Barack Obamas 2007 Border Protection Paper

Barack Obamas 2007 Border Protection Paper Free Online Research Papers One of the purposes of the United States’ border policy is to protect the citizens of this great country from non-citizens who intend to harm or acts of violence against those within its borders. The main goal of this policy is to know, at all times, who is inside the massive national borders that stretch all the way from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, covering thousands of miles of land. About one million immigrants arrive in the United States legally every year. Yet every year there are also an estimated 800,000 people who enter this country illegally, or illegally overstay their visa (â€Å"Immigration and the Border† par. 4). This means that nearly one out of every two immigrants that are in the United States is here illegally. There is basically no record of where they are and what they doing here. This could potentially have a tremendously negative effect on what the United States is so proudly known for: a strong economy, a safe home for its citizens, fair and equal employment, and a free people. With so many illegal aliens within our borde rs, it is unclear how safe the American people really are since it is unclear what these alien’s intentions are in the United States. The United States currently has a very poor immigration policy that is in desperate need of a change. Particularly, The United States needs to reform its border protection policy under the plan of presidential candidate Barck Obama in order to create safer borders for its citizens. There are many problems with how the United States is currently protecting its borders. One major problem is a very poor surveillance system along its boundary line, especially along the southern border. A critical network of cameras and sensors installed for the U.S. Border Patrol along the Mexican and Canadian borders has been hobbled for years by defective equipment that was poorly installed (â€Å"GSA sees problems in border monitors† par. 1). This is a huge problem which United States officials call crucial to defending the country against terrorist infiltrators, which are often illegal aliens (â€Å"GSA sees problems in border monitors† par. 2). As part of a sweeping intelligence bill passed in December (2005), Congress suggested to nearly double the size of the Border Patrol by adding 10,000 agents over five years. The agency has about 11,000 agents; 90% work along the southern border with Mexico (â€Å"2,000 new border agents arent part of the budget, Ridg e says† par. 3). But without the proper surveillance, is becomes extremely difficult, no matter how many border agents there are, to monitor the almost 2,000 miles of United States-Mexican border. This does not include the almost 2,000 miles of coastal borders and 4,000 miles of Canadian borders, which also have similar, yet less troublesome, surveillance issues. There is simply too much land to cover by manpower alone. The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is in desperate need of new technology and more patrol agents. President George Bush’s administration announced a plan to reform current immigration and border policies on August 10, 2007. His administration made known their plan to have a series of reforms to address current immigration and border problems, such as the abundance of illegal aliens in the United States. One of President Bush’s plans in the announcement was to add 370 miles of fencing to the currently 86 miles along the borders of the United States (â€Å"Comprehensive Immigration Reform† par 3). This is simply not enough fencing to adequately protect the American citizens. In fact, adding 370 miles of fence will still leave almost 1500 miles of the United States-Mexican border unfenced, and thousands more unfenced along the United States-Canadian border. This nation cannot take the risk of having so much of the northern border unprotected by the fence. There needs to be sufficient fencing around all borders of the United States, no matter which country the border is shared with. Another one of President Bush’s border control plans announced in August 2007 was to increase the number of border agents to 18,500 by the end of 2008 (â€Å"Comprehensive Immigration Reform† par 3. The idea of adding more border agents seems good at first, but in reality is not. Adding almost 6,000 more border agents to the current ones in about one year’s time will only give the United States 6,000 more ways to waste money. It takes a great deal of time to train border agents. Border agents undergo a rigorous application and hiring process that includes drug screenings, fitness tests, and on-the-job instruction. Rushing to interview, hire, train, and employ 6,000 agents in a year will only make things more complicated because the new border agents will not fully understand the tasks and duties of their job. President Bush’s administration should take another look at what truly needs to be done to protect the American people. Since their August 20 07 announcement, there have been few changes or proposals by President George Bush for the reform of current immigration and border policies. In fact, President Bush’s primary website, www.whitehouse.gov, has not seen an update in the immigration portion since the day he announced a plan for amending the current border control situation. There needs to be a change in the leadership of our country. Barack Obama is the man that will steer the United States back on the right track of a safe home for all its citizens. In an online article published by Senator Christopher Bond on October 18, 2001, he writes, â€Å"While nine of the 19 suspected (September 11th) terrorists apparently came to this country legally, three others stayed here beyond their visa deadlines. Six other terrorists somehow entered this country without leaving any records behind them† (â€Å"Safer Borders† par. 2). People are getting into the United States too easily. Almost half of September 11, 2001, terrorists were illegal aliens. It seems impossible that out of 19 immigrants coming into this country, nine were here illegally. And of those nine illegal aliens, our government has no idea how six of them entered the United States. These illegal aliens later went on to deploy the largest terrorist attack ever on American soil. If the United States had a better immigration policy that included a plan for safe and protected borders, thousands of Americans might still be alive today. Senator Barack Obama plans to run for United States President in 2008 with a primary goal of reforming the outdated and insecure immigration and border policy. The national borders are less secure than ever. More than a million illegal immigrants have slipped into the United States in the past few years, raising the total in the country to 7 million (â€Å"INS: 7 million illegal immigrants in the United States† par. 1). Illegal aliens create uneasiness in the back of American’s minds after the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. This is because American people wonder why, exactly, are immigrants here illegally in the first place. Besides the law-abiding aliens that simply overstay their visa, why exactly would one want to enter this country illegally if one was only here for perfectly legal actions? It is this feeling of being unsure that worries Americans. Barack Obama is exactly what the American people need right now. He is a strong leader with a plan in mind to secure our national borders and prevent an unsafe country. His plan includes adding additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border, as well as having additional Customs and Border Protection agents equipped with better technology and real-time intelligence (â€Å"Immigration and the Border† par. 2). His plan will restore the United States to the safe and secure nation it once was. In a speech given by Barack Obama to the Senate on May 23, 2007, he says, â€Å"To fix the (immigration) system in a way that does not require us to revisit the same problem in twenty years, I continue to believe that we need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace.† (â€Å"Senator Obama’s Senate Speech on the Immigration Reform Bill† par. 8). Barack Obama’s plan for improvement along the border is one that will be long-term and beneficial for many years to come. As mentioned, he does not want to visit the same immigration and border control problems twenty years from now. Hiring and putting to work 6,000 border control agents in one year is exactly the type of situation Barack Obama is trying to avoid. If the United States does attempt to interview, hire, train, and employ 6,000 border control agents in that time as President Bush wants, they can expect to be revisiting the same border problems many years down the line because the empl oyees will not be adequately trained or have enough field experience to understand how to fully protect the borders. Barack Obama knows that rushing to get border control situation fixed is not the best way to do things. Fixing major problems like border protection takes time. He knows that using careful planning and strategic ideas in regards to the border will give the citizens of the United States what they want and need: stronger national security. In fact, increasing enforcement along the border is just one of Barack Obama’s many ways of improving national security. Another way Barack Obama is going to improve national security is by adding additional infrastructure along the borders of the United States. He plans to add additional fencing along the nation’s boundaries, but in a way that suffices the immediate needs of the American people, unlike President Bush’s plan. One of Barack Obama’s key plans to improve border control, if elected president, is to take immediate action on the United State’s first line of defense: its protective fencing. While in the Senate, he voted to construct a 700-mile fence along the United States-Mexican border and continues to suggest more fencing along other areas. Barack Obama understands that fencing is the first line of offense against any unwanted illegal aliens that could possibly want to enter the United States and cause harm to the American people. Protective fencing keeps people from simply walking across the border into this nation and doing whatever they please. It, inst ead, forces people to go through Customs and legally cross borders. United States Customs does not allow the transfer of guns and drugs across borders, furthermore protecting its citizens. As the single unified border agency of the United States, the Customs and Border Patrol mission is vitally important to the protection of America and the American people (â€Å"Mission† par. 2). Without adequate protective fencing, the ease of entrance into the United States notably increases. Yet another part of presidential candidate Barack Obama’s plan to improve border safety is to increase how technology is used in protecting the United States. As mentioned previously, there are many problems with outdated technology that border patrol is using. The surveillance cameras are often defective or poorly installed. If under our current border safety practices we do not have enough agents patrolling the national borders, or long enough fencing, the only thing that could help the protect the American people from illegal intruders into the United States in technology, such as surveillance cameras and motion sensors. So what is the last line of defense? There is none. Simply put, technology is one of the greatest weapons against unwanted illegal aliens entering this country. Technology can do things human beings cannot. Such as operating twenty-four hours a day seven days a week and see in the dark during the blackness of night. Barack Obama will increase push for advancements in technology to be used by border patrol agents (â€Å"Immigration and the Border† par. 2). Under his plan, technology will be one of the primary defenses against illegal aliens. For example, surveillance cameras will inform border patrol agents of any suspicious activity and motion sensors will surface any attempts for an illegal underground border cross. However, there is much room to improve on since the current technology system is so poor and has become obsolete under President Bush. Barack Obama has a solid plan for reforming the current border protection plan. He understands it will take time, patience, money, and support of all the American people. However, he is clear and concise about how he will improve the United State’s borders. He is a strong leader with a great plan in mind to secure our national borders and prevent an unsafe country from becoming even more dangerous. His ideas of adding additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border, as well as having additional Customs and Border Protection agents equipped with better technology and real-time intelligence is precisely what needs to be done to improve on the safety of Americans. The citizens of the United States are scared about who is coming and going from their country because they know that the attack on America September 11, 2001, could have been prevented with stronger border protection policies. Since that tragic day, few things have changed. There are still almo st 800,000 immigrants illegally entering this country every year. New leadership is needed. A nation as strong as the United States should not have citizens living with fear for their own safety. This is why having an uncompromising, yet personable and compassionate leader like Barack Obama will only do good things. His plan is long-term, smart, and obtainable. There are many things the current border protection policy needs to have changed. The wellbeing of the United States is at risk, and Barack Obama should be leading it to a safer, more protected society with his border protection reform plan, starting the fall of 2008. Research Papers on Barack Obama's 2007 Border Protection PaperAmnesty For Illegal Immigrants Yes or No?Obama vs. McCain History EssayThe Obama Presidency EssayMr. Obama and IranMy Air force EssayCombating Human TraffickingGovernment Funding EssayThe Rise and Fall of Napoleon BonaparteHistory of American Policing EssayThe Equal Rights Amendment

Friendship According to Rowson and Brown †Literature Essay

Friendship According to Rowson and Brown – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers Friendship According to Rowson and Brown Literature Essay Friendship, according to some literature of the late 1700’s, seems to serve as a reprieve to those in need of advice or comfort, and as a duty for those who are able to give either. Friendship offers a salvation to those who do not know which way to turn when it comes to love and life, as well as those with any number of faults or problems who need help in making important decisions and someone to turn to when they are facing complications in life. The importance of friendship and support among women is explicitly demonstrated by William Hill Brown in The Power of Sympathy, Susanna Rowson in Charlotte Temple, and Charles Brockden Brown in Ormond. As each of these authors demonstrate, alliances and love shared between women are essential for the survival, and for the happiness, of women at a time of such revolutionary change. Friendship in Brown’s The Power of Sympathy is exhibited as the source of advice and intelligence. In her letters to her friends Myra and Harriot, Mrs. Holmes constantly gives advice against the wiles of men and the dangers of seduction. Mrs. Holmes attempts to warn her friends against the dangers of naivetà © and to promote the power of education, telling them to keep their innocence and to recognize the importance of learning. She also attempts to warn Harriot of the dangers of her relationship with Harrington, eventually telling Harriot of her sibling connection with Harrington when her subtler endeavors fail. Mrs. Holmes takes it upon herself to tell the truth when it comes to the good and protection of her friend Harriot, revealing the truth no matter how much it pains her to do so. In this way, Brown demonstrates how friendship can serve as a resource for women, as a forum for advice and for the truth. Mrs. Holmes takes her duties as a friend to these women seriou sly and warns them against the dangers they are up against, even though the outcome is not to be desired. In this instance, as well as in others found in literature of the time, friendship is a source of protection, and will be essential when it comes to survival and pleasure in life. True friendship is emphasized as the only type of relationship women should place faith into in Rowson’s Charlotte Temple, and is illustrated as an element of one’s life which can either aid or ruin a vulnerable woman during her time of need. Friendship has the opportunity to save a broken woman or to lead her into misery, the latter of which is illustrated in Charlotte’s relationship with Mademoiselle La Rue. La Rue takes advantage of Charlotte’s trust in her friendship by using her as a ticket out of England. La Rue does not protect or advise Charlotte in a manner beneficial to her situation, but instead places Charlotte at risk, harming her and serving as an example of a woman not doing her duty as a friend. In this instance, friendship does not work the way it is supposed to, and has devastating effects for Charlotte. However, La Rue’s false friendship does not go unpunished, as she eventually ends up in misery, devastated as a result of he r scheming. Had she been a friend the way Rowson and other eighteenth-century authors believed a woman should have been, La Rue could have protected Charlotte or warned her to stay away from Montraville. Perhaps then, La Rue and Charlotte would have encountered much happier endings. Through La Rue’s actions and eventual failure and misery, Rowson bestows on her readers a lesson of the importance of friendship, showing the ill-effects that can arise when friendship is not used correctly. The good consequences of friendship are demonstrated in Charlotte Temple through Charlotte’s other real friendships, which she eventually finds in America. Charlotte’s friendship with her neighbor, Mrs. Beauchamp, serves to sustain her during her lonely days outside of New York, and brings her an ounce of happiness at a time when she has little else to live for and when everyone else seemed to have forsaken her. Mrs. Beauchamp is there to lift Charlotte’s spirits, and she is willing to help her in any way she possibly can. In fact, if Mrs. Beauchamp had been around when Charlotte is forced to leave her home, she could have undoubtedly given her the reprieve she needed and prevented the despair and fatigue which eventually kills her. Mrs. Beauchamp could have saved Charlotte’s life. Friendship could have had the power to save Charlotte’s life. The saving power of friendship is demonstrated in Charles Brockden Brown’s Ormond as well. Constantia has a healing effect on Helena when she is in most need of a friend, and she even goes so far as to appeal to Ormond to marry Helena to save her reputation and her happiness. Undoubtedly, Constantia’s friendship serves to raise Helena’s spirits, keeping her from her melancholy fate as long as possible. Although Helena eventually ends her life, it is not Constantia who causes such a dire even to happen; Constantia can not even fathom a relationship with Ormond which would come between him and her friend Helena. All Constantia desires is to help her friend, and she does so by offering her kindness, advice, and help when it is most needed. Again, friendship is a place for a woman to turn, and serves as a bright spot in an existence which in this case is full of misery. Even though her friendship could not prevent Helena’s death, Constantia is there to m ake her life better and to offer her protection and love for a short time. The success of friendship as protection and reprieve is also demonstrated in Ormond, through the friendship between Constantia and Sophia. The devotion between Constantia and Sophia is demonstrated over and over in Ormond, and Sophia’s concern for the welfare of her friend continues to be proven throughout the later section of the work. Through the relationship between the two, Brown seems to be supporting the idea that it is up to women and their concern and care for each other to serve as protectors and sources of aid and advice for each other. Not only do Constantia and Sophia derive enjoyment from being in each others’ company, but in the end of the work, Sophia comes to Constantia’s aid when she is locked in the mansion. Sophia goes to every extreme to protect Constantia from the malice of Ormond, hurrying to her side when she suspects or senses any danger and being there for her when she is in need. Sophia even travels across the ocean to find her frie nd, yearning to help her when hearing of Craig’s betrayal of Constantia’s family and her and her father’s poverty and bad luck. While Ormond offers Constantia nothing but threats and more sorrow, Sophia sacrifices her time and safety in order to help her friend. At a time when Constantia has no where to look for help, at least emotionally, she has a friend to count on, demonstrating that friendships between women are the best source of support among women. Again, friendships between women are expressed as the answer, as the haven for protection, advice, and happiness. As men in these works continued to seduce and hurt women, it is up to women to bond together to offer each other the companionship and love they may otherwise lack. The authors of these works seem to be supporting the idea that women should learn to turn to each other when in need, and that men have little to offer when it comes to comfort and safety. The works seems to serve as warning to women readers, advising them to seek the happiness essential to life not through their relationships with men, but in their friendships with women. Only by finding a friend worth trusting and by being a woman others can call a friend, can a woman find happiness in such a world of danger and unceasing change. Research Papers on Friendship According to Rowson and Brown - Literature EssayThe Fifth HorsemanMind TravelHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Personal Experience with Teen PregnancyAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaResearch Process Part One

Declination of Sufism among Muslims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Declination of Sufism among Muslims - Essay Example These powers are attributed to them under the guidelines of Quran and Sunnah. The most important aspect is that the disciples of Sufis take up the path of peace or even armed jehad for Shariatisation of the whole world as their mission. "Seekers of Tawhid should strive to dedicate themselves to the Prophet Mohammad, so much so that their entire selves, including their hearts and their spirits, were free of thoughts other than of God" (Saiyied Athar Abbas Rizvi 178). Even though Sufism is popular, history bears witness that several attempts have been made to suppress Sufism. There have been attempts to use even physical force and violence to suppress Sufism. This paper discusses some of the reasons for declination of Sufism among Muslims. The concept of Sufism was mainly intended to focus the mystic power on the spiritual dimension of Islam with the purpose to shield the believers from the superficial and unrealistic dogma of the faith. In other words it can be said that mysticism is a realistic spiritual discipline particularly based on the insight of illuminated seekers of reality or truth. Besides, it can be said that it is a mission of higher religious order of any faith, which disdains conflict and violence in any form. The ultimate goal is joy of self-realization which is generally experienced after a long spiritual practice (Upadhyay n. pag). Ev Even after the popularity of Sufism, there are several instances where the Sufi practices are suppressed using violence. There are several reasons for this and in spite of varied debates and modernist and reformist attempts to separate or dissociate Sufism from Islam. Take for example in orthodox Islam, according to Najaf, the object of creation is the worship of God," This is an association of subordination or in other words - a one-way association in which God is the master and the devotee is the slave. On the other hand Sufis argue opposing the view of orthodox Islam that God should be worshipped not because of the fear that you will be punished if you did not worship, rather God should be worshiped because of the love that an individual feels for God. The main ideology of Sufi is love. As a result, Sufis believe that there exists equality among all people and everyone irrespective of gender or place in the social order is capable of expressing his or her love for God, and that su rpasses religious associations (Dalrymple n. pag). One of the main theme in the ideology and activities of contemporary Sunni Islamist movements is a deep-rooted opposition to Sufism. The reason for suppression of Sufism is the modernist approach to knowledge or disdain of what cannot be scientifically explained led to the dismissal Sufism too. The mutual rivalry between these groups has become prominent in the modern setting of heightened political Islamism. The doctrinal roots of opposition to Sufism are found in the important writings of the 13th-century Hanbali 'alim Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyya (Majmu'a Fatawa Shaykh al-IsIam Ahmad ibn Taymiyya). Besides, Ibn Taymiyya in his quest to purify the Muslim faith strongly opposed Sufi pantheism and such practices as the worship of saints and pilgrimages to their shrines (Makdisi 247-251). In the hands of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, Ibn Taymiyya's restrictions on Sufism was transformed into a popular disapproval and prohibition of the Sufi orders (Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abd

A Comparison between Islamic and Non-Islamic banks and companies in Research Paper

A Comparison between Islamic and Non-Islamic banks and companies in terms - Research Paper Example The key difference of the two banks is that, The Islamic Banking is based on Sharia foundation. And therefore, all its transaction, business approach, investment focus, product feature, responsibility and many more are derived from the Shariah law, this lead to the significant difference in many part of its operations with as that of the conventional banks.Furthermore,the foundation of Islamic bank is based on the Islamic faith and tends to stay just within the within the limits of this Islamic Laws or the Shariah to be specific in all of its operations and decisions. The Arabic word Shariah has means; the way to the source of life Being the first National bank in Qatar, The Qatar national bank was the first bank to launch a financial services subsidiary. The bank then launched the launch of QNB Financial Services in the year 2011. Through this project, the bank has offered a range of financial services to both the domestic and international institutional investors. As it continues to grow, the QNB is determined to place itself as a leading financial institution that is able to use its assets in making positive difference throughout its market ,the bank therefore seems to be the pace setter for the other Banks like the Commercial Bank of Qatar The financial market of Qatar is considered small and hence relies on its regional dimension. The GCC investments contributes on the Qatar Stock Exchange estimated at 62.5 billion ($17 billion) Qatari riyal .Generally the Qatar economy depends on its neighbors when it comes to trade, more specifically Saudi Arabia, in consideration to export and import and also marketing of Qatar products. The Qatar economy really depends on its Gas. The Qatar gas is the worlds largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) company. It produces annually and supplies the globe with over 42 million metric tons of LNG from across its four

Compare the management of a public service in the UK to that of one Essay

Compare the management of a public service in the UK to that of one other country of your choice. What does the comparison tell you about the factors that shape public management in each country - Essay Example igned to provide specified benefits, financial risk cover, and improved access to health services with the goal of improving the health outcomes (Baum, 2009). The healthcare programs are not meant to provide coverage for all people of the country and neither are they meant to provide treatment for all ailments. The healthcare policies are decided by three important dimensions. These refer to the people who are covered, the services that are covered along with the extent of costs that are covered. The topic of healthcare is selected since it affects all citizens of a nation. While rich people can afford to take private medical treatment and healthcare, the poor and middle class people, retirees and those with disabilities depend on the social healthcare systems to survive and lead a meaningful life. These are the reasons for selecting the topic. UK and USA are two nations that have a very effective and much debated healthcare system that are advanced and equitable in the application ( Rogers, 1997). Hence, these two nations are selected. Next chapters will examine various issues related to this subject. As a matter of policy, NHS collaborates and works with international organisations such as WHO, UNO, UNICEF and other health and social care agencies. NHS has a sustainable development unit called NHS SDU and this department takes up projects with WHO to develop support packages for WHO European Member States. NHS provides projects help on two components. These are the technical guidance for sustainable health systems and the international route map. As such, NHS does not obtain any funds from international organisations and its activities are guided by the NHS board (NHS SDU, 2012). Hofstedes cultural dimensions provide an indication of the national culture of a nation. It indicates the manner in which citizens of a country would respond to certain situations, the manner in which they react to positions of authority and power and the manner in which they react as a

Reasons Behind Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy

Reasons Behind Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy Undoubtedly, the complexity and unpredictability of the external environment-market forces/stakeholders influenced the way and manner Lehmans CEO, Mr Richard Fuld behaved. He involved himself and his organization into unethical practices due to so many expectations on them. The market competition was getting very fierce, so he had to bend the rules in order to keep his organization profitable. Market complacency, weak financial regulations, lack of transparency and poor internal financial control policy led to the demise of Lehman Brothers. Mr Fuld adopted the omnipotent view of management but told the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the collapse of his firm was totally out of his control-i.e. symbolic approach. This indicated a weak moral culture/development at the preconditional level. His ethical inclination indicated a utilitarian approach which involves decision making based on favorable anticipated outcomes. Clearly, the fall of Lehman Brothers was a preventable man-made disaster. He enshrined a very poor risk management culture in the organization by offering highly leveraged Mortgage Backed Securities. Even if Mr. Fuld felt the economic tides were beyond his control as he proclaims, he should have at least sold the company early enough the way Merrill Lynchs CEO smartly did. But his ego as well as poor management insight took a better part of him. Lehman never engaged in real Corporate Social Responsibility, rather what they did was philanthropy with ulterior motives in mind. They never issued a CSR report of any kind depicting lack of transparency and accountability. There is no denying the hard and bitter truth that we are experiencing a global financial recession with many a nation counting their losses. We are in fact going through possibly the worst global credit crisis since the Great Depression. Given that the world is flatter and with advancing technology, global financial markets are now integrated thus making an otherwise national financial market a global phenomenon. By a simple click of a button, billions of dollars can seamlessly traverse national boundaries at the speed of light. Sadly, this global financial meltdown originated in USA due to the widespread subprime mortgage defaults, economic recession is affecting all the major players of world economy. By September 2008, the credit crunch, which started around 2006, had alarmingly ballooned into Wall Streets biggest crisis since the Great Depression as hundreds of billions in mortgage-related investments went sour; mighty investment banks that once ruled high finance firmament crashed. In the midst of this conundrum, accusing fingers are been pointed at different quarters; some blame the regulatory authorities over complacency and blind-faith, while some blame the private and investment banks over greed, poor corporate governance/practises and investment decisions. The worst hit directly were the insurance companies, investment banks, Hedge Fund operators, Large Mortgage Lenders such as Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac etc. The United States government has been battling to starve off what has surely snowballed into a global economic recession by acquiring national mortgage giants: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG as well as midwiving Bear Stearns Cos Incs sale to JPMorgan Chase. Bank of America took over Merrill Lynch. While these bailouts were going-on, a blind eye was turned on the struggling fourth largest investment giant- Lehman Brothers. Consequently, the Lehman brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008 as a result of the Fed refusing to bailout them out or at least backstop their toxic assets. 1.1 CASE ISSUES The case issues discussed are: The Internal and External Environment We shall evaluate how these environments interacted with Lehman Brothers. Managerial Ethics Reactions are bound to be elicited as organizations continue to interact with their environments. Hence we shall attempt to assess how Lehman Brothers behaved and reacted in accordance with ethical theories and standards. Corporate Social Responsibility Lehman Brothers Social Responsibilities as well as their attendant consequences shall be evaluated. PART A 2.0 THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF LEHMAN BROTHERS 2.1 The External Environment: Organizations do not operate in a vacuum because they derive their ultimate existence from the environment. Environmental factors whether specific or broad-based, influences an organizations strategy for survival and profitability. Lehmans external environment consists of its stakeholders such as Mortgage financiers, Hedge Funds, Pension Funds, Government Regulators, Commercial Banks, Investors, Credit Rating Agencies, employees, Home Owners, Small and Large companies, etc. See figure below for a schematic diagram of Lehmans overall environment. Figure 1 GLOBAL ECONOMICS DEMOGRAPHICS POLITICAL/ LEGAL TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIOCULTURAL Suppliers Pressure Groups LEHMAN BROTHERS Customers Competitors How uncertain and complex is Lehman Brothers environment? Below is the Uncertainty matrix used to evaluate how the external environment affected Lehman Brothers. Figure 2 ENVIRONMENTAL UNCERTAINTY MATRIX Source: Robbins, Bergman, Coulter, Management 4e, 2006, Pearson Education, Australia Due to the type and nature of business, Lehman Brothers falls within the cell block 4: which connotes a dynamic and unpredictable environment characterised with many components and a high need for knowledge. Hence, Lehman stands the chance of been influenced by the external environment which may reduce the influence of its managerial decisions and interventions. Lehman Brothers broader environment as it affected their activities, behaviour and outcomes are discussed under the following sub-headings using the Political/Legal, Economical, Socio-cultural and Technological changes, PEST analysis: Political/Legal: Lehman Brothers which was formed some 158 years ago was initially involved in assisting large corporate firms such as Sears, Roebuck and F.W. Woolworth, etc raise capital to expand their businesses. During the 1930s, the Lehman Brothers diversified into strictly Securities business when the U. S government forced all financial institutions to choose between commercial banking and Securities. Lehmans portfolio deepened following the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, during the Clinton administration. The act prohibited banks from investing on Wall Street, thus shielding consumers from riskier transactions. Once that protection was abolished, Lehman was able to gamble; and it became among the largest issuers of Mortgage-Backed Securities making its share price to climb from its 1994 price of $5 to $86 in 2007. As a result of Lehmans desperate attempts to compete fiercely with its core rival, Morgan Stanley for market share, it employed several under-arm tactics that exposed it to several bitter brushes with the law amounting to multiple litigations (See appendix 1). This further hurt its corporate image by brewing fear, panic, distrust amongst its stakeholders resulting in it been abandoned during its time of need. Lehman would have been saved just as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns and AIG under the current political climate, but there were outstanding issues involved e.g. the Federal Reserve picked out big holes created by the toxic assets in Lehmans balance sheet coupled with their refusal to come out clean to the public. Instead, Treasury and Federal Reserve bosses, Messrs Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke respectively, preferred to save others because they felt that allowing these (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns and AIG) to fail would have resulted in a cataclysmic cascade of events that will consume not only in the U. S economy but the Worlds. Moreover, Mr Paulson never believed it was right to use taxpayers money to save Lehman. Whether this was a right decision remains to be seen as the Lehmans bankruptcy has inevitably crippled global financial markets worldwide. Economic: The Macro and Micro-economic environment which Lehman Brothers operated played a vital role in its demise. Indeed, what basically happened to Lehman was typically a simple economic case of supply outstripping demand. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Fed greatly lowered interest rates in other to stimulate economic growth and prevent deep recession. Expectedly, the largest Wall Street firms began reacting to this Federal Reserve policy of extremely low rates at which money was borrowed by purchasing billions of dollars of subprime mortgage loans. These were most likely bought from nonbank mortgage companies, which borrowed money from companies like Lehman in order to make loans and quickly resell them to Wall Street. Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers almost monopolised this market as other players like Merrill Lynch were late arrivals to the highly leveraged/risky subprime lending and securitizing business. Lehman offered bulk loans to nonbank lenders, also purchasing mortgage products and then turning them into Asset Backed Securities (ABS), and then selling these bonds to end investors basically made up of the insurance companies, Hedge Funds, Pension Funds, Local Governments and foreign banks. The Securities and Exchange Commission escalated the already worsening economic situation in 2004 by encouraging these investment banks through the relaxation of the pre-existing limits on leverage. Expectedly, the leverage ratios of the five largest independent investments banks hit the rooftop (Labaton, 2008). Lehmans greedy internal financial policy did not help matters at all, as it offered potentially dangerous leverage ratios as much as 30:1, asset-to-equity ratio (Table 6, see appendix 2). Given this scenario, any 3% drop in value of assets completely blows out the entire value of equity thus rendering the company bankrupt. Nevertheless, Lehman grew rapidly, playing a dominant role in the securitisation market and the leveraged lending businesses posting quarter after quarter of record earnings from 2004 to 2007. Even after the economy had recovered, the U.S Fed notoriously kept interest rates low which made mortgage payments even cheaper and affordable thus greatly reducing the likelihood of defaults to barest minimum. Therefore, demand for homes began to escalate, sending prices up. In addition, millions of homeowners seized the opportunity of rate drops to refinance their existing mortgages. As the industry became saturated (as virtually everybody now owned a home), coupled with the never-ending competitive rivalry among lenders, the quality of the mortgages went down resulting in the erosion of underwriting standards. For the fear of inflation due to excess liquidity in the markets, Fed started increasing interest rates which eventually made mortgages already owned, worth less than the amount for which they were initially purchased due to higher payments. This sent widespread panic across all stakeholders which to loss of confidence and trust in financial markets leading to mortgage defaults and subsequent foreclosures. With this ugly scenario playing out, coupled with the Lehmans increasing inability of meeting its debt obligations, investors lost confidence in its stocks resulting to bankruptcy with about $613 billion in debt. Socio-cultural: These are factors such as behaviours, beliefs, values, demographic trends as they affect organization. A majority of Lehmans workforce belong to the generation Y. Generation Y are generally lifestyle oriented, tech-savvy, ambitious, impatient, etc. Because they generally flock to where the money is, Lehmans top management continued to do everything in its power to retain its best brains. With the continuous availability of low interest funds, change in consumer taste became the norm. An individual who otherwise wouldnt have been able to afford a house now had access to owning more than one house. This made the public adopt the culture tending towards investment rather than consumerism which affected other real sectors of the economy. This change in consumer taste favoured Lehman initially because of increase in mortgage demands. Soon Lehman had no borrowers for its mortgage products because everybody now had a house; and with the increase in interest rates, foreclosures became appare nt because the real weak financial status of its borrowers became obvious. Technological: Advancement in technology played a very double-edged sword role at Lehman Brothers. It brought about drastic reduction in the cost of creating mortgages. The growth of the internet coupled with easier availability of information about potential borrowers by the simple click of the mouse button, encouraged it to rely more heavily on convenient sources of information, such as credit scores and ratings, rather than on the more labour intensive time tested methods. It also made searching for a new set of borrowers easier and less costly, mortgage offerings using bulk email sending tools. On the other hand, these innovations created what economists call an agency problem. Since the mortgage originator was no longer going to hold the mortgage to maturity, but rather was going to immediately sell it to a securities firm and collect its fees upfront, it did not have a strong inclination to conduct a thorough appraisal of the loan. 2.2 The Internal Environment The internal environment of any organization basically symbolizes its culture, personality, commonly shared values and beliefs (Robbins S., et al, 2006). Companies will react to same circumstances differently due to the differing cultures that distinguish them. Furthermore, an organizations internal strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threat, SWOT can play a vital role in its success or failure. 2.2.1 Lehmans Culture Lehmans CEO, Mr Richard Fuld in my opinion is viewed as an omnipotent leader because he single-handedly turned the fortunes of the company around when he assumed office in 1994. He ran the organization like a warfront where he enshrined a very strong culture amongst his subjects. His colleagues even nicknamed him Gorilla because of his imposing stature on the firm as nobody not even outsiders dared challenge his ideas, policies and decisions. This behaviour was not unexpected because Lehman has had a long history of hostilities, in-fighting and coup de tat within its ranks which had cost it its independence in 1984. Since we already know that the internal environment of an organisation is all about its culture, behaviour and reaction as to how it sees the external environment. For the scope of this report, we may not dwell so much on the positive culture of Lehman rather we shall take a critical look at how its culture might have played a role directly or indirectly in its demise using the seven dimensions of culture. Usually, attention to details is very much of required skill financial institutions must possess. But due to the competitive landscape and greed on the part of senior management, ethical details were ignored regarding the type of mortgage loans that were issued. Background checks werent performed to determine the credit worthiness of its mortgage borrowers Innovation and Risk tolerance X High innovation/High risk tolerance culture as evidenced in their highly leveraged mortgage securities offering which came through several complex financial innovative packages Outcome orientation X -Outcomes/result-oriented culture that focuses more on results rather than how they were achieved. This attitude made it lose sight on the illiquidity of the market during the impending crisis because of blind greed Short term performance reward culture throughout the firm not minding if these loans would survive in the long term or not Stability X Very strong/stable culture of lets maintain the status quo which resulted in their inability to adapt to the current financial situations. People orientation X -Poor and ineffective communication culture from top management to the bottom. Senior execs never took feedbacks from employees in the field seriously While senior management compensated themselves with cash bonuses, other employees were issued bonuses mainly in stock options and bonds. Lack of recognition for outstanding performance especially if it came from a lower employee A culture of lack of transparency among the senior executives. They never communicated the true nature of their liquidity to their employees and other stakeholders Aggressiveness X Overly aggressive culture in which they tried to bully, manipulate and outsmart the market but got their fingers burnt. Team orientation X Non collaborative competitions which dampened employee morale. The atmosphere was like that of a collegiate, people formed cliques and cartels. There was teamwork, but competition was basically on a personal level because of rewards that may accrue from individual performance The above listed cultural adoptions by Lehman went a long way in tarnishing their image before its global stakeholders which made it difficult for it to be trusted and rescued when its state of insolvency became apparent. Table 2.0 2.2.2 SWOT Analysis of Lehman Brothers SWOT DESCRIPTION Strengths -Lehman has a robust financial base with liquidity in excess of $42 billion as at Aug., 2008 which is capable of withstanding severe financial stresses (Scott S., Tanya A., 2008). It also has a strong franchise across its core investment banking, trading, and investment management businesses. Cutting-edge IT infrastructure is one of Lehmans strengths which it exploited maximally in the acquisition of customers more efficiently (see PEST analysis). Strong knowledgeable and skilled workforce Strong culture which is one of team-work, collaboration and knowledge sharing as evidenced by the rotation of workers around departments at least every two years Weaknesses -Poor managerial decisions which led to the inability or otherwise outright refusal to see the financial dangers coming. -Poor risk management and internal controls which led to its finances being exposed to risk of been wiped out within days. Strong culture which resulted in sluggish adaptability to the changing financial situations within and without the organization. Opportunities -The U.S Federal Treasury kept interest rates low for prolonged periods which made mortgage acquisition/repayments even cheaper and affordable which increased the patronage that accrued to investment banks, Lehman Brothers inclusive. Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed limits of financial leverage which gifted Lehman with the opportunity to offer more highly leveraged mortgage backed securities to its investors. But these seeming good opportunities turned out to be a curse in disguise. Threats Stiff competition coming from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Merrill Lynch in the hunt for new mortgage clients leading to the drastic reduction in the quality of mortgage instruments issued. More and more leverage was issued in other to remain competitive and remain profitable. The worst threat came from the Federal government backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which had exclusive access to government subsidy (very low interest rate loans) making them issue the lowest rate mortgages thereby dominating the mortgage market. This then forced other players to issue even lower rates in order to stay in business. -Short selling of its stocks by brokers on the floor of the exchange which made the value fall freely thereby escalating investor anxiety resulting in loss of confidence. Negative market sentiments concerning its likely collapse due the earlier collapse of Bear Stearns, bailouts of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Summary of the SWOT Analysis No doubt, Lehman is an indeed very large bank. With its robust financial war chest, experienced/diverse workforce and cutting-edge IT/IS at its disposal, it still went under. Lehman failed to utilize its strengths/opportunities to strategic advantage. Stiff competition, financial regulation laxity as well as poor management made it issue highly leveraged risky Mortgage Backed Securities, MBS which eventually wiped out its liquidity due to massive defaults in mortgage repayments which came as a result of increased interest rates to checkmate rising inflation. PART B 3.0 MANAGERIAL ETHICS These are laid down standards of conducts or moral judgements used in the discharge of business. More importantly, it refers to the rules and principles that define right and wrong conduct. It is the ultimate duty of the manager to effectively communicate and implement ethical issues within an organization. Lehman Brothers adopted the utilitarian view of ethics, in which decisions were made based on outcomes and/or consequences. They concerned themselves with making enough profits to satisfy the greedy yearnings of the top few at the top hierarchy of management not minding if their activities were detrimental to the welfare of others. This was clearly seen in the way mind boggling bonuses was dished out to the CEO, Mr. Fuld and other top management executives. According to Mr. Fulds report to the Federal Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, over $30 million was paid to him as bonuses. He also claimed that during the fruitful years, 2004-2007, an astonishing $16 billion was disbursed as bonuses out of which he alone grossed over $260 million. Below is a table showing a list of variables as they affect Lehmans ability to behave the way it did. Table 3.0 3.1 Factors affecting Lehmans ethical behaviour Factors affecting Managerial Ethics Comments State of moral development (managers) Since the ethical behaviour of managers is the single most vital factor that influences employee decisions (Robbins S., et al, 2006), we shall focus on the state of moral development of Lehmans CEO, Mr Fuld R. He operated at the preconventional level since his actions (selling highly leveraged Mortgage Backed Securities at all cost) were hugely inclined to the rewards and bonuses he and his cronies would get. Personality/Values (ego strength/locus of control) Values which represent personal convictions of what is right and wrong (Robbins S., et al, 2006) go a long way in influencing ethical behaviour. Mr Fuld has a very strong personality (ego strength) always believing that whatever he does is the right thing. Even at the collapse of Lehman, he never accepted responsibility for his actions and/or inactions. When he was alerted about what financial crisis they were in, by an insider, he waved it off. He also believes he has the ultimate power to control both his destiny as well as that of others (internal locus of control) Organizational Culture/Design -For the fact that Mr. Fuld took Lehman from rag to riches, he was seen as a demigod who was above the law. Hence, he was not subject to the organizations code of ethics and conduct. The organizational design/structure adopted a Top-Bottom management style of leadership. It enshrined a strong master-subordinate relationship which stifled information and knowledge sharing as no employee dare alert top management on their wrongly adopted strategies Lehmans culture is such that encouraged risk taking and constant innovation which later proved to be its undoing. The emphasis on individual achievement above group/team achievement encouraged employees as well as management to go extra lengths even if its unethical to perform e.g. the more mortgage clients you get, the more your bonus and recognition which was further boosted by its culture of short-term performance appraisals. Issue Intensity Greatness of harm: Lehman brothers never believed their actions (highly leveraged MBS) would have deleterious effects on its overall stakeholders after all, it believed its investors had being hedged against dangers through the Credit Default Swaps, CDS being issued by American Insurance Group, AIG -Consensus of wrong: Nobody dared oppose Mr. Fulds decisions, the very few that did were summarily sacked. So there was no basis for consensus of wrong here. -Probability of harm: Lehman believed the probability of foreclosures was minimal because of the seemingly prolonged low interests rates which created a lot of liquidity in the economy Immediacy of consequences: Mr. Fuld in his opinion believed that even if theres an eventuality of foreclosures, economic downturn and/or write downs, it would be for a short while because historically crises does occur every few years and the markets would always heal itself -Proximity to victims: Lehman pushed its mortgage customers far off using its distanced subsidiary, Aurora Loan Services as the issuer of its mortgages. This, it used to distance itself from its customers. By so doing, most people never knew the subprime mortgages were being offered by Lehman in order to maintain a clean public image and avoid responsibility for any untoward adverse effects of its unethical actions -Concentration of effect: Lehman ignored how concentrated the effect of foreclosures that would arise from its subprime mortgage sales would have on the national as well as global economy. They failed to see the broader picture of a likely global economic downturn. That necessitated their continuous unethical/risky financial actions. Conclusion Mr. Fuld of Lehman Brothers acted unethically in most of his decisions From the complex interplay of several factors that affected Lehmans unethical behaviour in the table above, we shall take a closer look at some of the ethical issues faced at Lehman Brothers below with a view to comparing opposing views on their conducts. Table 4.0 Opposing arguments concerning Lehmans managerial ethical decisions. Ethical issues Arguments for Arguments against Sale of risky/highly leveraged Mortgage Backed Securities Small percentage appreciation in value can translate to explosive profits for its balance sheet and investors alike Little decrease in value potentially wipes out the entire credit of the company rendering it insolvent. It is unethical to use investors hard earned monies to venture into greedy and risky ventures under whatsoever guise. Constant financial products reengineering and innovation This creates potential attraction for new customers as well as retaining the existing ones Causes confusion as to the understanding of the potential risks these products- offers portends. Unscrupulous bulking or bundling of mortgages This otherwise smart strategy helps to dilute the toxic effect of under-performing mortgage securities by lumping them with the good ones thereby creating a positive appearance leading to AAA ratings by rating agencies This strategy deceived many investors by underplaying the actual value and safety of their stock holdings leading them to be taking by surprise when their stocks became worthless Generating mortgage demands; packaging them, and then reselling them back to Wall Street and the investing public for large profits when in reality, there werent real buyers for them This was a way to create profits out of nothing This is an unethical attempt to manipulate the natural forces of demand and supply. Hiding behind their phony subsidiary, Aurora Loan Services to propagate falsehood contributed to the housing market bubble burst when it became evident there was no more demand for these mortgages Underwriting loans to questionable lenders e.g. FAMCO, Delta Funding Corp., etc and assisting them in cheating borrowers thereby violating consumer protection laws (Graham R., 2008, see bibliography) NA This led to widespread erosion of global investor and public confidence in the company which further contributed in its bankruptcy. Mr Fulds non-equity incentives were astronomical exceeding the 85th percentile. Furthermore, his bonuses grossly exceeded the normal industry average of bonus= base salary x Two. Mr. Fulds bonuses were five times his base salary (Nell M., 2008, see bibliography) NA This compensation practice doesnt align in favour of shareholder interests PART C 4.0 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY This is a broad term which is used to describe an organizations business activities as it affects the well-being of its stakeholders- customers, investors, employees, communities and the environment within which it operates. It is the justifiable ethical standard for which all of an organizations operational activities are measured (Davidson, P. Griffin, R, 2005). Achieving financial success in a manner that honours ethical values and respect people, communities, and the local environment is what defines CSR. An effective CSR program is one that is not mainly based on philanthropy or goodwill but rather on creating productive relationships with stakeholders who represent various social, financial and environmental concerns. Lehman Brothers adopted the hand of management approach to CSR in which it strongly believes in the advancement of its corporate economic interests as well as the protection and enhancement of the quality of life of its stakeholders. The conscience and practise of an organizations management is often a subject of frequent debate globally. Is it compulsory that an organisation must protect and improve the welfare of its specific and remote stakeholders? Well, the scope of this report is not to argue in favour of or against this motion but to analyse where Lehman got it wrong as regards to CSR. Lehman engaged in several philanthropic (socially responsive) activities all over the world where they had their businesses. Lehmans CSR spanned through the economic and legal levels terminating at the ethical level. Lehman used its philanthropy to avoid legal actions both from the government and its stakeholders while making sure its activities stayed within the ambit of the law. It engaged in philanthropy (in a socially responsive way) in my opinion because it did what it did just to create more global awareness (Public Relations for financial gains) (economic CSR) as well as to fulfil the general expectations society members place on corporations (ethical CSR). See Bibliography (URL link) for comprehensive details of their charity works. Corporate Social Responsibility goes beyond just philanthropy. CSR means accountability towards a firms various stakeholders e.g.: shareholders, employees, customers, local and international communities, etc. Unfortunately, Lehman and Bear Stearns produced no CSR report of any s

Emily Dickinson: How Illness Shaped Her Writing Essay -- Biography

Emily Dickinson has a characteristic writing style. Dickinson’s use of dashes and â€Å"randomly† placed capital letters throughout her work give her a unique style that is contradictory to her time. Many believe that it was her genius that caused this while still others believes it was her illness that contributed to her characteristic writing style. Lyndall Gordon's biography â€Å"offers a major revelation: evidence that Dickinson suffered from epilepsy. The author makes her case partly through prescriptions that Dickinson received (the papers still survive) and reinterprets poems such as "I felt a Cleaving in my Mind" to describe the poet's condition. She writes that ‘sickness is a more sensible reason for seclusion than disappointed love.’ Epilepsy carried a stigma, and Gordon explains that because diagnosis was ‘rarely uttered, still less put on paper, there's little chance of explicit evidence’† (Ciuraru). â€Å"Gordon makes a pe rsuasive case for the link between epilepsy's visual and cerebral distortions and Dickinson's extraordinary language† (Showalter). By examining the imagery, diction, symbolism and tone in the poems â€Å"I Felt a Funeral in my Brain†, â€Å"I Felt a Cleaving in my Mind† and â€Å"Pain†, the reader can decipher the characteristics of Emily’s illness brought out in her writing. Through the use of imagery, diction and symbolism in these three poems, the reader can get a sense of the pain and distraught that Dickinson may have felt because of her illness. In â€Å"I Felt a Cleaving in my Mind† the speaker talks of how â€Å"my Brain had split† (2). The word â€Å"Brain† (2) is capitalized to add emphasis on the word. To have one’s brain â€Å"split† (2) gives the illusion of one’s brain actually being rendered in two. To have this actually happen wou... ...is experiencing. Pain is described as â€Å"an Element of Blank† (1). â€Å"Blank† is nothingness. â€Å"It cannot recollect† (2), it cannot remember a time when it was not there. It is difficult and hard to live with. The speaker cannot remember â€Å"When it begun-Or if there were/ A time when it was not-â€Å"(3-4). The illness has become such a part of the speaker’s life, she cannot remember a time when it did not occur. The speaker â€Å"has no Future† (5) with the pain of the illness. The illusion of infinity with the illness and pain is given and reiterated in the next line with â€Å"It’s Infinite contain-â€Å"(6). The only future the speaker has is â€Å"New Periods- Of Pain† (8). Because all the words are capitalized the reader is given the feeling of finality. That this is all there is, nothing more than pain. The dash causes the reader to pause and digest this information and the finality of it.

Tyuij

About hotel pokhara grande Hotel Pokhara Grande is a luxurious five-star hotel situated in the city about 1. 5 km walk from Phewa Taal (lake). Since its inception in 01/07/2007, the hotel has been catering to the needs of our diverse patronage with a complete hospitality experience being our motto. Whether it is a relaxing retreat with world-class accommodation and food or perhaps a conference with a banquet you’re after, rest assured your expectations will be surpassed at Hotel Pokhara Grande. The hotel now has forty-one(41) rooms added to the already existing seventy-eight (78).Enjoy the pristine views a well-manicured garden, state of the art equipment and professional staff in our facilities. If you’ve chosen Pokhara Grande you will experience only the best. About Pokhara The City of Pokhara is located approximately one hundred and ninety-eight km (198km) west of Kathmandu. It is a delightful destination for tourists seeking adventure, be it Himalayan expeditions, t reks, rafting, kayaking, paragliding or a peek at the surrounding villages’ life and amazing sights comprising of lakes, waterfalls, mountains, caves and temples. Getting There There are countless options available to get from other major hubs of Nepal to Pokhara. For example†¦You can fly, use a bus (of which tourist coaches are pretty comfortable) or rent a vehicle. Approximately twelve to fifteen flights operate from Kathmandu to Pokhara. | Facilities : Swimming Pool Splash about in our pool and beat the summer heat perhaps sipping an exotic cocktail while you watch your little ones have fun in the kiddies’ pool. |   | Spa Pavitra Give your body the ultimate treat at Pavitra.The team at Pavitra pride themselves in having mastered and administered professional massages using top-notch techniques and paraphernalia such as herbal oil concoctions will soothe your senses. Besides you could choose to use the sauna or have a steam bath or have water jets massage you in the Jacuzzi. Once our new location is complete, Pavitra will become one of the finest spas in Pokhara and all of Nepal. Some of the treatments they provide are listed below:Our spa treatments: Acupressure or Shiatsu: Derived from Japanese â€Å"Shi† and â€Å"atsu† mean ‘finger pressure’.It’s a psychological and physical treatment by applying pressure on various pointsAroma Therapy: This style enhances relaxation in general and improves circulation, relieving muscular tensionAyurvedic Massage: Retrieves nutrients within the body to expel toxinsHead and Shoulder Massage: Increases flow of blood to the scalpShirodhara: Involves warm and consistent flow of aromatic oils on the foreheadOther massages: Traditional Nepali massage, Reiki healing, body scrub, stone therapy, Thai massage, Trekkers’ massage|   Ã‚  | Gymnasium Our  gymnasium  is part of the most premier health club in Pokhara.The gym has stgate of the art equipment and well-app ointed congenial staff have the expertise to guide you towrds a thorough and befitting workout. |   | Other Facilities Ample Parking Spage, Business Centre, Travel Desk, Free Shuttle Service to Phewa Taal ( lake) List of Facilities 😠 Room Facilities | Air conditioning| Hairdryer | Restaurants| Satellite TV | Room Services | Coffee shop | Banquet & Conference | Business center | Safe deposit box| Telephone | Bar| Shopping Arcade| Leisure and other facilities | Babysitting |   | Car rental | Currency exchange|   |   | Florist |   |   | Laundry   services |   |   | Swimming pool|   |   | | | Tariff : Room| Price| Meal| Single| 85|   Lunch – US $ 12| Double| 100|   Dinner – US $ 12| King| 140|   | Extra Bed | 30|   | |   |   | Accommodation in Kathmandu: | Soaltee Crowne Plaza| 5 Star | Vaishali  Hotel | 4 Star | Hyatt Regency | 5 Star | Royal Singhi Hotel| 4 Star | Hotel De'L Annapurna | 5 Star | Hotel Manang| 3 Star | Yak and Ye ti Hotel   | 5 Star | Hotel Tradition   | 2 Star   | The Everest Hotel | 5 Star| Tirupati Holiday Inn   | 2 Star   | Radisson Hotel| 5 Star | Hotel Buddha | 1 Star | | Accommodation in Nagarkot 😠 Club Himalaya| Hotel View Point | | | Accommodation in Lumbini 😠 Buddha Maya Garden| Hotel Yeti   |Hotel Lumbini Garden | Hotel Glasgow | Hotel Nirvana   Ã‚   |   | | | Accommodation in Pokhara 😠 Hotel Khukuri Pokhara| Hotel Blue Heaven | Shangrila Village Resort | Hotel Moonlight Resort | Fish Tail Lodge     | The Fulbari Resort   | Hotel Barahi | Hotel Dharma Inn | Hotel Tulshi|   | | | Accommodation in Chitwan 😠 Chitwan Jungle Lodge| Machan Wildlife Resort   | Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge| Temple Tiger | Island Jungle Resort   Ã‚  Ã‚   | Unique wild Resort| | | Accommodation in Dhulikhel 😠 Dhulikhel Lodge Resort| Mirabel Hotel Resort | Himalayan Shangri-La Resort |   | | | For More Information: [email  protected] com| | | |

Moral Attitudes and Values Development in School

Moral Attitudes and Values Development in School Hashtag: #FailingTheHonest Moral Attitudes and Values Development in School Most parents typically taught their children not to lie and be honest in everything they do as our society in general favors those who are truthful, sincere, and equitable. Similarly, educational institutions play a major role in ensuring that each student recognizes the worth and value of being honest in purpose, work, and principle. However, despite social norm and value learned in school, honestly in some society received punishment rather than admiration or respect. The reason why schools typically avoid false systems of merits and demerits is the fact that such practice teaches children to work for end results rather study and learn. However, telling the truth in this world is not always the best policy particularly when it involves admitting your fault or exposing somebody in power. One reason is the fact that our perception of things offends those that are note aligned with them. Some people find it difficult to confront the truth as such complex reality demands emotional and intellectual integrity. Many college students according to one study consider freedom, honesty, happiness, and competence as important personal values but they do not consider honestly as an obligation. These college students may be aware that such attitude sometimes frustrates other people. The study shows that some people actually gave up their honest behavior because of a bad experience. Punishing people for being honest makes them avoid such situation again through lies and deceit. You may also like these articles: The Value of Academic Debate The Scientific Basis for Defining Seasons Remembering Our First Stage of Education Junk Food in School Practice What You Preach The Effect of Dysfunctional Social Norms Honesty builds trust and should be treated with respect but in many circumstances, a person’s honesty seems more of a disadvantage than a helpful characteristic. One problem is that traditional belief on the value of honesty is now overshadowed by alternative social norms that tolerate dishonesty. According to study, some society rationalized dishonesty and other dysfunctional norms as unavoidable and even condone fraudulent and inefficient decisions made by social leaders and public authorities. In fact, this type of attitude prevails regardless of economic costs and serious consequences such as violations of public interests. In business organizations according to research, an establishment of a norm of dishonesty among employees often make honest employees accept the norm and start viewing themselves as people who can also engage in theft and fraud. The organizations responses over this dysfunctional employee norm such as investing in high-tech security and surveillance systems seem to worsen the problem more. For instance, as costly security measures send the message that the company does not trust its employees, the sense of organization community is decreased. Moreover, it can also lead to employee hostility and retaliation as security system facilitates the belief that management is an enemy. In school, students who regularly cheat and get away them makes cheating an acceptable behavior to their peers. In time, such academic dishonesty will become a dysfunctional but well-accepted social norm among students. Moreover, since people internalized norms and cheating does not stop after graduation, these students will likely continue doing other forms of dishonesty in later life such as cheating their spouse, lying to their workplace superiors, cheat customers, theft, fraud, and others. The saddest thing about it is the fact that habitual dishonesty often makes people view their misconduct as morally acceptable regardless of company financial losses and severe social consequences.

The Human Condition

The Human Condition Lisa LawHUMAN CONDITIONQuestion: "It means they were human"How have the texts you have studied in Area of Study: the Human Condition contributed to your thinking of what it is human.Word count: 1945The human condition is the experience of all elements of human existence. The susceptibility to endure both happiness and sadness is one of the elements that respond to our questioning of what is human. This is examined by the contrast of exhilaration depicted in both John Keats's poem "On First Looking At Chapman's Homer" and in the photograph "Bondi" by Marc Bok in the stimulus booklet and the depression in the film "Lantana" directed by Ray Lawrence and the poem "Preludes" by T.S. Eliot.John Keats poem "On First Looking at Chapman's Homer" displays the human capacity for happiness through its structure, images and tone. To expose his joy and inspired feelings about Chapman's translation of Homer, Keats had used the form of a Petrarchan sonnet to communicate how profoundly the revelation of Homer's literature had affected him.John Keats, by William Hilton (died 1839). See sou...The use of this structure allows a strong contrast from his neutral tone in the octave to the thrill and excitement in the sestet.In the first line, "realms of gold" symbolise the voyaging of discovery and to the world of literature and imagination, valued as highly as "gold". However, Keats use of the modifier "goodly" reflects his satisfaction only of those "kingdoms" and "states". Keats' tone of neutrality in terms of these experiences is established through the drowsy consonance of the "l" in "travelled in the realms of gold" and the assonance of the long and rounded vowels in "goodly states and kingdoms seen".The responders sense his appreciation of "deep- browed Homer" and his acknowledgment of the "fealty" to such ancient works but...

Wwe Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wwe - Assignment Example Barthes believes that Judo does not contain any exposing gestures which would show the feelings of the individuals who are taking part. On the other hand in wrestling it can be clearly seen that gestures play an important role to show a wrestlers hate. Barthes believes that the wrestling nowadays is false wrestling in which the wrestlers cross all limits to show that they are having a fair fight. However this is not the case with old wrestling which showed the reality with deep thoughts in every step of the wrestler. Features of a spectacle are many flood lights which droop onto the stage so that shadows cannot be seen. Emotions and feelings in the individuals participating in the sport is necessary so that the reality of the spectacle can be felt by the crowd. The clarity of the sport also makes it a spectacle. Barthes discusses the signs used in wrestling to show the intensity of the situation inside the ring. He emphasizes upon the sign of clarity in wrestling as the crowd knows about the roles of the wrestlers as they enter the ring. He tells that physique, appearance, his attitude and his gestures are signs told by Barthes about wrestling. The signs laid down by Barthes about a wrestling match help to know about the situation down in the ring. These signs would help to choose between a bad wrestler and a good one and then to choose sides with either of them. It would help to enjoy the wrestling match with a greater enthusiasm. A viewer has an important role of cheering or ‘booing’’ the wrestlers as per their attributes. They show how much they enjoy the aspects of wrestling because of which a wrestler may get enthusiastic enough to show all his skills. Going to a wrestling match would help to show different aspects of life and would make the audience see hatred, suffering and cruelty. Being a spectator is different as someone would see the

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Leadership - Essay Example In the class, we have looked at different approaches to leadership. For instance, Peter Drucker wrote that leadership is inborn, it cannot be taught or learned. However, according to Zenger and Folkman (2009), the theories that are proposed in relation to leadership fail to explain why some people succeed (p. 242). By looking at this article, we may view the issue from a different point on how to succeed in the workplace. To become a ‘deep smart’, Dorothy, Gavin, and Michelle, propose the following methods. First identify the elements of their behavior that make them so successful in their work. This will avoid you becoming a copy of another person. As the authors put it, mentors and companies cannot succeed to equip you with such skills, so identify them and go for them. The other important thing is to internalize the insights of the successful person and mimic their critical behaviors. In this, you should also keep your own as you can’t be a true copy of the other person. The person cannot give you all he knows. He is not even aware he knows some things, or they are valuable. Therefore, in summary this article talks about guided experience. Getting experience to gain what you want and setting the limits to your own