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Sunday, September 15, 2019

Judas at the Jockey Club

As an American in the late 1800's, owning a farm was not too uncommon, especially if that farm was located in Mexico. At this time, though, Mexico was in the Porfirian Era (1876-1911). In this certain era, Mexico was being encountered by two very different cultures at the same time: the industrial, and the traditional. These distinctively separate cultures impacting Mexico made it as what can be described as â€Å"backwards† in a sense, as Mexico was practically regressing as the world around it was moving on to bigger and better things.Mexico was so behind that â€Å"many had concluded that Mexico had yet to advance beyond chipped rocks as utensils. † (p. 67). Mexico at this time had locked itself in a stagnancy of its own traditions. The people were simply too anxious towards newer technology to move ahead and replace what they had known for so long. In Mexico at this time, stones were used for nearly every operation executed by the natives. Women that would hand-grin d the meal for tortillas still used a stone roller and slab for the job.They would then take the tortillas and place them upon a hot rock, as stoves were unheard-of at this time. The houses that they lived in also represented the backwardness of the era, as they seemed to replicate that of an Aztec or early Spanish hut with its flat top and adobe construction. In these houses, the Mexicans lacked all types of furniture, even a bed. For sleep, they used what were called petates, which were simple mats to sleep on. They also did not possess any means of heating or cooling, so all resources that they had were to be utilized in many ways.As far as the implementation of new technology goes, Mexico was very stubborn to say the least. As written in the book, â€Å"In near disbelief, a New York Times reporter wrote that Mexicans scarcely understood the use of the wheel. † (p. 72), so it is not entirely difficult to believe that Mexico was still in an ancient lifestyle. Because of thi s lack of transportation technology, many Mexicans at the time would use mules as well as men to transport freight across distances.This was a huge representation of the stunted technological growth that Porfirian Mexico possessed. Another great vision of Mexico's poorly adaptive society was the plow. This plow was described as being â€Å"a long tree branch, with a crook, sometimes faced with an iron, serving as the plowshare. † (p. 72). It also is told to be ox-powered, hooked up to its horns, making it unreliable and at most times inefficient. It was also awfully bad for the ox, as it made the creature push and strain on its neck muscles.On the ranches that did however import plows from the United States, one handle would be removed to replicate the traditional tool that was still used, rather than learning to use the newer and better improved one. Other Agricultural tools were not used in Mexico either, further representing the stubbornness Mexicans possessed toward chang e. Wheat was still harvested by a sickle, rather than a smooth blade. The wheat was not caught by a cradle either, virtually creating more work for the Mexicans overall. No tools were used to thresh the wheat either.Instead, â€Å"the grain was threshed by spreading it in a corral and allowing the animals to trample it for two or three days. † (p. 73). By the time the process was complete, dirt and animal filth was mixed in with the product, making it very much unsanitary. Not only were these Mexicans stubborn to adapting the new technologies, they were hostile as well. After one hacendado had learned that the thresher machine was much more effective and practical, the village priest had declared that it was â€Å"possessed by the devil and forbade the peons to work with it.† (p. 73); the American owner of this machine had to have it exported out of the area to prevent it from being destroyed. Despite the unholy declarations of priests, many villagers naturally opposed using the machines because they left the straw â€Å"whole†. On top of this resistibility to change, the farmers who grew such crops were ignorant to the fact of rotating and resting the fields. They just did not understand the scientific ways that were upon them.One of the next biggest appearances of the ignorance and stubborn acts of Mexican workers at this time was the views they held on the basic tools of the Yankees. As the new technologies of shovels and wheelbarrows were being brought into Mexico, they were being completely disregarded. When Mexicans needed to transfer or transport the earth, they would use what was called a horn scoop, and dump their collected dirt into a leather bag for transportation rather than throwing shovelfuls into a wheelbarrow.An example of wheelbarrow use is told as the following: â€Å"one laborer working on the church loaded his wheelbarrow with bricks, lifted it onto his head, and trudged over to the masons. After emptying it, he replac ed the wheelbarrow on his head and returned to the brick pile for another load. † (p. 74). All means of irrigation were done by transferring the water by means of a pot or bucket. Sometimes other ways were implemented as well, but nonetheless, these was were too known to be dated back to ancient times.The simplicity of it was so neanderthal in style that its told that these methods of irrigation were derived from those used on the Nile hundreds of years before, and not improved on since. Mining as well was un-influenced by the evolving technologies, as the mines hardly differed from what they had been over past years. The workers would dig into the hillside, and use long poles, generally 8-10 feet in length, to escape in and out of the mine. The tools the actual miners utilized was a steel-tipped iron rod, rather than the contemporary pick of the modern age.These drillers, or barrateros, were known as the elite society of the underground, also being paid much better than other s. As far as the ore-transferring process went, it was very dangerous, in the fact of ascending up these wooden poles to the surface. Its said that the workers would rest the bag filled with ore, usually around 150-200 pounds, on his back and begin the ascent. It's also said that the carrier would often have to hold the bag steady with one hand to prevent it from falling, climbing and retaining balance with the other.The process Mexicans used for processing the ore was also deemed very inefficient and mediocre, as â€Å"one engineer estimated that using these techniques Mexican miners took away about 60 percent of the metal contained in the raw ore. † (p. 76). Mexicans also sported yet another downfall, as they relied on rawhide as a crutch for and any all repairs. â€Å"Thongs yoked the plow to the ox, bound cargoes on the backs of mules, stitched together everything that could be laced, tied rails to fence posts, and held rafters in place.† (p. 76).That previous sent ence pretty much sums it up- the idea that â€Å"what a Mexican could not do with rawhide was not worth doing. † (p. 76). Mexicans had virtually eliminated the need for any sort of pins or nails in their society. However, though this rawhide-repairing technique was useful on many things, it would not be accepted let alone effective on machinery. Their means of repair through rawhide put them at a handicap had a repair been needed for any sort of machine, especially one made from cast iron.When a problem like this would emerge, the Mexicans would simply toss that machine aside and no longer worry about it. This furthermore reinforced the ignorance to technology that Mexicans sported. Mexico in this period of time was very much behind technologically. They did not induce change, nor did they embrace it if it was placed in front of them. They faced many disadvantages in the Porfirian Era because of this, but yet, they were not stagnant in their duties. The Mexicans, still using the ancient practices that have been long used by their ancestors, would get the job done.Their work ethic was definitely an admirable one, but the shame of it overall is to think that they could've gotten so much more done had they not been so single-minded toward new technologies. This obvious stubbornness sent them into the regression, or â€Å"backwardness† that they were known for at the time, strongly reinforced by the idea that â€Å"if it's not broken, don't fix it. † Eventually, though, Mexico at this time would be attacked by the Porfirian Liberals, who posted restrictions upon the church and seized lands in attempt to â€Å"modernize† the so very far-behind Mexicans.In response to the attacks, â€Å"these Mexicans under siege confronted modern life in the countryside and the city, and fought to preserve their customs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 88). Mexicans of this time were just not going to cave in to any foreign force, whether it be a change in technologie s, or a change in customs. They were very stubborn and strong-willed with their beliefs, regardless of who or what was threatening them. That clearly demonstrates why Mexico is not necessarily a place to implant new technologies, especially ones that attempt to improve on their own previous traditions.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Fool Chapter 17

ACT III Jesters do oft prove prophets. – King Lear, Act V, Scene 3, Regan SEVENTEEN REIGNING FOOLS, HAILING NUTTERS â€Å"Blow, wind, crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!† thundered Lear. The old man had perched himself on the top of a hill outside Gloucester and was shouting into the wind like a bloody lunatic, even as lightning raked the sky with white-hot claws and thunder shook me to my ribs. â€Å"Come in from there, you bloody decrepit old looney!† said I, huddled under a holly bush nearby; drenched and cold and at the end of my patience with the old man. â€Å"Come back to Gloucester and ask shelter from your daughters.† â€Å"Oh, ye heartless gods! Send your oak-cleaving thunderbolts down on me! Burn me with your sulfurous and life-ending fires! Singe my white head and reduce me to a pillar of ash! Strike me dead! Let your wrath take fiery form and smite me! Take me, spare no violence! I do not blame thee, thou art not my daughters! I've given you nothing and expect no quarter! Do your horrible pleasure direct, To a poor, infirm, despised old man! Crack the sky! Strike me dead!† The old man paused as a thunderbolt split a tree on the heath with blinding fire and a noise that would send statues to shitting themselves. I ran out from under my bush to the king's side. â€Å"Come in, nuncle. Take some shelter under a shrub, if only to take the sting out of the rain.† â€Å"I need no shelter. Let nature take her naked revenge.† â€Å"Fine, then,† said I. â€Å"Then you won't be needing this.† I took the old man's heavy fur cape, tossed him my sodden woolen cloak, and retreated to my shrubbery and the relative shelter of the heavy animal skin. â€Å"Hey?† said Lear, bewildered. â€Å"Go on,† said I. â€Å"Crack the sky, fry your old head, mash your balls, et cetera, et cetera. I'll prompt you if you lose your place.† And off he went again: â€Å"Mighty Thor, send your thunderbolts to cease this weary heart! Neptune's waves, beat these limbs from their joints! Hecate's claws, tear my liver and sup upon my soul! Baal, blast my bowels from their unhealthy home! Jupiter, strew the land with my shredded muscle!† The old man stopped his tirade for a moment and the madness went out of his eyes. He looked to me. â€Å"It's really fucking cold out here.† â€Å"Like being struck by a bolt of the bloody obvious on the road to Damascus, innit, nuncle?† I held open the great fur cloak and nodded for the old man to join me in it under my shrubbery. He crept down the hill, careful not to slip in the rivulets of mud and water that cascaded by, and ducked under the cover with me.† The old man shuddered and put his skeletal arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Rather closer than we're accustomed to, eh, boy?† â€Å"Aye, nuncle, did I ever tell you that you are a very attractive man?† said Jones, poking his puppety head out of the cloak. And the old man began to laugh, and he laughed until his shoulders shook and the laughter broke into a jarring cough, and that continued until I thought he might expectorate vital organs. I caught some freezing rain in my cupped hand and held it for him to sip. â€Å"Don't make me laugh, boy. I'm mad with grief and rage and I've no stomach for jests. You should stand clear, lest a thunderbolt scorch you when the gods heed my challenge.† â€Å"Nuncle, begging pardon, but, you arrogant old tosser! The gods aren't going to strike you down with a thunderbolt simply because you asked them. Why would they accommodate you with a thunderbolt? More likely a carbuncle, festered and gone fatal, or perhaps a thankless child or two, being how the gods love their irony.† â€Å"The cheek!† said Lear. â€Å"Oh yes, cheeky gods they are,† said I. â€Å"And you named off a bushel of them, too. Now if you are struck down we won't even know who to blame unless lightning brands a signature in your old hide. You should have dared one, then waited an hour perhaps before calling fire down from the whole lot at a go.† The king wiped rain out of his eyes. â€Å"I've set a thousand monks and nuns to pray for my forgiveness and the pagans slaughter goats by the herd for my salvation, but I fear it is not enough. Not once did I act in the interest of my people, not once did I act in the interest of my wives or my daughters' mothers – I have served myself as god and I find I am little forgiving. Be kind, Pocket, lest you one day face the darkness as I do. Or, in absence of kindness, be drunk.† â€Å"But, nuncle,† said I. â€Å"I do not need to be cautious for the day when I become frail. I am frail now. And on the bright side, there may be no God at all, and the evil deeds you've done will be their own reward.† â€Å"Perhaps I don't even rate a righteous slaughtering,† sobbed Lear. â€Å"The gods have sent these daughters to suck out my life blood. It is punishment for how I treated my own father. Do you know how I became king?† â€Å"Pulled a sword out of a stone and slayed a dragon with it, didn't you?† â€Å"No, that never happened.† â€Å"Sodding convent education. Buggered if I know then, nuncle. How did Lear become king?† â€Å"My own father, I murdered him. I do not deserve a noble death.† I was speechless. I had been in service of the king over a decade and never had I heard of this. The story went that old King Bladud had handed the kingdom over to Lear and went to Athens, where he learned to be a necromancer, then returned to Britain and died from the plague in service of the goddess Minerva at the temple at Bath. But before I could gather my wits for a reply, lightning cracked the sky, illuminating a hulking creature that was making its way across the hillside toward us. â€Å"What's that?† I asked. â€Å"A demon,† said the old man. â€Å"The gods have sent a monster to take their revenge on me.† The thing was covered in slime, and walking as if it had just been constructed from the very earth over which it slogged. I felt for the daggers at the small of my back and pulled one from its sheath. There'd be no knife throwing in this downpour – I wasn't even sure I could hold the blade steady for a thrust. â€Å"Your sword, Lear,† said I. â€Å"Draw and defend.† I stood and stepped out of the shelter of the shrubbery. I spun Jones so his stick end was at the ready, and drew a flourish in the air with my dagger. â€Å"Come hither, demon! Pocket's got a coach ride back to the underworld for thee.† I crouched, thinking to leap aside as the thing lunged. Although it described the shape of a man, I could see long slimy tendrils dragging from it, and mud oozing off of it. Once it stumbled I'd leap on its back and see if I could cause it to fall and slide down the hillside, away from the old king. â€Å"No, let it take me,† said Lear. Suddenly the old man shrugged off his fur cloak and charged at the monster, his arms wide, as if offering his very heart to the beast. â€Å"Slay me, ye merciless god – rend this black heart from Britain's chest!† I could not stop him and the old man fell into the beast's arms. But to my surprise, there was no tearing of limbs or bashing of brains. The thing caught the old man and lowered him gently to the ground. I lowered my blade and inched forward. â€Å"Leave him, beast.† The thing was kneeling over Lear, whose eyes were rolled back in his head even as he twitched as if in a fit. The beast looked at me and I saw streaks of pink through the mud, the whites of its eyes. â€Å"Help me,† it said. â€Å"Help me get him to shelter.† I stepped forth and wiped the mud away from the thing's face. It was a man, covered with mud so thick it even ran out of his mouth and coated his teeth, but a man just the same, vines or rags, I couldn't tell which, trailed off his arms. â€Å"Help poor Tom bring him out of the cold,† said he. I sheathed my dagger, retrieved the old man's cape, and helped the muddy, naked bloke carry King Lear into the wood. It was a tiny cabin, barely enough room to stand in, but the fire was warm and the old woman stirred a pot that smelled of boiling meat and onions, like breath of the Muses it was, on this dank night. Lear stirred, now hours since we brought him in from the rain. The king reclined on a pallet of straw and skins. His fur cloak still steamed by the fire. â€Å"Am I dead?† asked the old man. â€Å"Nay, nuncle, but ye were close enough to lick death's salty taint,† said I. â€Å"Back, foul fiend!† said the naked fellow, waving at the very air before his eyes. I had helped him wash away much of the mud, so now he was merely filthy and mad, but no longer misshapen. â€Å"Oh, poor Tom is cold! So cold.† â€Å"Aye, we can tell that,† said I. â€Å"Unless you're just a crashingly large bloke what was born with a willie the size of a raisin.† â€Å"The fiend makes Tom eat the swimming frog, the tadpole, lizards, and ditch-water – I eat cow dung for salads and swallow rats and bits of dead dogs. I drink pond scum, and in every village I am beaten and thrown into stocks. Away, fiend! Leave poor, cold Tom alone!† â€Å"Blimey,† said I. â€Å"The loonies are in full bloom tonight.† â€Å"I offered him some stewed mutton,† said the old woman by the fire, without turning, â€Å"but no, he had to have his frogs and cow pies. Right fussy eater for a naked nutter.† â€Å"Pocket,† said Lear, clawing at my arm. â€Å"Who is that large, naked chap?† â€Å"He calls himself Tom, nuncle. Says he's pursued by the devil.† â€Å"He must have daughters. See here, Tom, did you give all to your daughters? Is that what drove you mad and poor even until you are naked?† Tom crawled across the floor until he was at Lear's side. â€Å"I was a vain and selfish servant,† said the nutter. â€Å"I slept with my mistress every night and woke thinking of putting it to her again in the morning. I drank and caroused and made merry, even while my half brother fought a crusade for a Church for which he held no faith. I took all without thought for those who had nothing. Now I have nothing – not a stitch, not a crumb, not a coin, and the devil dogs me to the ends of the earth for my selfishness.† â€Å"You see,† said Lear, â€Å"only a man's cruel daughters could drive him to such a state.† â€Å"He didn't say that, you daft geezer. He said he was a selfish libertine and the devil took his kit.† The old woman turned now. â€Å"Aye, the fool's right. The younger nutter has no daughters, 'tis his own unkindness that curses him.† She crossed the cabin with two steaming bowls of stew and set them before us on the floor. â€Å"And it's your own evil hounds you, Lear, not your daughters.† The old woman, I'd seen her before. She was one of the crones from the Great Birnam Wood. Different togs and somewhat less green, but this was surely Rosemary, the cat-toed witch. Lear slid to the floor and grabbed poor Tom's hand. â€Å"I have been selfish. I have thought nothing of the weight of my deeds. My own father I imprisoned in the temple at Bath because he was a leper, and later had him killed. My own brother I did murder when I suspected him of bedding my queen. No trial, not even the honor of a challenge. I had him murdered in his sleep without proof. And my queen is dead, too, for my jealousy. My kingdom is the fruit of treachery, and treachery have I reaped. I do not deserve to even wear clothes on my back. You are true, Tom, that you have nothing. I, too, shall have nothing, as is my just reward!† The old man began to tear off his clothes, ripping at the collar of his shirt, tearing more of his parchment-like skin than the linen. I stayed his hand, held his wrists and tried to catch his eye with my own, to pull him back from madness. â€Å"Oh, I have wronged my sweet Cordelia!† the old man wailed. â€Å"The only one who loved me and I have wronged her! My one true daughter! Gods, tear these clothes from my back, tear the meat from my bones!† Then I felt claws clamp on my own wrists and I was pulled away from Lear as if I had been drawn by heavy iron shackles. â€Å"Let him suffer,† hissed the witch in my ear. â€Å"But I have made this pain,† said I. â€Å"Lear's pain is of his own making, fool,† she said. With that I felt the room spinning and I heard the voice of the girl ghost telling me to sleep. â€Å"Sleep, sweet Pocket.† â€Å"Who's the muddy naked bloke snogging the king's noggin?† asked Kent. I awoke to see the old knight standing in the doorway with the Earl of Gloucester. The storm still raged outside, but by firelight I could see the naked nutter Tom O'Bedlam had wrapped himself around Lear and was kissing the king's bald head as if blessing a newborn babe. â€Å"Oh majesty,† said Gloucester, â€Å"can't you find better company than this? Who is this rough beast?† â€Å"He is a philosopher,† said Lear. â€Å"I will talk with him.† â€Å"Poor Tom O'Bedlam, is he,† said Tom. â€Å"Eater of tadpoles, cursed and damned by demons.† Kent looked to me and I shrugged. â€Å"Both mad as cat herds,† said I. I looked around for the old woman as a witness, but she was gone. â€Å"Well, snap to, majesty, I bring news from France,† said Kent. â€Å"Hollandaise sauce, excellent on eggs?† I inquired. â€Å"No,† said Kent. â€Å"More urgent.† â€Å"Wine and cheese complement one another nicely?† I further queried. â€Å"No, you rasp-tongued rascal, France has landed an army at Dover, and there's rumor they've forces hidden in other cities around the British coast, ready to strike.† â€Å"Oh, well, that does trump the wine and cheese news, then, doesn't it?† Gloucester was trying to pry Tom off King Lear, but having a hard time doing so while keeping mud off his cloak. â€Å"I've sent word to the French camp at Dover that Lear is here,† said Gloucester. â€Å"I've made the case to the king's daughters to let me bring him in from the storm, but they will not relent. Even in my own home my power has been usurped by the Duke of Cornwall. Regan and Cornwall have taken command of Lear's knights, and with them, my castle.† â€Å"We come to bring you to a hovel at the city wall,† said Kent. â€Å"When the storm breaks, Gloucester will send a cart to take Lear to the French camp at Dover.† â€Å"No,† said Lear. â€Å"Let me talk to my philosopher friend in private.† He pawed at mad Tom. â€Å"He knows much of how life should be lived. Tell me, friend, why is there thunder?† Kent turned to Gloucester and shrugged. â€Å"He's not in his right mind.† â€Å"Who can blame him?† said Gloucester. â€Å"After what his daughters have done – his very flesh rising up against him. I had a beloved son who conspired to murder me, and just the thought of that nearly drove me mad.† â€Å"Do you nobles have any reaction to hardship besides going bloody barking and running off to eat dirt?† said I. â€Å"Hitch up your bollocks and get on with it, would you? Caius, what of Drool?† â€Å"I left him hidden in the laundry, but Edmund will find him when his mind turns full to the task. Right now he is distracted by trying to avoid the sisters and conspiring with Cornwall.† â€Å"My son, Edmund, he is still true,† said Gloucester. â€Å"Yes, right, milord,† said I. â€Å"And mind you don't trip on the honeysuckle sprouting from his bum when you next see him. Do you have means to get me into the castle without Edmund knowing I'm there?† â€Å"I suppose. But I take no commands from you, fool. You are but a slave, and an impudent one at that.† â€Å"You're still angry over my jesting about your dead wife, aren't you?† â€Å"Do the fool's will!† boomed Lear. â€Å"His word is as mine.† A slight breeze then would have knocked me off my feet, so shocked was I. Oh, there was still madness glowing in the old man's eyes, but so was the fire of his authority. A feeble, babbling wretch one moment, the next a dragon deep inside the old man barked fire. â€Å"Yes, your majesty,† said Gloucester. â€Å"He's a good lad,† said Kent, by way of easing the bite of Lear's command. â€Å"Nuncle, bring your naked madman and let us go with Gloucester, to this hovel by the city wall. I'll retrieve my nitwit apprentice from the castle and off we'll be to meet up with the bloody frog King Jeff at Dover.† Kent rubbed my shoulder. â€Å"A sword in support then?† â€Å"No, thank you,† said I. â€Å"You stay with the old man, get him to Dover.† I pulled Kent over by the fire and bade him bend down so I could whisper in his ear. â€Å"Did you know that Lear murdered his brother?† The old knight's eyes went wide, then narrowed as if he were in pain. â€Å"He gave the order.† â€Å"Oh, Kent. Thou loyal old fool.†

Friday, September 13, 2019

Political and Economical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political and Economical Issues - Essay Example Japan holds an international conference to push for the resumption of commercial whaling. Anti-whaling nations in the International Whaling Commission such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have boycotted the conference. February 14, 2007 U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell announces that Muqtada Al Sadr fled Iraq several weeks ago and is in Iran. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow confirmed that the White House believes Iran is equipping Shia insurgents in Iraq.The U.S. House of Representatives debates the proposed non-binding resolution to oppose President Bush's surge plan. The foreign ministers of India, China and Russia have met in the Indian capital, Delhi, to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking and Afghanistan. An Indian foreign ministry statement said the meeting discussed key global issues, including the importance of the United Nations. February 15, 2007 Hamas- The led Palestinian government has resigned after 11 months in office to make way for a government of national unity. South Korea has agreed to resume high-level talks with North Korea that could restart major aid shipments, despite calls for caution over an international deal on the North's nuclear programs. Justice Minister Chris Ellison has warned anti-whaling protesters and the Japanese whaling fleet they could face questioning if they dock in Australia after clashing in the Southern Ocean. February 16, 2007 The G8 countries, plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, approve the 'Washington Declaration,' proposing a global Carbon emissions trading system to replace the Kyoto Protocol by 2009. A Turkish court has handed down life sentences to seven Al Qaeda associates for their... Iraq's High Tribunal sentences former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan to death for his role in the 1982 killing of 148 men and boys in Dujail following an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Saddam Hussein. Japan holds an international conference to push for the resumption of commercial whaling. Anti-whaling nations in the International Whaling Commission such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have boycotted the conference. The foreign ministers of India, China and Russia have met in the Indian capital, Delhi, to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking and Afghanistan. An Indian foreign ministry statement said the meeting discussed key global issues, including the importance of the United Nations. The US and Israel will not work with a new Palestinian unity government unless it recognizes Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said. Mr Olmert said a Palestinian government that failed to accept conditions laid down by the quartet of the US, EU, Russia and UN "cannot receive recognition and there will not be co-operation with it". The US and South Korea have reached a deal to hand full control of South Korea's military back to Seoul by 2012.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Strategic Information System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Information System - Research Paper Example However, a good number of organizations continue to face great challenges in their attempts to integrate information technologies and in their efforts to improve on decision making and sharing of information. These challenges can be attributed to the fact that in the event of the design and implementation of the system, most companies lay more emphasis on the role and function of information system and less attention to the company’s structure and processes of the firm. It is worth noting that a greater percentage of information system failures arise not because of technology but because less concentration is paid on organizational aspects such as practises and processes. This paper seeks to review information theories and their significant role in understanding information systems in management of organisations. It will further seek a deeper understanding of laws governing information systems with particular attention to enforcement and use of the information systems in the U nited Kingdom. Finally, a reassessment on information system control will be conducted. To undertake this study, it is important to review various information theories. ... ciples and practices of a management in the daily activities of a business firm with a desire and passion to achieve set goals and with a mission to minimize expenses while maximizing returns and make huge returns for the company. â€Å"Business management theory entails the use of resources such as human labour financial technology and natural resources† (Hunter 2009). It is important to note that proper allocation of resources is vital in order to achieve utmost productivity for the business. Business management theory involves the analysis and evaluation of the business activities by the managerial authority with an objective of making an effective decision that will help contribute to the progress of the business. Decision making involves scheduling, organizing, setting course and controlling. The skills play a major role in the development and progress of a business. All these skills helps in the management and formulating new strategies that helps to achieve better goals together in addition to evaluation of performance to a set objective and supervision and control of resources such as workers in order to accomplish the business aim. Socio-technical systems theory â€Å"Social-technical systems theory views an organization as having a duty to perform a task whose objectives can best be achieved if the social, fiscal and technical aspects are mutually optimized† (porter 1998). Under this approach seven concepts are linked. Organizations should be viewed as co-dependent socio-technical structure. The theory utilizes interactive technical and social aspects; this implies that in drafting the structure of an organization both the technical and social aspects must be put into consideration. It is vital to note that where technology alone is put under consideration

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Business models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business models - Essay Example In this essay an attempt has been made to explain this aspect of the business model with the help of different examples. For this purpose, different research articles and publications have been used. While designing or redesigning the business model it is important to keep in consideration several points like the needs of the customers, what activities will fulfil or satisfy those needs, how the activities will be linked, who will perform those activities, how the value be created for different stakeholders, and what revenue models will be integrated. Hence, it can be said that ultimately the business activities and model should be designed in such a way that there is high value creation for all stakeholders along with delivering high financial performance. Stakeholders’ credibility and financial viability tend to bring in or combine both; financial and social constraints while formulating and designing the overall business model. The business model has two broad factors: on the one hand it keeps in consideration the financial factors and characteristics of the organisation including the methods of revenues, the overall structure of cost, the balance sheet, income statement etc, in order to make sure that all these financial factors are associated with the opportunities and limitations associated with the overall activities and actions of management in order to cut down the costs, increase the revenues, improve the balance sheet and income statement etc. However it is important to understand here that the business model is not only formulated for fulfilling the financial objectives and achieving certain financial returns like specific profit level, return on capital, or other financial goals which reflect overall financial viabi lity. So, on the other hand, business model should also keep in consideration the role of different stakeholders in the overall process of opportunity definition,

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Specifications of HP ProLiant DL380 G5 Storage Server Assignment

Specifications of HP ProLiant DL380 G5 Storage Server - Assignment Example Before one begins to start purchasing for a server, there are some procedures which need to be followed. The Rack height is the term used for the rackmount servers. They are in the dimension of 1U, 2U up to 7U whereby the U is the short word for the units. With the numbers, they represent the size of the rackmount. The height and width of a rackmount do not change but the depth changes. The best-required rackmount is 2U because it has the required size needed for the company and the type of services it will be carrying through. The rack can also depend on the power edge of the servers and the number of units to be used. The server needs only one processor that is fully configured because of the type of services to be offered. A processor is a machine that will be used by the company to process the office services and it needs to be connected to the server. A number of programs will run through the processor and be executed at the servers. The number of the applications to run on the processor will be determined by the capacity of the processor. If there are a lot of services and applications to be run on the processor, it needs to have a larger capacity. The capacity of the memory will be measured in numbers and for the right capacity of the company is to have two processors. The processor has a motherboard that is capable of holding the RAM. The RAM is the one that stores the information in the processor. For the company, it needs a maximum memory of 32 Gigabytes in order to store the information and data. The larger the memory, the information to be stored in the memory of the RAM in the processo r is also large in number making work at the office to be easier. The image below displays the RAM of the server. The ECC is the kind of technology protection that will monitor and support the Memory and Ram of the processor.

EGT3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EGT3 - Essay Example This type of economic regulation may prevent competition in the market. Industrial Regulation has an impact on various entities. For national firms which operate in a monopolistic or oligopolistic market, regulation is a boon. Regulation helps in the development and growth of these industries. An example could be companies working in oil and power sector. Regulation is also beneficial for small and mid size industries which would find it tough to survive in the absence of regulations because of intense global competition and the realization of economies of scale by big international firms. An example is small and mid-size firms in Textile manufacturing. Industrial Regulation has negative impacts on multi-national firms who want to expand their businesses internationally but are constrained due to regulation. An example is regulation on FDI in retail in several sectors. Regulation is also harmful for consumer as a whole in certain sectors where competition would actually reduce prices. However, in sectors mentioned above such as drugs and ammunition, regulation is useful for society as a whole. (Joskow,Rose). Social Regulation implies the restrictions imposed by the government in order to prevent or prohibit harmful corporate behaviour such as environmental pollution and occupational health hazards or to promote desirable behavioral patterns. Social regulation has an impact on almost everybody. This includes the corporate, end-consumers, shareholders and the environment. The corporate have to adhere to certain standards to be in business which have attached costs in the short run. The end-consumers are positively affected as social regulation leads to a better holistic environment. A monopoly is a form of market in which almost all the sales in the market go to a single firm. A natural monopoly is a situation constrained by technology or costs in which it is optimal for the entire production to be done by a single firm.