Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion Topic - Essay Example Thus, unconventional war should be resulted to, under conditions where the enemy side has the military capability to devastate the other side, and under conditions where it is most apparent that victory in that war is not likely to be attained (Paret, et al., 1986). Further, the modern and ancient writings agree that the unconventional war should also be aligned to the principle of war requiring surprise attack, such that it should be conducted through underground and intelligent means that are not open to confrontation, until at such a time that the enemy has been incapacitated from effectively raising a reprisal attack (Sawyer, 1993). Therefore, both the modern and the ancient writings about the unconventional warfare holds that it the unconventional war is a tool for offensive as opposed to defensive strategy that should be applied on the event that the enemy side is mightier. However, the modern writings differ on the ancient writings about the unconventional war, in that the mod ern writings emphasize that, while opting for the unconventional warfare strategy, the preparation for conventional and confrontational war should be underway, due to the fact that the unconventional strategy can be intercepted and the confrontational war resulted (Paret, et al.,

Is it better to think about commitment deficit as a projection by Essay

Is it better to think about commitment deficit as a projection by politicians, rather than as a true reflection of Australia - Essay Example There is the possibility of reorganizing or refunding debts of the federal government. In order to take these steps, there needs to be evaluation and assessment of refunding or reorganization of debts. A good way that the federal government could reorganize or refund its debts obligation is whereby the city’s administrators highlight upon the debts with high interest rates. These types of debts can hamper the government’s ability to perform other financial duties or obligations. Therefore, refunding would imply that the government would add new debt to the existing debt kitty. In turn, the government would be forced to increase debt in order to facilitate payments of both interest and the existing debts. If the government’s new debt can be increased at high interest rate, this would offer economic prosperity and other possible benefits may be realized in case the interest rates decrease such as transforming the conditions of the debt that may permit the local gov ernment of Seattle to revise their payment plan that may assist with short-term budget demands2. Refunding debts to substitute a lower interest rate may poses some economic merits, if other transformations are made, like term, there is a probability that there will be a net rise in the debt costs over the debt’s term3. ... The federal government may provide financial help in quarterly or annual terms. Another alternative is for the city to try to maximize revenues gathered. It is true that a budget is an itemized summary of intended expenditures of a certain period with proposals for financing them. Further, I concur that budget deficit are inevitable because of spending usually outweighs income. This in turn makes the government to increase taxes, raise debt ceilings, consolidate public debt, and decrease spending. In order to avoid spending, it is rational to include major budget cuts in departments such as The Executive Office of the President, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of State and Department of Treasury and department of Defense. Government is spending more than it is bringing in. This practice usually plunge it in financial crisis. As we can see, debt can only ruin you, whether it is in your household, city, or nation. In addition, in order to avoid debts or bankrupt cy, we make sure to pay our credit cards and we really try not to take out loans for school and vehicles. If an individual were to run a deficit on his or her household that implies that, an individual is spending more than he or she is making. Consequences for this would be bankruptcy, credit destroyed, and our house and vehicles could be taken away. It is significant to note that in order to avoid debts or bankruptcy it is rational to introduce budget cuts in every department, as this will reduce spending5. Policies, which are commonly considered for reducing a current account deficit 1. Devaluation This is where the value of the currency against other currencies is reduced. When this is utilized, there is an increase in the price

The Stress of Working in a Call Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Stress of Working in a Call Center - Essay Example Each day that I reported for work, I was on the receiving end of the harshest berating, the meanest insults, and the most intellectually insulting comments that one would only wish on his worst enemy. To make matters worse, I had no right to stand up for myself and let them know that I was just a person tasked to receive their complaints. I wasn't the enemy. I was there to help. Or at least, let them vent to a certain degree. But these clients took complaining to a whole new level. Every time I was demeaned as a person, I felt like shouting at the person on the line, or simply disconnecting the headset and running off crying or to let off some steam. But I wasn't allowed to do that. I needed to stay on the line no matter how I felt. Rather than taking my anger out on the clients, I made sure that I spent at least an hour a day releasing my anger and stress. They say nothing beats boxing when it comes to releasing stress. That is exactly what I did. Each day, I would get home from my shift and pop a boxing game into my X-Box Kinect and jab away for a few minutes in order to remove the stress and anger that I had pent up inside of me. Then on the days that I had off, I made sure to get a full body massage in order to relax my body, mind, and soul even for only a few hours a day. These two regular stress-busting practices of mine were definitely the way to go. I would return to work refreshed and with a new perspective on my job situation and how to deal with it. I learned that work stress could actually be released even on the job if I simply had a way to let it out as I did my task. That was when the stress ball massager became a daily part of my work life. Every time I got a problem call, I take the stress ball and squeeze it as I felt my tension and anger building up inside of me. All of the negative emotions that I wanted to unleash on the client transferred to the stress ball.  

International Business Globalization and Trade, Multinational Research Paper

International Business Globalization and Trade, Multinational Enterprise - Research Paper Example China and India are becoming economic giants and this evident by the way their products are competing perfectively with goods from developed countries like the U.S, UK, and Germany. The two nations have embraced ‘frugal innovation’ system which advocates for producing more for less. The frugal invention helps in cutting production cost of production and this has been an added advantage to Companies operating in the two upcoming economic superpowers. (Urata and Chia et al., 2006). Factors leading to Economic growth in Asian States Innovation is the application of improved solutions which meet the new requirements, inarticulate needs or the existing market needs. This is achieved through more effective products, processes, services, technologies or ideas which are readily available to markets, governments and society. This is happening in Asia where China and India have decided to end developing country life and join the group of developed countries. Frugal innovation has been highly used in China and India. Frugal innovation is the process of reducing the complexity and cost of production of a product. This kind of innovation helps firms in growing at a faster rate by reducing production cost. Frugal innovation has made many firms in Asia to have a competitive advantage (Mason, 2001). Reverse innovation is the kind of innovation used by most of the developing countries. This is a kind of innovation whereby goods developed as inexpensive models to meet the needs of the developing nations. (Govindarajan and Trimble, 2012). Jugaad invention is in full force in both China and India. This is a process of improvising production materials due to lack of enough resources for production. China and India have been using and producing their products using their local readily available resources. These forms of innovations used by the two Asian nations has played a big role in product development (Radjou and Prabhu et al., 2012). China and India incorporated gl obalization in their system. This process has helped the two nations in borrowing technology from developed countries and use them in the production of high-quality affordable products. Frugal innovation in Asia The origin of Frugal Innovation Using the concept of innovation, frugal innovation develops on the theories of movements and capabilities that have been there before. Frugal innovation can be traced back from the appropriate technology movement. This was as a result of a publication by Schumer in 1975 with the topic, ‘Small is beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered’ this was aimed in campaigning the local development of low technology, labour-intensive, environmentally technologies as the substitute to depending on technology- transfer from developed countries. After growing as a global movement, the attractiveness of the intermediate which later became appropriate technology sends a warning message, for it was increasing the implications of second class qua lity. Due to threats like environmental challenges due to ozone layer depletion, the appropriate technology was overtaken by sustainable development which forced countries like China and India to come up with ways of growing their economy (Bound & Thortin 2012). The evolution of frugal innovation was influenced by several factors. The factors included; social movements which helped in the globalization of science technology and innovation. There was the availability of technology for the two countries had tapped it from some developing countries. The growth of the private sector increased networking of the global innovation system as multinational firms explored new locations for R&D.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example It also asks if Franklin is a sincere self-help man who wants to help others, or merely a self-promoter. The key ways by which Franklin presents his story as an illustration of self-improvement are through providing external influences on his life who are also self-made people like himself and showing how planning and executing plans is part of realizing the American Dream. He is motivated to pursue self-improvement, because he had set himself to become a writer, which is not a lucrative craft, and he believed in the value of planning and hard work. Benjamin Franklin strikes me as a person who is genuinely interested in helping others, because he provided self-tested principles and practices that enabled him to pursue small and large life goals and he merely shared pragmatic and moralistic ideas and principles, which he believed can help people achieve their dreams, no matter how hard their circumstances may be, a process that resulted to the promotion of the American Dream. One of t he external influences on Benjamin Franklin was his father, Josiah Franklin. He describes how Josiah focuses on teaching his children, not only how to live by one's energy and determination, but how to live uprightly. In one instance, Josiah taught his son that â€Å"nothing was useful which was not honest† (Franklin Chapter 1). ... From here, Benjamin embarked on a mission of being more aware of how he writes, a metacognitive practice, which helped him arrange the logic and perspicacity of his arguments. Benjamin's friends and patrons also influenced him to become a better person. Several governors, for instance, even when they knew that Benjamin was a penniless lad, invited him to their libraries. Apparently, these people also believed in the idea of self-improvement and that by encouraging others like Benjamin, they can also help improve the lives of other people. Benjamin further shows self-improvement by explaining how planning and executing plans is part of realizing the American Dream. An example is how he improved his own knowledge on diverse topics and skills through self-help. For instance, he did not enjoy meat a great deal, so he read a book on preparing vegetarian recipes. He also abhorred the suffering of animals for humanity's palettes, which almost made him a pure Vegan, or one who does not even eat fish. Benjamin not only ate what he wanted, but also saved money by boarding and preparing food for his own tastes and beliefs. Furthermore, Benjamin admitted his problems with arithmetic. He read a book Cocker's book of Arithmetick and taught himself arithmetic better than his teachers did. Franklin further improved his command of English by studying the Socratic method. He read Xenophon's Memorable Things of Socrates, which helped him enhance how he questions people's ideas, arguments, and beliefs, to the point of embarrassing them, in the way that Socrates once did. These are various self-help measures that underscore the value of knowing one's weaknesses and preparing to remedy them through

Candidate Set Essay Example for Free

Candidate Set Essay Part of the fast changing science of database management is the improvement of association rules generation. Several algorithms had been proposed and implemented in different platforms or programs to generate these rules. These rules state the rate of confidence of predicting an occurrence of entity or an event based on the occurrence of another entity or event. One popular algorithm proposed to generate the association rules of a given data is the Apriori Algorithm. It uses the bottom-up approach in order to come up with all the significant association rules by specifying the minimum support a super set must have. With the help of a pruning step that uses the property of infrequent set defined in the paper Fast Algorithms for Discovering the Maximum Frequent Set [Lin98], the database scans needed to obtain the MFS are minimized. Another algorithm to solve the maximum frequent sets is the top-down approach. Its first main aim is to discover the Maximum Frequent Candidate Set (MFCS) that would quickly gives all the other frequent set based on the property of frequent sets. Here in this paper, we would compare the disadvantages to be encountered on both algorithms and how the integration of the two cited algorithms would work and be implemented. Apriori Algorithm’s Dilemma FIGURE 2. 1: Lattice 1, 2, and 3 resembling the discovery of frequent set [Dun03]. PROPERTY 1: If an item set is infrequent, all its superset must be infrequent, and they do not need to be examined further. Apriori Algorithm needs to check the entire super sets with one element, {A}, {B}, {C}, and {D}, in order to know the MFCS. With the help of the pruning step that use the above stated property of infrequent sets then in Figure 2. 1 we could determine the MFCS of the universe ABCD by performing Apriori Algorithm. In Figure 2. 1 we should perform four database scans checking the super sets A, B, C and D respectively before we could determine the MFCS for all lattices in Figure 2. 1. Lattice 1 needs four database scans before determining that A is the MFCS. Lattice 2 needs four scans in order to determine ACD and this would be the same in lattice 3 which needs four scans before we would conclude that ABCD is the MFCS. What if we would consider a lattice with 5 items, with 6 items and so on? We would then come up with the conclusion that Apriori Algorithm needs to have n database scans for n items. By considering the above fact, try to examine the lattice of ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZ. Then we would conclude that MFCS would be determined after 28 database scans through the use of Apriori Algorithm. The Top-down Approach and the MFCS The top-down approach works well when the MFCS is long. What if the database to be examined has up to 100 items? Then, in Apriori Algorithm, it needs to have 100 database scans in order to come up with the MFCS. On the contrary, the Top-down approach starts with the set containing all the elements of the item set considered down to its subsets. In Figure 2. 1 the Top-down approach checks first the frequency of ABCD, BCD, and so on. What is better with the Top-down Approach compared to the Apriori Algorithm is that it only needs to know the first occurrence of a frequent set to get the MFCS. This is because of the second property of frequent sets. PROPERTY 2: If an item set is frequent, all its subsets must be frequent and they do not need to be examined further. Let’s examine the performance of top-down approach for the three lattices in Figure 2. 1. Top-down approach works best when all of the items in the item set are all frequent. In lattice 3, Top-down approach needs only one database scan in order to come up with the complete frequent sets. Lattice 3’s MFCS is ABCD, therefore it would consider all the subsets of ABCD because ABCD is frequent in the first place. But the problem with the top-down approach is when the MFCS is short. On lattice 3, the number of database scans needed to know MFCS is still lower than the number of database scans needed in the Apriori algorithm, three as compared to four. But on the case of the lattice three, the Top-down approach needs to traverse all the points in the lattice in order to determine the MFCS which is A. The table below gives a view of the database scans needed to determine the complete MFS. Table 2. 1 Apriori and Top-down Approach Comparison Items Apriori Top-down Approach Best case:1 Worst case: 15 5 5 Best case: 1 Worst case: 31 . . . n n Best case: 1 Worst case: 2n 1 Upon considering both the advantages and disadvantages of the two above discussed algorithms, I had decided to merge the good side properties of the two algorithms. To come up with an integrative algorithm that would make use of the concepts of the Apriori Algorithm and Top-down approach, we should first understand or simulate how the two algorithms come up with generating their set of possible candidates for frequent sets. Here is a program code that would generate Apriori Algorithm’s set of possible candidates given the starting candidate {0} and the number of items to be considered. Note that I had opted to start the representation of the possible candidates with zero because the Java program that I had decided to use in order to perform the discussed algorithms uses zero as its start index on its array data structures. Accompanying this program code is the explanation of how did the recursive property come up with the set of possible candidates.

Philosophy And Personal Identity Philosophy Essay

Philosophy And Personal Identity Philosophy Essay Personal identity starts at the moment of conception, within time personal identity can change or not change. The change in identity differs in many instances by causes of psychological, physical or environmental changes in the person life. As life progresses in time people tend to change their views on many issues and identity is involved with those issues. Day to day activities also play an important role on a persons present or prior identity by being exposed to different elements encountered within their mind while operating in these activities. The mind is the most important influential part of a person to establish their identity thru time present or future. The identity is very important for the well being of a person in their everyday life, at work, and even with their relaintionships. When it comes to philosophy Personal Identity is a very broad and extensive topic, many philosopher have their own views on the issue. On the other hand my personal choice for this paper has to be a very well known philosopher by the name of John Locke who was one of the greatest in Europe in the late 1600s and early 1700s until his death. John Locker was born into the stage in Europe which was called the Enlightenment in which he helped find the identity of Thomas Jefferson to the idea of the Declaration Of Independence by stating this men are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With these words stated by Thomas Jefferson, John Locke began his successful thrill of Philosophy and the issue of Personal Identity. As Locke explains his version of Personal Identity he explains it in a higher power and often relies on faith, as opposed to science, to aid him in his major life decisions by using his personal identity. John Lockes views on personal identity are set out in the selection, Of Identity and Diversity, taken from his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In this essay he talks about humans are able to understand by applying his theories and ideas. John Locke had his heart of personal identity in Section 9 of his essay in which he states his idea of a person is that of a thinking, intelligent (rational) being with consciousness of itself (self-consciousness). The notion of a thinking intelligent being amounts to this.While John Locke had his opinion and theories on personal identity other philosophers do too.In reference Identity is very complex and it has no set definition everyone agrees on. Sarup (1996) talks about identity by using the example of a passport. This may include a photograph of the person as well as other details including nationality, a persons full name and date-of-birth. While a passport is a form of identity it does not express who you are as a pers on. It shows you who you are so that you can be recognized in a bureaucratic sense (Sarup, 1996). Sarup the author states that identity is to do with who one thinks one is, what one believes and what one does. While Kidd another author believes that identity relates to how we think about ourselves as people, how we think about other people around us and what we think others think of us. In other words, the ability to figure out (Kidd, 2002)who we are as a person. Kidd the other author states that we are shaped by our culture, and we shape it and perpetuate in it in our day-to-day lives. Although culture and identity are often linked they are, in fact, different in many ways than one . With culture representing the macro pattern- the bigger picture- and identity representing the smaller more micro meanings we have as individuals ( Kidd, 2002, p.7). In my personal identity I have experienced many facets within my 25 years of living in this earth.My personal identity has been developing each minute of the day,as well as days on and in years.In my readings and research I personally coincide with authors who state that personal identity is divided by two subsets.These two subsets are characterized by experience and learning.On the contrary to Lockes beliefs I feel these two subsets characterize my personal identitys growth.According to Wenger, identity can be seen as a negotiated experience, which is developed through engagement in practice in which gives us certain experiences of participation and what our communities pay attention to makes us as participants (Wenger, 1998). Identity in practice is defined socially not merely because it is believed in a social discourse of the self and of social categories, but also because it is produced as a lived experience of participation in the specific communities (Wenger, 1998, p.151). Learning is a very crucial item people should encounter because it benefits us in the long run when it comes to our daily lives and personal encounters and relaintionships.The many things ive learned thru out my years has set out to my advantage and my personal identity .While working for different companies and organizations my personal identity has differed in each setting because I had a different role in each one.Having different roles in each of my jobs,my personal identity had to change in time in order for my tenure their to be successful and keep up with the rest of the laborers.According to the author Wenger A sense of a learning trajectory gives us ways of sorting out what matters and what does not, what contributes to identity and what remains marginal (Wenger, 1998, p.155). When we speak of ones personal identity we speak as what makes us the person that we are.Our identity consists of what makes us unique and different as an individual and from others.According to Locke personal identity does not involve the body at all,the person could be involved by his soul.If such would occur Locke suggested that the person could be transferred by his own soul.However personal identity to Locke cannot be equated with the identity of a thinking substance either because the identity doesnt follow the identity of the soul ,but follows the set of individual thoughts it contains.Here is an excerpt of one Lockes essay where he states the personal identity would follow the thoughts themselves, and not the thinking substance. Let any one reflect upon himself,and conclude,that he has in himself an immaterial Spirit,which is that which thinks in him,and in the constant change of his body keeps him the same;and is that which he calls himself: Let him also suppose it to be the same soul,that was in Nestor or Thersites, at the Siege Of Troy.But he,now having no consciousness of any of the Actions either of Nestor or Thersites,does,or can he,conceive himself the same person with either of them? Can he be concerned in either of their actions?Attribute them to himself, or think them his own more than the actions of any other man,that ever existed?But let him once find himself conscious of any of the actions of Nestor,he then finds himself the same person with Nestor.(Section 15).Since we know and read that Locke rejects that the identity of a person is the identity of an immaterial substance or soul.For Locke at every moment you could have a different soul,thoughts,or a different thinker and still have the same person see.(Section 25) Another rejection by Locke is the idea the the identity of a man is needed for the identity of the person.It wouldnt be necessary since you could have the same person in two different beings as he states in the Prince and the Cobbler story. For should the soul of a prince,carrying with it the consciousness of the princes past life,enter and inform the body of a cobbler,as soon as deserted by his own soul,everyone sees he would be the same person with the prince.(Section 15). For Locke personal identity is not enough if it doesnt include the identity of consciousness.According to Locke consciousness is the ideas that a soul entertains,not in the soul that entertains them.The most important part of consciousness is memory,since memory can remember the actions and experiences of some past person,from the perspective of that person,then one thereby qualifies as identical with that person.To Locke he describes personal identity as a forensic notion.(Section 26).While most philosophers and philosophy get confused with his identity of consciousness Locke statedFor since consciousness always accompanies thinking,and it is that which makes every one to be what he calls self,and thereby distinguishes himself from all other thinking things:in this along consists consists personal identity and as far as this consciousness can be extended backwards to any past action or thought,so far reaches the identity of that person;it is the same self now it was then;and it is b y the same self with this present one that now reflects on it,that that action was done.(Section 9). Overtime John Locke has been criticized by his theories and his way of thinking by fellow philosophers and other entities.Thomas Reid has a view that is similar to Descartes in which a person who is a simple indivisible substance that has no temporal or spatial parts.Thomas Reid states that My personal identity implies the continued existence of that indivisible thing which I can myself.Whatever this self may be,it is something which thinks,and deliberates,and resolves,and acts and suffers.I am not thought,I am not action, I am not action,I am not feeling;I am something that thinks,and acts and suffers.My thoughts,and actions,and feelings change every moment;they have no continues,but a successive,existence that self or I,to which they belong,is permanent,and has the same relation to all the succeeding thoughts,actions,and feelings which I call mine. Reid argues that memory is the evidence for personal identity,but not the basis of personal identity.Reid developed several arguments w hich go against John Lockes memory is the basis of personal identity.The four main arguments that Reide goes against Locke are: The Duplication problem which states one person may be identity with more than one person. The Brave Soldier Paradox which a man may be ,and at the same time not be,the person that did a particular action. The problem of removing reward punishment and responsibility. The minor objection that confuses consciousness with memory.