The Public

Introduction In its quest to deliver to the public and reduce cost, Ontario province has had a series of Public-private partnerships programs over the years. These projects have shown tremendous success in areas mandated to attend.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Public-Private Partnership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In these arrangements, privately owned companies are contracted to carry out projects for the provincial government. In the whole of Canada, over 100 Public-Private Participation transactions have occurred in the last 20 years. To establish the extent of experience in public-private participation in Ontario, SuperBuild initiative is critically analyzed. A few years ago Ontario’s provincial government launched SuperBuild initiative in its budget which targeted infrastructural improvements. The SuperBuild program emphasized private public partnership as the basis of its success . The partnership targeted private sector, broader public and authorities such as municipalities, universities and other government institutions in the province. The initiative was planned to take a period of five years costing at least $ 20 billion. To finance the project, Ontario’s provincial government invested $ ten billion while private sector and other partners contributed additional $ 10 billion within a period of five years. Main priorities for the SuperBuild project were to improve hospitals and healthcare centers, schools, water, transportation infrastructure and environmental protection projects. Ontario SuperBuild Corporation was mandated by provincial government to perform all duties concerning these projects. Some of its duties included capital planning and policy development, evaluating and recommending necessary changes, develop strategies and report publicly on SuperBuild investment Priorities, plans and results.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Membership of the cooperation was drawn from private and public sectors in a bid to make it inclusive (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). Infrastructure Ontario was established by an act of parliament in 2005 to fast-track the projects. To ensure success of Public–private partnership, some guidelines were put in place. These guidelines have been in used for the infrastructure projects in Ontario to ensure certain thresholds are met (Murphy, 2008). The same guidelines have been used in other projects. The Public-Private Partnership (P3s) Approach Ontario’s infrastructure is worth close to $ 200 billion. About half is owned by public while the remaining half is owned by private organizations. All of them are publicly regulated. Even though the infrastructure is thought to be sufficient, there has been need to expand, improve and manage them to ensure that they serve their purposes as intended. Roads, railways, waterways, hospitals and technological infrastructure require maintenance and improvements. The level of investment at the time was not enough to satisfy current and future needs of the province. With the need to have a long term planning and financial innovation, Public-Private partnership was the most convenient initiative which could be successfully supported by SuperBuild to achieve its goals (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). P3 approach includes service or management contracts, design-build construction projects, design-build-operate transfer concessions, design-build-own-finance-transfer concession and/or divestiture.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Public-Private Partnership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benefits of P3s Benefits of public-private partnerships in Ontario includes risk sharing, improving service levels, reducing cost and improving revenue, gaining access to new sources of capitals, gaining access to better skills, realizing value of under-utilized assets and realizing economic-development opportunities. To undertake Public-Private Participation in Ontario, three considerations are made. These considerations are vital to the success of Public-Private Participation. The first is political considerations. This is the climate which the projects are evaluated, financed and their benefits to the public are realized. Another consideration is the climate which ensures that public must maintain ownership and determine priorities of the project. The final consideration is the climate under which disputes are resolved (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). Procurement and implementation generate numerous disputes which require arbitration. Distribution of responsibilities is based on which party is best suited to play which role. These considerations must be in place to avoid political representation in the project. Use of digitalization has enhanced tr ansparency in government dealings and political landscape in Canadian system. Members of public are encouraged to air their views on prevailing public debates. Internet use has been a key contributor to public participation in issues being debated in Ontario (Dutil et al., 2010). Establishment of Criteria The criterion which has been used in Ontario to select a viable project over the years has been a series. It involves:Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Financial terms which are acceptable to both the government and private sector that must be used to carry out projects to completion. Technical solutions to carry out the project must be available through Public-Private Participation. Operational- if there are hurdles associated with operations which might hinders full implementation of the project in question. If the project will be accepted by public. Implementation- that there are no barriers to carrying out the project. Timing –if there are possible constrains which can pre-empt P3 procurements. The decision to build Brampton Civic Hospital was made in 1996 by the Health Services Restructuring Commission using the above criterion. The criterion was not entirely followed but was later reviewed by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) to be used in subsequent projects. There were changes in leadership which affected the initial implementation of the project. The election of supportive government was the main advantage into the impl ementation of this project that was proposed several years earlier (Loxley and Loxley, 2010). Implementation and operations challenges Most project in P3 fail because of poor procurement which results in flaws in implementation and operational challenges. Procurement Principles In Ontario, appropriate strike between value and fairness is a vital requirement in successful design and implementation of procurement process. Most private organization want to maximize monetary gains while public want fairness and value for money from the process (Dutil et al., 2010). Principles have been developed to guide the process and ensure that all bidders have equal opportunities and sufficient information is disclosed. It also ensures that evaluation process is established before bidding process begins and pre-established evaluation process is followed. The main principles are to ensure that public policies are established and communicated before Request for Proposal is issued and identify public policy trade-offs to be made. Public policies are made in private while perspectives of public sector and potential bidders are addressed. Appropriate responses to significant labour-force issues are developed and a fair Public-private participation procurement process is designed. ‘Value for money’ is established, confidentiality of public and private partnership is maintained and bidders are provided with full and plain disclosure, enhancing staff functions by retaining consultants. Project Organization Organized responsibility structure and approval process is used in projects. This is because of the large number of people involved in these processes. Some particular responsibilities and practices procedure are used in Ontario to ensure fairness and quality of product. The roles of staff include functions in teams like Project Team, Evaluation Team, Due-Diligence Team, Steering Committee, Process Auditor, Executive (cabinet, municipal councils, school and hospital bo ards, etc.) and Ongoing Management. Project Plan Objectives and scopes of projects are explained to relevant parties before a process of selecting partner is started. Projects team engage in debates of various tradeoffs and constrains of the projects to define clearly the objectives, goals and requirements of each project. (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). The project team will make consultation with management, outside experts, and other stakeholders to deliberate these issues in details. A Public-private participation project plan undergoes four phases which include scoping the project, selection process, negotiations, implementation and operation. Project Scope The project scope is defined at the beginning of the project. The scope is defined in respect to Financial, Technical, Operational, Acceptability, Implementation and Timing (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). Selection Process Selection process is developed and documented after project scope is established. Project team comes up with a plan to start the process. This will ensure that the best partner is selected and minimum challenges are expected from public and other organizations. Tailored process must be used basing on the nature (scope) of the project. (Ontario, SuperBuild, 2011). Negotiations A majority of organizations in Ontario maximize the use of strategy in procurement process and negotiate later during final agreement. They eventually lose because they do not want any reverse of the won bids. The one who succeed in negotiations is bidder who offers the best financial price for a project (Ontario SuperBuild, 2011). Sometimes negotiations are customized to suit the project in question. In ensuring successful negotiations, it is necessary to use a project team which is empowered and ready to walk away from a bad offer. The commitments made must be measurable and appropriate proponents perspectives are addressed. Implementation and Operations In Private-Public participation, private contractor is not paid until a substantial amount of work has been completed. This accelerates construction and completion of a project (Murphy, 2008). Delayed deliveries can result in penalties. This has made most of the private contractors to deliver on-time and on-budget. However, Private sector can back-track commitments made during negotiations or sometimes ignore the agreements during implementation process. Since public sector is poor in contract administration, it is required to sort off implementation issues at different phases of project which includes development/construction, operations, at the end of term. It is important that successful bidders are monitored, procedure is followed and commitment is delivered. However, development or construction administration in Private-public participation can be ambiguous and difficult. The cost of construction changed several times during the time of construction of Brampton Civic Hospital. According to Barrows and others (2011), the total change amounte d to 13% overrun with respect to government estimates by the end of the project. After completion, the hospital had a capacity of 479 funded beds in December 2007. When shifting operations from the old hospital to the new facility, two deaths of patients were reported resulting in a public uproar. There were claims that there was shortage of staff and patients had to wait for long before being attended to. Public-private participation arrangement was blamed for the situation. This was rectified after some time (Barrows et al. 2011), Conclusion Different views have been given concerning Public-private participation in Ontario and other places in Canada and around the world. Despite numerous inconsistencies in its delivery of services and goods, it has benefits. According to Loxley and Loxley (2010), with view of numerous projects undertaken under Public-Private partnership, majority of them have not delivered results as intended. To make these conclusions, the two examined projects w hich included schools, hospitals, water treatment plants and service oriented projects. It is thought that P3s projects save a lot of money because of risk being transferred to contractor. However, Loxley and Loxley found out that most contractors undertaking the projects finally use more money than if they had been undertaken by government. This was clearly portrayed by Brampton Civic Hospital project with 13% increase in cost (Barrows et al. 2011), Service oriented projects under public-private participation finally provide poor services to clients and public. They believe that if public servants provided these services or built the facilities in question, the quality would have improved while cost reduces. Accounting by government officials are misleading with the aim of making the projects look palatable which is not the case in the real sense. This is attributed to hidden interests between government officials and private operators. Costs are inflated with the aim of making mor e money from public coffers. These results in unrealistic profits recorded by private operators or contractors (Loxley and Loxley, 2010). Success of private-public participation can be measured and determined if proper mechanisms are put in place. Delivering of good services to the public can only be improved through Public-private partnerships because government does not have the capacity to undertake all projects (Dutil et al. 2010). Service culture can be built through cooperation between public, private sector and general public. With the use of internet becoming common, basic public participation in political and other decisions are enhanced. Public involvement in political decisions may increase service delivery especially in politically determined services. In Ontario, public-private participation has recorded success in both service and infrastructural sectors. Several projects undertaken under public-private partnership participations are completed and workings with few dis crepancies being recorded. Water, health, educational and several other sectors have benefitted from Public-private participation in Ontario. Although initial projects carried out under P3 recorded a few technical and operational problems, subsequent projects were better. Use of Public-private participation in future needs improvements both in organization and accountability to realize optimum benefits. Recommendations According to Barrows and others (2011), Brampton Civic Hospital project was a pilot P3 project undertaken when government employees and members of public had little experience with Public-private participation. Therefore, to counter political rhetoric, there should be a clear communication plan since P3 is a new model in Ontario and other places. Community management (including unique needs) should be improved to counter accusations after full implementation of projects. Methods for managing risks should be improved and followed effectively. Risk management and estima te should be given to knowledgeable and experienced participants to effectively transfer and assess risks. Generic risks associated with Policy, Design and Construction, and Maintenance and operations must be reviewed and improved. Since P3 is growing, people need to be educated on its working, purpose and their roles. This will improve procurements and implementation of future projects. There is need for holistic design in e-government structure and means of airing views by public (Dutil et al. 2007). Innovation in this section must involve both government and other stakeholders in its design. This must include responsibilities of employees in public sector in enhancing relationship with the government, capacities of private sector in both reforms and ongoing relational capacities and broadening participation from the current number to involve majority members of public. Works Cited Barrows, David, Ian Macdonald, Atipol Supapol, Olivia Dalton-Jez, and Simone Harvey-Rioux. â€Å"Pu blic Private Partnerships in Canadian Healthcare A Case Study of the Brampton Civic Hospital.† OECD 3. (2011): 55-140. Dutil, Patrice, Cosmo Howard, John Langford, and Jeffrey Roy. â€Å"Rethinking Government-Public Relationships in a Digital World.† Journal of Information Technology Politics 4.1, (2007): 77- 90. Dutil, Patrice, Cosmo Howard, John Langford, and Jeffrey Roy. The Service State Rhetoric, Reality and Promise. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2010. Print. Loxley, John and Salim Loxley. Public Service Private Profits. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Fernwood Publishing, 2010. Print. Murphy, Timothy J. â€Å"The Case for Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure.† Canadian Public Administration 51.1 (2008): 99-126. Ontario, SuperBuild 2011, A Guide to Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Projects. PDF file. Web. This research paper on The Public-Private Partnership was written and submitted by user Kamille Crosby to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Gods Ways Are Incomprehensible

God’s Ways Are Incomprehensible The lessons that can be learned through the teachings of Elihu and Eliphaz are extremely valuable as one searches for a meaning to the way God works. Eliphaz and Elihu both stress the fact that only God can truly understand why he does or does not do certain things. They also strongly believe God brings judgment on every individual throughout his or her lifetime, and that every circumstance that one encounters, whether it be good or bad, has a direct correlation to the way that individual lives his or her life. Eliphaz and Elihu state that God’s justification for imposing hardships on an individual come from the fact that, no matter what one may think, every person has a sinful nature and will commit multiple sins throughout his or her lifetime. According to Elihu and Eliphaz, this fact does not mean there is no point in living because one can repent to God and gain forgiveness for his or her sins. Both the speeches made by Eliphaz and those made by Elihu emphasize, in n early the same manner, that although God works in ways that are incomprehensible to human-beings, he does so in manner that is just and purposeful. The most important point Eliphaz makes is that God works in ways that are far beyond a normal person’s understanding. Eliphaz illustrates this point beautifully when he asks Job, â€Å"Were you brought forth before the hills? Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?† (15:7). Eliphaz is trying to help Job realize that he should not question the ways of God because God’s wisdom surpasses even the wisest person on the face of the Earth, and he will never be able to understand the way God works. Elihu is in complete agreement with Eliphaz stating, â€Å"Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable† (36:26). Elihu points out to Job that God has been around for longer then any individual can even begin t... Free Essays on God's Ways Are Incomprehensible Free Essays on God's Ways Are Incomprehensible God’s Ways Are Incomprehensible The lessons that can be learned through the teachings of Elihu and Eliphaz are extremely valuable as one searches for a meaning to the way God works. Eliphaz and Elihu both stress the fact that only God can truly understand why he does or does not do certain things. They also strongly believe God brings judgment on every individual throughout his or her lifetime, and that every circumstance that one encounters, whether it be good or bad, has a direct correlation to the way that individual lives his or her life. Eliphaz and Elihu state that God’s justification for imposing hardships on an individual come from the fact that, no matter what one may think, every person has a sinful nature and will commit multiple sins throughout his or her lifetime. According to Elihu and Eliphaz, this fact does not mean there is no point in living because one can repent to God and gain forgiveness for his or her sins. Both the speeches made by Eliphaz and those made by Elihu emphasize, in n early the same manner, that although God works in ways that are incomprehensible to human-beings, he does so in manner that is just and purposeful. The most important point Eliphaz makes is that God works in ways that are far beyond a normal person’s understanding. Eliphaz illustrates this point beautifully when he asks Job, â€Å"Were you brought forth before the hills? Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?† (15:7). Eliphaz is trying to help Job realize that he should not question the ways of God because God’s wisdom surpasses even the wisest person on the face of the Earth, and he will never be able to understand the way God works. Elihu is in complete agreement with Eliphaz stating, â€Å"Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable† (36:26). Elihu points out to Job that God has been around for longer then any individual can even begin t...

Theology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theology - Essay Example , this paper will briefly discuss the representation of the god of the Old Testament through textual analysis and seek to answer which approach most adequately describes his nature. One of the world’s most famous atheist Sir Richard Dawkins has this to say of the god represented in the Old Testament, â€Å"The god of the Old Testament is perhaps the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Jealous and proud of it, a petty unjust unforgiving control freak, a vindictive ethnic cleaners, a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, philicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully† (Dawkins 1). In this way, the reader can readily understand the approach that many who have rejected religion based upon the seemingly outlandish texts of the Old Testament hold to. From the atheist point of view or from the point of view of the believer that rejects the Old Testament, it is irreconcilable to believe in justice, equality, love, kindness, mercy, and yet believe that the same god that represents texts such as the following: â€Å"Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lo rd out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground" (Gen. 19:24-25); or the following: â€Å"Behold, I [God], even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish." (Gen. 6:17); or the following: "They [Israel] utterly destroyed everything in the city [Jericho], both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword" (Joshua 6:21). Such dictates make the case extremely difficult for those that would seek to justify such an approach (Daniel 84). In this way, seeking to justify the actions of the Israelites who were supposedly acting under the divine guidance of an omnipotent god becomes

Selection Method and Job Performance (human Resource Class) Assignment

Selection Method and Job Performance (human Resource Class) - Assignment Example A cognitive test would likely measure problem solving and education levels which might be a good predictor of how well a person would perform and how likely it is that they would be promoted further down the line. However, a cognitive test like this might not be a great predictor of areas like citizenship or absences. Since this particular selection method is seeking to hire computer programmers, the cognitive test would be helpful for specific job traits or categories, but those that use it should be aware of the fact that the result might not be correct because the p value is greater than 0.05. Even though the correlation value is high at .5625, it is still a risk and should only be used for predicting performance and promotion potential. I would personally be hesitant to use this cognitive test because of the fact that there is a great possibility that the correlation is not accurate and therefore not helpful in predicting a specific aspect of an employee’s abilities. I thi nk if this test was modified or used in conjunction with another selection method, it would be much more reliable and much more practical means of selection and prediction.

Oil and Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oil and Business - Term Paper Example International trade slowed, but still rose because of emerging economies, particularly China and India. However, trade has been affected by the recent hike in oil prices. Furthermore, the publication states that fuel products (oil) saw a relatively lower growth than in previous years, which was due to the high prices of oil in the world market. However, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has increased oil demand growth for 2010 (Brock). Oil is a major commodity in international trade and is one of the most influential commodity to impact business, trade and hence, economies. Today, we will analyze the economics of oil, which would include a detailed analysis into oil prices, and its effects on business and international trade. In the international market, price for every good is determined by market forces. The capitalistic system gives freedom to the market forces, and prices are determined by demand and supply. Demand is the willingness of the consumer to buy at a particular price, whereas supply is the willingness of the producer to produce at a given price. For instance, an increase in demand for oil would increase prices, and an increase in supply of oil would contain or reduce prices. Significant growth in countries like China and Brazil has increased recovery prospects, and hence increased demand. Thus, oil prices have been rising. Oil prices have declined since July of 2008 because of a slump in demand due to a severe global recession. This was also one of the reasons why developed economies consumed less fuel than usual. b) Relationship between Oil and the U.S. Dollar Although the price of oil in the international market is determined by market forces, it is also affected by the U.S. dollar. Oil and the greenback share a negative relationship. Traditionally, an increase in dollar value causes a decrease in crude price, and vice versa. People might wonder as to why oil affects the dollar and the other way round, but how come other currencies and oil price are not related. Commodities such as Oil and Gold are traded in the international market in U.S. dollars, and this has been agreed upon by the Organization of Oil-Exporting Countries (OPEC). Before 1971, the U.S. dollar was backed by gold, and changes in price of oil didn't have an effect on producer profits, as gold had intrinsic value. The U.S. Dollar could be liquidated into gold almost immediately. However, after 1971, dollar was made a fiat currency, and was printed without gold backing. This made it easy for the American government to print money, and hence increase supply. In the last 35-40 years, dollar value has declined significantly amid ever-increasing money supply in the U.S. economy. Therefore, when dollar falls (real value decreases), producers ask for more money to compensate the loss in their real value assets, which are based on U.S. dollars. Thus, a decrease in the dollar has pushed oil prices up in the past decade or so. c) The role of the OPEC Besides these factors, the OPEC, which holds two-thirds of the world's fuel reserves, plays a vital role. Refining is done on a large scale in these countries, and they contribute a lot to the world's oil

Human resource planning and development t2

Human resource planning and development t2 Q) It could be said that international recruitment is the most important HR function within LVMH. What argument would you use to support this view? Ans.) 1) Recruitment is the process of searching and attracting potential applicants to a company. All companies, at one time or another, engage in recruiting activity, though the extent to which it is carried out, vary. The increasing globalisation of the marketplace combined with an increasing shortage of skilled staff and advances in technology have resulted in large scale changes to recruitment practices throughout the world. Attracting staff from overseas remains a challenge for human resources, due to a low rate of labour market mobility. Deciding how best to publicise a vacancy is just one element of how to devise a successful international recruitment strategy. It is important to remember that most workers dont automatically think about looking for a job abroad. It is only when they see a vacancy that they might seriously consider relocating. It is therefore crucial to not just post a job somewhere and wait until candidates reply, but rather to tailor each vacancy according to the factors that motivate the potential applicants that are targeted. This research reveals that those motivations vary from country to country so any international recruitment strategy must be informed by these cultural differences. Cultural and language differences are the biggest barriers for international recruitment strategies (43%), followed by legislative problems (31%) and the difficulty in checking candidate qualifications and references (26%). Companies in mainland Europe prefer to recruit from neighbouring countries, whereas firms in the UK have no particular preference regarding the country of origin of their foreign employees. Almost 40% of British people would be amenable to working in another country for more than five years. However those from Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) prefer to return home within two years. 2) One of the first lessons global corporations learn is that it is far cheaper to hire competent host-country national than to send their own executives overseas, for foreign service employees typically cost two to three times the salary of comparable domestic employee, and often many more times the salary of a local national employee in the assignment country. For example, General Motors typically spends $750,000 to $100,000,0 on an executive and his or her family during a three years stint abroad. The costs of doing business are often much higher overseas than in the USA. Consider office space as an example. In USA, rent per square foot ranges from about $21 in Los Angeles to $36 in midtown Mahatteam. By contrast, rents expressed in U.S. dollar average about $49 in Paris and Frankfurt and $61 in London. In such Asian cities as Bombay, Beijing, HongKong, and Tokyo, dollar rents range from $64 to $101. Of course, these costs fluctuate with international exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. On top of the high costs of such items as office space are the costs incurred by a high failure rate among expatriatesbetween 16 and 40 percent of all Americans sent overseas. For all levels recruitment, relocation expenses, premium compensation, repatriation costs, replacement costs, and the tangible costs of poor job performance. When an overseas assignment does not work out, it still cost a company, on average, twice the employees base salary. Although the costs of expatriates are considerable, there are compensating benefits to MNCs. In particular, overseas postings allow managers to develop international experience outside their home countriesthe kind of experience needed to compete successfully in the global economy that we now live in. When you are sending someone abroad to work on an possible about how to do business in the country. The cost of training is inconsequential compared to the risk of sending inexperience or untrained people. Business leaders of the present-let alone the future-need to possess international business skills par excellence in order to survive the chaotic world of international business. It also goes without saying that human resource managers will face new, unforeseen obstacles. Understanding the links between people, productivity and quality is the key to understanding why some firms succeed and other dont-in exactly the same economic and social environment. It is far too easy and wrong to categorize human resource practices as being the soft science—part of the hard science of making organizations competitive. In fact, this is far from the truth. The best organizations are very focussed and hard-nosed about their human resource policies because they clearly understand HR policies and their link to productivity and quality. Human resource strategies are designed to motivate people to immerse themselves in the activity of the company, to ensure that people are valued, respected and rewarded so that they continually contribute to the success of the company and enhance their own well being. Understanding the difficulties of finding qualified executives for international companies (ICs) and the importance of foreign language knowledge. Knowledge of a peoples language is essential to understanding his or her culture and to know whats going on as every effective manager must. Compare home country, host country, and third country nationals as international companies executives. Source of IC executives may be home country, host countries, or third countries, and their differing culture, language, ability, and experience can strengthen IC management. Remember some of the complications of compensation packages for expatriate executives. Expatriate manager compensation packages can be extremely complicated. Among other sources of complication are fluctuating currency exchange rates and differing inflation rates. Basic elements of those packages are salaries, allowances, and bonuses.

National Tv Turn-off Week: A Dumb Idea :: essays research papers

National TV Turn-Off Week: A Dumb Idea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a time when millions of people are starving each year and thousands are killed in war zones, worrying about how much television we watch sounds like a stupid idea. Right? Well, that's what people all across North America are doing every day. In fact, there is a full week dedicated to the cause: National T.V-Turnoff Week.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  National T.V-Turnoff week is nothing more then a cry for attention by the middle class. The lower classes have their problems: starvation, health, shelter. You know, no big deal. But what of the middle class? They have no problems. They have a house, a job, usually a loving family. What don't they have? What they don't have is something to worry about. So, along comes Linda Weltner and National T.V-Turnoff Week. Problem solved. The middle class now has something to worry about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For years people have been watching television and no complaints have been made. No complaints about the endless information that comes from television. No complaints about the hours of entertainment that television has brought to people for years. But now people complain that we, as a people, are watching too much T.V. They would have you believe that we could be doing better things with our lives. They would have you believe that we can make more out of ourselves. But what do they know? Have they ever done any research to prove their theories? No, they haven't. But the people behind such propaganda as National T.V-Turnoff Week really do believe that not watching television can enhance your life, so let us examine their reasoning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Linda Weltner suggests that instead of watching television one can take up a craft such a knitting. Sure knitting is a good hobby. Entertaining, enjoyable, it might even relieve stress. But when it comes down to it what do you really get out of knitting that you wouldn't get out of watching television? A sweater, maybe? Sure, you might just knit a sweater that you could wear on the odd occasion, but is that worth the price of not being in touch with the world? Not to the average person in this world and time. In this age of beepers, cell- phones, and the Internet, being out of touch for just a minute could change your life drastically. And, besides, why can't you watch television while you knit?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As for the people that say television warps a young mind, I have a personal beef against that reasoning. Coming over to Canada as a little immigrant child, not speaking a word of English, I was outcast by society.

Declining Portable Water Essay

â€Å"Water of life†. This is a famous Christianity word that reflects how important water is to our life. As we know, most drinkable water comes from the river, thus making river the main sources of potable water. However global warming is getting more and more serious nowadays causing a global rise in temperature and melt the ices at mountain’s peak. In the book ‘Pillar of Sand’ by Sandra Postel, Postel says that major Asia’s rivers like Ganges, Indus and Yellow river depends on the snowpack mountains for their flow. Despite that, the rises in temperature has causes the snow to melt faster and an increase in rainfall, drying up the river especially during dry season. Even the famous Andes, Rockies and Alps rivers is said to soon face this problem which mean there will be a worldwide water shortage should these rivers dry up. Therefore, this essay will talk about what will happen when there is a decline in potable water. Global water pollution cause d by sewage and animal waste has resulted in overdose of nutrients and sediments in rivers, lakes and sea.(Tasha Eichenseher, March 2010) This causes eutrophication which is a situation where algae growth increases; resulted in lack of oxygen in the river. That eventually decreases the values of the rivers, lakes and esturaries for recreation, fishing, hunting and aesthetic enjoyment. In addition to that, health problems can occur where eutrophic condition interferes with drinking water treatment. To sum it up, water pollution caused by sewage and animal waste is the root of the decline in drinkable water as it pollutes the rivers and also the treated water. In addition to the above, polluted water is also said to be the causes of diseases. According to the World Health Organization, up to half of humanity has one of the six main diseases – diarrhea, schistosomiasis, trachoma, infestation with ascaris, guinea worm, or hookworm at any time because of poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation. This shows that lack of safe drinking water, as water are polluted, can causes various dangerous spreadable diseases w hich can endangered our life. For example, it is predicted by Amin Zakaria in his column in The Star on July 9, 2008, that in 2009, diarrhea death toll will be like four jumbo jets of children crashing every day. Therefore, it is not exaggerating to say that human waste is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction as lack of adequate sanitation in usable water for more than a third of the Earth’s population is one of the biggest scandals in the last 50 years. This lack of clean water situation is further worsen when there is a decline in clean water. According to Tan Ee-Beng on 2008 in the Environmental Health Perspectives, of a population of roughly 6.1 billion, more than 1 billion lack access to potable water. His statement is further proven when a report from UNESCO on 2009 says that China currently has less than an estimated 49 billion cubic meters of renewable water resources when in the decades before 2000, this country owns an average of about 66 billion cubic meters of renewable water resources. In conclusion, knowing that there is a decline in clean water, the best way is to combat this issue soonest possible. Government should also urges the public to save water by increasing the water bill after the usual 50 liters usage. In addition to that, government should also increase the capacity of the water reservoir in the country. For example the current Selangor water issue between Peter Chin and Selangor state Government should be resolve soonest possible so that Langat 2 can be built and provide water for people of Selangor till 2025. We as citizen should also play a part by not wasting these precious water as to lessen the need to treat the water to be use again.

Jay Gatsby the Tragic Hero Essay

The great flaw in Gatsby’s character is his excessive obsession. We find out towards the middle of the book Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy to the point that his life is ‘Daisy’. He throws extravagant parties in hopes her being there. He purchases a palace of a mansion simply because it is close to Daisy’s home. He makes a living only to prove himself worthy to Daisy. He lives for ‘Daisy’, but he does not live for the living Daisy. Gatsby is so infatuated with ‘Daisy’ that he is bent on the magnificent fantasy of a Daisy to which no human can compare. He chooses to remain loyal to the young Daisy of eighteen, who was â€Å"by far the most popular of all the young girls of Louisville†¦dressed in white, and had a little white roadster† (Fitzgerald 72-73). In the words of Fitzgerald: â€Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart† (93). This is very true, as the real Daisy served no other purpose to Gatsby than to bear a faint resemblance to the fantastical angle he had conjured out of his shattered dreams. Neither Gatsby nor anyone can gain anything from such a delusional happiness. Gatsby has many nemeses in the novel. George Wilson can be considered a nemesis because it is at his hands that Gatsby meets his death. Another rival of Gatsby’s is Tom Buchanan, our protagonist’s adversary in love who also had a hand in the hero’s downfall. In my opinion however, the arch-nemesis of Jay Gatsby is none other than Jay Gatsby. I believe Gatsby’s own actions and flaws in character have brought about his demise. Gatsby was the one who built his entire life gravitating around a single ideal of a girl he once loved. Gatsby was the one who took the initiative to meet Daisy. Gatsby was the one who, having already gained the affections of Daisy, pressed her, on page 126, to testify that she’s never loved Tom. In the words of Daisy, â€Å"you [Gatsby] want too much†¦I can’t help what’s past† (126). Indeed, Gatsby asked for too much, and in return, if not retribution, everything blew up in his face with nothing left b ut a dying dream. Gatsby’s ending in The Great Gatsby was certainly anything but happy. For one thing, he was murdered. On top of that however, lays an even crueller fact. That is, Daisy never called. Gatsby would have died just a little more at ease if he had known that the object of his fascinations for 4 long years  showed any hint of remorse that they may very likely be torn apart. She did not. Gatsby’s soul would have rested easier as well if the person for whom he died showed any sign of sorrow for his departure. She did not. Nor did any of his many acquaintances, save one, turn up to pay respects to the man whose generosity they had often molested. If this is not tragic, what is?Gatsby’s demise is so metaphorical and symbolic that it is hard to pinpoint exact what Fitzgerald was trying to say. Gatsby, a prosperous and extravagant self-made man, was killed by a downtrodden worker of the slums. Could this be alluding to a communist-style revolution? Daisy is quite similar to the American Dream, both being glorious and full of promises to he-who-wins-it. If Gatsby died in trying to get ‘Daisy’, is Fitzgerald denouncing the American Dream? There is, however, evidence that Fitzgerald still believes in the American Dream, as Daisy bears a few dissimilarities to it. That is, Daisy, in principal, is far more superficial, cursory, and lax than the â€Å"white picket fence† American Dream. Could Fitzgerald also have been trying to convey that the Dream has been perverted to such an extent that he-who pursues-it shall fail tragically, just as Gatsby had? The possibilities are endless, but one thing Fitzgerald was trying to express is certain: do not follow in the footsteps of Jay Gatsby, or we too will meet a tragic demise.

Balkan Nationalism as WWI cause essays

Balkan Nationalism as WWI cause essays Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind,- Albert Einstein. Over the course of humanitys march out of the East and into the west, the Balkan Peninsula has been a crossroads of political, cultural, and artistic developments. The Balkans, much like the other regions of Europe during the turn of the twentieth century, were experiencing strong nationalistic ideologies. Nationalism in this scenario would be defined as the desire for people to be ruled by themselves. For the Balkans this meant the expulsion of all foreign presence. Tensions caused mainly by nationalism in the Balkans between 1870 and 1914 contributed to the beginning of the first World War because of the chain reactions that occurred after the assassination of the Archduke Franze Ferdinand. A rise in military power in Europe began after 1870. Germany had taken the territory of Alsace-Lorraine from the French in the Franco-Prussian war. Due to their quick and embarrassing loss in the war, and concerns about another German attack, France began to build up their military and place strong fortresses on the German border. Frances military building would foreshadow the arms race Europe would see. In 1890 Bismarck was dismissed as Chancellor of Germany by a naive Kaiser Wilhelm II. Wilhelm wanted to expand the German navy and began so by building a fleet of battleships. Britain attempted to maintain twice the navy of its enemys; hence they began to build as well. In 1906 Britain developed the HMS Dreadnaught, a new battleship, which was capable of the speed of 21 knots. The navy was not the only part growing. Weaponry advanced, submarines and airplanes appeared, and Europes military count was at its peak. The arms race left a frustrated continent on the edge and trigger happy. Bismarcks absence changed the alliance of Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm II refused to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. Russia did not wa...

Gold Standard Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gold Standard - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss both advantages and disadvantages that could be incurred if the United States economy returns to the Gold Standard, by presenting a brief history on US economy’s use of the Gold Standard and the circumstances surrounding the standard’s dismissal. From early centuries, Gold has always been placed at an esteemed position due to its use and functionality. Among the various precious metals that are found here on earth, Gold is considered the most 'valuable' as it has many applications, from being used in Jewelry to being the main tool in International financial transactions. The major nations of the world including United States from the latter half of 19th century till 1920’s used Gold to pay for all the trade that was carried out between them. To standardize this form of gold transaction, a Gold standard was adopted. Under the Gold Standard, currencies of the countries, using gold for transaction, are tied to a specific amount of gold. So, w hen a country redeems or pays its money in the form of gold, it is said to be following or using the Gold Standard. This way, the government of the country which redeems gold and its counterparts who receive the gold will share a fixed-currency relationship. The advantage, the nations were able achieve due to the use of earlier introduced Gold Standard was the adjustment of their Balance of payments. That is, when a nation has a trade deficit while doing trade with a particular country, they could balance it by paying in gold, as currencies were convertible to gold. This advantage could also be garnered, if the Gold Standard is reintroduced again, particularly in relation to United States Economy. The pro-group for the introduction of Gold Standard state that if the standard is introduced in United States, preferably within next 5 years, it could solve number of fiscal and monetary problems that has been plaguing the US economy in the recent past. One of the main advantages that cou ld be incurred is stabilization of the US’ Dollar value, which in a way could restore the confidence among the â€Å"foreign investors in U.S. government bonds,† and importantly could also â€Å"discourage reckless federal spending.† (Dykewicz, 2011). That is, with the Dollar serving as the world's reserve currency, it enables other countries to use it for all types of trade and even stockpile it, thus providing the U.S. Federal Reserve to print as much Dollar as it needs to fiddle with its economy as it sees fit. The downside of such loose monetary policies includes higher inflation rates and a weaker Dollar, and so certain sections of experts advocate the return to the Gold Standard, with the hope that it could force the government to live within its means. (Jones and Walter, 2011). In a way, the return of Gold Standard could bring stability and strengthening of the US Dollar, thereby having many positive impacts on the economy. The positive impacts include so lutions to the current unemployment problem, because strengthened or expensive Dollar would lead to people using more labor, and importantly would lead to fiscal discipline. Thus, it is being pointed out that the current Fed’s policy of pouring trillions of Dollars into the economy to stimulate growth, will only lead to more inflation and weakening of Dollar, and so if the Gold Stand

Training & Talent Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Training & Talent Management - Essay Example I therefore appreciate the fact that Training and Talent Management has a significant impact on employees (managers, sales staff, customer service, etc.) (Treen, 2000). I suggests that it is important for the HR departments in organizations to ascertain that the employees at all levels including the managers, sales staff, customer service, etc are given equal chances to gain a clear insight of their expected roles and duties which will facilitate meeting the core values as well as purposes of the organization. This realization has enabled me as an aspiring manager to value the importance of Training and Talent Management in relation to the set goals of organization (Treen, 2000). Prior to this new knowledge I would have treated the process of recruitment of employees superficially. For instance, I would have employed the traditional method of placing an advert for job vacancies in the local dailies then asking for written applications based on purely academic qualifications as reflected on the curriculum vitae. I would also have â€Å"canvassed† from within the existing employees based on my â€Å"cronies† as a way of ‘buying royalty’. I would also have involved a hastily constituted panel to conduct â€Å"interviews† whose outcomes would have been premeditated. From the foregoing, it can be understood that I would not have been able to match talent equal to the task which is the core of Training and Talent Management. This topic on Training and Talent Management has acted as an eye opener. I now realize that the objective of Training and Talent Management is facilitating for efficient accomplishment of the responsibilities of the employees to the anticipated standards. Effectiveness of Training and Talent Management programs should be gauged by the perceived results which are reflected in the level of performance of the employees (Treen, 2000).