Abuse and Proper Discipline

I have experienced many things in my life. All of my life experiences have affected me in different ways. Some experiences were good and some were not. The physical abuse I experienced by my father was the most impact experience. A parent is supposed to create a safe, stable, and loving home. Instead my father created a home of fear, instability, and inconsistency. This affected my behavior in school, and how I react to things later in life. I was born in Florida.At the age of two my father moved me and my three brothers to New York. At this time my mother was not in the picture for unknown reasons. My father was avid alcoholic, and drank a lot. During his drunken rages he would abuse me and my three brothers. My father moved us around a lot, and we never really stayed In one place for very long. I was never quite sure why this was, but I would guess that maybe someone or somebody became suspicious of what was taking place In our home. This resulted In us taking off before anyone cou ld find out for sure.My father started beating us while he was drunk, but then eventually started abusing us while he was sober. It became a regular thing for us and almost expected. He would start to hit us based on his moods. If he had a bad day at work, or had a fight with one of his girlfriends. He would choke us, punch us, throw us, and has even gone as far as burn my brother's arm on the stove. There were times that we did not eat for days. It was not because we did not have any food, but because he wanted to punish us. He also kicked us out of the house, and made us sleep outside. Even In the winter.I was terrified of my father. Instead of Henning 2 growing up feeling love and trust. I grew up feeling fear and pain. I would often watch sitcoms on TV, and wish that I could just jump into the screen. Daydreaming of a better life was something I did often. I wanted to leave, but this was all I knew. This was my life and nothing was going to change it. My father did not only abus e me when I did wrong, but instead he would abuse me when he was in a foul mood. The abuse was inconsistent, and because of this my behavior was impacted. In school I would lash out at teachers, and was defiant.My father was not concerned with proper discipline or punishment. I was more of a punching bag for his anger. Therefore I did not understand how to act or behave properly. I was uncontrollable in school. I would Jump on desks, and crawl underneath tables In the lunch room. I even threw chairs at the teacher when I did not want to do something she asked. I was violent with my classmates, and disruptive. The bus ride to school was also a problem. I would Jeopardize the safety of the other children by jumping over the seats, and disrupting the bus driver.It got would get letters and phone calls from the school, he did not seem to care. My father was more worried about what was going on in his world to care what was happening at my school. After a while the school decided I neede d to be enrolled in a special school that was more equipped to handle my behavior issues. No one in the school system even thought twice about the discipline at home. If they had investigated our home they would have found out my father never disciplined us, but abused us instead.To this day I feel that proper discipline is needed for a child to grow up and become successful in life. The abuse started to get worse as we got older. He became a lot more aggressive. He even ended up sending me to the hospital for bashing my head on the bathroom floor. The reason for the more intense abuse was because of the increase in size of my older brother. My brother was getting older, and was able to fight back. Unfortunately my dad was still Henning 3 a lot bigger than my brother. My dad would often punch holes in the walls when he was mad.One day I was picking at one of the holes in the wall that my father punched in. He walked by and saw me doing this. Out of nowhere he punched me right in the eye, and I went to school the next day with a black eye. This started causing a scene with my teachers and nurses. I went to school plenty of times with black eyes, and bruises. I could not understand why this one was any different. The ruse must have gotten sick and tired of seeing it, and finally acted. This caused an investigation, and at the age of eight years old I was removed from the hell that I called home.When I was being removed from my home I remember seeing my neighbor with an unsurprised look on her face. This made me wonder if she had suspected the abuse all along. It also made me wonder how many others knew or suspected what was taken place in my home. After being removed from the house I called home. I was placed with a foster family. The first few months were great. I was not scared and looking over my shoulder anymore. I was happy and felt love for the first time. My foster mom made pancakes and sausages for breakfast in the mornings.I have never had anyone make b reakfast for me before, and it was like heaven. I had warm bed to sleep in, and I even had a TV in my room. It might have seemed that my story was over. However the effects of the abuse were still there, and my behaviors still caused many problems. Throughout my life I had to go through therapy to undo the damage my father caused. I had to relearn how to act and behave properly. Today I am a pretty optimistic person, and I do not like to use my past as a crutch. However I will not deny hat there are some lasting effects that the abuse still holds.Therapy was very successful for me. It help me deal with what happened, and encouraged me to move on with my life. However therapy cannot remove the memories and the experience. I will forever remember the abuse I endured. Henning 4 The abuse from my father affected me in many ways. I had to struggle, and was not able to have a normal childhood. I grew up in a home full of fear, and lacked the to relearn how to behave properly. I do not reg ret what happened in the past, for my past is part of who I am. What I have been through and what I endured has only made me stronger.

Project Management on World Trade Organization ministerial Conference of 2005

Executive Summary The aim of this report is to investigate the project management aspects relating to the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) ministerial conference in 2005. This report details the issues relating to project management and the impact of the project management practices on the outcome of the event. It identifies the key stakeholders in the project and the role they had in determining the success/failure of the project. This report further discusses the role of the leadership and the effective team building and management skills and how much of an impact these had in the successful project delivery. Introduction The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sixth Ministerial Conference which is abbreviated as MC6 and popularly known as the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference was held between the 13th and 18th December, 2005 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The total turn around expected for the conference was representatives from around 148 countries across the globe. The Hong Kong People’s Alliance led a protest on the WTO which mainly consisted of farmers from South Korea. The three main designated protest zones included Wan Chai Sports ground and the region around Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin. The total budget for the ministerial conference was Hong Kong $250 million (WTO, 2005).BackgroundThe highest decision making body of the World Trade Organisation is the Ministerial Conference that meets a minimum of once every two years. This ministerial conference provides the organisation with the direction and helps in the decision making process (HKPA, 2006). The conference held from 13th – 18th December 2005 is the sixth ministerial conference and was aimed at making a decision about the liberalisation of farm trade and reaching an agreement relating to farm subsidies . It also aimed at successfully concluding the 2006 Doha Round (Target WTO, 2005).The role of the project managerThe project manager of the WTO conference 2005 is responsible for the success of the project and also ensuring that the stakeholders relationships are well maintained and that all the stakeholders are able to effectively communicate and share their ideas about agricultural issues (Heydon, 2006). Given that the WTO ministerial conferences play a major role in the decision making process and ensuring that multilateral trade agreements are smoothly implemented, the role of the project manager cannot be underestimated (Alam, 2008). This report discusses the role of the project manager in establishing good stakeholder relationships and his role in the success of the project.Project Objectives and ScopeThe objectives and scope of the 2005 HK WTO conference was to establish: Market access – reduction in the tariff of goods Domestic support – direct payments to be made to the farmers and local producers Export Subsidies Services – remove restrictions internationally in various service sectors and Singapore Issues – demand for transparency in laws, fair competition etc. (UN, 2005) The scope of the project management planning activities included arrangement of venue, security and emergency, organisation of logistics, managing media, budgeting and risk and contingency planning (Alam, 2008). Stakeholder Analysis This section of the report discusses the key stakeholders in the HK WWTO 2005 meeting, stakeholder analysis methods to effectively communicate with these stakeholders in order to ensure smooth communication. Stakeholder Analysis is defined as the activity which analyses in depth the attitudes of all the key stakeholders towards a project (Goodpaster, 1991). Other definitions by researchers (Freeman, 1984) include ‘a group of individuals who can affect or be affected by the achievement of the organization objectives’.Key StakeholdersThe key stakeholders of the WTO include the member nations, the vendors, tradesmen, farmers and other categories of trade associations, the media, the public, governing bodies, the international trade community. It also includes the general population and public that are affected directly or indirectly as a result of the agreements and arrangements made by the WTO Ministerial conference committee (Alam, 2008).High Power , High InterestOne of the member nations that holds high power as well as high interest in the World Trade Organisation. There are a total of 153 nations in the WTO and the USA engages with various other nations and takes a leadership role in the WTO ministerial. For instance, USA played a key role in the Doha Conference and was blamed both directly and indirectly for holding up t he talks and the progress of the sessions. Given the high power and interest it holds in the WTO, USA aims to boost its exports. It plays a major role in the WTO negotiations to enhance its stance in the WTO as a ‘leader’ and also to use the opportunity to initiate talks with its trading partners like Japan and India. Given its power, most decisions of the trade-rounds are highly influenced by the United States (BBC, 2013).High Power, Low InterestHong Kong as one of the key members of the WTO was the host to the fifth ministerial conference in the year 2005. Though being a key member, Hong Kong has not shown much interest in the activities of the WTO and has not taken any proactive steps in issue resolution of the ongoing issues of the WTO. Be it agriculture or environmental issues,Hong Kong remains to be a silent spectator in most cases which clearly indicates the lack of interest in influencing the member states or steering them to decision making on specific issues (BBC, 2013).Low Power, High InterestThe farmers and the agriculture community worldwide have high interest in the activities of the WTO as the trade agreements that are negotiated and agreed upon have a serious bearing on their livelihood and concerns. There is a growing concern relating to fairer trade markets, food security and farming subsidies. Though there is a lot of interest shown by the farming community, they do not have the power to speak and hence do not have the influencing capability. The increase in the suicide rates of farmers is also attributed to the failure of WTO to understand their concerns and the lack of transparency and inequality in dealings of the WTO (Long, 2007; Shiva, 2014). Researchers also suggest that there is a lack of understanding from the WTO committee members on the needs of the farmers and the decisions made are not in line with their demands (Anderson and Martin, 2005).Low Power, Low InterestThe last type of stakeholders have the least power an d are also not very much interested in the activities of the WTO. The citizens of Hong Kong for example, belong to this stakeholder group. Given that the multilateral agreements are huge and complex, the authorities do not have the capacity and capability to scrutinise the details of all contracts. Also, the authorities of a country are not held accountable for the negotiations and agreements signed. This makes them lose interest given that they neither have the power nor the capacity to influence the decision making. Also there are restrictions that prohibit them from questioning the authority (Keohane and Nye, 2001; Scharpf, 2000). Stakeholder Management Stakeholder management is essential for the smooth communication and functioning of an organisation and also to ensure that the objectives of the organisation are achieved. Stakeholder management should be in line with the strategic management objectives of the organisation and the type of the stakeholder that needs to be satisfied should be taken into account depending on the organisation type in order to ensure that these expectations are met. It is essential to first identify the various stakeholders, their role in the organisation, the decision making authority they have in the organisation and how much their ideas or ideals would affect the success of the organisation. Once these are identified, it is essential to develop a stakeholder management strategy that is aimed at not only satisfying these stakeholders but also helps achieve the overall objective of the organisation (Freeman, 2001). In a multicultural organisation or where the organisation is huge and spans across different continents and cultures, the stakeholder management strategy becomes inevitable. It defines the communication methods and helps understanding the do’s and don’ts in each geographic location. It also helps achieve transparency in operations and facilitates better participation of the stakeholders in the decision making process. Stronger business decisions that are sustainable, long term and ethical are facilitated by a good stakeholder management approach (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2014).Communication ManagementResearchers believe that not all stakeholders of an organisation have equal importance. For example, in a non-governmental organisation which is aimed at helping people, the pubic might be the key stakeholder as opposed to a business organisation which aims at satisfying the primary needs of the shareholders. Hence, in a diverse world where the needs of the organisations diff er, it is essential to understand the primary stakeholders who needs to be satisfied and devise a communication management plan to ensure that the communication to these stakeholders are made in near real-time and in an effective manner (Podnar and Jancic, 2006; Jacobson et al, 2009).Tuckman’s Communication ModelBruce Tuckman devised a five step communication model in the year 1975. These five steps includes: Forming Storming Norming Performing and Adjourning Forming: This is where the leader gives the guidance to the team and the initial stage in the communication process. This is a stage where the roles and responsibilities are unclear Storming: Brainstorming activities take place, compromises happen, clarity increases and the team members get a basic understanding of what is required of them Norming: The team members agree by consensus. The leader facilitates the decision making but the team members are now in a position to agree. The roles and responsibilities defined by the leader in the forming stage are now very clear and evident. Performing: The team members are strategically aware and are able to execute their responsibilities and perform better in order to achieve the goals. They work on their own and there is very little interference from the leader. The leader is called for when there is guidance required both in terms of personal and interpersonal development Adjourning: Also known as Deforming or Mourning, refers to the breaking up of the group after the successful completion of the task. This stage involves identification of good performers, the well-being of the team and also measuring the performance. (Tuckman, 1977) Conclusion This report gave a brief about the role of the project manager in the HK 2005 WTO ministerial conference and the various stakeholders, the level of interest and the power to influence the decision making of the WTO. Furthermore, this report also discussed effective stakeholder management techniques and methods, communication strategy in relation to the WTO. References Freeman (1984) Strategic Management, A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman, Boston Podnar, K., & Jancic, Z. (2006). Towards a categorization of stakeholder groups: An empirical verification of a three?level model. Journal of Marketing Communications, 12(4), 297-308. Jacobson, S. K., & McDuff, M. D. (2009). Communication as an effective management strategy in a diverse world. Wildlife and Society: The Science of Human Dimensions. Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Management, 2(4), 419-427. Carroll, A., & Buchholtz, A. (2014). Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Cengage Learning. Freeman, R. E., & McVea, J. (2001). A stakeholder approach to strategic management. Scharpf, F. W., & Schmidt, V. A. (Eds.). (2000). Welfare and work in the open economy: volume ii: diverse responses to common challenges in twelve countries (Vol. 2). Oxford University Press. Keohane, R. O., & Nye, J. S. (2001). Power and interdependence (Vol. 3). New York: Longman. Shiva, Vandana (2014) Of food, farmers and WTO’s doublespeak, Available at: http://www.asianage.com/columnists/food-farmers-and-wto-s-doublespeak-972 accessed on 06/12/14 Long, Jessica (2007):â€Å"WTO Kills Farmers†: India Free Market Reforms Trigger Farmers’ Suicides, Global Research Anderson, K. and Martin, W. (2005), Agricultural Trade Reform and the Doha Development Agenda. World Economy, 28: 1301–1327. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9701.2005.00735.x BBC (2013): Profile: World Trade Organization, Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/2429503.stm accessed on 05/12/14 WTO (2005): Hong Kong WTO Ministerial 2005: Briefing Notes, The â€Å"Win-Win† Potential for trade and environment, Available at: http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min05_e/brief_e/brief11_e.htm accessed on 05/12/14 HKPA (2006): Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO, Wayback Machine, Available at: Accessed on 05/12/14 Target WTO (2005): Target World Trade Organisation, Available at: http://www.targetwto.revolt.org/ Accessed on 05/12/14 Alam S (2008): Sustainable Development and Free Trade, Institutional Approaches, Routledge, UK Heydon K (2006): After the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting: What is at stake?, OECD, France United Nations(2005): Perspectives from the ESCAP Region after the Fifth WTO Ministerial Meeting: Ideas and Actions Following Cancun (Studies in Trade and Investment), United Nations

IS INTERNET ANONYMITY A MYTH OR REALITY Thesis

IS INTERNET ANONYMITY A MYTH OR REALITY - Thesis Example The aim of this research work is to analyse whether anonymity systems completely conceal the activity of a user or do they leave any residual information for others to identify the user. This research illustrates the different types and techniques of the anonymity tools. The low latency TOR network and the multi proxy aggregate services are discussed in detail along with the metrics for measuring anonymity. Based on these discussions, the major hypotheses of the research have been tested to find â€Å"Is Internet Anonymity a Myth or a Reality?† From the discussion of the design issues, implementation techniques, the types of attacks and the counter measures used to overcome the attacks, it has been found that in most of the scenarios, a common user could get acceptable level of anonymity by the usage of low latency networks like Tor and other multi proxy aggregate services. This is true because a common user may not expect an attack from a strong adversary. But when the user i s a specific company or a government agency that requires more anonymity, then the expected adversary may be strong. To handle such a strong adversary, specific methods of improvement as suggested by researchers need to be adopted. The practical implementation of these techniques may be challenging. Thus internet anonymity is a myth for specific users who require extreme anonymity, but internet anonymity is a reality for a common user. Contents Chapter 1 – Research Introduction 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Background of the Research 1.3. Research Aim and Objectives 1.4. Main Research Question 1.5. Research Hypotheses 1.6. Scope of the Research 1.7. Research Organization 1.8. Chapter summary Chapter 2 - Preliminary Literature Review 2.1. The Internet Architecture 2.2. Anonymity in Internet 2.3. Primitive Anonymous technology 2.4. Anonymity Tools 2.4.1. Freedom 2.x 2.4.2. Remailers 2.4.3. Freehaven 2.4.4. Digicash 2.4.5. Internet Cash Cards 2.5. Legal issues 2.6. Anonymous Users 2.7. Chapter summary Chapter 3 – Network latency and Anonymity 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Anonymity by High Latency 3.3. Anonymity by Low latency 3.4. Network topology and latency 3.5. Latency without noise 3.6. Challenges in implementing latency networks 3.6.1. Design issues 3.6.1.1. Transportation of data 3.6.1.2. Mid-Level Latency 3.6.1.3. Configuring nodes 3.6.1.4. Diversified Location 3.6.2. Social Challenges 3.6.2.1. Usability 3.6.2.2. Social Value 3.6.2.3. Sustainability 3.6.2.4. Bandwidth and Speed 3.7. Client location and latency 3.8. Circuit linking and latency 3.9. Performance of low latency networks 3.10. Chapter summary Chapter 4 - Multi-proxy Aggregate Services 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Types of Proxy servers 4.3. Need for multi proxy systems 4.4. Implementation of proxy services 4.4.1. A proxy system for intrusion tolerance system 4.4.2. A proxy model for multi modal access to internet services 4.4.3. Anonymous Signature Scheme 4.5. Dynamic Proxies 4.6. Chapter summary Ch apter 5 – TOR network 5.1. Introduction 5.2. TOR framework 5.3. The Onion Router Architecture 5.4. Second Generation TOR design 5.5. Cells in TOR 5.6. Circuit and streaming in TOR 5.6.1. Circuit construction 5.6.2. Streaming in Tor 5.7. Congestion Control 5.7.1. Throttling at circuit level 5.7.2. Throttling at stream

IT and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT and Society - Essay Example E-mail and instant messaging is also an effective way to communicate by sending and receiving messages. An optimistic view of this is that information technology promotes communication between people and must therefore help to spread social and international understanding. People who are thousands of miles apart, either literally or socially speaking, can communicate through 'chat' groups, bulletin boards or e-mail; they can obtain information on different ways of life through World Wide Web sites and even experience the 'virtual reality' of other ways of life through interactive programs. More efficient production using IT creates more wealth, which can be shared amongst all the groups concerned. It can thus be argued that the technology has a built-in bias in favour of reducing social and economic divisions. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Perrons (2004) holds the opinion that technology develops within specific sets of economic and social arrangements and technological possibilities are not realised automatically, that is social change does not automatically follow technology. Indeed the technology underpinning existed and was being implemented in the 1920s, but sustained accumulation did not follow. Changes were necessary in the prevailing mode of regulation, that is in the institutional arrangements within which individual and social reproduction takes place. (Perrons, 2004, p. 131) Perrons (2004) further states that the precise effects of e-commerce on economic and social development are contingent, varied and rapidly changing and therefore need to be explored empirically. The same processes or technologies that allow small firms access to world markets, which may enhance local development, simultaneously give peripheral consumers access to firms in the centre thereby facilitating the development of 'superstar' firms, and in turn potentially promote superstar regions. (Perrons, 2004, p. 180) In a broader spectrum IT helps telecommunications (TC) and networks to constantly implement to support organisational goals. Stair & Reynolds while providing an IT implementation example explains: suppose a business needs to develop an accurate monthly production forecast. Doing so requires a manger to download data from customers' databases of sales forecasts. TC can provide a network link so that the manager can access the data needed for the production forecast report, which in turn supports the company's objectives of better financial planning. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 146) The more individuals and organisations grasp the nature of the technology and its possibilities, the greater the probability they can influence the direction of change. A modest hope is that increased communication and a greater pooling of information should in the long run make it easier for people, organisations and states to reach, if not a consensus on what should be done, at least informed compromises on how to live together. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Presently, IT has enabled our social system to confront with social change in the

Revenue cycle management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Revenue cycle management - Essay Example In addition, he has to explain to these employees of the need to move to the integrated system so that the process is effective for the hospital. One key area that he needs to address is scheduling with accuracy. The details of the employees in the new system will have to be obtained accurately in order to save time that would be otherwise wasted in tracing such information. It will also assist in storing accurate preadmission details which will enhance future diagnosis. The second step is the verification of benefits in advance. Going with the procedure to be conducted, it is necessary to verify insurance information and the validity of cover of a patient (Townsend & Coleman, 2014). If the payments are self made, then it may be important to ask for them before surgeries so as to cut on bad debts and avoid belated cancellations in the event that it is difficult to make the payments. Establishing a plan for all the outstanding balances will assist in cash management. Anywhere Hospital will stay afloat of excess balances and ensure that all amounts are collected timely. The revenue collection schedule will have to be maintained for the shift to the integrated revenue collection system to be

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Living Assignment

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Living - Assignment Example There is still no cure for the virus that causes AIDS. However antiretroviral treatments that suppress the HIV virus are available. Some patients have been known to regain strong immune systems as a result of antiretroviral therapy. The therapy not only helps prolong lives but also prevents people infected by the virus from developing AIDS. Celebrities like Rock Hudson, Freddie Mercury, and Arthur Ashe who died of the disease have given a face to it ensuring that it is known to one and all. They have also helped to educate, empower and raise public awareness. Some have funded organizations that financially help AIDS patients. The challenge is to spread awareness of the ways in which the virus is transmitted to prevent the infection. As former US president Bill Clinton remarked: â€Å"new data from 51 countries suggests 70 percent of HIV-related deaths could have been prevented.† Numerous initiatives have been launched to lower prices of life-saving antiretroviral drugs in order to improve access to treatment. Scientists the world over are working overtime to find a cure for the disease. There are a whole host of organizations working to combat the disease, find cures and help and educate those communities that do not have the means to help themselves. Bill Clinton at the world AIDS conference in Melbourne observed, â€Å"The AIDS-free world that so many of you have worked to build is just over the horizon. We just need to step up the pace.†Ã‚  

Adam Smith and Karl Polanyi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adam Smith and Karl Polanyi - Essay Example The basic mechanisms include (a) regulation of market transactions, (b) regulation of market participants, (c) disputes resolution and enforcement actions, and (d) pre-commitment of resources (Polanyi and Karl 34). According to Polanyi and Karl (1944), market economy implies a self-regulating system of markets in which there are various human processes involved. They iclude: technological processes, learning processes and economic processes that involves human activities. Commercial societies, they claim that the free-market system of property rights, freedom of contract, and other liberty rights – the â€Å"negative† right of individuals to peacefully pursue their own ends – is impersonal and dehumanizing, or even inherently divisive and adversarial. While market societies are controlled market (Polanyi and Karl 47). Karl Polanyi remains one of the most cogent critics of neoclassical economics. As an alternative to the market society, he emphasizes the embedded-ness of economic activities and institutions and the historical relativity of economic concept (Polanyi and Karl 35). Karl Polanyi denounced the â€Å"economist prejudice† found in both the market liberalism of Ludwig von Mises and the communism of Karl Marx, Polanyi and Karl (1944). Polanyi drew his own inspiration from Christian social thought and yearned for â€Å"a Christian spirited guild life. He also had an objection to the "ruling economic class", or "the richest 1%", having undue influence on government policies and that this situation reflects a "failure of democratic representation" for the middle and lower classes, or the "other 99% (Polanyi and Karl 47). A self-regulating market demands nothing less than the institutional separation of society into an economic and political sphere. Such a dichotomy is, in effect, merely the restatement, from the point of view of society as a whole, of the existence of a self-regulating market, Polanyi and Karl (1944). It

History of the Catholic CHurch on the death penalty and how it has Research Paper

History of the Catholic CHurch on the death penalty and how it has changed over time - Research Paper Example Through the passage of time and with a firm decision of some governments to administer death sentence, it is notable to look at the history of how the Catholic Church has stood its ground. Are there instances when the Catholic Church has played soft on this opposition? What are the recent press releases done by the Catholic Church to support its stand? â€Å"Capital punishment has been practiced in virtually every society, and thus can be considered to be a cultural universal or close to it, excluding those with state religious proscriptions against it. It is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political ideology or cultural region†¦Today, most countries are considered by Amnesty International as abolitionists, which allowed a vote on a nonbinding resolution to the UN to promote the abolition of the death penalty. But more than 60% of the worldwide population live in countries where executions take place insofar as the four most populous countries in the world (the Peoples Republic of China, India, United States and Indonesia) apply the death penalty and are unlikely to abolish it at any time soon† (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). A memo from Pope Benedict XVI (then known as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) to the US in 2004 says: ‘Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.’ (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). The Catholic Church has traditionally submitted to the state’s decision of capital punishment as per theology of Thomas Aquinas, who accepted capital punishment as â€Å"a necessary deterrent and prevention method, but not a means of vengeance† (Wikimedia Foundation,

Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro Essay

Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro - Essay Example On the other hand, outside the manufacturer environment, MacBook Pro is a fast moving product in the market. Consumer Reports ranks MacBook Pro as one of the best laptop computers in the market and a quickly moving product by consumer choice (Rawson). The evaluation of this product in terms of market and consumer setting involves three factors: the users of the product, the environment within which the product is found, and the product itself in terms of satisfying consumer tastes and preferences. The manufacturer-consumer factors and interactions give critical insights into the product in question. The product is designed to suit the end user without difficulty. Although Apple utilizes sophisticated technologies in designing and manufacturing unique and high quality for the market, end user strategies are also implemented. Simplicity in terms of usability and sophistication in terms of manufacturer and functionality are the drives of MacBook Pro. The pricing of the product takes into account the cost of production and the fact that Apple operates on a profit motive. However, due to the utilization of strategic resources and high-tech production processes, the product has affordable prices when it reaches the market (Stanton 147). Locally, regionally, and internationally, the environment within which the product is offered is a competitive one. For this reason, competition becomes vital for successful operations and market performance. The marketing strategies employed by Apple for MacBook Pro seek to address consumer needs. What makes this process different from many other rival firms is the follow-up and consumer feedback programs that Apple runs. The company designs and manufactures products with integrated consumer-based features. The product itself is crucial in the entire evaluation process. MacBook Pro’s ranking against other substitutable products is crucial in accounting for the realized product trends in the various markets where the