person is forever aging to the point of an eternity of pain and discomfort and where accidents occurred and could not be fixed is simply not one to be desired. However, throughout this essay I will put forward the argument that those who believe immortality to be desirable have made an irrational choice, it would be a mistake to crave an immortal life and take the elixir of eternal existence. I will approach this issue by initially examining Nagels (1970) question of whether it is a terrible thing to go out of existence, I will agree and defend the deprivation account of the evil and badness of death claiming it is possible to do so while maintaining immor tality would be a bad thing. The idea that boredom will develop if there was no end to human life will be explored, assessing much of the support from Bernard Williams (1973) as well as opposing and tackling one of John Martin Fischers (1994) criticisms of the above view. The second argument that I will present (which overlaps with my first) will be based on the meaning of life, I will argue that death and the very limitations that it sets down gives life meaning and this will be explored by assessing the views of Victor Frankl (1957) as well as counterarguments by Robert Nozicks (1981). Firstly, to determine whether immortality is a good thing, I pose the question of whether death is a bad thing. Death is an ambiguous term so let me be clear of the definition it will take in my essay. I will take death to mean the end of the physical being, the cessation of life. I am aware that defining death in this way is problematic but let us assume for the sake of simplicity that this is correct. My concern at this point is whether death is a bad thing for the person who dies, referring to the state of non existence (at least in the physical form), not the process of dying. For many, a rational response in life is to fear death- after all, it is our most personal and valuable asset, but is it really, as Nagel stated, a terrible thing to go out of existence? There has been extensive philosophical discussion and disagreement regarding this matter, with philosophers such as Bernard Williams (1973), who argue death has its rightful place; a point to which I will later return, and there are those such as Thomas Nagel (1970) who speak of its badness. Lucretius, however, argue that something can only be good or bad for a person if that person exists at the time the event takes place and is experienced, if we take death to mean non-existence where non-existence is nothingness then death cannot be said to be good or bad as only something can be interpreted in this way. I, however, believe that death is bad, agreeing with Nagel in most parts but at the same time believe that immortality, never dying is also bad, this is not a contradiction. I disagree with the Lucretius argument for the very same reason Nagel rejected their reasoning, Nagel presents an example of an individual betrayed unknowingly behind his back, although the person never becomes aware of this, it seems fair to say that the betrayal was a bad thing for the person involved, in this way the Lucretius connection between badness and experience does not hold true (Nagel, 1970:76). It may be the case that something can be intrinsically bad, bad in itself or in its own right, for example, pain is avoided for its own sake. It may also be the case that something can be comparatively bad, bad by virtue of what youre not getting while this other thing is present. I take the latter point to be the case for the badness of death. It seems to me that something can be bad even if you dont exist, e xistence is not a requirement, in fact it is the very fact that you dont exist that makes death bad. The central bad about death, about non existence, is that it deprives you of the goods of life you might otherwise be getting, I couldnt fall in love, enjoy a sunset or master philosophy.From this, it should follow that life is good because if I wasnt dead I wouldnt be deprived; more of a good thing is always better than less of a good thing; therefore more life is better than less life; it should follow therefore that eternal life never dying is exceptionally good. However, the rules of logic and reason do not require somebody who accepts the deprivation account to believe that immortality is to be desired. Looking closely at the deprivation account, what it claims is that death is bad insofar as it deprives us of the good things we could have otherwise experienced, but we shouldnt assume that life is good or always good (maybe Nagel does or often seems to assume this) what if it turned out that what you would have hereafter would be in fact a life full of bad things. It would there fore be a bad thing that you would go through the rest of your life which in this case would be an eternity with negative experiences. I will now go on to explain that it is an inevitability that an eternal life will somewhere down the line cease to be good, transforming into an eternity of badness in which case still in accordance with the deprivation account death will no longer be bad. I agree that at first thought immortality may be tempting the argument that life is too short will no longer exist. Think of all the things you could get done, you could devout years to writing great philosophy, you could take pleasure in countless sunsets and sunrises, you could enjoy things endlessly having more time to see and achieve things that you would have otherwise not had time to. Here is my argument, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing, medicine for example is something which is instrumentally good, however, although it is good in small doses in that it cures a disease for example if I take more than the prescribed amount it becomes harmful to my body. In this same way extending human life by 50 or even a 100 years can be good but what if someone added a thousand, a million, an eternity to your life? Having done and seen everything you could possible have imagined everything will start to feel the same, having experienced love and the sunset millions of times t hey would no longer excite you. Eternity is a very long time, forever goes on forever and boredom will eventually set in leaving you existing as oppose to living. It seems that I am in agreement with Bernard Williams, in his essay â€Å"The Makropulos Case:Reflections on the Tedium of Immortality† (1973) who also argues that an eternal existence would be intolerable, claiming that as human beings it is inevitable that by our very nature we will get bored we would be doomed to never ending repetition and boredom, life would simply be devoid of interest or freshness. He supports his view by discussing a play by Karel Capek which tells of a woman named Elina Makropulos, who at the age of 42 was given an elixir of eternal life by her father. The play is set 300 years on and Elina is now aged 342, Williams states that â€Å"Her unending life has come to a state of boredom, indifference, and coldness. Everything is joyless: â€Å"in the end it is the same,† she says, â€Å"singing and silence.† She refuses to take the elixir again; she dies; and the formula is deliberately destroyed by a young woman among the protest of some older men† (Williams,1973:82). EM has lived her life at the age of 42 for 300 years and it seems that everything that could happen to a woman of 42 has already happened to her. John Martin Fischer in an article titled Why immortality is not so bad criticizes Williams argument; Fischer asserts that if there was a sufficiently diverse package of experiences we would not get bored (Fischer 1994). He acknowledges that there are those pleasures that would be self exhausting, those which we would not want to repeat more than once or a few times as we would inevitably get bored. His examples of these self exhausting pleasures include pleasures that are disappointing which one would not want to repeat for that very reason and those non-disappointing pleasures which you do to fulfil a goal to prove something to yourself, for example, to overcome your phobia of heights you climb Mount Whitney but this is an experience you do not want to repeat. He acknowledges that there are those pleasures that are self exhausting but ther e are many repeatable pleasures that we would never get bored of like listening to beautiful music or seeing great art and we would therefore never fall victim to Williams boredom account. I disagree with Fischer, firstly it seems to me his examples of self exhausting pleasures present a distorted view of what pleasure really is. I agree that disappointing pleasures may appear to be pleasurable before the act but after we experience the disappointment they cease to fall into this category. It appears that these disappointing pleasures are not pleasures at all and should not fall into the category of self exhausting pleasures. It is a similar case for his example of non disappointing self exhausting pleasures like climbing a mountain to overcome a phobia, climbing this mountain is not done for sheer pleasure, we may experience pride and we may experience some pleasure from this pride but the very act is done reluctantly and is not pleasurable within itself. To claim that he partly agrees with Williams that there are those pleasure that are self exhausting is somewhat misleading what he presents in the above case are not pleasures at all. What Williams said, is to think of the most perfect immortality that you can imagine and imagine doing this forever, the above so called pleasures do not fall into this; it seems obvious they would not want to be repeated. Fischer also goes on to explain a second category of pleasures which he called repeatable pleasures which include listening to music and enjoying art, Fischer believed that if these pleasures were appropriately distributed (not too closely to each other ) they could be repeated countless times. I disagree; although in this case they could be classed as pleasure, it seems we would still inevitably get bored maybe not after 100 or even two hundred years but somewhere down the line of a never ending life we would get bored. I can only enjoy a piece of music a limited number of times before it no longer brings me pleasure. However at this point an objection may arise; some may argue that human potential is endless reducing the likelihood of boredom. There are millions of songs to be heard and millions more that will emerge, there is a countless number of things that can be enjoyed that will never run out so you are not doomed to be repeating the same things over and over, and maybe when things start to get tedious new things will be invented to occupy our minds. The response to this is that having heard a thousand, a million, two million, songs they will all eventually take the same shape, nothing new can be invented that would be so drastically different from all previous inventions. Another point to be made is that Elina Makropulos maintains the same character throughout her life changing only to adapt to her surroundings it could therefore be suggested that the boredom she experienced was a result of her unchanging character not the fact that she lived for such a long period of time. Williams addresses this throughout his article, he argues that as human beings we aim to be, and usually succeed, in becoming a certain type of person, we develop a certain set of interests, a certain way of acting and we become settled as that type of person. His thought is that those who can avoid boredom and continue to find things interesting are not sufficiently mature there seems to be something wrong with them as such immortality is not a life for a hu man being (Williams 1973) . Let us now introduce a way boredom can be avoided in accordance with his argument, a possibility Williams considers is rejuvenation; by this he means you remain a human being in that you maintain the same body but every so often you are rejuvenated, a certain part of your history disappears and is replaced by a new start. Although this seems to deal with the boredom issue Williams does questions whether this is in fact you? Every time I am rejuvenated I have no recollection of my prior self and build a whole new character based on different memories and experiences. It seems wrong to say that I am the same person after being rejuvenated for the hundredth time as I was prior to my first rejuvenation (Williams,1973:92). Even if we are persuaded that you are the same person Williams would argue that it is not giving you anything that you could be interested in, the absence of a continuity of consciousness is a serious problem. Even if it is not death it is as bad as death to be rejuvenated in this way. Another possibility to consider is the gradual deterioration of memory where we forget things as time goes on for example every 200 years. However I believe this raises the same question as above are we really the same person if we live in a 200 year envelope? Williams concludes that death is a necessary e vil; we should hope to die if we are to avoid the alternative of immortality. My second argument to why immortality is not desirable is based on the meaning of life. I believe that death and the very limitations that it sets down gives life meaning. My second argument overlaps with my first but what I wish to specifically argue here is that it is the very fact that we are here for what is comparatively a short time that makes our lives meaningful, in the way we act and behave, this is the idea that it is time pressure that shapes our lives. It is irrelevant whether one believes or does not believe in god or any form of creator or greater being, they will still find life meaningless without death, even if you merely carry on living out of the fear of dying. I believe that all good things have to have a beginning, middle and an end and each is necessary and is enjoyed accordingly. Victor Frankl argues that death itself is what makes life meaningful, his reasoning is as follows: â€Å"What would our lives be like if they were not finite in time, but infinite? If we were immortal, we would legitimately postpone every action forever. It would be of no consequence whether or not we did a thing now; every act might just as well be done tomorrow or the day after or a year from now or ten years hence. But in the face of death as absolute finis to our future boundary to our possibilities, we are under the imperative of utilizing our lifetimes to utmost, not letting the singular opportunities- whose finite sum constitutes the whole of life-pass by unused† (Frankl,1957:73). Nozick , however, has a problem with this argument, in his book â€Å"Philosophical explanation† he wonders whether death in fact makes life meaningless not meaningful, he argues that â€Å"Frankl assumes our only desire is to have done certain things, to put certain things somewhere on our record†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.However, we may desire to do things; our desire need not be merely to have done them. Moreover, if we had an infinite life, we might view it as a whole, as something to organize, shape and do something with† (Nozick,1981:579-580) I disagree, firstly it was not assumed by Frankl that we merely do things to put them on record, what was being said is that we have a limited amount of time to do things but we do not merely do them just to tick a box but to grow and evolve as human beings because pursuing our goals enriches our lives. It is the very fact that we have a finite time that motivates us to make those decisions and do those things that enhance our lives, which would only be forever delayed with an infinite existence. For example why should I go to school if I dont like it? The simple answer is to learn to acquire skills that would help me to achieve and make something of my self before I die and cease to exist. If I was immortal, learning trigonometry would seem less attractive than watching TV or playing computer games all day. I get more pleasure from such things (in the short term at least) and watching TV is certainly easier than studying and Ill get round to learning trigonometry sometime.Time press ure is what makes us set goals, with an immortal life tasks would forever be extended and a consequence would emerge whereby we would be less likely to do things of value, we would become a stagnant society where simple pleasures rule. Even if we are partly motivated by the desire to do things not only to have done things they would still be postponed and contrary to what Nozick claims this would matter as the desire alone to do things does not make ones life meaningful it may contribute to some poor will to carry on living (to do that specific thing) but will not give satisfaction to ones life. Nozick also questions whether death in fact makes life meaningless? Many argue that death renders life futile because we will all eventually die and so there is no point in developing character or studying calculus if our progress is ultimately going to be permanently interrupted and it will all go to waste. It seems to me that to argue that death makes life meaningless is to argue that something can only be meaningful if it lasts forever. The truth is that many things we value and find worthwhile do not last forever. I affirm that most if not all actions other than pleasures within themselves are predominantly motivated by the desire to get things done and enrich our lives from them before we die. Death is a deadline, a necessary evil; we know every day that passes we will never get back and this gives meaning and shapes how we live and thus an immortal life is not one to be desired. So far a strong argument has been provided for the undesirability of an immortal life but is there any situation in which immortality can be desired? In setting out what I meant by immortality I disallowed a get out clause, let us now suppose you would be able to live as long as you wanted and when you eventually had enough it would be possible to take your own life, is the elixir of eternal existence now more attractive? Surely it is, however, this is not all together straight forward. Take for example a mortal who chooses to commit suicide, in taking their own life he/she is giving up for example another 30 years, however, in the case of an immortal he/she is giving up what is essentially an eternity. They may be unhappy now but they could not possibly know that this would be the case in a million or a billion years time, choosing to take an immortal life is of greater consequence. In allowing a get out clause we would also become a very unadventurous and risk- averse society, who would take the risk of bungee jumping, paragliding and so forth if what they are risking is an infinite lifespan? Although this may seem a more attractive model of immortality it is complicated and can it really be called immortality if we allow this get out clause? It seems to me the very fact that we would choose this model supports my argument, that immortality would cease to be good and we would all sooner or later opt to take our own lives. In conclusion immortality in the physical human sense is never a good thing. It should not be desired; whatever perfect life you imagine to want to experience forever it will soon become tedious and boredom will eventually set in. Death is therefore necessary, even in accordance with the deprivation account, as further existence would become a bad thing sooner or later and it will no longer be the case whereby death deprives you of the good things life has to offer but where death provides an end to all that is bad with an eternal existence. It is also the inevitability of death that gives life reason and shape, the very fact that we have a limited lifespan motivates people through a sense of urgency to spend their time doing those things that contribute meaning and enrich their lives which would forever be delayed with inevitable consequences with an immortal life. Without death there would be no such thing as sacrifice, putting a lifes work into something, heroism and courage, we w ould lack appreciation for our existence, life would not be as serious or meaningful. I believe there to be an artistic necessity about dying- in the same way a picture has a frame, one cannot imagine an infinite painting, or a play has a shape and a final curtain, one cant imagine a play going on forever. Why grope for some mysterious realm for which we are not properly equipped to function in? Although I have argued that immortality is bad, this is not to say that it is a good thing that we die when we do, in accordance with all above arguments one can still think that we die too soon. Bibliography Fischer, M. (1994). Why Immortality is Not So Bad. International Journal of Philosophical Studies. 2, 257-270. Frankl, V (1957). The Doctor and the Soul. Alfred Knopf. New York Nagel, T (1970). Death. Nous. 4, 73-80 Nozick, R (1981). Philosophical Explanations. Oxford.  Clarendon Press Williams, B (1973). Problems of the Self: Philosophical Papers 1956-1972. New York: Cambridge University Press.