There is Greater Dread of Things Unknown Free Essays

â€Å"There is more noteworthy fear of things unknown.† Titus Livius offered this expression in when science and religion were interrelated and passed on as one; when otherworldliness benevolently ensnared itself in the meager crevices of the assemblage of information. The two have since veered and society and the individuals have needed to settle on a decision: will science, or religion, fulfill the particular curiosity of people? This is an inquiry that spooky me even previously, an inquiry I ceaselessly consider. We will compose a custom exposition test on There is Greater Dread of Things Unknown or then again any comparable subject just for you Request Now As time passes by, be that as it may, there’s a great deal of new thoughts develop and raise by various individuals with the expectation to clarify everything about the world. Introduction of various standards and philosophies is broadly spread and this creates turmoil and stirred up thoughts brought by the advancement of science and the religion. On the off chance that science keeps on making revelations that contention with the Christian Doctrine will the Scientific Revolution at the appointed time make Christianity Religion excess? â€Å"Christianity: God and the Scientist† is a narrative arrangement that presents various perspectives on the historical backdrop of the Christian confidence, taking a gander at its beginnings, social advances and seething past. Diverse British character looks at a religion that has specific reverberation for them. Thus, they present their own perspectives to a fascinating and comprehensive discussion that investigates Christianity’s job in molding the cutting edge world. As the story starts, it introduced brief history of Christianity in which that man is made in God’s picture. Thus, another philosophy thundered the strict conviction as Charles Darwin introduced the Natural choice where in reality about how human advanced, in spite of the Christian authoritative opinion. A ton of bits of gossip was broadcast and misinterpretations and fancies shelled that time. In this point, it shows the counter connection of religion and the science with respect to the general public. Researcher demonstrates a great deal of things, repudiating Christian convictions, through various speculative hypotheses and ideal models which really remain as the premise of all. One model is the Big Bang Theory. Since numerous researchers invalidates the expression of the Christian standards it is then reason that they are adversary of Christian religion. Along these lines, religion, in the hour of Scientific Revolution during Renaissance Period, was dominated by the group of science. Thusly, in some perspective, science has never been in struggle with Christianity. It really reveals to us that not all the time science and religion are not quite the same as one another, consequently, some of the time they upheld as each other. There’re likewise hardly any researchers who additionally accepts profoundly in God, much the same as Max Plank. As indicated by him, â€Å"As a man who has given as long as he can remember to the most sensible science, to the investigation of issue, I can let you know because of my exploration about iotas this much: There is regardless of all things considered. All issue starts and exists just by goodness of a power which carries the molecule of an iota to vibration and holds this most moment nearby planetary group of the particle together. We should expect behind this power the presence of a cognizant and clever brain. This brain is the lattice of all matter.† Both religion and science require a confidence in God. â€Å"For adherents, God is in the first place, and for physicists He is toward the finish of all considerations†¦ To the previous He is the establishment, to the last mentioned, the crown of the structure of each summed up world view†. As the narrative introduced all the musings, it is very persuading by those perspectives as with the end goal that there’s a great deal of evidences that are being introduced. It’s an incredible short film which talked about a great deal from alternate points of view that may illuminated our own doctrine. In this way, in general it’s great to be handled in various focuses, yet these two unique focuses ought not be looked at between one another as both have various standards being offered to us. The congregation, particularly the Catholic church, has frequently been refuted, and a lot of its lessons are artificial, best case scenario, received from agnostic religions and evil even under the least favorable conditions. Nonetheless, neither science nor some other type of information has ever refuted anything in Scripture. Consequently, we ought to consider those potential outcomes that science and religion may cover. On the off chance that science keeps on making revelations that contention with the Christian Doctrine will the Scientific Revolution at the appointed time make Christianity Religion excess? Hence, Science will be science and religion will be religion. There’s a great deal of things that science can clarify and religion can't however there are additionally things that science can’t clarify yet otherworldliness can. Appropriately, it is in our own decision to where focuses you will decide to. Most importantly, as long as you have solid confidence about your own philosophies even there’s a ton of inconsistencies about your considerations, still it’s your decision regardless of what occurs. Step by step instructions to refer to There is Greater Dread of Things Unknown, Papers

Organisational Mischief. Organisational Behaviour vs. Misbehaviour Literature review

Authoritative Mischief. Authoritative Behavior versus Rowdiness - Literature survey Example Such sort of conduct is it become normal would hamper the way of life of the association. A key component of the agreement that exists between the business and the worker is the contribution of representative consistence, and the acknowledgment of level of administrative control. So as to safeguard their feeling of self, representatives frequently take part in exercises, for example, torching the work environment or taking a pencil, circling inconsiderate kid's shows in the workplace to playing jokes or tricks on their co representatives. Such exercises don't deny that representatives at work frequently joke at one another simply because of the purpose of getting a charge out of the joke. Authoritative naughtiness includes a blend of mental self preservation. Some type of underhandedness is individualistic though some are shaped in gatherings. Singular insidiousness incorporates like individual demonstration of being missing, negligence of the representative as a rule by talking with partners or staring off into space, no or less consistence with the given guidance by the organization, attempting to hush up about data, tormenting different workers, inappropriate behavior, breaking of hardware out of disappointment and furthermore leaving association at a badly arranged time. Some social mischief’s which occurs in the association are, for example, composed fiddles, utilizing the work place for examining the non work things, working environment games, useful jokes, wind-ups, piss takes, badgering and tormenting. In such sorts of authoritative mischief’s individuals attempt to ensure the material part of verifiable agreement (Tony, 2006, p.143). The examination subject picked is authoritative naughtiness particularly in the class of joke. Joke are rehearsed in the association some of the time only for making a joke. The hierarchical bad conduct or insidiousness stays a further paper to explore as it gives a region to discover increasingly about the b ad conduct by the representatives and the need to give some moral set of accepted rules as for the mischiefs in the work place. The paper begins with the writing audit of the subject which contemplates the basic survey of working environment fiendishness, the significant issues and ideas which are utilized in such sort of insidiousness. Basic Literature Review Organizational Behavior versus Mischief In an association there are numerous types of conduct just as rowdiness which are not stock in exchange of any necessary order yet they may be extremely normal. These types of conduct may insufficient consideration from the course readings and are not viewed as a significant element of the association. Factors, for example, tormenting, down to earth kidding, inappropriate behavior additionally incorporates customs and furthermore soul changing experiences. Various types of trouble making are associated with one another. Both the administration and the social researchers have disregarded the hierarchical mischief in spite of the way that they realize bad conduct exists in the association, this activity is viewed as inessential by the administration. At times there is complicity with different individuals from the association about bad conduct. Representatives are not official permitted to display their individual conduct. Hence there is a significant understanding that until and except if such sorts of conduct meddles with authoritative reason it is destined to pass unnoticed by the administration.

Do Cash Advances Have an Interest-Free Grace Period

Do Cash Advances Have an Interest-Free Grace Period Do Cash Advances Have an Interest-Free Grace Period? Do Cash Advances Have an Interest-Free Grace Period?If you pay off your credit card regularly, you can avoid paying any interest on your balances. Unless that is, you take out a credit card cash advance Using a credit card can be tricky. One the one hand, they’re a great way to rack up awesome points and rewards, and they can also help smooth over those “two days till payday” blues. On the other hand, theyre also a great way to rack up excess debt on your card, which will hurt your credit score and leave you stuck with lots of interest.The key to using credit cards responsibly is to make sure you pay them off within the 30-day interest-free grace period. That way, youre basically getting those points or miles for free! But if you think the same thing applies to credit card cash advances, think again. How do credit cards work?When you take out a credit card, you’re basically opening a revolving line of credit. You’re given a maximum amount that you can borrow on the cardâ€"k nown as your “credit limit”â€"and you can borrow as much or as little against that limit as you like.Any time you make a transaction on the card, the amount that you paid is added to your balance. That balance then accrues interest as determined by the card’s Annual Percentage Rate, or APR. The higher the balance, the more money will accrue in interest.Every month, you will be required to make a minimum payment on the amount you owe. The formula for that minimum payment varies from card to card, but it’s often something like “$15 plus 2 percent.” Because the monthly minimum amount is so small, it can take several yearsâ€"or often much longerâ€"to pay off a credit card if you are only making your minimum payment.Almost all credit cards do, however, come with a 30-day interest-free grace period before interest starts to accrue on a given transaction. Pay off that balance within 30 days and you won’t be charged any interest!What about credit card cash advances?When you ma ke a transaction on your credit card, no cash changes hands. You simply swipe the card at the grocery store or enter the card’s information online and the funds are all transferred electronically.However, you can use a credit card to get cash if you really need it. Simply visit an ATM or a bank teller and you can charge a cash withdrawal to your card. The amount you charge is added to your total balanceâ€"just like any other credit card transactionâ€"while you receive that same dollar amount in physical cash.Do cash advances have a grace period?No, they do not. When you take out a cash advance on your credit card, interest begins to accrue on that transaction amount immediately. The sooner you pay off that balance, the less interest will accrue, but this does  mean that you can’t take out a credit card cash advance without paying at least some amount of interest.And that’s not the only way that a credit card cash advance will prove more expensive. First, you will usually be ch arged an additional fee simply for making the transaction. Second, most cash advances have a separate, higher APR from regular credit card purchases. Not only will interest start accruing immediately, but more interest will accrue overall.Unless you absolutely need cash and need it now, it’s best to avoid taking out a cash advance on your credit card.What about other types of cash advances?There’s another type of cash advance besides the kind you can take out on your credit card. These cash advances are a kind of short-term no credit check loan that you could get from a storefront lender or check-cashing establishmentâ€"or even take one out as an online loan.Basically, they’re the same thing as payday loans.These cash advance loans definitely don’t come with an interest-free grace period. In fact, that’s not even how they accrue interest. Finance charges for these types of personal loans are generally calculated as a flat rate and don’t accrue over time.Lets say you take out a $300 two-week cash advance loan with a 15 percent interest rate; your interest charge of $45 will be immediately added to the amount you owe. This means that paying off the loan early won’t save you any money at all.The rates on these loans are much higher than the rates for credit card cash advances. The APR for a credit cash advance might be something like 23 percent, while that 15 percent charge on a two-week cash advance works out to an APR of almost 400 percent!Furthermore, the lump-sum repayment terms for these short-term loans make them very difficult for many people to repay. That’s how they end up reborrowing the loan rolling it over, paying only the interest owed and extending the due date complete with a new interest charge. It can be all too easy for these borrowers to become trapped in a dangerous cycle of debt.Save up cash for a rainy day.While a cash advance might be a marginally safer bad credit loan option than, say, a predatory title loan or an overdraft free, that doesn’t mean it’s actually a good option.You might do better with a bad credit installment loan, but the best thing you can do is save up a cash emergency fund. That way, you won’t have to take out any debt at all to cover emergency expenses!To learn more about how you can build up your savings, check out these related posts and articles from OppLoans:8 Ways To Save Money Today, Tomorrow and Every Day AfterA Beginner’s Guide to Budgeting8 Good Habits to Get Your Financesâ€"and Your Lifeâ€"on TrackHow to Save Money When You’re Already on a Tight BudgetDo you have a personal finance question youd like us to answer? Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.Visit OppLoans on  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIN  |Instagram

Should The Government Effectively Censor the Internet Essay

Thesis: The United States Government must cease trying to reduce privacy and censorship on the internet, because it limits the right freedom of speech, builds mistrust towards the government, and it wastes resources better spent on other types of law enforcement. The United States Government needs to stop drafting laws that aim to reduce online privacy and give the government the power to effectively censor the internet. The creators of these proposed laws would try to say that they will allow the government to better protect against cyber-attacks and to maintain intellectual property. But what they don’t say is that the bills lack certain privacy and civil liberties protection. These are rights that people in this country have begun to†¦show more content†¦This is unacceptable and is an abuse of power to save a little face. As a democracy we should have no censorship lest we follow Chinas example and start dropping the hammer on any poor Joe who has the guts to question the government. As a democracy the government has to have the people on its side because we are the ones who give them the power to make decisions that affect all of us. But if they start to pass bills into law that allow monitoring of citizens on the web. Tha t would allow agencies to spy on anyone because they might do something. One example of this is the recent Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act that was passed by the House of Representatives in April 2013. The acts purpose was supposed to allow technology companies like ATT or Facebook to share information about web traffic with government agencies. This act was heavily criticized by advocates for internet privacy. These groups were worried that the act contained few limitations on how and when the government could monitor someone. Other Acts that have been proposed in the past have tried to stop certain individuals from being able to access social networking sites. This would be done by blocking access to these sites in locations like libraries, businesses, and schools. The intent was supposedly to limit minors’ chances of coming across online predators by stopping their ability to find minors. Because the law was unspecific, the law was rejected. Pending now befor eShow MoreRelatedEssay On Breaking Through The Great Firewall1304 Words   |  6 Pagescyber-web. However, the government may try to examine personal information to protect its citizens from planned terroristic activities. Even so, these terrorists are allowed to say whatever they want, but it does not mean it will be ignored and not taken as a literal threat by the government. Throughout other parts the world, however, countries rely on communicating through means of the internet as ways to spread propaganda. In countries like China specifically, their government censors its citizens to preventRead MoreCensorship Online1041 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Internet. According to the textbook, censorship is a way used by governments or religious institutions to supervise or regulate the public access to offensive or harmful materials (Quinn 2012, p.496). Internet censorship applies the same discipline which regulates the public access to harmful content on internet. Nowadays, internet is a place with huge potential for growth. Statistics suggest that the total growth of new internet users is 566.4% from December 31, 2000 to 2012 (Internet WorldRead MoreInternet Censorship And Its Effect On Society1053 Words   |  5 PagesInternet Censorship is Detrimental to Society The Internet was designed to enable and facilitate communications with connected systems at the local, state, national and international levels. The United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a research campaign to find effective ways to link computers to help the exchange of information. In the 1990s, the Internet took off and entered a growth phase which caused an increase in communications worldwide. DARPA did notRead More Internet Censorship Essay1726 Words   |  7 PagesInternet Censorship The freedom of speech that was possible on the Internet could now be subjected to governmental approvals. For example, China is attempting to restrict political expression, in the name of security and social stability. It requires users of the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail) to register, so that it may monitor their activities. In the United Kingdom, state secrets and personal attacks are off limits on the Internet. Laws are strict and the government is extremely interestedRead MoreCensorship And Its Effect On Society1680 Words   |  7 Pagesthen forcibly substituting a more ‘ethical’ ideal. Since King Hammurabi stamped out the first cuneiform laws in Babylon, human society has experienced relentless episodes of chronic censorship. It wasn’t until the Roman Empire however, that the word censor was coined, meaning to appraise, value, and judge. Throughout history, censorship assumed a negative connotation, as bureaucratic campaigns titled as censorship del egations forced their view upon society, tenaciously outlawing all literary and verbalRead MoreTerrorism And The Social Media1719 Words   |  7 Pagesmuch an issue affecting peace and stability today. As such, nations and law enforcement agencies globally have taken steps with the communication industry to address this issue. Unfortunately however free and open access and anonymity offered by the internet creates a scenario in which law enforcement can identify terrorist material and remove it but terror groups can replace it with new content faster than it can be removed. The United Nations has recognized the threat that terrorism has on globalRead MoreThe Disadvantages Of Censorship In China1459 Words   |  6 Pagesdisturbance in peace. Countries try not abuse the fact they are allowed to do this because they are the ones who create the rules. However, China is abusing this fact and has been doing it to the point people are fearing what they can post or use on the internet. This issue was brought up in recent years because it has many different types of medians that were found in the New York Times. Firstly, the discussion will start off with the background of censorship in China. Secondly, it converses the three mainRead MoreEssay On Kazakhstan715 Words   |  3 PagesNazarbayev government, who claim that this country violates human rights regulations and attempts to censor dissent. Therefore, one can conclude that Kazakhstan currently is not a liberal democracy, despite the country’s current attempts to incorporate some principles of lib eralism. Even though the Kazakhstan Constitution guarantees the freedom of press, any opposing or privately funded media corporations are subjected to censorship by the government. According to Freedom House, a non-government organizationRead MoreBehind the Stop Online Piracy Act Bill (SOPA): Copyright, Censorhip, and Free Speech1539 Words   |  7 PagesPiracy Act Bill (SOPA) that expands U.S. law enforcement’s ability to combat online copyright infringement. As this protest involved many influential websites like Google and Wikipedia, it certainly draws national attention on SOPA. Whether censorship should be used online against online materials infringing property rights, as included in SOPA, is the controversial issue. Even though SOPA eventually was terminated by the Congress, things behind SOPA cause further debates. The relationship between censorshipRead MoreThe Not Neutral Net Neutrality1008 Words   |  5 Pages001-15B Abstract Net Neutrality stands to define the future of internet. I will discuss the pros and cons, the different perspectives on the subject, the effects on providers (such as Netflix) and consumers, and some of the future implications of this contentious issue. Net Neutrality is one of the defining struggles of what role technology and information will play in our future. What regulations should there be on internet freedom, censorship and the free market? There are many rivaling interests

The Affirmative Action Debate Essay - 1773 Words

The Affirmative Action Debate Most Americans desire a colorblind society. A society where individuals are judged upon merit, as opposed to the color of their skin. That is the reason Affirmative Action was birthed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. That is also the reason that Proposition 209 was voted for in 1996. These two historical events are driven by the desire of equality. What is Affirmative Action? According to Geraldine Leshin, it is Taking positive or active steps to accomplish the public policy goal of equal employment opportunity. What is Proposition 209? Its a new law that has been passed that prohibits the state of California and local governments from discriminating against or granting†¦show more content†¦With contracting,, affirmative action helps firms owned by women and minorities, or firms that can show a disadvantage(Lemann, 110) Affirmative action in education also reaches out to disabled students, women, minorities, economically disadvantaged students, veterans, etc. It helps them in many ways like: early outreach programs, recruitment and retention programs, efforts in admissions to diversify the student population, and specific financial aid opportunities.(Edwards, 213) So as you can see, Affirmative action was proposed and accepted for a great many reasons that constantly create controversy. Not only minorities have supported affirmative action. Most people would imagine all minorities love affirmative action and strongly voted for it and thats why it passed. Thats part of the reason, but we must not forget two major supporters of Affirmative action. One of these supporters is an unsuspected group of men; namely, the Angry White Guys for Affirmative Action. Yes, a group of white men! These men are angry because they feel that being a white man gives them more privileges than are fair. Paul Rockwell, the president of Angry White Guys for Affirmative Action says: We hear a lot about angry white males today. Well, we too are angry white males. But contrary to the caricature, weShow MoreRelated The Affirmative Action Debate Essay1642 Words   |  7 Pagesthis essay, affirmative action in education is defined as: â€Å"policies and programs designed to advance equality of educationalopportunity for individuals from groups that have suffered systematic historical discrimination† (Mickelson 29). What is being referred to here is race-based affirmative action, or the act of taking into consideration an applicant’s race in the college admissions process. This is a hot topic all over the United States and has been for quite a while, the debate raging betweenRead MoreThe Debate over Affirmative Action1307 Words   |  5 Pagesthan the debate over affirmative action. Although the United States has made great strides in improving race relations over the past forty years, affirmative action continues to be one of the most contr oversial policies in America. It has rattle the halls of higher education. It has appeared on the steps of the Supreme Court. And it has divided not only different racial groups, but even members of a single racial group. In fact, I’ve heard some of the most heated conversation over affirmative actionRead MoreThe Influence of Political Debates on Affirmative Action736 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Political Debates On Affirmative Action, Reparations and Welfare The Influence On Political Realignments of Black and White Americans During the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton Administrations The objective of this study is to examine the influence of political debates on affirmative action, reparations, and welfare on political realignments of black and white Americans during the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton Administrations. It is reported that gains made by African Americans during the decades of theRead MoreAffirmative Action: the Topic of Debate for Many Years3498 Words   |  14 PagesAffirmative action has been the topic of debate for many years. It has been controversial because it has been said to be a form of reverse discrimination. This paper will discuss the purpose behind affirmative action, as well as, its various strengths and weaknesses. Also, this paper will look at the following issues surrounding affirmative action such as the incompetency myth ( are companies hiring less qualified people?), the impact on employment (what has changed in the work place?), the impactRead MoreAffirmative Action1559 Words   |  7 PagesRESEARCH PAPER AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INTRODUCTION Affirmative Action is an employment legislation protection system that is intended to address the systemized discrimination faced by women and minorities. It achieves this by enforcing diversity through operational intrusions into recruitment, selection, and other personnel functions and practices in America. Originally, Affirmative Action arose because of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s desire to integrate society on educationalRead MoreWhy We Still Need Affirmitive Action1493 Words   |  6 PagesWhy we still need affirmative action Because of the complex nature of the discussion on affirmative action and the controversies and the emotion surrounding it, it is imperative to first recap on the causes of race and inequality in the United States of America. The policies on affirmative action were proposed as a fractional remedy for the socio-economic impacts of past and present disadvantage faced by certain groups in the population, especially with regard to biases on gender and race. Such disadvantagesRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesEssay The Affirmative Action Debate Affirmative Action Defined Affirmative Action can be defined as â€Å"positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)†. However because those steps involve â€Å"preferential† selection affirmative action generates intense controversy (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Affirmative Action (Negative)Read MoreThe Most Important Social Issue in America Today870 Words   |  4 Pagesarticle entitled Affirmative Action states that as representation of minorities and women became more and more necessary, a movement called affirmative action became an important issue. Affirmative action is not limited to the uplifting of certain genders and races, but it focuses on establishing standards of certain ethical codes. Affirmative action concentrates on a broad array of issues including equal opportunity, systematic exclusion, and diversity. Affirmative action thoroughly emphasizesRead MoreDoes Affirmative Action Make Moral Sense?1084 Words   |  5 PagesDoes affirmative action make moral sense? A moral being is one capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct, but a big question that follows concerns the idea if there even is such a thing as â€Å"right conduct.† â€Å"Whatever can be proved to be good, must be so by being shown to be a means to something admitted to be good† (Mill 6). In John Stuart Mill’s book, â€Å"Utilitarianism,† he states this notion where an individual assumes good things are good without knowing why they’re good. Defined fromRead MoreAffirmative Action And The Civil Rights And Equal Opportunity Legislation Of The 1960s958 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative action is a program that serves to rectify the effects of purportedly past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and opportunities to minorities and women. Affirmative action programs were an outgrowth of the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movements and the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity legislation of the 1960s. Close to fifty years later, the practice of affirmative action has been at the vanguard of intense debate more than any other time in its history. Hardly a week goes

A Short Story - 773 Words

Verin watched a group of young soldiers grapple behind the mess tent. He split his time between checking on Fynta and offering pointers when one of the guys showed bad form. So far, comms were still offline to the group that had entered the temple, but Verin didn’t worry. Fynta was impossible to kill, and he had little stake in the others. Granted, he rather liked the Togruta. She’d fought well on Tython. Verin had just finished showing an Imp the proper way to disarm a knife attack when Jorgan finally called him back. He walked off a little before answering with a laugh, â€Å"That was quite a long conversation. Did Fynta spill all of her secrets?† â€Å"Fynta’s fine, but we need you back in ops command.† The hair on Verin’s arms stood on end.†¦show more content†¦He stared at the ground, throat tightening with each breath until he wondered if it might not be easier to stop trying. Cormac collapsed to his knees, leaning forward to p ress his forehead into the ground. â€Å"I’m sorry,† he repeated like a litany. Verin watched the man in front of him, using Balic’s anguish to anchor him in the present. He rested a hand on the bald head, and a muffled sob accompanied the touch. â€Å"Where is she?† Verin’s voice sounded hollow. He didn’t have any tears, no rage, or sorrow. Where were all the emotions he felt when his parents died? Maybe this hurt went too deep. Some said that it might not strike for days. He’d be okay if it never came. â€Å"This way,† Elara answered softly. Verin patted Cormac’s head again before standing to follow the medic. Elara took Verin’s arm and led him towards a thicket where Cinlat lay on a blanket. She still wore most of her armor apart from her helmet and a few pieces missing on the left side. The fabric beneath was stained red, as was the cloth she rested on. Her eyes were closed, which Verin thought was a shame. He wouldn’t mind seeing them one more time, but he made no move to change it. They’d be dull and lifeless now, not the striking white from before. Long hair fanned around her shoulders. Someone had taken special care to ensure that Cinlat looked presentable. Probably Elara. The bounty hunter knelt next to his wife and removed his gloves to runShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. Many a time, writers run out of these short story ideas upon exhausting their sources of short story ideas. If you are one of these writers, who have run out of short story ideas, and the deadline you have for coming up with a short story is running out, the short story writing prompts below will surely help you. Additionally, if you are being tormented by the blank Microsoft Word document staring at you because you are not able to come up with the best short story idea, youRead MoreShort Story1804 Words   |  8 PagesShort story: Definition and History. A  short story  like any other term does not have only one definition, it has many definitions, but all of them are similar in a general idea. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1994, Vol. 12, L-354), â€Å"the short story is a short work of fiction that usually centers around a single incident. Because of its shorter length, the characters and situations are fewer and less complicated than those of a novel.† In the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s DictionaryRead MoreShort Stories648 Words   |  3 Pageswhat the title to the short story is. The short story theme I am going conduct on is â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ by James Thurber (1973). In this short story the literary elements being used is plot and symbols and the theme being full of distractions and disruption. The narrator is giving a third person point of view in sharing the thoughts of the characters. Walter Mitty the daydreamer is very humorous in the different plots of his dr ifting off. In the start of the story the plot, symbols,Read MoreShort Stories1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe themes of short stories are often relevant to real life? To what extent do you agree with this view? In the short stories â€Å"Miss Brill† and â€Å"Frau Brechenmacher attends a wedding† written by Katherine Mansfield, the themes which are relevant to real life in Miss Brill are isolation and appearance versus reality. Likewise Frau Brechenmacher suffers through isolation throughout the story and also male dominance is one of the major themes that are highlighted in the story. These themes areRead MoreShort Story and People1473 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Title: Story Of An Hour Author: Kate Chopin I. On The Elements / Literary Concepts The short story Story Of An Hour is all about the series of emotions that the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard showed to the readers. With the kind of plot of this short story, it actually refers to the moments that Mrs. Mallard knew that all this time, her husband was alive. For the symbol, I like the title of this short story because it actually symbolizes the time where Mrs. Mallard died with joy. And with thatRead MoreShort Story Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesA short story concentrates on creating a single dynamic effect and is limited in character and situation. It is a language of maximum yet economical effect. Every word must do a job, sometimes several jobs. Short stories are filled with numerous language and sound devices. These language and sound devices create a stronger image of the scenario or the characters within the text, which contribute to the overall pre-designed effect.As it is shown in the metaphor lipstick bleeding gently in CinnamonRead MoreRacism in the Short Stor ies1837 Words   |  7 PagesOften we read stories that tell stories of mixing the grouping may not always be what is legal or what people consider moral at the time. The things that you can learn from someone who is not like you is amazing if people took the time to consider this before judging someone the world as we know it would be a completely different place. The notion to overlook someone because they are not the same race, gender, creed, religion seems to be the way of the world for a long time. Racism is so prevalentRead MoreThe Idol Short Story1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories â€Å"The Idol† by Adolfo Bioy Casares and â€Å"Axolotl† by Julio Cortà ¡zar address the notion of obsession, and the resulting harm that can come from it. Like all addictions, obsession makes one feel overwhelmed, as a single thought comes to continuously intruding our mind, causing the individual to not be able to ignore these thoughts. In â€Å"Axolotl†, the narr ator is drawn upon the axolotls at the Jardin des Plantes aquarium and his fascination towards the axolotls becomes an obsession. InRead MoreGothic Short Story1447 Words   |  6 Pages The End. In the short story, â€Å"Emma Barrett,† the reader follows a search party group searching for a missing girl named Emma deep in a forest in Oregon. The story follows through first person narration by a group member named Holden. This story would be considered a gothic short story because of its use of setting, theme, symbolism, and literary devices used to portray the horror of a missing six-year-old girl. Plot is the literal chronological development of the story, the sequence of events

If free essay sample

If is a word of the past and myself in general doesn’t really like the word itself. It reminds about the past and what I could have done to do something better and also makes me think about what would have happened if I did something, or if I had tried harder, or if I had gotten good grades. I really don’t like the word just because it’s in the past and I live in the present and until they make some sort of a time machine of some sort I will still be in the present. But if I could go back in time which I really don’t like to think about I would do things a lot more differently then what I am doing today. The only thing that I would ever want to do if someone asked me what would you do if you could go back in time is that I would backtrack to the start of ninth grade and never slack of on my grades and always keep that number one priority over all before anything else, because if I would have done that then I would be in this situation that I’m in ri ght know that I have to get good grades in every single subject just to get my GPA to an alright stage for me that I can barely make it to college. We will write a custom essay sample on If or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also if I could do something else I would want to change my attitude towards work and stop being so lazy about work and studying. But I guess that’s why the word if is stated if because its something that you could never change in your life.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Introduction The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a refugee agency (under the umbrella of the United Nations) that has a mandate of protecting and supporting refugees from a third country as requested by a government that is a member state of the UN.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The agency focuses on providing voluntary assistance, resettlement and integration of displaced persons from a third country. It does this through funds obtained from donors and other arms of the United Nations. It is therefore imperative to note that the agency deploys its operatives to areas depending on the need and priority given to the places. Failure Despite the fact that UNHCR has in the recent past executed its duty in the best interest of all the refugees across the globe, the agency faces some setbacks and failures that need to be addressed with immediate effect. This should be done in order to restore the faith the globe has had on it. Additionally, the agency should assure governments of its effectiveness in its mandate in order to secure its operations within their territories (Burger, and Rahm, 1996).  The UNHCR has been doing a commendable job for refugees since it was founded in December 1949 but has, however, failed to provide services to areas according to priorities and need. A November 2010 research carried out by the Policy Development and Evaluation Department, which is a UNHCR’s branch, revealed that the agency’s global strategic priorities are not in a position to give concrete information concerning resource allocation processes as well as the level of prioritization of a subject. This came about despite the strategic priorities being a useful element in the agency’s checklist of involvements. This is an implication that the agency only provides services accor ding to operatives’ own instincts without evaluating and assessing the levels of prioritization. As a result of this, quite a number of nations that need genuine and urgent assistance from UNHCR end up receiving delayed services or no services at all. A good example is the case of Iraqi refugees who needed urgent and genuine help during a war that lasted for almost a decade. The political situation was unstable at that time in Iraq.Advertising Looking for case study on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That was understandable but not a reason enough for UNHCR not to provide immediate shelter, clothing and other necessities to the refugees who were victims of the war. It is therefore important that the agency formulates measures to curb such an occurrence in future (Burger, and Rahm, 1996). How the organization’s culture has led to the failure The Executive Committee of the UNHCR holds an annual meeting in Geneva in Switzerland where member states review and approve reports and recommendations brought forward for implementation. Additionally, the panel also evaluates operational plans and policies as well as discusses finances during this annual meeting. This is the most outstanding culture that derails the process of service provision to refugees across the globe according to priority.   It is championed by the slow provision and review of reports that ultimately lead to delayed execution of recommendations that need urgent attention (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and United Nations, 2010). Concerns have been raised in the agency over the slow pace at which reports are reviewed. This is because it gives member states inadequate time to go through the documents and make conclusive recommendations. It is probably the reason why it takes the agency quite some time to act upon being summoned by a member state to intervene in an issue that concerns refu gees. Laws that describe the situation The 1951 Refugee Convention contained a law in its Article 33 that stated that no refugee should be returned to his or her country of territory where they would be perceptible to prosecution. This is an indication that no government is expected to expel refugees from its territories back to their motherland where their freedom would be jeopardized on account of either race, nationality, political ideology, religion or membership of a social group. As a result, governments are obliged by law to house refugees within their territories for as long as they want to stay. That notwithstanding, governments are also required to communicate the presence of refugees to UNHCR (Zimmermann, 2010). Existing elements of the organization that are most likely to cause a similar failure again in future Even though UNHCR works well with other related agencies to effectuate service delivery to refugees, a lot still needs to be done in relation to partnerships. Par tnership behavior in this agency is an existing element that is most likely to derail the process of providing immediate services to refugees and consequently taint the agency’s reputation as far as its mandate is concerned.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Concerns have since been raised in relation to the promptness of the partnerships between UNHCR and other agencies that seek to provide voluntary services to refugees. This must therefore be addressed if the agency wants to assure member states of its commitment to executing its mandate. Recommendations to avert future failures As a way of hastening the process through which reports are reviewed and recommendations implemented, UNHCR’s Executive Committee should consider rescheduling its meetings to at least two per annum. It is through this that the committee wil l be in a position to give immediate responses to matters concerning refugees across the globe. References Burger, L., Rahm, D. L. (1996). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Making a difference in our world. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees., United Nations. (2010). Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. New York: United Nations. Zimmermann, A. (2010). The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol: A commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. This case study on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was written and submitted by user Brenna Rosario to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tips for Writing Your Dissertation Methodology - Proofed

Tips for Writing Your Dissertation Methodology - Proofed Tips for Writing Your Dissertation’s Methodology Chapter The methodology chapter is one of the most important parts of any dissertation. This is because it’s where you set out your research approach, data-gathering techniques and various other crucial factors. As such, your methodology must be clear, concise and packed with detail. A good methodology chapter will provide a step-by-step breakdown of every stage of your research, ideally so that subsequent researchers would be able to recreate your work at a later date. If that sounds like a lot of pressure, try not to worry: We have a few tips to help make sure that your work fits the scientific bill. And don’t forget that Proofed’s expert proofreaders are available to check your work before handing in, so now there’s no reason that your methodology shouldn’t be perfectly preserved for future scientists! 1. Outline Your Research Approach Your research approach makes a massive difference to the methods you use. Quantitative research, for instance, deals with numerical data and statistics, while qualitative research often focuses on subjective meanings. Clearly stating the approach you’re using will help your reader follow your work. 2. Be Descriptive Detail is key when it comes to methodology. Make sure to describe how your data was gathered and analyzed, as well as relating the sampling method used if relevant. 3. Justify Your Choices Every decision you make should be justified. One way to do this is to consider how the methods you choose help to answer your research question. You may also wish to compare your method with those used in similar existing studies. 4. Methodological Limitations Different methods each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Consider whether the methodology you have chosen has any constraints, perhaps by comparing it with alternative methods that you could have used. 5. Ethics Modern research demands high ethical standards, especially if human subjects are involved. If this is the case with your work, your methodology section should include details of how you have minimized the risk of harm to your subjects. This will include issues of confidentiality and consent. 6. Generalizability Your methodological choices have a direct impact on whether your results can be validly applied to other populations. You should therefore consider whether your work can be generalized within the methodology chapter. 7. Appendices The appendices are your best friend when writing up your methodology. This is where you can put any indirectly relevant material  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ including questionnaires, consent forms and other documents used in the research – so that the main body of your methodology section remains clear and succinct.

Cancer Chemotherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cancer Chemotherapy - Essay Example The nature of cancer is one that has been the easis of much research and even scrutiny. Cancer is a chronic, metabolic disease...that is obvious. It isn't an infectious disease, which is caused by bacteria of viruses. It is a disease that is metabolic in origin. A metabolic disease is a disease that is linked with our utilization of food. Most metabolic diseases have as their basis specific vitamins and minerals. Let me give you a categorical or axiomatic truth to take with you. One that is totally uncontradictable, scientifically, historically and in every other way. This is that no chronic or metabolic disease in the history of medicines has ever been prevented or cured, except by factors normal to the diet or normal to the animal economy. There have been many erstwhile fatal devastating diseases that now have become virtually unknown. They have been prevented and cured by ingesting the dietary factors and thereby preventing the deficiencies, which accounted for these diseases. (Kr ebs) Cancer is a chronic, metabolic disease...that is obvious. It isn't an infectious disease, which is caused by bacteria of viruses. It is a disease that is metabolic in origin. A metabolic disease is a disease that is linked with our utilization of food. ... There have been many erstwhile fatal devastating diseases that now have become virtually unknown. They have been prevented and cured by ingesting the dietary factors and thereby preventing the deficiencies, which accounted for these diseases. . (Krebs,) science brings us face to face with a lot of things we do not like to face. We have become over-civilized. We are inclined in out delusory thinking to feel that here and there must be a magic out. That there must be a simple way, a short cut, that somehow or other medical science or some other man-made forces beyond our comprehension will do for us those things we must do for ourselves. And it is slowly dawning on us, perhaps too slowly that this thinking is fraudulent; that it is unsound. (Budwig) With new computing power and knowledge, scientists hope to develop lifesaving drugs more quickly and with better results (Sheridan) It took 115 years from the first description of blood cancer in 1845 until the discovery of a genetic abnormality instrumental in the disease. Now, 41 years later, a new drug, Gleevec, seems to be the first to offer promise as a treatment. powerful drugs just beginning to be tested for similar glimpses of potential will join Gleevec and hundreds of other drugs in the years ahead. But where do these drugs come from To the public, it may seem like a trial-and-error process of chemical guesswork, but cancer drug discovery has come a long way," says Nouri Neamati, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the USC School of Pharmacy and the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Drug discovery has entered a new era, with not only better

Financial Future Of British Petroleum Term Paper

Financial Future Of British Petroleum - Term Paper Example The U.S. completed negotiations with BP Plc to establish the $20 billion fund that will compensate victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill† (Blum & Snyder). 20 billion dollar is a huge amount for BP and such a huge amount given as compensation caused severe financial problems in BP and the company is currently on the verge of bankruptcy. BP forced to appoint a new CEO in their last-minute effort for survival. This paper is trying to answer the questions like; where BP stands on the market now, where it is going and where it might end up. BP plans to sell assets for up to $30 billion over the next 18 months, primarily in the upstream business and selected on the basis that they are worth more to other companies than to BP. This portfolio high grading will leave the company with a smaller but higher quality Exploration & Production business. The company said it was taking a prudent approach to manage the balance sheet and its financial liquidity, in order to ensure that BP has the flexibility to meet all of its future financial obligations. As a result, it plans to reduce its net debt level down to a range of $10-$15 billion within the next 18 months, compared to net debt of $23 billion at the end of June (BP Sets Out Gulf of Mexico Costs, Further Asset Sales and Strong Operating Performance) BP is currently doing everything possible to stay in the market. It is not in a position to utilize some of its projects effectively because of their weak financial abilities at present. BP has realized that some of these projects can be managed more effectively by others and the market value of these projects are more than what BP would be able to derive out of it.

An Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives

An Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives Evaluation of Globalisation from Two Perspectives. As an Emotive Force, in Being Beneficial and a Key to  Future World Economic Development as well as  Being Inevitable and Irreversible. And as a Force that Increases Inequality Within and  Between Nations, Threatens Employment and  Living Standards and Thwarts Social Progress Introduction Globalisation as a word is that utilized in differing contexts within the public lexicon. It is one of â€Å"†¦ the most widely used- and misused – keyword †¦ in recent years, as well as being â€Å", one of the most rarely defined, the most nebulous and misunderstood, as well as the most politically effective †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Beck and Camiller, 2000, p. 19). We tend to think of globalisation is as a modern term, first defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary in 1944 (University of Pennsylvania, 2005) its historical roots in terms of it being a part of human history can be traced back â€Å"†¦ at least 5,000 years† (Wallerstein et al, 1980, p. 15). Said beginnings, â€Å"†¦ In the fifteenth and early sixteenth century †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is when the â€Å"†¦ European world-economy †¦Ã¢â‚¬  came into existence as â€Å"†¦ a kind of social system the world †¦(had) †¦ really known before and which is the distinctive feature of the modern world-system† (Wallerstein et al, 1980, p. 15). The underpinnings of why Wallerstein et al (1980, p. 15) take this view is that is represented an economic rather than political entity that differed from the â€Å"†¦ empires, city-states and nation-states †¦Ã¢â‚¬  that preceded it. Eisnstadt (1968, P. 41) helps to clarify the preceding by defining empire as a term utilized â€Å"†¦ to designate a political system encompassing wide, relatively high centralized territories †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which consisted of an emperor and â€Å"†¦ central political institutions †¦Ã¢â‚¬  And while empires were a primitive means by which economic domination was conducted, they laid the foundations for globalization through economic flows as represented by trade (Eisenstadt, 1961, pp. 82-107). The preceding has been utilized as an historical guide to the roots of globalisation, which is generally credited as being the individual credited with using it in an economic sense (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). Levitt’s definition of globalisation is based upon its applicability to corporations and products and what he termed as ‘homogenized demand’ (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). That view, while revolutionary at the time, in hindsight is a narrow conception of the broader concept that we understand globalisation to be in today’s terms. Shariff (2003, pp. 163-178) states that globalisation is the global process representing the homogenising of prices, wages, products, interest rates and profits that relies upon three forces, 1. human migration, 2. international trade, and 3. the swift movement of capital along with the integration of financial markets. Bhaqwati (2005, p. 3) advises that globalisation â€Å"†¦ can mean many things†. He focuses on glo balisation as being economic, constituting the â€Å"†¦ integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, direct foreign investment (by corporations and multinationals), short term capital flows, international flows of workers and †¦. flows of technology †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bhaqwati, 2005, p. 3). The World Bank, which agrees with Beck and Camiller (2000, p. 19) and states that there is no precise and universally agreed upon definition and, adds that over time it, globalisation, has come to encompass â€Å"†¦ cultural, political and other connotations in addition to the economic† (PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group, 2005). Their explanation of globalisation tends to focus on the economic side of the ledger, but adds that it, globalisation, is not uniform stating that in the poorer lesser developed countries it is more a case of being excluded from it rather than being impoverished by it (PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group, 2005). Hirst and Thompson (2001. p. 3) agree with the fact that there are broadly differing contexts attached to globalisation and that in today’s terms it largely means placing economic aspects in the forefront, keeping in mind the cultural, political, and social variables that are intertwin ed. The International Monetary Fund (2000) combines pieces of definitions from the preceding in stating that globalisation represents â€Å"†¦ a historical process †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which is attributable to â€Å"†¦ human innovation and technological progress†, and â€Å"†¦ refers to the increasing integration of economies †¦Ã¢â‚¬  on a global basis â€Å"†¦ particularly through trade and financial flows†. Stiglitz (2003, p. 4) asks the question as to â€Å"Why has globalization – a force that has brought so much good – become so controversial?† Bhaqwati (2005, p. 4) also asks this question as to â€Å"Why are the critics of globalization so agitated?† Hist and Thompson (2001. p. 2) also are quizzical as to this phenomenon. What is it about globalisation that has proponents lined up on one side, and antagonists on the other? This examination shall seek to equate both sides of this highly charged arena, looking at the views that see globalisation as an emotive force, where some see it as a process that is beneficial, representing a key to future global economic development that is not only inevitable, but irreversible as well. And on the other side of the fence there are those that view globalisation with hostility, and believe that is increases inequality between nations as well as within them, threatens employment along with living standards and thwarts soc ial progress. According to Giddens (2006), we are in the second phase of the debate on globalisation. His perspective is that there were discussions regarding the phase and attempting to determine what is was and is while it was unfolding. Giddens (2006) views us as being in the second phase of the debate as globalisation is firmly entrenched in economics, politics, cultural and social areas, as we again attempt to determine what it is, along with its consequences and how it can be properly accommodated. Whether one subscribes to this view is a matter of opinion, but the point is there is a debate on globalisation with one side seeing it as representing benefits to society, and the other as promoting inequalities and other negative connotations. Or, is that actually the case? Could it be that it is parts of globalisation that opponents are against? Could it be that the problem with globalisation is its inequality in that there are the nations gaining from it and distancing themselves from those la gging or being left behind? The questions are almost endless. In seeking to reach a determination, this examination will look at both side of the globalisation issue, offering those facets for and those against it. Ohmae (Ray, 2005) sees globalisation as the liberalisation of individuals, consumers, business corporations as well as regions from the confines of the nation state. He sees the world as representing a global village â€Å"†¦ because wealth will migrate across national borders†. He sees, in commercial terms, as well as in consumer terms that the world is â€Å"†¦ an increasingly borderless economy, a true global marketplace† with political influences seeking to control the process (Ohmae, 1996, p. 8). Yip (1989, p. 29) sees the process of globalisation as a ‘must’ facet that major business corporations have to participate in as a result of almost all products having foreign competitors. This preceding view not only means that a company needs to look at this from its own domestic market and staving off competition, but also from the viewpoint of growth and profits as there are customers to be won in foreign markets as well (Yip, 1989, p. 29). Yip’s corporate focus on globalisation looks at falling trade barriers as governments and regions understand the importance of opening their markets to enable them to enter others in a quid pro quo. The corporate process of globalisation results in increased competition, jobs, better products, innovation and lower prices as the lines between products, goods and services have become increasingly transparent, with consumers as the beneficiaries in the process. The opening up of markets, and the loosening of trade restrictions and borders is a positive contribution of globalisation as it makes the new battlefield one of profits, markets and expansion as opposed to conquest, war and destruction (Held et al, 1999. pp. 32-35). Globalisation’s main engine has been a result of economics, it is money that has underpinned the flow of products, printed materials, the Internet, documentaries and other informational exchanges, along with products, goods and services. The elements of increased trade have brought the need to stabilize currencies in order to permit the corporations within countries to effectively compete on the global stage and is an important underpinning resulting in the formation of the euro in the European Union. The foregoing has brought about a â€Å"†¦ high degree of economic interdependence among today’s economies †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the preceding reflects â€Å"†¦ the historical evolution of the world’s economic and political order† (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). Evidence of the equalization process of globalisation can be found in the example of the United States which was the most dominate economic and political nation after the end of World War II (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). This has been referred to as neocolonialism, which represents Imperial powers controlling other societies through economic means on the international stage, which resurfaced after WW II, having similarities to the colonialism periods of the sixteenth through twentieth centuries (Selfa, 2002). The foregoing is driven by economic means as capitalism represents â€Å"†¦ an economic mode †¦ that †¦ operate within an arena larger than †¦ any political entity can totally control †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wallerstein, 1976, pp. 230). The preceding has provided capitalists, and thus globalisation, with the foundation to pursue consistent â€Å"†¦ economic expansion of the world-system †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which Wallerstein (1976, pp. 230) argues is skewed in its distrib ution of rewards. Globalisation is thus a combination of political aims to strengthen national economies through â€Å"†¦ political power, authority and forms of rule †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Held et al, 1999, p. 32) that aids capitalism, commerce and companies. Globalisation has since evened the playing field as nations, regions and countries have devoted their efforts into strengthening their competitive positions in the commerce arena through regional trading blocks such as the European Union, ASEAN, SAARC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other organizations evolved â€Å"†¦ the world community into a complicated system based on a growing interdependence among nations† (Carbaugh, 2006, p. 3). China has risen from a developing nation into a world power through its march into capitalism via the innovation of socialist economics, which retains the centralized Party control. Globalisation has aided in the preceding as well as the development of the Chinese military into a sophisticated technologically equipped force (Wortzel, 1994, pp. 168-170). The market reforms of 1978 has enabled the country to harness the commercial potential of its market of 1.3 billion citizens under ‘socialism with Chinese character istics’ which has transformed China from the 32nd largest trading nation in 1978 to second in terms of GDP purchasing power behind the United States (Dellios, 2004). The power of participation in the international flows of globalisation has proven its ability and potential to transform economies and nations as well as the economic balances of power. Globalisation is for most intents and purposes a Western dominated process that is influenced and guided by corporations. In pursuing international markets multinational corporations have opted on a course of standardising their product lines to permit them to make adaptations to reach foreign consumers in the quest for increased market share (Hayler, 2006). Localisation represents the adaptation of products, goods and or services to address the tastes, preferences, cultural â€Å"†¦ and other requirements of a specific target market† (W3C, 2007). A key example of standardisation combined with localisation can be found in portable telephones. Companies need a standardised approach to the production of basic components in a globalised economy for framing, wiring and related components to permit a universal platform of manufacture. With facilities in 15 countries and sales in over 130, Nokia is a prime example of a globalised company (Nokia, 2001). However, individual marke ts require localisation to appeal to consumers in the face of competition, as well as the recognition of preferences, tastes and needs. Nokia innovated the first mobile phone that was designed to provide â€Å"†¦ commands in English, Chinese, Thai, Bahasa for Indonesia and Malaysia, and Spanish for the Philippine market (Hoberg-Petersen et al, 1999). The preceding is an example of the combined utilization of standardisation and localisation required to capture consumers in the competitive globalised marketplace. Nokia’s deft understanding of the variables of the international marketplace represent the application of Porter’s (1998, pp. 59-61) value chain organization, which represents the various activities inside as well as outside a company, equating logistics, operations, marketing and sales, support activities, procurement, technology development, company infrastructure and utilizing the inputs and results from these activities to improve operations by adapti ng and changing where needed to meet the demands of the marketplace. The importance of an international stance in the today’s global economy enables corporations to cope with international competition by leveraging their domestic operations overseas and learns lessons from the unique characteristics of foreign markets to bring back to its own domestic market. The preceding expands the company’s innovation by coming to grips with specialized needs that can translate into new features and approaches that boost sales. Accepting the principle of globalisation is not a luxury that companies can afford to ignore in the face of foreign competition. It is an undeniable facet of competition as any product, goods or services that has a representative market domestically, will be under attack sooner or later by some company or companies seeking to expand. Evidence of the impact of globalisation is shown by the fact that the ratio of exports plus imports as calculated against the global gross domestic product has increased from 16% in 1960 to 40% in 2001 (World Bank, 2002). The forgoing seemingly suggests that localizing products, goods and services from a standardised format to meet the needs of individual markets has proven successful. But, in the larger scheme of things, is globalisation actually helping to increase inequalities between nations and threatening living standards, social progress and employment? As in all questions, there are two sides to every story. The preceding is a highly complex principle to equate as well as measure, as such is dependent upon the relative sophistication of a country’s ability to meet the varied demands of globalisation called for through institutions, infrastructure development, educational systems, professional and skilled worker training and development, access to raw materials, governmental practices and internal policies. It is simple enough to look at examples of inequality, and related factors, however, in the case of Africa and Latin America, they have only recently opened their markets, beginning in the 1980s, as opposed to the United States, Europe and Japan, which were all engaged in the process shortly after World War II (Bardhan, 2006). China adopted market reforms and changed the precepts of socialism to accommodate a process that enabled them to harness their educational, industrial and internal systems and infrastructure to utilize globalisation to reinforce the power of the state. The ir example points to the internal resourcefulness of government to utilize means to transform the way things were done, into what they viewed as needing to be done (Bardhan, 2006). In a free market system inequalities mark the underpinnings of the business process as companies seek lowered costs via which to produce what they are in business for. Such means moving facilities and or processes to those locales that will enable them to maintain quality, but cut costs, and labor, represents the largest cost item. In a report titled â€Å"A Compendium of Inequality† (Martens, 2005) which refers to a United Nations Development Report published in 2005, found that approximately fifty countries, of the total one hundred and seventy-five countries studied, lost ground in terms of their economic standing, GDP and other areas. In order to achieve economic progress, reduce poverty and improve their quality of life, developing countries need increased employment opportunities, improved labor productivity and governmental incentives to attract industry and business as well as to develop them internally. Achievement of the foregoing requires a sustained productivity growth along with increased capacity of the country’s populace in skills and development that will foster the conditions for the attraction of multinational companies and permit the country to compete on the international stage (Little, 2005). Multinational companies bring with them advanced production and management techniques as well as offer increased wages in terms of relative practices thus increasing the standards, thereby attracting the better labor from the available employment pool. The process is slow, yet effective, and the foregoing represent facets used by China, India, Brazil, and the Asian Tigers, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, that aided these countries in making progress in global commerce. Conclusion Globalisation can trace its roots back over 5,000 years, with the modern application of the term credited to Levitt (Tedlow and Abdelal, 2005). The consistent evolution of globalisation has caused theorists and scholars to define and redefine the term with the understanding that in its present complexities that there is no universally agreed upon definition to adequately describe the process that includes economics, social processes, cultural facets, political considerations and the complex entangled web of interdependent relationships these areas have. In this examination, the term globalisation has been narrowed to focus on its economic and business ramifications in examining whether the process is beneficial, and a key to future world economic development that is inevitable and irreversible, or is it a process that promotes inequality within as well as between nations that threatens employment along with living standards and thwarts social progress. And while globalisation does ha ve its less than desirable effects, it has proven its worth in lowering international borders to increase trade, migration and stabilize currency and capital flows in an era that has seen unprecedented growth in innovation, communications and the seeking of a better understanding of humanity’s needs. The process is not going to disappear or reverse itself as whether we like it or not, the world is driven by economics and the interests of corporations to generate profits on behalf of stockholders, and stakeholders in addition to the vested self interests of governments to protect and foster favorable business conditions for corporations that generate employment and pay taxes to support the political structure. The preceding has been and will continue to be an interdependent relationship that has existed since the Chinese dynasties, through the Egyptian era, as well as the Greek and Roman empires. It is not a question of what direction the world is going in, but one of the direction the world has always been going. Corporations are not going to disappear and our way of life that has been evolving change. Commerce, trade and the migration of people has always been with us, globalisation is just the present form that has manifested itself as have as conquests, exploration and wars in addition to trade and commerce been the former means that mankind has utilized from the beginnings of civilisation. As history has taught us, the more advanced nations use the less advanced to further their ends, with the offshoot of the process that the weaker nations through this association, become stronger and sooner or later establish their own independence and dominance in a never ending cycle of ebbs and flows that has seen shifts in political and economic power. Such was the case with the British empire, the rise of the United States, the emergence of the European Union, the development of regional trading blocks and the ascension of China. This examination has shown that while globalisation does have its inequalities and less than desirable points, it, as in all human endeavours, is an evolutionary process that is still learning from itself. As we progress as a race of peoples, so to does our understanding of our mistakes and the drive to correct them. Institutions such as the United Nations are proof of this evolutionary process. Thus, the faults in globalisation do not lie in its proces s, but in our application of them, which those whom opposed to it aiding in pointing out its shortcomings. As we learn, we listen and reshape ourselves to devise ways to better serve ourselves as well as humankind. The examples presented herein point to the foregoing. Bibliography Bardham, P. (2006) Does Globalization Help or Hurt the World’s Poor. 26 March 2006. Scientific American Beck, U., Camiller, P. (2000) What is Globalization. Polity Press Bhaqwati, J. (2005) In defense of Globalization. Oxford University Press Carbaugh, R. (2006) International Economics. Academic Internet Publishers, Inc. Dellios, R. (2004) The Rise of China as a Global Power. Retrieved on 29 January 2007 from http://www.international-relations.com/CM6-2WB/GlobalChinaWB.htm Eisenstadt, S. (1968) Empires. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences Eisenstadt, S. (1961) The Causes of Disintegration and Fall of Empires: Sociological and Historical Analysis. Vol. 34. Diogenes Giddens, A. (2006) The Second Globalization Debate. Retrieved on 27 January 2007 from http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/giddens/giddens_index.html Hayler, A. (2006) Standardization is not the answer to the challenge of globalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.businessintelligence.com/ex/asp/code.145/xe/article.htm Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., Perraton, J. (1999) Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford University Press Hirst, P., Thompson, G. (2001) Globalization in Question: The International Economy and the Possibilities of Governance. Polity Press Hoberg-Petersen, T., Stuart, C., Wetstone, R. (1999) Nokia Mobile Phones: A Lesson in International Strategy. Yale School of Management International Monetary Fund (2000) Globalization: Threat or Opportunity. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm#I Nokia (2001) Nokia Helps Lead IT Industry to Customers with Disabilities. Retrieved on 29 January 2007 from http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/projserv_ps/projects/case_studies/nokia.htm Ohmae, K. (1996) End of the Nation State: The Rise of Regional Economies. Touchstone Porter, M. (1998) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group (2005) Assessing Globalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www1.worldbank.org/economicpolicy/globalization/documents/AssessingGlobalizationP1.pdf Ray, J (2005) Ohmae’s Subversive Definition of Globalization. Retrieved on 18 January 2007 from http://www.heritagetidbits.com/archives/2005/08/ohmaeas_subvers.htm Selfa, L. (2002) A New Colonial Age of Empires? May-June 2002. International Socialist Review Shariff, I. (2003) Global Economic Integration: Prospects and Problems. Vol. 1, Issue 2. International Journal of Development Economics Stigliz, J. (2003) Globalization and its Discontents. W.W. Norton Company Tedlow, R., Addelal, R. (2005) Theodore Levitt’s â€Å"The Globalization of Markets†: An Evaluation After Two Decades. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/79/07879685/0787968579.pdf University of Pennsylvania (2005) A Very Long-Term View: Globalization Since the Fourteenth Century. Retrieved on 27 January 2007 from http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dludden/global1.htm W3C (2007) Localizations vs. Internationalization. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-i18n Wallerstein, I. (1976) The Modern World-System: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth Century. New York Academic Press Wallerstein, I, Tilly, C., Shorter, E. (1980) The Modern World-System I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century. Academic Press World Bank (2002) Financing the Poorest Countries. Retrieved on 28 January 2007 from http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2002/09/06/000094946_02082404015853/Rendered/INDEX/multi0page.txt Wortzel, L. (1994) China Pursues Great Power Status. Vol. 38, Issue 2. Orbis Yip, G. (1989) Global strategy in a world of nations. Vol. 30. Sloan Management Review

Joshua (the Novel) :: essays research papers

Herm’s question, “Josh, what do you think of Religion?'; becomes the beginning of a period of both joy and conflict for Joshua as he is then often encountered with many related questions and, later, contradiction from the Church. These questions all lead to similar answers, in which Joshua expands on his ideas. And because of this further discussion, it’s important to read all of his responses throughout the book in order to understand his reply and to intelligently decide to agree or disagree. Therefore, my reaction to Joshua’s reply is based on everything he said concerning religion. The question arises from a discussion between Pat, Herm, and Joshua concerning his lifestyle. They are walking home from breakfast at the diner and the other two are interested in why Joshua doesn’t mind living alone. “Don’t you get lonesome living by yourself?'; Herm asks (72). But Joshua explains to them that he values the serenity of living alone. He tells them that he can peacefully enjoy the beauty of nature outside and the animals also keep him company at times. But the main reason why Joshua never feels alone is that God is always with him, loving him always, and will never abandon him: “No. I like being by myself… God is with us all the time'; (72). Pat and Herm agree but still can not imagine living alone without any feeling of loneliness and this discussion of God leads to Herm’s question. Joshua’s response is similar to a sermon or speech, and is over a page in length; he is firm in these beliefs and reiterates them several times throughout the book. He is very prepared for the question; before saying a word he asks, “the way it [religion] is or the way God intended it to be?'; (73). And when he is sure of the latter, releases everything inside him, as if he was just waiting to explain what people had been doing wrong. His main point is that Jesus wanted to free those under the pressure of rules in their religions and offered a comforting God who loved them, asking only for honor and worship in return. Joshua is also disappointed in the way the clergy preside over their congregations: “Jesus did not envision bosses… He wanted his apostles to guide and serve, not to dictate and legislate'; (74). Joshua feels that rules and traditions are blocking people from growing in love of God, that the people become unable to think for themselves and panic when changes are made.

African Americans and Politics Essay

For decades African Americans have faced struggles throughout history. Most notably, African Americans were involved in slavery, suffrage, and the civil rights movement. These struggles were very visible and everyone was aware of what was going on. However, now African Americans are involved in a struggle that it not visible and recognizable. This is a struggle that is used to capitalize on wealth and prevent African American families and individuals from living normal lives. They are involved in environmental racism. Environmental racism â€Å"refers to intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations, the intentional or unintentional targeting of minority communities for the siting of polluting industries, or the exclusion of minority groups from public and private boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies. †[1] This form of racism has been plaguing African American communities for years and most people have not taken notice. There are many form of environmental racism; however, this paper will specifically address redlining, blockbusting, racial profiling, and housing segregation and how each has impacted the African American community. Redlining is the act of refusing or increasing the cost of services such as loans, insurance, banking, and access to healthcare to citizens based upon race. The practice involves taking a map and drawing a red line through neighborhoods where banks would not invest money. Redlining was used to segregate African Americans in the housing, workforce, and school market. Parents had to find work in other areas of the city because there were not any resources available in the community. Because of redlining, schools became over crowded with 50 students crammed into one classroom. With the schools overcrowded, teachers were not able to provide special attention to the needy students and other students became uncontrollable. Cathy Cohen would argue that African Americans were being marginalized in the school system. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). African American students were all forced to go to one school in the community to keep them out of the White schools. Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as an inferior race. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to make other races feel superior. Blockbusting was a practice used by real estate agents and developers in the United States to encourage white property owners to sell their homes by giving the impression that minority groups (such as African Americans) were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood. [2] When African Americans began to move into the inner city, fear arose that they were an economic threat. Blockbusting was also the cause of many White Americans moving into the suburbs. The practice of blockbusting involved an African American purchasing a home for very cheap in a predominately White neighborhood. The real estate broker would contact the White residents and offer to buy their houses for quick cash and resell the house to an African American family for much higher. Real estate agents claimed that African Americans moving into a predominately White neighborhood would cause property values to go down and urged White homeowners to sell as soon as possible. Real estate agents indicated that the property values would go down because African Americans would not keep up their property, avoid lawn care, and if would affect the entire neighborhood. This practice has caused major shifts in urban neighborhoods, especially Chicago, in recent decades. The Blockbusting methods were profitable and became common across the nation. For example, by 1962, when blockbusting had been in practice for fifteen years, Chicago had over 100 operators and the city had been changing an average of two to three blocks a week for several years. Blockbusting is the reason why cities such as Chicago are now predominately African American and the surrounding suburbs are predominately White. Blockbusting caused African Americans to be marginalized as well. They were denied fair participation in the housing market. Real estate agents inflated housing prices for African Americans to gain commission. White homeowners already had prejudices about African Americans and the real estate agents only made the situation worse. The stereotypes that Black families do not take care of their property was the main reason White homeowners sold their homes. Racial profiling is â€Å"the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a â€Å"predictable† manner. †[3] The practice of racial profiling is a huge problem in the United States. African Americans are usually the targeted victims in the act of racial profiling. It is believed that an African American driver will be more likely stopped than a White driver. Some police officers share the belief that Black drivers will most likely possess an illegal substance of committing an illegal act. However, policemen argue that they do not base their arrests on race but are greatening their probability of a successful search. Some policemen also argue that the probability of catching a Black offender is greater than catching a White offender. Whether the statement is true or not, it places a bias on African Americans and White Americans. The belief that African Americans men are more likely to commit crimes is unfair and not true. One cannot base the behavior of all African American men on the ones that have done wrong and been imprisoned. Another belief of racial profiling is it is the cause of the racial disparities in the American prison system. There are many more African American men in the jail system than there are White men. The previous statement is mostly likely to be true. Because some policemen hold biases and have prejudices against African Americans, it will cause more African Americans to be placed in the jail system. Another instance of racial profiling involved African Americans owning nice material possessions such as a car or a house and African Americans being in a predominately White neighborhood. For example, in an episode of Family Matters, Eddie was in his car travelling through a predominately White neighborhood and was pulled over by the police for â€Å"failure to signal. † However, the routine traffic stop turned into nothing more than a beating for young Eddie. The significance of the episode shows that racial profiling does exist in the United States and it takes place every day. The practice has impacted African Americans because hundreds of innocent people have been harassed and humiliated by police officers simply because of their race. The most recent national example of environmental racism occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. When New Orleans was flooded with tons of water, there were no relief efforts for days and almost a week. Many believed this was due to the fact that majority of the New Orleans population was African American. The population was basically ignored for days until the help decided to come. Citizens of New Orleans were faced with intentional racism and were denied help for several days. This has impacted African Americans because many people died because of the heat, starvation, and disease from the water. African-Americans have been marginalized for centuries. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). Most recently, African-Americans were marginalized in regards to the outbreak of HIV/AIDS. While HIV/AIDS was once considered to be the disease of white gay men, Blacks are now the center of the epidemic. With the turn of the new millennium, the outbreak of AIDS in the Black community has soared. Black men who consider themselves to be â€Å"down low† are the center of the rising epidemic. The men have intercourse with other men while continuing to have intercourse with their female partners thus spreading the AIDS virus. Even though the soaring rate is shocking, there has been limited response from the African-American community. One can argue that Blacks have been marginalized from the resources to treat the epidemic. However, the Black community seems to be ignoring the spreading AIDS virus and focusing more on electing a Black president and high blood pressure. While both electing a Black president and lowering high blood pressure are important issues, similar emphasis should be put on the rising AIDS epidemic. In a sense, African-Americans have marginalized themselves from dealing with AIDS. Continuing to turn a cold shoulder to the issue will not fix the problem. Although Blacks are being marginalized when it comes to AIDS, they are also marginalized when it comes to property and social relationships. For example, when it comes to receiving bank loans, African-Americans is marginalized heavily. Some bank loan officers practice redlining which causes Black residents, whether qualified or not, to be denied loans for property. By using the redlining technique, bank loan officers are marginalizing Blacks from being able to own their own property. Relating back to the AIDS epidemic, Black men were marginalized for having the virus. For instance, if a Black man was open about his homosexuality would be marginalized heavily. Homophobia could be a valid reason for the marginalization of Black men. With open homosexuality, an African-American could be left out from participating in activities and denied being recognized as a normal individual. Homophobia could damage an individual’s social life and leave him feeling disempowered. [4] Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as lower than Whites. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly, which is the center of environmental racism. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to gain wealth and keep at the bottom of the ladder. In short, there are many types of power struggles. One does not have to see power to know that it is taking place. [5] For instance, being called an inferior race is a power struggle within itself. African-Americans that believe that they are actually inferior will begin to act that way. They will begin to doubt themselves and their abilities in life. Once they have it in their mindset that they are inferior, it will cause them to act that way. Housing Segregation is â€Å"the practice of denying African American or other minority groups equal access to housing through the process of misinformation, denial of realty and financing services, and racial steering. †[6] The act of housing discrimination involves real estate agents and landlords not providing African American families with an accurate account of available housing. Housing segregation happens when landlords and real estate agents lure White Americans to available housing only in white communities, and African Americans to Black or diverse and mixed communities. The realtor and landlord usually work together in the process and will agree not to tell the African Americans about the available units in the European American communities. This process goes back to the assumption that African Americans residents will bring down the property value of homes in the neighborhood because they will not take care of their own property. Housing segregation is intentional racism that excludes African Americans from participating fairly in the housing market. Black families should be able to live wherever they please without regardless of the demographics of the neighborhood. With all that African Americans have been through, environmental racism should not be ignored or taken lightly. People should take heed to the practice and fight for what is right. All of the above forms of environmental racism have plagued the African American community. It has caused a major shift in the urban cities such as Chicago. Real estate agents have inflated the costs of housing for Black families moving into predominantly White areas. African American families can fight the issues by becoming more aware of their surroundings and becoming familiar with the practices. They can hire good lawyers to defend them and fight for justice. With regards to the AIDS epidemic, African Americans have been marginalized when it comes to resources and thus leads to environmental racism. African American of the new generation, as a whole, should stand together and fight the justice that was promised to them in the United States Constitution. ———————– [1] Dictionary. com [2] Dictionary. com [3] Dictionary. com [4] Cathy J. Cohen, The Boundaries of Blackness (The University of Chicago Press) 47-48. [5] John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness (The University of Illinois Press) 1-32. [6] Dictionary. com.

JavaFX GridPane Overview

TheGridPane class creates a JavaFX layout pane which places controls based on a column and row position. The grid contained in this layout is not predefined. It creates columns and rows as each control is added. This allows the grid to be completely flexible in its design. Nodes can be placed in each cell of the grid and can span multiple cells either vertically or horizontally. By default the rows and columns will be sized to fit their content - that is the widest child node defines the column width and the tallest child node the row height.   Import Statement import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane; Constructors TheGridPane class has one constructor which does not accept any arguments: GridPane playerGrid new GridPane(); Useful Methods Child nodes are added to theGridPane using the add method specifying the node to be added with the column and row index: //Place the Text control in column 1, row 8 Text rank4 new Text(4); playerGrid.add(rank4, 0,7); Note: The column and row index starts at 0. So the first cell positioned at column 1, row 1 has an index of 0, 0. Child nodes can also span multiple columns or rows. This can be specified in theadd method by adding the number of columns and rows to span to the end of the arguments passed: //Here the Text control is spanning 4 columns and 1 row Text title new Text(Top Scorers in English Premier League); playerGrid.add(title, 0,0,4,1); Child nodes contained within theGridPane can have their alignment along the horizontal or vertical axis by using the setHalignment and setValignment methods: GridPane.setHalignment(goals4, HPos.CENTER); Note: TheVPos enum contains four constant values to define the vertical position: BASELINE, BOTTOM, CENTER and TOP. The HPos enum only contains three values for the horizontal position: CENTER, LEFT and RIGHT.   The padding of child nodes can also be set by using thesetPadding method. This method takes the child node being set and Insets object defining the padding: //set the padding for all the cells in the GridPane playerGrid.setPadding(new Insets(0, 10, 0, 10)); The spacing between the columns and rows can be defined by using thesetHgap and setVgap methods: playerGrid.setHgap(10);playerGrid.setVgap(10); ThesetGridLinesVisible method can be very useful in seeing where the grid lines are being drawn: playerGrid.setGridLinesVisible(true); Usage Tips If two nodes are set to be displayed in the same cell then they will overlap in the JavaFX scene.   Columns and rows can be set to a preferred width and height through the use ofRowConstraints and ColumnConstraints. These are separate classes that can be used to control the size. Once defined they are added to the GridPane by using the getRowConstraints().addAll and getColumnConstraints().addAll methods. GridPane objects can be styled using JavaFX CSS. All the CSS properties defined under Region can be used. To see theGridPane layout in action have a look at the GridPane Example Program. It shows how to place Text controls in a table format by defining uniform rows and columns.