Ignorance is bliss Essay Example

Ignorance is bliss Essay Ignorance is certainly bliss. Oedipus had been living a lie his whole life. He was raised by people who werent even his real parents and didnt know of his origins. Maybe that was a good thing. When Oedipus invites Treaties over to talk about Alias death, Treaties refuses to tell Oedipus anything. Treaties then says This day will give you a father, and break your heart. (Sophocles, Peg. 24) Because Oedipus doesnt know anything about his true family, he curses at Treaties. Oedipus sends Treaties away in a fit of rage. Why wont Treaties tell me anything? The less Oedipus knows the better. Oedipus soon finds out the information needed to continue with the curse he put on the man who murdered King Alias. When Oedipus realized that he may have committed the very crime he is trying to solve, he says l think that I myself may be accurate by my own ignorant edict. (Peg. 40) Here, he even finds himself ignorant. Oedipus was unknowing of many things prior to this discovery; one which was who did it. Who killed Alias? When he found out it was himself it all fell into place. We will write a custom essay sample on Ignorance is bliss specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ignorance is bliss specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ignorance is bliss specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Oedipus killed his father and was sleeping with/had children with his mother. Ignorance was the only way for him. Ignorance was the best way. It was said that the boy would kill his own father, said the Shepherd. (Peg. 64) Here was where Oedipus knew that he was the killer of his own father and that the prophecy had come true. If Oedipus had not known about the prophecy, this wouldve never happened. He wouldve never left Corinth. He wouldve never kill King Alias. He wouldve never gone to Thebes and taken over as king. This whole book was based off f knowing too much and that is why ignorance, for Oedipus, wouldve been bliss. Ignorance is certainly bliss. When you said in class that we, as students, were in this book, didnt want to believe it. But too was ignorant. And it was bliss; at least at first. I didnt know what this book had to offer and how it relates to my life and the lives around me. It shows me that we all are Oedipus in some way. Some are leaders. Some are full of questions. And some, like me, are ignorant Though ignorance is bliss, so is knowledge. And having a little bit Of both is better.

Global Business

Global Business Global Business-Operational Concerns Essay Indonesia is arguably the most populous Muslim-dominated democracy in the world and Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The administration has fought corruption and attempted to promote much-needed foreign direct investment. Despite this, the poor rule of law persists as a main hurdle to attracting resources. Indonesia is a member of the G-20 and a propelling force among the Association of Southeast Asian countries and consequently plays an increasing role in global economic policy deliberations. The increasingly diversified and contemporary economy has improved considerably from the recent financial crisis and recession (export.gov, 2013). Indonesia has embarked on a broad-range of transformations to tackle diverse structural challenges and enhance competitiveness. Latest reform programs have emphasized improvement of regulatory competence, improvement of regional competitiveness, and forming a more robust private sector through upgrading and modernization of the financial sect or (C.I.A.gov, 2013). Despite considerable progress, the country’s development potential remains weak and hindered by incompetent investment and legal regimes. For example, political meddling in the private sector economy dampens vibrant economic growth, and persistent corruption, aggravated by a fragile judicial system, increases business risk. In the first half of year 2012, the administration reintroduced trade and investment hurdles that comprise restrictions on banks and ownership. Engaging in local sales efforts The Indonesia market is full of rivalry from companies in the neighboring nations such as Japan Singapore, China, and Malaysia. This implies that local intelligence and knowledge is critical to fend of or match the intense competition and this favor a local or regional composition of the sales team. The county and the region in general have different and unique culture that is necessary for the sales people to understand since they will be interacting with different distribution outlets and local consumers (export.gov, 2013). Even though it may be feasible in a number of cases to supply directly to the administration or state-owned entities, local partnerships of agents, domestic offices or distribution agents are regularly important to success of sales projects and development. The social networks and infrastructure are key elements in the Indonesian society. People tend to buy from outlets or distribution chains owned and managed by friends, relatives or acquaintances. Using of for eign citizens to manage distribution will not auger well with the large majority and may keep away potential buyers. The social network, values and norms embrace the support of one another. The local distribution equally has the experience and intelligent of the market and can make entry for the energy drink. Research study by the export office shows that small and medium scale U.S. companies venturing in the Indonesian market enhance their chances of performance by engaging strong local distributors (export.gov, 2013). The U.S. Commercial Service Jakarta helps U.S. companies identify and qualify potential Indonesian representatives (export.gov, 2013). The infrastructure is generally fairly well developed at a rating of 4.2 on a 1-7 scale. Specific areas such as roads, railway, port and energy are at an average score meaning that the direct engagement in direct selling efforts may prove a big challenge. The Indonesian marketing professional and marketing aspects are well developed. The country is rated at about 70 percent in marketing development by the global competitive index 2013. This means that the local sales and marketing team is equal to the task and can manage the distribution, sales and marketing effectively. Undertaking local manufacturing operations Although Indonesia publicly embraces foreign direct investment, numerous investors, both local and foreign, face unpredictability in the investment regulations and inconsistent enforcement.

Liver Cirrhosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liver Cirrhosis - Research Paper Example The Liver Weighing about 1.4 kg, i.e. about 3 lb in adults, the liver is the heaviest organ of the human body. It is also the second largest organ, skin being the first. It is located below the rib cage at the right hand side of the body. To be precise, it occupies part of the epigastric regions in the abdomino-pelvic cavity and part of the hypochondriac region (Tortora and Derrickson, 2008, p. 945). A healthy liver is an extremely important asset for an individual’s health and well-being. As Chopra (2001) writes, the liver is â€Å"akin to a master conductor who is orchestrating a number of essential functions†, working as a â€Å"central manufacturing factory†, a processing plant for toxic waste and even as a warehouse, all at the same time (p. 4). Anatomy of the Liver The liver has two irregularly sized lobes – the larger right lobe, and the smaller left lobe. The two lobes are separated by a fold of mesentery, forming the smooth falciform ligament (Tortora and Derrickson, 2008, p. 945). The right lobe is five to six times bigger than the left lobe. The liver has a smooth texture and is a vascular organ rich in blood vessels that impart it a reddish brown color. It has an intricate and interconnected network of liver cells called hepatocytes, along with large amounts of ducts and veins (Chopra, 2001, p. 4).... 4). Anatomy of the Liver The liver has two irregularly sized lobes – the larger right lobe, and the smaller left lobe. The two lobes are separated by a fold of mesentery, forming the smooth falciform ligament (Tortora and Derrickson, 2008, p. 945). The right lobe is five to six times bigger than the left lobe. The liver has a smooth texture and is a vascular organ rich in blood vessels that impart it a reddish brown color. It has an intricate and interconnected network of liver cells called hepatocytes, along with large amounts of ducts and veins (Chopra, 2001, p. 4). The hepatocytes, which are the principal liver cells, constitute almost 70% of the entire mass of the liver and are derived from the embryonic endoderm (Zorn, 2008, para. 3). Although some anatomists believe that the right lobe has an inferior quadrate lobe and a posterior caudate lobe, studies based on internal morphology and the distribution of blood vessels reveal that these two lobes more appropriately belong to the left lobe (Tortora and Derrickson, 2008, p. 945). The smooth falciform ligament that divides the two lobes of the liver extends from below the diaphragm, thereby helping the liver to stay suspended in the abdominal cavity. A round ligament, called the ligamentum teres, which is a remnant of the fetal umbilical vein, is present in the free border of the falciform ligament and extends from the liver to the umbilicus. A pear-shaped sac called the gall bladder is located in a depression that is present on the posterior surface of the liver. It hangs from the anterior-inferior margin of the liver and measures 7-10 cm. An analysis of liver histology reveals that it consists of bile canaliculi and hepatic sinusoids, apart from hepatocytes. The hepatocytes (liver cells) are

Argument response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument response paper - Essay Example I believe that when families are developed on the patterns of kinship, family members are quite closely related to each other and they do not think in an individualistic manner. Kinship is the best pattern for a family because in such a pattern families and its members find it easier to depend on each other and they share problems with each other. When problems are shared, people within the family try to find a solution to the problem together and everyone tries to help. Due to this, the burden of solving problems is shares and due to decrease in the burden, the person facing the problem does not have to take enough stress. On the other hand, individuals who belong to families where individualism is promoted experience higher level of stress as they try to solve problems on their own. This is why individuals belonging to individualistic cultures end up indulging in deviant behaviors such as drinking and abusing drugs. In case of kinship, families keep a close eye on each other and if the find patterns of drug abuse are being developed by a family member, they tend to intervene and help the individual in getting rid of the

Justification Report Part 3 (Final) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Justification Report Part 3 (Final) - Essay Example The Department of Veteran Affairs is one of the most important departments within the US government but the department fails to perform its basic function- serving war veterans and their immediate family. The problem arises because the department has been unable to properly manage its human resource. This report presents recommendations on improving the situation mainly through non-monetary incentives given to the employees. These include training and development; employee empowerment; floating holidays and telecommuting among other options. Veteran Affairs is an organization within the US government which serves to fulfill the needs of army personnel who have fought wars for the country. The services of the department extend to the immediate family members of the veterans who have been injured or have died while serving in the army. This department performs one of the most crucial aspects of military service by serving as a source of motivation for army men and women currently working in the US Army. These people are reassured through such organizations that the US government would look after them and their families should they face any problem in the future. However, Veteran Affairs is failing to provide the needed services principally because of its human resource department. The human resource department is not calibrated to understand the importance of serving these people. This report explores the problems inherent in the human resource department from the perspective on an employee who has worked within the organization and understands the problems in depth. The report will also present reasonable and logical solutions for the problem explored. The main problem that this report intends to discuss is that currently the human resource department in Veteran Affairs is ill-equipped in managing the department. There is a glaring lack of document accountability which leads to

The United Kingdoms Tourism Industry

The United Kingdoms Tourism Industry The United Kingdom is one of Europes most influential countries. The United Kingdom is a sovereign state positioned near the north-western coast of continental Europe (Appendix 1), comprising of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The UK is one of the 27 member states of the European Union and is spread across about 243,000 sq. km (about 94000 sq. miles). The UK has the worlds seventh largest economy by nominal GDP and eight largest economy by purchasing power parity. It was the worlds first industrialized country Mathias (2001). Tourism is one of the foremost industries in the UK size wise. According to statistics by Wikipedia, the UK is the worlds 7th biggest tourist attraction behind France, USA, China, Spain, Italy and Turkey, with approximately 29.2 million visiting in 2011. In 2011 15.3 million visitors spent time in London with an estimated spending of over  £9.4bn that represents 52% of all inbound visitor spending calculated by VisitBritain in 2011. (Appendix 2) It is predicted that UK tourism could grow to  £188b within the next decade that is 60% by 2020 and the number of jobs related to tourism could increase 264,000 to 2.89 million, according to VisitBritain. Recently however, the UK tourism industry though having a great potential of growing faces some challenges and a serious competition from other most visited tourist destinations. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: UK tourism industry can easily be analysed critically with the help of Michael Porters five forces model. Porter in his five forces model refers to an organization but can be applied to a certain industry via which we can determine the competitive strength and weaknesses of that particular organization/industry. (Appendix 3) PORTERS 5 FORCES: Porters five forces include: THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: When it comes to tourism, people want to explore new fascinating countries and that is why new entrants catch the attention of travelers. The UK tourism industry faces threat by new entrants such Turkey, Germany and Egypt while Malaysia and Mexico have attracted many tourists in 2011. The estimated number of international tourist arrivals in the UK till June 2012 were around 29.2 million which was 28.3 million in 2010 and the change from 2010 to 2011 had an increase of +3.2% according to UNWTO (2012). In 2011, Turkey climbed up in the most visited tourist destination above the UK to become the 6th most visited tourist destination in the world with an estimated number of 29.3 million tourists which was 27 million in 2010 and showed a massive +8.7% changed from 2010 till 2011 mentioned in Tourism Highlights by UNWTO (2012). The UK is facing a serious competition from Germany, which had 28.4 million visitors in 2011 and has shown +5.5% change from 2010 until 2011. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE AND COMPETITIVE RIVALRY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY: Most of the tourists look for alternative destinations when they face problems in getting visas, bookings etc. and that is when substitutes get the upper hand. In Europe, Spain, France and Italy have been the biggest competitors of the UK tourism industry from the beginning, attracting huge amount of interest from tourists all over the world. France, which has been the most visited tourist destination and a country with a romantic image, still leads the raking of tourists visiting with approximately 79.5 million and is third in receipts with US $54 billion. Spain is second on the earners list with US $60 billion with approx. 57 million arrivals in 2011. Italy, ranks 5th with 46.1 million tourists in 2011 and receipts of $43 billion in 2011 UNWTO (2012). BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS: There is a lot of influence of buyers and suppliers on a tourism industry. In this report, buyers are the main tour operators of the product here, which is tourism. There are many tour operators working in the UK that offer competitive prices to tourists and discounts such as Thomas cook. They identify new locations/places and possess the power of convincing tourists to visit those destinations that has a lost cost attached to it. For every tourism industry, three As are very important and this similar is the case with suppliers. The three As are: Attractions Amenities Access Attractions include those places that are either famous for their natural beauty or are built in such a way that attracts tourists. If such places are owned by the government/owners, tourist should be allowed to visit them and the owners should always welcome them. There are many places in the UK that attracts a lot of tourist just because of their natural beauty or the way they are being constructed like The Tower of London, Windermere Boat Cruises, Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Royal Botanical Gardens, Stonehenge, Eden Project etc. Amenities include basic conveniences for tourist such as hotels, guesthouses, motels etc. A lot of funding is needed for this and there has to be a proper look after of these facilities. Last but not the least, Access includes means of travelling. The UK has an excellent transportation system that includes airports, railways, busses, motorways etc. London is famous for its magnificent underground tube system, which serves almost 3.22 million; people daily UNWTO (2012). PEST ANALYSIS: UK tourism industry can also be analyzed by doing PEST analysis. Which comprises of Political Factors, Economic Factors, Social Factors and Technological Factors. POLITICAL FACTORS: Political factors are those in which there is governmental interference such as laws, policies, tariffs, good and services, education, infrastructure etc. When we talk about businesses, political factors plays an important role in the regulation and operation of it. Political environment of the UK is fairly stable. There have been minor ups and downs with the issues regarding the UK joining EU and accepting Euro plus European Unions expansion and the UK supporting USA in its terrorism campaign, which has adversely affected its political stability. Other key issues includes the Visa Processing by the UKBA, VAT on tourism services, Air Passenger Duty etc. VISAS: Over the past few years, there has been a lot of new rules and regulations by the UKBA because of which many tourists face problems in getting their visas even after paying a hefty sum in visa fees. A short term visa to the UK costs  £78 which is  £25 more than that of a Schengen Visa ( £53) that gives an access to 25 counties and this is why 50% more visitors from India travel to the UK via France. From 2000 till 2009 the revenue generated via tourists from other countries has increased by 37.4% (in USD) which when compared to France (49.7%) and Germany (85.6%) is very low, according to Tourism Alliance (2012). Those tourists that come from counties other than the EU or those who require a visa are about 11% of all tourist that visit the UK (3.4m) and spend a lot on their travelling expenses per trip that contributes to an approx.  £3 billion to UKs economy, Tourism Alliance (2012). VAT: According to recent statistics by Tourism Alliance (2012) , the UK is one of the only four (others include Denmark, Slovakia and Lithuania) out of 27 EU member countries that charges full rate VAT to tourist on accommodations which is the second highest rate of VAT in Europe. This can be in a sense harmful to the UK tourism industry when compared to other tourist destinations across Europe. If the UK reduces taxes on accommodations and famous tourist destinations, it could result in a profit of  £2.6 billion over the next 10 years according to Deloitte/Tourism Respect. Other locations that have a full rate VAT in the UK includes amusement parks, museums, theaters, shows and cinemas and the UK also charges full rate VAT on restaurant meals which in EU countries averages up to 8.8%., while the average rate of VAT on accommodation in Europe is 10.3% as per statistics of Tourism Alliance (2012). When we look at competitors of UK, France in a couple of years after reducing VAT on restau rant meals from 19.6% to 5.5% showed that there were about 62,700 new jobs in that sector Tourism Alliance (2012) which is a clear indication of what other countries are trying to achieve and change in their tourism sector. AIR PASSENGER DUTY: IATA predicts by looking at the current figures that in 2014 there will be an estimated 3.3 billion tourist travelling via airplanes of which 2 billion will be travelling domestically. In November 2010, the UK Government increased APD of up to 55% and statistics from Tourism Alliance study in 2012 shows that APD has jumped to 650% for passengers travelling in economy class and 750% for those travelling in business class in the previous 5 years that contributes approx.  £2.2 billion yearly in revenue to the Government. A report by Oxera for Airport Operations Association in 2010 showed that if the government replace APD with that of EU, the Gross Value Added would show an increase of  £4 billion and there will be approximately 100,000 more jobs. ECONOMIC FACTORS: Economic factors are those due to which the spending of tourists can be affected. It includes inflation in the country, employment/unemployment statistics, Exchange rates, GDP etc. At the beginning of inflation that started to take place in second quarter of 2008, shortage in arrivals was reported and the inbound tourism of UK fell by 5% according to the Euromonitor International Figures. When the inflation struck in 2009, it affected a lot of business and tourism industry was one of those. People living in the UK preferred to spend their holidays domestically and the number of tourists from abroad also shown a decline. The Euromonitor International Figures that were recorded in 2009 showed that there was an approx. 12% decline of people travelling abroad from the UK. The inflation rate of the UK, which was last recorded in November 2012, was 2.70% according to ONS. (Appendix 4) In a report published by UKCES in 2012, it is mentioned that tourism accounts for approximately 6% of UKs GDP and has given employment to approximately 2.5 million people. Each UK nation has a tourism strategy that aims to raise the ambition of tourism over the next decade (People 1st, 2010a). Exchange rate and the fluctuations in currencies also play an important role in the spending patterns of tourists. The comparison of pound sterling versus euro has contributed a lot in the Britons spending more when they travel to other European destinations and Experts have noticed that the euro being cheaper than pound sterling has made it cheaper for the Britons to travel on holidays to European countries (Hall, 2012). The total UK tourism spend by sector can easily be seen in this image. (Appendix 5) SOCIAL FACTORS: The style of living of people and the cultural aspects that mainly comprises of population, growth, trends, careers, how safe the place is where they are living and being cautious about their health are generally considered as social factors. Tourists from other countries may not know much about the traditions and customs of the country they are visiting that may prove to be a problem at times. Some impacts of such social factors mentioned in a report of Travel and Tourism by Ann Rowe, John Smith and Fiona Borein in 2002 suggests that it will be good for the local people as well as the tourists to get together and learn more about different lifestyles which can be beneficial to both the parties as there is a room for improvement in the sectors of infrastructure, health and education, sports, traditions, heritage etc., as London is main hub of people for across the globe. In recent times people of the UK and the tourists are concerned about their safety and when travelling to the UK the riots of 2011 served as a minus for the tourism industry at that time. According to the Daily Mail UK, in India the editor of a magazine warned his followers in twitter that they should avoid coming to the UK at all. Due to these riots, many questions were raised on the safety and security procedures for the upcoming 2012 Olympics. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Technology plays an important role in the development of any business or industry and when a certain business provides facilities and are equipped with latest technology it creates a better relation between them and the customers. Bookings tickets and online holiday bookings have really excelled as the time progressed. According to ONS (2011), wireless hotspots in the UK were accessed by approximately 4.9 million users and 77 per cent of households had internet access. OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE UK TOURISM INDUSTRY AND RECOMMENDATIONS: If the UK wants to compete with the other famous tourist destinations across Europe and on the list, first of the few recommendations would be to reduce the visa application charges and restrictions along with the APD and bringing them on the same level as that of other European destinations because a family comprising of 4 members from India/China pays a hefty sum of  £612 as their Visa and APD charges when travelling to the UK, Tourism Alliance (2012). Tourism Alliance (2012) in their report show that when in 2009, Taiwanese visitors were granted visas to the UK, visitors grew by 39% and the revenue obtained from them increased by 155%. Another report by Tourism Alliance in which it is clearly mentioned that APD has already cost 23000 people their jobs in last seven years and if it continues to increase at this level by 2017 it would have resulted in  £1.1 billion loss and 6000 more jobs. Secondly the high VAT that the UK charges to its tourists, Tourism Alliance in 2011 predicted that if VAT on tourism is reduced to and brought in alignment with that of European nations, the UK tourism could earn approximately  £1.3 billion per annum that is 7% increase and since this report looks at the upcoming three years the short term losses in VAT receipts would be recovered in short span of three years. CONCLUSION. There has to be a better investment and marketing plans, events like the Olympics 2012, managing them successfully so that tourist get value for the money they paid, about which a report by Deloitte and Forecasting organization Oxford Economics has predicted that tourism sector is likely to grow by 3.5% per annum between 2010 and 2020. Together all the governing bodies and agencies should work in collaboration and every one of them can play their part in making the UK a better place to visit and explore.

the meaning of life Essay example -- essays research papers

The Meaning of life What is the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives, the purpose, and the dreams both dashed and realized, and the expectations forced upon us by others. In other words how do you "translate" what life is? "Translation" means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person's lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You're in the middle, and your story hasn't ended yet. If one would recognize the greatest things we have in life, they would not be asking this question. These great things are faith, hope, and love. Faith is the one that can keep one from asking questions. If God wanted us to know something, then we would know it. In most religions, Christian ones in particular, the question of meaning in life is inextricably wrapped up in a relationship with God. Living in, for, with, and through him. Therefore, how one answers the meaning of life question bears directly the existence of God. Soren Kierkegaard said to be the "father" of existentialism maintains that there are three basic answers to the question of the meaning of life. He called these "stages" of life, because he believed that people "progressed" from one stage to the next. Whether or not that is true, there do seem to be at least three fundamental outlooks on life. One is a life devoted to pleasure. This value perspective can be shown by a person whose only concern is for what they are doing now. They would rather gain from pleasures in life without any regards to how they might affect their future. Another stage is those choosing ethical and moral paths. People who are honest and loyal demonstrate this in their everyday lives. Finally, there is a live religiously. This has been the popular way of life for many of us. It is going to church and practicing your faith Stace argues, the present age has begun to weaken faith in God. The concept of a supernatural person has begun to seem unlikely to many people. The Bible no longer seems as respected for many Catholics. While many peopl... ...ve the opportunity to choose either Him or evil, thereby proving our love for Him. If His were the only game in town, then there would not be a free will conscious choice for Him. It is evident that the meaning of life has to far to complex for any one to fully understand or agree on the same answer. All these ideas of these different philosophers are not necessarily inaccurate, just incomplete. All pieces to a puzzle that one has no way of fully figuring out. No one has seemed to accomplish this yet in life. There are so many obstacles that we face as we try to achieve a higher good. Many of these are based in the fact that we are human beings, and because of that are flawed by the ways of our culture. Things such as self-doubt, worry, ignorance, and the values put into our heads since the day we were born all are roadblocks on our way to a higher level. Also being human beings makes vulnerable to the ways of the world around us, so it is not easy to block these things out of our lives. This life is a stage in which we are to develop our minds, bodies, and souls to their highest potential in preparation for the afterlife. Only God could ever really show anyon e true meaning.