Primary Notes For Girlfriend in a Coma Essay

Theme Statement Rediscovering one self to give hope for the future. At some point in your life there will be sense of loneliness, to overcome this, you ought to find a significant meaning in life. Richard Richard a loyal, smart, boyfriend to Karen who is in a coma for the past 17 years. He has been by her side till the very end. He’s devoted to her, counting all the days she has been in the coma. (108) He question what is life without her? He started to having a drinking problem (79) thinking it will solve everything. He was already in depression, giving up hope when his friend, Jared died to cancer. (236) He’s been alone for 17 years even tho he is still close with his friends, they’re not always there. Questioning his fatherhood, why he failed to raise his daughter, Megan while Karen is in a coma. He broke down and went back to this drinking habits (107) When Karen awoke everything seems to have hope now.(131) When he withdrew he stills to able to maintain a proper lifestyle in his community on Rabbit Lane(246) Loneliness Each one of the character at a point along this book feels a sense of loneliness. Richard the most out of the character suffers this when Karen went into a coma. Even tho he has his daughter Megan, he still feels empty. (79) Wendy also feels lonely when Jared has passed away, he was her one true love (145) When she saw Jared ghost she wanted him to take her away, from her lonely life (224) Megan also deals with loneliness, after the â€Å"plague† she lost her â€Å"bestfriend† Jenny. She went to visit her home and read her diary â€Å"230† She also requested Jared to take her away.(234) Linus also question the purpose of life, he no longer wanted to live on the planet.(236) He wanted a glimpse of afterlife, which he then saw heaven.(238) Rabbit Lane All the events that occurred revolves around Rabbit Lane, where are there character grew up. They question why the plague hasn’t reach them in Rabbit Lane. A lot of memories have taken since when they were young till â€Å"the last day of the world†

Good and Evil Essay

From the moment you were born, good and evil did not matter to you. As a child, your journey was not determined yet. People develop their own perceptions of what is right and wrong, as they grow up, through their experiences. What a person sees as evil and wrong could be different than how others view it. A person cannot rightfully understand what it means to be good unless they can avoid evil. To truly avoid being evil, one must learn to stay true to their ideals, goals, and relationships. The journey to good starts with the choices that will shape you for the rest of your life. An image of a new-born baby can be used as a symbol to represent good things such as: the untouched, purity, and innocence. Such description is titled under a new-born because when a baby is born, its sensory motors are heightened due to the incapability of sight. As from what I remembered, the inability of sight can also possibly symbolize another aspect of purity in a way where one is not able to see the impurities of another. A new-born child can also be represented as innocence. Once a baby is born, people keep babies indoors and out of harm and danger. A baby also can resemble an awareness of the purity and innocence being able to be easily broken, because of the fragility of an infant. Therefore, a new-born baby can generally symbolize purity, innocence, and untouched; however, it can also emphasize the fragility of the nature of good in such a way where if a single influence is displayed, one can easily learn and assimilate rapidly and change. With the society in which we live in today, the mass media plays a big role upon how an individual thinks, dresses, and acts. The media industry has become overpopulated by the dominance of men, thus demeaning women into several bad images. Women today are represented as sex symbols in music videos. If not, represented as a sex symbol, women are set on a high expectation to become model-like figures in order to gain acceptance of the society within the fashion industry; this expectation leads to the loss of one’s self through binging, dieting, and smoking cigarettes. Such dramatically terrible actions advertise bad images for the younger generation, encouraging them to become beautiful like one of the models on television. In regards to commercialism, there are many advertisements that encourage the society to allow children to become obese. We as a society are feeding our children with unhealthy foods due to the high rates of poverty. In relation to poverty, it is one of the reasons why there are criminals who steal to survive. Going back to Charles Darwin’s theory of â€Å"Survival of the Fittest†, we strive to survive in such a chaotic world filled with injustice and evil to where we reach a limit when it is difficult to be good sometimes. â€Å"It takes just as much energy to be evil as it does to be good and few people have energy enough for either course†¦ Evil isn’t what one does, it’s something one is that infects everything one does. † This quote, stated by Davies in Rebel Angels, exhibits the role of society. All of these industries believe that they are doing justice to the economy and the people (for example, to make people look or dress better, etc); however, in reality the products they are advertising are unhealthy for the public. We, as a general public, are solely attracted to what looks appealing, and are not really drawn to what it really does for you. This emphasizes the corruption of the society, thus revealing the nature of evil. â€Å"The evil that is in the world always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding. † This quote means that we are evil because we are ignorant of the good things in the world because we are selfish. And we are selfish because we refuse to understand such things. For example, when it comes to advertising, the industries advertise products for popularity and for more money without really caring about the outcomes of the public. They are ignorant of the outcomes the public. â€Å"The soul of the murderer is blind; and there can be no true goodness nor true love without the utmost clear sightedness. † Going back to the resemblance of one not being able to see, a blind man symbolizes purity because he is unable to see the imperfections of someone else. Camus explains that it is impossible for one to remain good, once an individual is evil; he or she has no representation of consciousness or guilt because he or she is only thinking about themselves. The nature of evil is thus, represented as the ignorance and selfishness of the people. It is said in Asian cultures that the good balances evil and vice versa and that one cannot do alone without the other. In Chinese philosophy, Yin-Yang describes â€Å"shadow and light. † It represents the polar opposites or the different forces that are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they work with each other in turn in relation to each other. Without the balance of good and evil, there would not be any balance within the earth’s core. Yin is like the moon, and Yang is like the sun. Without each other, one would not exist. For example, if the sun did not exist, there would not be such thing as â€Å"night† nor â€Å"day†. To paraphrase everything, the good becomes corrupted by the evil. However, the natures of good and the natures of evil intertwine to become a regular human being. There is an equilibrium between saints and Satans, somewhere in between the immortals, which is also known as us, human beings. There is Satan, because there is God. Human beings are made of good and evil. One cannot just be good, and one cannot just be evil. In some form, they are both good and evil, because one cannot be without the other. You need evil in the world, for there to be good. The way one sees evil may not be evil for the other but also, he might see good in it. Even though Davies says evil takes as much energy as good and people barely have energy to do either, but evil is not what someone does, but he is evil himself from how he infects everything from what he does.

Frank Sinatra As An Italian American Term Paper

Frank Sinatra As An Italian American - Term Paper Example A midwife reportedly injured him during the birth process and he was born without breathing until his grandmother held him under water to force him to come to life. (RatPack, 2011) While Sinatra recovered well enough to live a long and successful life, the story of his birth illustrates how different life was in the early 20th century. In 1915, the farmhouse and log cabin were still the predominant form of community habitation in America, and most people lacked basic education and health care for their families. The public safety net taken for granted now in social security and other benefits programs did not exist, nor did modern medicine, making survival difficult for the poor immigrants like Sinatra’s family who came to America. While infant mortality rates in birth were very high at that time in relation to now, it can also be said that most early Americans experienced the same threats of disease, nutrition, poverty, and livelihood as Sinatra’s family, but something made him different to stand out from the crowd. Frank Sinatra allegedly won a talent contest in order to earn his big break into show business at age 23 in the New York area. (RatPack, 2011) In this regard, his upbringing in New Jersey inevitably led him to New York which was the center of entertainment as well as industry, finance, and business. Sinatra’s official biography tells of him being inspired by the music of Bing Crosby when he was a youth, and this â€Å"big band† sound of white jazz would become his musical trademark. Sinatra’s early career was made through singing at dinner lounges, and he began to find some work on local radio programs in New Jersey. The jazz and big band musician Harry James discovered and signed Sinatra to a... Frank Sinatra was a controversial Italian American who was one of the greatest role models of his generation. His life and public activity helped define what it is to be a pop star and celebrity in America. While his music was not groundbreaking or innovative technically, it reached a wide audience drawn together by the events of WWII and helped them define their feelings as a nation. Sinatra was one of the earliest stars on radio, TV, and motion pictures, which gave him a larger than life appearance and influence on his generation. Whether or not he used his power, wealth, and fame for the most socially beneficial or progressive causes is really not an issue of history, for he represented himself according to a dynamic that was self –determined as he expressed so vividly in the song, â€Å"My Way†. Whether or not he was just, fair, honest, friendly, and kind to others would seem to be a minor issue, because he seized the path to fame, wealth, power, and affluence that most all of his contemporaries only dreamed about. Nevertheless, as a role model of rugged individualism as symbolized by the post-war American culture, and as an Italian American celebrity of the 20th Century, there are few who can compare to Sinatra in stature and influence.

Does Having Natural Resources Necessarily Lead To Economic Growth and Essay

Does Having Natural Resources Necessarily Lead To Economic Growth and Development - Essay Example The paper tells that economic development is the sustainable increase in the people`s standard of living and measured using per capita income while economic growth is the increase in the capacity of a given country to produce goods and services over time and is reflected by the GDP. Past decades have proved that valuable natural resources such as natural gas, oil deposits and minerals do not necessarily lead to economic growth. This is evidenced by oil-rich African countries such as Angola, Nigeria, Congo, and Sudan. These countries earn several millions of dollars annually from oil exports yet the foreign exchange or the riches gained over the years has never been converted into a noticeable increase in GDP. In comparison, Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have experienced economic growth which can rival those of western countries. It is important to note that such countries do not have meaningful natural resources. The explosion of the car manufacturing industr y in the twentieth century led to an increase in the demand for natural resources such as rubber and copper. Minerals were abundantly extracted in several countries like the Netherlands and in time replaced manufacturing as the dominant sector of the economy. With time, the Dutch economy and other similar ones suffered due to the specialization of production and processing of the main resource extracted. The discovery of natural resources did have a positive impact on economic growth but over time, such economies as Netherland became stagnant. The common trend of availability of natural resources combined with slow or stagnant economic growth has been termed the Dutch Disease type of economy. Natural resources can also be a blessing to a country’s economy. A good example of this is Norway, which is the second largest oil exporter. Norway’s oil exports have surpassed other sectors and its foreign direct investment increased to 8% of GDP as of 1998. The manufacturing sec tor declined in relation to GDP since oil was discovered in the 1970s.

CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT - Essay Example In this paper macro level facts of France would be evaluated, the business culture in France would be analysed, the challenges that the manager might face would be identified and probable recommendation would be put forward, so that the assignment turns out to be successful for the company. Macro level facts about Paris, France France is considered as one of the most contemporary countries of the world. It has a very influential role in United Nation Organisation. It is the largest country in Western Europe and has the 9th largest economy in Europe (CIA, 2013). Paris is the capital of France, which is situated in the north of France. It has a typical oceanic climate, which is mainly because of the influence of North Atlantic current. As far as the overall climate of the city is concern, it is moderately wet and mild throughout the year. In summer, the days are usually pleasant and warm, while winters are freezing. It rains throughout the year in Paris. The city is managed by the muni cipality and the since 1834, apart from the government and other governing bodies. The population of Paris in 2010 was around 2.25 million, which obviously has increase by now (CIA, 2013). The wages are quite high in Paris and media income in the city in 2011 was approximately â‚ ¬25,000, which signifies that the standard of living of Paris is comparatively high. The higher income people are mostly found in the western part of the city. Paris is considered to be one of the economic centres and the wealthiest area of the country. The GDP of the country is $2.609 trillion in 2012. Majority of national income of the country is generated by the service sector (79.2 percent). The currency of France is Euro and CFP Franc (CIA, 2013). Majority of people are French, but other ethnic groups such as North African, Latin, Indochinese, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian, etc are also seen in France. French is the official language and spoken throughout the country. The population of the countr y on 2013, 65,951,611, in which majority of the population, that is around 38.9 percent are between of age of 25 to 54 years (CIA, 2013). Value Description – Hofstede Model In this segment, the French culture would be discussed with the help of Hofstede model, which will provide a view of the drivers of French culture. In addition to this, the Chinese culture would be simultaneously examined, so that a comparative analysis can be portrayed. The five elements of Hofstede model are: a) power distance, b) individualism, c) uncertainty avoidance, d) long term orientation and e) masculinity/ femininity. Figure 1: Hofstede Model: Comparison between France and China Source: (The Hofstede Centre, n. d.). Power distance: Both France and China has a high power distance score, which signifies that in both societies inequality is accepted. However, in China the inequality in the society is higher as the score is 80 in comparison to France, whose score is 68. So the superiors have the pri viledge, which in many cases are inaccessible for the inferior strata of the society. Individualism: The individualism score of France is 71, which means French prefer private and individual opinion and are more interested in taking care of themselves before their family. Individual recognition at

Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression System - Essay Example For carbon dioxide to be effective as a total flooding fire suppressant, a minimum design of 34% concentration is needed. However, laboratory testing and simulation of carbon dioxide fire suppressant use indicate that concentrations greater than 17% results to loss of controlled and purposeful activity, convulsions, unconsciousness, coma and even death within 1 minute of initial inhalation (OSHA, 1999). Even at 10-17% concentrations, carbon dioxide inhalation has been shown by Wong (1992) to result to drowsiness, sever muscle twitching and even unconsciousness. At 7 to 10 percent, headaches, visual and hearing dysfunction, hallucination and shortness of breath have been observed. At a minimum of 34% designed concentration for effectiveness, Carbon dioxide suppression systems are lethal. Any inadvertent discharge of the carbon dioxide in an occupied room can cause death quickly and without warning. The National Fire Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Authority have established guidelines such that human exposure do not occur during fire-fighting events but documented cases occurred during system installation, commissioning and maintenance because many of the servicemen lack the necessary knowledge and training. OSHA (1999) Carbon Dioxide, Industrial Exposure and Control Technologies for OSHA Regulated Hazardou

Plz make my college app perfect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plz make my college app perfect - Essay Example I find this combination moving due to the depth of inspiration that I can derive from them. My faith and belief ultimately leads me to create how things I wanted to me, and religion which is a repository of countless arts forms of masters, both old and new, where man’s genius in art was and still is best illustrated is an excellent source of inspiration to draw upon. From these two potent forces, I then create my own art form through my paint that breathe life on my subjects be it on my canvass or other mediums that inspiration may find suitable. My artworks are mostly made of patterns which I use to expand my old way of doing a mystery piece by mixing my pattern design with a portrait. This method brings out a very powerful impression on my portraits that impresses a strong emotion. So far, it is also the best method that I have tried that could show more of my idea about ideal beauty. I also do it against the backdrop of many different cultures where I borrow what I feel to be best suited for my portrait to come up with unimaginable great result. I think many artists experience that feeling of being deeply immersed in their paintings that they lose track of time whenever they are engage with their work. Such is my case. I am very meticulous to details and spend a great deal time to be able to portray what I have in mind and I do not stop until I feel it is right. Being faithful to that idea of the ideal of giving truth to beauty is what animates me in my studio for hours as I explore the province of dreams through my artworks. I feel like that if I stop short of what I feel and believe is right, I am betraying my art. Such, I pursue it until I found the truth and had them manifested in my artwork. I do not mine the countless hours, days, even weeks that I will spend to achieve the ideal in my artworks. I am willing to do it again and again knowing that the opportunity to touch the human

International business stratergy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International business stratergy - Essay Example The performance measurement is significant as it recognizes the existing performance gaps between contemporary and desired performances and provides an indication of progress towards closing the gaps. Carefully selected key performance indicators identify precisely where to take action to improve performance. This paper deals with the identification and application of the concepts of lean management and the key performance indicators for the maintenance functions. Initially the paper defines the complex framework of UK public sector and then describes the application of lean management and KPIs within the UK public sector. At the end, the paper deeply emphasizes on how the UK Public sector progressing well in terms of management strategies. The issue is elaborated critically that how public sector organizations are actively hitting the target but missing the core objectives. UK Public Sector It is very tough for a person not citizen of UK to easily comprehend the structure, operation s, and management systems of UK public sector. Probably the main reason is the complex restructurings, numerous administrative divisions, and a combination of district councils, county councils, and unitary authorities which make the whole managing structure quite complex. Both the county and district divisions have their particular area of jurisdiction. Public sector Area of responsibility County level Education, Social Services, Transport, Strategic Planning, Fire Services, Consumer Protection, Refuse Disposal, Smallholdings, Libraries District level Local planning, Housing, Local highways, Building regulations, Environmental health, Refuse collection Divided level Recreation, Cultural matters Lean Management Daniel, T. Jones was the first one who presented the concept of lean management in 1990s. Today his concept has been developed into a mini discipline which the public sector and industrial organizations are using in their area of operations. Principally the approach supports the mapping business procedures, recognizing the waste, delays and restricted accesses, re-designing the workflow to aim for perfection (Jones, 2003). The concept is described in the following diagram. Instead of simply accepting the uncritical pre-existing ideas, the lean management is basically an optimizing variation in terms of improving the efficiency, decreasing the waste, and the utilization of experimental procedures to decide what does matter. The goals of lean management systems differ from author to author e.g. some authors believe on an internal focus to increase the profit of the organization (Liker, 2004) while there is a lot which assert that progress must be done for the sake of the customer (Womack et al, 1990). UK public sector organizations apply different techniques of the principles of lean management to attain maximum output. Initially the concept of lean management was presented in terms of manufacturing industry. Toyota Production System (TPS) was the first c oncept of lean which was developed from 1940s to 1970s also known as Japanese Waste Model. The leading goals of TPS were to eliminate the seven wastes which included wastes in terms of transport, inventory, motion, waiting, over production, over processing, and defects (Womack and Jones, 2003). Ford (1922) describes the entire concept of waste in just one paragraph. â€Å"

Great Train Robbery Essay Example for Free

Great Train Robbery Essay Henry Hill, the character of Martin Scorsese’s film Goodfellas (1990), used to say: â€Å"As far back as I can remember, Ive always wanted to be a gangster† . The reason of the crime films and gagnster icons being of success with a public partly lies in this sublimated desire of an ordinary man to be as powerful, energetic, and famous as the criminals commemorated in mass-media. Rafter (2000, p. 3) explained the popularity of the genre by its fictional possibilities: [†¦] crime films offer us contradictory sorts of satisfaction: the reality of what we fear to be true and the fantasy of overcoming that reality; the pleasure of entering the realm of the forbidden and illicit and the security of rejecting or escaping that realm in the end. The crime film is traditionally associated with the American tradition of the early twentieth century, when romantic tales about heroes conquering promising spaces of the New World prairies were superseded by the not a less romantic sagas about daring individuals conquering updated urban localities. Shadoian (2003, p. 3) referred to the crime film as a prominent context for â€Å"both forming and reflecting the American imagination†. Audience has been enjoying crime movies since 1903, when Edwin S. Porter shot his Great Train Robbery. More than a hundred years of our experience with the crime film taught the public, critics, directors and producers many lessons. Shadoian (2003, p. 3) identified three reasons for the genre’s longevity: (1) â€Å"the issues it addresses have always been central to the American experience†; (2) â€Å"its formal properties have given them a clarity of outline and lucidity of exposition†; and (3) â€Å"it has been infinitely flexible in adapting itself to shifting social and cultural conditions†. But hardly is it absolutely right to emphasise the importance of the crime film for the American culture exclusively. The present dissertation analyses thirteen films made within the ‘crime movie’ context. Only six of them were produced by the USA-born directors: (1) William A. Wellman (1896 [Brookline, Massachusetts, USA] – 1975 [Los Angeles, California, USA]) – The Public Enemy (1931); (2) Raoul Walsh (1887 [New York, New York, USA] – 1980 [Simi Valley, California, USA]) – The Roaring Twenties (1939); White Heat (1949); (3) Martin Scorsese (b. 1942 [Queens, New York, USA]) – Goodfellas (1990); Gangs of New York (2002); (4) Quentin Tarantino (b. 1963 [Knoxville, Tennessee, USA]) – Pulp Fiction (1994). Though the film Brother (2000) is partially made in the United States settings, its creator is a famous Japanese director Takeshi Kitano (b. 1947 [Tokyo, Japan]). He is also responsible for another example of the crime movie, Hana-bi (aka Fireworks 1997). The other five films under analysis belong to the British directors: (1) John Boulting (1913 [Bray, Berkshire, England, UK] – 1985 [Sunningdale, Berkshire, England, UK]) – Brighton Rock (1947); (2) Mike Hodges (b. 1932 [Bristol, England, UK]) – Get Carter (1971); (3) John Mackenzie (b. 1932 [UK]) – The Long Good Friday (1980); (4) Jonathan Glazer (b. 1965 [London, England, UK]) – Sexy Beast (2000); (5) Paul McGuigan (b. 1963 [Bellshill, Scotland, UK]) – Gangster No. 1 (2000). It would be more correct to identify the reasons for the crime film being a success outside the boundaries of national mentalities. Leitch (2002) based his definition of the crime film within the conceptual context of culture rather than the national background. He (Leitch 2002, p. 14) argued that, [†¦] a crime culture [ ] depends on normalizing the unspeakable, a place where crime is both shockingly disruptive and completely normal. Crime may have different metaphorical valences in different criminal subgenres – it can demonstrate the fragility of the social contract in thrillers about innocent men on the run, attack the economic principles of the establishment in gangster films, express philosophical despair in films noirs, test masculine professionalism in private-eye films – but it is always metaphorical. Every crime in every crime film represents a larger critique of the social or institutional order – either the films critique or some characters. Finally, crime films dramatize not only the distinctive roles of criminal, victim, and avenger but also their interdependence and their interpenetration. Evidently, critics and spectators are lured to the genre by its flexibility and visualization of the concepts otherwise unseen or too repulsive to deal with in ordinary life. It is hypothesised that national mentalities affect the themes of crime movies but generic methods of the crime film depend rather on directors’ individual backgraounds rather than on their nationality.

Organized Crime in the Windy City Essay Example for Free

Organized Crime in the Windy City Essay Known for its long period of criminal activity and rise to becoming one of the strongest crime entities, the Chicago Outfits are one of the most notorious and infamous organized groups that had ever hit Chicago. From the time it rose from Mike McDonald to the fall of Al Capone’s Chicago, this group has successfully continued to grow and rein the streets of Chicago. The structure of this group and criminal activities have made a dent if America’s society. According to Michael Maltz, â€Å"An organized crime is a crime in which there is more than one offender, and the offenders are and intend to remain associated with one another for the purpose of committing crimes. † (Abadinsky 2) and according to Donald Cressey it is â€Å"any crime committed by a person occupying, in an established division of labor†¦.. includes at least one position for a corrupter, one position for a corruptee, and one position for an enforcer. † (Abadinsky 2) and even the Federal organized Crime Control Act of 1970 attempts to define what is organized crime is. They broke it down into eight attributes that include and not limited to the following: no political goals, hierarchical, limited/exclusive membership, unique subculture, perpetuates itself, use of violence, monopolistic and governed by explicit rules and regulations. However the term is defined, all three prove that it is a group of more than one individual working together to commit a series of crime that is done in a matter that is planned out. The structure on organized crime in Chicago is based on the group called the ‘Chicago Outfits’ which are made up of ‘made’ members. According to Lindberg, â€Å"the term ‘made’ comes from La Cosa Nostra terminology and requires a blood ritual. This included Italian bloodlines, sponsorship and support of high-ranking members in a complicated process. † (Lindberg) And through this blood ritual, ‘made’ guys who are sponsored by current captains of La Cosa Nostra bring in the one being sponsored. The blood ritual that they mentioned is exactly what it means, a ritual that requires blood. â€Å"They prick your trigger finger and make it bleed, and then they put a little piece of paper; they set it on fire and you burn it in your hand, and you repeat after them that you will never betray La Cos Nostra, or you will burn like the paper is burning in your hand. Your life does not belong to you anymore; your life belongs to them. † (Abadinsky 86) Membership into the crime group is exclusive only to family members of the father’s side that can range from immediate members to distant members, but as long as they have blood ties to the boss, this secures the possibility of undercover agents infiltrating the family crime group. The ‘made’ guys hold senior advisory status while everyone else is a worker. Unlike the organized crime groups in New York, Chicago crime groups are more cooperative with other groups that are usually dominated by Italians. The structure of Chicago’s crime groups is based off of the Patron-Client network which â€Å"consists of a collection of connected points or junctures†. Bibliography Abadinsky, Howard. Organized Crime, St. John’s University, ninth edition Lindberg, Kirsten, Petrenko, Joseph, Gladden, Jerry, Johnson, Wayne A. Mar98, Traditional Organized Crime in Chicago. , International Review of Law, Computers Technology, 13600869, Vol. 12, Issue 1.

Southwest Airlines Competitive Analysis

Southwest Airlines Competitive Analysis Government regulations and directives that were passedforced Southwest to adjust and even totally revamp their original strategies drastically which proved difficult for them. Regulations on baggage handling, for example, required Southwest to add crews simply to meet its turnaround requirements and abandon its cost-savvy plastic boarding passes for purposes of tracking customers which ultimately goes against their strategy of free seating. These changes affected the way the airline operates in a way that management was left with alternatives which would, in one way or another,force Southwest to drift away from its hallmark strategies and/or core competencies (e.g. open seating, late arrivals by passengers, etc.). On a more positive note, the Wright Amendment, one of those deregulation measures which politically restricted interstate flights out of Love Field, Dallas to states adjacent to Texas, has recently been repealed in 2006. This made possible a nationwide service for Southwest. How is Southwest Airlines compared to competition (especially to imitators and like airlines)? Southwest Airlines did fairly well as compared to competition. The 30 consecutive years of sustained profitability is a proof of this. The airlines low turnaround in 2001 was at a competitive edge at 24 minutes-30 minutes faster than the entire industry. This turnaround time enabled Southwests aircrafts to fly more trips, and more trips meant more revenues. How profits were targeted is also a major point of comparison with the competition. People Express, an imitator, though it grew rapidly, failed to meet its profit targets and were not able to cope up. Major airlines that came up with their low-cost brands also failed at this as they inherited management and cultural problems which their full-service airline faced. Economically and socially, the customers to whom Southwest catered to were price-sensitive-mostly business and pleasure fliers and Southwest catered to them exceptionally well. Why has Southwest been so much more successful than its competitors? Southwest offered unique alternatives in response to competitors who clearly wanted to engage in price wars. Southwest did engage in price wars (e.g. with Braniff International with its $13 offer), but it competed not merely on the basis of price but also of value proposition (e.g. giving incentive in the form of gifts to customers who paid $26 instead of $13). These alternatives were embraced by Southwest passengers. The things Southwest did not do proved to be one of their most significant key success factors. For instance, it did not adopt the hub-and-spoke route system (which almost every airline adopted)since it would be inconvenient for their passengers who preferred point-to-point flying.Their also refrained from connecting with other airlines, using interline baggage checking as these do not support their low-cost strategy, and implementing the conventional assignment of seatsto provide further convenience to passengers. Southwest was very successful at cost reduction measures whilst competitors struggled to make their own measures as effective. The reduction of turnaround timeand innovation in other operational processes (e.g.automated ticketing) also paid off for Southwest in this regard. More notably, Southwest negotiated the price of its fuel to suppliers, thereby saving several more millions. Innovations were not limited to operational processes. They implemented promotional programs (e.g. frequent-flier program which was the worlds first) that entice customers and give them more reasons to keep coming back. As Michael Porter himself said, Southwests strategy involves a whole system of activities and not merely a connection of parts. The airlines processes are closely-knit together such that they complement each other making it systematic and more importantly very hard to imitate. Competitors clearly could not expect to win on the basis of imitation. Internally, Southwest employees contribute to its competitive advantage as they are not merely employees, but employees satisfied with their job and have attitude. What kinds of things over which Southwests management has some control could go wrong, and what should be done to make sure that it doesnt? Management would have greatest control over its workforce and failure to address critical employment concerns could pose serious threats. Through the leadership of Barret, Southwest has evolved into a culture-rich workplace where the core philosophies are inculcated deeply into the minds of the employees. Management could endanger this favourable status-quo by appointing less qualified top managers such as CEO, etc. Therefore, decisions regarding succession must be made carefully and not hastily. Politically, laborunions were proliferating in the industry.While Southwest values its employees greatly, management could also go wrong in dealing with them regarding compensation they receive especially since they belong to such unions. Also, Southwest employees are paid less than those of other airlines despite sustained profitability; therefore favourable contracts must be negotiated by management to keep them satisfied and motivated. How should management respond to the fact that Southwest Airlines has fallen to next-to-last place among major airlines in on-time performance as of September, 2002? Since new regulations and directives were implemented particularly from baggage inspection to security searches, delays would naturally occur especially because Southwest passengers are accustomed to coming in last minute. Therefore, management should respond constructively to this statistic by proposing a new policy to its passengers regarding arrival. They could impose that they (especially those with heavy luggage) be at the airport ahead of time (e.g. an hour) before departure given the lengthy procedures on security. This could be easily justified to passengers as having implications on their own safety as well. Of course, Southwest could also use a technological solution to this problem which they have recently done-an electronic check-in system via Southwest.com which would save passengers time by allowing them to board without having to check with an agent. Once operations are fully stabilized, would you recommend to the management of the airline that it resume its historic growth rate of from 10% to 15% per year? Why? I recommend a resumption of previous growth rates but it should be achieved by maintaining its current network and developing it from there as opposed to expanding to a greater proportion of long-haul flights. I take the same stand as the Wall Street analyst who concluded that Southwest could maintain, even double, its size even without opening a new station. Even if it does not take the opportunity to expand this way, Southwest is not left without opportunity. It must be noted that there are more than 100 cities wanting to experience the Southwest effect and nothing could be more opportunistic for Southwest as of the moment. It would be more prudent of Southwest to stick to their core competencies of point-to-point, low-cost, no-frills, high frequency flights for which they are most known for. Otherwise, they might as well join the sea of airlines out there that are neither unique nor differentiated. Lastly, if growth is the objective, then Southwest better achieve it in a slowly-but-surely manner, as opposed the investing highly in an expansions whose effectiveness is not even guaranteed. What are the implications for Southwest of the actual or threatened bankruptcies of other  major U.S. airlines? Actual or threatened bankruptcies are most likely going to favour Southwest in that it would decrease rivalry among competing firms-the most powerful of the five competitive forces. As bankruptcies, actual or threatened, increase, Southwest is presented with opportunities of expansion. The cookie-cutter way of expanding is through acquisition of a struggling competitor. However, it can simply be just Southwest expanding its routes to an entirely new set of states where competitors halts services. However, firms threatened with bankruptcies do not simply discontinue their operations. They could easily seek for government bailout just like all other firms in other industries resort to when threatened. Southwest, being profitable, clearly did not qualify for this benefit from the government, save for a certain $278 million from the amount allocated for aviation providers based on seat miles. Moreover, since the government, in a way, is extending service to the airline industry (e.g. bailouts, added government security to airports, it would have a right to tax airlines. This would not be fair to Southwest since it received only minimal government support but will be subjected to same taxation policies as that of its struggling competitors.

1950s :: American America History

1950's The 1950's were quite radical in fact, this is the decade that began rock n' roll, the civil rights movement, better family living, advances in technology, Fashion, medical research, other wonderful things this country was not used to seeing or hearing. The 1950's were looked at more as a state of mind or a way of living rather than just another decade or time era in American history. Everything was peaceful now, which looking back on the two world wars and the great depression this country was not used to at all. Nobody worried about war, nobody worried about how they were going to feed their children and keep a roof over their heads because everyone had jobs and the economy was doing great. (Edey, Maitlanded.57) Teenagers were having more fun than ever too. Rock n' roll was introduced to them and they all seemed at the time to know what they wanted out of life, to go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, and have children all in that order just as their parents had. (Clayton , Andrew.24) The 1950's were the most influential decade in American history because the civil rights act began, fashion was completely new and trendy, there were much advancement in entertainment and medicine, and suburban life was much more "functional" than any other decade in American history. One reason the 1950's were the most influential decade in American history is because rock and roll was introduced to the country and it let people forget about their morals for a while and just let loose to have fun. (Pareles, John.3) Elvis Presley was quite the king of rock and roll, with songs like hound dog, don't be cruel, and love me tender and ready teddy Elvis lit up the stage. ("Elvis Presley-Biographical Timeline-The Fifties") Elvis was born on January 8th 1935. He purchased his first guitar in 1946 for $12.95 at the local hardware store. In 1954 Sam Phillips teams Elvis up with local musicians Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (bass). By November of 1955 Elvis had signed his first record contract with RCA His contract was for $40,000, and a $5,000 signing bonus for Elvis. In April of 1956Elvis signed a seven-year movie contract with Hal Wallace and Paramount Pictures. The most famous film Elvis came out with ; Jailhouse Rock came out in May of 1957. This is the film tha t really helped Elvis launch his career.

James Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers

(February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967) Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was born into an abolitionist family. He was the grandson of grandson of Charles Henry Langston, the brother of John Mercer Langston, who was the the first Black American to be elected to public office in 1855. Hughes attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but began writing poetry in the eighth grade, and was selected as Class Poet. His father didn't think he would be able to make a living as at writing, and encouraged him to pursue a more practical career. His father paid his tuition to Columbia University on the grounds he study engineering. After a short time, Langston dropped out of the program with a B+ average, all the while he continued writing poetry. His first published poem was also one of his most famous, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", and it appeared in Brownie's Book. Later, his poems, short plays, essays, and short stories appeared in the NAACP publication Crisis Magazine and in Opportunity Magazine and other publications. One of Hughes' finest essays appeared in the Nation in 1926, entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain". It spoke of Black writers and poets, "who would surrender racial pride in the name of a false integration", where a talented Black writer would prefer to be considered a poet, not a Black poet, which to Hughes meant he subconsciously wanted to write like a white poet. Hughes argued, "no great poet has eve... James Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers (February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967) Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was born into an abolitionist family. He was the grandson of grandson of Charles Henry Langston, the brother of John Mercer Langston, who was the the first Black American to be elected to public office in 1855. Hughes attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but began writing poetry in the eighth grade, and was selected as Class Poet. His father didn't think he would be able to make a living as at writing, and encouraged him to pursue a more practical career. His father paid his tuition to Columbia University on the grounds he study engineering. After a short time, Langston dropped out of the program with a B+ average, all the while he continued writing poetry. His first published poem was also one of his most famous, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", and it appeared in Brownie's Book. Later, his poems, short plays, essays, and short stories appeared in the NAACP publication Crisis Magazine and in Opportunity Magazine and other publications. One of Hughes' finest essays appeared in the Nation in 1926, entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain". It spoke of Black writers and poets, "who would surrender racial pride in the name of a false integration", where a talented Black writer would prefer to be considered a poet, not a Black poet, which to Hughes meant he subconsciously wanted to write like a white poet. Hughes argued, "no great poet has eve...

Driving Age

Most people don’t like the driving age at 21, a lot of them are teens. A lot of the teens feel that the government is taking away part of there freedom. If teens at 18 are able to vote and, go into the military shouldn’t they be able to drive, at 18 to? In some states the driving age is 16, I think it should be raised to 18 because most, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds. I think it would be better, to get your driving license at 18 because if the teen as a job, the parents would have to drive the teen to work and back. If the teen is able to drive it would be a burden lifted off of the parent. The parent would not have to drive the teen everywhere and the parent is free to do what he/she wants to do without having to drive the teen every place. Rising the driving age can save money, gas, and lives. Of course there would have to be certain hardship exemptions. It could not be allowed to become something, just began seeking just to gain a license. And just wanting a job shouldn't qualify one for an exemption. If someone under 18 wants to work, they would have to seek something within walking/biking distance or along public transportation lines. Only about one third of teens work paid jobs during the summer, so it isn't hard to imagine those wanting to work could do so without having to drive. The primary industries affected by increasing the driving age to 18 are the automotive manufacturers, auto insurance, gas and driving education companies. This basically covers the largest firms within the auto industry. The automotive manufacturers would only see a delay in purchases by a factor of three years and only for the first three years that the driving age was raised to 18. The auto insurance companies would hopefully gain revenues by not having to pay out insurance claims due to car accidents created by the 15 – 18 old teens. Gasoline companies would see a reduction in their revenues with the reduction of gasoline usage. Driving schools would see the most significant impact. Short term they would lose business for the first 3 years. If we didn’t lower the driving age from 21 to 18, there would be more accidents from other teen, that are 16-20. Also if the driving age was 18, a lot more people wouldn’t find the need to drive without a license. They wouldn’t need as much money for insurance and gas. I think that the driving license should stay 18 instead of 21.

Dubai Essay

Harvard Business Review On Corporate Strategy – Page 4 – Google Books Result books. google. com/books? isbn=1578511429 C. K. Prahalad – 1999 – Business & Economics (See the exhibit â€Å"The Triangle of Corporate Strategy. †) The resources that provide the basis for corporate advantage range along a continuum—from the highly †¦ Creating Corporate Advantage – Harvard Business Review hbr. org/1998/05/creating-corporate-advantage/ar/1 Great corporate strategies come in the first instance from strength in each side of the triangle: high-quality rather than pedestrian resources, strong market †¦ Corporate Level Strategy: Theory and Applications – Page 2 – Google Books Result books. google. com/books? isbn=0203844521 Olivier Furrer – 2010 – Business & Economics This framework can be represented graphically as the corporate strategy triangle (see Figure 1. 1). In this framework, the three sides of the triangle—resources, †¦ Business Strategy Blog: Newell Company: Corporate Strategy deepakbusinessstrategy. blogspot. com/†¦ /newell-company-corporate-strateg†¦ Feb 20, 2011 – Use the Corporate Strategy Triangle to evaluate Newell’s corporate strategy. Do you think this corporate strategy is effective? Newell’s goal is to †¦ The Triangle of Corporate Strategy | Business & Entrepreneurship †¦ yourbusiness. azcentral. com/triangle-corporate-strategy-16752. html Making the sum of the parts greater than the whole is not necessarily a magician’s sleight of hand. The Triangle of Corporate Strategy is a management model †¦ [PDF]corporate strategy in turbulent environments – IESE Business School www. iese. edu/research/pdfs/DI-0623-E. pdf by AA Caldart – 2006 – Cited by 6 – Related articles The Corporate Strategy Triangle (Caldart and Ricart, 2004) is a dynamic †¦. The data collection process was framed by the Corporate Strategy Triangle. [PPT]Chapter Note 1 www. csun. edu/~dn58412/IS655/chapter1. ppt Define and explain the Information Systems Strategy Triangle. †¦ Dell’s mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best †¦ Searches related to corporate strategy triangle corporate advantage what constitutes a good corporate strategy and why develop corporate strategy key elements of corporate strategy corporate level strategies examples creating corporate advantage list three directional strategies

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 15

Thea.† Dani was shaking her arm. ‘They're talking to you.† The visions were gone. Thea was standing in Gran's workshop, seeing everything as if through a distorting lens. People's faces seemed to stretch; their voices seemed to drag. â€Å"I asked, how did you learn the invocation for summoning spirits?† Gran said slowly. Eric. He won't wait; he'll start without me. Or will he? I told him not to. But he'll be worrying about the party†¦. The party. All those kids†¦ even little kids. Humans, but people. like baby chicks with a hawk up above. How many of them will end up like Kevin? â€Å"The invocation for summoning spirits!† Gran was shouting, as if Thea were hard of hearing. â€Å"I†¦ we†¦ I heard you at Samhain two years ago. In Vermont. I saw the summoning the Inner Circle did.† Even her own voice sounded weird and distorted. â€Å"We saw you. Both of us. We were hiding behind the trees and you never even noticed,† Blaise said clearly, and the bells rang again. Dimly, Thea felt appreciation. But most of her mind was reeling from horrible thought to thought. Eric†¦ but if I try to get to him, if the Inner Circle finds out he's involved†¦ that will get him killed. A human who knows about the Night World. Immediate death sentence. But Suzanne. If he burns those dummies, Suzanne will kill him the way she killed Kevin. No matter what happened, Eric was going to end up dead. Unless†¦ â€Å"Which†¦ of the spirits†¦ did you call?† Gran was shouting, as if Thea was now not only hard of hearing but slow of understanding. Unless†¦ â€Å"That's what I want to tell you,† Thea said. She could see the way. It would mean the end for her, but she might possibly save Eric. If there was enough time, if they would let her alone, if Eric wasn't right now trying to be a hero†¦. â€Å"I want to tell you about it,† Thea said again. And then the words were tumbling out in a rush, faster and faster, as if some dam had broken inside her. â€Å"And I'll tell you everything-but please, Grandma, please, you have to let me go out now. Just for a little while. There's something I have to do. You have to let me go, and then I'll come back here and you can do whatever you want to me.† â€Å"Hold on a minute,† Mother Cybele said, but Thea couldn't stop. â€Å"Please-please. Grandma. I've done a terrible thing-and I'm the only one who can take care of it. I'll come back-â€Å" â€Å"Wait, wait, wait. Calm down,† Gran said. She looked agitated herself. â€Å"What's this rush all of sudden? Try it slowly. What do you think you have to do?† â€Å"I have to put her back.† Thea saw that she was going to have to give some explanation. She tried to speak dearly and slowly, to make them understand. â€Å"The spirit I let out, Grandma. Her name is Suzanne Blanchet and she was burned in the sixteen hundreds. And she's out, out there, and she's already killed a human.† Everyone was listening now, some leaning forward, some frowning. Thea looked around at the circle of faces, talking to all of them. She was still terrified, but what did that matter? Eric mattered. â€Å"Last week she killed a boy at my high school. And tonight she's going to kill more people, at the high school Halloween party. I can't explain how I know-there isn't time. But I do know. And I'm the only one who can stop her. I called her; I'm the only one who can put her back.† â€Å"Yes, but unfortunately it's not that easy,† a low voice said. Thea turned and identified Rhys, a wiry man in a white lab coat. â€Å"If the spirit's at large-† â€Å"I know about that, but I have a way to trap her. It's all set up, and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea hesitated. â€Å"I've tricked somebody into helping me,† she said slowly. â€Å"And he's in danger right now. Which is why you have to let me go, let me take care of this. Please.† â€Å"You want to go to the high school, where the party is,† Aunt Ursula said. Although her lips were as thin as ever, she didn't sound angry. More-astute. Thea opened her mouth to say no, and then stopped, confused again. The party-or the desert? If Suzanne was really killing people at the party, she should go there. But only if Eric wasn't doing something to attract Suzanne to the desert. He was still more important to her than anyone else. But if he wasn't doing something-and if Suzanne was at the party-she might kill before Thea and Eric could lure her†¦. I'm going crazy. She felt, literally, as if she might faint. Her head was swimming. There were too many possibilities. It all depended on where Suzanne was right now, and there was no way to know that. Thea began to shake violently, black dots dancing in front of her eyes. I don't know what to do. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ could everybody listen for a moment? I'm seeing something.† It was Aradia's voice, quiet and gently self-possessed. Mature, even though she was only a little older than Thea. Thea tried to see her through the black dots. â€Å"I think it's something important, something about what we're talking about,† Aradia said. Her beautiful face, with its smooth skin the color of coffee with cream, was turned toward Thea. Her wide brown eyes looked straight ahead without focus, the way they always did. Aradia couldn't see with those eyes-but then she didn't need to. She saw with her mind-and saw things that were hidden to most people. â€Å"I'm seeing a boy-he's dressed in some old-fashioned costume. He's beside a fire, inside a circle of stones.† Eric†¦. â€Å"He's got a stick-an ember. He's looking around. Now he's going to†¦ it looks like a scarecrow. I can't see it well. There's a pile of sticks underneath it. He's bending. He's lighting the sticks.† No. â€Å"I have to go,† Thea said. She wasn't asking permission anymore. Aradia was still speaking. â€Å"Okay, the sticks are catching fire. Now I can see better†¦ and it's not a scarecrow; it looks sort of like a witch. A doll.† She stopped, her lovely blind eyes widening. â€Å"It's-and it's moving-no, there's something moving it. I can see it now-a spirit. A spirit is moving the doll. It's coming out now-toward the boy-â€Å" â€Å"I have to go,† Thea said. And then she was moving, pushing her way between Rhys and Old Bob, breaking out of the circle. The beads of the curtain struck her face, clattering as they fell back behind her. â€Å"Thea, wait a minute!† â€Å"Thea, come back here!† â€Å"Ursula, you go get her-â€Å" The jeep. My backpack's in the jeep. I have to get it first. The keys to the Lincoln were hanging on a nail by the back door. Thea grabbed them. She pushed the back door open just as three or four people came hurrying through the bead curtain. She slammed the door in their faces. Get to the car. Fast. Now drive. She backed out of the alley, tires squealing. She could see light spill as the door to the shop opened, but by then she was turning onto Barren Street. She found herself driving at some new level, squeezing through the tail end of yellow lights, recognizing shortcuts in the dark. In just a few minutes she was at the Night World club with the jack-o'-lanterns on the porch. There was no place to park the Lincoln. She left it in the middle of the street, with the keys still in the ignition. She pulled the key to the jeep out of her belt and jumped in. Hurry. Hurry. She burned rubber again getting the jeep moving. Hurry. The freeway. Just let me get to him. And let it not be too late. That's all I ask, after that I don't care. Would you give up everything? The voice didn't seem like a stranger this time, didn't seem menacing. Just curious. And Thea had an answer. Yes. If I can just get there, in time, I can send him away. I can tell him some story, make him go somehow. Make him hide. I'll tell the Circle I tricked him or enchanted him into helping; I won't even tell them his name. They can't make me. Whatever they do to me, he'll be safe. That's all I care about. That's all I'm asking. But even that was a lot, and she knew it, so she kept her foot mashed down on the gas pedal. Freeway off ramp. Side road. She drove crazily fast. The pounding inside her head kept saying hurry, hurry, even as she was careening off curbs. Desert. Now the road was bad. It was hard to see; the moon was almost down. The jeep lunged over bumps and lurched into potholes. Eric, be doing something. Be talking to her, be running. You're so smart, please, please, be smart now. Keep her distracted, keep her hair away from your neck. How strong was a spirit? Thea didn't know. Please, I see everything so clearly now. I've been selfish, only thinking of me, what would make me happy. All that â€Å"encased in ice† garbage. I should have been dancing in the street. As long as Eric is all right, I don't care if he lives on Mars, I don't care if I never see him again. As long as he's well I'm happier than anybody has a right to be. A jolt rattled her teeth. She was off the road now, driving by landmarks. Through forests of dead yuccas that looked like skinny gray Cousin Its. It's taking so long, it's too long. Hurry. Hurry. She could see red sandstone in front of her. Pillars in the headlights. That's it! Go, go! The jeep rocketed over clumps of blackbrush. She could see fire in the depression between the pillars. She drove straight toward it. Fire-movement-the top of a silhouette†¦ â€Å"Eric!† She was yelling even as she slammed on the brakes. The jeep ground to a shuddering stop a few inches from a misshapen sandstone tower. â€Å"Eric!† She had the backpack in her hand. She tore the door open and jumped out, running. â€Å"Thea! Stay out of here!† She saw him. The light of the fire cast an eerie glow onto the already lurid sandstone. Everything seemed red, as if this place were bathed in blood. The roar of the jeep's engine and the roar of the fire merged to sound like the flames of hell. But Brie was alive and fighting. Fighting it. Thea threw herself at it, even as her brain was registering impressions. A wraith shape that looked at one second like a woman, and the next second like tattered clouds. Part of it seemed to be coiled around Eric, and he had both hands at his throat. Bits of the pine-needle amulet Thea had made for him were scattered around his feet. Useless. â€Å"Get away from him! I'm the one who set this up!† Thea screamed. She reached Eric and grabbed wildly at the wraith, at the part of it around his throat. Her hands felt Eric's hands, felt cold air. â€Å"No-Thea, watch out-â€Å" She saw the thing come free of Eric, who staggered. She saw it re-form, gather, then dive straight for her. â€Å"Thea!† Eric knocked her sideways. Cold air rushed by. She and Eric fell in a heap. She gasped â€Å"Eric, go,† even before she got up. She tried to shove at him, looking around for the wraith. â€Å"Go-get out of here! The jeep's running-get in and just drive. I'll call you later.† â€Å"Stay back to back,† Eric said breathlessly. â€Å"She's incredibly fast.† He added through his teeth, â€Å"You know I'm not leaving.† â€Å"This is witch stuff, you jerk!† she snarled, standing back to back. â€Å"I don't want you. You'll just get in my way!† It was a valiant effort. She even managed to inject something like hatred into her voice. And Eric wasn't perfect. He turned around, grabbed her by the shoulder, and yelled, â€Å"You know I'm not going, so don't waste any more time!† Then he shoved her sideways again and freezing wind streaked by her cheek, leaving her ear numb. â€Å"Sorry,† he said in his normal voice. â€Å"You okay?† Thea spun and looked behind her. The wraith was bobbing there. It was shaped like a woman made of vapor, with arms and legs only suggested, but with a long tail of hair that whipped around. â€Å"I've got the stuff,† Thea muttered to Eric. Admit- ting she knew he'd never leave. â€Å"But it'll take a few minutes to do the spell. We'll have to keep out of-† She was watching the lashing tail, but she wasn't fast enough. There was a sound-something between the snap of a whip and the crackle of electricity- and the tail flashed out. It was around her neck. At first it just felt cold. Insubstantial but icy, like a scarf of subzero wind. But then the wraith gave a jerk and it tightened and it did have substance. It felt like metal, like a pipe full of supercooled liquid, like the tentacle of some alien creature with ice for blood. It was choking her. She couldn't breathe and she couldn't get her fingers under it. It squeezed tighter, hurting her. She could feel her eyes start to bulge. â€Å"Look at me!† Eric yelled. He had a stick that was blazing at one end and he was dancing up and down like a crazy person on the other side of the fire. â€Å"Look! Suzanne! I'm going to get your little sister!† He poked the burning stick at the dummy Lucienne, not at the wood piled around her, but at the actual doll. â€Å"There! There! How do you like that?† He jabbed at the doll. A ring of fire blossomed in the black clothes. â€Å"Confess you're a witch!† Thea felt something slide away and her neck was free. She tried to shout a warning to Eric, but all that came out was a croak. He was already diving to one side anyway. That must be what he's been doing all this time. Dodging. â€Å"Eric, keep it up!† â€Å"Okay, but work fast!† He threw himself the other way. She forced herself to turn her attention from him. Her backpack was at the edge of the circle where she'd dropped it. She grabbed it and dumped the contents out on the ground. She had to do this right and she had to do it faster than she'd ever worked a spell before. Oak and ash. She threw them on the central fire, then scooted toward it, dragging the other materials close with a sweep of her arm. She ripped open a plastic bag and grabbed the quassia chips. They were light, and she had to thrust her hand into the flames to make sure they actually went in the fire. Blessed thistle was powder; she threw it. Mandrake root was solid, she threw it, too. She had just grabbed the ounce vial when Eric shouted, â€Å"Thea, duck.† She didn't look up to see what she was ducking. She fell flat instantly. It saved her. Icy wind blew her hair almost into the fire. â€Å"Suzanne!† Eric was yelling. â€Å"I've got your brother! Look!† There were fires at all three stakes now, and Eric was dashing between them, poking at one figure after another. Thea pulled the plastic cap off the vial with her teeth. She shook it into the fire, her hand in the flames again. One, two, three. The fire roared up, louder than ever, and pure blue. Thea fell back from it. â€Å"Suzanne! Over here!† Eric's voice was faint beyond the roar. Tears were running down Thea's face, her nose and eyes stinging from the acrid smell. She fumbled for the last object necessary for the sending-back†¦ the bag of residue from the bronze bowl. She took a handful in her left hand and dropped it between two charcoaled logs at the edge of the fire. Then she stood up-and saw that Eric was in trouble. He'd lost his burning stick. The wraith had him by the throat and it was whirling him around, changing shape every second. His mouth was open, but Thea couldn't hear any sound. â€Å"May I be given the Power of the Words of Hecate† She screamed it, into the roaring fire, toward the wheeling, changing spirit shape. And the words came, rolling off her tongue with a power of their own: â€Å"From the heart of the flame†¦ I send you back! Through the narrow path†¦ I send you back!† She put all her own power into the words, too, screaming them with an authority that she'd never felt in herself before. Because the wraith was fighting. It didn't want to go anywhere. â€Å"To the airy void†¦ I send you back! Through the mist of years†¦ I send you back!† Eric staggered, was jerked sideways. He seemed to be lifted off his feet by the wraith. â€Å"To beyond the veil†¦ I send you back! Go speedily, conveniently, and without delay!† Eric's feet were kicking in the air. This is how Kevin died, Thea realized suddenly and with absolute certainty. She found herself yelling words she'd never heard before. â€Å"By the power of Earth and Air and Water! By the power of Fire on this night of Hecate! By my own power as a daughter of Hellewise! Go speedily, conveniently and without delay, you bitch!† She had no idea where that came from. But the next instant Eric fell. The wraith had dropped him. It shot toward Thea-but then it stopped as if it had slammed into an invisible brick wall. It was directly over the fire. Caught. The blue flames were belching smoke-but sideways. Thea could see the wraith dearly above them. And for the first time, it didn't look like a cloud shape. It looked like a woman. A girl. Older than Thea, but still in her teens. With long dark hair that floated around her and a pale face and huge sad eyes. Her lips were parted as if she were trying to speak. Thea stared. She heard herself whisper, â€Å"Suzanne†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The girl held out a pale hand toward her. But at the same moment the fire flared up again. It seemed to turn the girl's hair to fire, too. Dark fire was burning all around her and there was an expression of infinite sadness on her face. Thea reached out a hand instinctively- The fire roared- And there was a flash like lightning. Suzanne had been drawn to the heart of the flame. And now the lightning formed a cone: the narrow path. Plastic bags and other debris whipped around the circle as if caught in a whirlwind. Suzanne and the cone of white lightning disappeared into each other. To the airy void. Through the mist of years. The fire flared up above Thea's head, and then sank down. The blue seemed to fall to the bottom. The flames turned yellow, like ordinary fire. It was as if a curtain had been drawn. To beyond the veil. That was where Suzanne was now. At the edge of the bonfire, where the residue had been, there was a lump of soft clay. Thea knelt and picked it up. She looked into the center of the flames-and saw a coil of long hair, the color of mahogany. The ends were starting to blacken and shrink in the fire. Thea reached in to grab it. She folded the hair over and quickly pressed the clay around it. It was a clumsy job, Blaise would have done much better, but the hair was enclosed. She groped on the ground for the wooden seal, found it, punched it into the clay. Suzanne's symbol, the cabalistic sign for her name, was printed. It was done. The amulet was restored, Suzanne was trapped again. She'd stay where she belonged unless somebody else was stupid enough to summon her. Thea dropped the amulet without looking at it, got up, and staggered around the fire to where Eric was lying. Her vision was strangely gray. After all this†¦ he has to be all right†¦ oh, please, let him be†¦ He moved when she reached him. â€Å"Eric, we did it. She's gone. We did it.† He grinned faintly. Said in a scratchy voice, â€Å"You don't have to cry.† She hadn't realized she was. Eric sat up. He was terminally mussed, his hair wild, his face dirty. He looked wonderful to her. â€Å"We did it,† she whispered again. She reached out to smooth his hair, and her hand stayed there. He glanced at the fire, then back at her. â€Å"I kind of hated to say those things to her. I mean, no matter how bad she was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He touched Thea's neck, stroking gently. â€Å"Are you okay? I think you've got a bruise.† â€Å"Me? You're the one who really got it.† She put her free hand to his throat, fingers just barely touching. â€Å"But I know what you mean,† she whispered. â€Å"I felt-sorry-for her at the end.† â€Å"Don't cry again. Please. I really hate that,† he whispered, and he put his free arm around her. And then they were just kissing madly. Deliriously. Laughing and kissing and holding each other. She could taste her own tears on his lips, warming with his warmth, and she was trembling like a bird in a thicket. A few moments later a noise broke in. Thea didn't want to move, but Eric looked, and then he stiffened. â€Å"Uh, we've got company.† Thea looked up. There were cars just outside the sandstone pillars. Parked cars. They must have driven up sometime during the fight with Suzanne, while the roar of the fire blocked out the sound of their engines, while Thea's attention was focused on the wraith trying to Ml her. Because the people were already out of the cars. Grandma Harman, supported by Aunt Ursula. Rhys in his lab coat. Dumpling-shaped Mother Cybele, with her hand on Aradia's arm. Old Bob, Nans Buruku. Most of the Inner Circle was here.

Law of Tresspass

LAW OF TORT LAW2002-N 20011/12 Lectures 3 and 4: Trespass to the Person Lectures 5 – 12:Negligence TRESPASS TO THE PERSON Reading: Steele Chap 2 to page 81; Street Chap 3; Winfield Chap 4. ASSAULT AND BATTERY Introduction Battery: intentional application of force to another person. Assault: act of the defendant which causes to the claimant reasonable apprehension of the infliction of an immediate battery on him by the defendant. Battery 1. The character of the act of D a)It must be a positive act. b)D must have control over what he is doing. c)There must be force and contact. Collins v Wilcock [1984] All ER 374Wilson v Pringle [1987] QB 237. In Re F (Mental Patient: Sterilization) [1990] 2 AC 1 2. State of Mind ie. the relationship between trespass and negligence. Letang v Cooper [1965] 1 QB 232; [1964] 3 WLR 573; [1964] 2 All ER 929; [1964] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 339. Note that since Fowler v Lanning [1959] 1 QB 426; [1959] 2 WLR 241; [1959] 1 All ER 290. C must prove that D acted in tentionally or negligently. 3. Livingstone v Ministry of Defence (1984) 15 NIJB – transferred malice 4. No consent by C and the burden is on C to prove it. Freeman v Home Office (No 2) [1984] QB 524 5. No damage need be proved. Assault 1.This means the act of putting another person in reasonable fear or apprehension of immediate battery. eg. pointing loaded gun shaking one's fist under C's nose. But not shaking fist from window of departing train. Thomas v NUM [1985] 2 All ER 1, 24 2. Mere words are not assault however menacing: there must be threatening acts Meade's Case (1823) 1 Lew CC 184 â€Å"No words or singing are equivalent to assault†. cf. R v Wilson [1955] 1 WLR 493 However a)There is no clear authority on this rule. b)In the nature of things threatening words are usually accompanied by threatening gestures. c)Words accompanying a menacing gesture may negative ts being an assault. Turbervell v Savadge (1669) 1 Mod. Rep. 3; 2 Keb 545; NoteStreet says that it i s preferable to treat this statement as merely an illustration of the principle that D must have caused C to apprehend an immediate contact rather than to make it a separate rule. A case to be distinguished is where there is a conditional threat: Ansell v Thomas [1974] Crim LR 31 See also Read v Coker (1853) 13 C. B. 850 3. Pointing a loaded pistol is obviously an assault. What if it is unloaded but C does not know this? There is one criminal case where it was the ratio that to point an unloaded gun at P is an assaultR v St George (1840) 9 C&P 483, 492. 4. If D's blow is intercepted by a third party this will still be an assault. Stephens v Myers (1830) 4 C 349; 34 R. R. 811. 5. The act of D need not produce actual fear just reasonable apprehension. 6. There can be battery without assault. FALSE IMPRISONMENT Definition:The infliction of bodily restraint which is not expressly or impliedly authorised by the law. – Winfield. State of Mind This tort normally involves an intentio nal act in the sense that D must intend to do act which is at least substantially certain to effect the confinement.It is, however, a tort of strict liability in that there need be no intention to act unlawfully – R v Governors of Brockhill Prison ex parte Evans No. 2 [2001] 2 A. C. 19 Malice is irrelevant. On principle negligence ought to be enough. â€Å"Accordingly, if a person locks a door being negligently unaware of the presence of somebody in the room, this should be false imprisonment. †: Street â€Å"False† – wrongful. â€Å"Imprisonment† – â€Å"Every confinement of the person is an imprisonment, whether it be in a common prison, or in a private house, or in the stocks, or even by forcibly detaining one in the public streets† – Blackstone.The character of D's act 1. There need be no actual incarceration. 2. Physical force is not necessary. Meering v Graham – White Aviation Co 122 LT 44 3. The area of confinemen t may be very large. 4. Restraint must be complete. Bird v Jones (1845) 7 QB 742; 9 Jur 87; 66 RR 564. 5. If a person has the means of escape, but does not know it, it is submitted by Winfield that his detention is nevertheless false imprisonment unless any reasonable man would have realised that he had an available outlet. 6. Act must be direct. 7. There must normally be a positive act rather than an omission.Herd v Weardale Steel, Coke and Coal Co [1915] AC 67; 111 LT 660. Knowledge of C Herring v Boyle (1834) 1 CM&R; 6 Car&P; 4 Tyr 801; 3 LJ Ex 344 cfMeering v Grahame – White Aviation Co (Supra) Murray v Minister of Defence [1985] 1 WLR 692 No proof of actual damage is necessary. INTENTIONAL PHYSICAL HARM OTHER THAN TRESPASS TO THE PERSON: The Rule in Wilkinson v Downton An act wilfully done which is calculated to cause, and does cause, physical harm to a person is a tort, although it may not be trespass to the person or other specific tort. This principle was laid down by WRIGHT, J. in Wilkinson v Downton [1897] 2 QB 57; 76 LT 493.Upheld by C. A in Janvier v Sweeney [1919] 2 KB 316; 121 LT 179. In Wainwright v Home Office [2002] 3 WLR all three judges in CA held the view that either actual intention or objective recklessness would suffice. Protection from Harassment Act 1997 But see also Hunter v Canary Wharf [1997] AC 655 DEFENCES TO AN ACTION FOR TRESPASS TO THE PERSON Self Defence Main question is whether force used by D was reasonable in the circumstances. Prevention of trespass to land or ejection of trespassers from land Note that unless the trespasser is entering by force, D must ask him to leave before using force against him.Volenti Burden is on C to establish lack of consent. Parental or other authority Inevitable accident Not relevant as a defence. Since Fowler v Lanning (supra) the burden has been on C to prove that D's act was intentional or negligent. Failure by C to fulfil a reasonable condition This is a defence to false imprisonment . Note:Robinson v Balmain Ferry [1910] AC 295 Herd v Weardale (supra) D acting in support of the law Dallison v Caffery [1965] 1 QB 348; [1964] 3 WLR 385; [1964] 2 All E 610 cfHogg v Ward (1858) 27 LJ Ex 443.

Analysis Of The History For Ikea Marketing Essay

Analysis Of The History For Ikea Marketing Essay IKEA was founded in 1943 by a Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad when he was 17 years old. The name of IKEA is derived from the initial of its founder name Ingvar Kamprad, the farm Elmtaryd and home country Agunnardy where Ingvar Kamprad grew up. IKEA has developed rapidly and known as the largest home furnishing retailer (INTI). The corporate structure mainly divided into two parts which are operation and franchising. Operation covered the management of majority stores, design, purchasing, supply functions and manufacture of furniture, which manage by a private profit Dutch company, INGKA Holding. In 1982, Kamprad established Stichting Ingka Foundation, a non-profit foundation that control over INGKA Holding. Ingka Foundation chaired by Kamprad and five executive committees which included her wife. The IKEA trademark and concept is owned by separate Dutch firm, Inter IKEA Systems based in Luxembourg. Every IKEA stores pay 3% of sales to Inter IKEA as a franchise fees. IKEA consume rs are mainly distributed into four different geographic regions, Europe, America, Middle East and Asia. The vision of IKEA is to provide affordable solutions for better living and its mission statement is to offer low price furniture with stylish functional designs which everyone could afford. 2.2 Company Product and Services IKEA seized retailer chain that sells flat pack furniture, kitchen and bathroom accessories across the world. The furniture designed to be self assembled in order to reduce transportation cost. Besides, the company include traditional Swedish food restaurant in their stores, which serving Swedish meatballs, smoked salmon, lingo berry tarts and cream source. Moreover, thoughtful part of IKEA is many stores have play area for children named Smaland, where parents able to drop their children to playground while shopping and pick them up at another entrance. 2.3 Corporate and Current Business Strategies Globalization is the current trend for most of the companies nowadays. To gain market share in new entry countries especially Asia, IKEA corporate and business strategies determine its sustainability and competitive advantage among competitors in future. For example, IKEA globalization strategy in Asia country, China, comprise of joint venture, localization and pricing strategies. First of all, IKEA joint venture with local companies in China, due to one of the macro-environmental impact which was political policy of Chinese government in order to archive principal of equality and mutual benefits (INTI). Second, IKEA adapt localization strategy to suit local Chinese culture, for example, IKEA provide balcony section due to most of the Chinese population stay in apartment (INTI). Lastly, pricing strategy allow IKEA to compete against rivals, for example, IKEA cut cost for some goods like single-scat Ektorp armchair below standard price which is cheaper than it sold in United States. IKEA distinctive business and corporate level strategy have a llowed the company attains impressive growth 2.5 Current Strengths and Advantages The major strength and driving force that push IKEA expands aggressively is the value chain. Value chain is a tool used to identify value added into a business. Porter illustrates business value chain categories into two activities. The primary activities are directly related to creating and delivering products, while secondary activities are not directly involved in production process but could increase efficiency and effectiveness of business. IKEA modified the value chain to mobilize suppliers and customers assist in further add value to the system by convincing their customer perform the transport and assembly their flat pack products. ()

Applying Theory to a Practice Problem of Nursing Essay

Applying Theory to a Practice Problem of Nursing - Essay Example Nursing has developed differently through the years, with the efforts of the theorists of the different nursing eras; they have helped turn it into a respectable and reputable profession. It cannot be questioned for it has been backed up the different nursing theories which helped carve what nursing practice is today. Providing care is one of the main responsibilities that a nurse has to give to a patient. In fact, nursing has almost come to be defined as synonymous to caring, because nurses include care into their daily interventions. Caring for people in the field of nursing involves the simplest of things. Indeed, listening attentively (and hearing the message between the words) to what patients say about themselves, about their environment, about their current situation, about matters concerning the mind, heart, and soul, and different other things are part of caring that is inherent in the nursing profession (Bernick, 2004). Caring in nursing also manifests itself in the simple aspects of therapeutic communication, in a touch that can transcend the barriers of age and race, and even in the nurse’s simple presence at the bedside, giving the patient the feeling of peace and security. This process of caring has been maintained for all these years by both contemporary and pioneer nurses. But with the appearance of technologies that can diagnose a patient without having to ask them any questions aother than their personal information and lessen the time of poking and proding, the idea of spending a quiet tim e with the patient has lost some touch to the nurses nowadays. The idea of saving time and alloting them to other chores rather than giving the patients the care that they needed runs within the nurse’s mind. Time spent with the patient decreases which means the care given to the patient also diminishes. The application of nursing theories actualy loses its touch on the nurse, without the nurse even noticing. Caring is one of the essential component of nursing, one they tend to overlook and disregard. To be unable to perform this task means that the nurse is not performing the responsibility placed upon their shoulders. The only time that nurses realize that providing more than the average activities and giving the caring needed not only improves the healing ability of the patient is through the presentation of evidences of improvement when they are given; one of which is presented by situations where the cases are treated with the application of the different theories develo ped through the years.This paper aims to determine the importance of application of theories on the everyday job of a nurse. How with the guidance of the theories developed years ago can improve the ability of a nurse to provide proper care for their patients. The application of nursing theories in practice has improved the nurse’s ability to provide for all the needs of the patient. Whether it be his physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual need; a nurse can help the patient with the proper application of a specific theory needed by the situation. The theories used in practice were identified and classified according to three general divisions: The grand theories, mid-range theories and the borrowed theories. Application of Grand theory to the Problem Nursing theory is an important aspect of nursing that

The Impact of Technology on Experimentation and Popularity Essay

The Impact of Technology on Experimentation and Popularity - Essay Example As the study stresses music or visual art, there is an evolution which can be seen. This begins with the concept of the handicraft, such as seen in the oil paintings, sculptures or other types of natural art pieces. This is also seen in the acoustical sounds of music that are often noted with performances. Each of these has an aesthetic value that is used within the art and which was important in the values of society and culture in past times. Today, the integration of technology has changed the expression as well as the aesthetic value. The evolution is one which now integrates different techniques, sounds and ideas, specifically because of the ability to add in technology and to relate to the ways in which it can express the main ideologies that are a part of both the artists’ viewpoint and the concept which is valued through the spectator or listener. According to the paper findings the concept of technology as a part of the evolution of art is one which relates to the ideology of Collingwood, specifically with the aesthetics theory. According to this specific theory, the artist evolves different ideals because of the relationship to aesthetics. When an artist sees specific ideals within society, such as images, there is a direct relation to the concept of what is considered as beautiful and what should be represented in different forms of art. The concept of music has moved from the idea of aesthetics that are based on acoustics, such as through classical forms of music. However, in the early 1900s, electronics began to be a part of the experimentation with musical instruments as well as with various composers. By the 1950s, recording studios, electronic guitars and other electronic instruments were at the forefront of music. Rock and roll, country and other forms of contemporary sounds began to arise with the ideology of popular music. As these continued to form, there was also a different sound which was heard, mixtures of instruments that differed from the acoustical sounds and a growing popularity of both recordings and live performances with various musicians. The impact which technology had not only led to the making of music with technology, but also was associated with mass consumption of the music because of the new and popular sounds which were available to everyone both inside and outside of a performance (Theberge, 1997: 9). As popular music has continued to arise within culture and society, it has also led into a different way of associating with expression and the way in which music is heard. Combining art and technology

Bacterial Culture Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bacterial Culture Techniques - Essay Example Bacteria have been often termed as being the primitive beings and are said to help with the nitrogen cycle. In a wider view if looked at bacteria are all those unicellular organisms that belong to the category of Schizomycetes they may have a difference in their requirements for oxygen and nutrients and have difference in morphology as well as have varying motility and be free-living. Bacteria are also known as prokaryotes in general and these are known to be grouped together as they all do not have nuclear membranes. The growing of cells in a synthetic environment is known as cell culture. That could very well refer to either types of cells be those prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. Culture can also be called the in vitro growing of cells of either plants or animals in a nutrient artificial medium. In the process of cell culture the cells used are no longer in an organized tissue form rather they are separate and grown in a simulated environment. The materials that are necessary for culturing bacteria cells are (a) culture tubes that are made of glass and that have their own labels and metal covers. (b) Media room or customized growth medium for simulation. (c) Para Film is also needed and (d) Pipette tubes that are also made of glass. Other necessary equipment includes Bunsen burners, motorized pipettes and micropipettes along with sterile tips. The first step in culturing bacteria cells is to streak an Agar plate and then incubate that until there begins a growth in colonies. Some bacteria have a temperature sensitive mutation rate and there fore would require the incubators to be set at 30C however in the case of E.coli the desired temperature for incubation is 37C. In order to be certain that the beginning of this culture has been from a single population of cells streaking of the plate is necessary. It is not necessary that you use an Agar plate as they are only

Knowledge and Talent Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Knowledge and Talent Development - Essay Example The effectiveness of employees, as designed in the HR strategies, is a crucial component in achieving positive business outcomes. Every company has a comprehensive and structured set of techniques that an organization adopts in order to improve quality, efficiency, and reliability of their goods and services. These strategies are all geared towards making the organization globally competitive and adhere to the established standards and best business practices. This approach cuts across all departments, employees, suppliers and the clients of the organization. Talent development and knowledge management are geared towards improving the performance of both the employees and organization. According to Garavan Et al (2012), talent developments are activities that ensure the rightful management of the human resources. Talent development in organizations has progressed in line with changes experienced in the world such as globalization, technology, and culture. Talent development leads to efficient systems that result in job satisfaction, effective career growth, increased motivation, and organizational commitment of the employees. As a result, this leads to the creation of a favorable working environment build on trust and relationship where employees are able to make proper and informed judgments. Knowledge and Talent Development According Herzberg’s Hygiene theory on employee motivation, employees experience job contentment when they fulfill career growth and needs (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012, p. 16). When employees exhibit a strong desire to be part of a particular organization, they are willing to exert high levels of their efforts on behalf of their organization. Employee satisfaction plays a pivotal function in increasing the productivity of employees. Motivation commits the employees to work passionately in order to gain promotion, new skills, more remuneration, and benefits. The employees of an organization need to be provided with the necessary infor mation, training, mentoring, and coachin

Water Management in Yellow River Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Water Management in Yellow River - Essay Example The water resources in China are inefficiently used, over-allocated and coarsely polluted by industrial and human waste to the extent of killing sections of large rivers like the Yellow River (Ma, 1999). In addition, there is vast over-pumping and unsustainable consumption of groundwater resources; lakes are covered in pools of waste; numerous aquatic species have been extinct, with a host of other adverse direct impacts on the health of the ecosystem and humans widespread in the country. China is home to sixteen of the twenty most polluted cities worldwide; ensuring that all major watersheds of the nation suffer from extensive pollution. Desertification, as a result of too much ground and surface water withdrawal, is increasingly dominating the Northern region of China; a region hugely dependent on the Yellow River (Ma, 1999). The social issue facing the region involves handling of the disposal of wastes by local residents as well local industries. The densely populated regions resu lt in mass production of waste products which are inappropriately dumped into the river. These problems not only pose a huge threat to the political stability of the country but it is also a huge threat to the country’s economic development. The government is spending substantial amounts of money on health care issues as a result of major disease outbreaks in the heavily polluted areas of the country (Boyle, 2007). According to Eng and Ma (2006), major companies are calling off their business ventures due to water concerns as well as augmenting internal conflicts over the quality and allocation of water resources. These events have resulted in new political pressures on the regional and central governments to tighten their fight with the current water management problems. A 2005 Chinese Government report revealed that fifty thousand environmentally related protests occurred, most of which revolved around

2nd amendment - the right to bare arms- US Constitution Research Paper

2nd amendment - the right to bare arms- US Constitution - Research Paper Example The 10 amendments were ratified only four years after the signing of the US Constitution. In contrast, slavery took some time or some 78 years from the signing of the Constitution or on 6 December 1865 to be abolished through Amendment 13. As of 1992, there have been 27 amendments to the original US Constitution. The Bill of Rights Institute explained that the American bill of rights has its origins in the British Charters of Liberty (4). Further, in England in 1688, the Glorious Revolution that placed Prince William of Orange and his wife Mary on the throne, required that as condition for the couple’s rule, the couple would have to accept the Declaration of Rights and the Toleration Act of 1869 (Bill of Rights Institute 4). According to the Bill of Rights Institute, the Toleration Act gave Englishmen the right to religion while the Declaration of Rights gave Englishmen the right to keep arms, among other rights (4). The American founding fathers were influenced by the notions of rights enshrined in the Declarations of Rights and the Toleration Act such that when the British ignored the common laws, they asserted that the said laws be followed or that â€Å"their mindset as Englishmen allowed them to assert their rights as Americans† (Bill of Rights Institute 4). According to t he Bill of Rights Institute, even long before the American Revolution, the American colonialists who fled the religious turmoil in England had a notion that their rights as Englishmen were part of colonial law (7). After the Revolution of 1776, first American states united under the Articles of Confederation (Bill of Rights Institute 7). However, the founding fathers considered that the Articles of confederation were insufficient for governance (Bill of Rights 7). Thus, the American Constitution was born. Opponents, however, had opposed a strong government represented by the American Constitution but settled for a compromise arrangement wherein delegates

The Importance of Slavery in the Development of Early America Research Paper

The Importance of Slavery in the Development of Early America - Research Paper Example They started to transport slaves from Africa to America during the sixteenth century. In the subsequent years, slavery became an economic, political and social factor in the development of early America, which resulted in the American Civil War or the American Revolution. This paper analyses the importance of slavery in the political and social development of early America and its contribution to the civil war. South America and North America were entirely different as far as the prominence of slavery was concerned. Negro slavery was absent in the North, whereas it occurred in many forms in the Southern parts of America in the last few centuries. â€Å"There has been one school of thought which regards presence of Negro slavery in the south and its absence in the north as the essence of sectional controversy† (Potter 30). From the onset, slavery had been the most serious cause of sectional conflict (Potter 52). In other words, the views and attitudes of the people in the south ern and northern parts of America were different. People in the North were more liberal in their nature, attitudes and beliefs, whereas people in the South were more conservative in their thoughts. It should be noted that European countries such as Britain were in control of Southren America in the eighteenth century. Britain had colonies in most parts of the world during this period. Africa was in control of Britain during this period, which made the slave transportation from Africa to America an easier task. Howe pointed out that â€Å"almost 14 million Negros were held in hereditary slavery during this period in America† (Howe 52). Slavery in the eighteenth century has created many social changes in America. Exports of slaves from Africa to America happened frequently during this period. Even though an independent American state was established in the eighteenth century, the process of exportation of slaves from Africa to America has not stopped. Americans were not in a mo od to give the luxury they enjoyed due to slavery. To sustain slavery as much as possible, they prevented black people from getting education, income and opportunities for employment. Even though human right issues were discussed very seriously in America during this period, nobody took slavery as a serious human right violation issue until the 1780s. In fact, the black community was not much interested in avoiding slavery in the eighteenth century. They were particular about improving their economic conditions rather than avoiding slavery or acquiring equal status with whites. Poverty was the biggest problem faced by the negros during this period. â€Å"For Negros, economic circumstances were more important than legal status (Slavery) in shaping their conditions of life† (Potter 31). It should not be forgotten that the negros were deprived of opportunities for education and, as a result of that, they were unaware of the things like human rights. For them, acquiring enough fo od at any cost was the major objective of their life. Even though dominant white people did everything possible to sustain slavery in America, they failed to prevent black people from becoming aware of freedom and liberty. For example, black people were used extensively for maritime employment by the white people in the eighteenth century. It was impossible for white people to execute maritime works without slaves. Maritime works were often done without much supervision from the