Explain the Problem of Evil Essay

The problem of evil refers to the nature of God. Many assume that God is benevolent but hardly anyone really considers the possibility that God is not all good but rather an all evil, malevolent God. The question is if God is all good and all powerful, then why did he create a world full of evil and suffering? There is so much suffering in this world that a lot of people find it hard to believe that, if God does exist, he is good. There is the argument that an all good, all powerful God would create some suffering in the world to perhaps allow people to achieve greater goods. However, in all honesty, there is more evil than good in the world and so the likely hood of that isn’t very high. So in order to explain the nature of the problem of evil, then one has to consider the possibility of an evil God as well as a benevolent one. Is God willing to prevent evil, but unable to? Is God able to prevent evil, but unwilling to do so? Or is God able to prevent evil and willing to? If everyone goes along with the assumed theory that God is all good, it is harder to come up with reasons and theories that would explain Gods reason for allowing evil and suffering in the world. However, if you consider the idea that God is not all good but rather evil, then everything becomes clearer. Then again, there is the question of if there is an all evil God, then why did he create beauty and happiness in the world? Or why did he bother creating the world in the first place if he was just going to see it destroyed by the evil within human nature? The answer is this; he simply created beauty and goodness so that he could take it all away, to see us all suffer. This theory however, only seems to raise new questions rather than just answering the old and so it still leaves the question, is God good or bad? Another argument would be free will. The Bible states that God granted humans the gift of free will. However some would say that as a result of this, we have created our own evil and suffering. We start our own wars; we are the reason so many people are dying of starvation. But then there are those who would argue that it is better to have free will because it is a good that ‘far outweighs the evil it produces’. The Ireanean theodicy attempts to explain natural evil as well as moral evil. This theodicy states that things like bad experiences can make a person stronger. For example people who have suffered through a life threatening disease and survived may say that they have actually gained something from it,  regardless to how much pain it brought. Similarly, by creating natural evil, God is allowing us to ‘grow and develop morally and spiritually’. However the issue with this theory is that it fails to explain why God allows suffering to be distributed to some, while others enrich themselves in luxury. Therefore we are again brought to the question ‘is God good or bad?’ There are other ways of explaining why evil happens. One is Augustine’s theory that evil is the result of angels who turned away from God. Generally, Augustine’s theodicy is the traditionally accepted one. He based his theory on two key passages from the bible: Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-20. Augustine believed in a good God who created the world with goodness and evil is a ‘privation of good’, not an entity itself but something that lacks goodness.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet

Internet has developed the global among every thing in our life. In the last century, the world became smaller like a village. The users of the internet are increasing because of the interest for them from the free services. The communities have knowledge and benefits from the internet; however, some of them are victims own to this international network. The internet has many benefits for the population especially the communication; such as social networks and E-mails.For instance, Face Book, Twitter, and Google let us to get in touch with each other by easy way from computers and mobiles. Furthermore, E-mail is the official technique to contact with the organizations, companies, and universities; for example, the students, who want to register in collage often send online request, to accept them. In addition, the internet has wise encyclopedia which contain any things the readers want to know. Even though, people have TVs and news paper, they prefer to follow the fresh news about po litics and sports from the internet. Related article: The Other Side of Email Robert Kuttner SummaryOn the other hand, the victims are targets for hackers who steal private information across the online network. For example, fake websites to sell products to steal the MasterCard information. None the less, some users have anti-varies to protect their systems. Also, many people wise their time in the chat while they have spoken about no things. In my opinion, the internet is very important for me. By my side, I always study by watching lessons and reading from the internet. Also, I improve my skills from the internet.

Abortion According to Aristotle Essay

Do you believe that abortion is morally correct? That taking away someone else’s life is an option? That abortion is following the Golden Mean according to Aristotle? Currently, many people believe that it can be an option, because the baby hasn’t been born yet. But others, including Aristotle will disagree. First of all, who is Aristotle? Aristotle was a philosopher who thought that an act is morally correct if it follows the Golden Mean. This is an action or a feeling responding to a particular situation at the right time, the right way, the right amount or/and the right reason. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Not too much and not too little. The key to the Golden Mean is in moderation. I picked Aristotle because I believe that he has the best ethical philosophy. I agree with Aristotle’s ideas about the Golden Mean because I believe that if you are a moderate person, you will not take anything to an extreme and you’ll make good decisions. He also believes in the Sofia Virtue which is that you have to think straight, learn well and act accordingly. This idea mostly settles in the consequences of actions and how you may respond on them. The Golden Mean also tell us that you need to require virtue because it shows how moral a person is, but what I don’t agree that if a person is virtues, they will know exactly when to stop on their own. I don’t agree with that idea because sometimes virtuous people are forced to do something they don’t like to do so they try to stop it, but they are unable. Currently, abortion is a major issue facing the world, especially for teens. Abortion is when there is a conscious or intentional termination in human pregnancy. There are two types of it: therapeutic and elective. Therapeutic is when the mother needs to abort because of health issues while elective, is when the mother wants to abort because she doesn’t want the baby. The two ways to abort are: medical and surgical. Medical is when the doctor gives the patient some drugs to terminate the pregnancy. The only problem with medical abortion is that it can only function for the first nine weeks after conception and the patient will receive strong cramps. The other way, the surgical is when the doctor removes the fetus by manual vacuum aspiration/dilatation/evacuation. These three different ways are by absorbing the organs or pulling the fetus part by part. This can only be practice for 15 to 24 weeks after conception. According to Aristotle’s thought, abortion is not following the Golden Mean because it is an action that doesn’t respond at the right time by making a decision at a wrong time, in the right way and the right amount of reason, by choosing an excess. Also, abortion is not following the Sofia Virtue because when you are making the decision to abort, you are not thinking straight, acting accordingly, and learning well because you are choosing an option that is an excess. Another idea that abortion is not following Aristotle’s beliefs is that people who are choosing to abort are choosing an excess instead the mean. In this case, the deficit will be keeping the baby and the mean will be giving the baby for adoption. Adoption will actually be a mean because it is what is morally correct and is the best for the baby because he/she will be with a family that will love them instead of a place where they won’t be loved. While keeping the baby will be a deficit because they might know that they weren’t wanted and that will harm the baby. Aristotle also thought that if someone was virtuous, they would know when exactly to stop on their own or begin. When we relate this thought with an example of rape and adoption, many people disagree because many girls want to stop the rape, but they can’t. Later, their consequences are that they are expecting a baby from someone who rapes them. According to Michael Smith, rape is the reason for 13,000 of 1. 3 million annual abortions (Smith, â€Å"Women’s Health†). It may not be too many people but you can ask yourself about how many babies are being aborted. 13,000 have been killed because of it, and I believe that it is morally incorrect, that the safest thing to do is give it to adoption. Instead of going to an excess, these girls should use the Sofia Virtue and think straight and make an appropriate decision that will not affect anybody. Based on the moral reasoning of Aristotle, the correct ethical response to abortion is abstinence. To have sex at the right time, in the right way by protecting yourself, and with the right amount of reason so that if there is an unexpected baby, you will be prepare for it. So when, you are in a situation that you’ll need to choose between an excess, mean, and deficit, you should consider the Golden Mean because it will make you think straight and act accordingly while making the decision and learning the consequences that it may bring. Work Cited 1. Aspiration. †08 Feb. 1009. Web. 05 Apr. 2012 http://www. rhtp. org/abortion/mva/. 2. Hill, Peter. â€Å"Contact Medical News Today. †Medical News Today. MedLexicon International, 27 Feb 2004. Web. 23. May. 2013 http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/contactus. php. 3. â€Å"What is Abortion? † What is Abortion? N. p. , 08 June 2010. Web. 22. May. 2013 http://www. bpas. org/bpasyoungpeople/what-is-abortion 4. Smith, Michael, W. â€Å"Woman’s Health. †Abortion- Reasons Women Choose Abortion. Healthwise 22, Feb. 2011. May 23, 2013 http://women. webmd. com/tc/abortion-reasons-women-choose-abortion.

International case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International case - Essay Example Database management skills of the staff were weak and there were pressures to reduce costs. The system development process was complex and risk-prone. The focus of the new information system was to manage flow and water demand information. Data exchange between different stakeholders of the project was not fully automated as their information systems were not designed for data and information exchange among other stakeholder agencies. The implementation process of KOBWA happened at a time when roles were yet to be assigned to the new staff. The paper and spreadsheet based processes had to be shifted to computer-based systems gradually for ease of functions in the operations. Deficiency of staff also presented a hurdle in the implementation process. Manual processes were used for preparing regular reports on the water quality status as the graphical display routines designed for checking flow data could not be leveraged for examining water quality data. Map displays were also documented manually. A close connection between the water quality data and the GIS databases was desired for raising water quality status maps. Getting the data from field, DWAF, MNRE, and other data suppliers was again a manual process realized through spreadsheets or text export files from different agencies and transferring them into Hydstraâ„ ¢. There was good scope of committing errors due to non-automation of the processes; it needed many resources on checking data in the database. As manual processes required staff which was deficient, resources had to be employed for comprehending the reactionary change in the water quality with flow and long & short term routines. It could affect the standard and utility of the information as precious time got wasted in database maintenance and preparing status reports

Analyze a current or past relationship and create a strategy for Essay

Analyze a current or past relationship and create a strategy for managing it - Essay Example Losing contact with each other, we both had strings of relationships until both of us had our families. Both of us had only one child out of our own marriages and both of us got divorced from our spouses. Twenty years later, Andy came back to visit me at my mom’s house. He just took a chance if I was there, and was surprised when I was, as I was also visiting her. It was a pleasant surprise for both of us. At first, it was awkward seeing your first love two decades later when a whole lifetime has passed in between. We caught up with each other’s lives, but did not have enough time, since he was flying back to Australia the following day. A week later, I found a friend request on Facebook from Andy which I happily accepted. Since that time, we have spent much time chatting with each other, and even tried video-chatting a few times. Over time, we realized we were still in love with each other after all these years. Although we did not officially declare that we are once a gain a couple, we treat each other as if we are. I cannot fully commit to him because I did not really believe in long distance relationships, and somehow, had doubts as to his relationship history, since he has shared that he’s been into several relationships after his divorce. I, myself, have not gone dating after my divorce, so I had several qualms about getting into a serious relationship at this point in my life. Meanwhile, I decided to enjoy what Andy and I currently have, without the complications of commitment. It is what is known in social networking sites as a relationship status of â€Å"It’s Complicated†. Attraction Our initial attraction to each other was physical. Andy was a very handsome teenager, and was quite popular with the girls. On the other hand, I did not look bad myself, being a cheerleader and a prom queen contender. Knowing each other well as we dated exclusively in our teens, the attraction went beyond the surface. I discovered that he had a kind heart which was compassionate to others in need. He was a very good son and brother and to top it all, he had a sense of humor that complemented mine. I admired his drive and ambition to be successful, and envied his focus and persistence in his studies. I was sure that he was a great catch and would be an ideal husband and father as well as a successful professional in the future. Andy admitted that he fell in love with my feminine ways and the way I treated my family and friends. He felt very protective over me because I was so naive. He liked the fact that I was very down-to-earth and did not waste my time on shallow things such as fashion, make-up and boys. He loved my simplicity and the fact that I was a homebody, very skilled in cooking and home design and organization. He also thought I would make the perfect wife and mother someday. Our short term and long-term attraction factors for each other may be explained theoretically. Matlin (2008) explains gender differe nces in attraction partner as based on an evolutionary psychology approach. According to this approach, people’s preferences have roots in evolution where men prefer young, attractive, healthy-looking women who are likely to pass on men’s genes to the next generation. On the other hand, women are drawn to men who are economically stable to ensure that their future children are well provided for (Matlin, 2008). Women were also found to value a partner’s ambition, industriousness and social dominance as well as emotional

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 111

Assignment Example Another emerging principle is that, learning from success and failure influence achievement of future targets and expectations. This principle has been selected because; managers are not afraid to face challenges, and they act on their own convictions. The third principle stipulates; it is imperative to engage effortlessly in activities and tasks, which add value to organizational performance. This principle was chosen with the view that managers only direct resources and time to projects, which contribute profitably to an organization (Saxena, 2009). The goal to be developed from this principle is the continuous improvements in the efficiency of the organization’s operations and functions, and this adds value to productivity. The main challenge in achieving this goal is because it is less effective when accomplishing tasks, which require assistance and direction. This goal can be well implemented when individuals are highly motivated and require minimum supervision (Goleman, 2000). I also value the care for humanity. The first principle generated from this value states; all individuals are capable of success, and everyone wants to deliver to their fullest potential. The principle was chosen because I believe that employees can work better when pursuing a common objective. The second principle explores how individuals can achieve high expectations and required standards through inspiration. The principle has been chosen as it explains the importance of encouraging people in order to attain challenging goals. The third principle outlines the significance of building superior relationships when working with others through confidence and trust. This principle seeks to imply the effectiveness of teamwork when individual efforts are recognized. The goal underlying this principle relates to developing a mutual relationship and respect for all individuals. This

Online Course Materials and Online Educational Tools Essay

Online Course Materials and Online Educational Tools - Essay Example Some courses are therefore available through a face to face teacher interaction which is supplemented by online course material and other educational tools. There has been some debate about the effectiveness of the online courses per se or of the supplemental course materials to add to the students’ understanding of the subject (Allen and Seaman, 2006) .Moreover, previous research has also found that teachers’ perceptions about the effectiveness of the online course or course material differs vastly (Dawley, 2007) which may in turn impact on their enthusiasm to adopt their teaching to the new requirements entailed by the online mode of learning. This research therefore aims to assess what teachers in college X at the University of Y, in Jeddah, KSA think about the online course material that the university uses to supplement the classroom teaching. As such, the main research questions are: 1. What do the teachers think are the advantages and disadvantages of the online course material? 2. What are some of the barriers and challenges that teachers face while developing and managing the online content for their courses? 2. Literature Review According to Allen and Seaman (2006), online education is not restricted to the fringe anymore instead the popularity of online education is increasing rapidly (Dawley, 2007). In fact, it has become crucial to the long term plans of any institution to incorporate online courses for both local and international students. As more and more teachers begin to adapt to this method of teaching, it is necessary to understand their perceptions about moving to an online approach. This paper takes at look at the perception college teachers have about online... As the report declares two teachers are interviewed from a University in Jeddah, and their opinion sought on the impact on student learning that the online course content that the University uses to supplement regular classes. The teachers are selected on the basis of convenience sampling from among the acquaintances of the researcher. The interviews are conducted over Skype, and the responses are analysed in a reflective manner. The findings are discussed to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the online course content, and recommendations made for the improvement of the same.This paper highlights that online education is not restricted to the fringe anymore instead the popularity of online education is increasing rapidly. In fact, it has become crucial to the long term plans of any institution to incorporate online courses for both local and international students. As more and more teachers begin to adapt to this method of teaching, it is necessary to understand their per ceptions about moving to an online approach. This paper takes at look at the perception college teachers have about online course materials and online educational tools.  Many researchers have made the observation that in spite of the high demand of online courses, faculty members are not very keen to shift their mode of teaching to an online medium.  One of the major concerns of adopting an online approach is pedagogical – whether the process of teaching would be as effective as that of a classroom.

The Invention of the television in the US Research Paper

The Invention of the television in the US - Research Paper Example As it was invented television used combination of optical, mechanical and electronic technologies to capture and display images but as the technology advanced, then more developments took place. The history of television date back in 1884 where Paul Gottlieb a German university student aged 23 came up with an electromechanical television system that employed a scanning disk. As the time went by, more improvement of television was being done for example in 1927 a Russian inventor by the name Leon Theremin developed a mirror drum based television and on the same year Philo Farnsworth came up with the first working television system that had to scan the images and on the same time display the device (Tedham, 1937). This was first displayed in the press in 1928 and thus paved way to broadcasting. The first working television made Germany and United States governments to sign an agreement to exchange their television patents and technology so that the speed of development could be achieve d in many countries thus having transmitters and stations in their respective countries. In 1936, the first BBC started to transmit the first public services that amazed many people in all corners of the world. In 1939, United States started came up with more television technologies despite signing of agreements with the Germany government though the Second World War prevented the development to take place on large scale. This meant that United States had to wait until the end of the Second World War. In 1948, the use of television was in large scale in United States and thus coming up with a true regular commercial television that used programming and thus immergence of legendary people who could broadcast and model among other things (Alan, 1940). This made the ownership of television to increase year by year for example United States had a 96.7% ownership in 1995 and majority of people having more than one

Operatons management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operatons management - Essay Example Moreover, the advancement of the information technology is another important add-on for logistic management. With the used of the advance IT system, operators can track the flow of materials from the point of purchasing inputs for productions to the point finished products are sold in the retail stores. This gives enough data for logistics managers to make a wise decision for the overall business operations. Lastly, the principles and value chain are also discussed. The principles of logistic management give pointers for managers to help them gauge the correctness and effectiveness of their decision making. Transport and logistics, according to the report written by Shepherd, is a sector in which global value chain (GVCs) play a vital role in connecting countries. It is also responsible for spreading technologies. It also promotes best practice with all the countries in the world. Major shipping, freight forwarding, express delivery firms are just a few of the notable firms involved with this sector. Not only big and notable firms – transport and logistics also partners with local operators. It does not focus on first world countries alone as it extends hands to low income countries or commonly known as the third world countries to help boost their flow of goods, information and other valuable resources. In addition to its vital role as a global value chains, this sector also helps improve the trade performance of many countries around the world. For example, in order for manufacturing and agricultural industries to deliver their produce or goods to consumers quickly and reliably, they need the help of the transport and logistics sectors. A banana plantation industry depends on transports and logistics sectors to ship tons of harvested bananas to different countries. Without a cost-effective model of delivering these

Leadrship Development and business Ethics Coursework

Leadrship Development and business Ethics - Coursework Example dren as they are required to wear specific school shoes for attending schools.  Also children have to walk long distances  in order to  access educational, medical and clean drinking water  facilities.  Shoes  are the focus of special attention  because children deprived of shoes are vulnerable to numerous soil-based diseases like jiggers, hookworm, tetanus and podoconiosis. Hookworm is a universal disease that affects around 576 to 740 million people around the globe. It is a major cause of protein loss and blood loss (anemia) in children. Similarly podoconiosis develops in individuals from being bare feet resulting in a disease known as big foot. It begins in children in teenage and causes severe leg and foot pain. Children with bare feet are also prone to jiggers that cause inflammation and ulcers in the feet. Tetanus is another disease causing acute infection if a bacterium enters through an open wound or injury in the foot. The One for One program operates by acquiring  global partnerships of  humanitarian organizations to identify deprived communities  evaluated on grounds of health, educational and economic conditions. Moreover TOMS shoes make sure that its  involvement does not affect the  local shoe making  businesses  adversely. TOMS also provides supplementary support to cater health and educational issues in children. Children of developing countries are the  main target of TOMS  One for One program. TOMS shoes does not provide a single kind of shoes but a variety of shoes tailor made to meet the size  requirements of children of different ages as well  as fulfill their  diverse cultural needs. In 2012 TOMS,  in collaboration with its sight-giving partner Seva Foundation, also  brought eyewear within the ambit of its product-line. It works on the same line  as  One for One program for shoes and donates a pair of glasses for every pair sold out. It also  encompasses medical treatments, eye examinations and sight saving surgeries for children in

The British Raj and the India’s Caste System Essay Example for Free

The British Raj and the India’s Caste System Essay The Indian caste system, known as Varnas, is a centuries old system of social stratification. It is a strict hierarchal system that determines a person’s occupation for them. It also determines what they can wear, who they can talk to, who they can marry. Those on the top of the pyramid have all the wealth, power, and prestige, while those on the bottom are treated no better than the trash that is thrown away. It consists of four Varna’s: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. There is also a class outside the Varna’s historically called the untouchable’s. The caste system is an ancient cultural tradition that is so deep-rooted in the India cultural, and backed by historical and religious text. After the conquering Aryans established themselves as the ruling class, they adapted a caste system that would keep the Aryan’s in positions that would bring them wealth and prestige, and keep those they conquered subordinate to them. To strengthen their power, the Aryans were able to enforce their strict social rules through religious texts and the Hindu ideals of Varnas and Karma. It has been exploited and altered throughout the centuries by invaders, conquerors, and colonizers to prevent unification for their own benefit. Some may argue that the British created the modern caste system to benefit themselves, however, If anything, the British tried to alter a system they saw as unjust to give all Indians equal rights and equal opportunity. The modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. Outside the ancient Hindu texts, The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Eknath Easwaran, I use mainly secondary sources to prove my thesis, that the modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. I think history speaks for itself it the numerous studies done by scholars: such as the Wiser’s who studied the caste system in tribes virtually untouched by the British; and Brian Smith who studied how the ancient Aryan texts support the ideal caste system. It existed long before the East Indian Company landed on the shores of India, and I am proving that Nicholas Dirk’s argument that the caste system is the result of modern colonialism as invalid. Culturally, India has been very diverse; India culture varies depending on the location you go to in the beautiful and vast country. Even though there are many different ethnic groups in India with their own social and cultural identities—they dress differently, speak different languages, have different religions, and eat different foods—depending on the region they are from, they all have the same â€Å"temperament.† They share the same values and â€Å"common bond† that shows a national cultural identity. The lifeline of that common bond is the Varnas, which evolved into the Indian caste system. Despite what religion Indian’s follow, their cultural values are highly influence by the great Indian epics: The Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. Religious and spiritual thought has evolved from the Vedas, and reinforced cultural traditions. Many Indian Christians may still live by Hindu doctrines, such as the Doctrine of Karma, or practice meditation. These aren’t necessarily considered religious practices to all, but are cultural practices, or philosophies. The Indian cast system is so deeply embedded into this national cultural identity, and widely accepted as part of the Indian culture, that it is hard for Indians to escape it. As Nicholas Dirks says in his book Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India† Caste defines the core of Indian tradition.† India’s rich heritage can be seen in their literature; through the great epics: the Vedas (3000 BC-1000 BC), the Ramayana (1500 BC) and the Mahabharata (1000 BC). The Vedas weren’t only religious texts, but a prototype that philosophers and religious leaders used seek their beliefs; or law makers used to create a social and political lifestyle, such as the case with the Indian caste system. The Vedas seeks universal truths of cosmic functioning at all levels of existence. Knowledge and the identity of oneself in emphasized throughout its pages. The Puranas were later written to present and explain the â€Å"truth† of the Vedas. People pulled out what they wanted from it and used it to fit their needs. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are both â€Å"epics of the people;† they are ethnic stories that have been orally transmitted over the centuries and recorded in a collective text. They â€Å"reflect the ethos and the psyche† of the Indian people. These great epics have shaped India’s values, beliefs, and lifestyles. They are the origins of the social, religious and cultural history of India. The caste system didn’t arrive with the British East Indian Company in the 1700’s, but between 1500 and 2000 B.C., when nomads known as the Aryan’s started to migrate through the Hindu Kush passes and down into the Indus Valley. These tall, light skinned warrior types quickly subdued the short, dark-skinned indigenous peoples of northwestern India. These people, known as the Dravidian’s fled to the south for refuge. Taking control of their new domain, they forced their â€Å"Divine Knowledge†Ã¢â‚¬â€recorded later in the Vedas (1200-600 B.C.)—on their new subjects. The Rig Veda (1300-100 B.C.) was the main religious and socio-economic text. These philosophical and religious texts were said to have originated from the Gods—Aryan Gods—and later texts dated 600 to 400 B.C. were written by the Divine. Because of the domination of the Aryan people and the popularity of these texts, the period between 1500 B.C. and 500 B.C. is known at the Vedic period of Indian history—and this is where the caste system originated. Long before the Aryans arrived in the Indus Valley, they were already divided into three different classes: the warriors, the priest, and the cultivators; with the warriors on top of the social structure, and the priest, or Brahman, second. These light-skinned warriors had no desired to mix with the dark-skinned Dravidians that they had conquered. To prevent their ethic traits from being polluted by the dasyu, or slaves, they prohibited intermarriage between the two distinct ethnic groups; thus a fourth class was created to do most of the manual labor. As the Aryans and the local inhabitants mingled, Hinduism developed. The Hindu caste system would evolve from this ideal that ethnic traits, such as ones skin color determined ones social position—with lighter skin on the top, and those with darker skin on the bottom, and reinforced by the religious philosophies of the Vedas. Before the Vedic civilization of the Aryans, archaeological evidence suggests that the Harappan civilization was composed of many kinds of ethnic groups that were divided into different classes depending on their wealth. Because of evidence such as a permanent and sophisticated city structure and a â€Å"uniformity of weights and measures,† it is widely believed that this heterogeneous population had a centralized government who was ruled by a group of people, perhaps Brahmin, or priest. However, some people don’t believe that there was a centralized government at all since there were no holy temples uncovered, that the evidence just points to a sophisticated trade system. This second group believes that the Aryans weren’t invaders, but a group that lived amongst the existing Harappan civilization, who became powerful and were able to dominate the others. According to Robert Heine-GeldernIt, the second isn’t likely, because archeological evidence points to a people who were of Western origin; perhaps Transcaucasia. If the first were true, that would explain how the invading Aryans eventually adapted caste structure with the Brahmin class on top. After they already established themselves as the ruling class, over centuries, as they mingled with the indigenous peoples, they may have adopted elements of hierarchy of the local faith, with the priests, or Brahmin, on the top of the pyramid. There were four different castes, called varnas, in India: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The highest caste was the Brahmins. They are the priests and philosophers. Originally ranked number two on the Varna system, but rose significantly above the warrior class to number one. The second ranking castes were the Kshatriya’s. They were initially warriors and highest ranking. The third ranking caste were the Vaishyas, they were the workers; farmers, artisans, metal workers, and trades peoples. The lowest ranking of the Varna’s were the Shudras. They are the peasants, servants, farm hands, and laborers. There were also subdivisions in every caste called jati, which further broke down people’s hereditary social status and occupational group. Historically, the vocation you went into was hereditary and passed down from your father. As the civilization expanded, sometimes one could get away with going into a different line of work, if it was within their same caste. The structure of the traditional Indian village economy was reliant on a hereditary caste system. William and Charlotte Wiser called it the jajmani system, where a wealthy Brahman landlord would provide annual sustenance of his harvest for services of the different village servants and artisans throughout the year. The heirs to each particular service member, whether it be the village barber, blacksmith, astrologer, accountant, doctor, or whatever their particular job was, would be expected to take over for their fathers. Women were only allowed to be married off to men in the same caste as they were. By keeping everything hereditary, those in power were guaranteed to stay in power, and their superior genes to remain unpolluted by lower caste. Within the Jamani system, there was no chance of upward mobility; each individual had a fixed economic and social status that was essential to village life. When the Aryans first arrived, the warrior class was on the top of the social structure, with the priest, or Brahmin, below them. As the conquering Aryans expanded eastward over the next five centuries, they took on some characteristics of the native Indians they had conquered, the tribal structure being one of them. Since it is known that priest-kings ruled the pre-Aryan Harappa, Wolpert suggests that the Aryans learned from their conquered subjects to place more value on the counsel of their own Brahmans. This â€Å"revelation† that the Brahmins had over the warrior class, and subsequently, the Raj who were born Kshatriyas, or warriors, can be found in the Rig Veda hymn, the â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man.† Division of occupational group into castes was applied according to the ancient Aryan-Hindu book, the Rig Veda. According to legend of the â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man,† the first super-being, Purush, allowed himself to be destroyed to create a human society out of different parts of his body: the Brahmins from his mouth, or â€Å"thousand heads†, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. The highest caste was the Brahmins, who were the priest, because the brain holds knowledge. The second highest caste was the Kshatriyas, who were warriors, because the arms resemble strength. The caste below the warrior class was the merchants, known as the Vaishyas. These top three were considered â€Å"twice born,† their second birth making them initiated into the Hindu faith. On the bottom were the Shudras, or the peasants, or serfs, who were on their feet doing the manual labor, and considered too â€Å"unclean† to be born again. The â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man† describes how the caste system came into existence, not as a human invention, but one created by the gods. Later, as the Aryans expanded and more primitive people came into the mix, they were considered too â€Å"polluted† to be part of the four-fold Varna system, and would become regarded as â€Å"untouchables.† Out of fear of being polluted by these outsiders, strict rules were enforced to prevent any contact with the higher castes; to include strict communal procedures. These rules were designed to isolate the untouchables from the rest of Hindu society, but at the same time enforce their need to do all of the â€Å"unclean† work that was too polluting for the rest of the more dignified classes; such as butchering of dead animals, or disposing of the dead. The Hindu doctrine of Karma further rationalizes the caste system as duties one is obligated to by birth. Karma is the â€Å"moral law of cause and effect.† The position on is born into is a reflection of how they were in their previous life; if someone is born into a lower class, than it is because of their bad Karma from a previous life. If one abides by the rules given to them in this life, they will move up in the next life. As Smith puts it, â€Å"one of the main entailments of the caste system is â€Å"the belief in Karma and the cycle of rebirth whereby ones social position in this life is ethically determined by moral actions in past lives.† This belief in reincarnation prevented people from questioning, or even revolting against, the caste system. The caste system received further religious approval in the Indian epic, The Bhagavad Gita; which is part of the Mahabharata. They â€Å"prove† that the caste system isn’t just man’s law, but divine law. In the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu god Krishna says â€Å"the distinction of castes, guna, and karma have come from me. I am their cause† (4:13). When Krishna tells Arjuna that, â€Å"No creature, whether born on earth or among the gods in heaven is free from the conditioning of the three gunas. The different responsibilities found in the social order – distinguishing Brahmin, Kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra have their roots in this conditioning† (18:40-41), he is very clear that everyone must follow the caste system. He goes on to explain the guna’s, or acceptable qualities, in retrospect to the traits and roles of the four castes. By doing the duties one is born to, and not someone else, he can never come to grief—even if it is imperfect (18:42-49). Even though scholars like Dirk may argue that the caste system has its roots in colonization, ancient Hindu texts dating back to the Vedic age prove that the Indian caste system had its root deep in traditional Indian society long before the East Indian Company began to colonize India. The modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. Under Munghal rule in the tenth century, many Indian’s weren’t encouraged to convert to Islam; it wasn’t until the 16th and 17th centuries that a mass conversion to Islam appeared. The religious system in India that was the basis for philosophical and ethical ideals that influenced the daily life of the India people did not have a name prior to the arrival of Islam in India. Even though there were many different religions in the different Indian communities at the time, they all had a common unity in their acceptance of the basic legends, myths, and moral teachings that formed the ideals, or world view, on the meaning of life. The name that Muslims gave this common religious unity was â€Å"Hinduism.† This disproves Dirks claim that â€Å"caste, as we know it today, is a modern phenomenon, that is, specifically, the product of a historical encounter of India and Western rule†¦making caste a central symbol of Indian society.† The Muslims made it the central symbol of Indian society when they named it Hinduism, to establish it separate from their Islamic society. As Muslims started intermingling with Hindus, it further complicated the caste system. Because Muslims rejected the Hindu belief of people born with inequality, the Bhakti movement sprang up from the 14th to 16th centuries; long before Dirks claims that the English started influencing, and putting a negative stigma, on the caste system. Inferior castes would find other forms of religious expression separate from Brahmin priest. Castes broke up, and new jati’s formed that would identify each caste based on their belief system. The great Indian epic, the Ramayana, that was popularized during the medieval period, describes how Rama and Krishna were incarnations of Lord Vishnu, and would repeatedly come down to earth and mingle with all of God’s people; not just the Brahmins. The Bhakti philosophers taught that all individuals, regardless of their status in life, could have an intimate relationship with God. This differed greatly from the Aryans concept that taught inequality in relation to God and only the priest, or Brahmins, could speak with God. Lower castes were even forbidden from reading the Vedas or entering Hindu religious temples. Medieval India also changed the hereditary occupation system. Men were no longer restricted to the position that was determined to them by birth. There was now chance of upward mobilization within each jati; not the main caste classification. Not just individuals, but Jati groups, were able to improve their status in society. In order to not go against religious teachings, families would have to save up enough money to pay poor Brahmin to preform rituals that would elevate the social standing of a particular family. They would then have to change occupations, and practices, appropriate to the social group that they were being elevated to. Another way to move up socially would be to serve in the military; military service wouldn’t necessarily allow you to move up to another Caste, but your jati (or social standing within caste) would move up accordingly. Life for Indian’s was very different under Islamic rule than it was under the Aryans. The arrival of the East Indian Company stirred up the traditional caste system; but it didn’t by any means â€Å"create† a modern caste system, as Dirks suggests; that was already underway with the arrival of Islam. The English tried to, either directly or indirectly, make life better for those that were discriminated against under a centuries old system of legal oppression. Even though the English had a hierarchy, people were able to upward mobilize and all citizens were bound by the same laws. Under the Indian caste system, there was no upward mobilization, people often died in the same caste they were born in. This was disrupted slightly during the arrival of industrialization and mass trade that the East Indian Company brought with it. The centuries old tradition of patriarchal hereditary caste occupation was disturbed by industrialization and imports from other British colonies. People whose occupations had a hand in producing goods that were now being imported or made in factories were now out of jobs. Factory jobs, or other Western type jobs, weren’t hereditary. They had no choice but to find new jobs, often jobs that weren’t classified under a particular caste, such as public works or factory type jobs. As English colonization expanded, there was further concern amongst the higher castes about intermingling between castes—especially where public works projects and service in the military was concerned. There was fear amongst the higher castes that physical contact between the pure and impure castes was inevitable in such crowded places as train stations, public wells, or closed quarters on ships. There were concerns amongst Hindu’s about serving in the British military. In the military, the â€Å"soldiers were of a different caste now—neither so fine, nor so tall as they were before.† In the military, the British were the only superior, and all Hindus serving were treated as if they were the same caste, having to work side-by-side with members of different castes. However, after the uprisings of 1857, sepoys who were of higher caste maintained their caste and religion. The later was extremely important, because any infringement on their religion could result in loss of caste. Those that continued to revolt were punished by having to clean the blood of the English men, women, and children, who were massacred. They were forced to do this dishonor, which would have resulted in loss of caste under their Hindu faith, before being executed for their heinous crimes. In this retrospect, the English used the Hindu caste system as vengeance for acts against their ‘white’ superiority. The British didn’t create the caste system, or intend to exploit it. They tried to make their new Indian subjects a functional part of their society, as well as rectify the aspects of the caste system they saw as unjust. Traditional Indian law was loosely based off of parochial and sacred law that was loosely interpreted by different Brahmin; there was no uniform justice system. There were also different sets of rules and laws for different castes. A lower caste could be severely punished for the same crime that wouldn’t be punishable for a higher caste. There is no doubt that the English exploit the caste system for personal gain, but they also made great strides in individual equality before the law. Under British Law, all individuals were equal before the laws; therefore if a higher caste and lower caste member committed the same crime, they were both subject to the same punishments; and discrimination against lower caste was now against the law. As the Rudolph’s say in there book The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India, the transformed state has helped, â€Å"India’s peasant society make a success of representative democracy and fostered the growth of equality by making Indians less separate and more alike.† In that retrospect, England colonization may have had a more positive effect on an already oppressive system. The spread of Christianity was promising for those born of lower caste. They were offered an education; that was formally punishable to lower caste members. Many of the lower caste and untouchables converted to Christianity to escape their given statuses. Those that converted were freed of their previous identity, and were no longer considered part of a particular caste; although their social status often stayed the same. This may not have alleviated their problems, but it was a step in the right direction. Those that converted to Christianity could now get an education, or apprenticing under a Christian missionary. They could now aspire to do something different than what they were ‘born’ to do. There was now the hope of a better life, that hadn’t existed before under Hinduism. Today people have mistaken Varnas for caste and treat them as identical. Varnas are God created and caste is not. Varnas are conditioned with one’s actions and desires based on Gunas. The caste is manmade. It is simply a social institution and can easily be changed and modified according to changing needs of society. Caste-by-birth was never the original intent nor it ever was the basis upon which the Varnas were constituted, Sutra says that a person should be engaged only in a field of activity that he is capable of doing. In 1891, the British established the Census of India as an attempt to better understand the caste system in relation to occupation, religion, and status. In 1935, the British in India finally came up with a list of four-hundred tribal groups and untouchables. Under British reform, they would be put on a list as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and would receive special privileges in order to â€Å"overcome deprivation and discrimination.† In that retrospect, the British government started affirmative action in India for those that had been oppressed under the centuries old Indian Caste System. The English threatened the Hindu way of life that had existed over centuries and was reinforced by Hindu scripture. When Muslims started mingling with the Hindus, the caste system was altered, but the basic beliefs of karma and existence remained a unifying factor. When the East Indian Company started colonizing India, they didn’t just stir things up, but threatened the religious aspect of the Indian caste system that kept those on the bottom subservient to the top castes. Without intending to, the English got the nationalist movement going; although it would go in two different directions depending on what side of the fence one was on. Mahatma Gandhi was an influential leader in the Nationalist Movement during British rule; he believed that he could change untouchability in the Hindu religion, and started calling them â€Å"Harijans,† meaning God’s children. When reform within the Hindu religion started to look bleak, Dalit leaders started to advocate for a separate electorate for the Dalit’s. On the other end of the spectrum from Gandhi was Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who rose up from a community of untouchables and fought for political equality for Delits. Both continued their campaigns after Indian independence. But after independence, neither would be successful without the British to advocate for them. The British brought with them industrialization, urbanization, literacy, social mobilization, and political democracy. However, it is the Indian caste system today that is preventing India from progressing as a modern nation. Although people are now crossing vague occupational lines due to technology, India still has a long way to go to break the deep-rooted deep root belief that the Hindu religious texts, the Varnas, justify caste inequality as birth right. But thanks to the British, they got a kick in the right direction. Works Cited Armstrong, Karen. The Great Transformation: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print. Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2007. Print. Dirks, Nicholas. Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India. Princeton University Press, 2001. eBook. Judd, Denis. The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Heine-Geldern, Robert. â€Å"The Coming of the Aryans and the End of the Harappa Civilization.† Man Vol. 56, No. 151 (Oct, 1956): 136-139. Hoover, James W., History of the World: India in the Islamic Era and Southeast Asia. Austin: Steck-Vaughn Co., 1997. Print. Lahiri, R.K., â€Å"Caste System in Hinduism† Boloji.com (November 2005) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Contentsd=ArticlesArticleID=1211, accessed, November 15, 2012. Lewis, Oscar and Victor Barnouw. â€Å"Caste and the Jajmani System in a North Indian Village.† The Scientific Monthly Vol. 83, No. 2 (Aug, 1956): 66-81. Malloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. Calif ornia: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1999. Print. Warshaw, Steven. India Emerges: A Concise History of India from its Origin to the Present. Berkley: Diablo Press, 1989. Print. Wolpert, Stanley. A New History of India. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print. Mountjoy, Shane. Rivers in World History: The Indus River. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005. Print. Rudolph, Lloyd I. and Susanne Hoeber. The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984. eBook. Sekhon, Joti. Modern India. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print. Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste. New York: Oxford Press, 1994. Print. [ 1 ]. â€Å"Lifestyles, Values, and Beliefs† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=69, accessed 10 November, 2012; â€Å"Ethnicity of India† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=70, accessed 10 November 2012; â€Å"Ancient History† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=2, accessed 10 November 2012). [ 2 ]. â€Å"Indian Literature through the Ages† (India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India) http://ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.htm, accessed 11 November 2012. [ 3 ]. Steven Warshaw, India Emerges: A Concise History of India from its Origin to the Present (Berkley: Diablo Press, 1989), 16-17. [ 4 ]. Stanley Wolpert, A New History of India, 6th ed (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 27; Warshaw, 17 [ 5 ]. Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006), 13-14; Shane Mountjoy, Rivers in World History: The Indus River (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005), 17-21. [ 6 ]. Robert Heine-Geldern, â€Å"The Coming of the Aryans and the End of the Harappa Civilization,† Man Vol. 56, No. 151 (Oct, 1956): 136 [ 7 ]. Oscar Lewis and Victor Barnouw, â€Å"Caste and the Jajmani System in a North Indian Village,† The Scientific Monthly Vol. 83, No. 2 (Aug, 1956): 66. [ 8 ]. Wolpert, 29. [ 9 ]. Armstrong, 25; Michael Malloy, Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change (California: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1999), 119. [ 10 ]. Wolpert, 29-30; 119. [ 11 ]. Wolpert, 119-120 [ 12 ]. Molloy, 67. [ 13 ]. Brian K. Smith, Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste (New York: Oxford Press, 1994), 10. [ 14 ]. Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita (Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2007), 117; 261-262. [ 15 ]. Dirks, 5. [ 16 ]. James W. Hoover, History of the World: India in the Islamic Era and Southeast Asia (Austin: Steck-Vaughn Co., 1997), 20-22. [ 17 ]. Hoover, 22-23. [ 18 ]. Denis Judd, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 67-68. [ 19 ]. Judd, 74. [ 20 ]. Judd, 73-83. [ 21 ]. Lloyd I. and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984), 12. [ 22 ]. Judd, 63-64. [ 23 ]. Dr. R.K. Lahiri, â€Å"Caste System in Hinduism† Boloji.com (November 2005) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Contentsd=ArticlesArticleID=1211, accessed, November 15, 2012. [ 24 ]. Joti Sekhon, Modern India (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000), 48. [ 25 ]. Untouchables thought the name Harijan, that

Earle Spencer Eulogy Essay Example for Free

Earle Spencer Eulogy Essay I stand before you today, the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her, feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who who transcended nationality, someone with a natural nobility who was classless, and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic. Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated, always, that you were taken from us so young and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult. We have all despaired at our loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonize your memory. There is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humor with a laugh that bent you double, your joy for life transmitted wherever you took your smile, and the sparkle in those u nforgettable eyes, your boundless energy which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes. And if we look to analyze what it was about you that had such a wide appeal, we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really important in all our lives. Without your God-given sensitivity, we would be immersed in greater ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of  suffering that made it possible for her to connect with her constituency of the rejected. And here we come to another truth about her. For all the status, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout a very insecure person at heart, almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders were merely a symptom. The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability, whilst admiring her for her honesty. The last time I saw Diana was on July the first, her birthday, in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honor at a fund-raising charity evening. She sparkled of course, but I would rather cherish the days I spent with her in March when she came to visit me and my children in our home in South Africa. I am proud of the fact that apart from when she was on public display meeting President Mandela, we managed to contrive to stop the ever-present paparazzi from getting a single picture of her. That meant a lot to her. These were days I will always treasure. It was as if we had been transported back to our childhood, when we spent such an enormous amount of time together, the two youngest in the family. Fundamentally she hadnt changed at all from the big sister who mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school, and endured those long train journeys between our parents homes with me at weekends. It is a tribute to her level-headedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable after her childhood, she remained intact, true to herself. There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment that she received at the hands of the newspapers. I dont think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own, and only, explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this: a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age. She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys, William and Harry, from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to  suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair. And beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men, so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born, and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role. But we, like you, recognize the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us. William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today. We are all chewed up with sadness at the loss of a woman who wasnt even our mother. How great your suffering is we cannot even imagine. I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies Hes shown us at this dreadful time; for taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had joy in her private life. Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman Im so proud to be able to call my sister: the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds.

Virgin Blue Holdings Limited SWOT Analysis

Virgin Blue Holdings Limited SWOT Analysis About the company Virgin Blue Holdings Limited, an Australia-based company, is involved in the airline industry. The companys segments include long and short hauls. The company owns a fleet comprising of 68 Boeing 737-700 800 series along with Embraer E-170 and E-190 aircrafts. Virgin Blue Airlines functions approx 2100 flights per week to 24 national cities and centers and 8 international places including ports in Figi, New Zealand, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Cook Island and Samoa. Virgin Blue had been established in the year 2000 as wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Group. In 2002 Virgin, along with Partrick invested in the airline field. In the year 2008, Virgin Blue Holdings Limited came into existence and floated on the exchange for selling the holdings of Virgin Group. Virgin Blue Holdings main operation is in the airline business in Australia, while it operates in air transportation and schedule sector also. SWOT Analysis Of Virgin Blue Holding Limited (S)trengths: Motivated management: The management of the Virgin Blue Holding Limited is highly motivated and continuously involved in value improvement process. A motivated team ensures giving its best to earn super profits. Innovation: The corporate level strategy of this company is innovation. This helps the company in preparing the niche segment for itself. Also helps the company in having a upper hand over competitor. Young staff: Strength of Virgin Holding Limited lies in their staff which is comprised of young people. This will increase their work efficiency and productivity, and thus lead to superior profit making. (W)eaknesses: Capital Intensive Business Lines: Virgin Blue Holdings business is highly a capital intensive business thus requiring managing of heavy investment and maintenance cost. The point to reach breakeven too is thus, longer than otherwise. Low return on investment: The airline industry is highly volatile and cyclical in nature and usually have low return on investment. (O)pportunities: Niche market: Instead of targeting the masses to fly economy and certain business class crowd, the company targets the student and this segment has high growth opportunities. Less competitive market: Another opportunity for the company is that this market is less competitive market and has high growth scope, and thus it would enable them to get the movers advantage and becoming market leader thereby earning super profit. Richard Branson: Richard Branson passion for aircraft also helps in expansion of business. (T)hreats: Existing player: Existing competitor can act as a threat for Virgin Blue and impact their market share. Also there is a threat from the entry of new player. Air flight safety: Another concern for airline industry is safety. This is the most common sector for terrorist attack and any such event can damage their business and brand to a greater extent. Key audit risks: Mainly the audit risks are of three types: Inherent Risks Control Risks Detection Risks The following are the key Audit risks- Revenue Recognition: (Detection Risk) Identifying important ratios such as Accounts receivables/Sales or Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold is important are these are predictive of negative events. Account affected: Profitability Ratios. Expense Recognition: (Detection Risk) Deferred long-term expense and exaggerated depreciation often distorts balance sheet. Checking of these ratios such as Selling GA Expenses to Operating Expenses YoY basis and also comparing them with industry standards. Account affected: Profitability Ratios. Asset-Liability Valuation: (Detection Risk) Liquidity, Asset Turnover, Net Income/Equity, Leverage, Goodwill, etc may be comparable with peer group and previous years. Account affected: Asset Turnover Ratios and Liquidity Ratios. Directors holding position of Officers: (Control Risk) As directors have fiduciary responsibilities towards the shareholders, they should not have positions that are subjected to conflict of interest. Account affected: Dividend payments and other policies related to shareholders. The CEO and Chairman are separate: (Control Risk) The roles of the CEO and Chairman are performed by separate people as the chairman would then be able to represent the shareholders interest better. Account affected: Dividend payments and other policies related to shareholders. Stepping down of Virgins long term CEO Brett Godfrey: Earlier in 2010 virgin long term CEO Brett Godfrey stepped down and was replaced by John Brochette. Due to change in CEO, the auditors need to properly emphasize or assess the following points: Change in corporate governance: Stepping down of the existing CEO can lead to corporate governance issues in organization. If the new CEO is not as effective, then it leads to bureaucracy and account manipulation issues in an organization. The auditor needs to evaluate this area carefully. Accountability of board of director: The auditor should make sure that same practices of accountability and displace is maintained in organization. There should not be any misappropriation or misuse of funds available. Analysis of share holding pattern change: The auditor needs to analyze if there is any change in the shareholding pattern due to stepping down of the CEO. This will help in evaluating the existing funding structure of the company and help in evaluating welfare of shareholder by maximization shareholders wealth. The auditor should properly investigate where the funds are being divested. Current Financial Information of Virgin Blue Holding Limited: Net profit after income tax for 6 month period, ended 31/12/2009 was $62.5 million and that reflects $163.9 million more compared to the corresponding 6 month term ended 31/12/2008. The net profit of the period is made up of: In these 6 months to 31/12/2009, the underlying OPs profit before tax went up by 34% and got profit of $80.1million. Basic EPS for the 6 months period ended 31/12/2009 had a profit of 3.3cents/share. Business segments Virgin Group has 2 segments, described below that are Groups business segment. The business segment offers different services and products, and managed separately as they need different types of aircraft. For each business segment, the internal management reports are reviewed on monthly by the board. The summary describes operations in each segment: Short haul Operations using short haul fleet by Boeing 737 aircraft Embraer 190 and 170 aircraft. This includes Australian, New Zealand, Trans-Tasman and Pacific Island flying. Long haul Operations that use Boeing 777 fleet. This predominantly comprises of Trans-Pacific flying. Partnerships of Virgin Blue Holdings Limited: Etihad signed a partnership with Virgin Blue Holdings Limited: All Virgin Holding services will now be available also to the Etihad customers, by opening up of 44 destinations in Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, and Los Angles.ÂÂ   The code share agreement will come to effect right from October. As result of this deal, Virgin Australia is to become as first Australian carrier operator to operate at the Middle East since 1991. Together with V Australia and Eithad Virgin Blue will be able to fly twenty seven flights in between Abu Dhabi Australia which will include the services between Abu Dhabi-Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane. Etihad management said that Australia is a very important market place for us we are happy that after this collaboration we will be able to serve our purpose better. We currently fly about 450,000 people a year to Australasia, we think this deal will add about 100,000 to that figure. With this collaboration we will be in a position to serve the USA Europe trips better from Australia, that will give us a distinct advantage over the other competitors, improves the sustainability comfort of travel. The agreement would joing the Blue Group and Etihad frequent flier programs, thus allowing the customers to earn burn miles in all of these airlines that are involved in deal. Partnership of Virgin Blue V Australia with Virgin America for Frequent Fly: Virgin Blue with its long-haul airline, V Australia has partnered with Virgin America to give benefits to loyalty customers to get some points when they take flight on sister airlines. This simply means that people travelling through any of these 3 flights will earn some credit that will be deducted under frequent travelling program. This partnership has applied from April, 2010. This exchange agreement will enable Virgin Blue or V Australias Velocity customer to earn Velocity points vice-versa through any of the 3 flights. Virgin Blue is presenting this as benefits to its guests a act of Customer relationship management. Virgin Blue team says that their motto is that people from whole USA other parts of the world plan their tours with our developing airline family. Virgin blue is famous for its customer service, product innovation, great design high level of facilities. Virgin Blue has got Best National Airline for 3rd consecutive year at the Australian National Travel Industry Awards.

Affirmative Action is Harmful to Society Essay -- Synthesis Essays, Ar

     Ã‚  Ã‚   In the controversial realms of affirmative action, the largest issue staunchly fought over is whether minorities should be given preferential treatment in the workplace and in the schools. One side declares that those in the minority group need and deserve governmental aid so that they will be on equal footing with the majority group. Opponents of affirmative action point out that setting apart groups based on their race or ethnicity is purely racism and can lead to reverse discrimination. I am against affirmative action for the aforementioned reasons, and would not consider such racism as necessary for creating a healthy society, as proponents would insist. It is my belief that affirmative action today is out of date and is inherently harmful to society. Affirmative action supporter Stephen Steinberg, in his essay The Affirmative Action Debate, argued that equality in society is not possible without governmental intervention and aid. He asserts "the problem is stated falsely when it is suggested that we must choose between merit or preference, or between the rights of individuals and the rights of groups, or between a color-blind or color-conscious society" (363). Yet while he said that, he supported the very issues he is adamant against by favoring affirmative action. Earlier in his essay he describes the history of affirmative action in the workplace from equal rights for all, to reaching out to select certain minority groups for employment, and to preferential treatment of minorities (360). Of these three, the only one I can fully and strongly support is the first. When I look at all the aspects of this issue I wonder if we have failed to focus on the correct issue. Affirmative action's purpose claims to be t... ...Society." Ed. Bryan J. Grapes. San Diego: Greenhaven. 2000. 38-46. Gelles, Richard J., and Ann Levine. Sociology: An Introduction. San Francisco: McGraw-Hill College, 1999. Kristol, Irving. "The Tragic Error of Affirmative Action." Wall Street Journal 1 Aug. 1994. Rpt. in Interracial America: Opposing Viewpoints as "Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination." Ed. Bonnie Szumski. San Diego: Greenhaven. 1996. 144-48. Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. San Francisco: Harper, 1974. Steele, Shelby. "Social Evils." The New York Times 13 Mar. 1994. Rpt. in Interracial America: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Bonnie Szumski. San Diego: Greenhaven. 1996. 175. Steinberg, Stephen. "The Affirmative Action Debate." The UNESCO Courier Mar. 1996. Rpt. in Essays from Contemporary Culture. 4th ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. San Diego: Harcourt. 2001. 359-63.

Vonneguts Cats Cradle :: Vonnegut Cats Cradle

Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle vs Our Assumptions Regarding War, Progress, and Religion If one of Vonnegut's purposes for writing is "to poison minds with humanity" (qtd. by Scholes, per Griffin), then the weapon of choice in Cat's Cradle, is satire. Cat's Cradle "poison[s] minds" only by revealing the toxins that are already present in the system. Vonnegut's brand of satire serves as a sort of syrup of ipecac on human folly, and if we are "to make a better world" as he would have it, we should understand how truly virulent human enterprise can be. Cat's Cradle holds no punches on conventionally held beliefs and opinions. Whether in regard to religion or science, business or government, sex or war, all topics are at the mercy of Vonnegut's lampooning. The issue of religion is certainly a major target for Vonnegut, and he ingeniously uses irony to satirize religious folly. Cat's Cradle introduces the new, non-religious religion of Bokononism, which, according to its own doctrine, is entirely based on lies (14). By merely asserting that Bokononism is a more truthful religion because it is based on lies, it becomes as error-ridden as any other religion, including Christianity. An example of this is in Chapter 3, not coincidentally entitled "Folly." Here, we are introduced to an Episcopalian woman who claims to "understand God and His Ways of Working perfectly" (13). When John (or Jonah) discovers that this woman cannot read a simple blueprint for a doghouse, he sarcastically suggests that she ask someone to get God to explain it t o her, and in her anger at his effrontery, the woman fires him. John ends the chapter by stating "she was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing" (13). All of this is correct according to Bokonon, we are reminded (13), but we mustn't forget that Bokononism is a religion based on lies.

Electrical Vehicles and Benefits to the Environment Essay example -- E

Electrical Vehicles and Benefits to the Environment      There is a serious problem facing the world right now.   It is air pollution.   The number one contributor to this epidemic is automobile emissions.   We have all heard of the issues that are involved with air pollution including the depletion of the o-zone layer, the green house effect, and acid rain.   The problem has been scoped from every imaginable angle, and now it is time to solve the problem.   I propose that each of the ‘Big Three’ (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) car manufacturers be required to have 10% of their product line as EV’s By the year 2010.   I propose this because it will be the start of cleaner air, EV advancement, and awareness of EV’s and how they work.   The first step in getting this proposal to become law is to talk with congress people from our own states.   We must first let the idea get bounced around before we start to attack to top of the totem pole.   In the proposal will be the reasons as to why we are making such a bold statement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first reason is to achieve cleaner air.   Ever since the invention of vehicles, they have been polluters.   It started with the horse draw carriages which led to the horses leaving their anal discharge on the roads.   Next came the steam engine which burned fuel to heat the boilers and started an era of air pollution.   Soon after came the internal combustion engine which worked harder and polluted even more.   Not until the early 1900’s was there a trend away from the internal combustion engine.   The electric vehicle was â€Å"first introduced in England in 1911, for the purpose of urban delivery of milk to households all over the country.   The new electric vehicle replaced the outdated horse and cart, h... ...kground to our EV Project†Ã‚   Alternate Power Products Asia Ltd. â€Å"Plugging In The Future†Ã‚   ASU RESEARCH, FALL/WINTER 1995 â€Å"Charging toward the Future†Ã‚   Copyright 1998 General Motors Corporation â€Å"‘Faster Charger’ Shortens Electric Vehicle Recharging Time From Hours To Minutes†Ã‚   Copyright 1998 General Motors Corporation â€Å"A Brief History†Ã‚  Ã‚   Johnson Controls Systems      

Apple Analysis

Apple Business Analysis As a mutual fund manager, the decision to invest or not to invest in a company is one that entails thorough research of a company’s assets, business practices, and their way ahead. As a mutual fund investor, I want to invest in a businesses with high return on investments and businesses that need collateral but will not hinder my business. I will conduct a detailed analysis of their brand, stakeholders, customers, products, business ownership, and a SWOT analysis. Background InformationApple was founded by Steven Jobs, Stephen Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976, they launched their first computer in 1977 in which they earned over $100 million by 1980. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh, the first personal computer with a mouse, which was very unsuccessful in the beginning. Steven Jobs left Apple but returned to work there in 1997. Apple created very innovative products such as the iPod, iMac, iPhone, and iTunes. Apple is known for technologically ad vanced innovative products, which in return allows them to market their products at high dollar value and create a high demand.With the resignation and death of Steven Jobs, the future of Apple is unpredictable. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Strengths Apple’s products are leading the way in design, reliability, longevity, uniqueness, and development. Products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the iPod have become the forefront in their specific arenas. Apple is known for creating innovative products that attract to people of all ages. Unlike many other companies, Apple is involved with every aspect of their product from the design to the software on the products.With the variety of products offered by Apple, they have very many loyal customers whom can use Apple for all of their IT needs. This is important when branding a product with all of the variety choices of electronics offered. In addition, Apple has capitalized on their products by mak ing them easily accessible to their consumers. The implementation of iTunes, a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files (Wikipedia), which is also compatible with Windows, has enhanced their level of distribution to adults and children. According to datamonitor, Apple is urrently the largest technology company in terms of market capitalization. Weaknesses One of the most notable weaknesses was Steven Jobs resignation in August and his death in October. Job was considered the backbone of Apple and is hugely responsible for the success of the company over the past decade. Apple products are quite pricey compared to their competitors’ products, which may keep them from obtaining or retaining clientele. With the current state of our economy, many customers cannot afford to pay more for a product especially when there is a similar more affordable product available.Considering Apple does all of the designing of the hardware with their products, many apple products are not compatible with Microsoft. A huge example of this is the inability to use Microsoft office on many Apple products. Perhaps if Apple branched out and expanded their research and development, they could have more products that are interchangeably adaptable/compatible. Opportunities Apple has the opportunity to expand their iPhone to other retailers such as Sprint and T-Mobile rather than just limiting it to AT&T and Verizon.The iPhone has proven to be a very successful product even with all of the defects they have had to fix over the years, and it can present huge expansion opportunities. Apple’s Mac computers and notebooks have been a huge success and are known for their virus free operating systems. Apple should take advantage of this and expand more into the European and Asian markets which could help capitalize their profits. With the increase emphasis on eco-friendly products, this market is only growing and can op en the doors for Apple to expand even more. ThreatsApple is in constant competition with PC competitors such as Dell, Microsoft, and HP, and on the mobile side, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung. Both sides of their competition offer more affordable products and many times pick up the slack where Apple failed at. An example of this is the Google TV and the Android by Motorola. Also, many companies have latched out to businesses and become their primary source of equipment, however because Apple products are not compatible with Microsoft office, it prevents them from successfully entering this market.The company’s internal and external stakeholders According to the U. S. Department of Interior, a stakeholder is any individual or group that has an interest in a decision or actions of the company. The stakeholders can have authority or decision-making power, affected by the decisions, and is a part of the implementation process. The internal stakeholders are the employees and the com pany’s owners. When Steve Jobs resigned, Tim Cook became the new CEO of Apple. As the CEO you are responsible for making sound decisions that do not hurt your company and its employees.In conjunction with the CEO, the managers, researchers, developers, partners, and all other employees are internal stakeholders as well. The employee’s needs are that they have good working conditions and reasonable benefits package to keep them employed. With the success of Apple over the last few years, it is safe to say that Apple as a company is meeting the needs of their personnel. The external stakeholders are the customers, suppliers, and the government. The customers ultimately make or break the success of a company because they are the ones that have to be impressed enough to buy the products.Customers expect great service, superior products, and reasonable prices. Apple has listened to their customers’ needs and implemented various services to ensure they are satisfied w ith their products. Apple is a consumer of their suppliers, therefore, the suppliers need to make sure that Apple is happy with their services, and in return Apple will continue to utilize them. Another external stakeholder we sometimes forget about are the government and media outlets. As we all know the media plays a huge role in the success or failure of a company.Apple has experienced both sides of the media, and with the tragic death of Steven Jobs, the media has focused huge amounts of attention on Apple which could turn into a positive outcome. With the economic crisis we are going through, the government expects Apple to create jobs to help strengthen our economy and they also have the ability to raise taxes that Apple pays. In conclusion, Apple has very loyal customers and as long as they keep working to create and perfect their products, they will always remain a stiff competitor.With Apple’s plans to expand and diversity to integrate into other markets shareholders and stakeholders have nothing to worry about. References U. S. Department of Interior. (). What is a Stakeholder. Retrieved from http://mits. doi. gov/cadr/toolkit/stakeholder_index. cfm Apple Inc Company Overview. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. datamonitor. com/store/Product/apple_inc? productid=5B0A0C20-9BB6-4284-A575-AC0F2261F45C Wikipeida. (2011). Apple Inc. . Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Apple_Inc.

Language and Literacy Essay

Language and Literacy what are they? How do they relate? How do we learn them? These are just a few questions one might ask them self when they contemplate the effect language and literacy have on learning. â€Å"Forms of language and literacy develop supportively and interactively. Children build on oral language knowledge and practices as they learn to read and write’ they develop key understandings about reading through writing, and they extend their writing range through reading† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). This illustrates how at even the most basic level, language and literacy are interconnected from the very beginning. Therefore, in order to dissect each to see how children learn each, one needs to have a full understanding of both language and literacy apart from each other before one can fully understand how they work together. Language is first and foremost functional. It can be divided into two parts; written language and oral language. â€Å"Language is essential to learning, and ready, as a specialized form of language, is not only a basic skill, it is an indispensible tool for critical and creative thinking† (Braunger & Lewis 2005). There are many similarities between written and oral language, â€Å"Reading, writing, speaking and listening, at the deep levels of production and comprehension, are parallel manifestations of the same vital human function – the mind’s effort to create meaning’(Cambourne, 1988)† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). For both written and oral language development, children go through a similar learning process; seeing/hearing, recognizing, awareness of the differences in what they are seeing/hearing, participation in speaking/writing (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). While there are many similarities, the two modes of language are different in many complex and interesting ways. These differences are due to such â€Å"pragmatic factors as psychological and physical distance from audience, function, amount of time people have to produce language, and degree of permanence (Chafe & Danielwicz, 1987; Olson 1977; Rubin, 1978; Tannen, 1982). The most salient difference is that the two require different kinds of knowledge that learners must acquire in order to operate with and on them† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Additional differences are that each mode requires specific knowledge that cannot be transferred to the other and also that â€Å"written language is doubly symbolic; readers and writers must become at least somewhat conscious of their knowledge of oral language, which isn’t necessary in speaking† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Another major difference between written and oral language is its accessibility. Oral language is very readily available through conversations, recordings, music, etc. whereas written language is much harder to come by since it has to be created and then made accessible for others (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Aside from their similarities and differences listed above written and oral language make up the building blocks of literacy. â€Å"Literacy allows us to make connections between our own and others’ experiences; to inquire systematically into important matters; and to access, analyze and evaluate information and arguments. In short, literacy is key to success in school and beyond for effective participation in the workforce, the community, and the body politic† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Literacy occurs in stages with the primary development taking place during childhood and adolescents. During adolescents is when our literacy knowledgebase grows and deepens the most. Some of the key features in helping develop an adolescents literacy are; reading a wide variety of texts and genres, teacher modeling, cognitive collaboration, and assessment of strengths. However parents play the most important role in a child’s language and literacy development. It has been shown that the more involved families are in the literacy development of children, the more success the student will achieve (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). It has also been proven that children who have more language experiences such as, opportunities to talk, experiences with stories both oral and written, verbal interaction between adult and child during story readings, and opportunities to draw and write, fare better once they reach a school learning environment since they have had more exposure to the things they are learning in the classroom. This early preparation and learning is vital for building a student’s confidence which will affect all aspects of their schooling. (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). â€Å"The diversity of public schools today does not support a ‘one size fits all’ program of reading instruction† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). In other words, we as educators need to ensure that the literacy programs we use are tailored to fit the needs and interests of our individual students if we want to ensure they develop their language and literacy skills to the fullest. ? References Jane Braunger & Jan Patricia Lewis, (2005). Building a Knowledge Base in Reading (2nd ed. )

How My Stories Were Written Essay

Have u ever read a story where you were related to or change your life? In the short story by Bulosan, he uses a few literary elements such as setting, and irony to show how someone’s life can be change by a storyteller. In the following, I will explain what is the role of the Apo Lacay in this short story and how he has helped the author to overcome in the new world. In the beginning of the story â€Å" It is true there are mountains which are green all the year round bordering the northside of the province of Pangasinan, my own native province, in the island of Luzon†, Bulosan uses setting to let us know where the story takes place; he also give us details on how it looks like. This place is so important to him because he was born and raised here; his childhood was not as greater as his adult life but he gain so many anecdotes about it. The people that lived in the village were attached to the past centuries and a lot of things have been said from one generation to another. There was a man who had lived more than anyone else in the village; he is a storyteller that comes from a mysterious dwelling in the mountains and start telling his tales to the children and adults. Repentantly, he became friend with Apo Lacay (the storyteller), and learned from his tales even if they were not true. The boy (the author) thought that there were wisdom from his tales and he wanted to remember what kind of people lived in the village when he moves to the land far away. We sometimes do not pay attention to what or whom we listen to, we do not realize that we can learn a lot from books or simple short stories and gain the greatest wisdom ever; no matter where we go, in this case the author went to America, nothing cannot take the knowledge from you. The boy has also learned that there is more fear among the man than in the night forest full of beast, birds, the trees, storm and tempests. â€Å"In the savage heart of man there dwells the greatest fear among the living†.

Self-Verification

Self-verification is a social psychological theory that asserts people want to be known and understood by others according to their firmly held beliefs and feelings about themselves, that is self-views (including self-concepts and self-esteem). Because chronic self-concepts and self-esteem play an important role in understanding the world, providing a sense of coherence, and guiding action, people become motivated to maintain them through self-verification. Such strivings provide stability to people’s lives, making their experiences more coherent, orderly, and comprehensible than they would be otherwise.Self-verification processes are also adaptive for groups, groups of diverse backgrounds and the larger society, in that they make people predictable to one another thus serve to facilitate social interaction. To this end, people engage in a variety of activities that are designed to obtain self-verifying information. According to self-verification, people prefer feedback that i s consistent with their self-concept even when that feedback is unflattering. They will not accept feedback that is at odds with their self-concept.In our hypothesis, men who chose to use urinals for urination are meant to be more confident and have a stronger self-esteem than those who chose to use toilet bowls. They have a stronger self-concept and hence stronger self-verification. They would consider that they did a good job and deserved a more positive feedback. Therefore, a more positive feedback would increase their motivation and performance. If less positive feedback is given to this group of people, they would not receive this feedback as the less positive feedback did not match with their self-concept.For those chose to use toilet bowl, which showed that they had less confidence and lower self-concept, a less positive feedback would cause a higher motivation and performance since they think they deserved less positive feedback. They would accept it and hence it satisfied t heir self-esteem. Once their self-esteem is satisfied, they would promote to a higher hierarchy: self-actualization. P. s. I dun know when to use self-concept, self-esteem, self-verification these suck words. Since I only got the fucking old both without these suck words and definitions.

Critical aspects of closing probate deals

Chapter 11Making the Offer. Once you have contacted the executor, you must hold an action program of what needs to be done and how. This is one of the critical facets of shutting probate trades. You have to do an offer that will give you a fine-looking return and ideally this must be the lowest possible offer. Some executors are unfastened to a low monetary value from the beginning. Some executors are unrealistic and tend to believe that the belongings is deserving much more than the FMV and when you encounter such a state of affairs, you need to make a just outlook puting with the householder. Give him grounds, show him the logic and explicate to him why his belongings value is lesser than what he expects.Stairss TO FOLLOW WHILE NEGOTIATINGHere are a few stairss that will assist you negociate a trade with the executor rapidly and swimmingly. As you would make for any meeting, you need to fix for your meeting with the executor excessively. Compile and reexamine your research and other notes. Carry these along for easy mention during your meeting with the executor. Ensure that you are cognizant of the FMV of the belongings you are traveling to negociate for. It besides helps to hold the comparables ready to hand merely in instance you need to demo it to the executor to warrant your monetary value. Have a pen and paper to take notes on your review of the belongings. Transport a torch which comes in ready to hand while inspecting topographic points where the sunshine does non make. Some probate houses might hold the electricity supply switched off. You should do a torch and a clean contract lasting fixtures within your auto. Bing prepared will give your run intoing a professional touch and the executor will recognize that you are here with a serious purpose of purchasing the belongings, non to blow his clip.STEP TWOOnce you are at the belongings, inform the executor that you would wish to transport out a thorough review of the belongings. Inquire with him if he would be interested in following you on the review circuit. It is a good thought to hold the executor by your side when you start with your review. About all executors are incognizant of the different fix occupations that will necessitate to be done. This is an advantage for you because as you progress with your review, you will be pulling his attending to the many fix occupations the house needs therefore take downing his outlooks with every defect you point out. Merely for mention, inquire the executor his estimation of the cost for acquiring these betterments done. Most executors are incognizant of the fix costs although they may hold limited cognition of woodworking and other minor hole up occupations. You ‘ll be cheerily surprised as many householders will state you an estimation that is higher than yours. If you are accosted with a belongings in hapless status and are unable to gauge the fix costs involved, you can ever mention it to a contractor or a place inspector before you purchase it. If the estimation provided by them is higher than yours, you have the option of endorsing out of the contract without any legal complications. I will discourse this in greater inside informations in the undermentioned chapter. Never forget, the executor wants to dispose this belongings at the earliest to cast a burden off his shoulder. He would be more than happy to offer you a stone underside monetary value if you point out that the house needs a batch of fixs. Refrain from throwing an offer at the executor boulder clay you have completed your Refrain from throwing an offer at the executor boulder clay you have completed your review. Most executors will non near this topic boulder clay you are prepared to inform them. If an executor tries to brawl an offer, inform him that before you extend an offer, you would necessitate to inspect the belongings to convey it to marketable status. It is a good thought to hold the executor by your side when you start with your review. Do n't trust on your memory. It is a good thought to observing things down on a piece of paper. Take plentifulness of cryptic notes. Make the semblance for the householder that a batch of things are non right by doing voluminous notes. In a probate belongings, since the householders have non maintained the belongings good, there will be enough of things you will happen when inspecting the belongings. You can take to do notes on the fix occupations needed in each room. Inspect the full house, and every clip you see an expensive occupation that needs to be done reference that tactfully to the executor. By making this, you are allowing the executor know that you will hold to pass a good sum of money in priming the house and this will accordingly take down the executors outlook of a high monetary value. Note down of import points of all such countries as you proceed with your review. Ninety per centum of probate houses need decorative and kitchen fixs. Normally I ever make it a point to state the executor that in add-on to all the fix occupations, at the really minimal, the kitchen and bathrooms will hold to remake, the house needs a pigment occupation and the rug has to be changed before the belongings can be listed for a sale. These things, although the executor thinks are really expensive, can be completed for a minor cost. After you ‘ve listed down and told the executor about the basic betterments that are needed, you will hold to gauge, a moderately high figure, of the cost for acquiring these occupations completed. It is a good thought to round off estimations to the highest five 1000 dollar grade. For illustration, if I estimate a belongings needs fix occupations deserving twelve thousand dollars, I will round it up to fifteen thousand dollars. Merely for mention, inquire the executor his estimation of the cost for acquiring these betterments done. You ‘ll be cheerily surprised as many executors will state you an estimation that is higher than yours. If this be the instance, you should instantly hold to the executors generous estimation. On the other manus, many executors will state you they have no thought and will bank on you to give them an estimation. Once you ‘ve told them your hyperbolic sum, they will hold however because your attack has portrayed you as an experient investor. With this done, you ‘ve got the executor into believing about all the betterments needed to acquire the belongings into premier status. All these old ages, he might non hold noticed these uneven terminals and now will be believing about the money needed to hold the fix work completed. This will automatically take down his outlooks of the value of the belongings and he would be willing to settle for your offer. You are now ready to near the following measure.STEP THREEMost executors I know do n't truly do a full graduated table effort in researching the just market value of the probate house. They might merely name the existent estate agent one time or mention to the revenue enhancement assessed value of the house. You ‘ll be surprised to observe how frequently you come across such state of affairss. This nevertheless, is a distinguishable advantage for you. Get an estimation of the just market value of the belongings from the executor. If the sum is lower than the just market value, accept it. On the other manus, if his estimation is higher than the just market value, you must put the right outlooks. Inform him that the belongings could hold been tantamount to its just market value were it in premier status. Show him the research you have carried out with your existent estate agent and the comparables that point to the fact that the just market value is so lower than what his estimation is. Be polite and at the same clip drive your point across. To turn out your point, you could demo him the comparables that were sold late. Showing comparables is frequently a trade determiner and most executors will accept your offer based on the comparables. Refrain from doing extra remarks on the value of the belongings unless the executor approaches the topic. Let him recognize that his belongings ‘s value is lower than his outlooks.STEP FOURNow is the clip to state the executor that you are an investor. As an investor, your purpose is to purchase the belongings, titivate it up and so sell it every bit rapidly as possible. As you have told him that you are an investor, the executor knows that you will be selling the belongings for a net income. By making this you are subtly inquiring him to see giving you a antic price reduction on the belongings. After this, you are ready to continue to the following measure.STEP FIVEEqually far as possible, chorus from doing the offer foremost unless perfectly necessary. If you can pull out an offer from the executor, it may good be possible that he will offer you a monetary value that is lower than yours. Inquire how much money he needs for the belongings. Never ask him what he wants – wants and demands are different. Keep back for his response. Till now, he knows that the just market value is much lesser than his estimation plus the fact that a just sum of fix work has to be done to acquire the belongings to marketable status. Above all this, he is besides cognizant that you need to do a net income from this trade. His reply might merely surprise you, and cheerily so! If the executor is unable to judge the just monetary value, this is the right clip to put your offer. Make non travel rapidly into doing an offer. Take your clip, contemplate the cost constituents we learnt in chapter 10, calculate the possible net income and so widen your offer. If you are unable to make that instantly, inform the executor that you will necessitate twenty four hours to reexamine your notes and the fix costs before you can do an offer. When you have arrived at a figure, give it directly to the executor. Inform him that after a thorough reappraisal of the Numberss, you will be paying ten dollars for the probate belongings. Once your offer is out, give the executor some clip to contemplate upon your offer. It is non unusual for several yearss to go through by before you receive a response from the executor. All you can make till the clip you hear from the executor is be patient and delay.WHAT IF THE EXECUTOR PROPOSES A COUNTER OfferMost of the times you will happen the executor has accepted your offer and is willing to subscribe a contract with you. In the following chapter I will learn you to outline existent estate contracts that safeguard your involvements. However, how do you undertake a state of affairs where an executor proposes a counter offer. It is non unusual for a counter offer to be proposed and you must be prepared for such an contingency. In this state of affairs, inquire from the executor as to what monetary value is he comfy with. If his demand seems sensible, you may wish to raise your offer incrementally. Remember ne'er to transcend 65 % of the just market value of the belongings. If the belongings requires major fixs in add-on to merely picture and rug, you should subtract these costs from the value arrived at by ciphering 65 % of the just market value pf the belongings.WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE N'T ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A CHEAP PRICEIf you ‘ve reached this phase, there is a just opportunity that you will set down yourself a antic trade. For whatever grounds, the executor and you have non been able to hold upon the lowest reciprocally acceptable monetary value, thank the executor and travel on to the following moneymaking chance. Should this occur, inform him to reach you if he is non able to sell the belongings in the hereafter. This gives him an unfastened door for him to make you and it works as most executors tend to name back after they have thought about your offer. Many times you will come within striking distance of shuting a trade but when you ca n't look to acquire a low monetary value, be prepared to drop the trade. Never pay more than what a belongings is deserving. There are plentifulness of good trades to bag. Knowing when an how to walk off is a important portion of puting and this gives you the ability to cover from a place of strength. Acerate leaf to state, this should be done as smoothly and tactfully as possible. Remember, when you let travel of one trade, there is ever another great trade you can happen.