Importance of Life

Lofe is imprtantBecause it is your one chance to do anything. You can use The meaning of life is to take care of our planet. To be hard working and serve God. To help out in fixing communities – that's what life is about; you should not live only for fun but help others enjoy life too. A humanist would say we each make our own meaning by the way we live. The meaning is whatever meaning/purpose you care to assign to it†¦ or none at all. If you have a religion, you could find meaning there; a particular philosophy, ditto. If you're a nihilist, you might conclude that there is no meaning at all.To understand the meaning of life we have to turn to the source, or creator. If you believe in such things, God. If he put us here, it was for a purpose. So He may be the only one able to provide us with the answer. Some people will acknowledge that everything we need to know about the purpose of life and about God himself is found in one book, the Bible. If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is in God's inspired words: â€Å"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. † Luke 9:23. Ecclesiastes 12:13 â€Å"Fear God and obey His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. â€Å"The irony in life these days is that, in order to find it's meaning, you merely have to Google it. To tell you the truth, I don't think anyone knows the true meaning of life. People say that the only way to know the true meaning of life is to live a full life with many near death experiences, then God tells you an instant after you have died.If you have a complex enough mind, and when God wants us to know, he will tell someone after they die and let that person be revived to tell the rest of the human race. If that never happens then we will just have to live life with many questions and as best we can. That's what God wa nts us to do. That's one way to look at it. The meaning of life is to utilize our main driving force, curiosity, without which none of us would even exist. Discover and find out new things. Space travel, for example, will lead to great new discoveries – including life near and far from us.The meaning of life is that we exist, that we are products of a force called creation, and that we should all support and affiliate with that force in every one of it's manifestations. The difference between life and the inanimate is that life has consciousness. The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Any Christian should know the purpose of life is simple: to serve God. Any Christian who doesn't know this needs to build up their relationship with God; He'll show you all you need to know.You're born, you breed, you die. Therefore the only meaning is to keep the species alive, all the other stuff is just to make it interesting. No one really knows the answer to this. Philosophers and religionists have been debating it for thousands of years. Life's meaning is what it means to you! What do you value in your life? Everyone has there own meaning and there own perception of life. Britannica says it's the sequence of physical and mental you body and go to amazing places and see amazing things.Life is a once in a lifetime thing so if you don't enjoy it then you will have wasted the most brilliant thing on earth. Dictionary. com states the meaning of life is: â€Å"The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism. â€Å"I believe it's the beauty of God's creation. The meaning of life is to make life meaningful.

Convergence-towards-ifrs-in-malaysia-issues-challenges-and-opportunities Essay

In the year 2008 the then Malaysian Accounting Standard Board’s (MASB) chairman, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Putih, announced that Malaysia will be converging with International Accounting Standard Board (IASB)’s International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). From that point onwards many initiatives were lined up by MASB and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) in order to educate, train and inform all the relevant stakeholders in tandem with fast approaching deadline to converge, which is for the earliest year-end financial reporting date, 31 December 2012. On 19 November 2011, MASB issued the third accounting framework to be applied in Malaysia and this new accounting framework that is IFRS-compliant is dubbed as Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards framework (MFRS). The issuance of MRFS is vital to show and prove the Malaysian commitment and also it becomes a solid guideline for all entities that are administered by Securities Commission of Malaysia and the convergence begin on or after 1 January 2012. Historically, Malaysian accounting standards have always closely followed the former International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the current IFRS. This is due to the colonisation effect on Malaysia, where Malaysia was a British colony up to the year 1957 and many of the accounting standards applied in the United Kingdom has always made its way to be adopted by the Malaysian standard setters authorities and regulators. As Mohammad Faiz Azmi stated in forums that the Malaysian story of convergence has been a ‘slow and steady’ approach and this phased-in approach even though slower is expected to put Malaysian entities in a better position as the problems and challenges faced by Malaysian companies are far much reduced compared to other countries that adopted the ‘big bang’ approach, for example the South Koreans, where the accounting standard setters and regulators in South Korea agreed on full adoption of IFRS (Nazatul Izma, 2009; Suh, 2011) ACCOUNTING FRAMEWORKS IN MALAYSIA Currently Malaysian entities are subject to three sets of accounting frameworks, the first accounting framework is the old Financial Reporting Standards framework (FRS), next is the Private Entity Reporting Standards framework (PERS) and finally the Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards framework (MFRS). All these three frameworks are legally approved frameworks by MASB and can be applied by entities in Malaysia but subject to the type of entity. The three types of frameworks are outlined and discussed below. MFRS framework is to be applied by all entities other than private entities for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2012. Private entities are private companies which are incorporated under the Companies Act 1965, that are not itself required to prepare or lodge any financial statements under any law administered by the Securities Commission Malaysia or Bank Negara Malaysia. Private entities are also not subsidiaries or associates of or jointly controlled by an entity which is required to prepare or lodge any financial statements under any law administered by the securities Commission Malaysia or Bank Negara Malaysia. However ‘Transitioning Entities’ are excluded from applying MFRS and these ‘Transitioning Entities’ are entities that are in the scope of MFRS 141 for ‘Agriculture’ (equivalent to IAS 41) and IC Interpretation 15 for ‘Agreement for Construction of Real Estate’, (equivalent to International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) 15) including its parent, significant investor and venture. These ‘Transitioning Entities’ have an option to either apply the MFRS framework or the old FRS framework, but this leeway is only allowed for one year, as these ‘Transitioning Entities’ need to apply the MFRS framework by  Page 43 International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, Vol. 1 ISSN 2289-1552 2012 annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2013 at the latest (Nazatul Izma, 2009; KPMG, 2011; Accountants Today 2012; Ganespathy, 2012; Jebaratnam, 2012). PERS framework is to be applied only by private entities but these private entities have an option to apply MFRS framework for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2012. If the private entities choose to apply MFRS framework and these entities are in the scope of MFRS 141 for ‘Agriculture’ (equivalent to IAS 41) and IC Interpretation 15 for ‘Agreement for Construction of Real Estate’, (equivalent to IFRIC 15), therefore known as ‘Transitioning Entities’, they have the choice to either apply MFRS framework or FRS framework, but these freedom is applicable up to 31 December 2012, as these entities need to revert to MFRS framework for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2013 (Accountants Today, 2012; Jebaratnam, 2012). FRS framework which is the Malaysian version of IAS, which has been the main accounting standards framework for nonprivate entities before the introduction of MFRS framework can be applied only by ‘Transitioning Entities’, but as stated earlier, such entities need to revert to MFRS framework for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2013 (Accountants Today, 2012; Jebaratnam, 2012) ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN FULL ADOPTION OF IFRS IN MALAYSIA MFRS 1 covers issues pertaining to ‘First-Time Adoption of Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards’ and the transition date stated in MFRS 1 is the beginning of the earliest period for which an entity presents a full comparative information under MFRSs in its first MFRS based statements. Following the requirement of MFRS 1, MFRS 101 on ‘Presentation of Financial Statements’ requires reporting entities to present three ‘Statements of Financial Position’ and two ‘Statement of Comprehensive Income’, ‘Statements of Changes in Equity’ and ‘Statement of Cash Flows’ each. MFRS also dictates that entities need to present statement of financial position as at the beginning of the comparative financial year, therefore reporting entities requires their financial statements to be prepared based on the requirement of MFRS from the financial year beginning on and after 1 January 2010, or otherwise be very cautious to make retrospective restatements and/or reclassify items in all the financial statements and notes to accounts and the transition date would be on or after 1 January 2011. The expectation is that the entities are able to present MFRS compliant financial statements come the year-end financial reporting on 31 December 2012, which may become an issue, if these entities are not MFRS ‘ready’ (Accountants Today, 2012). Another challenge for full adoption of IFRS in Malaysia is that under MFRS 1, whenever the cost of complying with MFRS exceeds the benefits to the users of financial statements and also if retrospective application would mean that judgement by management of a known transaction is required, IASB would grant exemptions and therefore this would create unlevel playing field amongst non-private entities in Malaysia that are supposed to apply MFRS framework as the criterion for full-adoption. To ensure that the reporting entities in Malaysia are MFRS compliant, these entities should perform a comprehensive, thorough and detailed examination of the readiness of their entity in becoming MFRS compliance to avoid any investigation by the authority due to non-compliance after the grace period for full adoption is over. If Malaysia ends up trimming its MFRS as a convergence framework that can be adapted to fit the local conditions and not a one size fits all set of standards, because a full adoption forces countries to surrender their sovereignty, then Malaysia will have serious issues and will face difficulties to be endorsed as a country that compliances to full IFRS adoption (Nazatul Izma, 2009). But as it is evident, MFRS 141 and IC 15 for ‘Transitioning Entities’ is an exception given to such entities to comply to full IFRS adoption by reverting to MFRS framework for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2013. Even though the IAS 41 assumption that fair value can be measured for biological assets was an issue, but this sort of issues should be communicated clearly to the practitioners and this is where the education and training of the practitioners is key for a successful full adoption of IFRS. For example MFRS 141 (IAS 41) disagreement with IASB need to be entirely made clear to the Malaysian practitioners, as IASB currently have agreed to recognise palm oil tree as a non current asset and not as an inventory (Nazatul Izma, 2009). One of the most common perceived advantages of convergence to IFRS is the possibility of increased foreign direct investment (FDI) (Gardiner, 2000; Christiansen, 2002), but as of 2010, report on the most attractive FDI destinations, the world’s highest FDI receivers are China, United States of America and India, of which none have converged to IFRS. Therefore, the notion that IFRS convergence will attract FDI is not valid, and this so called advantage cannot be applied to entice countries to adopt IFRS for financial reporting of their entities. IFRSs for SME is another reason to ponder on the real plausibility of full adoption of IFRS. If MASB chooses to adopt IFRS for SMEs to replace PERS, than we will have another version of ‘diluted’ IFRS as a framework within the Malaysia accounting scenario. Dr Paul Pacter, the board member and chairman of the SME implementation group, mentioned that some topics in the IFRS were omitted from the IFRS for SMEs, due to its irrelevance and also due to the fact that the ‘diluted’ version will be a simpler option for the SMEs to apply (Nazatul Izma, 2010). The IFRS for SMEs were simplified on the recognition and measurement and the disclosures were also reduced. Brian Blood, the Chief Executive of Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA) mentioned that the IFRS for SMEs were developed to assist SMEs to prepare and present high quality and timely financial statements and information. Other benefits of SMEs applying the IFRS for SMEs are that the financial reporting is done in a consistent manner and not too expensive to prepare (Nazatul Izma, 2010). Having said all that, the fact is that there is a different set of IFRS for SMEs, therefore, it does not allow for full adoption, but maybe just a mere convergence. James Sylph, the executive director, Professional Standards and External Relations of International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in a forum in 2012, strongly advocated that national accounting standard setters’ authorities and regulators should move away from the mere concept of convergence to a more profound notion of full-adoption. Page 44 International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, Vol. 1 ISSN 2289-1552 2012 Mohammad Faiz Azmi, MASB chairman, indicated that Malaysia will not require the IFRS for SMEs to avoid an ‘underconverged’ version used by SMEs due to the lack of human resources to implement new IFRS based regulations; therefore MASB is still uncertain about how exactly they should deal with the issue related to SME and IFRS (Nazatul Izma, 2010) MASB together with MIA will have to look into the issue of the readiness of the Malaysian education system to deliver enough trained accountants that are IFRS savvy, as a full IFRS adoption can be burdensome and the human capital need to be created to fulfill this need. Mohammad Faiz Azmi mentioned that MASB is working with enforcers to amend the Financial Reporting Act (1997) to allow making amendments to accounting standards in Malaysia if there are any substantial issues that MASB disagrees with IASB (Nazatul Izma, 2009). This again will give some space for MASB for not to adopt the full adoption of IFRS as there will be some possible avenue to make changes in the IFRS provided by IASB. Companies Act 1965 and Financial reporting Act 1997 are the two most important acts pertaining financial statements reporting in Malaysia. The directors are supposed to be responsible for the preparation and presentation of a true and fair set of financial statements of reporting entities and these directors should be aware and be sure that their entities are IFRS ready.

Leadership Incident Essay

Companies differ markedly in their ability to produce future leaders, as several recent analyses of the 1,187 largest publicly-traded U.S. companies revealed. Among the CEOs in one study, a remarkable total of 26 once worked at General Electric (GE). But as the table below shows, on a per-employee basis that earns GE only tenth place in terms of the likelihood of a current or former employee’s becoming CEO of a large company. Top on the list is management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Amazingly, if we extrapolate into the future from the current stock of McKinsey alums who are CEOs, of every 690 McKinsey employees, one will become CEO of a Fortune 1000 company. Some companies did not fare nearly as well, such as Citigroup (odds: 30,180:1), AT&T (odds: 23,220:1), and Johnson & Johnson (odds: 15,275:1). While some might dismiss the results, not surprisingly, the companies at the top of the list do not. â€Å"We are a leadership engine and a talent machine,† said retiring P&G CEO A. G. Lafley. Questions 1. Management consulting firms did very well on a per-employee basis, partly because they are mostly comprised of managers (as opposed to blue-collar or entry-level workers). How big a factor do you think composition of the workforce is in likelihood of producing a CEO? 2. Do you think so-called leadership factories are also better places for non-leaders to work? Why or why not? 3. Assume you had job offers from two companies that differed only in how often they produced CEOs. Would this difference affect your decision? 4. Do these data give any credence to the value of leader selection and leader development? Why or why not? Based on D. McCarthy, â€Å"The 2008 Best Companies for Leaders,† Great Leadership (February 17, 2009), http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2009/; F. Hansen, â€Å"Building Better Leaders†¦Faster,† Workforce Management (June 9, 2008), pp. 25-28; D. Jones, â€Å"Some Firms’ Fertile Soil Grows Crop of Future CEOs,† USA Today (January 9, 2008), pp. 1B, 2B.

Hcr Week 8

Week 8 Checkpoint 1. Assault: When someone attempts to harm or threatens someone else. 2. Breach of Confidentiality: Is when information has been released to someone who is not authorized to have it, or without the patients consent. 3. Battery: Touching a person without their permission. 4. Burden of Proof: Is the responsibility to prove harm or wrongdoing. 5. Defendant: This is the person that is being sued, or needs to defend themselves in court. 6. Contempt of Court: This is when someone is not obeying court orders, which can be punishable by jail time and/or fine(s). . Confidentiality: Keeping information that is secret, and only the patient can give permission to release this information. 8. Coroner: This is someone who investigates a death that was not because of a natural cause. 9. Court Order: This is a written command or order that is issued by a judge or by the court. 10. Deposition: This is part of a discovery where both sides of a case can get sworn statements from a witn ess, and find out if the witness is credible. Also, to see where the other side of the case is weak so that they can use it against them to win the case. 1. Discovery: This is a legal process where lawyers obtain all of the information that pertains to a case including witness lists (and more) so that the other side can prepare for court. 12. Covered Entities: These are private or public organizations that must follow the HIPPA laws. 13. Privileged Communication: This is private information. 14. Negligence: This is when someone fails to provide reasonable care resulting in an accidental injury to someone else. 15. Plaintiff: This is someone who initiates a court complaint.

Identification of Possible Pathogens in an Office Environment Research Paper

Identification of Possible Pathogens in an Office Environment - Research Paper Example Is there a relationship between working efficiency and pathogenic presence in offices? The disease-causing pathogens lead to various illnesses that may lower the efficiency of personnel in the offices. Due to the reduction in efficiency, the research herein is of a great essentiality. We obtained the isolate by taking a sample of the used Petri plate with Nutrient agar (Ravichandra 37).Thereafter, exposing it to the air in a small office for approximately 1 hour. The Petri plate helped in the collection of a variety of microorganisms. The microorganisms were from surfaces, strictly chairs, desktops and computer mice. The primary purpose of the methodology was to help in identifying a single unknown culture of bacteria to prove whether it is pathogenic or not. The organism I identified via PCR is Dermacoccus nishinomiyaeusis and is non-pathogenic generally regarded as harmless saprophytes (Rose, Joan and Erin 14). It inhabits and contaminates the skin, mucosa, and the pharynx. A Gram-positive coccus locates in tetrads, irregular clusters and cubical agglomerates of eight. It is enzymatic positive and exhibits strictly aerobic metabolic. However, they can be opportunistic disease-causing organisms to the immune-compromised beings. They associated with various infections, including bacteremia, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis peritonitis, and infections related to ventricular shunts. They occur worldwide and are ubiquitous. They locate on the human skin, marine and fresh water, plants, dust, and air. Rocasermeno, Pablo. "Pressurizing with dust collectors: guidelines on how to apply a concept that is appropriate for mine and plant environments, where dust generated during crushing, screening and conveying must be controlled to protect workers, office spaces and sensitive equipment." E&MJ - Engineering & Mining Journal 2013: 92. General OneFile. Web. 11 Dec.

The Problems of a Two Party System in the US Research Paper

The Problems of a Two Party System in the US - Research Paper Example Likewise, the first of these determinants which will be analyzed is with regards to the fact that the level of exasperation and frustration with the given paradigm seems to be ever-increasing. Although there are a number of factors which must be considered with regards to the overall level of support that the government engenders within the population, it must not be understated that the ineffectual nature in which the two-party system is exhibited over the past several decades is likely one of the causal components. Evidence of this can anecdotally be evidenced with regards to many of the polling results that a number of diverse entities has engaged in. The results of these nonpartisan polls have indicated that an increasing share of the American populace deals both disconnected and frustrated with politics as usual that is oftentimes exhibited at the regional levels. Such an eventuality is not surprising due to the fact that the two-party system necessarily divides people in an unn atural manner. When one stops to consider the fact that the United States is a multi religious, multi racial, multiethnic society, it comes as something of a curiosity that the two-party system has effectively been able to govern and represent an infinitely diverse level of needs and wants that such a vast and unheard modulus nation must necessarily engender.Another negative externality that the United States two-party system engenders within the current dynamic is with regards to the fact that the nation is currently in the midst of a wrenching difficult economic shift.... Evidence of this can anecdotally be evidenced with regards to many of the polling results that a number of diverse entities has engaged in. The results of these nonpartisan polls have indicated that an increasing share of the American populace deals both disconnected and frustrated with politics as usual that is oftentimes exhibited at the regional/state/federal levels. Such an eventuality is not surprising due to the fact that the two-party system necessarily divides people in an unnatural manner. When one stops to consider the fact that the United States is a multi religious, multi racial, multiethnic society, it comes as something of a curiosity that the two-party system has effectively been able to govern and represent an infinitely diverse level of needs and wants that such a vast and unheard modulus nation must necessarily engender. Although one may very well point to the fact that disagreement over economic policy, disagreement over involvement in foreign wars, or disagreement with regards to a litany of other social issues has helped to create an increasing level of frustration, the logical and to all of this is with regards to the fact that the frustration and dissatisfaction can ultimately be linked back to a general lack of creativity and problem solving that defines a ready-made two-party system. Another negative externality that the United States two-party system engenders within the current dynamic is with regards to the fact that the nation is currently in the midst of a wrenching and extraordinarily difficult economic shift. Whereas many decades the past history within the United States had been defined by an industrial era, the shift that is

Reading journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Reading journal - Essay Example The story is covered in the dailies, it is assumed that the dead person seemingly died of starvation (Krakauer 61-71). Chapter 11 is set at the Chesapeake Beach where Walt McCandless is interviewed at home after the recovery of his son’s body at an abandoned bus. McCandless seemingly so much pain to his parent. The bond between mother-father and child was completely broken. It is in this chapter that one questions whether McCandless parent were actually responsible for the son’s death (Krakauer 72-81). In chapter 12, the character of McCandless is questioned. It is questioned whether his personality was shaped in the course of his youth. McCandless was said to take a trip to summer prior to joining college. It is at this point that he promises to have constant communication with his parents, but later on he stopped communicating completely. Upon his return home, McCandless had changed completely. He had lost a lot of weight and his hair was unkempt. We later learn that he had lost his way in Mojave Desert and almost died due to the harsh conditions in the desert (Krakauer 82-87). McCandless is advised by his parents, but does not heed to the advice. The underlying assumptions/meanings the author intends for me to learn relate to the individual changes and the factors that may cause the changes. For the case of McCandless, one would argue that he felt superior in one way or another even to the point of leaving for Alaska. He may seem unique in his way of doing things, but he, at times, lacked common sense explaining why he faced the toughness of the nature despite him being sane as opposed to Waterman. This explains why he caused so much pain especially to his parents that had high hopes on him. From the work, I am of the opinion that the author aims at explaining the changes that individuals go through in their day to day lives. I agree with the author’s premise that one can determine or shape their future. The reading makes

Jorge Luis Borges Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jorge Luis Borges - Research Paper Example The literary critics and scholars have been noticing that central concept of his works is exceptional combination of the dreams and infinity (Parker 14). Therefore, often the regular reader is confused to identify the borderline between imaginary world and reality. To say that Borges is a crafty storyteller is to say nothing of his distinctive and new approach to writing. The writer skillfully presents real life through unreality. Borges’ unusual and inventive way of writing has been described by many literary critics: In Borges, once the external world has vanished and with it, in consequence, our reality, the only secure possible mooring besides the self, the only term of the relation that is left, is irreality, which, by a simple change of sign, becomes in turn the only Borgesian reality. Thus, then, for Borges -- and here we are threatened by paradox -- the only reality is irreality (qtd. in Balderson 2). Borges is a writer of the world class, because his works touch the themes and the issues pertaining to the whole world and his concerns are universal. There are no time or space boundaries that would limit symbolism of Borges’ invention. In his works the writer is in constant search of the universal truths. Borges transforms history into literature. In his search of the universal truths Borges crosses all imaginary borders set by history and philosophical ideas. For example, in his short story, â€Å"The Library of Babel†, Borges is in constant quest for knowledge. Search of the truth and knowledge is metaphorically compared to the one present throughout the Bible. The writer presents confusion of humans in the infinite pull of knowledge though complex and unusual structure of library with its numerous mirrors, rows of books, and unknown number of floors (Parker 17). The story is full of mystical and symbolic figures like a book with universal truth or a librarian who cannot be

Brazil and Venezuela Economic Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brazil and Venezuela Economic Governance - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  it was the period from the second quarter of 2005 to end months of 2006 that preceding repeated presidential elections, the idea of â€Å"swing to the Left† or â€Å"new Left† was introduced in the Latin American political history. This gave rise to a new notion in the Left government of the region polarizing two social coalitions, one being a â€Å"social democratic Left† such as that of Brazil and the other being a â€Å"populist Left† illustrated by the democratic system of Venezuela.This study highlights that  under the leadership of Luiz Inà ¡cio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian economic governance became more inclined towards chasing the traditional macro-economic policies being practiced in the nation generating robust financial surplus owing to its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In relation to its democratic governance, the nation began encouraging it’s regional as well as local capacity aiming dynamism in its socio-economic structure, even though the employment rate and other social growth factors were recorded to be worthy of deep concern. Where the aforementioned attempts made by Brazil demonstrates the main features of the governance in a   Ã¢â‚¬Å"social democratic Left† country under the influence of Latin America’s â€Å"Left Turn†, the policy measures adopted by Venezuela with the leadership of Hugo Chà ¡vez demonstrate a quite distinct picture of the â€Å"populist Left† region.   

Religious belief system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious belief system - Essay Example Perceptive on theism, philosophy, spirituality, and other beliefs are similar and dissimilar from what one considers of ‘religion’, can assist a lot in understanding the religion. Few points out where the outer borders of religion exist, whereas some assist to identify with what religion essentially comprises. The Baptists are one of the major denominations of protestant and form 35 million members globally. They differentiate themselves from Protestants mainly on their firmness on: baptism of adult believers only; they are concerned of the freedom of speech and conscience and freedom from interferences; they give dominance to Scripture in matters of faith, doctrine, and morals; and the authority they give to congregation in church affairs. The precursors of present day Baptists were the Anabaptists - members of a radical movement of the 16th-century reformation which believed in the dominance of the Bible, in baptism as an external witness of the believers personal covenant of inner faith, and in separation of church from state and of believers from nonbelievers - of the reformation period. Few Anabaptist worshippers were settled in Holland in the early 17th century when large number of Puritan Independents, escaped from England to Holland. These Puritans were influenced by the Anabaptists, and were persuaded that Christian baptism was correct only for adults with a personal faith and commitment. After going back to England, this group formed the first Baptist worshippers in 1611. According to Baptists beliefs the Christian lives are as one of individual faith and of solemn commitment to live in accordance with the highest Christian principles. Hence each individual must be reborn, renewed into a new life, and get together into the church community. As a matter of fact for Baptists, the church is in essence the result of change and of refinement, a society of dedicated advocates. In fact the church is holy only when the belief

Deficiency in the Neo-Classical Labour Market Model and Possible Essay

Deficiency in the Neo-Classical Labour Market Model and Possible Solution - Essay Example Neo-Classical theorists argue that households are suppliers of labour, and that they are rational in seeking to maximize their usefulness in return for payment. In the Neo-Classical model this usefulness are determined by the choice of workers between work and leisure, which is also constrained by the available hours per day. The graph below gives indication of a workers choice of allocating time between work and leisure. Point A in graph 1 gives an indication of what a worker's usefulness may be with the choice he makes between work and leisure. However, this graph will be influenced by other variables as well, such as the wage rate and the cost of living. If for example the wage rate rises, workers will forgo more of their leisure time and increase working hours to earn more. On the graph point W1 shift to W2 when wages increase, and this leisure time decrease to point L2, as less time is available due to more time being spend at work. The marginal revenue product of labour can be used as the demand for labour curve for this firm in the short run. In competitive markets, a firm faces a perfectly elastic supply of labour which corresponds with the wage rate and the marginal resource cost of labour. In a inperfect market this curve will have to be adjusted to reflect the wage rate divided by marginal costs. Graph 3: Labour Market Demand Curve In a perfect world the supply and demand curve would have adjusted to the optimal equilibrium point through market influences alone. The amount of workers in the market would compete on the same level for the available jobs and the wages firms will be willing to pay for labour. But due to facts such as unions, automation, economical sentiment, the actual productivity of workers and continuous unemployment rate the Neo-Classical method is insufficient to predict how the labour market behaves in reality. Theorist argues that one of the reasons the Neo-Classical method is not working is due to the fact that employees already in the market are protected and those that is outside the market, the unemployed or those looking for alternative work cannot compete on the same level with the employed. This is called the inside/outside theory, and according to Blanchard and Summers (1986, 1987) when an employment shock takes place, and workers loose their jobs, they not only become un-employed but loose their protection from the real market, such as their union membership.1 This prevents the labour market's rapid return to pre-shock employment levels. This theory is supported by Lindbeck and Snower (1988, 2001) as they argue that the cost to Firms in replacing their employees with un-employed will dramatically increase their turn-over cost. Turn-over cost includes hiring, training and firing cost, making it unprofitable for firms to employ outsiders. They also continue by arguing that newly employed workers have to go through several stages before they are accepted as insiders. Layard et al (1991), identified that workers that became unemployed and stayed unemployed for long will

The Life of Jean-Paul Sartre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Life of Jean-Paul Sartre - Essay Example The years that followed marked the life of a man with great creativity, talent in writing, deep thinker and a man of strong political will and persuasion. All these characteristics coupled with his childhood experiences led to his astounding achievements through his plays, novels, books, essays and lectures. Sartre's childhood was filled with much bitterness and confusion. The first natural pain to deal with was having no father, after the first fifteen months of his life. Sartre was clearly hurt by the fact that he never had a chance to be acquainted with his father, and was never told anything significant about the relationship they had; whether his father had ever taken him "in his arms," or if he had even loved him (The Words 20). Sartre then grew up with his grandparents who were rather fond of him, or at least depicted that in their mannerisms (Experiential Influences, par. 5). However, he felt that it was just family "play-acting," and a "system" that "horrified" him. (The Words 84; 112; 222). Sartre also faced an identity crisis. Despite his family's claim of him being the "miracle child" and "wonder child," he saw himself as ugly. His peers had also given him that impression. He was short, small-built cross-eyed and awkward in stature. Added to this, his mother treated him like a girl, not allowing him to play the seemingly rough games that other males would play, and keeping his hair long. It was his belief that she had silently prayed for a girl (Experiential Experiences, par. 7). He also felt forced into a lifestyle of reading and writing, because that was what his grandfather Charles admired, having been a writer himself. It however became a pleasant escape for him from the unhappiness he experienced at home. In his autobiography The Words, he states that "By writing I was existing. I was escaping from the grown-ups." It also positively affected his intellectual development as he became familiar with famous authors of his time (qtd in Experiential Influences, par. 11). As if this was not enough for Sartre to deal with, he also suffered from ill health. He notes in his autobiography, The Words: Things would have been fine if my body and I had got on well together. But the fact is that we were an odd couple [] If he suffers bodily as a result of needs and sickness, his unjustifiable state justifies his existence. His right to live is based on hunger, on the constant danger of death. Breathing, digesting, defecating unconcernedly, I lived because I had begun to live. I was unaware of the violence and savage demands of that gorged companion, my body, which made itself known by a series of mild disturbances, much in demand among grown-ups [] I had almost died at birth (88). His father had actually been quite ill himself when he met Ann-Marie in 1904. At that time he was suffering from entercolitis, which he developed when he visited China. He however married her and soon after she became pregnant with his child, Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre feels that his father's illness had a major role to play in his own illness. He describes in The Words how his mother had stayed up many nights worrying and had stopped breastfeeding him very soon because "her milk dried" (16). He was thus sent away nearby to be nursed. He meanwhile was ailing from enteritis. His mother's re-marriage had a negative effect on him as well. He felt alienated and lonely. Moreover, he was unhappy about having had to

Literacy Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Literacy Narrative - Essay Example The mode of realism that Eliot employs and her focus on the issues of gender has affected the way my fiction has been. This is a literacy narrative in as much as it was a shaping influence on my writing and the ways in which I read and understood literature. Apart from being the reading of a text, it was also the reading of a culture and an age in which that culture was set. The prospect of reading arguably the finest British novel ever was a daunting one. Prior to the reading of the book, I undertook a study of the Victorian age and looked at the general characteristics of this age. Set in one of the most turbulent eras of England, Eliot is able to look at the different aspects of Middlemarch as a town and look at the ideas of tradition and progress in an incisive manner. The process of reading the book in itself was an emotionally draining one as the fates of Dorothy Parker and the other characters in the novel seemed to unfold in front of my eyes. The sheer size of the novel and t he networks that it created was mind-boggling. Apart from this, it was also interesting to read of the ways in which the lives of different members of a society were interconnected and vital for the progress of another one. The process of reading the book also opened up many avenues through which to analyse the position of women even in contemporary society. This was thus, a profoundly unsettling experience. It was also, however, an experience that taught me to value the position of literature in the world. Following the process of reading the book, I was better informed regarding Victorian society and its culture. Apart from this, the intense positivity that comes from the climax of the novel stayed with me beyond the time that I was actually reading the novel. This event remains one that shaped the way I write poetry and prose. I have incorporated elements of the social realist style in my narratives. Also, the focus on women-centric issues is also something that I have tried to i nclude in my writing. The methods that Eliot employs in order to provide a clearer understanding of the society continue to inspire me as a writer. The incisiveness with which she analyses the electoral and social changes that took place during the Victorian era is something that I also look for in other writers. Middlemarch has become a work that I look to as part of the larger canon of works that has inspired me to write and read a greater number of works of literature. The importance given to the lower classes in this work also inspires me to always look at the condition of the subaltern in literature. This has greatly shaped the kind of books that I like. The event was, in the ultimate analysis, one that shaped the very way in which I looked at and analysed literature. Literature from then on was not something that merely was read for pleasure. It was intrinsically connected to the society from which it emerged. Eliot’s commitment to social issues was something that has s tayed with me and affected my love for literatures from postcolonial societies across the world. Her goal of representing the subaltern has led me to a greater commitment to literatures of this kind. However, the effect of this great novel was also to make me realize that the work of a novel was not mere analysis but also to move the audience. The fates of

I need a reply to this discussion post written in the order Coursework

I need a reply to this discussion post written in the order instruction. Like a personal opinion type of reply - Coursework Example The writer has done an outstanding job in describing an organization that assists mothers in the baby care. It can be seen that the said organization, Egyptian Health Department, has been very effective in health education and promotion. However, this paper has a few shortcomings. It did not cover much of the preterm birth as per the instruction; it only concentrated on the low birth weight and overlooked the aspect of premature delivery. It would have been much interesting for the reader to learn about the impacts of preterm births. As much as the writer discussed the impacts of low birth weight; these impacts did not cover the baby and the health department. We are not told how the low birth weight would affect the baby itself and the expenditure by the health sector on the same. Furthermore, the impacts of low birth weight have not been discussed in deeper details. Generally, the paper is just a highlight of the topic of low birth weight and preterm birth. Nonetheless, it is well structured and very relevant to the

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Research Paper - 7

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - Research Paper Example Evaluations used for quantitative risk assessment of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have not kept pace with the modern analytical methods hence ability of detection is not assured. Therefore, despite the fact that it’s possible to measure these compounds in seafood, there is no sufficient information on the level of toxicity of these compounds known, thus cannot be incorporated in human health risk assessment since there is uncertainty. On the other hand, larger variety of chemically replaced PAHs are naturally happening and may include health risks if human populaces are open to hazardous levels. Therefore as a result of this, future research efforts should aim at filling this toxicological gap, so that in this way, human health risk assessment of PAHs in food can be appropriately determined. This is necessary in the case of petroleum spills. (Simon, 2003) Benzo[a]pyrene(BaP) has been tested in a range of species, among the animals being rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and rhesus monkey. The effect on the animals from this laboratory testing was that, tumours have been observed in all the laboratory experiments carried out on the small animals. Thus the effect of BaP has been seen as carcinogenic, when administered by a variety of routes, including diet, inhalation and intravenous. The carcinogenicity of individual PAH and PAH- containing combinations in experimental animals has been done. This has been carried out with individual PAH in humans but with no virtual data existing. These have indicated increased incidences of cancer to human population exposed. This finding carried out indicating that a number of individual PAH are carcinogenic to experimental animals show potential carcinogenic to humans. (Overton, 2003) Toxicological effect is another outcome which is as a resulted after the experiment on the animals. Severe haematological effects have been detected in animals after oral exposure to high doses of PAHs. In vitro experiments have

Explain the causes of the increase in violence and deaths of young Essay

Explain the causes of the increase in violence and deaths of young people due to guns, knives and gangs and discuss the various policing challenges this presents - Essay Example In fact, there have been reports of children as young as 11 being murdered, not out of personal violence, but gang crimes such as the unfortunate murder of 11 year old Rhys Jones. Worse still is the fact that street brawls include more than just fists and kicks now – they include the very real possibility of knives and guns. To get an idea of how widespread the problem is, a 2007 report stated that there are over 600 to 700 young people between the ages of 10 to 19 involved in gang activity, having affected the lives of over 8100 others (Pitts, 2007). In 2009 it was reported that there has been a seventy five percent increase in the number of teenage stab victims over sixteen, and an almost staggering ninety percent increase in the number of stab victims under the age of sixteen (Blair, 2009). The questions is, however, when did this shift arise, and why has it arisen in the first place? What are the reasons that younger children are submerging themselves into this violent culture and finding themselves the dangerous target of an armed child? Where do these children get access to the weapons they use and who is responsible for making it possible? The main problem with gathering data on youth criminals is the fact that it is often a widespread grey area where the question of motivation is concerned. Is it possible for a child or teenage to act of completely independent motivation? If so, one may wonder where motivation arises from and is that source of motivation in any way to blame for the uncultured reaction of an individual not yet considered a mature adult by society. And if not, what are the factors influencing these crimes, and who are these children acting in support with. The obvious answer might be gang activity, but the further confusion arises when one considers that not all criminal youth activity is motivated by gangs, and vice versa. So how is one expected to offer some clarity into this blurred line? Perhaps one

Culture of Laughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture of Laughter - Essay Example Bean is that their writers have determined 'laughter' as a reaction that serves the function of a social sanction. In this context Bergson's research on laughter theory reveals that the function of comedy is to correct the 'follies' of mankind by making them appear ridiculous. In other words, such event in which any actor performs 'antisocially' generates an amusing situation. The power of laughter as a social sanction has thus been elucidated in many comedy movies as well as comics. On the other hand, we have seen that the theory of the 'corrective' function of laughter is inadequate to explain its arousal by verbal wit, which as we have seen is similar to any other type of ludicrous situation in many movies of Loriot. However, this is not the case with Mr. Bean, as Mr. Bean comedies revolve around gestures and expressions. Both the characters represent comedies in a social environment however, the difference exists in their way of representing; Loriot with less expressions and more humour whereas Mr. Bean with more physicality in the comedy. Vicco von Bulow, a German humour performer of comedy remembered as 'Loriot' is best known as a 'cartoonist' for the movies in which he used to perform. His famous work contains television series 'Loriot'. 'Odipussi' and 'Pappa ante portas' are his well known comedies in which he performed not only as a comedian but as a performer. (Loriot, 2007a) Though an all-rounder in artistic works (writer, director and poet), Loriot highlights humour in most of his comedy films and dramas by presenting a series of 'laughing' events, but still one wonders how the sheer relief of such events, whether in the participator who escapes in person or in the observer who watches a peril that passes him touch others, marks a distinct species of laughter. (Gregory, 1924, p. 22) Among all societies one finds a more or less organised system of social sanctions related to the prevailing code of right and wrong. Such sanctions may be positive, that is, designed to encourage socially desirable behaviour or they may be negative, that is, they may serve to discourage anti-social behaviour. Loriot's comedies inhibit all the characteristics of such positive and negative loopholes of the society in such a critical manner that one does not have any option other than to laugh. His comedies are non physical in nature as compared with those of Mr. Bean's and present before us the flaws of modern society in combination with humour and laugher that one does not feel awkward. Though such sanction exist in all societies, and any theory which is to explain their meaning must take account of their various manifestations in totally different types of social structure, but the way Loriot presents our society's dilemmas is much more than what viewer expects. (Piddington, 1963, p. 117) In other words we can say that Loriot presents society in a critical manner. Loriot's Humour If we analyse Loriot's work in the light of Bergson's laughter theory, most of his films represent laughter triggering in a social surrounding. Following the notion that laughter only triggers among humans, his films highlight all the antisocial happenings but in a social environment. This is evident from one of his dramas 'once upon a noodle', in which Loriot confronts a situation where all the restaurant members

The effectiveness of a nursing protocol for the treatment of pressure Essay

The effectiveness of a nursing protocol for the treatment of pressure ulcers - Essay Example These perceived problems of pressure ulcers are quite common even in the UK hence, necessitating the need for an effective nursing protocol. Subsequently, the nursing protocol adopted in the UK hospitals needs improvement due to the fact that most nurses have developed behaviours and attitudes that are not conducive towards the prevention of pressure ulcer; thus, failing to attain the best conceivable outcomes to the patients. In order as to accomplish the above objectives, the study employed the use of survey interviews in which short questions were asked to the category of shareholders with the intent of collecting relevant data on the user adaptability and functionality of the nursing protocols that are being used by the hospital administration. Subsequently, this method of interviews was chosen due to the fact that it easily allowed for the conversion of projects requirements from the first-hand information obtained from the primary source. Interviews are also good when used to collect data owing to the fact that they allow for the probing of further information form the respondents. As such, the likelihood was for interviews in this case to have been monitored and doctored through extensive probing so as to enable the researcher obtain a true or near truthful reflection of the effectiveness of nursing protocols in the treatment of pressure ulcers patients. However, the interviews were also structured depending on the interviewee, and the nature of data that was being sought for from them in relation to the effectiveness of the nursing protocols. The outcomes of this study disclose that hospital managements are usually uninformed 100% on the functionality requirements that are usually needed to enhance the effectiveness of nursing protocols. For instance, the hospital supervisors in the facility attended were not well informed on what needed to be completed so as to augment the effectiveness of

Values Scenario 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Values Scenario 1 - Essay Example I was very happy at this time because of achieving great success. Godly virtues and values are discussed in this stage. I declare that God’s values such as honesty, faith and being compassionate to others have been very important in my life. Drawing example from the Bible one can see that Job was faithful to God, and that is why he was healed. In addition, forgiveness is a value that is of important to God. From the Bible, we know that God gave his only son for the sake of forgiveness of our sins (Gulla 34). I have succeeded in my exams and interviews because I had enough faith in God. Being a compassionate guy I have impacted on disabled persons, whom I assist with food and clothing. I felt satisfied when I managed a whole project by myself through perseverance and the same time having self-discipline. The completion of the project fulfilled my ultimate desire that one can succeed in life if you have self-drive and self-discipline. That success partly guaranteed me that I will be successful in future when a drive myself in every aspect of life. Other factors that contributed to that fulfilment include the support from my colleagues and the honesty in my work. My personal and work values include teamwork spirit, success, self-discipline, faith, perseverance and compassion. The experience, of working in a team, is memorable since it has led to success in our football club, schoolwork and at the workplace. My role models such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have utilised the teamwork, perseverance and self-discipline values to achieve

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan Essay

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan - Essay Example To improve production, the country is attempting to industrialize her agricultural activities by adopting modern farming practices and use of technology implements. However, as a developing country, Pakistan has problems of industrialization that stem from different factors. These problems encompass the social, political, and economic aspects of the country includes factors like the country's poor infrastructure, the low level of literacy characterized by lack of skilled labor, poor governance with unstable political environment, as well as the unfavorable fiscal monetary and fiscal policies that may discourage industrial investors. This paper expounds on the different factors undermining the efforts to industrialize the operations in the country and not the negative effects that may result from industrialization in a given country. The factors were identified from the responses in a survey that was carried out to seek information from a variety of industrialists in the country in re lation to the industrialization problems they have encountered, or the factors they consider detrimental to the process. Thesis Pakistan is a developing nation that is dependent on agriculture as the country is endowed with fertile lands fit for the economic activity. Nonetheless, the process of industrializing her agricultural activities has been faced by several problems impeding the whole process. Industrialization Problems in Pakistan Electricity and energy shortages One of the major problems cited to impede the industrialization process in Pakistan is insufficient supply of electricity and energy in the country. Electric power and other energy supply are essential requirements for industrialization. Electric energy is used in driving most of the machines in an industry. Similarly, the mechanized systems also use other forms of energy like fuel from the petroleum products and biofuels in combustion to move machine parts in the lubrication of some moving parts. Just like the situ ations witnessed in many other developing countries, the country has insufficient supply of electricity. Frequent energy shortages in the country are a barrier to industrial development in the country (US Library of Congress, para.2). The power generation capacity of the country cannot support the required economic development prompting for outsourcing of energy resources (Khan, para.1). Her energy supply is among the lowest even in the category of the developing nations. The country has a per capita supply of 0.19 ton petroleum equivalent (Khan, para.1). The issue of poor energy supply as a hindrance to industrialization has been cited by the local industries like the textile industry (Khan and Khan, 21). The industries complain non-guaranteed and thus unreliable energy supplies. Lack of trained and skilled workforce The other important factor that was identified that undermines industrialization in the country is low level of education resulting into lack of skilled manpower. A la rge proportion of the Pakistani firms (about 70%) cite shortage of skills as one of their major challenges (Pakistani Development Forum, 19). There is a large mismatch between the required skills and technology in the country and what is available. The country has a high proportion of low-skilled laborers (about 60-75%), a relatively high proportion of medium-skilled laborers and very low proportion highly-skilled personnel (Pakistani Development Forum, 22). This last category comprises the skilled professionals like

The Soft Drink Industry Essay Example for Free

The Soft Drink Industry Essay Indiana University-South Bend he average U.S. consumer drinks more soft drinks per capita (2.3 eight ounce servings a day) than any other beverage, including milk. Table 1 shows the per capita consumption of various beverages in the U.S. for 1991-1995. In terms of 1995 retail sales, soft drinks in the U.S. are a $52 billion dollar industry (Standard Poors Corp., 96:11). The U.S. market growth for soft drinks, however, has slowed to single digits since the end of 1980s (Sawinski, 95:550). Fifty-four percent of the worlds soft drink volume is sold outside North America, and in 1995, the per capita consumption of soft drinks in continental markets outside North America ranged from a low of 2.02 gallons in Africa to a high of 13.86 gallons in South America. INDUSTRY PRODUCTS AND VALUE CHAIN The industry, once synonymous with the Cola, has now grown into one with a wide range of products. Additional flavors such as orange, cherry, lime, lemon, pepper, and ginger ales have appeared in the market, and caffeine-free and diet versions of almost all of the industrys products have been introduced. In 1996, Cola brands occupied the top two marketshare positions in the U.S., while non-cola brands such as Mountain Dew, Sprite, and 7UP were also among the top ten best-selling soft drinks. Also, in 1996, sales volume for the top two Colas, Coca-Cola Classic and Pepsi-Cola, grew 3.2% and 3% respectively, while sales volume for Mountain Dew and Sprite grew 5.7% and 17.6% respectively. Table 2 shows the list of 10 best selling soft drinks in the U.S. market. Soft drinks are made by mixing syrup (which is made from raw materials such as sugar, sweeteners, and flavoring additives) with carbonated water. While some of the soft drinks are sold at fountains, others are packaged in bottles or cans. A large portion of the soft drink industrys sales is in the packaged form (Sawinski, 95:549 estimates that 75% of all soft drinks sold in the U.S. were in the packaged form). Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo have historically maintained control over bottling and distribution through part or full ownership of some of their bottling plants. Cadbury Schweppes, on the other hand, has chosen to outsource its bottling function in the U.S. market. Cadbury Schweppes relies on independent bottlers and the bottling operations owned by Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo to bottle its products. Recently, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo decided to drop some of Cadburys brands from their bottling operations to make room for their own brands. As a result,  Cadbury estimates that it has lost about 20 million cases in sales (Theodore, 97a:40). In another recent event, PepsiCo lost a significant part of its Latin American business when its Venezuelan bottler defected to Coca-Cola Co. (Sellers, 96:74-78). Bottling operations and syrup production differ in their capital intensity and profitability. For example, in 1995, Coca-Cola Enterprisesa company engaged primarily in bottling and distributionhad revenues of $0.75 for every dollar invested in assets, while Coca-Cola Co., which is primarily engaged in syrup production, enjoyed revenues of $1.25 for every dollar invested in assets. Also, while Coca-Cola Co. earned a 17% return on sales in 1995, an average company engaged primarily in bottling and distribution of soft drinks would earn between 2 to 5% (Standard Poors Corp., 96:22). INDUSTRY STRUCTURE Industry Players and Competition The U.S. and global soft drink industries are quite concentrated. Long dominated by two companies, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, the industry saw the emergence of a third significant player when Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Dr. Pepper and 7UP brands in 1995. Table 3 shows that the top three firms accounted for 90% of the U.S. soft drink market in 1996, and Table 4 shows that the same three firms controlled 77% of the world soft drink market in 1995. Appendix 1 provides a list of product lines and their performance for each of the three firms, and Appendix 2 provides selected financial data for the three companies. Soft drink sales volume in the U.S. has grown at an average annual rate of 3.28% over the last five years, reaching 14,199.5 million gallons in 1996. Soft drink sales outside North America represented 54% of the world sales volume in 1995 and have grown at an average annual rate of 6.52% between 1990 and 1995. Table 5 shows worldwide soft drink sales volume by continent, and Table 6 shows worldwide per capita soft drink consumption by continent. New Entry Into the Industry The production technologies required for manufacturing soft drinks is widely available for potential entrants. Competing on a national or global scale, however, requires the ability to manufacture and distribute a well-recognized brand. Soft drinks are among the most advertised products, and soft drink commercials are a regular feature in most high-profile advertising events. In 1996, for example, Coca-Cola Co. had an unprecedented one hundred commercial spots during the Summer Olympics, and PepsiCo had a  number of commercials during the super-bowl. Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes spent a total of $469.1 million on media advertising in the U.S. market between January and September 1996, up from the $370.7 million spent during the corresponding period in 1995 (Beverage Industry, 3/97: 40-41). Channels of Distribution As mentioned earlier, there are two main channel categories in this industrypackaged product channels and fountain channels. The packaged product channels include supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, and vending machines. Fountain channels include fast-food restaurants, sports arenas, convenience stores, and gas stations. While supermarkets are, at present, the largest channel in the U.S., the fountain channel has been growing fast. According to Bill Perely, Senior Vice President/General Manager of fountain/foodservice for Dr. Pepper/7UP, fountain sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 5% in the last five years, while overall soft drink sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 3% during the same period (Sfiligoj, 97:54). Bill Perely attributes the growth in fountain sales to the increased popularity of fast foodsin particular the carry-out segment of fast foods. Soft drink companies have stepped up their efforts to capture a larger share of the fountain business by introducing more of their brands at the fountain, by aggressively competing for service contracts with high-profile customers, and by working with fountain outlets on joint promotion and dispensing technologies. Jeff Dunn, Vice President of field sales and marketing at Coca-Cola Co., notes that fountain customers are becoming increasingly brand conscious. He says, For years, consumers have basically asked for a generic kind of soft drink from the fountain dispenser at the restaurant they were in, but thats changing. Now consumers actually ask for a soft drink by its namelike Sprite instead of 7UP, for instanceand wont substitute one for the other (Sfiligoj, 97:60). To fountain outlets like fast-food restaurants or convenience stores, increased brand consciousness means that they can attract more customers by carrying many  soft drink brands instead of just a few. Signs of fountain outlets seeking to diversify the brands that they carry emerged in early 1996 when Circle K corporation took Coca-Cola Co. to court seeking to terminate its fountain contract which precluded Circle K from selling other company brands at its fountains (Sfiligoj, 97:56). Circle K prevailed in its efforts, and its stores now have a range of non-Coke brands along with Cokes products. It remains to be seen if Circle Ks court battle signals a new era in the fountain business, one where fast-food restaurants and other fountain outlets no longer carry the brands of just one soft drink company. In international markets, soft drink companies face a number of distribution challenges. In many of the emerging country markets such as India, China, and Indonesia, for example, poor road conditions and other infrastructure problems render efficient distribution by trucks very difficult. Physical distribution in these markets often involves using an army of people on tricycles and bicycles to haul the products through narrow and winding streets. At the retail end, problems include lack of refrigerators in retail outlets and even lack of power lines in some places. Overcoming these distribution problems has required and may continue to require sizable investments in infrastructure development and giving away or loaning coolers. Supplies Supplies for soft drinks include various ingredients used in the production of soft drinks and packaging materials used for the finished product. Soft drink production involves mixing a number of ingredients including water, preservatives, sugar/sweeteners, flavors, coloring agents, and carbon dioxide. Appendix 3 provides an example of a soft drink production batch sheet. Table 7 shows the worldwide soft drink ingredients consumption for 1996 and consumption estimates for 2001. Bulk sweetener refers to sugar manufactured from agricultural produce such as cane and beat. According to the economic research unit of the U.S. department of agriculture, the world spot price for sugar has been trending down and averaged 12.10 cents a pound in the  last quarter of 1995. Looking ahead, the economic research unit forecasts the world sugar production for 1996/97 (October 1996 to September 1997) at 125.1 million metric tons and the global consumption of sugar for the same period at 123.0 million metric tons (Beverage Industry, 5/97:43). High-intensity sweeteners, in contrast to sugar, are compounds that result from extensive research and development by food product companies. These sweeteners are subject to very close scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being approved for use in soft drinks and other food products. Currently used primarily in low-calorie and sugar-free beverages, the consumption of these high-intensity sweeteners remains low. A beverage industry report points out that the consumption of high intensity sweeteners in soft drinks is expected to rise as more companies producing these products gain FDA approval. In the 1960s, aluminum cans began to make inroads into the beverage container business. Working diligently to capture a larger share of the container market, aluminum can companies had reduced the cost of using their products by minimizing the aluminum content in cans and by helping their customers develop equipment to produce cans at machine-gun speed and fill them at very high rates (2,000 cans per minute). These innovations enabled aluminum can makers to capture just over a quarter of the soft drink container market by 1985. In the last few years, however, aluminum can companies have faced intense competition from plastic bottle makers. As soft drink companies began to realize that customers valued the way a product looked and felt, and were willing to pay more to get these attributes, they increased their utilization of the more profitable single serve plastic bottles. Brian W. Sturgell, Executive Vice President of the aluminum can maker Alcan, observes that the soft drink companies sell 20 ounces [in plastic bottles] for a buck, while you can buy a 12-pack of cans for $2.39 . . . Its an amazing profitability gap (Baker Harris, 97:108). In wake of these developments, aluminum can makers are attempting to stay competitive and grow their market shares by rethinking their plain looking cans. They are experimenting with new shapes, new feel, and reclosable lids for their cans. Redesigning the cans along these lines will not be easy, however, because the can makers have to invest in research and development to overcome the technical  challenges involved, even as competition forces them to hold or lower their prices. See Table 8 for soft drink container marketshares. Table 8 Soft Drink Container Market Shares (%) (Gallons of Soft Substitute Products Health and fitness concerns, as well as an increasing appetite for something new and different, have resulted in a flurry of alternative beverage product introductions in the U.S. market. For example, 3524 new products were introduced in 1996 compared to 1540 new products introduced in 1986 (Beverage Industry, 3/97:53). The range of new products introduced include cold coffees, caffeinated and flavored water, carbonated flavored milk, fruit and vegetable juice blends, caffeinated orange juice, micro-brewed root beer, and alternative lifestyle products such as anise-based drinks blended with vanilla and other extracts and cinnamon-based beverages flavored with garlic and cayenne pepper. Table 9 shows the sales volume for new beverages between 1990 and 1996, and Table 10 compares the sales of new beverages with soft drink sales. Although some soft drink companies have their own alternative beverage operations, the rapid growth of alternative beverages brings forth many new companiesinc luding Starbucks, Campbell Soups, Tropicana, and Quaker Oatsthat soft drink makers need to contend with. TRENDS General Economy The annual GDP growth in the U.S. averaged 2.32% between 1991 and 1995. During the same 1991-95 period, inflation in the U.S., measured by the consumer price index, averaged 3.19%, and the lending interest rate charged by U.S. banks on loans to prime customers averaged 7.34%. Table 13 summarizes these numbers and also provides corresponding numbers for two earlier five-year periods. Table 14 provides key economic indicators for twenty other countries of the world. Technology Advances in technology have improved all aspects of the soft drink industry. For example, advances in additives such as sugarless sweeteners, caffeine free products, and new flavorings have enabled the industry to provide products that meet changing customer tastes and preferences. Computerized manufacturing technologies have contributed to higher efficiency and quality in bottling operations. Computerized systems can now be used to measure key aspects of beverage production such as syrup usage, Brix count (per cent sugar), and beverage carbonation (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Advances in logistics and information technology are helping companies enjoy better inventory control, faster truck check-in and check-out, better stock rotation at the warehouse, and eliminate truckload errors (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Technological advances have also helped the sales end of the business. The so-called smart vending machines use electronic components to track sales patterns, stocks, and equipment breakdowns. When equipped with wireless  communications software, these machines can also automatically reorder stock, eliminating the need for manual stock checks. Faster fountain dispensers are also being developed to better serve customers on the go. Another innovation that could revolutionize the business is the self-chilling can developed by The Joseph Company (Dawson, 97:74-78). The technology for this product involves mounting a small aerosol can filled with pressurized liquid refrigerant upside down in a 500-ml beverage can, leaving room for 330 ml of beverage. The aerosol valve head and the activator button is located at the bottom of the can. When the activator button is pushed, the liquid refrigerant draws heat from the warm beverage and escapes out as gas through the valve in the cans base. In the process, the temperature of the beverage drops by 30 °F in 120 seconds. This product would eliminate the need for refrigeration and is slated for commercial introduction in the last quarter of 1997. Initially targeted to the high-convenience sector of the U.S. market, the self-chilling can could eventually help soft drink companies overcome refrigeration problems faced in emerging country markets. Political Many countries that were once inaccessible to foreign companies are opening up their markets. Countries that have opened their markets in recent times include China, India, and Indonesia, which together account for nearly half of the worlds population. These countries also have among the lowest per capita soft drink consumption levels in the world. While the mere opening of these markets does not assure success for multinational soft drink companies, they do provide an opportunity previously unavailable to them. Success in such new markets will depend on learning to operate in dissimilar cultures, managing political and currency risks, and overcoming infrastructural problems. Regulative Environment The soft drink industry is subject to a range of government regulations. In particular, regulations in two areas are noteworthy. First, as a food  product, soft drinks come under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. and corresponding regulative bodies overseas. The FDA, for example, tests and certifies new ingredients such as high-intensity sweeteners before they are allowed to be used in soft drink production. The second area of regulation that is of particular interest to the soft drink industry relates to the natural environment. The impact of soft drink packaging materials on the natural environment has been one of the most important issues in this respect. In the U.S., in response to public concerns, there has been a series of legislative activity at both the federal and state levels (Beverage World DataBank, 1997:213-226). While individual proposals may differ in some respects, most federal legislative proposals address one or more of the following objectives: (1) Minimize the quantity of packaging material entering the nations solid waste system; (2) minimize the consumption of scarce natural resources; (3) maximize the recycling and reuse of packaging materials; and (4) protect human health and the natural environment from adverse effects associated with the disposal of packaging materials. In addition to the federal efforts in this regard, many states have adopted laws to govern packaging materials. Fifty-one states enforce laws dealing with litter control and prevention and administer recycling and public awareness programs. Nine states have adopted deposit laws for beverage containers, and twenty-seven states place restrictions on multi-pack carrier materials. The multi-pack carrier restrictions require that the plastic ring carriers be made of degradable material that decomposes when discarded. Also, thirty-eight states have laws that regulate the sale of beverage containers with detachable metal pull tabs. In most of these thirty-eight states, it is unlawful to sell a beverage in a container designed with a detachable metal opening device. In a demonstration of social responsibility, the major players in the soft drink industry and the national soft drink association have joined the Environmental Protection Agencys voluntary program WasteWi$e (Beverage Industry, 9/97:39-41). The program requires members to commit to implementing/expanding their waste reduction programs in three areaswaste  prevention, recycling, and purchasing or manufacturing recycled products. A charter member of the program, Coca-Cola Co. recycled more than 1.2 million pounds of corrugated paper and other recyclables in 1995. Coca-Cola Co. also purchased $2 million in recycled content materials. PepsiCo has made modifications to its soda cans and the containers that transport them. For example, PepsiCo has replaced single-use corrugated transport containers with reusable plastic cases for its 1-liter and 20 ounce packages, eliminating 196 million pounds of corrugated material in the process.

The Assessment Process Essay Example for Free

The Assessment Process Essay Introduction Assessment is the process of judging a learner’s skills and knowledge within the work place or training environment, set against the National Occupational Standards. (NOS) These standards reflect best practice in the particular industry. Learners will be assessed as either competent or not yet competent and their evidence will be judged as sufficient or insufficient for them to have reached these standards. see more:identify ways of supporting an individual to make informed choices The assessor will work closely with the learner and work towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Note NVQs in the UK are now progressively being replaced with the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) NVQ’s are typically arranged in levels which are structured into units each unit carries a number of credits, they are competency based i. e. they require the demonstration of abilities to perform a standard of job, both in skills and an understanding of what the learner does and why. Learners can undertake an NVQ at any time, they will be required to attend an initial induction session within which the learner will choose units to work on. Each unit covers a general area of work and carries a certain number of credits and outcomes. Learners are required to complete a number of mandatory units and then optional units are chosen to achieve the required number of credits. Learners will have regular meetings in the workplace, with their assessor to discuss evidence criteria, progress and set targets. The Assessment Process The assessment process can be broken down into the following sections :- 1 Recruitment, induction initial assessment Once the learner is recruited and inducted into the programme an Initial assessment is carried out. This involves the identification and collection of a wide range of information to enable the assessor to develop an effective, efficient, personalised and positive training programme for the learner. The assessor’s role is to aid the learner to gain an overview of the qualifications he or she hopes to gain and to plan their route to achieving it involving selecting the right units, in the right order and identifying any extra support they might need. Information collected during the initial assessment includes:- * Social/ethnic background. * Learning difficulties, disabilities and health or personal difficulties. * Previous abilities, experience, education, qualifications and achievements (RPL) * Learner strengths. * Areas for development – weaknesses. * Current job role. * Learners short and long term ambitions, goals, needs and expectations. * Time resources. * Available facilities and support. It is the assessor’s responsibility to determine the learner’s attitude and commitment and to ensure that he/she is fully involved in the process. Failure to carry out a thorough initial assessment can result in guiding the learner to unsuitable options, the training taking too long and wasting time, effort and resources, leading to frustrated learners and resulting in a high rate of â€Å"drop outs†. 2 – Planning Before the assessment of a learner begins, it is important to make a plan of how the assessor will carry out the assessment. The overall aim is to plan for the types of evidence needed to inform the assessor’s decisions. A holistic approach is important here i. e. the assessment process needs to be planned around what the learner is doing, then linking these activities to the occupational standards, not the other way round Important for learners in the working environment. Valuable steps for the assessor during planning are to :- 1. Ensure an overview of all the relevant units within the learners chosen path, taking into account the results of the initial assessment. 2. Have all necessary documents concerning the learners existing achievements to hand 3. Gauge the level at which the learner is currently working. 4. List day to day activities, responsibilities and functions and link units to these key activities It is vital that the learner is involved at every step of the process, and crucial that all details are agreed by him/her especially the learning goals and time scales. Assessment plans The results of the planning stage should be recorded by the assessor on a document called The Assessment Plan. Each assessment plan should record :- * Who is being assessed, where and when. * What activity is being assessed, and the units for which the evidence will be provided * What assessment methods will be used, how they will be recorded and where the evidence will be stored after the assessment. * When and how feedback will be given. * Who else needs to be informed of, or involved in the assessment. * What the arrangements are for reviewing progress and updating arrangements for assessment. * Anything the learner needs to bring on the day of assessment. 3 – The fundamental responsibilities of the assessor Good assessment practice relies greatly on an honest and trustworthy relationship between the assessor and the learner, vital for successful and credible results. Credibility in assessment is guaranteed by ensuring that all assessment practices and procedures are governed by the following set of principles :- Fairness, transparency objectivity. The assessor must :- * Give the learner the best opportunity to demonstrate their learning and knowledge and the assessment process must not hinder or advantage the learner in any way. * Consider the needs and characteristics of the learner. * Provide transparency i. e. communicate clearly with the learner to ensure he/she is fully informed about, understands and is able to participate in the process. * Inform of appeal opportunities and procedures. * Not discriminate on sex, race or disability (the equality act 2010) Validity. Validity is a measure of the accuracy of an assessment or is the assessment actually doing what it is supposed to be doing? Each assessment should be designed to allow learners to produce the evidence to show that they have the required knowledge, understanding and skills for the qualification they are aiming for. An assessment is valid when it :- * Is appropriate for the purpose, e. g. a practical assessment should be used to assess practical skills, a written assessment that asks learners to write about a skill rather than demonstrate it would have low validity. * Allows learners to produce sufficient evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills that are required to satisfy standards of the qualification. * Allows assessors to make reliable assessment decisions for all learners. Reliability Reliability is a measure of the degree of consistency with which a learners responses to an assessment are judged. To be reliable, assessment decisions on learners performance must be consistent across all assessors for all candidates undertaking the same assessment task. In any assessment system, procedures have to be put in place to ensure this. Assessment decisions are reliable when :- * They are generated by valid assessments which are produced under conditions of assessment that are consistently applied. * They are consistent across the range of assessors applying the assessment in different situations, contexts and with different learners. * They are taken on the basis of clearly-defined standards of performance. * The authenticated work of the learner is being assessed. * They are consistent over time. The relationship between validity and reliability Validity and reliability are interdependent. An assessment that produces inconsistent results cannot provide valid information about a learner’s achievement. On the other hand, highly consistent results do not necessarily indicate high validity, since the test may be inappropriate for the competence being assessed. For example, the results of a maths test involving routine calculations may have a high degree of validity for indicating arithmetical skills but a low degree of validity for indicating problem-solving abilities. High validity and high reliability are more likely to be achieved when assessors :- * Measure learners against outcomes of learning which have clearly defined performance levels. * Use assessment instruments that are appropriate to the outcomes. * Minimise subjectivity. 4 Learning and development The learner undergoes training and development over time and :- * Acquires skills and knowledge. * Practises and applies what they have learned. * Starts to perform to the standards. * Consistently performs to the standards under a variety of conditions at work. Assessment for learning takes place at regular intervals to see how the learner is progressing. Learners are given feedback on their performance, targets are adjusted and further training and development are arranged as necessary. Formative Assessment Formative assessment is an informal process used by assessors and learners to recognise and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning during the learning. It is a method of assessing for learning as opposed to assessment of learning (summative assessment) It takes place during the assessment, is an integral part of the learning process and involves the assessor indentifying the learner’s present standard of abilities and work. It provides feedback which supplies suggestions on how the learner can develop and helps the assessor to modify the learning process to suit the learner on an ongoing basis. Advantages :- * Provides the learner with a â€Å"safe place† allowing him/her to make mistakes and learn from them as opposed to the penalties of summative assessment. * Guides assessor into making decisions about future instruction enabling them to keep track of progress and adapt training to the needs of learners. * Improves learner motivation and achievement. * Engages the learner in self assessment. * Facilitates continuous improvement for both learner and assessor. Summative assessment Summative assessment focuses on learning completed, happens after a learning period and comes in a form of formal testing of what has been learned to produce marks or grades. Advantages:- * It acts as a formal measurement and evaluation of a learner’s growth and achievement after instruction. * Enables learners to enhance their achievements. * Provides rigorous, reliable and valid verification of a learner’s performance. * Develops learners as active participants in their own assessment, enabling them to develop as independent learners and effective professionals. 5 – Assessment methods There are many assessment methods available to the assessor. It is important to choose methods which are fair, valid and most effectively assess the objectives of the unit. See table below which lists the key methods and their application METHOD| DESCRIPTION| APPLICATION| Observation| Watching learners perform in the workplace or simulated environment | To see learners demonstrate their practical skills as they do their job activities. Most standards specify observation as a mandatory method| Examining or evaluating work products| The outcomes or products of a learners work activity or task| In conjunction with observation,questioning or professional discussion – must be the result of real work| Questioning| Using a range of questioning techniques either spoken or written| To find out whether the learner has learned necessary knowledge| Discussion| A conversation in which learners describe and reflect on their performance and knowledge in relation to the requirements of the standards| To test the validity and reliability of a learners evidence. Can often be used to cover a range of work activities and units. An affective way to test deep rather than superficial learning| Evidence from others (witness testimony)| Another person’s account of what the learner has done, usually to confirm existing knowledge from assessors own observation| To support an observation and to confirm consistent performance over time. May be used in conjunction with RPL to verify a learners claim to existing knowledge and skills| Learner statements| The learners account of what they have been doing in relation to the standards to be achieved| To support consistent performance over time. Or for evidence of reflection on, and improvements in, performance | Projects, assignments and case studies| Assessing the outcomes of case studies, projects and assignments that the learner has undertaken as part of their vocational learning against specified criteria| In conjunction with questioning or discussion (although projects and assignments set as part of the learning process provide no evidence of competence)| Simulation| Using a replica of the work environment to assess competence. When it is impossible or unsafe for the learner to perform in a real-life work environment| Skills tests| Formal testing of skills under test conditions| When it forms part of the requirements for independent assessment in certain qualifications. Usually where the learners need to acquire a range of technical skills before they can perform them in the work environment, or safety related knowledge and skill requirements. | Recognition of prior learning| Assessment of a learners existing level of knowledge and skill in relation to the standards| To match prior learning to units in a qualification so the leaner doesn’t have to repeat what they have already learned. Without detailed assessment it can be difficult to judge whether prior claims constitute valid, authentic and current evidence. | 6 – Evidence All the different methods of assessment have one thing in common the collection of evidence. Evidence can be defined as The proof produced by a learner that shows that he/she complies with the requirements of the criteria of the standards they wish to gain credits for. Evidence can come from a variety of sources, it is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure that the evidence collected is valid i. e. is authentic, sufficient and current before he/she can make an accurate judgement of the learners competence. Authenticity of evidence * Can the evidence be attributed to the learner? * Is the evidence the learners own work? The assessor has to verify that the evidence is the learners own work therefore the learner must be able to explain and substantiate the evidence produced. Sufficiency of evidence * Is there enough evidence to meet all criteria needed to judge the learner as competent? * Is the assessor confident that the learner has the relevant level of knowledge and skills and that performance can be repeated? Rather than focussing on quantity of evidence the assessor needs to ensure that assessment decisions are based on quality of evidence that demonstrates the learner is competent. To be sufficient evidence must show that :- * The learner has attained all of the relevant skills and knowledge outlined in the standards. * The learner has shown competence over a period of time. * The learner is confident to repeatedly demonstrate skills and knowledge. Currency of evidence * Is the evidence related to current competence? The assessor needs to judge the evidence as up to date with the latest developments and environmental factors such as legislation and must assure that it is the most recent available, especially important when assessing prior learning.

A Short History Of Singapore History Essay

A Short History Of Singapore History Essay Numerous evidences had been uncovered, and reports and archaeological findings especially, certainly suggest that Singapore was largely strategic between the period of Temasek, in 14th century, and late 17th century. However, to conclude that Singapore was hence always strategic would probably be too much of an overstatement. This essay will discuss Singapores strategic significance, with the support of these evidences, during the different time periods. During the 14th century, trade was already ongoing between the West, South Asia and East Asia. The Melaka Straits was crucial for traders to sail to and fro the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Sailing in the past depended on wind direction, thus ships had to stop in Southeast Asia (SEA) to wait for a change in wind direction to bring them towards either China or India  [1]  . Singapore was hence a strategic port because she was located in SEA and along Melaka Straits, making it a convenient stopover hence the central of international trade  [2]  . Bits of celadon (from China), Chinese coins  [3]  , fragments of stoneware (mainly from Guangdong and South Fujian) and earthernware (from Sumatra, Java and Borneo)  [4]  and under-glazed blue and white stem cup (more expensive of porcelains from Jingdezhen during Yuan Dynasty)  [5]  recovered support the above claim as they suggest extensive trade links Temasek had with China and SEA, and that its inhabitants, espe cially the wealthier ones inhabiting Fort Canning, were able to afford the more exquisite products of Jingdezhen  [6]  . Temasek then, was able to attract maritime trade by providing unique products that rival ports were unable to supply. Recorded by Wang Da Yuan in Daoyi zhilue  [7]  , Temasek supplied indigenous products like hornbills casques of excellent quality. Found only between north of Malay Peninsula and South of Borneo, traders can only lay their hands on it at Temasek or Palembang  [8]  . Though Lakawood was in abundance, Temasek was one of the five ports that offer those of middle-quality  [9]  . Celadon, white wares and stonewares uncovered at Riau Archipelago, dating back to the period of Temasek, had patterns and craft similar to those imported from Temasek  [10]  . Furthermore, the origin of glassbeads of Riau Archipelago and Temasek should be identical given similar compositions  [11]  . Hence, Temasek probably served as a collection centre and an entry to export for Riau Archipelago  [12]  . In this case, evidences do suggest that Singapore was prospering and had an influence on regional economy and was thus strategic. During the 15th to 17th centuries, though Singapore declined slightly when Temasek was relocated to Melaka, fragments of under-glazed blue porcelains found at Kallang River  [13]  , and Portuguese maps which indicate the presence of a shahbandars office  [14]  , as elaborated in (b), suggest that she retained some of its strategic significance as a port by maintaining some trade with China. As mentioned, being one of the strategically situated along the Melaka Straits, the power that was able to erect a strategic dominance around the waters around Singapore would be advantaged in terms of security and economically. The Dutch had wanted to destroy Luso (Portuguese-Spanish) monopolies in SEA when they first started attacking Portuguese trading ships around Singapore waters and declared war with the Portuguese when they raided Santa Catarina and auctioned off its products  [15]  . This saw the naval battles between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and Portuguese and Acehnese in the early 17th century and gave rise to the considerations of fortifying Singapore by both powers  [16]  . Jacques De Coutre proposed to build forts at the east coast of Singapore and Muar River estuary and station a naval fleet at Sentosa to protect Portuguese trading ships from the Dutch  [17]  . Dutch had the same places in mind for their fortification plans  [18]  . Till this point , the Dutch and Portuguese reports do suggest that Singapore was strategic. However, the plans never realised, which made us rethink if Singapore was really that strategic after all. Singapores strategic significance took a turn in the 18th century. There was not much evidence to prove this period of time, but by referencing to my contextual knowledge, we know that the Dutch shifted their focus from the Melaka Straits to the Sunda Straits, Portuguese diverted their trade to Japan having difficulties trading in the Melaka Straits and Johor Sultanate relocated their capital to the Lingga Archipelago, shifting the maritime silk road southwards  [19]  . Singapore lost its value with the declination of Melaka Straits and was abandoned. She no longer held any strategic significance to participants of the maritime trade. Perhaps it is precisely that not much evidence was found that dates back to this period of time that it suggests that trading activities in Singapore was kept to its minimum. Moreover, no coins or porcelains were uncovered that dates beyond the Song and Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty respectively  [20]  , further supporting my contextual kno wledge. It is evident that Singapores strategic significance changes with time, depending on human-related factors such as politics and economics, and hence is relative. The evidences may seem to imply that Singapore was always strategic, but when viewed from another angle, they can also suggest otherwise as stated in the previous paragraph. Therefore to say that they suggest that Singapore is always strategic may be a little too extreme. b. In light of this evidence, should Singapores history from 1511 to 1819 be written as (1) little more than a sleepy fishing village? (2) a declining but still thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters (3) part of the Johor Sultanate?  Ã‚  Please explain your preference. From the 15th century to 17th century, Singapore was a (3) part of the Johor Sultanate, but she was (2) a declining yet thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters between the 16th and 17th century. It was only during the early 18th century that trade in Singapore started dipping, and she was perceived by the British as a sleepy fishing village when they stepped ashore in 1819. Hence, (1) little more than a sleepy fishing village suitably describes Singapores history between this period as it is a broader title and thus encompasses both (2) and (3), and the reduction of importance of Singapores port resulting from the declination of the Melaka Straits during the 18th century accounts for Singapore being a sleepy fishing village. When Singapore was (3), trade was still ongoing though insignificant compared to its Temasek period. Excavations on the north bank of Singapore River, where a settlement was once present, and Kallang River revealed fragments of ceramics and under-glazed blue porcelains with designs dating back to the rule of Ming Emperor Wanli (1573 to 1620)  [21]  . Similar findings in Johor Lama and Johor Shoal imply that the findings in Singapore belonged to the Johor River trade controlled by the Johor Sultans  [22]  . Some may suggest that these pieces might have been disposed into the Kallang River when ships stopover for supplies because they broke during the voyage, and not because of trade present in Singapore  [23]  . This may be true, however, according to two Portuguese maps, a shahbandar of the Johor Sultans office was featured on the southern coast of Singapore  [24]  , proving the above conjecture wrong and showing that trade at the Kallang River was flourishing to the extent it needed a shahbandar to run it. This also indicates that Singapore then, was continuing some degree of trade with China, showing that she was (1). As mentioned, trade was also falling, compared to its Temasek period, as during this time, Melaka was the main port for international trade  [25]  . Singapore then, supported Melaka by providing goods from herself for Melaka to export. An example being blackwood, which was brought from Singapore to Melaka, and then bought in bulk by Chinese traders  [26]  . (2) may now seem to be plausible at this point in the essay since Singapore was a declining yet thriving emporium, and evidence show that its waters are hotly contested for between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and the Portuguese and Acehnese, and Singapore was seen by both as strategic to build a fort to achieve their individual aims as mentioned in (a). However, one may wish to note that Singapores waters may not be that strategic after all. In 1613, Aceh successfully attacked Batu Sawar as she was upset about the signing of the peace treaty between Johor Sultanate and Portuguese, uncovering the vulnerable position of Singapore waters, rendering it no longer strategic  [27]  . Moreover, when Melaka Straits lost its importance to Sunda Straits in the late 17th century, Singapore was neglected and declined over the 18th century  [28]  . Its waters were no longer contested and the issue on it being strategic or not became irrelevant. A village of Orang Lauts and Malays, not being much of a deal, were all that were left in Singapore. Melaka Straits was filled with pirates and Singapore, lying on the Straits, was hence seen as a sleepy fishing village by the British when they landed in the 19th century  [29]  . (2) does not take into account these happenings, thus it is flawed in describing Singapores history. In conclusion, (1) best describes Singapore history as it accommodates the period when Singapore was (3), when trade was active though declining, the period when it was considered strategic and its waters contested by the Dutch and Portuguese, up to the period when British founded Singapore as a sleepy fishing village due to the decline of Melaka Straits. (2) was unsuitable as mentioned above, and (3) seems to be an understatement as Singapore was more than just part of the Johor Sultanate.