The Apology Of Socrates--Themes Death Sophists Ignorance Essays

The Apology Of Socrates--Themes Death Sophists Ignorance The Apology of Socrates In Athens between 429?347 B.C. a trail took place against Socrates where Plato made a speech in front of a council of 500 members. Plato wrote the Apology because Socrates was sentenced to death for dissuasion against state religion and corrupting young people. In the beginning, it seems like he is trying to split his accusers into two groups (old and new) to show that he has been accused many years of his life and the new accusers should be the only ones looked at because the old accusers did not appear in court. He was also allowed to cross-examine his accusers and make his own defense (Mack 502). Usually, at that time in Athens, the accusers say what they wanted the sentence to be and if it was death, it was natural for the accused to ask to be banished. However, he refused to disobey laws and already said that he did not want to live in another foreign country (Mack 499). Socrates focused mainly on themes of interest are ignorance, death and sophistry. Sophists were traveling teachers that sold their services to rich parents and promised to teach their kids important things that would help them advance in life. They are defined as ?men of wisdom? and that is exactly what Socrates tried to distinguish himself from (Allen 39-40). It seems that sophists can make humans great because there was an example given by Socrates that said ?if your two sons were colts and calves, we could get an overseer for them and hire them and he would be either a horse-trainer or a farmer (Allen 40).? Socrates denies the knowledge of having human excellence and claims to only have a certain type of wisdom and he never did charge for his services. So overall, Socrates identifies himself as an anti-sophist, although some of his techniques are suggestive of otherwise. The second most stressed theme would be the term ignorance. Socrates frequently confesses that he is ignorant (Allen 40-42). Socrates says that he only has ?human wisdom? and he claims that he knows that he is not wise: ?I know that I am not wise at all; what then does God mean by saying I am wisest In the oracle's saying, ?no one is wiser than Socrates (Allen 40-44).? Socrates knows that he is not wise and doubts what the oracle says and sets out to test it. He sets out to find someone that is wiser than he is. First, he went looking among the politicians and philosophers and then he found out that poets were the worst interpreters of their own writing and therefore was not wiser than he was (Allen 41-42). He finds someone who is wise and he thinks that the person is wise also but it turns out that the man was not wise at all and by unrevealing that he is not lead to a bad reputation and hatred of Socrates. Then he says that he is much wiser than the man is because he does not prete nd to possess much knowledge so in other words his wisdom lies in acknowledging his own ignorance. Socrates sums his theory up by saying that the oracle was right and that human wisdom is worth ?little or nothing (Allen 43).? The oracle intended to apply, not to Socrates, but to all men who knew that their wisdom is worth nothing (Allen 43). The third most stressed theme is death. This began with Meletus (second class of accusers) saying that Socrates is an atheist and he was corrupting the youth: ?I mean that. You acknowledge no gods at all (Allen 47).? Meletus goes on how that Socrates is an atheist and says, ?not when he says the Sun is a stone and the Moon earth? which means Meletus has confounded Socrates with Anaxagoras, which said these things (Allen 47). Therefore, Socrates put Meletus down and said no one should believe him and that Meletus probably cannot even believe in himself: ?You cannot be believed, Meletus?even, I think, by yourself? (Allen 47). Someone asked Socrates ?Are you ashamed that now you may be put to death? and he had a reply

theodore roosevelt essays

theodore roosevelt essays Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City in 1858, the second of four brothers and sisters. Although blessed with a quick mind he was not blessed with a strong body. He suffered from life-threatening asthma attacks throughout his childhood. Urged on by his father, Theodore began to build up his body by strenuous exercise, and by adulthood he had become a model of physical courage and toughness. This early example of his character was critical of the way he lived the rest of his life. He did not back down in the face of hardships, and he continually displayed remarkable physical and Partly because of a severe asthmatic condition, Theodore was educated by private tutors until 1876, when he entered Harvard College. Abandoning plans to become a naturalist, he developed political and historical interests and finished twenty- first in his class. Four months after his graduation in 1880, he married Alice Hathaway Lee, with whom he had a daughter. Bored by the study of law in the office of an uncle and at Columbia University, Roosevelt willingly gave it up in 1882 to serve the first of three terms in the New York State Assembly. Roosevelt's last term was spoiled by the sudden deaths of his mother and his wife within hours of one another in 1884. After this he moves to North Dakota to find himself and he looses his snobbery. He then moves back to New York and runs for mayor. He then went to London to marry Edith Carow, with whom he had four sons and a daughter. Roosevelt returned to New York City in 1895 to serve two years as president of the police board. Roosevelt resigned in the spring of 1897 to become President William McKinley's assistant secretary of the Anxious to prove himself under fire, Roosevelt resigned as assistant secretary of the Navy in April to organize the "Rough Riders". He took command of the unit in ...

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content ACT English Intro Shakespeare, you’re not (even if you do look good in those Elizabethan tights). That does not mean you can’t score well on the ACT English test. Trust me on this. Most of what you will encounter on the ACT English section of the exam is stuff you have done a million times in school. Sure, the format is different - you can get really tripped up on the paragraph spacing if you are not careful - but the content should be fairly easy for those of you who didnt fail out of all of your English and Language Arts classes. Read below for all of the ACT English Basics. And when you’re done getting the lay of the land, read through the ACT English strategies to help yourself before you test! ACT English Basics If you’ve read ACT 101, you know the following goodies about the ACT English section: 5 passages of text75 multiple-choice questions (fifteen per passage)45 minutesApproximately 30 seconds per question ACT English Scoring Just like the other multiple choice  sections, the ACT English section can earn you between 1 and 36 points. This score will be averaged with the scores from the other multiple-choice sections (Math, Science Reasoning and Reading) to get you your Composite ACT score. Youll also get your raw scores based on reporting categories that were introduced in 2016. Here, youll see how many questions you answered correctly in the  Production of Writing,  Knowledge of Language, and  Conventions of Standard English. They do not in any way affect your section or composite ACT score. Rather, they give you an indication of where you can improve if you should take the again. The English score is also tabulated with the Reading and Writing section scores to give you an ELA (English Language Arts) score. Like the   The average ACT English score is about a 21, but you’ll have to do much better than that if you’d like to hit up a top university for admissions acceptance – more like between a 30 and 34. ACT English Test Content As I stated previously, youll have three reporting categories scattered throughout the ACT exam. You will not see Production of Writing, Knowledge of Language, or Conventions of Standard English sections - that would be too easy! Rather, youll encounter these types of questions as you work through all five passages. Production of Writing (approximately 22 - 24 questions) Topic Development:  Identify the authors purpose Identify whether a portion of text has met its goalEvaluate materials relevance in terms of the texts focusOrganization, Unity and Cohesion:Use strategies to create logical organizationUse strategies to ensure a smooth flowEnsure effective introductions and conclusions Knowledge of Language (approximately 10 - 14 questions) Ensuring concision and precision in word choiceMaintain consistent styleMaintain consistent tone Conventions of Standard English (approximately 38 - 42 questions) Sentence Structure and Formation:  Ã‚  Identify misplaced modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, etc.) Fix run-ons, fragments and comma splice sentencesResolve problems with improper clause usage Correct  parallel structure.  Punctuation Resolve improper usage of  commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons,  quotation marks, etc.Improve the text with various punctuationUsageRecognize common problems with standard English usage.Revise common problems to improve the writing.      ACT English Test Practice There it is – the ACT English section in brief. Think you can pass this bad boy? If not, then you have some major preparation in front of you. The English section is not easy by any stretch. Sure, its stuff youve learned in high school, but it is also incredibly challenging if you havent really had very much grammar or punctuation practice in a while. If you want to get ready, try starting with the best ways to study for the ACT. Then, move on to the ACT English practice questions. Once youve mastered that, you can read  through these ACT English Strategies so you are doubly prepared!

Family socilogy (The influence of the family structure) Essay

Family socilogy (The influence of the family structure) - Essay Example Family has always played a vital role in ordering society and in determining life chances of various individuals. The word family holds different meaning for different people and used to symbolize many different views. Giddens defines the family as a â€Å"group of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume responsibility for caring for children†. By children he meant who are dependent on their parents for their livelihood; are aged under 16 or 17 and are in full time education. Till today families are responsible for the upbringing and nurture of children. They are the ones who provide not only love and care but also financial support to children. The main functions performed by the family is to teach a child discipline, judge between what is right and wrong and an acceptable behavior pattern. In this essay, we shall discuss to what extent is family central to the lives of children in Britain. Gordon Brown had expressed that family is the foundation on which our communities, our society and our country are built. However, it has been found in recent years that the traditional beliefs and values of families have undergone lots of social and economic changes. Earlier the foundation stone of families used to be love and care but today it has been replaced by looser and material needs of money and selfishness. These factors have led to the emergence of new types of families like lone parent families, step families, symmetrical families and cohabit families. (cited in Duncan & Phillips, 2008:1). The demographic transition in Europe started from the 1950’s and is still continuing today. Ansley Coale’s has described demographic transition â€Å"as a change from the traditional society in which high mortality and natality rates existed to an industrialized society in which natality and mobility are stabilized at low levels.† This transition has been the result of various social and economic changes such as urbanization, education levels, productive structure and secularization etc. The changes in the trends of life of people have brought about a major change in the way children perceive family in Britain (Pairo, 1997). According to Squire, a family structure changes with experience and life events as a child grows from childhood to adulthood. Every family functions in a unique way due to variations in household types, family structures and the division of domestic labor. Also the composition of the family is influenced by the social, cultural and economic characteristics of different ethnic groups. These factors affect the extent to which a family may or may not be central to the lives of children. Although all family structures are unique but they have one thing in common – they all provide emotional and mutual structural support to all children. A family helps to locate a child socially and thus act as one of the key socializing agents (Squire, 2003:60). A child’s happiness and healthy development depends on a large scale on the kind of relationship that exists between parents, grandparents and other caring adults in the family and most crucially among children and adults. According to research in 2008, 64 % of children live in married families with couples, 23% of children live in lone parent family and 13% live with cohabiting couples (Mapalthorpe et al., 2008:4).The research also reveals that marriage is not necessary for the successful running of the family but good relations matter. Also, 78% of individuals have agreed that it is not divorce that harms children but parental conflicts. According to the individualistic theory, families should become more liberal, with children having a say in important family decisions. Also, biological parents should provide parenting to their children lifelong which will help in their growth towards adulthood. However, research says otherwise –step fathe rs can equally take care and bestow love on them as compared to biological fathers. Traditionally family had been seen as

Wars in the Middle East past to present day Research Paper

Wars in the Middle East past to present day - Research Paper Example The Middle East is a core region that connects the three continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. In terms of conflicts, the Middle East countries have always had disputes that center on economics, politics, boundaries and religion. From the 20th century, there have been numerous conflicts that have always possessed the same theme. One of the first major conflicts relate to unification of Saudi Arabia (Tucker 34). This was a strategy whereby emirates and tribes could come under the single control of Al Saud. The conflict spread over a period of thirty years into creating the modern Saudi Arabia. This was the third state after the two previous ones. In this conflict, Al Saud conquered Riyadh and regions such as Al-Hasa and Nejd. Ibn Saud managed to take over Riyadh by killing the chief and capturing the castle. Similarly, the Egyptian revolution marked crucial occurrences of 1919. Sudan and Egypt participated into a revolt that sought to eliminate British rule from the region. This cont ributed to Egyptian independence and subsequent formation of a constitution. A temporary arrangement of British protectorate over Egypt lasted for an unexpected period. The agreement did not grant full sovereignty to Egypt and this resulted into further revolutionary activities. Egyptian strove towards political reform by having the 1952 revolution that eliminated the monarchial government (Tucker 803). One of the closely related revolutions relates to the 1979 Iran movement that uprooted the monarchy and established a new regime under Ayatollah Khomeini (Hoogland 11). The latest Asian conflict has been the famous Arab Spring. It has occurred in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Tunisia (Peters 33). In Western Asia, affected countries include Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. It is notable that Asian countries have enjoyed fair economic progress by initiating certain policies. Most of the Middle East countries rely on oil and irrigation oriented Agriculture for their economic growth and survival. In addition, the countries flourish in extensive trade. The political orientation of these countries has always relied in robust governments with immense powers. The immense powers rely on few think tanks that propose regular changes and economic direction. In addition, the leadership was mainly patriarchal and monarchial. However, this was perceivable to have fostered an autocracy. In spite of the economic progress, the capacity for democracy was increasingly becoming limited. The leadership had become autocratic and inflexible to initiating new regimes. This became a political issue whereby the citizens could not effectively vote for their preferred leaders. In this age of limited democracy, Middle East citizens were significantly gaining education in their countries and other places. This triggered a generational gap whereby the younger generation could communicate through intensive technology. In this perspective, many citizens, who were mostly youth, organi zed an extensive revolution as they strove to uproot the longest surviving autocracies. One of the most prominent border conflicts relates to India and Pakistan tussle over the Kashmir region. The two regions were separated due to religious disparity between the same. Almost all conflicts, between the two countries, have a basis over Kashmir (Paul 64). The first conflict that the two countries experienced relates to leadership dispute over the region.

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay Example for Free

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay A union is an organization of workers, acting collectively, seeking to promote and protect its mutual interests through collective bargaining. However, before we can examine the activities surrounding the collective bargaining process, it is important to understand the laws that govern the labor-management process, what unions are and how employees unionize. Although the current percentage of the workforce that is unionized has declined steadily, there are still many employees who feel that the workforce is primed for a positive response by employees to a new effort in organizing. The main reasons for union organizing are: higher wages and benefits, greater job security, influence over work rules, compulsory membership and being upset with management. Among various reasons why employees join a union, we see one common factor: management, specially the first-line supervisor. If employees are upset with the way their supervisor handles problems, upset over how a coworker has been disciplines, and so on, they are likely to seek help from a union. In fact, it is reasonable to believe that when employees vote to unionize, it’s often a vote against their immediate supervisor rather than a vote in support of particular union. CASE: In the provided case, the employees are upset with company since employer rolled out its plan to organize employees into teams, change job titles, work assignments and the pay structure. Beside that employees were told â€Å"this is how it will be. † I am working as the top HR Manager and have to deal with this situation. First of all I would learn some basic legal implications of union organizing. The legal framework for labor-management relationships has played a crucial role in its development. There are two important laws that have shaped much of the labor relations process. Wagner Act: Also knows as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, this act gave employees that right to form and join unions and to engage in collective bargaining. The Wagner Act is cited a shifting the pendulum of power to favor unions for the first time in U. S labor history. This was achieved, in part, through the establishment of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The Wager Act provided the legal recognition of unions as legitimate interest groups in American society, but many employers opposed its purposes. Some employers, too, failed to live up to the requirements of its provisions. Thus, the belief that the balance of power had swung too far to labor’s side, and the public outcry stemming from post-World War II strikes, led to passage of the Taft-Hartley Act (Labor- Management Relations Act) in 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act: Amended the Wagner Act by addressing employers’ concerns in terms of specifying unfair union labor practices. Realizing that unions and employers might not reach agreement and that work stoppages might occur, Taft-Hartley also created the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) as an independent agency separate from the Department of Labor. FMCS is a government agency that assists Labor and management in settling disputes. The Wagner and Taft-Hartley Acts were the most important laws influencing labor-management relationships in the United States, but there are other laws that influence the labor organizing. Specifically, these are the Railway Labor Act; the Land rum Griffin Act; Executive Orders 10988 and 11491; the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970; and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (discussed in previous module) is as relevant to labor organizations as it is to management. Title VII of the act is focused on this subject. In the provided case, it seems like there is already union getting into shape. The labor laws do permit us as HR Manager to defend ourselves against the union campaign, but we must do it properly. I would follow the following guidelines of what to do and what not to do during the organizing drive. * If your employees ask for your opinion on unionization (as my supervisor is asking me this question), should respond in a natural manner. For example, â€Å"I really have no position on the issue. Do what you think is best. * You can prohibit union-organizing activates in your workplace during work hours only if they interfere with work operation. This may apply to the organization’s e-mail, too. * You can prohibit outside union organizers from distributing union information in the workplace. * Employees have the right to distribute union information to other employees during breaks and lunch periods. * Don’t question employees publicly or privately about union-organizing activities- for example, â€Å"Are you planning to go to that union rally this weekend? but if an employee freely tells you about the activities, you may listen. * Don’t spy on employees’ union activities, for example, by standing in the cafeteria to see who is distributing pro-union literature. * Don’t make any threats or promises related to the possibility of unionization. For example, â€Å"If this union effort succeeds, upper management is seriously thinking about closing down this plant, but if it’s defeated, they may push through an immediate wage increase. * Don’t discriminate against any employee who is involved in the unionization effort. Be on eh lookout for efforts by the union to coerce employees to join its ranks. This activity by unions is an unfair labor practice. If you see this occurring, report to your boss or to HR. Company might slow want to consider filing a complaint against the union with NLRB. Keeping all the above points checked, I will also keep in mind that union organizing drives may or may not be successful, but when they do achieve their goal to become the exclusive bargaining age, the next step is to negotiate the contract or demands. Now, I’ll get myself ready along with my first line supervisors, for the next expected step: collective bargaining. This typically refers to the negotiation, administration, and interpretation of a written agreement between two parties that covers a specific period of time. This agreement, or contract, lays out in specific terms the conditions of employment that is, what is expected of employees and any limits to management’s authority. Although collective bargaining is mostly used in public sectors, however it is also common in private sector. My employees are upset because of three months old change; based on my supervisor’s comments I assume that union has been certified; I might come up with a new set of interpretation of this change between my management and employees. I will make sure that my management and the union must negotiate in good faith over these issues. I would follow the following collective bargaining process outline in order to resolve these issues: Preparing to Negotiate: Once a union has been certified as the bargaining unit, both union and management begin the ongoing activity of preparing for negotiations. We can consider the preparation for negotiation as composed of three activities: fact gathering, goal setting, and strategy development. Information is acquired from both internal and external sources. With all the collection of this background information in hand, and tentative goals established both union and management must put together the most difficult part of the bargaining preparation activities, a strategy for negotiations. This includes assessing the other side’s power and specific tactics. Negotiating at the Bargaining Table: Negotiation customarily begins with the union delivering to management a list of â€Å"demands. † By presenting many demands, the union creates significant room for trading in later stages of the negotiation; it also disguises the union’s real position, leaving management to determine which demands are adamantly sought, which are moderately sought, and which the union is prepared to quickly abandon. Real negotiations typically go on behind closed doors, each party tries to assess the relative priorities of the other’s demands, and each begins to combine proposals into viable packages. Next comes the attempt to make management’s highest offer approximate the lowest demands that the union is willing to accept. Contract Administration: Once a contract is agreed upon and ratified, it must be administered. Contract administration involves four stages: (1) dissemination the agreements to all union members and mangers; (2) implementing the contract: (3) interpreting the contract and grievance resolution: and (4) monitoring activities during the contract period. Providing information to all concerned requires both parties to ensure that changes in contract language are spelled out. The stage of contract administration is ensuring that the agreement is implemented. All communicated changes now take effect, and both sides are expected to comply with the contract terms. The most important element of contract administration relates to spelling out a procedure for handling contractual disputes. These contracts have provisions for resolving specific, formally initiated grievances by employees concerning dissatisfaction with job-related issues. As an HR Manager for a company with 1500 employees, who are quite upset with our management and are unionizing, I have tried to come up with a plan to resolve this issue. First of all, I gathered the legal data in this respect, I proposed some guidelines to avoid unionizing and last, I have discussed the plan in detail to resolve the issue in provided case. I would like to comment that although historically, the relationship between labor and management was built on conflict and the nterests of labor and management were seen as basically at odds-each treating the other as the opposition. But times have somewhat changes. Management has become increasingly aware that successful efforts to increase productivity, improve quality, and lower costs require employee involvement and commitment. Similarly, some labor unions have recognized that they can help their members more by cooperating with management rather than fighting them which is quite positive for both management and employees.

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - The True Villain :: Shakespeare The Tempest

The True Villain of The Tempest On June 2, 1609, five hundred colonists set out in nine ships from Plymouth in association with the imperial Virginia Company. It was the aim of this expedition to fortify John Smith's colony in Virginia. While eight of the party's vessels securely arrived at Jamestown, the flagship, called the â€Å"Sea Adventure† , was conspicuously absent. This ship --which carried the fleet's most valuable cargo, the admiral Sir John Somers and the future governor of Virginia Sir George Somers --was separated from the other eight during a fierce storm off the coast of Bermuda, the legendary Isle of Devils, dreaded by superstitious sixteenth-century sailors. William Strachey describes the tempest which precipitated the ship's "wracke" in a letter dated July 15, 1610: "a dreadfull storme and hideous began to blow from out the North-east, which swelling, and roaring as it were by fits, some houres with more violence than others, at length did beate all light from heaven; which like an hell of darkenesse turned blacke upon us, so much the more fuller of horror." The â€Å"Sea Adventure† was rebuilt on the island, which was not as menacing as the storm itself, and nearly a year later the ship rejoined the fleet in Virginia. By many, this was deemed a miracle. Some believe it was this shipwreck that prompted Shakespeare to write this political, yet comic play which involves usurpation, mockery, love, reconciliation and forgiveness. It all starts with Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, being banished by his brother, Antonio, who illegally usurps the throne. Basically, the first thing Antonio does in scene I is curse the boatswain: â€Å"Hang, cur, hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker, we are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.† This already suggests that Antonio is not the nicest of dukes. He is a very authoritative man, he need not do anything, he lets people do it for him. As the ship splits, he still curses the boatswain and does not get involved with the desperate attempts of the mariners to steady the ship. When they find themselves stranded on the remote island, all except Antonio and Sebastian see that which is good around them, Gonzalo remarks how their clothes are surprisingly clean. Antonio and Sebastian mock Gonzalo and the others for seeing good where they only sees rottenness and corruption. Their cynicism clearly show they do not agree, they mock them with witty word-play:

Csr Activities of Hul

VIRAJ TAMHANE _____________________________________________________________________________________________ HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED Meeting Everyday Needs of People Everywhere _____________________________________________________________________________________________ CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is rooted in its Corporate Purpose – the belief that â€Å"to succeed requires the highest standards of corporate behavior towards our employees, consumers and the societies and world in which we live†.HUL's CSR philosophy is embedded in its commitment to all stakeholders — consumers, employees, the environment and the society that the organization operates in. HUL believes that it is this commitment which will deliver sustainable, profitable growth. HUL’s key CSR initiatives are undertaken with a long-term view. Initiatives that are sustainable have long-term benefits and an on going business purpose linked to them is accorded priority focus.As early as in the 1950s, HUL focused on import substitution when balance of payments was an issue. Since the 1980s, most of HUL’s investments have been in designated backward areas and zero-industry districts, spreading industrialization. HUL has revived sick industries and has developed local entrepreneurship Furthering this rich tradition of contributing to the community, HUL is focusing on health ; hygiene education, women empowerment, and water management.In addition to these important platforms, HUL is also involved in a number of community support activities, like providing audio-visual packages for basic education in primary schools, education and rehabilitation of special or underprivileged children, care for the destitute and HIV-positive, and rural development. In recognition of these initiatives, HUL received the prestigious TERI-CSR Special Award for the year 2002-03 from The Energy and Resources In stitute (TERI). As is well-known, TERI, which was established in 1974, is world famous for its commitment to and initiatives in every aspect of sustainable development.Among HUL's major CSR initiatives are: PROJECT SHAKTI – Changing Lives in Rural India Project Shakti is HUL's rural initiative, which targets small villages with population of less than 2000 people or less. It seeks to empower underprivileged rural women by providing income- generating opportunities. Project Shakti also aims to improve the standard of living of the rural community, by providing health and hygiene education. In general, rural women in India are underprivileged and need a sustainable source of income. NGOs, governmental bodies and other institutions have been working to improve the status of rural women.Project Shakti is a pioneering effort in creating livelihoods for rural women, organized in Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and improving living standards in rural India. Project Shakti provides critical ly needed additional income to these women and their families, by equipping and training them to become an extended arm of the company's operation. Started in 2001, Project Shakti has already been extended to about 20000 villages in 196 districts in 11 States – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.The respective state governments and several NGOs are actively involved in the initiative. Project Shakti already has about 6200 women entrepreneurs in its fold. A typical Shakti entrepreneur earns a sustainable income of about Rs. 1, 000 per month, which is double their average household income. Project Shakti is thus creating opportunities for rural women to live in improved conditions and with dignity, while improving the overall standard of living in their families. In addition, it involves health and hygiene programmes, which help to improve the standard of living of the rural comm unity.The project's ambit already covers about 15 million rural populations. Plans are also being drawn up to bring in partners involved in agriculture, health, insurance and education to catalyze overall rural development. HUL's vision for Project Shakti is to scale it up across the country, covering 100,000 villages and touching the lives of 100 million rural consumers by 2005. LIFEBUOY SWASTHYA CHETANA – Health & Hygiene Education Lifebuoy Swasthya Chetana is the single largest rural health and hygiene educational programme ever undertaken in India.Its objective is to educate people about basic hygienic habits. It has been developed around the insight that people mistakenly believe â€Å"visible clean is safe clean†. The programme establishes the existence of â€Å"invisible germs† and the associated risk of infection. In India this is important, because diarrhea, caused by invisible germs, is the second largest cause of death among children below the age of 5. The project will help reduce incidence of such diseases, by raising awareness of preventive hygienic practices. The campaign has been divided into various phases.In the initial phase, a Health Development Facilitator (HDF) and an assistant initiates contact and interacts with students and influencers of the community, like village community representatives, medical practitioners, school teachers etc. A number of tools like a pictorial story in a flip chart format, a â€Å"Glo-germ demonstration†, and a quiz with attractive prizes to reinforce the message are used. The â€Å"Glo-Germ demonstration† is a unique tool to make unseen germs visible and emphasize the need to adopt hygienic practices. The first interaction with students is then replicated with the rest of the community.Subsequently, follow-up visits and communication are undertaken at periodic intervals which reinforce the message and learning’s. Started in 2002, the programme has as of now covered a bout 15000 villages in 8 states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra; it has already touched about 70 million people, imparting hygiene education to over 25 million children. The vision of this on-going project is to make a billion Indians feel safe and secure by focusing on their health and hygiene needs.FAIR & LOVELY FOUNDATION – Economic Empowerment of Women The Fair & Lovely Foundation is HUL’s initiative which aims at economic empowerment of women across India. It aims to achieve this through providing information, resources, inputs and support in the areas of education, career and enterprise. It specifically targets women from low- income groups in rural as well as urban India. Fair & Lovely, as a brand, stands on the economic renowned Indian women, from various walks of life, as its advisors. Among them are educationists, NGO activists, physicians.The Foundation is implementing its activities in association with state governments. In India, low-income families, albeit unwillingly, tend to discriminate against girl children, in providing opportunities for education and enterprise, because of resource constraints. The support provided by Fair & Lovely Foundation will help girl children avail opportunities of higher education and acquires skills in appropriate professions. Launched in 2003, Fair & Lovely Foundation seeks to impact the lives of women. This will be done through scholarships and enterprise initiatives.For career guidance, it seeks to touch millions of aspiring women and students in an ongoing programme, currently covering three states and all main metros in the country. GREENING BARRENS — Water Conservation and Harvesting HUL's Water Conservation and Harvesting project has two major objectives: a) to reduce water consumption in its own operations and regenerate sub-soil water tables at its own sites through the principles of 5R — reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and renew; b) help adjacent villages to implement appropriate models of watershed development.Water scarcity is one of the biggest crises facing India in terms of spread and severity. Water conservation and harvesting in HUL's own operations will help conserve and regenerate this scarce resource. An attendant benefit will be reduction in the consumption of energy that would have been spent in converting and using that water. The support to communities in developing watersheds will help in the economic development of areas adjacent to HUL sites. Water management is a focus area for all HUL factories. Water conservation has been made one of the key performance indicators of an HUL factory.Through a series of technology innovations and novel processing routes HUL has reduced its ground water consumption by over 50%. HUL has also applied technologies that recycle effluent water after treatment – 70% of HUL sites are now zero discharge sites. There are many other measures — Reverse Osmosis Plants and Solar Evaporation Ponds to name a few. A simultaneous benefit is saving in energy that otherwise would have been consumed in drawing, pumping or converting water into steam — HUL's energy consumption per unit of production has come down by 61% since 1996.Since 2003, all HUL sites have begun to harvest rain water. Rain water falling on factory premises is accumulated in ponds, thereby renewing sub-soil water tables. HUL is also committed to extending its efforts on water management to the larger community, and has engaged in community projects in water adjacent to manufacturing sites. The Khamgaon soap factory is located in a dry and arid region of Maharashtra and gets limited rainfall. Seven years back the factory started a pilot on ‘Watershed Management’ on a 5-hectare plot to prevent soil degradation and conserve water.The efforts have resulted in the creation of a green belt, which is the only visible green patch in the area. The 5-hectare green belt is now a veritable forest of about 6300 trees, including over 1400 ornamental plants and over 600 fruit- bearing plants. There has also been a remarkable improvement in the quality of soil, and significant conservation of water. This has been documented in a booklet, ‘Greening Barrens', so that industry, government bodies and communities adopt this widely.Encouraged by the results, HUL has extended the model to a neighboring village, Parkhed, in association with the TERI and the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation. The community at Parkhed has already constructed 37 check dams. More than 20,000 saplings have been planted during the 2003 monsoon. For the first time, villagers were able to collect water and utilize it for irrigation post monsoon. The initiative received appreciation at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.In association with an NGO, Vanrai, HUL's Silvassa manufacturing hub (in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli) too has embarked on a long-term project of water harvesting, which aims to dramatically change water availability, taking it up to year-round availability from 4 months at present. At Karchond village, near the Silvassa site, the community has built 18 bunds. Seven of them are on a river running through the village, and 11 smaller ones at different water run-off points. This has enabled the community to sow a second crop, thereby significantly increasing their incomes.Through an Integrated Village Development Programme, the project's ambit also includes alternate income-generating activities through SHGs, forestry management, education of children, nutrition. HUL's vision is to continuously innovate technologies to further reduce water consumption and further increase conservation in its operations. Simultaneously, HUL sites will progressively help communities, wherever required, to develop watersheds. HAPPY HOMES – Special Education & Rehabilitation Under the Happy Homes initiative, HUL supports special education and ehabilitation of children with challenge. ASHA DAAN The initiative began in 1976, when HUL supported Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity to set up Asha Daan, a home in Mumbai for abandoned, challenged children, and the destitute. Subsequently, Asha Daan has also become a home to the HIV- positive. The objective in supporting Asha Daan was and continues to be to share the origination’s prosperity in supporting the Mother's mission of serving the â€Å"poorest of the poor†.Asha Daan has been set up on a 72,500-square feet plot belonging to HUL, in the heart of Mumbai city. HUL bears the capital and revenue expenses for maintenance, upkeep and security of the premises. The destitute and the HIV-positive are provided with food, shelter and medication for the last few days of their lives. The needs of the abandoned challenged children are also met through special classes of basic skills, physiotherapy and , if possible, corrective surgery. At any point of time, it takes care of over 300 infants, destitute men and women and HIV-positive patients.ANKUR In 1993, HUL's Doom Dooma Plantation Division set up Ankur, a center for special education of challenged children. The center takes care of children with challenges, aged between 5 and 15 years. Ankur provides educational, vocational and recreational activities to over 35 children with a range of challenges, including sight or hearing impairment, polio related disabilities, cerebral palsy and severe learning difficulties. These physically and mentally challenged children are taught skills, such as cookery, painting, embroidery, bamboo crafts, weaving, stitching, etc. epending on their aptitudes. The center has rehabilitated 10 children, including self-employment for 6 children by providing them with shops, and 3 girls have been provided employment as creche attendants. It has also moved to normal schools 18 children. Since inception it h as covered about 80 children. Ankur received the Lawrie Group World aware Award for Social Progress in 1999 from HRH Princess Royal in London. KAPPAGAM Encouraged by Ankur's success, Kappagam (â€Å"shelter†), the second center for special education of challenged children, was set up in 1998 on HUL Plantations in South India.It has 17 children. The focus of Kappagam is the same as that of Ankur. The center has 17 children, being taught self-help skills, useful vocational activities like making of paper covers, greeting cards, wrapping papers, fancy stationery, and napkins, brooms made out of coconut leaves, candles, and also some home care products. About 12 of the children have become relatively self-reliant by earning through crafts learnt at the center. Since inception, it has covered about 28 children. ANBAGAMYet another day care center, Anbagam (â€Å"shelter of love†), has been started in 2003 also in the South India Plantations. It takes care of 11 children. Bes ides medical care and meals, they too are being taught skills such that they can become self-reliant and elementary studies. Over 20,000 individuals have benefitted from the Happy Homes initiatives since inception. HUL is wholeheartedly involved with all four centers and will continue to be involved in the future. Among HUL's other significant CSR initiatives are: YASHODADHAMHUL has reconstructed a village in the Bhachau Taluka of Gujarat's Kachchh district. The village, which has been named Yashodadham, was dedicated to its 1100 residents in December 2002. The residents belong to Nani Chirai village, which was completely wrecked by the devastating earthquake of January 2001. Yashodadham, spread over 25 acres, comprises 289 homes. HUL has also provided a school building, an exclusive playground for children and a multi-purpose community center, including a creche, health center, and community room and village administration office.All the structures are earthquake and cyclone-resist ant. Space has been left all along the village for parks and public squares, where villagers subsequently will plant trees. Each house is of 400 sq. ft. built-up area, with running water and electricity, in a 1600 sq. ft. plot. As desired by the villagers, the design and foundation of houses and the plot size is such that they have the scope to build extra rooms in the future. HUL has constructed both an underground reservoir and an overhead tank for water.HUL, which had launched immediate relief after the quake in areas adjacent to its Kandla Exports factory, subsequently decided to reconstruct a village, which was completely wrecked. The objective was to help a completely wrecked village, because such settlements had the greatest need for help. Forty such villages were inspected, around Kandla factory, and Nani Chirai was chosen. VINDHYA VALLEY In 2002, the company took up a project in Madhya Pradesh, which will impact the entire state's rural population.The mainstay of Madhya Pra desh's economy is agriculture. Prosperity thus means increasing the income of farmers and small town and village entrepreneurs engaged in agro-processing and cottage industries. This is where HUL is contributing its expertise. It has helped the state government create ‘Vindhya Valley', an umbrella brand, and support software for its marketing, manufacturing and distribution. The state government has been substantially investing every year to finance small town and village entrepreneurs.But the lack of marketing skills and market access denied them the desired success and eventually resulted in most of these ventures becoming unsustainable. The launch of ‘Vindhya Valley', with support software from HUL, is helping overcome the impediment. It is a truly unique and sustainable form of livelihood generation. This has resulted as of now in the establishment of 20 small units, based in rural areas, providing direct engagement to about 1000 families involved in the production o f spices, honey, papad, pickles, agarbatti etc.The success of ‘Vindhya Valley has been recognized by various state governments. HUL has recently begun work with the Karnataka Government in similar projects to improve the income and quality of life of rural communities. An umbrella brand, ‘Stree Shakti', is being created for Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The initiative will generate higher sales and higher returns for the SHGs. In its business operations and in its principles and practices, Hindustan Lever thus straddles the Indian corporate world, single-mindedly identifying itself with Indian aspirations and needs in every walk of life.

Berkshire Partners: Bidding for Carter’s Essay

1. Berkshire brought expertise in finding the right financing structure and operational and strategy related to the retail and manufacturing industry. Berkshire managers believed that the equity portion of a capital structure should be at least 25% to order to achieve the desired results as far as return and to show true commitment to the lending base. When determining the capital structure, they also seriously took into account such questions as: Is this the appropriate amount of leverage for a business of this type; what do the rating look like; how difficult will it be to get financing and what about financing costs? Once Berkshire had taken an equity position in a firm, Berkshire would help the firm management by prioritizing key objectives, improving organizational design, building a quality team of managers and aiding the integration process of a subsequent acquisition. Berkshire would add value up front with extensive due diligence, addressing opportunities for companies, and aligning strategically and building a strong relationship with management. Since Carter’s was an established business, they would receive a great deal of care and attention up front and then moderate to low oversight during the rest of the investment until exit. Berkshire also added value by exiting most of their investments by sale of a company instead of the typical IPO used by most private equity firms. Berkshire was more apt to facilitate an IPO in the middle of ownership with the intention of staying involved with the management and helping the company grow. Berkshire’s deep acquisition experience and familiarity with capital markets enabled very attractive financing to be put in place, as Berkshire solicited the views of a range of potential partners including Merrill, First Union, Lehman etc. in order to ensure the optimal financing structure. In addition, Berkshire had met with the Carter Management on two occasions and had a strong, open line of communication. Therefore, Berkshire should have a strong understanding of Carter’s goals. Ultimately, Berkshire used â€Å"internal and external resources to undertake a thorough planning process that both built a road map to guide management’s operating execution, but also served to coalesce the team around the significant potential inherent in the opportunities ahead of their company.† 2. Berkshire had developed a focus on â€Å"building strong, growth oriented companies in conjunction with strong equity incented management teams.† Carter’s was definitely financially strong as mentioned in the last question and growth orientated, as they recently diversified into the discount market for baby and young children’s apparel and were looking to move into the two to six year old playwear segments . They had shown success in a competitive, non-seasonal industry. Carter’s management team was disciplined and working to increase operating efficiencies by shortening development cycle and aiming to use 100% offshore sourcing in the near future. Management was also set on building on relationships with major customers (top eight wholesale customers represented 74% of wholesale revenue), and to continue to build profitable retail outlet stores. Berkshire liked the fact that Carter’s was a strong recognizable brand that could be leveraged across multiple channels and be viewed as a consumer products company. The only problem could be that Goldman Sachs was using a staple on financing structure. Berkshire felt this structure limited their ability to get an edge in the bidding process by bringing more creative financing deals to the table with Carter’s Investcorp wanted to exit the company in mid 2000 because they were at the end of a 5 year investing period and wanted liquidity in order provide quality returns for investors to set the stage for future financing. They could of went public (IPO) with Carter’s in 2001 but it would take over a year to exit the situation after the IPO and the IPO market was at a standstill. In addition, in summer of 2001 Carter’s was on the path to operational and financial success. From 1992 to 2000, the company increased revenue at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% with EDITDA increasing 22.1%. Since Carter’s was bought by Investcorp, the firm had a improved brand recognition, a lower cost structure, expanded into the discount channel with Tykes, and the movement of some manufacturing operations offshore to reduce cost. These improvements and Carter’s ability to weather economic swings made the company a attractive commodity among financial buyers.

Types of Spooky Unusual Plants

Types of Spooky Unusual Plants Have you ever heard of white ghost or vampire plants? Plants are amazing organisms. They are able to create their own food through photosynthesis, and provide food for millions of other organisms. Plants may seem dull to some, but here are a few that I think are interesting and even kind of spooky. They are living proof that plants are not just boring old green things that grow in the ground. Lets start with a plant that has a built-in first aid kit. Bandagers Milkweed is so named because of the milky white juice that seeps out when the plant is broken off or cut. When the juice dries, it serves as a bandage covering the exposed area. The juice is also important because it acts as a poisonous deterrent to any insects that might try to feed on the plant. One exception is the Monarch butterfly which is immune to the effects of the poison. Milkweed plants are the only plants young Monarch caterpillars will eat. Chokers Strangler Figs get their name because they actually choke the life out of their host. They are found in tropical rainforests around the world. They grow from the top to the bottom of a tree with the help of animals. For example, a bird may drop a fig seed on the branch of a tree. Once the fig plant starts to grow, it sends its roots to the ground, which then anchor into the soil and completely surround the tree. Eventually, the host tree will die because it will no longer be able to get enough water or food. Deadly Nightshade Deadly nightshade plants, sometimes called devil’s berries, are named so because they are very toxic and deadly. The toxins from these plants can cause delirium and hallucinations. Their poison can also be fatal as it only takes consuming a few berries to kill a human. The berries from this plant were once used to make poison-tipped arrows. Dolls Eyes Dolls eyes plants are very unusual looking plants with berries that resemble eyeballs. While the entire plant is poisonous, eating berries from this plant could lead to cardiac arrest and death. Dolls eyes berries contain toxins that sedate cardiac muscles and can stop the heart. Birds however, are immune to the plant poisons. VampiresDodder plants attach to their host and suck off food and water. Dodder seedlings send out stems that search for other plants. Once a host is found, the dodder will cling to and penetrate the stems of the host. It will then grow and remain attached to its victim. Dodders are considered harmful parasites because they often spread plant diseases. Werewolf Plant Wolfsbane, also known as devils helmet, is an extremely toxic plant. Poisons from this plant at one time were used in hunting animals, including wolves. The toxins are quickly absorbed through the skin. Wolfsbane was also thought to ward off werewolves. White Ghosts Indian Pipes are tubular shaped plants with white flowers. The white color of the plant gives it a ghostly appearance. They grow in shaded places and receive all of their food from a fungus that lives in their roots.

Key Facts About the War on Drugs

Key Facts About the War on Drugs What Is the War on Drugs? The War on Drugs is a general term used to refer to the federal governments attempts to end the import, manufacture, sale, and use of illegal drugs. Its a colloquial term that does not refer in any meaningful way to a specific policy or objective, but rather to a series of anti-drug initiatives that are vaguely directed towards the common goal of ending drug abuse. Origin of the Phrase War on Drugs President Dwight D. Eisenhower began what The New York Times then called a new war on narcotic addiction at the local, national, and international level with the establishment of an Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics on November 27, 1954, which was responsible for coordinating executive branch anti-drug efforts. The phrase War on Drugs first came into common use after President Richard Nixon used it at a press conference on June 17, 1971, during which he described illegal drugs as public enemy number one in the United States. Chronology of Federal Anti-drug Policy 1914: The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act regulates the distribution of narcotics (heroin and other opiates). Federal law enforcement will later incorrectly classify cocaine, a central nervous system stimulant, as a narcotic and regulate it under the same legislation.​1937: The Marijuana Tax Act extends federal restrictions to cover marijuana.1954: The Eisenhower administration takes a significant, albeit largely symbolic, step in establishing a U.S. Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics.1970: The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 establishes federal anti-drug policy as we know it. Human Cost of the War on Drugs According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 55% of federal prisoners and 21% of state-level prisoners are incarcerated on the basis of drug-related offenses. This means that over a half million people are presently incarcerated as a result of anti-drug laws- more than the population of Wyoming. The illegal drug trade also sustains gang activity, and is indirectly responsible for an unknown number of homicides. (The FBIs Uniform Crime Reports describe 4% of homicides as being directly attributable to the illegal drug trade, but it plays an indirect role in a much larger percentage of homicides.) Monetary Cost of the War on Drugs According to the White Houses National Drug Control Strategy Budgets, as cited in Action Americas Drug War Cost Clock, the federal government alone is projected to spend over $22 billion on the War on Drugs in 2009. State spending totals are harder to isolate, but Action America cites a 1998 Columbia University study which found that states spent over $30 billion on drug law enforcement during that year. Constitutionality of the War on Drugs The federal governments authority to prosecute drug-related offenses theoretically stems from Article Is Commerce Clause, which grants Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes- but federal law enforcement targets drug offenders even when the illegal substance is manufactured and distributed only within state lines. Public Opinion Regarding the War on Drugs According to an October 2008 Zogby poll of likely voters, 76% describe the War on Drugs as a failure. In 2009, the Obama administration announced that it would no longer use the phrase War on Drugs to refer to federal anti-drug efforts, the first administration in 40 years not to do so.

White Privilege (Compare and Contrast) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

White Privilege (Compare and Contrast) - Essay Example The concept of white privilege has remained a contentious subject of academic discourse within critical race theory and the focus of this paper is to compare and contrast the different perspectives pertaining to the concept of white privilege with specific reference to Tim Wise’s â€Å"This is Your Nation on White Privilege†, Blanche Curry’s â€Å"Whiteness and Feminism†; Joy James’ â€Å"maintaining and Kicking White Supremacy†; Peggy McIntosh’s â€Å"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack†, and Tiffany Joseph’s â€Å"Why don’t you get somebody new to do it† Race and cultural taxation in the academy. It is submitted at the outset that the underlying common thread between these academic commentaries is the acknowledgement of the theoretical concept of white privilege as a symbol of inequality between the opportunities and advantages accorded to white people in contrast to non-whites within the Ame rican social construct. For example, whilst using different narrative perspectives, both Wise and McIntosh highlight what they appear to believe is the undisputed reality of white privilege in America. McIntosh uses subjective experience to refer to the distinct advantages she has in the workplace in comparison to her African American counterparts: â€Å"39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race... 43. I can have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem† (McIntosh 4). Similarly, Wise refers to the distinction in racial perceptions being directly attributable to the concept of â€Å"white privilege† by using a listing technique for emphasis similar to McIntosh. For example, Wise comments that â€Å"white privilege is when you can call yourself a â€Å"fuckin’ redneck... talk about how you like to â€Å"shoot shit† for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible all American boy....rather than a thug† (Wise). However, whilst these commentaries seek to highlight the concept of white privilege and its impact on the perception and stereotypes within the American social paradigm; some of the commentaries seek to go beyond pre-existing assumptions regarding white privilege within critical race theory by evaluating the white privilege paradigm through a contextual approach. This is particularly evident with Curry and Joseph’s contextual analysis of the overriding influence of white perspectives in seminal aspects of academic discourse. For example, on the one hand Wise’s somewhat sarcastic take on the concept of white privilege highlights the fact that racial inequality permeates social assumptions and preconceptions in American society in particular (Wise). On the other hand, Curry’s discussion of white privilege undertakes a contextual approach with specific reference to developments in feminism and feminist theory to highlight how the dominanc e of the white perspective in feminist theory ignores important female perspectives which are imperative to a comprehensive and representative model of feminist theory (Curry 243). Moreover, Curry argues that the concept of feminism is intrinsically linked to the subjective experience and as such, the cultural experience is important in the continuous development of feminist theory. Curry suggests that the dominance of white privilege within America’s social history means that the pre-existing discourse on feminism and feminist theory has developed with a white bias that ignores other cultures (Curry 244). For example, Curry highlights the point that whilst there is a â€Å"known and populist version of feminism†, she suggests that the dominance of accepted feminism theory being white has led to â€Å"deja-vu† marginalisation, which in turn undermines the weight accorded to