Reducing Gang Violence

In order to reduce gang violence I would implement community crime prevention programs or strategies targeting changes in community infrastructure, culture, and the physical environment. Furthermore, gang violence will be reduced by executing a diversity of  approaches including  neighborhood watch, community policing, urban or physical design, and comprehensive or multi-disciplinary efforts. These strategies may seek to engage residents, community and faith-based organizations, and local government agencies in addressing the factors that contribute to the community’s crime, delinquency, and disorder.As a means of reaching out to offenders of gang violence I would administer social interventions that would involve a variety of services provided to gang members, such as remedial education, recreational activities (e. g. , softball games involving both gangs), counseling in homes and on the streets, crisis counseling, and referral to drug treatment and mental health services . Employing more community youth workers that would be responsible for reaching out, contacting, and providing a range of limited but intensive services to youth gang members.A form of public education by providing economic and social opportunities through the access of jobs and to job training, as well as educational resources and educating the community by informing them that gang problems result from the interaction of sociological, demographic, economic, and cultural factors along with social instability and lack of economic opportunity. Having more people understand where this stems from can lead to concentrating on assessing the needs of youths and providing them with individualized support services and suppression/control by involving their families, local organizations, and their communities.This program will be based as an extension of the Juvenile Court facilities in Salinas, CA. It will be administered through our city’s Sherriff’s office and the office of t he Attorney General. It will be paid for by trying to get a cooperative agreement award from the State of California and from donations and fund raisers. The program should include local police officers, probation officers, community youth workers, church groups, boys and girls clubs, and several local residents who work as a team to understand gang structures and provide social intervention and social opportunities whenever possible.The program should reach out to youths unable to connect with legitimate social institutions. Youths at different points in their lives need different things. Older gang members may be ready to secure a legitimate job and need training and education to do so. Younger youths at risk of becoming gang members may need alternative schools or family counseling. The program should provide individualized services for each youth based on his or her needs. This not only consists of surveillance, arrest, probation, and imprisonment to stop violent behavior, but a lso involves greater communication between agency service providers and control providers.All providers jointly decide what happens to a youth when trouble arises or when it is about to. All workers need to work closely with one another and collaborate. Former gang members working as community youth workers need to be given as much respect as police officers in the program. Each group can provide important information for the program that the other may not be able to obtain. Works Cited Crime Solutions (2010). Program Profile Comprehensive Gang Model. Retrieved from http://www. crimesolutions. ov/ProgramDetails. aspx? ID=278 (OJJDP) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2010. Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model. Second Edition. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 15 Mar. 2013. Web. Spergel, Irving A. , and Susan F. Gr ossman. 1997. â€Å"The Little Village Project: A Community Approach to the Gang Problem. † Social Work 42:456–70. Reducing Gang Violence In order to reduce gang violence I would implement community crime prevention programs or strategies targeting changes in community infrastructure, culture, and the physical environment. Furthermore, gang violence will be reduced by executing a diversity of  approaches including  neighborhood watch, community policing, urban or physical design, and comprehensive or multi-disciplinary efforts. These strategies may seek to engage residents, community and faith-based organizations, and local government agencies in addressing the factors that contribute to the community’s crime, delinquency, and disorder.As a means of reaching out to offenders of gang violence I would administer social interventions that would involve a variety of services provided to gang members, such as remedial education, recreational activities (e. g. , softball games involving both gangs), counseling in homes and on the streets, crisis counseling, and referral to drug treatment and mental health services . Employing more community youth workers that would be responsible for reaching out, contacting, and providing a range of limited but intensive services to youth gang members.A form of public education by providing economic and social opportunities through the access of jobs and to job training, as well as educational resources and educating the community by informing them that gang problems result from the interaction of sociological, demographic, economic, and cultural factors along with social instability and lack of economic opportunity. Having more people understand where this stems from can lead to concentrating on assessing the needs of youths and providing them with individualized support services and suppression/control by involving their families, local organizations, and their communities.This program will be based as an extension of the Juvenile Court facilities in Salinas, CA. It will be administered through our city’s Sherriff’s office and the office of t he Attorney General. It will be paid for by trying to get a cooperative agreement award from the State of California and from donations and fund raisers. The program should include local police officers, probation officers, community youth workers, church groups, boys and girls clubs, and several local residents who work as a team to understand gang structures and provide social intervention and social opportunities whenever possible.The program should reach out to youths unable to connect with legitimate social institutions. Youths at different points in their lives need different things. Older gang members may be ready to secure a legitimate job and need training and education to do so. Younger youths at risk of becoming gang members may need alternative schools or family counseling. The program should provide individualized services for each youth based on his or her needs. This not only consists of surveillance, arrest, probation, and imprisonment to stop violent behavior, but a lso involves greater communication between agency service providers and control providers.All providers jointly decide what happens to a youth when trouble arises or when it is about to. All workers need to work closely with one another and collaborate. Former gang members working as community youth workers need to be given as much respect as police officers in the program. Each group can provide important information for the program that the other may not be able to obtain. Works Cited Crime Solutions (2010). Program Profile Comprehensive Gang Model. Retrieved from http://www. crimesolutions. ov/ProgramDetails. aspx? ID=278 (OJJDP) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2010. Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model. Second Edition. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 15 Mar. 2013. Web. Spergel, Irving A. , and Susan F. Gr ossman. 1997. â€Å"The Little Village Project: A Community Approach to the Gang Problem. † Social Work 42:456–70.

Food Habits Essay

Are you a teenager appearing for your Xth or XII class board exams? Well then, this is the time of the year when you must be busy feverishly preparing for the exams. During the couple of months or so prior to the commencement of exams, it is a common phenomenon among youngsters in this age group to neglect their meals and pursue erratic eating habits. So, you are not likely to be an exception either. Unfortunately this habit of poor eating will take a heavy toll of your health and general well being. The relationship between nervousness and lack of appetite is a vicious cycle. Out of sheer nervousness, you will shun healthy meals, which in turn will make you weak and nervous. It would be wise therefore to discard the idea of skipping meals, eating haphazardly and to get down to some sensible eating habits. * First and foremost, students need to consume substantial quantities of proteins. Recent researches reveal that there is a definite correlation between choline a substance naturally founding high protein foods, and good memory. Which is probably why the Indians in the Northern hinterland consider the fish-eating folks of all the coastal states, to have better mental faculties than themselves. * Therefore, it would be a good idea to eat a lot of proteins e. g fish, eggs, pulses, cottage cheese, Soya/Tofu/Soya derivatives, curd/yoghurt and so forth. * Experienced nutritionists suggest that growing children in their mid/ late teens ought eat a lot of dried fruits like almonds, pine nuts, dates figs etc. Being packed with energy these food items help in repairing the damage caused by stress. * It has been generally observed that around the time of examinations children tend to suffer from stress related diarrhoea. So it is absolutely essential that they are served less oily, less spicy and easy to digest foodstuffs. * Children preparing for their crucial examinations must increase their intake of liquids/fluids e: g milk, juices, and soups. However, processed/packed soups are an absolutely no-no. Despite the manufacturers’ tall claims, such soups are lacking in the essential nutrients and moreover contain synthetic preservatives, which youngsters could conveniently do without. Fresh mixed fruit/vegetable juices, especially carrot juice, garnished with suitable spices are indeed a boon for the examinees. * Tea/ coffee is a beverage that students love to consume because of their stimulating properties. However drinking coffee/tea on an empty stomach early in the morning is bound to prove disastrous. Similarly gulping down mugs of black tea /coffee in order to stay up the whole night, will do more harm than good. This habit gives rise to ailments like nausea, hypertension, insomnia among other. things. * Students normally experience hunger pangs in between meals. During such times, the parents must put their foot down and convince/persuade the children to have plenty o fresh fruits instead of junk food like burgers, pizzas, chips, samosas, bread pakoras, chhloay -bhaturay and lots more. Instead fries and snacks prepared at home would be a good substitute as the standards of hygiene and quality of materials can be ascertained. * A word of caution. Everyday ones comes across hordes of ads highlighting the near miraculous powers of several drugs/mixtures, claiming to enhance memory / retentive power, increase concentration and ameliorate overall performance in the exams. Without any offence meant to anybody, in case you plan to try these out, you will be doing so at your own risk. Unfortunately the efficacy stuffs such as these have not yet been scientifically authenticated.

By close analysis of the language Essay

This poignant monologue from Richard is a series of thoughts which he speaks aloud as he ponders on what it to become of him. Richard is a king with extremes of emotion, and so a monologue from him is always full of poetic devices and ornamentation of language, as he conveys his emotions rather than facts. In this case, his violent change of mood leaves his desperate and depressed, as he begins to convince himself that Bolingbroke has usurped his throne once and for all, and Richard prepares to resign himself to either an existence of poverty and shame, or an untimely and undignified death. The repetition of the word â€Å"king† emphasises Richard’s pride of his title, and his bitterness in losing it. The word is used sarcastically as Richard remarks on the king doing what he â€Å"must†, when it should be the king giving orders. The line â€Å"A god’s name, let it go† could hint that Richard is relieved to no longer be king, as â€Å"let it go† could suggest dropping a burden. However, the line is ambivalent as it could also show Richard finding it difficult to let go and move on. The word â€Å"let† in any case however, shows Richard’s acknowledgement that it is his responsibility to allow his title to be removed, and that the situation could be seen as abdication as easily as it could be called usurpation. This is questionable however, as Richard is quick to blame others for his inability to rule a country and keep order. The anaphora used by Richard as he starts several consecutive lines with â€Å"my†, then states what each item will be exchanged for, is an effective rhetoric device because it makes his speech mnemonic, and emphasises how strongly he feels about having to give up everything which belongs to him. Richard is exaggerating his situation in a moment of self-pity, showing his pessimistic attitude. He believes he is being forced into a lower-class existence. The fact that he does not use the royal â€Å"we† also shows that he is humbled by the situation. However, he is still obsessed by his right to call certain things his own; he is ever possessive and desperately clinging to what is rightfully his. Richard then proceeds to talk about death; â€Å"and my large kingdom for a little grave, a little, little grave, an obscure grave†. This reference shows that Richard’s view of his situation is utterly negative, and he now believes he is doomed to death as well as believing his throne has been snatched from him. This repetition shows his tendency to exaggerate situations. Not once has his death been suggested; in fact, Bolingbroke deliberately makes it clear that his motives in confronting Richard are peaceful, that he is only there to claim that which rightfully belonged to his father, John of Gaunt. It is Richard’s view of the situation which turns this scene into an apparent potential confrontation, and it is Richard’s view which portrays Henry Bolingbroke as a violent and unfair throne usurper and destroyer of Richard’s life. Richard’s view of this situation is entirely distorted, as he is incapable of sense and reason, letting his emotional instability block out reality and justice. This habit of blowing matter out of proportion is further revealed by Richard’s conceit, or exaggerated metaphor, of creating two graves from his tears wearing away the earth. This shows Richard’s view of the situation to be not only highly morbid, but also utterly absurd. Yet it is likely that Richard says this in jest, albeit it attention-seeking and self pitying humour. Yet it seems that Richard’s humour is not even to his own taste, but instead for the sake of others. Richard says this to make Aumerle laugh, showing the contrast as Aumerle finds humour in Richard’s over-exaggeration, yet from what Richard has said previously, it seems that he believes his own words. Richard is also bitter and sarcastic in calling Bolingbroke â€Å"King†, showing his firm belief that there is no other possible outcome. The speech is written in blank verse except for the last two lines which form a couplet. This adds to the memorability of the speech, and also shows Richard’s macabre humour. In lines 178-183, Richard makes a classical reference to Phaethon, showing the depth of thought with which he has considered his predicament. The repetition of â€Å"down† conveys his ever-declining outlook, as he is now convinced he has lost all power. The final couplet, â€Å"Down court, down king, For night-owls screech where mounting larks should sing† shows how wrong Richard sees the situation as. The word â€Å"shriek† is also onomatopoeic and harsh, conveying Richard’s mental torment.

Role of the Practitioner

ll early years practitioners have a role to play in quality improvement by developing their personal and professional skills as reflective practitioners. Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton discuss what you can do The quality of provision in any early years settings is dependent on the skills, attitudes, knowledge and experience of everyone who works there. Reflective practice is the key to quality improvement as it helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different aspects of a setting’s provision.Being a reflective practitioner involves thinking about how you currently work and evaluating what you do in order to improve your practice. The reflective practitioner stands back, takes a balanced view and recognises what works well, but is also able to acknowledge what could be changed. To be a reflective practitioner you need to be self aware and able to look as objectively and honestly as possible at how you work with children, colleagues and parents.This is not easy, but t aking a proactive role, reflecting on and analysing your own practice is far more rewarding than relying on someone in a more senior position to do this for you. Evaluating your own practice helps to put you in control of the changes that should be made, enables you to identify your professional development needs and will increase your confidence and feelings of job satisfaction. Reflective practice and self evaluation are fundamental to the Ofsted inspection process.By completing the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) managers and setting leaders are able to provide a snapshot of what happens in a setting. Through the SEF they can clearly identify the setting’s strengths and highlight what it does well. At the same time they can acknowledge any weaknesses in provision and plan the changes and improvements to be made. However, managers cannot achieve this alone. They are reliant on all practitioners in the setting taking responsibility for the quality of their individual practice and aiming for continuous improvement.The reflective practitioner in action Being a good role model Reflect on how enthusiastic, positive and optimistic you are and how you demonstrate this in your work from day to day. Think about how you treat colleagues, how well you listen to them and to what extent you are prepared to help out if needed. Consider the way to talk to children and how good you are at listening to what they have to say and following up on their ideas. How good are you at making parents feel welcome and at valuing what they can tell you about what is important for their individual child?Do you help the setting to run smoothly by thinking ahead and being proactive in solving problems as they arise? Do you take responsibility for your own professional development? Understanding the SEF By understanding the structure of the SEF and looking at the questions it asks you can become more aware of how your individual practice contributes to the overall provision of the setting . The SEF is in three parts that look at different aspects of how a setting functions.Part A: The details of the setting and the views of those who use it As a reflective practitioner, consider the contribution you make to the vision and values of the setting and what it aims to achieve for children and families. Think about how well you help parents and children to feel a part of the setting. How do you enable them to express opinions and have their views listened to? How good are you at contributing your ideas and opinions and listening to the views of others?

Determination of Ka for a weak Acdi Essay

Introduction In the experiment preformed the objective is to titrate a weak acid with a strong base. In a titration of a weak acid with a strong base the titrant is the strong base and the analyte is a weak acid. The reaction that will occur is the direct transfer of protons from the weak acid to the hydroxide ion. The data gathered will be represented on the titration curve, a graph of the volume of titrant being the strong base plotted against the pH .The pH is an indicator of an acids strength. The titration curve can be used to determine the pKa. By reading the graph the equivalence point can be found; which is the point where equal parts acid and base have reacted by knowing this the half-equivalence can be found pH=pKa. Procedure In the experiment pH paper will be used instead of a pH meter. The pH will be determined at the beginning and the end of the titration and the data table will be used to calculate the intermediate values. A burette is a more accurate piece of glassware used to deliver the titrate; in the lab being performed disposable pipet will be used making it very important to consistently dispense the same size drops. Before the titration the volume of a drop must be determined. A pipet is completely fill with distilled water. The average number of drops in a mL and the average quantity of a mL represented by on drop is calculated and recorded. Water is added drop by drop to a graduated cylinder from a pipet at the first, second and third mL lines the water drops are recorded. The average number of drops are calculated per mL. The average of the quantity of a mL represented by a drop is also recorded. A data table is set up to represent the trail averages. First 2.0 mL of unknown acid is measured into graduated cylinder and then poured into a beaker the volume is the recorded. By using a toothpick a drop of acid is placed onto low portion of pH paper, the pH level is recorded. One drop of the phenolphthalein indictor is added to the acid and the color is recorded. The beaker is set on a white sheet of paper before moving on. Next, a well in the 24-well plate is filled with NaOH solution and then sucked up into an  empty pipet. The pipet is the held vertically slowly adding drop by drop the NaOH into the beaker of the unknown solution. Drops are added until a color change occurs, changing to a faint pink for at least 30 seconds. A plastic spoon is used to stir after the addition of each drop. The number of drops of NaOH is recorded and the equivalence point is now determined. A drop of the acid is now transferred by toothpick to the high range pH indicator strip. The pH level of the acid is recorded before titration. The contents of the beaker are poured down the drain and all equipment is thoroughly cleaned. The above procedure is repeated twice more, all data is recorded to 4 decimal places for each trail on the data table. The average of the 3 trails is calculated and data is recorded. At the top of the pH column the unknown’s acid’s starting pH level before titration is entered. Next, the pH level of the acid after the titration, at its equivalence point is entered at the bottom of the pH column. The appropriate pH levels for each 2 drop interval is then calculated, by subtracting the initial pH from the final pH and dividing the resulting difference by the number of rows minus 1. This number is then added to the previous pH value. A graph is then made, pH is plotted on the y axis and volume of NaOH added on the x axis. This represents the titration curve. The pH that corresponds with the equivalence point and half equivalence points are located and the pKa is determined for the unknown acid, pH=pKa. The Ka is determined by taking the inverse log of the pKa(10-pka).

Impact & Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact & Strategy - Essay Example The nature of industrial markets, like the power tool one, consisting as they do of a small number of large customers or potential customers, makes industrial market surveys much simpler and less expensive than similar surveys of potential markets for nationally distributed consumer staples. Because judgment plays such an important role in forecasting, there is an obvious advantage in checking one's own estimate against the estimates of other forecasters (Makridakis, 1998). Another industry is a home repairs and improvement industry. In this sphere, it is difficult to forecast customer demand in sufficient detail and with sufficient accuracy for the purposes of planning more than a few months in advance. A special attention should be given to new building materials and repair-improvement processes which create a demand for new products and innovative solutions (Schwolsky, 2004). Raw materials and suppliers relations also affect the power tool industry and influence product cost and price level. Changes in steel industry and chemical industry affect price level and can influence production facilities of the power tool industry. ... The main factors in statistics and forecasting are internal and external factors. They include field of research (narrow or broad), the seasonal fluctuations of demand and sales, direct and indirect competition, population changes and consumer earning. Internal changes are product changes (innovations), production capability of competitors, raw materials price changes, credit policy changes and labor relations (Brockwell, Davis 2003). Statistics for the power tool industry show that rank shifts based on net income involved about one-half of the possible uncertainty, and that shifts based on operating revenue are somewhat more uncertain than those based on assets. Where industry statistics are available, many corporations keep records of the pertinent industry statistics and of their own sales in each such industry. The industry history can be projected to obtain a forecast of total industry sales. One advantage inherent in the use of industry statistics is that many different forecasters are attempting to forecast the same aggregate figure. Other companies interested in the same industry are making forecasts of the same aggregate; these forecasts will be compared and a consensus will usually be reached. The major use of industry statistics, however, is to compare currently released industry sales with the corporation's own sales for the same period in order to determine (Makridakis, 1998). Total sales of an industry can be forecast by using a known correlation or relationship of such sales with National Disposable Income and the forecast of Disposable Income. On the industry side the national statistics published by the Department of Commerce provide a wealth of information for forecasting in the field of consumer

Subprime Mortgages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Subprime Mortgages - Research Paper Example   A few days after this statement, the crisis was on its full swing. Necessary actions were taken to fix the crisis situation, such as huge among of capital was injected in the economy by the government, interest rates were cut down for the borrowers, but the matter went out of hands. The heat of this issue and a series of other training events are still prevailing and companies are trying to overcome the economic catastrophe. In the backdrop of this scenario, this study would be evaluating the facets of the subprime crisis and its consequence on organizations in the global marketplace. Identifying the origin of the subprime crisis is a significant as well as interesting investigation that would be presented through this study.     There are various causes which can be evaluated and discussed while investigating subprime mortgage crisis, but in this study, the focus would be specifically on the housing bubble and banking segment. The problem that would be discussed and scrutini zed in this study would be the contribution or role of the banks and financial institutions in the subprime mortgage crisis.     Highlighting the role of the bank would also lead the readers to unveil various other causes of the financial crisis that would be obvious after understanding the actual position of banks in the global economy. The hypothesis is the assumption that a researcher makes regarding the direction and result of the study because actually going through all the process of research. This gives the researcher an idea about the way the research study would turn out to be. In this case, the role of banks would be specifically discussed in case of subprime crisis. Banks do have the significant contribution towards liquidity crunch and creation of housing bubble, which finally led to the subprime crisis.   Subprime signifies the credit status of the borrowers of subprime loans and does not correspond to the interest rates of such loans. Any type of loans offered to the subprime borrowers which do not satisfy the prime guidelines of a loan is termed as subprime loans. It is a process of lending money to a group of borrowers who are classified as subprime borrowers and they do not qualify for obtaining loans at market interest rates because of the fact that their credit ratings are too low (Duhigg â€Å"Pressured to Take More Risk, Fannie Reached Tipping Point†; Labaton â€Å"Agency’s ’04 Rule Let Banks Pile up New Debt†). Ideally, the decrease in the price of the commodities in the market results in the augmentation of demand of the commodity.  Ã‚  

Marketing and sale Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marketing and sale - Assignment Example Specifically, the current focus group will concentrate on; The first step of a focus group project is to determine various components and project partners. The current focus group project is on a newly developed ‘all natural granola style cereal.’ So, project partners for this focus group will be participants such as, housewives, young consumers of the age group 21-30, young executives and middle-aged professionals. Project partner will also include a moderator, a auditing expert, a technical and a assistant. The total number of participants included in the group will be 10. The focus group is expected to be diverse providing feedback and ideas from different perspectives. As such, the selected focus group will be a mix of male, female and young participants, who are consumers of cereals (NCBI, 2013). Sampling of Cereal Brands: During first stage of the focus group project, a sample survey test will be included and the attendees will be given three cereal brands, where only one brand will be of the company. They will be asked to differentiate on the basis of taste, appearance and likeness. Some of the model questions that can be asked to participants in the sampling survey are: Focus group interview: In the second stage, questions will be asked separately to the focus group regarding quality, taste and other features of the product. Some of the questions that can be asked during the cereal sampling are; Focus Group discussion: The next stage will include an open discussion forum, where the participants will express their views and opinions regarding product, usage and avenues for further improvements. Analysis: After successful conduction of a focus group, the next important stage will be dissemination of data and information gathered during the process. Analysis of the data will help in evaluating alternatives and deciding appropriate actions

What do you understand by the term racism Using examples from one of Essay

What do you understand by the term racism Using examples from one of the areas of policy we have covered, explain the existence of racism in contemporary Brita - Essay Example People in the same race may be very different from each other in terms of appearance and even genes, even more different than someone who is not in the same race. Therefore, dividing people into races makes no sense biologically. (Weston T, 2008) What exactly is Racism? Many people equate this with mistreatment of minorities while some equate this prejudice and stereotyping. It is not that easy to be defined because racism is not a thing. It has no mass and it can have subjective opinions. A lot of different definitions of racism have been given by a lot of different people. For the ease of understanding, we will be using the following definition of Racism throughout this paper. Racism and the theory of evolution have a connection. People justify racism by saying that according to the theory of evolution, the strongest continue to exist. Hence any group that has a advantage over another group has a right to dominate and completely eradicate the weaker faction. Therefore the week cliques get removed from the gene-pool, which makes the species strong and more powerful as a whole. In short, they say that by practising racism, they remove the weak from the society and this in turn benefits the world as a whole. These people either misinterpret the true theory of evolution or use it to justify what their actions. Evolution does not lead to racism - ignorance, fear and bigotry do. (Barnett, A., 1998) What they don’t realise is that racism only creates frustration among the weaker groups and by practising this, the third generation of human rights are breached. The trend in racism has changed dramatically since the 9/11 attacks on the world trade centre. At first it was more of racial discrimination. Now racism is more about religion. Muslims all over the world are now looked down upon and the world has now experienced something called ‘Islamophobia.’ As Kevin Smith said, Access to healthcare should be a right, not

Cooper's Industries M&A Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cooper's Industries M&A - Case Study Example The complementary development continued throughout the 1970’s as did the diversification into related areas. The main aim of this corporate strategy has been to lessen its dependence on the cyclical natural gas business. 2) Cooper’s creates value through building similar businesses around related areas of its expertise and then achieving synergies from these businesses. The value that is created is by combining the strengths of the related diversification and complementary building by which the company achieves capabilities in areas close to each other. This synergy helps it to achieve scale and size in running the business. Hence, Cooper’s creates value through these twin processes and by achieving synergies. 3) The key resources of Cooper’s are its people and especially those in the upper reaches of management. The company has consciously followed a strategy of hiring the best talent available to run its various businesses and this has resulted in it achieving a corporate culture that has become an asset for the company. The other key resource of Cooper’s is its culture of encouraging the various businesses to run autonomously thereby encouraging risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit among the business units. This is related to the company culture and hence it can be said that Cooper’s key resources are its people and the processes that it has built around them. 4) It is my view that Cooper’s should not acquire Champion Spark plugs. There are many reasons for this and they range from the gigantic restructuring that needs to take place at the organizational and operational level as well as the huge increase in its debt percentage resulting from the deal. Further, the company does not stand to gain from integrating another company that is primarily into manufacturing spare parts as the potential synergies from such a move are debatable.

Religious Engagement in Peace Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Religious Engagement in Peace Building - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the world is a heterogeneous collection of religions. Every religion teaches humanity certain lessons that guide the individuals in numerous aspects of their lives including domestic, social, financial, political, peace building and many more. Religious values and teachings have a gigantic impact on shaping up a society’s cultural and intellectual principles and practices. One’s sovereignty, independence, and liberty are dependent on religious directions. It is the faith that educates the followers about the differences between the acceptable actions and immoral deeds, prevention from several problems, uncertainty that man confronts in every facet of his life and the comparison between the holy and sacrilegious matters. The world history has brought this appalling truth into limelight that majority of the fierce and ferocious events of the past come under connection with religion. The similar fact applies to the current g lobal situation as well where most of the riots and violence have come under linkage with faith. On the other hand, it cannot come under ignorance that religion has played a commendable and phenomenal role in peace building, resolving conflicts and settling down volatile issues. As religion actually outlines all the important and substantial affairs of one’s life, it intensely and genuinely comes under involvement in influencing the followers’ notion and idea of conflict and peace building and its maintenance with respect to religion.... This can come under performance through a detailed study of relationship between religious ideas and peace building actions (Bellamy, Williams and Griffin, 2009, pp.12-15). The crucial cause of religious based conflicts is that the followers have incomplete knowledge of their faith and thus due to misconceptions they consider aggression, violence and hostility as an inevitable move offered by religion. Furthermore, in a region where denizens are not under proper and adequate security and are suffering from frustration due to terrible social or political scenario consider violence as a possible solution and think that this will make them heard by the government (Kaplan, 2007, pp. 123-126). However, this is not right but lack of religious understanding and violent streak in a hot-blooded lot begets to conflicts that would have come under refrain if people had correctly comprehended the religious guidance or the suggestions of religious teachers and representatives. Instead, they choose a destructive option of violence on cost of the respect and reputation of their religion and fall short in noticing the possible peaceful alternatives provided by their religion itself (Kaplan, 2007, pp. 123-126). People of diverse religious backgrounds residing in either a common or a defined place and practicing their religious rituals and ceremonies can be a cause of violence and discrepancies. However, one cannot shut his eyes to the reality that religions have gargantuan and mammoth potential for solving these intensified issues. Peace building mission can come under execution successfully by following the religious teachings in this

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminology - Essay Example In fact, crime is a social construct that helps to identify the cultures values, mores and the acceptable behavior within the society. Mertons theory says that society shapes the way people are to act and appear within certain confines. He says that aspiration is very important to the achievement in people and that society determines how people should aspire to their goals. He suggests that anomie in society creates a link between how people place emphasis on aspirations and the "levels of emphasis" they place on these aspirations (Davis, 2005). Merton says that crime is not a positive aspect of society and that it does not help it. Instead, crime is an example of how poorly a society is organized. When examining these theories it is very easy to see what Merton is talking about when you look at crime in the United States. There are a number of people who aspire to the goal of attaining wealth or some level of comfort. They have prescribed to the need to take care of their homes and families and they have good jobs that support their ends. However, there is a large group of society who does not have access to good jobs or to wealth. They live in poverty or they are homeless. Still others are involved with crime because this is the "easiest way" in their minds to create the money they need for their basic needs or to acquire wealth. They do not prescribe to societys social order but instead make rules of their own. One of the greatest reasons why this happens is because the basic needs have not been met by a society that is more influenced by power and achievement than it is on making sure that all citizens achieve. According to Derkheim (1897): No living being can be happy or even exist unless his needs are sufficiently proportioned to his means. In other words, if his needs require more than can be granted, or even merely something of a different sort, they will be under continual friction and can only function painfully. Movements incapable

Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Zara - Essay Example Several leading organizations are trying to implement business expansion strategy in order to develop a potential global client base and achieve significant market share growth. Zara has a strong global presence. The brand implemented a unique operation management strategy in the business processes which is totally different than other retailers selling similar types of apparels. Zara is known as a vertically integrated retailer. The organization has high control on each and every step in supply chain, manufacturing, designing and distribution of the products. The company has set up its own production factory in major areas around the globe (Jones and Robinson, 2012, p.29). It helped the organization to control each and every business operation process individually. Effective integration and close look at each and every business process help the organization to maintain a strong control on production and distributions. It is discussed earlier that the organization adopted different o peration strategy in business process unlike to the similar retailers or organizations. Zara adopted just-in-time approach in the business model in order to enhance the supply chain, inventory management, and logistics management and distribution management process. The manufacturing units are located in several parts in the world. It is true that the warehouses of Zara are located in Spain. 50 % of products are manufactured in Spain. The rest of the products are manufactured throughout the world. It is a significant example of effective operation process (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2010, p.97). It is true that, several leading organizations used to outsource products and services from the parent country. It increases the outsourcing cost and supply chain cost. Glocal manufacturing and distribution process helped Zara to cut down the outsourcing cost. Now-a-days, Zara is significantly trying to expand its business practices due to favourable external environmental factors. In add ition to this, strong global brand name is influencing Zara to implement global expansion strategy. Manufacturing factories in different places and strong vertical integration in business model are helping Zara to adopt and implement global expansion strategy quite successfully. Question 2 Zara, being one of the leading global apparel retain chain is facing several operation management issues in its global expansion strategy. It is discussed earlier that the organization adopted vertical integration strategy in the business model. In addition to this, the organization implemented just-in-time approach in the supply chain and distribution management process. Zara believes in lowest inventor management. Zara never goes for mass production and huge inventory. According to the management of Inditex group, large inventory can affect the product quality and brand image of the organization (Johnston, Clark and Shulver, 2012, p.76). The percentage of annual sales of Zara is lower that other potential competitors due to this reason. In addition to this, Zara used to avoid developing inventories in its supply chain part from the resources and raw materials to the end users. The brand designs and manufactures almost 10,000 new models in every year and distributes it to all the retailers twice per week. This system actually increases the inventory management cost. The organization believes that large inventory and limited logistics activity can reduce the exclusivity of the products as the organization tries to provide quality and exclusive products to the target customers. The organization faced

Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Term Paper

Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits - Term Paper Example A company with a number of products, clear vision and unique ideas stands to lure the most competent candidates in each and every level but to maintain this momentum of better performance, it is imperative that the top executive level secures the best talent. A compensation package which is attractive to ensure these talents are maintained at the top management level of the company since they enjoy significant negotiating power and as such additional incentives up and above the compensation package can be impacting in luring an executive to join an organization. Challenging and unique opportunities do sway employees and thus in addition to an appealing compensation package, employee benefits have been applied so as to supplement it. Employee benefits has been very helpful in enhancing economic security of the employees thus curtailing labor turnover, increasing employees loyalty and improving productivity. Compensation is any kind of remuneration that is received by a person in return for his/her performance of the company's or organizational tasks. There are four common methods of compensation: performance related pay (PRP) such as commission, bonus, time rate and piece rate; fixed basic pay; non-economic benefits such as house, car etc and finally ownership benefits where employees are awarded shares (Reid, 2004). Several factors influence the wage and the salary structure, these include: pressure from trade union, lowest wage rates, existing market rates, supply and demand for a particular job, the employee's qualification and the ability of the organization to pay. Compensation in the form of wages is normally given to a worker while compensation in the form of a salary is normally given to an employee. Executive compensation refers to the way senior executives for the business corporations or firms are paid. Executive compensation comprises of the basic salary, options, shares, b onuses plus additional company benefits (Bagley & Savage, 2006). Forms of Executive compensation There are a number of types of executive compensation which offers numerous performance incentives and tax benefits. They include: Stock options -Refers to the privilege sold by a buyer to a seller that gives the latter a right rather than an obligation either to call(buy) or put(sell) the stock at an agreed price on a particular date or within a specified period (Bagley & Savage, 2006). Stock options ensures the CEOs interests are kept at par with that of shareholders since their value is subject to the price of the stock remaining above the strike price/exercise price (price upon which a stock will be sold or bought upon the exercise of the option) of the option. However stock options are open to abuse through options backdating and excessive risk seeking (Lawrence, 2002). Restricted stock - These are stocks awarded to an executive but can only be sold once a specific conditions are arrived at and it carries a similar value to the stock's market price during time of the grant. Deferred compensation -This is normally applied for taxation purposes and involves postponing compensation up to a certain future date. Executive perks compensation includes travel reimbursements, private jet and extra rewards given to the executives. Retirement packages awarded to executives following their retirement from the organization; this is open to abuse as corrupt executives can attach "golden

The Acquisition of English Simple Past Tense Essay

The Acquisition of English Simple Past Tense - Essay Example And every ethnic Spanish or Chinese citizen of USA (or any other citizen of the country, for that matter) is expected to have a good knowledge and understanding of the English language. They try to learn the English language, some of them, late in their lives, if they have come to the USA, late in their lives, and that is not an easy task. In fact learning any second language late in life is not at all an easy task for anyone, mostly because the grammar and structure of each language is unique in some respect or other and the difficulty of mastering a language increases in direct proportion to the age of the learner.Chinese is equally a widely spoken language, with considerably more than a billion people being very proficient in that language. (howardcc.edu, http://www.howardcc.edu./edu/kids languages. html, retrieved August 27, 2006.) And Spanish does not lag far behind, with 410 million people claiming the language as their first language. (howardcc.edu.). We analyse in this paper some aspects of language acquisition by considering the pattern of ‘simple past tense’ in Chinese, Spanish and in English. All languages have a system of grammar which is a body of rules specifying what sequences of sounds or words are correct in forming sentences while speaking or writing in a particular language. Many grammar books exist in almost all languages dealing with rules for speaking or writing the particular language concerned, or a particular analysis of the rules of the language. An early English language grammar published in the USA was in 1831 written by Noah Webster, entitled ‘An Improved Grammar of the English Language’, which may be consulted now in the libraries of the British Museum in London, and of American Universities like Harvard and Michigan. (http://www.netstate.com/states/people/ct_nw.htm Corpora and Childes It was stated above that there are difficulties in acquiring the knowledge and use of a second language. To investigate the possible minimisation of that difficulty, a thorough search was made of the ‘corpora’ and ‘childes’ web sites in the internet. The word ‘corpora’ literarily is the plural of the word ‘corpus’, which means â€Å"a body, living or dead; the corporeal substance of a thing†. In the study of language acquisition, corpora are a technique often used by linguists as the raw material from which language description may be fashioned. Corpora can provide the basis of empirically justified, linguistic observations on which to base CALL (Computer-assisted language learning) materials. Additionally, the corpora themselves may become the raw material of CALL based

Problems - questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems - questions - Assignment Example Being focused at advertising a product or a service, marketing is imperative in creating customer loyalty. Additionally, it ensures long term positive relationship between a product and a consumer. Two key companies that have succeeded based on their effective marketing strategies are Coca-Cola and Nokia. Through their extensive advertising strategies Coca-Cola and Nokia have emerged as world leaders in the soft drink and telecommunication industries respectively. Section B Question 1 Market segmentation entails dividing the wide target market into group of consumers who have similar requirements. After dividing the large target market into subsets, a company then provides products and services that meet the needs of their consumers. Consumers market can be segmented according to geographic aspects, psychographic factors, consumer’s behaviors, occasion as well as benefits derived from the products (Kotler, et al 56). Targeting involves focusing at a particular group of custome rs and adopting appropriate marketing strategies to sell products on the targeted group. Being part of the market mix, target market is vital in ensuring the success of any product. According to Kurtz there are seven major steps that marketers can adopt in segmenting their market as depicted by the flow chart below. Selecting target audience Identification of customer needs Adopting valuation approach that includes barriers to entry and accessing market Testing the segment Modifying market mix Positioning entails creating a strong image in the minds of targeted audience regarding the products of an organization. Earlier on positioning emulated the consumers marketing however with the growth in technology; companies have adopted Google and yahoo among other internet sites to enhance competitive positioning (Ries and Trout 39). Major aspects that companies should utilize to ensure effective positioning of their brands includes products quality, effective distribution, extensive promot ion, attractive and secured packaging as well as affordable prices. Just like segmentation, companies that are focused at effective positioning of their brands can adopt six steps as depicted by the flow chart below. Identifying key competitors Understanding positioning strategies adopted by competitors Documenting the current positioning strategy adopted by the company Comparing the company positioning strategies with those of the competitors Establishing positioning that is value based Establishing an appropriate positioning statement supported by proper communication Question 2 Strategic planning entails defining the direction that an organisation will follow and making of essential decision regarding allocation of resources to attain the objectives of a company. By understanding the current position of a company, it is possible to emulate an effective course of action that will ensure the success of a company. In most cases a strategic planning covers a period of 5 years. One of the major components of a strategic plan is vision. Vision depicts what the organization wants to be. Secondly, a strategic plan should indicate the mission of a company. Mission indicates the basic purpose of a firm and the strategies it emulates in order to achieve its vision. For example, the mission of Coca-Cola Company is to provide quality brands that refresh the whole world. Value is

Canadian Liberalism vs Canadian Conservatism Essay

Canadian Liberalism vs Canadian Conservatism - Essay Example At one side, liberals are progressively change and reform oriented. On the other, conservatives rely on self-induced political conduct that is relatively resistant to massive and outright reforms. In the Canadian context, liberal and conservative parties hugely disagree on governance, economy, and taxes. Notably this disconnection can be explained by the left-right ideology. The Liberal Party takes policy positions that advocate for equality of opportunity, true fiscal responsibility, and relatively raised taxes for a sustainable economy (Canadian Liberal Party, 2013). On the other hand, the Conservative Party stands for balanced budgets, Canadians-driven economy, and low taxes; leave more money with the Canadians (Canadian Conservative Party, 2013). In the light of the liberal-conservative policy positions, the left-right ideology comes into play. Progressing and reforming the economy may necessitate economic changes in the country, taxes included. The conservative view of creating jobs, promoting economic growth, and ensuring long-term economic prosperity (Canadian Conservative Party, 2013) may not necessary result in equality of opportunities. Also, leaving more money in the hands of Canadians may negate the balanced budget realization. Liberal approach to these matters makes the Liberal Party’s ideology more leftish and essentially aligned with its social, economic, and political policy

Write a critical analysis of an 'Elegy for my Father' by Annie Finch Essay

Write a critical analysis of an 'Elegy for my Father' by Annie Finch - Essay Example Right from beginning her work brought recognition to how she has brought music to meter without diverging from the truthfulness of her emotions which she wants to express. This musicality in her words later shows through when she wrote libretti for operas and lieder for contemporary composers. Her work shows not only the relationship between nature and human but also the themes evolving from her religious inclinations. Calenders has works woven around the cycles in a Celtic or wiccan calendar and whether the themes are based in myth or in real life relations they broadly cover the cycles in a women’s life. The works like ‘Elegy for my Father’ show not only Finch’s poetic prowess but also how a personal moment became the inspiration. ‘Calenders’ is one of Finch’s major poetry books which includes her works from 1990s as well as some poems from 1980s and one from 1970. The poems are written around the theme of Celtic or Wiccan calendar which reflects not only the seasons though titles like Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Lammas, Imbolc but they also bring the cyclical nature of time and specially a woman’s life to the reader. Many poems varying in style and ideas are written around themes which are more feminist like a woman’s cycles, her relationship with parents, her grievances, her pregnancies and her loves but in other poems which are not around mythical, like ‘Elegy for my Father’, Finch is inspired by some moment in her life. Calenders not only has a detailed account of how and when the poems were completed but it is also accompanied by a guide which is a complete work of poetics in itself. Finch listed when each poem was eventually completed and how the book evolved. The ‘Elegy for my Father’ is written in dactylic tetrameter and is unrhymed. Finch is not someone who is limited by meter. It comes as no surprise when we see variations of dactylic meter in

The Fall Of Rome Essay Example for Free

The Fall Of Rome Essay During period of government of Diocletian, Roman Empire gains more and more features of Western despotism. In order to strengthen the government, to regulate management of provinces Diocletian (284-303) makes complex of reforms: Administrative – he divides empire into Western and Eastern (final division in year 395); territory of Empire is divided into 10 dioceses (120 provinces); Tax – instead of indirect taxes (which were quite numerous and badly-collected) he promotes the one land- poll-tax in money or natural form (corn, wine, etc); Financial – he starts promotion of valuable golden coin (together with silver and copper, which were already in use); Military – he divides the army into internal armies, border armies and praetorian guards; increases quantity of army for 1/3; provides recruitment; increases the army at account of barbarians. Such reforms although couldn’t stop collapse of â€Å"colossus with clay legs†, which the Roman Empire became in 4-5 centuries, but slowed down its collapse for 1.5 centuries more. Army, officialdom and Christian church (Christianity becomes the government religion in the 4th century) – these are three foundations for Roman Empire of those years. In 476 the chief of German mercenaries uncrowns the last emperor Romulus Augustulus (The Collapse’ Chronology). Title of emperor and the very Empire finishes its existence. The reasons of fall of Rome were as follows: Increase of centrifugal tendencies in provinces; crisis of slave-holding way of manufacturing; appearance of elements of feudal society (colonate); Barbarian invasion (Germans, Hunnes, etc); the government changed into giant mechanism which exhausted their nationals, which often met Barbarians not as invaders, but as liberators; Period of antiquity finished; ‘medium evum’ the new à ©poque in the history of mankind started. What were opinions of historians and other prominent people for fall of Rome? Montesquieu saw the main reason of fall in collapse of Roman military valour and simplicity, which was the result of conquest of Rome rich Western countries. The prominent English historian Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) wrote a work â€Å"History of collapse and destruction of Roman Empire† which has became a classical work. He considers that the Roman Empire represented period, where the humankind was the luckiest and prosperous, especially during the à ©poque of Antonines. He analyses the reasons of fall of Rome and presents more then 20 factor, which influenced the process. His common conclusion is simple and categorical: the reason is in â€Å"triumph of Barbarians and religion† (Edward Gibbon). R. Collingwood related Gibbon’s work to retrograde or historian tendency in historiography of XVIII century; for representatives of this tendency the history is only â€Å"sightseeing of irrational forces†. The other researchers of XIX-XX centuries underlined other factors: progressive decrease of population; penetrating of â€Å"coastal† antique culture inside the country and its extensive expansion, as a reason of loss intensiveness and coming back to old, natural forms of economy; contradictions between city and village; struggle between â€Å"municipal bourgeoisie† and lower classes of city and village, which leads to revolution, the expression of which are military rebellions; Negative role of ruling personality. For example, transfer of power from Marcus Aurelia to Commodious – the Senate looses its prestige, and power of Rome was actually based on this authority; Decrease of quantity in Roman border army, starting from Augustus period of power, which prevented stable and reliable defense of Empire (History Alive material); Christianity and religion of sympathy for all unlucky personalities, weak and low, which appeared on the basis of â€Å"mortal enmity to reality† and became a vampire of Roman Empire as well as brought into naught great dead of Romans. So, taking into account everything we examined here, we can tell that the reasons of fall are connected with specifics of development of Rome as Empire; it means that we have to see combination of factors: Internal reasons – those social, economic, political, ethnic and demographic processes, which are connected with transformation of former polices, civitases, nomes, etc. Because of all this Empire becomes unstable government. It is not enough for fall of Rome, but it is enough to weaken it. The government reached limits of its â€Å"vital space†. Specifics of cultural, religious and ideological development: a) synthesis of their own cultural achievements in order to create non-contradictory system of new beliefs, based on their own traditions; b) great religious invasion from the East As a result of all those factors the Empire becomes weal government. The decisive role then, will play external factors: External factors: meeting of economies – Roman Empire consisted of developed Western provinces, zones of ancient and stable city tradition. Economic intervention destabilized position of government. Great migration of population. In such a way, the Fall of Rome was the result of influence of numerous factors. References: Reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire: All left Rome open to outside invaders adapted from History Alive material [online] http://killeenroos.com/1/Romefall.htm The Collapse’ Chronology [online] http://www.roman-empire.net/collapse/collapse-index.html Medieval Sourcebook: Edward Gibbon: General Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West [online] http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html

Alice Walker Essay Example for Free

Alice Walker Essay This story is distinctive, however, in that Walker stresses not only the importance of language but also the destructive effects of its misuse. Clearly, Dee privileges language over silence, as she demonstrates in her determination to be educated and in the importance she places on her name. Rather than providing a medium for newfound awareness and for community, however, verbal skill equips Dee to oppress and manipulate others and to isolate herself; when she lived at home, she read to her sister and mother without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks habits, whole lives upon us, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice. Mama recalls that Dee washed us in a river of make-believe, burned us with a lot of knowledge we didnt necessarily need to know. Pressed us to her with the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits, we seemed about to understand (50). Dee uses words to wash, burn, press, and shove. We are told that the nervous girls and furtive boys whom she regarded as her friends worshiped the well-turned phrase and her scalding humor that erupted like bubbles in lye (51). It is not surprising, then, that Mama, mistrustful of language, expresses herself in the climactic scene of the story not through words but through deeds: she hugs Maggie to her, drags her in the room where Dee sits holding the quilts, snatches the quilts from Dee, and dumps them into Maggies lap. Only as an afterthought does she speak at all, telling Dee to take one or two of the others. Mamas actions, not her words, silence the daughter who has, up to this point, used language to control others and separate herself from the community: Mama tells us that Dee turns and leaves the room without a word (59). In much of Walkers work, a characters dawning sense of self is represented not only by the acquisition of an individual voice but also through integration into a community. Mamas new appreciation of Maggie is significant because it represents the establishment of a sisterhood between mother and daughter. Just before taking the quilts out of Dees hands, Mama tells us, I did something I never had done before (58). The something to which she refers is essentially two actions: Mama embraces Maggie and says no to Dee for the first time. Since we are told that she held Maggie when she was burned in the fire, and since Mamas personality suggests that she would most likely hug her daughter often, she is of course referring not merely to the literal hug but to the first spiritual embrace, representing her decision no  longer to judge her younger daughter by the shallow standards Dee embodiescriteria that Mama has been using to measure both Maggie and herself up until the climax of the story. When Mama acts on Maggies behalf, she is responding to the largely nonverbal message that her younger daughter has been sending for some time, but which Mama herself has been unable fully to accept. Now Maggie and Mama are allied in their rejection of Dees attempts to devalue their lifestyle, and their new sense of community enables Maggie to smile a real smile, not scared. Significantly, the story ends with the two of them sitting in silence, just enjoying, until it was time to go in the house and go to bed (59). Ultimately, however. Mama has the last word: it is she, after all, who tells the story. Yet her control over the text is won gradually. Walker employs an unusual narrative structure to parallel Mamas development as she strengthens her voice and moves toward community with Maggie. Rather than reporting the entire event in retrospect, Mama relates the first half of the story as it occurs, using present and future tenses up until the moment Dee announces her new name. The commentary that Mama makes about herself and Maggie in the first portion of the story is therefore made before the awakening that she undergoes during the quilt episodebefore she is able to reject completely Dees desire that she and Maggie be something that they are not. Prior to the encounter with Dee over the quilts, although Mama at times speaks sarcastically about Dees selfish attitude, she nonetheless dreams repeatedly of appearing on a television program the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake, wielding a quick and witty tongue (48). Mamas distaste for Dees egotism is tempered by her desire to be respected by her daughter. In part, then, Mama has come to define herself in terms of her failure to meet the standards of what Lindsey Tucker calls a basically white middle-class identity (88)the white-male-dominated system portrayed in the television show. When Mama holds up her own strengths next to those valued by Dee and the white Johnny Carson society, she sees herself as one poised always in a position of fear, with one foot raised in flight (49).

Why Did the Central Powers Lose WW1?

Why Did the Central Powers Lose WW1? On November 11th 1918 Germany signed and armistice to finally end the four year conflict of World War One. At the end of 1917 Germany was in a good position. Although the United States had entered the war, that had yet to have any impact on the western front. Russia, having just gone through a communist revolution, had lost the war and was willing to make peace at any price. By 1918 Germany had begun to break through allied lines and even came within striking distance of Paris but by the end of November in the same year Germany was looking for a stop to the fighting. Why was this? A few reasons could be the that the Schlieffen Plan had failed resulting in Germany fighting a war on two fronts for most of the war, the British naval blockade on Germany and the entry of the United States into the fray. The Schlieffen Plan was Germanys main offensive strategy during the outbreak of World War 1. The plan involved utilizing 91% of Germanys armed forces (also known as Kaiserreichsheer) to attack France. Fearing that the French forts on the border would slow down a German advance, Chief of Staff Alfred von Schlieffen suggested an attack through Belgium into the northern part of France for a quicker invasion. The rest of the German Army would then be set up in a defensive position on the eastern front in order to stop an improbable Russian advance. There are quite a few reasons why the Schlieffen Plan had failed though. Firstly, the Germans had underestimated the capabilities of the Belgian Army. While the Belgians had only 43,000 men, they had put up a strong fight that was even unanticipated by the Germans. Some tactics even flooding their own land or destroying their own infrastructure in order to slow down the German advance Secondly, the lack of communications between the German arm ies along with a failure to resupply efficiently weakened the troops. . This helped the Allies by giving the British more time to reinforce the French lines and when Germany finally had broken through Belgium into France, they were intercepted at the River Marne in France by the allied troops. Attempts to reinforce the German united battling the Allies also left a gap between them and the German 2nd force, allowing Allies to move up and split apart the two German forces. Fritz Fischer reffered to the Schlieffen Plan as a brash stroke so common to bombastic Wilhelmine Imperial Germany. (Fischer, 1979) But not all historians agreed on that the Schieffen plan was a complete failure. An American officer in the Army, creator of combat modeling software and military theorist Trevor N. Dupuy argued that the Schlieffen Plan was secret the of institutionalizing military excellence. (Dupuy, 1970) The United States joined the First World War on the 6th of April 1917; three years after the war had begun. This was due to the then American political view that being an isolationist country was the best way that American would grow and as a result took the view that the European conflict did not require any American intervention. In 1915 German U-boats were ordered to attack any ship that was headed towards Britain due to suspicions of ammunition being smuggled through passenger liners and Q-ships, these were merchant ships that had disguised heavy guns. The Q-ships were also one of the reasons that German submarines stopped warning the target that they were about to attack. This was brought to the attention of the American people when the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by U-20 on the 7th of May 1915. The Zimmerman note was probably one of the more direct reasons that the Americans decided to join the war. The content of this note is that if Mexico attacked America for the land t hey had claimed before, then Germany would support them with arms and supplies. This was a very big threat to America and as a result they thought it would be in their best interests to join the war. By 1917, both sides of the conflict were exhausted and demoralized. The United States were able to support the Allied front with a million fresh soldiers, this greatly improved Allied morale and demoralize the Germans and her allies further. In addition to this, more supplies were also being brought in by the United States and helped relive some of the burdens born by the allies. The British Blockade was one of the key factors in the defeat of Germany and her allies. Drafted by Winston Churchill, the then Secretary of the Royal Navy, it was intended to take Germany out by starving her out of the war. When the blockade was put into effect towards the end of 1914, Germanys imports had fallen by 55% of pre-war import levels. One of the more prominent imports that were cut off were nitrates, these were used to create explosives and fertilizer. The resulting shortage of the latter led to extreme shortages in foods and by 1916 many civilians were consuming ersatz products such as war bread (also known as Kriegsbrot) and powdered milk. These food shortages also caused riots and social unrest, not only in Germany but also for most of the Central powers as well in places like Vienna or Budapest. While the German government did make attempts to counter the effects of the British Blockade, they only limited success. The Hindenburg Programme is one such example. It was d esigned to increase productivity and provide cheap mass meals to the population but that average daily diet of 1,000 calories provided was not enough to maintain a good standard of health even for babies. This resulted in many malnutrition related disorders such as scurvy, dysentery and tuberculosis and by 1918 and estimated 434,000 people were dead due to malnutrition. In March, 1918 the Central Powers were sure to win the war. They had already beaten Russia and France and Britain were getting weak, they were losing the will to fight. For the first time German units were larger than the British and French combined. However eight months later, the Central Powers lost due to a failure in tactics, a new enemy entering towards the end of the war and being starved into submission by their enemies. The assumption of this topic is that when the Central Powers had lost World War 1 that the war had in fact ended. It could be said that World War 1 never ended. It may have taken a break but it had never truly ended until 1945, the year that signified the end of World War 2. Complications from the end of World War 1 would prove to be the advent of World War 2. World War One ended when Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles. This proved to be a humiliating defeat for the Germans. The size of Germany had been drastically reduced while those of France and Italy (a former German ally) grew. Germany was also forced to admit that they were to blame for the war and was made to compensate for damages. The military was also reduced to a minimal size but there were soldiers who would not stop fighting. They would eventually join and establishment of mercenaries called the Freikorps. The German commanders and generals also never had to admit to defeat. They merely told that if the German Peopl e had not been stabbed in the back (most likely referring to the newly formed Weimar Republic for accepting the terms) This theory became hugely popular with the German population that did not want to admit to defeat and generals that had signed the treaty were referred to as November Criminals. Adolph Hitler was obsessed with this idea and blamed the Marxists and Jews for this major blow to the people. Germany was seething with revenge and hate, just waiting for the right moment to strike back. In their minds, they were waiting for a chance to resume this conflict and get the justice that they deserved. Finishing in Leather: Strategies and Concepts Finishing in Leather: Strategies and Concepts Hassan Aly Hassan Introduction The word â€Å"finish† as a verb means bringing the task to an end or in another meaning is by completing the manufacture or decoration of (an article) by giving it an attractive surface appearance. (Dictionary). The same applies for leather when it reaches the final stage. The leather is now set to be modified and upgraded to give it more characteristics that meet with customer expectation. That’s why tanneries all around the world are putting more effort on the final stage in order to enhance and sell their leather. After tannage, all classes of leather, whether vegetable or chrome tanned have to be finished to make them suitable to the purpose for which they will be ultimately used. With the exception of sole leather, finishing may broadly be said to consist of (i) dyeing or colouring, (ii) treating the leather with grease for softening and water-proofing (technically called currying) and (iii) polishing or glazing. But the finish imparted to leather is peculiar to it, so that no two varieties are finished the same way Coming up with a finishing recipe high relays of different factors highly depending on what the customer wants. Giving an example when trying to achieve a shoe upper finish it differs from an upholstery finish. When finishing vegetable tanned leather it is neither dyed nor glazed. Its finishing is consisted in setting it out well to make it flat and smooth on the surface and pressing heavily to make it stiffer and water resistant. For chrome it differs it is run through more operation in order to achieve its final appearance starting with shaving in order to make the leather thin then neutralization taking place ending it up with stacking in order to make the leather softer then glazed to give it the glossy look and feel. What is the purpose of finishing? The purpose of finish is done in order to enhance certain qualities and characteristics for example protecting the leather upgrading the leather look and feel by providing a texture which is waxier and smother. Full grain leather can be addressed as the leather that does not go through the buffing stage and this is widely used when achieving furniture leather or automotive. Achieving a full grain can be expensive to most tanners. In order to achieve the natural grain of the leather it most not contain any marks or scratches, veins and putrefaction so it is very important on how to sort out your leather. The tanner should pick a good quality grade of crust leather in order to enable for finishing. Corrected grain leather is known as chrome tanned side leather which is buffed with emery paper on the grain enabling it to remove the defects of the leather and then applied to it a plastic resin and pigmented finish to he help being built up on the leather usually this type of grain is used in the footwear industry. Crust preparation Crust is mentioned as the dried leather after tannage. And as it’s widely known as chrome leather ends up drying quickly and that results in leather becoming stiffer and making it harder when rewetting, drying usually occurs after any normal retanning and fatliquoring. leather that is exported around the globe in usually in this state while still many prefer at wet-blue or pickled stage because this gives them more ability of the leather process. When crust preparation applied for full grain leather or corrected grain leather both operations are related except for some procedures for example in buffing. Leading a leather from a crust stage to finishing still undergoes several procedures and also depends on the tanners recipe before receiving the end use . Operations in common Staking: Staking is a mechanical operation for softening the leather, it is done through a staking machine machines which helps in expanding and opening up the fibers and thus leading to a softer skin. Some tanners do it manually by pulling the skins over a shaped knife but this usually takes more time compared to the staking machine. Conditioning: when the leather dries out after the retanning, dyeing and fatliquoring the fibers on the skin tends to stick together and thus making the leather more firm and harder. The fibers are then separated and the leather goes the staking operation enabling it to become softer. Adjusting the moisture content is very important so water is applied to the leather through water guns and that evens out the moisture content before entering the staking stage. Milling: During the milling stage, the crust leather is layed in the drum responsible for milling and is then rotated ate certain temperature degrees and humid conditions. The mechanical process helps the leather in opening up its fiber this results is the leather becoming more softer Buffing: The objective of buffing is removing all the marks on the grain surface of the leather by that it provides a more equal surface . it is done through sandpapering the leather with sand paper for many reasons for example to create a suede or a nubuck finish on the grain or to prepare its for a Chemicals used and finishing operation: Impregnation: it is a coat the purpose of it acts like a sealing coat and this helps in sealing the buffed fibers completely in order for the chemicals to not penetrate through the leather and this will form a more uniform surface. When the corrected grain leather gets buffed the absorbance raises in high rate and any of the chemicals put onto the leather will penetrate in a high rate without building up a film. Applying an impregnation coatis a must for a corrected grain or it will ruin the objective of finishing. Adhesion Coat : buffing does not apply to a full grain leather therefore this coat is used in allowing the resins to bind bind together in a an equal strong form and this leads to a more stable film and this is highly used in the casual shoe finish because it requires higher adhesion finish qualities. After the adhesion coat is applied the leather is not set to dry out during the drying is becomes more drier and stickier this means it is now ready for the base coat the usage of spraying guns is high recommended in the adhesion coating. Base Coat: the base coating is applied to help in covering up the leather. By using a mixture of acrylic resins and polyurethane. Acrylic resin gives the leather a more natural look and increases flexibility. As for the polyurethane resin it improves the physical qualities of the finishing film. A certain ratio that a film goes by to a non-film its either 1:2 or 1:3 as for the non-filming chemicals it includes a wide variety of waxes, auxillaries, oils and waxes. Base coating is usually done by spraying a couple of times and it can also be done by hand padding. Embossing: it is known as the printed pattern that is added to the leather. Embossing become popular to meet with the fashion industry, through embossing it creates a high yield in cutting because of its straightness and strength to hide the defects. During embossing high pressure is applied to ensure the print embossing acts better in higher temperatures . Top Coat: The objective of adding the top coat in order to enhance the touch quality and performance and helps in the protection when finishing. Top coat can be addressed as two coats nitrocellulose and polyurethane. A polyurethane based is selected as the preferred method because it gives the required results Plating: it is a mechanical procedure that helps in obtaining more smoothness and a glossy look. Plating can be applied several times it highly depends on the tanner Finishing Recipes: Casual Full grain upper footwear Safety shoe Corrected grain upper footwear Casual Full grain upper footwear Adhesion Coat : Polyurethane with fine particles that is applied to pre base coating the main purpose of it is for achieving higher adhesion it also help in the flexibility. Base Coat : RU 1 3- 5 4 1: classified as soft polyurethane that is added during the base coat to help in the embossing characteristics. It gives out softer leather outcome. P-P black : it is a pigment applied to the leather in order to give its color RA 1-2-4-6: Classified as hard acrylic resin which enables a better gloos and ensures better results in the rub fastness FI 5-0: Considered to be soft filler which gives a better plating and gives out a wax that helps giving the leather a more waxy feeling. BI 5-9-6: Soft binder which gives a nore flazing look on the leather. Also helps in giving a good plated which is considered to be helpful during the embossing stage Top Coat HM 51-7 6 0 A TYPE OF SILICONE HANDLING MODIFIER WHICH ENABLES GOOD SMOOTHNESS AND a silky like feel it also enhances resistance onto the leather LW 5 4 9 0 : they are water based lacquer which gives a kind of gloss onto the leather . Safety shoe Corrected grain upper footwear Impregnation Coat RI – 1 9 3 : Its is considered to be small particles of impregnation resin which helps in filling up the leather and it has high penetration ability it also helps in the grain break in tge leather and works on smoothening the surface BI 1 3 5 2 : Binder its type is medium hard which helps in the adhesion and improvement on the handling of the skin PT 6 5 91 : Active agents which work on helping the penetration of the finishing chemicals on the the grain layer of the skin this is usually used along a penetrartor to help the chemical penetrate faster RB 2 3 3 0: Its gives the leather a more rubbery feeling and helps in the pating process and filling up the skin RM 4 4 1 0 : a non ionic agent Base Coat RU 3 9 6 9 : A polyurethane that helps in the adhesion and the flexibility of the skin FI 5 0 : It helps in embarking a good plating gives a waxy feeling Top Coat FI 1 2 0 8 : SOFT FILLERS WHICH HELPS IN GIVING A SOFTER TOUCH AND HELPS IN PLATING WT 2 5 2 4 : PolYurethanes which helps in giving more elastic and flexibility HM 2 2 6 7 7: gives the leather a silky feeling XR 5 9 2 3: CROSS LINKER WHICH HELPS IN ENHANCING THE LEATHER DURABILITY AND PROVIDES A BETTER FINISHING ADHESION Comparison in order to achieve a full grain leather the sorting of the leather many scares and defects on the skin will lower the end product of the finishing for the corrected grain leather its easier because the buffing will hide many of the scars and defects n the skin .when it comes to embossing full grain leather it depends it may be required and it may not be depending on the grain of the leather as for the corrected grain in order to give a better grain surface. When it comes to performance full grain leather will achieve higher performances than the corrected grain Conclusion All in all both are different than each other when its comes to physicality properties to achieve good results selection of crust must be made for full grain as for the corrected grain it does not require

Two Views Of Imperialism In The Twentieth Century History Essay

Two Views Of Imperialism In The Twentieth Century History Essay There were two countries that had a common link to imperialism. One was the country of India in 1907 and the other was the country of Uganda in 1923. These two countries had two separate responses to European imperialism. These two responses were written by two authors which had vastly different viewpoints on how imperialism was perceived throughout world history. These two viewpoints would later change the way society viewed imperialism. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born in 1856 and died in 1920 was an Indian nationalist leader. He was educated in India and in London and admitted to the English bar in 1889. He practiced law unsuccessfully in India for two years. He was a journalist who utilized the newspapers to set forth his nationalist ideals. Bal Tilak was one of the most popular leaders of the early nationalist movement. He demanded self rule and was known as a man of action. The British feared him and described him as one of the most dangerous pioneers of disaffection and truly the father of Indian unrest. Bal Tilak used the belief system of the gurus M K Gandhi and Veer Savarkar. Lord Lugard was the one of the most important British colonial officials and a high commissioner for northern Nigeria. He later became the governor-general of Nigeria. In 1914, Lord Frederick Lugard, the governor of Britains territories in Nigeria, united the states in northern and southern Nigeria into a single colony. He worked in the administration of these two colonies and eventually formed the country of Nigeria. It was his work in these territories which led him to develop his theory of indirect rule. This fashion of rule, which emphasized working through native leaders and utilizing native social structures, became the official policy of British imperialism throughout the empire during the 1920s. There were also several similarities between the two authors and the country which they supported. One was that they both dealt with imperialism. The idea of imperialism is to rule over a people or a place through colonization, military power, economic or political power. It also is defined as the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire based on domination and subordination. The word imperialism comes from the term empire. Imperialism refers to the practice of domination of one country by another in order to expand territory, power and influence. It usually carries with it the idea of cultural superiority on the part of the imperialist, judging the way of life, traditions and beliefs of those colonized as inferior and worthy of replacement: Another similarity between the two documents is that both of these documents concerned nationalism. Nationalism was the common link between the two documents and their associated country, since both Lugard and Tilak envisioned a Nationalist society. They wanted Nationalism because it is a belief that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for a group of humans. According to the theory of nationalism, it is the preservation of identity features and the independence of all people from the country are a common fundamental value. Naturally, where there are similarities there are also differences. These are some of the points in which the viewpoints of Lord Lugard are different than that of Bal Tilak. One difference is that the document written by Bal Tilak about India concerns the Indian National Congress. This was an Indian political party founded in 1885 and created by a group of English-speaking urban intellectuals. Its founding members proposed economic reforms and wanted a larger role in the making of British policy for India. was founded in order that educated Indians might gain something of a voice in the governance of their own country. By 1907, however, the Congress had split into a moderate group which sought dominion status for India, and a radical militant group led by Bal Tilak which proposed a system of self-rule. The Indian National Congress would be good for India once Britain rule was replaced by indirect rule. Another difference is the idea of indirect rule. The system of indirect rule, which Lord Lugard supported meant that it was the understanding of the British colonial method to rule through and by the natives. Although, they also had to submit to a higher authority, which in this case was Britain. He advocated that an indirect rule system had three major institutions. One was the native authority made up of the local ruler, the colonial official, and the administrative staff. The next was the native treasury which collected revenues to pay for the local administrative staff and services. The last was the native courts which supposedly applied native laws and customs. the supposedly traditional legal system of the colonized that was used by the courts to adjudicate cases. People in Africa previously had diverse types of government ranging from highly centralized states to stateless societies. As a result, indirect rule increased divisions between ethnic groups and gave power to certain men of higher authority that never had it before. This system operated with the association of already established political leaderships and institutions. The theory and practice of indirect rule is commonly associated with the emirates of northern Nigeria. The emirates had an established and functional administrative system and Lord Lugard simply adapted it to his own way of thinking. This was cheap and convenient. The attempts to portray the use of indirect rule as an expression of British administrative genius did not work. It was a realistic and frugal choice based partly on using existing functional institutions. This choice was also partially structured upon Britains unwillingness to provide the resources required to manage its vast empire. Instead, it developed the stubborn view that the colonized should pay for their own colonial control. Therefore, Britain gave the colonized the choice of indirect rule. In this disperse society, the system of indirect rule did not work very well because there was no single ruler. The Britis h colonizers who were unfamiliar with these new and unique political systems insisted that African natives should have chiefs. Imperialist ambitions in Africa were boosted by the expansion of competitive trade in Europe. The main aim was to secure commercial and trade links with African colonies and protect those links from other European competitors. Europe established trade relations with certain African colonies and promoted trade with these countries. European traders were at first not interested in expanding into the interior of Africa. As long as African rulers assured them of a supply of slaves from the interior, they felt no need to expand into the interior. The rapid expansion of industries made European countries look to Africa for a supply of cheap raw materials and slave labor. These two different responses to British imperialism may tell the reader more information about the colonizer. A colonizer is the people or persons that establishes a colony in another country or place. Africans resisted colonial rule from the outset but were not strong enough to defend themselves against European conquest. As a result, most of Africa was colonized. Only Ethiopia and Liberia remained free. Colonization was resisted as the local people tried to hold on to their land and freedom. In most cases this was unsuccessfull. The responses may also tell the reader more about the colonized people. To be colonized means to migrate to and settle in order to establish a colony or territory under the immediate political control of a state. Bal Tilak spoke powerful and accurately of India and summarized the feelings of the new and increasingly militant national movement. He said that the British rulers ruined trade, caused the collapse of industry, and destroyed the peoples courage and abilities. Under the colonial regimen, Tilak asserted that the country was offered neither education, rights, or respect for public opinion. Without prosperity and contentment, the Indian people suffered constantly from poverty and famine and the decimation of health. Tilak saw only one remedy which was for the Indian people to take political power. If the people did not have this then the Indian industry could not develop and the youth could not be educated. Therefore the country could not win social reforms or material welfare for the people. Tilak saw colonial rule as being unfavorable to Indias progress, and the contradictions between the British oppressors and the Indian people as being irreconcilable. Later societies within certain countries were able to understand the European imperial system by learning from past mistakes. In the late 19th century India was an agricultural society. Jute, raw cotton, tea and coffee were exported to Britain. Textiles and other manufactured products were imported from Britain to India. The Indian textile industry could not compete with cheap, mass produced British goods. However in the early 20th century Indian industries began to develop. It was still mostly a farming and agricultural country but this was beginning to change. At the same time Britain was in decline. In the mid-19th century Britain was the most powerful country in the world but by the end of the century other powers such as Germany and the USA had caught up. Britain was weakened by the first world war and continued to decline in the 1920s and 1930s. As Britain declined Indian nationalist feelings grew stronger. Indirect rule worked well in areas which had long standing centralized state systems such as chiefdoms, kingdoms, and empires along with their respective administrative and judicial systems of government. This meant that the African leaders could exercise authority at the mercy of European colonial officials. Thus the political and social restaints that tied them to their people in the old system had been broken. Some clever African leaders maneuvered and ruled as best they could. Others used the new colonial setting to become tyrants and oppressors, even though they were eventually responsible to the British officials. Imperialism takes the form of political control and creating economic dependence. In Europe, the period where imperialism coincided with growing nationalism and unification when previously divided political units were united under a single monarchy. An alliance allowed for empire building because people were gathered under a monarchy that claimed the right to rule them. Examples are German and Italian unification. Towards the end of the 19th century, imperialism became a policy of colonial expansion pursued by different European powers. The way that these two authors from separate countries defined imperialism was one of the ways that imperialism was assisted in the way it extended and became more prevalent globally after 1920. These are the ways in which these two documents have helped later societies to understand the European imperial system and the successive independence movements of the early twentieth century. Sources: Indian National Congress à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0825112.html#ixzz1KeEizdAI Frederick D. Lugard. The Rise of Our East African Empire, 2 vols. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1:381-82. Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Bal Gangadhar Tilak: His Writings and Speeches. Madras: Ganesh and Co., 1923, pp. 56-65

Needs- Food In Schools. Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Needs- Food In Schools. The food provided in the school canteen has become a growing concern for a very long time. For my coursework I will be designing and making a healthier version of a savoury main meal to be eaten at lunchtime for students who eat in Plashet School’s canteen. Many people have began to advertise the quality of food provided in some schools, which has made a big impact on the way students look at the food provided. The issue is a growing as it affects the health of many young people. Foods such as chips, pizzas, burgers, cheese foods- pasta, flans- have a very high fat content, and more fat equals obesity. People as young as 12 have been found with blocked arteries. Also because of the lack of breakfast, people tend to eat junk food in school, which is no...