Essay on Cubas Struggle For Independence - 1443 Words

Cuba the â€Å"ever faithful isle†, to the oldest colonial power and on once strongest empire on Earth. Cuba was loyal to Spain to prevent the inevitable uprising of the people. Peace and slavery prevailed over insurrection and emancipation.† pg.2 Ada Ferrer presents the atmosphere of a war that lasted 30 years only to end virtually back to the beginning under a new master. (U.S. Occupation) The struggle for independence was embedded in a deep vision of nationalism. Where race took a back seat to the unity of Cubans. Revolutionary rhetoric made racial slavery and racial divisions concomitant with Spanish colonialism.† pg.3 This war was to unite the rise of the first race less nation. Ferrer writes with purpose of detailing through a series of†¦show more content†¦The Cuban revolution was leading down a path toward immorality and away from civilization and progress was, according to Spanish critics, best exemplified by the fact that more and more rebels wer e- like their Haitian counterparts almost eighty years earlier-black.pg.48 It would be a difficult rode to travel for a black soldier as Ricardo Batrell, who joins the war in 1896 said. â€Å"For what he and other black soldiers constructed in almost three years of war other men sons of distinguished families received all the credit. In a further display of degradation towards blacks, upon the death of general Maceo they exhumed his body to conduct scientific experiments. Measuring, weighing, and striving to understand, the true nature of the mixed-race insurgent leader. Happy to say the Maceos skull size was similar to those of Parisians and not of African blacks. pg.182 Ferrer writes of the two cases where black high ranking officers who rose to prominence and fought for the rights of their fellow man sacrificing for the ideals of the revolution and the right to be free. Only to have the doubts of elites undermine their accomplishments. In General Quintin Banderas case he was court marshaled when victory over Spain was in the foreseeable future. Guilerno Moncada aShow MoreRelatedCuba And The Cuban Missile Crisis1730 Words   |  7 Pagesconsequences was the independence of Cuba, ushering a new ear for US hegemony. This paper will present a critical and in depth analysis of Cuba-US relations since 1898 to present; essentially examining the political distinctions that have characterized it. The Struggle for Independence A great number of Latin American nations under Spain’s dominion gained their independence at the turn of the 19th century. However, according to Betancourt, Cuba did not really mange to assert its independence until 1902.Read More The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesThe Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality Introduction During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the island of Cuba was in the process of emerging from a Spanish colony to an independent nation. Freedom from Spain, however, was not the only struggle that Cuba was experiencing at this time. After having been oppressed by slavery for several centuries, Afro-Cubans, who had joined the fight for independence in large numbers, were demanding equality in Cuban society. NeverthelessRead MoreImpact Of War On Society And The Economy899 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelopment of organized city-states, warfare has been used to settle disputes, including disagreements over land, resources, and religious beliefs. The United States has a long history of warfare in its 224-year history, starting with its fight for independence. Each war fought has had a profound impact on the course of American history, however there are four particular wars which, when examined can be extremely beneficial when discussing foreign policy and the impact of war on society and the economyRead MoreThe Relationship Between United States And Cuba1504 Words   |  7 Pagesregarding running Cuba were very radical and not supported by the United States. He was one of the main reasons the United States ended all ties with the country. For many years these two countries have been butting heads and been involved in a power struggle. During Obamas presidency, there was a shift in both the United States and Cuban government. Now travel and communication has opened up between these two nations and both countries are making an effort to bring peace and unity between these twoRead MoreThe Reasons Why Cuban Government Permits Non Cuban Workers From The United States And Other Nations1619 Words   |  7 PagesIn spite of existential flaws and errors that have taken place, the deliberate persistence of Cuba’s struggling financial afflictions are an unquestionable result of vast outside restrictions placed upon them. Pressures of this scale, no doubt, would have devastated other countries. Despite a population of 11 million people, pint sized Cuba has made their mark in global politics. They’ve managed to showcase a genuine socialist revolution and have incessantly fought, defended and extended it inRead MoreEssay on The Events That Led to the Independence of Cuba2762 Words   |  12 PagesThe Events That Led to the Independence of Cuba During the course of the semester, we have looked at numerous videos and have read numerous pieces of writing that has presented Cuba before Fidel Castro completed the great Revolution in 1959. These works have represented many views on the Cuban struggle for complete independence. These works have contributed to reinforce my opinion on the subject at hand. The works have shown that Cuba’s history is filled with discontent from within towards anRead More The Racial Struggle of Afro-Cubans Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe Racial Struggle of Afro-Cubans Introduction Afro-Cubans struggled to no avail for racial equality between the years 1886-1912. The slaughter of protesting blacks in 1912 shows that the battle cries for equality of Antonio Maceo and Josà © Martà © during the war for independence had dissolved. What was left was a unequal Cuban society, divided racially and fearing a black revolution. Aline Helg speaks directly to this issue in her book Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuban Struggle for EqualityRead MoreThe Cuban Series Of Learning1610 Words   |  7 Pages Throughout the Cuban series of learning in this semesters class, has orchestrated a vast perception of learning of a nations struggle for independence. In formulating a conclusion to interpret the views of the Cuban authors that were influenced by the Cuban revolution, their perception solely captures the struggle of the land. Unlike the El Lider’s attributes to Fidel Castro in the documentary of â€Å"The Untold Story of Fidel Castro†. The visual biography conc ludes a broader spectrum of formulatingRead MoreEssay about The Cuban Revolution2304 Words   |  10 PagesEven after obtaining its independence from Spain in 1898, conditions still existed in Cuba that made it ripe for insurrection. Pà ©rez-Stable feels that one of the primary causes for Cuba’s problems was the economic instability that resulted from its dependence on sugar. This industry, says Pà ©rez-Stable, was the most important depository of domestic and foreign capital investments (14). Because of its short harvesting season, however, sugar was largely to blame for Cuba’s unemployment and underemploymentRead MoreEssay on The Cuban Revolution2746 Words   |  11 PagesRevolution through a sociological lens in her book The Cuban Revolution. Pà ©rez-Stable claims that Cubans held national independence and social justice as goals ever since the end of the nineteenth century. Radical nationalism remained important in Cubans’ view of themselves and their ideals. Thus, Pà ©rez-Stable argues that the origins of the Cuban Revolution of 1959 lie in the independence movement against Spain and the frustrations from the unfulfilled goals they had kept since before the turn of the

The Congo African Grey Parrots - 1384 Words

The Congo African Grey parrots are a wonderful breed of bird. They are commonly between 26 to 32 cm in length and usually around 450g. They are grey in colour, with a solid black beak, and a red tail. The average lifespan for a Congo African Grey parrot is 50 years old, though they have been know to live to around 80 years old. Congo African Grey parrots are renowned as being one of the most intelligent birds. Congo African Grey parrots have an excellent ability to talk and to mimic sounds and words. While they are very intelligent, aware, and quick to learn birds, they can also be sensitive and mischievous. Congo African Grey parrots are a very unique, bright bird. If Congo African Grey parrots are to be kept in captivity, it is best to†¦show more content†¦Perches are very important for Congo African Grey parrots as they spend most of their time on them, when they are not flying. The perches should be of varying diameters, though for a primary perch, the Congo African Grey parrots feet should wrap about  ¾ of the way around the perch. Perches set on opposite ends of the aviary or cage without obstacles in the way is a good idea as it allows for flight. The perches should be made of varying materials (such as branches from safe trees such as fruit trees, rope). The perches should be situated so that the parrot s tail does not hit the bars. Perches should not be situated to allow access to the food and water dishes, but not over them, as this can cause hygiene issues. Congo African Grey parrots are social creatures, they need company of their same breed. To stop breeding same sex birds can be kept together, or it can be discouraged by not providing a nesting box. Veterinary advice should be sought if there is any help needed to stop the birds breeding. Along with company, the Congo African Grey parrot needs plenty of space to fly freely. Congo African Grey parrots are incredibly intelligent birds, they need plenty of stimulation in the form of interactive toys, puzzles, bells, and varied bird safe toys to keep them entertained. The toys and puzzles should be sturdy enough and large enough for the Congo African Grey parrot to play with, without it breaking or being swallowed. Toys andShow MoreRelatedIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesof a typescript Ibo-English dictionary, edited by T.J. Dennis, are in existence (one is in the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London). The material is stated in the introduction to be mostly from Onitsha and its neighbourhood; it was collected by ‘Miss Warner and other Missionaries 2 Reviewed by M.M. Green in Journal of African Languages 8:48-50 (1969) 3 Some wordlists, however, reached a considerable length, notably that by Norris (1841) iv Igbo Dictionary:

The Lost Symbol Chapter 110-112 Free Essays

CHAPTER 110 Director Sato stood alone in the study, waiting while the CIA satellite-imaging division processed her request. One of the luxuries of working in the D.C. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 110-112 or any similar topic only for you Order Now area was the satellite coverage. With luck, one of them might have been properly positioned to get photos of this home tonight . . . possibly capturing a vehicle leaving the place in the last half hour. â€Å"Sorry, ma’am,† the satellite technician said. â€Å"No coverage of those coordinates tonight. Do you want to make a reposition request?† â€Å"No thanks. Too late.† She hung up. Sato exhaled, now having no idea how they would figure out where their target had gone. She walked out to the foyer, where her men had bagged Agent Hartmann’s body and were carrying it toward the chopper. Sato had ordered Agent Simkins to gather his men and prepare for the return to Langley, but Simkins was in the living room on his hands and knees. He looked like he was ill. â€Å"You okay?† He glanced up, an odd look on his face. â€Å"Did you see this?† He pointed at the living-room floor. Sato came over and looked down at the plush carpet. She shook her head, seeing nothing. â€Å"Crouch down,† Simkins said. â€Å"Look at the nap of the carpet.† She did. After a moment, she saw it. The fibers of the carpet looked like they had been mashed down . . . depressed along two straight lines as if the wheels of something heavy had been rolled across the room. â€Å"The strange thing,† Simkins said, â€Å"is where the tracks go.† He pointed. Sato’s gaze followed the faint parallel lines across the living-room carpet. The tracks seemed to disappear beneath a large floor-to-ceiling painting that hung beside the fireplace. What in the world? Simkins walked over to the painting and tried to lift it down from the wall. It didn’t budge. â€Å"It’s fixed,† he said, now running his fingers around the edges. â€Å"Hold on, there’s something underneath . . .† His finger hit a small lever beneath the bottom edge, and something clicked. Sato stepped forward as Simkins pushed the frame and the entire painting rotated slowly on its center, like a revolving door. He raised his flashlight and shined it into the dark space beyond. Sato’s eyes narrowed. Here we go. At the end of a short corridor stood a heavy metal door. The memories that had billowed through the blackness of Langdon’s mind had come and gone. In their wake, a trail of red-hot sparks was swirling, along with the same eerie, distant whisper. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . Verbum perdo. The chanting continued like the drone of voices in a medieval canticle. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum. The words now tumbled through the empty void, fresh voices echoing all around him. Apocalypsis . . . Franklin . . . Apocalypsis . . . Verbum . . . Apocalypsis . . . Without warning, a mournful bell began tolling somewhere in the distance. The bell rang on and on, growing louder. It tolled more urgently now, as if hoping Langdon would understand, as if urging his mind to follow. CHAPTER 111 The tolling bell in the clock tower rang for three full minutes, rattling the crystal chandelier that hung above Langdon’s head. Decades ago, he had attended lectures in this well-loved assembly hall at Phillips Exeter Academy. Today, however, he was here to listen to a dear friend address the student body. As the lights dimmed, Langdon took a seat against the back wall, beneath a pantheon of headmaster portraits. A hush fell across the crowd. In total darkness, a tall, shadowy figure crossed the stage and took the podium. â€Å"Good morning,† the faceless voice whispered into the microphone. Everyone sat up, straining to see who was addressing them. A slide projector flashed to life, revealing a faded sepia photograph–a dramatic castle with a red sandstone facade, high square towers, and Gothic embellishments. The shadow spoke again. â€Å"Who can tell me where this is?† â€Å"England!† a girl declared in the darkness. â€Å"This facade is a blend of early Gothic and late Romanesque, making this the quintessential Norman castle and placing it in England at about the twelfth century.† â€Å"Wow,† the faceless voice replied. â€Å"Someone knows her architecture.† Quiet groans all around. â€Å"Unfortunately,† the shadow added, â€Å"you missed by three thousand miles and half a millennium.† The room perked up. The projector now flashed a full-color, modern photo of the same castle from a different angle. The castle’s Seneca Creek sandstone towers dominated the foreground, but in the background, startlingly close, stood the majestic, white, columned dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. â€Å"Hold on!† the girl exclaimed. â€Å"There’s a Norman castle in D.C.?!† â€Å"Since 1855,† the voice replied. â€Å"Which is when this next photo was taken.† A new slide appeared–a black-and-white interior shot, depicting a massive vaulted ballroom, furnished with animal skeletons, scientific display cases, glass jars with biological samples, archaeological artifacts, and plaster casts of prehistoric reptiles. â€Å"This wondrous castle,† the voice said, â€Å"was America’s first real science museum. It was a gift to America from a wealthy British scientist who, like our forefathers, believed our fledgling country could become the land of enlightenment. He bequeathed to our forefathers a massive fortune and asked them to build at the core of our nation `an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.’ † He paused a long moment. â€Å"Who can tell me the name of this generous scientist?† A timid voice in front ventured, â€Å"James Smithson?† A whisper of recognition rippled through the crowd. â€Å"Smithson indeed,† the man on stage replied. Peter Solomon now stepped into the light, his gray eyes flashing playfully. â€Å"Good morning. My name is Peter Solomon, and I am secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.† The students broke into wild applause. In the shadows, Langdon watched with admiration as Peter captivated the young minds with a photographic tour of the Smithsonian Institution’s early history. The show began with Smithsonian Castle, its basement science labs, corridors lined with exhibits, a salon full of mollusks, scientists who called themselves â€Å"the curators of crustaceans,† and even an old photo of the castle’s two most popular residents–a pair of now-deceased owls named Diffusion and Increase. The half-hour slide show ended with an impressive satellite photo of the National Mall, now lined with enormous Smithsonian museums. â€Å"As I said when I began,† Solomon stated in conclusion, â€Å"James Smithson and our forefathers envisioned our great country to be a land of enlightenment. I believe today they would be proud. Their great Smithsonian Institution stands as a symbol of science and knowledge at the very core of America. It is a living, breathing, working tribute to our forefathers’ dream for America–a country founded on the principles of knowledge, wisdom, and science.† Solomon clicked off the slides to an energetic round of applause. The houselights came up, along with dozens of eager hands with questions. Solomon called on a small red-haired boy in the middle. â€Å"Mr. Solomon?† the boy said, sounding puzzled. â€Å"You said our forefathers fled the religious oppression of Europe to establish a country on the principles of scientific advancement.† â€Å"That’s correct.† â€Å"But . . . I was under the impression our forefathers were devoutly religious men who founded America as a Christian nation.† Solomon smiled. â€Å"My friends, don’t get me wrong, our forefathers were deeply religious men, but they were Deists–men who believed in God, but in a universal and open-minded way. The only religious ideal they put forth was religious freedom.† He pulled the microphone from the podium and strode out to the edge of the stage. â€Å"America’s forefathers had a vision of a spiritually enlightened utopia, in which freedom of thought, education of the masses, and scientific advancement would replace the darkness of outdated religious superstition.† A blond girl in back raised her hand. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Sir,† the girl said, holding up her cell phone, â€Å"I’ve been researching you online, and Wikipedia says you’re a prominent Freemason.† Solomon held up his Masonic ring. â€Å"I could have saved you the data charges.† The students laughed. â€Å"Yes, well,† the girl continued, hesitating, â€Å"you just mentioned `outdated religious superstition,’ and it seems to me that if anyone is responsible for propagating outdated superstitions . . . it would be the Masons.† Solomon seemed unfazed. â€Å"Oh? How so?† â€Å"Well, I’ve read a lot about Masonry, and I know you’ve got a lot of strange ancient rituals and beliefs. This article online even says that Masons believe in the power of some kind of ancient magical wisdom . . . which can elevate man to the realm of the gods?† Everyone turned and stared at the girl as if she were nuts. â€Å"Actually,† Solomon said, â€Å"she’s right.† The kids all spun around and faced front, eyes widening. Solomon suppressed a smile and asked the girl, â€Å"Does it offer any other Wiki-wisdom about this magical knowledge?† The girl looked uneasy now, but she began to read from the Web site. â€Å"`To ensure this powerful wisdom could not be used by the unworthy, the early adepts wrote down their knowledge in code . . . cloaking its potent truth in a metaphorical language of symbols, myth, and allegory. To this day, this encrypted wisdom is all around us . . . encoded in our mythology, our art, and the occult texts of the ages. Unfortunately, modern man has lost the ability to decipher this complex network of symbolism . . . and the great truth has been lost.'† Solomon waited. â€Å"That’s all?† The girl shifted in her seat. â€Å"Actually, there is a little bit more.† â€Å"I should hope so. Please . . . tell us.† The girl looked hesitant, but she cleared her throat and continued. â€Å"`According to legend, the sages who encrypted the Ancient Mysteries long ago left behind a key of sorts . . . a password that could be used to unlock the encrypted secrets. This magical password–known as the verbum significatium–is said to hold the power to lift the darkness and unlock the Ancient Mysteries, opening them to all human understanding.’ â€Å" Solomon smiled wistfully. â€Å"Ah, yes . . . the verbum significatium.† He stared into space for a moment and then lowered his eyes again to the blond girl. â€Å"And where is this wonderful word now?† The girl looked apprehensive, clearly wishing she had not challenged their guest speaker. She finished reading. † `Legend holds that the verbum significatium is buried deep underground, where it waits patiently for a pivotal moment in history . . . a moment when mankind can no longer survive without the truth, knowledge, and wisdom of the ages. At this dark crossroads, mankind will at last unearth the Word and herald in a wondrous new age of enlightenment.’ â€Å" The girl turned off her phone and shrank down in her seat. After a long silence, another student raised his hand. â€Å"Mr. Solomon, you don’t actually believe that, right?† Solomon smiled. â€Å"Why not? Our mythologies have a long tradition of magic words that provide insight and godlike powers. To this day, children still shout `abracadabra’ in hopes of creating something out of nothing. Of course, we’ve all forgotten that this word is not a toy; it has roots in ancient Aramaic mysticism–Avrah KaDabra–meaning `I create as I speak.’ â€Å" Silence. â€Å"But, sir,† the student now pressed, â€Å"surely you don’t believe that a single word . . . this verbum significatium . . . whatever it is . . . has the power to unlock ancient wisdom . . . and bring about a worldwide enlightenment?† Peter Solomon’s face revealed nothing. â€Å"My own beliefs should not concern you. What should concern you is that this prophecy of a coming enlightenment is echoed in virtually every faith and philosophical tradition on earth. Hindus call it the Krita Age, astrologers call it the Age of Aquarius, the Jews describe the coming of the Messiah, theosophists call it the New Age, cosmologists call it Harmonic Convergence and predict the actual date.† â€Å"December 21, 2012!† someone called. â€Å"Yes, unnervingly soon . . . if you’re a believer in Mayan math.† Langdon chuckled, recalling how Solomon, ten years ago, had correctly predicted the current spate of television specials predicting that the year 2012 would mark the End of the World. â€Å"Timing aside,† Solomon said, â€Å"I find it wondrous to note that throughout history, all of mankind’s disparate philosophies have all concurred on one thing–that a great enlightenment is coming. In every culture, in every era, in every corner of the world, the human dream has focused on the same exact concept–the coming apotheosis of man . . . the impending transformation of our human minds into their true potentiality.† He smiled. â€Å"What could possibly explain such a synchronicity of beliefs?† â€Å"Truth,† said a quiet voice in the crowd. Solomon wheeled. â€Å"Who said that?† The hand that went up belonged to a tiny Asian boy whose soft features suggested he might be Nepalese or Tibetan. â€Å"Maybe there is a universal truth embedded in everyone’s soul. Maybe we all have the same story hiding inside, like a shared constant in our DNA. Maybe this collective truth is responsible for the similarity in all of our stories.† Solomon was beaming as he pressed his hands together and bowed reverently to the boy. â€Å"Thank you.† Everyone was quiet. â€Å"Truth,† Solomon said, addressing the room. â€Å"Truth has power. And if we all gravitate toward similar ideas, maybe we do so because those ideas are true . . . written deep within us. And when we hear the truth, even if we don’t understand it, we feel that truth resonate within us . . . vibrating with our unconscious wisdom. Perhaps the truth is not learned by us, but rather, the truth is re-called . . . re-membered . . . re-cognized . . . as that which is already inside us.† The silence in the hall was complete. Solomon let it sit for a long moment, then quietly said, â€Å"In closing, I should warn you that unveiling the truth is never easy. Throughout history, every period of enlightenment has been accompanied by darkness, pushing in opposition. Such are the laws of nature and balance. And if we look at the darkness growing in the world today, we have to realize that this means there is equal light growing. We are on the verge of a truly great period of illumination, and all of us–all of you–are profoundly blessed to be living through this pivotal moment of history. Of all the people who have ever lived, in all the eras in history . . . we are in that narrow window of time during which we will bear witness to our ultimate renaissance. After millennia of darkness, we will see our sciences, our minds, and even our religions unveil the truth.† Solomon was about to get a hearty round of applause when he held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Miss?† He pointed directly to the contentious blond girl in back with the cell phone. â€Å"I know you and I didn’t agree on much, but I want to thank you. Your passion is an important catalyst in the coming changes. Darkness feeds on apathy . . . and conviction is our most potent antidote. Keep studying your faith. Study the Bible.† He smiled. â€Å"Especially the final pages.† â€Å"The Apocalypse?† she said. â€Å"Absolutely. The Book of Revelation is a vibrant example of our shared truth. The last book of the Bible tells the identical story as countless other traditions. They all predict the coming unveiling of great wisdom.† Someone else said, â€Å"But isn’t the Apocalypse about the end of the world? You know, the Antichrist, Armageddon, the final battle between good and evil?† Solomon chuckled. â€Å"Who here studies Greek?† Several hands went up. â€Å"What does the word apocalypse literally mean?† â€Å"It means,† one student began, and then paused as if surprised. â€Å"Apocalypse means `to unveil’ . . . or `to reveal.’ â€Å" Solomon gave the boy a nod of approval. â€Å"Exactly. The Apocalypse is literally a reveal-ation. The Book of Reveal-ation in the Bible predicts an unveiling of great truth and unimaginable wisdom. The Apocalypse is not the end of the world, but rather it is the end of the world as we know it. The prophecy of the Apocalypse is just one of the Bible’s beautiful messages that has been distorted.† Solomon stepped to the front of the stage. â€Å"Believe me, the Apocalypse is coming . . . and it will be nothing like what we were taught.† High over his head, the bell began to toll. The students erupted into bewildered and thunderous applause. CHAPTER 112 Katherine Solomon was teetering on the edge of consciousness when she was jolted by the shock wave of a deafening explosion. Moments later, she smelled smoke. Her ears were ringing. There were muffled voices. Distant. Shouting. Footsteps. Suddenly she was breathing more clearly. The cloth had been pulled from her mouth. â€Å"You’re safe,† a man’s voice whispered. â€Å"Just hold on.† She expected the man to pull the needle out of her arm but instead he was yelling orders. â€Å"Bring the medical kit . . . attach an IV to the needle . . . infuse lactated Ringer’s solution . . . get me a blood pressure.† As the man began checking her vital signs, he said, â€Å"Ms. Solomon, the person who did this to you . . . where did he go?† Katherine tried to speak, but she could not. â€Å"Ms. Solomon?† the voice repeated. â€Å"Where did he go?† Katherine tried to pry her eyes open, but she felt herself fading. â€Å"We need to know where he went,† the man urged. Katherine whispered three words in response, although she knew they made no sense. â€Å"The . . . sacred . . . mountain.† Director Sato stepped over the mangled steel door and descended a wooden ramp into the hidden basement. One of her agents met her at the bottom. â€Å"Director, I think you’ll want to see this.† Sato followed the agent into a small room off the narrow hallway. The room was brightly lit and barren, except for a pile of clothing on the floor. She recognized Robert Langdon’s tweed coat and loafers. Her agent pointed toward the far wall at a large, casketlike container. What in the world? Sato moved toward the container, seeing now that it was fed by a clear plastic pipe that ran through the wall. Warily, she approached the tank. Now she could see that it had a small slider on top. She reached down and slid the covering to one side, revealing a small portal-like window. Sato recoiled. Beneath the Plexiglas . . . floated the submerged, vacant face of Professor Robert Langdon. Light! The endless void in which Langdon hovered was suddenly filled by a blinding sun. Rays of white-hot light streamed across the blackness of space, burning into his mind. The light was everywhere. Suddenly, within the radiant cloud before him, a beautiful silhouette appeared. It was a face . . . blurry and indistinct . . . two eyes staring at him across the void. Streams of light surrounded the face, and Langdon wondered if he was looking into the face of God. Sato stared down into the tank, wondering if Professor Langdon had any idea what had happened. She doubted it. After all, disorientation was the entire purpose of this technology. Sensory-deprivation tanks had been around since the fifties and were still a popular getaway for wealthy New Age experimenters. â€Å"Floating,† as it was called, offered a transcendental back-to- the-womb experience . . . a kind of meditative aid that quieted brain activity by removing all sensory input–light, sound, touch, and even the pull of gravity. In traditional tanks, the person would float on his back in a hyperbuoyant saline solution that kept his face above the water so he could breathe. In recent years, however, these tanks had taken a quantum leap. Oxygenated perfluorocarbons. This new technology–known as Total Liquid Ventilation (TLV)–was so counterintuitive that few believed it existed. Breathable liquid. Liquid breathing had been a reality since 1966, when Leland C. Clark successfully kept alive a mouse that had been submerged for several hours in an oxygenated perfluorocarbon. In 1989, TLV technology made a dramatic appearance in the movie The Abyss, although few viewers realized that they were watching real science. Total Liquid Ventilation had been born of modern medicine’s attempts to help premature babies breathe by returning them to the liquid-filled state of the womb. Human lungs, having spent nine months in utero, were no strangers to a liquid-filled state. Perfluorocarbons had once been too viscous to be fully breathable, but modern breakthroughs had made breathable liquids almost the consistency of water. The CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology–â€Å"the Wizards of Langley,† as they were known within the intelligence community–had worked extensively with oxygenated perfluorocarbons to develop technologies for the U.S. military. The navy’s elite deep-ocean diving teams found that breathing oxygenated liquid, rather than the usual heliox or trimix, gave them the ability to dive to much greater depths without risk of pressure sickness. Similarly, NASA and the air force had learned that pilots equipped with a liquid breathing apparatus rather than a traditional oxygen tank could withstand far higher g-forces than usual because liquid spread the g-force more evenly throughout the internal organs than gas did. Sato had heard that there were now â€Å"extreme experience labs† where one could try these Total Liquid Ventilation tanks–â€Å"Meditation Machines,† as they were called. This particular tank had probably been installed for its owner’s private experimentation, although the addition of heavy, lockable latches left little doubt in Sato’s mind that this tank had also been used for darker applications . . . an interrogation technique with which the CIA was familiar. The infamous interrogation technique of water boarding was highly effective because the victim truly believed he was drowning. Sato knew of several classified operations in which sensory- deprivation tanks like these had been used to enhance that illusion to terrifying new levels. A victim submerged in breathable liquid could literally be â€Å"drowned.† The panic associated with the drowning experience usually made the victim unaware that the liquid he was breathing was slightly more viscous than water. When the liquid poured into his lungs, he would often black out from fear, and then awaken in the ultimate â€Å"solitary confinement.† Topical numbing agents, paralysis drugs, and hallucinogens were mixed with the warm oxygenated liquid to give the prisoner the sense he was entirely separated from his body. When his mind sent commands to move his limbs, nothing happened. The state of being â€Å"dead† was terrifying on its own, but the true disorientation came from the â€Å"rebirthing† process, which, with the aid of bright lights, cold air, and deafening noise, could be extremely traumatic and painful. After a handful of rebirths and subsequent drownings, the prisoner became so disorientated that he had no idea if he was alive or dead . . . and he would tell the interrogator absolutely anything. Sato wondered if she should wait for a medical team to extract Langdon, but she knew she didn’t have time. I need to know what he knows. â€Å"Turn out the lights,† she said. â€Å"And find me some blankets.† The blinding sun had vanished. The face had also disappeared. The blackness had returned, but Langdon could now hear distant whispers echoing across the light-years of emptiness. Muffled voices . . . unintelligible words. There were vibrations now . . . as if the world were about to shake apart. Then it happened. Without warning, the universe was ripped in two. An enormous chasm opened in the void . . . as if space itself had ruptured at the seams. A grayish mist poured through the opening, and Langdon saw a terrifying sight. Disembodied hands were suddenly reaching for him, grabbing his body, trying to yank him out of his world. No! He tried to fight them off, but he had no arms . . . no fists. Or did he? Suddenly he felt his body materializing around his mind. His flesh had returned and it was being seized by powerful hands that were dragging him upward. No! Please! But it was too late. Pain racked his chest as the hands heaved him through the opening. His lungs felt like they were filled with sand. I can’t breathe! He was suddenly on his back on the coldest, hardest surface he could imagine. Something was pressing on his chest, over and over, hard and painful. He was spewing out the warmth. I want to go back. He felt like he was a child being born from a womb. He was convulsing, coughing up liquid. He felt pain in his chest and neck. Excruciating pain. His throat was on fire. People were talking, trying to whisper, but it was deafening. His vision was blurred, and all he could see was muted shapes. His skin felt numb, like dead leather. His chest felt heavier now . . . pressure. I can’t breathe! He was coughing up more liquid. An overwhelming gag reflex seized him, and he gasped inward. Cold air poured into his lungs, and he felt like a newborn taking his first breath on earth. This world was excruciating. All Langdon wanted was to return to the womb. Robert Langdon had no idea how much time had passed. He could feel now that he was lying on his side, wrapped in towels and blankets on a hard floor. A familiar face was gazing down at him . . . but the streams of glorious light were gone. The echoes of distant chanting still hung in his mind. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . â€Å"Professor Langdon,† someone whispered. â€Å"Do you know where you are?† Langdon nodded weakly, still coughing. More important, he had begun to realize what was going on tonight. How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 110-112, Essay examples

Case Yell Group free essay sample

There is a good possibility for an exit strategy as business lines should be relatively easy to divest should the need arise, given that financial buyers are interested in business lines. All-in-all Yell Group has a well-established position in a growing market generating stable revenue streams that are reasonably recession proof, a well-established market position, good possibility for an exit, fulfilling at least two requirements for a good LBO candidate. Financial structure In order to finance the Yell Group buy out a consortium of APAX/Hicks Muse and investment banks had to structure a finance proposal. The two investment banks Merrill Lynch and CIBC World Markets agreed to raise 1. 450 billion in debt. This debt consists of 950 million of syndicated senior term loans and 500 million through a bridge loan. This bridge loan where Yell Finance B. V. would be the beneficier had to be refinanced through a high yield offering on the UK and US markets. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Yell Group or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The 950 million is at different levels directly invested in the operating companies. APAX and Hicks Muse arranged for an additional vendor loan of 100 million from British Telecom and a 100 million revolving credit facility to provide the Yell Group for additional working capital. Ownership structure The ownership of Yell Group limited is devided amongst APAX (46,3%) Hicks/Muse(46,3%) and the management (7,3 flow into Yell Group Limited and from there down to the operating companies as illustrated below. Figure 1: Yell Group Ownership Structure Potential cultural differences The BT Yellow Pages was market leader and according to the OFT held a monopoly of some sort. Typically people in these type of companies are not the most aggressive in mentality. On top of that margins are lowered by verdict of the OFT which will put pressure on prices and thus on salaries/ number of people management style(cost cutting) In the US however Yellow Book USA had to fight its way into the market most probably already dealing with lower margins. If all loans are equally distributed over the operating companies with revenue as index BT Yellow Pages would have an easier time absorbing interest costs. Valuation

Kate Chopin an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

Kate Chopin by Expert Prof.Ashley | 05 Dec 2016 Kate Chopin had a difficult life, full of deprivations and adversities, which were to great extent reflected in her mainly tragic short stories and novels. In fact, fiction writing was recommended to Chopin as a remedy against nervous breakdown she endured in her thirties , so it is clear that her experiences are imprinted in the literary works. Both Desirees Baby and The Story of an Hour deal with the same problem of inequality, yet the former stresses both racism and sexism, whereas the latter focuses mainly on sexism, which, as the authors biography shows, were important to Chopin as a regionalist, who worked on depicting the Creole culture. Need essay sample on "Kate Chopin" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Desirees baby is a narrative of love, rejection and prejudice, which begins with the description of a well-mannered, decent society and gradually turns to the depiction of worst sides of human nature. In the southern part of the United States, bloodlines were essential for determining social status and social placement, so the purity of family must be maintained. Being aware of this, Armand, a rich landowner, marries his childhood friend Desiree, whose family is well-respected by the society and takes its origin from France. Desiree is an ordinary girl, who was brought up in less noble manner, but nevertheless, she falls in love with Armand as if struck by a pistol shot(Chopin, 2005, at http://www.readbookonline.net). Of course, being mesmerized by his wifes beauty, Armand becomes even happier after the birth of his child. His character softens and he even temporarily changes his attitude towards the slaves and stops punishing them for each triviality. His pride is underlined by his surroundings: Oh, Armand is the proudest father in the parish, I believe, chiefly because it is a boy, to bear his name (Chopin, 2005). In this sense, Chopin is quite realistic in depicting the creation of a typical Southern family of the late 19th century. Our Customers Usually Tell Us: I'm don't want to write my paper. Because I want to spend time with my girlfriend Specialists propose: Buy Essay Papers And Live Free From Troubles Given that prosperous landowner families were at that time surrounded by a large army of slaves, responsible for providing for the households wealth, they felt particularly self-important because of their whiteness and nobility. Their daily life was saturated with, given that they they faced the group of opposed social background, bereft of freedom and basic civil rights. As a result, landowners necessarily asserted their authority and superiority when realizing the necessity of managing the crowd of slaves. Therefore, after noticing that his child has the physical traits of a different race, Armand becomes increasingly more isolated. His behavior is dictated exceptionally by the fear of social marginalization: He absented himself from home and when there, avoided her presence and that of the child, without excuse (Chopin, 2005). Furthermore, he accuses Desiree of her impurity and sees that fact as a crime against his precious noble family. Naturally, she obstinately denies her non-whiteness and wonders how it is possible to abandon ones child because of absolutely fantastic guesses and considerations. Finally, after being reduced to tears several times by Armands painful psychological attacks, Desiree decides to leave him and return to the parental home, but, being consumed by depressive thoughts, she commits suicide. As one can assume, the typical mother doesnt really care about skin color her child has, she is simply committed to him with unselfish and altruistic love; so did Armands mother as well, who as the story ironically reveals, was a woman cursed with the brand of slavery (Chopin, 2005). Armand makes the decision to lose his beloved wife and son for the sake of his family name: figuratively saying, Armand puts the lives of them on the altar of social respect and admiration. Interestingly, Chopin takes quite a prejudiced approach to male characters in the specified short story, probably because the most influential persons of her life were her mother and great-grandmother, two strong women, who managed to grow children without male support in the gendered society of the 19th century (Toth, 1990, p.256). In addition, Chopins own spouse was incapable of maintaining the households stability so that she left with a huge financial debt after his death (Toth, 1990, p.269). Naturally, Armand repents when he identifies the letter written by his mother of color, but also begins to blame God for the cruel injustice; He though Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him and felt, somehow that he was paying him back in kind when he stabbed thus into his wifes soul (Chopin, 2005). Chopin presents the entire plot as a proof of mens weakness, immaturity and cowardice: strong people are able to cope with themselves and are not absolutely dependent on public opinion. Paradoxically, in the epistle from his mother Armand reads that she is praising God for having married in such discriminative society and for having given birth to a beautiful son, so the author implies that women are much more valorous and devoted especially in terms of family values. Similarly to the previous narrative, The Story of an Hour stresses gender inequality and criticizes androcentric imperative that makes a widow cry of joy immediately after learning about her spouses death. The short story begins with the appearance of a sad message in the Millards home. Mrs.Millards sister Josephine is informed that Mr.Millard has tragically died in an accident and, being aware of Mrs.Millards heart disease, conveys this message with caution. Instead of falling into grief, Mrs.Millard feels to certain degree apathetic, as the author shows : She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sisters arms (Chopin, 2003, at http://www.vcu.edu). Furthermore, the story addresses mainly the reflections of Mrs.Millard upon her own widowhood and her unexpectedly indifferent considerations of whether it is necessary to grieve in the given situation. Instead of amplifying the grief by painful remembrances of the happy past, as most newly-widowed women do, the woman begins to develop her thought is the direction of new opportunities that are about to open after she has lost her husband. Furthermore, she realizes she has been merely a property over the years of her family life and has been living another persons life: There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination (Chopin, 2003). Similarly to the protagonist, Chopin often felt emptied by the monotonous domestic work and notably considered her imprisonment amongst the three pillars of cooking, child rearing and care about her husband a true burden (Toth, 1990, p.167). Similarly to Desirees Baby, the given short story implies Chopins negative expectations concerning men, who tend to impose their power to wives through turning their own gender into a monopolist of profit-making and paid job in general. Mr.Millards death of a heart attack is therefore not surprising, as after repressing her joyful hysterics associated with the recently obtained freedom, she sees her allegedly deceased husband entering the house. The main characters heart affliction might point to Chopins own week coronary system, which determined her comparatively early death at the age of 54 (Toth, 1990, p.289). The terminal disease, in this sense, symbolizes a another point of womens vulnerability to the privilege of white male: given that 19th century females normally gave birth to 5-6 children over the course of the life, their health state substantially deteriorated and turned them into seniors at the productive age of 30-40, which made their dependence upon male breadwinners irreversible. In Desirees Baby, at the same time, the author reflects her hidden suicidal ideations and intentions, associated with the inability of widowed Kate Chopin to surround her children with worthy care due to the overall devastation of their family plantation (Toth, 1990, p. 290). Her willingness to commit suicide was also associated with the inhibition of womens social and economic activities she encountered when attempting to manage the plantation. As Toth writes, women as landowners received almost no respect in the local community and were ostracized by heir compatriots, i.e. Chopin was not able to survive and earn her living only because of gender prejudice (Toth, 1990, p.166). As for the settings of both short stories, they are to great extent similar in terms of the depiction of the families from the decent society, or the upper middle class. Desirees Baby depicts the Deep South, where slavery was eradicated only at the very end of the 19th century; the second short story was also intended as an episode from the Southern life given the depiction of relatively warm spring: She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain in the air (Chopin, 2003). In Desirees Baby, the main events also take place in spring, which symbolizes the necessity of refreshment and new interesting activities that can not be fully realized and upgraded to the fruitfulness of summer. To sum up, the authors concerns about racial and gender equality are illustrated in both short stories, which appear similar in terms of the plotline, tragic outcome and the point of conflict, which is the oppression of womans personality. The episodes from Chopins biography such as heart disease, fact of encountering mainly irresponsible and weak males throughout the life are also implied in the narratives. Works cited Chopin, K. Desirees Baby. 23 Feb 2005, at . Chopin, K. The Story of an Hour . 23 Nov 2003, at Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: Morrow, 1990.

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino Essays

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino Essays Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino Essay Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino Essay pulp] paper (Gehring 1996, p. 151). Relying on these definitions, Gehring (1996, p. 151) defined the film itself as a rough mass of a comically skewed narrative on the life and hard times of a hit man. Writer/director of the film Tarantino characterised his artistic principle as, I like things unexplained (Biskind 1994, p. 100).To summarise, the movie definitely stands apart from the rest of the films on the list in regard to the plot structure. The other movies follow the most popular with the criminal films type of narrative – the chronicle or epic of a criminal career. Characters: From the general point of view, this is ridiculous to classify the characters of these films as positive’ and negative’. Whatever different motives they have for the criminal behaviour, all these fictional characters are not excused for violence, slaughters, treacheries, heists, and other amoral acts.Under this circumstances, the taxonomy suggested by Rafter (2000) and Leitch (2002) appeared to be useful. According to both, the characters could be classified into three major types regardless of the categories of the crime film according to the main theme: An epic gangster who creates the criminal empire and watches it crumbling; A man-on-the run/a man in disguise; An avenger/persecutor/law-abider. Three films – Public Enemy, Roaring Twenties, and The Long Good Friday – definitely fit the frame of the first category.Four films – White Heat, Brighton Rock, Hana-bi, and Sexy Beast – feature the second type of characters. Two films – Get Carter and Gangs of New York – seem to belong to the third category. Three films – Brother, Gangster No. 1, and Goodfellas – are synthetic in regard to the type of their characters. Pulp Fiction stands apart from the aforestated categories due to its postmodern non linear and complex nature. The suggested categorisation is flexible since some of the films are ambiguous in regard to their character’s type and, therefore, may enter several categories at once.The details are discussed below. An epic gangster Five films – Public Enemy, Roaring Twenties, Brighton Rock, The Long Good Friday, and Gangster No. 1– were classified as having the type of an epic gangster as a main hero. In regard to the earliest film on the list, Public Enemy, Shadoian (2003, p. 29) once stated that its main character, Tom Powers (James Cagney) is likely to succumb to a combination of hubris, social fate, and moral reckoning in plots resembling those of classical tragedy.Within a tradition of popular tragedy in film (Shadoian 2003, p. 29), the heroes like Tom Powers possess strong charisma but are cursed by their nature, their environment, their heritage, so far as their desires and goals [are] overwhelmed by an immutable and often unpredictable concatenation of forces. Tom Powers’ environment makes him the victim. Tom Powers, the youngest son in the lower middle-class family of a police officer and a housewife, grows up in a small industrial city. He learns his first lessons not at school desk but rather in a brewery, a local honky-tonk place under the guidance of Putty Nose, and on the streets.Starting with petty thefts, Tom is rising gradually on the criminal scale and finally establishes the criminal empire of his own. Tom Powers is abandoned by all social institutes: his family, his class, the society in general. It is made clear that the hero has positive inclinations in regard to his ambitious desires to become somebody’, to bust out of this deprived, depressing limbo of aimless loafing (Shadoian 2003, p. 54).But society plied Tom with insufficient knowledge and skills to become somebody else than a gangster. As Shadoian (2003, p. 50) emphasised, the appeal of Tim’s personality was preconditioned by the fact that his aspirations are located in his desire and his ability to be a certain way, to exist in a lively manner. The spectator is permitted no direct access to the overt signs of Tom’s prosperity. What matters, what is gripping, is Tom Powerss personal vitality in a context of inertia, stolidity, and hesitancy, and it can only have scope outside the boundaries of legitimate activity. (Shadoian 2003, p. 50) Tom knows how to live, and we admire him for that.We respond to his amoral enjoyment of a full array of lifes pleasures. We lose sight of the cost to others his living so high and free exacts. The gangsters defects become virtues, the surface manifestations of his success obscuring his more important failings. [†¦] We are so caught up in Toms urge to live that we do not take full advantage of several opportunities to back away from him. The values he carries are too attractive. Long after the film has made it clear that hes a lost cause not worth backing, the shock of his mortality registers. (Shadoian, 2003, pp. 54-55)

Renaissance and Baroque art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renaissance and Baroque art - Essay Example Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was a great sculpture and considered as the foremost exponent of the Baroque style. He was a man of many talents, having designed some buildings, wrote plays, did some paintings and staged also entertainment spectacles; he was however, most noted for his sculptures and bust portraits of the rich and powerful people of his time. He worked as a sculpture in the service of some rich Italian families as his patron of the arts, more notably in service of the Borghese family and two popes which secured his work in St. Peter's Basilica. Needless to say, Bernini was greatly influenced by the demands of his patrons, who in many ways, wanted his art works to depict their religion. This resulted in a Baroque style which combined physical details with some spiritual aspects or themes, in particular the use of light in subtle ways that highlight religious worship. His favorite material in sculptures was marble. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) is considered as the foremost example of a Renaissance Man. He was equally very good in a number of fields of interest, such as a writer, poet, sculptor, painter, architect and engineer although majority of his achievements were in the arts. Michelangelo (as he is more commonly called for this shortened name) is best known for his fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel although his output in other disciplines were truly prodigious and indicative of his genius based on his versatility and excellence.

Ethical Decision-making project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Decision-making project - Essay Example Furthermore, as already reported in other studies, some people usually become violent upon intoxicating their minds. The supervisor cannot take the worker’s ability to become violent for granted because the employee has even refused to take a test sanctioned by the institutions policy (Towsley-Cook & Young, 2007, p. 49). Persistence by the supervisor that the worker should take the tests may present more problems. The conduct of the worker amounts to insubordination because of appearing in the workplace in a condition of intoxication and further refusing to take the necessary tests as required by the institution’s substance abuse policy (Towsley-Cook & Young, 2007). It is noteworthy that forcefully testing the worker will amount to a violation of the independence and privacy rights, which may attract legal proceedings. The ethical problem occurring in the case is associated with a locus of authority issue. This is because the supervisor upon being informed that the worker behaved in a drunken manner decided to identify with him the signs he also outwardly observed (Towsley-Cook & Young, 2007, p. 51). The supervisor reminded the worker that according the substance abuse policy, his conduct is a ground for drug testing. The supervisor acting within authority requests that the employee undergo a blood test, which he refuses. The supervisor then remains with the dilemma whether to force the worker to take the test or to send him away from duty, or whether to allow him to continue working. This is a critical case of a locus of authority issue (Towsley-Cook & Young, 2007). However, the supervisor can still manage to handle the situation by barring the worker from attending to patients. This conduct also amounts to the ethical dilemma for the supervisor. This is because while ordering the employee to take the test, the supervisor is already aware that the worker might be having health

Bluetooth technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bluetooth technology - Essay Example For example, through Bluetooth technology, one is able to talk on a mobile phone via a wireless headset, update an appointment on a friend’s PDA calendar from personal PDA or operate a computer via a wireless keyboard. Bluetooth enabled devices are equipped with their own complete software framework and protocol stack that enable them to disseminate data to other devices within a close range (Minoli 308). History of Bluetooth Technology The origin of Bluetooth can be traced to 1998 when the Bluetooth Interest Group (SIG) was created and Bluetooth adopted as the official name of the resulting technology. In 1999, Bluetooth Specification 1.0 was released leading to declaration of Bluetooth as the Best of Show Technology by COMDEX (Minoli 308). Shortly after in the year 2000, the first Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, PC card, headset, laptop, and mouse as well as USB dongle prototype were launched at COMDEX. The following year, the Bluetooth SIG Inc was established and followed i mmediately with the launch of the first hands-free Bluetooth enabled car kit. This was followed by the launch of the first Bluetooth enabled digital camera and the first GPS receiver in 2002. In the same year, the IEEE (Palanivelu and Nakkeeran 180) approved 802.15.1 specification for Bluetooth. The first Bluetooth based MP3 was unveiled in 2003, the same year when the FDA gave the green light for Bluetooth controlled medical system. The Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) was adopted in by the SIG Inc, in 2004 alongside 250 million Bluetooth embedded devices and stereo headphones. The greatest breakthrough came in 2006 when Bluetooth was installed in over one billion devices. Contemporary research focuses on employing the advantages of the Bluetooth technology in the healthcare domain, whereby individuals will be able to rely on Bluetooth enabled wireless devices to keep track of their body temperature, metabolism rate and pressure count (Palanivelu and Nakkeeran 180). These devices will thro ugh Bluetooth transmission collect important health information from patients then share them with a doctor through a PC or a cellular phone. Goals of the Bluetooth Technology Bluetooth technology was intended to provide solution to the problems inherent in infrared systems that was already in use in most television remote sensing control systems. While infrared is reliable and fairly less costly, the devices rely on line of sight technology requiring the receiver device to be within a pointing range (Palanivelu and Nakkeeran 181). This means that infrared cannot be used across walls or to control devices in different rooms even if they are all within a sensing range. There was therefore need for a wireless technology that could be relied on to operate several devices simultaneously in the absence of line of sight, which made Bluetooth more appropriate. Additionally, the Bluetooth technology was the most ideal technology that would provide wireless interactivity/connectivity between two paired devices at low frequency and with minimum interference (Palanivelu and Nakkeeran 181). Other significant goals for devising the technology included managing cross device communication at low power, low cost and dynamic networking for mobile devices How Bluetooth Works Bluetooth networking system transmits data through low power radio waves, enabling communication at a remote frequency of about 2.45gigahert. The low frequency

The Sales Force Compensation Business Essay

The Sales Force Compensation Business Essay For most of the organizations, compensation plan is the main driving force for motivating the entire sales force as they are the key people interacting with the customers on regular basis. According to Skiera and Albers (2008), the total rewards approach comprises of all the tools available with the employer for attracting, motivating and rewarding the employees appropriately. The main aim of this approach is to accelerate desired behaviors in the entire workforce along with reinforcement of overall business strategy that will boost the firms performance (Mia Evans, 2007). Unilever ensures that is total rewards program is supportive to achieve the desired targets of the company and the Human Resource (HR) professionals of the company have ensured that it possesses six features that are vital for the effectiveness of this program (WorldatWork, 2007). The main features of the total rewards approach are as follows: Compensation It is the most important part of the entire program as it is the basic pay structure that comprises of both fixed and variable pays along with long-term and short-term incentives. The fixed amount is the base salary which remains constant for every salesperson and the variable pay is dependent on the method used i.e. commission, pay-for-performance, piece-rate pay, time-rate pay and others. The other incentives comprise of bonuses, profit-sharing, ownership share and etc. Enhanced flexibility The employees are looking for flexible working hours that allow them to utilize their skills appropriately while working on the job. Benefits These are the factors that the employees are looking for in their jobs in addition to the monetary payment that they receive such as medical benefits, life insurance benefits, social security, unemployment and etc. Rewards and Recognition When employees achieve something highly desirable or challenging, they need to be shown the appreciation either by giving them rewards in the form of bonuses, profit sharing, share ownership or announcing the success within the organization to declare the persons valuable contribution in the company. Work-life balance The employees have to provided support in maintaining adequate balance between the work, personal life and community responsibilities. They can be provided financial support, paid and unpaid vacations, caring for dependents and community involvement opportunities. Opportunities for development and career progression In order to retain the employees for long-term, the program should outline the career progression path that is vital for the enhanced motivation level of the complete sales force. Question 2 Describe the behaviors of the sales force that are targeted with the compensation plan. Answer 2 With the help of an effective and well-integrated compensation plan, Unilever tries to boost the productivity of its sales force so that they can help it in meeting the long-term objectives. The key behaviors that are targeted in sales force with a highly effective compensation plan are bringing new ideas and concepts in the company, suggesting innovative products that are desired by the customers for enhancing their satisfaction level, creating competition among salespeople so that they strive to make increasing sales and promoting proper and ethical course of business activities for meeting the organizational objectives effectively (Zoltners, Sinha Lorimer, 2006). When employees will be satisfied with the compensation plan and will believe that they are being compensated for their efforts adequately, they will become loyal to the company and the employee turnover rate will reduce drastically. The entire employee cost will go down and the organization will be able to maintain a proper balance between the employees value and organizations goals. Question 3 Assess how a value proposition is achieved for current and future employees in the plan you have outlined. Answer 3 According to Cichelli (2010), the compensation plan designed by Unilever comprises of the following factors: Base Pay Commission (Depending on the sales made by each salesperson) Bonuses (10% of the base pay) Benefits Health care, Life insurance, Retirement, Social security, community support programs, paid holidays and financial support. Rewards and recognition Merit based increase at the year end after performance appraisal and profit sharing for exceeding the target level. Career advancement opportunities Each sales person will be given specific targets to provide chances for moving ahead in their careers and try to get promoted to more additional levels. The basic philosophy underlying the total rewards approach is that the employees should be provided complete value from the entire compensation plan. The key elements required for creating the most effective value proposition for all current and potential employees are colleagues, work responsibilities, organization culture, values and total rewards. Most of the employees make their final decision on the basis of the rewards that are visible to them and they give less importance to the non-monetary rewards that are given during the job tenure (How, Sundram Tack, 2011). From the compensation plan outlined, it is evident that the company highly values its sales people and has taken every important measure to provide a conducive, encouraging and accommodating working environment to them that will elicit desired working behavior along with enhanced motivation level. In order to create the effective value proposition, the compensation plan of each employee is aligned with the organizations objectives and they are provided the right tools and opportunities that can help them in attaining their yearly goals successfully. Question 4 Based upon the type of plan you have created, indicate how attracted you think future salespeople may be to this plan. Answer 4 Since the compensation plan is one of the vital methods used by organizations to attract, retain and motivate the employees, it is important for them to keep on incorporating the changes within the plan so that it is up-to-date. Although the designed compensation plan is a general one but the most effective one is that which takes account of each employees needs and develop the plan in accordance to their expectations. Sometimes the employers overlook the individual requirements of every sales person and design a plan that is beneficial for the organization. In order to attract more sales people, there are various features that will have to be added in the compensation plan such as employee engagement activities, off-the-job training programs, promoting the concepts of vacations for boosting the productivity level and including attractive rewards that will keep the sales person glued to the job and will find the work interesting and captivating. Hence, it is important to upgrade the compensation plan on an ongoing basis so that there are no loopholes in them and the sales force is satisfied with the rewards strategy. However, the key to keeping the employees motivated and enhancing their retention desire is to offer them the compensation and rewards in accordance to their requirements so that they feel valued and are willing to go an extra mile to support the company in fulfillment of its mission and objectives.

US. v. Lopez :: essays research papers

U.S. v. Lopez 514 U.S. 549 (1995), Vote of 5 to 4, Rehnquist for the court.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Congress in 1990 enacted the Gun-Free School Zone Act, making it a federal offence to possess a firearm in a school zone. Congress relied on the authority of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution to justify passage of legislation as a way of stemming the rising tide of gun related incidents in public schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1992 Alfonso Lopez, Jr. was a senior at Edison High School in San Antonio, Texas. Acting on an anonymous tip, school authorities confronted Lopez and discovered that he was carrying a .38 caliber handgun and five bullets. A federal grand jury subsequently indicted Lopez, who then moved to have the indictment dismissed on grounds that the federal government had no authority to legislate control over the public schools. At a bench trial, the federal district court judge found Lopez guilty and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release. Lopez then appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which reversed the conviction and held the Gun-Free School Zone Act unconstitutional as an invalid exercise dy congress of the commerce power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lopez case posed the question of the extent to which Congress could exercise authority over street crime and, in so doing, intrude into constitutional space traditionally occupied by the states. Since the New Deal of the 1930’s, the Supreme Court had accepted that Congress had broad authority to regulate virtually every aspect of American life under the cover of the federal Commerce Clause. Moreover, the bombing of the federal office building in Okalahoma City, while it had occurred after the passage of the Gun-Free School Zone Act, created a political environment where the Clinton administration and the Republican congressional leaders believed that the federal government had to combat domestic terrorist groups and the weapons that they used.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The case drew considerable attention from diverse interest groups. The National Education Association, for example, joined with the Clinton administration and various antigun groups to argue that schools had experienced difficulty in handling gun related crimes. Soliciter General Drew S. Days argued that the law was different from other statutes dealing with firearms in that it targeted possession rather than sale. Yet Days also insisted that a close connection existed between violence in schools and the movement of guns in interstate commerce. The government insisted that guns were often used as part of the drug culture that was itself carried on through national commerce.

Blue Ridge Case †Activity Based Costing (ABC) Essay

1) Profitability Analysis: Blue Ridge Large Medium Small Total Sales $308,762.00 $183,744.00 $318,024.00 $810,530.00 Manufacturing Costs $112,552.70 $72,164.09 $162,864.09 $347,580.88 Sales and Administration Costs $78,303.47 $50,790.54 $156,805.99 $285,900.00 Total Costs $190,856.16 $122,954.63 $319,670.08 $633,480.88 Cost as % Sales 61.81% 66.92% 100.52% 78.16% Profit $117,905.84 $60,789.37 ($1,646.08) $177,049.12 Profit Margin 38.19% 33.08% -0.52% 21.84% Note: For detailed calculations please reference attached document. 2) Define action steps for Blue Ridge based on the analysis: The above customer profitability analysis indicates that the small customers have a negative profit margin. As this specific customer base accounts for 40% of Blue Ridges total sales volume we recommend the following action steps be taken in order to increase their profitability: * Develop an on line/electronic ordering system for customers in order to eliminate the high costs associated with entering purchase orders by Blue Ridge employees. Currently this represents 14.56% of total costs with 12.23% of total costs allocated to small customers. * Develop an electronic payment system for small customers, where payments are wired directly into Blue Ridges bank account before the order is processed and shipped. Currently credit checks for small customers represent  1% of total costs. * Study the effects on price increases for small customers. Currently, shipping costs for small customers represent 4.14% of the total costs, increasing the price for small customers could help offset the shipping costs. * Conduct a study on small customer orders to help determine if a minimum order requirement can help eliminate the costs associated with shipping without sacrificing the high volume. * Invest in new inking technology in order to help justify increases in prices. The investment should eliminate their customer complaints and increase their demand. * Determine the costs associated with investing in a higher quality towel and align with an appropriate sales strategy. * Determine if advertising costs are being properly allocated. * Study the effects of implementing an incentive program for the independent manufactures who achieve a certain sales volume. 3) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this customer profitability system. Did Blue Ridge define the right activities? Advantages: * The system provides managers with an insight into why differences exist in the operating incomes earned from different customers. * The system enables managers to determine profitability levels (profit contributions) of specific customer groups and highlights the costs assignable to each customer. * The system allocates costs of activities that support individual customer groups to aid in determining cost reduction strategies. * The System focuses on profit rather than turnover. * The system allocates the relevant costs associated with each customer. Disadvantages: * The system may prompt managers to make quick decision such as firing customers, instead of implementing cost cutting initiatives. * The system focuses heavily on the different types of customers rather than on the different products. * The system does not provide detailed information on the order size and frequency for each individual company within their customer group. * The system does not focus on customer behavior such as loyalty and future growth patterns. * The system does not enable managers to determine if price discounting will encourage increased purchases while minimizing profit erosion. In conclusion Blue Ridge defined the right activities; however they might want to consider conducting a product profitability analysis. This will enable them to manage the product mix more efficiently and identify future cost cutting in initiatives. In addition, we fell this would be another valuable exercise in determining weather or not going national would be profitable for Blue Ridge.

Smart phone Essays

Smart phone Essays Smart phone Essay Smart phone Essay Today, DNA is a very important part of our lives. DNA technology which means Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the famous technique that using in various medical fields. It gave the history of cells on the chromosomes In our body. Every cell has a unique DNA form. For example, chloroplasts In plant, and mitochondria In plants cells and animals cells. The scientists do a lot of research to development DNA technology In future. DNA helps government to perform many action in solving crime. Also, DNA technology can find medical solution in the future and can solve the ancient history. DNA technology have a lot of effect including historic mysteries, crime, and health. One of the most important effect of DNA technology is that the people can find medical solution in the future. A lot of disease now can be caused by mutant genes such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and kidney disease. DNA technology can explain the history of the families with different disease which can people avoid It in future. Also, the result of one person getting a test can give information about her or his relatives. For example, In Minnesota, a 51 year old Oman named Undead Malibu know that her family has a genetic history of cancer. The cancer halting her family so, her mom and her sister have died of cancer and there Is possibly to pass the genes to Nadia also. E also her mom and her sister have died of cancer. The DNA can show how the chance of getting the genes that could cause the cancer. She has decided not to take do the DNA examination because she was healthy but if she has signs of disease, she will get DNA examination. As a result, She will get checkups regularly to avoid the risk of disease if she know about it by getting the test of DNA. Take it . To sump up, there are millions of people can avoid the disease by do DNA test early, so they can feel more confident about their health in the future. Good start. I know you were running out of time, so It seems Like youll want to elaborate on the conclusion sentence. For grammar, watch out for run-ones and be careful of verb tense and form. Another main effect of DNA technology is people can solve the ancient history . There are many mysteries became clear by DNA technology. Archaeological solve a lot of mysteries that happened in the past and still mysteries for a long time by using DNA technology. They can answer many questions hat was mystify y self before . For example, Dry. Aziza haws want to know about some secrets of the ancient Egyptian kings by studding their mummies such as king TutankamunTutankhamun. s king Tutankhamen he was discovered the cause of death king Tutu. In 2008, Haws take a sample of king Tutus DNA extracted from his bone and he discovering that Tutankhamen had clubbed foot, one toe was missing a bone, and part of his foot were destroyed by necrosis. As a result of king Tutankhamen condition, he had 130 staffs In his tomb to help him to walk. Also he discovered the reason that cause death early when he was only 19 . As a r esult of Since he analyzing kinked Tutus DNA and ten other mummies, Haws know who of early death was that his parents was siblings. In fact, married sibling cause harmful genes passed to the children so they children became vulnerable to a variety of genetic defects. In future, scientists can use DNA technology to find more mysteries that in the ancient history. In fact, married sibling cause harmful genes passed to the children so they became vulnerable too variety of genetic defects. In short, developing of DNA technology helped scientists to solve ancient mystery like hysterics death of king Tutankhamen and his family have solved by DNA technology.. In conclusion, the effects of using Another primary effect of DNA technology is that police need it to solve most of crimes. One important uses of DNA technology is to identify the guilty of the crime. Also, the forensic investigators use DNA technology for many fields. For instance, in 1992, Arizona, there was plant helped investigators to solve murder case. The investigators analyze the seed pods of the Palo Verve tree which they have found in the suspects truck who was missed his pager at the scene of the crime. In addition, hey discovered the tree which at the scene of the crime has signs of hitting by truck. As a result, they analyzed the pods by DNA technology and they matching seed pods in the truck to specific tree and they found the same unique pattern. To sum up, DNA technology has significance to solve most crimes. Forensic believed that DNA can be solve mysterious crimes. In conclusion, the effects of using DNA technology are in historic mystics, health, and crime. The archaeological can solve historic mysteries by using DNA technology, the detectives can solve crime by analyze DNA and know the guilty, and we can take the accessory predicting to protect our health when we know our family genetic history. DNA solve a lot of crime and it will be development by scientists researchers. I see your cause-effect organization here, but the explanation of the example is poor. It Just seems like a random group of facts about King Tutu. We want it to be a chain of events involving DNA technology that leads to solving some part of ancient history. Also, the purpose is not clear here. Youve told us this information, but so what? There is nothing here that motivates me to learn about future possibilities.

How to Get Your CDL in Kentucky and North Dakota

How to Get Your CDL in Kentucky and North Dakota This article is useful for anyone who wants to apply for a CDL in Kentucky or North Dakota. If you want to learn about getting a CDL in other states, please refer to this comprehensive guide on getting a CDL in all states. KentuckyThe following drivers must obtain a CDL:Class A CDLAny combination of vehicles with a GCWR (the loaded weight of a combination vehicle) of 26,001+ pounds, provided the GVWR(the loaded weight of a single vehicle)  of the vehicle(s) being towed is 10,000+ pounds.Class B CDLAny single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ poundsAny vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ pounds pulling a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.A single vehicle designed to transport 16+ passengers (including the driver), if the GVWR is 26,001+ pounds or more.Class C CDLAny vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is requiredAny vehicle transporting 16+ passengers, including the driver, with a GVWR of less than 26,001 poundsA CD L cannot be issued until an applicant provides:A copy of the CDL applicationA legible copy of both front and back of a  DOT medical cardA CDL Self Certification form certifying the desired vehicle  type.The above information must be forwarded to the Division of Driver Licensing and posted to the driver’s CDLIS record prior to applying for issuance of a CDL/CLP at the circuit court clerk’s office.All applicants must then pass a knowledge test (written or oral) and a vision test.Knowledge TestApplicants must take an exam testing basic knowledge of the vehicle or vehicles they will operate. A score of 80% is required to pass.After passing, a CDL instruction permit will then be issued which is valid for six months. The permit must be held for 14 days prior to a skills test being administered.Skills/Road TestDrivers will be required to take this test in the class of vehicle they intend to drive. The test includes a pre-trip inspection, basic control skills maneuvering, and road skills driving tests. The applicant will be required to provide a vehicle for testing and must be accompanied by   a licensed driver for that vehicle.North DakotaThe following drivers must obtain a CDL:Class A CDLAny combination of vehicles with a GCWR (the loaded weight of a combination vehicle) of 26,001+ pounds, provided the GVWR(the loaded weight of a single vehicle)  of the vehicle(s) being towed is 10,000+ pounds.Class B CDLAny single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ poundsAny vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ pounds pulling a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.Class C CDLAny vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is requiredAny vehicle transporting 16+ passengers, including the driver, with a GVWR of less than 26,001 poundsCDL RequirementsYou must:Be 21 years old to cross state linesBe 18-20 years old to apply for an intra-state CDLBe 16 years old to  test for a CDL restricted to custom harvesti ng operations onlyRead, write and speak English.Meet all Federal Medical Requirements in 49 CFR 391Once you meet all requirements, you must pass the required knowledge test(s) for the CDL Class you seek  and purchase a  Commercial Learners Permit (CLP). Before testing, you must  present your:Current North Dakota Driver LicenseProof of legal presenceProof of residence addressProof of passing an eye examinationFinally, you must demonstrate your ability to operate your desired vehicle by passing a road test. A road test cannot be scheduled without a valid CLP.

International business management----- E-business Essay

International business management----- E-business - Essay Example The organizations must re-evaluate their business strategy to incorporate business plans so that the potential of the internet, which is fast emerging as a most power tool of communication, can be exploited for business purposes. The popularity of internet has been one of the most promising instruments of advancing one’s business base. As per the article â€Å"E-commerce is an economic solvent. It dissolves old business models and changes the cost structure, and rearranges links among buyers, sellers, and everyone in between. The impact of e-commerce is happening in phases† (Kalakota, Robinson, 2002). Internet, used as a potent communication tool, would provide a vast scope of income generation avenues through increased opportunities. The internet presence of the business through interactive module of the website would facilitate and encourage usage of ecommerce for a win-win situation and help exploit the vast potential of the internet to benefit business through the huge database of customers that internet provides at the click of a mouse. Case study of Tesco is an excellent example of using ecommerce to gain the popularity and trust of the people and the prospective customers. We would be using the case study to evaluate and analyze the methodologies and approach to ecommerce activities to develop and increase customer database. Tesco realized the vast potential of internet early and has been the first business enterprise to introduce e-commerce activity in UK. The interactive communication between the client and the business house has been utilized to develop a professional relationship between the two, that not only provides opportunity to improve and improvise the quality as per customer’s requirement and demand while at the same time, customer gets the best deal because of the competitive nature of internet, as a medium of business promotion

Democrats VS Republicans in Economy Research Paper - 1

Democrats VS Republicans in Economy - Research Paper Example Republicans accept free endeavor has carried investment development and developments that have made this nation extraordinary. A government might as well encourage a business environment where individuals are allowed to utilize their talents Economic Growth Democrats: Democrat Party organizations have pushed for the centralization of force in Washington D.C., with just auxiliary thought for the privileges of both people and groups. Democrats have supported elected level intercessions that displace neighborhood-based results for neighborhood issues. These strategies have made some elected regulations and controls that are frequently in the hands of unelected functionaries, making an extreme disintegration of central power. Democrats accept that the economy is excessively entangled for people to go distant from everyone else. They accept that business choices ought to be guided by government authorities and to the greatest advantage of worker's guilds. Republicans on Federal Reserve Po licies: Inflation and the Federal Reserve play an important role in administering a stable economy. Inflation lessens the acquiring force of the dollar at home and abroad and is a concealed expense on the American individuals. On the grounds that the Federal Reserve's fiscal arrangement movements influence both expansion and budgetary movement, those movements ought to be transparent. In addition, the Fed's paramount part as a moneylender of the final resort may as well additionally be completed fairly. Exemplary social order requests that there is transparency in all government matters. In this manner, it would be possible for the party to develop substantive enactment that carries the responsibility to the Federal Reserve, the Federal Open Market Committee, and the Fed's dealings with remote midway banks.

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business Management - Essay Example   The main reason for the choice of Samsung as a global business is that it offers a wide range of products fitting different budgets, sizes, and shapes for each consumer. These products range from Galaxy S5 to Samsung Galaxy K zoom that has an optical zooming lens, the only Smartphone in the market with the feature and other products for every consumer to choice from depending on their need and abilities. The firm aims at meeting all the needs of the consumers through a wide range of product offerings for the consumers.    The main limitation of the global strategy is that there is high standardization of products limiting the ability to meet the needs of people who have differing tastes and preferences as tastes, preferenc3es, economic status, and the social condition cannot be equal global.  The company chosen for the discussion on international strategy is Starbucks with the reason being the high growth rate it expanded to different areas to have operations in over 60 count ries, 170,000 stores and revenues were 13.29 billion, 1.38 billion in profits and employed 149,000 employees in 2012. This rate of expansion and success shows a successful company in the international market, giving the need for an understanding of the international strategy employed in the company.  The reason for the choice of Starbucks as an international business is that the company in its early stages had plans for cross border stage overcoming the fear of international business by use of cross border integration.

Role of Ammonia in Hepatic Encephalopathy Essay Example for Free

Role of Ammonia in Hepatic Encephalopathy Essay The human liver is truly amazing, however little is ever said about the organ. Most people probably wouldn’t be able to locate their liver if they’re asked to do so. The second largest organ in the body and weighing about 3 pounds, the liver is located right under your rib cage on the right side of your body. It is the only organ that is able to regenerate. While most organs replace damage with scar tissue, the liver has the ability to replace damaged tissues with new cells. The primary function of the liver is to process food that has been consumed into nutrients and filter out any harmful substances that may be the bloodstream. The liver is responsible for keeping our blood suitable for our bodies. With that understood it saddens me to say that there is an estimated 30 million people living in the U.S. with liver failure. These 30 million people are unable to filter out any harmful toxins that may be flowing in their bloodstream. With time they may began to suffer from Hepatic Encephalopathy. Described as episodes of confusion and altered levels of consciousness Hepatic Encephalopathy is caused by to an accumulation of ammonia in the bloodstream that would usually be filtered out by the liver. Although Hepatic encephalopathy is completely reversible with treatment there are very few treatments available. Pharmaceutical have saved many lives through experimental studies and treatments. Although very controversial; many people choose to participate in these studies in hopes of increasing their chances to live a normal life despite suffering from an ailment. I chose to do my assignment on a double-blinded study on the use of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate (also known as Ravicti) in patients with Episodic Hepatic Encephalopathy. The study was completed by Dr. Don Rockey who is the Chief of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. While delivering his oral presentation which he titled â€Å"Randomized†, Dr. Rockey mentioned â€Å"the study results provide new insight into the importance of ammonia in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. Based on its safety profile, Hyperion’s investigational drug, Glycerol Phenylbutyrate shows promise as a novel therapeutic agent.† The study was conducted with a total of 178 patients selected randomly. 50 of who were on the drug Rifaximin which is a drug also commonly used to prevent episodes of heptatic encephalopany. 29 of the 178 patients were placed on placebo and the remaining 30 patients were placed on the active drug Ravicti. If effective those on the active drug Ravicti should expect to see fewer levels of ammonia in the blood, thus resulting in fewer episodes of heptatic encephalopany. Ho = Patients placed on Ravicti will see no change in ammonia levels in the bloodstream and will continue to have Hepatic Encephalopathy episodes. H1 = Patients placed on Ravicti will see change in ammonia levels in the bloodstream and will have little to no Hepatic Encephalopathy episodes. The results from the study conclude that among the 119 patients not on Rifaximin showed a highly statistical significant reduction among treated patients with 10% vs. 32% (p= 0.003.) Among the patients in the active part of the study experienced fewer Hepatic Encephalopathy episodes 21% vs. 36% (p=0.021.) Those in the active study also reported ammonia levels to be significantly lower 45.7 vs. 58.15 umol/L, (p=0.0036) (p 0.01). A concern I noticed while researching this study is the accuracy of the statistical results since this study was two sided this means that curtain results were expected by both the test subjects and its administers. This study was also done on a small population of people, which is a bias in itself since the sample population lacks diversity. Factors like diet, environment and previous medications were not mentioned in the study which also can contribute to hepatic encephalopathy episodes. Another key factor that is important to gaining a reasonable sample through population is a correlation between test subjects. It was never mentioned in the article what type of liver failure the subjects suffer from nor did the article specify the severity of their condition. Works Cited Annes, Shari. HALT-HE Study Underscores Role of Ammonia in Hepatic Encephalopathy.Drugs.com MedNews. Micromedex, Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/halt-he-study-underscores-role-ammonia-hepatic-encephalopathy-14702.html. A New and Unique Way to Measure Liver Function. Liver Disease Questions. Liver Association of America, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. http://www.hepquant.com/liver-disease-faq.php.

Analysis Of The Tower Bridge Organisation Tourism Essay

Analysis Of The Tower Bridge Organisation Tourism Essay This report will be divided into 5 sections. In the first section I will be describing the function of the company and the product it provides for its customers. The second section will provide an overview of the economics of the business and competition. The third section will describe the management structure at the company. The fourth section will provide both the PEST and SWOT analysis. Finally I will reflect on my time as a tourist guide, describe the job role and give my impressions of the company. Describing the company and what it offers Tower Bridge is a municipal enterprise owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation who are the local Government body responsible for the financial square mile. The City of London is therefore responsible for all commercial and operational matters relating to Tower Bridge. Funding of the enterprise comes from a long standing trust. Description of the company London Tower Bridge is located in the heart of London and is very close to Londons transport infrastructure and world famous historical sites such as; the Tower of London and HMS Belfast. It is a well known bridge that has become an iconic figure of London, spanning the River Thames, and is within walking distance of Londons other famous attractions such as the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern. Originally built in 1894 to ease traffic congestion on London Bridge and designed to allow access to large ships to the pool of London, it was subjected to a major conversion to become a tourist centre in the 1980s. Tower Bride is therefore both a monument to Londons past and a successful tourist attraction. The main offering is the Tower Bridge Exhibition which allows visitors to enter inside the Bridge allowing access to the High Level walkways with uninterrupted views across the city. This provides a unique selling point with which to market itself and provides a memorable and emotional experi ence for visitors. The tour also allows visitors to see the Victorian engine rooms from which the bridge used to be powered by. The company also offers corporate entertainment packages and a popular gift shop for visitors. Entry prices are at an affordable rate and for viewing pleasure, the Exhibition comes equipped with interactive screens, sliding window panels for better picture quality and excellent graphics on their giant screens. One of the most important features of Tower Bridge is its bascule mechanism system, which rises around 1000 times a year and is still in function to this present day. Bridge openings are very popular with the public and are part of its attraction and allure to tourists. This particular bridge is the only bridge in the world of its type that opens and closes. Market and competitors Another historical attraction within the same vicinity as Tower Bridge is the Tower of London, which often competes with Tower Bridge as people tend to mix up the two because the structures are quite similar and this may sometimes lead to confusion. Moreover, the Tower of London was famous in Britain and around the world during World War 2 as an iconic landmark. Inevitably overshadowing Tower Bridge. Nonetheless the Tower Bridge is central to Londons historical heritage as a major commercial port. London has many other attractions including: the London eye, which can have up to 10,000 visitors every day and even the London Bridge Experience which opened in 2008. The Tower Bridge Exhibition has grown steadily since opening in 1984, with last year being its most successful in terms of financial surplus and numbers of visitors. With a small marketing team and budgets, Tower Bridge Exhibition relies heavily on organisations such as Visit Britain/London to document trends in visitors. Tow er Bridge Exhibition targets throughout the year a very broad area including both the European and domestic markets. Within the domestic markets educational groups are also targeted but equal importance is placed on family groups. Advertising normally occurs through specialised magazines, in particular publications like the Times Educational Supplement or via websites such as www.vistislondon.co.uk where costs are generally lower then other mass media options. Trade shows are attended such as World Travel Market where the exhibition is promoted to a range of tour and group organisers and databases are created for direct mail campaigns. Tower Bridge Exhibition has a unique relationship with its competitors, although in direct competition with one another, attractions within London work together along with Visit London to bring people to the area. Tower Bridge Exhibition has a list of distributors which in return for a discounted ticket rate sell tickets globally, however they also pr omote competitors. Other key stakeholders of Tower Bridge Exhibition are Local and National Government and the EU who and impose rules and regulations. The local community and response services, the Tower Bridge charitable trust, all visitors, the media, internal trade unions and employees are also key stakeholders. The cost of visiting the exhibition is  £7.00 per adult and  £3.00 per child (5-15) under fives go free, with a concession ticket costing  £5.00 and disabled guests getting in for free. Group discounts are available for 10 people or more and a promotion with Network rail allows 2 for 1 entry. Ad hoc promotions are run throughout the year targeting specific groups, for example the exhibitions 25th anniversary was celebrated by letting local residents in for 25p. Job role As a Customer Care Guide at the Tower Bridge Exhibition I had a fair amount of duties, roles and responsibilities which was based on the nucleus of customers and their safety along with their well being which meant constantly putting there needs and requirements first at all times. Furthermore, that meant me providing exceptional customer service and care at all times and making sure that the customers visit was as enjoyable and pleasant as humanly possible. With that in mind I would have to posses a certain degree of knowledge regarding the bridge and the local vicinity.  I would also be required to have a competent level of expertise relating to the bridges history, construction and design most notably for when  I am positioned inside the bridge and doing a position that entails doing speeches regularly. For positions like these  I must convey clear and precise information to the customers so that they are made aware of the process inside the bridge. In addition,  I would a lso need to be fully aware of all the processes of the bridge if say there was a fire or an evacuation  I would have to be mindful of the correct drills and steps that needed to be taken in order for a safe and secure evacuation to be achieved for all customers especially the disabled, elderly and those in a wheelchair. My duties included maintaining a high level of security for both the visitors and the exhibition items as well as always being on hand and available to interact and engage with visitors should they need or require any assistance or help from me at any stage during there visit. Moreover, if they had a query or wanted further information about the or the area. Management Structure A business structure is very important and every organization has its own structure. A company such Tower Bridge organizational structure is a hierarchical with a concept of subordination of entities that collaborate and contribute to serve one common aim. Most of the staff in Tower Bridge are all in the front office dealing the member of public and tourist, some have more interaction such as the Ticket Office and Customer Care Guides. The mangers Tower Bridge uses a functional structure which has the advantage of being easy to understand. The chain of command requires that an employee can report to one or more managers, but one manger such as Andy Nicholson, typically has more authority over the employee than their other manager(s). In Tower Bridge there are three mangers: one exhibition manager and two assistant managers. Having this structure means having layers of management that control the company by maintaining a high level of authority, with the power to make decisions concerning business activities. Employees such as customer care guide have limited authority to carry something out without prior approval. This organizational structure tends to focus on top-down management, whereby executives at the top communicate by telling middle managers, who then tell first level mangers, who then tell the staff what to do and how to do it. A limited number of employees report to a manager, who then reports to the next management level, and so on up to the Bridge Master or Tower Bridge Director. The managers needs to be responsible for motivating the staffs and ensuring that any formal systems and practices that are in place are not undermined in anyway. In theory the managers at Tower Bridge are responsible for the business performance, as well as maintaining high standards of service and health and safety. A functional structure of Tower Bridge can be illustrated by the following diagram:   The Managers are responsible for arranging shifts for their staff, creating promotional events and discount offers, deal with customer complaints, motivating staff, ensuring that staffs have the right uniforms, greeting customers and organising table reservations. PEST Analysis Political Political factors that may affect the ability of Tower Bridge to operate include government and City of London polices. In fact it seems unlikely that these will impact adversely on the attraction in the immediate future given its high profile and historic status. Cuts in public expenditure may lead to higher admission prices and less staff running the exhibition. As the government recent decision to cut funding to Visit Britain by 18% has big consequences for all London Attractions most specifically the smaller attractions such as Tower Bridge Exhibition who relay heavily on its services. Flight and bed taxes could deter visitors away from the city. Terrorism threats threaten the entire London tourism industry. Technology With more people using the internet, Tower Bridge Exhibitions will have to review its current website, as currently ticket purchases are too complicated. Advancements in ICT have meant that statistical data on tourist trends is now simpler to collect and more easily accessible through websites such as Visit Britain. Tower Bridge still has old and new technology some of the original hydraulic machinery is still remain as exhibition in the engine room nowadays they use electro-hydraulic drive that open the bridge up. Economic The main external forces (macro environment factors) that affect Tower Bridge Exhibition are economic and social factors. London is perceived to be an expensive place to visit, so the exhibition will need to provide better value for money. This is possible as at currently utilises only one third of available space. It will need to consider joint promotions with other attractions. Changes in interest rates at home cause fluctuations in disposable income meaning leisure activities are often put on hold, exchange rates and the strong pound against the dollar has seen a smaller spend per person from the important American market. Social Tower Bridge Exhibition relies heavily on family groups, so a decline in traditional family set ups will require Tower Bridge to re-think its family tickets prices. Over the recent years are has been a changes in holiday patterns with people now preferring city breaks and long weekends. Terrorist attacks also cause fluctuations in the market with people looking for safer destinations. SWOT Analysis Strength The business philosophy is not just about making money but emphasizes on educating and informing the public (particularly young people). On the towers walkways, there is a great view of London similar to the Millennium Wheel but not as detailed or exciting. Furthermore, on a positive note, this particular zone is free of congestion charge, which allows people to freely enjoy their journey over the bridge. Although the bridge is funded by the City of London council, it also makes a reasonable income by hiring the venue in the evenings for special occasions. Weakness Although it is an indoor attraction with a large view of London, a visit to Tower Bridge depends on the weather because the best sights are not always available due to the fact of the unpredictable British climate, for instance, on a rainy or overcast day, the views from the bridge can be very poor and distorted which could result in unhappy customers. What is more, London is an all-year-round destination so major attractions are not seasonal. Due to the fact Britain has such unpredictable weather, people usually carry sunglasses and umbrella because they never know what the weather can be like. This could have a bad effect and lead to a bad experience when coming to visit Tower Bridge on an unpleasant day. Firstly, the entrance to Tower Bridge Walkways is confusing for tourists who are unfamiliar with the area as there are no clear signs pointing in the right direction. Also, the journey to Tower Bridge is quite complicated if you have no knowledge of its whereabouts and may get los t. In addition, it is not pedestrian friendly as there tends to be lots of traffic and congestion upon entering the bridge. Secondly, in my opinion their main website is unappealing which doesnt help to attract or interest people into visiting Tower Bridge. This apparent weakness and flaw could have a bad impact on tourists who have never been to London, as the websites layout and structure does not represent or give Tower Bridge an acceptable status (more life and colour in the graphics required to attract online interest). On the other hand, their website has easy access to different links that also caters to childrens needs such as fun packs for childrens discovery which is fun as well as being educational at the same time. Furthermore, to add to criticism the historical building needs substantial refurbishment to help increase the volume of visitors. Although people are aware that it is a bridge, some people are afraid of heights and may feel unsafe or in danger. Moreover, altho ugh the lengths of the walkways are reasonably lengthy, it is quite narrow and may have an affect on those who are claustrophobic. Security measures are paramount for one of the worlds most famous tourist attraction. When entering the Tower there is a single stage of security that visitors must pass through. Once their body has been examined and their belongings are check they are allowed to enter the walkway but it doesnt mean the security level is up to standards. Reportedly, there have been cases where people have entered the building then proceeding through the security check in order to commit suicide. Fortunately, this has not changed peoples views to visit the attraction because any potential suicide incidents have been prevented. In reality, when the bridge does have a scheduled lift this results in a hold up of traffic. It is found that An estimated 38,000 vehicles use the bridge each day, pushing it to capacity during peak hours. This results in many delays for many people , who may decide to take an alternative route to avoid the traffic queues. Likewise, Extra traffic is expected to increase impact damage to the extremities which flex under traffic loads. This could mean that traffic queues are causing damage to the structure of the bridge, which may have a long term affect on the bridge. What is more, it is said that these measures are expected to increase congestion either side if the bridge, adding to delays caused when it opens for shipping. Last year Tower Bridge lifted 925 times. In my opinion, was this necessary? Opportunities Global advertisement could possibly result in an increase in the volume of visitors as many foreigners are unaware of a bridge that opens and this may be an attractive feature to witness in person. Perhaps due to the recession peoples lifestyles are changing, rather than individuals coming to the Tower Bridge they could engage in some promotion and coupons like the two for the price of one, children of the age of under 12 go in for free etc. Other attractions could work together with Tower Bridge rather than competing with them. They could cater for more languages by enhanced displays for overseas visitors such as Europeans and Asians. Provision of tour guides could be encouraged. Even though it is a self-guided exhibition they could offer a guided tour within the ticket price would encourage more visitors and may enhance the quality of the experience. Additionally, they should provide reasonable adjustment to facilitate for people who have disabilities. Due to the fact of the econom ic crisis the value of the pound has decreased. This is good news for the overseas visitors because of the currency exchange rates. In years to come the growth of tourism will increase despite the recession; London will generate tourist revenue from the 2012 Olympic games to be held in this city. This will boost and soar the volume of visitors in the capital. Threat The biggest threat to Tower Bridge is any potential terrorist attack perhaps of more concern is that there is no security check when going through the bridge and anyone is allowed to walk along the bridge. On the other hand, Tower Bridge is surrounded by a high level of competition with other tourist attractions equally famous like the Tower of London. In spite of the fact that other attractions complement each other it is possible that Tower Bridge will lose out due to the fact that it is less appealing. The economic downturn could have an impact on peoples lifestyles and their finances. Another way of viewing this is that the recession has changed our way of life. Culturally and socially people may prefer doing simple things like taking a walk in the park, instead of expensive vacations. After all a large proportion of overseas visitors come to visit the Tower Bridge. As a result this recession could have an significant effect resulting in a decrease of the number of visitors. In c onclusion, it could be said that the current service could continue unchanged. The inherent advantages of location, history and unique appearance will service the attraction well in the future. However, improvements could also be considered namely a more attractive website, cater for different languages, refurbishment of the walkways. The main threats for the future are: economic downturn and limited attractiveness to a young audience. Reflection Working in Tower Bridge has taught me a number of things about how tourist attractions operate in the market and what factors lead to an attractions success. Even though my time at the Tower Bridge consisted of 400 hours work experience I still had to go through the same procedures as I would if I were applying for a permanent job. I was interviewed by Andy Nicholson who gave me a fair amount of information regarding the history of bridge and what they offer to the public. Even through the interview lasted over 3 hours it was very insightful and useful to me. I gained a lot of knowledge about Tower Bridge and its surroundings. When I started work it was the beginning of the Easter holidays. I didnt get any training at first except on how to use a radio. I was thrown in at the deep end for the first three days as I didnt know much but I guess that is the best way to learn. After a few days I was formally introduced to other members of staff and my official training started. The assist ant manager gave me the correct uniform as there are different ones to wear for different positions. I was given a full guided tour and met all the security staff, the maintenance department and human resources. I was shown all the emergency exits as well as all the other exits and where to meet if we had to be evacuated. I was given a radio with my own personal identification which was uniform 13 which enabled me to communicate with other members of staff via the radio.  After that I undertook three days of shadowing a full time tour guide and I was also given a big pack of information about Tower Bridge. I learnt 4 different speeches plus aborts and general information of the history of London. A big plus point for me was that I was given the chance to get to know the surroundings and I spent a couple of days visiting other tourist attractions such as the Tower of London, St Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern gallery. I thought this was very helpful to me. After 1 week of shadowing and intensive reading I was finally ready to work on my own. My first position was to operate the north lift which takes the customers to the high level walkways and to give them instructions on what to do when they got up there. I did this a few times before trying out the other roles and positions. In total there are 8 positions, 1-3 are working in the lifts and the towers and the customer service areas. The only negative point about this aspect of the job is that it can become very repetitious. Position 4 and 5 involve working in the gift shop next to the Victorian Engine Room. I was lucky to have this experience and to be till trained. Working in the shop has a lot of responsibilities, not only dealing with money and providing customer service, throughout the day youre on your own and this can be quite stressful. There are many duties working at the shop in the morning before opening up, you are required to do a number of duties: making sure that there are enough products on the shelf and that these are neatly presented, knowing whats not available and whats low on stock so it can be ordered in, cash up the money for the till etc. Working in the gift shop can be pleasant but the only difficult issue that I faced was dealing with several customers at the same time. The gift shop is quite a small and confined area and it is where customers exit from the Exhibition. In  some cases  an unsatisfied customer will use his time in the gift shop to vent his frustrations and who ever is currently occupying the shop position is usually the one that is on the other end of the brunt of the customers fury. In addition to this, in most if not all the cases of a customer who was not completely happy with there visit and experience and demand a refund or if a technical malfunction occurs to any of the penny press machines then it is at the gift shop where all of the would be resolved. Positions 6, 7 and 8 are what the company refers to as footfall enticement. These duties are intensive and consist of you dealing with customers at the front of the ticket office who are visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition or are just walking pass as well as giving out general information about the bridge. I think the footfall position is a crucial role as it represents the Tower Bridge image and they are the first staff and port of contact to interact with the customers before they enter the exhibition. Throughout my work placement I have undertaken a fair amount of footfall and my view upon it is that it can be quite enjoyable. The only downside is that the footfall is an all year position which I think is unfortunate because Tower Bridge is on the river it can very windy and during autumn and winter it can be very cold. I did a few footfalls in April and even so it was extremely cold for me to endure and for someone to do this position you have to be mentally and physically stron g. I dont think people should have to work 8 hours outside in such cold conditions most notably during winter times and I think they should use the footfall personnel to go onto the walkways to give talks about the bridge and have one at the gift shop for assistance as the shop can get very busy and hectic at times. After 200 hours I was given the opportunity to work at the Monument. My job role was to give out leaflets to those who completed the 311 steps and give brief talks about this famous landmark. I had a lot fun working there because it was a more intimate setting than the bridge so you got to talk and engage more with your work colleagues. It also meant that you could  immerse yourself more in depth with the visitors and ask them more about their visit to the capital and how long they were intending on staying and where they were originally from. There is so much history written into the Monument  which is intertwined with the Great Fire of London so for me to work there and to be a part of it was a good experience which contributed to my enjoyment there. In terms of organization and structure there is much to change and develop. What surprised me is that staffs do not really work together and in some ways work in isolation from each other which seems inefficient and ineffective. There tends to be a gap and divide between the permanent staff who have been employed there for many years and the temporary staff such as myself. Conclusion Overall working at Tower Bridge has been a good learning experience for me. Like any other job there will always be positives and negatives but in some ways the work has provided some unique insights. I think Tower Bridge and the Monument are very successful tourist attractions for the reasons stated previously and there is no reason why it should not continue to prosper in the future with the right investment and a culture of continuous improvement. Many people who work at Tower Bridge have provided years of dedicated service for a prolonged period of time. Tour guides, ticket office, managers, security and maintenance people have worked their for a long time. A large proportion of them are 40 plus in age which is a change for me because it is the first time I have come across a situation like that. I think I have picked up some of their characteristics and learnt a lot from their experiences of being at Tower Bridge.  On the whole I had a great experience and I would highly recom mend it to other students who are interested in the tourist industry or those people who like history. Out of all the places I have worked in previously I can honestly say that this was the most interesting job and role that I have ever experienced. The majority of the staff I built and formed a relationship with not only as work colleagues but as friends outside working hours.