Real Estate Law Week 1 Ind wrk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Real Estate Law Week 1 Ind wrk - Research Paper Example This is because, unlike personal property which is essentially, movable items which are not part of the land, real property refers to land and the things that are permanently affixed to that land. In this regard, notice that even if you should intend to sell the land upon which the house rests, neither will unseat the house from the land, nor can you sell the house minus the land. In another wavelength, it is imperative that you determine the type of real property ownership your house will be under. There is life estate where the right to possess, access and use this house will be limited to the proprietor’s (the Daryl’s) lifetime. In this case, the Darryls may give or sell away the property, later. The family can also resort to free simple which is outright ownership. There is also future interest where the family can seek the right to won the house sometime in future. The Darryls may also consider contingent interest or lienholder where ownership is comes into existence only where specific conditions are fulfilled, or where the Darryls as the holder of a mortgage, judgment lien, deed of trust or mechanic’s lien on real estate take ownership interest in the real property, respectively (Elias,

Capitalism and United States Essay Example for Free

Capitalism and United States Essay There are many aspects of FDR’s New Deal that must be analyzed in order to determine if this collection of economic programs helped or hurt America’s effort in ending the Great Depression. The Great Depression caused both a decline in national moral and economic productivity unprecedented in United States history. The previously prestigious capitalistic economy was brought to its knees on Black Thursday in October of 1929. Roosevelt had taken office with the intent to quickly relieve a nation from Hoover’s â€Å"do-nothing approach† within his first 100 days as president. He knew he had to act fast in order to fulfill the demands of the people that could be, in part, credited because of their investments in the stock market with unstable funds. There was a rebellion in full swing. As recorded in A People’s History of the United States, â€Å"Desperate people were not waiting for the government to help them; they were helping themselves.†After the stock market crashed, the flaws in the capitalist system were more predominantly brought to surface. The system had been given a bad name among a growing socialist nation in times of desperation. To a socialist critic, the system could be depicted as unsound by nature; neglecting human needs in the pursuit of large corporate benefits. The New Deal was set in place to save capitalism from itself. In order to do this Roosevelt felt that passing a number of social programs would keep the market economy from, once again, self destructing. Through his efforts, Roosevelt had consequently formed class warfare. The faces of business leaders had become the faces of bloodthirsty, evil men which appealed largely to an American public looking for someone, something, or anything to blame for the pain they were going through. Finding that happy-medium between relieving the economic crisis of the American people and not giving the public something they could view as a government fall-back was something that the country had never had to deal with before on this large of a scale. Throughout Roosevelt’s implementation of his social programs concerns surfaced from conservative Americans. Roosevelt did not want welfare to be seen as â€Å"a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.† FDR’s New Deal, under a growingly socialist system, in ways got the country back on its feet and may have been the fix that America was looking for at the time. At the same time; however, it could have been the spark to the gradual lazy, entitled attitude that we experience today in the United States.

BRIC Relevance And Vision In New World Order

BRIC Relevance And Vision In New World Order 19. The 21st century is the century of BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India China) as was the 20th century of America. However one should not forget that there was a period of recession during the early part of 20th century. As per the studies carried out by the experts, there wont be continuous growth every year without any disruption. In fact, the economist were surprised by the occurrence of events in 2008-09. However, they were not surprised that such a thing has happened, as it is a cycle that repeats sooner or later in the world economy. But the fact remains that just because there was an economic crisis in 2008, the relevance of BRICs does not end. In fact it has become more relevant as the emerging economies of BRIC are now driving the world economy.  [7]  The state of the world economy in the coming decade will be largely dictated by the turn of events in the BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, India and China. As all are with large population, hungry for growth, they are alr eady influencing the global commerce and they have the potential to redefine and influence it even further. The BRIC countries have large, young populations base to further exploit this growth potential. The growing importance and influence of BRIC economies is largely due to rapidly growing market due large middle class population which offers lucrative markets for the world industries. 20. The very fact that BRIC economies have shown consistent economic growth over the last decade and their increasing role in the economic activities in the world, Goldman Sachs who first introduced the term has now become more confident on the relevance of BRIC. German economy has already been taken over by China in 2008, and Japan in 2010. As per estimates of Goldman Sachs, Chinese economy will overtake US by 2035. As per reports, India is among the first 10 of the 30 fastest-growing areas in the world, thus it is likely to influence world economy in a major way and faster than expected by the experts.  [8]   21. The leaders of BRIC nations have gained influence over the last decade as their economies have registered faster growth than those of developed countries. The BRIC countries along with the other emerging economies from the developing world have started playing important role in the decision making at various forum of trade, banking and climate change. The relevance of the BRIC economies in the present world order can be gauged from the following facts :- (a) The BRIC economies is more than 22 % of the world economy. (b) The real economic growth of China have consistently averaged at 9.75 percent since 1999, 7 percent in case of India and Russia, and 3.3 percent for Brazil. The global financial crisis of 2008 saw contraction of Russian and Brazil economy in 2009. However India and China continue to remain on a growth path, thus driving the recovery of world economy. (c) As per the experts, the BRIC economies are expected to register further growth in the coming years, thus attracting industries and FDI. (d) Brazil, being an dominating player in agricultural and mining sector, will be a major player in the world market after exploiting its oil reserves. After a period of rapid for last five years, though, its economy has gone into recession in early 2009 but has revived strongly and registered a healthy growth of 9 % in 2010. (e) Russia, being one of the worlds major oil and gas producer, has been affected by the economic slowdown of 2008, in spite of the economic slowdown its economy has registered a healthy growth of about 4 % in 2010 which is largely assisted by recovery in oil prices. (f) Indian economy is emerging strongly and is likely to grow at the rate of 8 %. The government and consumer spending is likely to further boost the growth. (g) The BRIC nations are trying to build consensus on reducing the dependence on U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency, the options of basket of currencies or a system of drawing rates has been suggested by the forum. (h) The BRIC nations have increased their influence at various forum of trade and banking and are dictating terms at these international forums, thus ensuring that their interests are addressed. (j) India and Brazil, both being considered as strong contender for permanent seat in United Nations Security Council, however a lack of consensus among the nations in UN on the issue of UNSC reforms has long stalled the reform process. (k) The BRIC economies have developed a common position on global climate negotiations, however there are differences among them on the issues of carbon footprints. Russia, has already ratified the Kyoto protocol in year 2004. However developing countries like India and Brazil are not agreeing to legally binding targets of emissions being enforced from 2013. (l) Chinese economy has already overtaken Germany and Japan in 2008 and 2010 respectively and is likely to overtake US economy by 2035. (m) As per experts, India will achieve its highest economic growth rate in next few years which will be higher than that of China and will overtake Japanese economy by 2030. (n) As per economic experts, the currencies of BRIC countries will be appreciating upto 300% in next three to four decades, thus likely to be the favourite destination for investment in future this will give further boost to BRIC economies in coming future. (o) In next three to four decades, the BRIC economies, taken together will overtake the economies of United States and the developed economies of Europe. (p) In BRIC countries, a population of about 200 million with incomes above $ 15,000 is likely to get added in the world economy, giving boost to the global economic growth. This is equal to the populations of UK, Germany and France taken together. (q) The BRIC countries together represents almost 42% of the worlds population; This offers a lucrative market of about 2.7 billion people to the world industries, thus making them a favourite destination for investment. These market also represents enormous future purchasing power, which is yet to be tapped. (r) Reduced reliance on foreign debt. The consistent growth rate registered by BRIC economies over the last few years has helped them repay loans taken during the period of previous economic crisis, however with the increasing FDI in these countries, the reliance on foreign debt is getting reduced. (s) Riding the roller coaster. The BRIC economies have registered consistent economic growth rate even during the economic crisis of 2008, however experts wonder that how long these economies can register positive growth rate without a dip and why these economies have not been affected by the slowdown. The world-wide slowdown in economic activities could not have a significant impact on investments in these countries. The reason identified by the experts is that as these are emerging markets with strong economic status and purchasing power, thus they have become the favourites FDI destinations, boosting their economic growth rates and increasing economic activities in these countries. 22. As per studies carried out by Goldman Sachs which predicts that India and China, respectively, will remain major global player for considerable time as suppliers of services and manufactured goods, while Brazil and Russia would emerge and established themselves as major suppliers of raw materials. Thus the BRIC economies are complementing each other with Brazil and Russia together forming the natural commodity suppliers to Indian and Chinese industries. The economic analysts at Goldman Sach released a follow up report which is further to its initial report of 2004 on BRIC. As per this report,  [9]  the number of people in BRIC countries with an income of $3,000 and above will get doubled within next three years and reach a figure of 800 million by 2020. This rise in people with an income of $ 3000 and above represents a massive increase in the middle class in these countries. This rise represent further rise in demand of commodities which will not be restricted to only basic commodities but also have an impact on the demand of expensive goods. The analysts further predicts that between 2007 and 2020, per capita GDP in Indias will quadruple in terms of US$. It further predicts that the Indian economy will overtake US economy by 2050 and BRIC nations as a bloc will overtake economies of G7 nations taken together by 2032. Vision 25. India and China both are driving the world economy, thus helping in recovery of world economies from the effects of the economic crisis and being close neighbours, have become major trading partners. The BRIC nations have exploited the global economic crisis, as a means to improve their economic relationships and co-operation with the poorer developing countries. The BRICs have considerably increased their economic presence in the African countries as well as granted loans to African countries. India has provided loans of more than $200 million at the same time China has invested approximately $4000 million as foreign direct investment. Russia and Brazil has invested more than $3000 and $4000 million in Africa. Through huge economic assistance, the BRICs are not just providing aide to these countries, but also showing their capability to provide financial help to the developing world. This has helped in improving trade ties and getting access to the markets of the poorer economie s which are likely to evolve more strongly in coming future. 26. The globalization and ever growing demand for energy and other raw material, along with the trend of outsourcing helped stimulate the BRICs economic growth. India dominating in service outsourcing sector, termed as back office of the world. Brazil and Russia have vast energy and mineral resources, and China has emerged as worlds manufacturing plant, being termed as shop floor of the world by experts. Indian economy is presently growing at the rate of 8.5% a year, and Chinas at more than 10.5%, and the combined GDP of BRIC countries is US $ 5.2 trillion in 2006 and is growing even stronger day by day. 27. The BRIC thesis proposed by Goldman Sach suggests that, India and China will emerge as the leading players in the field of services and manufactured goods, respectively, similarly Russia and Brazil will become key suppliers of raw materials thus complementing India and China. Thus BRIC countries have the potential to form a dominating economic bloc in which all members complement each other thus boosting each others growth. The BRIC forum in present form cannot be considered as a political alliance or a formal trading association. The leaders of BRIC nations have taken steps to further increase political and economic co-operation, with a view to increase their influence on major trade accords, or as a means of gaining political concessions from the US, civil nuclear deal between India and US is an apt example of success story of this policy. 28. Goldman Sachs  [10]  suggests that the economic potential of BRIC countries has the potential of making them the four most dominant economies in next three to four decades. The BRIC thesis was first proposed by Jim ONeill, global economist at Goldman Sachs. The BRIC countries together accounts for almost 40% of the population and encompass 25% of land in the world. Taken together they hold a combined GDP of approximately 16 trillion dollars. As given above, in almost every field, the BRIC countries are emerging as the leading players in the world. These countries are among the fastest growing economies and emerging markets. 29. The opportunities that the BRIC have for further economic integration in various sectors are evident. Brazil and Russia will continue their leadership roles in developing and trading natural resources, while India and China will remain global leaders in manufacturing, services and technology. All four economies have bounced back from the recession and are now sustaining the global recovery. On current trends, the groups combined share in global gross domestic product should reach 60 percent by 2050. The countries growing economic weight has turned BRIC into a formidable bloc in the new multi-polar world order. 30. The rapid expansion of the emerging economics and BRIC in particular, present both opportunities and challenges in the new world order. There are significant opportunities to form new alliances as BRIC economies present potential growth which will spread the benefits of their development and robust economy to other regional economies as well. However the BRIC economies have to maintain the sustained growth rate to catch up with the more developed economies of the world. 31. The BRICs are becoming superpowers in the economic world. There is no doubt, that they have become much more important today than ever before. But whether they would surpass the expectations is to be seen in near future. However the fact remains that BRIC economies will be playing a key role in global efforts to tackle climate change. Though, it is true that today developed economies are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gases (GHG) already in the atmosphere, however developing countries are expected to account for 75% of GHG emissions over the next 25 years. Owing to its rapid industrialisation and growth, China has emerged as the worlds second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, and is likely to be the highest emitter by 2020 surpassing US. As per experts, its in the BRICs own interest to reduce their emissions and pollution, and to pursue a cleaner path of development. The BRICs already face a number of environmental problems, including air and water pollution, rising strains on water supplies and resource depletion. 32. Though the BRIC countries have differences on various issues, however economic experts feel that they will play a important role in international politics in near future. As the debates on the implementation of emission control by developing countries and Kyoto Protocol are still on, it is believed that the BRIC countries are the ones who will be most affected in future, and therefore should play an essential role in the new developments on these issues. But the question remains whether these countries will be able to develop an alternate world order? Will they be able to reduce the level of US presence in their own region? BRIC has successfully taken its toddler steps and it will depend on the participating countries to develop it further. 33. Indias membership of BRIC bloc and India Brazil and South Africa, IBSA bloc and its effort for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council is part of grand strategy for the evolving multi-polar world order. India has a tremendous potential to shape and influence the emerging multi-polar world order as well as playing dominant role in it, through its strategy of multi-alignment. However, it will have to be less ideologically driven and more strategically savvy to achieve this goal.

The Injustice of Female Genital Mutilation :: essays research papers fc

The horror of female genital mutilation is a global issue, and it is also one surprising foreign to Americans although an estimated ten thousand girls in the United States are currently at risk of this operation (Sarkis par. 1). This is a cultural practice that is both unethical and incredibly detrimental to its victims besides obviously being in direct violation of basic human rights. In order to attain a broader view of this issue the following will be examined: basic information about this practice, organizations fighting it, current news pertaining to it, recent academic articles evaluating it, and the question of how it can be stopped. FGM has recently been receiving growing media attention due to the controversy surrounding it, but the newfound attention is also in hopes that widespread awareness will bring about change. Female genital mutilation, or FGM when abbreviated, is also known as female circumcision, but this practice is far more drastic than male circumcision and is actually more comparable to a surgery in males where the entire penis is removed (Sarkis par. 4). FGM is classified into three different categories based on the extent of the procedure, but it usually entails the removal or the clitoris and/or the adjacent labia. The third degree of FGM is so severe that the female must be cut open to engage in sexual intercourse from that point on (Sarkis par. 5). This surgery is commonly performed in unsanitary conditions with unclean sharp tools like razor blades, kitchen knives, scissors, and pieces of glass (Sarkis par. 6). Female children usually undergo this procedure at three years of age (Sarkis par. 10). Sarkis also states, â€Å"Besides the obvious initial pains of the operations, FGM has long-term physiological, sexual, and psychological effects† (par. 7). It is done for a number of reasons ranging from the prevention of marital infidelity to using it as a cultural rite of passage, but more numerous than the reasons behind it are the countries that partake in it. FGM is most common in Middle Eastern countries and throughout Africa (Sarkis par. 2). FGM is by no means a one-dimensional problem or something that can be recovered from. It is, most significantly, a life-altering procedure. One of the major groups fighting FGM is The Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project. It focuses primarily on the â€Å"knowledge is power† aspect, meaning that it concentrates more on educating the population of FGM in an effort to bring reform instead of direct actions.

Economic inequality Essay

According to Douglass Massey, what makes America so exceptional? Explain globalization’s effects on inequality in the United States. According to Douglass Massey, what makes America so exceptional is â€Å"among developed nations for the amount of inequality it tolerates† (Massey 22). Globalization happens all around the world but, only in the United States inequality is getting out of hand. Globalization’s effects on inequality in United States is after the end of the New Deal coalition the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. The new realignment favored the rich in the expense of middle and lower classes. The poor was taxed more and the rich were taxed less. Tarry Hum’s article (â€Å"Persistent Polarization..†) provides a profile of the city’s current labor force. What does Hum mean by â€Å"persistent polarization†? Compare per capita income and rates of unemployment among different racial and ethnic groups in New York City. – In Tarry Hum’s article â€Å"Persistent Polarization† means the large gap of employment in terms of race, gender, and nativity. For instance, language, proficiency, and education. In terms of race, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians (minorities) were making up 70-75% of the workforce. I’m not really understanding the second part of the question but, I’ll take a go at it. – According to the data, Immigrants aren’t happy about their working condition and wages. The data shows that immigrants works most insecure jobs such as construction and transportation. Some of these jobs are also very high risk yet they get paid below average wages. Does Katherine Newman (author of â€Å"Working Lives†) subscribe to the â€Å"poverty as pathology† idea that people are poor because they are lazy/have no work ethic/don’t try to get a job? Support your answer with evidence from her article. Katherine Newman thinks that if people work hard they should be rewarded. This also doesn’t mean that people in poverty deserves their low standard of living. This means if you work hard you should be rewarded and if you don’t you don’t deserve anything from the goverment. Individuals that lacks work ethics should not be compensated by the states. Not only do they not deserve it they didn’t even try. She thinks that personal failure they are resistaing the econmic and social program. An individual, if you’re not smart and poor and whatever it means it only mean you’re failing yourself and not because the states didn’t do anything for you.

Patriotism and Loyalty

After reading various examples of the word patriotism and its use in that context it seems that patriotism mostly refers to the love or emotional attachment that a person can have to their country or to where they are from or simply to the place that they were born in. While researching online for various examples of patriotism I came to find out that there are different levels of patriotism. One such example of patriotism is that practiced by those that have unconditional love for their country and will blindly follow the countries policies without opposition and will see others that opposed a certain idea as a traitor or being unpatriotic.Other groups of people demonstrate their patriotism by demonstrating it in form of certain symbols like wearing and displaying the flag, singing patriotic songs or the national anthem. There are others that show their patriotism by protesting and criticizing the unjust policies of a nation in order to help keep the nation in check and not blindly follow unjust policies. Accord to the dictionary defines loyalty as â€Å"the quality of being loyal to someone or something. † and loyal as â€Å"giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution. However many times a person’s loyalty can be in a conflict. For example if a person is loyal to the United States but the new government starts making decisions that the individual does not agree with now he can keep on following without speaking up because of his loyalty to the government as well or he can protest against poor policies because those decisions made by those in power are hurting the United States. In his mind he is still being loyal to the United States by protesting and help shape better policies but by others he may be seen as a traitor.

Electronic Commerce essays

Electronic Commerce essays Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an integrated approach aimed at improving the customer's total experience. This holistic endeavor involves understanding and optimizing customer interactions across all touchpoints such as Web sites, retail outlets, call centers, help desks and kiosks, across all company divisions or departments such as sales, marketing, accounting, customer service, and purchasing, and across all stages of company interaction such as presales, product/service and post-sales experiences. The goal of CRM is not only to obtain new customers and to increase the likelihood of sales, but also to reduce costs through developing more efficient business processes, improving customer relationships and increasing customer loyalty. The value of a unified customer view is tremendous. First, it makes it easier to customers to conduct business because all company representatives have access to customer data across all channels. The benefit for customers is that they do not have to provide duplicate data for multiple transactions, saving time and improving data quality. And, the employee interacting with the customer can more quickly respond to the customer request by having a better understanding of the customer's history. With a complete picture of customer interactions, companies can greatly improve their ability to market to customers by providing personalized Web and email content and tailored services that the customer will value. It's also easier to reward loyalty with affinity and retention programs designed specifically to meet the customer's needs. In the world of electronic commerce, self service is a must-have feature. This requires an integrated view of all customer data and transactions such as credit card data, shipping and billing addresses, order status and invoices. Besides being more loyal, customers may be willing to pay more for th...

Free Essays on Powering Veitnam

The Vietnam War The Vietnam War is truly one of the most unique wars ever fought by the Unites States of by any country. It was never officially declared a war (Knowll, 3). It had no official beginning nor an official end. It was fought over 10,000 miles away in a virtually unknown country. The enemy and the allies looked exactly the alike, and may by day be a friend but by night become an enemy (Aaseng 113). It matched the tried and true tactics of World War Two against a hide, run, and shoot technique known as "Guerrilla Warfare." It matched some of the best trained soldiers in the world against largely an untrained militia of untrained farmers. The United States’ soldiers had at least a meal to look forward to unlike the Communist Vietnamese soldiers who considered a fine cuisine to be cold rice and, if lucky, rat meat. The Vietnam War matched the most technically advanced country with one of the least advanced, and the lesser advanced not only beat but humiliated the stron gest military in the world (Aaseng, 111). When the war was finally showing signs of end, the Vietnamese returned to a newly unified communist country while the United Stated soldiers returned to be called "baby killers", and were often spat upon. With the complexities of war already long overdrawn because of the length of the war it is no wonder the returning solders often left home confused and returned home insane. Through an examination of the Vietnam War, in particular an event know as the My Lai Massacre, and the people involved with both, it can be proven that when the threshold for violence of a person is met or exceeded, the resulting psychological scarring becomes the most prominent reason for war being hell. Although officially, the Vietnam Conflict had neither a beginning nor an end, for the purpose of this paper it can be best examined through the decade the United States was involved: February 6, 1965 - August 30, 1975. During World War Two the Frenc... Free Essays on Powering Veitnam Free Essays on Powering Veitnam The Vietnam War The Vietnam War is truly one of the most unique wars ever fought by the Unites States of by any country. It was never officially declared a war (Knowll, 3). It had no official beginning nor an official end. It was fought over 10,000 miles away in a virtually unknown country. The enemy and the allies looked exactly the alike, and may by day be a friend but by night become an enemy (Aaseng 113). It matched the tried and true tactics of World War Two against a hide, run, and shoot technique known as "Guerrilla Warfare." It matched some of the best trained soldiers in the world against largely an untrained militia of untrained farmers. The United States’ soldiers had at least a meal to look forward to unlike the Communist Vietnamese soldiers who considered a fine cuisine to be cold rice and, if lucky, rat meat. The Vietnam War matched the most technically advanced country with one of the least advanced, and the lesser advanced not only beat but humiliated the stron gest military in the world (Aaseng, 111). When the war was finally showing signs of end, the Vietnamese returned to a newly unified communist country while the United Stated soldiers returned to be called "baby killers", and were often spat upon. With the complexities of war already long overdrawn because of the length of the war it is no wonder the returning solders often left home confused and returned home insane. Through an examination of the Vietnam War, in particular an event know as the My Lai Massacre, and the people involved with both, it can be proven that when the threshold for violence of a person is met or exceeded, the resulting psychological scarring becomes the most prominent reason for war being hell. Although officially, the Vietnam Conflict had neither a beginning nor an end, for the purpose of this paper it can be best examined through the decade the United States was involved: February 6, 1965 - August 30, 1975. During World War Two the Frenc...

A Full Strategic Appraisal of NETFLIX Case Study

A Full Strategic Appraisal of NETFLIX - Case Study Example The report will analyze the external and internal environment affecting Netflix, through identification of the strategic models and ‘Critical Success Factors’ (CSFs). Models such as VRIN framework will be used to analyze resources possess by the company. The next part of this appraisal will elucidate the current issues and challenges faced by Netflix and will attempt to generate successful strategies that will be helpful for the company to attain growth in future. Models such as SAF Framework will be used for the evaluation of the strategy and its growth opportunities. Finally, the study will provide summarized information that will briefly elucidate the major factors discussed throughout the study. PESTEL Framework. From its inception, Netflix has been highly affected by the political environment of the nations that fall under its service distribution network. Nationally, the company has been affected by the laws of copyrights on variety of contents including documentaries and series because of political changes in the operational countries. The amendments made in the existing copyright law can be observed to hamper the ability of Netflix in delivery of content. The strategy of the company is also affected by the economic factors of a nation. To maintain the topmost position in the global market, Netflix needs to set the price of the product that is competitive in nature and can easily attract the potential customers by outweighing their expenses. In addition, the competition is another major factor that has significantly influenced its operation in the global arena. It can be derived from the case study that Netflix incurred high amount of losses when the company expanded outside the U.S. for attracting more customers and expanding their reach (Thompson 475-498). In case of Social factors, Netflix must gather knowledge of the moral and religious issues

Explain Jim's character and why he treats Laura as he does Essay

Explain Jim's character and why he treats Laura as he does - Essay Example That is how the play gets its name â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†. Beyond every sentimental elements found in this play, its theme circles around the two characters, Laura and Jim. Jim O’ Connor in the play is portrayed as a hero in his high school age itself. He mastered everything he did and convinced others that he could go farther than they would expect him to. In his teen days, he would sing well and make a circle of fans around him with his wits. He is a pleasing personality that can easily gain room in anybody’s heart. Although he does nothing that impresses others, the conviction in his words leaves an unshakable trust among his listeners. An adventure loving man he is, he changes his life style time to time and searches the new entertaining things to enthrall himself. When Tom meets him at the work place, Jim is an absolute movie fan. Loneliness and youthful inspirations drive his way from one spot to another in search of joy. Jim has been introduced as â€Å"a nice, ordinary, young man† (p. XIII) but his nature is rather skeptical as the way he meets Laura and recollects his past in the play. Jim never seems to be concerned about Laura except for the little love he has for her from the memories. Altogether, his character in the play is nurtured with ambiguity that of a man who willfully conceals his desire to escape situations for better choices with unwillingness to leave his little old love. He poses a role for self deceit when he leaves Laura for Betty, his fiancà ©e. Jim’s character in the play grows rather displeasing to normal audience at the end of the tale because of his ill motivated school days and the loneliness he chose to grow with. As the way his days with Tom’s family grow affectionate, he regains everything he wanted to have right from his teenage. Though he loves Laura, his insider always suggests him a way out- a way that meets his desires at reality. Laura-though is very beautiful like a glass toy, is very fragile

Biography of Joaquin Murieta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biography of Joaquin Murieta - Essay Example Not much is mentioned about his upbringing. His history shifts to his marriage to Rosa Feliz of Vayoreca. Together with his wife and her three brothers they moved to California for the gold rush. He and his wife settled in Niles Canyon where he toiled as a vaquero and a mustang catcher. After this point the legend of Joaquin Murrieta begins controversy. The first legend depicts Joaquin Murrieta as a bandit while the other one makes him a hero (Ridge, John, 17). In the first legend, Joaquin Murrieta joins his brother-in -laws bandit (Burns, Noble, 11). The bandit kills and steals from white people. After the death of his brother-in-law, Joaquin takes over the bandit’s leadership. He continues to lead the men to crime, and specializes on killing and stealing from the Chinese people. Joaquin and his bandit do not have reservations on killing fellow Hispanics and countrymen. The state of California puts a bounty of 5000 dollars on his head due to the endless menace. After the shooting of General Joshua Bean, Joaquin and Reyes (also his brother-in-law) are implicated. Joaquin fled leaving Reyes to be punished by hanging due to the murder of bean. Overwhelming evidence pointed to Joaquin as the killer (Burns, Noble, 13). Hence a team commandeered by Harry Love was created to hunt him down. Harry Love captured and killed Joaquin. He cut off his head and preserved it in a bottle of alcohol. He later went round the mines to confirm his identity and assure the people that Joaquin would not harm them again. The term bandit is a widely applied in this version of the legend. Joaquin is referred to as a racist, outlaw, murderer, robber and gang leader. Law enforcement and afflicted individuals mainly applied this term. The appropriateness of the term varies depending on the validity of the information. It is hard too tell if the cruelty of Joaquin is exaggerated or not. However, in the context of law enforcers and victims of Joaquin, it is hard to find

Illegal Immigration Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration Issue - Research Paper Example To support my argument, the adverse effects brought about by illegal immigration, particularly in terms of employment displacement of citizens and incurring of additional social security expenditures of the government, are highlighted. Through the media, the concept of illegal immigration has been highly romanticized. Illegal aliens, as illegal immigrants are commonly referred to, are portrayed as the hardworking border-crossers who strive to provide for their families left behind (Weissinger). Many feel sympathy for the plight of these people who risk their own lives in search of greener pastures. This is the same emotion elicited in me during an interview with Mr. Diaz, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who has been working in a local retail store for a year now. Barely able to speak vocational English, he narrated how extreme poverty in their homeland has impelled him to look for a decent job across the border. With his job, he is able to send money to his family with the salary he currently earns, a far cry from how much he would have gotten in Mexico. In the perception of US-based employers, illegal immigrants are viewed as a cheap source of unskilled labor, which they could easily tap (Hanson). Note that illegal aliens, given their desperation to immediately land jobs, willingly accept relatively lower wages as compared to the local labor force ("Costs of Immigration"). Others believe that illegal immigration is actually a win-win situation, wherein the poor country from where the illegal alien originated obtains dollars from remittances, while the host nation takes advantage of lower labor cost with the large worker pool made available (Hanson).   Given these perceptions, the true issues directly related to illegal immigration are obscured. The subsequent sections reveal what lies beneath the common belief and shed lights on the effects of immigration on government expenditure, population growth and on other economic factors (Siew-Ean).

Respond to classmate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Respond to classmate - Essay Example Next to be considered is conciseness. When communicating, be sure you are not beating around the bush. Be direct and to the point while communicating. Following conciseness is consideration. Be aware who needs the information and consider all those who need to know. When considering your communication you need to be concrete and use specific facts and figures along with clarity so those you are communicating with will have no possible confusion. Lastly, Courteous and correctness go hand in hand. As a communicator you should be courteous of the listener and uses correct language and also in messaging use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and accurate facts and figures. Using these seven C’s can guide and promote effective communication in the workplace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my workplace, communication is a must. As a Title one paraprofessional, I am working with several teachers to help those struggling students to improve in reading, writing, and arithmetic. If I was given the students and teachers did not consider what the students’ needs were I would not know what to teach them. It is my job to collaborate with each grade to better the students time and help them progress. It is also courteous on the teacher’s part to keep us in the loop so we can be correct and concise in who needs extra help. Without proper communication, I would fail in helping those students to progress and learn. Communication is essential in every aspect. Nordmeyer, Billie. Keys to Building Effective Communication in the Workplace. Everydaylife.globalpost.com. Retrieved from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/keys-building-effective-communication-workplace-1575.html I agree with the seven Cs presented in this article and wondered if they talked about delivery methods too?   There are times it is difficult to deliver all the information in a concise manner if there are a lot of details to be discussed.   About a week ago I was trying to explain a situation at

Zara Strategy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Zara Strategy Analysis - Essay Example The chain offers a diverse clothing lines for women, men, and children, legions in latest designs. It operates through â€Å"The Cube† under the command of the giant Inditex Corporation. The corporation has been on the rise since 1996 recording massive sales ahead of its competitors like Gap. Thus, the firm became the world’s largest fashion retailer in 2008 with its eight brands. However, the corporation’s growth rate attributes to the success in Zara sales, which amounted to two-thirds of the corporation sales. Zara is venturing in fast expansions all over the world with new markets in over 68 countries in the globe. It is the most innovative and devastating fashion retailer in the world with immense profits though its products are relatively cheap. The chain relies on latest blend of technology to devise its market strategy. The chain has unleashed a strategy that shuns advertising, does not run sales, and keeps its huge investments of production at home. In a field where almost all firms outsource their manufacturing processes to low-cost countries, the Zara Company seems to negate all the fashion industry rules thus remaining vertically integrated in the market. However to analyze the success of Zara strategy in the market, we will need to consider various factors in relation to technological advancements. The analysis will consider the internal and external perspectives and use strategic models and theories in drawing a conclusive decision. The analysis will focus on critical issues that would guarantee long-term success. The analysis will also look into the sustainability of the strategy, its feasibility, and acceptability in the fashion industry. ... marise the key findings from the analysis and make informed recommendations in an effort to maintain the growing success of the company.  The paper will use the SWOT analysis to summarise the analysis and reach a defined conclusion. The paper will apply the Igor Ansoff Matrix models, seven s analysis, and pestle, in the analysis. Igor Ansoff Matrix model (Ansoff, 1988, n.p) Existing markets New Markets Existing New In using this model, I will try to show the market penetration of Zara products in the existing markets. I will also highlight the market development of Zara products in new territories in both new and existing markets. Additionally, the model will note diversification of Zara products in new markets using the existing capabilities. The model will henceforth highlight Zara product development in both new and existing markets using the existing capabilities. External analysis PESTLE (Johnson et al, 2009, n.p) PESTLE Summary Zara Company is subject to political stability a nd attitudes to competition. This rises from its major establishment and dominance in one country. In case of political instability and change of attitude in competition, Zara market advantage will crush. Factors of global recession and economic growth will equally affect the company since it has stores in many countries. Changes in lifestyle and social mobility will jeopardize the company sales since it concentrates mostly on two stores located in the same country. Changes in technology will significantly affect the company since its operations rely on technology and machines. Competition, employment laws and difference in laws between nations has a great significance in the mode of competition, recruitment of staff, and the running of the company in various nations it plans to invest. The

Illegal Immigration Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration Issue - Research Paper Example To support my argument, the adverse effects brought about by illegal immigration, particularly in terms of employment displacement of citizens and incurring of additional social security expenditures of the government, are highlighted. Through the media, the concept of illegal immigration has been highly romanticized. Illegal aliens, as illegal immigrants are commonly referred to, are portrayed as the hardworking border-crossers who strive to provide for their families left behind (Weissinger). Many feel sympathy for the plight of these people who risk their own lives in search of greener pastures. This is the same emotion elicited in me during an interview with Mr. Diaz, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who has been working in a local retail store for a year now. Barely able to speak vocational English, he narrated how extreme poverty in their homeland has impelled him to look for a decent job across the border. With his job, he is able to send money to his family with the salary he currently earns, a far cry from how much he would have gotten in Mexico. In the perception of US-based employers, illegal immigrants are viewed as a cheap source of unskilled labor, which they could easily tap (Hanson). Note that illegal aliens, given their desperation to immediately land jobs, willingly accept relatively lower wages as compared to the local labor force ("Costs of Immigration"). Others believe that illegal immigration is actually a win-win situation, wherein the poor country from where the illegal alien originated obtains dollars from remittances, while the host nation takes advantage of lower labor cost with the large worker pool made available (Hanson).   Given these perceptions, the true issues directly related to illegal immigration are obscured. The subsequent sections reveal what lies beneath the common belief and shed lights on the effects of immigration on government expenditure, population growth and on other economic factors (Siew-Ean).

Zara Strategy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Zara Strategy Analysis - Essay Example The chain offers a diverse clothing lines for women, men, and children, legions in latest designs. It operates through â€Å"The Cube† under the command of the giant Inditex Corporation. The corporation has been on the rise since 1996 recording massive sales ahead of its competitors like Gap. Thus, the firm became the world’s largest fashion retailer in 2008 with its eight brands. However, the corporation’s growth rate attributes to the success in Zara sales, which amounted to two-thirds of the corporation sales. Zara is venturing in fast expansions all over the world with new markets in over 68 countries in the globe. It is the most innovative and devastating fashion retailer in the world with immense profits though its products are relatively cheap. The chain relies on latest blend of technology to devise its market strategy. The chain has unleashed a strategy that shuns advertising, does not run sales, and keeps its huge investments of production at home. In a field where almost all firms outsource their manufacturing processes to low-cost countries, the Zara Company seems to negate all the fashion industry rules thus remaining vertically integrated in the market. However to analyze the success of Zara strategy in the market, we will need to consider various factors in relation to technological advancements. The analysis will consider the internal and external perspectives and use strategic models and theories in drawing a conclusive decision. The analysis will focus on critical issues that would guarantee long-term success. The analysis will also look into the sustainability of the strategy, its feasibility, and acceptability in the fashion industry. ... marise the key findings from the analysis and make informed recommendations in an effort to maintain the growing success of the company.  The paper will use the SWOT analysis to summarise the analysis and reach a defined conclusion. The paper will apply the Igor Ansoff Matrix models, seven s analysis, and pestle, in the analysis. Igor Ansoff Matrix model (Ansoff, 1988, n.p) Existing markets New Markets Existing New In using this model, I will try to show the market penetration of Zara products in the existing markets. I will also highlight the market development of Zara products in new territories in both new and existing markets. Additionally, the model will note diversification of Zara products in new markets using the existing capabilities. The model will henceforth highlight Zara product development in both new and existing markets using the existing capabilities. External analysis PESTLE (Johnson et al, 2009, n.p) PESTLE Summary Zara Company is subject to political stability a nd attitudes to competition. This rises from its major establishment and dominance in one country. In case of political instability and change of attitude in competition, Zara market advantage will crush. Factors of global recession and economic growth will equally affect the company since it has stores in many countries. Changes in lifestyle and social mobility will jeopardize the company sales since it concentrates mostly on two stores located in the same country. Changes in technology will significantly affect the company since its operations rely on technology and machines. Competition, employment laws and difference in laws between nations has a great significance in the mode of competition, recruitment of staff, and the running of the company in various nations it plans to invest. The

Life of Pi Essay Example for Free

Life of Pi Essay There is a time in each person’s life when they feel like the world is coming to an end and no one can help them overcome the problem that there in, but all of a sudden they get a feeling that everything is going to be all right, that somehow they’re going to be able to overcome the crises they’ve fallen into. That spark that lights up there world again, and gives them hope, is belief. Not everyone knows they have the ability to believe in what is unseen but when they fall into a situation where nothing can help them, their human instincts push them into believing that somewhere out there a greater force is going to rescue them. In the story â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel takes the readers on a journey to explore the mystery of belief. Pi shows the readers that not everything needs to be seen in order to believe in. Pi is a sixteen year-old boy who has seen nothing of the world, he had nothing more to his life but his family and friend. On that stormy night, cruising on a ship in the middle of the ocean, he lost everything, everything that meant something to him, his family, his friend, his protection, the feeling of safety and love, every single thing that could give him a hint of hope had just vanished in a matter of seconds. He was left with fierce beasts that could tear him to shreds simply. Even though he had no way of being sure that he would be saved, he still pushed himself to believing that somehow he will be able to overcome the crises he’d fallen in. He prayed to God even though he had no proof he was there but he believed. He believed because he had no other choice, he needed a miracle. Pi started using every breathing moment to ask for Gods help. THIS IS GODS HAT! I would pat my pants and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ATTIRE! I would point to Richard Parker and say aloud, THIS IS GODS CAT! I would point to the lifeboat and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ARK! I would spread my hands wide and say aloud, THESE ARE GODS WIDE ACRES! I would point at the sky and say aloud, THIS IS GODS EAR! And in this way I would remind myself of creation and of my place in it. (Martel, 263). Pi starts to lose faith but he refuses to give up easily, he pushes his self to unveil this black curtain that is keeping any type of light out and is determined to hold on to his belief so he starts yelling aloud that everything belongs to God so that he reminds himself that God created everything so he is there whether we see him or not. In Pi’s opinion believing in God is almost like a life opportunity that opens a peosons eyes to the world. He sometimes finds it difficult to have faith in god and feels like he can’t take anymore, but in the end he goes back to believing and loving his lord. Pi says: â€Å"I was giving up. I would have given up – if a voice hadn’t made itself heard in my heart. The voice said â€Å"I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day. I will put it all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die Amen†Ã¢â‚¬ (186). He refuses to give up, even though there is nothing factual which may give him any type of hope he still tries to hold on and have faith in god powers. Pi shows that believing in God has given him strength and hope to get through his situation. It has pushed him to believe that no matter what happens he will be alright because God is with him. So, even though God can’t be seen, he is still there and when stuck and in need of help he will be the one to rescue his people. Pi as a young boy doesn’t really know what to do in the situation he’s in; he’s scared but tries not to show it, he wants to remain strong. Pi trying to maintain an optimistic point of view continuously forced his belief to grow; taking his age into consideration we are able to see that he is pushing himself to be the man he has to be in order to get through this problem. He says, â€Å"Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind† (178) . Pi as a young man understands that belief and faith is the key to his survival, he determines that in order to survive through his wild and dangerous journey he must throw his fears aside and believe. Love is something very rare felt from with in. Not everyone experiences this amazing feeling which makes It very difficult to believe and understand. Pi shows us his strong belief in love through the following quote â€Å"I just want to love God† (87). Thinking deeply into this simple quote you can see that pi is expressing his true love for God. He shows that he is prepared to love with all of his heart even if he gets nothing in return. Also another quote that shows Pi’s love in is â€Å"He’s a shy man. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him†(101). This shows that Pi has learned to hide the things he truly loves in order to keep them safe, to keep them out of sight and unharmed. Considering he lost his family that would be the least he could do. So, it’s is proven that not everything needs to be seen in order for one to believe in. A quote from the book that supports is â€Å"We believe what we see†¦ what do you do when you’re in the dark?† So this shows that not everything needs to be seen in order for people to believe in.

Most Appropriate Ethics System For The Accounting Profession Philosophy Essay

Most Appropriate Ethics System For The Accounting Profession Philosophy Essay I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do (Brown, 2008, p. 1). The world we live in comes in diverse and multifaceted societies. The United States is considered to have violent societies in the industrialized world. One set of apprehensions has to do with crime and destructive behavior rioting, shooting or mugging. However, concerns for the moral improvement of professionals deal with different issues. Professionals, by virtue of having made it through years of schooling and supervised work, usually have average impulse control, self-discipline, self-regulation abilities, ego strength, and social skills (Rest Narvaez, 1994). The United States has a long tradition of creation of wealth through stakeholders. For more than a decade, however, the public has shown a rising sensitivity to unethical behavior due to the pursuit of power and money. Public trust in the services offered by professional accountants has declined in recent years due to occurrences of unethical behavior in the profession (Spiceland, Sepe, and Tomassini, 2004). The unethical behavior of managers is an issue that is likely to stay in the public eye for quite some time. A 1987 popular movie portrayed the dishonest dealings of people involved in securities trading based on nonpublic information. The primary character was portrayed by actor Michael Douglas, who, in a dramatic scene says, Greed is good! The connotation is that greed is an acceptable motivation and that people in business will do anything to make money, which includes engagement to unethical behavior. Accountants have significant role in the public eye. In performing their task they are asked to take certain roles. They accept at the same time the resulting obligations and moral responsibilities by accepting certain roles. Accountants can be found performing daily tasks in situations governed by a complex set of rules, principles, and practices (Riahi-Belkaoui, 2004). In performing their roles, accountants face formal or legal rules of behavior, but also moral elements created by specific situations. According to Theodore Roosevelt, To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. The societies are governed with values by which people live. The system of values is referred to as philosophy. The principles and rules people use to decide what is right or wrong are referred to as moral philosophy. Ethics is the study that is concerned with the nature of ultimate value, and the standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong (Rainbow, 2002). Society has higher expectations ethically of professionals and, as a consequence, the law holds them to a higher standard of due care. One of the characteristics that differentiate a profession from an occupation is the code of ethics that guides the profession. It is true that ethical standards cannot be codified to cover every situation. However, if professionals desire to strive for the higher levels of ethical behavior, there needs to be a more effective understanding and application of clear and uniform standards of right and wrong. Various accounting organizations promote high standards of ethical behavior. One of which is the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), which is a professional organization that serves certified public accountants who work for public accounting firms or other organizations. The code of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) emphasizes the obligations of the certified public accountants to serve the public interest, and their responsibility to act with integrity, objectivity, independence and in professional care. Specific responsibilities of the accounting profession are expressed in the various codes of ethics promulgated. According to Zucker (1986), the basis upon which the accounting profession was founded and continues to exist is public trust, which is the degree to which the public has confidence in the services provided by the accounting profession. There are various categories of ethical perspectives or models of ethical thinking that are applicable to accounting. Two well-known frameworks of ethical system theories are utilitarian and the deontological. Accountants can best understand these ethical views by comparing and contrasting the fundamental moral principles of each ethical theory, and determining which ethics system is most appropriate for the accounting profession. Utilitarian Ethics Utilitarianism is an ethical system that is most often attributed to philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is the ethical principle that considers an action to be morally right or wrong based solely on the consequences that result from performing it. The right action is the one that brings the best consequences or the greatest amount of utility. It advocated the rule and goal of the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Maximizing the happiness within the society is believed to be the most ethical thing to do. It is thus frequently considered as consequentialism since it believes that outcomes can be predicted and because it judges actions based on their outcomes. John Stuart Mill says: Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principles, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Happiness is intended to be pleasure, the absence of pain, and the privation of pleasure. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory of conduct where, under any given circumstances, an action is objectively right, if it will generally produce the greatest amount of happiness, taking into account all whose happiness is affected by the conduct. Under this system, the merits of an action are evaluated by considering the total benefits and the total cost created by the action for human society (Darwall, 2003). The rules ensure the greatest good for the most people and speed-up the decision-making process. The rules do not guarantee a positive outcome all the time, but generally following the rules generates positive outcomes. One of the major problems of utilitarianism is the ambiguity of the statement, The greatest good for the greatest number of people. For example, there are ten units of pleasures to be distributed to ten people. The easiest way to give them out is giving each a unit of pleasure. But suppose four people passionately love the units of pleasure and the other six do not care about the units of pleasure. Then would it make sense if two units of pleasure will be given to the four people who passionately love them, and none to the five or six people who do not care? So the problem of fairness is present, as well as the problem of how things should be distributed. Ultimately, when goods are maximize, some people get much and the others get a few or nothing at all. For example, an accountant takes a companys money for a few days and deposits it in his own account before putting it in the account of the company, thereby personally gaining the interest on the businesss money. It might be in his best interest, but in the best interest of the greater number of people. It is an unethical action since it will clearly harm more people more that it will help; the action is unjustified since it can harm others. Another example is the act of bribery, which is generally wrong. Bribery could be considered a general guideline by the utilitarian ethical system. If paying a bribe generated a contract which would keep a firm in business and people gainfully employed, a utilitarian may conclude that bribery is justified. The utilitarianism recognizes this subjection, and assumes it for the foundation of that system, the object of which is to rear the fabric of felicity by the hands of reason and of law. Ethical systems which attempt to question this way of livi ng, deal in sounds instead of sense, on impulse instead of reason, in darkness instead of light (Alexander, 2007, p. 1). Furthermore, in utilitarianism, the decision of which things should be counted as good is also dilemma. The system assumes that what people prefer is what is good, thus the good can only be judged by demand. Utilitarianism asserts that one should always act so as to produce the greatest ratio of good to evil for everyone (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). An act will be considered ethical if it produces a greater balance of good over evil in any given situation; the question then lies with whose good is trying to be promoted. Therefore, some will argue that this system supports egoism, because most likely a person will promote the good of the individual. The ultimate goal, though, was not the happiness of the individual, but the happiness of society (Rossouw, 1998). Deontological Ethics Deontological ethics is the ethics of duty and obligations. One of the most significant insinuations of deontology is that a behavior of the person can be wrong even if it results in the best possible outcome, and an act can be considered righteous even if it results in a negative outcome. According to Reindenbach, Robin, and Dawson (1991), deontologists have a duty to satisfy legitimate claims. These claims are determined by applying logic to an ethical principle, bearing in mind that one owes many diverse duties to others. Deontology is referred to as non-consequentialism, ethical formalism, or ethics of respect-for-persons (Ferrell Fraedrich, 1997). The deontology principle states that decisions should be judged on the circumstances in which they are made, rather than by their consequences. It means, specifically, ethics based on duty in spite of consequences. There are many variations of deontology. The most significant attempt to construct a deontological approach to ethics is found in Immanuel Kants Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. He begins this work by observing that only a good will is unconditionally good. For Kant, it is impossible to conceive anything in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good without qualification, except a good will. So what about intellectual qualities such as intelligence or good judgment or qualities of character, such as perseverance or courage? Kants answer has no basis for these good qualifications. Although such qualities are considered good in many situations, they can also be used for evil purposes as well. Deontologists hold that some choices cannot be justified by their effects; no matter how morally good their consequences, some choices are morally prohibited. On deontological accounts of ethics, one cannot make certain wrongful choices, even if by doing so the number of wrongful choices will be minimized-others will be prevented from engaging in similar wrongful choices. Deontologists believe that what makes a choice right is its conformity with a moral norm. Such norms are to be simply obeyed by each moral agent; such norm-keepings are not to be maximized by each agent. In this sense, for deontologists, the right has priority over the good. If an act is not in accord with the right, it may not be undertaken, no matter the good that it might produce-this includes even a good consisting of acts in accordance with the right. Correct decisions include all choices where the voluntary actions of any one person can be harmonized in reality with the voluntary actions of every other person (Kant, 1965, p. 1). Kant explains that this idea is according to the universal law of freedom. The formality of this approach may be considered a weakness, but it is, in fact, strength; it permits for considering all possible conditions. Furthermore, it is transformation into positive law is the core of the art of legislation. Ultimately, deontology promotes a duty of making the best moral decision. Kant gives several formulas to help decide what makes-up this duty. For Kant, all practical judgments are imperatives. The qualified ones are referred to as the hypothetical imperatives and the unqualified oaths are referred to as categorical imperatives. What determines the goodness or badness is whether the decisions accomplish the goal. For example, a person is situated in the fourth floor of the building and desires to go to the cafeteria that is situated in the next building. So what can he do now? One choice is to could jump out of the window. Of course he or she could probably break a leg; such action would be imprudent. So the prudent thing to do is to take an elevator down or walk down the stairs in order to transfer to the next building to the cafeteria. The deontological theory states that people should adhere to their obligations and duties when analyzing an ethical dilemma. This means that a person will follow his obligations to another individual or society because upholding his duty is what is considered ethically correct. For instance, a deontologist will, all the time, keep his promises to a friend, as well as follow the law. A person who follows this theory will produce very sound decisions that are consistent, since they will be based on the individuals set duties (Rainbow, 2002). AICPA Code of Ethics The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct consists of two main parts: Principles and Rules. The Principles provide the framework for the rules. The Rules provide specific guidance in the performance of professional services of AICPA members. The Principles are set out in six Articles and a Preamble. The Preamble articulates the role that the Principles play. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Guide members in the performance of their professional responsibilities and express the basic tenets of ethical and professional conduct. The Principles call for an unswerving commitment to honorable behavior, even at the sacrifice of personal advantage (AICPA, 2008, Preamble). Article I consist of the responsibilities of the AICPA member. It admonishes members as a group to carry out special responsibility of self governance. Article II states that the accounting profession has a duty to serve the publics interest. The public to be served consists of clients, credit grantors, governments, employers, investors, the business and financial community, and others who rely on the objectivity and integrity of certified public accountants to maintain the orderly functioning of commerce. Since the public relies on accountants, the accountant has a reciprocal obligation to be dedicated to professional excellence. Article III calls for an accountant to act with integrity. This requires the accountant to be completely honest and without deception. The honesty exhibited by a person acting with integrity can never compromise that obligation of client confidentiality. However, personal gain can never be put ahead of public interest. Persons acting with integrity will nev er be deceitful. Article II measures integrity in terms of what is right and just. Article IV specifically addresses the two traits of objectivity and independence-the hallmark of an accountant. Objectivity requires a freedom from conflicts of interest, honesty and impartiality. Independence requires freedom that may compromise objectivity. Article V sets out the standards for the services rendered as due care. Each person is expected to evaluate his or her own competence and to obtain the advice of others when necessary. Diligence means that the person will be prompt, thorough, careful and timely. Appropriate planning and supervision will be done by one who is diligent. Finally, Article VI states that each person will consider all the ethical principles when deciding to accept or reject a request for services. Last, the second section of the Code of Professional Conduct consists of a series of rules related to each of the above stated principles. The rules are very specific in thei r application. Rules are thought of as should nots. Conclusion The Code of Professional Conduct sets the standards and rules for professional accountants, regarding their moral and professional obligations toward one another, their clients, and society as a whole. Accountants must obey this code. Having canvassed the two main frameworks of ethical systems, it is not difficult to assess which of the two ethical systems is generally best for the accounting profession. On one hand, the utilitarian perspective about ethics claims that humans are supposed to take those actions that lead to the greatest balance of good consequences versus bad consequences. The utilitarian ethical system is plagued by an indirect and direct paradox. Indirectly, why follow the rules when not doing so produces better consequences? This, however, directly collapses into: do not follow the rules whenever better consequences can thereby be produced. Utilitarians will depart from the rules mistakenly, believing better consequences will result. On the other hand, the deontological perspective is about categorical imperative, moral obligation and duty. It leaves space for agents to give special concern to their friends, families and projects. It places a cap on that dutys demands. Deontological morality, therefore, avoids the overly demanding and alienating aspects of utilitarianism and accords more with conventional notions of our moral duties. The acts for a deontological system are not morally wrong. Furthermore, deontological system can account for strong, cross-cultural moral intuitions better than utilitarian system. With a comprehensive set of rules, the AICPA yearns is for its members to follow them. Almost everyone believes that the law or rules has a very important function morally. Not all accounting decisions will turnout the best results, but working towards a good decision with a good result should be goal of all accountants, as well as all people. Thus, deontological ethics is the best choice for the accounting professions, and matches-up with the AICPAs code of conduct.

My Soul Mate Essay example -- Observation Essay, Descriptive Essay

My Soul Mate I never thought I would meet the other "half of my orange." "Offspring" was not in my vocabulary, until I saw him, the entity of my imaginings. As he roamed the halls, strutting as though he possessed the building, he consumed my every thought. Every muscle he owned protruded through his uniform, his bulky, curly, caramel, tresses chiseled high and tight. The looks he granted me reassured my interests. He would be the father of my children. He dreaded our visit to Texas; we would travel through four southeastern states, all during the hottest months of the year. In the sweltering Texan sun, we arrived just after one o'clock. His forehead beaded with sweat, like a vehicle that had just been waxed with water beads at the surface. Sensing the encounter, he appeared nervous, almost unrecognizable. Usually he strutted tall and ambitiously; today, a difference was noted. His massive hands, displaying manicured nails, were humid to the touch; the callous that had been caused by heavy weightlifting was disguised. The origin of this unusual behavior was the infa...

Stages in a Marketing Plan Essay -- Business Marketing Papers

Stages in a Marketing Plan This essay will present the stages of a marketing plan and critically evaluate the differences suggested by the leading authors. However it is vital to understand what marketing planning is. Although marketing planning would appear to be a simple and step-by-step process, in reality it is not. As marketing plans are very complex, cross functional and it touches every aspect of organizational life. However the stages of marketing planning will explain and explore some of these issues by focusing on the process of marketing planning. Marketing planning can be defined as a sensible way to manage the sales and marketing function is to find the systematic way of identifying a range of options, to choose one of them, then to schedule and cost out what has to be done to achieve the objectives. Marketing planning is the planned application of marketing resources to achieve marketing objectives; it is simply a logical sequence of a series of activities leading to the setting of marketing objectives and the formulation of plans for achieving them. Companies go through some kind of management process in developing marketing plans. Marketing planning is essential when considering the increasingly hostile and complex environment in which companies operate. Many external and internal factors interact in a complex way, which affect the ability to achieve profitable sales. The four typical examples, which companies set, are maximising revenue, maximising profit, maximising return on investment and minimising costs. Revenue is the monetary value received by a company for its goods or services. It is the net pric... ...d along by momentum. Also if the company's culture and management style are not supportive of marketing planning, then no improvements will occur. And also if the business is highly competitive, no improvements will be seen, however the company might fare much worse without a marketing plan. Common implementation problems of a marketing planning could be lack of a plan for planning, weak support from management, lack of resources, lack of information and also it could occur due to too much detail and being too far ahead. In today's increasingly competitive markets, there is a growing realization that success in the future will only come from meticulous planning and market preparation. Therefore having a marketing plan is useful as it is better to weigh up the costs of planning against the costs of not planning.

Fur Trade Solution Essay

The business of fur trade and the harsh practices of this business have been global issues for many decades. They have ruthless ways of killing animals like mink, foxes, and especially wild yak. It is estimated that the population of the wild yak in Qinghai, China has dropped from one 1 million to 75,000 in the past decade (Fang 38-39). This problem has been going on for too long and despite the laws and restrictions that most governments have set, still poachers hunt and kill animals illegally. There are many possible solutions to this problem that would help, but the most effective way would be to get donations and funding for non-profit organizations that can help make a difference. Funding organizations like the Friends of Nature and The Wild Yak Brigade is the best solution because the government has already tried to make changes and the laws are not being enforced. Another reason is because the organizations would use the money effectively and there would be no need for a law. The last reason this solution would be better is that these organizations are trying to stop the fur trade by cutting off the demand. Many other countries around the world have the same problem of fur trade. Some of them have passed laws and restrictions to stop this, but they have not been very effective. The Coalition to Abolish Fur Trade is trying to help stop this problem in an effort to hold elections for animal rights, but even that has not had much effect (Stallwood 22-27). In Qinghai, China the population of Wild Yaks is drastically going down and even thought their police for has tried to stop this from happening their efforts still have not made a difference (Fang 38-39). In Tibet, their government launched Operation No. 1 which is a $60,000 campaign for anti poaching. On the highway of the Tibetan capital the government set up a tent and asked if they had any illegal weapons or skins. This campaign had almost no effect on the poaching in Tibet and the poor efforts of the government angered the people of Tibet. â€Å"All they did was set up a tent on the road into the reserve,† said a professor from Provincial University (Fang 38-39). Since 1990 the government of Qinghai has caught only 500 poachers even hough there is about 5-6,000 poachers who hunt all over Qinghai (Jiunnu 9). Even thought the government is making an effort, there is still a lot of illegal poachers that need to be stopped. The government has more money to stop this awful practice but yet nonprofit organizations like the Wild Yak Brigade make more of an effort and a difference. The Wild Yak Brigade is a group of activists who are Tibetan warriors armed with guns and roam an 18,000 square foot radius ready to fend off any poachers who hunt Tibetan antelope (Fang 38-39). They are not funded by the government and they get their money from anyone who will donate to them and use it all on fending off these poachers. They have received two jeeps from a Chinese group called Friends of Nature and $10,000 dollars from the United States (Fang 38-39). The group Friends of Nature’s squad of 17 rangers regularly patrolled Hoh Xil, a nature reserve of more than 100,000 square kilometers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, home to the antelope. Friends of Nature have also recently launched a campaign to save the Tibetan antelope. Friends of Nature have gained the support of many people including British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He told Friends of Nature that he â€Å"would be contacting British and European Union environmental authorities about the illegal trade, in the hope that it could be ended. † (Jiunnu 9). Their approach is not to chase poachers on the plateau, but to draw international attention to the bloody slaughter of the antelope. These organizations have only money they get from donations, but yet they use every bit of it effectively and help make a difference. These organizations have discovered that even with their efforts and the government’s laws the fur trade will not stop until they try and cut off the demand for this fur. They’ve realized that this is a very profitable industry so no matter how illegal or cruel it is, poachers will still try and make money. Therefore, if there is no demand and if they can make people realize that they do not need fur then the poachers will be forced to stop. The European Union and the United States have banned trade in seal fur products but yet those seals continue on the verge of extinction (â€Å"American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals†). Factory farming has also been banned in Austria, Croatia and the United Kingdom but in Austria there are still very high rates of illegal fur trading (Owen). Friends of Nature and other organizations have realized that these laws do not make a difference, so their efforts have been put towards stopping the demand. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a very popular group that has gotten celebrities to do a campaign â€Å"I’d rather go naked than wear fur†. This campaign is trying to help tell people they do not need fur and they show how cruel the fur trade farms are. Organizations like these make a huge difference in people’s opinions and their efforts are on the path to stopping the demand for fur. The practices of poaching and fur trade are major issues that need to be stopped immediately. The poor efforts of the governments have not gone unnoticed and organizations like Friends of Nature and CAFT have stepped up to help this problem. Even though they have no direct or constant funding they work with as much money as they can get and put it all into helping this problem be solved. Since the government’s laws are not being enforced, supporting the efforts of these organizations will be more effective. Not only would these organizations use this money effectively but they are approaching the problem in a different way by trying to cut off the demand. These methods and solutions would be the most effective way to stop the awful problem of trading fur.

Racism Without Racists

Either you’re with us or you’re Against Us Throughout Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s Racism without Racists, he attempts to describe a new form of racism that has emerged in today’s society. Bonilla-Silva refers to this new style of racism as, â€Å"color-blind racism. † During the Civil Rights Era and other previous time periods, racism was characterized by brutal physical, verbal, and emotional battering of minority races through actions such as Jim Crows Laws and other inhumane acts.However, unlike violent-forms of racism that were practiced years ago, this new-age â€Å"color-blind racism† incorporates subtle, institutional, and apparently nonracial practices (Silva 2010). In order to counter this new form of racism in society, Bonilla-Silva explains how civilians need to become actively involved in the fight against color-blind racism. In order to actively fight against color-blind racism Silva distinguishes the difference between a non-racist and an anti-racist and the certain implications and repercussions that accompany each label.Although the transformation from a non-racist culture, to a new, anti-racist community could produce outcomes that solve racism altogether, with this transformation comes a major moral dilemma: whether receiving white privileges outweighs the moral obligation of promoting equality in society. Through this interpretation of the text, I will try to rationalize what it means to be an anti-racist in today’s world and Bonilla-Silva’s call for social movement, along with the responsibilities and moral obligations that are incorporated with both.Bonilla-Silva suggests that a major change, from non-racists to anti-racists, needs to take place in order for color-blind racism to diminish in society. The distinction between a non-racist and an anti-racist is characterized by moral obligations and active participation in combating racism. Likewise, Bonilla-Silva suggests that being an anti- racist begins with understanding the institutional nature of racial matters and accepting this stand involves taking responsibility for your unwilling participation in these practices (Silva 2010).One who claims to be anti-racist actively takes responsibility for their unwilling participation in these practices and beginning a new life committed to the goal of achieving real racial equality (Silva 2010). Bonilla-Silva suggests that the conversion to an anti-racist will be challenging because in order to fulfill the role, one is struck with a moral dilemma; whether receiving white privileges outweighs the moral obligation of equality in society. According to Bonilla-Silva, a non-racist is a person who does not actively combat against societal norms regarding race and privileges.A non-racist is seen as a passive person who does not take a personal interest in combating the â€Å"new racism. † A major problem in the author’s eyes is that white Americans are considered the dominant race in today’s society, and most people who belong to this group are unaware of the privileges that they receive just by being white. For instance, many white Americans gain special privileges regarding education, job opportunities, social contexts, and more. While these privileges positively influence whites, they also help to reinforce the racial barrier that exists in the United States today.In Bonilla-Silva’s eyes, if the white society does not acknowledge the hidden privileges that they receive, and society continues to portray waves of color-blind racism, then societal norms related to color-blind racism will circulate within culture for ages. Bonilla-Silva states that a social movement needs to take place in order to debunk the â€Å"new racism† that America is facing today. To challenge societal norms, people need to refrain from using stereotypical white ideals to justify racial issues that arise throughout life. These interpretations are wid ely used by whites claiming to be non-racist.Bonilla-Silva suggests that many non-racists’ often resort to particular frames, or sets paths for interpreting information, as a way to justify certain racial situations that appear in life. These frames include abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural racism, and minimization of racism. Abstract liberalism incorporates concepts related to equal opportunity and choice in an abstruse way to justify racial experiences. For example, in regards to identifying people as â€Å"individuals† with â€Å"choices,† many non-racists fallback on the notion that people have the right of choosing to live in segregated neighborhoods.Next, the naturalization frame allows whites to blame certain racial matters as natural occurrences. Within this frame, many whites claim that the segregation that is seen today is natural and a result of people gravitating toward likeness (Silva 2010). According to Bonilla-Silva, this frame can be characterized by the saying, â€Å"that’s the way it is. † Another frame, or path, used by many non-racist whites is cultural racism. This frame relies on culturally based arguments to explain the current societal status of minorities. For instance, many hites resort to the claim that, â€Å"Mexican’s do not put enough emphasis on education, that is why they are behind in society† (Silva 2010). This particular frame allows for whites to highlight the mishaps and negative stereotypes about certain minority groups as their reason for not excelling in society, rather than the fact that minorities have been historically behind the dominant white race in aspects such as education, socio-economic status, occupations, and living conditions. The final frame that Bonilla-Silva uses to strengthen his argument is referred to as the minimization of racism.This frame suggests that discrimination is no longer a major factor that impacts the daily lives of minorities. T his concept incorporates the beliefs that racism is a thing of the past, and minorities are products of their own efforts and capabilities. These frames are used, in collaboration, to provide whites a way of expressing their beliefs about racial matters without coming off as demoralizing to minorities or flamboyantly racist. They also provide the justification that the racial inequality that occurs today is strictly logical, democratic, and non-racist.In Bonilla-Silva’s eyes, once society, as a whole, deviates from using these frames, then our culture can begin to make the shift from non-racists to anti-racists. According to the author, American society needs to make this transformation from non-racists to anti-racists for a multitude of reasons. First, he suggests that this movement needs to take place in order to educate the black population on the aspects of color-blind racism, because this new form of racism has tinted blacks recognition of its existence.He also suggests that the current group of anti-racists need to engage with all whites regardless of gender, socio-economic status, and educational status in order to gain a collectively larger group of followers. In turn, he suggests that power is in numbers, and with this power, anti-racists can begin challenging color-blind ideologies internally. Another reason for this movement that Bonilla-Silva points to is that fact that activists need to provide counter-arguments for the current color-blind frames that non-racist whites’ are using to justify racial scenarios.Likewise, we need to counter-balance common white arguments including equal opportunity and affirmative action. A major issue within today’s society is that many whites firmly believe that discrimination during past and current times does not significantly impact the lives of minority groups, when in turn; this subtle discrimination enhances the privileges of the white race, while severely limiting minority’s privile ges.Furthermore, â€Å"Bonilla-Silva claims that the most important strategy for combating â€Å"new racism† is to become militant with it† (Silva 2010). The strategies that Bonilla-Silva proposes above to combat color-blind racism are all grounded on specific and plausible reasons and explanations. Bonilla-Silva states that in order for this movement to be effective, it must defile the domination that color-blindness has over our whole country. Also he suggests that the overall demeanor of whites regarding race related issues needs to be exposed and challenged.Another motive for this anti-racist movement incorporates the idea that there should be a focus on white segregation and how this physical separation from minorities ultimately affects the white races’ values, beliefs, and emotions about race related matters. Finally, he states that in order for this movement to be successful in changing the cultural norm of color-blind racism in society, we need to chall enge a position that might seem impossible to overcome, however it is the only way to genuinely achieve racial equality in future times.After analyzing this book through readings, blogs, and class discussion, the moral dilemma of white privilege or equality has puzzled me for some time. Along with white privilege, I have been contemplating whether to classify myself as a non-racist or an anti-racist, and whether to join the social movement against color-blind racism that Bonilla-Silva claims needs to happen in order to defeat racism indefinitely. Before studying racism I never thought about the concept of white privilege and the tremendous influence it has on my life on an everyday basis.After my analysis of the different components of a non-racist versus an anti-racist and the certain privileges that resonate within each category, I feel almost guilty referring to myself as a non-racist. However, after analyzing Racism without Racist’s explanation of anti-racism and claim fo r an anti-racist movement, I believe that I still consider myself a non-racist, contrary to the author’s wishes. In spite of Bonilla-Silva’s argument, I believe that I can still combat racism without necessarily taking an â€Å"active role. I am not currently taking an active role in this movement, however in the future; I believe that I could possibly take a passive role in regards to this movement. The transformation from â€Å"nonracist† to â€Å"antiracist†, that the author describes, I think is an aggressive approach that could potentially generate substantial positive results in regards to combating racism. However, I personally don’t believe that the only way to fight racism is to take a military-like approach against it and resort to an in-your-face attempt to flip societal norms.Falling-back on a militant-style attack plot and fighting socially grounded powers could quite possibly work against achieving the collective goal of ending racis m. In order to accomplish this idea, the anti-racist coalition (which is an extreme minority) would have to convert massive numbers of the non-racist majority to a belief system that fundamentally contradicts the basic roots of their current values.Currently, I do not have an alternative solution to racism in America, however I do know that educating the population as a whole about this concept is a necessary step to accomplishing the overall goal. Through Bonilla-Silva’s distinction between non-racists and anti-racists, along with his call for a social movement against color-blind racism, I have determined that something has to be done about certain aspects of color-blind racism, such as the overall mindset of the American population.Be that as it may, combating color-blind racism will be an almost impossible task to accomplish for that fact that it is very difficult to get people to buy into a motion that they themselves are not emotionally invested in. Until the American s ociety can buy into the notion that color-blind racism is an actual cultural problem that is affecting minorities of all backgrounds, we will be a society filled with white privilege and subtle discrimination against non-whites. References Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo . 2010. Racism without Racists. Lanham, Maryland, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Niobium Pentoxide/Carbon Nanotubes Composites

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Niobium Pentoxide/Carbon Nanotubes Composites Introduction In the last few years, a range of energy-storage device applications has expanded from portable electronics to large-scale energy storage systems, including renewable energy storage and electric transportation [1,2]. To fulfill the energy and power density requirements for energy applications, many researchers have given attention to the synthesis of nanomaterials based on oxides due to their chemical, physical, optical, and electronic properties [1–4]. In this way, niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) is a promising candidate because of its semiconductor properties with a band gap of ~3.4 eV, n-type, low toxicity, surface acidity, and good chemical and thermal stabilities [3,5–8]. It has been demonstrated that Nb2O5 can deliver high power through a mainly pseudocapacitive reaction of Li-ion (Li+), which could occur not only at the surface but also in the bulk of the Nb2O5 nanocrystals in non-aqueous Li+ electrolyte [2,9]. Moreover, the intercalation pseudo-capacitive behavior was highly dependent upon the presence of a crystalline structure, where amorphous and pseudo-hexagonal (TT-Nb2O5) exhibited lower specific capacitance values than the orthorhombic (T-Nb2O5) phase, however, nanoparticles aggregation is inevitable due to the high calcination temperature (>600  °C) for the orthorhombic phase formation of Nb2O5 [10–17]. Nonetheless, the application of Nb2O5 has been hampered by low bulk electrical conductivity (~3.4Ãâ€"10-6 S.cm-1 at 300 K) and by the difficult control of the ideal crystal structure [3,10,11]. Therefore, when T-Nb2O5 nanocrystals were fabricated into a relatively thick electrode, the power performance would be limited due to the impaired mobility of electrons. A possible effective method to improve these adversities in Nb2O5 is through of surface modifications (e.g., carbon coating), which could expose more redox active nanoparticles to the electrolyte as well as greatly i mprove the electronic conductivity [1,3,11–13]. It must be noted that the introduction of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) networks can enhance electron transport of the Nb2O5 and further improve the rate capability. Physical mixing of MWCNTs and Nb2O5 nanoparticles can fabricate composite with improved conductivity, but this type of mixing fails to fulfill a good interfacial interaction between the MWCNTs and Nb2O5 [3]. Wherefore, soft-chemistry methods like oxidant-peroxo method matched with hydrothermal treatment and heating by microwaves could be a promising alternative for niobium synthesis, mainly because it is performed at low temperatures which avoids the elimination of the hydroxyl groups in as-formed surfaces resulting in a material with high surface area and greater number of acid sites [6,18,19]. In addition, carbon materials have a good microwave radiation absorption, which facilitates the interaction with other particles [20]. The use of niobium oxides for energy storage devices is already well known and exploited [21] but its performance is only obtained by a hybrid supercapacitor based on lithium intercalation processes [21] where high values of energy and power density are obtained. These intercalation processes require the application of potentials between 1 to 3 V vs. Li/Li+, a careful and humidity-free assembly scheme and non-aqueous electrolytes [16]. In this work, niobium pentoxide with different structures and morphologies were grown onto the surface of carbon nanotubes were synthesized by MHS. Moreover, we evaluated some electrochemical properties of electrodes with high mass loading on Ni foam current collectors (Fig. 1) using aqueous electrolyte, which brings the material closer to real and practical applications. Methods The acid functionalization on the MWCNTs was performed to create functional groups through a controlled functionalization of the nanotube walls, which allowed the anchoring an d growth of the Nb2O5 nanoparticles. This functionalization is accomplished by exposing the MWCNTs in a concentrated HNO3/H2SO4 (1:3) as described by Goyanes, et al. 2007 [22]. Nb2O5 nanoparticles were synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method followed by a heat treatment. The sample preparation started with the dispersion of the 50 mg of functionalized MWCNTs and 100 mg of SDS (1:2) in 100 mL of distilled H2O in an ultrasonic bath. After dispersing, 2 g of (NH4[NbO(C2O4)2(H2O)2] ·nH2O) and 1.6 mL of H2O2 were added under ultrasound frequency. The solution was ultrasonicated continuously for 30 min and then poured into a Teflon vessel reaching about 50% of its volume, the autoclave was sealed and heated in the microwave equipment (Electrolux, MEF41, Brazil). The synthesis was performed with amendments according to Marins, et al., 2017 [23], where the temperature was set at 160  °C during 30 min, under a constant pressure of approximately 6 kgf cm-2 using 2.45 GHz microwave radiation with a maximum output power of 1500 W. Temperature and pressure during synthesis were monitored and controlled with the aid of a shielded thermocouple inserted directly into the vessel and with a pressure transducer sensor connected to the vessel [5]. After cooling at r oom temperature, the obtained powders were washed and centrifuged at 5000 rpm six times with distilled H2O to remove unreacted reagents and surfactant. The washed powder was over dried with no air circulation at 50  °C for 48 h. This sample was identified as CNT+TT-Nb2O5. To obtain the samples under heat treatment, part of the powder was heated in a furnace (FT-1200 1Z, Fortelab, Brazil) at 400  °C for 120 min and 650  °C for 180 min with a heating rate of 10  °C/min under nitrogen atmosphere aiming to get the orthorhombic phase [12,22]. After cooling at room temperature, the powders were stored in an oven with no air circulation at 50  °C and identified as CNT+T-Nb2O5. PVB solution in ethanol was added to the mixture in the electrode preparation. The PVB content in the slurry was 3% of the total mass of Nb2O5 and MWCNTs to each sample. The obtained slurry was used for the impregnation of Ni foam current collectors with area of 1 cm2. The active mass loading was 32 mg cm-2.