America Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

America Exceptionalism - Essay Example Enthusiasts of the myth of American exceptionalism need a radical change on the conception of the nation and the world around, if any efforts against racism, human right violation, and other ills are to bear fruit. The United States of America has had different descriptions in the past two centuries by some of its prominent leaders, ranging from titles like the indispensable nation, free world leader, and the best last hope of earth, the empire of liberty, and the shining city on a hill. These descriptions constitute the concept of American exceptionalism. This is an ideology that America’s political system, history, and values are unique in the universe (Jacobs). Moreover, enthusiasts of the ideology argue that the US is entitled and destined to play a positive and distinct role in the universe. The concept is an international debate among specialists and experts from all lifestyles, from law to former US government officials. Among them is Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow from Margret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Bromund advocates for the American exceptionalism ideology, mainly basing his arguments on the history of the great nation. On the other end of the debate are individuals like Harold Hongju Koh, a laws specialist and former government official in both Reagan’s and Clinton’s administrations. Koh, argues that the American exceptionalism has two facets, the good, and the bad. This paper focuses on the arguments of Koh and Bromund to assert that the American exceptionalism has both the good side and the bad side. In the article American Exceptionalism and its Enemies, Bromund strongly argues that the US is an exceptional state. Bromund begins his statement by pointing out that America has the oldest and the most capitalistic liberal democracy. He further re-asserts that it was the first nation whose foundation was on the belief of inherent human rights, also the

Managing Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Organizational Change - Essay Example The move was an intentional one to ensure that the organization is able to resurrect itself from a loss of market share, loss of revenues and unwitting loss of employees that may take place in case the organization undergoes an organizational decline. Downsizing in my organization led to employee and personnel reduction only. However, resources are also brought down in some other organizations. The goal is to improve the efficiency of the organization. According to Freeman and Cameron (1993), downsizing affects the way work is accomplished. The overall workforce declines when downsizing takes place and hence less number of individuals is available to do the same amount of work. The same happened in my organization. As a result of downsizing the overall work load on one individual increased. This led to burnout, lower morals and inefficiencies. Thus the change within my organization was directly related to marshalling and channeling of resources. This has also been referred to and exp lained in the IBM change story of Table 1.1. The story depicts how it is important for resources to be channeled appropriately when an organization is undergoing an organizational change. (Alexander, 2003) Reference: Alexander. (2003, Feb). From the President. Retrieved Jan 12, 2009, from Leadership in Action: http://www.ccl.org Week 2: Forum 2 Over the course of last couple of decades internet has changed the paradigms of media. News is no longer restricted and limited to print media. Electronic media has emerged on the forefront and now it is being regularly referred to by many. Its integration on the media front is also coupled with the fact that technology has embedded itself in the society today. Today’s man is more dependent on the web then he was ever before. In a recent study conducted by a firm, it was claimed that over three quarters of American adults make use of the Internet while more than half of them connect to the net through wireless connections either throug h laptops or through their handsets. Over 60% of these broadband connections are consumed at home. This in itself is indicative of the fact of the extent internet and with that how e-media has integrated itself in today’s society. I believe that both news print and online media are important in their own right though in my life I won’t deny the fact that the latter holds more significance. This is because I am always on the go and hence it becomes easy for me to read the news on my handset then piquing it down through newspapers. I very seldom read news on newspapers. Most of the time I find myself logging in on websites like nytimes.com, washingtonpost, bbc.com and cnn.com In the given article, the demise of TDI is illustrative of the growing influence of e-media in our society today. Reference: R.E.Goodin. (1975). How to determine who should get what. Ethics , 310-21. Week 3: Forum 3 Post economic down turn and recession, leadership roles and leadership perception ac ross the board has changed significantly. There are innumerable issues and challenges that confront the leaders of today, each of which is engrossing and highly intimidating. Empowerment of work forces, cultural and ethnic diversity, demands of the labor unions are some but of

Rock in Rio Festival in Brazil

Rock in Rio Festival in Brazil This report will analyse the rock festival called Rock in Rio that has been happening for 32 years in different cities in Brazil, Europe and United States. In 1985, in a waterlogged ground in Rio de Janeiro, 1,4 million people watched for the first time what would be the biggest rock festival of the country until nowadays. During 10 days, 14 artists and 15 national attractions performed in a ritual of peace and love. But wasnt easy to realise that project. Roberto Medina, the creator of this idea, had a really hard time to find someone to invest on it. Medina said that he had been in New York with a project of a huge rock festival in Latin America looking for sponsors. He also told magazines and newspapers that he had stayed in USA 40 days without an answer. After 200 businessmen have denied his ideas, Frank Sinatras manager helped him to get a sponsorship. Furthermore, on the inaugural edition of that great festival, was buÄ ±lt an arena, baptized the Cidade do Rock, or City of Rock. To a generation of Brazilian youths who had come of age under the oppressive shadow of a military dictatorship, this meant more than even its monumental scale, success and historic collection of musical talent would suggest. For them, Rock in Rio was literally the sound of freedom, and you could make a strong case that its this sound that has continued to resonate down the years, legitimizing the original spirit of a franchise that has since spun off multiple sequels well beyond the borders of Brazil. (Rivadavia, 2013) The first festival was a success, one curiosity is when the Australian band AC/DC was inflexible about bringing their own bell that weighed 1,5 tons to be used in their famous song Hells Bells. Unfortunately they couldnt play it and they had to use a bell made of plaster. All because the stage could not stand the weight of the original one. The great fame of the event was due to the fact that, the major international music stars do not usually visit South America, so the local audience there had the first opportunity to see near the international rock idols. (Neto, 2013) Since it started 17 editions already happened. In Rio only 6, meanwhile in Lisbon they made it 7 times, in Madrid 3 and Las Vegas 1. The festival is considered The Best Festival in the World by the specialized website Festival Fling. In 2015, after the last edition in Rio, the city mayor announced that had sign a contract to ensure that the festival is going to happen again in 2017 and 2019. Eduardo Paes, the mayor also said joking that he would be waiting an invitation to the next event. We got the most difficult part. The Rock in Rio Festival provides all the public an unforgettable experience. On the stages we have metal, pop, rock, indie, everything. (Medina, 2017) According to the official Rock in Rio website we should expect for new surprises at the following event. It said that until this moment the confirmed attractions were Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, The Who, Marron 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, Lady Gaga, Ivete Sangalo, Fergie, 5 Seconds of Summer, Justin Timberlake, BLITZ, Alice Caymmi and Davi Moraes. The festival will last two weeks. One of the big attractions is the Rock City, which this year is gonna be at Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro. It means that it will be twice the size of the last one and it also has an easier access to any kind of transportation. Inspired by Africa, the new version of the Rock Street will have two artificial lakes surrounded by bars, toilets and shadow areas to relax and enjoy the breaks between shows. Finally, for those interested on buying tickets, the initial sale of Rock in Rio Card happened in 2016. The entry cost was R$435 (adult) or R$217,50 (student and senior). Tickets will be sold again in 6th April. The age rating is 16 years old or under 16 accompanied by the legal guardian. Kinds of Music on Rock in Rio The graph shows the proportion of all kinds of music that are played on Rock in Rio Festival. As a result we can see that rock is always almost 50% in the last four editions. Additionally the average of those four seems that erudit music is the less common. However, its pretty clear that the festival provides all kind of music for all public, which the graph shows eight different styles. About the brasilian music we can also observe that is a considerable percentage of shows, which attract more attention and promotes their identity. Bibiography Brito, P. (2012). Rock in Rio à © rock sim, senhor. Retrieved from http://data-musica.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/rock-in-rio-e-rock-sim-senhor.html Rivadia, E. (2014). The Sound of Freedom: The History of Rock in RioRetrieved from http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-in-rio/ Retrieved from https://prezi.com/_el9ratfmbbv/rock-in-rio-history/ Brito, P. (2012). Graph A musica no Rock in Rio Retrieved from http://data-musica.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/rock-in-rio-e-rock-sim-senhor.html

Bahrain Essay -- essays papers

Bahrain History of Bahrain Bahrain was once part of the ancient civilization of Dilmun and served as an important link in trade routes between Sumeria and the Indus Valley as much as 5000 years ago. Since the late 18th century Bahrain has been governed by the Al-Khalifa family, which created close ties to Britain by signing the General Treaty of Peace in 1820. A binding treaty of protection, known as the Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship, was concluded in 1861 and further revised in 1892 and 1951. This treaty was similar to those entered into by the British Government with the other Persian Gulp principalities. It specified that the ruler could not dispose of any of his territory except to the United Kingdom and could not enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the United Kingdom without British consent. The British promise to protect Bahrain from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of land attack. After World War II, Bahrain became the center for British administration of treaty obligations in the lower Persian Gulf. In 1968, when the British Government announced its decision (reaffirmed in March 1971) to end the treaty relationships with the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Bahrain joined the other eight states (Qatar and the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms, which are now called the United Arab Emirates) under British protection in an effort to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, however, the nine sheikhdoms still had not agreed on terms of union. Accordingly, Bahrain sought independence as a separate entity and became fully independent on August 15, 1971, as the State of Bahrain. Cultural and Societal To truly understand the society and culture of Bahrain it is necessary to know what it is based on. Society and culture in Bahrain is based on Islamic religious beliefs. These beliefs are not only the moral standards for the country, but they are also the legal standards for all commerce, criminal, civil, and political codes. From a western standpoint this can be very confusing and different to comprehend. To alleviate some confusion the following is a small summary of Islamic beliefs. The following is by no means a complete summary and many beliefs, laws, and other religious criteria has been left out for expediencies sake. Islam One of Islam’s literal meanings is the â€Å"True Religion†. An Islamic fo... ...Force. A male is eligible for the military at the age of 15-49. The availability of military manpower is 220,670. Bahrain spends $276.9 million on military forces annually, which is 4.5% of the GDP. Bibliography: ArabNet, 1-3. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.arab.net/bahrain/bn_financial.html Bahrain, 1. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.countries.com/countries/bahrain Bahrain: The Pearl of the Arabian Gulf. (Dilmun), 1-3. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://members.tripod.com/~thottungal/Bahrain.html CIA -- The World Factbook 1999:Bahrain, 1-8. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ba.html Country Reports on Economic Policy & Trade Practices, 1-7. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: gopher://gopher.umsl.edu/oo/library/govdocs/crpt/crpt0008 Lands and People, 1. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://infoplease/lycos.com/ce5/CE004132.html Solman Al-khalifa, 1997, State of Bahrain: Central Statistical Organisation Directorate of Statistics, State of Bahrain (publisher).

Ratio Analysis Memo

Ratio Analysis Memo July 9, 2012 Memo To: From: Date: July 9, 2012 RE: Kudler Fine Foods ratio analysis One of the things that we will be going over is some of the ratios for Kudler Fine Foods through Liquidity, Profitability, and solvency ratios. We will look into some of the finding that were found through these ratios and discuss them. One of the things that we found was where Kudler Fine Foods’ position is with these ratios. The first area that we look at is profitability. Profitability Ratios:When looking through the profits of the company through the balance sheets we will look at a couple of areas. The first area that we will look into is the asset turnover of the company. The beginning assets started in at $1,971,000. When you take that by the total assets of $2,675,250 you get the turnover margin which is 4. 04. Net Sales___ = Asset Turnover $10,796,200 = 4. 04 Total Assets $2,675,250 Next area we see is the profit margin. You see through the balance sheet that Kudler Fine foods over the board did pretty good when you look at it from a profit stand point.The way we calculated the profit margin was Net Income over sales and this was the information that we got: Net Income = Profit Margin$668,950__ = . 06 Net Sales $10,796,200 Looking into the return on assets it was interesting to see some of the findings when we calculated. Net Income____________ = Return on Assets $668,950 = . 28 (Beginning + Ending total assets)/2 ($1,971,000 +$2,675,250)/2 Return on Common stockholders’ equity: Net Income = Return on Common stockholders’ equity. $668,950 =. 0 Shareholders’ equity $746,290 Solvency Ratios: Solvency ratios measure the company’s ability to meet long-term obligations. This is a ratio that measures the company’s size after tax income. One of the things that you look at with solvency ratios is debt to total assets. Total liabilities = Debt to total assets $746,290 = . 27 Total Assets $2,675,250 The other area that is measured in Solvency ratios is Time interest earned: Earnings before interest & Taxes = Time Interest earned $10,796,200 = $1,376. 8 Interest Expense $7,845 Liquidity Ratios: A company is labeled by how easily it can meet its short term obligations. Something that I think is happening pretty well at Kudler. When you look at the different ratios of the Liquidity you see some good numbers. Let us dive into these ratios so you can see what I am talking about. Current Ratio: Current Assets = Current Ratio$1,971,000 = $16. 94 Current Liabilities $116,290 Receivables Turnover: Sales Revenue = Receivable Turnover $10,804,000 = $12. 60Average Acct Receivable $86,000 Inventory Turnover: Cost of goods sold = Inventory Turnover$8,974,831 = $10 Average Inventory($467,890 + $429,090)/2 Acid Test: Liquid Assets = Acid Test$1,971,000 = $16. 94 Current Liabilities$116,290 When you look at the overall ratios of Kudler Fine Foods you see that things are going in the right direction. Looking at th e profitability margins you see increases in a short amount. Anything with an increase is good news. I would say that Kudler Fine Foods is in good condition and is steadily improving.

Allah — the Almighty, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent

Allah — the Almighty, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent This earth whereupon we live and breathe, the sky wherein we look at the numerous stars of small and large sizes twinkling, the sun that blazes and gives us light and energy, the moon that emits soothing lights and allures us and above all numerous other beings that we see around us; the twittering of birds, the cattle grazing in the vast pastures, the air which is utmost essential for our survival, the mountains whereupon we go for recreation and touring purposes, the eruption of volcanoes, the gliding waves of rivers, the bulging , frothing and roaring water of the oceans, the pointed cliffs and high and low ridges of the mountains, the calm and quiet vales and dales, the vast unlimited dry sandy tracts of the deserts blooming wherein flowers in the thorny bushes; all these things to whom we can see with our eyes and that are beyond our sight tell us that there is a Almighty being who has created all these things and running all the matters of this universe and all other universes to whom we have not been able to get to by now despite so much advancement of the present day society, make us know that it is He the Almighty Allah who is administering all beings — material or immaterial — alluring or non-alluring —fanciful or otherwise — being or non-being — all the bounties essential to the human beings with much ease and comfort and whatever qualms and colours, hue and queue occurs in this world is of the Commandments of His supreme Being — who is One and Alone and none else is like Him and to whom all purities and praises belong to Him. The more we, as being human beings, think of him come to know that it is He — the Allah Alone and Almighty, who has made this earth and its beings and other universes that are off of our vision and sight. The coming of seasons and its turning into the summer into fall, fall into the spring, spring into winter and winter into rainy season — and all the bliss and bounties th at take place out of this change and whose benefit we get in the form of corns, fruits and cereals and what not and it is He who has accorded us the title of Ashraful Makhlooqaat, the superior being among all other beings of the universe. The whole universe that is in our sight and beyond is subservient and subordinate to His Command and Will who is the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious and the Most Powerful than all other beings. His blessing and bounties are in abundance. He has given us tongue to speak of, eyes to see to, ear to listen to, and legs to move and walk from one place to another place and above all the brain to ponder over, to utilize according to our own contemplation so that we could ponder over His Being who is One and none else is like Him and all other things and beings that He has created for our use and utilization. If anything among His bounties we get loss we cannot regain that if He doesn’t intend so but if He wills we can have; time and tide does not affect on it. It is the common perception, such as, a patient who cannot see, since the doctor has operated upon his eye successfully so he has gained his vision but it is not so rather it is Allah who gave the wisdom to a doctor that he became able to operate upon successfully and hence the patient regained his vision and not the doctor who operated upon but the Allah who willed so and therefore the cure took place. If Allah didn’t will so there was none on the earth to recover his eyesight. In the like manner, whatever changes and vicissitudes and ups and downs take place anywhere in this world all that happen owing to His Commandments and Wills and not due to any other being whatever powerful that might be. He is so merciful and gracious that he demands us nothing except that we, the human beings, obey his Commandments and Orders as he desires of us so that he could shower his blessings and benedictions that he has created for those who obey him without nay and oblige him with much sincerity and uprightness and who serve his other beings according to his commandments and guidance as he has laid down in the Holy Quran and as to which the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) has preached and practiced and has asked us the human beings to act upon. We, being true Muslim, must adhere to His All Commandments by the core of our hearts so that He may forgive us; bestow on us His numerous bounties in this world and the world hereafter.

Lustreware - Medieval Islamic Pottery Technique

Lustreware - Medieval Islamic Pottery Technique Lustreware (less commonly spelled lusterware) is a ceramic decorative technique invented by 9th century C.E. Abbasid potters of the Islamic Civilization, in what is today Iraq. The potters believed that making lustreware was true  alchemy  because the process involves using a lead-based glaze and silver and copper paint to create a golden shine on a pot that contains no gold. Chronology of Lustreware Abbasid 8th c -1000 Basra, IraqFatimid 1000-1170 Fustat, EgyptTell Minis 1170-1258 Raqqa, SyriaKashan 1170-present Kashan, IranSpanish (?)1170-present Malaga, SpainDamascus 1258-1401 Damascus, Syria Lustreware and the Tang Dynasty Lustreware grew out of an existing ceramic technology in Iraq, but its earliest form was clearly influenced by Tang dynasty potters from China, whose art was first seen by those of Islam through trade and diplomacy along the vast trade network called the Silk Road. As a result of ongoing battles for control of the Silk Road connecting China and the West, a group of Tang dynasty potters and other craftsmen were captured and held in Baghdad between 751 and 762 C.E. One of the captives was the Tang Dynasty Chinese craftsman Tou-Houan. Tou was among those artisans captured from their workshops near Samarkand by members of the Islamic Abbasid Dynasty after the Battle of Talas in 751 C.E. These men were brought to Baghdad where they stayed and worked for their Islamic captors for some years. When he returned to China, Tou wrote to the emperor that he and his colleagues taught the Abbasid craftsmen the important techniques of paper-making, textile manufacture, and gold-working. He didnt mention ceramics to the emperor, but scholars believe they also passed along how to make white glazes and the fine ceramic pottery called Samarra ware. They also likely passed along the secrets of silk-making, but thats another story entirely. What We Know of Lustreware The technique called lustreware developed over the centuries by a small group of potters who traveled within the Islamic state until the 12th century, when three separate groups began their own potteries. One member of the Abu Tahir family of potters was Abul Qasim bin Ali bin Muhammed bin Abu Tahir. In the 14th century, Abul Qasim was a court historian to the Mongol kings, where he wrote a number of treatises on various subjects. His best-known work is The Virtues of Jewels and the Delicacies of Perfume, which included a chapter on ceramics, and, most importantly, describes part of the recipe for lustreware. Abul Qasim wrote that the successful process involved painting copper and silver onto glazed vessels  and then refiring to produce the lustrous shine. The chemistry behind that alchemy was identified by a group of archaeologists and chemists, led by who reported Spains Universitat Polità ¨cnica de Catalunya researcher Trinitat Pradell, and discussed in detail in the Origins of Lustreware photo essay. The Science of Lusterware Alchemy Pradell and colleagues examined the chemical content of glazes and the resulting colored lusters of pots from the 9th through 12th centuries. Guiterrez et al. found that the golden metallic shine only occurs when there are dense nanoparticulated layers of glazes, several hundred nanometers thick, which enhance and broaden the reflectivity, shifting the color of the reflected light from blue to green-yellow (called a redshift). These shifts are only achieved with a high lead content, which potters deliberately increased over time from Abbasid (9th-10th centuries) to Fatimid (11th-12th centuries C.E.) luster productions. The addition of lead reduces the diffusivity of copper and silver in the glazes and helps the development of thinner luster layers with a high volume of nanoparticles. These studies show that although the Islamic potters may not have known about nanoparticles, they had tight control of their processes, refining their ancient alchemy by tweaking the recipe and production steps to achieve the best high reflecting golden shine. Sources Caiger-Smith A. 1985. Lustre Pottery: Technique, tradition, and innovation in Islam and the Western World. London: Faber and Faber. Caroscio M. 2010. Archaeological Data and Written Sources: Lustreware Production in Renaissance Italy, a Case Study. European Journal of Archaeology 13(2):217-244. Gutierrez PC, Pradell T, Molera J, Smith AD, Climent-Font A, and Tite MS. 2010. Color and Golden Shine of Silver Islamic Luster. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 93(8):2320-2328. Pradell, T. Temperature resolved reproduction of medieval luster. Applied Physics A, J. MoleraE. Pantos, et al., Volume 90, Issue 1, January 2008. Pradell T, Pavlov RS, Gutierrez PC, Climent-Font A, and Molera J. 2012. Composition, nanostructure, and optical properties of silver and silver-copper lusters. Journal of Applied Physics 112(5):054307-054310.