Perspectives: US and Iraq Essay

Globalization has paved the way for technology to thrive. Economic growth is rooted in a country’s ability to expand on technologies that would productively utilize its resources. As a catalyst for capitalism, technology has often been used as a benchmark for nations to determine their status of development. Among the developed countries, the United States of America (USA) is one of the leading industrial powers of the modern world. Its contributions to the scientific community have improved the lives of millions of people due to their open economy and democratic identity. However, for most Arab countries like Iraq, technological advancement is a struggle since the interplay of religion and culture in its political history has slowed down its economic progress. This paper aims to offer an insight into the glaring differences of technological advancement from the perspective of a developed and developing country. The USA is flowing with scientific innovations that cater to the different needs and wants of each individual. This is due to the fact that its educational system fosters creativity and encourages competition as scientific projects and programs are supported by both the public and the private sectors. Since it is a country that flourishes in an open economy, the government is able to allocate the country’s resources to fund projects/programs that it deems necessary to maintain the status quo. With regard to Iraq, its violent history under a tyrannical ruler has hampered its progress in the realm of technology. While it is one of the oil producing countries, advances made towards scientific innovations were slim to none. Its previous government under the late Saddam Hussein had control over most of the telecommunication systems as well as transportation and electricity so citizens were deprived of such amenities. The education system is also inadequate as the country struggles to deal with the on-going war on terror after the fall of Hussein’s regime. At present, the Iraqi government is renovating its local and foreign policies to incorporate the expansion of Science and Technology into their development plan. The government is currently in an agreement with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on a development strategy that would support scientific innovations for institutions and businesses. In addition, an education plan was also created in the hopes of expanding the scope of science-driven educational institutions within the community as well as strengthening the workforce. The plan also supports student exchange programs with Universities from top schools in developed countries. The government has also opened its doors to foreign support in advancing knowledge in the field of Information Technology, Medical and Electricity. Conclusion: In all aspects of life, the use of technology is inevitable. Regardless of whether a country is considered developed or developing, technology will always be the driving force that propels a country to succeed in their aspirations for economic progress.

Environmental analysis Essay

Rivalry Competition in the US video rental industry is fierce. There are actually several different segments of players within the industry, like rentals who establish physical store locations and rentals who serve mail-orders, but these different segments are competing to gain the same market share. Blockbuster reveled that the business actually has a small profit margin, due to the high cost of building and equipment maintenance. Furthermore, the movie rental industry has a stagnant market condition, or in simple words, the market does not reveal any meaningful growth within the years. This means the only way to grow is by taking away a piece of competitors’ market share. Thus, competition is s serious issue for Blockbuster because in one hand, the company cannot afford to loose more market share due to its minimum profit margin, and in the other hand, Blockbuster would also need to experience some kind of revenue growth. Ironically, competitors of Blockbuster also possess the same obsession. As a result, price war is the only way to determine which player would lead the market. Unfortunately, most of the players in the industry has already sustain heavy operational and maintenance that they cannot afford to reduce rental prices. In addition, most of these players have also minimum promotion budget because of the small profit margin. Today, competition industry enters a stage where all the players are stagnant in most of its departments (Brem, 2002). Not all movie rental industry can survive in a long term, especially if the industry is online. With the recent tightening in the market, some executive and investor are challenging Blockbuster.com to show some results: higher revenues, more customers, perhaps even a profit. This is should become tough news for Blockbuster. com who have spent most of their money on expensive advertisements, PR campaigns, or websites that look attractive. The full integration of Blockbuster. com online and in-store programs planned for next year will enable them to provide their customers, young and old, with unmatched convenience, service, selection and value. If a customer is in their store and wants to return a movie they rented online, Blockbuster.com will be able to accommodate them. If a member rents primarily in-store, but wants a hard-to-find title Blockbuster. com does not typically carry in store, they will be able to go online and get it. It is a matter of maximizing convenience and choice (â€Å"About Blockbuster. com†, 2006). Blockbuster has not been watching these developments lazily. It has launched its own online rental service in response to the competition, despite the set-up costs and the fact that it could take revenue away from its retail operation. It has also introduced a number of initiatives, such as a part-exchange deal on VHS tapes, and is currently exploring offering an in-store download service. †¢ Buyer Power Due to the stagnant market and the need for huge economies of scale to reach profit, buyers of the video rental industry has quite an influential power. In a nutshell, by choosing to go to which rentals, buyers will determine which one will reach profit within the financial period and which one will fall below targets. The increasing use of Internet becomes the power of buyers that soon force Blockbuster to provide online services. To change itself from a zone of movie rental store into an â€Å"anywhere-anytime† entertainment destination that eventually will enable customers to rent, buy or trade movies and games, new or used, in-store and online, Blockbuster initiatives to continues their accomplishment as the online rental service company (â€Å"Blockbuster goes broadband, streams movies to TV†, 2001). Blockbuster. com becomes the business through information technology (I. T. ) marketing. Because of the online marketing Blockbuster can live and breathe. They can get more competitive, lower their costs, and provide better service through continuous improvement of the I. T. marketing (â€Å"BBI: Profile for BLOCKBUSTER INC. †, 2006). However, as online retail, marketing efforts of Blockbuster. com could be even more effective if they asked the consumer for a dash of personal information. So far, businesses were hoping that personalization technology would serve as the equivalent of a best friend who just happened to have all the same tastes in products and services. More consumers are choosing to rent online, which has no late fees and have the movies mailed to them. It makes Blockbuster. com has increased their membership (â€Å"Blockbuster goes broadband, streams movies to TV†, 2001). The only way for movie-rental stores to continue operations is to rise to the challenge and shift their business model to stay practical. To develop a substantial share of the online rental business by the end of next year, Blockbuster. com is providing rental plan and their practical understanding marketing. It should help Blockbuster. com to be more successful in the next period. Movie distributors and the large chains, such as Blockbuster, Inc.directly negotiate revenue-sharing agreements covering most titles distributed by the upstream (â€Å"BBI: Profile for BLOCKBUSTER INC. †, 2006). Personalization and community features are very important. Blockbuster. com should allow film fans to rate films and write reviews to help inform other users. In addition, Blockbuster. com need to have a management team with bags of expertise, which they believe differentiates us from the competition. †¢ Supplier Power Suppliers of the industry generally have little power over the Blockbuster. The prices of inputs are nearly identical for most suppliers and there is no price discrimination because of the widely available substitutes. †¢ Threats of Substitutes The video rental industry is actually facing quite significant threats from various substitutes. Examples of substitutes are: pay-per-view, video-on-demand, streaming on-line videos, etc. All of these alternatives are delivering the same product in a quite similar quality, which means that they contribute notably to the tension within the video rental industry (‘Videotape Rental’, 2004). Barriers of EntryAnalysis of the industry indicated that Blockbuster is actually enjoying significant level of entry barriers. First, as mentioned earlier, the industry generally has a small profit margin, which means that a huge economic of scale is required to create a profitable business. This is caused by the high operational and maintenance costs, profit sharing agreement with studios, etc. Second, Blockbuster enjoyed a positive image due to its long-time presence and its popularity within the US market. Both of these factors ensured the triumph of Blockbuster against any newcomer. Most of these conditions however, are now becoming obsolete. This is true partly due to the presence of internet. As internet shopping becomes more popular, mail-order rentals like Netflix gain notable attention from the market. In addition, Blockbuster made the mistake of not providing enough copies of popular and recent movies, which ultimately get customers to think of going to alternative rentals. Another factor that reduces the entry barrier is the popularity of DCDs over the old VHS which no longer require negotiating revenue gain agreements with studios (Brem, 2002; Wagner, 2003).

MGMT 670- STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT 670- STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example The possession of a very strong brand name as well as image, which will boost the company’s growth and the reach to the customers. The establishment of a very good supply chain management capability, which will help the smooth inflow and outflow of the retail products along with good customer service. The presence of a very good and attractive customer base and a global presence through a wide global network, that is ready to buy the products available in the retail outlet. The possession of the capabilities and also the competencies by the organic foods retail outlet, which very well matches the key success factors of the industry. The five competitive forces that are the weakest in the Organic foods retail industry are: Product differentiation from those of the rivals. There is no need for the possession of superior technological skills amongst the different competing organic food retail outlets, since they are not in the process of manufacturing products but are involved on ly in the selling of the finished products. Joint ventures with the other firms for possession of superior technology is not required in this case, since the organic food retailers only requires good marketing and advertising skills that are needed for selling the product.

Critically discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and Essay

Critically discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and the extent to which these skills are controlled - Essay Example They are associated with the daily operations of a company and have direct contact with the money making process of the company. Some examples of front line workers include the assembly worker, bank tellers, and workers servicing in the service industry. Skills of frontline workers are crucial to the success of an organization. Skills in people can be improved upon by imparting training to them. The key concept of skill has been explained in the human capital theory by Schultz. According to the human capital theory, the productivity of workers can increase manifold if they are imparted useful knowledge and skills. This will inevitably lead to increase in their future earnings and future income. This theory rests on the importance of firm-specific training. The paper will focus on skills needed at work in lieu of front line workers. The paper will discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and the extent to which these skills are controlled. Various theories and counter t heories and evidence will be presented from literature to support the argument. The crux of the argument would revolve around the importance of training and using measures like performance appraisals to build on skills needed for front line workers. Skills Skills have been increasingly debated world over. According to many critics this term is very popular amongst most managers, policy makers and academic circles in precarious and amorphous ways to the point that today it comes close to meaning everything yet nothing. Spenners study on skills shows that there used to be a unanimous consensus that skills comprise of two main elements. These are job complexity and job discretion. Job complexity implies the simplicity and difficulty associated with doing a particular job. Task discretion refers to the extent to which decision making power is given to the job holder. Does the worker have enough latitude to choose from a wide range of techniques in solving a problem or does he have to pa ss on the problem to an expert worker or does he have to ask a supervisor?. It is said the greater the latitude the job holder has, the higher skilled is the job. (Tett , 1991) An important aspect of skilled jobs that has been debated over and over again is the proxies which are used to measure skills and the kind of competencies that they measures. The most popular modes of skill assessment have been requirement qualifications and the level of training needed to inculcate those skills. These are partial measures of skill assessment. Skills and their control has often been a crucial aspect of debates in policy circles and academia. These debates have varied from skills related to people working in the manufacturing sector to people associated with the service sector. These could be home care assistants, the nurses, the retail store workers, the call center workers and the job centre work. However work on service sector related skills and has often raised eyebrows by analysts. Some a nalysts feel that the neglect should not be treated as astonishing and shocking as the same principles apply equally from manufacturing related workers to services related workers and from knowledge work to services. (Salgado, 1999) Recently conducted surveys by the Institute of Employment studies and MoRI denote that the major areas of deficiencies in the skills of front line workers are in communication skills. According to the survey, this skill deficiency leaps across the board

The History of Computer Programming Research Paper

The History of Computer Programming - Research Paper Example Computer programming started in the 19th century, though scientists had started designing several devices such as calculators for various purposes before this period. Charles Babbage designed the first programmable computer in 1835, called the Analytical Engine. The Analytical Engine could be programmed to solve computational problems. Ada Lovelace designed the first program for the Analytical Engine and invented the programming loop and subroutine. Herman Hollerith invented the concept of data recording on machine readable media in the late 1880s. He used punched cards and invented two machines namely the tabulator and keypunch to process the cards (Campbell-Kelly and Aspray 45). In the 1940s, computer coding was done manually and then entered into the system as the systems were slow and had limited memory. Computer programming languages such as Plankalkul, C-10, and ENIAC were developed. A machine called Robinson was developed in 1940 by the British in order to decrypt the messages encrypted using the Enigma machine by the German military during World War II. Z3 was designed in Germany in 1941 by Konrad Zuse. He started developing Plankalkul (Plan Calculus) in 1945, which was the first algorithmic computer programming language. His machines were destroyed during the World War II and only the Z4 survived. Scientists from IBM and Harvaerd designed a programmable computer in 1944 called Mark I (O’Regan 124). In 1945, John Von Neumann invented the concepts of ‘shared-program technique’ and ‘conditional control transfer’. The shared program technique stated that complex instructions should control simple hardware instead of the simple hardware being wired for every program. The conditional control transfer enabled the development of loops with IF, THEN, and FOR statements. This concept also suggested that small code blocks could take any random order instead of the steps ordered chronologically. Von Neumann architecture was invented and it enabled the

Wal-Mart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example The competitors were using television advertisements to reach their customers, which was not effective because it was expensive. Wal-Mart obtained time in the television to display their products and to feature them at the low prices that make them very reputable (Soderquist, 2005). This worked because the customers knew the whole range of products and their prices when going to shop in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is very popular amongst the low and middle-class income earners. Wal-Mart targets the blue collar and the middle class shoppers who are not used to frequenting the big malls (Soderquist, 2005). This is because of the low prices that they offer to this group of people. Wal-Mart has opened up many outlets including in areas that are normally ignored by other retailers. It is also estimated that approximately quarter of those who frequent Wal-Mart do not have credit cards and are limited to using cash. This is a clear indication that most of the customers who frequent Wal-Mart are the low and middle-income earners. Wal-Mart is also the biggest shopping entity with more than 4,000 stores worldwide, which is twice more than the next competitors have. Wal-Mart, therefore, targets the people with limited financial abilities and those in remote areas whereas most of the competition seeks to impress the upper class members of the society (Blanchard, 2005). What image do they want to convey? Wal-Mart intends to show that it is possible to sell goods cheaply by reducing the costs of production. How do they attempt to position themselves in the minds of consumers in the market? Wal-Mart has positioned itself as the leading retailer in the industry. The low prices that they offer to consumers and ease of accessibility to the consumers are the factors that have made them to be the biggest retailer worldwide. What is their current image in the industry and in the minds of consumers? Most of the consumers

Independent research into retailing of (lace wigs) Lacehairwigs.co.uk Essay

Independent research into retailing of (lace wigs) Lacehairwigs.co.uk - Essay Example They have earned the reputation of been more realistic looking and less detectable. To attach the wig to wearer, they are glued to the head scalp and are long lasting. They are resistant to various climatic conditions thus the wearer can swim, shower as well as engage in other activities without causing damage to the wig. Although the lace wig may seem a new idea, it has existed for a very long time now. It was first invented in France by Leguet in the early 19th century (Institute of Textile Technology, 1994). However the patent rights holder of the lace wig is Telier who, after long court battles with other wig creators, won the patents rights custody. Some cultures have embraced wigs so as to protect bald heads from the ultra violet rays of the sun. The European counties embraced a different approach in dealing with wigs. Wigs were worn simply to boost people’s status in the society. In some contemporary societies, wigs are worn as a symbol of respect and mainly found on official proceedings like court cases (Lhboutique, 2010). The lace wigs have been in use for quite a long period now. They have been used by the health practitioners, artists in the entertainment industry, kings, the young as well as the elderly. They have been used for various reasons like health problems, ornamental and others just for fun. In the past the lace wig was mainly worn for prestige as it was expensive thus could not be afforded from the low income earners. The lace wigs have also been worn by people for criminal reasons as the wig creates a new look for the wearer. In the contemporary society, wigs are worn by a range of people all with different motives which range from ornamental to criminal activities. The modern man has resorted to wearing wigs, and in particular the lace wig, instead of natural hair for various reasons. One of the reasons for doing this is health problems especially among cancer patients. Cancer treatment through chemotherapy and radiotherapy

The Lake School Poets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Lake School Poets - Essay Example As Romanticists, they have been staunch supporters of freedom and the French Revolution. For them, it was a noble cause for it promotes the tenets of Romanticism, although they deny being a part of the said movement. The French Revolution symbolized liberty from the trappings of wealth that was the French Royalty. Not only that, it symbolized the inequality of power between the people and the monarchs. Because of this love for liberty, they believed on France’s Revolution and had their passionate beliefs. However, after some time, they abandoned their liberalist beliefs, especially William Wordsworth, and became conservatives, largely believing now in constitutional monarchy and the power of the Protestant Church as the guiding light for the British. Is the shift because of Napoleon’s failure to reach the poets’ expectations of being a libertarian because he also intended to conquer Europe, or is it because their own personal struggles that lead them to prioritiz e their own individual beliefs? Was it because of their age? This essay proposes that they became conservatives because of their Napoleon failed their expectations. II. Summary and Critique According to Bertrand Russell, â€Å"In his youth Wordsworth sympathized with the French Revolution, went to France, wrote good poetry, and had a natural daughter. At this period he was called a 'bad' man. Then he became 'good,' abandoned his daughter, adopted correct principles, and wrote bad poetry.† This is an observation to the poet shifting from being a liberalist to a conservative. Romanticists are known to being ambivalent towards the society as they were politically involved but they were also distancing themselves from the public. And as romanticists, they strongly objected to the oppression and injustice. However, the Lake poets shifted to conservatism. There are many theories on why this has happened. There is a theory that it was because of Coleridge addiction to opium, the dea th of Wordsworth’s brother and their disenchantment on the French revolution. Coleridge’s addiction to opium was because of his chronic rheumatism. The doctors prescribed laudanum to him, an opium derivative, and became addicted for sixteen years. His condition never really affected his writings as he wrote good poetry even when he was high with drugs. His good friend Wordsworth even took him into his home and he spent two years there. When he moved out, he learned that Wordsworth told their mutual friend not to take him in because he had â€Å"a derangement in his intellectual and moral constitution† (Shmoop Editorial Team). This resulted in the breaking up of their friendship and they both wrote less poetry after the incident. Another theory is that Wordsworth’s brother’s death may have contributed to the shift of the poets to shift to conservatism. This happened in 1805 and has affected him strongly. This only happened to Wordsworth, not everyon e in their movement. Although they are all good friends, this could not have effected the others that much. The last theory proposed by Fairchild is that they were all disenchanted by the way Napoleon took over France after the French Revolution. Because after the Revolution ended, Napoleon began conquering other countries. This failed them because their cause about liberty and the revolution did not end up the way they wanted it to be as Napoleon also got into other

Bloom syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bloom syndrome - Essay Example Bloom disease predisposes individuals to cancer as it causes pro activity in suppressor cells that alters the division of cells to a hyperactive state (Cox, 2009). This disease is common amongst the Jews; the casualties appear short in stature and are sensitive to sunlight. The study of the journal considered purposed to establish the efficacy of BTB complex in Double Holliday Junction dissolution in prevention of crossovers. Indeed the study shows that dissolution of the DHJ using BTB is possible only with the combination of energy provider, ATP that is hydrolyzed by BLM and the complex mixed with a protein complex, Fanconi ammonia. This article I have to admit that the article embraces all the scientific controls and procedures that were well programmed and followed to ensure that the objective and hypothesis of the study is tracked to produce results that satisfies both validity and reliability. Notwithstanding, the article is short of coherency and unequivocal state of the object ives of the study amongst other oversights. Introduction Bloom disease is one of the rarest diseases that are known today, it is a genetically disease that occurs in a homozygous recessive situation. The disease occurs due to the crossing over of the chromosomes during cell division, i.e. meiosis (Modrich, 2006). During this stage of cell division, fragment of the Deoxyribonucleic Acids (DNA) are realized due to the unwinding nature of the DNA at this stage. These fragments later rejoin randomly leading to alteration of the initial genomic structure and one resultant features is the bloom disease (Modrich, 2006). Specifically, bloom disease due to the changes discussed above occurs due to mutations at the BLM gene (Cohen, 2004). The disease is hereditary and can be passed to the offspring by the parents who are carriers. Bloom disease is known to be responsible for a number of misfortunes in human beings; the disease causes cancers as it makes the regulatory genes in the human body to be hyperactive leading to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells causing cancers (Tropp & Freifelder, 2008). The occurrence of cancers in this case is observed even in young children, this has made the disease to be known for causing old age diseases in children. The individuals with this disease also show a short a stature and may prompt acquisition of other medical conditions like diabetes type II, color change of the skin making the individuals to be vulnerable and sensitive to sunlight, and chronic pulmonary disease (Tropp & Freifelder, 2008). The prevalence of the disease is high amongst the Jews and that for every one hundred Jews, there is an individual with the bloom disease (Modrich, 2006). The article critique has revolved around the bloom disease in the capacity of mitigating the cause and finding the most appropriate item to be used in mitigation efforts. The article identifies the disease and looked at how it occurrence and the factors that accelerate its occurrence . The gene responsible for this disease is identified as BLM. BLM is found in the human genome and is one of the human RecQ genes (Waldman, 2004). RecQ genes are important in the maintenance of genetics in both the prokaryotes and the eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, the RecQ genes are important in ensuring that the structure of the genome is maintained despite the gene recombination that takes place in the bacteria (Waldman, 2004). There are about five RecQ genes in human of which all strive to maintain the originality of the genome in order to arrest erratic gene disruption that may cause genetic disorder of bloom’

ACD-IP PBX Request for Proposal (RFP) Research Paper

ACD-IP PBX Request for Proposal (RFP) - Research Paper Example This paper will focus on comparison and assessment of different vendors for IP PBX. It will focus on the requirements of the organization. PBX is a VoIP phone system that is used to manage communications and phone calls. There are many SIP phones which have been connected and working together to achieve the desired results. It is a private branch exchange that is used to switch private calls between different VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) users that are using local lines. The users are allowed to share a certain number of external phone lines. It also has the possibility of switching calls between a VoIP users and a local user who is using local telephone lines. It can also switch two users who are using traditional lines to communicate. It does this switching in the same manner that a conventional PBX would have done. In a PBX, there would be a need to have several networks that would be used to handle voice and data communications. One of the advantages of using IP PBX is that it does not have to have different networks in order to handle voice and data communications. With IP PBX, there is converged data and voice networks. It means that it is possible to have internet access and at the same time have someone using VoIP using one line. With the use of IP PBX, there is reduced operation costs and decreased cost of maintenance. The IP PBX is owned by the enterprise. There are SIP phones, an IP PBX server, and a VoIP Gateway. In this case, the VoIP Gateway is optional. The IP PBX is the same as that of Proxy Server. The SIP clients can either be soft telephones to hardware based phones. These phones will be used in the entire process and will have the required aspects that will be used in the communication. The SIP clients will have to be registered with IP PBX server. When they want to make a call, they will have to establish a connection with the IP PBX server. The IP PBX

Providing Safety Measures within Schools Essay Example for Free

Providing Safety Measures within Schools Essay School violence is not just a recent tragedy. In fact, the earliest known United States (U. S. ) school shooting called â€Å"Pontiac’s Rebellion School Massacre† took place on July 26, 1764 in Pennsylvania (Wikipedia). These ill-fated events are products of many different factors such as bullying, revenge, and even mental issues. Unfortunately, school violence has become a more prevalent occurrence in society today. However, because of the unknown and rather unexpected motives of the perpetrators, an end to school violence cannot, in all actuality, happen. Certainly, there are procedures available to prevent occurring violence. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators. School violence has plagued many areas of not only the U. S. , but also other parts of the world. However, a number of the worst attacks have occurred right here in the U. S. , Columbine High School, for example. April 20, 1999 marked the date of fifteen deaths at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two teenage shooters took the lives of fourteen students and one teacher (Listverse). This school tragedy led to an increased emphasis on security at schools across the U. S. (SFGate). The April 16, 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech claimed the lives of thirty-three victims and was named the deadliest shooting by a single gunman in U. S. history. Bath School in Michigan fell victim to forty-five deaths and was given the title of the deadliest mass school murder in U. S. history (Listverse). In recent history, Connecticut unfortunately experienced a shooting of its own at Sandy Hook Elementary where twenty-eight young children and adults were victim to a deranged gunman on December 14, 2012 (The Inquisitr). But certainly, we cannot forget the February 27, 2012 shooting at Chardon High School that rocked Ohio (SFGate). More and more schools around the nation are stepping up school safety measures to ensure the security of students. Undoubtedly, the most commonly selected safety measure is limited or controlled access to the school in such ways as to lock and monitor school doors. Metal detectors, security cameras, and limited social networking access are more commonly being used to monitor and restrict student and visitor behaviors (U. S. Department of Education). Monitoring and supervising common areas such as the cafeteria, gym, hallways, and parking lot is a significant safety measure usually practiced by schools (NASPonline). School resource officers, guards, and unarmed law enforcement officers may not always need to be present, but should always be available. Staff members should monitor all guests by greeting each and every person who comes to the door. Counselors and psychologists should always be available to students so that they know they have someone to trust and be able to anonymously report suspicious activity (Gumbrecht; NASPonline). Crisis plans and preparedness training should be accessible for all staff members along with threat assessment procedures. The promotion of obedience of school rules and a safe school environment should be present at all times for the safety of the students (NASPonline). Schools should conduct regular drills such as intruder, weather, and fire for student awareness (Gumbrecht). A responsible and safe school always includes school-community partnerships and school safety incident data to keep the public informed about new procedures (NASPonline). There are a number of structural prevention suggestions available. The most frequently used structural methods are locked doors and security systems. However, more advanced structural preventions exist: single, prominent entryways for guests and students to enter; reduced landscaping to eliminate hiding spots; shifted restrooms away from entryways; moved major mechanical and electrical systems; keyless entry systems for staff and faculty; and elaborate announcement systems for drills and instructions (Gumbrecht). Panic buttons are available for $5,000 and operate on single police dispatch lines that send all available units to the school in case of an emergency. The buttons can be located in each individual classroom or in different regions of the schools. These structural suggestions come at a price but are well worth the investments (Scott). Because of the seemingly reoccurring school violence trend, many school districts have contemplated active shooter training and arming teachers. Even though this might seem like a good idea, there may very well be negative consequences. Instead, most school administrators opt for the more common school entry policies and emergency manuals for all staff. Newer safety ideas are being introduced into school districts such as Mohawk, Ellwood, and Shenango in Pennsylvania. These districts installed computerized systems that scan the driver’s licenses of all visitors to identify anyone convicted of crimes against children (New Castle News). Administrators have many accessible guidelines for communicating with students, their parents, and the public. Conversations with students should be developmentally appropriate and include guidelines for violence. Administrators should keep in mind the cultures, traditions, religion, and family values of students and keep the focus on normal routines and activities. Parents should be made aware of all violence conversations with students. The children must know that schools are safe places and there is a difference between reporting and tattling, they must be observant and report what they see. Students must also realize that every so often, people commit wrong acts, but violence is never a solution. Open communication between parents and their children is key; the students should know to stay away from weapons. Also, the school staff must stress the understanding of possibility versus probability; students should always know that they are safe in school. These guidelines are important for administrators to convey to their student body and public (NASPonline). Without a doubt, school violence has made national headlines. In December, the NRA announced the National School Shield Program. They have issued â€Å"a report on how they believe schools can prevent further gun violence† (Gumbrecht). The NRA will present policy proposals and resources to law enforcement, lawmakers, school officials, and the public. Because there is declining support for strict gun regulations, law enforcement officials will prepare armed guards that state and local officials will alter (Sperry and Wallace). A higher percent of high schools and middle schools require drug testing for athletes and extracurricular activities; badges and picture identifications for students and teachers; random dog sniffs and contraband sweeps; and security cameras for monitoring the school building and surrounding premises. 84 percent of high schools, 73 percent of middle schools, and 51 percent of elementary schools use security cameras for surveillance. A higher percent of high schools and middle schools have electronic emergency notification systems and structured, anonymous threat reporting systems. A lower percent of high schools control access to buildings during school hours, prohibit cell phone usage and text messaging, and require uniforms (U. S. Department of Education). Unfortunately, school violence is on the rise. Children should not have to be afraid to go to school in fear of experiencing a fateful attack. By no means can there ever be assumptions made that attacks cannot happen just anywhere; no area is completely immune to violence. The public cannot be naive. As much as the thought of an attack is hard to comprehend, the possibility must always be in the back of the mind. There are countless ways to be prepared; school administrators just need to take action. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators

Fire Hazards And Precautions

Fire Hazards And Precautions A first line support technician must be aware of the potential risks in an environment that uses computers and their peripherals. The technician should also be aware of safe working practices. This includes not only taking care of the human element within a workplace but also the proper care and handling of equipment. Health and safety issues range from the straightforward, e.g. common sense placement of a single computer, to the complex, e.g. hundreds of computers and other devices that have to be networked together. Generally, computers are regarded as being safe devices that do not suddenly blow up or burst into flames. However, because all devices that use electricity have a potential to become dangerous coupled with the rapid strides in technology that has made computers faster and more powerful there are components within a computer system that can get very hot. In most instances, the safety devices built within the computer system should prove adequate, e.g. fuses and circuit breakers but there may be cases when, due to unforeseen circumstances, a fire happens. In the case of a fire there are steps that can be taken that will minimise human injury and computer damage. Fire Awareness Tips Due to the serious nature of fire and its consequence it is vital that you are aware of what is best to do if you discover a fire. Every workplace is legally bound to provide its staff with details of fire exits, meeting points, and other guidelines about what to do in the event of a fire. It is the employees responsibility to familiarise themselves with this information. The following are a general list of advice that you should follow if you discover a fire: You should try to put a fire out only if you discover it in its early stages and you are completely confident that you can put it out. Be aware, however, that even a small fire can spread quickly and soon become out of control. You safety and your fellow workers safety comes first. If you do decide to tackle the fire, make sure that if you cant control it that you can still escape and that your exit is not blocked. Also be aware that fire extinguishers are only designed to fight fires in their very early stages and that the extinguisher may not be adequate if the fire spreads and the room becomes filled with smoke or fumes. If you believe that the fire cannot be easily dealt with you should immediately set off the nearest fire alarm by breaking the glass and then leave through the appropriate fire exit. The fire brigade should be contacted immediately. Fire Prevention Tips There are many common sense approaches with regards to cutting down the risk of fire with relation to computer equipment, including: Regular cleaning and maintenance of equipment, e.g. to cut down the build up of dust in a system. Taking care not to expose computer equipment to water or other possibly damaging liquids, e.g. refraining from placing potted plants that have to be watered on top of computing equipment. Making sure that ventilation ducts are clear and free from obstruction. Making sure that cables are not frayed or damaged in any way. Fire Extinguishers It is vital that first line support technicians have an awareness of the different types of fire extinguishers that are available, the purpose of each and how to use them. The first thing to note regarding fire extinguishers is that they are only designed to fight fire in its early stages. There are many types of fire extinguisher that are designed to suit different situations in which a fire may occur and it is important that the correct extinguisher is used for the type of fire being fought. Classes of Fire Depending on the country you are in there are slightly different categorisations of fire, .e.g. USA and Europe. We will examine the European classifications. In Europe, fires can be divided into six classes: Class A: These are fires involving flammable solids, e.g. wood, cloth, rubber, paper, and some types of plastics. An example of this type of fire would be a campsite fire. Class B: These are fires involving flammable liquids or liquefiable solids, e.g. petrol, oil, paint and also some waxes plastics, but not cooking fats or oils. Class C: These are fires involving flammable gases, e.g. natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane. Class D: These are fires involving combustible metals, e.g. sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Class E: These are fires involving any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but including electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire. Class F: These are fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of these types of fats and oil when on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids which means that normal fire extinguishers should not be used. Extinguisher Maintenance Al fire extinguishers should be regularly checked to make sure that they are fully functional and ready to use if required. In the UK, there are three types of maintenance required: Basic Service All extinguishers require this service annually and it includes checking pressure, weight and any other indication of damage. Extended Service Water, wet chemical, foam and powder extinguishers have to be serviced every five years and the examination is more detailed than the basic service and includes a test discharge. Overhaul CO2 extinguishers require a thorough service every ten years. Each of the services includes the examiner signing and date stamping that the service has taken place. There are other items that can be used to fight fire such as fire blankets and hose reels but these are outside the remit of the course. Types of Extinguisher We will look at the following types of fire extinguisher: Water and Foam Carbon Dioxide Dry and Wet Chemical Powder Water and Foam Water extinguishers work by quickly removing the heat from the fire. Water extinguishers are only suitable for fighting Class A fires that involve materials such as wood, paper and textiles. Water should not be used to fight Class B fires because flammable liquids could be spread by the steam from the water, neither should they be used for Class E electrical fires because water conducts electricity there is a risk of electrocution. Foam extinguishers work by quickly removing heat and oxygen from the fire. Foam extinguishers are suitable for Class A and Class B fires. They are especially suited for controlling Class B flammable liquid fires because the foam has a blanketing effect that smothers the flames without spreading the fire. Carbon Dioxide Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers work by removing the oxygen element from the fire. Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are suitable for Class B and Class E fires, i.e. involving flammable liquids and electricity respectively Carbon dioxide extinguishers should not be used in confined spaces because they reduce the oxygen in the air. Also, do not hold the nozzle while using because this may lead to injuries such as cold burns because the CO2 is released at extremely low temperatures. Wet and Dry Chemical Wet chemical extinguishers work by removing the heat from the fire and by creating a barrier between the fuel and oxygen. Wet chemical extinguishers are suitable for Class F fires, i.e. cooking oil and fats, which can reach extremely high temperatures. Dry chemical extinguishers work by removing the chemical reaction of the fire. Dry chemical extinguishers are suitable for Class A, Class B and Class C fires, i.e. involving flammable liquids and electricity respectively Powder Powder extinguishers work by removing the heat from the fire or by separating the fuel and oxygen. Powder extinguishers are suitable for Class A, Class B and Class E fires. Fire Extinguishers Task Go to this website and have a look through this resource on Fire Extinguishers. Have a go at the quiz at the end of it to see how much you have learned. Good Luck. Click on this link for a useful flash tutorial on fire extinguishers. Electrical Hazards Anything that uses electricity to work contains a risk that if it is faulty then it could lead to an electric shock. There are certain devices that are considered more dangerous than others and users should be warned that trying to fix these would be best left to professional electronic engineers, e.g. a computer monitor should not be opened even after mains power has been switched off because a dangerous electrical charge remains. Computers and their associated peripheral, such as printers, scanners are powered from the mains and as such are a potential hazard. Therefore, the risk of electric shocks applies to all users and not just technicians who have the systems opened while they are working with them. Greater care must be exercised when a technician is working with an open system. It is advised that all of the equipment under repair or modification is disconnected from the mains supply during the entire process. Hazard Protection There are different hardware devices that can be used to guard against human injury and damage to expensive equipment. These include: Fuses Circuit Breakers Residual Current Devices These devices are designed to carry out one or more of the following: Reduce the risk of fire Reduce the risk of electrical shock Reduce the risk of equipment damage Fuses Fuses and circuit breakers are devices that protect an electrical system from overload and short circuits. These devices are designed to protect equipment rather than users. These devices are current sensitive which are designed to cut power if the current rises above a preset limit. Fuses are a very common way of protecting equipment from power overloads and can be found in many places including the home. Any device, e.g. TV and Video, which connects to the mains, will have a fuse in the plug. If you open a fuse you would see a thin wire or foil which will vaporise quickly if an overload of current goes through it. The fuse must then be replaced in order for the device to work again. Circuit Breakers A circuit breaker is an electromechanical device that carries out a very similar job as a fuse. They are designed to make circuits under normal conditions and to break circuits in the event of an overload, .e.g. a short circuit. The key difference between a fuse and a circuit breaker is that once a fuse has performed it duty it needs to be replaced, whereas a circuit breaker can be reset. Modern electricity supplies use circuit breakers rather than fuses and these will be located at different locations in a building. In the event of a circuit breaker tripping and cutting power, then this will allow an engineer to check the equipment for any faults before the circuit breaker can be safely reset. Another advantage of circuit breakers is that they can be switched off manually to allow safe repair and maintenance. Residual Current Devices (RCD) This is a device for human safety rather than solely protecting computer equipment and its function is to minimise the possibly of injury through electric shock. An RCD works by detecting if electricity is leaking from a circuit and if so it breaks the circuit. Most RDCs are combined with a circuit breaker and so will protect equipment in the case of an overload. Typically, RCDs can be tested by pressing a testing button with should cause the device to operate as if a dangerous leakage had occurred. If the device operates properly, it can be used in a live environment and will perform its function. RCDs should be checked on a regular basis to make sure that they are still functioning properly. PAT Regulations Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is part of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 legislation. This legislation places legal implications on employers to ensure the safety of electrical devices in the workplace and the person most likely to carry out this kind of testing the first line support technician. The portable refers to any electrical item that can be moved from one location to another and therefore includes PCs, printers, scanners and many other electrical objects that can be found in the workplace. There are three parts to PAT: Visual inspection Earth continuity test Insulation test PAT testing should be carried out a regular intervals, however, a common time frame is every 12 months. Electro Static Discharge (ESD) Electro Static Discharge (ESD) can cause a lot of damage to electronic components, such as those found in computer systems, e.g. the processor and RAM. The amount of ESD required to destroy or damage a computer component would not register with a human and at most a person would feel a little shock. Many of the semiconductor chips (integrated circuits) and other components in a computer system operate at a low voltage and can be irreparably damaged by ESD2-5 volts and can be damaged by as little as 40 volts ESD. The causes of ESD include: People moving about normally Equipment being moved Low humidity Poor connections Unshielded cables Improper grounding Minimising ESD Steps should be taken to minimise ESD, particularly by technicians working with components that are most susceptible to damage by it. Example solutions could include: Installation of humidifiers to cut down on low humidity conditions Changing the work environment, e.g. removing carpets Training of staff to make them aware of the problem The use of devices or equipment to minimise ESD Anti-Static Precautions and Safety Hazards Probably the most common guard against ESD when working with computer components is an anti static wrist strap. This is a conductive strap that has a wire attached. The wire is typically attached to the computers casing or could be connected to a special plug inserted into an ordinary mains socket or to an anti static work mat. An alternative to a wrist strap is an anti static heel strap which performs the same function but will be connected to a anti static floor mat. Warning: an important safety issue when using an antistatic device is not to work on any equipment where there is a possibility of touching a live or high voltage component. The anti static device will form an excellent path for the electricity to flow to ground through your body, and that would be extremely dangerous. It is also important that when touching components, such as processors and LSZH Sheathing Cable Protection Low Smoke Zero Halogen is a special type of cable sheath used by manufactures for a variety of types of cable, including network cables. Unlike the normal PVC cable covering used that can produce toxic and corrosive gases when it burns, this type of cable covering does not release dangerous gases when it burns. Many organisations structured cabling schemes require that several cables be run together. This can be extremely dangerous in the event of a fire because of the greater amount of PVC burning result in an increase in life threatening fumes. Generally, when this is the case, organisations will choose to install LSZH cabling.

An Indroduction Of The Philippines Economics Essay

An Indroduction Of The Philippines Economics Essay The Philippines is an island nation located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. It has 7107 islands. And has a total area of 300000 square kilometers. At the north side of Philippine the Taiwan is located. At the east side the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia and Malaysia at the south and South China Sea at the west. The capital city of Philippines is manila which is located in the island of Luzon at the northern part. The total population of Philippines is 98 million. The climate of Philippines is tropical. The culture of Philippines is influenced by Spanish and Chinese. Most of the people having also Spanish surnames. It has generally west European culture, people of Philippines are Christian. Islam is more popular in island of Mindanao. The Philippines has developing economy with agricultural and service sector base. The poverty line is 40% it means 40% of the population remain be poor. The large trading partners of the Philippines are the US and Japan. Philippines is a presidential unitary republic with the president at the apex, as the head of state, the head of government and the commander in chief of the armed forces. He is elected by popular vote, every 6 years. Government policies are design to promote industrial development. 1.1 ECONOMICAL ENVIRONMENT : Economic environment of business has reference for economic systems to operate the business. The business sectors also continue economic relations with govt, capital market, worldwide and households sector. It would affect the trends and formation of the economy. The outer factors that influence with the following points. Economic Conditions :- The economic circumstances are safe in the country. Per capita income, national income, allocation of income and assets, Economic resources, economic growth etc are also affected to prepared the business strategies. Economic growth and business cycle are easily defined the economic environment. System :- The economic system also impact on business endeavor. Economic system of a Philippines also considered socialist, capitalists, mixed or communist. Economic Policies :- The government also decided budgets, economic planning, economic industrial regulation, law of business. Industrial guidelines to control on price and wages, trade and transportation polices the size of national income, demand and supply of different merchandise. Economic Growth :- The economic growth impacts the strategies of business. It helps in rising the economic growth and expenses in consumption. It provides opportunities to the industries for the expansion. v. Currency Exchange :- Current exchanges have direct impact on the environment of business. The rupee was devalued in1991. The Indian products cheaper in the world market and boost exports of India. ECONOMIC CONDITION 2.1 GDP of Philippines : The GDP growth rate provides an aggregated measure of changes in value of goods and services produced by an economy. The GDP growth rate of Country from 1998 to 2012 is average 1.08%. The domestic economy accelerated in the second quarter of 2012 to 5.9% from 3.6%. The earlier year boosting the first semester growth to 6.1% from 4.2%.   The resilient Services sector remained the main driver of growth supported by the sustained growth of manufacturing and the return of construction. Philippines is a recently industrialized country in the Southeastern Asia. The most important industries of Philippines are food processing, textiles and garments, automobile parts and electronics. Philippines have also treasury of chromites, nickel, copper, coal and newly discovered oil. Philippines GDP Growth Rate This chart is all about the past data for Philippines growth rate. [Source: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/sna/2012/2nd2012/2012qpr2.asp] 2.2 Per Capital Growth in Philippines : In 2011, it was at 1.98% in Country and it was published by World Bank report in 2012. The Growth rate of GDP per capital depends on continuous local currency. The GDP Divided by Mid Year Population. The GDP of Purchasing Price is total of all resident products in economy (+) product taxes (-) any subsidies which is not included in value of the product. This is calculated without making deduction for depreciation of fictional assets. It includes a chronological chart, news and estimate for GDP. In Southeastern area of Philippines is newly industrialized country. Philippines Predicting food processing Textiles and Garment, Electronic and automobile parts and also significant reserve of Chromate, Nickel, Copper, Coal and Recently Discovered Oil. [Source: http://www.kedingeconomics.com/philippines/GDP.Per.Capitagrowth.Annual.Percentwb.data.html] 2.3 PPP Philippines : Philippine has long familiarity with public-private partnership, initiatives and serves as future investment with aggressive PPP promotion. The Government is to attract private partners to invest only in traditional infrastructure Projects like Power, Transportation and Water Sectors and in Non-Traditional Infrastructure similar to information and communications technology, health and property development. The Partnership addressed in 1990s and it help out to improve road network quality, transport linkages and social Services. [Source: http://www.ppp/gove.ph/] 2.4 International Reserve : Countys beginning gross global reserve is significantly increased up to US $79.3 Billion in July.BSP Governor Amando Letangco said that foreign reserve were US $3.2 Billion higher than GIR of US $76.1 Billion, The Level of GIR Increased in end of July, Due to Foreign exchange operations. The funds of the Country are deposited in foreign currency. The Philippines acquire income from investment in a foreign country of the BSP and gain revolution on BSP gold holdings arising from increase in price of Gold in global Market. The Import of goods and payment of services and income adequately cover in 11.7 months and also corresponding 10.7 times. Philippines short term outer debt based on original maturity. [Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breadkingnews/201208/] ECONOMY OF PHILIPPINES Population : 95.9 Million GDP (PPP) : $351.4Billion : 6.1% growth in 2012 : 5.5% 5-year compound annual growth : $4,700 per capita Unemployment : 7.3% Inflation (CPI) : 3.60% FDI Inflow : $1.7 billion for 1st Half Quarter 1 Peso : 1.3134 Rupee and 0.0243 Dollar The Philippines ranks 19thout of 41countries in the Asia Pacific region. And 44th the biggest economy on the earth. According to HSBC estimates. The stock market is one of the best performers in the region. The peso reached a 4 year high against the dollar about the same time. Economy has been on a solid path of economic expansion. The govt. has pursued a series of governmental reforms to increase the industrial environment and build up private sector for reduce unemployment. But regulatory efficiency has been not improved. And over last 5 year the economy has been develop at average annual rate of 5%. Rule of Law : The rule of law is not on level and authorized structure is poor in independence and efficiency. The judiciary is independent but there is political interference. There is some progress due to government anti corruption efforts to eliminate corruption and fix efficiently. Limited Government : Government spending Spurs on 6.4% growth in 1st Quarter. Taxable Income Tax Rate More than But less than 0 P10,000 5% P10,000 P30,000 P500 + 10% of the Excess over P10,000 P30,000 P70,000 P2,500 + 15% of the Excess over P30,000 P70,000 P140,000 P8,500 + 20% of the Excess over P70,000 P140,000 P250,000 P22,500 + 25% of the Excess over P140,000 P250,000 P500,000 P50,000 + 30% of the Excess over P250,000 P500,000 P125,000 + 32% of the Excess over P500,000 in 2000 and onward Corporate tax rate is 30% and Regional are taxed at 10% on taxable income. The VAT an environmental tax with overall tax is 12.8% of total domestic income. If any taxpayer fail to pay VAT component in the sales invoice or official receipts shall be penalized as : Fine of not less then P1,000 but not more than P50,000 and Suffer custody of not less than 2 but not more than 10 years. Regulatory Efficiency : The business regulatory environment has improved considerably. Although launching a business still takes more than the world averages of seven procedures and 30 days, the overall process has become less costly. The time and cost involved in dealing with licensing requirements have been notably reduced. The labor market remains structurally rigid, but existing regulations are not particularly burdensome. Inflation is modest. Open Market : The trade weighted average tariff rate is 4.8 percent, and layers of non-tariff barriers further inhibit more dynamic gains in trade. Despite a strong desire to attract longer-term foreign investment, systemic inefficiency exacerbated by heavy bureaucracy discourages dynamic growth in investment. The financial sector, which is gradually modernizing, remains relatively stable and sound. [http://www.heritage.org/index/pdf/2012/countries/philippines.pdf] ECONOMIC POLICIES 4.1 Monetary Policy The international Monetary Fund will look into the countrys progress on the monetary and fiscal policy and assess the 2 year old Aquino administration by short staff visit which is commence. The most accurate forecasters agree on that Monetary authorities are trying to control foreign investment in the Peso arguing that Asias best performing currency has strengthened too much. The economic momentum has built up from decreasing of monetary policy may boost the country is growth in2012 is 5.8% and up to 7 % is 2013. And the govt.s success in containing the budget deficit has been given monetary authorities considered liberty. In 2011 the govt. incurred a budget deficit of 197.8 billion which was less than two third of 2010. The size of economy in overspending in 2011 comprised only 2% less than 3.5% recorded in2010. The debt stock of 2011 settled at P4.95% trillion or 50.9% of gross domestic. [http://business inquirer-net/49369/bsp-monetary-policy-expected-to-push-up-ph-economy] 4.2 Fiscal Policy : The Philippines long term foreign currency credit rating raised from BB to BB+. It kept rating outlook at stable. According to Presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang the Philippines can still afford to undertake public spending without put in to danger its overall financial position. And the govt. doesnt want a strong peso to delay competitiveness of exports. The Philippines economy grew by 6.4% in 1st quarter, it is one of the highest in Asia and upgrade is a vote of confidence for the country. According to finance secretary Cesar V Purisima, that this gives more confidence to continue with the work towards macroeconomic stability, fiscal sustainability and inclusive economic growth. [http://www.philstar.com/Artical.aspx?article Id=824407 publication Sub Category Id=] 4.3 Deficit Policy : The Financial Secretary Cesar Purisima said that the govt. spent P19.90 billion and the deficit was manageable, expressing, confidence the full year fund shortfall would staying within 2.6% of GDP or P279 billion. The govt. continued rise in revenue collections so that the fiscal position remains under control. So this wide fiscal space will gives the advantage to finance infrastructure projects and social programs that curb poverty and promote equality. Jan-May deficit P22.79 billion. The govt.s self imposed 1st half ceiling of P109.34 billion and it spent P668.43 billion in 1st five month of year up 13.1% compared to last year. And revenues reached P645.64 billion. For May revenue grew 9.4% to 131.4 billion while spending reached P151.3 billion. Purisima said that the govt. is committed to reach its 5.6% growth in 2012 and recorded 6.4% expansion in 1st three month. The Philippines suffered a P 197.8 billion budget deficit last year which is equivalent to 2% of GDP. [http://business-inquirer-net /67459/Philippine-budget-deficit-shoots-up] 4.4 Foreign Trade Policy : According to the Global Enabling Trade Report 2012, the rank of Philippines is 72nd out of 132 countries. It measured the factors, policies, services, areas of market access, border administration transport and communication infrastructure and business environment. In the area of market access the Philippines jumped 14 from 64 and in terms of efficiency of import-export procedure it looks 48 spot from 55. And access to imported inputs at competitive prices identifying potential market and buyers corruption at the border and other concerns it places 62 out of 132 countries. The trade chief attributed the countrys improvement in ranking to the debt of Trade and Industrys effort to facilitate trade across borders like the Doing business in Free Trade Areas an awareness campaign has aimed to help stakeholders into understand new markets and instruments like free trade agreement. It reforms to improve the ease of doing business in country through the Philippines. Business Registry (PBR) and Business permits and license streamlining (BPLS) programs for local govt. [http://businessinquirer-net/63369/Philippines-climbs-20-nitches-up-in-business-destination-ranking] 4.5 Balance of Payment : The inflow of foreign currency exceeded than the outflow in Feb and Philippines balance of payments hitting a surplus of $588 million. BOP is recorded of the countrys commercial transaction with the rest of world. It helps beef up the countrys total reserves of foreign exchange or gross international reserves (GIR).It stands at a record high of $78 billion. According to economist the unfavorable global economy that investors have tendency to pull out funds from emerging markets like Philippines. So it create depreciation pressures on local currencies. But with enough reserves of foreign exchange the Bangko Sentral ng philipines can buy pesos and reduce its depreciation and it will hit a surplus of at last $2.8 billion by end of 2011. Due to increase in employment in US an economist said that it would lead to increase in demand for imported goods from Philippines. [http://bus.inquirer.net/50127/bsp-balance-of-payment-stood-at-surplus-in-feb] GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICAL GOVERNMENT 5.1 Import : Philippines import were worth 5101 million USD in June of 2002 until 2012,Philippines averaged imports 4155.20 million USD reaching an all time high of 5848.00 million USD in July of 2008 and low record of 2226.00 million USD in January of2002. Philippines imports mostly considered electronic products, mineral fuel, industrial machinery and equipment, transport equipment, lubricants, steel and iron. Mostly import partners are Japan, china, Singapore, South Korea, United States. Here we include the chart with historical data for Philippines import. Philippines Imports [http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/imports] Export : Philippines exports were worth 4314 million USD in June of 2012. From 2002 until 2012, average export of Philippines 3681.10 million USD reaching an all time high of 5325.00 million USD in September of 2010 and record low of 2506.00 million USD in February of 2009. Major exporter of electronic products like processors, chips, and hard drives (more than 50% of total exports revenue) and other major exports include apparel and clothing accessories, wood crafts, coconut oil and furniture. Philippines major export partners are United States, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, china. This page includes a chart with Philippines historical data of Philippines exports. Philippines Exports [http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/exports] 5.2 Corporate Income Tax : The domestic and foreign resident corporations income tax rate in Philippines is 30%, based on net taxable income. Domestic company payable company tax on all income derived from sources outside and within the Philippines. Foreign corporations, whether resident or non-resident are taxable on income derived from sources within the Philippines. Non resident foreign corporations are ,in certain circumstances, subject to a final withholding tax on passive (investment) incomes at rates higher than the applicable tax rates applying to domestic and foreign resident corporations. Resident companies are created or organized under the law of Philippines or foreign companies licensed to engage in business or trade in the Philippines. The corporate income tax rate for domestic and foreign resident corporations is 30%, income tax excluded from are dividend received from domestic corporations, interest on Philippines currency bank deposits and other monetary benefit from deposits substitutes and trust funds and arrangements and final taxes, interest income derived from the foreign currency deposits is include final tax of 7.5% ,other interest earned by domestic and foreign resident corporations is included 20% final withholding tax. Special economic tones enterprises registered with economic tone authority are taxed at the rate of 5% on gross income in lieu of national and local taxes and real property tax. Gross sales or gross revenue derived from the business activity within the Ecozens, sales returns, net of sales discount and allowances less the cost of sales or direct costs but before deduction made for expenses of administrative and losses during the taxable period. [http://www.quezoncity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=226Itemid=347] India 2005-36.59 2006-33.66 2007-33.99 2008-33.99 2009-33.99 2010-33.99 2011-32.44 2012-32.44 The corporate tax rate is 32.445% .Domestic companies tax rate is 30%, profits from life insurance business in India are taxed at the rat of 12.5%.foreign companies are taxed at the rate of 40%. A minimum alternate tax (MAT) is levied at 18.5% of adjusted profit of companies. The tax payable is less than 18.5% of book profits. Dividend distributed from domestic company. Surcharge and education cess is above taxes is applicable.5% surcharge in case of foreign companies is applicable. The total income is in excess of INR 10 million. Education cess of 3% is applicable on income tax plus surcharge wealth tax is imposed at a rate of 1% on the value of specified assets held by the tax payer in excess of basic exemption of INR13million.transaction tax of securities transactions in equity shares and units of equity oriented funds. [http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/whatwedo/tax/tax-tools-and-resources/pages/corporate-tax-rates-table.aspx] HOW ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF PHILIPPINE AFFECTS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS? The Philippines has certainly had a steady flow of positive economic news recently. On July 4, Standard Poors raised the countrys debt rating to just below investment grade, the highest rating for the country since 2003 and equivalent to that of Indonesia. The Philippines is the 44th-largest economy in the world today, according to HSBC estimates. But if current trends hold, it can leap to the No. 16 spot by 2050. The Philippine stock market, one of the best performers in the region, closed at a record high after the recent S. P. rating upgrade, and the countrys currency, the peso, reached a four-year high against the dollar at about the same time. With $70 billion in reserves and lower interest payments on its debt after recent credit rating upgrades, the Philippines pledged $1 billion to the International Monetary Fund to help shore up the struggling economies of Europe. The gross domestic product of the Philippines grew 6.4 percent in the first quarter, according to the countrys central bank, outperforming all other growth rates in the region except Chinas. Economists expect similarly strong growth in the second quarter. We have made a very bold forecast for the Philippines, but I think justifiably so, said Frederic Neumann, a senior economist at HSBC in Hong Kong. A high population growth rate, long considered a hindrance to prosperity, is now often seen as a driving force for economic growth. About 61 percent of the population in the Philippines is of working age, between 15 and 64. That figure is expected to continue increasing, which is not the case for many of its Asian neighbors, whose populations are aging. 6.1 Trade Economy : The GDP per capita growth (annual %) in Philippines was last reported at 1.98 in 2011, according to a World Bank report published in 2012. Annual percentage growth rate of GDP per capita based on constant local currency. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP at purchasers prices is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. This page includes a historical data chart, news and forecats for GDP per capita growth (annual %) in Philippines. Philippines is a newly industrialized country in the Southeastern Asia. The nations most important industries are food processing, textiles and garments, electronics and automobile parts. Philippines also has significant reserves of chromite, nickel, copper, coal an d recently discovered oil. In addition, the Philippians economy relies on remittances as a source of foreign currency. philippines gdp per capita growth annual percent wb data 6.2 Domestic Price : The Philippine domestic economy shrunk to 3.7 percent in 2011, after a stellar growth of 7.6 percent in 2010. Growth was mainly undermined by the severe state under spending as well as the frail external environment. Outlook for 2012 is relatively sanguine with the government hinging its optimism on robust consumer demand and a more vigorous public spending. However, downside risks to growth persist with the global recovery poised to remain slow and uncertain. 2011 domestic economy tepid at 3.7%. The Philippine domestic economy grew by 3.7 percent in 2011, almost half of its 7.6 percent growth in 2010. The growth is within the latest forecasts of the National Economic and Development Authority (3.6-4.0 %) and the International Monetary Fund (3.7%). However, the growth figure is well below that assumed by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (4.5-5.5%), Asian Development Bank (4.7%), and the World Bank (4.2%); and is significantly off the growth target of the Philippine Development Plan (7.0%). Notable is the countrys poor economic performance relative to its neighbors. Except for Thailand, most Asian economies registered higher gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates than the Philippines in 2011. Gross national income (GNI)1 likewise slumped to 2.6 percent from 8.2 percent in 2010. This resulted from the significant contraction of net primary income (NPI),2 which slowed to a negative 0.9 percent, a turnaround from the 10.0 percent growth in 2010 6.3 Labor Force : Unemployment down to 7%. The countrys labor force numbered at 61.9 million in 2011. Of this number, 2.8 million were unemployed registering an unemployment rate of 7.0 percent. Moreover, the service sectors share of total employment increased from 51.8 percent in 2010 to 52.1 percent. Agriculture accounted for 33.0 percent of the employed while industrys share was 14.9 percent. Although the economy managed to generate more than one million jobs in 2011, the quality of employment is still a concern given the substantial increase in the underemployment rate as well as in the number of unpaid family workers. Latest data showed that the underemployed numbered at 7.2 million 6.4 Inflation : Headline inflation is within target. Headline inflation averaged 4.8 percent in 2011, well within the 3.0-5.0 percent inflation target for 2011 but higher than the 3.8 average recorded in 2010. A rise in the prices of food items had been recorded mainly due to the adverse effect of typhoons on agricultural food supplies. Core inflation,3 on the other hand, averaged 3.6 percent The government is particularly bullish on having higher investments in 2012 as investment pledges registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority surged by 47 percent in the first two months of the year. The PSEis breaching of the 5,000 mark for the first time in March 2012 is also said to bode well for the equities market. Likewise, private construction, particularly in the property subsector, is anticipated to remain robust given the upward momentum in office demand and investments in low-cost housing. Demand for commercial spaces will continue to be buoyed by the BPO sector, the revenues of which are slated to grow even further this year by 20 percent. The residential sector is also expected to receive continued support by the robust demand from families of overseas Filipinos. Consumer spending will similarly be sustained by the favorable inflation outlook and the continuous inflow. 6.5 Unemployment Rate : Unemployment means the number of people actively looking for a job divided by the labor force. Unemployment depends on the number of non-employed people who found the job and the people who lost their current job. Unemployment related to labour force, participation rate and employment rate. The unemployment rate of Philippines is 7.2 % which we can show that in the graph. 6.6 Private Sector Development : The stimulus package presented by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is known as the economic resiliency plan. The package included personal income-tax relief for low- and middle-income earners, reduction in corporate income tax, higher social spending on cash transfers and job-creation schemes, as well as a series of infrastructure projects. Although the reforms were not entirely new, the package led the Philippines to being acknowledged as Asias more socially responsible stimulus plans thanks to its focus on agriculture and social services that directly benefit the poor population. The fall in agricultural commodity prices helped support personal disposable income. As a result personal household budgets were minimally effected. The social component in their reforms may be credited with the largest impact due to the focus on poverty. The Philippines must sustain the reform movement in order to spur investments, increase growth, generate higher employment, and alleviate poverty for the fast growing population. Their reforms have already generated 34 consecutive growth quarters, created 8 million jobs, and maintained the lowest inflation in a generation. Most importantly poverty has decreased while revenue increased and has allowed the nation to invest in human and physical infrastructure. With sustained reform and their economic resiliency the Philippines may soon be a prime investment opportunity in uncertain world economic and financial conditions.

Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose Essay -- Education Boundary Mike Ro

Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose The book Lives on the Boundary, written by Mike Rose, provides great insight to what the new teaching professional may anticipate in the classroom. This book may be used to inform a teacher’s philosophy and may render the teacher more effective. Lives on the Boundary is a first person account composed of eight chapters each of which treat a different obstacle faced by Mike Rose in his years as a student and as an educator. More specifically in chapters one through five Mike Rose focuses on his own personal struggles and achievements as a student. Ultimately the aim is to highlight the underpreparedness of some of today’s learners. First and most importantly Mike Rose writes the book in the first person. This provides an invaluable view to the actual thoughts and perceptions of a student who considered himself to be underprepared. Mike Rose begins his accounts in grammar school when he felt lost in the material. The teacher did not hold his attention and therefore he began to â€Å"daydream to avoid inadequacy† (Rose 19). Mike Rose does not describe himself as a nuisance, but as a student who was overlooked. This treatment was very a detriment to his education. â€Å"I would hide by slumping down in my seat and page through my reader, carried along by the flow of sentences in a story.† (Rose 19) He discusses the teachers’ inability to â€Å"engage the imaginations of us kids who were scuttling along at the bottom of the pond.† (Rose 26) This strategy combined poorly with the attitudes of other students who did not want to work hard, who just wanted to be average. (Rose 28) Mike Rose describes that mix of students and how it affected his own perception of education: â€Å"School can be a tremendously disorienting place†¦ You’ll also be thrown in with all kind of kids from all kind of backgrounds, and that can be unsettling†¦ You’ll see a handful of students far excel you in courses that sound exotic and that are only in the curriculum of the elite: French, physics, trigonometry. And all this is happening while you’re trying to shape an identity; your body is changing, and your emotions are running wild.† (Rose 28)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without reading Mike Rose’s detailed descriptions of his experiences as a learner a perspective teacher may never suspect that the quiet student in the class is daydreaming to avoid the material that he/she does n... ...ild, when he would hide and daydream, up until his first years of college, when he would avoid areas that were difficult, the author recognized that there was important link between challenging the student on a meaningful level and the degree to which the student eventually produced. â€Å"I felt stupid telling them I was†¦ well – stupid.† (Rose 43) Here, Rose shows an example of how poor preparation and low standards in the classroom can make a student feel inadequate. Indeed, one can see how many things seemingly unrelated do affect a student’s ability to learn. Reading Mike Rose’s book Lives on the Boundary one can benefit from his efforts as a student and educator. It is a tool that can be used to motivate teachers to produce interesting lesson plans and to be aware of their students in all aspects. The book provides concrete examples of good and bad teaching all related through the author’s personal history. Finally, the book-as an account of one man’s personal struggle – reflects on the inner psyche of the marginal student and prompts the reader to be more attentive to each and every learner. Work Cited Rose, Mike. Lives on The Boundary. New York, NY: Penquin Books. 1989 Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose Essay -- Education Boundary Mike Ro Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose The book Lives on the Boundary, written by Mike Rose, provides great insight to what the new teaching professional may anticipate in the classroom. This book may be used to inform a teacher’s philosophy and may render the teacher more effective. Lives on the Boundary is a first person account composed of eight chapters each of which treat a different obstacle faced by Mike Rose in his years as a student and as an educator. More specifically in chapters one through five Mike Rose focuses on his own personal struggles and achievements as a student. Ultimately the aim is to highlight the underpreparedness of some of today’s learners. First and most importantly Mike Rose writes the book in the first person. This provides an invaluable view to the actual thoughts and perceptions of a student who considered himself to be underprepared. Mike Rose begins his accounts in grammar school when he felt lost in the material. The teacher did not hold his attention and therefore he began to â€Å"daydream to avoid inadequacy† (Rose 19). Mike Rose does not describe himself as a nuisance, but as a student who was overlooked. This treatment was very a detriment to his education. â€Å"I would hide by slumping down in my seat and page through my reader, carried along by the flow of sentences in a story.† (Rose 19) He discusses the teachers’ inability to â€Å"engage the imaginations of us kids who were scuttling along at the bottom of the pond.† (Rose 26) This strategy combined poorly with the attitudes of other students who did not want to work hard, who just wanted to be average. (Rose 28) Mike Rose describes that mix of students and how it affected his own perception of education: â€Å"School can be a tremendously disorienting place†¦ You’ll also be thrown in with all kind of kids from all kind of backgrounds, and that can be unsettling†¦ You’ll see a handful of students far excel you in courses that sound exotic and that are only in the curriculum of the elite: French, physics, trigonometry. And all this is happening while you’re trying to shape an identity; your body is changing, and your emotions are running wild.† (Rose 28)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without reading Mike Rose’s detailed descriptions of his experiences as a learner a perspective teacher may never suspect that the quiet student in the class is daydreaming to avoid the material that he/she does n... ...ild, when he would hide and daydream, up until his first years of college, when he would avoid areas that were difficult, the author recognized that there was important link between challenging the student on a meaningful level and the degree to which the student eventually produced. â€Å"I felt stupid telling them I was†¦ well – stupid.† (Rose 43) Here, Rose shows an example of how poor preparation and low standards in the classroom can make a student feel inadequate. Indeed, one can see how many things seemingly unrelated do affect a student’s ability to learn. Reading Mike Rose’s book Lives on the Boundary one can benefit from his efforts as a student and educator. It is a tool that can be used to motivate teachers to produce interesting lesson plans and to be aware of their students in all aspects. The book provides concrete examples of good and bad teaching all related through the author’s personal history. Finally, the book-as an account of one man’s personal struggle – reflects on the inner psyche of the marginal student and prompts the reader to be more attentive to each and every learner. Work Cited Rose, Mike. Lives on The Boundary. New York, NY: Penquin Books. 1989

Global Information Infrastructure Essay -- Economy Information Papers

Global Information Infrastructure Introduction Regardless of a nation’s level of economic development; political, economic and social structure; and language and culture they are all seeking to develop and improve the quality of life of their citizens. At present, the industrialized countries have an overwhelming lead in development over most developing nations. However, modern information and communication technologies offer a significant window of opportunity for developing countries to accelerate their development in all spheres of economic and social activity and to narrow the gap between countries. The world stands today on the threshold of a Global Information Society. This position has been arrived at through the truly remarkable advances that have been made in recent years in the development of ICT as well as the construction and development of national and global information infrastructure. Through these developments it is now both technically and economically feasible to bring modern information and communications technologies to any part of the entire world. Equally as important, people around the world, including those in developing countries, are increasingly demanding access to the emerging global information network. Hence, communities in Mexico, for example, have installed personal computers and built microwave towers to communicate with the rest of the world, allowing school children to interact with other students all over the world and keeping farmers apprised of both local and world crop prices. Also, India launched a programme to link its biggest cities with a n ationwide network that will facilitate the dissemination of government information and provide an infrastructure for commercial applicatio... ...ing to Content: A Pilot Comparative Study. Paris: UNESCO, September 1997 (CII-97/WS/8). Financial Times. Monday, July 10, 1998. Gore, Al and Ronald H. Brown. The Global Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Cooperation, Washington, D.C.: United States Government, 1995. The New York Times. Monday, January 20, 1997. d’Orville Hans. Technology Revolution Study: Communication and Knowledge-based Technologies for Sustainable Human Development. Report to the assistant administrator and Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS). New York: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 30 April 1996 UNESCO, UNESCO and an Information Society for All; A Position Paper, Paris: UNESCO, May 1996 (CII-96/WS/4). UNESCO, Information and Communication Technologies in Development: A UNESCO Perspective. Paris: UNESCO, December 1996 (CII-96/WS/6).

Clothing in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research pa

Clothing: A Form of Rebellion â€Å"Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used by the author to represent abstract ideas or concepts.† Symbolism in literature is the depth and hidden meaning in any piece of work. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a powerful and evocative novel laced with symbolism. The most obvious is the symbol of the scarlet letter itself, representing Hester’s sin of adultery. Hawthorne’s other symbols are less obvious and are very often obscured in the novel. Clothing is an important but often forgotten symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Clothing is defined as â€Å"garments collectively, clothes, raiment, apparel†¦ a covering† (dictionary.com). The second part of the definition, which describes clothing as â€Å"a covering† is the most relevant to its symbolism in the novel (dictionary.com). Hester is a seamstress and uses it as her source of income to support herself and her daughter Pearl. Hester uses clothing as a covering or escape from her sentence of having to wear the scarlet letter on her bosom all the time. The connotation of the word throughout the novel is a form of rebellion. Her work supplies an outlet for Hester’s artistic sensibilities, which she exercises in the work she does for others and in the clothes she embroiders for Pearl. With Pearl’s attire, Hester can give â€Å"the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination their full play† (Scarlet). Hester dresses Pearl in bright colors rather than the dark, drab colors that were so prevalently worn in Puritan society. In Chapter 1, the beginning scene of the novel, Hawthorne describes a group of Puritans in front of the prison. They were wearing â€Å"sad-colored garments and gray†¦hats.† Some were wearing hoods (Scarlet 42). Already Hawthorne is sh... ...l anyone of his crime. Moreover, clothing has vague significance because the reverend is wearing a black veil, like Chillingworth who wears black all the time, and that gives insight to his evil nature. In conclusion, clothing is used for multiple reasons in the novel. Hester uses it as a form of rebellion, it is her way to express her feelings through garments. In addition, it is her way of rebelling against Puritan society, by dressing Pearl in colors much not the norm to the society. In addition, clothing is also used to reflect character and situation in the novel. The clothes worn by Chillingworth and by the witch foreshadow their character. Colors of clothing are also important. The use of bright colors, such as crimson, and gold conveys how dissimilar Hester and Pearl are viewed by the Puritan society, which generally dresses in plain, emotionless colors.

Poseidon Essay

God of the sea, protector of all waters. Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus.At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities. Poseidon was the second son of Cronus and Rhea. In most accounts he is swallowed by Cronus at birth but later saved, with his other brothers and sisters, by Zeus. However in some versions of the story, he, like his brother Zeus, did not share the fate of his other brother and sisters who were eaten by Cronus. He was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which she gave to Cronus to devour.[3] According to John Tzetzes[23] the kourotrophos, or nurse of Poseidon was Arne, who denied knowing where he was, when Cronus came searching; according to Diodorus Siculus[24] Poseidon was raised by the Telchines on Rhodes, just as Zeus was raised by the Korybantes on Crete. According to a single reference in the Iliad, when the world was divided by lot in three, Zeus received the sky, Hades the underworld and Poseidon the sea. In the Odyssey (v.398), Poseidon has a home in Aegae. The foundation of Athens Athena became the patron goddess of the city of Athens after a competition  with Poseidon. Yet Poseidon remained a numinous presence on the Acropolis in the form of his surrogate, Erechtheus.[2] At the dissolution festival at the end of the year in the Athenian calendar, the Skira, the priests of Athena and the priest of Poseidon would process under canopies to Eleusis.[25] They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and the Athenians would choose whichever gift they preferred. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a spring sprang up; the water was salty and not very useful,[26] whereas Athena offered them an olive tree. Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, ca 440 BC The Athenians or their king, Cecrops, accepted the olive tree and along with it Athena as their patron, for the olive tree brought wood, oil and food. After the fight, infuriated at his loss, Poseidon sent a monstrous flood to the Attic Plain, to punish the Athenians for not choosing him. The depression made by Poseidon’s trident and filled with salt water was surrounded by the northern hall of the Erechtheum, remaining open to the air. â€Å"In cult, Poseidon was identified with Erechtheus,† Walter Burkert noted; â€Å"the myth turns this into a temporal-causal sequence: in his anger at losing, Poseidon led his son Eumolpus against Athens and killed Erectheus.†[27] The contest of Athena and Poseidon was the subject of the reliefs on the western pediment of the Parthenon, the first sight that greeted the arriving visitor. This myth is construed by Robert Graves and others as reflecting a clash between the inhabitants during Mycenaean times and newer immigrants. It is interesting to note that Athens at its height was a significant sea power, at one point defeating the Persian fleet at Salamis Island in a sea battle. The walls of Troy Poseidon and Apollo, having offended Zeus by their rebellion in Hera’s scheme, were temporarily stripped of their divine authority and sent to serve King Laomedon of Troy. He had them build huge walls around the city and promised to reward them well, a promise he then refused to fulfill. In  vengeance, before the Trojan War, Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy. The monster was later killed by Heracles. Consorts and children Poseidon on an Attic kalyx krater (detail), first half of the 5th century BC. Poseidon was said to have had many lovers of both sexes (see expandable list below). His consort was Amphitrite, a nymph and ancient sea-goddess, daughter of Nereus and Doris. Poseidon was the father of many heroes. He is thought to have fathered the famed Theseus. A mortal woman named Tyro was married to Cretheus (with whom she had one son, Aeson) but loved Enipeus, a river god. She pursued Enipeus, who refused her advances. One day, Poseidon, filled with lust for Tyro, disguised himself as Enipeus, and from their union were born the heroes Pelias and Neleus, twin boys. Poseidon also had an affair with Alope, his granddaughter through Cercyon, his son and King of Eleusis, begetting the Attic hero Hippothoon. Cercyon had his daughter buried alive but Poseidon turned her into the spring, Alope, near Eleusis. Poseidon rescued Amymone from a lecherous satyr and then fathered a child, Nauplius, by her. After having raped Caeneus, Poseidon fulfilled her request and changed her into a male warrior. A mortal woman named Cleito once lived on an isolated island; Poseidon fell in love with the human mortal and created a dwelling sanctuary at the top of a hill near the middle of the island and surrounded the dwelling with rings of water and land to protect her. She gave birth to five sets of twin boys(the firstborn who being named Atlas) became the first rulers of Atlantis.[28][5][6][7] Not all of Poseidon’s children were human. In an archaic myth, Poseidon once pursued Demeter. She spurned his advances, turning herself into a mare so that she could hide in a herd of horses; he saw through the deception and became a stallion and captured her. Their child was a horse, Arion, which was capable of human speech. Poseidon also had sexual intercourse with Medusa on the floor of a temple to Athena.[29] Medusa was then changed into a monster by Athena. When she was later beheaded by the hero Perseus, Chrysaor and Pegasus emerged from her neck. There is also Triton (the merman), Polyphemus (the cyclops) and, finally, Alebion and Bergion and Otos and Ephialtae (the giants).[29]