...Myth or Reality? The last decades of 20th century are going to be referred to as the time of "environmental/politically correct craze" because during the course of this historical period, the enforces of lefty-wing agenda had succeeded in throwing milliards of dollars in the air, on the account of a variety of purely imaginary technological, environmental and health care-related scares. For example, we all remember public paranoia, associated with Y2K. Some especially 'progressive' activists used to refer to anticipated effects of Y2K as such that would result in the end of the world, as we know it. In her article Technomillennialism: A Subcultural Technomillennialism: A Subcultural Response to the Technological Threat of Y2K, Andrea Tapia states: "Predicted scenarios (on account of Y2K) ranged from a few days of inconvenience, similar to a bad snowstorm, to that of complete global shutdown and resulting chaos" (2003, 483). Yet, on January 1, 2000, it became clear to just about anyone that Y2K was nothing but a sham. As of today, public still remains unaware of what happened to the milliards of dollars, spent by Western governments to mitigate the expected effects of Y2K. A decade earlier, the anticipated 'end of the world' was being discussed within the context of thinning of ozone layer over Antarctica – thus, resulting in creation of 'ozone holes'. In its turn, the thinning of ozone layer was believed to have been caused by aerosol sprays as such that contain chemical...
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...122 Harvard Business Review | July–August 2007 | hbr.org Marcos Chin The goal of forecasting is not to predict the future but to tell you what you need to know to take meaningful action in the present. EOPLE AT COCKTAIL PARTIES are always asking me for stock tips, and then they want to know how my predictions have turned out. Their requests reveal the common but fundamentally erroneous perception that forecasters make predictions. We don’t, of course: Prediction is possible only in a world in which events are preordained and no amount of action in the present can infl uence future outcomes. That world is the stuff of myth and superstition. The one we inhabit is quite different – little is certain, nothing is preordained, and what we do in the present affects how events unfold, often in significant, unexpected ways. The role of the forecaster in the real world is quite different from that of the mythical seer. Prediction is concerned P by Paul Saffo Six Rules for Accurate Forecasting Effe c ti ve t i MANAGING FOR THE LONG TERM | Six Rules for Effective Forecasting 124 Harvard Business Review | July–August 2007 | hbr.org with future certainty; forecasting looks at how hidden currents in the present signal possible changes in direction for companies, societies, or the world at large. Thus, the primary goal of forecasting is to identify the full range of possibilities, not a limited set of illusory certainties. Whether a specific forecast actually...
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...and that the new century will not cause cataclysmic changes, at least not immediately. Rather, the problems and challenges we face now we will face then. Undoubtedly, new issues will arise but they will more likely be extensions of the present than discontinuities with the past. A s we transition to the 21*' century, it is useful to think about some of the most important challenges business and other organizations will face as the new millennium begins. As I write this essay, the public seems to be more concerned with the Y2K problem and whether their computers will keep working, their power will stay on, their investments will be secure, there will be food in the pantry, airplanes will still fly, and that life as we know it will continue as usual. Optimistically, by the time this is published we will all look back and conclude that technology is amazing, humans are survivors, and we will wonder why we got all worked up about the Y2K bug in the first place. This is my hope and expectation, so I approach this writing with the optimism that the world will not end in a technological Armageddon but that the transition will be relatively smooth, though perhaps jerky, and that we will retum to business as usual soon thereafter. This raises the...
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...ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thomas Loren Friedman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 20, 1953, and grew up in the middle-class Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. He is the son of Harold and Margaret Friedman. From an early age, Friedman, whose father often brought him to the golf course for a round after work, wanted to be a professional golfer. He was captain of the St. Louis Park High golf team; at the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club, he caddied for Chi Chi Rodriquez, who came in 27th. That, alas, was as close as Friedman would get to professional golf. In high school, however, he developed two other passions that would define his life from then on: the Middle East and journalism. It was a visit to Israel with his parents during Christmas vacation in 1968–69 that stirred his interest in the Middle East, and it was his high school journalism teacher, Hattie Steinberg, who inspired in him a love of reporting and newspapers. After graduating from high school in 1971, Friedman attended the University of Minnesota and Brandeis University, and graduated summa cum laude in 1975 with a degree in Mediterranean studies. During his undergraduate years, he spent semesters abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the American University in Cairo. Following his graduation from Brandeis, Friedman attended St. Antony's College, Oxford University, on a Marshall Scholarship. In 1978, he received an M.Phil. degree in modern Middle East studies from Oxford. That summer...
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...History, as we currently "know" it, is a revised edition, revisionist reconfiguring of linear events to a pre-determined destination and thus is a pre-determined mind set for the largely unthinking mass consciousness as we observe it today. Upon closer scrutiny, when real thinking and inquiry is applied to this revisionist text, we must first discard all the usual signposts that we have been "taught" to view history through and within. One of these signposts that we take as "normal," but is really just another revisionist trick of the magicians and spin-doctors, is the linear nature of history and of time itself. Time is not linear, it is spherical and holographic. History, therefore, is not linear, and the revised editions are not only written forward towards a pre-determined destination, it is also written backwards, revised from the back end, starting from the pre-determined conclusion and being filled in accordingly all the way to the beginning. The real question we must then ask is why and how did the spin-doctors know the destination in the first place from which to spin their tale both forwards and backwards? The answer is quite simple, and when considered objectively and without the mind-set of the spin, is painfully obvious. The answer is simply that the destination was inherent in the inception. There was a known and specified constant that guided the so-called "great work of the ages" towards its goal from the beginning. The question then to be asked is what...
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...under one suite of software applications. The definition of ERP would be broadened to include almost any type of large integrated software package.[i][1] Webopedia provides a generalized definition of ERP as “a business management system that integrates all facets of the business, including planning, manufacturing, sales, and marketing.”[ii][2][iii] Some of the more well-known ERP software developers include SAP, Oracle, and PeopleSoft. This paper will look at both successful and unsuccessful ERP implementations and what contributed to their success or failure. Many lessons have been learned by failed ERP projects, as evidenced by the volume of information available. Many of the failures occurred in 1999, in an attempt to manage Y2K issues, which may suggest that the companies had pressing needs which forced the implementation. Apparently, late adopters are benefiting from the mistakes of their predecessors since the most current research describes successful implementations. What constitutes an ERP implementation failure? There are degrees of failure with ERP projects. The most obvious failure is never actually implementing the ERP system. But a project can be considered failed if the new system is not fully utilized.[iv][3] According to a survey conducted by Forrester Research in April 2001, only six percent of 500 companies surveyed considered their ERP systems...
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...W.B. Yeats's "The Second Coming" W.B. Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" was written in 1919, just one year after WWI ended. The beginning of this poem reflects on how evil has taken over the minds of good Christians, and the world has turned into chaos. It is apparent that Yeats believes that a Second Coming is at hand, and he spends the last half of the poem discussing what that Second Coming could look like. Turning and turning in the widening gyre (line 1) Yeats imagines the world in a cyclical sphere known a gyre (shape of a cone). In Yeats' note on the text, he states that "the end of an age, which always receives the revelation of the character of the next age, is represented by the coming of one gyre to its place of greatest expansion and of the other to that of its greatest contraction" (2036). Yeats believes that the two thousand years of Christianity will be coming to an end, and after a violent reversal a new age will take its place. The widening part of the gyre is supposed to connote anarchy, evil, and the loss of innocence. The falcon cannot hear the falconer; (2) The falconer in this analogy is most likely God (or Jesus), and the falcon is the follower (or devotee). Humanity can no longer hear the word of God, because it is drowned out by all of chaos of the widening gyre. A wild falcon can symbolize an unconverted Gentile; someone who has sinful thoughts, and does sinful things. A tame falcon (one who listens to the word of God) is a Christian convert. In the...
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...No. 2005-12-A Office of Economics Working Paper U.S. International Trade Commission Growth in Services Outsourcing to India: Propellant or Drain on the U.S. Economy? William Greene* U.S. International Trade Commission January 2006 *The author is with the Office of Economics of the U.S. International Trade Commission. Office of Economics working papers are the result of the ongoing professional research of USITC staff and are solely meant to represent the opinions and professional research of individual authors. These papers are not meant to represent in any way the views of the U.S. International Trade Commission or any of its individual Commissioners. Working papers are circulated to promote the active exchange of ideas between USITC Staff and recognized experts outside the USITC, and to promote professional development of Office staff by encouraging outside professional critique of staff research. Address correspondence to: Office of Economics U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 USA No. 2006-01-A OFFICE OF ECONOMICS WORKING PAPER U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION Growth in Services Outsourcing to India: Propellant or Drain on the U.S. Economy? William Greene U.S. International Trade Commission January 2006 The authors is with the Office of Economics of the U.S. International Trade Commission. Office of Economics working papers are the result of the ongoing professional research of USITC Staff and are solely meant to represent...
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...THE HANDY RELIGION AN SWE R BOOK JOHN RENARD Detroit The Handy Religion Answer Book™ C O P Y R I G H T © 2002 BY VI S I B LE I N K PRE SS® This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Visible Ink Press® 43311 Joy Rd. #414 Canton, MI 48187-2075 Visible Ink Press and The Handy Religion Answer Book are trademarks of Visible Ink Press LLC. Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, at www.visibleink.com or (734) 667-3211. Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Graphix Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Renard, John, 1944The handy religion answer book / John Renard. p. cm. ISBN 1-57859-125-2 (pbk.) 1. Religions--Miscellanea. I. Title. BL80.2 .R46 2001 291--dc21 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved ...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS | 1 | INTRODUCTION | 2 | PROBLEM STATEMENT | 16 | SOLUTION | 18 | RECOMMENDATION | 42 | CONCLUSION | 52 | REFERENCES | 55 | COURSEWORK | 56 | INTRODUCTION What Is International Trade? International trade theories are simply different theories to explain international trade. Trade is the concept of exchanging goods and services between two people or entities. International trade is then the concept of this exchange between people or entities in two different countries. People or entities trade because they believe that they benefit from the exchange. They may need or want the goods or services. While at the surface, this many sound very simple, there is a great deal of theory, policy, and business strategy that constitutes international trade. Below are the different trade theories that have evolved over the past century and which are most relevant today. Plus the factors that impact international trade and how businesses and governments use these factors to their respective benefits to promote their interests. What Are the Different International Trade Theories? In more recent centuries, economists have focused on trying to understand and explain these trade patterns. To better understand how modern global trade has evolved, it’s important to understand how countries traded with one another historically. Over time, economists have developed theories to explain the mechanisms of global trade. The main historical theories are...
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...POSITIONING STRATEGY WITH A NEW IDENTITY: A case study of VIETNAM AIRLINES by Le Hong Dac A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Business Administration Examination Committee: Dr. Truong Quang (Chairman) Dr. Clemens Bechter Dr. Lalit.M.Johri Nationality: Vietnamese Previous Degree: Bachelor of Economics University of Agriculture and Forestry HoChiMinh City, Vietnam Scholarship Donor: The Government of Switzerland Asian Institute of Technology School of Management Bangkok, Thailand August 1999 Acknowledgement I wish to express my profound gratitude and great appreciation to my advisor Dr. Truong Quang for his valuable guidance, advice and encouragement throughout the research study. Special thanks are extended to the other members of the Examination Committee, Dr. Clemens Bechter and Dr.Lalit.M.Johri for taking interests and giving valuable suggestions to improve the content of this study. Deep appreciation and thanks are also extended to Mr. Luong Hoai Nam, Mr. Trinh Ngoc Thanh, Mr. Duong Tri Thanh, Mr. Mai Quoc Tuan, Mr. Nguyen Thuong Hai, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh Yen and Mr. Le Dinh Tuan of Vietnam Airlines Corporation for providing me the desired information and data for this research study. I fall short of words...
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...The World is Flat Thomas L Friedman Kq p K To Matt and Kay and to Ron Kq p K Contents How the World Became Flat One: While I Was Sleeping / 3 Two: The Ten Forces That Flattened the World / 48 Flattener#l. 11/9/89 Flattener #2. 8/9/95 Flattener #3. Work Flow Software Flattener #4. Open-Sourcing Flattener #5. Outsourcing Flattener #6. Offshoring Flattener #7. Supply-Chaining Flattener #8. Insourcing Flattener #9. In-forming Flattener #10. The Steroids Three: The Triple Convergence / 173 Four: The Great Sorting Out / 201 America and the Flat World Five: America and Free Trade / 225 Six: The Untouchables / 237 Seven: The Quiet Crisis / 250 Eight: This Is Not a Test / 276 Developing Countries and the Flat World Nine: The Virgin of Guadalupe / 309 Companies and the Flat World Geopolitics and the Flat World Eleven: The Unflat World / 371 Twelve: The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention / 414 Conclusion: Imagination Thirteen: 11/9 Versus 9/11 / 441 Acknowledgments I 471 Index I 475 Kq p K :::::How the World Became Flat ::::: ONE While I Was Sleeping Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians, and princes who love and promote the holy Christian faith, and are enemies of the doctrine of Mahomet, and of all idolatry and heresy, determined to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the above-mentioned countries of India, to see the said princes, people, and territories, and to learn their disposition and the proper method of converting them to our...
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...#1…Public health IN THE United States, primary care remains a medical model. This is in contrast to much of the world, where the 1978 Declaration of Alma-At a which recognized that attaining health for all also requires interaction from social and economic sectors - is considered standard. Today, there is much buzz about patient-centered medical homes, a concept that promises to transform the practice of American medicine. There is much to praise about this most recent iteration of the medical home. But the missing ingrethent in all these definitions and models remains public health. A population focus that addresses the social determinants of health is an essential component of primary health care. In the United States, such a comprehensive approach has been labeled community-oriented primary care. This model is built firmly on the Alma-Ata principles and incorporates a public health approach to health services. Community-oriented primary care organizes the delivery of health services, around a population, not simply a collection of individuals. It identifies a population - most frequently a geographically defined community - and uses epidemiology and interventions to improve community and individual health and well-being. In this model, both individual patients and the community are the foci of the delivery of health services. Primary health care stands at the intersection of personal and population health services. It requires integrating medical models of primary care...
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...PROCEEDINGS of the 3rd Christian Engineering Education Conference June 23-25, 1999 at the JAARS Facility of Wycliffe Bible Translators Waxhaw, North Carolina The Mission of Christian College Engineering Programs for Y2K and Beyond Preface THE FIRST CHRISTIAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN 1992 AT CALVIN COLLEGE IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. SEVERAL YEARS LATER, TTHE SECOND CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN 1996 AT MESSIAH COLLEGE, IN GRANTHAM, PENNSYLVANIA. THE 1999 CHRISTIAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONFERENCE BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF DEDICATED CHRISTIAN ENGINEERS. IT WAS A DISTINCT PLEASURE TO HEAR THE WONDERFUL WAYS GOD IS WORKING IN THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS REPRESENTED AT OUR MEETING. THE JUNGLE AVIATION AND RADIO SERVICE (JAARS) FACILITY OF WYCLIFFE WAS A FANTASTIC LOCATION FOR OUR CONFERENCE, AND WE ARE VERY THANKFUL TO OUR GRACIOUS HOSTS. A SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO CAROL WEAVER, THE JAARS CONFERENCE COORDINATOR. The goal of these conferences is to glorify God, to foster community among Christian engineering educators, and to encourage and challenge each other in our work of kingdom building. Abraham Kuyper, one of the great thinkers within the Reformed tradition of Christianity, has said that there is not one square centimeter of the creation that is not claimed by Christ. As Christian engineering educators of whatever tradition, we seek to stake that claim in our discipline, exploring how...
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...Careers in Management Consulting WetFeet Insider Guide 2005 Edition The WetFeet Research Methodology You hold in your hands a copy of the best-quality research available for job seekers. We have designed this Insider Guide to save you time doing your job research and to provide highly accurate information written precisely for the needs of the job-seeking public. (We also hope that you’ll enjoy reading it, because, believe it or not, the job search doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck.) Each WetFeet Insider Guide represents hundreds of hours of careful research and writing. We start with a review of the public information available. (Our writers are also experts in reading between the lines.) We augment this information with dozens of in-depth interviews of people who actually work for each company or industry we cover. And, although we keep the identity of the rank-and-file employees anonymous to encourage candor, we also interview the company’s recruiting staff extensively, to make sure that we give you, the reader, accurate information about recruiting, process, compensation, hiring targets, and so on. (WetFeet retains all editorial control of the product.) We also regularly survey our members and customers to learn about their experiences in the recruiting process. Finally, each Insider Guide goes through an editorial review and fact-checking process to make sure that the information and writing live up to our exacting standards before it goes out the door. Are we...
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