Is it boon or bane free essay sample

The pork barrel scam has always been a very sensational issue which erupted on July of 2013. Many people did raise their eyebrows at anyone upon hearing such issue. But some just don’t care anyway. So, what really makes this issue ring the bell among all the Filipino people of this time? What is pork barrel? Is it a bane or boon? Pork barrel has been interchangeably used with PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund). Pork barrel is a political slang used to describe a government appropriation, bill or policy that supplies funds for local improvements. Under the pork barrel system, each branch of the government (legislative, judiciary and executive) has its own pork barrel allocation. The controversy however, has centered more on the legislative’s pork barrel. The pork barrel’s history can be traced back in the pre-Civil War period, where its possible origin can be traced among three practices: (1) The practice of the landowner setting aside a definite portion of salted pork in wooden barrels for their black slaves, (2) the practice of American farmers in preserving pork in barrels in anticipation of hardships of winter, when the pork was shared with their needy neighbors and (3) that it comes from an old adage â€Å"Bring home the bacon. We will write a custom essay sample on Is it boon or bane? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Pork barrel couldn’t just simply be pork barrel without the scam at the end which makes it clamor for public attention. Pork barrel has never been new to the Philippine society. As a matter of fact, this law has been introduced in the Philippine government in the year 1922. This so called fund was established as a public fund intentionally for public purposes, like building of public infrastructures, schools, health assistance, livelihood assistance, scholarships and the like. However, the things that are supposedly allocated for some better purpose goes nowhere but in the many deep pockets of our corrupt politicians. All of these things all boil down to the term pork barrel spending. This term pertains to the unwise, improper and unjust spending of the pork barrel in the hands of these dirty politicians, which lead to the pork barrel scam. As we all know, from the very beginning that the government was solely made for the people, by the people to the people. Therefore this improper spending of the pork barrel has legitimately defied all the principles of what true governance is. Therefore, this act is painstakingly an immoral act. Basing it from the social teachings of the church, such people are in their authority to lead and not to exploit and most especially to serve and not to abuse. These people exploit the money that the people pay as taxes, which in return nothing goes back to the one who must benefit it, which in this case the act of this spending can be none other termed as stealing. I believe that the idea of pork barrel is a system that could help alleviate the condition of the poorest among the poor in the society or it is something that can make the society a better place to live; in that is a given fact. This is made to help the people, the society and the country to be the best of it can. However, in the hands of the dirty politicians, this kind of systems turns out to be immoral for this goes nowhere but in the own pockets of the greedy crocodiles. Therefore, I conclude that this is no longer a great a help in our society since this system grows a generation of politicians the turns out to be selfish, greedy and the worst monsters. Which makes this pork barrel simply BANE.

Hamlet Themes and Literary Devices

Hamlet Themes and Literary Devices William Shakespeares Hamlet is considered of the most thematically-rich works of literature in the English language. The tragic play, which follows Prince Hamlet as he decides whether to revenge his fathers death by murdering his uncle, includes themes of appearance vs. reality, revenge, action vs. inaction, and the nature of death and the afterlife. Appearance vs. Reality Appearance versus reality is a recurrent theme within Shakespeare’s plays, which often question the boundary between actors and people. At the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet finds himself questioning how much he can trust the ghostly apparition. Is it really the ghost of his father, or is it an evil spirit meant to lead him into murderous sin? The uncertainty remains central to the narrative throughout the play, as the ghosts statements determine much of the narrative’s action. Hamlet’s madness blurs the line between appearance and reality. In Act I, Hamlet clearly states that he plans to feign madness. However, over the course of the play, it becomes less and less clear that he is only pretending to be mad. Perhaps the best example of this confusion takes place in Act III, when Hamlet spurns Ophelia leaving her utterly confused about the state of his affection for her. In this scene, Shakespeare brilliantly reflects the confusion in his choice of language. As Hamlet tells Ophelia to â€Å"get thee to a nunnery,† an Elizabethan audience would hear a pun on â€Å"nunnery† as a place of piety and chastity as well as the contemporary slang term â€Å"nunnery† for brothel. This collapse of opposites reflects not only the confused state of Hamlet’s mind, but also Ophelia’s (and our own) inability to interpret him correctly. This moment echoes the broader theme of the impossibility of interpreting reality, which in turn l eads to Hamlets struggle with revenge and inaction. Literary Device: Play-Within-a-Play The theme of appearance versus reality is reflected in the Shakespearean trope of the play-within-a-play. (Consider the often-quoted â€Å"all the world’s a stage† remarks in Shakespeare’s As You Like It.) As the audience watches the actors of the play Hamlet watching a play (here, The Murder of Gonzago), it is suggested that they zoom out and consider the ways in which they themselves might be upon a stage. For example, within the play, Claudius’s lies and diplomacy are clearly simple pretense, as is Hamlet’s feigning madness. But is not Ophelia’s innocent acquiescence to her father’s demand that she stop seeing Hamlet another pretense, as she clearly does not want to spurn her lover? Shakespeare is thus preoccupied with the ways we are actors in our everyday life, even when we don’t mean to be. Revenge and Action vs. Inaction Revenge is the catalyst for action in Hamlet. After all, it is the ghost’s injunction to Hamlet to seek revenge for his death that forces Hamlet into action (or inaction, as the case may be). However, Hamlet is no simple drama of vengeance. Instead, Hamlet continually puts off the revenge he is supposed to seize. He even considers his own suicide instead of killing Claudius; however, the question of the afterlife, and whether he would be punished for taking his own life, stays his hand. Similarly, when Claudius decides he must have Hamlet killed off, Claudius sends the prince to England with a note to have him executed, rather than doing the deed himself. In direct contrast to the inaction of Hamlet and Claudius is the forceful action of Laertes. As soon as he hears of his father’s murder, Laertes returns to Denmark, ready to wreak revenge on those responsible. It is only through careful and clever diplomacy that Claudius manages to convince the enraged Laertes that Hamlet is at fault for the murder. Of course, at the end of the play, everyone is revenged: Hamlet’s father, as Claudius dies; Polonius and Ophelia, as Laertes kills Hamlet; Hamlet himself, as he kills Laertes; even Gertrude, for her adultery, is killed drinking from the poisoned goblet. In addition, Prince Fortinbras of Norway, who was searching for revenge for his father’s death at Denmark’s hands, enters to find most of the offending royal family killed. But perhaps this fatally interlocking network has a more sobering message: namely, the destructive consequences of a society that values vengeance. Death, Guilt, and the Afterlife From the very beginning of the play, the question of death looms. The ghost of Hamlet’s father makes the audience wonder about the religious forces at work within the play. Does the ghost’s appearance mean Hamlet’s father is in heaven, or hell? Hamlet struggles with the question of the afterlife. He wonders whether, if he kills Claudius, he will end up in hell himself. Particularly given his lack of trust in the ghost’s words, Hamlet wonders if Claudius is even as guilty as the ghost says. Hamlets desire to prove Claudiuss guilt beyond all doubt results in much of the action in the play, including the play-within-a-play he commissions. Even when Hamlet comes close to killing Claudius, raising his sword to murder the oblivious Claudius in church, he pauses with the question of the afterlife in mind: if he kills Claudius while he is praying, does that mean Claudius will go to heaven? (Notably, in this scene, the audience has just witnessed the difficulty Claudius faces in being able to pray, his own heart burdened by guilt.) Suicide is another aspect of this theme. Hamlet takes place in era when the prevailing Christian belief asserted that suicide would damn its victim to hell. Yet Ophelia, who is considered to have died by suicide, is buried in hallowed ground. Indeed, her final appearance onstage, singing simple songs and distributing flowers, seems to indicate her innocence- a stark contrast with the allegedly sinful nature of her death. Hamlet grapples with the question of suicide in his famous to be, or not to be soliloquy. In thus considering suicide, Hamlet finds that â€Å"the dread of something after death† gives him pause. This theme is echoed by the skulls Hamlet encounters in one of the final scenes; he is amazed by the anonymity of each skull, unable to recognize even that of his favorite jester Yorick. Thus, Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s struggle to understand the mystery of death, which divides us from even seemingly the most fundamental aspects of our identity.

Precursers to WWII and Non-Germany Contributors to the Prosecution of Essay

Precursers to WWII and Non-Germany Contributors to the Prosecution of Jews - Essay Example In the aftermath of the First World War serious unrest in Europe grew, especially revanchist and irredentist nationalism. Under the Treaty of Versailles German Empire lost over 10 per cent of its pre-war territory as well as all of its overseas possessions. Furthermore limits were imposed upon the size of German army. During the period of Weimar republic domestic civil conflict took place in Germany involving both nationalists and reactionaries against moderate democrats and communists. In the aftermath of World War I concerns about anti-Semitism rose throughout Europe. By late 1928 European states were legislating immigration that sometimes prevented Jews from entering their territories. Moreover some of the newly established European states viewed ethnic Jewish immigrants as a menace to their stability. Due to the large number of Jews among bolshevist leadership some European politicians feared that Jews arriving to their countries from the east would smuggle revolutionary spirits with them. The rise to power of National Socialists in Germany in 1933 gave another powerful impetus for growing Zionist support as well as immigration to British-controlled Palestine. The long held non-Zionist and assimilationist view that Jews might live safely as minorities within European societies was seriously undermined, since Germany had been regarded before as the state in which Jews had been successfully integrated. With almost all other states closed to immigration a new wave of Jewish immigrants rushed for Palestine. Those who could not pay the due fees for immediate entry joined British waiting lists. It is worth to mention that the British did really contributed much into committing genocide against European Jewry during World War II. In 1939 they issued the o-called White Paper. That document declared that the Jewish National Home had already been established so all of their obligations under the mandate had already been fulfilled. Further migration was viewed as harm ful to Palestinian Arabs. Only 10,000 Jewish migrants were allowed to arrive to Palestine each year from 1939 to 1944. Moreover Jewish migration was supposed to require consent of the Arab majority in Palestine. Palestinians were promised independence by 1949. Furthermore the British restricted Jews’ land purchases. Being preoccupied with securing Arabian support for British war efforts against the counties of the Axis while the latter’s propaganda was targeting Muslim world. As a result Palestinian Zionists increasingly viewed Great Britain as their enemy. Having contributed much into the catastrophe of European Jewry they by no means may be blamed for killing Jews. This notwithstanding Nazi Germany was not the only power responsible for killing 6 million of them. Germany’s allies are also responsible for crimes against humanity perpetrated during World War II. As a result of 1938 Munich treaty prewar Czechoslovakian Republic was dissolved and the puppet Slovak Republic was proclaimed in March 1939. Two years later Slovakian parliament passed the so-called Jewish Code which followed notorious Nuremberg Law of Nazi Germany. Slovakian Code required that Jews were to

Using a UK retailer of your own choice, assess their Own Brand Essay

Using a UK retailer of your own choice, assess their Own Brand strategy - Essay Example The retail business is highly related to the perception and preference of customers. Sainsbury’s in order to develop its brand strategies has become completely customer oriented and has adopted strategies accordingly. The market share of Sainsbury’s in the year 2011 first quarter is estimated to be around 16.5 percent (Shannon, 2011). The market position of Sainsbury’s is quite strong in London as well as South East. It is observed that the retail branding is generally a customer oriented approach. The five major areas where Sainsbury’s has recognised growth were ‘great food at great prices’, ‘greater number of complimentary food chain’, ‘reaching maximum customers by means of extra channels’ and ‘increasing the space of supermarket’ along with ‘active property management’. These strategies have helped the retail store to sustain itself in the third position. Sainsbury’s possesses two formats of stores namely traditional super market stores and convenience stores (Li, 2008). The retail business strategy is different from the strategies of other businesses. In this paper, the brand strategy in retail sector has been discussed. The paper seeks to discuss about the brand strategy of Sainsbury’s. The brand strategy developed by the company in their retail business enables it to acquire more customer loyalty and this aspect has been highlighted in the paper. The importance of this strategy in fulfilling the need and expectation of customers has also been included in the paper. The paper also comprises of the relationship between services of the company and the need of customers. 2.0 Retail Branding The retail branding is considered as a well known concept in present scenario. The business in retail industry is growing rapidly and generating more chains of businesses. The branding of retailers is different from other product brands. The retail branding is genera lly ‘multi-sensory’ and it is developed by focusing on the knowledge of consumers. The brand image is adopted in different ways in this type of business. In the retail outlets there are various attributes that act as persuading factors for consumers such as quality of products, brands that are sold, services, appearance of store, the price level, behaviour as well as service of employees among others (Ailawadi & Keller, 2004). The business of retail industry is based on their adaptation towards the trends of society as well as taste of customers for new products. This adaptation generally influences more consumers. There is a chance of retail business to be eliminated from the society if it is incapable to fulfil the requirement of market. In this type of business, major focus is provided towards the customers as they are directly linked to the product of the stores (Mansoory & Mehra, 2010). 3.0 Strategy of Sainsbury’s The brand of Sainsbury’s was essentia lly developed with an intention to provide customers with healthy, fresh, secure and delicious foods. The company has focused towards various approaches before adopting strategies. Their main focus has been on quality, fair price, fresh food, innovative food and other product lines. Based on these aspects, the company developed its strategies to fulfil customers’ expectation (J-Sainsbury, 2010). The strategy of the company is principally based on the five areas and based on this strategy, brand image is developed. It also provides emphasis on the five selected strategies so as to enhance their business and retain customers (J-Sainsbury, 2010). In the first strategy of ‘great food at fair price’ the company has an intention to provide healthy, fresh, safe and tasty food and thus it has continued to make innovation in their product. These innovative products facilitate them to be a leader in delivering the quality products at fair prices (J Sainsbury Plc, 2011). Th e main focus in this strategy is to provide extreme importance on

Analysis of important issues to consider when choosing a technology to Article

Analysis of important issues to consider when choosing a technology to use - Article Example n matters such as interoperability, storage resource manual oversight and particular storage resources over or under utilization (software-defined storage). Additionally, the software that supports software defined storage environments posses other functionalities like replication, deduplication, snapshot, thin provisioning and many other restore and backup capabilities that function on a wise range server hardware devices. The most important benefit users find in software-defined storage is the increased flexibility, cost efficiency and automated management. However, individuals wishing to gain the most from this technology will still find difficulties when it comes to selecting the most appropriate technology on this field. The following work detail the key factors that should be considered when choosing one technology over another The first requirement for an ideal Software Defined Storage technology is speed. Here, the technology should allow the storage functionality to open every other time a user wishes to make use of it. If staffs are going to make the database their daily operation area where recording of their key relationship is made, then an ideal Software-Defined Storage technology must be quick to open and use. For cases where a web interface is employed, such an interface needs to be engineered properly to reduce roundtrips to the server. Performance is the next consideration. Performance is an indication of the responsiveness of a system to execute specific actions in a given time interval. It can be measured in terms of latency or throughput. Latency is the time taken to respond to any event. Throughput is the number of events that take place in a given amount of time. An application’s performance can directly affect its scalability, and lack of scalability can affect performance. Improving an application’s performance often improves its scalability by reducing the likelihood of contention for shared resources. Factors affecting system

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay Rationale of the study: The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies (Legcevic, 2008). The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework: Figure 1: Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Customer Satisfaction Assurance Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from July to August, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provides to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Table 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Table 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 2: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Table 3: SERVQUAL 5 Dimensions Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel (Parasuraman et al, 1985) The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information of respondent, the second part will be about the expectations and perception service quality, and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from July to August, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side and customers perception question side would be ask customer to give rate ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use R software (R Development Core Team, 2009) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Then would be using descriptive analysis and present it as table form, pie chart, and percentage calculated would be show. The standard deviation (SD) and mean are also would include. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 22, 2010 Table 4: Timeline Research Methodology: The precise measurement of hotel service quality is vital in order to be success in the hotel business. Because it helps hotel management to understand the hotel service quality level which hotel staff provide to customer. Without an appropriate measurement, it would be difficult to understand the expectation and satisfaction of customer and moreover, it would be difficult to create the strategies to upgrade hotel service quality. This research survey adopted the questionnaire 25 parallel items from (Mey et al., 2006) which is proper use to measure in hotel service quality industry, instead of using the original SERVQUAL questionnaire of 22 parallel items which establish by (Parasuraman et al., 1988). This research uses the quantitative as the main methods. Refer to the questionnaire, this research intends to identify and analyze the gaps between customer expectations and customer perceives service quality. The objective of this paper is to measure customer satisfaction and hotel service quality of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The questionnaire survey was divided into three categories. The first category was demographic data and travelling characteristics of respondents. The second category was to investigate the customer expectation and customer perception regarding hotel service quality by using SERVQUAL dimensions. In this part of questionnaire were on 5-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. The last category was asked one question about the overall satisfaction regarding the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok service quality. Generally, the five stars hotel even in Bangkok had a strong policy which concern with guest privacy issues and not allowed the external people to do survey in the hotel. However, the researcher had been trainee and employee at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for two years; with this reason, the hotel was confidence and permits the researcher to do survey eventually, because the hotel saw that this research survey would gain more benefits to the hotel than disadvantage. The Sampling The researcher faced the problems during doing the survey; the questionnaire survey prepared for customer at the hotel check-in/ out counter. In the beginning front office attendant was given the questionnaire survey to customers when they are check-in and aim to get it back after they are check-out. Most of customers got the questionnaire survey from front officer, but indeed they are not completed it questionnaire. To reduce uncompleted questionnaire, the front office attendant was change to given questionnaire survey to customer during they were checking-out instead, and return it from customer promptly. However, the front office attendant was not enforced customer to fill out the questionnaire, if they were reluctant. The samples were 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok at least one night. However, the researcher collected data from 100 hotel respondents as aims. Results and Analysis: The questionnaire composes of three sections as following; First Section It is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Demographic Data Gender of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were female than male. Female were 63% and male 37%. There were female customers almost 2 times of male customers. See table 5. Table 5: Frequency and Percentage of Gender Gender Frequency Percentage Male 37 37 Female 63 63 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on male and female were showed in figured below; Figure 4: Gender of hotel customer 2. Age of respondents This research survey classifies the age of hotel customer into 4 categories; 1) below 30 years, 2) 31 40 years, 3) 41 50 years, and 3) above 50 years. The result indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were between 31 40 years (60%), were below 30 years (28%), 41 50 years (9%), and above 50 (3%) respectively. See table 6. Table 6: Frequency and Percentage of Age Age Frequency Percentage Below 30 year 28 28 31 40 year 60 60 41 50 year 9 9 Above 50 3 3 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on age of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 5: Age of hotel customer Resident country of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer was had resident country in China (13%). Also were USA (12%); Japan (10%); Australia, Thailand and Singapore (7%); UAE (6%); England, German, Hong Kong, Italy and Korea (5%); India (4%); Canada (3%); Span and France (2%); Belgium and New Zealand (1%) respectively. See table 7. Table 7: Frequency and Percentage of Resident Country Resident Country Frequency Percentage Australia 7 7 Belgium 1 1 Canada 3 3 China 13 13 England 5 5 France 2 2 German 5 5 Hong Kong 5 5 India 4 4 Italy 5 5 Japan 10 10 Korea 5 5 New Zealand 1 1 Singapore 7 7 Span 2 2 Thailand 7 7 UAE 6 6 USA 12 12 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on resident country of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 6: Resident country of hotel customer The main objective of respondents for staying at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok The result showed that the most of the hotel customer come to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok significantly for leisure as main objective (84%). And also for business (16%). See table 8. Table 8: Frequency and Percentage of Objective for Stay Objective for Stay Frequency Percentage For Leisure 84 84 For Business 16 16 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on objective for Stay of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 7: Objective for Stay of hotel customer Reason of Select Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for stay This research survey c

Suppresion of Individual’s Creativity

Throughout the State of Florida, numerous school boards have been attempting to standardize the clothing that students wear. The school superintendents who are in favor of uniforms will argue that the children who wear them will experience many benefits. I disagree with this position. I feel that the use of uniforms will strip identity, stifle creativity, and unnecessarily burden the families that cannot afford them. The use of uniforms has already been implemented in several long-standing social environments. The penal system uses uniforms to brand those persons who are incarcerated. Likewise, the military also uses them to separate and remove the individualism inside of the soldier. In both cases, individual identity is stripped away and the subject is forced to conform to the same outward appearance as every other subject. Another problem that will surface due to the implementation of school uniforms is the suppression of the individual's creativity and expression. Many students' express who they are through the way they dress. If a teenager wants to show the rest of the world that he loves Jesus, then he or she might wear a T-shirt that states a positive view on the subject. Similarly, a student might want to wear green colored clothing to show his or her support for St. Patrick's day. School uniforms would end both of those examples listed within this paragraph and many, many more. The last issue that needs to be addressed is the unnecessary burden that will be placed upon those families of limited resources. Many low-income families do not have the money available to furnish uniforms to their children. They can barely make ends meet with the help of charities and social programs. In Polk County, Florida, the school board is trying to pass legislation that a child cannot attend school unless they have on the proper uniform. An education is supposed to be available to all children, not just the ones whose parents can afford to buy the government ordered attire. I have listed several reasons why the use of school uniforms should not be implemented in America's public education system. Not only will it melt the individual into the mass, but it will also hinder those that are destitute. If the school boards desire to make the use of uniforms mandatory, then they need to issue all of the required equipment, just like the military and the prison systems do. Suppresion of Individual’s Creativity Throughout the State of Florida, numerous school boards have been attempting to standardize the clothing that students wear. The school superintendents who are in favor of uniforms will argue that the children who wear them will experience many benefits. I disagree with this position. I feel that the use of uniforms will strip identity, stifle creativity, and unnecessarily burden the families that cannot afford them. The use of uniforms has already been implemented in several long-standing social environments. The penal system uses uniforms to brand those persons who are incarcerated. Likewise, the military also uses them to separate and remove the individualism inside of the soldier. In both cases, individual identity is stripped away and the subject is forced to conform to the same outward appearance as every other subject. Another problem that will surface due to the implementation of school uniforms is the suppression of the individual's creativity and expression. Many students' express who they are through the way they dress. If a teenager wants to show the rest of the world that he loves Jesus, then he or she might wear a T-shirt that states a positive view on the subject. Similarly, a student might want to wear green colored clothing to show his or her support for St. Patrick's day. School uniforms would end both of those examples listed within this paragraph and many, many more. The last issue that needs to be addressed is the unnecessary burden that will be placed upon those families of limited resources. Many low-income families do not have the money available to furnish uniforms to their children. They can barely make ends meet with the help of charities and social programs. In Polk County, Florida, the school board is trying to pass legislation that a child cannot attend school unless they have on the proper uniform. An education is supposed to be available to all children, not just the ones whose parents can afford to buy the government ordered attire. I have listed several reasons why the use of school uniforms should not be implemented in America's public education system. Not only will it melt the individual into the mass, but it will also hinder those that are destitute. If the school boards desire to make the use of uniforms mandatory, then they need to issue all of the required equipment, just like the military and the prison systems do.

Zero Tolerance

In the article Zero Tolerance by Gary Bauslaugh, he asserts the claim that the policy of zero tolerance is a really bad idea and we should not be fooled by it.   I would like to support Mr. Bauslaugh, but the evidence which he presents does not allow me to fully support his point.   He reaches this conclusion based on the following ideas, one – the policy of zero tolerance promotes the abandonment of logic and reason, and two – zero tolerance is not about protecting the public (justice), but making politicians look good.   Based on these two reasons, the conclusion he reaches can be justified.   If a public policy lacks reason and does not protect the public, then it is a bad idea. Mr. Bauslaugh asserts that the policy of zero tolerance is based on the emotional reaction of public officials to threats to public welfare.   He makes this claim in the following sentences: â€Å"The current trend for public officials to talk of â€Å"zero tolerance† has arisen because it seems to express public frustration with the lack of justice in the world. It seems to say â€Å"we are fed up and aren't going to take it anymore.†Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  If indeed, the policy of zero tolerance is based on the emotional reaction of public officials, the claim directly supports the premise that logic and reason have been abandoned. He presents the argument that there have been other cases of irrational behavior on the part of the public, to satisfy emotional responses.   Mr. Bauslaugh draws a comparison between the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries to the policy of zero tolerance.   He cries out â€Å"Are we immune, in modern times, to such superstitious extremism and zealous intolerance?†Ã‚   This is not an argument he is making in support of any premise.   Rather, what he is doing in this passage is making an emotional appeal to the audience based on the collective memory of unfair persecutions and the taking of life, not based on logic. The use of words such as extremism and zealous and intolerance impart heavy emotional weight to his statement.   This type of argument must be closely watched.   First, he does support his point that there have been emotional reactions in the past.   Therefore, the conclusion that this type of reaction is human and possible to occur again is true.   However, the emotional charge he has added to his thesis creates rhetoric which is not necessary if the argument is good. The second case of irrational public policy and behavior Mr. Bauslaugh sites is the war on drugs, which has resulted in the imprisonment of many young people.   Mr. Bauslaugh claims that this is an emotional response to a societal problem, not ruled by reason.   However, Mr. Bauslaugh does acknowledge that there is some reason in the policy on drugs, as acknowledges that some of the people in prison are drug addicts. He takes this opportunity to insert his opinion as to the policy of the war on drugs.   He states that these people need rehabilitation care to recover from their addiction, not jail sentences.   However, these statements do not support his implied claim that the war on drugs is another example of an emotional response to a social problem.   Therefore, this example does not give another example of an irrational public policy. Mr. Bauslaugh also uses the case of suggested sexual abuse cases, where women had suddenly â€Å"recovered memory† during counseling sessions.   Based on the communities emotional responses, the accused people were persecuted, some put in prison, and some committing suicide.   He states that the actions taken by the public were not based on substantiated facts. In this case, most of these instances have been discredited.   This gives strength to his claim that the public can act out of emotional response, leaving logic and reason out of the decision-making.  Ã‚   At this point, in the article, Mr. Bauslaugh has presented 2 valid cases that show that the public has made policy in the past based on emotional response to a problem. Now we will move to the real discussion Mr. Bauslaugh would like to make, that of the case of the destruction of a herd of water buffalo at Fairburn Farms.   He uses this example to support both claims – that the policy of zero tolerance is based on emotional response and that the policy is in place only to help politicians look good in front of difficult social problems. He states that this case shows the policy of zero tolerance to be one of unmitigated justice, a device for thoughtless and indiscriminating application of the rules, and direct opposition to justice.   If this is true, he implies that the policy of zero tolerance is based on emotional response and not logic.   However, even when a public policy is shown to be unjust and applied indiscriminately, this does not mean the policy is based on emotional response. Since Mr. Bauslaugh sets out to prove the injustice of the zero tolerance policy, and not the emotional basis of the policy, his implication that the policy is based on emotions is not supported.   The additional cases he has gathered which show a lack of logic and reasoning do not ultimately support his case, because there is no connection from emotionally created policies to that of zero tolerance.   Therefore, the only proof for Mr., Bauslaugh’s case is that the zero tolerance policy is unreasonable and does not promote justice. Mr. Bauslaugh uses one case to depict the policy of zero tolerance.   In the case of Fairburn Farms and the Archers, Mr. Bauslaugh is able to prove that the application of the zero tolerance policy was unreasonable.   He shows the fault of the Inspection Agency’s logic on the following points.   One, the Archers imported water buffalo from Denmark.   There has never been a case of mad cow disease among any water buffalo population.   Two, one cow was found infected in Denmark with mad cow disease. Three, mad cow disease cannot be transmitted via cheese, and that was the intention of use for the water buffalo.  Ã‚   And four, the Australians have been using water buffalo from the same region of Denmark for making cheese, with no adverse effects.   The effects of the decision on the Archers also exceeded the bounds of justice.   The Archers are setback in pursuing their livelihood and have to slaughter all of the original buffalo. Mr. Bauslaugh is able to prove that in the case of Fairburn Farms, the policy of zero tolerance is unreasonable and unjust.   However, by using this one case he does not prove his overall points that the zero tolerance policy is based on emotional reaction and that in general, the zero tolerance policy is a bad policy.   If Mr. Bauslaugh were able to provide additional arguments to support his claim, I may be able to agree with him.   But, based only on the arguments he has presented to me, I do not see just cause to say the zero tolerance policy is bad public policy.      

Story of the Comfort Women of World War II

Story of the Comfort Women of World War II During World War II, the Japanese established military brothels in the countries they occupied. The women in these comfort stations were forced into sexual slavery and moved around the region as Japanese aggression increased. Known as comfort women, their  story is an often understated tragedy of the war that continues to strike debate. The Story of the "Comfort Women" According to reports, the Japanese military began with volunteer prostitutes in occupied parts of China around 1931. The comfort stations were set up near military camps as a way to keep the troops occupied. As the military expanded its territory, they turned to enslaving women of the occupied areas. Many of the women were from countries like Korea, China, and the Philippines. Survivors have reported that they were originally promised jobs like cooking, laundry, and nursing for the  Japanese Imperial Army. Instead, many were forced to provide sexual services. The women were detained next to military barracks, sometimes in walled camps. Soldiers would repeatedly rape, beat, and torture the sex slaves, often multiple times a day. As the military moved throughout the region during the war, women were taken along, often moved far from their homeland. Reports go further to say that as the Japanese war efforts began to fail, the comfort women were left behind with no regard. The claims of how many were sexual slaves and how many were simply recruited as prostitutes are disputed. Estimates of the number of comfort women range from 80,000 to 200,000.   Continuing Tensions Over "Comfort Women" The operation of the comfort stations during World War II has been one that the Japanese government has been reluctant to admit. The accounts are not well detailed and it has only been since the late 20th century that the women themselves have told their stories. The personal consequences on the women are clear. Some never made it back to their home country and others returned as late as the 1990s. Those that made it home either kept their secret or lived a life marked by the shame of what theyd endured. Many of the women could not have children or suffered greatly from health problems.   A number of former comfort women filed lawsuits against the Japanese government. The issue has also been raised with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Japanese government initially claimed no military responsibility for the centers. It was not until papers were discovered in 1992 showing direct links that the larger issue came to light. Yet, the military still maintained that recruitment tactics by middlemen were not the responsibility of the military. They long refused to offer official apologies. In 1993, the Kono Statement was written by then-chief cabinet secretary of Japan, Yohei Kono. In it, he said that the military was â€Å"directly or indirectly, involved in the establishment and management of the comfort stations and the transfer of comfort women.† Still, many in the Japanese government continued to dispute the claims as over exaggerated. It was not until 2015 that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a formal apology. It was in accord with an agreement with the South Korean government. Along with the much-awaited official apology, Japan contributed 1 billion yen to a foundation formed to help the surviving women. Some people believe that these reparations are still not enough. The "Peace Monument" In the 2010s, a number of Peace Monument statues have appeared in strategic locations to commemorate Koreas comfort women. The statue is often a young girl dressed in traditional Korean clothing sitting serenely in a chair next to an empty chair to signify the women who did not survive. Comfort Woman Statue in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images In 2011, one Peace Monument appeared in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Several others have been installed in equally poignant locations, often with the intent of getting the Japanese government to acknowledge the suffering caused. Comfort Women Statue In San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images One of the most recent appeared in January 2017 in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan, South Korea. This locations significance cannot be understated. Every Wednesday since 1992, it has seen a rally of supporters for the comfort women. Comfort Woman statue on Seoul public transit bus. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

Personal Responsibility

Personal Responsibility Personal Responsibility and College SuccessCorinne BunceGen/200October 20, 2014Dale McCurdyPersonal Responsibility and College Dropouts PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 1 PAGE 5Personal Responsibility and College SuccessCorinne BunceGen/200October 20, 2014Dale McCurdyPersonal Responsibility and College DropoutsAccording to The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, 45.5 % of students in colleges in the U.S. don't finish a bachelor' degree in under 6 years (2014). It may be easy to speculate why they don't; however, in this essay I plan to present the idea that lack of personal responsibility is the main factor that leads to college dropouts, and having personal responsibility leads to success in college as well as careers. Some people are generally nervous to take blame for shortcomings or weaknesses for fear of being criticized. When you take personal responsibility for your actions you leave room for growth and success. Personal responsibility is the key to college success.Personal responsibility is the key to college success.Personal responsibility to me is being able to hold yourself accountable to things that are within your power.US Navy 090610-N-8848T-551 Navy Junior ROTC cadets...For instance, if you do not meet a deadline do to poor planning and receive a unsatisfactory grade, someone that takes personal responsibility would learn from their mistake and plan ahead next time. College success takes motivation, organization, and a willingness to grow from mistakes. Researchers for the Association of American Colleges and Universities did a survey of 23 campuses, including over 23,000 undergraduate students and over 9,000 campus professionals on personal responsibility. They used the "Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory" (PSRII) in Fall 2007 to assess the campus environment along five dimensions of personal and social responsibility: (1) Striving for excellence; (2) Cultivating personal and academic integrity; (3) Contributing to a larger community; (4) Taking seriously the perspectives of others; and (5) Developing competence in ethical and...

Fibonacci numbers and the golden section Article

Fibonacci numbers and the golden section - Article Example Recall that an integer is prime if it has no proper divisors. Some Fibonacci numbers are prime, for example 514229, but it is still unknown whether there exist infinitely many prime Fibonacci numbers. The problem of finding prime numbers with many digits is crucial for the find a very large prime number, you are able to write a secret code that is reasonably safe (this principle is the basis of the Public Key Cryptography, nowadays used by banks and governments all over the world). Suggested readings. We suggest, as a first reading, the following website: http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fib.html. It is well written, in elementary terms, contains a number of illustrations and it explains clearly some applications of Fibonacci numbers to natural sciences. It contains also several links to other websites on the same topic. We suggest to follow the link "Fibonacci numbers in nature": there, you will find applications to family trees of rabbits, cows, geometry, flowers, and vegetables! It is a short, fascinating walk in the real world seen through the mathematicians' eyes. As a further, more technical reading, one can read the material contained in the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number. ... It is well written, in elementary terms, contains a number of illustrations and it explains clearly some applications of Fibonacci numbers to natural sciences. It contains also several links to other websites on the same topic. We suggest to follow the link "Fibonacci numbers in nature": there, you will find applications to family trees of rabbits, cows, geometry, flowers, and vegetables! It is a short, fascinating walk in the real world seen through the mathematicians' eyes. At the bottom of the page there are suggestions on the paths to follow to explore further the site. As a further, more technical reading, one can read the material contained in the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number. Part of this site is probably too advanced for a non-specialist, but most of its content is certainly accessible. These readings can be the opportunity to learn a little, but very useful, piece of mathematics: the difference equations. A difference equation is a function whose value at n is defined linearly by the value at n-1 and n-2, as in the case of Fibonacci numbers. For such functions, there exist always a closed formula, that is, a formula giving the value at n only as a function of n, with no knowledge of the values at n-1 and n-2. The method is explained at the beginning of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurrence_relation. In the bibliography, we suggest some elementary books for a further reading. To conclude, I think that this suggested reading is accessible to everybody, it doesn't require any special knowledge in mathematics and it has sufficiently many practical applications in arts and science, to be a fascinating and intriguing subject. BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] Dunlap, R. The Golden Ratio and

Social Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Social Justice - Essay Example A review of these arguments in favour of and against death penalty shows that death penalty is, indeed, an efficacious mean of punishing criminals guilty of serious and heinous crimes. This paper, therefore, evaluates the debates in favour of and against capital punishment and presents a coherent and logical debate in favour of death punishment. In the presentation of the arguments in favour of death penalty, Stephen Toulmin’s model of argumentation is applied (Stephen Toulmin, online). The application of the Toulmin’s model of argumentation helps in presenting the arguments in a coherent and logical manner. There are three main arguments in support of death penalty as an effective mean of punishing the offenders who are guilty of crimes of high magnitude. The first argument is based on the claim that death penalty deters crime. Death penalty as a deterrent mean to further commission of crime is one of the main reasons why death penalty is practiced in many jurisdiction s. As a mean of punishing the criminals for their offences, death penalty deters further commission of crime in two ways. ... SA in an attempt to find out whether, really, capital punishments lead to reduction in crime rate, it was found that, there is, indeed, a strong correlation between death penalty and the rate of crimes, especially crimes of high magnitude like murder ( Arguments for and against Death Penalty, online). The study showed a significant reduction in crime, in places where death penalty is practiced as compared to other places where different means of punishing such criminals is practiced. But, apart from the studies that tend to support the view that death penalty can lead to reduction in crime, it is also, a matter of common sense that, when the people who are committing crimes are abolished or killed, then the rate of crimes will significantly reduce because they will not have another opportunity to commit the crimes. The second reason why death penalty leads to reduction in crime is due to the fact that by killing the offenders of serious crimes, other people with the intent to kill wi ll be afraid of doing so for fear of the consequences that would befall them(Goel, 2008). People, naturally, fear severe punishments, especially death, and so, when the law prescribes death penalty for serious crimes, then many people, utterly out of fear for the death, will refrain from committing such crimes. Although there are some studies contradicting this fact, arguing that death penalty does not deter criminals from committing crimes( Arguments for and Against Death Penalty, online) there are contrary studies supporting the view that death penalty instils fear among the criminals and, therefore, prevents them from committing crimes. But it is a fact that some people commit crimes due to psychological problems and for these kinds of people, death penalty cannot prevent them from