Why God Allows Suffering - 731 Words

Everyone goes through suffering at some point in their lives, but many of them never really understand why a good, loving God allows them to go through this pain. Sometimes, it is even hard for them to trust God in their lives when they are going through suffering. They start to question God because if He is such a good and loving God, why would He not just take away their suffering. What most of them dont realize, though, is that God never actually wanted people to go through suffering. It was actually the fault of mankind that there is suffering because they sinned and turned away from God. Although it is not God who causes suffering, He still uses it for good. Many times, God uses it to draw people closer to Him because if they are going through pain, they are very likely to turn to Him. He also teaches lessons to those who suffer and shows who He wants them to be. God is at work in many lives transforming suffering into something great even if it does not seem good at the time. A lthough humans view suffering as horrible, God has a plan for the future. At times it may seem like God causes suffering, but actually it is the fault of mankind. In the beginning, God created everyone to have free will because He knew that without free will, no one would be able to make their own choices (Life on Hold). Without being able to make their own choices, there would be no real love because everyone would be forced to love. Everyone would all be programmed to do the same thing, soShow MoreRelatedWhy Does God Allow Suffering?1159 Words   |  5 PagesWhy does god allow suffering to happen in our world? The first five words of that sentence have been repeated probably since the beginning of religion itself. The majority of people have more than likely asked this question when they were present in a moment of suffering or tragedy. God does â€Å"allow† suffering, but he does not â€Å"cause† it. In order for the people of God to be completely free to love and serve the Lord in the greatest way possible, there has to be free will and free choice. WeRead MoreWhy Does God Allow Suffering Essay2750 Words   |  11 PagesWhy Does God allow suffering? This question is probably as old as religion itself. It is a stumbling block for some of us, and for many more at given moments of tragedy. There are as many answers to this question as there are people who care to engage in theological dialogue. One understanding is that yes, God allows bad things to happen; God does not cause them to happen. Most bad things which happen do so because God gives a radical freedom to Gods people; we are free people, not puppetsRead More Shadowlands: Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?‎ Essay682 Words   |  3 PagesIf God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer? The central question in Shadowlands challenges traditional religious and moral conventions. It is a question asked by many, with few satisfactory answers. Before attempting to answer the question, and explore its relationship to Shadowlands, let us first define the question, so its implications may be more clearly understood. At the heart of the question is a doubt in the goodness of God, If God loves us. From the beginning it is clear that God isRead MoreThe J.B. by Archibald MacLeish Argues Why God Allows Evil and Suffering1258 Words   |  6 PagesIf God is powerful and loving the humankind, then why does He permit evil as well as suffering in this world? Various answers had been offered by many Christian philosopher s and many victims of suffering, but there was not a lucid answer that could settle this argument permanently. God uses malicious acts of this world to rise up His own people and remind them that there is an opportunity that they can posses their eternal life. Literature, especially biblical literature has exploited this biblicalRead MoreWhy Are the Good Allowed to Suffer? From Senecas On Providence and The Bible1287 Words   |  6 Pagesquestions of all time: if there are gods who have control over humans’ lives, why do they allow good followers to suffer? How can there be any justice in that kind of world? Philosophers and thinkers like Seneca and authors of the Bible have debated and written about these questions since ancient times. Perhaps because hardships affect every person, many people continue to debate the same topics today. Seneca writes extensively about the topic of suffering in his essay â€Å"On Providence,† whichRead MoreThe Most Significant Perio d Of Suffering1549 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod of suffering I have gone through was when I lost my grandfather. I remember we had celebrated his 50th birthday never did imagine it would be the last. That horrible news impacts my life forever realizing that we don’t count for a tomorrow. His death was suddenly due to an embolism. His death caused me a lot of suffering because he was not sick and we had made a lot of plans. I did not know how to deal with his death because I was heartbroken. I wonder and questioned if maybe only God had givenRead MoreTheories on the Existence of God1110 Words   |  5 Pagesviews on God. Does he exist? Does he not exist? These questions can be argued with countless theories as to why he does exist and how there is no way that he does not exist or he does not exist and there is no way that he does exist. Theists would argue that God does exist and there is good reason to think that he exists. Agnostics, Atheists, and Fideists, on the other hand would argue that there is no good reason to think that God exists. For some people they have no doubt that God existsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Rebellion 1156 Words   |  5 Pages Does God exists? If He does exist, why does he allow evil? Why doesn’t He prevent bad things from happening? Since the origin of the world many people have doubted their faiths. When it comes to answering the question about God’s existence people have been divided into three different groups; theist, atheist, and agnostic. Theists are those who believe in God without doubting. Atheists do not believe in God at all. Agnostics cannot make up their minds because they do not have enough evidenceRead MoreThe Vs. Teleological Defence1256 Words   |  6 PagesGiven that evil and suffering exist within the world, there cannot exist an omnipotent, all-loving, perfect, ontologically separate God. In the early 21st century much evil has risen, such as terrorism, poverty, convivial dispute and the continual surge of natural disasters destroying land, homes and killing thousands of people. With all of this famine humans are experiencing on a daily basis, it seems inconceivable that an omnipotent, all-loving, ontologically separate God can exist. Despite theRead MoreFor God So Loved the World Essays923 Words   |  4 PagesFor God So Loved the World Even though I was only a small child, I remember the cold, fall day that I accompanied my father to a nearby cemetery. As we stood above three tiny graves, I recall the tears streaming down my father’s face and the anguish in his eyes. My father was reluctant to explain why we were there for fear that I was just too young and innocent to understand the horrid circumstances involved. He didn’t have to explain. I knew exactly why we were there. Word had already

alan turing Essay - 1102 Words

Alan Turning nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Alan Turning is known to be a pioneer of many facets of the computer age. The digital computer, artificial intelligence, memory subroutines, the Turning Machine, the Turing Test, and the application of algorithms to computers are all ideas somehow related to this man. Alan Mathison Turing was born in Paddington, London, on June 23, 1912. He was a precocious child and began his interests in science and mathematics at a young age, but was never concerned about other right-brain classes such as English. This continued until an important friend of his passed away and set Turing on a path to achieve what his friend could no longer accomplish. When his friend Christopher Morcom died, Turing was†¦show more content†¦At any point when the Turing Machine is operating it can read or write on one of these cells, the cell located under the read/write head. One aspect that set the Turning Machine apart from other computational machines of the same period was that the Turing Machine was designed to perform many functions. It could do any function that was fed to it on this tape that acted as an algorithm, whereas, other computational machines at that time were designed to perform only one task. The concept of the Turing Machine was then similar to the digital computers used today. Soon WWII began in Europe. During WWII, Turing was called by the Department of Communications in Great Britain. He was asked to help decipher the German codes that they were using to scramble their communications. The Germans had developed a sophisticated computer call the Enigma. It was able to generate a constantly changing code that was impossible for the code breakers to decipher in a timely fashion. Turing aided in the development of another computer used by Great Britain called Collossus that was able to decipher the communications coded by Enigma thus aided in the defeat of the Germans in WWII. After the war, Turing carried out many tasks. He became a very successful distance runner, at one point considering the Olympics. He Furthered his development of a true digital computer by creating the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) while working for the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Before completingShow MoreRelatedbiography of Alan Turing Essay3963 Words   |  16 Pagesï » ¿A Biography of Alan Turing, with Mathematics. From the middle name one may suspect a certain class value,although the Math bit is a strange coincidence. His father went to Oxford and then worked for the Indian Civil Service. His mothers father also worked in India. He was born in 1912, their second son. 1926 his father retired so perhaps he had something of normal family life from then on. Went to Sherborne, one of older public schools. Whilst there he became a close friend of ChristopherRead MoreComputing Machinery And Intelligence By Alan Turing2108 Words   |  9 Pagesmake decisions based on an input from an end user. For example Apples ‘Siri’ service turns voice commands in visual and audio responses. Alan Turing put this argument forward in his 1950 paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence†. His opening pages of the paper begin with the words; I propose to consider the question, Can machines think?† (Alan Turing 1950). My main argument to this is that a computer does not have the ability to think, primarily because it was created rather than ‘born andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Imitation Game By Alan Turing1334 Words   |  6 Pagesappropriate? How or more so who decides what is appropriate? These questions have been asked, debated, and fought over since the dawn of civilization. The rhetor of the movie The Imitation Game integrates these questions into the true story of Alan Turing and the people around him. The rhetor allows these questions of appropriateness to be narrowed down to two very influential people in history to give these large, foundational questions a more personal touch, and for the audience to see the veryRead MoreAnalysis Of Alan Turing s Idea Of Can Computers Think?1664 Words   |  7 Pages4) Make a case for or against Artificial Intelligence from a logistical or ideological standpoint. Refer to the work of Alan Turing in your response. Alan Turing’s idea of ‘can computers think? Is challenged with how complex the human brain is and how computers only know what they are programmed with, even though ‘Deep Blue’(Deep Blue (Chess Computer)) Was able to beat chess champion Garry Kasparov in game one of a six-game match on the 10th of February 1996. Artificial Intelligence can notRead MoreComputing Machinery And Intelligence By Alan Turing1469 Words   |  6 PagesIn his paper â€Å"Computing Machinery and Intelligence,† Alan Turing sets out to answer the question of whether machines can think in the same humans can by conceptualizing the question in concrete terms. In simple terms, Turing redefines the question by posing whether a machine can replicate the cognition of a human being. Yet, some may object to the notion that Turing’s new question effectively captures the nature of machines’ capacity for thought or consciousness, such as John Searle. In his ChineseRead Mor eHave you ever wondered who invented the modern computers we use today?Now, you would probably say1000 Words   |  4 Pagescomputers were invented by Alan Turing. He invented the Turing Machine, which is a computer that could process anything. In other words he created the first programing language. Not only did he contribute to computer science, but also in biology, chemistry, physics, and especially mathematics. He has countless number of achievements including his contribution of cracking the Nazi enigma code, which seemed at that time, â€Å"unbreakable†. Now lets dive into the life of Alan. Now where is better to startRead MoreSmart Cities716 Words   |  3 Pagesfuture, but are happening now and the World Wide Web of the Internet has been the greatest tool in achieving it. In fact there are examples of Smart cities in the past such as Bletchley Park, where Professor Alan Turing deciphered the infamous Nazi cipher Enigma machine during World War II. Alan Turing who is often called the father of modern computing, is only fitting that he too once lived in a smart city that changed the course of history and we know and live now. Compared to the early 21st centuryRead MoreStack Structure Essay855 Words   |  4 Pagesthat could be used in future references. Stacks was developed by a guy named Alan M. Turing. According to the CIA government information on Turing, he is an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and founder of computer science(Enigma, 2015). He was born in London, 23 June 1912, to upper-middle-class British parents who raised him in a traditional schooling system that was ran by the British imperial system. Turing entered the computer science world in his computer design where he uses theRead MoreContributions to Digital Computing of Alan Turring Essay559 Words   |  3 PagesContributions to Digital Computing of Alan Turring Alan Turing was a dedicated mathematician who devoted his lives works to developing computer knowledge, as we know it today. Alan was born in London, England on June 23, 1912. Alan soon began to attend a local school and his interest in the science fields arose. His teachers an others would try and make him concentrate on other fields such as History an English but his craving for knowledge of mathematics drove him the opposite way. Turing’sRead MoreArtificial Intelligence : The Science And The Future Utilization Of The Ai1349 Words   |  6 Pagespeople ought to have the capacity to do the majority of the things people can do. People can think, thus additionally ought to any machine having human-level knowledge. Alan Turing guaranteed that it was excessively troublesome, making it impossible to characterize considering. Rather he proposed what has come to be known as the Turing test . To breeze through the test, a machine must be capable, as a general rule, to persuade h uman members in suitably arranged mysterious dialogs that they are speaking

Gardenia Bread Philippines Free Essays

1. Francisco Alonso Liongson  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Outstanding Philippine playwright in Spanish and founding president of Circulo Escenico, Pampanga’s Spanish theatrical group that became nationally renowned. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Gardenia Bread Philippines or any similar topic only for you Order Now Aurelio Tolentino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ one of the mystics of the  Katipunan, a compadre of  Andres Bonifacio, a nationalist writer in both Kapampangan and Tagalog. He coined the worddula  for drama and ironically became known in history as the Father of Tagalog Drama for his anti-US colonial masterpiece  Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas. A theatre at the Cultural Center of the Philippines is named  Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino  in his honor. 3. Jose Abad Santos  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ First Kapampangan to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. After Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and Vice-President Sergio Osmena left Philippine soil for the safety in America, Justice Abad Santos was the highest ranking official of the Philippine government until his execution on May 2, 1942 by the Japanese Imperial Army for his refusal to cooperate. 4. Sotero Baluyot- Provincial governor during the Commonwealth, he formed an organization known as â€Å"Cawal ning Capayan,† described as â€Å"the largest amd most powerful provincial organization† of its time (Sturtevant, Popular Uprisings in the Philippines: 1840-1949). Although it claimed to be a â€Å"conservative labor union,† it was, in fact, a strike-breaking group of â€Å"Fascist thugs,† as the communists called them. (Pol Kekai Manansala). 5. Rosalina Icban Castro  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Married to Jose Luna Castro, and while born in Rosales, Pangasinan, both her parents are from Pampanga and she speaks Kapampangan fluently. Obtained an   M. A. in English at Syracuse University , was a professor in English   at U. E. for several decades. During all her years as an educator, she was sought by researchers in Kapampangan literature for her intimate knowledge of Kapampangan writing. She is the author of â€Å"The Literature of the Pampangos – an anthology and at the same time a political literary history. (ref. E. H. Lacson) (Ernie Turla) 6. Jose Luna Castro  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Born on March 4, l9l5 in Manila to Faustino Castro and Claudia Luna – both of Lubao, Pampanga. Finished High school at Pampanga High. Finished his M. A. in Journalism and political science at Syracuse University. He became president of the Asian Institute of Journalism and has held such high positions as press counselor of the Phil. Embassy in Peking, editor of the Manila Times (l959 – l972), editor-in-chief of the Times-Journal. He was a lecturer in   Journalism at U. P. and an Eisenhower Fellow in l970. He participated in international meetings in the U. S. , Korea,   Thailand, Singapore and Japan. He authored â€Å"Journalism Handbook†. (ref. E. H. Lacson) (Ernie Turla). 7. Virgilio David  of Bacolor, PMA graduate, retired Philippine Army general and former Anti-Drug chief during the presidency of Cory Aquino, business executive and government agency director (by Alejandro S. Camiling). 8. Lito Lapid  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a famous star turned politician. He became governor of Pampanga and later became a member of the Philippine senate. 9. Lorna Tolentino  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is an actress, host, executive producer and wife of fellow Kapampangan actor  Rudy Fernandez. She was born in Concepcion, Tarlac and was raised in Manila. 10. Lea Salonga  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is a Tony Award-winning singer and actress who is best known for her portrayal of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon. She spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila. 11. Melanie Marquez  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is a popular beauty queen-turned-actress who hails from Mabalacat. She was Miss International 1979 and was voted as the Most Beautiful Miss International in 2000. She’s also a sister of another local actor,  Joey Marquez. 12. Efren â€Å"Bata† Reyes  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is referred to as â€Å"The Magician† and a very popular Filipino billiards player who hails from Angeles City. He is considered to be one of history’s greatest practitioners of billiards. 13. Artemio Panganiban  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 21st Supreme Court Chief Justice of the Philippines. His ancestors originated from Pampanga and then later generations migrated to Manila. 14. Herminia â€Å"Minang† Dizon. Girlfriend of Ray Hunt (author of Behind Japanese Lines), who wrote: â€Å"Minang was a schoolteacher before the war and a most remarkable individual. The only word to describe her would be ‘fierce. ‘ She had taken up with Maj. Claude Thorpe before the fall of Bataan †¦ and she had been captured with Thorpe. .. some of her captors were quite taken with her. One high ranking Japanese officer even offered to take her with him when his countrymen conquered Australia †¦ One day Minang got a chance to escape and did so, but her life was precarious in the extreme because she was pursued not only by the Japanese but by the communist guerrillas (Huks), who hated her, and by her uncle who wanted her killed †¦ tough and resourceful woman. She was not especially pretty, though she did have flashing eyes, but she was intelligent, well organized, and articulate. †¦ I soon became smitten with her and she with me. †¦ Though she was just a slip of a girl who weighed no more than 90 pounds and could stand under my outstretched arm, no lion ever had a stouter heart. Near the end of the war †¦ she was commiss ioned a lieutenant in recognition of her wartime services. † [source: â€Å"Behind Japanese Lines† by Ray C. Hunt and Bernard Norling, 1986, 333 pages] (by Pol Kekai Manansala) 5. Armando Q. Madamba  of San Fernando, PMA graduate, Philippine Navy commodore, a staunch advocate of the modernization of the Philippine Navy, senior staff member, Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as military attache in the Middle East (by Alejandro S. Camiling). 16. Marco G. Palo. A resident of Angeles City, was arrested in Feb. 1982 with other trade union organizers; severely tortured and was hospitalized as a result of this. Detained at the Bicutan Rehabilitation Center for two years and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion. Re-arrested in 1988 with alleged leaders of the CPP-NPA. and detained at the Camp Crame PC stockade. Charged with rebellion and released after two years (Dave Nepomuceno). 17. Senator Gil Puyat. Son of the pioneer Pampangan industrialist, Don Gonzalo Puyat. Graduated in l929 in Business Administration (cum laude) from U. P. where he became a dean in its department of economics. First elected senator in l955, he was consistently named â€Å"One of the Five Most Outstanding Senators† every year. He became the President of the Senate in l967. Very popular and well-known, and a notable economist Senator Puyat became Majority Floor Leader in the Senate. He hails from Guagua — he loved the people of Guagua such that he was instrumental in constructing several public works such as the bridges leading to Barrio Santa Filomena and the plaza in front of the town church . Buendia   Ave. in Makati is now renamed after him. (Andro Camiilng) (E. H. Lacson) (Ernie   Turla) 18. Rosa Danon Rosal  . More popularly known by her screen name of Rosa Rosal, born in Manila 16 October 1931 to Julio Danon and Gloria Lansang (from which town of Pampanga? , lived in garage for 16 years, sold sweepstakes tickets starting at six years old, studied at Antonio Regidor Elementary School. secondary schooling at Arellano High School. Worked at National Coconut Corporation as weaver, moved to soap factory where she pounded and shaped soap cakes under the sun, promoted to wrapping department, learned typing on old typewriter and worked as se cretary. â€Å"Discovered† while watching shooting of a film and starred in film â€Å"Kamagong† (I remember this film–weren’t parts of it shot at the Don Pepe Henson house in Angeles. I seem to remember being aware of the shooting when I was a little girl. ). Finished secondary schooling between movies. Won best actress for Sonny Boy (1956), won highest award in Southeast Asian film festival in HK in 1956 for Anak Dalita, leading to presidential award from Magsaysay. Refused to start in bomba films and instead devoted energies to social work and rearing of daughter (didn’t she become famous too? ). Gave up weekly TV show for lesser paying daily show called Damayan to help socially disadvantaged. Active in innumerable socio-civic areas ranging from promotional activities for Red Cross to relief work. Recipient of countless awards and citations from movie, civic, and religious organizations for humanitarian work, including the Outstanding Pampanguena Award in 1979. When asked why she’s so dedicated to the poor, she replied: â€Å"I have been poor and I know how it feels to be pushed around. † (Pat Sutter) 19. Lilia Garcia â€Å"Baby† Pineda  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Lubao town mayor who was elected president of the Pampanga Mayors League and more recently, as vice president for Luzon in the League of Municipalities, the umbrella organization of 1,540 towns in the Philippines. She does a great deal of humanitarian work, including helping in the resettlement of people in lahar-devasted areas. A well-known philantropist, she financially helps the poor in Pampanga especially families who cannot afford to send their children to college. Way back in the 60’s, she was among the outstanding students in this author’s class. (Ernie Turla) 20. Sixto V. Torres, Sr. of Apalit, former regional director and deputy commisioner of the Land Transportation Commision of the Philippines and founder of the Gonzales Memorial College (by Alejandro S. Camiling). How to cite Gardenia Bread Philippines, Essay examples

Yoel Yoel free essay sample

Yoel Yoel English comp 1March 05/02/2018Essay #3 persuasive Why Go to Community College?In a recent college survey student were asked if a community college is the best way to start; 80% said its the best way to start school. time magazine. While people prefer beginning at four-year university, I believe community colleges are the best way to start. First attending a community college before a university is less expensive. In a time, magazine article, researchers found that a student in a four-year university spends average 5-8 thousand dollars for a semester while a student in a community college spends average 2-3 thousand a semester. That is four to five thousand dollars cheaper than a university. They could possibly live at home for cheap and can continue to work at a high school job and save up to transfer. Its less competition to get a scholarship for academics or sports. Typically, community colleges are smaller, so students can benefit classes that are not far from each other, so it doesnt take long to get from one class to another even if they are on separate sides of the campus. We will write a custom essay sample on Yoel Yoel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In a smaller class, professors have the opportunity to learn more about their students. Students in turn find their teachers more accessible and can get assistance when they need it. Community colleges offer a wide variety of support services to assist students in improving their skills in reading, writing, and mathematics.Miscellaneous Community colleges also give you more opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities and you can act as bridge between home and high school and complete independence. Transferability is not a problem, you will get help with basic courses that may not be in your field of expertise. As a result, I think it is a wise choice to think to go college before a university. People who go to a university have a lot trouble finding a job which can prevent them to pay their student loans after they graduate. Community colleges offer a chance for students to start their lives when they prefer. It is a beginning of a dream for some people who will later seek attending a university to master their knowledge. Once students spend two years at a community college, they are prepared to move to the next step, transferring from a community college to a University is a benefit for many students.

NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Limited Essay Example

NTUC FairPrice Co NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Limited Essay NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Limited Essay NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Limited is one of Singapore’s largest chains of supermarkets, department stores and convenience stores. It was founded in 1973 by the Singaporean labor union with the objective of influencing Singapore’s high cost of living through the implementation of regulated pricing on many everyday consumer goods. Currently, FairPrice’s vast 130-outlet supermarket chain includes concepts like FairPrice Finest, Fairprice Xtra and Fairprice Supermarkets. Meanwhile, Fairprice also maintains two convenience store lines namely: FairPrice Express and Cheers- with both having a combined network of more than 150 branches. In response to the growing demand for online shopping, the company has also launched FreshPrice Online- a web platform that enables shoppers to buy their groceries online and have them delivered straight to their homes. FairPrice’s multiple and diverse selling channels enable them to serve more than half a million customers on a daily basis (FairPrice, 2017). According to Bloomberg (2017), FairPrice’s outlets offer mainly products like food items, beverages, frozen goods, fresh produce, alcohol, toiletries, health and beauty items and other similar merchandise. Aside from its regular retail and grocery operation, the company also maintains warehousing, trading and distribution businesses. PESTEL Analysis Political Factors Political factors pertain to the degree of influence and capacity of governments to intervene in the operations of businesses through public policy, tax laws, import and export restrictions and other trade regulations (Aguilar, 1967). Singapore, being a largely commercial and highly urbanized country, is mostly unable to grow its own agricultural products that are needed in the production of food and beverage goods. This being the case, the country is largely dependent on international trade with countries like the United States, Australia, a large part of Europe and the Middle East. The country maintains a relatively open economy- being able to conduct business with the aforementioned countries with minimal sanctions and restrictions. In fact, the Singaporean government does not impose any import taxes on most food and beverage products with the exception of tobacco and alcoholic goods. The government’s openness on international trade may implicate a great advantage for FairPrice whose merchandise are primarily imported food and beverage goods (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 2015). Economic Factors Economic factors pertain to key trends concerning consumer’s disposable income, general unemployment levels, interest rates, inflation rates and other economic indicators that can affect a populace’s willingness and ability to buy and to consume goods (Aguilar, 1967). According to Tang (2017), despite the general slowdown of the Singaporean economy in the recent years, the country achieved higher than expected economic growth in the final quarters of 2016. In fact, Singapore’s economy expanded by 1. 8 percent from 2015 to 2016. The country’s gross domestic product also grew by at least 9. % during the final quarter of the year. While this proves to be a positive sign for the economy, he still warns that 2017 may be marred with dismal business growth and a lack of consumer confidence as the Singaporean economy may get affected by the continued weakening of the Euro, the slowdown of the Chinese economy and the protectorate stance of the Trump administration. These events along with the fact that Singapore continues to be one of Asia’s most expensive cities to live in can cause great concern for customers and may seriously affect their ability to spend on consumer goods. Social Factors Social factors primarily pertain to the general behavior and mindset of a group of consumers. Particularly, it can pertain to their current set of preferences as dictated by their demographic profile, psychographic dispositions and the presence of new trends in the market (Aguilar, 1967). Singapore’s populace is generally characterized by a highly productive and fast-paced workforce. In fact, Singaporeans are known to clock in an average of 46 working hours per week- one of the highest in the world (Ministry of Manpower, 2015). This may have led many customers to develop of culture of convenience- opting for activities and services that can help them save time and be more productive. Firstly, this could mean a sustained increase for demand of instant and easily prepared food items. Secondly, it could also mean that more and more users are open to trying and subscribing to their online platform. Technological Factors Technological factors pertain to the advancements that can significantly improve a business’ internal and external operations. They may pertain to new discoveries that can help create new products or services or to new innovations that can streamline systems and costs (Aguilar, 1967). Being a highly urbanized society, the Singaporean market has become highly dependent on technology. This includes grocery shopping. In a study conducted by Shandwick (2014) about general grocery shopping behavior, more than 60% of the respondents claimed to prefer buying instant and readily prepared meals and goods. In the same year, more than 200,000 shoppers bought their groceries online to be able to save time and effort in shopping for their everyday needs (Jenner, 2016). This could imply a huge opportunity to grow FreshPrice Online. Environmental Factors Environmental factors pertain to the general attitude of customers and the stance of the government when it comes to preservation of the natural environment. The company may be affected by laws on waste management, energy consumption regulations, general environment protection sanctions and even the public’s perception on a company’s responsiveness to environmental issues. According to National Environment Agency (2017), Singapore’s daily solid waste output has reached 8,400 tons a day- marking an eight-fold increase from its waste output from the 1970s. This continuously increasing trend has forced the Singaporean government to implement a more systematic public waste collection scheme and a more stringent illegal dumping law. Being one of the largest producers of solid food waste in the country, FairPrice took a proactive stance and led the implementation of the Food Waste Index that essential measures and tracks the waste the company produces on a periodic basis. It is the first step towards the implementation of other key initiatives (Zero Waste Singapore, 2015). Legal Factors Legal factors pertain to the stringency of the government and other governing bodies in key aspects of business operations. These factors may cover employment regulations, workplace safety requirements, product testing procedures, anti-trust laws, competitive regulations and other similar factors. According to Shaffer (2013), Singapore’s fairly controversial position of limiting the influx of foreign laborers in the country had significant detrimental effects on many food and retail establishments. Since as much as 40% of Singapore’s population can be considered foreigners, the government’s stance has cut businesses’ access to affordable labor- hampering their ability to expand swiftly. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Threat of New Entrants (Low) The threat of new entrants in any industry implicates the possibility of losing market share to new players, hence having to split returns and profits amongst many competitors (Porter, 1985). In the case of FairPrice, the threat of new entrants can be considered low. Firstly, entering the supermarket and grocery industry requires substantially large capital to be devoted to the purchase of expensive real estate, building and infrastructure requirements as well as the different facilities and fixtures used in day to day operations. The business will also require huge investments in inventories, warehousing and wages for the labor force. Bargaining Power of Buyers (Moderate) The bargaining power of buyers implies the customer’s influence and capability to put pressure on the company to make changes in their strategies (Porter, 1985). In the case of FairPrice, this can be considered only moderately threatening. For instance, individual customers purchase in relatively small quantities which create a fairly insignificant portion of the company’s total sales. The decisions of one customer may prove immaterial in the long run. However, in the unlikely scenario where FairPrice decides to increase prices or suffers from the poor service of their personnel, it is not impossible for customers to opt for different supermarkets. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Low) Likewise, the bargaining power of suppliers pertains to their ability to put pressure and influence the strategic decisions of a company. Because of the scale of FairPrice’s operations, the bargaining power of suppliers can be considered significantly low. Suppliers may prove to be very careful in negotiating and doing business with a client of over a hundred branches as they may be easily replaced with a different brand. In fact, FairPrice may have enough leverage to demand the lowest prices and the biggest margins from its many suppliers. Threat of Substitutes (Moderate) The threat of substitutes pertains to the propensity of current customers to try out alternative products and services (Porter, 1985). In the case of FairPrice, this can be considered as a moderate threat. On one hand, online shopping has yet to capture a significant portion of the market to be considered highly threatening. However, the threat for substitutes can be considered relatively high in some product lines that FairPrice is carrying such as alcoholic beverages, hair care products, cosmetics and others similar goods. Customers may easily opt to purchase them in other shops such as liquor shops, drugstores and the like. Competitive Rivalry (High) FairPrice has equally popular and trusted competitors in the likes of Dairy Farm Singapore, Sheng Siong and Cold Storage (Singapore Business Review, 2012). Because the prices for consumer goods are relatively transparent and easily comparable, small variations in pricing can cause customers to prefer a competitor over another. Besides the proximity of the grocery stores from their residences or offices, there is very little motivation to keep customers loyal to a single line of grocery. Management Recommendations Prioritization of FairPrice Online While it can be said that there is still minimal demand for online grocery shopping, the steadily increasing adoption rates and customer usage suggest that the channel can be a significant contributor to sales in the next few years. If FairPrice could occupy and dominate the online grocery shopping market first, it may help avert tight competition in the future. It may be an opportune time for FairPrice to invest heavily in marketing their platform through the use of social media, in-store advertising through their shops and subsidized promotions amongst many other options to try and raise the adoption level amongst Singaporeans. Creating and Improving Customer Loyalty Programs The Five Forces Analysis reveals that while FairPrice can be considered one of the stronger players in the grocery market, it is still susceptible from losing customers due to tight competition. One way to address such an issue is improve the already-existing NTUC Plus Card which entitled frequent buyers to rebates. Instead of just offering rebates, allowing loyal customers to choose from a wider range of rewards like free travel, discounted spa treatments, and other lifestyle-based rewards could prove compelling. In addition, FairPrice could tie up with leading electronics, luxury or fashion brands and have them offer exclusive deals to the most loyal customers. Maximizing Environmental Programs FairPrice’s proactive stance on environmental programs could be a source of sustainable competitive advantage. FairPrice may invest in a full-blown department solely devoted in studying its environmental and waste footprint and finding ways to reduce them through technology. Firstly, such an investment can pay off in savings from avoiding waste products. Secondly, FairPrice can strengthen the reputation of its brand. Reinforcement of Concepts’ Branding While the FairPrice brand remains popular and distinct, the concepts under it like FairPrice Xtra and FairPrice Fresh amongst others may benefit from further brand building. By differentiating and specializing each one, they could occupy different spaces in the market and further reinforce the market leadership of FairPrice. A good start could be the launch and maintenance of separate marketing communications campaigns for each one. Conclusion The PESTEL Analysis reveals a relatively favorable external environment for the continuous growth of Fair Price. Despite the underperformance of the economy, the Singaporean government remains very supportive of major business activities like importation and exportation. Technological advancement has made it easier to cope with an ever-changing changing customer profile and preference. And by taking a proactive stance, FairPrice is able to manage most environmental and legal issues surrounding their business. On the other hand, the Five Forces Analysis reveals the innate strength of the FairPrice brand and organization. With the large scale and span of its operations, FairPrice is susceptible to few risk factors aside from the perennially tight competition amongst players.

10 Facts About the Element Chromium

10 Facts About the Element Chromium Here are 10 fun and interesting facts about the element chromium, a shiny blue-gray transition metal. Chromium has atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6 on the Periodic Table,  with an atomic weight of 51.996 and density of 7.19 grams per cubic centimeter.Chromium is a hard, lustrous, steel-gray metal.  Chromium may be highly polished. Like many transition metals, it has a high melting point (1907 degrees C, 3465 degrees F) and high boiling point (2671 degrees C, 4840 degrees F).Stainless steel is hard and resists corrosion due to the addition of chromium.Chromium is the only element which shows antiferromagnetic ordering in its solid state at and below room temperature. Chromium becomes paramagnetic above 38 degrees C.  The elements magnetic properties are among its most notable characteristics.Trace amounts of trivalent chromium are needed for lipid and sugar metabolism. Hexavalent chromium and its compounds are extremely toxic and also carcinogenic. The 1, 4, and 5 oxidation states also occur, although they are less common.Chromium occurs naturally as a mix of three stable isotopes: Cr-52, Cr-53, and Cr-54. Chromium-52 is the most abundant isotope, accounting for 83.789% of its natural abundance.  19 radioisotopes have been characterized. The most stable isotope is chromium-50, which has a half-life of  over  1.8Ãâ€"1017  years. Chromium is used to prepare pigments (including yellow, red, and green), to color glass green, to color rubies red and emeralds green, in some tanning processes, as a decorative and protective metal coating, and as a catalyst.Chromium in air is passivated by oxygen, forming a protective layer that is essentially a spinel that is a few atoms thick. The coated is metal is usually called chrome.Chromium is the 21st or 22nd most abundant element in the Earths crust. It is present at a concentration of approximately 100 ppm.Most chromium is obtained by mining the mineral chromite. Although it is rare, native chromium also exists. It may be found in kimberlite pipe, where the reducing atmosphere favors the formation of diamond in addition to elemental chromium. Additional Chromium Facts Uses of Chromium About 75 percent to 85 percent of the chromium that is commercially  produced is used to make alloys, such as stainless steel. Most of the remaining chromium is used in the chemical industry and in foundries and refractories. The Discovery and History of Chromium Chromium was discovered by  French chemist Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin in 1797 from a sample of the mineral crocoite (lead chromate). He reacted chromium trioxide (Cr2O3) with charcoal (carbon), which yield needle-like crystals of chromium metal. Although it wasnt purified until the 18th century, people had been using chromium compounds for thousands of years. The Qin Dynasty of China used chromium oxide on their weapons. Although its unclear whether they sought the color of the compounds or the properties, the metal did protect the weapons from degradation. Naming Chromium The name of the element comes from the Greek word chroma, which translates as color. The name chromium was proposed by French chemists Antoine-Franà §ois de Fourcroy and Renà ©-Just Haà ¼y. This reflects the colorful nature of chromium compounds and the popularity of its pigments, which may be found in yellow, orange, green, purple, and black. The color of a compound may be used to predict the oxidation state of the metal.

Aging population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aging population - Essay Example It secondly followed by south Dakota, which has 10% of youth aged between 20-24 .The youth unemployment rate in this state is only 8.4%.the Third number falls to Lowa state. It has a low rate of 11% of unemployed youths (Christine, pg.3). Increased fertility, migration and mortality rate always have tremendous effects on the overall pattern of people in America. Like in Lowa state, the population is mainly composed of youth due to the increased fertility rate. Majority of Lowa youths marries at an average of twenty three years compared to the typical American average of twenty five years. This leads to increased birth rate across the state thus leading to the increased number of young people. Secondly economic trends have an impact on the age structure (Christine, pg.3). In many states like Lowa and Dakota has attracted many young people due to the employment opportunities they offer. This has attracted many young unemployed Americans in these states thus leading to increase of the young group in these states. California has been affected by both internal and international migration. It has faced steady outflow of young people looking for jobs in other states. As these younger people move north and west in search for jobs, the older population is left behind. This has made Florida to have large proportion of older people compared to other