Paper Planes

A striking intro together with a captivating chorus that harmoniously complements every line from the verse are some of the usual elements that make a song popular.However, while elements, such as lyrics, contribute to a song’s appeal to the mass audience, elements can also serve as tools to state a singer’s opinion on relevant social matters.   The song Paper Planes by singer M.I.A, for instance, uses the song’s lyrical content to attack the established systems that have become destructive for humankindSuperficially, the song infers to the absurdity of the unyielding problem of prejudice in the dominant western world.   The words such as if you catch me at the border, I got visas in my name, in the first two verses of the song blatantly brings forth the most unimaginable a person can have in a in a foreign land.   Particularly in the United States where immigrants are stereotypically associated to criminal activities such as terrorism, murder, violence, an d illegal substance transactions.The sound of four consecutive gunshots intertwined with a ring of a cash register and a choral of children most blatantly serves Paper Planes’ attack on the immorality of racial prejudice.   The infusion of the aforementioned sound effects with the lines all I wanna do is, and take your money, the song disparages the prevalent collective neurosis that most robberies and crimes perpetrated across the United States are done by foreigners.However, the song goes deeper than the literal meaning of the words used in its lyrics.   As much as Paper Planes blatantly hints at the prejudice within American soil, it also criticizes the violence and the exploitation of human achievements such as technology to spread chaos, two destructive acts that has become rampant in modern society.  M.I.A. has stressed on such disparagement through the words no one in the corner has swagger like us, hit me on my burner, prepaid and wireless.   We pack and deliv er like UPS trucks, already going hell just pumping that gas.Likewise, M.I.A’s Paper Planes also manifests an opposition against the alleged good qualities of capitalism and consumerist culture that ignores the actual human condition while tolerating war and violence.The interwoven sounds of gunshots, singing children, and cash register ring together with the repeated verse lines express the futility of war, the degenerative tendency of the predominant practice of private enterprise, as well as psychological effects of violence on adults and children.Unlike other songs that seek the appreciation of the general populace, the lyrical content of Paper Plains metaphorically attacks the current prevalent social norms.   The only problem is that the message it aims to disseminate becomes misconstrued by the very public it wishes to reach out to.   

Pol 202 Notes

POL 202: Introduction to International Relations Study Questions for Exam 3 Networks What role do transnational organizations and networks play in the boomerang model? In the boomerang model NGOs in one state are able to activate transnational linkage to bring pressure from other states on their own governments. When NGOs are blocked from influencing their own government they can activate their transnational networks and bring their plight to the attention of NGOs to other countries. TANs will mobilize opinions and voters in other counties. What is a Transnational Advocacy Network? Give an actual example.A Transnational Advocacy Network is a set of individual and nongovernmental organizations acting in pursuit of a normative objective. EX- Planned Parenthood Federation of America What do Transnational Advocacy Networks and Transnational Terrorist Networks have in common? They both aim to alter a behavior of a (foreign) government. Try to bring about social and political change What a re the stages of the norms life cycle? First Stage- Actors attempt to convince an important population to accept and embrace their belief. Second Stage -Norm becomes near universal standard of behavior.During the second stage, the idea becomes a universal standard of behavior. Third Stage- Norm is internalized. Once a norm is internalized, certain actions become â€Å"taboo,† while others are viewed as â€Å"correct† or appropriate. What do we mean when we say that terrorists are rational? Because to be rational a person/group has to have purposive behavior or the stategies by which individuals or groups pursue their interest which terrorist have. Rational is not a statement about the substance of a person/groups belief or idea and have having an alternative perspective from the majority does not make them irrational.What is the difference between the terrorist strategies of coercion and provocation? Coercion- The threat or imposition of costs on other actors in order to change their behavior. Means of international include military force, economic, sanctions, and embargoes. Provocation- A strategy terrorists attacks intended to provoke the targets government into making a disproportionate response that alienates moderates in terrorists' home society or in other sympathetic audiences. What is the difference between the terrorist strategies of spoiling and outbidding?Spoiling- A strategy of terrorist attacks intended to sabotage a prospective peace between the target and moderate leadership from the terrorists' home society. Outbidding- A strategy of terrorists attacks designed to demonstrate a capability for leadership and commitment a capability for relative to another, similar terrorist groups. Identify two limitations that will likely prevent Transnational Advocacy Networks from replacing national governments. 1. Cannot legally bind their members. 2. Must rely on voluntary compliance from their targets 3. Depend on benign treatment from states .Human Rights Identify three specific civil and political rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human rights. 1. ) life and liberty. 2. ) prohibition of slavery. 3. ) freedom from arbitrary arrest. 4. ) prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. 5. ) right to privacy. 6. ) right of assembly. Identify three specific economic and social rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human rights. 1. ) right to marry and have a family. 2. ) right to own property. 3. ) right to social security. 4. ) right to education. 5. ) right to work. 6. ) right to have rest and leisure.What is the principal legal difference between the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the two subsequent covenants? The other two are legal binding and internationally enforceable treaties. What documents comprise what is frequently called the International Bill of Rights? Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and The Internati onal Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). What is the most common reason that governments violate the human rights of their citizens?Some governments violate human rights not because they are attacked, but in order to preserve their own rule. EX- After a military coup in Argentina in 1976: The Dirty War, a 7-year campaign against opponents of the regime, immediately began Almost 10,000 people were killed What is the purpose of the International Criminal Court? What type of international institutions was it intended to replace? the International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal its purpose is to to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes. The ICC is a court of â€Å"last resort. †. It replaced international ad hoc tribunals.Identify two important innovations in human rights institutions that are likely to have implications for the future. Individual Petition- Individuals are allowed to petition the Court directly if they claim a state has violated rights that are denoted in the ECHR. Individual petitions make it harder for states to block international courts from hearing cases they fear they might lose. Universal Jurisdiction- Countries may claim the right to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity. This means that the location of the crime and the citizenship of the individuals involved are irrelevant.Universal jurisdiction is useful for war crimes, genocide, torture, and other serious offenses. What is universal jurisdiction. Give an actual historical example of its use. It is a principle in which countries claim the right to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity regardless of the citizenship of the individual involved and the location where the crime occurred. EX-Case of Augusto Pinochet he ruled Chile in 1973-1990 and was indicted by Spanish court on numerous and charged with human rights violations in 1998. Arrested in UK in 1998 and detained.He Returned to Chile in 2000 †¢ Indicted or implicated in > 300 crimes in Chile†¢ Died in 2006 prior to trial What is individual petition? Why is it significant in international relations? A right that permits individuals to petition appropriate international legal bodies directly if they believe a state has violated their rights. Significance is that individual petitions make it harder for states to block international courts from hearing cases they fear they might lose and Individuals are allowed to petition the Court directly if they claim a state has violated rights that are denoted in the ECHR.Global Environment Why does addressing global environmental problems resemble a Prisoners' Dilemma situation? Because although a state might want to help it is in their interest to defect and have all the other state cooperating. Want cleaner environment but seek to achieve it by free riding. `What is an externality? Give an example. An externality is the cost or benefits for stakeholders other than th e actor undertaking an action. When an externality exists, the decision maker does not bear all the costs or reap all the gains from his or her action.EX- if a firm decides to dump waste into a river, others bear the costs of either using contaminated water or purifying it themselves. Explain how the European Emissions Trading Scheme has managed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. It has done that by giving the 5 dirtiest industries a tradable allowances for greenhouse gases up to the level of its existing emissions. Firms that want to exceed those levels now have to purchase credits from other European firms thus the emission levels don't rise over all they are simply shifted from one country to another.How do common pool resources differ from pure public goods. Given an example of global common pool resources. Common pool resources are goods that are available to everyone, such as open ocean fisheries ; it is difficult to exclude anyone from using the common pool, but one us er's consumption reduces the amount available for others unlike public good where the quantity of the good can not be diminished. What was the purpose of the Montreal Protocol of 1989? It was an international treaty that is designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of CFCs and other chemical compounds.What is the most common role of Transnational Advocacy Networks in dealing with global environment problems? They monitor compliance with the environmental agreements. Environmental TANs often play the role of â€Å"fire alarm† and call attention to governments who violate agreements. Identify two reasons why ozone depletion has been an easier problem to deal with than climate change. There has been greater cooperation on ozone depletion, whereas reductions in CO2 are highly controversial. 1. ) In ozone's case the gains from the ban on CFC far exceeded the costs of change.IN the case of climate change the are large costs to reducing CO2 and on ly long term benefits. Fossil fuel is way more important in the world economy and reducing it by 50% would cost the world 2 to 8 percent of the world's GDP. 2. )Since the CFC industry was highly concentrated and small it was easier for states to cooperate (the fossil fuel industry is the opposite)- collective action problem. The Future What states are known to currently posses nuclear weapons. Untied States, Russia, United Kingdom (? ), France (? ), China (? ), India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel is also suspected to have them.Name the five states recognized as nuclear weapons states under the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Untied States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China. Identify the three â€Å"pillars† of the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and explain the aim or goal of each. Non-Proliferation- Prohibited from assisting in nuclear weapons capability Disarmament- NWS agree to seek to eliminate nuclear weapons Right to peaceful use nuclear technology- All have â€Å"inalienable right† to peaceful use of nuclear technology What is the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty?To inspect non-nuclear states in the treaty to make sure they are not developing nuclear weapons like the promised. The IAEA inspections ensure that non-nuclear states do not divert enriched uranium or plutonium from their reactors and use those fissle materials to build nuclear weapons. State that are part of the treaty promise to submit to these inspections. In terms of the bargaining framework first introduced in Chapter 3, is a substantial shift in power likely to be more dangerous if the cost of war is high or if the cost of war is low? Why?It will be more dangerous if the cost of war is low because the state that is declining in power would expect to gain more from going to war than from bargaining and also all out comes that can be achieved by bargaining are farther away from that states ideal point than the ones that can be achieved by going to war. While when the cost of war is high both states have an increased bargaining ranged which is closer to their ideal points. Is the continuation of globalization inevitable? If so why? If not, what might slow or reverse it? No, history tells us that globalization is neither inevitable nor irreversible.Political conflict can slow or even reverse seemingly inevitable economic processes. For example: a period of globalization in 1913 was suddenly halted by the start of World War. How does the spread of information and communication technology increase income inequality? The spread of information and communication technology increase income inequality by making it easier for free trade and capital to flow which as increase the use of both in the process and since free trade and capital flows create both winners and losers it causes a greater increase in income inequality. What was the â€Å"Battle of Seattle†?In Novemb er 1999, delegates to a conference of the WTO met in Seattle. There were so many people protesting the conference that it became known as the â€Å"Battle of Seattle† and the meeting adjourned without an agreement. In the context of economic globalization, what is meant by the phrase â€Å"race to the bottom†? Each government sets its own rules, so governments may lower their standards in the competition to attract investment. Why is voting in the IMF said to be undemocratic Because states voting power in the IMF is based on currency rather than population. States with more money have a greater share of voting power.

Our hearts fell to the ground Essay

Colin Calloway has done a masterful job of selecting and presenting an array of speeches, letters, documents, and drawings that tell compelling stories about the Plain Indians in the 1800’s. His introduction alone has just the right level of information and links basic themes and events to the documents presented in the text. In short, a model of how an introduction should be done. Colin Calloway’s intentions were to focus on the humanistic study of the Plain Indians views on how the West was lost. It provides us with the actual perspectives of Indian people who lived through those times of manifestation and assimilation. From the Lewis and Clark expedition to the building of railroads, he attempts to explain the traumatic changes of the Native Americans during the nineteenth century. He opens our eyes from what earlier historians whose work seems now outdated, preferring to rescue elements of their work. The narratives are divided into fourteen chapters, which supply historical document and secondary essays placing these documents within their historical context. Each chapter unfolds 1 OUR HEARTS FELL TO THE GROUND to show the tragedy the Plains Indian had to endure from the white settlers and their greed for land and prosperity. From the slaughter of whole tribes, the out break of the unseen killer, and the forced assimilation through the reservation systems were only a few explanations for why the Indians numbers dwindled in the 1800s. It was not until the middle of the twentieth century that the reality of their suffering showed up in history books. Any writings prior only portrayed the Native American as savages and rebellious people, almost to a romance climax. Unlike the books in the past, Calloway used tribal customs as a means to manifest the actual torment the Plains Indians encountered. The Native Americans were regarded as â€Å"people without history†, when in fact the Indians recorded their history by songs, dances, stories, legends, and visual records on buffalo robes known as winter counts. Calloway reveals to the reader the Ways the Native American used the winter counts as a mnemonic  device passed from one generation to another marked with pictographs that recorded noteworthy events in tribal life that took place each year. It was these customs that enabled 2 OUR HEARTS FELL TO THE GROUND elders to chronologically pass on their heritage to ensure the survival of their tribe. Calloway disclosed through speeches of the Native American that they were generally peaceful and friendly people who wanted peace and not war with the white man. Most speeches contained disagreement but acceptance of the white man ways, from the breaking of treaties to the inconceivable slaughter of their buffalo. The American Native hoping to maintain their hold on what little land and culture remained to them tried to accept the ways of their new neighbors. After reading this book I have a new perspective about the Native American. Unlike before, when I heard the word Indian I thought of them as savages of the Wild West for the most part. I now think of them as intelligent, prideful, and humane people who just wanted to be left alone to live the life they were accustomed to. Bottom line, if it was not for the white settlers forcing their way of life onto the Native Americans, they would not of reacted as they did. The settlers left them no choice!

South Africa's Current Political System Research Paper

South Africa's Current Political System - Research Paper Example In order to understand the relationship between South Africa's diversity and its contribution to the nation's position as an emerging economy, it is worthy to look into the political history of the country and how it links up to South Africa's current position in the past 15 or so years. South Africa has had five different constitutions since 1910 (Klug, 2010). This can be traced to the 1902 Boer War between the British settlers and other European settlers of Dutch origins [Afrikaners] (Klug, 2010). Although Black South Africans fought in the Boer War, they were excluded from the negotiations that came up afterwards and this led to the creation of a constitution that guaranteed rights to the British and Afrikaners. Later on, laws that segregated the White minority [of about 10%] and the Black African majority known as Apartheid led to a system where Blacks were kept as a servant caste in the nation (Segal and Cortm 2011). Apartheid led to a situation where the Whites with links to Eu ropean nations and the United States, used laws to promote a capitalist idea of industrial growth, mining booms and agricultural productivity (Lowenberg and Kaempfer, 1998). This caused South Africa's economy to boom in the period between 1948 and 1994 when Apartheid was entrenched in the society. The link between the White minority and the developed world led to the investment of Western capital into the economy. This also allowed South Africa to export and make a lot of money and build strong world-class infrastructure (Feinstein, 2005).  

Drug use, Impacts on society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Drug use, Impacts on society - Essay Example But the result was as usual, and in some cases, it was terrible. The centers for the drug-victims were found to be flooded with an overwhelming number of abusers and, every year, the hard-earned money of the tax-payers was being flooded out of the Government treasury. The recent scenario of drug-abuse in the UK is that almost one-thirds of the adult UK citizens (34%) are involved, in some ways or others, with using narcotic substances or illegal drugs. Even the figure of money that is spent for the treatment and prevention of drug-abuse is breath-taking for a sincere of citizen. The Telegraph says, â€Å"Each drug addict in Britain costs the taxpayer more than  £800,000 over a lifetime, a Government report shows†. The present scenario of the drug-abuse in the UK is self-evident enough to prove that the Government’s strategy, prior to the Drug Strategy of 2008, was flawed within itself, since its approach to the drug-problem was purgatory and retributive. Indeed a retributive and purgatory approach essentially means that â€Å"let a man be the victim of drug; then punish and/or treat him†. Obviously this view has its ground to defend itself. It argues that the Government of a modern state should not spare any scope for the citizens to avail themselves to the abuse of drug. Therefore it argues that the Government should maintain an effective watchdog over them. Also there is another philosophy: ‘punish the violator, so that others do not dare to cross the boundary of legal system†. But from the following discussion it will be evident that the definition of a technology-equipped modern individual itself is contradictory with the concept of an effective watchdog. Moreove r, the ‘identity conundrum of modern individual and crisis of modern life’ is such an abyss that ultimately consumes the ‘fear of being punished’. That is, when a modern individual cannot decide who

Technology as Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology as Politics and Culture - Essay Example Technology is useful in a lot of ways. Technology is playing a greater role in our lives with the passage of time and with time our awareness of its influence on our lives also vanishes and we just stop looking for alternative ways to do things. Scolve believes that its essential for people to seek for alternative technologies which would be more in line with our aspirations and ideals. Importance of polypotency of technology I think technologies in some way assist in regulating the social behaviors because technology is governed by political and physical laws. For example, technologies like X-ray machines and automobiles are legally regulated and if they are misused then that could result in a penalty enforced by society. Not just this, the penalty of misusing technology could also include systems failures and economic loss. This is how I think technology helps in structuring human behavior. Not only this, technology also has an impact on the third parties which are also known as it s spill over effects. Many examples can be included here. We can hear our neighbors playing their radios or using their lawn mowers. People living near an industrial facility breathe noxious fumes.

Global Perspectives Mid-term Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Perspectives Mid-term Memo - Assignment Example 1) The rising Human Development Index (UNDP Report, 2010) a) A recent UNDP report published in 2010 has identified a rise in the index of human development for Belarus. i) Human Development Index (HDI) is an internationally accepted measure of national development. It assesses health, income, education and some other trends for a country. ii) The recent rise is not sudden and the country is steady moving up in the ladder.HDI has risen from 0.619 to 0.624 in 2010. iii) The country is categorized as a country with High Human Development in this report which means a developed country. b) We can assume following from the HDI rise; i) Higher buying power at consumer level. ii) Higher level service expectations from the consumers. iii) Belarus social indicators are satisfactory and if these trends continue to flourish there are bright chance of business in this country. iv) Encouraging business environment. 2) Belarus’s Economic Environment a) A Highly industrialized state with many features of planned economy. i) A country with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of US$ 1,590. ii) A decline in Belarus GDP was observed in 2009 as it dropped to US$ 48.984007391 billion from US$ 60.7634483146 billion of 2008 and was ranked 70th in the world. iii) A net inflow of foreign direct investment was declared to be US$ 1.8844 billion. (World Bank, 2011) b) A strict control government over the prices and private enterprises makes the business environment difficult for foreign investors. i) Rigorous government inspections to ensure policy compliance. ii) A higher frequency of policy and business regulation changes. iii) An overall restrictive business environment. iv) A strict control government over the prices and private enterprises makes the business environment difficult for foreign investors. (Economy Watch, 2011) c) Our recommendation from business point of view are as follows; i) Government should move towards market driven economy ii) State control over privat e enterprises should be reviewed and removed iii) Competitive business environment should be provided to business community iv) Tax free and investment friendly policies should be introduced to support direct foreign investment. 3) Belarus’s Political Environment a) Belarus had declared its independence in 1994. It is presidential republic, governed by the President Alexander Lukashenko, the National Assembly and a Council of the Republic. The President is ruling the country for last sixteen years and has got legitimacy through controversial referendum process. Most of the Western powers have termed the rule of Lukashenko as a dictatorship. i) Human rights violations are witnessed commonly. ii) Several opposition parties exist but are strictly suppressed in the country. iii) However, government controlled Belarusian telegraph agency declared the political situation in the country as ‘calm’ in a recent survey. (Belta, 2010). b) We suggest following political steps in Belarus; i) Restoration of true democracy ii) More political freedom to the masses, particularly suppressed opposition parties iii) Respect of human right at all level of the society iv) Frees press and media policies Under these circumstances business operations in Belarus does not suits

Oprtions Mngement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Oprtions Mngement - Essay Example The contribution of n opertions strtegy is lso outlined s prt of hierrchy of strtegies tht we might find in ech firm. It gives n insight into wht is exctly n opertions strtegy nd wht re its components, how esy is it to implement such strtegy nd wht cn n orgnistion expect from it. Bsiclly, the pper discusses the question of diversity of tsks tht opertions mngement incorportes nd tht these tsks should be combined to rech the potentil of opertions executed. Opertions mngement hs its origins in the study of 'production' or 'mnufcturing mngement'. (Pine, Boynton, 2003) These terms still very much pply to mnufcturing orgnistions tht will hve distinct opertionl ctivities tht convert sy, bens nd rich tomto suce into cns of bked bens to be sold by retiler. Thus, we cn initilly think of opertions mngement s being prt of distinct function producing product nd service combintion, just s we hve mrketing nd ccounting functions in mny orgnistions. The first definition of opertions mngement is therefore: Every orgnistion tht offers goods or services hs n opertions ctivity. s fr s the orgnistion structure is concerned, some firms will hve discrete opertions function. This might be clled mnufcturing deprtment, n opertions system, or hve no identifible nme t ll. However, like mrketing nd ccounting, it is fundmentl function of the firm with professionlly trined opertions or production mngers responsible for conversion of resources into the required product nd service combintions. In some orgnistions such mngers will hve different titles, store mnger for retiler, dministrtive mngers within hospitl or distribution mngers in logistics compny. This first definition tends to be rther nrrow s it pplies to core conversion processes (mostly mnufcturing). We need therefore to widen the definition of opertions mngement to second level: The design, opertion nd improvement of the internl nd externl systems, resources nd technologies tht crete

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of Essay

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of working parents - Essay Example Although it is stipulated in the Law that for reasons of illness or arrival of a new child, a parent can take an unpaid leave of up to two weeks. However, not many can take the financial risk of enjoying an unpaid leave. This puts lower income families at a disadvantage. In situations where illness of a child happens, one of the parents would be forced to stay at home with the child and not receive income. Working parents who have young children have more issues than those with children who are already grown-up. For one, daycare centers are relatively expensive and it is the parent’s burden to shoulder the expenses. This problem is compounded by the fact that not all workplaces have daycare facilities. This brings a parent trap wherein the working parent has no choice but to delegate the responsibility of childcare to unreliable daycare centers. Although America is one of the most modern civilization which highly values independence, freedom and humanity, its value system on child rearing is undermined. Unlike its European counterparts, America is not taking childcare seriously. In an article published by the Atlantic, it stated that France’s daycare is heavily subsidized by the government since most of European countries highly respect childcare as a national responsibility ( Kornbluh 2003 ). Children are viewed as economic assets in European countries since the future belongs to them. The main issue for working parents now can be summarized as companies must provide additional benefits to working parents since this contributes to employee productivity. Presently, there are only few companies like JC Penny that allows working parents to trade shifts. Another ideal company is Ikea, as reported by American Prospect : Paid leave, child-care assistance, and other benefits are par for the course at some model companies. Ikea, which offers paid sick days, maternity/paternity leave, and time off for

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Warming - Essay Example Nations that approved the Kyoto Protocol concur to decrease emissions of six greenhouse gases that increase the problems of global warming. These nations are also permitted to utilize emissions trading to reach their obligations if they maintain or increase their greenhouse gas emissions. All of these activities around the world are then observed and maintained by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or the IPCC, as well as other environmental protocol treaties. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research or UCAR (2011) cited that â€Å"the IPCC coordinates the efforts of more than 2,000 scientists from 154 countries. Together, they represent a vast array of climate specialties, from physics, to chemistry, to interactions with Earth's surface, to the role of human behavior.† The IPCC also has a policy-making body that helps extensively review the findings from scientists or field-related researchers so that their formation in creating policies is well founded and guided. The question that should now be asked is whether or not such measures are good or bad for the environment. Could it be certain that the measures taken by these various human actions and endeavors help the world against the effects of global warming? These inquiries shall be explored further through the next discussions of this paper. The Affirmative Side It has come to the attention of various environmental organizations and some societies of various nations that the negative effects of global warming could no longer be taken for granted and ignored. This matter has made environmental groups and organizations rise in their activities through the years, and many have made successful advances with their agendas in government, business, and... Combining policies that deal with the local air pollution and the issue of global climate change would result to beneficial changes for climate alleviation. Medium to long term plans and actions to lessen air pollution will lead to more benefits in combating global warming. For example, the development of green intelligence policies has been growing in different businesses and societies. This was observed by the BusinessWeek Research Services (2009) who posited out, â€Å"amid the current climate of greater demand for both environmental awareness and corporate accountability, organizations are finding that success is increasingly being measured not only by financial performance, but also by ecological and social accomplishments as well† (p.3). If various major governments and much of the private sector adopt the green intelligence as a core goal and as part of their methods and practice, then it could make up for all the environmental damage that has been done for the past cen tury. Different methods of proper waste disposal and management can also help combat and deal with the increasing problem of global warming. Proper segregation and recycling of garbage or trash can prevent the creation of massive waste landfills that release a lot of gases that are harmful to the atmosphere, the ecological systems, and human health. Recycled material can also be used for the consumption and use by society and even help promote a new type or brand of goods to be used for commerce and trade.

Trends in Workplace Essay Example for Free

Trends in Workplace Essay The ancient Chinese saying May you live in interesting times has perhaps never been more relevant. As the 1990s draw to a close and the new millennium fast approaches, life is phenomenally interestingand demanding. Professionals who are responsible for workplace learning and performance improvement are squarely in the center of the swirl of exciting possibilitiesand requirementsthat are emerging. The inextricable link between rapid technological change and the emergence of the global economy has created the necessity for profound change in the way people and organizations work. As a result, workplace learning is arguably more strategic to the competitive advantage of both individuals and employers than at any point in all of recorded history. So its a great time to be in this profession. But along with the tremendous opportunity that this period of economic history has brought come unprecedented requirements and responsibilities. The same technological advances that are behind the rapid emergence of a truly global economy are forever changing both the demand for and supply of workplace learning opportunities. This article is the third of ASTDs annual reports that identify major trends that are affecting the field of workplace learning and performance improvement. The underlying trends that were identified in the first two of these articles (see the November 1996 and 1997 issues of Training Development) are longstanding and not likely to change in the near term. Four particularly noteworthy demand-side developments are the growing effort given to managing knowledge, the integration of learning and communication functions, a resurgence of interest in leadership development and executive coaching, and the intensifying requirement among employees that career development become an integral part of their employment relationship. The supply-side developments to follow are those that hold the potential for revolutionizing the way in which work and learning occur: the Internet, intelligent tutoring systems, learning objects, and voice recognition. Two important developments in the marketplace for workplace learning, where supply meets demand, are the ongoing consolidation within the supplier community and the creation of an electronic marketplace where buyers and sellers of learning products and tools can meet virtually. Demand and supplypowerful, global forces that  cannot be escaped but that can be harnessed to your advantage. So read on for a glimpse of what the world holds in store for you as the new year and the new millennium unfold. And as you read, keep in mind another old sayingforewarned is forearmed. The demand for workplace learning and performance improvement Periods of rapid change create a premium on learningfor both individuals and organizations. Prosperity and growth are the rewards for those who are the fastest at learning and putting their learning into action; stagnation and decline are the penalties for delay. In an era when it is knowledge rather than physical assets that increasingly defines competitive advantage, the process of managing knowledge becomes a central part of the learning process. Knowledge management. According to some observers, the industrial eras successorthe information age, in which white-collar jobs exceeded blue-collar jobs and entire industries arose just to help companies manage and process informationis already at or past the midpoint of its life cycle. The ever-declining cost of processing information has made it universally available. Indeed, information has become a commodity that is readily bought and sold. As a result, it is no longer enough to define competitive advantage. Gone are the days, for example, when banks could compete exclusively on the basis of which had the fastest information technology or which could slice and dice their account information in more ways than anyone else. Hence, the rapidly growing interest in knowledge as the new source of competitive advantage and the realization that we have now entered a new erathe knowledge era. In many ways, this is nothing new at all. A firms knowledgethe brains of its employees, their know-how, the processes a nd customer knowledge that they createhas always been a source of competitive advantage. And by extension, so too has been knowledge managementthe processes by which a firm creates and leverages knowledge. Whatis unique about the knowledge era is that knowledge is becoming the primary source of competitive advantage within a growing number of industries. Organizations from industrial-era industries, such as automobile manufacturing, to information-age industries such as consulting are recognizing that they each have a unique storehouse  of knowledge, and that the future belongs to those that can grow their knowledge fastest and then apply and use it best. With the benefit of hindsight, it is apparent that in the knowledge era, creating and leveraging knowledge is the business of business. By all available measures, the stock market is already providing handsome rewards to companies that successfully leverage their knowledgea phenomenon that will almost surely grow in significance as knowledge-based organizations increase in size and number. A number of firms are anticipating this and looking to knowledge management to enhance, measure, and manage the knowledge of their employees and organizations more effectively. Why manage knowledge? There are a variety of reasons for the emergence of knowledge management as a real business concern. Among them is the messy transition from industrial-based production and work systems to information-based systems, which rendered many functions and people obsolete. Though downsizing seemed to be the answer of the 1980s, this butchers knife approach often resulted in the loss of valuable knowledge rather than the financial gains that firms expected. Knowledge management offers, instead, a surgeons scalpel that sharpens and refines the value of people and what they know. Certainly, the exponential growth of information technology and the plummeting cost of information processing also helped by laying the technological foundation for the emergence of knowledge management. A necessary, but in no way sufficient, part of most knowledge management efforts is a set of technologies for capturing and synthesizing information from which knowledge can be created and sharedtechnologies such as intranets, Lotus Notes, electronic performance support systems, and specialized software. These technologies provide not only wide and instantaneous access to information by people inside and outside firms who previously lacked such access, but also to the contextual cues that transform information into knowledge. Results from one of the first benchmarking studies on knowledge management, by the American Productivity and Quality Center, suggest several other reasons for its rise, including †¢ the need to capture what employees learn through customer contact. Empowered employees who had no way of sharing new solutions or innovations. †¢ internal and external benchmarking as a way of finding best practices  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ increasingly global and geographically dispersed operations †¢ customers seeking firms who leverage knowledge to meet their needs †¢ the rise of knowledge work and increased need for collaboration †¢ the need for increased responsiveness and shorter cycle times. What exactly is knowledge management? Like the fable of the blind men and the elephant, what knowledge management means to people depends on which part they are touching. For many, knowledge management is simply a more contemporary label for what they have already been doing under the rubric of information management, total quality management, training, the learning organization, electronic libraries, and so on. Adding further confusion is that some cast the knowledge management net more widely than others. Karl Erik Sveiby, an early advocate of knowledge management, views it as the art of creating value from an organizations intangible assets. For others, knowledge management is confined to the management of the codified, formalized, explicit forms of knowledge such as repositories of lessons learned, documents, databases, and company yellow pages, rather than all intangible assets. In their book Creating the Knowledge-Based Business, David Skyrme and Debra Amidon define knowledge management as the explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge and its associated processes of creating, gathering, organizing, diffusion, use, and exploitation. Perhaps the best way to understand knowledge management is to take a closer look at some examples of what companies actually do when they make knowledge management a priority. In a now classic study, Tom Davenport, along with Mike Beers and Dave DeLong, of Ernst Young found that knowledge management initiatives tend to fall into one of several categories, including †¢ creating and storing knowledge in repositories †¢ measuring the financial value of knowledge †¢ facilitating the transfer of knowledge †¢ creating a knowledge-sharing environment. The most common initiativebuilding knowledge repositoriesis intended to take some form of knowledge that has been extracted from peoples heads and store it in an information system for later access. For example, Hewlett Packard and Sequent Computer both have systems that store sales-oriented documentswhite papers, presentations, marketing collateralfor access by  their field salesforces in selling computers. Other knowledge repositories are less structured, consisting of the insights and observations of employees, sometimes called discussion databases or lessons-learned systems. Some repositories do not hold the knowledge itself, but point to those who have knowledge. Hewlett Packard, for instance, has expert repositories for researchers in its HP Laboratories and Corporate Education groups. A number of firms have undertaken initiatives to measure and manage the economic value of their knowledge. Two of the most widely known firms that have focused on value are Skandia and Dow Chemical. Skandia, the Swedish insurance company whose focus on intellectual capital is perhaps the most widely known, primarily addresses the measurement of value. Dow focuses more on the management of value by harvesting little-used patent and license assets. Many firms have knowledge transfer, the third type of initiative, as their primary objectiveeither through technology or human means. BP Exploration has built a desktop videoconferencing system to enable workers at remote exploration sites to exchange their knowledge with each other. UNISYS relies upon virtual team rooms to allow members of a particular project team to share files and communicate on a regular basis. Yet, other initiatives do not address any specific knowledge domain, but rather try to improve the overall knowledge environment by fostering an appreciation for knowledge and a culture of sharing. These projects may focus specifically on the reward systems for evaluating knowledge generation, sharing, or use. Given the fact that much of the interest in knowledge management has come about because of advances in information technology, it should come as no surprise that most of the initiatives falling into the just-described categories are centered around the introduction or use of information technology. A survey by the Ernst Young Center for Business Innovation found, for instance, that technology-centered efforts dominated the specific knowledge management projects of the 431 U.S. and European organizations that participated (see the table). The same survey found that information technology (IT) departments were twice as likely to lead knowledge management projects as any other pa rt of the organization. Knowledge management roles. Companies going down the knowledge management road, even after just a few timid steps, find that it wont happen on its own. Sure, knowledge has been gathered and shared as long as people have been able to communicate, but leveraging knowledge for business success requires that someone have explicit responsibility for making sure it happens and happens well. Hence the rise of the chief knowledge officer (CKO), director of intellectual capital, and chief learning officer (CLO). Though responsibilities may vary from firm to firm, this new executive-level position is typically charged with organizing, capturing, and distributing the organizations knowledge. Some of the most widely known people with titles such as these include CLO Steve Kerr of General Electric (GE), CKOs John Peetz of Ernst Young and Judith Rosenblum of Coca-Cola, and Leif Edvinsson, director of intellectual capital for Skandia. One estimate suggests there may be more than 250 firms in the United States with positions such as these. However, the jury is still out on the value of CKOs, CLOs, and the like. Though slightly more than half of the participants in Ernst Youngs survey said that a CKO could be valuable for their organization, only about 28 percent said that establishing new knowledge roles would make sense for their organization. Regardless of whether knowledge management is given a seat of its own in the boardroom, large firms especially discover quickly a need for a host of knowledge managers. The knowledge management roles for managing Pricewaterhouse Cooperss intranet KnowledgeCurve and its 150 Lotus Notes servers in the United States is an excellent example. More than 100 people in the firms knowledge management organization report to Ellen Knapp, its CKO. This number does not include the owner, moderator, and administrator of each discussion group or her power user council of more than 200 KnowledgeCurve champions in PricewaterhouseCoopers. These positions are critical for capturing the best knowledge in the organization, ensuring the quality of knowledge, and supporting the smooth operation of the entire system. No one said it would be easy No matter what knowledge management projects organizations undertake or how they support them, we already know that road is paved with obstacles and  fraught with complexity. Ernst Youngs survey reveals that the top four difficulties most organizations are likely to face fall into the areas of culture, measurement, quality, and money (see the table below). Overcoming technological limitations, by contrast, came in nearly last (15 percent). Larry Prusak of the IBM Consulting Group warns, When it comes to successfully managing knowledge, culture trumps all other factors. Some organizations are fortunate to have had a knowledge-sharing culture before beginning to formalize their knowledge management. These firms, typically high-tech or knowledge-driven organizations, according to Davenport and Prusak in their book Working Knowledge, have the advantage that they already attract and hire employees who sought and applied knowledge while in school. Other organizations, however, must cultivate such a culture by providing an  environment that encourages and rewards the sharing and use of knowledge. People must be given the time and opportunity to share and then be reassured that their contributions will be recognized. Perhaps the most critical condition for overcoming a culture in which knowledge is seen as power is senior management support for knowledge management. Robert Buckman, CEO of Buckman Laboratories, puts it moresuccinctly: Frankly, I do not think you can have a successful knowledge project without that proactive entrepreneurial support from the top. Other firms find success by building their knowledge management efforts off of groups or parts of the organization that already share knowledge. Is knowledge management a passing fad? Today, it does seem that there is more talk than action. Thomas Stewart, the Fortune magazine writer who first called the business worlds attention to the importance of peoples brainpower, warns that knowledge management has the potential for becoming a fad solely because of the money to be made from the information technology tools that frequently support it. But the forces behind its emergence are real and fundamental, and likely to continue. One thing is certain: Managing knowledge is not a well-defined process. There are many questions that remain unanswered. What knowledge should you keep and what should you toss away? How do you capture the knowledge of chance hallway conversations? How do you avoid the perception that having the latest, best hardware or software equates to managing knowledge? How do you make tacit knowledge explicit? On the other hand, the potential benefits are enormous. Those firms who answer those questions will benefit from knowledge management by †¢ increasing the amount of learning that takes place †¢ making work less frustrating and onerous †¢ making the promise of the learning organization a reality †¢ creating knowledge, insight, and understanding that can help people in their lives outside of work. All of which will be essential to competing in the knowledge era. Learning and employee communications The business imperative to accelerate organizational learning has created new functions within organizations to speed up the process of creating, capturing, and disseminating information and knowledge. The same forces that are creating a focus on knowledge management are causing firms to combine their learning and communications strategies. As training moves to learning, more and more organizations are looking to foster a learning environment to piggyback on training or to create an architecture in which learning, both formal and informal, is ongoing and consistent. As a relatively young company, Qualcomm (founded in 1985), a San Diego-based wireless communications company, did not have an internal communications department. So when the director of the learning department, Tamar Elkeles, decided she needed to better communicate Qualcomms learning and training initiatives to employees, she created a subdepartment within the learning department, called employee communications. Different from corporate communications, which is located at the headquarters facility and focuses on external public  relations, employee communications informs employees about more than just training events; this group has assumed responsibility for communicating the companys training and learning philosophy, as well as its culture and values. The use of the companys intranet Website for information exchange, as well as for more formal distance learning, has been an essential tool in Qualcomms employee communications efforts. Employee communications has been a part of Silicon Graphicss learning and development department for some time. Drew Banks, manager of integrated performance support at SGI, believes that intranet-based distribution of information was the catalyst that made combining learning and development with employee communications work. But he thinks that the underpinning philosophy that drives it is the view that organizational communication and learning are both on t he same continuum. Lars Thykier, director of training at Scandinavian Airlines System, agrees: The border between training/learning and internal communications is increasingly difficult to draw. And, he continues, There is increasing awareness that internal communications are also learning activities, meaning that there is a need for closer ties between the two strategies. If a corporate learning department is set up for broad-based corporate learning (not just skill-based training), says Banks, then this combination can make sense. In fact, he says, it is one of the four logical placements of an employee communications department (as shown in table). The placement of employee communications within an organization should depend on which goal is more difficult to achieve without an organizational linkage. For example, in a command-and-control culture, the first option in the table is best. Additionally, says Banks, any one of these goals could be more critical than the others depending on where the comp any is in its life cycle. This would mean that the organizational placement of employee communications could change over time. The increasing overlap of learning and employee communications within organizations originates from the need of an organization to link its functional silos, says Michele Miller, director of knowledge, strategy, and facilitation at Arthur Andersen. Much like the trend toward combining learning and performance consulting, organizations are melding learning and internal employee communications. Although many organizations have recognized this need, says Miller, they are taking different approaches to address it. Some organizations, for instance, have  located the employee communications department under the training department umbrella. Other organizations, like Arthur Andersen, are looking at creating stronger partnerships with broad-based groups that may have organizational responsibility for the knowledge and communications areas. This has resulted from the blurring of distinctions among communications, knowledge, and learning and from the increased importance of a holistic approach to address their different dimensions. The desire to move learning from discrete interventions to a complete learning environment appears to be pushing the integration of the learning and employee communications departments. Knowledge management, formal and informal learning, performance improvement, and intellectual capital enhancement appear to form the basis for this push, as well as a desire to help employees better understand their organizations vision, mission, culture, and values. No longer content to work within the constraints of functional silos, learning directors have begun to take a more systemic view of informing and developing employees through the creation of their own, or integration with existing, employee communications departments.

Locke, Berkeley & Hume Essay Example for Free

Locke, Berkeley Hume Essay Enlightenment began with an unparalleled confidence in human reason. The new sciences success in making clear the natural world through Locke, Berkeley, and Hume affected the efforts of philosophy in two ways. The first is by locating the basis of human knowledge in the human mind and its encounter with the physical world. Second is by directing philosophys attention to an analysis of the mind that was capable of such cognitive success. John Locke set the tone for enlightenment by affirming the foundational principle of empiricism: There is nothing in the intellect that was not previously in the senses. Locke could not accept the Cartesian rationalist belief in innate ideas. According to Locke, all knowledge of the world must ultimately rest on mans sensory experience. The mind arrives at sound conclusions through reflection after sensation. In other words the mind combines and compounds sensory impressions or ideas into more complex concepts building its conceptual understanding. There was skepticism in the empiricist position mainly from the rationalist orientation. Locke recognized there was no guarantee that all human ideas of things genuinely resembled the external objects they were suppose to represent. He also realized he could not reduce all complex ideas, such as substance, to sensations. He did know there were three factors in the process of human knowledge: the mind, the physical object, and the perception or idea in the mind that represents that object. Locke, however, attempted a partial solution to such problems. He did this by making the distinction between primary and secondary qualities. Primary qualities produce ideas that are simply consequences of the subjects perceptual apparatus. With focusing on the Primary qualities it is thought that science can gain reliable knowledge of the material world. Locke fought off skepticism with the argument that in the end both types of qualities must be regarded as experiences of the mind. Lockes Doctrine of Representation was therefore undefendable. According to Berkleys analysis all human experience is phenomenal, limited to appearances in the mind. Ones perception of nature is ones mental experience of nature, making all sense data objects for the mind and not representations of material substances. In effect while Locke had reduced all mental contents to an ultimate basis in sensation, Berkeley now further reduced all sense data to mental contents. The distinction, by Locke, between qualities that belong to the mind and qualities that belong to matter could not be sustained. Berkeley sought to overcome the contemporary tendency toward atheistic Materialism which he felt arose without just cause with modern science. The empiricist correctly aims that all knowledge rests on experience. In the end, however, Berkeley pointed out that experience is nothing more than experience. All representations, mentally, of supposed substances, materially, are as a final result ideas in the mind presuming that the existence of a material world external to the mind as an unwarranted assumption. The idea is that to be does not mean to be a material substance; rather to be means to be perceived by a mind. Through this Berkeley held that the individual mind does not subjectively determine its experience of the world. The reason that different individuals continually percieve a similar world and that a reliable order inheres in that world is that the world and its order depend on a mind that transcends individual minds and is universal (Gods mind). The universal mind produces sensory ideas in individual minds according to certain regularities such as the laws of nature. Berkeley strived to preserve the empiricist orientation and solve Lockes representation problems, while also preserving a spiritual foundation for human experience. Just as Berkeley followed Locke, so did David Hume of Berkeley. Hume drove the empiricist epistemological critique to its final extreme by using Berkeleys insight only turning it in a direction more characteristic of the modern mind. Being an empiricist who grounded all human knowledge in sense experience, Hume agreed with Lockes general idea, and too with Berkeleys criticism of Lockes theory of representation, but disagreed with Berkeleys idealist solution. Behind Humes analysis is this thought: Human experience was indeed of the phenomenal only, of sense impressions, but there was no way to ascertain what was beyond the sense impressions, spiritual or otherwise. To start his analysis, Hume distinguished between sensory impressions and ideas. Sensory impressions being the basis of any knowledge coming with a force of liveliness and ideas being faint copies of those impressions. The question is then asked, What causes the sensory impression? Hume answered None. If the mind analyzes its experience without preconception, it must recognize that in fact all its supposed knowledge is based on a continuous chaotic volley of discrete sensations, and that on these sensations the mind imposes an order of its own. The mind cant really know what causes the sensations because it never experiences cause as a sensation. What the mind does experience is simple impressions, through an association of ideas the mind assumes a causal relation that really has no basis in a sensory impression. Man can not assume to know what exists beyond the impressions in his mind that his knowledge is based on. Part of Humes intention was to disprove the metaphysical claims of philosophical rationalism and its deductive logic. According to Hume, two kinds of propositions are possible. One view is based purely on sensation while the other purely on intellect. Propositions based on sensation are always with matters of concrete fact that can also be contingent. It is raining outside is a proposition based on sensation because it is concrete in that it is in fact raining out and contingent in the fact that it could be different outside like sunny, but it is not. In contrast to that a proposition based on intellect concerns relations between concepts that are always necessary like all squares have four equal sides. But the truths of pure reason are necessary only because they exist in a self contained system with no mandatory reference to the external world. Only logical definition makes them true by making explicit what is implicit in their own terms, and these can claim no necessary relation to the nature of things. So, the only truths of which pure reason is capable are redundant. Truth cannot be asserted by reason alone for the ultimate nature of things. For Hume, metaphysics was just an exalted form of mythology, of no relevance to the real world. A more disturbing consequence of Humes analysis was its undermining of empirical science itself. The minds logical progress from many particulars to a universal certainty could never be absolutely legitimated. Just because event B has always been seen to follow event A in the past, that does not mean it will always do so in the future. Any acceptance of that law is only an ingrained psychological persuasion, not a logical certainty. The causal necessity that is apparent in phenomena is the necessity only of conviction subjectively, of human imagination controlled by its regular association of ideas. It has no objective basis. The regularity of events can be perceived, however, there necessity can not. The result is nothing more than a subjective feeling brought on by the experience of apparent regularity. Science is possible, but of the phenomenal only, determined by human psychology. With Hume, the festering empiricist stress on sense perception was brought to its ultimate extreme, in which only the volley and chaos of those perceptions exist, and any order imposed on those perceptions was arbitrary, human, and without objective foundation. For Hume all human knowledge had to be regarded as opinion and he held that ideas were faint copies of sensory impressions instead of vice versa. Not only was the human mind less than perfect, it could never claim access to the worlds order, which could not be said to exist apart from the mind. Locke had retained a certain faith in the capacity of the human mind to grasp, however imperfectly, the general outlines of an external world by means of combining operations. With Berkeley, there had been no necessary material basis for experience, though the mind had retained a certain independent spiritual power derived from Gods mind, and the world experienced by the mind derived its order from the same source. Word Count: 1374.

Study On The Seagate Technology Buyout Finance Essay

Study On The Seagate Technology Buyout Finance Essay Motivation and structure of the transaction. In early 1999, Seagate was planning on major restructuring proposal with the private equity firm, Silver Lake partners L.P. The plan implied a leveraged buyout of Seagates disk drive operations, followed by the tax free acquisition of Seagates remaining assets by VERITAS Software Corporation. The choice for this two step transaction was mainly a result of Seagates 40 percent ownership of VERITASs common stock. In the previous year the share price of VERITAS increased significantly and the market value of Seagates share in VERITAS had come to substantially exceed Seagates entire market capitalization. The value gap was a result of the perceived tax liability by the market if Seagate were to sell its VERITAS stake and Seagates core disk drive operations were not fully valued in the market due to increased interest in Internet firms and cheaper data storage providers. The two-step transaction was thus believed by Seagates management to genera te significant wealth gains for its shareholders. Before making their decision Seagates has to consider some alternatives to the previously described restructuring in order to address its low stock price. The company could sell the company as a whole, repurchase its own stock or sell off part of the VERITAS stake, or undertake a tax-free spin-off of either the disk drive business or its stake in VERITAS. We address each of these alternatives next. Seagate could choose to sell itself to other companies that may be interested. A merger or acquisition, in this case, could be either horizontal or vertical. Whereas a horizontal merger or acquisition could be beneficial for Seagate, because of the even higher market in the very competitive disk drive market, a vertical merger would be less successful as the company is already vertically integrated. However, it would be ideal for Seagate to be acquired by VERITAS as it holds 40 percent of its shares. But VERITAS was not interested in entering into the disk drive industry as management believed this was to far away from their core software business. A second alternative for the company is to sell its VERITAS stock or repurchase its own stock partially in the open market, however. However both actions proved to be ineffective. First Seagates ability to sell of VERITAS shares was limited by a prior agreement made with VERITAS. Even if they could sell off the entire VERITAS stake, it still seems an undesirable outcome since the transactions would be taxable on both the corporate as personal accounts. Second when the company performed a repurchase it had little impact on its stock price. A tax free spin-off would imply that Seagate spins off one of its business units, the core disk drive business or the VERITAS stake as an entirely new company. However the internal revenue code, as part of the US statuary tax law, requires that both the distributing corporation and the controlled corporation must be engaged immediately after the distribution in an actively conducted trade or business for a five-year period. Furthermore it also states that the corporate divisions lacking a business purpose can not be accomplished tax free (IRS, 2003). Clearly the VERITAS stake corporation will not satisfy these conditions and thus a tax free spin-off is unlikely. Besides the distribution must be the last resort for solving the business problem. In other words, it must be established that the business problem cannot be solved otherwise. This condition also does not hold since, as we will later see, the proposed two step transaction remains as a valid alternative. After reviewing these alternatives the proposed two step transaction seems to be baneful, mostly due to its low tax nature. As indicated in the case the stock-for-stock swap qualifies as a reorganization under the Internal Revenue Code, thus avoiding the tax implications as a swap. VERITAS will swap 109,330,300 shares for 128,059,966 shares previously owned by Seagate, and the tax advantage will be Huge as no personal or corporate taxes have to be paid on the transaction. Furthermore the decrease in total outstanding shares associated with the deal will cause earnings per share to rise, cetris paribus. In total this would be in the benefits of the VERITAS shareholders, enabling the two stage transaction to be pursued on their behalf. Seagates shareholders also benefit from the potential restructuring program. First they will receive 109,330,300 shares that have experienced a price increase of 200 percent after the half year that followed VERITAS acquisition of Seagates Network and Storage group. Compared to the 25 percent increase over the same period of its own shares this is a significant difference. Furthermore they will receive an additional amount generated from the sale of Seagates disk drive manufacturing assets (including $765m of cash) to the Suez Acquisition Company. The benefits to be received here, and thus also the potential benefits of Silver lake Partners L.P. are thus for the main part determined by this price, which was not determined yet. Seagates employees will also benefit from the two step transaction as their incentive to perform increases significantly when the new Suez Acquisition Company is no longer tight to VERITAS performance. Corporate governance is now considerable tighter than in th e old situation. A sincere loser of the reorganization is the government that could have gained more in taxes if one of the pre-described alternatives were chosen. Levering the buyout There are a number of benefits of leveraged buy outs. Business efficiency improvements, increased interest tax shields, change of management or improved management incentives and higher firm value are the most important possible effects. In the case Seagate an increase of the stock price was the most important target of the leveraged buyout. Before the leverage buyout Seagates stock price was more and more tied to VERITAS stock price. The performance of Seagates main business was a subordinated parameter. The trial to increase the stock price by means of selling VERITAS shares and buy own shares in the open market did not lead to the aimed target. Therefore a leveraged buyout was a possibility to lose the stock price from the performance of VERITAS. Besides of this main purpose to disconnect the stock price development from VERITAS also other positive effects of leveraged buyout could be realized, as the improvement of the market position of Seagate from a strategic and long-term point of view. As a consequence a higher probability to secure a positive stock price development after being on the stock market again can be attained. Another positive aspect of leveraged buyouts are taxes that can be saved through higher debts and interest that is tax-deductible. Although it should be considered that interest cannot be deducted unlimited because of interest barrier rules or earnings stripping rules. Therefore the interest only can be deducted to a certain extent, depending on the debt-to-equity ratio. There are specific regulations that differ from country to country. In case of cross-border leveraged buyouts the situation should be analyzed separately. Within the EU there is no different treatment in cross-border situations because of the freedom of establishment and the freedom of capital of the EC Treaty. A decisive argument of leveraged buyouts is the possibility that enterprises that were poorly managed before their acquisition can undergo valuable corporate reformation when they become private. An important change in the corporate structure is often the modification and replacement of the management staff or improved management incentives. In the Seagate case Silver Lake was convinced about the abilities of the management team. Silver Lake argued that the members of the management team had over ten years of experience in the disk drive industry and underlined that it was an important condition of the deal that the six top managers were taken over. In many articles it is argued differently as a restructuring without modification of management staff is much harder and there is a stronger opposition against many unpleasant but necessary changes. As incentives the management had to convert a portion of their Seagate equity into new equity and also got some deferred compensation. The re jection of unnecessary company sectors as well as the reduction of excessive expenditures also is an important factor for the success of the deal. In the leveraged buyout market stable and predictable cash flows and significant tangible assets which can be provided as security for bank loans are positive preconditions. These are features that make an enterprise for private equity firms interesting to invest. In the 1980s and early 1990s industrial companies were strongly favored and technology business was avoided. This has changed as the technology sector has become more and more important and in the last years this sector has become increasingly more interesting for Private Equity investments (von Nell-Breuning/2010). The disk drive industry as part of the technology sector is distanced by heavy price competition, short product life cycles which are often no longer than six months and high expenditures on RD. These are features that make buyouts very risky. It makes it difficult to predict cash flows, which plays a significant role for the success of a leveraged buyout. Nevertheless Silver Lake was convinced that in general the disk drive industry market development would be extremely positive and that the disk drives would be the key technological component in hardware products. It also should be taken into account that Seagate had a number of characteristics that were from a positive nature for a leveraged buyout like vertical integration for a better competitive position on the market. But also high RD while using up cash is a positive aspect to prevent market entry of smaller, less well-capitalized competitors. Another advantage of Seagate was the relatively high equity ratio compared with the technological industry. The equity ratio of Seagate was 26.6 per cent in June 1997, it was 29.6 per cent in June 1998 and in June 1999 the equity ratio constituted 23.9 per cent. The equity ratio of its competitors were lower, f.ex. the competitor Quantum HDD only had an equity ratio from about 13.5 per cent. The average equity ratio of mature industries is between 20 and 25 per cent depending on the country. Capital Structure In order to assess the capital structure of the deal and in essence the amount of debt the Luczo and the buyout team should take it is necessary to estimate the firm value. Two model are being considered for this task. The first one is the relative valuation model. The rationale for relative valuation stems from the notion that the intrinsic value of an asset is difficult to estimate. Its value can be measured by the price the market is willing to pay for its assets, based upon its characteristics. The second model being considered is the DCF model. When comparing relative valuation with DCF, one advantage over DCF is the reflection of market perceptions on the value of the company. Thus, in a perfect market, the perceptions of future prospects are already reflected in the stock price. It requires less information than DCF models and is therefore less prone to estimation errors. In addition, managers are often judged on a relative basis and relative valuation might therefore match th eir needs and horizons. Markets are assumed to make mistakes when pricing assets across time. DCF valuations detach themselves from market valuations and assess the fundamentals underlying the firm and its growth perspectives. Relative valuation leads to a reasonable estimate when there are many comparable assets that are priced in the market and a common variable can be applied to standardize the prices. Although the case offers some information on competitors we deem the data to be insufficient. Even more, relative valuation works best for investors that usually have relatively short investment horizons as it is rather difficult or impossible for the market to perceive long-term growth perspectives. In general a private equity investment(PE) spans on a 5 to 7 years time line meaning the PE investor has a medium to long-term investment horizon. More confidence in reasonable firm value estimation is thus assigned to the DCF valuation. The fundamentals of a company provide a prudent basis for estimations. Assumptions for the estimations are transparent while these are rather not in the case of relative valuation. A DCF valuation can be applied to long-time horizons and is thus more applicable for investors with long-term investment perspectives. In addition, a fundamental approach might work as a catalyst that moves the price in the market towards the real value of the assets. Silver Lake Partners L.P., as the bidder for the controlling stake of the company is interested in deriving the firm value, meaning the value of the equity stake in association with debt. Cash flows coming from operating activities would therefore need to be estimated. A first step concludes in the calculation of free cash flows to firm (FCFF). The FCFF is computed based on the following assumption: The company management provides three different projections for the buyout team: The Base Case, The Upside case and The Downside Case, each differing in EBITA and Revenues values. Capital expenditures and Depreciation are to remain the same in all three cases. The values used are provided in the operating performance projections table of Seagate. The working capital(WC) is mentioned in the case as being historically equal to 0 for the industry so the change in WC is to be ignored. According to this values the FCFF can be computed. After total cash flow is calculated, it is brought back to NPV using the companys weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The WACC, which is defined by the relative cost of the companys debt and equity is also viewed as the required rate of return for the company and its investors to compensate them for the inherent risks of ownership and realization risk for projected cash flows. The value for the risk free rate and the market risk premium have been set as given by Damodaran(2010) as 3.20% and 2.05% respectively. The beta of the company is supplied by the case as 1.2. Thus we come to the value of 6% for the WACC. Based on the values of the FCFF and WACC computed we can now asses the present value of the firm in the years to come. By summing up this values for the required time horizon we get to the firm values for the three cases Figure 1 Firm value analysis As it can be noticed the firm values for the cases register important differences. The Upside case stands out. Comparable to this the Downside Case has a much smaller difference. In order to better account for the possibility of worse than expected, but more importantly, for better than expected performance in the company we consider that the average of the three values should be used as the firm value and as the price the buyout team should pay meaning US$2.224 billion. We have determined a purchase price of $2.22 billion that Silver Lake Partners will pay to acquire the operations of Seagate. This will be a leveraged buyout that includes two different equity sources and two different debt sources. Our proposed capital structure will consist of 79% percent equity and 21% percent debt. This structure was chosen based on the BBB three-year median rates as referenced in the case (Exhibit 11). The EBIT Interest Coverage ratio set the median value over 1997 to 1999 of 3.9x. In order to get the highest value for the firm when deciding to sell it, the PE firm will try to maintain its rating or even to improve it so it makes sense to consider the BBB value as appropriate. Even more lower rating will also mean higher interest rates for its debt. Using this value and the EBIT values provided for the case we can compute the amount of interest that the firm can afford to pay every year. It can be noticed in Exhibit 1 that the lowest value for EBIT is predicted in year 2000 so it makes sense to consider this value as a benchmark as the following years the performance is expected to improve. Starting from amount of interest that the firm can afford to pay every year we calculated the value of debt that the firm has to take in order to be required to pay that amount of interest. This adds up to US$468.31 meaning 21% of the price recommended for the deal. By comparing this result with the values provided in Exhibit 11 from the case it can be noticed that the firm will remain under BBB rating. The remaining 79% is to be provided by the buyout team in form of equity. It should also be considered that Silver Lake Partners L.P. will receive US$765 million by acquiring Seagate, funds that can be used as equity for the deal. Figure 2 level of debt analysis In order to better assess the impact of the three scenarios on the capital structure of the deal we also used the values computed under The Base Case, The Upside Case and The Downside Case. Again it can be noticed that the better performance predictions stand out. This is based on the possibility that in the latter years of the investment the firm will perform over the expectations even though 2000 is perceived as the same in all cases.

All About Shark Cartilage Essay -- Animals Fish Papers

All About Shark Cartilage Sharks have existed on this earth for over 400 million years, and for the most part have been one of the only species in earth’s history that has not been changed dramatically as a result of evolution (http://www.nutritionwarehouse.com/Shark.Cartilage.html). Furthermore, in recent times since the onslaught of the industrial revolution, numerous pollutants and toxins have been introduced into the earth’s oceans, forests, and atmosphere resulting in cancerous development in nearly all forms of life. Incredibly, however, the amazing living machine known as the shark has survived literally unchanged and has rarely developed cancer despite the fact that almost all other creatures of land and sea get cancer regularly (http://www.realife.com/cancer.html - http://www.realife.com/cancer.html ). These prehistoric sea creatures have skeletons, unlike other animals, largely made up of cartilage, which is a tough yet malleable connective tissue. The fact that sharks do not regularly get cancer, that they have survived the test of time, and that they are composed mostly of cartilage has raised quite a bit of interest among scientists within the past twenty years (http://www.realife.com/cancer.html - http://www.realife.com/cancer.html ). Based upon this research (however, mostly unofficial) shark cartilage is now very popular on the web as a safe and effective treatment for osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and numerous other diseases (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/totalnatural/doforme.html - http://www.freeyellow.com/members/total). The above information was obtained off of the world wide web, however, in this website we will also discuss the "real" information that has been obtained from reliable med... ... claims made on the web are definitely not true because of their lack of scientific evidence. Shark cartilage may be used for cancer treatment effectively in the future, however, right now no scientific facts can support the claims of shark cartilage's ability to treat cancer. References Hunt, Traci. "Shark cartilage for cancer treatment." American Journal of Health System Pharmacology. Aug 15 1995; 52: 1756, 60. Iwaguchi, T. "A novel angiogenic inhibitor." Cancer Letters. Jun 15 1990; 51:181-6. Langer, Robert. "Shark cartilage contains inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis." Science. 1983; 221:1185-87. Markman, Maurie. "Shark cartilage." Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. June 1996; 63:179-180 Matthews, James. "Media feeds frenzy over shark cartilage as cancer treatment." Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Aug 4 1993; 85:1190-91.

A Class Called Peer Listening :: Personal Narrative Education Essays

A Class Called Peer Listening Walking into a class called "Peer Listening" can certainly give a high school student a unique impression. It was my senior year of high school and all I wanted to do was take easy classes to finish off the year, and that's all I had heard about this class, no homework, it's easy, a "blow off class", so naturally it seemed to be the perfect class. Mr. Bihl I had known for a year and I found him to be a genuinely interesting, understanding person. I walked in the classroom and took the nearest seat to the window side of the room and waited to see who else was in my class. Bill walked in the door, he was a hockey player, jock and all around high achiever. Then came Lauren who was in the same "crowd" as Bill, but with those who liked to live a little more dangerously. Many of them have been into drugs in the past. Next Michelle, who I have heard a lot of rumors about, she is only sixteen and living with her boyfriend in their own apartment. After a minute or two, another kid named Bill strode through the door, he was an all around guy, he could fit into a group of people and manage to entertain them. Just as the bell rang, a girl named Nicole sat in the seat next to me. No one liked Nicole and I never really understood why. There were others that had come in, but most I didn't know. Once the bell had rung and I knew that none of my good friends were going to be in the class, the wave of dread washed over me. A whole semester of people I hardly knew. What a way to spend my senior year of high school! Once the class had started, there were only seventeen people. It was a very small class, compared to the rest of my classes, which topped thirty students. The classroom itself was located just inside the main hall leading to the entrance of the school. Room number 205. Inside, the classroom looked just like every other classroom in Clarkston High School, gray industrial carpeting speckled with burgundy, forest green, and an array of other colors. The walls were cinderblocks painted a hideous shade of off white, and lacked decorations. A gray Formica counter top lined one side of the classroom, complete with cabinets above and below.

Web Advertising :: essays research papers

These days, you can’t sell a product or service without marketing it to the masses. And there’s no better place to start than on the web. Internet advertising is a gold mine with virtually every company in America represented. But with so many online competitors, advertisers must use special techniques and technologies to get the word out. The key to beating your competitors is by maximizing cost efficiency. The way to achieve this is by utilizing all the web has to offer for little or no money before spending on expensive technology. The first, probably the least expensive and most effective way to market your company online is by setting up enormous amounts of links to your site. For example, the Prairie State Bank in Marengo, Illinois is it’s local park district, the chamber of commerce, the state of Illinois, as well as weather sites, map sites, and online auto dealerships. So a man interested in buying a car online could click on the link to the bank to figure out the finances. (Dysart) Second, you must get listed on search engines. Many web surfers use Yahoo, Alta Vista and Excite every day to find specific information quickly. Because these engines have the incredible power to direct thousands of surfers, online companies are paying an arm and a leg to have their link be among the first links listed by the search engines. (Dysart) Third, you have to market kids who will eventually be potential customers. Many online companies directed toward adults offer children’s games and other services. The First National Bank of Milton, Illinois offers kids a homework helper and has links to toy stores and video game sites. (Dysart) Fourth, you can easily assure your credibility to prospective customers by creating a newsletter. In most cases the reader would sign up for a monthly e-mail from the company about any new business. This makes the reader feel like they’re important customers and boosts sales. (Dysart) Fifth, you must offer coupons. This technique works just as well off the net as it does on and should not be overlooked. They can be given to the customer via e-mail and printed out from their home or office computers. This makes the customer more likely to go to your site before checking out the competition. (Dysart) Sixth, nothing is more valuable than word-of-mouth. Your company’s web site isn’t complete without a â€Å"recommend this site to a friend† button.

Leigh Anne Tuohy from “The Blind Side” Essay

Leigh Anne Tuohy from the movie â€Å"The Blind Side† embodies what it means to be a passionate, strong, and loving mother. She’s no bullshit, and it’s obvious on screen. When she speaks, she means it. She doesn’t want to raise spoiled, bratty kids; she knows better than that. When she gets tough, it’s not out of anger or hate. It’s coming from a deep place of love. She not only demonstrates her passionate-about-life demeanor to her children, but to everyone she comes across. She is never rude, bitchy, hateful, or disrespectful. But somehow she manages to remain a leader among everyone she meets. In the recent years, there have been some new philosophies on parenting that try to brainwash the minds of parents in need of guidance. These parents don’t want to be mean or neglect their children. They see other parents spanking and yelling with anger, and they know that’s not the right way to go. The new philosophies confirm this, but take a radical stance on an alternative: No leadership whatsoever. This sounds like something so wild and outlandish that it may actually work! Bend to the child’s every demand, and reward misbehavior. Disillusioned parents will try to look past the fact that their kids are not learning any responsibilities, demanding them around like servants, and progressing slower with behavior issues than other children their age. The scary part about it is nobody has yet seen the long-term affects of this â€Å"no discipline† parenting. Kids without strong leaders as parents are used to getting everything they need emotionally and materialistically from somebody else, and when they’re on their own, there is no emotional parental crutch to hold their hand through mature situations. Their realities go haywire, growing into selfish adults incapable of thinking about others. They’ve been raised to be the constant center of attention at all times, so considering another person’s well-being would be silly. Either that, or the child grows to be depressed about life, finding out it doesn’t work the way their parents had originally presented it to them. I could go on explaining all the reasons why that type of parenting doesn’t work, but we’re over  that. You’re smart enough to not go down that road with your kids, so now I want to guide you in the right direction. And Leigh Anne is going to help me. She is the perfect model for how CharismaticKid teaches leadership to parents, and she can be our company mascot if she wants to. (Leigh Anne, if you’re reading this†¦ call me. We’ll do lunch.) It’s in her vibe, in her tone, and in her words. And she knows words play the smallest role when it comes to teaching leadership and discipline. Remember, children’s first teacher was body language, the next was verbal communication. Charismatic parents say more with one or two words than most parents can say with a whole bucket load. 1. Respect When her charismatic kid, SJ, puts his feet up on the dashboard of her BMW, she turns from normal to â€Å"don’t even think about it† tone. â€Å"Gitchyer’ feet off my dash.† She said it calmly, as if she already knew he would comply. And he doesn’t have a second thought about it. He takes them off as if he knew he wasn’t supposed to, but forgot. â€Å"Thank you. Put on your seatbelt.† 2. Independence When her daughter, Collins, smacked the floor after trying to save the ball from hitting the ground at her high school volleyball game, she gave her mother a look of â€Å"I can’t deal with this anymore.† Leigh Anne knows that confident kids don’t come running to their parents when they encounter speed bumps. So instead of getting upset and feeling bad for her daughter, she gestures for her to get up, stop being a baby, and keep playing. â€Å"Go.† One word. Does this mean that Leigh Anne doesn’t love Collins? Does this mean she is trying to lower her confidence? Just the opposite. She is raising an independent woman, who will know how to deal with issues by herself. Strong  women breed strong women. She loves her daughter so much that she won’t stand to let her become dependent on another person. Do you think Collins will end up being a needy, desperate woman in ten years? Don’t count on it. This face is saying, â€Å"And I mean it, mister! Don’t you act like a sissy when it is your job to lead. Now LEAD!† 3. Maturity It’s obvious Leigh Anne doesn’t sugar coat life for her kids. She knows that when they grow up, nobody is going to sugar coat things for them then, so why do it now? If they grew up having a skewed view on who they are in life, reality will hit hard when they learn the truth. Leigh Anne knows this, and â€Å"keeps it real† with SJ after his performance as an American Indian in his school play. â€Å"SJ, don’t let this go to your head, but I thought you were very convincing in the role of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Indian number three?† â€Å"Yes.† It was a real compliment, and that is light years more meaningful than blowing smoke up someone’s butt. SJ will grow up to know how to react to real criticism in a confident and mature manner. He will learn to accept when he isn’t perfect, and this builds character. Someone comfortable with their vulnerabilities is the most confident person you can meet. She treats him as he wants to be treated, with sincerity. From watching the movie, it’s obvious SJ is mature for his age. Why do you think this is? Another example of teaching maturity to your children is to give them adult decisions to make that can affect the entire family. When you do this, you not only give them a sense of worth for themselves, but you are also preparing them to make important decisions as they become adults. Leigh Anne demonstrated a good example of this when she gave Collins the decision to whether the family should keep Big Mike in their home, or to let him go. Giving your child important choices to make on their own allows her to prove the maturity she wishes to show to the rest of her family. It’s funny how when you give your child a responsibility, if you expect her to follow  through, most of the time she will. 4. Compassion and Responsibility On their way home from the play, the Tuohy family saw Big Mike walking in the rain to the gym to get some warmth. He’s now homeless and has nowhere to stay. What would you do in this situation? Leigh Anne was teaching SJ a lesson in compassion when she made no argument to bring Big Mike home with them for the night. Compassion is an emotion, and the definition of an emotion is a thought that inspires action. Taking him home was the action, and to pass-up on that would be ignoring her responsibility. It is any healthy person’s responsibility to take care of others as a way of being grateful for life. It’s nice to think that we would do something like this, but would we really? That small difference is what will make your child a â€Å"giver† or a â€Å"taker† as they grow up. Notice Leigh Anne’s sternness with Mike as he is acting standoffish towards her. Notice the raised eyebrows, this is simple body language denoting â€Å"expectant of an answer†. She uses strong facial expressions, body language, and eye contact with him to let him know she is not playing games. She didn’t talk to him from the car window, but instead walked straight up to him with little introduction. She was cutting to the point. Here’s the shot of compassion. Here is her glare of responsibility. SJ sees all of this. She is saying with her face, â€Å"Don’t you dare deny that this is our responsibility.† She doesn’t ask, â€Å"Would you like to stay at our house tonight?† She knows he’d say no. That’d be a cop out for her. She can get back in the car and tell her family, â€Å"Well, I tried.† No, she knows that in order to be happy and to do the same for others, she has to take matters into her own hands. She TELLS him to come home with them. She knows it’s the right thing to do, and she knows Big Mike wants to, but is too shy. This is where her leadership skills come in as well. Most people are too scared to say how they feel. There always must be a leader in the group that calls the shots.  Leigh Anne Tuohy takes that role seriously. Watch above how she doesn’t plead with him, she just turns around KNOWING that he will follow. 4. Body Language SJ is at the age where he is getting most of the lessons, and a kid would be fed up with his mother’s discipline by now. But not SJ. Why is that? When Leigh Anne lays down the law, she doesn’t do it with anger or emotion. It is straight up unemotional discipline. She also makes sure everyone KNOWS she is in charge, so no one argues with her. SJ looks up to his mother because she is such a strong leader. Watch this clip below, and notice how her correction is quick, unemotional, and sure. SJ reacts like lightning, because Leigh Anne demands good behavior from her children, not just asks for it. Notice how the correction of SJ’s behavior did not make the relationship between him and his mother sour? Even immediately afterwards, he was cracking up at his mother’s assertive attitude towards taking Big Mike shopping. He loves her! There were no hard feelings because Leigh Anne doesn’t mix feelings with discipline. Also take note of how quickly Leigh Anne changes her demeanor from â€Å"tough-love Leigh Anne† to â€Å"cheerful perky mama† after the correction has been given. Let’s talk about the subtle body language correction itself. SJ wasn’t rebelling by putting his elbows on the table, nor did he MEAN to be disrespectful. He was simply being lazy and forgetful. Leigh Anne was acting as his temporary conscious brain reminding him of something he should already have known to do. When SJ gets older, he’ll be able to remind himself about bad body language, because he’s been given cues as a child for when to correct himself. Why correct bad body language in the first place? Because if ignored, it can turn your mood into the way it looks. Elbows on the table blocks off others from talking to you. SJ wasn’t trying to do that, but the repeated habit of it can eventually make him feel more comfortable eating without anyone bothering him. Leigh Anne is there to nip that in the bud. 5. Self-sacrificing Did I mention that charisma is about exposing your vulnerabilities? People are so caught up with the thought that confidence has something to do with  only showing your strengths, but that’s just half the equation. When you can show your weakness to others, and take it even a step further and sacrifice yourself for their benefit, you are on your way to confidence mastery. When Leigh Anne gives the famous speech to Mike on the field about protecting his family, she is putting him in a leadership role among the teammates. A leader’s job is not only to lead, but to ensure the well-being of the rest of the group. When you make the choice to protect your friends, family, or teammates, you are sacrificing the chance of your own well-being for others. This is what makes a loved leader. Notice how Leigh Anne’s expression up above is saying, â€Å"I know you have the guts to take charge of your team, Michael. So do it.† She’s not yelling at him, she is disciplining him†¦ †¦ And it’s obvious that he enjoys and respects her stern demeanor. Leigh Anne doesn’t beat around the bush, and people not only respect but enjoy such direct interaction. (Don’t confuse this with bitchiness. Some people like to be blunt in a rude and demoralizing way to others, claiming they are â€Å"just being honest.† No, they’re not being honest, just negative. This isn’t a confident trait, it’s insecurity manifested into fake confidence. Be sure not to mistake your â€Å"confidence† for anger, jealousy, or insecurity. A confident person is self-LESS, an insecure person is self-ISH.) 6. Emotionally Stable Most people in this world possess emotional instability. They get upset over things, whether big or small, and show anger towards others because of it. A confident person is always emotionally stable. There is never a time where getting upset is necessary or beneficial to a situation. It is always a deterrent to your well-being, as well as to the rest of the people in your family. When Michael had gotten into a car accident with SJ sitting in the front seat of the pickup truck that the Tuohy’s had bought for him, he knew he screwed up bad. But aside from minor cuts and bruises, SJ was fine. Leigh Anne had a choice: to use anger as a way to teach Mike a lesson, or to calmly address the situation with a peaceful mind. The problem with using anger as a method  for discipline is that it breaks the trust between you and your child. They’ll begin hiding things from you, lying to you about the party they went to last weekend, and eventually your kids will be living a secret life keeping you out of the loop when it comes to their real lives. But aside from the trust factor, choosing to live an emotionally stable life lowers your stress level to zero, and teaches your children to do the same. When you can approach each and every situation from a place of calmness, you automatically set yourself up for a confident disposition. Your family members feel more confident in following you, because your choices do not come from a place of negative emotion, but rather positivity and love.