Arab Israeli Conflicts free essay sample

Examines the historical backdrop to the Arab-Israeli conflicts. Discusses the current state of the conflicts. Reviews Arab/Israeli relations in both the Middle East and the U.S. Arab-Israeli relations are influenced by problems between the two groups extending back centuries, and the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 today remains a sore point in the Arab world. Arab-Israeli relations can be seen as a majority/minority relationship, but interestingly, this relationship offers one configuration in the Middle East and another in the United States. In the Middle East, the Israelis are the minority population and are surrounded by Arab nations. In the United States, the Jewish population is much larger than the Arab population and more visible as well. Tensions in the Middle East are great, while in the United States those tensions are much less given the American position of tolerance of differing opinions and intolerance of violence. We will write a custom essay sample on Arab Israeli Conflicts or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The international political economy of the Middle East is

Information systems in Best Buy

Introduction This essay discusses information systems usage in Best Buy. It starts by introducing Best Buy, and then it proceeds to discussing its business process in general. Having identified key areas, it underlines the involvement of information systems in the business process as well as the improvements they bring.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Information systems in Best Buy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay also identifies an issue Best Buy is currently facing, and describes the role that information systems can play in improving the situation. Best Buy in brief Best Buy is an American retailing company, operating in the North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Richard M. Schulze and Gary Smoliak founded it in 1966. The company specializes in consumer electronic products and services. It is now â€Å"the world’s largest multi-channel consumer electronics retailer with stores in the United States, Canada, China, Europe, and Mexico† (Best Buy, par. 1). With 1 billion visits to its websites annually, Best Buy is ranked the 11th biggest online retailer in the North America (Best Buy, par. 1). The revenue of the company in 2012 was $50.70 billion (Yahoo! Inc., par. 3). Its net income for the same year was $1.231 billion (Yahoo! Inc., par. 26). The company is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the SP 500 stock market index. The total assets and equity of the company in 2012 were valued at $16.005 billion and $3.745 billion respectively. Best Buy’s business process in general Best Buy as mentioned above is a retailing company, as such its business process is centred on eight key areas. The first area, which is supply chain management, ensures that customers receive merchandise at the right time and in the proper condition. The second area is warehouse management, which ensures that the company’s inventory is proper ly controlled and managed. The third area, order processing, ensures that orders made by customers are properly serviced. The fourth area is business intelligence, which ensures that the company uses existing raw data to improve its operations and service delivery. The fifth area, performance management, ensures that the company is achieving its short-, mid- and long-term goals in a cost and time efficient manner.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The sixth area is customer relationship management, which ensures that the company’s interaction with its current and future customers is modelled in such a way that it is in synchrony with sales, marketing, technical support as well as customer service. The seventh area, business process automation, ensures that the company’s expenditure and operational costs are reduced through automation of certain manual tasks. The eighth key area is brand management, which ensures that there is brand awareness and recognition for its brand. Map of business process The map of Best Buy’s general business process is shown in figure 1 in Appendix A. The map is prepared using radial circles. Involvement of information system in the business process An information system (IS) is â€Å"a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization† (â€Å"Andragogy: Information Systems: Definitions and Components † 24). The involvement of information systems in Best Buy’s business process is for two main reasons. The first is to integrate information technology into the process as a means towards reducing operational costs, maximizing sales, and gaining a competitive advantage (Windnagle). The second reason is to encourage innovation, which facilitates the invention of better ways of do ing the tasks, incorporated in the business process (Windnagle). How could information system improve the business process One way in which information systems can improve Best Buy’s business process is by means of decentralization. Decentralization frees up resources and creates time for departmental managers. As such, it facilitates them to take on more strategic level activities. Consequently, the strategic goals of the company have a better chance of being achieved in a time and cost efficient manner. For a given information need, information systems provide in high speed the best available information. In this way, Best Buy’s business process benefits from better and faster decision-making.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Information systems in Best Buy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, a member of staff can provide the best response to a customer’s query without an un necessary delay. As such, many queries can be handled satisfactorily. Better decision making, therefore, leads to the customer satisfaction, increased sales, and reduced operational costs. Information systems can improve Best Buy’s business process by providing better security of the information that customers entrust with Best Buy. Poor information security and age can ultimately lead to heavy lawsuits, which have the potential to bankrupt the company even, such a big enterprise as Best Buy. Therefore, better information security is a vital component in improving Best Buy’s business process. Identify a suggestion for improvement One of the major problems Best Buy is facing is an unfriendly customer service in some of its stores (Loeb, par. 8). Though this problem can be solved through better employee ethics, information systems can also play a significant role. Managing customer relationships through information systems can help Best Buy model its interaction with its existing and future customers in such a way that, the interaction is in line with the customer service as well as technical support. This means that there is a working relation between staff, resources, and customers, allowing Best Buy to attend to customers’ queries on time, fully and satisfactorily. Therefore, information systems dedicated to customer relationship management is only one way in which the company can improve its business process. Summary Since information systems have the ability to provide quick access to information and to present it in a user-friendly way, they are a vital component for improving Best Buy’s business process, which involves eight key management areas. Quick access to information and its presentation in a way which is easy to understand as is done by information systems, facilitates better decision-making, time and cost efficiency, being essential ingredients of any business success. If Best Buy is to maintain or improve its rankings , then its strategic management has to consider exploiting the full potential of information systems.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Andragogy: Information Systems: Definitions and Components 2012. PDF file. 2013. Web. Best Buy. 2013. About Best Buy. Web. Loeb, Walter. Best Buy in turmoil: Will it survive?  2012. Web. Windnagle C. Re: How information systems impact processes.  2012. Web. Yahoo! Inc. 2013. Income statement.  Web. Appendix Fig 1: The map of the business process of Best Buy This assessment on Information systems in Best Buy was written and submitted by user Sadie Glover 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.

Brosimum alicastrum, The Ancient Maya Breadnut Tree

Brosimum alicastrum, The Ancient Maya Breadnut Tree The breadnut tree (Brosimum alicastrum) is an important species of tree that grows in the wet and dry tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean Islands. Also known as the ramà ³n tree, asli or Cha Kook in the Mayan language, the breadnut tree usually grows in regions that are between 300 and 2,000 meters (1,000-6,500 feet) above sea level. The fruits have a small, elongated shape, similar to apricots, although they are not particularly sweet. The seeds are edible nuts which can be ground and used in porridge or for flour. The Breadnut Tree and the Maya The breadnut tree is one of the dominant species of plants in the tropical Maya forest. Not only its density very high around ancient ruined cities, particularly in the Guatemalan Petà ©n, but it can reach a height of around 40 m (130 ft), producing abundant yields and with several harvests possible in one year. For this reason, it is often still planted by modern Maya near their homes. The widespread presence of this tree near ancient Maya cities has been explained variously as: The trees could be the result of a human-manicured or even deliberately-managed tree farming (agro-forestry). If so, it is likely that the Maya first simply avoiding cutting the trees down, and then eventually replanted breadnut trees near their habitations so that now they propagate more easilyIt is also possible that the breadnut tree simply grows well in the limestone soils and rubble fill near ancient Maya cities, and the residents took advantage of thatThe presence could also be the result of small animals such as bats, squirrels, and birds which eat the fruits and seeds and facilitate their dispersion in the forest The Breadnut Tree and Maya Archaeology The role of the breadnut tree and its importance in ancient Maya diet has been at the center of many debates. In the 1970s and 80s, archaeologist Dennis E. Puleston (son of the famous environmentalist Dennis Puleston), whose unfortunate and untimely death prevented him from further developing his research on breadnut and other Mayan subsistence studies, was the first to hypothesize the importance of this plant as a  staple crop for the ancient Maya. During his research at the site of Tikal  in Guatemala, Puleston recorded a particularly high concentration of this tree around the house mounds compared to other species of trees. This element, along with the fact that the breadfruit seeds are particularly nutritious and high in proteins, suggested to Puleston that the ancient inhabitants of Tikal, and by extension of other Maya cities in the forest, relied on this plant as much as or perhaps even more than on maize. But Was Puleston Right? Furthermore, in later studies Puleston demonstrated that its fruit can be stored for many months, for example in subterranean chambers called chultuns, in a climate where fruit usually rots rapidly.  However, more recent research has significantly decreased the role and importance of breadnut in the ancient Maya diet, defining it instead as an emergency food source in case of famine, and linking its unusual abundance near ancient Maya ruins to environmental factors more than human intervention. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Mesoamerica , and the Dictionary of Archaeology and the guide to Plant Domestication. Harrison PD, and Messenger PE. 1980. Obituary: Dennis Edward Puleston, 1940-1978. American Antiquity 45(2):272-276. Lambert JDH, and Arnason JT. 1982. Ramon and Maya Ruins: An Ecological, not an Economic, Relation. Science 216(4543):298-299. Miksicek CH, Elsesser KJ, Wuebber IA, Bruhns KO, and Hammond N. 1981. Rethinking Ramon: A Comment on Reina and Hills Lowland Maya Subsistence. American Antiquity 46(4):916-919. Peters CM. 1983. Observations on Maya Subsistence and the Ecology of a Tropical Tree. American Antiquity 48(3):610-615. Schlesinger V. 2001, Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya. A Guide. Austin: University of Texas Press Turner BL, and Miksicek CH. 1984. Economic Plant Species Associated with Prehistoric Agriculture in the Maya Lowlands. Economic Botany 38(2):179-193 Updated by K. Kris Hirst

Symbolism in The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King Essay

Symbolism in The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King - Essay Example Mostly fairytales apart from the original story have to tell the other stories as well. The writers of the fairytales use some symbols to take the simple narrative to a higher level where it unravels some cosmic realities. Symbol is something which stands for something else. Generally concrete objects are used as symbols to conceptualize the abstractions. Symbols are born out of the connotative meanings of the words and are used by the skilled writers to highlight the abstract concepts. The novel The Eyes of Dragon, though apparently a fairytale, employs certain symbols and involves archetypal characters like Flagg (the incarnate evil: the offspring of the infernal serpent). The very age of Flagg suggests that he is more than a human character. The timelessness he enjoys makes him a symbolic character. Peter represents the archetypal innocent hero always beguiled by a near one (Thomas). Archetypes are actually the symbols that recur in literary depiction and are the offspring of huma n unconscious. Northrop Frye () and Jung contend that human unconscious has a stock of images or symbols that are shared by all and have some sort of cosmic significance. The symbol of Eyes of the dragon is a stock symbol used traditionally to distinguish between good and evil. Koch (2003) declares that The Symbol of Dragon’s Eye belongs to ancient Germanic tradition. ... It also stands for balance of power, love and wisdom. In King’s novel it relates to the mystery and also acts as the crystal ball through which u can see the see the truth. Thomas sees Flagg poisoning his father through Eyes of dragon. Thomas heeded Flagg's advice not to go often, but he did use the passageway from time to time, and peeked at his father through the glass eyes of Niner-peeked into a world where everything became greeny-gold. Going away later with a pounding headache (as he almost always did), he would think:Your head aches because you were seeing the way dragons must see the world-as if everything was dried out and ready to burn ( King , p. 78). The animals in the Novel (their symbolic significance) The animals in the novel have symbolic significance. The animal kingdom is represented in many instances from dogs to dragons and all of them have symbolic significance. Animals can be divided in to two groups: one belonging to evil and other belonging to good. Anim als related to Flagg are the harbingers of evil and destruction while animal of the good group represent faithfulness. Frisky represents the archetypal guide soothsayer who brings the protagonists to their required destination. According to Michael Peebles (n.d.) animals related to Flagg are the symbols of his evil designs for the kingdom. He means corruption to the Kingdom and the animals are the instruments that bring this corruption. The dragon is on such example and another example is the hawk.† Frisky The dog is the cosmic symbol of faithfulness and in Christianity takes the role of guide. Frisky, with his noble nose helps in locating the exact place where Dennis, son of Brandon has gone to from Peyna’s farmhouse. The Dragon

Hitler's Rise to Power and Fascism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hitler's Rise to Power and Fascism - Essay Example Rather, he wanted to become the dictator of a Nazi Germany. This paper seeks to examine and analyze the events that took place between 1929 and 1934 that contributed to the rise of power of Hitler and evaluate how these events define fascism. The paper also tries to examine fascism and its nature from a Marxist viewpoint1. The late 1920s and early 1930s market the most unstable period in Germany socially, politically, and economically. Most of the government administrations were is a state of disarray, the populace scared and disillusioned, and the Great Depression of 1929 market the crumble of the economy before the eyes of the population. The events combined to create a precarious stature in the nation, a country looking for a saviour. However, the saviour came in form of fascism, an ideology whereby the all-power state dominates the individuals under the rule of one supreme leader. The hand â€Å"designated† to lead the Germany people out of the deceptions and problems was Adolf Hitler, the fascist dominator2. The challenges and difficulties of this period gave the Nazi party and Hitler an opportunity to employ their schemes and propaganda to gain favour with the disenchanted nation and win their trust, but importantly, manipulate their minds. By mid-1920s, Hitler was an established leader of the Nazi Party. Hitler’s success in his pilgrimage to higher power as a politician was due to his dominating and powerful personality. Hitler was not only a master orator and a charismatic speaker, but also his public speeches were so dynamic and passionate that he drove the crowds wild with enthusiasm. His devoted oratory prowess enabled him to make vague promises while avoiding details, by using simple catchy phrases and repeating them repeatedly3. Hitler’s authoritarian and dominance nature was the exact change that people of Germany were looking for after subjection to unsuccessful and indecisive muddling of Weimar government and other predecess ors. Another most significant factor that led t the rise of power of Hitler was the Treaty of Versailles, in five basic ways. First, the people of Germany believed that they had been betrayed because the Armistice was signed before the arrival of allied troops into German soil. Second, the treaty angered the people of Germany and caused economic and political disabilities. Third, the Weimar republic was moderate and weak, thus allowed things to get out of hand. Fourth, the German economy was over-dependent on American loans, which led to significant devastation after the Great Depression of 1929. Last, the Stock Market Crash and the subsequent increment of tariffs created tense international relations4. All these created the right condition for Hitler to seize power. After the Great Depression, the economy of Germany was in ruins, and the inflation rate was staggering. For majority of its citizens, the hyperinflation resulted to more suffering than the war5. This led to festering re sentment and anger among the people, not laying the blame on Kaiser’s war government that had initiated the borrowing trend. Instead, the blame was on Weimar government, which had signed the Versailles treaty to pay reparations. This meant that Germans were more willing to listen to extremists who advocated for the overthrow of the government. Among the most successful extremists was the Nazi Party, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. The famous Wall Street Crash and the resultant Great Depression of 1929 plunged the world into an economic slide. Most people fell

Josephine Beauharnais Essay Example for Free

Josephine Beauharnais Essay Behind every great man lies an even greater woman. The woman adds character to the man and also affects his actions and morals. The story of Napoleon Bonaparte would be incomplete without consideration of his first wife, Josephine. She contributed so much to his development and passion because of her influence. This greatly impacted his leadership, military victories, and and was an inspiration behind the Napoleonic Code. Therefore without Josephine’s influence, Napoleon would not have become who he was. To understand Napoleon one must first understand Josephine Bonaparte’s history. Marie was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.She was a popular Empress and had many defining characteristics which helped to shape her life. Josephine had a great impact on Napoleon’s emotions which affected the decisions and actions that he made directly and indirectly. (PBS; Napoleon and Josephine, http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_josephine/courtship/page_1.html) She made him feel secure, provided him with emotional support, and gave him confidence which ultimately had a bearing on his decisions and actions. (PBS; Napoleon and Josephine, http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_josephine/emperor/page_1.html) Another one of the ways in which Josephine helped Napoleon was through his military accomplishments. Prior to meeting Josephine, Napoleon was nothing more than a short, slight, shabby young artillery man, lacking real military victories. (Mossiker, 79) Josephine allowed Napoleon to strive for more than just a mistress but love. (Mossiker, 81) His fondness for her still remained with him even during his battles. After their wedding, he successfully conquered Italy in 1796-97. (Mossiker, 202) He continued his success conquering Egypt and this battle was significant because France gained a lot of gold and rare gems as well as the Rosetta stone; which was the key to hieroglyphic translations. (Mossiker, 134-139) While Napoleon was fighting his campaigns, Josephine used her connections to Frances political leaders to further Napoleons political career, hosting several parties that resulted in Napoleon quickly being promoted. That resulted in Napoleon gaining national prestige. (Josephines Influence on Napoleon, http://sphseuro.blogspot.ca/2009/02josephines-influence-on-napoleon.html) However, Josephine was chronically unfaithful to Napoleon. Napoleon nearly ended his Italian Campaign early simply to return to France and confront his wife. (Josephines Influence on Napoleon, http://sphseuro.blogspot.ca/2009/02josephines-influence-on-napoleon.html) A letter written to Josephine from Napoleon on the subject of her infidelity was published in several English newspapers, which mocked France and its ruler. Her several affairs almost led to their divorce, but Napoleon felt that a seemingly stable marriage would further his political aspirations and the two remained married. Josephines Influence on Napoleon, http://sphseuro.blogspot.ca/2009/02josephines-influence-on-napoleon.html) Therefore, even without her being present on the battle field, or even in the same country, it was Josephines inspirational spirit, that encouraged Napoleon throughout all of his major victories against Italy and Egypt. Napoleon created a code in which reflected his morals towards the family unit and marriage. In 1803, Napoleon established his own code of laws in order to repeal previous laws that weakened marriage. (The Law Behind the Man, https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/jkr/napoleon.html) The 1792 divorce law was repealed and drastically changed. Before it was possible for either a husband or wife to petition for a divorce on numerous grounds, but Napoleon changed the laws so divorce could only be petitioned for under mutual consent and incompatibility. (The Law Behind the Man, https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/jkr/napoleon.html) There were criteria that had to be met before a husband or wife could petition for a divorce on either of those grounds; if it was because of incompatibility the petitioner had to show proof of cruelty, adultery, or objected to certain humiliating forms of punishment administered by her spouse (Phillips 1988, p. 185). This is significant because it helps strengthen the family by giving both husband and wife the power to separa te. The Napoleonic Code also emphasized the family as a functioning unit. The needs and desires of the individual had been put ahead of others in the eighteenth century. (The Law Behind the Man, https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/jkr/napoleon.html) Napoleon heightened parental authority by requiring their permission in divorce cases and a husbands power by reducing the rights of his wife. A wife.owed obedience to her husband, a husband protection to his wife, and that the wife was obliged by law to live with her husband and to follow him wherever he judged it convenient to live. (Phillips 1988, p. 186) This law strengthened the family unit, giving each marriage partner specific duties and rules. Again, because of Josephine’s influence he created this law to protect his family by providing more structure in the family unit. Even though it may seem that Josephine did not have a more profound impact on the world as Napoleon did, her relationship with Napoleon helped to motivate him to develop his military, personal, social achievements. Without Josephine, Napoleon would not have accomplished what he did and the world we know today would be drastically different. Works Cited Biography.com. A+E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . Courtiers and Favourites of Royalty. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Open Library. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . only read the short 4 paged biography Empress Josephine. London: Oxford UP, 1963. Print. Encyclopedia Brittanica. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . European History. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . Heritage History. Heritage-History, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . History Reference Centre. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Ebscohost. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. . Napoleon and Josephine. N.p.: Simon, n.d. Print. Bonaparte. London: Allen Unwin, n.d. Print. Empress Josephine. Cambridge: Knapton, 1964. Print. Frances Mossikers Napoleon Josephine. N.p.: Frances Mossiker, 1965. Print. Napoleon. New York: Aubry, 1964. Print. Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Thompson, 1952. Print.

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifers Tigers :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifer's Tigers In the course of our life we need to make many decisions. The way we live our life is a decision each person makes for him/herself. Usually, one choice is better than the other, yet society doesn't always support the better one. The poem, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and The Scarlet Letter present two ways in which women can react to a society dominated by men and how their lives are shaped by their different decisions. A woman can just ignore the restraints put on her and suffer, or she can challenge men's authority and enjoy her life. In a society where men choose the standards, Hester follows her own set of rules. She is independent, unrestrained and makes her own decisions. The reader's first view of Hester's uniqueness in The Scarlet Letter, is the scarlet letter. Hester has transformed the society's sign of guilt into her own work of art by decoration the "A" with elegant stitching and golden thread. Her interpretation of the punishment clashes with that of her neighbors, and she is not reluctant to stress their contrast of opinions. She does not fear men, as most women did in her time. It was mandatory in her society that women respected their husbands, and did what the men ordered. Hester fears neither the leaders of the community nor her husband. She demonstrates her confidence by standing up to a group of the most respected men in town, when she hears they might take her daughter, Pearl, away from her. She even has the courage to demand the minister for his help. "I will not give her up!" She firmly states. "Speak thou for me... Thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a mother's rights...Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!" (Ch.8). She refuses to let the power of the men intimidate her, and gets what she wants. While most women of Hester's time did whatever their husband ordered them to do, Hester refused to keep a secret that Chillingworth asked her to. She wanted to disclose the evil that her husband was placing upon Dimmesdale. "I must reveal the secret, he must discern thee in thy true character.