Mission Vision Values

Mission Vision Values Mission, Vision, and Values Paper Strategies for Competitive Advantage Mission, Vision, and Values Paper A mission, vision, and values are an essential part of a company and its success. These contribute to the companys ability to reach its goals and objectives. Once these things have been put into place, the organization can develop a strategic plan to guide them in the decision making process. Company Background- General Motors Corporation General Motors Corporation (GM) was founded in 1908. Based in Detroit, it is the worlds largest automaker, and has been the global industry leader in sales for 76 years (General Motors, 2008a) with the United States being its largest national market, followed by China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany years (General Motors, 2008a). Today, the company employs about 284,000 people worldwide and manufactures cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, the company sold 9.1 million cars and trucks globally under its many brands, which include Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, to name a few (General Motors, 2008a). GM has ventured into partnerships with many automobile manufacturers around the world. The company is currently the majority shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea (General Motors, 2008a). GM has collaborated with Suzuki Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors Ltd. of Japan with product, powertrain, and purchasing (General Motors, 2008a). The company has also collaborated with DaimlerChrysler AG, BMW AG of Germany, and Toyota Motor Corp. on advanced technology and ventured in vehicle manufacturing with several automakers, such as Toyota, Suzuki, and Renault SA of France years (General Motors, 2008a). GM currently sells its genuine parts and accessories under many brands including GM Goodwrench, and ACDelco brands (General Motors, 2008a). With all of GMs success in the past, the company is facing challenges during this time of economic hardship. The companys market valuation has decreased to $5.9 billion and its stock prices are at its lowest in 50 years (Lowenstein, 2008), which is evident with a closing price of $9.69 on July 10, 2008 (Yahoo Finance, 2008a). The skyrocketing price of oil seems to be the immediate cause of GMs problems, decreasing the sale of its sport utility vehicles and trucks (Lowenstein, 2008). The automaker is potentially looking at more layoffs and speculation of a possible sale of Buick and Pontiac (Lowenstein, 2008), however GMs vice president states that Hummer is the only brand the automaker is considering selling at this time (Yahoo Finance, 2008b). Mission/Vision Statement The mission/vision of GM is â€Å"to be the world leader in transportation products and related services† (General Motors, 2008b). Through continuous improvements driven by teamwork, integrity, and innovation, the company has earned its customers trust and enthusiasm. With all the competition and the advancement of hybrid and alternative fueled vehicles, GM should look to being a leader of innovation. With this in mind, the mission statement could read GM will become the world leader in quality, innovative, and cost efficient products. The mission is for GM to become the auto industry leader in sales and market share in the global market. Company Values GM has six core values in which employees are to use in conducting daily business practices (General Motors, 2008c). These core values consist of continuous improvement, customer enthusiasm, innovation, teamwork, and individual respect and responsibility (General Motors, 2008c). These values must portray an image to the companys consumers that it values their needs and wants. With this said GM should add customer value and thinking green to its core values. This measure would show the company is focused on achieving high levels of customer satisfaction by providing innovative products that offer customers more choices with alternative fueled vehicles. Thinking green will show the company is concerned with doing right by the environment How Mission, Vision, and Values Aid in Reaching Desired End State Mission/Vision In order for GM to achieve its vision, the company understands that many issues must be addressed in order to attain its many goals. In order to become a more sustainable company, GM recognizes the importance of integrating economic, social, and environmental objectives into its daily business objectives and future endeavors. The future success of the company partly depends on technology, innovation, and partnerships (General Motors, 2008b). With technology, GM can efficiently address climate changes and fuel efficiency through its products. By accelerating the development and deployment of new technology, GM is able to improve its existing technology. Innovation provides the company with the tools needed to develop new ways of operating as a company. With increased competition in the global industry, innovation is critical in the future success of the company. In order to continue being responsive to the stakeholders needs and concerns and create a sustainable future, GM understands the importance of continuing to build strong relationships its employees, industries, governments, markets, and communities (General Motors, 2008b). Values GM is based on is six fundamental values.  With these values, the company has adopted and endorsed principles, such as the GM Environmental Principles and the Global Sullivan Principles (General Motors, 2008c). These principles are consistent with the companys values and serve to inform its strategies. The company states, â€Å"These strategies drive our behaviors and actions, which produce the results that matter† (General Motors, 2008c). Components of the Strategic Management Process Needing to be Analyzed Strategic planning involves the decisions and actions needed to formulate and implement plans designed to achieve the companys goals (Pearce Robinson, 2005). It encompasses long-range planning, with an increased emphasis on environmental forecasting and external considerations in formulating and implementing plans. There are multiple opportunities available to GM to deal with the current trends and threats in the automobile industry. In order to deal with them, the company must clearly identify its strengths and weaknesses. The auto industry as a whole faces issues with the rising fuel costs, as well as political and environmental issues with the rage of going green. As competition increases, there will be an even greater demand for oil. Although GM has a global presence and continues to expand in other markets, the company can reduce more operational costs by eliminating vehicles that are to similar and brands that are not selling. The company can use the savings to invest in furth er development and production of alternative vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. Strategy Effects on Leadership, Culture, and Stakeholders There will be numerous affects on the GMs leadership, organizational culture, and stakeholders after implementing the new strategy. Leadership will have to devise an effective method of getting the work done effectively and efficiently to make the new strategy work (Pearce Robinson, 2004). This will entail a plan to organize and educate all staff throughout the organization about accomplishing the mission, roles of leadership, and specific values that will guide the everyday activities. Leadership will also have to assess the competition and address the needs of their customers. In addition, commitment must be gathered amongst the organization and stakeholders to embrace change and implement strategies that allow the organization to be competitive. The stakeholders will face the decisions to accept or reject the new strategy. The organizational culture should be established to provide meaning, direction, and a basis for action (Pearce Robinson, 2004). The organization would benefit if leaders promote and identify key themes and dominant values within the organization to reinforce competitive advantage they seek to maintain and build (Pearce Robinson, 2004). Conclusion GM and the automobile industry as a whole is experiencing tough times, however, there are many opportunities available to GM. The company now has an opportunity to expand market share and once again be the leading automotive manufacturer. The company must look at the trends and threats as new strengths and opportunities by developing and implementing a strategic plan that best positions GM to deal with the threats within the auto industry. References General Motors. (2008a). About GM: Company profile. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.gm.com General Motors. (2008b). Sustainability and GM: Vision and Strategy. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.gm.com General Motors. (2008c). 2005/06 corporate responsibility report. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://www.gm.com Lowenstein, R. (2008). Siphoning G.M.s future. New York Times, p. A.21. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ProQuest database. Pearce, J. Robinson, R. (2005). Strategic management: Formulation, Implementation, and control (9th ed.).[University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. New York: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from University of Phoenix, rEsource,  MBA/580- Strategies for Competitive Advantage Web site. Yahoo Finance. (2008a). General Motors Corporation (GM): Historical prices. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from http://finance.yhoo.com/ Yahoo Finance. (2008b). GM reassures dealers only Hummer brand is for sale. Reuters. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://biz.yahoo.com

Ecommerce Business

Introduction Developing an e-commerce business is a difficult process, that will test the determination and commitment of any person that has created a business in the past. I this paper will examine four different scenarios that one might be confronted with in owning an e-commerce business. The scenarios are as follow: * Imagine that someone has offered you $1,000 to buy your online domain name shortly after you started your business online. Explain why or why you would not sell and cite the ethical dilemmas involved. The e-commerce software you will be using must provide a catalog display, shopping cart capabilities, and transaction processing. The convenience and usability for the customer are benefits of these functions. State how each of these functions could be beneficial to your business. * Your business will have created a presence in the physical world by having a store along the boardwalk. Creating effective presence on the Web. Including how to improve Web presence by incr easing website usability. Develop a web marketing strategy for your company including the following: identify the market segments you will target, how you will reach that segment, and explain how you will reach that segment, and explain how you will advertise on the Web. Being able to properly answer and respond to these scenarios, will assist people who wish to start an e-commerce business. Understanding these scenarios will assist in determining the market segments, as well has helping to understanding the worth of your business. Selling Your Domain Name Several things must be considered when a business is thinking of selling their domain name to someone else. In business, one is continuously working to convince others to do your bidding. The goal of a business is to convince customers to purchase your product or service, and then convince those same customers to pay their accounts on time. As it pertains to the employees that work at your business, they must treat the customers well and contribute to the company. They must abide by all ethical and moral standards that the business has put in place. By setting forth a great deal of effort to create and develop my business, it is not likely that I will sell my business for $1,000. By selling the domain name of my business, all the work that I have done to make my company relevant and credible would be in jeopardy. Most successful companies are known by their domain name or their brand, and it takes hard work and determination to accomplish the task of making your domain name credible. Customer Convenience The e-commerce business that I create will attempt to make the shopping and visit to my business website as convenient as possible for my potential customers. This will be accomplished by providing three services that all e-commerce businesses must have in order to be successful: shopping catalog display, shopping car capabilities, and a simple transaction process. The shopping catalog display must be able to store information about items in a database. My e-commerce business will also provide a search engine that allows customers to enter descriptions to quickly find the items they wish to purchase or find information about. The shopping cart capabilities will use online forms to document online shopping in the past, and it will be able to distinguish from one customer to another. I would also create a database that will store information about the clients preferred choices. I will use software that will calculate price, volume discounts, sales tax, and shopping cost. Electronic commerce software will be used to provide connections to accounting software so the sales of the web can be entered simultaneously. All of these different service that I will incorporate will allow the customers a simple and convenient way to purchase our goods and services, as well as find out as much information as possible about our goods and services. Boardwalk Store When creating a physical store on the boardwalk I will attempt to maintain my presence of the Web. In order to accomplish this I will have to implement two things to achieve this success. First of all, I would use an e-mail address to identify users. This is because e-mail addresses are easier to remember and are more standard, as well as being unique. Second, I will attempt to create a system to make ordering easy. This process could be quite complex, so I would make this process easier at each step. This can be accomplished by having the customer enter the least amount of information at each step. This can make the experience of purchasing our product and visiting our website simple on every level. Marketing Strategies When marketing on the Web, a business must completely understand the different segments that they must market their products and services. The different segmentations are as follow: behavioral, demographic, geographic, and psychographic. The behavioral segmentation consist of dividing people into groups according to how they behave and act toward products. I would create a website that gives examples on encouraging consumers to use my products for multiple purposes. The demographic segmentation obtains demographic information from the U. S. Census Bureau’s website. The site would discuss some prominent demographic characteristics used to segment buyers. This includes age, income, gender, and family life cycles. Geographic segmentation is when a market strategy that allows businesses to market by the geographic in which a customer’s live. Psychographic segmentation gathers extensive information of the customers activities, interests, opinions, values, and lifestyles. I would use the VAL survey( values, attitudes, and lifestyles) to find out what category each individual is apart . This will allow me to market according to their psychological makeup, which will give me the ability to better market my product. Marketing is an essential part of the success or failure of any business, owners should not take this aspect of the business lightly. Conclusion In my opinion, understanding all of these aspects of business will allow a person who is attempting to start an online business successful. The marketing and convenience aspect of business is key is maintain and sustaining a successful business. Having a full understanding of the Web as it pertains to business, as well as knowing the importance of what goes in to making your domain name credible is also an essential part of business. References Keys to Improving your Web Presence (2011) Retrieved from http://www. ocularconcepts. us/blc/blog/keys-to-improving-your-web-presence/ Lars, Perner (n. d. ) Introduction to Marketing. Retrieved from http://www. consumerpsychologist. com/marketing_introduction. html Schneider, G. (2011). Electronic commerce: 2011 custom edition (9th ed. ). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

The Story Of Mattie J. Jackson - 1152 Words

Mattie J. Jackson was born a slave in 1843 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her narrative was a book called â€Å"The Story of Mattie J. Jackson; Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen Years in Slavery—Incidents During the War—Her escape from slavery. A True Story.† Similarly, like most slave narratives, it exemplifies the hardships of slavery up until to her freedom. Mattie’s narrative is a somewhat true depiction of a slave narrative because it is spoken through her mouth throughout the entire book except part of the preface. This is because the co-author is her stepfather’s wife; Dr. L.S. Thompson, who is black as well, and according to the â€Å"How to Read a Slave Narrative† article by the National Humanities Center most slave narratives were prefaced by a white person and rarely by a person of African descent (Andrews). According the narrative’s preface, she explains that her main goal for her book is to gain sympathy from people; ot hers like herself, who were bound against their will by a dominant race; white slave owners (Jackson 2). Mattie’s other goal is to raise money from the profits of her book in order to have a greater education. Thus, she encourages people to learn to be literate as it benefits them greatly. The harsh treatment and unjust practices of slavery reaffirms the values of abolitionists, but the character of her mother goes against the racial stereotypes of slaves. Despite the slave narrative being about her, the narrative demonstrates an unusually specific story of her

Racial Profiling Of The United States - 1943 Words

May Racial Profiling Rest in Peace On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked from different areas of the East Coast. Two out of these planes crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City and over two thousand people were killed from that incident alone. One plane had also crashed into the Pentagon in near Washington, D.C. The last plane headed towards the White House but incidentally crashed in an open field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania (9/11 at nine). U.S Officials strongly claimed that the attack was linked to a terrorist group named Al-Qaeda. Ever since this occurrence many Muslims across the United States have been subject to racial profiling and security has definitely increased ever since, especially at airports.†¦show more content†¦The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World claims that day’s after the attack, the â€Å"Authorities raced up and down the East Coast stopping trains, busses, and cars; Questioning men marked as â€Å"Arab.† Just days after these plane crashes , Muslims across America were frightened to walk out their homes due to fear that they would be tortured by Americans. Even Muslim citizens whom have lived in the country for years were afraid in a country that was supposed to be â€Å"free† (Oxford Encyclopedia). This was labeled the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S soil but do Americans really know the meaning of terrorism? Terrorism, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, can be as miniscule as bullying or of a greater meaning as in acts of intimidating the government in pursuit of a political goal (Oxford English Dictionary). Terror itself is simply fear. There are plenty of news reports of school shootings and other miscellaneous crimes, such as Virginia Tech where 32 people died, 27 students and five faculty members, Sandy Hook Elementary, where 26 people were killed, including the shooter, and also the movie theatre in Aurora Colorado, where 12 people were killed over gun laws. None were Muslim. Racial profiling in this sense can be slightly reduced by including these other instances as terrorism attacks as well. In America, the media strongly gives off a stereotype that most, if not all, terrorist are Muslims. After these

Is Google Making Us Stupid - 948 Words

Many people may argue that technology has helped us become more efficient in today’s society. Technological advances such as the internet and Google has also opened up many new opportunities for people. However, with such advances some may argue that we begin to lose some of our cognitive thinking ability. In an essay, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† by Nicholas Carr, he argues his thesis that people will lose concentration and cognitive thinking as a result to reading online. Carr begins by explaining how the many innovations of today’s technologies has changed the way one thinks. Carr continues by saying that the internet is affecting peoples concentration, however they use it for its convenience; to quickly scan an article and avoid â€Å"the traditional way of reading.† Carr then explains how Maryanne Wolf believes that the new style of reading has altered our ability to interpret and make deep mental connections. Carr shows support of how Frederick Nietzsche enhanced his style of writing beginning with a type writer in 1882. Carr then explains how neuroscience professor James Olds, discovered that nerve cells break apart and form new connections to form new habits. As explained by Danielle Bell and Lewis Mumford, Carr says intellectual technologies such as the mechanical clock, has divided action and thought; helping create the scientific method in a series of steps. Carr then explains how Alan Turning discovered that computers could be used as information processing device;Show MoreRelatedIs Google Making Us Stupid?1240 Words   |  5 Pagesone idea to be represented in many different ways. Both Nicholas Carr’s article â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† and M.T Anderson’s novel Feed, the broad idea of the relationship between humans and technology is portrayed. Carr’s article complains of how technology changes the way we think. Carr instigates the idea that we are losing our passion for learning as a result of the internet and search engines such as Google. These advancements, Carr proposes, lead to a world where our intelligence â€Å"flattensRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid1140 Words   |  5 PagesIs Google Making Us Stupid In the Atlantic Magazine, Nicholas Carr wrote an article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Carr poses a good question about how the internet has affected our brain, by remapping the neural circuitry and reprogramming our memory. Carr states, â€Å"My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell-but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the say way I used to think.† Carr went on farther, saying that he cannot read as long as he used to, his concentration starts to wonder after two or threeRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?920 Words   |  4 Pagesa different perspective than that of Manuel Castells. In â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Carr believes the Internet has taken the foundation out of learning, socializing and reading. Coupled with Manuel Castells, Nicholas Carr agrees that the Internet has been of good use in some cases (Wikipedia for the many hours of research conducted for its database that we access) but he also believes the Internet is slowly making him and us stupid. Carr says â€Å"My mind now expects to take in information the wayRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1548 Words   |  7 Pagesindependent will and creative imagination. These gives us the ultimate human freedom†¦. The power to choose, to respond, to change (Independence Quotes. Brainy Quote. Xplore. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.).† The Declaration of In dependence allows people to do whatever they please as long as it’s within the law, but Google is restraining what people can really do. It may not seem that a search engine can limit people, but one needs to think about the many things Google consists of that doesn’t allow people to chooseRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1048 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Is Google making us stupid? Three authors weigh in One of the most common clichÃÆ' ©s is that the Internet has robbed us of our attention spans and impeded our ability to communicate effectively. Once we could write properly, now we only text. Google has made us lazy in terms of how we research and access data. However, is this true? In three major news publications, three major essayists have grappled with this question and come to completely different conclusions. Although the neurological evidenceRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?879 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican writer, Nicholas G. Carr, in The Atlantic July/ August 2008 Issue titled â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† argues that the amount of time we spend online, especially google, has caused us to lose our minds by â€Å"tinkering† with our brains, â€Å"reprograming our memory,† and changing the way in which we process information. Carr’s purpose is to contribute to the idea that â€Å"Google† along with other online tools, is programi ng us to be less attentive and to the inhibition of our critical thinking skills. GuidedRead More`` Is Google Making Us Stupid?1384 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology is changing the way we access information; anything is accessible in mere seconds. This implementation has resulted in the most aware society of all time. Most information is just a quick and simple Google search away. An article, written by Nicholas Carr â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? â€Å" in a 2008 issue for The Atlantic magazine, questioned the negative cognitive effects of the world wide web. Carr recognizes how much we rely on the internet and believes that humanity needs reform. AccordingRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1040 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† This has set off a debate on the effects the internet is having on our brains. Obviously the internet is here to stay, but is it making us scatterbrained? Are we losing the ability to think deeply? Criticism of t he Web most often questions whether we are becoming more superficial and scattered in our thinking. In the July-August 2008 Atlantic magazine, Nicholas Carr published Is Google Making Us Stupid? (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google). Like otherRead More`` Is Google Making Us Stupid?1505 Words   |  7 Pagescritically inspect both the positive and negative effects technology can have on development and cognition and all assert that technology is not as daunting as some make it out to be. However, some opinion based pieces such as Nicholas Carr’s â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† conclude that we should be apprehensive about technology advancing. The differences in outlook towards digital technology s future effect on the mind can best be seen in how authors view technology as a source of distraction, hypertextRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?733 Words   |  3 Pages Nicholas Carrs article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† makes points that I agree with, although I find his sources to be questionable. The article discusses the effects that the Internet may be having on our ability to focus, the difference in knowledge that we now have, and our reliance on the Internet. The points that are made throughout Carrs article are very thought provoking but his sources make them seem invaluable. Carr discusses the effects that the Internet has on our minds and the way

Natural born cyborgs Free Essays

Natural born cyborgs – of course one may ask or wonder what the term means. Well, the term was invented by Andy Clark, a professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex, UK and chair in Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. So what does he mean by natural born cyborgs? The term denotes us, humans. We will write a custom essay sample on Natural born cyborgs or any similar topic only for you Order Now For him humans are very much cyborgs as Robocop, Eve 8 among many others. Now, what made him think so? Clark made use of a term called cognitive hybridization, which in turn denotes the tendency of our brain to mix with the technology or to put simply, our dependency towards technology. According to Clark we don’t need wires for the term cyborgs to be applied to us. In his exact words he said â€Å"†¦we shall be cyborgs†¦in the more profound sense of being human-technology symbionts: thinking and reasoning systems whose minds and selves are spread across biological brain and non-biological circuitry.† At first glance one might say that Clark’s interest is primarily on technology but the truth of the matter is he is more interested in understanding humans, and the nature of human mind. Clark gave certain interest upon discussing the terms â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to Clark, the technologies we are living with today are slowly becoming a part of us. From there on he went on to define what he meant by â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to him transparent technology â€Å"are technology that is†¦integrated with, our own lives†¦as to become invisible in use.† Having defined what transparent technology is, let us now move on to understanding what Clark meant by opaque technology. By opaque technology he means â€Å"one that†¦requires skills and capacities that do not come naturally to the biological organism, and thus remains the focus of attention.† By this one may go on to conclude that opaque technology is one which is hard to use and thus requires skills if one aims to use it successfully. Let us take the wristwatch as an example of a transparent technology. If we look back to our ancestors we can say that their way of checking the time is kind of primitive. They made use of checking the position of the sun or listening for the chime of the bell, which indicates the time. However, as time moved on time slowly became a part of us. New technology had been invented and checking the time now is not as hard as it had been before. In this sense, it may not be dangerous to say that wristwatch may now be considered a part us, and thus a transparent technology. If one is familiar with Heidegger he/she might even see the similarity of Clark’s conception of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s ready-to-hand and present-at-hand concept. To better understand what I mean I will give a brief description of what Heidegger have in mind with the terms stated above. By present-at-hand Heidegger meant an attitude the same to that of a scientist or a theorist. Like a scientist or a theorist one will be interested in something only because of the facts the object has to offer which they could later on use to theorize about something. We often view things which are present-at-hand in a secondary mode as in the case of a broken fan which lost its usefulness, such as a watch who happened to stop working. Thus, we can see a connection between Clark’s idea of opaque technology and Heidegger’s present-at-hand. On the other hand, ready-to-hand is something more like Clark’s transparent technology. We use things without theorizing about that things, hammer or wristwatch for example. In this regard, one can clearly see the similarity between Clark’s concept of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s concept of present-at-hand and ready-to-hand. I remember making the claim in class that these are both essentially phenomenological treatments of technology. By this I mean to say that we seek to understand what technology is. If we can experience what is meant by technology, first hand, the better. The way the mind works is very complex. Humans never cease to be content. Technology came into being because of our inability to be content. As humans seek to understand more things, to make life easier, technology blooms faster. And now, we are living in a technological world and there are people among our race who’s still not content with the way things are and thus they seek to better understand things. Clark, on his work, Natural Cyborgs, tried to show how humans became so caught up with technology that human lives became intertwined with technology itself. I remember reading something about him wishing to understand how the mind works and if he is to do that then he must understand what technology is all about. Phenomenology as a method is very useful. By exploring a certain phenomena in order to understand a higher truth behind the phenomena is something great. Phenomenology might be useful in understanding technology and in this I have no doubt. However, by saying that phenomenology can help to better understand technology I am not saying that this can open all the gates of our understanding towards technology because I strongly believe that no method, not even phenomenology itself can open our minds to everything there is to know about technology or anything in particular. As we are humans there would always be room for ignorance. We cannot understand things fully no matter how hard we try because I believe that there would always be room for questions and for doubts. In this regard, I cannot offer another alternative should phenomenology fails to make us understand everything there is to know about technology. Dualism is the belief that the body is distinct from that of the soul. In this paper I would make use of Cartesian dualism. It is in the belief of Descartes that though the body and the soul are of different entities both can still interact with one another. It is from Descartes where the term interactionism originated. In his interactionism he said that the body is the one who receives sense perceptions wherein the soul is the one who is responsible for our awareness. According to Descartes the seat of interaction lies in the pineal gland. In his belief the soul houses the body and if the body is acted upon by the soul then their point of interaction happens in the pineal gland. I talked about Cartesian dualism because if one is to look closely Clark’s idea of technology becoming one with us or a part of us is almost the same to Descartes idea of dualism. Both seem to see the body merely as a house. The difference however, is that for Descartes the body is the house of the soul wherein for Clark the body is the house of technology or something to that effect.   Clark believes that the use of technology is essential in understanding how the mind operates because men nowadays are so caught up with technology that we are completely dependent towards technology. Technology became an important part of us and it seems to solve most of the problems of our world thus Clark concluded, for the same reason that technology may be useful in understanding human mind. However, I don’t think that it really solved the mind-body problem present in Cartesian dualism because somehow I can still see flaws on Clark’s idea. Technology for one, though reliable on most time, is still prone to failure. Somehow, failure may occur or accidents of some sorts because technology is not really that perfect, it’s got its flaws. I also don’t believe that Clark can avoid radical skepticism because no matter what he does there would always be people out there who would go on to criticize his beliefs. One can’t really please everyone and I’m pretty sure that there are still people, purists for one, who would certainly doubt the power technology has. Thus, on my conclusion I say that even though Clark opened our minds to some ideas and although most of what he said holds true, I don’t really believe that his idea is perfect enough to avoid skepticisms. Reference: Clark, Andy. Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intelligence. Oxford University Press, USA; 2003 How to cite Natural born cyborgs, Essay examples

The account of St.Pauls ill

The account of St.Pauls ill-fated journey to Rome Essay in the New Testaments Book of Acts provides some useful insights into shipping practices during the first century of the common era. In this paper, I intend to summarise the information and clues provided in the Book of Acts and present an overview of some of the basic interpretations of the relevant passages. It is important to understand that the Book of Acts is a continuation of the gospel according to Luke and any reference to him here is in his capacity as writer of the Book. St.Paul, as a Roman prisoner, had been put in the charge of Julius, an officer in the Emperors Regiment who was to take the prisoners to Rome to see the Emperor. At Caesarea, Julius had his prisoners board a ship from Adramyttium and they sailed overnight to Sidon. The next leg of their journey was more difficult as the winds were again against them. As such, they sailed the ship on the sheltered east side of the island of Cyprus, then west to Myra. In Myra, Julius moved his prisoners to a boat from Alexandria which was bound for Italy. The first leg of their journey aboard this new ship was difficult as the winds were against them. It took several days to reach Cnidus. With the wind against them still, they were forced to sail south, hoping to take shelter behind the island of Crete. Keeping close to shore, they eventually arrived at Safe Harbours, on the southern coast of Crete. Here they stayed for several days and the Book of Acts notes that St.Paul advised against continuing as the Day of Atonement had already past (Acts 27:9-11). The Day of Atonement is the traditional day at which shipping would stop for the winter in anticipation of the poor weather to come. It is normally marked towards the end of September or the start of October. However St.Pauls advice fell on deaf ears and Julius chose to accept the advice of the ships owner and captain. They pressed on towards Phoenix (on Cretes west coast) which offered better winter harbour. Their plans were soon smashed by a strong wind from the north-east which blew them terribly off course. Helpless, the crew allowed the ship to drift. As they passed to the south of the island of Cauda (which provided a brief period of shelter against the wind), St.Luke notes that we managed to make the ships boat secure. They pulled it aboard and then fastened some ropes tight round the ship. (Acts 27:16-17) These verses are of special importance to Landels. Landels notes that St.Luke is writing about under-belts or hypozomata, which are essentially large ropes tied around the hull of a ship in order to keep it together in rough weather (Landels 1981, Pg. 138). This was necessitated by the type of hull construction employed, called carvel construction whic! h required the hull to be built within an exoskeleton of sorts which would not make up part of the finished hull. This method was typical of ship construction of the Mediterranean at the time. (Landels 1981, Pg. 137)According to Todays English Version from the Canadian Bible Society, the ships crew then lowered her sails and continued to drift with the violent north-easterly winds. However, Farrar (1879) notes that the English version does not describe the sail work well enough. His description is a succinct model of clarity, I present it here:There was only one way to save themselves to lie to, by rounding the prow of the vessel on the starboard tack as near to the wind as possible, to send down the topsail and cordage, lower the ponderous yard to such a height as would leave enough of the huge mainsail to steady the vessel, set the artemo, or storm-sail, and so let her drift on, broadside and leeward, at the mercy of wind and wave. (Pg. 568)Over the next two days, equipment and cargo were dumped overboard (in that order) to lighten the load. Farrar (1925, Pg. 569) notes that earlier versions of the Book (Syriac, Coptic, etc.) refer to the dumping the vessels huge mainyard overboard. This would have lightened the load considerably. .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .postImageUrl , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:hover , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:visited , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:active { border:0!important; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:active , .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20 .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1b8cb291ee74f09f5e15a2f461943e20:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: MACBETH Analysis EssayAccording to the Book of Acts, the ship and all souls on board drifted until the ships crew believed they were nearing land on the fourteenth night since passing Cauda. A claim brought into question by Acts 27:33 in which St.Paul implores his fellow travellers to eat as they have not eaten for fourteen days. It seems clear that either they had eaten during those fourteen days, or their length of time adrift was far shorter than the claimed two weeks. Death by way starvation would otherwise have been their fate. As the sailors suspected they were near land, they dropped a weighted line from the ships bow twice and found the water to be shallowing out very quickly. The crew dropped four anchors from the stern. This was not the usual method of dropping anchors from a ship of the period. Anchors were normally dropped from the ships prow1. In this case however, Farrar (Pg. 570) notes that, as they were quickly nearing shore, the crew feared that the stern would swing around and into the rocks were they to anchor her from the prow. The holes which normally held the steering oars (long since removed to allow the ship to drift) served to tie the anchors in place. Soon, St.Paul observed the crew preparing to abandon ship using the ships boat. He advised Julius to stop them as they were the only ones capable to bringing the ship to safety. Julius agreed and his men cut the ropes on the boat, letting it fall to the sea and preventing the crews escape. At dawn, St.Paul asked the men to eat (Acts 27:33) and they dumped the remaining wheat overboard. The light of day revealed a bay with a beach that the sailors did not recognise but believed would be appropriate to beach to ship. They cut the anchor ropes and raised the sails, heading for shore. But a sandbank lay between them and shore and the ship ran aground. As the waves began breaking up the stern, they abandoned ship and swam to shore all survived. Navigation of the period did not benefit from external aids such as magnetic compasses. Seafarers especially sailors were instead obliged to keep sight of land or be able to sight stars in order to navigate properly (Landels, Pg. 156). This is an important consideration in light of Acts 27:20, which reads For many days we could not see the sun or stars, and the wind kept on blowing very hard. We finally gave up all hope of being saved. This brings to light a very important consideration when studying shipping of the period. The sheer hopelessness experienced by the ships crew and passengers is certainly understandable as their only means of orientation and, as they had dumped their equipment overboard, their only means of navigation were unavailable for several days. Also of note here is the absence of any mention of rowing. Merchant ships of the period were ill-adapted to rowing due to their necessarily large beam widths (Landels, Pg. 154). St.Lukes mention of the dumping of equipment overboard is an indication that the ship was quite probably experiencing some severe leaks. By lightening the ships load, less water would be taken on. (Farrar, Pg. 568-569)It is widely believed that they ended up on the island of Malta, just south of Italy. However, there are those who believe that the ship was in fact wrecked on the shores of Mljet, also known as Melita, southernmost of the Dalmatian islands. Angus Acworth treats this alternative wreck site quite thoroughly in his article on St.Pauls shipwreck. He notes that the incident involving a snake biting St.Paul soon after their arrival on the island would be quite out of the ordinary on Malta, as there were virtually no snakes there at the time (as at present). However, Mljet was infested by snakes until the turn of the 20th century. Further Acworth notes that St.Luke described the inhabitants of the island as uncouth peasants a description which would not fit the typical cosmo politan Maltese of the period, but might well fit the inhabitants of Mljet. Further still, St.Luke clearly states (Acts 27:39) that the Alexandrian sailors did not recognise the coast of the island. ! Acworth contends that the Malta would have been recognisable whereas Mljet would not have been familiar. .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .postImageUrl , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:hover , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:visited , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:active { border:0!important; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:active , .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52 .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u667f124c5edd4b215f3cf5c169206e52:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Subject: Western Civilization - World War II Title: Did The Western Wo EssayThis final mystery in the life of St.Paul may never be truly solved. However, I believe Acworth makes a solid case for a landing at Mljet and I wonder if the day will come when the technology will available to conduct underwater archaeological inquiries in order to finally establish the true site of what was probably the most famous shipwreck in history. BibliographyAcworth, Angus St.Pauls Shipwreck In, Paul: Teacher and Traveller Bulmer-Thomas (ed.) Leighton: Faith Press, 1975Provides an excellent overview of evidence relating to possible shipwreck location being at Mljet rather than commonly acce pted site of Malta. Bradford, Ernle. Paul The Traveller Plymouth: Clarke, Doble ; Brendon Ltd., 1974Disagrees with accounts that dropping anchor from the stern was out of the ordinary. Chevallier, Raymond. Voyages et Deplacements Dans LEmpire Romain Paris: Armand Colin: 1988Although not directly used for the completion of this paper, Chevalliers overview of Roman shipping provided very useful background information with which to approach the study. Farrar, F.W. The Life and Work of St.Paul London: Cassell and Company, 1879An excellent analysis of the Book of Acts using several versions of the Bible and being especially critical of the Modern English Version for its inaccuracies. Good News Bible, with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha Todays English Version Glasgow: William Collins Sons Co., 1986Landels, J.G. Engineering In The Ancient World Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1981With regards to the St.Paul, Landels does not go into great detail, but his chapter on shipping sheds a great deal of supporting information on the subject.