MacG 50ish years ago

MacG 50ish years ago Every now and then I get a cool email from the outside world. Heres a recent one: Jim Olson 74, OG MacG resident, answered some questions I asked in a rambly 10-minute-long video tour of my MacGregor single. Enjoy this edited and lightly01 ever since Petey gave us the annotation feature its been hard not to annotate every single thing, so this is a qualified emlightly/em annotated version of his email! Abby, A Google search of  MIT MacGregor House  led me to a video you posted last year about your room.   I can offer you some rare feedback on questions you raised in your video. I was one of the 324 students02 I think were at about 320 now. Four singles were lost in the construction of an extra GRT apartment for Spanish House, who were exiled from New House a couple of years ago due to an extensive renovation effort. that moved into MacG as construction was being completed in September 1970.   I was a young 18 years old then.   Im 67 now, a nearly-retired Course 6-1 graduate living in Indianapolis. I assume that Course 6-1 still means electrical engineer of the hardware variety.03 indeed it does   In my era, MIT had no computer science department.04 fifty years later, comp sci is synonymous with Course 6 and is breaking off to become the new College of Computing, my how things have changed...   Everything computer was a trivial subset of Electrical Engineering.   We Course 6 majors dominated the Institute back then.05 ...and yet things seem to stay the same Getting into MacG in the fall of 1970 was akin to hitting the Mega Millions jackpot today.   Every other dorm on MIT’s campus that year was a steaming pile compared to all-new MacG.   All MacG rooms were singles except for two doubles in F entry.06 There seems to have been some modification to the original building since then that included the addition of another apartment for the Area Director, which may have led to the construction of a third double in F. As of now, the only three doubles in MacGregor are in F entry, one on each floor, with the two on floors 3 and 4 facing the Charles. They exist due to some kind of (un)intentional(?) architectural feature that would make it impossible to split the doubles into two rooms without doing more construction. I recall that MacG rent (not including food) was $30507 compare to $5,505/semester today :-) per semester in 1970.   This bargain improved even more in my senior year when I got F423, the giant wedge room that faces Prudential Tower.08 Another interesting MacG architectural anomaly that affects F rooms: there are two trapezoidal rooms (one on the third floor and one on the fourth) that each have the square footage of about 1.5 MacGregor singles. Im not sure why they exist, but seeing as they are located right next to the doubles on those floors, it may have just been the best way to turn that space into livable rooms. These big rooms dont exist in other entries. Theyre really nice. Rooming and Government     Senior year, I got the upper F Entry wedge room, in part because I was house grease,09 unfortunately this term has not been passed down to the current residents i.e. a dorm politico.   At that time, MacG’s room assignment process gave some weight to those who served on Housecomm.   I can imagine that attitudes toward living group politicos have changed through the years.   For all I know, Housecomm might need to meet in secrecy these days.   But in those days, talented house presidents like Paul Aidala and Marty Davidoff commanded a measure of respect from residents. Many upperclassmen assigned to MacGregor in 1970 were from Burton-Conner House, closed a year or two before for renovation.10 the eternal recurrence of MIT delpushing out/del relocating living groups to fix up our antique dorm buildings-- BC folks are going to go through this again next year when the dorm will close for renovations   BIE (Burton-in-Exile) residents had been living off campus with MIT subsidy after their dorm was closed. Most incoming MacG upperclassmen chose tower11 we call it the high-rise now; this is the vertically stacked grouping of entries A, B, C, D, E as opposed to the horizontally-arranged low-rise F, G, H, J entries rooms, only to learn that they were hotter than hell during warm months.12 can confirm: When I first got to MIT in August 2016, I was temped in E entry, and the first thing I bought was a big fan. The heat is the result of a combination of the brick oven design of the dorm and the giant windows that face direct sunlight in some rooms.   I stayed in an A Entry room during the warm 1994 alumni weekend. I nearly moved to a hotel. For the first year or two, A Entry folks dominated Housecomm13 when I first got here, it was F that dominated Housecomm and apparently had for most of recent history, but things have changed a bit and there seems to be more entry diversity/representation nowadays and staffing the front desk.14 The last 3(? maybe even more than that) macdesk captains have been F entry people, and I think I basically count as number 4. An alumnus from the late 80s stopped by during an alumni visit weekend a year or two ago while I was working desk, and he said that F entry also ran desk for the most part when he was here. Whether this was due to selective hiring or lack of interest from other entries residents or chance, I am not sure, but the current staff is a bit more balanced across entries.   Part of my motivation to run for Housecomm was to dilute that dominance.   Assholes15 Ive lived in both F and A and appreciate the alliterative insult acted like they owned the place. I think the Tute bunked pairs of freshmen in the MacG tower living rooms16 suite lounges by 1972, but only for a year or so as I recall.   They didnt fill living rooms in the low-rise entries because there were no doors.17 there still arent doors, so its a bit difficult to party in those lounges without having random other residents walk through with like... laundry baskets Friction with Contractor Your video showed MacGs courtyard.   The first courtyard trees were planted in September 1970 in time for the buildings dedication.   The landscaping was ripped out the day after the buildings dedication, construction thereafter continued, and Jackson Construction replanted18 kresge vibes landscaping by Thanksgiving.   The tall trees in MacG’s courtyard were once only 6 feet tall. Jackson Construction Company (the primary contractor building MacG House) employees were still working to finish the building during rush week 1970. Jackson’s workers derisively referred to us as the fucking stoooodents.   1970 was during the bloodiest phase of the Vietnam War and we were considered spoiled rich kids avoiding the draft. Looking back on it with the maturity of being 67, those construction workers had a point.   MacGregor residents weren’t all rich but we were privileged in other ways. Jackson employees were suspended from ropes in the low-rise area, caulking around new windows on cold October 1970 mornings. When they peered through the glass into the warm dorm room beyond, they saw another kid their own age still asleep and enjoying protection from the draft that blue collar workers did not have. Why wouldn’t Jackson’s workers be angered by that unfairness?   Just like us students, these Jackson guys are certainly still alive today.   Young people today should never doubt that the gaping political divide in the US in 2019 has roots in an unpopular war that ended 44 years ago. Jackson Sux     The animosity between MacGregor residents and Jackson Construction Company spawned a well-executed hack memorialized for many years in the first floor trophy case.19 We got a hydroponic garden installed in that space a year or two ago, but I bet the cornerstone got moved somewhere for storage. A few days before MacG’s formal dedication (an affair that included attendance of MIT dignitaries) some Tower folks (names never revealed) substituted a stone engraved with JACKSON SUX in place of the one saying “1970” that Jackson Construction Company installed in the wall to the right of the lobby entrance.   The stone substitution was done at night by students and obscured from view by parking a motorcycle in front of it. Just before the start of the building dedication ceremony, the housemaster issued a dorm-wide demand for the student owner of the motorcycle in the courtyard to move it.   That was accomplished quickly, exposing the JACKSON SUX stone substitution.   However, the reveal was too close to the start of the ceremony to remove the stone  or cover it up. from volume 90, issue 44 of The Tech from just now when I took the picture There is an old picture somewhere of Jackson Construction’s project manager smiling (forced, I’m sure) in front of the bogus corner stone that highlighted his company’s running battles with MacG residents. Dorm Furnishings   Your MacG room has much of the same hardware I had in 1970.   The oak clothes closet in your video is the same one from 1970 except for some clear polyurethane sprayed on it to extend its life. Your desk is a near copy of the original ones. The oak shelves that fit the metal tracks in the wall are the same 1970 shelves.   MIT quickly paid to create more of them20 that might explain why one of my old shelves was painted black with daisies on it because new MacG residents were bartering (and pilfering) them. Each MacG room had a corded, dial-type phone,21 we have phone/ethernet jacks still but no phones although connected only to MITs aging campus phone system.  These dorm phones could not dial outside, only call other MIT phones.   To call home to our parents (and girlfriends), we had to pay New England Telephone Company to install a real phone, usually placed in the suite hallway.22 A lot of the lounges now have a (free) corded phone that can call both the outside world and the internal MIT network. I realized this freshman year when I called my own phone from one of the suite phones and then stored the number so that I could later call people and startle them with the ringing. No one ever calls those phones and most people dont really notice they exist at all.   The monthly fees for these real world phones were very high, so we shared the expense among suite members.   A long distance call home in 1970 cost about $4 per minute in today’s dollars.   Having a girlfriend back home presented a serious financial burden. MIT winters were much colder back then.   It was not uncommon for the window glass and metallic frame around it to frost on the inside on cold nights. had to dig for this screenshot The only MacG students who had drapes in 1970 were those who purchased them from local department stores.   MIT provided no drapes in those days.   During the coldest spells, I installed a skirt board at the bottom of my window to keep radiator heat from flowing on the glass-adjacent side of my drapes.   I needed this sparse heat on my side of the drapes.23 Now that drapes are standard issue with the rooms, I dont know how people could survive the winter without them. My bed is close to the window, so when it gets cold I tape/fasten the curtains to the frame so that none of that 1970 radiator heat is lost behind them. If you were to leave your curtains open during the winter, your room would be significantly colder due to heat lost through the big window. In the summer, you have to keep your curtains closed to keep the heat from coming emin/em through the window. Overhead room lights and fire sprinklers were added to MacG in the 1980s, dramatically cluttering the look of the building’s interior. If the architects that designed MacG were alive today, they would readily concede three significant errors they made: Not anticipating the dramatic rise in the cost of energy during the 1970s. MacGregor’s vast expanses of brick and glass make the building an unmitigated energy hog. Not anticipating the rapid change in building codes that forced fire sprinklers throughout, even to existing buildings. I wouldn’t be surprised if retrofitting MacG with sprinklers years later cost half the price of building a new dorm. The wind focusing effect24 The MacGregor wind tunnel! Anyone who has lived at or past MacG on dorm row has experience with this. There have been several particularly brutal winter days where the wind very nearly could have knocked me over, not to mention the times that Ive had to walk through with my eyes closed because the wind would burn my eyes. Theyve installed a windbreaker-like structure out front recently to help with the door-opening issue, but Im not entirely sure it works that well. of the tower and low-rise made it hard to open the courtyard doors.   This problem was apparent from the very first winter.   I mastered the technique of leaning against the door frame while pulling at the handle with both hands. Commons Fifty years later, the details of food service at MacGregor25 There used to be a dining hall at MacG, but then again there also used to be a convenience store at MacG (RIP MacCon). Its now a room with chairs and tables and a mirrored stage where various dance groups practice. (“commons”) elude me.   I think it was only 15 meals per week with mandatory participation, meaning that we fed ourselves on weekends using the suite kitchens.   I don’t recall the price, but it was painful.26 IMO dining plans are still painfully out of budget for me Commons food my freshman year was excellent and featured unlimited servings.   During red tide algal blooms in New England, the price of lobster fell to less than hamburger.   I recall that Commons served all-you-can-eat lobster every night for about two weeks.   But eating it required you to believe that lobsters aren’t poisoned by the algae.   Roll the dice.27 I believe this may have been co-opted as the unofficial motto of Maseeh dining? By 1973, the cost of commons had risen dramatically and MIT made participation in it optional.   This decision turned the suite kitchens into swamps.28 this tradition has persisted to this day   (Why are college students allergic to housekeeping?) Forbidden Fruits In the eyes of MIT’s Housing Office, MacGregor was all men29 This persisted in F entry until at least the mid 2000s. You can find evidence of the F men in an old webpage that is accessible if you look up emmacgregor f entry/em. I wont link to it, because I dont want to be called out for posting cringe. in 1970.   But in practice the dorm was “co-ed.   A few MacGregorites had their girlfriends living with them in those tiny rooms. 30 go figure--I can name at least three residents who have cohabitated with their SOs in these 8.5 x 11 singles and at least one couple who shared one of the F doubles This made for interesting mornings in the showers.   I learned to make my midnight bathroom runs wearing a bathrobe because a suitemate’s girlfriend worked late and showered when she got home. Mixing genders within a suite was not a burden in those days (at least to me). Some of the girlfriends were generous with the food they cooked on weekends.   The presence of women in the dorm was not a small matter because my class of 1974 started with about 10 percent women.   Some MacGregorites acquired Boston area girlfriends, but not many.   In those days, MIT admission was a prescription for four years of celibacy.31 no sex allowed in my dorm! :-( Farewell from the Past Abby, thanks for giving me a rare chance to reminisce about my former time in y(our) dorm.   In 49 years, MacGregor House has spawned a lot of wonderful, intelligent, and productive adults.   Most of them are now parents and grandparents. Alas, some of them aren’t on this planet anymore. None of us have forgotten MacGregor House or the life-long friends we made there. Jim Olson   Class of 1974 Indianapolis, IN August 21, 201932 apologies to both Jim and audience; Ive been incredibly busy and took way too long to post this Post Tagged #Jackson Sux #MacGregor House ever since Petey gave us the annotation feature it's been hard not to annotate every single thing, so this is a qualified lightly back to text ? I think we're at about 320 now. Four singles were lost in the construction of an extra GRT apartment for Spanish House, who were exiled from New House a couple of years ago due to an extensive renovation effort. back to text ? indeed it does back to text ? fifty years later, comp sci is synonymous with Course 6 and is breaking off to become the new College of Computing, my how things have changed... back to text ? ...and yet things seem to stay the same back to text ? There seems to have been some   modification to the original building since then that included the addition of another apartment for the Area Director, which may have led to the construction of a third double in F. As of now, the only three doubles in MacGregor are in F entry, one on each floor, with the two on floors 3 and 4 facing the Charles. They exist due to some kind of (un)intentional(?) architectural feature that would make it impossible to split the doubles into two rooms without doing more construction. back to text ? compare to $5,505/semester today :-) back to text ? Another interesting MacG architectural anomaly that affects F rooms: there are two trapezoidal rooms (one on the third floor and one on the fourth) that each have the square footage of about 1.5 MacGregor singles. I'm not sure why they exist, but seeing as they are located right next to the doubles on those floors, it may have just been the best way to turn that space into livable rooms. These big rooms don't exist in other entries. They're really nice. back to text ? unfortunately this term has not been passed down to the current residents back to text ? the eternal recurrence of MIT pushing out relocating living groups to fix up our antique dorm buildings-- BC folks are going to go through this again next year when the dorm will close for renovations back to text ? we call it the high-rise now; this is the vertically stacked grouping of entries A, B, C, D, E as opposed to the horizontally-arranged low-rise F, G, H, J entries back to text ? can confirm: When I first got to MIT in August 2016, I was temped in E entry, and the first thing I bought was a big fan. The heat is the result of a combination of the brick oven design of the dorm and the giant windows that face direct sunlight in some rooms. back to text ? when I first got here, it was F that dominated Housecomm and apparently had for most of recent history, but things have changed a bit and there seems to be more entry diversity/representation nowadays back to text ? The last 3(? maybe even more than that) macdesk captains have been F entry people, and I think I basically count as number 4. An alumnus from the late 80s stopped by during an alumni visit weekend a year or two ago while I was working desk, and he said that F entry also ran desk for the most part when he was here. Whether this was due to selective hiring or lack of interest from other entries' residents or chance, I am not sure, but the current staff is a bit more balanced across entries. back to text ? I've lived in both F and A and appreciate the alliterative insult back to text ? suite lounges back to text ? there still aren't doors, so it's a bit difficult to party in those lounges without having random other residents walk through with like... laundry baskets back to text ? kresge vibes back to text ? We got a hydroponic garden installed in that space a year or two ago, but I bet the cornerstone got moved somewhere for storage. back to text ? that might explain why one of my old shelves was painted black with daisies on it back to text ? we have phone/ethernet jacks still but no phones back to text ? A lot of the lounges now have a (free) corded phone that can call both the outside world and the internal MIT network. I realized this freshman year when I called my own phone from one of the suite phones and then stored the number so that I could later call people and startle them with the ringing. No one ever calls those phones and most people don't really notice they exist at all. back to text ? Now that drapes are standard issue with the rooms, I don't know how people could survive the winter without them. My bed is close to the window, so when it gets cold I tape/fasten the curtains to the frame so that none of that 1970 radiator heat is lost behind them. If you were to leave your curtains open during the winter, your room would be significantly colder due to heat lost through the big window. In the summer, you have to keep your curtains closed to keep the heat from coming in through the window. back to text ? The MacGregor wind tunnel! Anyone who has lived at or past MacG on dorm row has experience with this. There have been several particularly brutal winter days where the wind very nearly could have knocked me over, not to mention the times that I've had to walk through with my eyes closed because the wind would burn my eyes. They've installed a windbreaker-like structure out front recently to help with the door-opening issue, but I'm not entirely sure it works that well. back to text ? There used to be a dining hall at MacG, but then again there also used to be a convenience store at MacG (RIP MacCon). It's now a room with chairs and tables and a mirrored stage where various dance groups practice. back to text ? IMO dining plans are still painfully out of budget for me back to text ? I believe this may have been co-opted as the unofficial motto of Maseeh dining? back to text ? this tradition has persisted to this day back to text ? This persisted in F entry until at least the mid 2000s. You can find evidence of the F men in an old webpage that is accessible if you look up macgregor f entry. I won't link to it, because I don't want to be called out for posting cringe. back to text ? go figure--I can name at least three residents who have cohabitated with their SOs in these 8.5' x 11' singles and at least one couple who shared one of the F doubles back to text ? no sex allowed in my dorm! :-( back to text ? apologies to both Jim and audience; I've been incredibly busy and took way too long to post this back to text ?

Rohypnol (aka Flunitrazepam, Roofies) Fast Facts

Rohypnol is the trade name for Flunitrazepam, a drug that acts as a sedative, muscle relaxant, hypnotic, and antidepressant. While Flunitrazepam is called Rohypnol when marketed by Roche, it is also sold by other companies under the names Darkene, Flunipam, Flunitrazepam, Fluscand, Hipnosedon, Hypnodorm,  Ilman, Insom, Nilium, Silece, and Vulbegal. What Does Rohypnol Look Like? Rohypnol is available as a pill that is commonly crushed and mixed into food or drinks and ingested. It can also be dissolved into a liquid and injected. The present form of the drug is imprinted with the number 542 and supplied as a 1-milligram dose in an olive-green, oblong tablet. It contains a blue dye that is supposed to be visible in the event the drug is added to a drink. Prior to that, Rohypnol was sold as a white 2-milligram tablet. Why Do People Use Rohypnol? As a prescription medication, Rohypnol is used as a pre-anesthetic medication and as a short-term treatment for insomnia. It may also be used to treat the depression resulting from the use of cocaine, methamphetamine, and other stimulants. As a recreational drug, Rohypnol—commonly known as a roofie (singular) or roofies (plural)—may be found at nightclubs, parties, and raves. The drug is used in connection with date rape and robbery to incapacitate the victim and prevent him or her from recalling the crime. What Are the Effects of Rohypnol Use? The effects of Rohypnol use are usually felt within 15 to 20 minutes of administration and may last for more than 12 hours. Symptoms include drowsiness, lowered blood pressure, muscle relaxation, headache, visual disturbances, dizziness, slurred speech, poor reaction time, confusion, memory impairment, upset stomach, retention of urine, tremors, and nightmares. One side effect associated with Rohypnol use is retroactive amnesia during which the person who took the drug cant remember events that occurred while under its influence. Although Rohypnol is a depressant, it may produce excitability, talkativeness, or aggressive behavior. An overdose of Rohypnol produces sedation, impaired speech and balance, respiratory depression, and potentially coma or death—which is why Rohypnol is sometimes used to commit suicide. Why Is Rohypnol Illegal in the United States? It is illegal to manufacture, sell, or use Rohypnol in the United States because taking it can produce physiological and psychological dependence and benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. The drug is legal in other countries, however, (e.g., Mexico) and is smuggled into the country through the mail or other delivery services.

The Christendom s Decline And The Secularization Of The West

Our World Response The six watershed events that led to Christendom’s decline and the secularization of the West are as follows: First, secularization began with the Renaissance, an intellectual and cultural movement. The Renaissance represents the West’s rediscovery of ancient Greek philosophy, science, and literature. It affected people in three ways. First, it drew people away from God. Second, it gave people another way of thinking, no longer relying on the Church’s worldview, but adopted pluralism. Third, they embraced humanism turning their backs on Christian truth claims and ethics. Second, the Christendom’s decline continued with the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation removed Church by dividing the Church and by turning the Church’s attention away from management of society and inward toward renewal, reorganization, and theological matters. Third, the declined continued with the rise of Nationalism and the rise of proud independent nations. The naturalistic spirt killed Christendom as a political entity. Nationalism led to unprecedented warfare between the peoples of Europe, and two world wars took root because of it. Fourth, the rise of Science challenged Christendom’s prescientific assumptions about the universe and human life. The study of science led to many questioning the unknown, which caused a disruption of God creating everything, to science having an explanation on everything. Fifth, was the Enlightenment, some consider this the mainShow MoreRelated A Theological Perspective of the Clash of Civilizations Essay7154 Words   |  29 Pagesplanet in several ways, including â€Å"zones of peace† (the West and Japan, or 15% of the world’s population) and â€Å"zones of turmoil (everyone else),†10 the rich North and Francis Fukuyama, â€Å"The End of History,† The National Interest 16 (Summer 1989):Max Singer and Aaron Wildavsky, The Real World Order: Zones of Peace, Zones of Turmoil (Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham House, 1993). the poor South, or the distinctive cultural entities of the West and East. While these basic distinctions may reflect reality

Biography of General Douglas Haig Free Essays

One of the worst ones was when he sent a lot ot troops to an unsuccessful offensive on the Somme River in July-November 1916, which lead to 420,000 British casualties. The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles that happened in World War 1 and it was the bloodiest war that happened. HIS strategy of attrition (â€Å"kill more Germans†) also resulted in enormous numbers of British casualties. We will write a custom essay sample on Biography of General Douglas Haig or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yet another flawed plan had been hatched by General Haig in an attempt to defeat the Germans on the French and Belgian Flanders in 1917. This attack was also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. It was a significant attack and a rather large one for It was estimated that 4. 5 million shells were fired from 3,000 guns from the British side. This attack resulted In huge amounts of casualnes for the British. Haig’s original plan for this attack was to push across the Gheluvelt Plateau, take the village of Passchendaele. and then break through to open country. But his attack was not successful and the heavy rain that happened generally slowed the attack down. The thick mud in the trenches clogged up rifles and immobilised tanks. Also the fact that he drainage systems there were mainly destroyed due to the bombing that took place there made everything worse. It was believed that the third Ypres offensive was mixed with his personal teelings. General Haig wanted to achieve a British victory without the help of the French because he wanted to embarrass PM David Lloyd George, who had humiliated him earlier and he wanted to prove that the days of the cavalry had not passed through that attack. In general his talth tor cavalry didn’t do him a lot ot good, also he was slightly too traditional for he said that the machine gun was a much over rated weaporn However, his reputation as a great military leader was not wrong. He had lead amazing battles and allowed the British to progress slowly to their victory In 1918. He did exactly this during his attempt to defeat Germans in July-November 1917; though he had only weakened the Germans. it had paved the way for the final assault. He also naa an amazing sense Tor war. He was one 0T tne Tew people wno naa Knew was going to be a long and terrifying war. But his sense had helped him and his country tremendously when he was able to finally defeat the Germans and brought the war to a conclusion before the end of 1918. How to cite Biography of General Douglas Haig, Papers

Legal Writing and Research Communication Law

Question: Discuss about the Legal Writing and Research Communication Law. Answer: Introduction: The Supreme Court is the main head of the judicial system in the Republic of Singapore. All cases related to civil and criminal laws are dealt with by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is made up of primarily two courts one of them is the High Court and the other is the Court of Appeal. All the appeals relating to both civil and criminal cases arising out of the High Court are made to the Court of Appeal. The power to review appeals and decide a case on the basis of law which is exclusives to that of the High Court as well as courts subordinate to the High Court, is also vested in the Court of Appeal (Our Legal System ,2016). If the valuation of a civil suit is more than S$250,000 it is eligible to be tried in the High Court. Matters relating to probate are also eligible to be trialed in the High Court if the subject matter of the case is more than S$3 million and also if the case is in relation to foreign grant resealing. Suits relating to ancillary issue in family, which have a value of more than S $1.5 million, are also dealt with by the High Court (Gill, 2013). The High Court also has the power to try criminal proceedings, which involve capital punishment, and punishments, which exceeds 10 years of imprisonment. Offences in relation to which bail cannot be granted are also tried by the High Court. All matters, which arise in the territories of Singapore, are eligible to be tried by the High Court as a rule of thumb (Baum, 2015). The judicial powers in relation to Singapore are given to the Supreme Court and its chief justice is appointed as the chief of the judicial system. There are no restrictions made upon the Supreme Court for trying any proceedings be it criminal or civil. The Supreme Court consists of two tiers of courts the upper tier of the Supreme Court is the Court of Appeal and the lower tier is the High Court (Chan Lee, 2015). The judicial commissioners, judges of appeal and the chief judge make up the judges panel for the Supreme Court. The president of the republic of Singapore makes all appointments with respect to the judges panel of the Supreme Court with prior consultation with the prime minister who also consults the prevailing chief justice to make such decisions. If a person has been eligible under the Legal Profession Act and or has been a member of the legal services of Singapore for not less than 10 years he is eligible to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal in the Supreme Court consists of the chief justice as well as the judges of appeal. The judges of the High Court can be asked by the chief justice to preside over selected proceedings in the Court of Appeal. Registry of the Supreme Court of Singapore has the responsibility to manage the administrative works of the court. Administrative works such as acknowledging the receipt of documents and making sure that they are sent to the judges for reference at the time of hearings are done by the registry. The registrar heads the registry of the Supreme Court of Singapore with assistance from then assistant registrar. The appointment criteria of these officers are similar to that of the judges. The judicial system of Singapore is divided into two levels and the state courts belong to the lower level of the judicial system. The state courts in Singapore are made up of mainly the district courts and the magistrate courts. A few specialized courts and tribunals for small claims are also a part of the state courts of the republic of Singapore. All cases which are not eligible to be tried by the Supreme Court are entitled to be tried by the state or subordinate courts of the republic of Singapore. More than 95% of the legal proceedings in Singapore are tried in the subordinate courts. The subordinates courts of Singapore annually handle 350,000 legal proceedings on an average. The judges and the registrar of the state courts operate under the authority of the Legal Services Commission of Singapore. Similar to that of the Supreme Courts the president also makes the appointment of the state court judges after the recommendation from the chief justice. The state courts of Singapore consist of six operation units, which are: The civil justice division The community justice and tribunal division The criminal justice division Dispute resolution center Corporate service division Division for strategic planning technology The responsibility of administration with respect to the subordinate courts in Singapore vests in a position occupied by a judge of the Supreme Court, a judicial commissioner or the presiding judge of the subordinate courts (Koman Whalen-Bridge, 2015). The legal proceeding which are tried by the state courts are adjudged with the help of a team of judges the leader of which is the presiding judge of the state courts. The district courts are eligible to conduct only those legal proceedings where 10 years punishment is maximum. It can give punishment, which is less than 10 years, it can sanction fine not more than $30,000 and a maximum of twelve cane strokes. This limitation has an exception with respect to legislations like the Misuse of Drug Act, Companies Act, and Prevention of Corruption Act. Whereas the magistrate courts are eligible to conduct those legal proceedings where five years punishment is the limit, where the maximum fine applicable is $10,000 and punishment, which allow for maximum of six cane strokes (Tan Teh, 2013). The main sources of law in the republic of Singapore are the constitution, legislative sources, subsidiary legislations like rules and regulations, case laws previously made by the courts and lastly customs which prevail in the country (Keltner Lillie, 2013). The most prominent source of law in the republic of Singapore is its constitution. The fundamental structure of the three pillars of the country, which are the legislative department, the judicial department and the executive department, are laid down by the constitution. The laws stated in the constitution of the country are studied in details and interpreted precisely for proper use. The rights duties and liberty enjoyed by the citizens of Singapore are laid down by the constitution through Article 4. Any law which do not comply with the provisions of the constitution is not valid and void (Barr, 2013). Another important source of law in Singapore are the laws made by the legislature. These laws are made and processed through the parliament before being enforced. The laws passed b y the parliament are also called statues (TAN, 2015). These laws are brought into existence through a resolution in the parliament to maintain law and order in the society. Like to stop the citizens of Singapore to be affected by use of dangerous drugs The Misuse of Drug Act has been enacted. The punishment and penalties for the individuals or group who deal in or consume dangerous drugs are enforced through this act. Acts to specify punishment to different categories of crime, laws to protect women and children from exploitation, laws to maintain fair and ethical business practices are also enacted by the parliament. The citizens of the republic of Singapore chose the members of the parliament through voting other members of the parliament are chosen through a process of nomination. All the bills passed through the parliament must be signed and acknowledged by the president of the republic of Singapore. The bills are passed through a first reading, second reading, the committee reading and the third reading in the parliament before they become a statue. The bill is also reviewed by the president council for minority rights before it becomes a statue. The Penal Code, Sale of Goods Act and the womens charter are a few examples of statues passed by the parliament. The rules and regulations, which are made by the executive department such as the health department, local bodies and statutory boards other than the parliament, are also one of the sources of law in Singapore. These laws include rules, regulations, by-laws, notifications, order and a proclamation. Regulation 16 of the Environment Public Health Regulation, the Miscellaneous Offences Rules, public Entertainment and Meetings Order, Rapid Transit System Regulations and The Sale of Food Regulations are a few sub legislations, which form the sources of law in Singapore. The decisions made by the courts in Singapore are also taken as a source of law in the country (Kozel, 2013). These decisions and adjurations may be the interpretation of the laws, which already exist or can be decisions, which bring a new concept in existence through development of laws of natural justice, equity and common law. Many major legal issues is Singapore like contract issues , issues related to property and even issues related to trust, torts and equity are often addressed through the use of judicial precedents. With the help of judicial precedents, it is ensured that a proper and just meaning to the existing statues in given. According to the doctrine of Stare Decisis , All the laws which are made by the higher courts has to be considered by the subordinate courts in making any decision about related cases. Thus, in Singapore the High Court is bound to obey the decision of the Court of Appeal and the High Courts decisions are binding on the adjudication process of the subordinate courts Judicial precedents mostly do not apply to decisions, which are made in the same courts. The judge of the subordinate court is not bound by the decision made by the judge of another subordinate court or any other judge of the same court. Some of the examples of judicial precedents are Chng sSan Tze v. Minister for Home Affairs and Fay Michael Peter v. Public Prosecutor (Lee, 2015) Customs are generally rules, which have been treated as laws from the very long period of time by the persons related to it. Customs can only be taken as a source of law in the modern society if they have been use and given attention upon in a case, they are not used as a source of law if they are inconsistent with any law, which is existing in the country at a given time. In order to be recognized as customs a rule has to be in regular use for a long period of time (Ovchinnikov, 2015). Customs in Singapore are not a major source of law and only a few customs have been recognized as a legal source. Few customs, which have become a source of law, are making checks in a bank, the modification of Muslim law by Malay Custom (Bin Abbas, 2012). References: Barr, M. D. (2013). Review Essay: Law and Order in a Land of Tough Love.Australian Journal of Asian Law,14(1). Baum, L. (2015).The Supreme Court. CQ press. Bin Abbas, A. N. (2012). Islamic Legal System in Singapore, THe.Pac. Rim L. Pol'y J.,21, 163. CHAN, G. K. Y. (2015). The Judiciary. Chan, G. K. Y., Lee, J. T. T. (2015). The Legal System of Singapore: Institutions, Principles and Practices. Gill, C. (2013). Open Access to Legal Materials in Singapore. Keltner, N. L., Lillie, K. (2013). SOURCES OF LAW.Psychiatric Nursing, 33. Koman, R. N., Whalen-Bridge, H. (2015). Clinical Legal Education in Singapore. InClinical Legal Education in Asia(pp. 137-158). Palgrave Macmillan US. Kozel, R. J. (2013). The Rule of Law and the Perils of Precedent. Lee, J. T. T. (2015). Foreign Precedents in Constitutional Adjudication by the Supreme Court of Singapore, 1963-2013.Washington International Law Journal,24(2), 253-288. Our Legal System | Ministry of Law. (2016). Mlaw.gov.sg. Retrieved 11 November 2016, from https://www.mlaw.gov.sg/our-legal-system.html Ovchinnikov, S. N. (2015). Definition of Customs Offences in International Law.Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences,6(3). TAN, E. K. (2015). The Legislature. Tan, B., Teh, M. K. (2013). Singapore.Handbook of Comparative Higher Education Law (Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group).

Cost-based and Competitive -based pricing Essay Example

Cost-based and Competitive -based pricing Essay When deciding which of the two methods will be more effective in our working field we took into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. We have decided that the market in these days is too risky to use cost-based pricing for our product because it is hard to predict what is going to be the reaction of the purchasers and also we do not know how well the product is going to be sold. In case we fail to sell the predicted amount of our watches we will be forced to increase the price in order to save our company from bankruptcy . To sum it all up there are too many disadvantages in the usage of cost-based pricing. On the other hand such is not the case of competitive based pricing where disadvantages are fewer and risks not so dangerous. We have decided that the only risk when choosing this path is that if we set a price slightly higher than the production cost and the rival brands keep their share of the market we are surely going to bankrupt. Also competitive-based pricing offers a wide variety of sub-methods which can lead to higher profits. In this type of method we are closely observing the competition the quality of their products, prices they set and their ability to survive in a continuous price war and the introduction of a rival brand. We are not going to use a method of high pricing in order to imply that our product is very unique because there are too many illustrious competitors and it is going to be close to impossible to take over even a small share of the market while offering prices as high as theirs. We will write a custom essay sample on Cost-based and Competitive -based pricing specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cost-based and Competitive -based pricing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cost-based and Competitive -based pricing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Our company is also against the policy of using predatory pricing. That is a very incompatible method for our brand of watches it is illegal in some countries and is again very risky if the competition is able to respond to this method. We do not have enough finances to pull this off. We intend to take over a large share of the market not momentarily but slowly and steadily. We are also not intending to create a market niche for our product. Our main goal is to offer a price slightly higher that our production cost and lower than competitor prices in order to make a small profit while establishing ourselves as a major watch brand. Conclusion: In conclusion, by considering all the information presented in the analysis and the specifics of the pricing we decided the usage of the competitor-orientated method for our product in order to obtain major share of the market. Of course, there are many advantages and disadvantages for choosing both the cost-based and the competitor-orientated method. Having in mind that our product is widely used we considered that this pricing strategy will help us eliminate a great part of the competition and satisfy our customers needs and wants, which are our aims. This pricing method will be in assistance for the fast penetration of our product on the market and in the field of business relationships. We run the calculated risk of bankruptcy if there are not enough sales and if customers are not convinced in the quality of our product. Otherwise, we will have the opportunity to approve on the market with a great brand name and a good company position. Bibliography Sources used: 1. Blythe, J. (2001). Essentials of Marketing (2nd ed.). FT: Prentice Hall. 2. Kotler and Armstrong. (2001). Principles of Marketing (9th ed.). Prentice hall. 3. Jobber, D. (2001). Principles Practice of Marketing (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Company. 4. Mercer, D. (1992). Marketing. Blackwell Publishers. 5. Baked, M. (1994). The Marketing Book (3rd ed.). Butterworth Heinemann. 6. Etzel, M. (2004). Marketing (12th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill/ David Brake. 7. Oliver, G.(1995). Marketing Today (4th ed.). Prentice Hall. 8. Blagoev, V. (2003). Marketing (2nd ed.). 9. The Product Life Cycle. (2008). Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/

Free Essays on Ottoman Empire Overview

The Ottoman Empire: Focus on Society By the 16th century, the vast and mighty empire of the Ottomans had reached the zenith of its power. The lands under Ottoman rule stretched from the heart of Central Europe to the deserts of Arabia. In nearly every respect, the Ottoman Empire was strong and well-organized. As such, it comes as no surprise that the people under Ottoman rule were organized in a neat power structure as well. From the royal Sultan to the villagers in the rayyah class, the people of the Empire each had a unique position in Ottoman society. At the very top of the pyramidal societal structure was the Sultan, absolute commander of all, and executor of decisions concerning politics and state wealth (for the purposes of serving the state's interests). A step below the Sultan were a small group of wealthy, esteemed leaders, who were ascribed special status because they were essentially the Sultan's "slaves". The main duties of this select little group were to protect and enlarge the financial assets of the state for the benefit of the Sultan and the Empire. These leaders also ruled and defended the far-flung Ottoman Empire. While the Sultan invested wealth and the leaders protected it, the majority of commoners, the rayyahs, had the task of actually producing the wealth. The rayyahs had to pay part of their profits from industry, commerce, and farming to the state in the form of taxes. Townsfolk, villagers, and pastoral peoples made up the eclectic mix of the rayyah class. The word "rayyah" literally translates into "the protected flock of the Sultan". While Ottoman society was clearly divided into distinct social classes, these classes were neither closed nor confining, meaning that with the proper attributes and luck, a man could raise his social status. For example, to be a member of the small ruling class below the Sultan, one had to possess the following three qualities: - deep-roo... Free Essays on Ottoman Empire Overview Free Essays on Ottoman Empire Overview The Ottoman Empire: Focus on Society By the 16th century, the vast and mighty empire of the Ottomans had reached the zenith of its power. The lands under Ottoman rule stretched from the heart of Central Europe to the deserts of Arabia. In nearly every respect, the Ottoman Empire was strong and well-organized. As such, it comes as no surprise that the people under Ottoman rule were organized in a neat power structure as well. From the royal Sultan to the villagers in the rayyah class, the people of the Empire each had a unique position in Ottoman society. At the very top of the pyramidal societal structure was the Sultan, absolute commander of all, and executor of decisions concerning politics and state wealth (for the purposes of serving the state's interests). A step below the Sultan were a small group of wealthy, esteemed leaders, who were ascribed special status because they were essentially the Sultan's "slaves". The main duties of this select little group were to protect and enlarge the financial assets of the state for the benefit of the Sultan and the Empire. These leaders also ruled and defended the far-flung Ottoman Empire. While the Sultan invested wealth and the leaders protected it, the majority of commoners, the rayyahs, had the task of actually producing the wealth. The rayyahs had to pay part of their profits from industry, commerce, and farming to the state in the form of taxes. Townsfolk, villagers, and pastoral peoples made up the eclectic mix of the rayyah class. The word "rayyah" literally translates into "the protected flock of the Sultan". While Ottoman society was clearly divided into distinct social classes, these classes were neither closed nor confining, meaning that with the proper attributes and luck, a man could raise his social status. For example, to be a member of the small ruling class below the Sultan, one had to possess the following three qualities: - deep-roo...