Reagans War on Drugs Essay

The phrase â€Å"sex, drugs, and rock and roll† held true to its well-earned spot in 1970’s and 1980’s society. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as well as a societal focus on many things immoral, it was an era of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psychoactive drugs, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose; how does law enforcement and the government undo the damage being made by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the President of the United States began what he called â€Å"The War on Drugs†. Over the years, some of these solutions have proven to make some impact. The initiation, tactics, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all affected the way America sees drugs today. A new type of warfare had made its way into the country, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of positive and negative effects. â€Å"Just say no. † (Reagan Declares War on Drugs, 1982). This was one of the many scare tactics used in America’s new war on drugs. The president needed to construct a plan to detract the public eye from drugs’ fame. Nancy Reagan was equally as adamant about keeping America safe and clean. She traveled to and spoke at many schools, enforcing the idea of simply refusing the temptation of drugs. Before the Reagan’s began their wartime, Richard Nixon introduced his own ‘war’ on drugs, stating, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. † (Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse Prevention, 1971). This mindset was yet another strategy used to make America energized and willing to fight this war. Nixon passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in the 1970’s as a way to keep a constant eye on the drug industry. This act required the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain types of drugs. When Reagan became president he gave a speech, announcing, â€Å"We are taking down the surrender flag that has flown over so many drug efforts; we’re running up a battle flag. † (Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs’ Speech, 1981). America’s first clear attack on the use of drugs was verbal – this strategy temporarily affected the country, but more had to be done to combat this enemy. The United States and its’ presidents had to take a fighting stance if they wanted to decrease drug abuse. One of the first instances of this was President Nixon’s Operation Intercept. Announced even before the official ‘war’ on drugs began – in September 1969 – this campaign focused on reducing the amount of cannabis entering the United States from Mexico. Following this effort, the United States government funded the controversial Methadone Maintenance Program. Methadone Maintenance treatment, a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone, was developed as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment program. † (Center for Disease Control, 2002). After Nixon’s trials and failures, President Carter went at the fight with a different, looser approach. Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana. With a less vicious outlook, Carter believed that the punishment of a crime should not be more brutal than that said crime. President Carter’s tactic proved unworthy, as while he was in office, use of cocaine increased dramatically. Finally, as Reagan took center stage and stepped into presidential office, he kept a strong belief against this criminal act. Reagan created the Office of National Drug Control Policy to eradicate illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, as well as put an end to drug related violence and crimes. Reagan put policies in place to strengthen his deadly grasp on drug-ridden society. He required mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug dealers – a policy he initiated in hopes of making drugs seem less glamorous and infinitely more criminal. He began the South Florida Task Force, which dealt with the increase of drug trafficking in Southern Florida. This force worked hand in hand with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Operation Swordfish was put in place by the DEA to attack international drug organizations. â€Å"The operation was dubbed operation swordfish because it was intended to snare the ‘big fish’ in drug trade. † (Drug Enforcement Agency, Operation Swordfish, 1980). Vice President George H. W. Bush began insisting that the CIA and U. S. Military become involved in drug interdiction efforts. The Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1988 was passed in hopes to convince America’s youth and future generations to stray away from drugs. After all of these battles, did America finally win this war? â€Å"The U. S. Federal Government spent over $15 billion in 2010 on the War on Drugs, a rate of about $500 per second. † (The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, 2010). This is a sign that perhaps Reagan’s War on Drugs wasn’t quite as effective as he had so hoped. The United States today has the highest incarceration rate and prison population of any country in the world. This is provided in part by the amount of arrests and incarcerations due to drug sentencing guidelines and policies. â€Å"In the 1980’s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%. † (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). This did not specifically mean that there were more drug-related crimes, but that law enforcement had simply cracked down on the arrests of said crimes. In comparison, Time Magazine’s study states, â€Å"Drug convictions went from 15 inmates per 100,000 adults in 1980 to 148 in 1996, an almost tenfold increase. More than half of America’s federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions. In 2009 alone, 1. 66 million Americans were arrested on drug charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Time Magazine, 2012). While this war on drugs may still be in effect, it may have positive outcomes for further in the future. As for the time being, America has two main stances on the subject: some call for further reparations in the war on drugs, while others believe the war is unsuccessful, and the focus needs to be shifted to more important and dire issues. The War on Drugs has failed. † (19 Member Commission, June 2, 2011). In another instance, a poll was taken throughout the country, and its results, â€Å"three in four Americans believe that the War on Drugs is failing. † (October 2008 Poll). Suggestions of decriminalization have been made by many. The legalization of drugs is claimed to have many positive effects on the country as a whole, including positive economic effects. While this ‘war’ on drugs started off as a full-fledged attack on all users and distributors of illegal narcotics, it seems to have transformed into a war against itself: will continuing these attacks help the country, or will allowing certain, less harmful drugs to be legal prove to be a more reasonable solution? â€Å"Legalizing drugs would save taxpayers $76. 8 billion a year in the United States – $44. 1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32. 7 billion in tax revenue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Harvard Study by Jeffrey A. Miron, 2008). In addition, the policies put into effect by Nixon and Reagan may ave had a positive impact on crime in the United States, but it may not have been in the way they had wished. â€Å"Drugs got enormously cheaper so users didn’t have to hit as many old ladies over the head and steal their pocketbooks. † (Travis Wendel, â€Å"More Drugs, Less Crime†, 2010). Murders, robberies and other violent crimes seemed to decline as the price of drugs went down – could this happen if drugs were legalized as well? America in this day and age has a vast amount of governmental and international issues in desperate need of resolution – is drug control still one of them? The United States of America is a country known by many as ‘land of the free’, but does this mean that its citizens should be allowed to participate in activities such as drug use with such a negative connotation? Did Reagan’s War on Drugs really make an effective impact on the way America sees drugs today? The answer to that question is this – while his tactics may not have worked the way he had desired, America as a whole has indeed seen less drug related crime. This does not mean it does not exist, nor does it mean that by legalizing drugs will solve all of the country’s problems. What this does mean is that Reagan’s war on drugs did not put an end to drug use, but it just may have opened America’s eyes to more clear and present danger. While drugs are in no way going to solve America’s problems, the once War on Drugs may now need to be adjusted to a name more fitting. A War on Crime as a whole perhaps? A War on Drug Related Violence? Reagan had the correct idea, now the country can put it into proper use. His War was not an end all war, but it just may have been enough to enhance America as a whole.

How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose Essay

Statement of Purpose Growing up in an educated family was a great motivation to find my position in life and establish my own dreams. During my high school education, I started searching for undergraduate programs that matched my personality and interests. After a long journey of searching, I decided to study a major that focuses mainly on health science in order to help people to stay safe and healthy. When I imaged how a small pill can switch people’s lives from hell to heaven, it motivated me to learn more about scientific processes to facilitate these transformations. Once I received my Pharm-D degree from Taif University, I determined to obtain a Master’s degree in the U.S in Pharmacoeconomics, Health Care Outcomes and Clinical Services. I discovered my specific academic passion when I was a senior pharmacy student, during my hospital rotations besides my graduation project. I worked with Professor Abubaker, who is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice division at Taif University, on a project titled â€Å"Self-Medication with Antibiotics: A population-based survey in Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.† This project had a great effect on my desire to continue studying pharmacy in graduate school because it showed me that many patients have low awareness of the effects of using wrong or unspecified dose of medication, especially in antibiotics due to either low awareness or social impacts. This matched my experience in five rotations of hospitals and college training as a senior pharmacy student. One of the important rotations to me was when I worked with physicians in a walk-in Ambulatory clinic. I interacted face to face with the patients and observed their treatment plans to raise awareness or make changes . In addition to my internship, I participated in many events during my college years. One of the important participation to me was when I participated in DUPHAT Conference 2015 in Dubai as a conference delegate and student poster presenter of a group graduation project. The concepts of hard work and the commitment to what I am doing and aiming for were reinforced in me by these extracurricular activities. I chose to apply to your program because it offers a highly unique Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice program. This program hits two birds with one stone for me. It focuses academically on providing the knowledge and analytical skills, which are necessary to demonstrate the pharmaceutical and healthcare products, to help to improve the health system in order to provide more accurate treatments for patients as well as to reduce health care cost and use budgets appropriately. The other interest of this program is providing six fellowship experiences in areas of specialization. My passion for studying this subject has grown due to the scarcity of specialists and experts in my country. I have researched the faculty of your program to find matches with my interests. I am interested in working with Dr. Linda L. Norton, or with Dr. Veronica T. Bandy, because of their research interests and both of them have experience in teaching Nonprescription therapy and self-care courses, which is the same topic of my graduation project. Also, I am interested in working with Dr. Yvonne Mai, because she has a degree in Pharmacoeconomics, Health Care Outcomes and Clinical Services Fellowship, which is the same as my specialized program. I have looked at all the faculty backgrounds and interests, and Dr. Mai is the only one who has this degree. I believe we can collaborate to take health care and clinical services to a new level in my country due to our same interest field and passions. After I obtain a master’s degree, I will return home to work in one of Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry Hospitals as a part of my full scholarship agreement. After that, I plan to continue my journey in higher education to transfer my passion to young pharmacy students to improve the health outcomes and pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia.

Christian copts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christian copts - Research Paper Example The history of Coptic Christianity is tragic, sad and filled with stories of misery. The Coptic language is no longer spoken outside church and the percentage of Copts in Egypt have declined to fewer than 10 percent of the population yet this sect has survived through the centuries spreading beyond the Egyptian borders to many countries around the world. According to Coptic belief the Christian sect began when the Apostle Mark traveled to Egypt. Mark would become the first Pope of Alexandria. The word â€Å"Copt† is derived from the â€Å"Aigyptos,† a Greek word meaning Egyptian. The Coptic Church believes Jesus is less than God because He was made by God while all other Christian denominations believe Jesus to be a spiritual being whose nature was the same therefore equal to God. This was a major divisive issue in 451 AD at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) when the Copts separated from the other Christian sects but the disagreement has cooled over the many years since . Neither mainline nor do Coptic Christians believe this one point of contention to be of great importance anymore. Otherwise, most Coptic beliefs are essentially the same as other Christians Churches, the Bible being the guiding text. As in other Christian sects, Copts believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Men actually wrote it but were guided by the Holy Spirit. Copts, as other Christian’s sects believe that Christ not only taught through words but also by His actions and the Bible is not the only source of knowledge. According to Coptic Pope H. H. Pope Shenouda II â€Å"the Holy Bible does not mention everything.† (BBC 2009). Traditions are particularly important to Copts because these have directed civilization from since the time of the first people, Adam and Eve, a period which, according to them, occurred many centuries prior to the writings of the Bible. Somewhat surprisingly, due to the Copts, Christian monasteries originated in Egypt. Termed â€Å"m onasticism,† the creation of monasteries is the most significant contribution to the Christian religion by the Copts. The original monastic community was unintentionally founded by Saint Anthony (died in 356 AD). He departed for Egypt intending to live a spiritual life alone but came across others who wanted to live close to what they believed to be a holy person. They formed a religious community, a novel concept at that time. Of course the community needed rules and who better than a Roman for the task? Saint Pachomius (died 346 AD), an Egyptian and former soldier in the Roman Army, established the first collection of rules for a religious community with a central highly spiritual leader, later to be termed ‘monastery.’ The list of rules combined a work regiment and spiritual dedication. As is the case for all other religions and Christian sects, there are many traditions and rituals unique to Coptic Christians. All Coptic churches face east as do the faithful w hen praying. Traditions and symbolism, such as facing east, is held sacred by Copts. â€Å"We see Christ as our east, in that the sun rises from the east. The sun is the source of our life and so Christ is our salvation, the source of our life in the spirit. Looking towards the east, we are facing the Garden of Eden.† The act is also Biblical in nature. According to ‘Acts,’ St. John of Zebedee â€Å"took a cross of wood and placed it up towards the east and kneeled

Factors that Affect Detachment of Bacteria from Biofilm and Research Proposal

Factors that Affect Detachment of Bacteria from Biofilm and Interactions between Free Bacteria and Those in the Biofilm - Research Proposal Example They contain a range of different microbes including, but not limited to microalgae, protozoan and bacteria. Biofilms can contain pathogenic forms of microbes . They have been proposed as a mechanism of defense for bacteria, and consist of a matrix that is able to adhere to liquid or solid surfaces . Biofilms have been shown to be more than 500 times more resistant than free bacteria to antibacterial agents . Because of their high level of resistance and stability they are able to provide effective reservoirs for pathogens, as well as survival advantages and potential increases to their virulence. Biofilms have been linked to some human disease and chronic infections, including kidney stones and cystic fibrosis infections of the lungs . More than 99% of all bacteria that is present in the world exists in biofilms , as a consequence the presence of biofilms and their role with pathogenic bacteria is an important area of study. Bacteria within and exterior to biofilms are different tha n one another in a number of ways. As well as increased resistance to antibacterial agents, bacteria within biofilms exist in an environment of cooperatively that has a primitive circulatory system and exhibit a primitive form of homeostasis . Bacteria attach to a biofilms by approaching closely so that a brief association is formed between the bacterium and either the surface or other bacteria already attached.

International Business Case #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Business Case #3 - Essay Example According to the video, there is a high demand for clothing. There are a good number of stores dealing with clothes. Hence, one has to establish whether there is demand for the company’s product in that market (â€Å"The Schildergasse in Cologne†). From the video, it is established that the rent for store within that area is high. This affects the returns of the business established. Analysis of the business environment will help to establish where it is viable to set up a business premises in the area. There are different kinds of consumer in that region. A section of the consumers take into consideration the price of the products. Another section does not put much interest into the price as they do to the product. Hence, a producer can be able to know which product to introduce and their pricing (â€Å"The Schildergasse in Cologne†). It can be established that a big section of the population prefer to buy popular brand and from stores with a popular name. Hence, it is important to analyze the competitors to see how to go into the market, and which is the best site to be located. For a company to be able to penetrate the international market, they have to be able to identify the opportunities or gaps and be able to fill them. From the video, several gaps can be identified. From the respondents, it can be seen that there is information asymmetry. An investor capitalizes on the opening and introduces the same product at a more appealing price. The investor will be able to tap the consumers who do not have full market information on the products. It can also be established that most of the clients choose to shop in stores with popular and established names and brands. This provides an opportunity for chain stores with an established name and brand to penetrate them market. It emerges that there is a section of the consumer who do not factor the cost of the product. This creates an opportunity for companies with high-end products to

Law Case Study Question Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law Question Analysis - Case Study Example The English contract law provides that the advertiser of good or products for sale through a newspaper is under duty to scrutinize the offers that have been tendered by the interested parties, if such offers are made before the expiry of the deadline that has been set by the advertisement, and without any variation in the offers . In this respect, Arthur is under duty to scrutinize the letter of offer that was submitted by Rodney, failure to which he is liable for having breached the terms of the contract. This is because, after reading the advertisement on the newspaper, Rodney sent the necessary letter of offer and the required amount, and they were received by Arthur at 9:50 am Monday as required by the advertisement. Arthur cannot sell the car to Thelma and he is not under any legal obligation to fulfill the contract with her. This is because, when Thelma saw the advertisement, she tendered a counter offer by submitting a cheque of cheque for  £7,250, as opposed to the cheque f or  £7,500 that was required by the advertisement. This simply amounts to a counter offer under the English contract law, where an individual issues an offer that is different and that is varying the actual terms that were in the original contract notification . The English contract law provides that under the situation of a counter offer, the contract terms have been varied, and thus the individual asking for the offers from the interested parties cannot be legally bound to accept that offer.

Operational Management Business Plan Term Paper

Operational Management Business Plan - Term Paper Example (National Center for Education Statistics) Operations management is essentially overseeing processes that turn inputs into outputs. The goal is to achieve organisational objectives at the lowest cost in order to maximise profits. I work for General Trading which is a grocery and dairy supplier. The portfolio includes distribution, wholesale as well as export operations. The company trades in approximately 10,000 grocery items and 2,000 products and sports its own brands Parade and Better Valu. The export markets range from Europe, South America, Africa, Caribbean and the Middle East. (General Trading) The largest branch of operations exists for food items delivery to supermarkets within the metropolitan area. General Trading acts as the middle man between the wholesalers and the larger grocery stores. Myriad physical resources including warehouses, offices, transport equipment, support services are required to support operations. On the human side, hundreds of workers are required ea ch day by General Trading to ensure prompt delivery of food items. The business philosophy is rather archaic and well set in and the management is not highly committed to change (in terms of modernisation). Business operations demand investment in physical and human resources in order to maximise efficiency and production. At General Trading the, top management has been relentlessly unwilling to invest money in company operations in the short-term to prosper in the long-run. The company’s operations suffer due to lack of training, archaic physical resources, inefficient warehouse operations (stacking and retrieval), lack of employee metrics as well as the lack of a coherent quality management scheme. Operation Analysis and Evaluation General Trading being a logistics operator has to deal with warehousing and transportation. These two operations form the bulk of the company’s operations management. Goods flow both into and out of the warehouse. The material needs to be stacked in order of certain preferences so that it can be readily deployed as required. These preferences include delivery dates, nature of food materials (preserved or fresh), room for fire fighting and escape etc. Food orders are created to record all transactions of incoming and outgoing food materials. Experienced personnel are required to create food orders so that the right amount of detail is entered flawlessly intro records. Similarly, experienced store handlers are required to locate the food materials both when they arrive and when they are about to leave. Investments in the physical equipment have also been lacking which have promoted inefficient operations. A description of the operations is provided below for areas where improvements are desired. Relevant weaknesses are listed alongside the process evaluation so that continuity and relevance can be maintained. Warehousing Warehousing refers to the storage of materials for further processing. In terms of business value a ddition, warehousing

Changing Demographics in the UK and Europe Essay

Changing Demographics in the UK and Europe - Essay Example To prevent work-related stress, each employee should make it a habit to exercise on a regular basis. To decrease the number of unemployed youth, it is necessary to control the inflow of the immigrants. Doing so will provide the youth the opportunity to gain work experiences needed to make the future workforce of UK and Europe more competitive. Table of Contents Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Table of Contents †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 I. Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 II. Total Population in UK and Europe †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 III. Significan ce of UK and Europe Demographics on Employment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..................................†¦. 5 IV. Significance of UK and Europe Demographics on the Local Businesses †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.................................†¦. 7 V. Conclusions and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Appendix I – Population Trend in UK †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦............................. 10 Appendix II – Long-Term International Migration Into and Out of the UK †¦.............................................................. ... .................................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.........†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 - 17 Introduction Defined as the â€Å"balance of a population especially with regards to density and capacity for expansion or decline† (Merriam-Webster, 2012), demographic composition of a nation includes a wide-range of variables such as gender, age, race, nationality, employment status, location of residences, and home ownership among others. Due to the global economic crisis, the number of people who are unemployed has been increasing over time past few years (Gregory, 2011). Globalization does not only mean removing the barriers on trading but also the movements of the labour forces. This explains why some people view globalization as a great threat on employment. Considering the on-going changes in the demographics of UK and Europe particularly with regards to youth unemployment and the ageing workforce, this report will focus on analyzing how changes in demographics can affect the local business organizations and how demographic data serves as useful information in terms of making important business management decisions. In response to the case of high unemployment rate, Total Population in UK and Europe The trend in UK population is following an upward trend. From 61.8 million, the total population in UK is reported to have reached 62.6 million in 2011 and again to increase up to 64.8 million in 2016 (Beaumont, 2011, p. 3). Other than live births, one of the main reasons why the UK population is continuously increasing is due to the upward trend of immigration (p. 7). In the case of UK, earning British citizenship through residence grant is more common than granting British

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 23

Project Management - Essay Example This paper discusses about the process of project integration management. It includes details of its structure, its traditional uses and misuses along with certain drawbacks. Areas like developing project plans, execution of project plans and change management are also included in the study. The Shard tower of London has been used as an example of a successful project management (PMI, 2013). The primary goal of the project integration management is to establish coordination between all the elements of the project. It involves taking strategic decisions to make tradeoffs between different objectives and options, so as to meet the stakeholder’s interest in a resource efficient way. The PMBOK guide breaks down the integration management further into six steps, which are explained below (PMI, 2013). Project Charter Development: The details of the project are included in the project charter. It is an official document which gives authority to the management to proceed on the project and employ necessary recourses of the company in the project activities. Monitoring and Controlling: This process keeps track of the progress and performance, and reporting accordingly. This step acts as a control mechanism; if the progress deviates from the plan then immediately the process is stopped and necessary amendments are made in order to make sure that the progress goes in the desired direction. Integrated Change Control: All the necessary changes required in the process are managed in this step. It includes review of all the change requests, approval of the required changes and managing the changes in the project assets, planning and internal communication. Although the PMBOK guidelines state the above process, but Meredith and Mantel (2012) argued that there is no thumb rule for project management. Every project is different and thus each

Is One Per Cent Inspiration, Ninety- Nine Per Cent Perspiration Essay Example for Free

Is One Per Cent Inspiration, Ninety- Nine Per Cent Perspiration Essay In our culture a lot of times people advise us to compare ourselves with others. You should be like your father, You can win; the others aren’t as good as you, You must be the best of your class, etc., and this is not always the best way of thinking. There are many reasons to change this way of thinking and begin to compare ourselves only with ourselves. This is the way it should be, and in this paper I will discuss some of the most important reasons for this. The first reason to avoid comparing yourself with others is that there will be always someone better than you. It doesn’t mater in which aspect, but it is always true. Therefore, you could feel  inferior to others and maybe without a real reason. For example, you can be an incredible architect and the best of your generation, and this can make you feel incredibly good, but if someday someone is better than you are, you could feel sad although you are still the same incredible architect that you were before. The second reason to elude this kind of comparison is that you will always find someone worse than you, but as opposed to the first reason, this can make you feel better than the others, and this feeling can turn into a horrible pride. For example, if you are the second best student of your class, and one day the very best student leaves the school, you will then be the best one although you are still only as good as you were before. These two first reasons leads us to a third one: If you want to be better than the others, you don’t need to improve yourself; you only have to make the others look bad. If I want to be the leader of the group, but you are the leader now, what I need to do is to make you look like a traitor or stupid and then I can take your place. Then I will be better than you. A fourth reason to stop comparing ourselves is that the one who compares him/herself with others is judging, and this doesn’t help us develop as human beings. Nobody knows the internal reality of the other; nobody knows his/her story and his/her most deep intentions, and when we judge it’s harder to accept the others. The last but most important reason to avoid comparing ourselves with others is that when we do, we can be tempted to copy them, to do the same things, and to act and think like them. The problem with this is that if we copy someone, we will never know who we really are and what we really want, and then we will never grow spiritually. For all these reasons and because we are unique, we should not compare ourselves with others, only with ourselves. The only comparison pattern that we really have is our consciousness. So, if we use this pattern we will not feel less or more than others; we will not try to make others look bad; we will not judge so much; and we will accept ourselves as we really are. In other words, we will live happier. â€Å"Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety- nine per cent perspiration.† This famous saying by Thomas Alva Edison is very relevant in our present day context.It means that it is hard work that makes a person a  genius.Edison was of the view that geniuses are made, not born.I agree with his views.Not everyone in this world who has good luck is a genius.Usually we find that the people who work hard to achieve their goal are the ones who are successful.Many times while mentioning a person who is very successful we say†Oh!He is a genius. †But we don’t think about the amount of hard work they have put in to succeed in life. Most geniuses have made enormous efforts to equip themselves with special qualities. They all work extremely hard. Successful people also have the inspiration which drives them to work hard. They usually look up to someone for motivation.It may be their parents or some other person.It is the combination of both inspiration and hard which brings an individual success. The first example I would like to give is about Edison himself.Edison never completed his schooling in a proper school.His mother was a great influence on him and taught him at home. It was his mother who made him feel that hecould succeed in life. Therefore he started studying hard and invented many useul things like the bulb. Next we have Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam who was greatly influenced by his father. He worked very hard in life and became a space scientist at the ISRO and later became the president of india. Abraham lincoln was a political genius who worked hard and fought against slavery.He lost two times in the presidential elections but he did not give up. He persevered and then he won the elections.Lincoln strongly admired Henry Clay.

Representation Of The American Dream Film Studies Essay

Representation Of The American Dream Film Studies Essay Independence Day is a film directed by Roland Emmerich WHAT HAPPENED RELEASED in 1996, which shows the planet under an alien attack, where the U.S. is the center of the problem and the country that saves the world. In relation to this film several elements can be analyzed belonging to the American culture. One of the most significant is The American Dream. An ideal of American culture that is based on democracy and equality and aims to maintain the welfare of society, in order to achieve the fulfillment of the dreams of its members. Based on this, the question that this paper attempts to answer is: To what extent the movie Independence Day directed by Roland Emmerich reflects the American dream? In this paper is exposed how there is a relationship between The American Dream as a cultural element that represents an American ideal and the script of the film, where elements, the film presents such as leadership, equality in terms of race, gender and social context, and the image of a perfect democracy REPRESENT THIS FEATURE. So we can see IN THIS WAY that the film represents to a great extent and very clearly the American Dream, because it reaffirms the central role of American culture on a global context by exposing the values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹of the American Dream as the country defends the planet from the Alien attack, it also brings these values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹to a global context as it takes the independence Day as a celebration of global importance, and showing America as a country where the dreams of an entire nation and its members are fulfilled. Word count: 262 INTRODUCTION Nowadays The United States is one of the most influential countries in the global context, taking into account its economic and military power. However its importance worldwide is also due to their culture, a culture that has strongly expanded in the Western Hemisphere by spreading a set of customs, traditions and ideals. Among the strongest and representative ideals of American culture is what is known as The American Dream, a concept that has transcended through history and has strongly consolidated American culture by showing that in this country people can achieve an ideal lifestyle where all of its members fulfill their dreams in a country that enforces their rights and welfare. Taking this into account it is important to analyze how these ideals are represented and displayed as part of American culture by focusing on a specific cultural artifact, in this case the film Independence Day directed by Roland Emmerich released on 1996. Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter and producer known by his science fiction productions which usually show humanity under catastrophic and risky situations. That is why on Independence Day a catastrophic context can be seen a context in which Planet Earth is under an Alien attack and places The United States in the center of the tragedy and as a country that puts all of its efforts to save the planet. The aim of this paper is to show: To what extent the film Independence Day directed by Roland Emmerich reflects the American Dream. For this IT IS NECESSARY TO analyze the concept of The American Dream as part of their culture in relation to the elements that the film shows, an analysis of the script by showing the different situations and characters, and an analysis of the symbols used throughout the film. THE AMERICAN DREAM AS REPRESENTATION OF THEIR CULTURE The concept of the American Dream was introduced by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic America, where he talks about this concept as a social ideal representative of American culture, which seeks equality in terms of opportunities and a comfortable lifestyle for everyone, based on a proper use of democracy to achieve it. The American dream is the cultural expression of North American identity and, even if it was occasionally transformed into the American nightmare, it remains one of the most motivating forces of American civilization and a still viable token of American exceptionalism. (Stiuliuc, 2011). According to this, Diana Stiuliuc in her text The American Dream as the Cultural Expression of North American Identity claims that the American Dream despite the different interpretations that may have, will always refer to the American culture as a unique factor that represents the American national identity. Taking these definitions into account we can see how this concepts fi t the American culture, because it is based on democracy and equality, concepts that were consolidated as part of that culture since they were mentioned in the American constitution and the declaration of Independence. On the other hand, referring to Ferdinand Lasalle who said on his book On the essence of constitutions (YEAR) that culture is related with public consciousness, we can consider a relationship between the Constitution and culture. It means that the constitution has to reflect the aspects of society that are determined by their customs, their morality, their ideas about good and evil and in general all kind of aspects that represent the members of a society, in order to make people identify with the constitution and actually obey the laws. According to this and focusing in the movie, it is significant to stand out some concepts that clearly reflect The American Dream because they are based on democracy and equality, the concept of The United States as a country with a perfect democracy, a multicultural country and a global leader. ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPT Throughout the film America is depicted in many ways as a model of democracy. Several ideas present in the classic documents mentioned appear as concepts in the films plot, there are mainly four ideas represented in the film, they are: America depicted as a progressive country, America depicted as a land in which goals can be fulfilled with enough effort, America as a country in which peace and the due processes are a priority, and America as a country which authority comes from the consent of the governed. America is shown as a progressive country in terms of its political structure, as the movie shows how the country is worried about social progress and welfare. One of the main characters in the film is the President who takes on many roles depending on the situations he faces throughout the film; one of these roles is that of a young yet wise politician. In the film America is shown as a land in which youth is not a hindrance in terms of wisdom. This is shown at the beginning of the film when the Presidents communication director Constance Halbrook, another important character, shows the news to the President arguing that people are attacking not his policies but his age. Other types of progressive thinking are shown throughout the movie such as the presence of debate and protest among the citizens. The President is shown as a human being despite his role as a hero, if he is not defeated at the end of the film, it is due to his prowess as a politician and soldier instead of a set of special abilities inherent to himself. Protestors are shown when US police and military forces take place close to the Alien ships. And debate is implied in occasional TV broadcasts shown as secondary plot devices. America is depicted as a land in which dreams can be fulfilled throughout the entire film. Almost each character starts his or her journey with a certain frustration, David failed as a scientist, Constance failed in her previous relationship with David, Steven could not get a job in NASA and Jasmine struggles with keeping her family together. At the end of the film after each character is forced to grow and has to put huge efforts in developing their skills or going through great risk, is able to accomplish his or her goals, David and Steve succeed in their attack to the alien ship, Constance and Jasmine are able to put their families together. America is also shown as a peaceful country that wont attack unless it is attacked first. After Alien ships are positioned over each major city in the United States the President gives the order to approach them in a peaceful way by having a group of helicopters get close to one of the space ships and broadcast a welcome message. Following an offensive by the Aliens the President gives the order of a counterattack. Also it is implied at several moments that America is a country that respects the supremacy of others, it is only after the United States supremacy is threatened that open war begins. This is closely related to the idea mentioned before that America is a country in which authority comes from the consent of the governed. Most scenes in the movie show scenarios of political life, TV debates, the Oval Office, the White House and so on, democracy is a central theme to the movie. A very representative moment of this idea is when the President decides to prepare a nuclear attack just after receiving a message from the Aliens that describes their method; Aliens are compared to locusts, their essence is that of the exact opposite to the freedom of a democratic government. Some of the mentioned ideas have a parallel in classic documents. The fifth amendment of the United States constitution mentions due process as one of the main components of justice in the United States; this thinking is re-enacted several times during the film. Nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. (U.S constitution. Amendment. 5). The Declaration Of Independence states that the source of authority of each country should be the consent of the governed and not the authoritarian rule of a monarch, and that idea is reflected in the movie as it shows the concerns of the president anytime he is making a decision that may or may not benefit people. Another notorious idea is the representation of America as a multicultural country. Different genders and ethnicities are shown in the movie occupying different important roles, as it is an idea of equality that reaffirms The American Dream. Scientists are shown as people from Caucasian, Asian and African-American descent as well as one of the main characters, David, who is clearly of Jewish descent. Women have important roles during the film too, Constance and Margaret, the First Lady, are shown as brave and dedicated women among the world of politics, and Jasmine is shown as a strong woman and mother willing to do what it takes in order to survive and protect her family. It is important to mention about this element of the film what Hanson said on her work American Dream in the 21st Century an idea that shows a close relationship between the film and the American Dream. The American Dream represents a state of mind that is an enduring optimism given to a people who might be tempted to succumb to the travails of adversity, but who, instead, repeatedly rise from the ashes to continue to build a great nation. (Hanson, White, 2011). Soldiers that are one of the main components of the plot are also from different ethnic backgrounds. There is representation of Caucasians, African-Americans and Latinos, each person is compelled to fight for the independence of the United States regardless of their ethnic background or occupation as is mainly shown with Russell a farmer who is considered crazy and drunk during most of the film but turns into a hero by the end. Both the 15th and 19th amendments to the United States constitution defend gender and race diversity by protecting the right to vote of people from all genders and ethnicities. This idea is an essential part of The American Dream and their culture, and is therefore represented in the film repeatedly. Aside from that, it is important to mention how the military forces of the United States of America are shown throughout the film. Military forces are important since they are the first institution of the American government to appear in the film after the aliens have appeared and have been identified, they are the first group to face the threat and set research and analysis into motion. They are also the first ones to establish a defensive stance towards the invaders. This is shown in the movie since a Pentagon official who discovers the Aliens presence takes as first measure the action of summoning the Secretary of Defense. A very prominent idea shown in the film is the American position in regards of conflict against enemies. It is very important to stand out their role as negotiators and a peaceful society at the beginning of the film, they initially will not attack unless they are attacked. In the film, the first approach to the aliens by the American government is a peaceful one. After this peaceful attempt goes terribly wrong and the aliens attack, the army is given the green light to retaliate. This response as we mentioned before was of course more than ready. This peaceful feature of the American society has as well parallels in the official documents. In the Declaration Of Independence, it is stated that the King of England had attacked first by placing troops in American territory even in times of peace. It also says that America will stay in peace with all its allies and friends but will be in war with any enemy. Doing an analysis of the main characters points of view we can see that they always keep an attitude of braveness and enthusiasm. First of all we can see how the President always keeps a brave image and is never afraid or intimidated by the Aliens; he is always present at every moment, refusing any invitation to a shelter and doing everything possible for his country. This idea is reinforced when he decides to be a member of the final offensive fighting like any other soldier. Another element depicted in the film that reinforces this idea of America as a peaceful and caring country yet ready to battle, is how solidarity is an essential characteristic of all characters personality. This idea is prominently shown once again in the President. He is constantly shown as a loving family man. He appears for the first time during the film while receiving a call from his wife and being with his daughter. He stays with his daughter throughout the entire film and has his wife in mind. On the other hand, David is shown as a character attached to moral integrity, an environmentalist always concerned about taking care of the planet and the greater good. He is because of that the first one to go against the decision of launching a nuclear assault. Another recurrent theme in the film is the characterization of the United States as a technological super power. Scientists are during the story more than support characters, they are heroes. Since the beginning of the film scientific facilities are shown. In fact the first character to appear in the film is a scientist. The film goes back and forth between political and scientific scenarios in which all characters interact. America displays power in the film through politics, the army and technology. All these three scenarios are closely intertwined and together form what makes the United States a super power in the film. As mentioned, science appears in the film very early. The first image is a shot of the American flag placed on the moon showing one of the biggest achievements of humanity in terms of space exploration. Then it continues by depicting a scene of a Hi-tech facility in which scientists discover for the first time the presence of the Alien invaders. The importance of science in the movie not only as a tool of survival but as an icon of American pride is reinforced every time that characters face an obstacle in terms of technology. Very early in the film a member of the military is aggravated when an employee of the Pentagon admits that they are confused about what is going on. Another feature of the film related to the depiction of technology is the way that other countries technology is represented. Iraq and Russia are shown as countries in ruins after the alien attack, the Russian satellite is shown as old and is immediately destroyed, it is implied that the only network the Aliens use is the American one. David is therefore the most important character in the film in terms of technology. His personal journey goes from being a scientist who failed professionally despite his studies and intelligence to being the one who discovers the alien communication system and the one who learns how to destroy their defenses. David is the genius who represents the true power of America which is not the brute display of force but the use of knowledge, technology and progress. It is because of him that the world has to follow Americas lead during battle. Another very prominent representation of America in the film is that of the country being shown as a brave and resilient nation. Americans are shown as heroes who overcome adversity no matter how strong their opponents may be, always willing to defend themselves and their people, American scientists, politicians and soldiers seem to be utterly resilient and indestructible. That characteristic though is not shown as the starting point of the film, in fact, Americas most powerful cities are destroyed and all of their military efforts are rendered useless before the attack is successful displaying a story of heroes who had to sacrifice everything in order to win and who to be able to defend their freedom had to rely on their braveness only. Indeed America is shown as the Land of The Free and the Home of The Brave many times during the movie. The figures of the President and the First Lady are examples of courage, unwilling to hide, both decide to stay with the people of America during the alien attacks even after they are offered protection. The First Ladys sacrifice is therefore the ultimate display of braveness and will to resist against the oppressors. Even right before her death she is shown as a warrior who has set her mind on the only goal of defending her country even at the point of surrendering her life, she says she trusts her husbands capabilities in winning the battle turning her death into the moving force of the Presidents determination to win. The President is then the most important figure of braveness and resilience. Not only he is challenged in terms of his job he is also personally attacked and has his family destroyed before he can stand against the aliens. This mixture of professional and personal obligation comes together in his role as a soldier. The President is also a soldier with special abilities in the fields of air combat, he personally leads the final battle against the aliens, because of this reason he is fundamental to Americas victory, he embodies the might of the State, the braveness of Americans and the peoples will to resist and thrive through great efforts. Other main characters are symbols of courage and resilience. Russell is the everyman who even after being described as a bad father and mediocre man saves the day by showing that nothing else is more important than serving his country and fulfilling his duties as an American soldier, the President grants him the status of hero, because of this reason Russell receives the approval of his family and in spite of his previous failure he turns into a hero because of his braveness and willing to sacrifice. Steven is also the soldier who is willing to lose everything if it is for his country and his loved ones. His motivations are fulfilling his dream of being an astronaut, serving his country and protecting the family he wants to form with Jasmine. He puts himself at great risk by being a part of the stealth mission to destroy the enemy defense and does it without any hesitation. The same goes for David who as a member of this mission risks everything in name of the things he believes in, he is shown as an environmentalist who would do anything in order to save his country. Jasmine on the other hand shows another type of resistance. She is the one that as a main character represents the people of America. The everyday fighter, the passionate mother, she can only resist by doing what every civilian can do, being brave and trusting her state leaders. This is another prominent feature of the film. People are shown as hopeless yet brave citizens, they dont have the strength to fight against the aliens but do so by putting their trust in their government. The American civilians have anyway a common characteristic with the military and government their weakness that turns into braveness and finally victory. Then war is not between two equally powerful opponents, humans are obviously outnumbered and overpowered. Their machines and weapons are shown as tiny next to the huge weaponry of the aliens, even the final weapon against their defenses is tiny, a computer virus, showing that intelligence, courage and sacrifice are worth more than raw force. USE OF SYMBOLS One of the most prominent symbols shown in the movie is the speech given by the President to the soldiers prior to the battle against the aliens, where not only are displayed patriotic ideals but also America is depicted as a country that fully represents the promises of the American dream. One of the main symbolic references is the declaration of the 4th of July as a worldwide celebration extending the idea of The United States national independence to the entire world declaring that way that the ideals of the American revolution and its independence values are applicable to the entire world and should therefore be celebrated by all nations since they represent what is good for every nation. This reference to the 4th of July, which is of course a main idea in the film considering its relevance in relation to the title, places America as the leader of the world. The United States government and its military institutions are the ones to begin and lead the attack against the alien threat; the mentioned speech keeps a strong moral and military rhetoric style. The response from the listeners of the speech is highly emotional as they are all willing to defend these universal values in a clear reference to The American Dream. On the other hand we can talk about the symbols displayed visually. Throughout the film different places are shown and many are representative of American culture. Mainly, government buildings like the Pentagon or the White House and national monuments like the Statue of Liberty are shown, also the skylines of New York City and the city of Los Angeles are repeatedly featured. These symbols are a representation of the main aspects of American culture in relation to The American Dream; government buildings represent the power of the United States, its importance in keeping peace and order, as they show the importance of democracy. Cities like New York or Los Angeles are not only the main economic centers of the country but the most renowned touristic destinations in America. CONCLUSIONS Finally it can be seen how the concept of the American Dream has a very important role in everything related to the American culture, from it, the bases for a great amount of social ideals that represent and promote American culture and identity have been formed. The American Dream attempts to fulfill all ideals of equality and common well-being a nation where the dreams of all its members can become a reality depending on the extent to which they belong to the American society. It is very interesting also to analyze how these concepts go back to classic texts like the Declaration Of Independence and the Constitution of the United States since the importance of creating a global country had already been stated. Taking this into account, it can be seen how this film includes clear references reaffirming the cultural importance of the American Dream in a global context by showing how this nation has the capacity of being a world leader and keeping a society together. In the film, the concepts that depict the United States as a country with a perfect government system can be seen. America achieves through democracy a society that has equal rights for everyone regardless of ethnicity, gender and social differences but most of the film depicts America as a country able to keep a society in harmony where collective objectives and individual dreams are fulfilled. Finally, in terms of the inquiry that guides this paper, it can be seen that the film greatly represents the American Dream. Even from the title which refers to an American holiday but places it on a global context we can see how this film shows American values as the answer the world needs to be able to survive the invasion. We can see in the film how the United States is tested and destroyed just so it can reaffirm itself as a powerful nation in all its aspects, mainly culturally, showing the importance of the American Dream at a national and international level. Word count: 3974

Music Comes and Goes :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Music Comes and Goes    Different styles of music effect people in many ways. The different styles could be different in religion, culture, and their messages towards the public. Because of the many styles , many questions are found concerning how different music effects people in different ways. Every style of music have their own beats, melodies, and instruments which give different effects to the human year. From that difference people percieve these styles of music in many ways. Some people seem to fancy one type of music more than the others, some people can listen to almost any type of music without haste while some do not really care for music at all.    What kind of music do different age groups listen to? That really is a matter of young people preferring fast beats compared to the adults that prefer easy listenning tunes. Young people from ages fourteen to around the early twenties seem to get into music that have lyrics that contain stories or thiemes on sex, violence, and relationships. Especially music that contain explicit lyrics are popular among the teenagers. The reason behind that is that teenagers are put into a situation where they aren't aloud to do many things concerning their age such as drinking, smoking or seeing highly rated movies. That makes teenagers want to do things that are against the rules to show more individuality among their peers and to appeal their social sides.    Also being in a compressed environment makes the teens to want to rebel in one way or another to feel more independent and strong. On the other hand once you are an adult facing many responsibilities and have true independence, people seem to listen to music with slower beats or music with a realistic point of view on life. Because the person reached adulthood doesn't mean they get calmed down. there is no proof for that . But because of the difference between independence among the teenagers and the adults , adults seem to listen to whatever music they 've chosen as their type of music during their teenage years while teenagers are in the process of searching for what music is the ultimate for themselves . So in a easier way it means that adults are more concervative and teenagers are more liberal about listening to music. Another factor concerning what the different age groups listen to is that music has its biorythm, saying that some types are more popular than the other at certai n times until another type of music takes over.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Essay -- essays research papers

Gabriel Gà ¡rcia Mà ¡rquez Gabriel Josà © Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez was born on March 6, 1928 in Aracataca, a town in Northern Colombia, where he was raised by his maternal grandparents in a house filled with countless aunts and the rumors of ghosts. But in order to get a better grasp on Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez's life, it helps to understand something first about both the history of Colombia and the unusual background of his family. Colombia Colombia won its independence from Spain in 1810, technically making it one of Latin America's oldest democracies, but the sad fact is that this "democracy" has rarely known peace and justice. In the beginning, there was of course Spain and the Indians, happily hating each other as the Spaniards tore the land up in quest for gold, El Dorado, religious converts, and political power. The English, too, played their part, with Drake attacking Riohachi in 1568 and the countless colonial squabbles of the next few centuries. Declaring itself independent from Spain when Napoleon ousted the Spanish King in 1810, the new country experienced a brief period of freedom and then was quickly reconquered in 1815 by the unpleasant and bloody campaigns of General Murillo. So much did their internal bickering allow their fledgling country to fall to the sword of Murillo, the period is immortalized in Colombia's history with the colorful name of la Patria Boba, or "The Booby Fatherland." Round two, however, fell to the Colombians, when Simà ³n Bolà ­var reliberated the country in 1820 and became its very first president. In 1849, the country was sufficiently advanced enough to con cretize their squabbling in the form of two political parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, who exist to this day. These two parties form the political framework for much of Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez's fiction, and understanding their true natures is both a key to his writing and, unfortunately, an important insight to Latin American politics in general. Although initially forming around the nucleus of two distinct and different ideologies, long years of bloody conflict have served to significantly erode the distinctions between the parties. The Conservatives and the Liberals are more like warring factions or clans than any parties with firmly established and radically different ideologies. Both tend to be repressive, both are corrupt, and bot... ... and in the same year he wrote Viva Sandino, a screenplay about the Sandanistas and the Nicaraguan Revolution. Politics, however, would be far from his mind for his next work of fiction, which would be a love story. Turning again to his rich past for inspiration and material, he reworked his parent's strange courtship into the form of a decade-spanning narrative. The story would be about two frustrated lovers and the long tome between their second courtship, and in 1986 Love in the Time of Cholera was unveiled to the anxious world. It was highly received, and there was no question that Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez had become a writer with universal appeal. By now one of the most famous writers in the world, he eased into a lifestyle of writing, teaching, and political activism. With residences in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Paris, Barcelona, and Barranquilla, he finished the decade by publishing The General in his Labyrinth in 1990, and two years later Strange Pilgrims was born. In 1994 he published his most recent work of fiction, Love and Other Demons. Today, Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez lives with Mercedes in Mexico City, where he has quit smoking and is in the perpetual state of "writing a novel."

Should Members Of Congress Earn More Money Or Less? :: essays research papers

Well, it really depends on one thing; I'm talking about their reason for becoming a congressman. If I were to become a congressman, my reason would be to help Californians express their opinions better. However this is my reason. Different people have millions of other reasons. I think there are three major reasons for becoming a congressman: represent his/her state, power, or money. I don't believe that most people get into Congress for the money. I believe most people that become congressmen want their state to be heard, and they want to improve it. However not everybody is so good some people are in it purely for power, usually power means money. I do not believe their salaries should be lowered, because if they feel they don't get what they deserve, they might not do their best in the office, they might abuse their privileges, etc. If they don't get paid enough they become more susceptible to taking bribes; this is the first sign of corruption. This might explain the paying less part, however it doesn't say much about raising their salary. I've considered the idea of raising their salary, however after a careful examination of facts, I didn't think raising it would improve much. As I have mentioned before, people (the Congressmen) don't do it for the money. Basically money isn't their primary concern. What would happen if you say doubled their salaries? People are not perfect, nobody is... if you pay them a lot more, chances are they might become greedy; when the only thing a person cares about is money, nothing ever gets accomplished. Greed is a terrible "sickness," even though you have a lot of something, in this case money, you want more, and more, and more, this craving never stops. The last thing you'd want is a greedy congressman. It is very likely that a greedy congressman would take bribes, and use his office to make even more profits, any way possible. A greedy congressman would probably forget his responsibilities, and duties as a congressman; this would only make it worse for that particular state.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Death

What are we to make of Gandhi's life? How should we judge this homespun-wearing politician-saint, the man who brought down an empire by preaching brotherhood and nonviolence? At the very end, with his beloved India reaping its own destruction, Gandhi considered himself a failure. But his place in history is secure, and it does not diminish his greatness to point out that in some respects, he had failed. He had spent his life working toward the achievement of independence for India without violence or division–†you can cut me in two if you wish,† he famously told Muhammed Jinnah, â€Å"but don't cut India in two. Yet in the end, he was forced to watch as his newborn country was torn by one of the great human calamities of the century. Gandhi had made India ungovernable for the British, but in the autumn of 1947, it became ungovernable for anyone. If his political dream was in some sense a failure, so too was his dream of an India cleansed of the age-old inequities of caste and prejudice, and yet uncorrupted by modern technology and industry. He imagined a country where countless Indian peasants wove their own clothes and tilled their own land, without what he considered the ruinous effects of modernity. But after his death, history passed him by: his great disciple, Jawaharlal Nehru, was an ardent socialist, and by the 1950s Nehru's five-year plans were turning India into an industrial state–and eventually, a nuclear state. Meanwhile, the iniquities of class and gender that he had so loathed persisted, even into the 21st century. Yet Gandhi had to aspire as high as he did to achieve what he did; indeed he won triumphs for India that less idealistic leaders would never have dreamed possible. No one did more than Gandhi to improve the lot of poor Indians, and if his dreams fell short of reality, it was not because the dreams were flawed, but because the human race, which he loved so much, could not rise to the standard he set. It is true that India split after independence, but without Gandhi's labor, without the power of his person, there would have been no India at all. The nationalists of the Indian National Congress fought for independence, but they were, and always would be, a Westernized elite, out of touch with the vast masses inhabiting the real India. It was Gandhi, the Mahatma, who made the people of the subcontinent believe in the idea of an Indian nation; indeed, it was he, the frail, bespectacled figure with the simple clothes and the ready smile, who embodied this idea throughout the long decades of struggle. To the Indian people, Gandhi gave a nation. To the world, he gave satyagraha, arguably the most revolutionary idea of a long and ravaged century. He showed that political change could be affected by renouncing violence; that unjust laws could be defied peacefully and with a readiness to accept punishment; that â€Å"soul-force,† as much as armed force, could bring down an empire. He drew this lesson from his readings of the Bible and Tolstoy and the Bhagavad-Gita, and he taught it to Martin Luther King Jr. , Nelson Mandela, and countless other political protestors who would follow his example in the years to come. In some sense, Gandhi's greatest achievement lay in his legacy; for his ideals, and the example he provided in living them out, inspired, and continue to inspire, people of all nations to take up the peaceful struggle for freedom from oppression. India won independence in 1947, followed by the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, and partition of India. Gandhi said, â€Å"Before partitioning India, my body will have to be cut into two pieces. † About one million people died in the bloody riots until partition was reluctantly asserted by Gandhi as the only way to stop the Civil War. He urged the Congress Party to accept partition, and launched his last â€Å"fast-into-death† campaign in Delhi, calling for a stop to all violence. Gandhi also called to give Pakistan the 550,000,000 rupees in honor of the partition agreement. He tried to prevent instability and anger against India. Gandhi was shot three times in the chest and died while on his way to a prayer meeting, on January 30, 1948. His assassins were convicted and executed a year later. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were split in portions and sent to all states of India to be scattered in rivers. Part of Gandhi's ashes rest in Raj Ghat, near Delhi, India. Part of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes are at the Lake Shrine in Los Angeles.

Influence of 16th Century Society on English Literature

The Sixteenth Century (1485-1603) Literary works in sixteenth-century England were rarely if ever created in isolation from other currents in the social and cultural world. The boundaries that divided the texts we now regard as aesthetic from other texts that participated in the spectacles of power or the murderous conflicts of rival religious factions or the rhetorical strategies of erotic and political courtship were porous and constantly shifting.It is perfectly acceptable, treating Renaissance texts as if they were islands of the autonomous literary imagination. One of the greatest writers of the period, Sir Philip Sidney, defended poetry in just such terms; the poet, Sidney writes in The Defence of Poetry(NAEL 1. 933-54), is not constrained by nature or history but freely ranges â€Å"only within the zodiac of his own wit. † Many sixteenth-century artists, such as Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, and William Shakespeare, brooded on the magical, transforming power of a rt.This power could be associated with civility and virtue, as Sidney claims, but it could also have the demonic qualities manifested by the â€Å"pleasing words† of Spenser's enchanter, Archimago (NAEL 1. 63), or by the incantations of Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (NAEL 1. 990-1025). It is significant that Marlowe's great play was written at a time in which the possibility of sorcery was not merely a theatrical fantasy but a widely shared fear, a fear upon which the state could act with horrendous ferocity.Marlowe's tragedy emerges not only from a culture in which bargains with the devil are imaginable as real events but also from a world in which many of the most fundamental assumptions about spiritual life were being called into question by the movement known as the Reformation. Catholic and Protestant voices struggled to articulate the precise beliefs and practices thought necessary for the soul's salvation.One key site of conflict was the Bible, with Catholic authorities try ing unsuccessfully to stop the circulation of the unauthorized Protestant translation of Scripture by William Tyndale, a translation in which doctrines and institutional structures central to the Roman Catholic church were directly challenged. The Reformation is closely linked to many of the texts printed in the sixteenth-century section of Spenser's Faerie Queene (NAEL 1. 628-772), for example, in which a staunchly Protestant knight of Holiness struggles against the satanic forces of Roman Catholicism. Text: The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 1. 6th ed. (NAEL)

Death Penalty Essay

Roy Brown is a conservative who believes in individual rights and the right to life. He believes there is no deeper violation of a citizen’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than the government killing them when they’re actually innocent. With the use of the death penalty, mistakes are highly inescapable (Brown 1). More than one hundred and forty death row inmates had been set free after evidence was revealed proving they were wrongfully condemned and this often happened decades after they were sentenced to die. Sometimes the mistake was not caught and a few innocents have been put to death. Brown states that the death penalty is also somewhat bad for the victim’s families. The families are brought along to this drawn out legal process and appear in many court sessions reliving the tragedy as it is impossible to make capital punishment quick (Brown 1). Another negative about the death penalty is its cost. Legal expenses alone make each death penalty case much more expensive than a case where a criminal is sentenced to life without the likelihood of parole (Brown 2). Brown values human life and believes that everyone should die a natural death. The same principles that motivate him to oppose abortion also motivate him to oppose the death penalty. All life is valuable and the only way that the citizens can be sure an innocent person is never executed is by ending the death penalty completely (Brown 2). Roy Brown has a type of bias with his opposition of the death penalty. He is a Catholic so his religious views get in the way of his perspective on the use of capital punishment. Catholics believe that the fundamental respect for human life includes even those guilty of crimes. So Brown, as a Catholic, grew up disliking the death penalty as he has been taught in his religion to love human life. So his view with Catholicism might blur out how he truly views the use of the death penalty without religion involved. Brown, Roy. â€Å"Why Conservatives Should Oppose the Death Penalty.† The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Native American Culture Essay

Estrangement is the state of being withdrawn or isolated from the objective world, as through indifference or disaffection. Ill-advisedly, the protagonist from â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven† is forever bound in this state of mind. His internal conflicts enthrall between fighting for his Native American ethnicity, and, finding his purpose to this world. This link between the two becomes a challenge due to his pessimistic, and protective attitude for his race. The narrator’s volatile actions imply his frustration towards the discrimination against his native Spokane reservation heritage. The protagonists’ Native American upbringing intertwined with White culture challenges his Red and White thinking. The protagonists’ family style upbringing has distilled values that are outlived in his Native American identity. Unfortunately, the protagonist is quite protective of his Native American descent. In fact, his view of people is quite pessimistic towards the Native American race. This rigidness to his ethnicity is foretold in two parts. As humans, we are first born with an identity that is kept close to us, such as Native American, African American, or Grecian. Although we are born with uniqueness; the values we instill to our race are brought about through parent’s effort in raising their children. For Sherman Alexie, he’d developed a cynical character who bares strong connections to his Native American race. The protagonist’s existence and demeanor is uncanny because he’d been destined for a life of prosperity through public schooling and a college education. Found here, â€Å"But I was special, a former college student, a smart kid. I was one of those Indians who was supposed to make it. I was a new kind of warrior. † This quote reveals his sense of insecurity concerning his life thus far and how he has not lived up to his expectations. â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven† exposes a few scenes where the main character is fighting for ethical freedom outside of Spokane. The protagonist’s discriminative experiences begin at a convenience store in Seattle where he feels like a predator lurking amongst his preys. As stated, â€Å"He looked me over so he could describe me to the police later. † The protagonist was familiar with this wicked look; as he’d lost a close relationship to its devilish hands once before. His loss began like this, â€Å"When one person starts to look at another like a criminal, then the love is over. † As Native American, these adverse impressions occur randomly as seen through the Police incident. In this scene, the protagonist had been pulled over in a wealthy neighborhood by the police officer, â€Å"You’re making people nervous. You don’t fit the profile of the neighborhood. † This was a friendly way of saying; you are not wanted in this area, please leave. These occurrences are upsetting to the narrator as they have affected his view of Whites. As the protagonist becomes disgusted with life, he packs his belongings and heads home to Spokane in Washington State. While home, he realizes that connecting to his family and finding peace is not easy. His weak-minded thinking is foreseen here,† They’d been expecting me back the day I left for Seattle. There’s an old Indian poet who said that Indians can reside in the city, but they can never live there. † In fact, while living in Seattle, his dreams became nightmares of a vivid war scene between the Red’s and Whites. The Indians became slaughtered by the Whites and at one point, â€Å"Three mounted soldiers played polo with a dead Indian woman’s head. † This graphic image stays with him as he found accounts of this madness occurred in the old west and in parts of the world today. The protagonist’s dreams and Native American ethnicity have instilled protective beliefs to his ethnicity and real life demeanor towards others. Although he’s strong-willed concerning his background, insecurity remains present. One instance occurs where he starts a job in Spokane at the local high school exchange program. He answers phone calls and asks himself, â€Å"Sometimes I wonder if the people on the other end of the line know that I’m Indian and if their voices would change if they did know. † His insecurity exponentially evolves to every facet in his life and only exacerbates his pessimistic attitude. The cynical behavior by the protagonist has incurred due to several discriminatory experiences. One being, the protagonist’s cup is full; which allows him to believe this Red vs. White rivalry will never change. Because of his ignorance, he leaves no trust to anyone and is forced to run when he encounters discrimination. One situation that symbolizes the protagonist’s doubtful thoughts is encountered at his hometown basketball court. He comes home to find the new BIA chief’s White kid named Jimmy Seyler who can play ball. â€Å"And he could play. He played Indian ball, fast and loose, better than all the Indians there. † That night, Jimmy whooped on every Indian who played Basketball. I recognize this as a change of tone and direction in the protagonist’s life. At this point in time, he realizes that he must submit to his Red vs. White rivalry in order to move forward in his life. Just as Jimmy will advance and become an NBA star, the gap between the two races, White and Indian will only become larger. Indian’s will control the small reservation plains out West while the White culture advances to become a powerhouse figure in the United States of America. Hereafter this epiphany, the protagonist’s life begins to move forward as he starts a new job and connects with his ex-girlfriend once again.

TBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TBA - Essay Example I had trouble listening to the speaker that day. As such, I had to identify the barrier that influenced my lack of listening during the presentation. Misinterpretation and attachment to personal beliefs and values were the two significant barriers to effective listening that day. Misinterpretation is a primary cause of listening barrier during communication. In most cases, our thought force us to interpret messages in a manner that was intended by the speaker (McPheat, 2011). Misinterpretation often leads to misunderstanding the speaker’s message and may directly lead to a lack of listening to the speaker. When we add an interpretation to the speaker’s word, we introduce sources of error in the communication. Misinterpretation may have contributed to my inability to listen to the speaker on the preventive measure of HIV/AIDS. According to my interpretation, I thought that the speaker meant that abstinence is the only way to prevent the spread of the diseases. Personally, I knew that there were other possible measures as well. The fact that I interrupted the speaker wrongly led to my lack of listening. I found myself doing other stuff, browsing my phone instead of listening to the speaker. There particular facts about the speaker’s message that I misinterpreted. Firstly, the speaker meant that among the many possible preventive strategies, abstinence was the best. This does not mean that there are no other measures. Secondly, abstinence should the first step in ensuring we stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. It was clear that the misinterpretation contributed significantly to my inability to listen to the speaker. However, there are particular approaches that can help overcome misinterpretation as a barrier to effective listening. If I could have used these strategies, then I would have successful overcome the problem of lack of listening. Developing the habit of asking for

I Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys - Essay Example The short story â€Å"I Used to Live Here Once" begins with a description of a woman visiting her childhood home; one can deduce this from her description of the environment as it is and comparing it to her retrospective view. She comes across two children in a house in which she resided in the past and when she tries to greet them, they seem to ignore her. Moreover, when she finally gets close and tries to greet them again, they do not see her and one remark on the cold, they enter the house without having seen her, and that is when she realizes they cannot see her since she must have stopped living. The narrator’s displacement and apparent alienation from an environment that must have been retrospectively natural to can be compared to the writers own life of displacement. From a psychoanalytical perspective, it is possible that the writer was expressing and living out her memories in the land that was her home and from whence she was uprooted at a tender age. The fact that the narrator was female helps the reader draw an easier parallel to the writer and feel her disappointment when her attempts at maternal affection are ignored by the children giving the story an emotional edge. This underlying connection implies that since she moved from the Dominicans where she was born at the age of 17, she lost touch with her land of birth and never actually felt at home even in England and hence the general alienation of the writer is expressed in her character’s displacement. The authors past has considerable effects on the bearing of the story since she is able to portray the character’s emotional confusion, and alienation accurately, herself having been quoted in the past expressing ambivalence about her origin and the country to which she belonged. The writer takes the reader back to the narrator’s past through her reminiscing as she nostalgically remembers the place, as she knew it in the past. She remembers the stones and the dexterity needed to get across, her affection for the place is evident in that she walked with joy on the road although she described it as wider but messily expanded with trees not being cleared and trampled on. She remembers the house had screw pine, which was still there although the pine screws were gone as well as the summerhouse. The children’s color is of interest to the writer who describes them as being fair despite being in the tropics, which as a symbol of resilience the whites were forced to adopt in to survive. The idea of reaction and adaption to nature, especially on a racial perspective, can be tied to the writers past since although she was while living in a predominantly black country, she often interacted with black and admired their culture and nature. Most of the things she remembers are symbolic of the narrators past and present feeling and the writer has clearly injected considerable aspects of her life in the same. Take ether fact that she finds the road to be incomplete, this could symbolize the fact that she thought she had unfinished business with the place hence her return, besides, considering the author's history of prostitution and drug abuse.

Marilyn Frye on opression, racism and sexism Essay

Marilyn Frye on opression, racism and sexism - Essay Example Frye defines oppression by including cultural and economic structures, which according to her are the reasons why ‘dominators’ and ‘subordinates’ exist. She describes oppression by trying to explain the thought that the society itself builds up the idea of sex marking, sex announcing or generally sex identification that according to her must have created advantages among men but disadvantages among women. This according to her has become the root cause of oppression which she strongly defines as, â€Å"A system of interrelated barriers and forces which reduce, immobilize and mold people who belong to a certain group, and effect their subordination to another group (individually to individuals of the oher group, and as a group, to that group)†. Based on this definition, she tries to explicate the point that for as long as women could be generally defined as subordinates and men as dominators, oppression would take place against the former. The suggesti on of what is masculinity and feminity has something to do with the existence of this oppression as Frye argues that as our cultural system tries to train us to behave differently as men and women, extreme dimorphism has become a very obvious outcome (p.239). This according to her has always placed men on the advantage side as they could take power over women. The idea of Frye concerning oppression seems to originate in the cultural foundation and so she tries to conclude that either masculinity or feminity is just a biological transformation that culture inculcates us, which according to her could be changeable the moment we are able to understand how the the things operate and go around us (p.240). She tries to argue this point based on her experience and as a feminist trying to correct the elemental principle linked up with how the fundamental cultural background of every individual could contribute to the prevailing oppression against women, particularly on the ground of sex ide ntification. Clearly, Frye’s discussion on the ways in which oppression operated in society, and the effects it has on both women and men in the case of sexism have to be evaluated, but prior to that it is important to know how she defines sexism. According to her, sexism could involve â€Å"the forces which make us mark and announce sexes are among the forces which constitute the expression of women, and they are central and essential to the maintenance of that system† (p.238). As stated earlier, Frye opposes the idea of domination and subordination and eventually sex identification, as for her these could potentially build the essential foundation of oppression against women. She is trying to look at the negative implication of oppression in this case and is more closely concerned on the welfare of the women who are strongly defined as the subordinates to men’s dominition. On the ground that oppression would lead to overall negative consequences, from the cons equentialist point of view, Frye’s idea of oppression would remarkably make sense (p.233). This means that if men’s dominition would lead to negative impacts against women, then the associated oppression is the end itself to justify the presence of male dominance and eventually domination against women. However, if in the case that dominition by itself, which would allow men to dominate over women is a primary form of a natural, cultural or biological design of putting the society in order, then there must no associated negative connotation of feminity or masculinity. They would just elaborate the appropriate role that

Interpretation of Laws in the United Kingdom Essay

Interpretation of Laws in the United Kingdom - Essay Example This paper declares that the literal rule demands that the judiciary should use the ordinary meaning of a statute by merely reading the text irrespective of the outcomes. The rule is based on the assumption that the objective of Parliament is well captured in the plain and natural sense of the choice of words is uses in drafting a statute. As the report stresses the case of Fisher v Bell magnifies the superiority of the literal rule. The court’s decision was inspired by the literal meaning of The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, which outlawed the offering for sale of select offensive weapons such as flick knives. James Bell created a display of such unlawful weapons in his shop, prompting his arrest and charges. In its decision, the Divisional Court absolved him of any offense as per the literal meaning of the statute, arguing that the mere display of the knives by the defendant did not amount to an offer for sale. The plain meaning of the contract law stipulates that displaying something at a point of sale should not be misconstrued to mean an offer for sale; rather it is just a mere invitation of potential customers to learn more about the item and tender their offers. The literal rule has merits and demerits. It limits litigations, promotes clear drafting of legislations and enhances easier interpr etation of laws by laymen provided they can understand the language used. Nonetheless, the literal rule may lead to interpretation of legislations out of context and narrowing of the parameters of a law. The golden rule Greeawalt (2012) has pointed out that the golden rule requires judicial members to give life to the literal rule so as to achieve a better interpretation of the law. The rule states that in the event that the literal rule fails to yield a proper meaning of a law, it is rational to explore another sense in the words. Lord Wensleydale in the case of Grey v Pearson (1857) HL Cas 61 is credited with creating a precedent when he stated that the literal meaning of an Act should be read and construed as it is, but if by doing so, a judicial officer would face an absurdity, then the person should modify the literal value of the text (Wagner, Werner, and Cao, 2007). The golden rule was invoked in the case of Adler v George (1964) to prevent an absurdity in court. The Official Secrets Act 1920 Â § 3, outlaws any distraction to the HM Forces around a forbidden base. Frank Adler’s violated the law and was charged with causing distraction to the officers. In his defence, Adler argued that he was actually inside a prohibited place and not in its vicinity.

EEIG case, on alliances Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EEIG case, on alliances - Essay Example A. (QA) (Fazio, 2007). The target markets for this establishment were multinational paint manufacturers and automobile manufacturers. The present case entails about the management of EEIG and also the perspective and situation after its incorporation. In addition, this case also illustrates about the strategies adopted by these companies to operate in the market. This study to a large extent enlightened us about the Quimica del Atlantico, S. A. (QA) and its business operations. This company was founded in the year 1932. It is headquartered at Baracaldo, Spain. Initially the company used to manufacture nitrocellulose paints, and air drying for the automobile body parts. It was also the first company to have supplied such products to the markets of Spain (Renart and Pares, 2010). The company had spent significant amount of resources and efforts towards research and development and for that the company has been able to introduce new products and services in the market. Through this repo rt, the internal and external business environment of the company will be analysed. Furthermore the strategic choices made by the companies will be also illuminated. Beside, how the strategies were implemented will be also emphasized. Finally based on the evaluation, a conclusion will be drawn and some recommendations will be suggested. External & Internal Business Environment Analysis Environmental analysis is often referred to as environmental scanning. According to some eminent authors analysis of the environment help companies to identify factors that may influence the operation. Additionally, it also helps the companies to forecast the impact these factors have on the company (Robinson, 2009). Through the process of environmental scanning organizations also identify opportunities and threats in the existing business environment. The business strategy of a company also remains highly dependent upon the situation of the external business environment. Apart from the external envir onment, the internal environment of a firm plays a crucial role in the formulation of strategy and also to capitalize on the opportunities of the external business environment (Von Der Gracht, 2008). In this context, Quimica del Atlantico, the paint manufacturing and marketing company of Spain embraces various strategic capabilities. However it also possesses some weakness which impacts the company’s operation and holds them back from achieving their goals. One of the major strength of the company is its competency in the field of research and development. Quimica del Atlantico spends significant amount of resources and efforts towards R & D activities. This has encouraged the company to come up with new and innovative products and systems in the market. Apart from that, the company also has the capability of utilizing technology to the fullest extent and therefore technology innovation can be manifested as one of their strategic capabilities. The company has presence in seve ral industries of the world, which provides them an opportunity to increase their total revenue. In addition, the company also enjoyed strong competitive position in the Spanish market. The biggest weakness of the company comes in the form of less export activities. The case enlightens that export has only accounted for 1.5 % of the overall sales of the company. The operational changes that were

Conduct a Literature Review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conduct a Literature Review - Coursework Example Once each school is adequately funded, they might not find it challenging to support all their curricular and co-curricular activities much easily. However, many schools are not able to effectively discharge their roles mainly because of poor management of the available resources. Many schools have been, in the past, found to have misused their resources. Unknown to them, failure to be accountable for the school funds has had detrimental effects on the teaching and learning processes in these schools. Surprisingly, it is the school administrators who have been accused of engaging in such immoral and illegal acts. Instead of complying with their school budgets, they do choose to ignore and instead divert school funds to their personal uses. The sensitivity of this matter has attracted lots of scholars to conduct several researches aimed at unveiling these acts and helping to come up with measures that can be used to ultimately resolve it. Despite these attempts, a lot still need to be done to bridge the existing gap. In my research, I will have to carry out an extensive review on a lot of secondary resources that might be releva nt to my studies. To emphasize on the important contribution of management skills in public schools, Schultz & Shultz (2010) and Martindale (2011) state that self-discipline is paramount. In their opinion, a leader should always be ready to restraint themselves and refrain from any activity that might hinder the progress of their organizations. This view is supported by Gomez-Mejia (2008) who acknowledges that management is not a simple task because it does not only involve human, but also non-human resources. The findings of these scholars can be of much value if applied in this research. Management skills are necessary for the success of any public school in the country. Despite training as teachers, school heads should be equipped with managerial skills. These can be of