Important Events and People in the Life of Julius Caesar

Book Censorship Good or Bad Essay - 871 Words

From the beginning of modern civilization, books have been an important and revolutionary source of human knowledge. Unfortunately, it has become a growing trend to censor books for a variety of reasons. Several of these reasons, which include protecting children and omitting offensive material, are not only arbitrary but are without merit. This is because sheltering children is not beneficial to the children, and also it is impossible to shelter kids without resorting to isolation. Also, it’s not possible to screen out offensive material in books because all material is potentially offensive. The escalating trend of censoring information in books is not only an impossible task, but it contributes to the declination in the population’s†¦show more content†¦Also, it is cruel to make children think that there are no flaws in the world. This false precognition about the world could damage a youth in their slow exposure to life, because they would later realize tha t their outlook on life was based on lies. People need to grow up perceiving their surroundings as they really are, and not be deprived of information because it’s not positive information. Another problem with trying to censor inappropriate material from children is that it there are many influences on the child, outside of books, that will present them with the same â€Å"inappropriate† information, sometimes in a worse form than books present it. For example, a 4th grader will unquestionably hear more vulgar language on the school playground than they will in a book containing bad language. Children are probably more influenced by their peers and television than books. Although television is something that can be censored, humans can not be, so censoring books because of unsuitable language or violent/sexual scenes is ineffective. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The censoring of books for potentially offensive material should be ceased because everything that is written may be controversial since it is impossible to please all readers, and because books do not always have the same influence on readers as they are intended. Books with a certain intention can actually have the opposite effect on the public. Even the most negative, bigoted books can trigger peace ratherShow MoreRelatedCensorship Is A Controversial Topic Essay1399 Words   |  6 Pages Censorship in the media that is a very common yet, controversial topic due to the subject matter being around children and the youth. It has sparked attention from many government and public individuals that have demanded a probation on certain age groups. The official start on the entire blockade of certain age groups has started with the MPAA† Motion Picture Association of America† in wanting to prohibit certain age groups from viewing certain movies, yet t here has always been ways around theRead MorePros And Cons Of Censorship On Society1325 Words   |  6 PagesCensorship and its Caveats on Society From books to the internet, it is very easy to get any information quickly. Although this may be true you can’t find everything you may be looking for, there are things out there that are censored. Censorship is the restriction of certain information to one or a group of people, from others who think it’s dangerous. Censorship can be used in beneficial ways to protect people, but it is often misused to harm people long-term. Here is some information about someRead MoreThe Influence Of Arts On The Ideal Society1359 Words   |  6 Pagesthe right ways. Therefore, I believe that in order to have an ideal society, instead of banishing the arts as a whole, there should be some form of censorship put into place, just like all other aspects in life (The Republic). Plato doesn’t despise the arts, but he does state that in his ideal society, they do more harm than good. As mentioned in book X, the arts are imitation, or mimesis. This means that the arts, rather than showing reality and truth, are merely just the artists’ images or reflectionsRead MoreCensorship In William Bradburys Fahrenheit 4511112 Words   |  5 PagesCensorship is not easy to define. According to Webster’s Dictionary, to censor means to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable. Its central characteristic is the suppression of an idea or image because it offends or disturbs someone, or because they disagree with it. In many countries, censorship is most often directed at political ideas or criticism of the government. In the United States, censorship more often involves social issues, and in school is commonlyRead MoreCensorship Is Only A Temporary Setback1598 Words   |  7 PagesCensorship is Only a Temporary Setback Censorship will always interfere with freedom of speech. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, censorship is one of the main topics depicted. Censorship including the banning of books has been an issue thoughout history. There has been violence similar to the book burnings by the firemen in the novel. In 2009, Harry Potter books as well as other novels and music records were burned by Paster Jack Brock in front of his congregation. He felt that these books wereRead MoreThe Importance Of Censorship1074 Words   |  5 PagesImagine a world without censorship. The world we live in today would be 10 times worse if we did not have censorship. Censorship protects our freedom of speech, government information, and bad influences. Censorship is a necessary regulation in todays society for many reasons such as in keeping our world safe from sensitive information. First off some information from the government should not be secured for our safety. Such as invasions from terrorist should be told to citizens for their safetyRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Libraries708 Words   |  3 PagesCensorship in some libraries is a big issue amongst people across the world. Censorships definition is the suppression or prohibition of any part of a book, film, news, etc that are thought to be considered as a politically unacceptable, or cause a threat to society. Many people believe that censorship is against our constitution. Some people believe although, that censorship was created to protect students and other people from the harmful information that may be inside some of the books. One ofRead MoreCensorship Will Always Interfere With Freedom Of Speech1396 Words   |  6 Pages Censorship will always interfere with freedom of speech. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, censorship is one of the main topics depicted. Censorship including the banning of books has been an issue though out history. There has been violence similar to the book burnings by the Firemen in the novel. In Bradbury’s novel, Guy Montag is a Fireman who cannot understand why books have to be burned. He questions what is in the books that can’t be shared with people. Guy questions his boss, CaptainRead More Internet Censorship Essay802 Words   |  4 PagesInternet Censorship Internet Censorship. What does this mean to us? What is restricted? Censorship is summarily defined as the suppression of objectionable material. That means that material such as pornography, militant information, offensive language, anti-religion, and racism would be restricted in use. Freedom would not only be restricted to material placed on the web, but also what you could access, and where you could explore. Should the right of Freedom of Speech be taken away fromRead MoreCensorship And Its Effect On Society992 Words   |  4 PagesSometimes censorship might have a positive effect on society. For example, parents consider censorship to be important in order to protect minors and some group of audiences from indecent broadcast or obscenity. Contents like this are deemed to be harmful or offensive to public good and are usually highly regulated by the government. Most parents agree that it is imperative to censor obscene entertainment in order to safeguard children from accessing harmful materials and this is one of the positive

Interchangeable Manufacturing Free Essays

Interchangeable Manufacturing and Technical Drawings Until the 1700-1800’s industrial productions was like custom fitting sections in a product. Assembly would consist of craftsman hand filing and grinding roughly shaped parts and putting them together. The invention of interchangeable parts allowed the assembly of products to be done a lot quicker, and without training of a craftsperson. We will write a custom essay sample on Interchangeable Manufacturing or any similar topic only for you Order Now To be able to make the parts there had to be improvements to the technology in the machine had to be made. This led to a mass production of different products such as, cars, appliances, electronics etc. The products can be made in larger numbers then if each one needed to be hand made. With the development of interchangeable manufacturing, technical drawings have become a very important part of the process. Before interchangeable parts were developed the manufacturer would create a part that worked or fit the machine and just kept producing that part. A technical drawing done by draftsmen containing known symbols and labels that when sent to the manufacturer they could interpret them and send back a finished product the drafter wanted. Most technical drawings used are simple wire frame views showing the information for production. Technical illustrations are a set of more complex drawings; they contain coloured sections reveling the operating mechanics. Technical drawings are used to convey ideas to others. There function is to communicate descriptions specifications, and instructions to the manufacturer. This is so the three dimensional objects and systems can be made and assembled correctly. The technical drawing shows many important elements that are needed and how they are assembled. They are also made to show each part of the product and the instructions needed. Technical drawings are an essential process of the interchangeable parts assembly. They help the manufacturer know what specifications are required for the product. Without the drawings the assembly would not be able to run as efficiently as it does today. How to cite Interchangeable Manufacturing, Essay examples

Natural disasters free essay sample

Although natural disasters are caused by nature and there is nothing that we can do to prevent them happening, there are many different natural causes that lead to natural disasters, and being aware of these causes enables us to be better prepared when such disasters do arrive. Different Types of Natural Disasters One common natural disaster is flooding, which occurs when a river bursts its banks and the water spills out onto the floodplain. This is far more likely to happen when there is a great deal of heavy rain, so during very wet periods, flood warnings are often put in place. There are other risk factors for flooding too: steep-sided channels cause fast surface run-off, while a lack of vegetation or woodland to both break the flow of water and drink the water means that there is little to slow the floodwater down. Drainage basins of impermeable rock also cause the water to run faster over the surface. Alternatives 1. Rommel, Burgin, and Neeleman should have thought of the welfare of policy owners and passengers before taking their decisions. In these situations we have to look for cause and effect relationships. 2. They should have listened to different options instead of taking the first option they had. In the three cases, the managers shaped their own decisions to reflect the organization’s performance evaluation and other systems to comply with the organization’s formal regulations and to meet organizationally imposed time constraints. They should have also thought about their clients 3. The improper response to the media had very bad influences and was very unprofessional. They should have treated the situation with more winsomely and more professionally. Evaluate Alternatives All the alternatives said above depend on personalities and their abilities of problem solving and decision-making. These elements are important skills for business, management and leadership. Some people have these skills by nature and others have to go through processes and techniques to improve their level and quality of their decisions. Recommendation Anything can affect the clients’ safety, the decisions and the choices have to be taken very carefully in favor of both clients and companies. Managers have to understand that there are events in life, like natural disasters that are outside human control, and these events require a convenient plan for both owners and clients. Also, sometimes previous organizational decisions act as precedents to constrain current decision so organizations have to try to avoid this to happen.

Roots and Stems free essay sample

Roots, stems, and leaves are the three main components of a plant. They are vital to a plant’s survival, and without them, the plant would die. Each component has a different function and varying appearances. A leaf’s main function in the plant is to produce energy through photosynthesis. They absorb sunlight and create sugar. The leaf then constantly sends energy throughout the stem, roots, and other parts of the plant. Sometimes leaves are also used for protection against animals that are a threat to the plant’s health and survival. They come in different shapes and sizes. Some are smaller and rounder than others, while some are in the shape of needles like a cactus. Leaves are essential in the obtainment of energy for plants. Stems have two primary functions in the plant. We will write a custom essay sample on Roots and Stems or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are needed to support the leaves, flowers, or fruit that the plant may produce, and they transport water and other nutrients in the plant. Other functions include storing carbohydrates, nutrients, and water. Rhizomes or underground stems, tubers, and bulbs are different types of stems. A sign of a healthy stem is when the stem is erect because this creates the most support for the plant. Roots are the most important feature for a plant’s health. Functions of the roots include providing anchorage, absorbing water and nutrients, and transporting the water and nutrients throughout the parts of the plant. They tend to grow away from sunlight and towards water in order to obtain the most water possible. Another important job is that they store starch which allows photosynthesis to occur. There are two types of roots: tap roots and fibrous roots. Tap roots are large, and they provide the most anchorage possible while fibrous roots are threadlike, and give the plant the most exposure to water and minerals. There are many different other parts of the plant, but these three are the most important. Without them there would be no plants, and without plants there would be no oxygen for us to breathe. The human race needs the roots, stems, and leaves to continue functioning because if they don’t, we may find ourselves facing extinction. Roots and Stems free essay sample Roots, stems, and leaves are the three main components of a plant. They are vital to a plant’s survival, and without them, the plant would die. Each component has a different function and varying appearances. A leaf’s main function in the plant is to produce energy through photosynthesis. They absorb sunlight and create sugar. The leaf then constantly sends energy throughout the stem, roots, and other parts of the plant. Sometimes leaves are also used for protection against animals that are a threat to the plant’s health and survival. They come in different shapes and sizes. Some are smaller and rounder than others, while some are in the shape of needles like a cactus. Leaves are essential in the obtainment of energy for plants. Stems have two primary functions in the plant. We will write a custom essay sample on Roots and Stems or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are needed to support the leaves, flowers, or fruit that the plant may produce, and they transport water and other nutrients in the plant. Other functions include storing carbohydrates, nutrients, and water. Rhizomes or underground stems, tubers, and bulbs are different types of stems. A sign of a healthy stem is when the stem is erect because this creates the most support for the plant. Roots are the most important feature for a plant’s health. Functions of the roots include providing anchorage, absorbing water and nutrients, and transporting the water and nutrients throughout the parts of the plant. They tend to grow away from sunlight and towards water in order to obtain the most water possible. Another important job is that they store starch which allows photosynthesis to occur. There are two types of roots: tap roots and fibrous roots. Tap roots are large, and they provide the most anchorage possible while fibrous roots are threadlike, and give the plant the most exposure to water and minerals. There are many different other parts of the plant, but these three are the most important. Without them there would be no plants, and without plants there would be no oxygen for us to breathe. The human race needs the roots, stems, and leaves to continue functioning because if they don’t, we may find ourselves facing extinction.

Free Essays on Mythology

Greek mythology was fully developed by about the 8th century BC. As the Greek people began to realize that the sun, moon and stars followed certain rhythms with The seasons, they thought that something not beast nor human had the power. That is were the idea of gods came in. Ancient Greeks believed that the gods, who resembled Humans lived on Mount Olympus, where they had their own little society. Individual Gods were part of three main parts of the world- the sky or heaven, the sea, and the Earth. The 12 chief gods were Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals, although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, his wepon was the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to regergitate the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans were banished to Tartarus.... Free Essays on Mythology Free Essays on Mythology Some of the world’s most compelling relationships have their roots in classical mythology. Many different religions have stories or ideals that have similarities to the relationships seen in ancient Greek mythology. From the interaction of mortals and gods we see how different writers viewed religion, family, and society. More specifically we see how the gods influence the way of life of a mortal. In Homer’s Odyssey there are many instances where the gods help mortals through their struggles. However, at the same time, there are situations when gods use their power to all but destroy the lives of the mortals who have displeased them. One of the most intriguing relationships between god and mortal is that of Athena and Odysseus. There are many times when Athena gives Odysseus the helping hand needed to succeed in his ventures to return to Ithaca. The roles that the gods play in the Homeric world compared with Euripides and Sophocles have great similarities as we ll as differences. Looking at how Athena seems to take care of Odysseus, it seems that the gods, perhaps only Athena, tend to take a liking to mortals occasionally. You could draw the conclusion that Athena seems to like Odysseus’ family. She shows almost as much interest in Telemachos as she does Odysseus. â€Å"Likening herself to Mentor in form and in voice: â€Å"Telemachos, already your well-greaved companions are seated at the oars awaiting your urging. Let us go, so that we may not long delay from the journey.† (Book II, pg 26, lines 401-404) In this passage Athena has taken the form of Mentor, a good companion of Odysseus, and has instructed Telemachos â€Å"to go in a ship onto the murky sea to learn of the return of my father who is gone so long.† (Book II, pg 23, lines 262-263) Athena then says, â€Å"†¦hereafter you will not be a coward or senseless. If there is really instilled in you the good might of your father and you are as he was to achieve... Free Essays on Mythology Greek mythology was fully developed by about the 8th century BC. As the Greek people began to realize that the sun, moon and stars followed certain rhythms with The seasons, they thought that something not beast nor human had the power. That is were the idea of gods came in. Ancient Greeks believed that the gods, who resembled Humans lived on Mount Olympus, where they had their own little society. Individual Gods were part of three main parts of the world- the sky or heaven, the sea, and the Earth. The 12 chief gods were Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals, although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, his wepon was the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to regergitate the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans were banished to Tartarus.... Free Essays on Mythology Greek Mythology Greek Mythology, beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, who became the first Western civilization about 2000 BC. It consists mainly of a body of diverse stories and legends about a variety of gods. Greek mythology had become fully developed by about the 700s BC. Three classic collections of myths-Theogony by the poet Hesiod and the Iliad and the Odyssey by the poet Homer-appeared at about that time. Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics. The Greek gods resembled humans in form and showed human feelings. Unlike ancient religions such as Hinduism or Judaism, Greek mythology did not involve special revelations or spiritual teachings. It also varied widely in practice and belief, with no formal structure, such as a church government, and no written code, such as a sacred book. Principal Gods The Greeks believed that the gods chose Mount Olympus, in a region of Greece called Thessaly, as their home. On Olympus, the gods formed a society that ranked them in terms of authority and powers. However, the gods could roam freely, and individual gods became associated with three main domains-the sky or heaven, the sea, and earth. The 12 chief gods, usually called the Olympians, were Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Poseidon. Zeus was the head of the gods, and the spiritual father of gods and people. His wife, Hera, was the queen of heaven and the guardian of marriage. Other gods associated with heaven were Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworkers; Athena, goddess of wisdom and war; and Apollo, god of light, poetry, and music. Artemis, goddess of wildlife and the moon; Ares, god of war; and Aphrodite, goddess of love, were other gods of heaven. They were joined by Hestia, goddess of the hearth; and Hermes, messenger of the gods and ruler of science and invention. Poseidon was the ruler of the sea who, with his wife Amphitrite, led a g... Free Essays on Mythology Myths throughout history have been in existence since ancient times and still play a vital role in today’s society. Acting as basis of how to live one’s life and a guide towards beneficial pathways, myths compile many elements into a story that teaches a lesson and/or instills fear in one’s mind to avoid making immoral decisions. Born on the frontier of Ancient Greece philosophy these fictitious accounts of legendary heros and mystical lands were first established into the culture of the Greek way of life. Used to explain the Gods, demigods, and explanations of the universe, myths provide a tangible outlet that the mind is left to ponder. Mysteriously disappearing into the Atlantic Ocean, the island of Atlantis has been the subject matter of its own mythological story for many years. As told by Plato, the story starts when the Gods divided the earth into separate parts, each taking control of their deserved piece.(Hefner, â€Å"Atlantis the Myth†) Poseidon gained control of what was to be Atlantis. Soon after, he fell in love with a mortal women named Cleito with whom he would have ten sons with. He made his first born son the first king of Atlantis and his other sons became princes that would rule separate portions of the island. Saying that Atlantis was prosperous beyond all expectations did not prove to be an understatement. Every citizen was educated, the landscape was made up of green grassy meadows and pristine lakes, and there was not to many conflicts between the inhabitants. New inventions and ideas of how to make life easier came about as they used their intelligence to the fullest extent. I t was what we would call a Utopia. Poseidon set rules and laws that were to be followed by the future rulers and leaders of this fruitful kingdom. As long as the rules and regulations were met the state of the island showed no signs of corruption. However, as time went on and the leaders strayed from the set rules of P...

Business Opportunity Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Opportunity Identification - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  innovation forms the basis of any business opportunity. There are various factors that need to be analyzed before implementing an innovative idea. UK market is the main focus in this study due to its economic stability. Any new business start up should encompass such product or services that can cater hidden customer demand. Affordability or purchasing power is another aspect that plays a vital role while designing a new business plan. The business opportunity which has been identified is in the wrist watch sector. Watches are highly in demand in consumer market and there is more inclination towards branded items. Branded watches are usually preferred by customers due to its unique designs that are inimitable. In this segment there lies high opportunity in context of offering unique design wrist watches to upper middle and lower middle segment.This report outlines that the highly competitive UK market has different segments and middle income g roup shall initiate required profit margins for the retail company. Wrist watches are mostly preferred by adults and youth, and this is the business opportunity for the retail company to be launched.  An entrepreneur starting a new business needs to take into consideration wide array of factors. These factors are related to financial and operational aspects of the new start up business. Financial factor is a major component during designing a new business.

Modern Times Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern Times - Essay Example Nevertheless, the final film of the series seems to be the most overtly political and inevitably then is the most controversial. Although chock-full of the brand of slapstick, physical humor which has become automatically associated with Chaplin’s acting career, Modern Times is often interpreted to be a representation of Chaplin’s own political affiliations and associations with the Left. However, certain aspects of the film make it quite apparent that Leftist politics hold no monopoly on its figurative content. The aforementioned fans of Chaplin who truly cherish his work cannot help but see through the depictions of poverty and suffering in the film, and see the Tramp urging the Gamin â€Å"to keep smiling†, and to see him relying upon his own values and skills to build a life for himself—ideals that are consistent with capitalism and the American dream. Even before the film starts, any attempt on the part of witch-hunters to tie Chaplin to the Left and condemn Modern Times as hidden socialist propaganda is, all at once, defeated.After the opening credits, superimposed on a clock that symbolizes the tyranny of mechanistic time, the words read: â€Å"‘Modern Times.’ A story of industry, of individual enterprise—humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness.† Expressing the film’s entire thematic content in only a few brief words, such phrases as â€Å"individual enterprise† and â€Å"pursuit of happiness† give attention not to a Leftist political cause in the context of a Depression

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Art - Essay Example Thus, even if they might have been made for different purposes, at least they had similar essences because it is the same Egyptians who were using it as an important sculpture in their society. Khafre Enthroned refers to funerary statue of Pharaoh Khafre who is believed to have ruled Egypt between the years 2520 and 2570. Currently, it is exhibited in the Museum in Cairo, Egypt. It was made using gneiss rock which is closely related to diorite rocks, a valuable, dark extremely hard material that was mined 4000 miles at the royal quarries along the River Nile. The use of such a precious material in the production of this statue was necessary because it equated Khafre’s influences and authority as an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. This statue played a very significant role in Egypt: acting as Pharaoh Ka’s sub statue; and as a sign of peace. This explains why it still plays a significant role in the life of the Egyptians today. Great Sphinx of Giza (Sphinx) which can be literally translated as the father of the dead or a terrifying one is a statue located in Giza Plateau, at the banks of River Nile, Egypt. It was made between the years c. 2558–2532Â  BC during the time when Egypt was under the leadership of Pharaoh Khafra. Just like Khafre Enthroned, this statue has a significant role to play in the lives of the Egyptians. However, the 241Â  ft long, 63Â  ft wide, and 66.34Â  ft high statue depicts an image of a mystical creature which has got a human head and a lion’s body. Thus, it stands as the largest monolithic statue in the entire globe. For this reason, it has had different interpretations especially in the contemporary society. Whereas the London Imperial College’s Surgeon Huan Ashrafian associates it to a depiction of a person suffering from a disease in disease with lion-like conditions, it has been linked to the solar worship that was so prominent amongst the Ancient Egy ptians. This is so because the image of lion has been synonymous with the

Internationalization

Internationalization 1. Preface This paper has been written for the course Societal Developments Institutions. The topic of this paper, knowledge sharing in virtual teams, is primarily focused on the Internationalization aspect of this course. But also aspects from other courses of the Master of Organizational Sciences (Msc OS), like Complexity within Organizations and Organizational Dynamics, are represented in this paper. Virtual teams and especially the knowledge sharing within such a team seemed very interesting to me. The broad link of this topic with the different courses of Msc OS was attractive to me, but also the growth in popularity of using this kind of the teams in nowadays business motivated me into doing this research. I hope this inquiry about knowledge sharing in virtual teams can facilitate virtual teams in knowing the challenges ahead, and help virtual team managers and -designers in benefit better from the advantages of virtual teams. Furthermore, after reading this paper I hope you, as reader, are (even more) inspired about the possibilities of working with virtual teams in ‘the collaboration economy. Key concepts: Internationalization, globalization, virtual teams, knowledge sharing. 2. Introduction In todays society people have adopted media technologies, such as e-mail, chat, and videoconferencing, that enable them to ‘go virtual and communicate with other individuals from all over the world. Currently, there are 1,733,993,741 internet users around the world (Internet world Stats, 2009). Because of those technological innovations it is possible to collaborate with other people regardless there geographical position. The last couple of years, next to those technological developments, two other mechanisms developed in a historical way globalization and demography. Tapscott and Williams argued in their book Wikinomics (2006): The three mechanisms: technology, globalization and demography are influencing the world towards a new economy, the collaboration economy. Emerging globalization demands and facilitates new forms of economic collaboration and provides all businesses who are seeking for unique talents to fix their problems with talented employees from over the whole world. And demographically there is also a shift. A new generation, bigger than the babyboom generation, the internet generation will dominate the 21ste century because of her demographical presence. This generation has grown up with internet and will utilize this technology in an efficient way and will change the status-quo in a radical way. Doing business and the way of collaborating in business will also change. Old monolithic multinationals which creates added value in a closed hieratically structure is quickly outdated. Successful businesses nowadays need open and porous bo rders and should compete using knowledge, resources and capacities outside the organization. Even heavy, capital intensive production industries will not be an exception. Also Ilinitch, DAveni Lewin (1996) addressed those changes; by opening their special issue on new organizational forms and hyper-competitive environments by nothing that, organizations are facing strong forces of change: globalization, demographic shifts, advances in technology, and the demassification of society. In response to those changes and shifts organizational forms are proliferating. One such new organizational form is found in virtual teams, sometimes called distributed teams (Saunders Ahuja, 2006). Virtual teams are, in summary, technology mediated groups of people in various places around the world that work together on common tasks (Hardin, Fuller, and Davidson, 2007). Currently those virtual teams are widely embraced by modern businesses. A motive of this popularity is that they can help organizations adapt better. They may provide firms with advantages such as increased utilization of employee-time, round-the-clock workforce availability, and the opportunity to leverage knowledge and expertise around the world (Paul, Seetharaman, Samarah Mykytyn, 2004). Virtual teams bring organizations also some other advantage: reduced travel expenses, Co2 emissions, and less working time wasted on traveling (Lu, Watson-Manheim, House, Matzkevich, 2005). This increasing use of virtual teams is also noted by the Wall Street Journal. It reports that more than half of companies with more than 5000 employees use virtual teams (de Lisser, 1999) Also, a survey by the Gartner group found that more than 60% of professional employees work in virtual teams (Kanawattanachai Yoo, 2002). The growth in popularity of virtual teams inquires a summary of how to manage such a team in an efficient an effective way. Questions about what are important factors in managing successful global virtual teams needed to be answered. In this inquiry I will address those success factors in case of knowledge sharing in global virtual teams by answering the question: â€Å"What are success factors of knowledge sharing in virtual teams, with team members across the whole globe?†. This enquiry is focused on knowledge sharing in virtual teams because those dispersed teams in particular need to share knowledge, experience and insights in order to function successfully (Rosen, Furst, Blackburn, 2007). The aim of this paper is to facilitate virtual team managers and -designers with a summary of virtual team success factors in knowledge sharing by which they can benefit better from the advantages of virtual teams. Firstly I will address the theoretical background of virtual teams. In this theoretical background I will explain the organizational need for virtual teams, give a definition of virtual teams, deal with the key feature of virtual teams; the absence of face-to-face contact and I will give an insight in the knowledge sharing mechanism. In the second part of this paper I will focus on answering the research question based on earlier researches and literature references. This will be followed by a brief conclusion and recommendations of those success factors in knowledge sharing to facilitate virtual team managers and -designers with a practical summary. 3. Literature References Allen, T., (1977). Managing the flow of technology. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press. Armstrong,D.L., Cole, P. (1995). Managing distances and differences in geographically distributed work groups. In Jackson, S. Runderman, M. (Eds) Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace, p. 497-529. Bailey, D.E., Kurland, N.B., (2002). A review of telework research: findings, new directions an lessons for the study of modern work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, p. 383-400. Bell, B.S., Kozlowski, S.W.J., (2002). A typology of virtual teams: Implications for effective leadership. Group Organization Management, 27, p. 14-49. Boutellier, R., Gassmann, O., Macho, H., Roux, M., (1998). Management of dispersed product development teams: the role of information technologies. RD Management, 28(1), p. 13-25. Conrath, D., (1973). Communication environment and its relationship to organizational structure. Manage Science ,20, p. 586-603. Cummings, L.L., Bromiley, P., (1996). The organizational trust inventory (OTI): Development and validation. Trust in organizations: frontiers of theory and research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. de Lisser, E. (1999). Update on small business: Firms with virtual environments appeal to workers. Wall Street Journal, B2 Devine, D.J., clayton, L.D., Philips, J.L., Dunford, B.B., Melner,S.B. (1999). Team in organizations: Prevalence, charecteristics, and effectiveness. Small Group Research, 30, p. 678-711. Duarte, D.L. Snyder, N.T. (2006). Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools and Techniques That Succeed. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Fiol, C.M., OConner, E.J. (2005). Identification in Face-to-Face, Hybrid, and Pure Virtual Teams: Untangling the Contradictions. Organizational Science, vol. 16, p. 19-32. Gibson C.B., Cohen, S.G. (2003). Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Griffith, T.L., Neale, M.A. (2001). Information processing in traditional, hybrid, and virtual teams: from nascent knowledge to transactive memory. Research in organizational behaviour, vol. 23, p. 379-421. Griffith, T.L., Sawyer, J.E., Neale, M.A. (2003). Virtualness and knowledge in teams: managing the love triangle of organizations, individuals, and information technology. MIS Quarterly, vol. 27, p. 265-287. Gudykunst, W.B., (1997). Cultural variability in communication. Communication Research, 24, p. 327-348. Gullahorn, J., (1952). Distance and friendship as factors in the gross interaction matrix. Sociometry, 15, p. 123- 34. Hardin, A.M., Fuller, M.A., Davidson, R.M. (2007). I know I can, but can we?: Culture and efficacy beliefs in global virtual teams. Small Group Research, 38, 130-155. Hertel, G., Geiser, S., Konradt, U. (2005). Managing virtual teams: A review of current emperical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15, 69-95. Hertel, G., Konradt, U., Lehman, K., (2004). Staffing virtual teams: Development and validation of a web-based tool for selection and placement of virtual team members. Manuscript in preparation. Hollingshead, A.B., (1998). Retrieval processes in transactive memory systems. Journal of personality and social psychology, 74, p. 659-671. Ilinitch, A.Y., DAveni, R.A., Lewin A.y. (1996). New Organizational Forms and Strategies for managing in Hypercompetitive Environments. Organization Science, vol.7, p. 211-220. Internet World Stats (2009). Top 20 countries with highest number of internet users. Retrieved November 25th, 2009 from: http://www.internetworldstats.com/ Jarvenpaa, S., Leidner, D., (1999). Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Organization Science, 10, p. 791-15. Jehn, K.A., (1995). A multimethode examination of the benefits and determents of intragroup conflict. Administrative science quarterly, 40, p. 256-282. Kristof, A.L., Brown, K.G., Sims, H.P.Jr., Smith, K.A. (1995). The virtual team: A case study and inductive model. Advances in interdisciplinary studies of work teams, 2, 229-253. Lu, M., Watson-Manheim, M.,B., House, C.H., Matzkevich, T. (2005). Does distance matter? Bridging the discontinuities in distributed organizations. HICSS 2005. Levitt, B., March, J., (1988). Organizational Learning. Annual review of sociology, 14, p. 319-340 Kanawattanachai P., Yoo, Y. (2002). Dynamic nature of trust in virtual teams. Journal of strategic Infromation Systems, 11, 187-213. Kaywoth, T., Leidner, D., (2000). The global virtual manager: a prescription for success. European management journal, 18, p. 183-194. Kiesler, S., Sproull, L. (1992). Group decision making and communication technology. Organizational Behavior Human Decision Processes, 52, 96-123. Konradt, U., Schmook, R., Mà ¤lecke, M., (2000). Impacts of telework on individuals, organizations and families: a critical review. In C.L. Cooper and I.T. Robertson (Ed), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, vol. 15, p. 63-99, Wiley, Chichester. Kozlowski, S.W.J., Ilgen, D.R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work group and teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(3), 77-124 Lipnack, J., Stamps, J., (1997). Virtual teams. Reaching across space, time and organizations with technology. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Majchrzak, a., Rice, R., King, n., Malhotra, A., Ba, S., (2000). Computer-mediated inter-organizational knowledge-sharing: insights from a virtual team innovating using a collaborative tool. Information Resource Management Journal, 13, p. 44-53. Martins, L.L., Gilson, L.L. Maynard M.T., (2004). Virtual Teams: What do we know and where do we go from here? Journal of Management, vol. 30, p. 805-835. Maznevski, M., Chudoba, K., (2001). Bridging space over time: global virtual team dynamics and effectiveness. Organizational Science, 13, p. 473-492. McDonough E., Kahn, K., Barczak, G. (2001). An investigation of the use of global virtual, and collocated new product development teams. The journal of product innovation management, 18, p. 110-120. Monge, P., Kirste, K., (1980). Measuring proximity in human organization. Social psychology quarterly, 43, p. 110- 5. Meyerson, D., Weick, K.E., Kramer, R.M., (1996). Swift trust and temporary groups. Trust in organizations: frontiers of theory and research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, p. 166-195. Owens, D., Mannix, E.A., Neale, M.A., (1998). Strategic formation of groups: Issues in task performance and team member selection. Research on managing groups and teams: composition, 1, p. 1419-165. Powell, A., Piccoli, G., Ives, B., (2004). Virtual teams: a review of current literature and directions for future research. The data base for advances in information systems, 35, p.6-36. Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., (2007). Organizational Behavior. Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall. Rosen, B., Furst, S., Blackburn, R., (2007). Overcoming barriers to knowledge sharing in virtual teams. Organizational Dynamics, 36, p. 259-273. Sanders, C.S., Ahuja, M.K., (2006). Are all distributed teams the same? Differentiating Between Temporary And Ongoing Distributed Teams. Small Group Research, vol. 37, p.662-700. Sarker, S., Lau, F., and Sahay, S., (2001). Using an adapted grounded theory approach for inductive theory building about virtual team development. Database for advances in information systems, 32, 38-56. Scott, W.R. (1981). Organizations: Rational, natural and open systems, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Sproull, L., Kiesler, S., (1986). Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Manage Science, 32, p.1492- 512. Stasser, G., Titus, W., (1985). Pooling of unshared information in group decision making: biased information sampling during discussion. Journal of personality and social psychology, 48, p. 1467-1478. Suchan, J., Hayzak, G., (2001). The communication characteristics of virtual teams: a case study. IEEE transactions on professional communication, 44, p. 174-186. Townsend, A.M., DeMarie, S.M. Hendrickson, A.R. (1998). Virtual teams: Technology and the workplace of the future. Academy of Management Executive, vol. 12, p. 17-29 Tapscott, D. Williams, A.D. (2006). Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Penguin Group, New York. Thompson, L.L. (2004). Making the team: A Guide for managers. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Warkentin, M.E., Beranek, P.M., (1999). Training to improve virtual team communication. Information system journal, vol. 9. Wegner, D.M., (1987). Transactive Memory: A contemporary analysis of the group mind. Theories of group behavior, New York: Springer-Verlag.

Diabetes :: essays research papers

What is diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can be associated with serious complications and premature death, but persons with diabetes can take measures to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences. 15.7 million people -- 5.9% of the population -- have diabetes. But only 10.3 million people are diagnosed so that leaves 5.4 million people not diagnosed. Studies have found death rates to be twice as high among middle-aged people with diabetes as among middle-aged people without diabetes. Based on death certificate data, diabetes contributed to 193,140 deaths in 1996. Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 1996, according to CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Diabetes is believed to be underreported on death certificates, both as a condition and as a cause of death. 6.3 million. 18.4% of all people 65 years and older have diabetes. 15.6 million. 8.2% of all people 20 years and older have diabetes. 123,000. 0.16% of all people under age 20 have diabetes. Prevalence data for diabetes among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are limited. Some groups within this population are at increased risk for diabetes. For example, data collected from 1988 to 1995 suggest that Native Hawaiians are twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as white residents of Hawaii. The four types of diabetes are:  · Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. Type 1 diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors are less well defined for type 1 diabetes than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in the development of this type of diabetes  · Type 2 diabetes was previously called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.  · Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but disappears when a pregnancy is over.

The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder

The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th Century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Even the Great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of people suffering from it, we are still waiting for definite explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its† victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in the quest for explanations of its causes and treatment. Affective disorders are characterized by a smorgasbord of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anaerobia, disturbances in sleep and appetite, psychomotor retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, ifficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990). Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately one percent of the population (approximately three million people) in the United States. It is presented by both males and females. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania and depression. These episodes may alternate with profound epressions characterized by a pervasive sadness, almost inability to move, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, in concentrations and driving. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or not (Leiby,1988). Most commonly, individuals with manic episodes experience a period of depression. Symptoms include elated, expansive, or irritable mood, hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessive involvement in reckless activities (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990). Rarest symptoms were periods of loss of all interest and retardation or agitation (Gurman, 1991). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) have demonstrated, bipolar disorder can create substantial developmental delays, marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, and financial disasters. This devastating disease causes disruptions of families, loss of jobs and millions of dollars in cost to society. Many times bipolar patients report that the depressions are longer and increase in frequency as the individual ages. Many times bipolar states and psychotic states are isdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Speech patterns help distinguish between the two disorders (Turner,1989). The onset of Bipolar disorder usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 30 years of age, with a second peak in the mid-forties for women. A typical bipolar patient may experience eight to ten episodes in their lifetime. However, those who have rapid cycling may experience more episodes of mania and depression that succeed each other without a period of remission (DSM III-R). The three stages of mania begin with hypo mania, in which patients report that they are energetic, extroverted and ssertive (Hirschfeld, 1995). The hypomania state has led observers to feel that bipolar patients are â€Å"addicted† to their mania. Hypo mania progresses into mania and the transition is marked by loss of judgment (Hirschfeld, 1995). Often, euphoric grandiose characteristics are displayed, and paranoid or irritable characteristics begin to manifest. The third stage of mania is evident when the patient experiences delusions with often- paranoid themes. Speech is generally rapid and hyperactive behavior manifests sometimes associated with violence (Hirschfeld, 1995). When both manic and depressive ymptoms occur at the same time it is called a mixed episode. Those afflicted are a special risk because there is a combination of hopelessness, agitation, and anxiety that makes them feel like they â€Å"could jump out of their skin†(Hirschfeld, 1995). Up to 50% of all patients with mania have a variety of depressed moods. Patients report feeling dysphonic, depressed, and unhappy; yet, they exhibit the energy associated with mania. Rapid cycling mania is another presentation of bipolar disorder. Mania may be present with four or more distinct episodes within a 12-month period. There is now evidence to uggest that sometimes rapid cycling may be a transient manifestation of the bipolar disorder. This form of the disease exhibits more episodes of mania and depression than bipolar. Lithium has been the primary treatment of bipolar disorder since its introduction in the 1960's. It is main function is to stabilize the cycling characteristic of bipolar disorder. In four controlled studies by F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, the overall response rate for bipolar subjects treated with Lithium was 78% (Turner,1998). Lithium is also the primary drug used for long- term maintenance of bipolar disorder. In a majority of bipolar patients, it lessens the duration, frequency, and severity of the episodes of both mania and depression. Unfortunately, as many as 40% of bipolar patients are either unresponsive to lithium or cannot tolerate the side effects. Some of the side effects include thirst, weight gain, nausea, diarrhea, and edema. Patients who are unresponsive to lithium treatment are often those who experience dysphonic mania, mixed states, or rapid cycling bipolar disorder. One of the problems associated with lithium is the fact the long-term lithium treatment has been associated with decreased hyroid functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. Preliminary evidence also suggest that hypothyroidism may actually lead to rapid-cycling (Gurman,1991). Pregnant women experience another problem associated with the use of lithium. Its use during pregnancy has been associated with birth defects, particularly Ebstein's anomaly. Based on current data, the risk of a child with Ebstein's anomaly being born to a mother who took lithium during her first trimester of pregnancy is approximately 1 in 8,000, or 2. 5 times that of the general population (Leiby,1988). There are other effective treatments for bipolar disorder that are used in cases where the patients cannot tolerate lithium, or have been unresponsive to it in the past. The American Psychiatric Association's guidelines suggest the next line of treatment to be Anticonvulsant drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine. These drugs are useful as antimanic agents, especially in those patients with mixed states. Both of these medications can be used in combination with lithium or in combination with each other. Valproate is especially helpful for patients who are ithium noncompliant, experience rapid-cycling, or have comorbid alcohol or drug abuse. Neuroleptics such as haloperidol or chlorpromazine have also been used to help stabilize manic patients who are highly agitated or psychotic. Use of these drugs is often necessary because the response to them are rapid, but there are risks involved in their use. Because of the often severe side effects, Benzodiazepines are often used in their place. Benzodiazepines can achieve the same results as Neuroleptics for most patients in terms of rapid control of agitation and excitement, without the severe side effects. Antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI†s) fluovamine and amitriptyline has also been used by some doctors as treatment for bipolar disorder. A double-blind study by M. Gasperini, F. Gatti, L. Bellini, R. Anniverno, and E. Smeraldi showed that fluvoxamine and amitriptyline are highly effective treatments for bipolar patients experiencing depressive episodes (Leiby,1988). This study is controversial however, because conflicting research shows that SSRI†s and other antidepressants can actually precipitate manic episodes. Most doctors can see the usefulness of ntidepressants when used in conjunction with mood stabilizing medications such as lithium. In addition to the mentioned medical treatments of bipolar disorder, there are several other options available to bipolar patients, most of which are used in conjunction with medicine. One such treatment is light therapy. One study compared the response to light therapy of bipolar patients with that of unipolar patients. Patients were free of psychotropic and hypnotic medications for at least one month before treatment. Bipolar patients in this study showed an average of 90. 3% improvement in their depressive ymptoms, with no incidence of mania or hypomania. They all continued to use light therapy, and all showed a sustained positive response at a three month follow-up (Turner,1998). Another study involved a four week treatment of bright morning light treatment for patients with seasonal affective disorder and bipolar patients. This study found a statistically significant decrement in depressive symptoms, with the maximum antidepressant effect of light not being reached until week four (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990). Hypomanic symptoms were experienced by 36% of bipolar patients in this study. Predominant hypo manic symptoms included racing thoughts, deceased sleep and irritability. Surprisingly, one-third of controls also developed symptoms such as those mentioned above. Regardless of the explanation of the emergence of hypo manic symptoms in undiagnosed controls, it is evident from this study that light treatment may be associated with the observed symptoms. Based on the results, careful professional monitoring during light treatment is necessary, even for those without a history of major mood disorders. Another popular treatment for bipolar disorder is electro-convulsive hock therapy. ECT is the preferred treatment for severely manic pregnant patients and patients who are homicidal, psychotic, catatonic, medically compromised, or severely suicidal. In one study, researchers found marked improvement in 78% of patients treated with ECT, compared to 62% of patients treated only with lithium and 37% of patients who received neither, ECT or lithium (Gurman,1991). A final type of therapy is outpatient group psychotherapy. According to Dr. John Graves, spokesperson for the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association has called attention to the value f support groups, and challenged mental health professionals to take a more serious look at group therapy for the bipolar population. Research shows that group participation may help increase lithium compliance, decrease denial regarding the illness, and increase awareness of both external and internal stress factors leading to manic and depressive episodes. Group therapy for patients with bipolar disorders responds to the need for support and reinforcement of medication management, and the need for education and support for the interpersonal difficulties that arise during the course of the disorder.

How Hamlet Changes Throughout the Play

The changes in Hamlet's personality are reflected in his changes in costume. At first, there is the Hamlet in the â€Å"nighted colour†, in mourning for his father and resentful of his mother and uncle. This is Hamlet in Act one. He is passive and reactive, making snarky remarks under his breath and behind the king's back but being sullen and unresponsive in his presence. After the visit of the Ghost, Hamlet changes. Ophelia describes his costume as â€Å"his doublet all unbraced, no hat upon his head, his stockings fouled and down-gyved to his ankle. This is Hamlet of the antic disposition. His pretense of insanity gives him the liberty to sharpen his wit on the various spies which come to sound him out. He becomes more active, arranging for and essentially directing the play The Murder of Gonzago, but he is a perfectionist, and cannot see his way to killing Claudius without the circumstances being just right. He thinks he has got them right but he is wrong–it's Polonius behind the arras and not Claudius. Then he is sent to England. He discovers that Claudius is not going to wait for the perfect opportunity, but has already made arrangements to have Hamlet killed. He changes again. He arranges for the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and when the pirates attack, he takes the opportunity to board their ship, and bribes them to return to Denmark. He arrives on the shores â€Å"naked and . . . alone†. â€Å"Naked† here means that he has only the clothes he stands up in, whatever he can find. Hamlet is now an opportunist. He no longer insists that the conditions be perfect. He will take his opportunity where he finds it. He becomes a fatalist: â€Å"There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow . . . the readiness is all. † It is when he reaches this stage in his journey that he can do what he wants to do and needs to do. He expresses his love for Ophelia (too late) and is able to take his revenge on Claudius (almost too late).

What to Do When a Dangling Participle Defies Revision

What to Do When a Dangling Participle Defies Revision What to Do When a Dangling Participle Defies Revision What to Do When a Dangling Participle Defies Revision By Mark Nichol A dangling participle is a construction in which the participle, or verb, that follows the subject of a sentence is not associated with an introductory phrase, leaving the participle dangling. For example, in â€Å"As a client, we know this new standard may affect you and your financial-reporting requirements,† the subject â€Å"we† is identified in the introductory phrase (which modifies we) â€Å"as a client.† But â€Å"as a client† modifies you, not we, and because we, not you, is the subject, that phrase is not appropriate at the head of the sentence. Often, such phrases can simply be relocated (with or without slight rewording) so that it is adjacent to the word it modifies, and the subject can begin the sentence. However, in this case, each of several permutations is problematic: In â€Å"We know, as one of our clients, that this new standard may affect you and your financial-reporting requirements,† the implication is that the party identified as â€Å"we† is one of its own clients. â€Å"We know that, as one of our clients, this new standard may affect you and your financial-reporting requirements† implies that the new standard, not the person identified as â€Å"you,† is a client of â€Å"we.† And â€Å"We know that you, as one of our clients, and your financial-reporting requirements may be affected by this new standard† suggests that being one of the clients of â€Å"we† is the cause of being affected by the new standard. In this case, the best solution is probably to further distinguish the two components of this sentence- the statement that the reader is a client of the business that produced the message and the information about the implications of the new standard- in a revised and expanded statement such as this: â€Å"You are one of our valued clients, and we want to make sure you know that this new standard may affect you and your financial-reporting requirements.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodNeither... or?

Chuck Close And Photorealism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chuck Close And Photorealism - Research Paper Example A graduate of the Yale University School of Art and once a teacher of arts in University of Massachusetts, Chuck Close became a significant figure in artistic society of the latter half of the twentieth century known for his remarkable style of painting large-scale portraits. â€Å"Close learned to paint like an Abstract Expressionist when he was a student at Yale† . Yet, while the painter’s preferences in his tuition years centered mainly on abstract impressionism, training in Europe and the MFA program have added a pinch of more modern trends including minimalism and pop art. However, the artists managed to choose the domain for his work rather early: human faces and their versatile portrayals in photography and paint became the major course for the artist’s development, while the painterly style and instruments changed for several times. During his teaching career in Amherst, the painter experimented with pop-inspired elements in portraiture, engaging photogra phic images for the first time in his work: those were the daring and large realistic pictures of nude models including Bid Nude of 1967. However, it was his Big Self-Portrait that served as an important milestone in development of his style, for this painting literally opened the series of the famous photorealistic ‘heads’ on a larger-than-life scale and with exaggerated and unflattering manner of depiction, his friends and family as models, first in grayscale and then in color. Later period of Close’ work was marked by domination of pointillism.

Media and popular culture in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Media and popular culture in China - Essay Example Chinese history and culture have always been difficult to understand for western intellectuals. Although trade relationships between China and the rest of the world had gone on for centuries, there is always the perception of that the country represents the other, the Orient. This construct is noted to be in complete contrast to the Occident. Seen in light of this dichotomy, while sentiments and views expressed by Chinese leaders might appear contradictory or paradoxical to the western observer, they are not necessarily so for the Chinese people themselves. Chinese leader Dengs statement to the party to â€Å"Guard against the Right, but primarily against the Left† can hence be interpreted to be logically and practically plausible. The rest of this essay will elaborate on this thesis. Ever since the communist revolution of 1945 and the rise to power of the Communist Party of China (CCP), Marxist-Leninist thought have been the backbone of much of public policy. Under the iron rule of Mao Zedong, although several millions of Chinese lost their lives through their acts of rebellion, communist ideology has been reverentially promoted both within the party and among the general public. This is not to say that there are no contradictions and countervailing tendencies within the party leadership. If anything, when one looks at the priorities of Chinese leadership during the last six decades, it is clear that their holding on to authority is of paramount importance. Whether communist principles get implemented through public policy has been secondary to monopolization of power. And since the greatest threat to power comes from popular movements, as opposed to business interests, Dengs warning against the Left makes perfect sense. Although, the tendency to repress and sub due the public have taken new modes in recent decades, it was frequent even during the reign of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the CCP. In 1958, Mao introduced a highly

Capital Punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example United States of America, however refused to give in to the widely accepted trend of abolition of capital punishment and still continues to practice the act. According to a text quoted in Michelangelo and Mary E. Days ‘Death Penalty USA: 2000-2002’, capital punishment is said to serve two significant purposes in the USA; retribution and deterrence of capital crimes by prospective offenders ( 1). United States of America now finds itself being pushed into a club made up of members countries that it never even imagined before to be linked to; for example China and Congo (Steiker 1). There are many reasons for capital punishment to be still a viable option in states other than just America. Before we go into a discussion of the reasons that support it, one should know that capital punishment is served for a list of capital offences only. In order to make sure that the law isn’t loosely administered; tough punishments need to exist. Those prospective offenders who hav e not yet committed a crime and posses a balanced psychological health will retract their steps towards the offence by the examples of capital punishment. Countries do realize at a time that capital punishment is necessary for certain special situations and therefore allow it in those special circumstances. President of United States of America, Richard Nixon is known to believe that offenders who involve themselves in crimes such as human/drug trafficking and/or theft are rational human beings who violate the laws intentionally. Thus they should be dealt with an iron hand and stringent policies that have no room for emotions (Tatalovich, Daynes, & Lowi 70). Apart from rational capital offenders, the reason why capital punishment is still an accepted and supported phenomena in United States of America is the country’s homicide rate which is much higher than the states that have abolished the act. Stated in Carol S. Steiker’s paper on ‘Capital Punishment and Ameri can Exceptionalism’, it was observed in the 1960’s and 1970’s that the homicide rates peaked when America’s stance on capital punishment had first began to diverge from its original path (5-8). This proves that in a country like United States of America, death penalty needs to remain as an operative word because it is what keeps the offenders in check and the homicide rate low. One of the most significant reasons stated by the supporters of capital punishment be it a certain percentage of the population, policy makers or the politicians; is that it deters crimes such as murders (Lambert, Clarke & Lambert 6).Murder is a capital crime and a strict action towards the murderer is necessary in order to create an example for potential murderers. Also the fact that it saves state a lot of taxpayer’s money, plays an important role in death penalty still being carried out in USA. Capital punishment is opposed on the basis of human rights as many claim that it violates the basic element of human right that each and every person has over his/her life. Yet they forget to take under consideration the rights violated of the human just murdered by the criminal. Retribution is what capital punishment supports because it is an appropriate reaction to the cruel crimes committed (Lambert, Clarke & Lambert 6). Majority of the population support capital punishme

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Example for Free

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Question: a) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader workforce. Answer: The Workforce is the total number of a countrys population employed in the armed forces and civilian jobs, plus those unemployed people who are actually seeking paying work. In other words, workforce also refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employers payroll. It may also mean all those that are available for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating role in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the world becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce make up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc. Opportunities Provide training on core competencies Devise training is needed to address the needs of different levels of workers, including training directed at entry-level and less skilled staff, workers with degrees not directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We cannot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a short time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They need some minimum level of knowledge in the core competencies required to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing training and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field. Expand Quality training and professional development opportunities Quality training and professional development opportunities are needed to be expanded for all workers, including encouraging programs to give workers paid time off to attend training. Another need is for approaches such as distance learning to increase access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognized, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowledge of experienced afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff. Provide afterschool/youth work content in higher education curricula We need to work with institutions of higher education to provide more course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the needs of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses. Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for afterschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection between positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool—a goal endorsed by policymakers—and the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services. Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this project and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, it’s difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A program’s workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a program’s core competencies and needs. Challenges Developing specific strategies for reaching the target populations There are people 18- 59 years old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who need the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop marketing campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support systems. Further, there are significant shifts in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and complete information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful labor market information contribute to the lack of participation. Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations Education curriculum and competency standards are no longer within the sole domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly changing demands of the new economy. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increasing rates as are the related assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the growth in industry recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners. Employer Associations Three fundamental shifts have shaken the employer world: 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the difficulty identifying effective educational ‘pipelines’ for skilled applicants. Both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of new skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the required assessments and, the resulting credentials. The move towards alignment (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships. Effective associations will have systems of continuous improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up the pipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work based learning, and ultimate support for placement of graduates within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of academic content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world. Industry Recognized Certifications (IRC) Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These offer industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students engaged in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical Associate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits. Alliances with Professional and International Organizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry. Development of a ‘One Stop’ access to the new economy A ‘one stop centers’ is needed for individuals to: 1) get labor market information about high wage/high growth industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRC’s, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and counseling on entering post secondary education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. Both the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly mobile learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically transparent system. Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a ‘Guarantee’ This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is: does the institutions system of identified learning outcomes meet the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ‘ensure’ that every graduate meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost. While this would come with a cost, it is far more important to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrow’s economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of ‘education opportunity’. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ‘ensures’ their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. America’s exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship. (b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowledge worker. The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and tertiary education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the Malaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysia’s response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nation’s focus on human capital development in recent years. Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge-based industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian economic policies was, therefore, needed in order to maintain the nation’s competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is â€Å"directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information†¦ towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains†. Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as â€Å"an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaining growth†. The Master Plan was developed to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the move towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation status and meet the objectives of Vision 2020. Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the 29th spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the country’s products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper labor and more abundant resources. This is especially true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, mainly in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysia’s export goods in its domestic and international markets. Third, Malaysia’s economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are slowly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, like all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is gradually disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries. Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To face this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries. Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, retailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be made from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage. Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the â€Å"total factor productivity† (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002: 5). To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker? Education: At the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to raise concerns have to do with the teaching profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most serious concern is that of teacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teaching and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the tertiary level, concerns centre mainly on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on being assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aw are of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability. The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools: ââ€" ª At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. ââ€" ª There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundancy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is better co-ordination. ââ€" ª In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for working or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. ââ€" ª Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. ââ€" ª Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. ââ€" ª Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT. There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance. Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICT’s capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring attention is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, particularly at the higher education level. As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues: ââ€" ª Greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the contextual learning delivery system, which essentially recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies. It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. Instruction based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. ââ€" ª Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit in every school also provide career guidance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved. B. Skills Training and Retraining Malaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time while the recruitment of foreign talent is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into ‘learning organizations’ which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and efficient. To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and flexibility should be given to public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, ‘bridging’ courses need to be organized for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish ‘net communities’ for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government. For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to stress Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens cope with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following: 1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce. 2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce. 3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society. C. Global Talent A world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian talent, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysia’s efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Congress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians ( including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe. This ‘brain drain’ has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a ‘training ground’ for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will deplete the international talent pool, Malaysia’s option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a ‘training ground’ for eventual entry and settlement in the US and Europe. There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation: ââ€" ª One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have ambitious ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to simplify immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. ââ€" ª Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. ââ€" ª Thirdly, Malaysia’s rich and tolerant multi-ethnic heritage makes it attractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recr uiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets. The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists. Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad ‘who have the required expertise’ to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from income tax. Two cars registered in the country of origin for at least six months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia. The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.