Computer Dynamics

I. Computer Dynamics Computer Dynamics is a microcomputer software development company that has a 300-computer network. The company is located in three adjacent five-story buildings in an office park, with about 100 computers in each building. The current network is a poorly designed mix of Ethernet and token ring (Ethernet in two buildings and token ring in the other). The networks in all three buildings are heavily overloaded, and the company anticipates significant growth in network traffic. There is currently no network connection among the buildings, but this is one objective in building the new network.Describe the network you would recommend and how it would be configured with the goal of building a new network that will support the company’s needs for the next 3 years with few additional investments. Be sure to include the devices and type of network circuits you would use. You will need to make some assumptions, so be sure to document your assumptions and explain why you have designed the network in this way. Assumptions: The two buildings with Ethernet are wired with at least Cat5e cabling and all wiring is run back to a central closet on each floor to a data switch.To connect the floors in the building a fiber cable is run between the closets to connect them to each other, a chassis based switch with a router module installed, and the local service providers WAN. Rewire the building that has Token Ring to at least Cat5e cabling, Token Ring will not be able to withstand the network load or the anticipated network traffic growth. Install a chassis based switch with router modules installed and fiber ports to connect this building to the newly designed backbone.Chassis switches are robust and scalable; they will survive the demands of the network for the next 3 years. Connect the three building via the chassis switches using fiber from building to building and a dedicated point to point circuit to the service provider’s WAN. This will allo w the three buildings to share resources across the network, communicate with each other through the network, and share applications across the network. Install a DHCP server to issue IP addresses to the computers on the company’s networks so they will recognize that they are a part of the same network.

How Will You Avoid Plagiarism Commerce Essay

Leadership is a quality to direct the people but what is more of import than an ability to direct is to procure obeisance from the audience about that way. Peoples are a crowd and to carry and actuate them to travel for something jointly is the undertaking of leading. A leader knits these people into a squad and so steer how to move in integrity. A leader motivates his squad with his action, personality and personal appeal to follow and execute the undertaking given whole heartedly. However, this function of leading is excessively general and seems easy to execute. This undertaking becomes more and more hard when there is a demand of persuasion to travel for martyrdom. In uniformed services, be it arm forces, constabulary, fire brigade or any other, the employees are non merely like any other employee in civil set ups. Their functions and responsibilities are different from all the others and hence needs a different kind of motivational degree to execute their hazardous responsibilit ies. It must be kept in head that during the public presentation of responsibilities, there is a hazard of life which is otherwise negligible in any service other than those mentioned above. UK constabulary is one of the most professional constabulary force around the universe and is known for their professionalism, dedication, public presentation and motivational committedness toward their responsibilities and state as a whole. Like any other force, it needs motive to transport on its committedness degree. On organisational degree, there are a figure of motivational factors and theories which are working to maintain this motivational degree at the top of the universe, but there is another factor which provides a roadmap for the organisation towards professional committednesss. This is leading. Leadership is the beacon visible radiation for the employees and a leader by his stature, committedness, and energy to execute his responsibilities impress upon the other employees and actuate them for the martyrdom in public presentation of their responsibilities. On many cases there are a figure of known leaders in the history of UK patroling who have provide a motivational base for the employees and the impacts of the same travelled a long manner and kept the constabulary section proud for times to come. The function of leading has a relationship with the motivational degree of the organisation.3. Preliminary Review of the LiteratureGive a brief critical reappraisal of the literature that you have read in composing the proposal and explicate how these mentions relate to your undertaking. Do n't bury to give a list of beginnings used ( a lower limit of 6 ) – usage the Harvard Referencing system. Have you a conceptual model? If so, include. Justify the demand for the research in relation to the literature you have reviewed.. Motivation has a long history among states, ground forcess, offices and squads. Psychologically, human ecrus in hunt for grounds to execute any undertaking and he may happen it in faith, responsibility or cause. But for the grounds he has to be convinced about the action he is traveling to execute. It needs motive and encouragement. There is a batch of literature available on motive in signifier of theory X and Y, Malsaw ‘s theory of demand and hierarchy of demands. Similarly there are theories approximately leading as great event theory, trait theory etc to specify the function and nature of leading. Role of Leadership in motive is farther deliberated at that place. Robbins construct of motive, 1999 forwards the followerss ground for motive: All physical activity is preceded by mental action of some kind. All behavior is end directed and aims to accomplish some coveted province of personal businesss. Persons seek to maximize pleasance and minimise hurting and un-pleasantries. Similarly, Motivation can be considered as the rousing, way and care of human behavior toward achieving some end † ( Buelens et al. 2006 ) To increase motive among the employees D. McGregor ( 1960 ) finds two utmost logics. One as theory and the other as theory Y. harmonizing to theory Ten it is natural for human to dislike work and they will withstand the work whenever they will hold the chance. But in theory Y he finds that it is natural for human existences to work as they need nutrient and slumber. Merely motive they need is acknowledgment of their work. These both theories have their ain virtues and demerits. In leading theories, these are the leaders who perform motivation tools and are polar for the success of any organisation. Leader might be born or made but the common trait they must hold is their bid over their people and to procure their obeisance.4. Research Questions and AimsHere you should compose your research inquiries as they emerge from the background and critical literature reappraisal. Develop these into 3-5 specific research aims that begin with toaˆÂ ¦ and usage higher degree verbs e.g. to place, explore, measure, look into, explicate, depict, etc.Purposes and aim of the research:In this survey our chief focal point remains on the relationship between motivational degree of an organisation and function of leading. This survey is based on instance survey of UK police section and will stay chiefly focal point to the motivational theories being applied in UK constabulary section, leading theories being practiced and function theoretical accounts of the constabulary sec tion. In instance of these function theoretical accounts, we will look into their manner, theoretical accounts of leading, personal part toward the motivational degree of organisation and part in development of leading theoretical accounts and theories with specific mention to patrol force. In order to accomplish the intent and to avoid any divergence during the survey, following purposes and aims has been defined: Study the motivational degree of the employees in UK constabulary section as comparison to other forces and so far as possible a comparative analysis of UK police section ‘s motivational degree with a few others. Motivational theories and application of these motivational theories in constabulary section as comparison to other services which are working in the civil side and corporations. Leadership theoretical accounts and survey of the best applicable theoretical account of leading for a force like UK constabularies section Study and rating of function of leading in motive particularly in constabularies force Role theoretical accounts in UK constabularies and their imprints on the section In order to accomplish these purpose and aims, we will look profoundly in the established organic structure of literature in general and for constabulary and other armed forces in peculiar.Research inquiry:In order to maintain the survey focal point and consequence oriented, following research inquiry has been framed: Does the leading motives the employees to in accomplishment of professional and national responsibilities?5. Research PlanThis is the most of import subdivision. A clear description of the three stages of the Research Plan is required: Perspective/general attack Design for run intoing your aims Data Collection Methods What is the entree and trying scheme ( including sample Numberss ) ? How will the informations be analysed and presented? What are the restrictions of your research? Comment briefly on cogency, dependability and generalisability. Note: This subdivision is non meant to be a reappraisal of the literature on research methods by and large.Research methodological analysis:In our instance there are two research methods which might be applied as per literature of the research methodological analysis in order to specify the way and tools of research to continue farther. Choice of these methods is chiefly dependent on our purposes and aims defined for the intent of the survey. In visible radiation of these purposes and aims we have to choose the method as to positivism and interpretism. Interpretism is method to construe the occurrences traveling on around us and to explicate the same and really much applicable in explicating natural occurrences. On the other manus, positivism is believed to be applicable in all those instances where research worker wants to explicate the insouciant relationship between two dependent variables and aid in theory edifice procedure in the terminal. â€Å" Positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is so embedded in our society that cognition claims non grounded in rationalist idea are merely dismissed as a scientific and hence invalid † ( Hirschheim, 1985, p.33 ) In our research, we have selected the method of positivism being most applicable in our instance.Research Approachs:Research attacks are meant to specify the agencies and methods to carry on a research so that a concrete program for the executing of the research plan could be conducted in the most befitting mode. A research attack helps the research to travel for techniques of informations aggregation and analysis thereof, reading of consequences and a aid to border attendant theories. ( Collin & A ; Hussey, 2003 ) There are two types of attacks in this respect. One is qualitative and the other is quantitative. In researches where there are state of affairs and researches to specify and happen qualitative relationship between the two factors and inductive theoretical account of thought is followed. It is affirmatory instead than confirmative in nature. ( Saunders et al, 2007 ) . Whereas quantitative attack is chiefly meant to prove the hypothesis through experimental ways by agencies of facts and figures put into the established theorem to prove their cogency. Quantitative research is believed to be the best where quantifiable figures could be generated like natural scientific disciplines. In our research faculty, the best option as to near toward the research is qualitative method. In our research, we are aimed to attest the research inquiry as to avowal of relationship between two abstract things, i.e. , leading and motive and to prove relationship between the two. Quantitative attack emphasized on the confirmation of hypothesis through scientific methods like experiments and are often been used in scientific research particularly in natural scientific disciplines. In our instance, we have adopted the attack of qualitative research.3.3 Research Strategy — Surveies:In research doctrine, the basic parametric quantities of research attack, tools and methods have been discussed. Research scheme is the pant and package of that research design and it focuses on the choice of informations aggregation tools to look into the affair and to fulfill the purposes and aims of the survey already specified. As we have adopted for positive design of the research, maintaining i n position the qualitative attack, the appropriate manner of informations aggregation in this instance will be studies. My basic tool would stay interviews and studies.3.4 Data Collection method:Data Collection is the pivot for successful and consequence oriented research. A information compromised survey leads toward catastrophe and ailment founded consequences and it is hence emphasized by the research workers for a healthy and reliable informations aggregation activity in any research. Data are of two types: Primary informations and Secondary informations. Primary information is one which is collected for the first clip and is specific for the intent of survey. It is ever to the point and its aggregation Techniques corresponds with the purposes and aims of the survey. Whereas, in instance of Secondary informations, the information is collected ab initio for some intent other than the research. Secondary beginnings are available in signifier of statistical studies, electronic info rmation bases, libraries hunts, books, diaries etc. For the intent of this research chief focal point shall stay on primary informations aggregation through studies in signifier of questionnaire. However, wheresoever required, adequate aid from the secondary beginnings will be utilized to the best of this research.3.5 Strengths of the Methodology:The truth of consequences of a research predominately depends upon the methodological analysis adopted. No 1 can deny the importance of methodological analysis. It is the glass through which a research worker sees the truth behind the dust of intuition and goes beyond the universe of what and why ( Burks 2001 ) . Methodology adopted in this instance is based on qualitative research and conducted through the tool of Surveys. In this method, research worker has a direct entree to the individual under survey and all looks and behavior is known to him. Although, it would be subjective to cipher behavior of the topic under survey but in this instance disciplinary steps and extra information, if required, are possible to recover and to do the record heterosexual. As in this survey, study is to be conducted through questionnaire prepared for this intent but still the last inquiry is kept unfastened to measure the behavior every bit good extra information topics want to supply. The first manus cognition and accent on primary informations makes this survey dependable and intimate.3.6 Restriction of the methodological analysis:There is a factor of confidentiality which might move as confining factor for the survey.6. Ethical ConsiderationsWhat we are looking for here is a treatment of any ethical issue s raised by your peculiar proposal and how you propose to manage them. You will necessitate to admit and follow the There are no evident ethical issues foreseen to originate out of our proposal.7 Timetable and any particular resources requiredInclude a Gantt chart. Alert us to any peculiar jobs you are likely to confront.Time frame:ActivityFour Calendar month1234123412341234Read LiteratureTenTenFinalize AimsTenTenRead methodological analysis literatureTenTenProposalTenTenCase surveiesTenTenTenTenGather DataTenTenTenTenAnalyze informationsTenTenTenTenUpdate literature readTenTenDraft to supervisors FeedTenTenRevision DraftTenTenPrint & A ; BindTenSubmissionTen

Fusion or no Fusion of Equity and the Common Law at a Substantive Level

Since the administrative fusion of the Common Law and Equity Courts after the 1873 and 1875 Acts, there has been a lot of controversy over whether to fuse both equity and common law. There are valid arguments both for and against fusion. Those arguing for the fusion of Equity and Common Law at a substantive level often comment on the inconsistency created by equity’s intervention in law.‘There would sometimes be arbitrary gaps in the common law, that is situations where the common law refused a claim despite allowing claims in other situations which were materially similar.1 With both Common Law and Equity offering different solutions to the same legal issues, it is argued that for justice there must be consistency with judicial rulings.2 The current system means that in certain cases the right to an equitable remedy is more valuable.An example of inconsistencies between case verdicts due to Equity and Common Law having different principles is that of having legal and eq uitable title to property. If a person has the legal beneficial title to a house and the deeds are stolen and sold to a third party they can only claim the value of the house back. Whilst with equitable title the person could use Equity to get the house back. Examples like this reinforce the argument for fusion because everybody would get the same remedies.Some might also argue that rather than the facts of the cases being used to determine the outcome of a case, with Equity the fact that different people made the decisions at different times had an influence on the rulings. Using Equity to bypass the Common Law rather than amending the Common Law. Another reason for fusion is that Equity allows judges to depart from common law and statutes in order to create new law. With Parliament being sovereign the idea of unelected judges creating law is undemocratic.Without the power to use Equity to depart from Common Law judges would be more accountable to parliament. If Equity and Common L aw were both fused then the discrepancies between cases would disappear. A mix of Equity and Common Law principles would be applied and the same conclusion would be found in each case. Although Equity and Common Law have already fused the courts in which they apply the substantive law has not been fused yet. There is a good case against the fusion of the two on a substantive level.Many argue that the purpose of the Judicature Acts was only to fuse the administrative aspects of Equity and Common Law. Those who argue for a substantive merger are often accused of committing a ‘fusion fallacy’.3. Equity has often supplemented Common Law where the interests of justice and of social and economic change arose. Equity’s trust concept and the modern law of mortgages would not exist if it was not for the intervention of equity. Although it may seem that the day of equity establishing legal principles before their time has passed, one day equity may be needed again.However ‘there is a danger that we will have elevated equity to the status of free-standing moral guardian of society’4.If equity is still allowed to have the power of extending the boundaries of the law. This is dangerous because there would be no legislative body to check the power of equity. Despite all this it would be extremely difficult to actually integrate the two, let alone compare them because they are entirely different. ‘Equity accordingly gives the common law a much needed injection of morality.’If Equity was merged with Common Law it wouldn’t be able to express its identity and intervene in cases of unconscionability, due to the rigidness of common law. The two are so ideologically distinct that one of the two would be dominant over the other. They ‘are working in different ways towards the same ends, and it is therefore as wrong to assert the independence of one from the other as it is to assert that there is no difference between them.6 However it would be wrong to say that the two have not mingled. Many believe it is better to view the two as distinct and mutual dependent of each other.With the fusion of Equity and Common Law would come the destruction of equitable concepts; ‘Equitable concepts like trusts, equitable estates and consequent equitable remedies must continue to exist apart, if not in isolation, from common law rules.8 These concepts have been formed in areas where Common Law would not allow suitable solutions to be created. Equity and common law might well be merged one day but the harmonization process required to allow them to integrate with one another would probably change the two so much that they are no longer as they started as.This would mean one would likely become dominant over the other. I believe that the two should be kept distinct and separate from one another, Equity’s sole purpose is to supplement the Common Law where it would operate harshly. If the two became fused tog ether Equity would no longer be able to deviate from the strict rules of law to deliver an equitable solution for those in need. It is said that Equity works on discretion, though some might believe the common law now works on a degree of discretion, and so the need for them to be fused together is not even necessary never mind more desirable.

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

Jonurl - Essay Example In my FIRO-B scale, certain results were evident while undergoing the elementary examination. My inclusion demands were rated at 6 which is a moderate result in comparison with other people. The effect of such a result is the ideal level. In other areas such as control, I came out with an 8 grade. This is usually characteristic of an independent person with high qualities to lead a group. Affection levels were rated ideal at 5. The effect these had is that I was designated to lead the group for having strong control. My temperament characteristics was OWL that means wise, knowledgeable, composed, sees everything, sees things before others see them and scans from high perch, swoops down with precision. I am great in decision making especially in difficult situations and also have ample knowledge on general matters. I have helped the group thoroughly in making financial decisions and also certain inter group challenges. I have a Phlegmatic introverted temperament. This makes me a good administrator of the group, I get to be very observant to the situation and reactions of other group members of the group. On the Jessica Baby story, I was keen to notice some strong reaction as well as from the group members. The story was inspiring to many people famous and infamous in society and has head relatively similar impact on a lot of lives in many people. The situation was very sympathetic and fills one with remorse and compassion. It was difficult for many to hide their compassion in the group. However, people showed theirs in different ways. Some would go to nearly crying while some would demonstrate their ambitions by playing as though they were part of the ordeal. Group members showed affection in different ways. Certain MBTI models can perfect one’s performance and people need different motivations for their problems, as the superstar who saw the circumstance as a motivation to quit drugs. Eschers Relativity picture has been used

Final self reflection report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final self reflection report - Essay Example (pp.2-3). Organizational Behaviour is a social science discipline, using scientific method to establish truth and to validate its theories. (Miner, 2002, p.3). Three organizational behaviour issues that I feel I can demonstrate as enabling me to apply my knowledge of organizational behaviour, are: *Learning, *Personality and *Teams and Groups. .Experiential Learning Process: The Kolb’s Learning Cycle (1975): All learning begins with a concrete or real-world experience. Then, through reflections, the learner makes abstract generalizations about the experience and finally plans a new course of action as a result. (Cundell; Gray, 2004, pp.44-45). The following is a Self Reflection Report based on the four phases of Kolb’s Learning Cycle, which identifies how I have applied the knowledge and skills of Organisational Behaviour issues learned in the module. 1. LEARNING: The outline of a learning experience that I had recently is as follows: I had wanted to learn the art of lettering, where the letters of the alphabet are modified and presented in a stylised version, as in ornamental calligraphy. Since this art would always come in handy for using in greeting cards and other jobs, I approached a friend of mine who was knowledgable in the matter to learn how to create the lettering. My direct experience of learning by receiving sensory information on the creative procedure, combined with verbal transmission of information and the re-organisation of known information in a new configuration, resulted in my successfully learning the new style of lettering, as theorised by Dixon, 1999, (p.39). Learning is central both to bringing about the massive re-organisation that causes us to have a new sense of self in relation to the world, and to constructing a satisfactory existence within our current frame. This need to learn serves many important ends for us human beings, including survival both as individuals and as a

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing, Product Safety, and Essay

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing, Product Safety, and Intellectual Property - Essay Example This is sound ethical behavior, even if such reporting will result in severe financial loss to the company. All of the issues and more are covered in this case study. It is important to consider the reality of direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing by consumer and its potential impact. This paper will analyze such issues in the context of PharmaCARE, while also exploring intellectual property considerations and U.S. law. The backdrop to this dialogue will be a strong consideration of the ethical obligations that a company like PharmaCARE has to the global community. Direct to Consumer Marketing and Drug Companies Simply put, direct to consumer marketing involves the promotion of a product in mainstream media. The intent is to promote the product by appealing the potential consumer directly. The term is actually most commonly applied to the pharmaceutical industry, which makes it worthy of discussion in this case. Drug companies that engage in direct to consumer marketing bypass health pr ofessionals and attempt to reach the patient directly. The Federal Food and Drug Administration regulate such advertising, yet many professionals claim that the oversight is quite lax and ineffective. There are several concerns with this method of advertising that applies particularly in the case of PharmaCARE. It should be noted that the most common methods of direct to consumer marketing include television advertising, print, radio, and now social media outlets. With the lack of adequate oversight, questions of an ethical nature are frequently asked when considering whether or not drug companies should use such a marketing strategy. Advertising companies are not health professionals. They do not diagnose patients and they cannot adequately determine if the side effects of any given drug may be counterproductive for the consumer. While pharmaceutical companies are required by law to indicate potential side effects of the drug being marketing, and they are only permitted to tout pro ven benefits of the medicine, such disclaimers are often not clear to the consumer. This can lead individual patients to try and self-diagnose their own illnesses, and then approach their own physician about getting a particular drug prescribed to them. This leads us to yet another ethical dilemma. If an advertising campaign for a new drug floods the airwaves, physicians may become inundated with requests to prescribe the drug to their patients. This puts the physician in an awkward position. They may end up overprescribing the drug, doing so without themselves actually researching the drug and feeling comfortable in its use. This creates the ethical question of whether drug companies should even be permitted to engage this practice at all. The argument is that they should only allowed to promote their products directly to health care professions, who can then decide which drugs best suit their particular patients. The practice of direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA ) has so many ethical implications that most countries have an outright ban on the practice. Only the United States and New Zealand permit its broad use. This is the reason that PharmaCARE has been permitted to engage in the practice. To be fair, not at all pharmaceutical companies market their drugs directly to the consumer. It seems to be

Promoting Jordan as a cultural destination being the only open air Research Paper - 1

Jordan as a Cultural Destination - Research Paper Example The organizer of the said event was the Friends of the Jordan Festivals, which is a non-profit organization that tirelessly strives to promote Jordan as an ideal cultural destination. The Friends of the Jordan Festivals (FJF) was formed by individuals and groups that possess a deep-seated passion for culture and the arts, and are committed to the goal of making Jordan the topnotch cultural destination in the world. FJF organizes a variety of cultural events for a varied mix of entertainment audiences. FJF exerts its greatest effort to make King Abdullah’s vision a reality. King Abdullah aims to transform Jordan into a first-class economic and touristic destination. Besides satisfying local tastes for culture and arts, FJF aspires to create globally renowned entertainment products. However, FJF is not the first organization to try to boost the country’s cultural scene for local and international consumption; yet, it is considered to be the most successful among those that attempted to form and launch the same ideas. The unending commitment of FJF to the success of Jordan in tourism and cultural promotion is revealed in its triumphant organization of major cultural events, such as the 2010 Jordan Festival, the Cirque du Soleil, Saltimbanco Show, Cirque de Glace, and the Evolution Show. And on July 2013, FJF publicized the opening of the Amman Citadel Festival for this year. The Festival showed off the finest artists of Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries. FJF organizes both major and minor cultural events at leading heritage sites in order to show to the world the richness of the country’s history and culture.  

Online dating Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Online dating - Research Paper Example The practice of taking someone out for a date is called ‘asking out’ someone and it is usually taken as in invitation to date. With the advent of technology there has been a shift in the dating avenues used. Where communication has become faster and cost-effective, and social networks allow one to search for and interact with people with similar interests, thus, dating too has become virtual. Online Dating refers to an act of getting to know someone through electronic means which can be through the internet or cellphones and it allows people at communicate and get to know people at a long distance (Merkle 187).Free video chatting allows one to not only talk to someone but also see and hear them while talking to them. The only sense that is not present in online dating, as compared to conventional dating, is that of smell and touch. History The evolution of dating dates back to the early 1920s when men and women would interact with each other under supervision of the elde rs or at parlors where it was customary to mingle and socialize with the opposite gender. This was replaced with taking women out for drinks or diners. Later, this socializing moved to activities like spending time at parks, a movie theatre or art galleries etc. giving the couple something to talk about, break the ice and get on with the conversation. This was followed by revolution of dating in terms of increased intimacy in order to gauge suitability. This age is prevalent to this day and courtship or marriage has taken a back seat as far as relationships are concerned. Pen paling was an activity associated with writing to get to know and befriending people who were at a distance. In the digital age, this was replaced by online pen paling or social networking. In consequence, this friendship aspect took a romantic turn and the internet became the new medium to search for potential life partners. Prevalence There is no question about the popularity and gaining momentum of online da ting. In this world of chaos, one has a hard time coming across people who have similar mindsets, interests etc. The internet provides an array of dating sites that feature profiles of people from all backgrounds. This makes it easier to not only search someone of likeness but also narrows down the number of people to a selected few. The availability of other people on online dating sites also signify that they are looking for a partner too, and so they are more open to the idea and easy to approach. Initially, this service was started by match.com, e-harmony and plenty-of-fish. When the practice became acceptable and popular, more joined them and now there is a bandwagon of such sites all over the internet. The most popular ones, apart from the mentioned pioneers, are Yahoo personals, JDate, Shadi.com etc. The popularity of this dating service can be determined from the fact that 37% of the single individuals in the United States visited online Dating Sites (Hitsch 130). Causes of Online Dating The main purpose of indulging in online dating is the urge to get involved in a romantic relationship. People on a pursuit of potential partners use online dating to get to know people who have been filtered according to their interests, gender, physique, religion etc. Virtual dating is not only specific but also faster as compared to conventional dating due to its 24

Sports Tourism and Thanatourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports Tourism and Thanatourism - Essay Example Those go against the society norms are considered outcasts. The rules laid by the society are most often universally accepted and believed to be correct. People believe that sharing morals and beliefs contribute significantly in making their making the society more stable. The moral guidelines are normally set by the dominant group within the community. Industrialization and emergence of urban centers have posed a great threat in maintenance of the society beliefs and morals. This has been brought about by the emergence of capitalism. The minor groups felt short changed and became a little rebellious. This theory was developed by Karl Marx who stated that the emergence of social classes such the capitalist, the working class and the labourers changed the political and religious structure of the society. The capitalists formed a new form of political structure abandoning the older form lay out during the era communism. Different forms of governance emerged in the third world countries . These forms of governments have turned out be large sources of tourists’ attraction sites in the developing countries. People travel to view the existing evidence of these forms of governance. Some communities in the developing countries still maintain their traditional forms of governance which have attracted masses to these areas who seek to learn more about the people in the areas and their ways of life. People have visited these areas with different motives; some have to gone to do research work while others have gone just for the adventure. Swaziland in the continent of Africa is one such country which still maintains the traditional form government. This country is governed by a king who then appoints the officials of the government who assist with the duties. Swaziland has been a great source of tourist attractions for people from all corners of the world. The country also its culture where the king had the powers to marry he wanted from the community and could marry as many women as he wished. There are also countries from Europe which still retain their traditional systems of governance. This is visible in the cases of Britain and Spain which are still governed by the system of monarchy. This has attracted masses to these countries who seek learn more about these systems. Sport tourism is a form of tourism whereby people visit various parts of the world to study more about the various forms of traditional sports associated with different parts of the world. Every type of sport is generally believed to trace its roots from a particular region of the world. The coastal region of East African countries is known for the sport of donkey and camel riding. This sport was started by the Arabs who lived in those regions during the colonial times. This form of sport has been a great of tourist attraction for these areas especially from Western countries. The governments in these countries have puts in measures to ensure maintenance of these cultural pr actices as they have to be credible sources of revenue. The various parts of the world characterized by mountainous landscape are known for the sport of mountain climbing. The sport also attracts masses to these regions, some for fun other for academic purposes. The traditional Roman empires in Italy are well known for their traditional game of gladiator wars. This was great source of tourist attraction from ancient times. People travelled across the world to witness the fight of the gladiators who were believed to be the strongest men living.

The Great Academic Reputation of the Undergraduate University Personal Statement

The Great Academic Reputation of the Undergraduate University - Personal Statement Example I graduated from Waseda University with a degree in Bachelor of Arts. Being one of the five toughest universities in Japan, the curriculum was already quite advanced and complicated as can be expected of any prestigious university. However, as a foreign student in Japan, the social surroundings and the language barrier proved even tougher than the academic challenges I had expected. I had no competence in the language. So before entering Waseda, it took me two years in a Japanese language school to improve my Japanese to a proficiency level. In the first two years during my time at Waseda University, my interests were focused on different principles in social sciences. I found these subjects interesting and rather ‘safe’ in terms of lack of planning about the future. However, in the last two years, I identified my subjects of interest and thus, started to take more interest in subjects like popular culture and media. For the same reason, I went for a seminar in business and economics on the principles of the creative industries. Combining my knowledge of social science and my passion for fashion, my senior graduation thesis was mainly about how creative artists can launch themselves into the market without seeking help from the gatekeepers. In my thesis, I emphasized the power of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. to influence the businesses, especially in the creative sector. After graduating from Waseda University, I always found myself deeply passionate in the creative sector.

Alternative fuel for the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Alternative fuel for the USA - Research Paper Example Alternative Fuel for the USA. The requirement for transportation fuels within US is rising. The amount of light-duty automobiles is expected to grow from 28.7 million on-road vehicles during 2010 to 38.7 million by the year 2025.The requirement for transportation fuels within US is rising. The amount of light-duty automobiles is expected to grow from 28.7 million on-road vehicles during 2010 to 38.7 million by the year 2025. Unless people transform their habits, petroleum will remain the key source of the transportation fuels for the predictable future, and as demand, carries on to increase and in-state as well as Alaskan fuel supplies lessen, US will depend more and more on overseas imports of crude oil (Riley & Chee, p. 192). Almost 100 percent of the country’s transportation system is presently fueled by fossil fuels. Going toward a further varied choice of fuels and sustaining the development of higher competence vehicles are two of the objectives of the state's plans. Bei ng the fifth largest financial system in the world, California is a state that moves on energy. Each day, people spend â€Å"$ 24 million for natural gas, $ 84 million on electrical energy, and $ 84 million for petrol and diesel† (Hordeski, p. 183). The State has sustained the growth of alternative transportation fuels (apart from petrol or diesel) since the establishment of the ‘California Energy Commission’ during 1975. ... ption of non-petroleum fuels to 30 percent of on-road fuel utilization by 2025 and 40 percent by 2030, supported by known policies that are feasible as well as cost effective (Stan, p. 299). US is already home to a increasing amount of alternative fuel vehicles as a result of the combined attempts of the ‘Energy Commission’, ‘California Air Resources Board’, local air regions, national government, transportation agencies, utilities, in addition to other civic as well as personal entities. Over 59000 automobiles, transit buses, and trucks presently function on natural gas and LPG, together with over 11000 electric vehicles. US as well have hundreds of fueling stations providing a range of non-petroleum fuels (Bartis et al, p. 55). However, increasing the consumption of these fuels faces considerable doubts such as the accessibility of latest vehicle expertise, the rate and accessibility of new fueling infrastructures, and approval of these fuels by customers. At present, the ‘Energy Commission’ is functioning with stakeholders of different alternative fuels. These stakeholder’s operational groups have contributed in informal studies to recognize the major barriers that exist to creating a more vigorous alternative fuels marketplace within US and to give advice to overcome or alleviate those barriers (Halderman & Martin, p. 33). The accomplishment of modern attempts to introduce electric vehicles into the marketplace will mostly be determined by the capacity of vehicle producers to persuade customers that these vehicles characterize a practical and competitive substitute to the conventional vehicle. Electric vehicles and power trains offer an immense prospect to reengage clientele with automobiles as manufactured goods. Electric vehicles provide enhanced

Change Speech -Kite Runner, Poem, Article Essay Example for Free

Change Speech -Kite Runner, Poem, Article Essay One can perceive change within themselves in various ways and through various mediums. Today I stand before you, ladies and gentleman to discuss with you three significant Changing Self texts I believe, strongly connect in their own ways with the Representations of Changing Self expo. Change can be an immediate process or it can be a series of events over a prolonged period of time like it is in Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, published in 2003. However, using different texts The Kite Runner and perhaps a poem, like The Door, by Miroslar Holub for example, can represent change of self not only in a different format, but also connecting ideas that change can be triggered by a certain event or experience in history which can leave a lasting impact on the present and future. At times we need to be coached or pushed into change, however in other instances we are called to embrace the opportunity as it arises. Sometimes we come across change unknowingly, by innocence or fear of circumstances as of a true story of an Indian boy named Saroo who unknowingly was driven through the process of change. Changing Self can be a very difficult process to acknowledge and to accept. This idea is significant in The Kite Runner; a ‘deeply moving’ novel demonstrates how a horrific experience of one unforeseen event can change the present and future of a young life. Amir slowly develops realisation with age that another change is required to bring about a new beginning or ‘a way to be good again’, as Rahim Khan said presented as a ‘one time’ opportunity . As discussed in the beginning of the novel we are revealed with a component of the past which reflects the choice of future Amir is faced with. The result of Amir’s dreadful experience of watching his servant friend, or not-so-much friend, Hassan being raped and the fact that he didn’t do anything about it, or step in and fight Asef before any commotion began fills Amir with unsound guilt and remorse which he proved unable to hide away from, ‘it was my past of untatoned sins† as quoted. This guilt is too powerful for him to acknowledge, so much so that he takes the course of trying to change the way things ran around his home, by getting rid of Hassan from his life. Amir runs away, metaphorically and literally from the environment and surrounds in hope to seek a better mind and reality. Using the literal ‘running’ from Afghanistan to America to seek safety, he does this metaphorically as he tries to run away from the guilt he cannot let go of. The symbolic use of the cleft lip is a significant detail in the novel used to classify that a person can be identified through specific events and choices, positive or negative. By this whereas Hassan had a cleft lip as a child, this same scenario is changed around as Amir embraces the opportunity to ‘become good again’ and save Sohrab, Hassan’s son, and Amir’s own nephew, from Asef. Amir changes his old cowardice to courage, stepping fourth to fight a losing battle with Asef, a noted, ‘cathartic’ experience, relieving himself from pain, with pain from the blows of Asef, leaving Amir with a cleft lip also. Only to be saved by Sohrab with the repeated symbolic use of the slingshot, this was also used to save Amir from Asef by Hassan years before. Amir feels as though he has positively changed for the better by embracing opportunity and new attribute of courage, filling in the gaps of his stained past. Changing self may be presented as a door of opportunity or experience we may be called to open. The Door, an influential, yet daring poem by Miroslar Holub emphasises in an imperative tone of urgency and pushiness that any change is better than no change at all. Therefore, one must embrace any change as the opportunity presents itself. The symbol of the door is an indicator of opportunities, and the need for them to be open, just as Rahim Khan was a door of opportunity for Amir to open and experience the ‘drought’ or movement of change willing to take place, good or bad. The words, ‘if there is a fog, it will clear’ demonstrates how this presented opportunity for Amir to relieve his life of guilt with be finally removed with action of ‘opening the door.’ The repetition of ‘go and open the door’ is not only encouraging but coaching and emphasising that if all doors are opened and even if so many are negative, there will still be a positive movement because the door was opened and ‘at least there will be a draught,’ or rather, at least you will have tried to do something about an awful event or experience with an unseen future and not remain in the same position, dealing with the guilt and regret, which cannot escape. As long as the door remains shut, the air will remain stuffy and uncomfortable to breathe in, so coming fourth and opening the door will let fresh air and new opportunities to evolve. The writer explains the positives of change which is used to entice or urge the reader to want to experience a new change of air. Changing circumstances in one’s life can erratically change and impact one’s life within a series of events contained by a short span of time. This concept is represented in the deeply touching true story of an Indian boy, named Saroo which was published in the Sydney Morning Herald back in March this year. Throughout 25 years, young Saroo went through an array of unforseen events which lead him away from lifelong poverty and his mother to where he is today, amongst the rich living in Australia. Just as the Herald Sun writes, ‘Australia’s very own, slum dog millionaire!’ Why was this so? Many say it occurred because of fate. When Saroo, whom at the time was only five years old- awoke alone and very frightened at one of India’s very many train stations very late in the evening after he had fallen asleep waiting for h is brother to return. At this part of Saroo’s life, he had very little and was uneducated. Was it fear or was it God or a mixture of the both who persuaded young Saroo to pursue looking for his brother in the closest train simply because, ‘he might be in there.’ This simple child’s thought shunted and altered his life away from anything he ever knew one unforseen event, encouraged by fear, taking the opportunity to open the doors which lead to a train, almost leaving to go to Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald describes this event as ‘the night his young life’s course was altered forever.’ This change of self is represented by the innocence of a young boy. This concept is characterised by Saroo explaining how the reality of trying to get home became a dead end, just like, all the trains he road, to try and reach home, only to meet with another dead end. Various aspects of Saroo’s life were in fact ‘dead ends’ but when it came to his life depending on it, just as Amir depended on the opportunity from Rahim Khan, as unforseen at the time as it was both boys embraced their opportunities to find something, whether a brother or second chance. They opened the door. Saroo’s door opened eventually to a family from Australia whom adopted him, suddenly and strangely out of his life course, he landed himself in Hobart. In conclusion, we can gather that changing self can be a difficult process, yet also an unforseen process which may take place over a series of events. These three researched texts have shown connecting and similar views that we must make use of experience and opportunity of change as it arises. Through these views, we are challenged that ultimately it is up to ourselves via thoughts or actions or a mixture of both to decide the course of change we are willing to take. In the Kite Runner, it is up to Amir to choose to put himself in danger to make up for his guilty past, The Door commands us to take opportunities, and yet in the Sydney Morning Herald’s feature Story illustrates that with physical experience change is forever impacting. Each of these demonstrates in their own way how change can somewhat be forced upon a person and ultimately deliver them into a new direction.

Public and Private Companies in Malaysia

Public and Private Companies in Malaysia The number of private going to public listed company is the common ways to practice in Malaysia. In contrary, public listed companies going private has increased sharply in recent years like the mushroom after raining release onto the business world. This adjustment is formed by the Stock Exchange of Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia. In the beginning of 2007, there has offer a series of privatisation of public listed companies on our local bourse, Bursa Malaysia. The trend of privatisation of public listed companies in the Bursa Malaysia has raised more than 20 privatisations since 2007 (source: Announcements from Bursa Malaysia). The establishment of the Stock Exchange of Malaysia in 1964 had given a new perspective in the Malaysian economic landscape. This institute will help in quick expansion of its longer term capital growth and enhancing global competitive. Since its formation, the Stock Exchange of Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, has over 1,000 listed companies provide a wide range opportunity of investment choices to local and foreign investors include retail and institutional level, merchant banks and unit trust companies. Bursa Malaysia (formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, KLSE) has currently more than 982 public listed companies (as at 17 September 2008) with a total market capitalization in excess of RM930 billion. It is one of the largest Stock Exchange in South East Asia, No. 1 in terms of listed companies, and No. 2 in terms of market capitalization after Singapore. The privatisation continued through 2008 with 21 privatisation proposals on the Bursa Malaysia. According to OSK Research Head Chris Eng comments that the wind of privatisation was expected to be strong next year in view of the low valuation of stocks, although earnings may contract but price-to-earnings ratio is still low. This demonstrates that the privatization will carried out efficiency in the view of the researcher excluded the global financial crisis. Jupiter Securities head of research Pong Teng Siew said the privatisation trend was unlikely to insist during the global financial crisis. The privatisation issue will outcome in the view of global credit crunch. The global credit crunch can reduce funds available to local and foreign investor. An example for proposed plan to privatise in AirAsia had illustrates core issue to privatisation, which is the funding source. However, this will cause the AirAsia stay at the security position. AirAsias major shareholder Tune Air Sdn Bhd, leadership by the groups chief executive Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, had announce to put on hold its plan to privatise and delist the counter from the local stock exchange due to the difficulties in securing funding. The privatise position will affect their funds and share easily acquirer by outsider owned sufficient capital. Other factors that may fuel privatization include businesses that were fairly stable where there was no need to raise cash via equity, which in turn made the requirements of a listing such as the need to hold AGMs and issue annual reports. Such requirements on listed companies had leave the companies with little breathing space, less liberty and make it difficult for companies to make major the decisions such as expanding overseas, acquiring new businesses or obtaining new shareholders without losing precious time in these pursuits. By going private, the companys major shareholders are able to focus on taking bigger strategic risks in order to enjoy long-term profits without facing intense scrutiny of public shareholders and being constrained by the need to consider how a proposed transaction might influence the quarterly earnings or the volatility of the share price of the company. Kenanga Investment Bank Head of Corporate Finance Debbie Leong agrees. She said other than cheap valuation; other motivating factors included the cost of maintaining the listing status. She said the same goes for companies too that were not bring benefit from having a listing status, such as the inability to tap the capital market for funds due to lack of visibility to investors, low analyst coverage, or the mere fact that the companies were too small to gain attention from institutional shareholders. In the view of point, Analysts from anonymous said privatisation also played a significant role in continuous bringing stock prices closer to their intrinsic values (actual cost of the company). Privatisations are likely to involve small to mid-cap companies going forward, as the quantum involves in completing the privatisation would be smaller (less than RM100 million) and thus more manageable when it comes to funding in view of the current global credit crunch. OSK Research head Chris Eng said it believe that there is an increasing privatisation trend among small, family-owned public-listed companies especially identified where cash per share is higher than the share price. Bursa Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s Kuala Lumpur Composite Index had tumbled to 876.40 points on December 19, 2008, a 73% drop from its peak of 1,516.22 on January 2008. It is worth noting that the price-to-earnings ratio of the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index had also dipped to 10.10 times as of the week ended December 19, 2008 from a high of 16.84 times as of the week ended January 11, 2008. Its lowest price-earnings-ratio for the year was 9.31 times for the week ended October 24, 2008. There are more than a total 86 new listings for the past 3 years from the year of 2006 until 2008, whereby there were 40 new listings in the year of 2006, 28 new listings in the year of 2007 and 18 new listings in the year of 2008 (as at 17 September 2008) on the Bursa Malaysia. Total money raised from the public listing exercise and other corporate exercise was RM 4.1 billon in 2006 and RM 16.8 billion in the year of 2007 (source: from Bursa Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s 2007 Annual Report). Some RM46.29 billion has been wiped out from Bursa Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s market capitalisation in the first half of the year of 2007, as 17 companies were taken private, a stock exchange official said. In contrast, the stock market added RM3.74 billion in market capitalisation from the listing of 16 companies in the same period. Global leveraged buyout volume for the first six months of the year 2007 was estimated at US$450 billion (RM1.56 trillion), more than double the whole of last year of 2006. The privatization of these companies signals a very mature and robust financial market, with a favourable credit market. The cycle of privatisation will turn when interest rate goes up and companies find it more expensive to raise funds from the credit market. Selvarany Rasiah, Chief Regulatory Officer of Bursa Malaysia (Business Times Malaysia 20 June 2007). (Source: Business Times 22 September 2008) Privatisations are common done with reasons; the owner is motivated to do so when the share price does not reflect its fundamental value. Expectations are high that the rate of privatisation may pick up by the third quarter of 2009, once the global credit situation has eased and there is more clarity. Interestingly, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Sdn Bhd, Senior Executive Director Tan Siow Ming says private equity firms may feature more prominently as an alternative source of financing for the privatisation exercises. Three factors, he says, may whet the appetite of private equity players in the public to private deals. Firstly, they have a considerable amount of investible funds in their coffers; secondly they are able to leverage at reasonable cost given the current credit crunch; and thirdly, it may fit strategically with their overall investment strategy. The economy report made by shahriman johari, rupa damodaran ,chong pooi koon had said Malaysias economy growth is expected to increase between 2 per cent and 3 per cent in 2010 which supported by private investment and consumption. (Source: Business Times Saturday OCT 24, 2009) THE government plans to privatise selected government agencies and give customised incentives to attract fresh investments from the private sector. This forms part of the governments plan to develop a new economic model based on high income, which will be the focus in the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP). It did not select which agencies will be privatised, but this will recognized as the second wave of privatisation. The government has work out their effort to improve the financial sector to facilitate efficient intermediation. Then, it can measure to enhance access, cut transaction costs and promote stock broking and fundraising activities. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) wont be left out. There are incentives to help them modernize and sustain their operations. In addition, the numerous grants and loan schemes will be rationalised to improve access and effectiveness (Source: Business Times Saturday OCT 24, 2009). Obviously, the privatisation exist MA transactions in Malaysia. The main regulations governing MA transactions in Malaysia include the Companies Act 1965, the Capital Market Services Act 2007 (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾CMSAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸), the Guidelines provided for the Acquisition of Assets, the Malaysian Code on Takeovers and Mergers 1998 (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Take-over Codeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸), Mergers and Takeovers issued by the Foreign Investment Committee (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾FIC Guidelinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸) and the Listing Requirements of the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Bursa Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸) for public listed companies. Section 216 of the CMSA and the Companies Act 1965 govern MA transactions that involve the sale or purchase of substantial assets by a public company while Section 217 of the CMSA and the Take-over Code regulate MA transactions that involves the acquisition of voting shares which results in a change of control in a company. These regulations are put in pla ce to protect the interests of shareholders and to ensure that all take-overs and mergers take place in a competitive, informed and efficient market. Also, the laws and regulations are to ensure all shareholders of a company involved in a take-over and merger situation receive fair and equal treatment. Public listed companies in the Bursa Malaysia are adjustment become private encourage whole acquisition offer to the shareholders of the public listed company. The conduct of the take-over schemes are regulated by the Securities Commission and are subject to the Malaysian Code on Take-Overs and Mergers 1998. The general offer trigger is 33% where: (i) In order to an acquisition of 33% of voting shares by a person in addition with persons acting in concert with them (acquirer), or when (ii) The acquirer had already holds more than 33% but less than 50%, hold 2% within a period of 6 (six) months from the date of acquisition would require that such a mandatory offer be made. Once the level of acceptance has achieved 50% of more, the offer becomes unconditional. Some acquirer exposure in a condition for a takeover of other property such that it must have at least 50% of the shares in a voluntary takeover scheme, failing which the acceptance will be the rate of return to shareholders. Once the acceptance of the takeover breaches the 75% level, the listed company breaches the public shareholding spread requirement under the Listing Requirements of the Bursa Malaysia. The public listed company which drop short of the 25% spread requirement may request for an extension of time from Bursa Malaysia to rectify the situation. The company could be suspended or delisted unless the listed company finds means of increasing the public spread to at least 25% again if no extension of time is granted by Bursa Malaysia (Source: Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements and Securities Commission Malaysian Code on Take-Overs 1988). The most common methods of privatization observed on our Bursa Malaysia are as follows:- 1. Direct offer A voluntary general offer can be made for the rest of the shares not owned by the owner or related parties acting in concert. 2. Via a new company or special purpose vehicle company The owner can use a new company or incorporate a special purpose vehicle company to acquire all his shares and the rest of shares owned by the other shareholders. 3. Acquire the business In order to avoid rejection by some minority shareholders, more and more owners are using this method, i.e. seeking shareholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ approval to sell the entire business and thereafter distribute the cash proceeds back to shareholders. The end effect is the same as cash offer for the shares. 1.2 Objectives of the Study Based on the gains sharing issue highlighted above, this study carries out an analysis on the numbers of publicly traded companies in Malaysia that had participated in going private transactions in 2007. Moreover, there have been myriads studies concerned on the motive and/or reasons for mergers and acquisitions mostly in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, but very few motives and/or reasons have been addressed for public listed companies going private. The number of public listed companies going private has increased sharply in recent years like the mushroom after raining especially in Malaysia, as part of widespread corporate restructuring. Privatisation is the reverse of a public listing exercise. However, little evidence has been provided to prove for similar applications in the Malaysian capital market. This paper aims to fill the gap and contribute to existing literature. The objective of this study is to determine the following:- 1. What is the motive for a public listed company to go private? 2. How is the price earnings ratio and price to book valuation of a public listed company in relation to companies being taken private? 3. How emphasis is given to the offer price that has been offered by these companies to their public shareholders and with this the study strives to achieve the objectives? The following objectives below are; i) To measure the fairness of the offer price offered to the minority shareholders by comparing the share price derived by the discounted cash flow valuation with the offer price offered by the companies when the transaction took place; and ii) To assess whether the gain sharing proposition established in previous literatures can be generalized in Malaysia financial market as what observed in the in the country such as the U.S., the UK and other European countries. 1.3 Scope of the Study This study will cover all public listed companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia which is being taken private in 2007. It will examine the motives and/or reasons for public listed companies in Malaysia going private. Recognizing the need to protect the minority shareholders interest in Malaysia, especially in the exercises that are undertaken by the publicly held company that have a significant impact on public shareholders, this study aims to contribute to this effort by focusing on going private transactions. 1.4 Purpose and Significance of the Study There have been numerous studies concerned the motive and/or reasons for mergers and acquisitions, but very few motives and/or reasons have been addresses for public listed companies going private. The number of public listed companies going private has increased sharply in recent years especially in Malaysia, as part of widespread corporate restructuring and/or mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, this study will cover and overview all public listed companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia which is being taken private in 2007 which is recognize as privatisation that reverse from public listing exercise. The objective of this study is to examine why this new trend emerges and what causes it to happen. 1.5 Limitations of the Study The privatisation of Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s public listed companies was relatively new phenomena that started in 2006 and implement in 2007 throughout 2008, a relatively short period of study as compared to studies of privatisation of public listed companies in UK from 1997 to 2003 by (Renneboog, Simons and Wright 2005). Thus, the scope of the study is limited to Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s public listed companies in the Bursa Malaysia going private in the year of 2007. There is lack of information for Malaysia due to the new trend or phenomena. 1.6 Organization of the Study The paper is divided into five (5) chapters. The first chapter of this research describes the driving factors that led to this study. It highlights the background, objectives, scope of the study as well as the significance of the study. Chapter two (2) of this study will cover the literature review and to provide evidence which found from the previous studies on various reasons behind public listed companies going private. It will be used to support discussion and findings from the data analysis. Development of hypotheses, selection of measures, sampling design, data collection procedure and analysis are outlined in Chapter three (3). Chapter four (4) draws some research result of this study and conclusion and recommendations will be presented in Chapter five (5). CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Before us deeply into the public listed companies to go private. Understanding that why did the companies decided to become a public listed company is very imperative. Roell (1996) documents five reasons why owners of firms decided to go public.

BP Commerce Analysis

BP Commerce Analysis I believe strongly that we need a work environment where everyone can bring all of themselves to work every day and not feel like they have to be someone else in order to succeed. -Tony Hayward, BP CEO /BP is one of the largest organizations in oil, gas, and alternative energy industry in the world. It employs more than 100 000 people across the world and provides essential oil, gas, and energy products for nearly 13 million customers every day in more than 100 countries. The company has a wide range of businesses including exploration and production, refining and marketing, gas power, and alternative energy (BP, 2010). Despite the success in the market or economic downturns, organization always must care about their employees who bring this success through skills, competencies, and hard work. Therefore, company must have a diversity and inclusion policy in place in order to create perfect working environment for these employees, to motivate them, remunerate, and retain the best. We might ask ourselves why diversity and inclusion is so important to any large or small company. The answer is that employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, and community partners place a high value on organization for being fair and meritocratic (BP, 2010). Furthermore, we need to recognize the availability of skilled employees is getting smaller in nowadays market and economic situation. Every organization tries to attract new skilled labor and to retain talented employees in the company. In order to achieve that, organizations must have reputation, operational processes and imbedded policies, working climate that not only respects differences, but expose them for competitive advantage. BP is a multinational organization and it is essential to have an up-to-date policies and procedures in place for evaluation and monitoring purposes in order to comply with equality and inclusion policies, avoid any kind of discrimination, and ensure equal opportunities for everyone. Different organizations have different policies and practices and in order to compare BP to others, this organizational audit will review BPs other main competitors such as Exxon and Shell for a comparison on diversity and inclusion issues, provide investigation summary of BPs equal opportunity and equal pay practices, and provide action plans and cost and benefit analysis in order to enhance equality and diversity practice in the organization. A Summary of Analysis The purpose of this project is to produce diversity and inclusion analysis for BPs North Africa Strategic Performance Unit (further NA SPU) based on pay review recommendations in 2009 for employees to be effective on 1st of April 2010. I will be looking at Level E (senior level leaders) to Level K (administration) concentrating on equal pay issues and gender inequality (gaps) among UK employees only. The reason for this is that NA SPU has fairly big population and it is down to UK employees based locally in UK and in the businesses across the world. More to mention, this SPU is a perfect representation sample for other similar strategic performance units across the organization. 270 employees in North Africa Strategic Performance Unit (NA SPU) 139 UK nationals in NA SPU 31 Female employees 108 Male employees Level E (senior level leaders) 7 Males; 0 Females Level F(team leaders/professionals) 26 Males; 2 Females Level G (team leaders/professionals 30 Males; 4 Females Level H (team leaders/professionals 19 Males; 6 Females Level I (specialists/advisors) 17 Males; 8 Females Level J (specialists/advisors) 8 Males; 5 Females Level K (administration) Male 1; 6 Females All analysis is done only for the UK nationals population across all Levels, and Disciplines in NA SPU In order to get a better picture about pay equality and find out if there is any gaps in gender equality it is essential to analyse consistency of Salary Review process across the NA SPU and identify potential inequality in monetary reward between genders in different departments, levels, and across different disciplines. It is important to concentrate on the data which is robust- gender, income, length of service, and grouped by levels and disciplines. The sample group of employees does consist of different levels from E (senior level leaders) to K (administrative employees). It is a healthy business population that depicts statistical average of different employees in SPUs and other businesses within the company. Even though we have split the data down to segments any equal opportunity data is best analysed by working of groups so similar in roles and at similar level can be looked at. In order to understand the data better, I am providing few tables with graphic representation and statistical summary of the proposed data, following the brief comments to bring the main points or anomalies that could be potential gaps in reward and gender equality in the workplace. E F G H I J K Level Average SalaryGraph 1 Average New Salary comparison between Males and Females All Levels Higher level male and female employees positioned on the higher range of average salary scale and lower level male and female employees positioned on the lower range of average salary- it is consistent across every level. As the graph shows all the proposed employee salaries does not have any significant and female and male employees up to level G are similarly positioned on the salary grid. However, I would like to mention that circled in red on the graph data shows that level F female employees are on the lower range of the salary comparing to level F male employees. Picking the fact that there is significantly low number of female workers in higher levels- it raises the question of the possible glass ceiling that prevents female workers to get higher levels and be paid equally. Graph 2 Average New Salary by Job Discipline All Levels This data is very interesting, because it compares proposed new average salary between male and female employees in all levels but grouped by job discipline. The lowest paid group is administration, and the highest paid group of employees are drilling, geosciences disciplines where employees considered as professional and highly skilled workforce. Unfortunately, we notice that in geosciences and petroleum engineering disciplines we a have a significant difference in average salary between male and female employees. This is due to the fact that we have few women who works in these disciplines and the pay equality is very doubtful. On the other hand women earn more in average in the administration and commercial disciplines and we do not have any women working so called male oriented jobs in drilling and maintenance disciplines. This needs more investigation of companys recruitment policies and procedures why company does not attract more women into these jobs. Graph 3 Average New Salary by Years of Service All Levels This graph shows different set of data how the salary progresses depending on length of service despite the level of the employee but across level groups and disciplines. We can notice the gradual increase in salary for women and men, however we have only few women with a lengthy history of employment with company, but the good fact is that more and more women are hired into the business comparing with 20 years ago. It is worth to mention that circled in red- employees appear in the bottom of the range due to lower levels and the job discipline itself (administration). A Discussion of the Meaning of the Data Collected To summarise the findings it is clear that males and females are equally paid and well aligned to each other in every level, but there are few gaps in certain disciplines. Even though the national UK statistics is showing that the pay gap between gender is very high (see appendix 1) BP is trying their best to operate according to Equal Pay Act (release 1970), and Equal Pay between sexes (Article 141, EC Treaty). However the lack of female employees in main leadership positions and levels in our sample population- by all means might be understood as glass ceiling effect in the company (Podro, 2006). Therefore, it is interesting to look deeper into BP diversity and inclusion policy and compare the information to main rival companies policies and think of further improvements and recommendations in order the DI policy in BP policy to be attractive and by no means discriminatory. Table 1 Diversity Policy Comparison between Competitors Recruiting Developing Diversity Inclusive Leadership BP The number of graduates recruited through global recruitment program has increased by 58% since 2005 and 63% of these are engineers or scientists. 35% of all graduate hires were women, while 34% of all graduate hires came from racial or ethnic minorities. Diversity and inclusion policy aims to create a truly inclusive meritocracy at organization, in which the diversity of workforce reflects global reach and maximizes available talent while respecting individual differences. By valuing the differences between employees company establishes a platform for creativity, innovation and problem solving. There is a commitment to the development of a culture of diversity is therefore a true business imperative. Managing Inclusion program is now mandatory for all senior level leaders and by the end of year 2006, around 1000 employees at this level had completed the program. The program is still continues to exist in the organization. Exxon Women comprise about 25 percent of companys worldwide workforce, excluding company-operated retail stores. Approximately 12 percent of executive employees are women, compared to 9 percent in 2000. Organizations strength is the quality and diversity of employees. Organization operates Global Workforce Diversity Framework to attract, develop, and retain a premier workforce, actively foster a work environment where individual and cultural differences are respected and valued; and identify and develop leadership capabilities of employees to perform effectively in a variety of environments. Organization is committed to promoting leadership opportunities for women globally and improving the gender balance in the company. Shell By the end of 2009, 14.0% of the most senior leadership positions were filled by women, up from 13.6% in 2008. As well, 26.4% of supervisory positions (up from 24.7% in 2008) and 16.1% of management positions (up from 15.3% in 2008) were held by women. With a core strategic team in Central HR as well as representatives in organizations businesses worldwide, diversity and inclusiveness is an integral part of the organization. It has a vital part to play in underpinning its continuing success by ensuring attraction, recruitment, and retaining the best people- regardless of their gender, nationality or background. Local people fill senior management positions in every country we operate in. In 37% of countries, local nationals filled more than half the senior leadership positions, compared to 32% in 2008 Sources: BP (2010); Shell (2010); ExxonMobil (2010) 3. An Equality Plan BP has made a significant investment over a short period of time to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the organization. The diversity and inclusion team was reorganized in 2007 in order to shift ownership of diversity and inclusion to the line and embedded in the business to ensure alignment with organizational strategic plans (BP, 2010). This reorganization of the team paid dividends in the sense that the companys diversity and inclusion policy was a driving force in creating engagement in the workplace, changing leadership attitudes, improving performance representation statistics against competitors, and building pride and ownership among employees in different strategic performance units in the organization. To be more specific, in order to achieve desired results there should be a support for leaders and line managers with implementation of a framework that defines the strategy and priorities. The need of advancements or improvements on existing policies and the frameworks are imminent to achieve business goals and improve on diversity issues: Table 2 Diversity Inclusion Development and Maitenance Population Actions Leadership team Governance of diversity and inclusion strategy and periodical reviews of the progress. Ensure objectives embedded within operating business in every strategic performance unit. DI team Developing and proposing strategy, policy, and framework that advocates and supports diversity and inclusion. Cooperating with HR teams and external sources in order to be up to date with the policy and practices. HR team Serving as consultants and advising everyone involved to identify the critical DI areas in the organization that needs improvement. Leading various activities across the business to promote the equal opportunities. BP employees Everyone must take a part in helping the organization to tackle the diversity issues by taking responsibility for diverse behaviour and attitudes. It is essential to participate in creating inclusive working environment using all available tools and support. Having said that, I would like to concentrate on North Africa SPU populations gender equality and equal pay issues and provide recommendations on what can be done to improve situation and to be compliant with BP diversity model and policies: Table 3 Recommendation Costs Issue Target Recommendation Cost Equality in gender workforce Significantly increase the percentage of female employees in senior level jobs Aggressive external recruitment and local talent search via internal recruitment High costs external recruitment and headhunting can be very expensive since there is scarce pool of highly skilled women to fill in senior level positions Minimal costs local talent search via intranet, local recruitment database, and companies internal publications in every form and shape Equal pay across the levels and disciplines Ensure the pay reviews are according to equal pay act and not discriminatory among male and female workers To review the policy of Salary Review procedure and implement a equal pay process that would allow team leaders to have market data during the annual pay conversations Minimal costs internal policy review procedure, and up to line managers responsibility to be up-to-date of legalities Medium costs a market research, investigation new trends, time costs as well implementing, and communicating the new procedures (if any) Equal opportunities for career progression Increase the percentage of female workers in male dominated disciplines (for example geosciences and drilling) Professional development workshops and attractive internship schemes for university graduates Medium costs third party provided courses and development sessions Medium costs graduate recruitment campaigns, including task group time costs, competitive graduate packages to retain the best talents Culture change DI learning sessions / conferences To make aware BP population about internal issues and introduce to internal statistics Reiterate on importance of diverse workforce and how it could be change to achieve diverse working environment Minimal cost lunch and learn sessions, DI team monthly bulletins, presentations Medium costs external investigation or third party conferences and sessions about the different issues of DI On the other hand, some policies might not become a good practice and therefore organization could face a biggest obstacle- its own culture (Kirton and Greene, 2005). Having said that, it is important that organizations do not force the decisions and make the policy unnatural thing. Diversity and inclusion comes along with the culture and one changes another. So, in order to change the rules of the game in nowadays fast changing environment, organizations should come up with diversity audit to highlight the potential gaps. A Cost and Benefit Analysis It is important that leadership of the organization understands that companies that implement workforce diversity policies acquire an important benefits that strengthen not only long-term competitiveness in the market but also produce short and medium-term performance results (CSES, 2003). Therefore, a cost and benefit analysis is widely used to establish how well a planned action or new policy might turn out. The analysis always brings a results into monetary values, so the very important that a cost benefit analysis include all the costs and all the benefits in order to count the true value and establish if the new policy or new action plan is worth the money. On the other hand, companies in most cases gain positive non-monetary benefits. As Hubbard (2004) clearly explained the value of non-monetary benefits- loyalty of the staff, reputation of the organization, employer of the choice status, and etc. can not be transferred or measured into value of money. Also, the major benefit is that making employees and leadership to think critically and be explicit about the issues within the company that along with diversity and inclusion it brings new strategic choices like culture change. Would like to stress on the few diversity and inclusion initiative that BP already is working on, which is with no doubt puts organization in very positive place among the competitors and promotes business success by trying to minimize obstacles to inclusion: Affinity groups- typically form around ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disabilities, but groups that wish to focus on other important or relevant issues may be considered on a case by case basis, and BP as organization encourages and supports affinity groups working for business benefit (BP, 2010). To name a few, these include the African American Network, Asian American Network, Womens Network, Beyond Pride, BP Latino Network, Gray Matters!, and Working Parents and Parents-to-Be. Flexible working- organization always recognizes that flexible working arrangement is almost a part of the modern working environment and can enable it to retain and attract skilled staff and increase employee commitment and morale. And the most important- the flex-working scheme is an integral part of BPs diversity and inclusion agenda. There are more of these initiatives and groups that work towards developing diverse and inclusive workforce around the world, but of course, there are costs as well associated with the implementation of diversity policies in the organization. Let not forget the cash costs of compliance with laws on discrimination, as well as the investment into programmes that serves as implementation to change internal cultures in the way that the diverse workforce is recruited, retained, and developed (CSES, 2003). To reiterate more on proposed changes for North Africa SPU and diversity and inclusion strategies for BP company as a whole, over recent years, BP has implemented and managed a wide range of global and local diversity and inclusion training programs and initiatives to support employees in understanding diversity and building inclusive behaviors. As we could see that organization is treats the DI very importantly in order to stay in the leading position in the market, however there is plenty to do and enough work in progress.

Slave Narratives :: American America History

Slave Narratives The Middle Passage was almost inconceivable. Hundreds upon hundreds of Africans were abducted from their homes to go on boats to America. They were stacked like books on shelves in order to bring enough Negros for a profitable slave trade. The life on the boats on the way to the New World was so bad that the Africans preferred death to their gruesome future. The conditions on the boats were hellish. The slaves on the ships were packed like sardines and chained together. Among the gripping words that Olaudah Equiano, a slave abducted when he was just eleven years old, used to describe the Middle passage are hopeless, low, brutal, and wretched. The temperature in the disease- infested rooms was inconceivable. There was no fresh air for the Negro inhabitants. The feeling of shock and isolation only added to the sorrow and horror of the situation. Alexander Falconbridge, a surgeon aboard these slave ships, recalled that the "hot floor was covered with blood and mucus. It was like a slaughter-house." The sickening stench was great due to the loathsome filth from the pestilential heat. As Olaudah Equiano said, "sleep was the only [temporary] refuge." The dejection and despair of the circumstances caused many people to bitterly cry, shriek, and groan in inconceivable horror and fear. The savage cruelty of the slave traders and boat crew was ter rifying. The Negros were deprived of food and health treatments, and due to the crammed conditions this caused great waves of sickness and disease. These ships created an absolute hellish existence for the abandoned Africans aboard them. Although describable, the anguish of these people cannot be fully understood. The African's, due to these excruciating conditions, were completely and utterly terrified. During the slave trades, the noise and clamor was so frightening that many slaves attempted at running away in the tumult. On the boats, many people tried to jump overboard. Attempted suicide usually just increased the despair of the situation. Negros were punished for any attempt at escape or purposeful personal harm. If one did not eat, they were flogged until they ate the disgusting food. The slave traders expressed brutal cruelty to the slaves aboard the ships. They treated the Negros as if they were imported typical goods. They spent the least amount of effort and money in making the conditions aboard the boats tolerable in order to ensure a higher profitable outcome.

the good and bad of telecommuting :: essays research papers

The good and bad of telecommuting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Telecommuting may be the movement of the future, which will allow more people to work away from the office. Many people see telecommuting as a way to be close to home or allow them to be connected to their organization while working abroad. While telecommuting might work for some people, telecommuting is not for everyone. There are many disadvantages; as well advantages to telecommuting which most people do not take into account. When considering telecommuting, the advantages fall for both employer and employee. The same can be said about the disadvantages of telecommuting. Advantages of Telecommuting One of the main driving factors for any company is economics and how will telecommuting allow the corporation to be profitable. The primary saving for companies embarking upon the telecommuting concept is the reduction in the amount of office space required to conduct business. Telecommuting benefits the employer because they have an expanded pool of employees. The skills of employees with commuting difficulties, childcare conflict, disabilities, geographical barriers are made available to a telecommuting employer. Companies are now starting to expanding oversees where the labor price is cheaper for telecommuting. This however can be looked at as both an advantage to the employer, and as a disadvantage to the employee. The advantage of telecommuting for some employees can be invaluable. One huge advantage an employee has when telecommuting is flexibility. Telecommuting allows for increased flexibility to coordinate work schedules with personal and family priorities. Flexible working arrangements improve quality and work done (Dudman, 2001). Achieving a balance between work and personal duties can help individuals gain more control over their lives. Often overlooked is the impact telecommuting has on the environment. One great advantage for the environment is the conservation of energy. With a great deal of energy is required to produce a vast amount of transportation vehicles such as automobiles, buses and subways. The fuel required to operate these vehicles would be reduced. An employee also is also a great consumer of energy, once at an office, the office building has heating, cooling, and lighting needs. When magnified, the energy use can be great. Whereas working from home requires only a minimal amount of energy use for heating, cooling, and lighting needs. For every advantage, most of the time there are disadvantages associated with it. Disadvantages of Telecommuting One huge disadvantage that employers face with the use of telecommuting is losing direct control over the employees.

Love Conquers All in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path Essay -- Worn Path ess

Love Conquers All in A Worn Path      Ã‚  Ã‚   Love is a strong force. Love can make a person do strange and sometimes heroic things. Eudora Welty introduces us to Phoenix Jackson in "A Worn Path," a story about the love that a woman feels for her grandson. Through the actions of Phoenix Jackson, the reader learns that love can conquer anything. This theme is demonstrated through Phoenix's determination, her ability to overcome obstacles, and her reaction to the employees at the clinic.    Phoenix Jackson is an old woman. The politically correct term "elderly" does not accurately describe just how old she is. She does not see well anymore, she walks with a cane to assist her unsteady gait, and she occasionally imagines objects that are not truly there. Despite her age and the frailtie... ...strong. She makes this treacherous trip all the way into town to get his medicine so that he may live another six months, and she still has to make the journey in reverse to get it back home to him.    Work Cited Welty, Eudora.   "A Worn Path"   Literature and the Writing Process.   Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk.   5th ed.   Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1999.   363-368.

San Francisco: The City that Never Sleeps

Everybody knows the old saying that ‘you never really know a person until you live with them'. Well, this also applies to visiting other countries, because I have always had an idea in my head about what kind of city San Francisco would be. I have seen various pictures in holiday brochures of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf and of course, the famous Powell and Mason line Cable Cars. Not only is the city about the famous landmarks and sites everybody has heard of, to me it was about a whole lot more and I do not think that anybody truly knows a place until they have lived in the heart of it for more than two weeks. Regretfully, I only spent two weeks in the city, and I felt as though there was still plenty I had to learn about it. People always seem to associate the state of California with plenty of sunshine, hardly any rain and generally being a warm if not hot climate. I was no different. Therefore, when I stepped off of the aeroplane and felt a cold blast of wind as I walked through the courtesy tunnel, I was fairly shocked. I did not expect to feel the cold whilst I was in California, but that was just the beginning of unexpected things to come. In all honesty I should have begun my travels with an open mind, but I thought I knew what San Francisco would be like and through fault of my own I did not expect anything else. I had visited the United States on three separate occasions before I decided to embark on San Francisco and I had never actually travelled to the western coast of America so this was new territory for me. There is supposed to be a clear divide between the East and West coasts of America and thus knowing this, it was up to me to distinguish what these factors were. The fact that I had been to the country before certainly helped me a lot, especially at the airport. Many visitors from Europe who have not visited the United States before, would be alarmed at the amount of questions security ask whilst getting their passport stamped. This just goes to show that the American's do not just let anybody into their country and they have got to be certain that everybody who has not got a visa to live and work in the country has visited for recreational purposes only. I know that security has been stepped up since the attacks on September 11th, but when the passport control officer asked me, ‘Why are you visiting the USA? , ‘How long will you be staying? ‘, and ‘Have you visited before? ‘, it made me feel like a criminal for being in their country. At the time I felt like I had been interrogated for no reason, but looking back on it, I see that it was only for my increased safety whilst I was visiting that they had to ask those questions and they did ask everybody. Ever since I can remember, I have always thought it was only the English that constantly talked about the weather. I was not expecting to hear about it non-stop whilst I was in San Francisco. However, I soon found out the reason behind it; I was actually visiting the city in the hottest weeks it had ever seen, I could not believe my luck. The cold blast of air I had felt whilst stepping off of the plane must have been the air conditioning, I breathed a big sigh of relief as I realised that the California I had been dreaming of might actually become a reality. I had booked into a youth hostel for the first three nights of my stay and having never stayed in one before I really had no idea what it would be like. As soon as I realised the taxi had pulled up outside the hostel, I began to worry. It looked nothing like the pictures I had seen on the internet, it was situated in a desolate street and a man was sitting on the steps outside with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I honestly would have used all my spending money to stay in a respectable hotel for the rest of the trip if it had meant that I did not have to stay in the hostel. However, I was persuaded to give it a try for one night and I was given the chance to decide what to do after that. Keen to get out of the hostel I went for a walk on that first night to get an idea of how far we were from all the places I wanted to visit. To my horror, it seemed that nobody went for walks in the city, especially not at night anyhow. We were not staying far from Market Street, which is the main street in the city and it literally spans from one end of the city to the other and eventually ends at the Ferry Building next to the Bay Bridge. Having read about Market Street whilst doing my research, I was glad I was staying within walking distance, because that is the street where you can catch the streetcars and the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport), which is the equivalent to the London Underground. Knowing that I was within walking distance of all the major transport links made me feel better and I decided that the next day I would take the Cable Car to Fisherman's Wharf and see what that had to offer. The Cable Cars are the only vehicles of their kind still in operation and are considered to be National Landmarks. Travelling on a Cable Car was at the top of my list of things to see and do whilst I was visiting San Francisco, therefore it had to be one of the first things I did. Seeing the city the next day, when the sun was beaming and more people were walking the streets made all the difference. I just could not believe how many homeless people there were on the streets though, with all of their worldly possessions packed into a shopping trolley they wandered up and down market street begging for money. Compared to London and New York, it seemed to me that San Francisco had a serious problem with the amount of homeless people living on the city's streets. It was not until the end of my trip that I found out, that the council of San Francisco actually gives each and every registered homeless person four hundred dollars a month, so that they can afford shelter and food. Although, hardly any of the money the city gives them is actually spent of shelter and food, it goes on alcohol and drugs, which is not helping anybody. There has been uproar from the public about the situation and there have been many petitions to stop the council from giving the homeless any more money. I soon began to realise that even though I was in California, I was still in a city and all city's have their good parts and their bad parts, even more so the tourist attractions and the lived in areas. At that point I was ready to be a tourist with the rest of them, so I headed to Powell Street for a ride on one of the famous Cable Cars. It was a beautiful day so I sat on an outside seat and I did not have to fight for it and I soon realised why. I could not believe how steep the hills actually were, at one point we were so high up that I could see Alcatraz Island all the way at the bottom and the red cables of the Golden Gate Bridge just rising above the buildings in the distance. As the Cable Car descended down the hill, it went at a fairly high speed and I certainly felt the wind as it blew against us. The driver pointed out famous sites along the way, such as Chinatown on the right hand side, the famous Lombard Street as featured in many movies and then finally we came to our destination that was Fisherman's Wharf. Built in 1900, Fisherman's Wharf is the most popular tourist attraction in San Francisco. I was not disappointed in the least when I finally arrived. I think the smell of crab and other seafood delights probably hit me before I had actually reached the Wharf, but that was just part of the experience at being there. Fisherman's Wharf was heaving with tourists, it was an unusually hot day and it seemed as though everybody had had the same idea. I had not expected the place to be so big; there were so many different piers I was not quite sure which one to visit first. However, it was soon decided that we should visit the San Francisco museum at Pier 45, which was also home to the US submarine USS Pampanito. The museum was no ordinary museum, since it was made out to look like an old Victorian arcade. It was crammed full of old wooden machines that worked if a quarter was dropped in and once the money had been collected the machines would come to life, considering the age of the contraptions it was quite amazing that they still worked. Unfortunately the trip around the USS Pampanito was not scheduled for that particular day so we then headed on to Pier 39. This was a thoroughly modern area of Fisherman's Wharf and to me it seemed as if it had only been designed with tourists in mind. According to the guidebook, Pier 39 is San Francisco's number one attraction and I can actually see why the book would say this, since it certainly does have a lot to offer to keep both adults and children entertained. There were the usual boutiques and memorabilia stores and of course no American city would be complete without a famous Hard Rock Cafi, but the one thing that could have kept me entertained for hours was just around the corner. I could not believe my eyes when all I could see there in the water right in front of me was more than one hundred sea lions sunbathing on floating rafts. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, not even Sea World could compete with the sea lions at Pier 39. It seemed unimaginable that just a few hours previous and not even 5 miles away I had been alarmed by the amount of homeless people and street beggars, yet there I was staring at over one hundred sea lions housed within a small dock and I was not sure what surprised me the most. Being Saint Patrick' day the very next day, I prepared myself for a long day. I had heard on the grapevine that the American's love to celebrate on Saint Patrick's Day and I was certain that this one would not be any different. I think that the American people are very open-minded when it comes to culture, race and sexuality, but I found even more so in San Francisco. There are so many different cultures within the city and they even have designated areas of the city in which they live. The obvious one being Chinatown, but the North Beach area is home to many Italian-American's, the Castro area is renowned for its Gay and Lesbian scene, Ocean Beach is known for its Japanese culture and the Irish fit in anywhere in between. That is why it did not surprise me that on Saint Patrick's Day, a day that the Irish would be doing the most celebrating it would seem, the American's were doing their best to outdo them. After talking to many people who actually work in San Francisco, the current trend is to live elsewhere and travel into work each day. The most popular areas to live are either Oakland, which is over the eight and a half mile long Bay Bridge, or Sausalito that is in the other direction and across the Golden Gate Bridge. Having taken a trip over the Golden Gate Bridge and seeing the city from a different angle, I could certainly see why it might be tempting to live in the quieter towns and enjoy the hustle and bustle of going to work each morning. It was like entering a different country as soon as we had crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through Marin County. Even the weather had changed so drastically in that short distance; the temperature must have risen by twenty degrees Fahrenheit at least. We were heading towards the town of Sonoma and Napa Valley for some wine tasting, a far cry from the busy city that was San Francisco. Sonoma is regarded as the birthplace of California viticulture and the wine industry there is closely tied to the Spanish Missionaries that found San Francisco in 1823 and in fact it used to be the state capital for a while. The town itself was built around a square and it looked so clean and pristine, it was hard to comprehend that the city that never stands still was only forty miles away. Back on the road again and heading towards Napa Valley, I just sat there taking in the beautiful scenery, I really could not believe that a place could be so different. The divide between city and country really stood out in California and it was hard for me to decide which I liked the most. Just one main road went from Sonoma to Napa, with huge vineyards either side of the road it was easy to see why it was called ‘Wine Country'. The size of the vineyards amazed me; the plots of land and the size of their houses were huge. It really was something I had never seen before, well the English are not really well known wine makers so I suppose there has never been a chance for me to see it. A trip to Napa would not have been complete without a touch of wine tasting so our first stop was at the Sequoia Grove Ranch, a huge working ranch where you can pay five dollars for four tastes; two whites and two reds. The price of wine by the bottle anywhere in California is so expensive compared to England, even the Californian wine; therefore I did not make a purchase. The next visit was to the film director Francis Ford Coppola's ranch, named Niebaum-Coppola. The sheer size of this vineyard was one to blow you away, the elegance and style which pour out of the buildings is remarkable. It was clear that somebody extremely rich owned this vineyard and it was also a small museum in honour of the film director since there were a lot of exhibits in the hallway. Lots of memorabilia from his films were hung in cabinets around the galleries and this to me made the experience of wine tasting more exciting, just knowing I was visiting in Francis Ford Coppola's vineyard. It seems that the man has a lot to do with the state of California, obviously he has done a lot of work in Hollywood, but with his ranch in Napa and he has also shot one of his films in a downtown San Francisco diner which I visited later on in my trip. The film was called, ‘American Graffiti', and was about teenagers growing up in the rock and roll era, but some of the scenes were set in Mel's Diner on Mission Street, San Francisco. After leaving Napa we headed for the outlet stores. If there were something the American's know how to do properly, it would be shopping. Because, there in the middle of the countryside was a huge outlet shopping mall, with every brand name you could ever imagine at extremely good prices. I thought it was just San Francisco that was built around shopping malls and boutiques, but I was wrong, since even in the country they still have time to build a huge mall. That is what I found whilst being in San Francisco for two weeks, most American's do not like to stay at home, and they tend to go out more. Even after a day at work, it seems that they would rather go out for a meal than cook it at home and this was just the way of life for people in the city. Although according to some locals, American's do not walk anywhere they drive to their destination or they travel on the local transport system. Not me though, I walked everywhere and I did not see the problem with it, I thought at first it may be because of the people on the streets, but they were no problem to me. I decided that it must be because American's have got used to being lazy and taking the easy option, which in my view was probably more accurate. One thing was for sure; they certainly know good food when they taste it. That same night I headed into Chinatown for something to eat and I seriously could have been in China for all I knew, even the street signs were in Chinese. It was a very lively place, lights and noise wherever you turned. We were going to a restaurant called the ‘House of Nung Ho' and the food was supposed to be out of this world. Whenever I have been to a Chinese restaurant in the past, there has always been a candle of the table, knives and forks wrapped up in a napkin, but when I arrived at the ‘House of Nung Ho', I was not expecting it to be a cafi lit up with strip flourecsent lights. There was even a queue outside for this tiny back street cafi, a good sign I thought, but I was still a bit concerned that this was not the type of restaurant I had been expecting it to be. Once inside however, we had ordered our food and they cooked it right in front of me, with a bottle of ‘Tsingtao' Chinese beer in my hand, I was looking forward to the food. After talking with the owner, he pointed out a framed picture on the wall of Jamie Oliver, the English chef. He had visited the ‘House of Nung Ho' and had written a glorious review of the place in the local good food guide, and he was right, the food was delicious and it made me see that first appearances are not always what they seem. I am glad I decided to queue to get into the restaurant; it was well worth the wait. Unfortunately the good weather looked as though it had passed by the second week and it was clear that I was going to have to find something to do which meant that I would not be caught out in the rain. It had been suggested to me that I make a visit to the ‘Metreon', which is a Sony Entertainment Centre. Home to a twelve screen cinema, an IMAX theatre and several gadget shops and restaurants, it did not even seem possible that I had walked past the building many time not realising what it was. Set within the financial district of San Francisco, the building is fairly inconspicuous surrounded by huge skyscrapers. Yet, once inside the building it is not easy imagining how I missed it. Hundreds of people crowding around games consoles waiting to try out a brand new game, a mile long queue for the cinema and the IMAX theatre, the place was heaving. I had never seen a place so busy, yet from the outside the building did not look like anything special. Those that wanted to escape the hubbub that was going on inside the ‘Metreon', were sat quietly in the gardens that surrounded it. The Yerba Buena gardens provide tranquillity for the people who want to escape the noise of the city and just relax for an hour on their dinner break. I was beginning to see a likeness to New York within San Francisco, since the intercultural relations were more or less the same and Central Park offers New York the same sort of tranquillity that the Yerba Buena Gardens do to San Francisco. Yet, all the while that I was making these comparisons and finding similarities between the two, I found that San Francisco is far more relaxed and laid back than New York or any other city that I have visited. I do not know whether it is the people that live there or the way the city is governed, but for some reason laid back nature works for the city. Even the homeless make ends meet, they have their own community and get on with the life they lead, that is the one thing I wish had not bothered me if the first few days in the city. In the end I learnt not to expect anything during my trip, because it always turned out to surprise me and mainly in a good way. Previous visits to America had led me to believe that the American's were extremely fake and narrow minded, yet whilst visiting San Francisco I saw no evidence of that. Maybe that is where the east and west coast divide tends to lie, since many holidaymakers from Europe mainly visit the eastern coast of America because it is closer. Tourism brings in a lot of money to the United States from Europe and maybe that is why they try so hard in places like Florida and New York to make you feel welcome; but it just comes across as being too pushy and fake. However, a city like San Francisco with its open-mindedness to sexuality, race and religion was going to be entirely different from the beginning and it certainly was. The whole temperament of the city flows like the water around it, calm and gentle yet perhaps a little rough around the edges. Overall, If I could have changed my trip for the better, I would have become a commuter for two weeks and stayed across from the city and travelled in if and when I wanted to. However, I am glad that I stayed right within the heart of the city and witnessed the good things and the bad, yet most of the time there was hardly any bad. From what I saw of California, I liked very much and would not hesitate to go back at any given chance. I think it is important to see more than one aspect of a country and given the chance I would like to explore the state much more thoroughly, perhaps visiting Steinbeck Country and Yosemite Valley. With enough time and money I think if you really want to explore California it can be done, but finding the above is not easy unfortunately. I recommend that San Francisco should be on everybody's list of places to see before they die, it truly is a remarkable city and if its variety that you want, this place has it.