HRD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRD - Research Paper Example In this relationship, rules are created and enforced to ensure smooth running of the organisation and its effectiveness. Different actors are involved in this process including employer, employee, trade unions, and the government or state. Such a relationship may be harmonious, conflictual or antagonistic depending on the context and ideologies. This forms the core of employment relations that this report will focus on. This is a report to the boss of a multinational mining company in Australia seeking to engage the services of skilled immigrant workers under Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visas. Bill is a newly appointed ER manager at a multinational mining company in Australia. This is the first time he is working in the mining industry having prior experience in heavy engineering and utilities. The company is about to take over operations of an existing mine on a remote site in WA. However, many mining companies in Australia claim to be facing skill shortages and reduced competitiveness due to rising labour costs thus the problem is how to fill this skill gap. The most reasonable option is to source labour from local market but since this is not forthcoming, the option of immigrants is crucial. For a long time, Australia has been using the services of immigrants to fill skill gaps. These may be filled by permanent skilled immigrants, or temporary immigrants who include: holidaymakers, students and temporary (long stay) immigrants. Jakubowicz (2013) indicates that temporary business (long stay) visas were introduced by the Howard government in 1996. Prior to that Australia was not keen on employing immigrants but permanent skilled immigrants are considered Australian citizens hence appropriate to work in Australia under prevailing working conditions and labour laws. However, the option of temporary (long stay) visas has enabled Australia to

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay Example for Free

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay There are a number of factors that will influence the style of leadership a leader may choose, such as: The working environment, The task or project that is being tackled, The staff themselves and their preferred style of working, along with their personal traits and qualities How do you determine what is an appropriate style? Any leader uses a range of different styles at different times during the course of a single day. Decisions have to be made and it may be appropriate for different styles of leadership at different times, and for different situations during that day. Another factor that has to be considered when choosing a leadership style is that the leadership style at the beginning should be consistent with what people in the organization expect. Transactional leadership This is done by enticing staff with rewards such as bonuses, prizes, something that will be of benefit to the staff member; these are achieved by setting targets. The outcome of this will be that the target is achieved but the morale of the team may be affected with some doing very well and gaining great recognition, others not so well which can demoralise the staff and affect their enthusiasm for future tasks. Transformation leadership This is a beliefs and values type of leading getting the team to believe the vision of the final aim. This is done by talking and listening to the team and being positive and enthusiastic about the aim. One of the benefits of this type of leadership in comparison with Transactional leadership is that no one feels like they are being singled out for under achieving as they are all working together and believe in the leaders vision, this is done by encouraging individuals values and enthusiasm for the task. Authentic Leadership This is a leader who is extremely good at what they do whilst remaining grounded and in touch with their workforce, an assumed leader rather than elected. They can inspire their staff to achieve great things with their passion commitment and drive, whilst still connecting with their team by showing their appreciation and encouragement to team members. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leaders insist on doing it all themselves. They have all the power, make all the decisions, and dont often tell anyone else about what theyre doing. An autocratic leader often maintains their authority by force, intimidation, threats, reward and punishment, or position. Although they may or may not have a clear vision, and may or may not be steering the organization in the right direction, they are not concerned with whether anyone else agrees with what them or not. One positive with autocratic leadership is that it allows quick decision-making, and eliminates arguments over how and why things get done. On the negative it may reduce the likelihood of getting a range of different ideas from different people, and can make people feel as though they are being treated badly, or as if they dont matter. If, as is often true, the leader is concerned with his own power and status, hell be looking over his shoulder, and moving to squelch any opposition to him or his ideas and decisions. Innovation or the use of others ideas is only permissible if its part of the leaders plan. Effects on the organization. Autocratic leaders often leave fear and mistrust in their wake. Others in the organization tend to copy their protection of their position, and their distrust of others ideas and motives. Often, autocratically -led organizations are not particularly supportive of personal relationships, but much more keyed to chain-of-command. Everyone has her own sphere, and protects it at all costs. Communication tends to go in only one direction up as a result of which rumor can become the standard way of spreading news in the organization. At its best (and there are decent autocratic leaders see the box directly below ), autocratic leadership provides a stable and secure work environment and decisive, effective leadership. All too often, however, it can sacrifice initiative, new ideas, and the individual and group development of staff members for the predictability of a highly structured, hierarchical environment where everyone knows exactly what hes supposed to do, and follows orders without  question. Although the above paints a pretty bleak picture, many autocratic leaders are not hated and feared, but rather esteemed, and even loved. It depends on their own personalities like anyone else, they can be nice people, or highly charismatic, or even willing to listen to and act on others ideas on the organization itself (in the military, most soldiers want someone firmly in charge), on the quality of their decisions, and on the needs of the people they lead. If theyre generally decent and not abusive, make good deci sions for the organization, and fulfil the parent-figure or authority -figure image that most people in the organization are looking for, they can be both effective and well-respected. 2. Managerial. The leader who sees herself as a manager is concerned primarily with the running of the organization. Where its going is not at issue, as long as it gets there in good shape. She may pay attention to relationships with and among staff members, but only in the service of keeping things running smoothly. Depending upon the nature and stability of the organization, her main focus may be on funding, on strengthening the organizations systems and infrastructure (policies, positions, equipment, etc.), or on making sure day-to-day operations go well (including making sure that everyone is doing what hes supposed to). If shes efficient, a managerial leader will generally be on top of whats happening in the organization. Depending on the size of the organization and her management level, shell have control of the budget, know the policies and procedures manual inside out, be aware of whos doing his job efficiently and whos not, and deal with issues quickly and firmly as they co me up. What she wont do is steer the organization. Vision isnt her business; maintaining the organization is. Effects on the organization. In general, a well-managed organization, regardless of its leadership style, is a reasonably pleasant place to work. Staff members don t have to worry about ambiguity, or about whether theyll get paid. As long as oversight is relatively civil no screaming at people, no setting staff members against one another things go along on an even keel. Good managers even try to foster friendly relationships with and among staff, because they make the organization work better. On the other hand, good management without a clear vision creates an organization with no sense of purpose. The organization may simply act to support the status quo, doing what it has always done in order to keep  things running smoothly. That attitude neither fosters passion in staff members, nor takes account of the changing needs (and they do change) of the target population or the community. The organization may do what it does efficiently and wellbut what it does may not be what it should be doing, and it wont be examining that possibility any time soon. Obviously, the leader of any organization as well as any other administrator has to be a manager at least some of the time. Many are in fact excellent managers, and keep the organization running smoothly on a number of levels. The issue here is the style that person adopts as a leader. If she sees management as her primary purpose, shes a managerial leader, and will have a very different slant on leadership than if her style is essentially democratic, for instance. 3. Democratic. A democratic leader understands that there is no organization without its people. He looks at his and others positions in terms of responsibilities rather than status, and often consults in decision-making. While he solicits, values, and takes into account others opinions, however, he sees the ultimate responsibility for decision-making as hi s own. He accepts that authority also means the buck stops with him. Although he sees the organization as a cooperative venture, he knows that he ultimately has to face the consequences of his decisions alone. Democratic leadership invites the participation of staff members and others, not only in decision-making, but in shaping the organizations vision. It allows everyone to express opinions about how things should be done, and where the organization should go. By bringing in everyones ideas, it enriches the organizations possibilities. But it still leaves the final decisions about what to do with those ideas in the hands of a single person. Some models of democratic leadership might put the responsibility in the hands of a small group a management team or executive committee rather than an individual. Effects on the organization. Democratic leadership, with its emphasis on equal status, can encourage friendships and good relationships throughout the organization. (In more hierarchical organizations, clerical staff and administrators are unlikely to socialize, for instance; in a democratically-led organization, such socialization often happens.) It helps people feel valued when their opinions are solicited, and even more so if those opinions are incorporated into a final decision or policy. What a democratic leadership doesnt necessarily do although it can is  establish staff ownership of the organization and its goals. Although everyone may be asked for ideas or opinions, not all of those are used or incorporated in the workings of the organization. If there is no real discussion of ideas, with a resulting general agreement, a sense of ownership is unlikely. Thus, democratic leadership may have some of the drawbacks of autocratic leadership a lack of buy-in without the advantages of quick and clear decision-making that comes with the elimination of consultation. 4. Collaborative. A collaborative leader tries to involve everyone in the organization in leadership. She is truly first among equals, in that she may initiate discussion, pinpoint problems or issues that need to be addressed, and keep track of the organization as a whole, rather than of one particular job. But decisions are made through a collaborative process of discussion, and some form of either majority or consensus agreement. Toward that end, a collaborative leader tries to foster trust and teamwork among the staff as a whole. A collaborative leader has to let go of the need for control or power or status if she is to be effective. Her goal is to foster the collaborative process, and to empower the group whether the staff and others involved in an organization, or the individuals and organizations participating in a community initiative to control the vision and the workings of the organization. She must trust that, if people have all the relevant information, theyll make good decisionsand she must make sure that they have that information, and provide the facilitation that assures those good decisions. Effects on the organization. Collaborative leadership comes as close as possible to ensuring that members of the organization buy into its vision and decisions, since they are directly involved in creating them. It comes closest to the goal of servant leadership explored in the previous section (Please see Chapter 13, Section 2: Servant Leadership: Accepting and Maintaining the Call of Service), and it also comes closest to reflecting the concepts of equality and empowerment included in the philosophy and miss ion of so many grass roots and community-based organizations. It thus removes much of the distrust that often exists between line staff and administrators. David Chrislip and Carl E. Larson, in Collaborative Leadership How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference, equate collaborative leadership not only with servant leadership, but with transformational (see below) and  facilitative leadership as well. They identify four characteristics of the collaborative leader: * Inspiring commitment and action. The collaborative leader helps people develop the vision and passion to start and maintain the work. * Leading as a peer problem solver. The collaborative leader facilitates problem solving by modeling and teaching a process, and by helping others bring their experience and ideas to bear. * Building broad-based involvement. The collaborative leader invites everyone concerned into an inclusive process. * Sustaining hope and participation. Reaching goals may take a long time. The collaborative leader both helps the group set interim goals so it can see progress, and, by example and in other ways, helps to maintain the passion and commitment to keep going when theres no end in sight. Collaborative leaders also generally foster close relationships among staff members, making for more communication and cross-fertilization in their work, and leading to more effective ways to accomplish the organizations goals. On the down side, management can be neglected in favor of building a collaborative organization. Even more to the point, collaborative decision-making can be excruciating. Depending upon the group, ideas can be talked to death, and insignificant disagreements about insignificant areas of policy can take hours to resolve. Collaborative decision-making can be democratic based on a majority vote after discussion or dependent on arriving at consensus, with a range of possibilities in between. Consensus decision-making is particularly difficult, in that it requires everyone to agree before a decision can be made. A single determined individual can derail the process indefinitely. Even at its best, a consensus process can take inordinate amounts of time, and try the patience of all involved. Its not impossible to employ, but it takes real commitment to the ideal of consensus, and enormous patience. In practice, true consensus decision-making is most often used in collective organizations, which are significantly different from collaborative ones, and often involve everyone in leadership. Another way of looking at leadership style A different view, popularized by James MacGregor Burns, contrasts two styles of leadership: transactional and transformational. Transactional leadership, as its name implies, views leadership as based on transactions  between leader and followers. The leader sees human relations as a series of transactions. Thus rewards, punishments, reciprocity, exchanges (economic, emotional, physical) and other such transactions are the basis of leadership. In simplest terms, I lead this organization by paying you and telling you what you need to do; you respond by doing what you need to do efficiently and well, and the organization will prosper. Transformational leadership looks at leadership differently. It sees a true leader as one who can distill the values and hopes and needs of followers into a vision, and then encourage and empower followers to pursue that vision. A transactional leader thinks of improvement or development as doing the same thing better: an organization that reaches more people, a company that makes more money. A transformational leader thinks about changing the world, even if only on a small scale. Combining the two views of leadership style These two ways of looking at leadership style are not mutually exclusive: in fact, its easier to look at leadership in the context of both. Assuming, as almost all leadership theorists do, that transformational is either better than, or a necessary addition to, transactional leadership, what elements go into creating a transformational leader? What styles are transformational leaders likely to employ, and how? Elements of transformational leadership The transformational leader conceives of leadership as helping people to create a common vision and then to pursue that vision until its realized. She elicits that vision from the needs and aspirations of others, gives it form, and sets it up as a goal to strive for. The vision is not hers: it is a shared vision that each person sees as his own. Martin Luther Kings overwhelming I Have A Dream speech derived its power not only from the beauty of his oratory, but from the fact that it crystallized the feelings of all those citizens, of all races, who believed that racism was a great wrong. In that speech, King spoke with the voices of the hundreds of thousands who stood before the Lincoln Memorial, and of millions of others who shared in his vision. That speech remains as the defining moment of the Civil Rights struggle, and defined King who had already proved his mettle in Birmingham and elsewhere as a transformational leader. The conception behind transformational leadership is thu s providing and working toward a  vision, but also has elements of empowerment, of taking care of people, and even of task orientation. The job of the transformational leader is not simply to provide inspiration and then disappear. It is to be there, day after day, convincing people that the vision is reachable, renewing their commitment, priming their enthusiasm. Transformational leaders work harder than anyone else, and, in the words of a spiritual, keep their eyes on the prize. The methods that transformational leaders might use to reach their goals can vary. Theyll virtually always include involving followers in the goal, as well as charisma, which comes, if not from personal characteristics, from the ability to put a mutual vision into words, and to move a group toward the realization of that vision. Transformational leaders may also use sharing power, setting an example, and/or persuasion to help move a group toward its goal. What style does all that imply? The managerial style is perhaps least appropriate to transformational leadership, since it pays no attention to vision. The autocratic pays little attention to the ideas of others, and is not generally congenial to the transformational leader. On the other hand, there was Hitler, who tapped into the deepest emotions of those he led, and voiced them in a frightening but highly effective way. There is no guarantee that a transformational leader will work for the betterment of humanity, although he may c ouch his vision in those terms. The intersection of the transformational and the autocratic is not impossible, but it usually has, at best, mixed results. Fidel Castro initiated and has maintained desperately-needed land, education, health, and other reforms in Cuba, for which he is still revered by much of the islands population. He also eliminated any vestige of political freedom, imprisoned and executed dissenters and political opponents, and was at least partially responsible for destroying much of Cubas economic base in the name of ideological purity. As with the four styles described earlier, there is no guarantee that either a transactional or transformational leader will be an effective one. The democratic and collaborative styles are both better possibilities for transformational leadership. Both allow for input from everyone, and both encourage participation in the realization of long-term goals. It can be difficult for a highly motivated, charismatic leader to operate in the collaborative mode, but it can also be tremendously satisfying. There is an argument to be made  that, because of the high degree of ownership of the vision in a collaboratively-run organization, the collaborative style could be the most successful for transformational leadership. As noted above, David Chrislip and Carl Larson actually see collaborative and transformational leadership as essentially the same.  and of course the leaders qualities and personal traits are a major factor, whether they are confident , inspirational, approachable, committed, knowledgeable, disciplined, open minded, responsible, positive, energising , trustworthy,

Ruby Bridges :: essays research papers

Thanks to her good grades, Ruby is chosen to be a pioneer in breaking down the walls of segregation. Through her entire first school year with white children, this brave little black girl is escorted by four federal marshals through a crowd of angry white protestors in front of the school. Miss Henry, Ruby’s teacher from Boston, works with Ruby since none of the regular teachers will have anything to do with her. Through the hard work of the people who told Ruby to attend the white school and through the determination of Ruby, Miss Henry, and Mr. and Mrs. Bridges, Ruby overcame discrimination, racism, prejudice, stereotyping, and educational equalities. The discrimination Ruby faced went entering the schools everyday was horrible. The protesters yelled mean and very hurtful things at her. Discrimination is motivated by prejudice. The protesters used the discrimination of blacks to try and deny Ruby the right to go to a white school. Racism was a huge factor in the protesters’ decisions to yell nasty things at Ruby. The white people thought they were superior to black people; therefore, not allowing to let Ruby into â€Å"their† school. The prejudice shown toward Ruby was uncalled for. The white people showed massive amounts of prejudice toward Ruby even though the people don’t know Ruby. They don’t understand the kind hearted, well behaved little girl Ruby is. When the protesters look at Ruby all they see is the color of her skin. Ruby was stereotyped by the people standing outside the school. The hurtful things they shouted at her were driven by stereotypical ideas. They based their opinions about Ruby without understanding with full knowledge and open minds what Ruby was all about. Instead, they made an inaccurate judgment based on the color of her skin. This movie is a perfect example of educational inequalities in the 1960s.

Bra Boys Analysis

The identity of the Bra Boys can be seen through their values and attitudes. They are presented through the Cody, the value of brother ship and Attitude of brother ship through their tattoos and being there for each other. In part 1 of Bra boys, the Boys had taken Jesse Pollock and other younger people on trips to surf. This had been carried on from what the other Bra Boys did for Cody and his friends. This shows their values of their society and community, as they are willing to give the younger generations to toughen up and be free with the surf. This shows htat apart from their devilish side, they also have the value of family and friendship with the younger generation. The Bra Boy’s value towards the beach is shown to be their lifesaver. The beach and surf is everything to them. Sunny Abberton, a Bra boy said â€Å"The surf, had saved so many kids around here, that have led them to a lifestyle of the ocean instead of a lifestyle in crime. † Showing that the beach has saved them on accounts and they have an optimistic value of the beach. Values of the Bra boys is brother ship, as they had each other’s back. When 2 people had a fight with authorities in a party during Christmas, everyone got into the brawl. This shows how the value of being together in the Bra boys is strong. One major values the boys have is having fun with others. In the serious of montages, the Bra Boys are shown to be jumping on each other, setting alight each other and each them jump off the cliffs and even jumping on a bus. This shows that they highly value fun in their lives as they want all the fun. This scene plays with the light hearted tune, this influences the value of fun in the Bra Boys life and their value of belonging as they do what they want and what they believe is right. That is the idenity presented as a Bra Boy. To have fun their own way. Survival and a sense of belonging. The Bra boys values of survival is shown as they survived from various gangs, depression, fights and drugs. They had shown that they want to survive for the beach, as it is their legacy. For the Bra Boys, they showed a sense of belonging by helping each other through tough times and helping the younger generations. The Bra Boy’s identity of attitudes is shown that they have each other backs and that they do not wish to do harm. Their attitudes towards the police is hatred as they were in a fight with the authorities. However, the authorities lost but the media had portrayed them to be the victims. The police thinks the Bra boys as criminals and always suspects them, thus they have a negative attitude towards the police. The attitude towards people similar to the bra boys in the past, cold, hurt ad alone. The Bra Boy’s have the attitude of being there for those to toughen them up and be the Bra boys just as the older Bra Boys did the same thing to them. The attitude towards Ma shows their love and symbolizes what Ma is to them. Their love and kindness in comparison the language used in the other parts of the film shows how they value and their attitude towards their caretaker and the start of the Bra Boys. Their tone and voise is different in comparison to the other tones that is used. Not only that, there is something that is only presented in this scene that the Bra Boys does. This type of body language shows their affectiong and their attitudes towards Ma as she is the most important person to the Bra Boys. They Hugged her.

Human Resource: General Electrics and Samsung Essay

1. The comparison between Samsung and GE in terms of staffing process The Recruitment and Selection Process is one of the basic HR Processes. Recruitment and Selection are very sensitive as many managers have a need to hire a new employee and these processes are always under a strict monitoring from their side. The Recruitment and Selection Process must be simple and robust enough to operate excellently in the moment of the insufficient number of candidates on the job market. Also, the process must be also able to process a large number of candidates within given time. The clearly defined Recruitment and Selection Process is a key to the success of any Human Resources Department. To assess companies and to make a comparison regarding HRM practices in different countries, we selected GE in the U.S and Samsung in Korea. The main reason is that there are several differences in terms of hiring and training process. When it comes to hiring new employees, the recruitment and selection add values to HR Processes. The recruitment is about the ability of the organization to source new employees, and to keep the organization operating and improving the quality of the human capital employed in the company. The quality of the recruitment process is the main driver for the satisfaction of managers with the services provided by Human Resources. The main goal of the recruitment and selection is about finding the best recruitment sources, hiring the best talents from the job market and keeping the organization competitive on the job market. The recruitment and selection processes are about managing and choosing the right candidates from the high volumes of job resumes. The described process that companies have their unique value and culture helps to set and achieve the right limits. The performance of the recruitment process has to be measured, analyzed, and new so that innovative recruitment solutions can be implemented. First of all, we found out that Samsung has a different value of selection in which mainly focuses on hiring new entry level of employees throughout their recruitment process. They basically provide standard test called SSAT to assess candidates’ ability based on creativity, sense of judgments, and flexibility of thinking. After that, they have individual interview process with selected candidates by SSAT. It is clear that they focus on hiring employees who have potentials that will fit into organization. They also encourage prospective employees to have the ability of global talent, specialization for the job that will be assigned and strong sense of challenge. On the other hand, we noticed that GE has different value of selection of candidates in terms of HRM. Most of all, GE’s selection period can be described as mainly focusing on skilled and experienced level of employees who have at least 5 year’s experiences related to the job position. Since Jeff Immelt took a place as CEO, they have built a solid concept of recruitment based on the ability of imagination, problem solving, building creativity and leading skills of employees. According to their strategy, it is clear that they require employees to have the highest quality of talent based on the level of experiences and education regarding job requirement. Although there are somewhat similarities between two companies to select the level of new employees based on pursuing the importance of genius and perfection, it is clear that they have the different values emphasized on employees that have a great deal of impact on building the organization. Those factors are mainly contributed to the different culture in different country that has built throughout the history of cultural tradition. Samsung mainly focuses on emphasizing the culture of unity based on collectivism, and when it comes to GE, the strong sense of initiative and passion play an important role in building organization culture disregarding the fact that which level of position employees are in based on individualism. From the different value of staffing in terms of HRM practice from two companies, it will be hard to select which one is more productive and attractive, but it is sure that the companies have their unique ego to make employees fit into the organization’s value and culture. 2. The comparison between Samsung and GE in terms of compensation. The second different practice between two companies is the value of compensation to which plays an important role in motivating employees and achieving companies’ goal. The most effective reward and compensation systems align with objectives, outcome-based evaluations of employee performance. Each employee’s performance measurement should reflect the organization’s business strategy and financial goals. Compensation should also reflect the employee’s performance level and his/her contributions to the organization’s success. Sometimes compensations from the wrong practices occurred by nepotism and stereotypes, prevent organizations from achieving strategic goals. Hence, organizations need to align their compensation and reward systems with performance and fair-based criteria to increase productivity and to achieve sustainable growth while motivating employees. Samsung’s compensation scheme is mainly based on compensation without discrimination and compensation for performance to ensure internal impartiality and external competitiveness. Those on the same position are given the same amount of base salary disregarding gender, nationality, religion, social status, or age. On top of it, differentiated compensation is only made by individual performance in terms of productivity. In other words, individual performance for productivity-based outcome is the only indicator to determine individuals’ rewards throughout the year. Therefore, we found out that Samsung’s core value for employee’s compensation highly focuses on individual performance and productivity when motivating employees. On the other hand, GE practices not only individual productivity-based compensation but also adds some more values based on the behavioral performance such as the sense of leadership and the planning for self-development. We noticed that GE’s compensation system has two main values: to motivate employees and to find the high level of potential employees throughout the compensation and reward planning. To achieve GE’s compensation system’s objectives, they evaluate the employees with variable perspectives of assessment. For example, EMS, 9 Matrix, 9 Block, Planning for self-development, Session C, are the programs they evaluate employees for successful compensation planning in the organization. It is clear that the compensation and benefits processes belong to the most important HR Processes. They are critical for organizations no matter which type of structure and value the companies have. We think that organizations need to point out that the need for the transparency in the compensation practices in the organization and keeping the internal fairness. We also believe that the compensation and benefits have to supervise the development of new compensation systems, keeping the general rules for the design of the compensation component. Summing up, throughout variable practices of HRM, we learned how organizations achieve their goals and build competitive advantages based on their unique value and culture. Although Samsung and GE have somewhat different strategies and systems to operate their organizations, we think we need to understand the core value of HRM process to evaluate the culture and environment in each organization.

Communication Press Release Essay Example

Communication Press Release Essay Example Communication Press Release Essay Communication Press Release Essay For Immediate Release: Sudden Departure of XYZ, LLC Chief Financial Officer XYZ, LLC is restructuring to compete in a difficult economy San Diego, October 5, 2011 – XYZ, LLC announced Alex Martin, the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has resigned effective October 5, 2011. Alex Martin has replied no comment about the sudden departure, but XYZ, LLC reported he is pursuing other career opportunities. Industry experts speculate the resignation is due to the company’s impending financial crisis. The organization is appointing interim CFO June West as the new CFO. Alex Martin joined XYZ, LLC in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer. He has helped the company reinvent its operating model and accounting procedures. XYZ, LLC is a dynamic company with a bright future said Interim CFO June West. â€Å"The company will be restructuring, and I will be facilitating the transition process in the months to come. † West states the restructure will help solidify this company’s position in the realm of accounting firms, by reallocating company assets and implementing new accounting standards. She adds that, â€Å"Our goal is to form partnerships where both parties benefit we want to build life-long relationships with our clients. â€Å"XYZ, LLC was founded on integrity and honesty and that is the basis of every project we undertake. † XYZ, LLC will be holding an Annual General Meeting to address concerns of shareholders, and discuss further business matters due to the restructure and the sudden CFO resignation. The organization restructure is expected to give XYZ, LLC a new competitive edge in an indust ry faced with a difficult economy. Notice of Annual General Meeting: Today XYZ, LLC declared they will post resignation information to shareholders along with a Notice of an Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM will be held on October 12, 2011 at 1 pm in the Balboa Events Center for Business, San Diego, California. The Annual Meeting Notice lists the following objectives as: 1. Implementation of the Companys Annual Report for the 2011 fiscal year; 2. To dismiss Alex Martin from XYZ, LLC effective immediately; 3. To appoint June West as new Chief Financial Officer effective immediately; 4. To outline impending organizational structure changes. For more information visit, www. xyzllc. com, email [emailprotected] com or call 1-888-888-8888. About XYZ, LLC XYZ, LLC is at the forefront of the accounting industry. Its committee has a combined total of more than 75 years of business, accounting and financial experience. MEMORANDUM TO: Tom Stiles FROM: Accounting Department, Charlene Brown CPA DATE: 10/5/2011 SUBJECT: CFO Resignation As you are aware, Alex Martin has suddenly resigned from the company. We have obtained information from The U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that they will be investigating our companys accounting practices. Due to the impending investigation, the SEC has requested certain documentation to be provided for them. A subsequent memo will be attached outlining each request of the SEC for you to look over. Due to the fact that XYZ, LLC is a publicly traded company with an investigation approaching, coupled with the unexpected departure of the CFO, our company is legally required to issue a public notice. I have attached a copy of the Press Release to be posted, please review this at your earliest convenience. The company must take into consideration our external stakeholders and their feedback regarding these matters. Furthermore, there must be an ethical exchange of information between the SEC and our organization. It is imperative that we supply shareholders with all required information in a calm demeanor, since possible rumors could undermine company values. There needs to be a balance, shareholders want to know their investments are safe, but business practices must be performed in an ethical manner according to SEC guidelines. Great care should be taken in notifying the public in this situation, the value of communication should not be underestimated. The public may be influenced by negative information from unreliable sources, such as tabloids and media. It is our hope that this press release will ease any concerns the public may have regarding the financial viability of the organization. The CFO in any business plays a major role in the financial future of the company. A sudden departure in this leadership position could pose financial risks for any business, so rumors may surface rapidly. It is expected that the press release will achieve the goals of the organization and diminish any public negativity. The press release was created to improve and build on our rapport with our employees, customers, investors, shareholders, and the general public. This release will help facilitate a perception about the risk and profitability of our business that will transform the public opinion. Upon completion of the investigation by the SEC, a follow-up release may be required. This memo is provided to keep you informed of the many changes to come at our organization. Please review the information in its entirety and if you have any concerns or questions feel free to contact me at [emailprotected] org. References Sietel, P. Fraser (2011), The Practice of Public Relations, ISBN: 9780136088905 copyright  © 2011  Pearson Education, Inc.

Free Essays on McDonalds

McDonald’s is a company that operates, franchises, services, and continually grows in the quick service restaurant business. According to McDonald’s, approximately 80% of McDonald’s restaurants are in eight markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. McDonald’s has restaurants all over the world in 121 countries serving 46 million customers each day. McDonald’s also has other partner restaurants with brand names such as: Aroma Cafà ©, Boston Market, Chipotle and Donatos Pizzeria generating $1 billion in annual sales collectively. McDonald’s is comprised of many restaurants that are operated by the company, however they also have a large amount of franchises. Under the terms of the franchise arrangements, the franchisees are operated under joint-venture agreements. McDonald’s relies heavily on its franchising activities with approximately 70% of the restaurants being owned and operated by independent business people all over the world. The company is an equal opportunity franchiser with a proven 34% of franchiser and 70% of applicants being US minorities and women (McDonald’s, 2002). McDonald’s offers support in all areas of franchising from operations, training, advertising and marketing to real estate, construction, purchasing and equipment. In 2001, franchise sales amounted to 24,838 million dollars with company-operated sales and affiliated sales amounting to 15,297 million dollars (McDonald’s, 2002). McDonald’s also maintains a strong sense of social responsibility. They are responsible for many contributions to local community development, disaster relief, educational programs, worldwide recycling, resource conservation, and waste reduction programs and of course the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2001, McDonald’s has $1,419,800,000 for their outstanding efforts of goodwill. There are a lot of factors that make McDonald’s into a g... Free Essays on McDonald's Free Essays on McDonald's McDonald’s is a company that operates, franchises, services, and continually grows in the quick service restaurant business. According to McDonald’s, approximately 80% of McDonald’s restaurants are in eight markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. McDonald’s has restaurants all over the world in 121 countries serving 46 million customers each day. McDonald’s also has other partner restaurants with brand names such as: Aroma Cafà ©, Boston Market, Chipotle and Donatos Pizzeria generating $1 billion in annual sales collectively. McDonald’s is comprised of many restaurants that are operated by the company, however they also have a large amount of franchises. Under the terms of the franchise arrangements, the franchisees are operated under joint-venture agreements. McDonald’s relies heavily on its franchising activities with approximately 70% of the restaurants being owned and operated by independent business people all over the world. The company is an equal opportunity franchiser with a proven 34% of franchiser and 70% of applicants being US minorities and women (McDonald’s, 2002). McDonald’s offers support in all areas of franchising from operations, training, advertising and marketing to real estate, construction, purchasing and equipment. In 2001, franchise sales amounted to 24,838 million dollars with company-operated sales and affiliated sales amounting to 15,297 million dollars (McDonald’s, 2002). McDonald’s also maintains a strong sense of social responsibility. They are responsible for many contributions to local community development, disaster relief, educational programs, worldwide recycling, resource conservation, and waste reduction programs and of course the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2001, McDonald’s has $1,419,800,000 for their outstanding efforts of goodwill. There are a lot of factors that make McDonald’s into a g...

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) - Definitions

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) - Definitions Definition A traditional term for the use or study of the English language by non-native speakers in countries where English is generally not a local medium of communication. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) corresponds roughly to the Expanding Circle described by linguist Braj Kachru in Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle (1985). See examples and observations below. Also see: English as a Second LanguageTop Four ESL WebsitesCommunicative CompetenceContrastive RhetoricEnglish as an Additional LanguageEnglish as a Lingua FrancaEnglish as a Native LanguageEnglish as a Second LanguageGlobal EnglishInner Circle, Outer Circle, Expanding CircleInterlanguageNative SpeakerismNew EnglishesNotes on English as a Global LanguageSecond Language (L2)World English Example and Observations: ESL and EFL instructional approaches differ in significant ways. ESL is based on the premise that English is the language of the community and the school and that students have access to English models. EFL is usually learned in environments where the language of the community and the school is not English. EFL teachers have the difficult task of finding access to and providing English models for their students. . . . As the number of ESL students has increased in schools across North America, more classrooms and school have become more like EFL than ESL environments.(Lee Gunderson, ESL (ELL) Literacy Instruction: A Guidebook to Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2009)Distinctions Between ESL and EFLAlthough ESL (English as Second Language) and EFL (English as Foreign Language) are often used interchangeably, there are unique differences between the two. . . .ESL countries are nations where the medium of instruction in education and government is in English, although English may not be the native language.On the other hand, EFL countries do not use English as a medium of instruction but English is taught in schools. Malaysia was once considered an ESL country but now leans more towards EFL.The methods and approaches of teaching English as a second language and foreign language do differ greatly.(Christopher Fernandez, Of English Teachers Then and Now. The Star [Malaysia], November 11, 2012)The distinction between second language and foreign language is not, however, a sharp one, and there are cases, like Indonesia, where classification is disputable. Moreover, there is a considerable amount of variation in the roles played by second languages, for example in education, in the fields of discourse used, and in the giving of prestige or power. In India, the medium of instruction in schools was changed from English to the regional languages after Independence, and subsequently there has been a gradual process of Indianization of the universities, which at one time were all English-medium.(Charles Barber, The English Language: A Historical Introduction. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000)Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, used to emphasize the teaching of Dutch . . .. The movement towards English as a foreign language began at independence, and English is now the main foreign language being learned in Indonesia. English is taught for eight or nine years from primary school (from Grade 4 or 5) through high school (Renandya, 2000). The main objective is to provide reading skills to enable Indonesians to read science-related materials in English.(Maria Lourdes S. Bautista and Andrew B. Gonzalez, Southeast Asian Englishes. The Handbook of World Englishes, ed. by Braj B. Kachru, Yamuna Kachru, and Cecil L. Nelson. Blackwell, 2006)

Role of the WTO and the IMF in global business Case Study

Role of the WTO and the IMF in global business - Case Study Example IMF was formed in 1944 at the conference held in the United States; another main role of formation was to provide loans to the members. The loan provision to members of IMF was meant to boost trade between countries or achieve balance of payments. While WTO has increased access to international markets, IMF has assisted some countries achieve positive balances of payment. However, many have criticized the two institutions. For example, IMF has been criticized for formulation policies that make it difficult for some countries to access IMF loan. This report explains the role of WTO and IMF. It also explains the impacts of the two institutions have had on global businesses. According to Morrison (2011), IMF and the World Bank are two institutions formed to provide funds. The two institutions are also called Bretton Woods Institutions because they were formed in Bretton Woods. The main aims of formation of IMF are to foster international monetary cooperation and expand international trade. The two objectives that led to the formation of IMF go on to remove the inequities that exist between members’ balance of payment. The goals that led to the formation of the institution are to be met by promoting exchange stability, maintenance of systematic exchange arrangements and circumvention of competitive exchange depreciation. In addition, IMF also promotes the economy of the member states by providing funds for disposal and the funds assist states facing financial crisis. Internal Monetary Fund also provides assistance temporarily to countries (members) that tries to keep their currencies stable in times of financial downfalls. In addition, the institution assists states that have structural trade problems. This only happens when the states having structural trade problem seek help from the institution. However, the author noted that the institution could not save the country facing huge and continuous (Ramakrishnan & Zalduendo, 2006). Here are main

EFFECTS OF WORKING MEMORY DEMAND ON PERFORMANCE AND MENTAL STRESS Essay

EFFECTS OF WORKING MEMORY DEMAND ON PERFORMANCE AND MENTAL STRESS DURING THE STROOP TASK - Essay Example Mental stress results from the lack of balance between external requirements, and the ability of the individual to accomplish them. Mentally or emotionally related stress influences the daily life of a human being, and his or her performance. If one becomes exposed to extreme mental stress, it affects the nervous system, and can affect their performance severely. Most of the stressors associated with human computer interaction occur as a result of massive workloads, a lot of work pressure, job control tasks that are not efficient, and which are also monotonous, poor relationships between supervisors and the supervised. It is suggestive of the demand/control model of work strain, that little control and low social supports happen to be demanding. Working in shifts, factors that are human related and ergonomics have an association with mental stress. A dependable amount of evidence shows that heart diseases have links with extreme work demand. Therefore, evaluating the rate of heart ac tivity can help in gauging occupational risks. This studys purpose is to measure mental stress and monitor the heart rate variability during the low and high working memory (WM), needs affected by Stroop interference. The other aim is to measure the performance and time taken to respond during the Stroop task and to study their drift during high and low working memory demands. The third aim is to foresee the affiliation between mental stress and functioning. In carrying out the study, the rate of the heart should be recorded during both rest period, and also during the performance of a Stroop task. Both the high and low working memories are acquired by raising the amount of Stroop interference. The time taken to respond and the performance are computed for every hard stage of the Stroop task. This should be computed during the high and low working memory demand. Stress that is as a result of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) has links to the increased danger of

Advantages and disadvantages of a testing system in education Research Proposal

Advantages and disadvantages of a testing system in education - Research Proposal Example Pedagogy depends on the capability of a teacher to test student's knowledge of the material.Testing serves a number of functions,which are the measurement of progress a student is making,and the provision of an incentive for a student to learn the material Without testing, teachers would rely on faith that their students have learning as one of their goals; however, this assumption, especially in the era of compulsory education, is simply out of touch with reality. Having established that testing is a necessary component of teaching, the question then becomes what kinds of testing are most effective in achieving the established ends of teaching, and how does one design a test that achieves these ends. To answer this question, one must consider the context (and the material) being taught and, instead of relying on generalizations, decide based on the costs of efficiency versus effectiveness in measuring genuine knowledge of the material. Although some tend to focus more on efficiency (standardized testing) and others on effectiveness (non-standardized testing), it seems the most appropriate, wide-reaching solution to the problem lies somewhere in the middle. A standardized test is a measurement instrument that is distributed and scored in a standard manner; that is, it is constructed with a particular set of conditions, questions, and scoring procedures that do not differ between individuals (Popham). Popular methods used on a standardized test include multiple-choice questions, which can be quickly and objectively scored on a large scale, making them cost-efficient and time-efficient to use. In contrast, a non-standardized test is a measurement instrument that gives different test takers a different exam, or relies on subjective or partially subjective criteria in the scoring of answers given on a completed test. Common methods used in non-standardized testing are essay questions, mathematical calculations, and open-ended responses. One advantage of standardize d testing is that the results of such tests are empirically useful in terms of a large scale. For instance, public policy decisions can be made by looking at decreasing state-administered tests in public schools if deficiencies in a particular subject are patent. Also, because scores are objectively scored and documented, it is possible to demonstrate validity and reliability with a controlled experiment. If two children from the same classroom score in the same range, it could be said the test is a valid instrument for measuring knowledge. When a test is statistically reliable, it can be shown to be replicable on a larger scale (Kuncel and Hezlett). Aggregation is a term that refers to the collection of scores on the same test from many different test takers; this provides a mean, or benchmark, against which an individual test taker can be evaluated comparatively. This can provide useful information above and beyond subjective assessments from individuals in that elimination based on standardized scores can narrow a search for individuals based on objective criteria and thus make a search procedure more efficient in a useful sort of way. In addition, it is often said this use of objective standards for comparing individuals is fairer than other methods, which may take into account other factors that use subjective methods. Critics of standardized testing believe it is restrictive in that it necessarily confines and segments knowledge into rigid categories, focusing more on broad swathes of reading and math skills, as opposed to initiative, creativity, imagination, conceptual thinking, curiosity, effort, irony, judgment, commitment, nuance, good will, ethical reflection, or a host of other valuable dispositions and attributes†, which some believe are virtues for accomplished students and successful adults that are simply ignored under the standardized testi

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example It is also important to note that volunteering and putting yourself out there can help in the development and advancement of skills and knowledge that is imperative in leadership. For instance, health professionals deal with patients with different understanding capabilities and hence advanced communication skills are needed in order to identify and make sure these patients understand you. Allison Polinski, your strategies to incorporate your strengths in leadership are also spot-on. Training or providing learning opportunities for staff can help align their practices with our strengths. For instance, one of your strengths is learner. In other words, you are always open to new ideas and therefore, providing learning opportunities for the staff will give you an chance to also absorb new ideas. Creating a performance improvement team would also be important for you as a leader in an effort to improve safety and quality of services. An effective team can help you align your strengths with the needs of the organization. In this regard, the team can focus on your strengths and formulate strategies that ensure that the strengths will be effectively utilized. In so doing, employees will follow through and also utilize their best qualities in an effort to achieve organizational objectives (Buckingham,

Business plan for a new entrepreneurial business Research Paper

Business plan for a new entrepreneurial business - Research Paper Example The target segment is mostly the old people who need to take medicine at the right time and at the right amount. The product AutoMed will serve that purpose by alerting the patient to take the medicine at the required time. The plan gives a brief overview of the company’s product offerings as well as the industry analysis and market analysis. Company description Company history The company, Digital Medical Instruments is a US based company was the brain child of few experts in the field of medical sciences. Founded in the year 2009, the company was quick to identify the growing needs and pains of the consumers in terms of healthcare solutions. Coming together in the form of a team, the team of experts wanted to provide value for money end user products related to the medical field, which will provide greater benefits to the patients and their family members, thereby helping them to derive a greater value for the money spent on purchasing medicine and medical services in times of global financial slowdown. Mission statement The Mission objectives for the company is to cater to the growing the needs of the customers for individualized healthcare products at affordable prices, while promoting quality for the products The vision of the company is to be the most preferred vendor for providing of healthcare based products and services to the individual clients within a span 6 years, from now. Products and services The product offering of the company is AutoMed. AutoMed is a highly technologically advanced modern day healthcare equipment for the end users. AutoMed’s main purpose is to cater to the needs of the sick and old patients, who prefer to stay independent despite their health related weaknesses. In order to prevent them from skipping their medications at prescribed intervals and to cut the costs of maintaining a healthcare person to look after their medication needs, the AutoMed will remind the patients by alerting them to take the prescribed med icines with the exact dosages. This device will also enable the family members of the patients to have a peaceful day at work, with the assurance that the device will alert their dear ones to take the prescribed medicines at the right time. Current status The company is planning to venture into the consumer market by attempting to tap the demand arising out of personal needs of the patients on a regular basis in the domestic front. Legal Status & Ownership The company is formed by a team of highly motivated, entrepreneurial team of medical experts who have the much needed skills and relative business acumen to understand the needs of the consumers in a better way, when it comes to managing physical healthcare in the

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example It is also important to note that volunteering and putting yourself out there can help in the development and advancement of skills and knowledge that is imperative in leadership. For instance, health professionals deal with patients with different understanding capabilities and hence advanced communication skills are needed in order to identify and make sure these patients understand you. Allison Polinski, your strategies to incorporate your strengths in leadership are also spot-on. Training or providing learning opportunities for staff can help align their practices with our strengths. For instance, one of your strengths is learner. In other words, you are always open to new ideas and therefore, providing learning opportunities for the staff will give you an chance to also absorb new ideas. Creating a performance improvement team would also be important for you as a leader in an effort to improve safety and quality of services. An effective team can help you align your strengths with the needs of the organization. In this regard, the team can focus on your strengths and formulate strategies that ensure that the strengths will be effectively utilized. In so doing, employees will follow through and also utilize their best qualities in an effort to achieve organizational objectives (Buckingham,

Create a visual aid that illustrates a problem Assignment

Create a visual aid that illustrates a problem - Assignment Example The worst polluted cities Time Magazine has a listing of the world’s most polluted cities. Two are in China, two in India, two in Russia and a city each in Peru, Ukraine, Azerbaizan and Zambia. There are criteria set for categorizing the most polluted cities, and these are: the high volume of people, traffic congestion, trash and air pollution; mercury contaminated water and sewerage; danger to humans in contracting cancer by 50%, and danger to death by more than 50% compared with those not living in these cities. The most polluted cities show various types of pollutants, such as coal and particulates coming from automobiles and industrial plants. The city of Linfin in China, for example, is at the heart of China’s coal belt. Its air is filled with smog from burning coal; laundry on clotheslines turn black before it can dry under the sun. Sad to say, little is being done about the situation in these cities, especially as warnings on pollutants are muffled by talk on glo bal warming, the more dominant environmental topic today. But the problem of pollution in cities is most urgent since pollution is a direct threat to human health. Even the World Health Organization reports that water and air pollution cause GREENING THE CITIES 20% of global disease (Time). The greenest cities Fortunately solutions exist, and greening can start in cities where it is most critically needed. There are five cities recognized as the â€Å"Five Most Amazing Green Cities† by experts who used a combination of criteria including urban planning and environmental statistics (energy sources, consumption, emissions, transportation options, habits). Green cities show the availability of public parks, sustainable buildings, green jobs, and other ecological perspectives such as recycling (Howstuffworks). The first of the cities recognized for its green practices is Malmo, Sweden, with its canals, beaches, parks, and harbours looking as fresh as they were during the Middle A ges. Sweden itself leads in the green electricity revolution, while Malmo’s Western Harbour is run by 100% renewable energy sourced from the sun, wind, hydropower ad biofuels. Buildings and homes have green roofing, and are designed to be energy efficient. Streets are pedestrian and cycle friendly with 70% commuters and other travellers going on bike. The other four leading eco-cities are: (a) Copenhagen, Denmark, which has reduced cars for green transportation using bikes and a metro system. Its 56.000 windmills supply 10% of Denmark’s electricity comprising the world’s largest offshore windmill park. (b) Portland, Oregon, has 92,000 acres of green space and 74 miles of biking, hiking and running trails. Its ambitious goal is the use of 100% renewable energy by 2010. (c) Vancouver, Canada, was GREENING THE CITIES named â€Å"The World’s Most liveable City† by the Economist Magazine. It has a 100-year plan for clean and green living, and it leads t he world in the use of hydroelectric energy, while reducing wind, solar, wave and tidal energy. (d) Reykiovik, Ireland, is described as the smallest amazing green community with its 115,000 population, which is almost half of the 300,00 total population of Iceland. It uses hydrogen energy in addition to heat, geothermal and electricity energy sources. Turning the tide through greening is illustrated by a planned proposal for the capital city of Manila with its urban pollutants caused by heavy congestion of crude fuel-run motor vehicles, buildings without

Politics and the American People Essay Example for Free

Politics and the American People Essay Being able to marry your most beloved one is the happiest and luckiest thing in this world. However, not everyone can do this because of the Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. Same-sex couples have to suffer a lot in order to fight for their rights and their happiness.Theyare denied equal access to all the benefits, rights, and privileges provided by federal law to married couples.If we think of it from a humanity standpoint, everyone has the right to pursue happiness. Therefore, same-sex marriage should be legal. The reason for making gay marriage legal is equality in citizenship. Despite their sexual attraction, homosexual individuals must be treated in the same way as everyone. They should not only have the same rights in housing, jobs, social benefits but also in marriage. Lately, a Republican Senate, Mark Kirk, has become the second Republican senator to endorse same sex marriage. â€Å"Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most,† Kirk said. â€Å"Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back– government has no place in the middle.† President Obama is also a supporter of gay marriage. Not only is it right and fair, but also consistent with our Constitution, he said. It is very important for us to remember were a nation in which everybodys supposed to be equal before the law. President’s statement is the hope for LGBT, Les Gay Bisexual Transgender community, to be treated equally by the law. Legalizing gay marriage is the way to show support and sympathy to homosexual individuals. Most Americans who think same-sex relations are wrong believe being gay or lesbian is a choice. Those who do not think same-sex relations are wrong think being gay or lesbian is something people cannot change. Senator Rob Portman, from Ohio, a co-sponsor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, now supports same-sex marriage after learning his son was gay. I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldnt deny them the opportunity to get married, he said. His son, Will, told his parents that being gay was not a choice, but the part of who he is, , and thats who hed been that way for as long as he could remember. Most of the homosexual individuals feel unconfident in front of the publicity due to the sexual attraction, and they feel lonely because of the isolation. Publicity should give them confidence for being who they are to lead on a bright life. Moreover, having a feeling for someone isn’t a sin. Hence, gender doesn’t matter in a relationship, gay couples also need support from the others. Generally, there’re a lot of people who oppose gay marriage because they think it’s weird and immoral. It’s rare, but doesn’t mean weird and unhappy. Homosexual individuals are just a small amount of us, but they are nothing different from us but their love to the same sex. They also take care of their partner well, love each other and live an ordinary life. How people can use immorality as an excuse to prevent the others seeking for their happiness?Let’s take Elton John and David Furnish as an example. John is the well-known musician who is used to addict to alcohol and drugs, but his partner, David, helped him to get rid of those dangerous addictions and live a better life. They formalized their relationship in December 2005, and they also adapted a boy in 2010. It’s the obvious proof that homosexual individuals can live a normal life as same-sex marriage legalized. In spite of one’s gender and sex’s attraction, everyone should be respected and treated equally in marriage. So, they can live a normal life and be happy with their beloved one. More and more Senate Democratand Republican support same-sex marriage. The battles over same-sex couples marrying still continues, and the number of Americans who support same-sex marriage is increasing. From what I see, if there’s any reason for fighting for gay marriage, they must be love, equal, sympathy and because we’re human.

Compare And Contrast Tcsec And Cc Information Technology Essay

Compare And Contrast Tcsec And Cc Information Technology Essay To evaluate a computer system or product to see it meets the security requirements based on the information security evaluation standards. Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) was the first computer security evaluation standard which was published by the U.S. defense department in1985. TCSEC influenced other European countries and very soon some countries based on TCSEC to develop their own security evaluation standards. In 1996, America combined with 5 European countries (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Canada) and NSA (National Security Agency) and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) developed a new criterion which was called Common Criteria (CC). In 1999 Common Criteria (CC) was recognized by ISO and named ISO/IEC 15408-1999. In this essay TCSEC and CC will be discussed, compared and contrasted to find out the similarities and differences and the strength of CC will be indicated. The answers for the topic are based on research on relevant articles and journals and most of the resources are from the internet. The materials are then analyzed and discussed. The outline of the report is as follows: Introduction- brief description of the topic. Background- explanation of TCSEC and CC. Compare and contrast the two standards Describe the similarities and differences between the two standards and state the advantages of CC. Some journals, articles and books are used in this report which can be found in the references. Background This session discusses TCSEC with the evaluation class of TCSEC. And also describes the CC and evaluation of assurance level of CC and the evaluation process. TCSEC Evaluation Class CC- Assurances Levels D Lowest protections EAL1 Functionally tested C1 Discretionary Protection EAL2 Structurally tested C2 Controlled Access Protection EAL3 Methodically tested checked B1 Labeled Security Protection EAL4 Methodically designed, tested, reviewed B2 Structured Protection EAL5 Semi-formally designed and tested B3 Security Domains EAL6 Semi-formally verified design and tested A1 Verified Protection EAL7 Formally verified design and tested Table 1- Evaluation Class of TCSEC and Evaluation Assurances Level CC TCSEC is commonly called the Orange Book (the cover of book is orange). TCSEC has 4 divisions and 7 evaluation classes. Each class contains security requirements and it is used to determine the level of trust of a computing system. The divisions of TCSEC are A, B, C, D and the seven evaluation classes are: D (lowest), C1, C2, B1, B2, B3 and A1 (highest). A is more secure than D, and 2 is more secure than 1. (See Table 1) Level D: non-secure system Level D only contains D1 evaluation class. D1 is the lowest protections and only provides security protection for file and user. Level D can be applied to any system which has been evaluated but did not meet the higher evaluation class requirements. Level C: Discretionary protection Level C provides audit trial protection and Level C includes C1 and C2.C1 is discretionary security protection and its class is lower in Level C. C1 provides discretionary access control and it has the responsibility for Identification and authentication. C2 has all the security features of C1 and has the function of audit trail and access protection. C2 requires single- user log-in with password and an audit trail system. C2 works through log-in process, security event and source isolation to increase access. Level B: Mandatory Control. There are 3 classes in Level B and they are B1, B2 and B3.B1 has all the requirements of C2 and it also has some new requirements: each object has a label which is under system control. It uses sensitivity labels as a basis of all the access control and labels the object which will import to the system. When the system administrator adds a new communication channel or I/O mechanism, he has to manually assign security level to the channel and mechanism. The system uses user password to determine the user access level and it also uses audit to record any unauthorized access [13]. B2 has all the requirements of B1. Besides that, the B2 administrator must have clear and documentation style of security policy for trusted computing base. B2 has some new security requirements: system must immediately inform any changes between user and associated network, only user is able to do initial communication in the trusted path and the trusted computer base supports inde pendent administrator and operator. B3 has all the requirements of B2. But B3 has stronger ability to monitor access and anti-interference. B3 system has to set the security of the administrator. The new security requirements for B3 are: provide a readable security list, some objects are not allowed for certain users to access, the system has to provide a description of the users and to identify user before any operation and the trusted computing base establishes security audit trail for each labeled object [13]. Level A has the highest security. Level A only has A1 class. A1 is similar to B3. A1has the obvious features a developer of system must adopt for a formal design specification to analyze a system. After analysis, the developer has to use verification technology to ensure that the system meets the design specifications. The entire installation operation must be done by the system administrator and each step has to provide formal documentation. In TCSEC, to identify the security and to give some assurance to the system, it has to meet the security requirements [14]. The TCSEC was replaced by CC. CC is a framework of mutually recognized evaluation criteria and it contains 3 parts: security model, security functional requirements and security assurance requirements. Security assurance components are the basis for the security assurance requirements and it expresses in Protection Profile (PP) or Security Target (ST) [15]. A Protection Profile is the security requirements of customers and a company of users for a class of Targets of Evaluation (TOE) [15]. A PP uses a template independently to express security requirement. This is useful when implementing a product line or a family of related products [7]. Protection Profile copy TCSEC security requirements of C2 and B1. Protection Profile include: a template of commercial security profile, Firewall profiles which use for packet filters and application gateways, Smart card profiles, Database profile and a role which is based on control profile [16]. A Security Target consists of a collection of security requirements and used to evaluate computer system or product [7]. Figure 1 The PP/ST specification framework [7] Evaluation is that use defined criteria to evaluate a computer system or IT product [16]. Figure 1 shows specification framework to the Targets of Evaluation. The Common Criteria evaluation process starts from identifying a TOE (Target of Evaluation), and then input an ST which describes the security functions of the TOE [16], the example of TOE is computer system or product, To see if the result of the system is secure, it should meet a set of security requirements or protection profile [7]. Common Criteria provides a set of Evaluation Assurance Levels (EAL) from EAL1 (lowest) to EAL7 (highest) and it will be awarded to products and system upon successful completion of evaluation (see Table 1). The Common Criteria is absorbed by ISO (NO. 15408) EAL1- Functionally tested. For the correct operation of EAL1, it requires a certain confidence of occasion. This situation is of the view that the security threats are not serious [7]. EAL1 provide the evidence of testing and its documentation. EAL2- Structurally tested. In the delivery of the design information and test results, EAL2 requires the developer collaboration. But do not spend too much energy beyond the good commercial operation of consistency. EAL3- Methodically tested checked. Without a lot of changes on the premise of reasonable development practices, it allows a conscientious developer to obtain maximum assurance during the design phase from the correct security engineering. EAL4- Methodically designed, tested, reviewed. It allows the developers to obtain maximum guarantee from the correct security engineering, the security engineering is based on good and strict commercial development practice. This development practice does not need much professional knowledge, skills or other resources. In the rational economic conditions, and to renovate an existing production line, EAL can achieve the highest level of result [7]. EAL5- Semi-formally designed and tested. It enables the developers to obtain maximum security from the security engineering. The security engineering is based on a strictly commercial development practice. It relies on the appropriate application of professional safety engineering technology for support. EAL6- Semi-formally verified design and tested. It enables the developers to gain a high level of certification through the application of safety engineering technology and strict development environment, and. This is to produce a costly TOE to protect high-value assets against major risks [16]. EAL7- Formally verified design and tested. It is applicable to safe TOE development and it applies to places where the risk is very high, or high value assets that worth higher expenses. In this session discussed TCSEC and CC, an explained evaluation class of TCSEC, evaluation assurance level of CC and the evaluation process. Those discussions are very important that helps to find out the similarities and difference of TCSEC and CC. Next session, TCSEC and CC will be compared and contrasted based on the above discussion. Compare and contrast TCSEC and CC This session will discuss the similarities and differences between the security standards based on the above description on TCSEC and CC. It will also state the strength of CC and to explain why CC is a relatively successful security evaluation standard. Similarities Even though TCSEC has been replaced by CC, they still have some similarities. Both of them are security evaluation standard and evaluate computer system by security level classification and each level has security requirements. Both of them provide confidentiality security functionality and evaluate Computer Operation System. Differences Although CC has some similarities as TCSEC, but both of them are different. TSCEC is only used in U.S. In the beginning, it was proposed that TCSEC was to focus on independent computer system and it suited evaluation of military operating system. TCSEC does not involve security criteria for open system and it is the criteria for static model. TSCEC just considered protecting system owner and operator but did not cover user security area especially for the security of telecommunication system user. And also only considered confidentiality for documents of system owner and it did not address integrity and availability. From Table 1 we see that the evaluation of TCSEC is mix security and functionality. So if any hardware of software is changed, it will start to evaluate the system again. But CC is recognized by ISO organization and it applies to nations. Compared CC with TCSEC, CC is more complete. Common Criteria is not only focus on operating system but also for Network and Database. Common Criteria involve security criteria for open system and the criteria for dynamic model. CC keeps system confidentiality, availability and integrity through TOEs security specifications. CC has distinguished security and functionality, any change does not affect the evaluation. The evaluation process of both also is different. TCSEC checks system to see if it is secure by using the security requirements which is classified by evaluation class. In a Common Criteria evaluation, use Common Criteria to evaluate the product or computer system. The evaluation stages are: Protection Profile evaluation, Security Targets evaluation, TOE evaluation and Assurance maintenance.CC evaluates system starting from identifying a TOE, and then developing a set of criteria to the TOE for evaluation. For each step, detailed information will be added. To get to know if the system is secure, it should meet a set of security criteria or protection profile. Finally TCSEC has been substituted by CC. That means TCSEC was abandoned but CC is still the ongoing security evaluation standard. The advantages of CC Form the above comparison of the differences between TCSEC and CC, we can point out that CC is a relatively successful security evaluation standard because CC has some advantages. CC is an international security standard and many countries acknowledge the testing result. CC is absorbed in security objectives and the related threats and the evaluation process help to enhance confidentiality, availability and integrity of the system. CC provides a set of security criteria in detail and the criteria details are easily understood by customer and supplier. Customer can use them to determine the security level of the products and also to find out their own security requirements. So that supplier can design product for them and also use them to identify their product or system security features. Customer can trust the evaluation because the testing is done independently and not by the supplier. In this session, the similarities and differences between TCSEC and CC have been discussed and after comparison, the advantages of CC have been indicated. Conclusion To sum up, through the discussion of the evaluation process and assurance level of TCSEC and CC, we found out the similarities and differences between the two standards and also the advantages of CC. TCSEC is firstly a security standard and it develops 4 levels and 7 evaluation classes. Each evaluation class contains security requirements and using the requirements it will help to identify the security level of the system or product. TCSEC has provided identification and authentication for user to access the system document and also to provide audit trial and access protection. TCSEC evaluates system or products by checking security requirements to see if the system meets them. TCSEC has been replaced by CC and CC is an international security evaluation standard. CC provides Protection Profiles and Security Targets which are documents for specifying security requirements. [2] CC has 7 Evaluation assurance levels. Because CC came from TCSEC, they have some similarities but actually they are quite different. TCSEC only applies to operation system and it focuses on the demand of confidentiality. CC has full description of security mode, security concepts and security functionality. Compared with TCSEC, CC has some advantages. The testing result is accepted by nations, supplier can design product for customer based on their requirements. CC keeps system confidentiality, availability and integrity. After comparison we can say that CC is relatively a successful security evaluation standard.

Big Brother is Watching: Get Over It! Essay -- essays research papers

Big Brother is Watching: Get Over It!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In George Orwell’s book, 1984, the very existence of every person is scrutinized by their form of government called the Party. The main character, Winston Smith, is constantly monitored throughout his daily life by the telescreen, â€Å"an oblong metal plaque like a dulled mirror† (1), placed strategically so that it can see and hear everything that is going on around him. In America society today we are seeing a movement that can be classified as â€Å"Orwellian† as it relates to this very subject of surveillance, the Internet. The similarities between the telescreen and the free access of the Internet cannot be ignored and as our country is dealing with terrorism, we must be willing to endure some lose of independence that we have gained through the World Wide Web.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One similarity easily noted between the telescreen and the Internet is that they both can not be turned off. The telescreen â€Å"could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely† (2). On the other hand, you may think that you are turning off the Internet when you shut down your computer, but in fact it stays on twenty-four hours a day. They are both viewed through a monitor, whereas the telescreen is forcibly two-way where you can be seen and heard, the computer gives you a choice. Some people invite others into their homes via the internet with the use of webcams, cameras that are attached to your computer and...

Jeffrey Smart

JEFFREY SMART ESSAY An Iconic and well-known Australian artist, born in Adelaide in 1921 and moved permanently to Italy in 1963, often found using his work to depict industrial urban landscapes, he is Jeffrey Smart. Smart’s work has been part of Australian culture for more than half a century, he is Australia’s master of the urban vision; seeing beauty in the landscapes of modernism, his works feature industrial wastelands and concrete streetscapes he pays close attention to clean lines, composition and geometry.This essay will critically analyse Jeffrey Smart’s painting ‘Autobahn in the Black Forest 1’ which was created in 1979/80 using oil on canvas, it measures 100 x 65cm in size. Smart's work is influenced by urban landscapes, an example of one of his works is ‘Autobahn in the Black Forest 1’ this piece is an example of many influenced by urban landscapes. On the right hand side of the painting it shows a series of road barriers on a road going off into the distance, they are painted red and white diagonally.The first barrier seen has a vertical pole attached with a rust texture, added is a shadow on the right side of the pole to make the painting more realistic. The left hand side shows a road, painted onto the road are yellow lines; these lines get more vibrant into the distance. The sky is dark though gets brighter into the distance of the painting. Forest trees are surrounding the road. The main shapes used are rectangles.The lower right of the painting has a signature ‘Jeffrey Smart’. Many of Smart’s paintings are focused on the element of shape. In this painting he uses simple rectangles; he has painted the road lines dark yellow which gets more vibrant into the distance of the painting. There is an obvious repetition shown in the painting, the road barriers, these barriers are also coloured brightly. Smart admits that it's a painstaking process for him â€Å"getting the right shapes in the right place. The gloomy sky seen in the painting is used in many of Smart’s paintings, and when asked why his skies are always so gloomy and smog-laden, Smart replied with, â€Å"I need a dark sky for the composition, because the pale blue at the top of the frame loses nothing. â€Å"I work on the basis that †¦ our eyes go from left to right, left to right, left to right, always. So I always have something for the eye to start with on the left there, brings it across, and then something to bring it back again†. These dark, gloomy skies re found in most of his paintings, including â€Å"Autobahn in the black forest 1†. â€Å"Although Smart agrees composition is central to his paintings, he says the play of light and shadow is equally important, along with stillness and silence† The elements Smart has used and evident in this piece are colour, repetition, space and shape. Smart chooses his art to portray scenes of modern architecture. Since chi ldhood, where his first ambition was to be an architect, he has harboured a fascination for the subject.Which he finds exciting and beautiful, and he has based his style around the strong, simple, geometric shapes and lines that can be seen in them. He strives in his artwork to achieve the perfect composition of shape, balance, colour and light and what he calls the â€Å"fundamental aesthetic principal† of absolute stillness in his paintings. Smart's environment has been his most important influence; he spent his early years discovering the back lanes of the city's inner suburbs. Street signs, apartment blocks and construction sites then had become his subject matter.It was in Italy that the colours, shapes and designs of a country rebuilding itself after World War Two inspired Smart. And in 1965, he moved to Italy and bought the house where he has still resided for about 40 years. Smart decided early on in his career what he wanted to work with â€Å"My attraction to urban life, factories, trucks and vacant lots came in my early 20s when I decided that I had painted my last billabong scene forever. † Travelling to Europe and Italy in particular allowed Smart to experience and study works at first hand.One reason for Smart to buy a property and establish a studio near Arezzo was that the Church of San Francesco in that city contained the great fresco ‘cycle the legend of the true cross’ by the Quattrocento artist, a work which has continued to inspire Smart throughout his life. Jeffrey Smart is without doubt one of the most outstanding Australian painters of the modern age. â€Å"I like living in the 20th century — to me the world has never been more beautiful. I am trying to paint the real world I live in, as beautifully as I can, with my own eye†.

Buisiness Implication of Exchange Rates

BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS OF EXCHANGE-RATE CHANGES BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS OF EXCHANGE-RATE CHANGES Market Decisions On the marketing side, exchange rates can affect demand for a company’s products at home and abroad. A country such as Mexico may force down the value of its currency if its exports become too expensive owing to relatively high inflation. Even though inflation would cause the peso value of the Mexican products to rise, the devaluation means that it takes less foreign currency to buy the pesos, thus allowing the Mexican products to remain competitive.One interesting ramification of a peso depreciation is the impact of the cheaper Mexican goods on exporters from other countries. For example, the cheaper Mexican goods flooding the market in Argentina might take away market share from Italian exporters, thus affecting the Italian economy. A good example of the marketing impact of exchange rate changes is the problem that Japanese car manufacturers were having selling to t he United States in 1986 and 1987 due to the sharp rise in the value of the yen.As the dollar fell 47 percent against the yen in the 16 months ending in December 1986, Japanese car companies found that their cost advantage had disappeared, prices had to be increased, and profit margins had to be trimmed in order to remain competitive. In addition, Korean cars were making inroads due to the low costs and prices of Korean products. Thus a currency depreciation could result in foreign products becoming so expensive in a country like the United States that U. S. roducts soon would pick up market share from imports. The key is whether or not the percentage of devaluation exceeds the relative increase in inflation. In the case of Japan, the strengthening of the Japanese yen in the latter part of 1990 was advantageous to the Japanese in one sense—the cost of imports. Oil prices skyrocketed in late 1990 as Iraq invaded Kuwait, and oil is priced in dollars. Because the yen was rising against the dollar, the stronger yen offset the higher cost of oil.Production Decisions Production decisions also could be affected by an exchange-rate change. A manufacturer in a country with high wages and operating expenses might be tempted to locate production in a country such as Argentina (where the austral is rapidly losing value) because a foreign currency could buy lots of aus-trals, making the initial investment relatively cheap. Another reason for locating in a country such as Argentina is that goods manufactured there would be relatively cheap in world markets.However, a firm could accomplish the same purpose by going to any country whose currency is expected to remain weak in relation to that of the parent-country currency. The attractiveness of a weak-currency country must be balanced with the potential problems of investing there. Financial Decisions The final business area where exchange rates make a difference is in finance, The areas of finance that are most affect ed are the sourcing of financial re- sources, the remittance of funds across national borders, and the financial statements.There might be a temptation to borrow money where interest rates are lowest. However, we mentioned earlier that interest-rate differentials often are compensated for in the money markets through exchange-rate changes. In the area of financial flows, a parent company would want to convert local currency into the parent’s own currency when exchange rates are most favorable so that it can maximize its return. However, countries with weak currencies often have currency controls, making it difficult to manage the flow of funds optimally.Finally, exchange-rate changes also can influence the reporting of financial results. A simple example can illustrate the impact that exchange rates can have on income. If the Mexican subsidiary of a U. S. company earns 100 million pesos when the exchange rate is 200 pesos per dollar, the dollar equivalent of income is $500,00 0. If the peso depreciates to 300 pesos per dollar, the dollar equivalent of income falls to $333,333.The opposite would occur if the local currency appreciates against the parent currency. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The international monetary system has undergone significant reform in the past two decades. As the historically planned economies undergo a transition to market economies, they will feel significant pressure on their exchange rates. High rates of inflation and weak demand for those currencies will lead to major devaluations—certainly a key factor affecting the Russian rouble in March and April of 1991.The European Monetary System should continue to strengthen, and national economic policies will be coordinated more closely as the Europeans move closer to a common currency. However, the weaker economies of some of the new entrants into the EC will continue to plague harmonization and the problems arising during the reunification of Germany will keep the German mark fro m soaring too high against the currencies of the other EC members. Some of the most interesting changes in currency values will take place in the â€Å"more flexible† category.Countries in the â€Å"adjusted according to a set of indicators† and â€Å"other managed floating† categories need to gain greater control over their economies in order to move to the â€Å"independently floating† category. Countries in the latter category are under constant pressure to control inflation and to keep from being tempted to intervene in the markets. Firms will face constant pressure to understand the factors influencing particular exchange rates and to adjust corporate strategy in anticipation of rate movements. Their job will only get easier if exchange rate volatility diminishes

What’s on Human Mind?

[pic] [pic] Joni Mitchell Submitted to: Dr. Remedios Biavati Submitted by: Jacqueline T. Sangalang 2P4 LIT101A Joni Mitchell Born Roberta Joan Anderson; November 7, 1943 is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Western Canada and then busking on the streets of Toronto. In the mid-1960s she left for New York City and its rich folk music scene, recording her debut album in 1968 and achieving fame first as a songwriter (â€Å"Urge for Going†, â€Å"Chelsea Morning†, â€Å"Both Sides Now†, â€Å"Woodstock†) and then as a singer in her own right. Finally settling in Southern California, Mitchell played a key part in the folk rock movement then sweeping the musical landscape. Blue, her starkly personal 1971 album, is regarded as one of the strongest and most influential records of the time. Mitchell also had pop hits such as â€Å"Big Yellow Taxi†, â€Å"Free Man in Paris†, and â€Å"Help Me†, the last two from 1974's best-selling Court and Spark. Mitchell's soprano vocals, distinctive harmonic guitar style, and piano arrangements all grew more complex through the 1970s as she was deeply influenced by jazz, melding it with pop, folk and rock on experimental albums like 1976's Hejira. She worked closely with jazz greats including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, and on a 1979 record released after his death, Charles Mingus. From the 1980s on, Mitchell reduced her recording and touring schedule but turned again toward pop, making greater use of synthesizers and direct political protest in her lyrics, which often tackled social and environmental themes alongside romantic and emotional ones. Mitchell's work is highly respected both by critics and fellow musicians. Rolling Stone magazine called her â€Å"one of the greatest songwriters ever,† while All music said, â€Å"When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century. By the end of the century, Mitchell had a profound influence on artists in genres ranging from R&B to alternative rock to jazz. Mitchell is also a visual artist. She made the artwork for each of her albums, and in 2000 described herself as a â€Å"painter derailed by circumstance. † A blunt critic of the music industry, Mitchell had stopped recording over the last several years, focusing more a ttention on painting, but in 2007 she released Shine, her first album of new songs in nine years. Cultural Background Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada generally including all parts of Canada west of the province of Ontario. The West is considered by many to be a cultural region with an identity separate from that of the rest of Canada. The special cultural, political and economic characteristics of â€Å"the West† are, however, not universally agreed upon, nor are its eographical limits and stereotypes of the West mask the cultural, physical and historical differences within this vast and varied region. In Canadian politics, the term â€Å"the West† is used misleadingly in Canadian media style guides as shorthand for the Conservative leanings of Western Canadians, as contrasted with the greater likelihood for candidates from either the Liberal Party of Canada or the New Democratic Party (NDP) to be elected in Central Canada (although the NDP's roots are in Saskatchewan and Britis h Columbia). Exceptions exist, particularly in British Columbia, as well as in the prairie cities of Winnipeg and Regina, where the Liberal Party currently hold seats, as well as in other major urban centers such as Edmonton where Liberal and NDP candidates have been elected in recent history. The social democratic NDP had its origins on the Canadian Prairies and in the mining and pulp mill towns and railway camps of British Columbia, and has a history of support in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Both Sides Now Composed and Performed by Joni Mitchell Rows and flows of angel hair, And ice cream castles in the air, And feathered canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way, But now they only block the sun. They rain and snow on everyone. So many things I would have done, But clouds got in my way. I've looked at clouds from both sides now, From up and down, and still somehow, Its clouds illusions I recall. I really don't know clouds at all. Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel As every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way. But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. I've looked at love from both sides now, From give and take, and still somehow It’s love's illusions I recall. I really don't know love at all. Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say â€Å"I love you† right out loud, Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way. But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, They say I've changed. Something's lost but something's gained in living every day. I've looked at life from both sides now, From win and lose, and still somehow It’s life's illusions I recall. I really don't know life at all. Both Sides Now is a concept album by Joni Mitchell released in 2000. It traces the progress of the modern relationship through Mitchell's orchestral renditions of classic jazz songs. Two of Mitchell's own songs are also included, â€Å"A Case of You† (1971) and â€Å"Both Sides, Now† (1969). The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza. In the liner notes, co-producer Larry Klein describes the album as â€Å"a programmatic suite documenting a relationship from initial flirtation through optimistic consummation, metamorphosing into disillusionment, ironic despair, and finally resolving in the philosophical overview of acceptance and the probability of the cycle repeating itself†. A limited run of copies were released on February 8, 2000, in special chocolate-box packaging for Valentine's Day, including several lithographs of original Mitchell paintings. Many of these were returned to stores as the CD holder in the box would not reliably hold the disc and copies often arrived scratched. A regular jewel-case edition was released on March 20, 2000. Both Sides Now is also available on DVD-Audio. As of December 2007, the album has sold 323,000 copies in the United States. On the concert tour tie-in to this album, Mitchell performed the songs in the same sequence, but opened with an overture, â€Å"Nuages† — the first movement from Nocturnes, an orchestral suite composed by French composer Claude Debussy. â€Å"Nuages† means â€Å"clouds† in English. While the music certainly sets a romantic mood, the usage of this piece can be seen as a clever pun, since Clouds is also the name of the album on which the song â€Å"Both Sides, Now† made its original appearance. Both the album and the title song are featured in the film Love Actually (2003). *The picture on the upper left was the cover of Joni’s album, â€Å"CLOUD. REACTION I think this song means that people have different perceptions of what love and life are all about when they're children as opposed to when they're adults. When we were children, we saw love as a fairytale, hence the line: â€Å"Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you f eel, as every fairytale comes real; I've looked at love that way. † But when we became adults, we realized that love is NOT a fairytale, thus the line: â€Å"But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go, and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. Love and life can be painful, and children don't see that. They see love and life as a fairytale. It possibly means also that, there is no correct answer when it comes to fragile things like love and life. They are too big and meaningful to be summed up by anything. There are certain things in life you can never learn about from a book or from other people, like this song suggests life and love; you have to experience them, because they are different for every person. We'll never understand everything. You can be an idealist, or you can be a cynic, but you're silly if you think you understand it all.