Pollution is a consistent demolition of the Earth Essay Example

Pollution is a consistent demolition of the Earth Paper Some people might think that using plastic bottles doesnt even affect our impute on pollution but it actually is one of the major causes of pollution in the ocean. Pollution is pressing issue that only we can solve through time and effort. So why does it really matter if we fix it? To save our planet and example of this displayed in a movie that came out recently by Paxar Studio, Wall-E. It is a story of a small robot, the only living thing left on the earth, and it is his duty to clean up the debris the humans had left behind. The whole planet had en consumed by all the trash and garbage that the humans just threw into the ocean and even space. This movie was a statement about what our actions are eventually going to lead too. To help get this issue under control it is going to take some time and effort on every ones part, even just the little things can make a huge difference if everyone would all participate. For instance if we all brought our own reusable bags to the department or grocery stores think of how many plastic bags would be saved. Or even just plastic water bottles if everyone just reused one. We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution is a consistent demolition of the Earth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution is a consistent demolition of the Earth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution is a consistent demolition of the Earth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Everyone can make a difference in time; it just takes a little effort. In time the evidence of pollution in the ocean will become obvious even to the most oblivious people. It will invade the beaches and rivers of our own country; that is when it becomes our problem also. If we dont try to solve this issue it will spread all over the world invading our beaches in Florida or California. The pollution in the ocean is increasingly high and shows no signs stopping. Certain places in the world have already been affected by this issue and it only getting worse.

Electrophoresis essays

Electrophoresis essays magine a rape/ murder has just happened. The police go in to recover evidence. The only thing that can be found is a sample of DNA from a trace of blood on the victim. This DNA sample must be some how linked top the suspect. These DNA samples can be separated using gel electrophoresis. The number and position of bands formed on each lane of gel is the actual genetic "fingerprint" of that DNA sample. The characteristics of certain segments of DNA vary from person to person and form a highly individual, detectable "genetic fingerprint." This fingerprint is the most unique thing a person has, and therefore not two people have the same DNA sample. When the DNA sample form the crime scene and the DNA sample from the suspect are matched, then one can be sure that this is the right match. The suspect is guilty of the crime. Genetic fingerprinting by electrophoresis was only developed in the mid-1980s, genetic and has become a widely used courtroom tool. In 1988 the first person in the United States was executed based on DNA technology. Electrophoresis is a method that separates macromolecules whether it is nucleic acids or proteins, on the basis of size, electric charge, and other physical properties. The term electrophoresis describes the migration of charged particle under the influence of an electric field. Gel electrophoresis refers to the technique in which molecules are forced across a span of gel, motivated by an electrical current. Activated electrodes at either end of the gel provide the driving force. A molecule's properties determine how rapidly an electric field can move the molecule through a gelatinous medium. Many important biological molecules such as amino acids, peptides, proteins, nucleotides, and nucleic acids at any given pH, exist in solution as electrically charged species either as cations (+) or anions (-). Depending on the nature of the net charge, the charged particles will migrate either to the c...

Managing and leading people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managing and leading people - Essay Example With the focus on the relationship between people management and organizational performance it will be easy to understand the importances and also the complexities that can be faced while efficiently managing people. It is more complex because of the changing environment and with the changes that take place in the company. Global executives across the world face lot of challenges in leading people and also manage people in a better way and that to in the continuously changing environment. The leaders face many problems to jell around with the people in the organization and also motivate them and create a good work environment in the company. For a leader it is very important to implement a standard practice in all the areas of the business and also fort a good performance of the company. In this report it can be seen how important a good leader is for a particular organization. The various challenges that a particular manager faces being a leader and also in managing people in an organization is been studied using various concepts and theories. This essay will help to understand the important tools that the leader needs to implement so that he/she can effectively manage the staff working under him to increase their efficiency and also improve their motivation. It also includes what makes a person a good leader and also how it fits with the strategic goal of the company to make it grow in a good way. The individual performance of every employee in the organization is very important as it helps the company to increase the productivity of the people. Bath model is been used to understand the link between people and their performance in the organization. This model was established by John Purcell in 2004, to understand the link between the individual and their performance. This gives a clear indication on how the individual performance influences the organizational

Green mile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green mile - Essay Example We can also see in the process of the film that this man is too kind and sincere and he often cries. The director of the film provides the viewers of the film that Paul is able to heal the dying mouse and help Paul to deal with his urinary infection. John is not pride of his power and he just takes it for granted. There is something enchanting about this film, when the viewers are attracted by watching the most important things and facial expressions of the main characters of the film. There is a deep and profound friendship bounds between the old man and Paul. We can see that Paul is a sympathizing person and that he is able to feel sympathy towards those prisoners, who are going along their final paths in their lives. The director of the film impresses the audience by using different angles of camera. Coffeys image is shown from different perspectives. There is a clear intention of the director of the film to show Coffeys appearance from different perspectives. I do not know why, but the director managed to show the character of John Coffey as a tender person. Coffey underlines that he is able to react to his spiritual abilities to heal someone and his face reflects all his inner emotions and feelings. At this moment the director employs the camera zoom. The usage of flashbacks makes the viewers think about their lives as profoundly, as the main characters of the film do. Coffey holds two girls in his arms and we can see sincere feelings of a black man, holding small girls in his arms. The dogs are barking and the girls are crying, but the director intends to position this flashback as an evidence of Coffeys innocence. The process of Edgecombes healing by Coffey is depicted in a magical manner by the director. In such a way, he wants to show the viewers that Coffey is an extraordinary person and he should not be blamed for raping or murdering the two small girls. We can claim that realism

Business formation and purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business formation and purpose - Essay Example BBC Worldwide has a number of other commercial ventures. Profits from these activities are returned to the BBC for investment in new programming and services (BBC, No Date). In the year 1922 by the public opinion, as well as the spectacular growth and popularity of radio in the United States, had attracted more public pressure on the authorities to deny a full service any longer. After five months of deliberation a company to be known as the British Broadcasting Company was to set up eight stations in major cities around the country. Like this the BBC was born. on November 14th 1922, The British Broadcasting Company started daily transmissions by that time more than one million ten-shilling (50p) authorization had been announced. In 1927 the company was restructured as a public corporation -the BBC which is known today- by its founding father, John (later Lord) Reith, but by this time an even newer technology was being developed -television. In 1926 Baird enlisted the aid of Selfridges in London to put on public demonstrations of his equipment., the BBCs official line was that Bairds pictures were well below standard and that they had too little potential for improvement (BBC, No Date). By 1932 the BBC started regular experimental broadcasting. They offered Baird a studio in their newly acquired premises in Portland Place, Britains first dedicated television studio, was housed in the basement of Broadcasting House, and it was from here that Baird continued to experiment and refine the new medium. Competition came from the Electronic and Music Industries (EMI), based in Hayes, Middlesex, where they had been working with the Marconi Company on developing a high definition system. In May of 1934 the British government appointed a committee for setting up a television service followed by the Seldom Report where The BBC was to be

The book of Ruth

The book of Ruth In the book of Ruth, the name Ruth itself means mercy. In the context of the book this mercy is to show that Gods grace and mercy is for all the people in Israel. Ruth was a poor woman and on top of all she was as well a foreigner which made her life more difficult. However, during her difficult time she was helped by another woman and helped her overcome her difficulties. This woman was older and through her experience in life was able to listen and give advice to Ruth. In return Ruth offered to her extreme loyalty. Ruth story is a historical novel which is based on real people and it signifies and points out a story of courage in difficult situations. It is set in the period of the Judges before the birth of King David however there is evidence that it was in reality written much later so much so about the time when the two tribes of Judah were set free and were allowed to go to Jerusalem. The story is divided in four episodes each exploring Ruths life. The first episode was about Ruth and Naomi that go to Bethlehem. This first act which can be regarded as a prologue discusses how Naomi and her family went to Moab. Naomi was Israelite and lived with her family, however an unfortunate event occurred. A storm destroyed their grain and there was famine among most of the people including Naomis family. This famine led such a family to go to leave their home, Naomi with her family had to go and live in another country, specifically that of Moab. Naomi with her husband had two sons and later they got married. Due to circumstances Naomis husband and sons die. Heavy hearted she sees fit that she returns to Bethlehem. Naomi had two daughters in law who were Ruth and Orpah. The three women ended up being widows and in ancient Israel there were not allowed to remarry because their dead husbands were still considered to be families. However one must keep in mind that the daughters in law were not Israelites, unlike Naomi they were Moabites which were considered bitter enemies. So much so, there a few battles between them. This is so because the Israelites regarded the Moabites as inferior because according to hem they originated from an act of incest between Lot and his oldest daughter. This led to the believe, that the Moab nation was tainted. Naomi, regarding all this hatred among the two groups believed that her daughters in law Ruth and Orpah would not go to Bethlehem with her. However Naomis hope was not completely lost. Orpah decided to be in Moab among her people, but Ruth saw things in a different light. Ruth shared the same grief and loneliness that Naomi was facing and this led her to accompany Naomi and return with her to Bethlehem. The second episode of the book of Ruth takes a different shape. Naomi was a widow but still she had family connections. On top of that both Naomi and Ruth were women of initiative; they did not believe that things were going to happen by themselves. Case in point, at that times women mostly took action in food management and production and Ruth took part in gleaning the barley so that she and Naomi survive. Naomi had a relative on her husbands side, who he was rich and went by the name of Boaz. As Ruth usually did, she had to do gleaning in order to survive and she ended up gleaning in a field belonging to Boaz. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. (Ruth Episode 2:1-7) One must notice that in such an event, Ruth uses the phrase as it happened; this signifies the meaning that God indented this scene to happen. This phrase is often used in the bible to bestow the greatness of God to establish such scenes. Also, Naomi and the people of Bethlehem saw that Boaz was a good match for Ruth and encouraged her to him. Naomi believed that Ruth was good enough for Boaz as she was a good woman and respected, all her problems would cease if she just could have a rich husband. She saw through Boaz that he was perfect for Ruth, for he had a good nature, respected as well, rich and obligated to help them as he was a relative of Naomi. Boaz was a go-el who had a duty to aid the respective family if the husband died. Like Naomi believed, Boaz helped Ruth so much so, he went through many ordeals to gain extra grain for her, protected her and saw that she was properly fed. Through his help and care, God was opening a branch for destiny to occur. The third episode takes place at the threshing floor which is a perfect time of the year as the harvest would have been brought in and weather would still be warm. Naomi thought that this was the last chance that Ruth had to marry Boaz so it was here that she devised a plan for Boaz to propose to Ruth. Ruth thought that the idea of her marrying Boaz was mere fantasy because she was a poor Moab woman while he had high status and rich however she still listened to Naomi and she heeded her words. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. Ruth dressed well, perfumed herself and waited until Boaz had eaten a good meal. Afterwards, Boaz went to sleep and Naomi went near his place and lied down next to him. cover her with his blanket This phrase suggests that since Boaz is the go-el, a kinsman, Ruth has the right to demand marriage so this phrase suggests marriage. Boaz agreed however he had some dire news that his cousin was a much closer kinsman than he is. Boaz had to deal with his cousin before he could marry her and he had to do everything in order so there would be no questioning about the legality of the marriage. Ruth slept and stayed next to Boaz till the morning and returned to Naomi. Naomi was eager to know whether she would marry him, but she was not alone as so was Ruth eager to know whether they will marry or not. This leads to the fourth and final episode of Ruths book. As what happens in every place, the villages come to know what is happening as Boaz, the next morning, was already met by the nearest kinsman of Naomis family. However due to some negotiations concerning land finally Ruth and Boaz got married and they had their son Obed being the father of Jesse who was the father of David, who he united Israel to its greatness. Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin. May his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourishment for your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. (Ruth Episode 4:1-22) As one can see, the book of Ruth deals with how family continues throughout generations amplifying their greatness as the former Ruth was a woman who had no children but events folded in such a way that she became the great grandmother of David. It also puts forth a message about dealing with problems. In the beginning Ruth had nothing left, only Naomi however she embraced the little she had and did not lose hope. Even a poor Moab woman as Ruth through Gods aid was able to fulfil her destiny. The religious aspects of the Book of Ruth deal also with practicality. All the themes conveyed such as love, generosity and most importantly to trust in each other brings out the meaning that no matters how badly events occur, goodness exists and it is achieved through effort and hard work. Given this fact, one can understand why the book of Ruth was written. Gods purpose may be fulfilled in many ways, some of them even unexpected. Gods love is for everyone and not only to the people of Israel. The story reveals Gods character in His faithfulness in regards to chosen people. Ruth is Gods instrument to bless the nations. Old Testament narratives reveal the character of God and he is revealed as the provider of the helpless. In the book of Ruth, God provides Boaz, the nearest kinsmen to ultimately meet Ruth. Boaz becomes Ruths husband and also reclaims the rightful home for Naomi. Boaz is one who redeems; he redeemed Ruth as she was a victim of poverty, she was unprotected and no one provided for her. The story provides a lesson on love and kindness. As we see from the very beginning, in the first episode, Ruth gave everything she had for Naomi her mother-in-law. This shows Ruths sacrificial character, so much so, Boaz noticed Ruth ability to give more than to receive back. Case in point, in the book of Ruth; it is stated that; Against the dark moral and ethical backdrop of the Judges period, the foreigner Ruth emerges as a paradigm of loyal love and of the kind of person the Lord is looking for to populate his covenant community. The tragedy of the beginning sets the story in motion as then there is the will to search for a special something that will restore balance. Naomi and Ruth are stricken by tragedy and this leads them to no hope of provision as they were childless. Naomi considers herself cursed by God, she sees no hope of security but then everything changes by Gods will through Ruth. A hero is someone who sacrifices his own needs to help others; Ruth is a heroine and saves Naomi. She sacrifices her security and the likelihood of marriage to remain loyal to Naomi however Naomis rule changes and adapts throughout the story. In the beginning she tries her best to dissuade Ruth to come with her to Bethlehem. However later on, when she accepts the fact that Ruth will accompany her, she wants her to marry Boaz. She even provides a plan on how to do so; this makes Naomi a complicated character throughout the story. When this change of attitude occurs, Naomi regards herself as vessel to bring about Gods voi ce. She actively prepares Ruth and Boaz for marriage and does her best in doing so. Even though the book is entitles Ruth, the story revolves around Naomi and her perspective. However, one cannot pass unnoticed the fact that is about God and His loving kindness to act as a provider for Ruth and Naomi. References: Books: Hubbard RL., JR., The Book of Ruth, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Websites: http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/hist/ruth1.htm http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.13.Ruth.htm http://www.americanbible.org/absport/news/item.php?id=151

Psychology :: essays research papers

Psyc 3331 Psychology of Gender Notes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  02.02.05 Chapter 1 Key Terms †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Androcentric bias: discipline of psychology that is largely focused on men and describes men as superior and women as inferior. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bias in Research Methods: bias occurs in every part of the research process-from question formulation and research design to data analysis and interpretation †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blatant sexism: occurs when women are treated in a transparently harmful and unequal way. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Covert sexism: form of sexism that’s intentional, hidden, and often hostile. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cultural approach: origins of gender stereotyping from a sociocultural perspective where children are socialized to act according to their culture. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cultural feminism: emphasizes characteristics and qualities of women that are devolved and ignored in society. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Division 35: APA’s division of the psychology of women (est.1973) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Engendering psychology: a psychology which gender considerations are mainstreamed throughout the discipline. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evolutionary psychology: developed by Wilson; psychological traits are selected through evolution †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feminism: belief that women and men are equal and should be equally valued and have equal rights. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1st wave feminism: began in 1903 with the founding of women’s social and political union †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  gender: different between boys and girls and women and men are averaged in society’s social interact; based on a composed set of traits, interests, and behaviors. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gender schema: structures that allow a person to organize information related to gender by linking gender labels to objects, traits, and behaviors. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gender stereotypes: cognitive representation of males and females; organized set of beliefs of psychological traits and characteristics as well as activities appropriate to men or women. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liberal feminism: focuses on equality of women and men †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men’s movement: includes military, political, religion, and economic events that have benefited men †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Radical feminism: focuses on control of women by men; based on belief that men’s oppression of women is primary and serves as a model for all other oppression †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Science: knowledge based activity that depends on facts accumulated through systematic and objective questioning, hypothesis testing, methodological study, analysis, and presentation. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sex: biological difference in the genetic composition and reproductive structures and functions of men and women †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sex discrimination: harmful and unequal treatment of individuals due to their sex. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sexism: differential treatment of individuals based on their sex; subordination of women and assumption of the superiority of men solely on the basis of sex or gender †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social constructionism: view by Foucault that human behavior determined by historical, cultural, and social conditions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socialist feminism: focuses on social relations and how social institutions preserve and promote male dominance. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociobiology (Evolutionary Psychology): theory by Wilson that holds that psychological traits are selected through an evolutionary process; adaptive traits are selected because they serve to perpetuate the species.

Indian Automobile Industry Essay

A. Introduction The Automotive Industry in India is one of the larger markets in the world and had previously been one of the fastest growing globally, but is now seeing flat or negative growth rates. India’s passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the sixth largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.9 million units in 2011. According to recent reports, India overtook Brazil and became the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, grew 16 to 18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12. In 2009, India emerged as Asia’s fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.In 2010, India beat Thailand to become Asia’s third largest exporter of passenger cars. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second (after China) fastest growi ng automobile market in the world in that year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 4 million by 2015, no longer 5 million as previously projected. The majority of India’s car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster consisting of Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. Chennai, with the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo and PSA Peugeot Citroà «n is about to begin their operations by 2014. Chennai accounts for 60% of the country’s automotive exports. The western hub near Mumbai and Pune contributes to 33% of the market. The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat and Force Motors having assembly plants in the area. Nashik has a major base of Mahindra & Mahindra with a SUV assembly unit and an Engine assembly unit. Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. The northern cluster around the National Capital Region contributes 32% of the Indian market. Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the country’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is based. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol and further planned for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat. Kolkata with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda and Bangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country. B. Major Players The Major Market Players C. Product Segmentation While there are multiple ways of segmenting this industry like based on price and engine size but the most prevalent and the official method is based on dimension. i.e. the length of the vehicle under consideration. A1 Segment – Mini – Up to 3400mm (M800, Nano) A2 Segment – Compact – 3401 to 4000mm (Alto, wagon r, Zen,i10,A-star,Swift,i20,palio,indica etc) A3 Segment – Midsize – 4001 to 4500mm (Manza, City, Sx4, Dzire, Logan, Accent, Fiesta, Verna etc) A4 Segment – Executive – 4501 to 4700mm (Corolla, civic, C class, Cruze, Optra, Octavia etc) A5 Segment – Premium – 4701 to 5000mm (Camry, E class, Accord, Sonata, Laura, Superb etc) A6 Segment – Luxury – Above 5000mm (Mercedes S class, 5 series etc) B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc While it is easy for SIAM to segment the vehicles as per dimensions but for consumers, it becomes a tad difficult. This is primarily because of the widely varying / spread out prices of the vehicles. A 2 segment, as per the above criterion, will range between 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs. And A 3 will be between 4.5 to 9 lakhs. Such wide variation in prices has distorted the image of segments in the minds of consumers. Hence, for simplicity purposes, a different segmentation has cropped up. The details are as follows:- A Segment – Approximately below 3.5 lakhs – Alto, Eon, Nano, Spark, 800 B 1 Segment – Hatchback largely below 6 lakhs – Wagon R, Indica, Beat, Santro, A Star, Micra, Estilo B 2 Segment – Hatchback majorly below 7.5 lakhs – Swift, I 10, I 20, Ritz, Figo, Polo, Liva, Vista, Jazz, Punto, Brio, Fabia, Pulse, Aveo UVA C 1 Segment – Sedan below 8 lakhs – Dzire, Indigo, Etios, Sunny, Fiesta Classic, Verito, Accent, Ambassador, Aveo C 2 Segment – Sedan below 9.5 lakhs – Linea, Manza, Verna, Rapid, Vento, City, SX 4, Verna New, Optra D 1 Segment – Premium Sedan below 15 lakhs – Corolla, Civic, Cruze, Laura, Jetta, Fluence D 2 Segment – Luxury Sedan below 25 lakhs– Superb, Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata, Teana, Kizashi B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc If we analyze the 1st Quarter of 2012-13, then total vehicle sales has been around 6.32 lakh units. The hatchback segments has totaled to 56% of the entire passenger car sales in India. This comes to 355857 units. This clearly shows the popularity of smaller cars in the Indian market. Alto continues to be the top selling brand with 17422 in July. It is followed by Swift (11421) and Wagon R (9582) – all Maruti brands. This is an indication of how well the Maruti team has understood the Indian market. i 10, I 20, Nano, Beat, Figo, Santro& Polo are some of the high selling models in these segments and these models continue to clock more than 3000 units monthly. Nano has been a disappointment so far with huge expectations but it is showing some kind of resilience off late. As a segment, the Utility segment is showing the maximum growth. In fact, this segment has outclassed the other popular segments of A, B 1 & B 2. With 128110 units under its hood in the 1st quarter, the segment is definitely making some good progress. Maruti’sErtiga, Mahindra’s XUV 500 & Bolero has been instrumental in pushing the volumes of this segment. Innova and Omni too are raking in good numbers. What has been disappointing is the performance from the Tata Motors stable Venture, Safari and Sumo have been showing steady decline in the numbers per se but definitely possess huge potential to challenge the other models. Among the sedans, Maruti Dzire continues to lead the pack. With 11413 numbers in July, it is way ahead of its next model Verna (5300). The iconic models of City, Linea, SX4 have been showing consistent under growth and seriously calls for some introspection by their respective manufacturers. Vento & Rapid also showed some slack but given the aggression of VW and Nissan, it wont be long before they start to pull in good numbers. Tata’s Indigo and Manza were on a slightly negative terrain all these months but somehow the trend has been reversed in July. 6816 for these 2 models augurs well for the company. D. Indian Automobile Industry : Barriers to Entry (and Exit) Barriers to entry (or, BTE) are anything that hinders the movement of firms into an industry. That is, BTE reduce or eliminate the entry of new businesses into an industry. Sometimes BTE can be almost insurmountable: no new firms can enter an industry. Other times BTE can slow down the entry of new firms: new firms appear but only slow. Very low BTE, however, means that new firms can enter the industry relatively rapidly. What can act as a BTE ? 1. Amount of capital The amount of capital required to enter the auto industry is in billions of dollars. So, very few outsiders can ever hope to enter the industry. This major financial requirement services as a significant barrier to entry for many industries. The auto manufacturing industry is considered to be highly capital and labor intensive. The major costs for producing and selling automobiles include: * Labor While machines and robots are playing a greater role in manufacturing vehicles, there are still substantial labor costs in designing and engineering automobiles * Advertising Each year automakers spend billions on print and broadcast advertising, furthermore, they spent large amounts of money on market research to anticipate consumer trends and preferences 2. Limited capacity of parts suppliers Existing parts suppliers have downsized their operations to the point that they do not have excess capacity. 3. Competition There are already significant numbers of well established competitors. 4.Government regulations The stringent regulations regarding safety, design, emission standards and fuel efficiency may sometimes act as a deterrent. 5. Patent protection laws This may prevent the use of certain innovations at low cost. 6. Marketing Marketing a new brand can be difficult and very expensive. 7. Economies of scale Economies of scale give large producers a significant cost advantage over small rivals. Where a firm has grown very large and significant economies of scale exist, they can have cost competitiveness. New entrants generally start small and therefore, have much higher unit production costs than the giant firms. These new, small entrants find it nearly impossible to survive against the large rival because they just can’t be price competitive given their much larger unit production costs. 8. Entry-deterring behavior A firm can protect itself from competition by deliberately acting in a way that convinces potential competitors not to enter the industry. Some firms spend huge amounts of money on advertising to keep new rivals from starting up business. Or, firms can act exceedingly aggressive if faced with new competition by perhaps starting a major price war every time a new competitor enters their market. Lawsuits against new rivals have been used to drive them out of business or to, at the very least, raise the cost of entering the business to very high levels. 9. Knowledge and Technology Ideas and Knowledge that provides competitive advantage over others when patented prevent others from using it and thus creates barrier to entry. For eg. TATA motors have great knowledge/ experience in the automobile industry and have renowned technological advantage because of the recent acquisition and mergers. 10. Product Differentiation and Cost Advantage The new product has to be different and attractive to be accepted by the customers. Attractiveness can be measured in the terms of the features, price etc. For an entrant to attain this, it requires lot of effort as compared to an established player. TATA Nano is an example where till now, no new entrant has entered as a competitor. Barriers to Exit: Obstacles or impediments that prevent a company from exiting a market. A company may decide to exit a market because it is unable to capture market share or turn a profit or for some other reason altogether. High barriers to exit might force it to continue competing in the market. The factors that may form a barrier to exit include: 1. High investment in non-transferable fixed assetsThis is particularly common for manufacturing companies that invest heavily in capital equipment which is specific to one task. 2. High redundancy costsIf a company has a large number of employees, employees with high salaries, or contracts with employees which stipulate high redundancy payments (layoff costs), then the firm may face significant cost if it wishes to leave the market. 3. Other closure costs. Contract contingencies with suppliers or buyers and any penalty costs incurred from cutting short tenancy agreements. 4. Potential upturn Firms may be influenced by the potential of an upturn in their market that may reverse their current financial situation. 5. Government policies In India, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 puts restrictions on employers in the matter of reducing excess staff by retrenchment, by closure of establishments and the retrenchment process involved lot of legalities and complex procedures. Also, any plans of retrenchment and reduction of staff and workforce are subjected to strong opposition by trade unions. E. Role of Non-Pricing Competition Non-price competition refers to firms competing with one another not in terms of reducing the price to attract consumers instead, in form of brand name, advertising, packaging, free home- delivery, free service, sponsorship deals and so on. These are the different forms of non-price competition. The main aim of non-price competition is product development. As products are differentiated in monopolistic competition, to prove and show how ones product is superior than others- colour, appearance, packaging, skill level etc. It is been done to create an inelastic demand for the product. Following parameters can be used for competition instead of reducing cost: Quality: If consumers must choose between two products of the same price but they can see that one is of a higher quality, they generally pick the product of higher quality. In this way, if a firm can figure out how to produce an item at a cost comparable to what its competitor charges but make it of higher quality, that firm may be able to steal the market from its competitor. Now in case of automobiles, within a given price range people generally don’t comprise with the quality aesthetics. For example : Recalls of vehicles sold. Recently, Honda Cars India Ltd recalled 42,672 units of second generation Honda City cars manufactured in 2007 and 2008 to replace their power window switch. HCIL carried out preventive part replacement of power window switch. The company is proactively replacing Power Window Switch which may malfunction in case water or any other liquid enters the driver side window. Honda Cars India is carrying out the part replacement as part of a global exercise by Honda Motor Company to ensure stringent quality standards for its products. However, a problem with this approach is that it may take some time for consumers to realize any difference in quality. Perception and Branding: In some cases, little possibility of quality differentiation exists between two products. However, the long-term sustainability of such an approach may be difficult because, as such brand advantages arise through consumer trends, consumer trends may also lead to their demise. We can take example of Hyundai’s Eon and Maruti’s Alto 800. Maruti being a well-known brand it was difficult for Hyundai Eon to compete with it. Hyundai India offers its Eon fleet within a price bracket of Rs. 2.8 to Rs. 3.8 lakhs in the country. Maruti Suzuki has pitched its Alto 800 models with a slightly humble pricing falling in the range starting from Rs. 2.4 lakhs that goes on till Rs. 3.6 lakhs in the Indian auto market. Sales Comparision between Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon Source: http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/car-nama/2012/07/13/alto-vs-eon-eight-months-on/ Product Design: In some cases, firms may compete by changing the design of their products to make them more appealing without significantly changing production costs or quality levels. Such a strategy can prove effective at stealing business from competitors, but it can also backfire, because it can cause the company to alienate its existing consumers, who may be knowingly choosing the existing design over other products with different designs specifically because it appeals to their tastes. Product Differentiation: Not all consumers are the same. By offering a range of similar products geared toward different market sectors, firms can expand their market base. However, such product differentiation can result in significantly higher overhead costs for production. For example every model has variants in following aspects: Fuel used (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG) Cost varients (low end to high end with addition of features like sunroof, airbags etc.) Model| Price (INR)| Mileage| Volkswagon Vento PetorlTrendline| 7,29,000| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Comfortline| 7,75,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Style Limited Edition| 8,10,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Trendline| 8,44,000| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline| 8,74,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Comfortline| 8,90,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Style Limited Edition| 9,25,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline AT| 9,74,805| 14.4| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Highline| 9,89,805| 20.54| Sales Structure: When two firms are competing with similar products, one may be able to enjoy more market share and a deeper level of penetration due to a more effective and aggressive sales structure. By engaging in direct sales, firms can appeal to prospective buyers who otherwise would not feel compelled to buy due to advertising or other kinds of marketing. Multilevel marketing is one way in which firms rapidly build their consumer base. However, by turning buyers into sellers as well, such schemes may require significantly higher prices. A typical supply chain in Indian Automobile Industry Source: ImaginMor, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs. They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. The increased usage of IT at different tiers of the supply chain is on the increase in all the companies in India. An important finding that emerged from the findings was that the integration of supply chain is being done at all the cities in the country i rrespective of the market share. F. Key Developments in Indian Auto Sector Major Developments & Investments * Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd is expecting to sell over 60 per cent more units this year on the back of the launch of its upgraded small car – Nissan Micra * Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) exported its first lot of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant in Chennai. * Mahindra USA, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), will set up an assembly and distribution centre, expanding one of the four tractor facilities in North America, by January 2014 * The Japan-based automobile manufacturer Isuzu Motors’ local subsidiary Isuzu Motors India has entered into an agreement with Hindustan Motors (HM) for contract manufacturing of Isuzu SUVs and pickup trucks * A year after introducing the popular ‘MINI’ range of cars in India, luxury car maker BMW has started local production of ‘MINI Countryman’ at its facility in Chennai * New Holland Fiat India plans to invest Rs 1,100 crore (US$ 184.56 million) to set up a new green-field pl ant in Maharashtra and also to increase its tractor manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the next three years * Hero MotoCorp has bought a 49.2 per cent stake in its US-based technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for US$ 25 million. This is Hero MotoCorp’s first-ever equity purchase in an overseas company. Also, Hero MotoCorp has entered into the African continent with launch of its brand and products in Kenya, where it has also set up an assembly unit. The company has also partnered with Ryce East Africa to sell its two-wheelers in the country * Daimler is developing its Indian commercial vehicle operations as an export hub. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will export locally assembled trucks from the conglomerate’s Mitsubishi Fuso range in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. Government Initiatives The Government of India plans to introduce fuel-efficiency ratings for automobiles to encourage sale of cars that consume less petrol or diesel, as per Mr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Union Budget 2013-14 announced by Mr. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister, Government of India, in the Parliament on February 28, 2013, had a few add-ons for the industry. The analysis by Deloitte on the Union Budget highlighted the following: * The period of concession available for specified part of electric and hybrid vehicles till April 2013 has been extended upto March 31, 2015 * The basic customs duty (BCD) on imported luxury goods such as high-end motor vehicles, motor cycles, yachts and similar vessels was increased. The duty was raised from 75 percent to 100 percent on Cars / motor vehicles (irrespective of engine capacity) with CIF value more than US$ 40,000; from 60 percent to 75 percent on motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or more and on yachts and similar vessels from 10 percent to 25 percent * In addition, an increase in excise duty from 27 to 30 per cent has been allowed for SUVs with engine capacity exceeding 1,500 cc, while excise duty was decreased from 80 to 72 per cent, in case of SUVs registered solely for taxi purposes * An exemption from BCD on lithium ion automotive battery for manufacture of lithium ion battery packs for supply to manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles * The excise duty on chassis of diesel motor vehicles for transport of goods reduced from 14 per cent to 13 per cent Moreover, the Government of India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry through automatic route. The Government also plans to accelerate the supply of electric vehicles over the next eight years. It is expected that there will be a demand for 5-7 million electricity-operated vehicles by 2020. The contribution of automotive sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to double, reaching a turnover worth US$ 145 billion in 2016, with special focus on export of small cars, MUVs, two & three wheelers and auto components, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016. Road Ahead Global and Indian manufacturers are focusing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains in the industry. Car makers are launching a slew of car models, mostly compact SUVs, in the coming months. The automobile body SIAM expects the launches to be able to brighten the market. Lastly, the vision of AMP 2006-2016 sees India, â€Å"to emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion; accounting for more than 10 per cent of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by 2016.† G. Major Challenges and Suggested Measures Challenges: 1. Strong decline in economic growth- * It affects the consumer buying behavior- Buyers driven by fear of job loss, moved aggressively to increase their rate of saving. At the same time, high cost and growing longevity of motor vehicles prompted buyers to postpone purchases that they might have otherwise made. * Freezing of credit markets meant cancelledorders, unpaid supplier invoices, and ‘temporarily’ shuttered plants. * High excise duty- 12 % for sub 4 meters cars and 24 % for over 4 meters cars. * High interest rates as well as difficulty to obtain loans for purchase. 2. Duplicate spare parts- Indian market has always suffered from duplicate products and cheap counterfeits. This puts pressure on OEMs to reduce the prices and compete with these cheaper counterfeits. According to the study conducted by market research agency nielson co with acma, 41 % of total spare parts belong to OEMs and OESes, 23 % belong to imported segment and 36 % are duplicate. 3. Lack of infrastructure- Lack of proper road infrastructure, resulting into heavy Traffic has become major concern in most of the cities in India. Parking problem, parking cost adds to it. Bad roads, Bad drivers on road further add to the problem. 4. Availability of skilled man-power- As per data published by NSDC(National Skill Development Corporation), automobile sector in India is going to face a shortfall of 35 million skilled manpower by 2022. Limited availability of skilled manpower is bound to pose a great challenge to the positive growth of the Indian automotive manufacturing industry. 5. High Ownership cost- Small car sales are likely to fall by a couple of percentage points in 2013-14 due to continued uncertainty over income growth, high fuel costs arising from a deprecating rupee and still relatively high inflation.Diesel cars will lose their sheen, particularly in the small car segment, due to the gradual deregulation of diesel prices and the expected fall in petrol prices. 6. IR related issues- The $73 billion automobile sector has witnessed abhorrent industrial unrest in the recent 5 years with disputes in Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Rico,Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, MRF, Apollo Tyres, Sona Koyo and Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd. Thissector, to generate double revenue needs a flexible workforce of 25 million with an amicableatmosphere to hire and fire workers to cope with the cyclical swings in demand for cars, trucksand bikes but the archaic labour laws governing employment of contract labour has fan thesetensions. This speculates the lack of efficient implementation machinery. Industrial unrestsaccompanying murders of the executives have also been committed in 2-3 instances recently,demonstrating the urging to address the issue by the social partners. 7. Global competition— Competition will only increase in the years to come, as more international players enter India and the pace of innovation accelerates. This would elevate both R&D and selling and distribution costs, thereby impacting margins. Despite these headwinds, India would continue to remain an attractive market, as volumes across segments are projected to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 per cent. Suggested Measures India has a very low car penetration about 10 per 1000. This number is expected to become 382 by 2025, this means that there is plenty of room to each automobile giant to grow in Indian market without affecting the volume of other competitors. Few of the following suggested measures may have a bounce back effect on the Indian Automobile Industry; 1. Friendly government policies: Tax benefits for R&D development and Skill related investments, subsidies for hybrid vehicles are the measures if taken can boost the Indian automobile sector. Similarly extension of 200 % weighted deduction of R & D expense under income tax law andweighted deduction of 150 % for expenditure in skill development by industries seem to be positive steps towards the cause. 2. Healthy Industrial Relations through better contract worker policies: As in most of the developed countries thecontract workers are covered under the social security provisions and are paid at par with the permanent workers. Such transparent policies may definitely promote positive industrial relations and foster industrial growth. 3. Technology up gradation measures-Automobile industry is slowing down, but at the same time we are seeing long waiting periods for new launches, which means people are no longer going for same old trusty brands and models and want more value for their money. Which gives me hopes that if Auto makers focus on launching more new models and more global launches they will surely find customers. 4. Promoting Hybrid vehicles or better fuel efficiency—To counter the problems of high fuel prices, it’s the need of the hour to develop higher fuel efficient products and also the products running on alternative fuel to decrease the ownership cost. For this concession on import duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicles are necessary. Stringent laws and strict exercise to eliminate spurious auto-spare part business. 5. Ensuring easy loan availability–The industry should also approach the banks and NBFCs for better and easier loan availability to the car buyers. 100% finance and lower EMI with longer loan tenure will definitely help.

Religion: And How it Has Changed My Life Essay

After thinking about it, I thought Wicca hasn’t really changed my life that much, at least not in concrete ways. I’ve always loved the Earth and thought of it as being beautiful and precious. I’ve always been fascinated at the beauty and mystery of the Moon and the starry sky. I’ve always found Nature to be healing in an all inclusive way that encompasses the physical, mental and spiritual realms. I’ve always believed that our minds have the power to accomplish amazing things. I’ve always thought that there is much more to this Universe than what we can see with our eyes and grasp with our minds. I rejected my family’s religion, Christianity, because despite many claims of it being filled with peace and love, I found their holy book to be filled with persecution and cruelty. I was certain that no single culture had a direct-line to the Divine, that there was no â€Å"One Truth†. I became interested in natural remedies. I celebrated the seasons in my own simple manner. In many ways, I am as I always was, and yet discovering Paganism has brought major changes to my life. When I realized that there was an actual religion whose beliefs so closely matched my own, I was filled with happiness and enthusiasm. I literally spent about a year and a half utterly consumed in learning all I could get my hands on: the lore, mythology, magick and ritual. It was fascinating, and all my spare time was devoted to gathering knowledge and attempting to incorporate what seemed true into my life. I know that I will always be learning and growing in my chosen philosophy, but it is more subtle now. I know the â€Å"basics† at a basic level. I am branching out, studying mythology to an even greater depth, using meditation and divination to know myself with ever greater understanding. I am certain that each individual’s path will be unique, but I consider Wicca to be a path more concerned with who I truly am and how I connect with this Universe. These are wonderful concepts to ponder, but how has Wicca actually affected my daily life? As I thought about the question I realized that it has affected me in subtle but myriad ways. It has become a deeply intertwined part of my life. I think it affects every aspect of my day to day existence. The small rituals, that are such a part of my daily routine now, enhance my life and make it more more meaningful and fulfilling. When I wake in the morning I step outside and greet the Sun. I feel a moment of thanks for its warmth and life-giving rays. I read a poem or a meditation about a Goddess/God. My evening routine is similar. I go out and welcome the Night, the Moon and the Stars. I acknowledge the mystery and magic that I find intrinsic in their beauty. I try to spend as much time as possible out in Nature because I realize that such time is necessary for me. I light candles and whisper heartfelt thanks and love to my Goddess and God. But these actions, while important and meaningful to me, are things I’ve added to my life as a form of worship. How has Paganism changed my everyday, mundane existence? As I mentioned earlier, I did not have much respect for Christianity when I was younger. Learning about many different religions has helped me to realize that Christianity can be a satisfying and fulfilling path for many people. It is only in the hands of extremists that it can become a path of hatred–just as with any other religion. Wicca has helped me to be tolerant of other people’s spirituality as long as they aren’t spewing prejudice and hatred for any other religion besides their own. This didn’t happen overnight. At first I was indignant about Christianity’s attempt to destroy Paganism, the cruelty of the â€Å"Burning Times† and the intolerance that some modern day Christians show toward other spiritual paths. As I read and learned and pondered the issues, I realized that even Christianity, with its horrible history and its modern day fanatics, is a valid and rewarding path for most of its adherents. For most it is a path of love and peace. I never was too concerned about keeping my room â€Å"spotless†. I’m a bit of a pack rat, and things tend to pile up. I’m also a procrastinator, it’s easy for me to put things off until I’m in the mood to do them. Now I try to keep it less cluttered and more organized. This is a direct result of Wicca, because I don’t want negativity to gain a foothold in my home. I realize that messiness can affect the feeling of my home if only in subtle ways. I’m far from perfect, but much better than I used to be and improving with time. I often had a terrible time making decisions, especially important ones, sometimes agonizing for days or even weeks over which choice to make. Now I’ve learned several different types of divination. These help me to know my own mind and make the best decision I can without second guessing myself or wondering if I should have chosen a different route. I hardly ever prayed before becoming Wiccan. I connected it with Christianity. Now prayer has become an important part of my life. This was something I didn’t plan. It just developed naturally. Prayer gives me peace of mind at times, gives me an instantaneous response to stressors and lets me have a spontaneous and intimate relationship with Divinity. I have always written poetry. I have become more prolific. Even if my words are only beautiful and meaningful to me, poetry adds a glorious dimension to my life. It is an amazing experience to begin writing and have the words flow onto the paper without any struggle, to realize that, in some very special moments, it is as if you are a conduit to Divinity and the words are a direct connection with God/Goddess. While I don’t believe anyone can know for certain what happens after death, I have accepted reincarnation as my personal philosophy. It just makes sense to me, and it gives me comfort and peace when I am faced with the death of others or my own mortality. I have become more calm and serene. I don’t let things bother me as much as I used to. I live more in the moment now than in worrying about the past or the future. I feel an even greater sense of gratitude for my life, the blessings that I have and the beauty and wonder of this amazing Universe. Meditation has given me much benefit, but the whole philosophy of life, that I’ve embraced in the past few years, gives my existence a deeper meaning and makes sense of things that I couldn’t understand before. I have learned spellcraft and use it to improve my life. I believe that much, of the changes that magick makes, is within ones self. It gives me a confidence and a surety that affects my whole life. I believe that to make outward changes, a person must first change their inner self. That is what magick is to me, the ability to change myself for the better, to live in harmony with those that I love and the natural world around me. It also lets me communicate my desires to the Universe, and if it be for the greater good, I know my wishes will be granted. Perhaps in a way I hadn’t anticipated, but granted nonetheless. Of course I realize I must do the mundane work, and I never ask for more than I truly need. I am not as shy as I used to be. I love writing, but just about 5 years ago, I would have been too reticent to submit my thoughts in this essay or any other something that other eyes might see. I’m in the process of created my own website, I have been for about 2 years. This was a gigantic step for me, but I felt an almost overwhelming urge to honor my Goddess and God in this way. I joined a Pagan message board about two years ago. That was another huge step for me. It took me several months of â€Å"lurking† to get up enough courage to join, but I wanted to be a part of a community of like minded people and join in on those discussions that I found so interesting. This would have been impossible for me without all the small steps I’ve taken in the last few years. You could say that most of these things would have developed anyway as I gain the experience and wisdom that comes from living more than seventeen years. That may be true, but then again it might not. I know others my age who are torn by angst, whose lives seem filled with a steady stream of problems, who are anxious and unhappy and ever searching for what will bring them contentment and fulfillment. Perhaps it’s a matter of personality or temperament. I really don’t know, but I do know that Wicca has been a catalyst for changes that have greatly improved my personal life. My spirituality gives me a satisfaction that I searched for and couldn’t find for a long time. Wicca is an intrinsic part of me now. It affects my every waking moment perhaps not consciously, but at a deeper, more profound level. Wicca answers an abiding need deep within the very core of my being. Because I have accepted and embraced its philosophy, my entire life has been affected. I am a totally different person than I was 7 or 8 years ago, yet I am the same in many ways. I know that’s a contradiction, but I know that it’s true also. We all change subtly with the passing of time. Hopefully we change for the better. Wicca has changed my life in both great and small ways. I believe I am a better person for it.

Western Legal Tradition Essays

Western Legal Tradition Essays Western Legal Tradition Essay Western Legal Tradition Essay To what extent did the concepts and institutions of the western legal tradition influence the colony of New South Wales and, ultimately, the development of the Australian legal system? Australia inherited a legal system and a system of government from its colonial power, Britain. An understanding of Australian law requires tracing of development of law and legal institutions in England. Britain shares many of the basic concepts of law found in other parts of Western Europe. The underlying concepts and principles of law of Western Europe are generally referred to as Western Legal Tradition’.Western legal tradition along with English law greatly impacted the legal system in the colony of New South Wales. This essay will explore the influence of western legal tradition on the legal system of New South Wales leading to the development of Australia’s own legal system. Overview of the western legal tradition and its significance to Australian law There are two distinct systems of law in the western legal tradition despite sharing similar philosophical underpinnings. Britain follows the common law and the continental Europe follows civil law.These two systems represent a single western tradition, with a shared understanding that law has a central role to play in all social organisations. It has three main characteristics, a) the autonomy of law it remains differentiated from politics, religion and morality; b) the centrality of law law as a means of social ordering and change pervades in all aspect of society; and c) moral authority of law law is respected, i. e. law should be obeyed as a positive obligation and not for fear of punishment. British concepts and institutionsMany of the legal concepts and institutions like the rule of law, trial by jury, parliamentary sovereignty, representative and responsible government (the parliamentary democracy), judicial independence and many more originated in medieval English history following the Norman invasion in 1066. This conquest impacted on the subsequent development of law and legal system in England. The administration was feudal system. The empire was divided into a number of fiefdoms and each fiefdom had its own law courts. Good governance required unified system of administration and a unified legal system.Unification of legal system was achieved through sending judges around the country deciding civil and criminal cases. These judges applied the law consistently by developing a common set of principles and procedure replacing different customary laws of individual fiefdoms. The body of rules from these rulings became known as common law. Judges applied a principle created in the previous case in future cases with similar facts, and developed the doctrine of precedent. The application of these precedents required a system of reporting and publications.Thus the common law is the by-product of an administrative triumph, the way in which the government of England came to be centralised and specialised during the centuries after the conquest. In 1215 through the Magna Carta many limitations were placed on the authority of the King with the aim of curving arbitrary abuse of power. The King had to agree to rule with a committee of barons. The king also lost the power to tax. No new tax can be levied without the consent of the curia regis. The Westminster model of parliamentary government eventually evolved from this. Development of the Australian legal systemThe acquisition of the Australian continent in 1770s resulted in the introduction of English law in these colonies. The legal system introduced was dependent for its legal validity on a number of British statutes, including the Australian Constitution Act 1900. Between 1855 and 1890 the British Parliament granted a limited right to set up a local system of government (granting of responsible government) to individual colonies within Australia. During the late 19th century efforts were made to create one state out of six independent colonies, and a series of conventions were held in the 1890s to draft a constitution agreed by all colonies.Following a referendum in each colony to approve the draft constitutio n the British Parliament passed this Constitution paving way for the independence of Australia. The removal of British Parliament’s power to enact laws for Australia was formally done through the Australia Act 1986 (UK) passed by the British parliament. This Act also made the High Court of Australia the last court of appeal in Australia. This meant final independence from Britain. Development of a distinct legal system in AustraliaThough the Australian law has originated and developed from English law but due to local circumstances it was impracticable to transplant English law in New South Wales as demonstrated in Kables case. Henry and Susannah Kable were prisoners being transported to Australia. They deposited money with their ships captain but the money disappeared. Under English law, the Kables, being prisoners, were considered attainted and therefore were unable to sue people in civil matters. However, they were allowed to sue in New South Wales, as it was realised that this law of attaint is impractical in a new penal colony where everyone is a prisoner.This case marked the beginning of departure of application of English law paving the way for a new distinct system of law to evolve in New South Wales. However, in line with the western tradition the Australian legal system is based on a fundamental belief in the rule of law including equality before law, the independence of the judiciary. Many safeguards exist to ensure that people are not treated arbitrarily or unfairly. Principles such as procedural fairness, judicial precedent and the separation of powers are also fundamental to Australia’s legal system.Along with these western traditions clearly there were many distinguishing features separating Australian system from English system as manifested in the Australian Constitution of 1901. Unlike Britain Australia has a written constitution. Australia follows a federal system contrary to British unitary system. In a federal system the cons titution distributes the powers between the federal government and the states whereas in a unitary system there is no need for a distribution of powers. The states and territories have their respective government with independent legislative powers.Each of the federal and state governments has three separate branches of government- legislative, executive and judicial. The British Parliament enjoys Parliamentary Sovereignty, i. e. it has the right to make or unmake any law, and a law passed by the parliament cannot be overridden or set aside by another authority. In Australia, the powers of the parliament are limited by the constitution and the Australian High Court can declare a law passed by the parliament invalid if it is unconstitutional. Moreover, the British constitution is flexible whereas the Australian constitution is rigid.The British Upper house, House of Lords, comprises of non-elected nominated members whereas the upper house in Australia, the Senate, comprises of direct ly elected members representing their respective states and territory. Voting in Britain is voluntary though compulsory in in Australia. From the above discussions it is clear that the Australian legal system and the institutions of governance were influenced, created and shaped by the British law. Despite, these influences due to Australian distinct historical and political needs there emerged a separate legal system in Australia.

Internet will misleading children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internet will misleading children - Essay Example Hence, this paper will center on pornographic issues with the intention of knowing how children can access such pornographic information as well as how it affects them. It must be mentioned that most parents do not know when their children or wards have the access to the internet. This makes it to be rather more risky. The influx of smartphones to the market helped in the acceleration of children’s desire to view and read what was posted in the internet. At least, they do not need large computers or laptops to view and illicit materials. Their smartphones in the hands is an enough access to the internet world. It should be known that there are two major contents or materials which children always look for in the internet; written materials, pictures, and YouTube materials. YouTube refers to internet contents that are videoed. With the social media, instant messages become something that will always appeal to children. Children visiting the social media sites like facebook, Black Berry Messenger (BBM), tweeter, and some other social media are always vulnerable especially when they have friends with bad influence. Since the purpose of the social media is to relate and communicate with each other using the social media network, some sexual predators use it as a means to lure vulnerable children to sexual fantasies. The sexual predators do this using text messages, pictures, and the YouTube. They sent erotic instant messages to small children with the aim of arousing them sexually. This includes the use of profane and romantic words in the messaging. Children who are more vulnerable always fall prey to this kind of message by being sexually aroused. In the social media network, communications are also possible through pictures and YouTube. Children visiting the social media network always fall into the various url, pictures, and YouTube video, which they can enjoy for ours at the ignorance of

Financial Markets and Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Financial Markets and Risk - Essay Example For investors who are moderate on their risk taking mentality have hybrid products to choose from. This report will deal with various investment products that are provided by financial institutions and the implications of market interest rates on investors and banks. Long term savings and investment products provided by Retail banks and Non Banking Financial Intermediaries or NBFC’s Some of the popular long term investment products provided by retail banks and NBFC’s are as follows. Fixed Deposits: Fixed deposits, as the name signifies, have a fixed tenure during which the investments cannot be withdrawn. Withdrawal is possible in between the tenure, but in such a case the investor will have to forgo certain benefits as early withdrawal charges. Bonds: Bonds are debt instruments that are issued by government or corporate. Bonds are fixed income securities that provide a fixed rate of return over a period of time. As a result, it is less risky too. Debentures: Debentures are similar to bonds in its nature with the only difference being they are issued only by corporations. Debentures provide fixed rate of interest and comes with a lock in period of usually more than 2 years. Mutual Funds: Mutual fund is a collective fund management system in which the amount collected from a large number of investors is invested into certain asset classes based on the nature of the fund. The investors who invest in mutual funds will get units of the fund of which the value depends on the price movement in the assets they are invested in. Pension Funds: A pension fund is a very long term investment product that is intended to give retirement income for the investors. Investors contribute a certain amount on fixed intervals which is accumulated and invested in safe asset classes. These are returned to them at the time of their retirement. Implications of increase in general interest rates on individual savers and investors An increase in the general interest rates wi ll have a considerable impact on the investment portfolio of investors and savers. â€Å"When interest rates are rising, both businesses and consumers will cut back on spending† (Investopedia, 2011). The cut back on spending by customers and businesses will lead to less corporate earnings than before. The poor corporate earnings will cause the stock prices to drop at the overall market. A fall in the stock market will affect all the investment products that have the investment pie in stocks. Investors and individual savers, who have invested directly in the stock markets or invested in the stock markets through mutual funds and other products, will see their corpus going down. A rising interest rate can also affect the investors in terms of the low risky instruments like bonds. The prime relationship to be understood is that there is always an inverse relationship between the interest rates and bond prices. When the market interest rate rises, the bonds with lesser interest r ate than the market rate will turn to be less attractive for the investors. The investors receive interest at a lower rate as compared to what is offered by the market. This will not be a big issue if the investor holds the bond until its maturity. But any plans to sell the bond before the maturity will reap fewer benefits when the market interest rates are higher (Williams, 2009). The investor can definitely hold on to the bonds