Sunday, November 24, 2019

Lao-tzu, in Tao Te Ching essays

Lao-tzu, in Tao Te Ching essays 1. Lao-tzu, in Tao Te Ching introduced, during a time of much political turmoil and strife in ancient China, the notion of Tao (the Way [of life]). Tao, simply defined is non-activity. The implications however, are profound. Lao-tzu introduced the Chinese phrase wu-wei, which means to do nothing at all. Lao-tzu proposed that inertia (resistance to activity) is inherent in nature; the only way to live harmoniously with nature is to let things be. For example, a wasp would not sting if it was not being crushed; or, things only slip from ones grasp when one is indulging in the activity of grabbing. Lao-tzu believed that to yield is to be preserved whole and deliberate intervention inevitably leads to failure. Living in the precepts of The Way is to live in harmony with nature and such a harmonious way of life is only possible if one lets nature take its own course. Indeed, then, one often sees the Tao represented by a circle in which two comma shapes (one dark and the other bright) are intertwined. The dark and the bright areas represent the yin and the yang. One is about coldness, darkness and passivity (yin = female); the other is about brightness and activity, even aggression (yang = male). This circle of life representation means that following Tao is to accept that it is all-encompassing-that is nature there will inevitably be good as well as bad. Tao does not seek perfection, because to seek it would be to make changes to achieve perfection. Tao is the acknowledgement that we exist in a state of perfect harmony-and not to disturb it. To recognize Tao is also to understand the harmonious balance between the nature and the self and to maintain that sense of harmony within oneself-the human psyche. Lao-tzu believed that all life both within and without the individual was governed by one permanent law-the return to origin. He believed that to understand thi...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Internal Analysis of the NBA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internal Analysis of the NBA - Assignment Example These are some of the questions that the paper will attempt to answer. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. The approach will assist in the analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of NBA. The paper will begin by analyzing the capabilities and resources NBA had before the 2010-2011 season; the analysis will be from a case study done by Coulter. The capabilities and resources in the 2010-2011 seasons will be analyzed. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. Resources and Capabilities NBA Has As Of the 2010-2011 Season The Resources and Capabilities before the 2010-2011 Season (The Case Study) The National Basketball Association (NBA) has undergone tremendous changes from a domestic sport to an international commercial sport and this indicates a major understanding of the resources and capabilities. All the success and efforts are attributed to the NBA commissioner David Stern who has helped NBA become a global brand. Professional bask etball began in the mid-1990s and NBA gained the international game appeal. There are key players in the NBA who have sparked international interest. These players include Yao Ming of China, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzi of Germany, Pau Gasol of Spain, and Tony Parker of France, Denver Nuggets of Brazil, Gordan Giricek of Croatia and Darko Milicic of Serbia. All the mentioned are international basketball players. It is estimated that out of all the players in the NBA, 64 players come out of the United States territory. Other than the international players, NBA has taken its games globally. The NBA league has held several preseason games in the Latin America, Asia and Europe. Among the major plans by the commissioner of NBA was creation of multiple teams in the European region before the end of the 2000 decade. The NBA league has faced challenges like the retirement of Michael Jordan and the cancellation of almost a third of the league games in the mid-1990s. The challenges a lmost crashed the NBA league. Stern, the commissioner of NBA addressed the issues by looking at what the NBA had top offer, that is the resources and capabilities. He found that NBA could offer consumer awareness of basketball both domestically and internationally, several young talented players and renowned image and a track record (Coulter 132). Among the things that Stern did were: Expand the NBA offices network globally. The reason was to gain the NBA popularity, make it visible to the consumers around the world, sell a vast amount of track records and make several tours occasionally. Enhance the image of the NBA league on the Internet through its web site. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the people who visit the NBA website come from the rest of the world; that is outside the United States (Coulter 133). The Resources and Capabilities in the 2010-2011 Season The External Environment Globalization NBA has utilized the television and commerce to popularize the game globa lly and its influence in the world has been fuelled by marketing and television. The television has allowed NBA to reach many people around the world; it is estimated that NBA league is watched in 212 countries and in 42 different languages. The estimated number of people watching NBA league through the television is said to be over 750 million people. The foreign players in the NBA league are estimated to be around 80 of the 430 positions in the NBA team. This shows how NBA has its touch on the