Bp 7s Analysis - 10000 Words

BP plc[3][4] (LSE: BP, NYSE: BP) is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by 2011 revenues and is one of the six oil and gas supermajors.[5][6] It is vertically integrated and operates in all areas of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production,refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading. It also has renewable energy activities in biofuelsand wind power. BP has operations in over 80 countries, produces around 3.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day and has around 21,800 service stations worldwide.[7][8] Its largest division is BP America,†¦show more content†¦But the company Iraq Petroleum Company still remains extant as a name on paper,[37] and one of its associated company—Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company(ADPC), formerly Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd—also continues with the original shareholding intact.[38][39] The intensified power struggle between oil companies and host governments in Middle East, along with the oil price shocks that followed the 1973 oil crisis; meant British Petroleum lost most of its direct access to crude oil supplies produced in countries that belonged to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and prompted it to diversify its operations beyond the heavily Middle East dependent oil production. In 1978 the company acquired a controlling interest in Standard Oil of Ohio or Sohio, a breakaway entity from former Standard Oil following the anti-trust litigation of 1911.[40] In Iran, British Petroleum continued to operate until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The new regime of Ayatollah Khomeini confiscated all of the companys assets in Iran without compensation, bringing to an end its 70-year presence in Iran.[citation needed] 1979 to 2000 Classic shield logo, designed byRaymond Loewy, updated in 1989, and used untilShow MoreRelatedBp 7s Analysis10010 Words   |  41 PagesBP plc[3][4]  (LSE:  BP,  NYSE:  BP) is a British  multinational  oil  and  gas  company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and  fourth-largest company in the world  measured by 2011 revenues and is one of the six oil and gas supermajors.[5][6]  It is  vertically integrated  and operates in all areas of the oil and gas industry, including  exploration  and  production,refining,  distribution and marketing,  petrochemicals,  power generation  and  trading. It also has  renewableRead MoreEnvironmental and Industrial Analysis of Home Depot6707 Words   |  27 PagesII. BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS 7 Step 1: Value Proposition: (Advantage: Home Depot) 7 Step 2: Target Segment: (Advantage: Lowe’s) 8 Step 3: Determine Competitors 9 Step 4: Evaluation of Value Chain and Cost Model: (Advantage: Lowe’s) 9 Step 5: Evaluate the Value Network: (Advantage: None) 11 Step 6: Determine the Revenue Model of the firm: (Advantage: Home Depot) 12 Step 7: Critical Success Factors: (Table 3) (Advantage: Home Depot) 12 Business Model Analysis Grid 13 III. STRATEGICRead MoreMarketing Planning Process9555 Words   |  39 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page 1. Executive Summary 4 2. Corporate Mission 5 3. Summary of audit findings 5 4. SWOT Analysis 6 5. Marketing objectives 6 - 7 6. Marketing Strategies 7 - 10 7. Marketing mix decisions 11 - 12 8. Budgets 12 9. Implementation 12 10. Evaluation and Control 13 APPENDICES 1. Appendix 1 : Organizational background 2. Appendix 2Read MoreDoes Sustainability Reporting Improve Corporate Behaviour?: Wrong Question? Right Time?14566 Words   |  59 Pagesconsidering, in turn, what is meant by ‘sustainability’, the current state of affairs in ‘sustainability reporting’ and the extent to which social disclosure can be said to be related to the social and/or financial performance of organisations. The analysis suggests that the question set for this paper is mis-specified, that ‘sustainability’ reporting consistently fails to address sustainability and the increasing claims that financial and social performance are mutually determined and determining isRead Moreunethical advertising14492 Words   |  58 Pagesof social communication .... can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. In the final analysis, however, where freedom of speech and communication exists, it is largely up to advertisers themselves to ensure ethically responsible practices in their profession. Besides avoiding abuses, advertisers should also undertake to repair the harm sometimesRead MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages441 441 CASE STUDIES A summary of the case analysis I N T R O D U C T I O N Preparing an effective case analysis: The full story Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlearâ„ ¢ – an Australian C A S E O N E high-technology leader Delta Faucet: Global entrepreneurship in an emerging market C A S E T W O DaimlerChrysler: Corporate governance dynamics in a global company C A S E T H R E E Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C A S E F O U R Succeeding in the

Love Is Characterized By Oedipus The King And Diotima s...

In Symposium by Plato, a group of men gather around to seek one’s full understanding of the underestimated reasons of Love. Despite having different occupations, they all seem to agree on their views of love except for Socrates. Socrates communicates that Love is a god, and then decides to add that he came to his conclusion with the help of a woman named Diotima. Although their views of love are similar, they are also different and can be seen through another philosopher’s stories; Antigone and Oedipus. Socrates’ definition of love is characterized by Oedipus the King and Diotima’s definition of love is characterized by Antigone. Socrates’ understanding of love is that love is a desire to be conscious of what you need for something you do not have and for what you have because once you have it you will not feel the need to want it anymore; love is also a display of what you already have and are afraid to lose forever. Diotima’s understanding of Love is that Love is not a god, love is a demi-god. Because, he is a demi-god, he is in between wisdom and ignorance. For example, on page/s () of Sophocles’ book Symposium: Socrates’ understanding of love can be seen in Oedipus the King through Oedipus’ wife and mother Jocasta. She desires to not have shame upon her throne. Once she has it, she then realizes that she does not want it anymore and decides to take her own life. --Jocasta had realized that Oedipus was her son, she acted as if it did not matter because no one knew. It

Project Management Using the Critical Path Method Free Sample

Questions: 1.Would you Wish to be Involved and assigned to the Critical Path activity on a Project? If Yes give a reason.2.What are the Considerations for accepting an Assignment in Such a Circumstance? Answers: Brief Definition of critical path It depicts the series of continuous activities from beginning to completion of a project. It normally involves the longest period of all the paths in a network diagram representative of a project. It is chiefly a reflection of the time factor. 1.Yes, I would wish to be assigned to the critical path activity on a project. The method is flexible. This implies that I can adjust the critical paths of the project even when the project is in progress. The critical paths can change as one plans and compresses the project, and also as he/she implements and controls it (Padgett, 2009). For instance, I could compress the project from a duration of three months to two months. 2.Considerations The complete scope of activities (Padgett, 2009). I would consider the nature of activities in the project to ascertain their complexity or simplicity. Duration awarded to finish the project. I would be more inclined to accept a project whose implementation period is considerably shorter. This is because the shorter the period, the higher the chances of success and ease of execution. Availability of funds to settle activity-based costs and project-based costs, which include; materials, labor, contractor fees and project overhead among others (Padgett, 2009). This calls for proper budgeting to ensure there is no hiccup when the project is running. Project calendar is paramount (Kendrick, 2010). All fundamental dates significant to the project inclusive of the project kick-off date, any project hindrances, interim and end date plus any chief dates when the project colludes with other planned work need to be identified (Kendrick, 2010). A sound activities calendar is essential. References Clinton M. Padgett. (2009). The Project Success Method: A Proven Approach for Achieving Superior Project Performance in as little as 5 Days. Tom Kendrick. (2010). The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and Techniques for Getting the Job Done Right.

Understanding of the World Trade Organization

Following the interest that your highly reputable firm has expressed regarding setting foot in overseas markets, it is prudent that we bring to your attention the organizations that govern international trade. In this respect, we hope to help you understand some of the unacceptable business malpractices in foreign markets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding of the World Trade Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, we aim at enlightening you on how business conflicts can be resolved amicable through the assistance of global bodies (Bines Thel, 2004). The world body mandated with the duty of overseeing peaceful operations of international businesses in the world is the World Trade Organization. Geneva is the headquarter of this organization that took over the roles of its predecessor, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades, which had become obsolete by the end of the Second World War. The organization tries to liberalize international trade by making foreign firms access markets in countries of interest. There are discriminations and negative perceptions that a foreign company may face in a new market. The organization ensures that all players get an equal opportunity in terms of selling products (Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz, 2012). The organization provides advisory services to new companies regarding policies on business operations. Moreover, the organization offers mechanisms through which conflicts could be resolved. However, it does not have its own terms and conditions but simply implements already existing laws in the covered regions. These agreements are signed to make the trade process smoother. Such agreements are aimed at creating bilateral trade agreements between countries. Currently, Europe is a single market economy, also referred to as a free trade area. Due to the single market economy, states accepted to use a single currency as a means of exchang e. Therefore, goods from any country within the continent can find markets in any part of the region indiscriminately (Dicey, 1993). Speaking of the WTO trade disputes, one must mention the latest case was between Coca Cola Company and governments in the East and Central African states. There were claims that the soft drinks manufacturer was using excessive carbon in the preservation of drinks. The amounts of carbon and other preservatives in these drinks, including caffeine were in excess levels.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consumers claimed that excess carbon could encourage the growth of cancerous cells in human bodies. WTO handled the situation, and a series of lab tests were carried out (Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz, 2012). Although the levels of preservatives found in the drinks were a little higher, there was no cause of alarm as the claims that these components coul d encourage the reproduction of cancerous cells were invalid. However, the company later continued operating after proving credible. WTO has stated that one of its prior goals since the day the organization was established was offering coherent trade rules and regulations (WTO Ministerial Conference, n.d.). However, it is necessary to take into account that WTO has never portrayed itself as the organization that is trying to take over the entire world market and control all the economics-related events that take place on the world scale. Hence, the fact that the WTO does not have the influence to affect the current world market is quite understandable and does not signify that the organization has failed. However, another related issue must be considered as well. According to Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz, One recurrent theme in the anti-globalization movement is that the drive for free trade and free flow of capital has undermined national sovereignty. In the extreme versions of this c omplaint, the World Trade Organization is characterized as a supranational power able to prevent national governments from pursuing policies in their own interests. (Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz, 2012, 284) The above-mentioned issue could be considered as a major failure of the WTO if the latter ever wanted to control national policies. However, according to the members of the WTO, the WTO code does not presuppose any measures of the kind. As Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz claim, â€Å"The short answer is that the WTO does not look anything like a world government† (Krugman, Obstfeld Melitz, 2012, 284). Therefore, it can be considered that WTO has achieved its primary goals, which were the provision of basic trade laws and regulations, has been achieved. However, according to the WTO Ministerial Conference, there is a possibility to do more and â€Å"launch a new round of trade negotiations that will help all countries, especially developing countries, to expand their economiesâ₠¬  (WTO Ministerial Conference, n.d.). Given the performance record of the organization in offering assistance to foreign businesses, it has so far been effective. It is therefore advisable to register your new business with the organization and make certain that your trade decisions follow WTO basic trade principles.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding of the World Trade Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Bines, H., Thel, S. (2004). Investment Management Law and Regulation. London: Aspen. Dicey, M. (1993). The conflict of laws. London: Sweet and Maxwell Ltd. Krugman, P., Obstfeld, M., Melitz, M. J. (2012). International Economics: Theory and Policy (9th ed.). New York: Pearson. WTO Ministerial Conference, n.d. The WTO: why it matters. Retrieved from https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/wto_matters_e.pdf This essay on Understanding of the World Trade Organization was written and submitted by user Red Wolf to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Famine

In Ireland, a large section of the population was dependant on agriculture and the potato crop. The Great Famine was the result of successive crop failures and the insufficient and ineffective relief for stopping the outbreak of starvation and disease. The famine is considered by many to be the most tragic and significant event in Irish history and one of the worst human disasters of the nineteenth century. Ireland depended on the potato as a staple crop after 1800. Population increased rapidly and reached eight million by 1841, two-thirds of whom relied on agriculture. The Irish depended on the potato and the failure of the potato crop in 1845 was disastrous. The crop failed again in 1846, 1847, and 1848. By 1851, the population of Ireland had been reduced by more than two million due to starvation, disease, and emigration to Britain and North America. Potato blight was no stranger to Ireland before 1845. There was a famine in 1741 that killed one quarter of a million people. Ireland struggled through crop failures and subsistence crisis throughout the nineteenth century, including fourteen partial and complete famines between 1816 and 1842. From 1845 until 1848 the people endured one bad harvest after another. The regularity of famine was enough to reduce the population of Ireland by about two-and-a-half million. The wet summers of the Irish climate helped spread the blight. The harvest failed four years in a row and the peasants had no reserve to fall back on (Taylor, 1962). The famine, together with the accompanying plagues, became known as the Great Famine to the British, The Great Hunger to the Irish middle class, and the Great Starvation to the Irish peasantry. The famine began in 1845 with the blighting and failures of the potato crop, the peoples' principal means of nourishment. The potato blight fungus, phytophthora infestans, attacked potatoes causing them to rot in the ground, rendering them inedible. After the blight st... Free Essays on The Famine Free Essays on The Famine In Ireland, a large section of the population was dependant on agriculture and the potato crop. The Great Famine was the result of successive crop failures and the insufficient and ineffective relief for stopping the outbreak of starvation and disease. The famine is considered by many to be the most tragic and significant event in Irish history and one of the worst human disasters of the nineteenth century. Ireland depended on the potato as a staple crop after 1800. Population increased rapidly and reached eight million by 1841, two-thirds of whom relied on agriculture. The Irish depended on the potato and the failure of the potato crop in 1845 was disastrous. The crop failed again in 1846, 1847, and 1848. By 1851, the population of Ireland had been reduced by more than two million due to starvation, disease, and emigration to Britain and North America. Potato blight was no stranger to Ireland before 1845. There was a famine in 1741 that killed one quarter of a million people. Ireland struggled through crop failures and subsistence crisis throughout the nineteenth century, including fourteen partial and complete famines between 1816 and 1842. From 1845 until 1848 the people endured one bad harvest after another. The regularity of famine was enough to reduce the population of Ireland by about two-and-a-half million. The wet summers of the Irish climate helped spread the blight. The harvest failed four years in a row and the peasants had no reserve to fall back on (Taylor, 1962). The famine, together with the accompanying plagues, became known as the Great Famine to the British, The Great Hunger to the Irish middle class, and the Great Starvation to the Irish peasantry. The famine began in 1845 with the blighting and failures of the potato crop, the peoples' principal means of nourishment. The potato blight fungus, phytophthora infestans, attacked potatoes causing them to rot in the ground, rendering them inedible. After the blight st...

10 traits of a great manager, according to Google

10 traits of a great manager, according to Google There are many reasons that Google has been successful in its bid to become a globally dominant company. (Its onetime motto, â€Å"don’t be evil,† probably didn’t hurt.) But one of the most important factors is one you can’t see by going online and using one of their many tools, or asking your Google Home to tell you: effective management. You don’t build a company that big and that successful without quality people at all levels.In its regular Project Oxygen studies to analyze how to improve management and leadership at the company, Google has come up with a number of traits that make a good manager.1. â€Å"Is a good coach†A coach is only as strong as what his or her players produce. A high-quality manager supports the team, always working closely with team members to provide guidance, motivate them, and make sure that everything is moving along as it should.2. â€Å"Empowers team and does not micromanage†It may seem like getting the outcome you want from employees means micromanaging their every move. In reality, it’s a fast way to take power away from individuals and make them less likely to grow and change in ways that make the work better. A great manager knows when to step back and let team members take agency and initiative, building their own confidence and leadership skills while getting the work done. Trusting your team to do what they need to do is a morale booster, and helps create more productive, more satisfied employees.3. â€Å"Creates an inclusive team environment, showing concern for success and well-being†If employees don’t feel supported, work is likely to suffer and you start losing talented people. A great manager makes sure that each team member feels valued and supported in their work. Knowing that your manager cares about you, and not just the work output, improves morale and helps employees feel like a necessary part of the team’s goals.hbspt.cta.load(2785852 , '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});4. â€Å"Is productive and results-oriented†Setting goals and making sure everyone is working effectively toward them is a key part of managing well. It’s up to the manager to set those expectations, and show that he or she is just as committed to them as everyone else.5. â€Å"Is a good communicator- listens and shares information†Nothing causes frustration in the ranks faster than poor communication to and from the top. There’s a reason that communication skills are on just about every job description under the sun. It’s not just about passing information, it’s also about knowing how to hear and understand what’s going on, react appropriately, and communicate outward. That means being able to navigate sticky work politics, as well as take feedback and concerns from employees.6. â€Å"Supports career development and discusses performance†A great manager doesn’t just see team members as faceless worker bees doing the same job over and over indefinitely. A great manager works with team members to find opportunities for improvement and define job goals in a way that pushes them forward. Performance reviews (whether formal or periodic â€Å"how are things going?† check-ins) can identify ways employees can grow and let them know you’re there to support that.7. â€Å"Has a clear vision/strategy for the team†Another morale killer: not really understanding how or why the work is being done. Managing well includes coaching employees toward a particular goal or strategy. Sometimes those are handed down from above as part of a larger corporate mission, but other times it means defining what your group hopes to achieve. Having a clear strategy and communicating that to team members shows how everyday work is contributing to the company’s larger goals or mission. It’s your job to make sure everyone’s seeing the forest and t he trees.8. â€Å"Has key technical skills to help advise the team†It may be that your job is assembling and cultivating experts- not being an expert yourself in a particular process or skill set. You don’t necessarily have to be better than your employees at everything, but you should definitely have enough technical skill to be able to speak intelligently about it, and be ready to provide guidance or support when necessary.9. â€Å"Collaborates across Google†No team is an island. (Okay, that’s not quite how it goes, but you get the gist.) No matter how specialized your team may be, chances are you have to get information from other teams, communicate with other teams, or collaborate on projects with other teams. It’s important to make sure those connections with other groups and colleagues across the company are valued, and ensure that communication is smooth between your team and others.10. â€Å"Is a strong decision maker†Being the boss means having to make the decisions, tough or not. Getting input from others is important, but if you want to push your managerial skills to the next level, that means owning the decision-making process and backing your decisions with as much information and education as possible.If you’re looking to boost your bossing, paying attention to these 10 qualities will help you become a well-rounded manager.

Hierarchy of Gender Roles in the Traditional Jewish Religion Essay

Hierarchy of Gender Roles in the Traditional Jewish Religion - Essay Example I found that atmosphere to be more family-oriented and comfortable for the crowd that gathered. There were several differences that caused me to have a negative reaction. First, in the traditional Jewish religion, there is a strong and obvious hierarchy of gender roles in which the men and women engage. While some might dismiss that as chauvinism, others think differently and truly appreciate the importance of the different gender portrayals. Regardless of personal preference, Judaism has a particular set of laws that have not changed; nor will they change any time soon. One of these laws indicates clearly that women are forbidden from holding the holy Torah book, and are not allowed to lead the ritual ceremony. Without getting into the theological explanations of why these laws are important, I would simply like to point out an idea which I believe all religions have in common; follow the laws as they are given to you. While individuals can interpret these laws differently within certain parameters, the main idea should stay the same. That is why a Jewish woman should not walk around holding the Torah book or, prior to that, go to the arch where the book is placed and open it. Yet, they do this at Temple Sinai. Another negative exp... So, once I entered the temple, I turned off my cellular phone and got into the mood of that special holiness that a synagogue provides whenever I attend a service there. I found it particularly ironic that, during the service, the Rabbi who lectured us about the importance of keeping the Shabbat, as it was written specifically in the Torah, was violating the Shabbat by using a microphone to deliver his speech! According to the Jewish faith, he was committing a great sin, and he made other Jews join in that sin as well. To makes things worse, and even bizarre, there was a man next to him that played the keyboard (again, on Shabbat and inside a synagogue!) which made me feel that I was taking apart in a mass, in a church on a Sunday morning. Further, I wore my "yamaka" (a small hat that Jewish men put on their heads when they pray), and put on my "tall" (a special cloth that Jewish men put on top of their clothes at the time of prayer) as is the requirement for men who attend the service. Some of the male participants that morning did not respect even this simple requirement of covering their heads during the reading of the Torah.  Ã‚  

Organizational Change and Stress Management Essay

Organizational Change and Stress Management - Essay Example WIlis, Stephen D Mastrofski, David Weisburd, and Rosann Greenspan is analyzed. Introduction of COMPSTAT in Lowell As Willis, Mastrofski and Weisburd (2003) point out, department heads conducted regular meetings with their district heads and discussed crime trends. Also, their responses to crimes were collected and future strategies were developed. Thus, it allowed the systematic use of hard data and heightened accountability to reduce crime in society. (Worcester Regional Research Bureau, 2003). However, its implementation in Lowell was not free from errors and hence, after the initial success, the program failed. The program was introduced in Lowell by Superintendent Davis. As a part of the program, there were a number of changes in Lowell. First of all, it divided the entire Lowell into three sectors and each sector captain was solely responsible for the crimes within the area under his control, and the sector captain remained accountable to the top brass. Willis, Mastrofski, Weisb urd and Greenspan (2003) note that according to the plan suggested by the superintendent, the sector captain from one of the three sectors had to submit his report in every biweekly meeting. The biweekly meeting usually contained twenty to thirty members including the superintendent, the top brass of the police department and some invited guests, sergeants and patrol officers. The captain who had to submit the report explained all the details of his area and, had to answer questions and suggestions from the meeting members. Any perceived defect in the strategies he adopted was met with criticism from the superintendent and other members in the meeting. So, instead of improving communication and cooperation, such meetings became ‘pressure cookers’ for the sector captains. In addition, as the COMPSTAT did not suggest any formal way for them to communicate the issues with the officers below them, they found it almost impossible to achieve what the top brass suggested. Behn (2008) reports that COMPSTAT brought autocratic power, orders, close observation, and negative reinforcement in the police force instead of the perceived decentralization of power. The Resistance from Employees Admittedly, COMPSTAT did not come into existence without any resistance. The changes were not acceptable to most of the officers. The first effect of the change was that the middle layer officers, that is, the sector captains, stopped divulging important details to the COMPSTAT as they find it dangerous to their own individual careers. First of all, if they revealed any shortcoming or lack of efficiency from their part, it was met with stiff criticism from the top brass. Secondly, there evolved rivalry among sectors as the improvement in one sector means criticism for the remaining sectors in the COMPSTAT meetings. Barkan and Bryjak (2011) reflect that middle layer officers resisted this move through deficient exchange of information. The second point of resistance came from the rank-and-file as they found themselves out of the decision-making process. Though it was claimed that the decision-making power goes to the lower end of the system, what happened in practice was quite the opposite. Only the top brass possessed the power to take decisions, and the ones taken by middle order were highly criticized if went wrong. Thus, the rank-and-file category found it unimportant to cooperate with the innovative system and

Home-Coming Analysis Essay Example for Free

Home-Coming Analysis Essay Good morning/afternoon teacher and classmates. Last week, our group was designated to analyse the poem Home-Coming by Australian poet Bruce Dawe, who was born in 1930 in Geelong, Victoria. Out of the four siblings in the family, he was the only one to ever attend a proper secondary school. Previously being a part of the Royal Australian Air Force in 1959, his purpose for writing this particular poem was because of the Vietnam War, which claimed a seemingly endless number of lives. This really angered him and so he dedicated this poem to the casualties during the war. In our analysis of the poem, we noticed that the poem effectively incorporated a variety of useful techniques which significantly enhanced the subtle meaning behind the poem. With the clever use of language and structural devices, Bruce Dawe was really able to augment his views and exhibit his true perspective upon war. Some techniques utilised throughout the passage were similes, repetition and irony, just to name a few. In a nutshell, the poem revolves around soldiers apparently coming home from the destructive course of war to their loved ones. From the title of â€Å"Home-Coming†, the audience gain an implication of relief and happiness and it insinuates a positive atmosphere. However, later on in the poem this is found to not be the case as the status of all the soldiers are revealed to be deceased. As soon as we read this, we quickly picked up on the fact that it was an anti-war poem. In our points of view, we believe the poem resembles an elegy because of its depressing mood. Also, our group thought that the poet was striving to depict the soldiers as unimportant and expendable through a satirical perspective as well as showing us how little respect they gain from laying their lives down for our freedom. To begin with, the first device embedded in the first section of the poem is repetition. The repetition of the word â€Å"day† in the quote â€Å"All day, day after day† presents a tedious mood in which time is moving extremely slowly and almost seems perpetual when we read it. This technique has such a strong and potent effect on the audience as it is applied in the opening lines of the poem, which forces us to have an immediate reaction. Also, the word â€Å"they’re† is continuously written later on in the poem, such as â€Å"they’re bringing them in, they’re zipping them up†. By doing this, Dawe attempts to  show a somewhat mechanical and constant process of the storage of corpses, thus displaying the soldiers with the qualities of inanimate objects and not worthy of have equality to human beings. Repetition is an important aspect in this poem and gives us the stereotypical view on the soldiers fighting at war. In addition to this, Dawe includes a descriptive array of similes that paint very vivid images in the minds of the audience, which allow them to picture the particular scene that the poet is trying to conjure. As a result, the composer is able to manipulate the imagination of readers and stimulate them into thinking about a specific theme through the use of words. In this case, Bruce Dawe induces strong visual imagery that promotes a lonely, mournful and silent atmosphere. An example of this mood is demonstrated in the quote â€Å"telegrams tremble like leaves from a wintering tree†. To base an image upon a â€Å"wintering tree† provides negative connotations whilst also allowing Dawe to take advantage of words to reinforce the depressing mood of the text. Because of this, the strong meaning behind the similes used is an essential component in the poem of Home-coming. Finally, the last technique adopted in the poem sparingly but effectively is irony. Dawe entices the audience to positive emotions such as hope and relief through the title of â€Å"Home-coming† which obviously is supposed to spark happiness. However, in this case, the poet deceptively turns our hope into confusion as the text then turns to a melancholy mood through quotes such as â€Å"they’re picking them up, those they can find†. The intended reaction that Bruce Dawe wants from the audience is shock, because as we read on, the soldiers are disclosed as dead people. This is where the irony lies as the content of the poem and its atmosphere almost completely contradicts the message that the title is insinuating. Furthermore, another instance of irony is the phrase â€Å"frozen sunset†. Once again, these words build up a cold and desolate basis for the mood of the poem. Bruce Dawe has combined a number of techniques such as irony and similes in this anti-war poem that makes the audience wonder about the terrible effects of war and the devastation it can bring to families. It persuades them to  see through the faà §ade of war with the twisted but true contrasts of the title and content of the poem. As well as this, the text tries to make us consider the way that we act in regards to soldiers and we they should respect them more as they are the reason why our freedom is able to be reserved for the future generations.

Christianity: New Teachings for a New Way of Life Essay -- essays rese

Christianity: New Teachings for a New Way of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Christian vision of Human Sexuality compared to many religions is seen as quite restrictive. Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism do not put near as much effort in restricting human sexuality as Christians do. Particularly in Hinduism, sex is seen as a good thing and is even celebrated. Even more, some Hindu’s practice the teachings of the Kama Sutra â€Å"which provides the details of erotic method†¦presenting the particulars of various types of positions, caresses, and embraces† (LoPresti 25). These views of sexuality in Hinduism are significantly different to the views of Christianity. â€Å"How would you characterize the Christian vision of human sexuality, as relatively positive and affirming or more cautious and restrictive?† (LoPresti 137)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One issue of Human Sexuality in Christianity is the idea of contraception. â€Å"Until 1930, when the Anglican Communion modified its teaching, Christians around the world had been unanimous in their condemnation of artificial means of birth control† (LoPresti 132). For centuries, procreation has been the primary purpose of marriage. Now with the advancements of a reliable birth control, sex has taken on a whole new consciousness. Sex now can be seen as fun and pleasurable and independent of procreation. The idea of sex separate from procreation is highly debatable especially in the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church â€Å"continues to hold that each and every act of intercourse must remain open to the transmission of new life† (LoPresti 133). This argument is the source of much heated debate due to the steady rise of the Aids Epidemic. The Aids epidemic in the world today is the source of a huge problem. Millions are infected and will continue to infect others without the proper means of contraception. Since there is no cure for Aids, the condom is the catalyst in attempting to control the Aids virus. Since the issue of contraception is in direct contradiction with the Roman Catholic Church, many Catholics find themselves torn between religion and health. So the question for Catholics becomes: Do we follow our catholic teaching or do we try and eradicate this disease? Although most devout Catholics would be opposed to disregarding the teachings of the church, the issue of sav... ...ersons† (LoPresti 136). Christian teaching of homosexuality has created a hatred towards homosexuals, which in turn, causes homosexuals to be oppressed. This oppression is in direct contradiction with the teachings of Jesus’ ministry which stressed â€Å"a call to compassion and solidarity with those who are oppressed† (LoPresti 135). Therefore, the Christians view of homosexuality seems to be restricting, in that homosexuals are restricted from living a life without oppression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall, the Christian view of human sexuality appears to be quite restrictive on the issues of contraception, nonmarital sex, and homosexuality. Furthermore, these unresolved issues within the church need to be updated to fit new circumstances which we know to be ok today, like homosexuality and contraception. No religion is a perfect religion, but it is though the continual evaluations of church teaching that we begin to find more logical, and accepting religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited LoPresti, Anthony. â€Å"Christianity.† Sex & Religion. Ed. Christel Manning & Phil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zuckerman. Belmont, CA: Thompson, 2005. 117-141.

R.L Stevenson shows many opposites in the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

In the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde the two main characters are complete opposites. Dr Jekyll is a kind person however when he changes into Mr Hyde his attitude changes into a nasty, evil person. R.L Stevenson carries on the ‘opposites’ through the book keeping the readers guessing. The two doors to Jekyll’s house seem to be complete opposites. One is shabby and in a dark corner of a building which is described as a ‘sinister block’. By saying ‘it showed no window’ suggests that its dark and secrecy; maybe they have something to hide. The wall is described as discoloured and suffering negligence – lack of care and maintenance making it sound unattractive. On the door, the fact that there is no knocker or bell gives an unwelcoming feel and being described as blistered and distained would also make it appear uninviting. However the street, which the door lies on, is a contrast to what has just been described. The buildings in the street are described as ‘freshly painted shutters and well polished brasses’ making the whole street sound like it has an air of general cleanliness. In the First chapter, also ‘The Story of the door’ there is another opposite. This is between Mr Hyde and the young girl. It says ‘one little man .. stumping along at a good walk’ and ‘a girl of maybe eight or ten .. running as hard as she was able’ this is opposing because there are two different genders, ages and paces. In the chapter ‘Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease’ R.L Stevenson describes another opposite with Mr Utterson and the other people that had been to Dr Jekyll’s dinner. ‘In the man’s rich silence, after the expense and the strain of gaiety.’ This tells us that Mr Utterson is happy to be quiet, as the other guests that have left were quite loud and talked to him a lot. Also in this chapter and the following chapter, another opposite is the reaction and personality of Dr Jekyll. Speaking with Utterson, Dr Jekyll is put across as ‘every mark of capacity and kindness’, which makes him warm and loving, then in the incident of the letter he is rather shifty and reacts differently to Utterson that he did before. In the ‘Search for Mr Hyde’ there are two different characters in contrast, Dr Lanyon and Mr Utterson. For example it says ‘received his crowding patients’ referring to Dr Lanyon. This puts across to the reader that Dr Lanyon is a very open, friendly person, where as, as we can tell from the ‘Dr Jekyll was quite at ease’ chapter Mr Utterson is different, he is much quieter and would prefer to be on his own. Another opposite that R.L Stevenson puts in the book is in the chapter ‘The Carew murder case’. At the beginning of the chapter the setting is peaceful. ‘The details were few and startling’ this portrays that it was a very still, open night with only beautiful features. It describes a maid looking out of her window into the pretty night. Her views on the night we’re very optimistic and loving. ‘ She was romantically given’ by saying this it puts across to the reader that the night is quiet which would make it easy to think and by saying ‘romantically given’ puts across that she has romantic view on life. The scene then changes drastically. Before the night was calm but all of a sudden it transforms, much like the transformation of Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde. The night turns dark when Mr Hyde enters the scene. It was like a presence of evil had come into the lane. ‘The horror of these sights and sounds’ this describes what the maid saw Mr Hyde doing to the old man. R.L Stevenson shows many opposites in the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. These help to keep the reader thinking and to surprise the reader.

Colonial Life in the 1700s Essay

When the English first settled in America, they had no intention of creating a new nation. They â€Å"continued to view themselves as Europeans, and as subjects of the kings. Some believed that if a nation were to arise from the English dominance in the New World, it would be identical to the English empire. However, between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, a different society from England emerged in the colonies. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structure illustrate this to the Europeans. By 1763, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. Popular dissenter, Roger Williams, having been banished from Massachusetts, bought land from Indians and founded a colony where other dissenters or â€Å"trouble-makers† found refuge. Rhode Island, then, became the most religiously tolerant colony followed by William Penn’s Pennsylvania, which offered generous agreements on land, and full religious liberty. These two colonies directly opposed the official, tax-supported Anglican Church of England from which Puritans had escaped in the inception of America. Later in the colonial timeline, a series of religious revivals–known as The Great Awakening–developed into the separation between church and state. The disagreements between the beliefs in the Awakening – increased the competition of American churches, which resulted in the refrainment of such topics in political debates for more serious arrangements without the interruption of religious opinions. English customs of an official religion and the king’s position as the head of the Anglican Church clearly differed from American views of religious tolerance and separation between interconnected political and religious ideas. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. During their early development, the colonies maintained an economic relationship with the English through the Navigation Acts, in which exchanges were to and from the empire only as enforced by King Charles II. This would ensure English triumph in mercantilism and maritime competition. Unfortunately for England, as the colonies’ population rose, the amount of imported products from Britain did not suffice and the American merchants began to trade with non-English countries. Eventually, they developed the influential capitalist system, in which the means of production are operated solely for profit. The English monarchy tried to prevent an economic depreciation in their dominion by reinforcing the Navigation Acts in the colonies; but their efforts resulted in Bacon’s Rebellion. Angry at Royal Governor Sir William Berkeley for his selfish high-taxing ways, Nathaniel Bacon and his followers burned Jamestown and the governor was removed. Thenceforth, England instructed Virginian governors to assure Virginia’s profit for the mother country. This new threat united Virginia’s gentry to combat governors’ efforts to raise royal economic dominance. Thus, America outgrew England’s mercantilism and established capitalism as its own economic system.

The Traps of the If-Then-Else Statement in Delphi Code

The Traps of the If-Then-Else Statement in Delphi Code In Delphi, the if statement is used to test for a condition and then execute sections of code based on whether that condition is True or False. A general if-then-else statement looks like this: if condition then true block else false block; Both the true block and the false block can either be a simple statement or a structured statement (surrounded with a begin-end pair). Example of a Nested If-Then-Else Statement Lets consider one example using nested if statements: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v What will be the value of Cation? Answer: Number is NEGATIVE! Did not expect that? Note that the compiler does not take your formatting into account, you could have written the above as: j : 50; if j 0 thenif j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v or even as (all in one line): j : 50; if j 0 then if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v The ; marks the end of a statement. The compiler will read the above statement as: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is 100!   Ã‚  else   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; or to be more precise: j : 50; if j 0 thenbegin   Ã‚  if j 100 then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is 100!   Ã‚  else   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; end; Our ELSE statement will be interpreted as a part of the inner IF statement. The inner statement is a closed statement and doesnt need a BEGIN..ELSE. How to Fix To make sure you know how your nested if statements are treated by the compiler, and to fix the above problem, you can write the initial version as: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100! elseelse   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; Uh! The ugly else ends the nested if line!? Does compile, does work! The best solution is: always use begin-end pairs with nested if statements: j : 50; if j 0 thenbegin   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!;endelsebegin   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; end Too much begin-end pairs for you? Better safe than sorry. Anyway, Code Templates are designed to add commonly used skeleton structures to your source code and then fill in. Article submitted by Marcus Junglas

Scared to Death Best Halloween Pranks to Try

Scared to Death Best Halloween Pranks to Try Halloween is the time of year when you start craving candy corn and the delicious sounds of your roommate’s screams. Instead of just giving out treats this year, consider some of these amazing tricks that are sure to lodge themselves in your friends’ memories (and nightmares) for years to come. Attack of the Killer Toilet Seat You know those snap fireworks that you used to get every year as a kid in the boxes of firecrackers? It seemed like they were only good for dropping on the ground and leaving tiny bombs of gunpowder all over your driveway. Not any more! If you live with a bunch of girls, there is nothing funnier than getting them where it really hurts – right in the toilet seat. How To Set It Up Get a handful of leftover snap fireworks from the 4th of July. Gently place them around the ring of the toilet bowl underneath the toilet seat supports. Then, carefully lower the toilet seat so that it rests on the fireworks but doesn’t set them off. Then, when your roommate needs to desperately use the bathroom, they’ll get the surprise of their lives. Zombie Pizza Is your roommate constantly eating your food? Well, its time to stop that. With just a little bit of effort, you can scare that stolen breakfast right out of their stomachs. How to Set It Up Get a handful of empty pizza boxes, about 7-10, and cut the centers out of the bottoms and tops except one. On one, cut out the bottom, but leave the box top attached. Stick them together (glue or duct tape) and leave the one with the whole top intact on top. Then, get a cheap card table, or a piece of thick cardboard that you can set up on top of some boxes. Cut a whole in that which will be covered by the boxes and that you can fit inside. Get a black sheet or tablecloth and cut a hole in that as well. This will cover up your legs. When you know your roommate will be coming home, set up the pizza â€Å"table† where he or she will see it. Leave a note saying that you got some pizzas for you to share. Then, when he opens the top box, pop out – preferably in full zombie makeup! Perhaps you will need to read this blog post on how to apply Halloween makeup. Flesh-Eating Slug Floor If you are living with someone who is a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs and creatures, this is the perfect prank for them. Not only will it guarantee a scream, but it will motivate them to clean the floors before they head to bed. How to Set It Up First, you need to psychologically set this prank up by gradually explaining that you’ve seen a type of slug (the â€Å"wherever you live† Flesh-Eating Round Slug) in the morning or at night surrounding the beds. You can even plant one somewhere in the house to really get into their heads. Once he or she finds that one, you’re ready to move to the next phase of the plan. Get a bag of grapes at the store and peel them. After your roommate goes to sleep, place the grapes on his or her floor. Then, scream. Watch the hilarity as your roommate wakes up and tries to find out what’s wrong – and walks into the Flesh-Eating Slug infestation! Bloody Shower If you think the shower scene in â€Å"Psycho† was scary, just wait until your roommate gets to play the leading role. The best part about this prank is that it’s easy to do, won’t harm your house, and will be completely unexpected. How to Set It Up Unscrew the top of your showerhead and fill it with old Easter Egg dye, KoolAid, or food coloring (as red as you can get it). Screw it back on and test out your chosen method to make sure the color and consistency is what you want. After you get the perfect color, set it up for real by screwing the shower head back on and wait for your roommate to come home from the gym or work. If you want to know more tricks, you should also consider these April Fools Day pranks for college. Though they are not related to Halloween, you can still use them to play pranks. Happy Halloween! Do you have some other prank ideas youd love to share? The comments below are here for you!

Alice in Wonderland (2010) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alice in Wonderland (2010) - Movie Review Example Tangled and highly dynamic plot creates a favorable medium for Tim Burton’s fantasy. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ combines literary traditions of English classics, surrealism, Burton’s fantastic style, and 3D animation. The animators strived to cover a broad target audience – little children, teenagers, youth, having-many-children families. As any high-quality commercial product it should meet requirements of the large audience. Besides, the film is the next lure for Johnny Depp admirers. As in his previous works, Tim Burton’s gothic and mystical style left its mark on the film. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is built up on the opposition of the worlds of goodness and evil. Deck of cards (Red Queen, Stayne) embody the world of evil and chess – the world of goodness (White Queen, Alice, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit). The same concept of contrast was applied in ‘Corpse Bride’, where the main hero simultaneously lived in two worlds. Positive heroes struggle against cruelty, aggression and injustice of the Red Queen’s court. This is Burton’s extraordinary 3D world, full of contrasts, bright colors and absurdity. Excellent performance of actors completes the picture. For example, Helena Bonham Carter’s performance in the movie is outstanding, because all the scenes where she is present with her funny appearance with a big head and heart shaped lipstick, it seems hard for the spectators to concentrate somewhere else.

New concept of Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

New concept of Marriage - Essay Example Marriages are different depending on the tradition and culture of the spouses and they are carried out differently. In most African and even Asian culture for example, the beginning of a marriage is the paying of the dowry to the bride’s parents as a token of appreciation essentially which is soon followed by a traditional wedding ceremony which can be solemnized later in church or not. The whites do not care so much about the issue of bride price or paying dowry and most do not even officially seek a formal hand in marriage from the bride’s side of the family. They simply move to the wedding part and the marriage soon begins. Research has verified this by indicating that in Africa, over 60% of marriages have dowry payment paid while in Europe and America, the figure is less than that and the majority are the African-Americans (Peterson and Bush 685). It is an open secret that the rate of divorce among the whites is way higher than it is among the Africans and Asians as indicated in the article in The Economist by its editor, (2011) which explains that divorce rate in Asia is only about 2per every 1000 while in America in 3.7 and in Britain 3.4 for every 1000. Others argue that this is because of the lack of a staunch tradition on the part of the spouses and especially in engaging the parents of the spouses in the affair. For the Africans for example, during the traditional marriage ceremony and preparations and before the bride or groom is handed over to their significant other, the family and especially the same sex parent has serious discussion with the bride or groom about what marriage entails and what will be expected of them in terms of fulfillment of roles and duties and how to engage in all these. These are called trading secrets of the ups and downs to expect and how to handle each and every one of them. By the time they are officially starting the marriage, each party is aware of the reality

Premature babies' medical care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Premature babies' medical care - Essay Example Additionally, it is also a decisive concern on who acts on the person's behalf if he/she is incompetent in order to protect his/her interests. It is stated clearly as one of the rights of patients that they have a right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law (Annas 1989). Despite the critical issue in medical law that surrounds the protection of interests on children and incompetent adults, the decisions as to the withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment is being settled on the discretion of the court provided that patient's incompetence has been clearly determine. Most of the problems and difficulties when working with very premature babies are related to practical problems of the management and medical treatment. This has created confusion between parents and the medical staff on their decision over the actions that have to be taken. Such a particular has been recurrent yet still has to be highlighted if we are to ensure that all babies can receive the best care and attention. Even though there have been great improvements in the care of babies, we've yet to find the best ways in managing these problems that may arise. According to Brazier and Lobjoit (1991), even though it is ideal to obtain consent of the parents prior to entering babies into a new study, there are some circumstances in neonatal care where it is very difficult and even almost unethical to try to obtain properly informed consent. In these circumstances if the doctors are always constrained to obtain consent this may either prevent a satisfactory study from taking place or bias the study, because not all the babies with a particular problem would be eligible and it may unnecessarily increase the parents' anxiety level. However, ethics still comes out as the guiding principle. It would be unethical in trying to answer a relevant problem without consent as much as conducting what one considers to be an inadequate study or the obviously dishonorable way of never conducting the study so that no one knows the right way to cope with that particular problem. Brazier and Lobjoit (1991) make a final point that informed consent is as important in neonatal studies as in any other situation. On the other hand there are circumstances when the most ethical thing to do is to conduct the study without asking for the parent's consent due to the nature of the problems encountered both in terms of the care of the baby and the parents. Medical Ethics on Children As much as caring with premature babies, infants and children draw up concerns that ought somebody to be particularly careful (WMA 1989). The MRC (1964) suggest strict rules to be followed by hospitals in dealing with children. The council suggested that one cannot undertake research on children that is not directly intended to benefit those children. And in 1973, the RCP (1973) permits the non-therapeutic research as an exemption and could be conducted if those procedures brought about negligible risk or discomfort. However, the guidelines failed to define what is meant by "negligible. It was the BPA guidelines in 1980 that lays out particular consideration in non-therapeutic research on children. They suggest the consideration of an examination of the degree of benefit which might result. One particular example given

Different types of tourism destinations

Different types of tourism destinations Introduction This report is going to look at the key appeal factors of France, USA, Spain and China. It will identify different types of tourism destinations and look at arrivals statistics to these countries. According to UNWTO (2008) in the Worlds Top Tourism Destinations 2008 first four places by international tourism arrivals were occupied by France, Spain, USA and China. First of all this report will identify the meaning of travel destination and tourist destination. A travel destination is the end point of the journey (Marvell and Hayward 2005). People travel to a destination for a variety of reasons, including holidays, business and visiting friends and relatives. A tourist destination combines travel with facilities and attractions that appeal to tourists (Marvell and Hayward 2005). There are many different types of tourist destinations; however this report will discuss coastal, urban and rural tourism and give examples of places that appeal to the destination. Main part Coastal tourism Coastal destination usually associated with the image of seaside resort. Holloway (2006) pointed that it is the most popular appeal of a destination. The attractiveness of the seaside resort is the combination of sun, sea and sand. Page et al. (2001) stated that it remains one of the most significant types of holiday in the world. The Spanish Costas are found along the southern coastline, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Spain has many resort areas: Costa Blanca, Costa Almeria and Costa del Sol. While some of the Costa names may not be familiar, the resort of Benidorm is well known. Benidorm is the most popular resort in the Costa Blanca. According to Dale et al. (2006) resort attracts approximately five million visitors each year. Tourists are attracted by its wide sandy beaches and warm climate with average summer temperature around 30oC. The beaches are gently sloping and the water is warm and clear, making the sea safe for adults and children. Behind the sandy beaches are many high-rise hotels with plenty of nightclubs, bars, restaurants and casinos. There are places in France which are as popular as Spanish Costas. One of the famous seaside areas in France is the place called Cote dAzur which is famous for its resort Nice. It is a capital of French Riviera situated on the Mediterranean coast. According to Williams and Le Nevez (2007) Nice is well-known holiday destination on the Cote dAzur. Williams and Le Nevez (2007) in addition pointed that resort attracts visitors to take a delight in its beautiful beaches and warm climate. Tourists enjoy dining at the restaurants located along the French seaside. Appetizing seafood and delicious wines can be enjoyed at many seaside restaurants in this Mediterranean city. Nice has something for everyone: a medieval old town and other grand architectural monuments; a wide selection of museums; lots of bars and restaurants of all standard and type; the fine Mediterranean climate; and of course easy access to beaches. Besides, America is very famous for its beaches too. According to Fry (2008) places like Florida or California, or even further to Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are popular tourists destinations. According to Fry (2008) Florida is well-known for its famous Florida Keys and the resort of Key Largo. The Keys are long, low islands at the south of Florida. This place has many beaches and blue waters that are popular with divers. The Keys are also famous for swim with dolphins. Urban tourism Urban tourism is another type of tourist destination. Holloway (2006) stated that towns and cities attract many tourists by growing interest in cultural activities for example visits to museums and art galleries, leisure activities like shopping, and entertainment to sports. There are many different towns in France, Spain, USA and China which are famous for its rich culture and heritage, delicious food and designer shops. Holloway (2006) says that Paris in France, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain are popular destinations where tourists arrive for city holidays. They combine all the factors for a good stay: high quality hotels and restaurants, fine museums, outstanding architecture, festivals and many beautiful eye-catching shops. According to UNWTO (2008) Spain ranked on the third place in terms of arrivals-57, 3% in 2008, with France continued to lead the ranking of the worlds major tourism destinations in terms of arrivals-79, 3% in 2008. The French capital Paris has a reputation as a very charming and romantic city with popular attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, Notre-Dame and Arc de Triomphe. According to Law (1996) there are approximately 800 festivals held annually in France. The theme varies, but amongst well-known is festival related to the cinema-Cannes. Law (1996) stated that attractiveness of the Paris is incomparable and millions of tourists come here to admire the elegant beauty of the city, enjoy its rich cuisine and certainly exclusive shopping. Law (1996) also says that Barcelona is a very amazing town too, known for its rich culture, architecture and unforgettable beauty. On city break in Barcelona tourists will enjoy museums, statues on the streets, delicious Spanish food and famous boutiques. According to Holloway (2006) cities like New York in USA and Shanghai in China are popular tourist destinations for shopping. By UNWTO (2008) the USA is ranked second in arrivals-58, 0% in 2008 and China held onto their 2007 position in terms of arrivals and ranking fourth-53, 0% in 2008. As an example, according to Zhang et al. (2005) China is the worlds factory where can be found just about anything. Chinas biggest city is Shanghai. Zhang et al. (2005) says that it has a status of cosmopolitan centre of design. Shanghai is a fantastic shopping destination. Shopping here is simple and suitable for all type of tourists. Shanghai has a range of shops from roadside and boutique shops to the busy shopping centres where different types of goods and clothes can be bought. And finally, New York undoubtedly has a lot to offer to its visitors. New York has many attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, museums and Central Park. And also its well-known for shopping. The Fifth Avenue offers a range of fashionable shops. Broadway offers entertainment in the evening and the range of nightlife. Rural tourism And the final type of tourist destination is countryside. The combination of lakes and mountains attract different markets. Leisure visitors enjoy the scenery, while more active tourist enjoys climbing in summer, and do winter sports at other times. According to Andalucà ­a website (2009) Spanish countryside will give a chance to enjoy the peaceful and calming environment of old-fashioned villages. There is a large variety of accommodations like cottages, farmhouses and mansions. It will offer to visitors a variety of activities like, walking and trekking, horse riding, cycling and mountain bicycling, bird watching and camping. Andalucà ­a for example is the best place for camping, mountain bicycling and horse riding. It offers almost a year-round sunshine and wide natural environment. French Alps on the other side are very popular to active-minded tourists like skiers and snowboarders. According to Collins (2004) the Alps has more than 200 resorts and one of the famous is Chamonix. Chamonix is an alpine town which a best place for ski lovers. Collins (2004) says that sky-scraping mountains, majestic ice falls and glaciers will make everyones journey memorable.

Prejudice and Racism in Canada :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Racism in Canada "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character" (Martin Luther King Jr.) Ku Klux Klan. Neo Nazis. The Aryan Nations. The American Nazi Party. What are these groups? Why are they present in a land of supposed equality of all men? They are there because there are millions of Americans that believe in their message of white pride. The African American population is growing and Americans are now a mixed group of people. Black people are white people's neighbours, doctors, friends. With a growing unity between the two races, why does racism continue? The answer is simple. Racists from many years ago raise their kids in clans and white supremacy groups and teach them the ways of hatred. These kids grow up "brain-washed" that black people are their enemies and, taught by example, will continue this trend (The Volume Library; 1988). The Ku Klux Klan has been around since the end of the civil war. It is a roller coaster of a history. From extreme power, to rapid decline, and slow reemergence (Software Toolworks Encyclopedia; 1992). The clan, who is notorious for its violence, has a relatively innocent beginning. It was formed from some veterans from the confederate army and was first called the Kuklos Clan which, in Greek, meant Circle Clan. One person thought it would be a good idea to call it the "Ku Klux Klan" as a parody of the fraternity names which always had three Greek alphabet letters in it. They created the Clan to be mischievous and to do it without anyone knowing who they were which accounts for their costumes and masks. They, like most whites, were upset that the black people were free because black people were a constant reminder of the bitter defeat of the South. So to have fun they terrorized black people. Eventually the group grew, fluctuating, but grew to become the first white supremacy group in America and with that growth, their hatred grew as well into what was seen in the early and middle 1900's and what is seen today. Along with the KKK, other anti-black, pro-white groups formed and stemmed out all over the U.S.A. The Neo Nazis who are more commonly know by the term "Skin Heads", are a growing force in hate groups. There hatred of Hispanics, Jews, Blacks, and others are now the fastest growing force in

Metrics

The constant expansion in the services industry, particularly in hotel and restaurant management, had brought managers and business owners whose specialty is providing service-oriented fields to acquire practical and depth understanding about the industry. Dominantly in the business industry, providing reliable and customer-friendly services, is of high concern to provide both customers and organizations expectations mutually. And still growing, further sophisticated technical supervision must be practiced to excel and gain in the competition. Innovation is the key focus to excel in the industry.Utilizing service management for proper handling and delivery of services is the aspect which the services industry must set a priority in their areas of concern for promotion and company’s growth – including industries in health care, caterers, manufacturers and suppliers, tourism and financial services.Organizations must set the difference between the idea of customer satisfac tion and service of quality rendered to clients. Although sometimes considered ambiguous, a specific label is required that will detach these important entities with regards in providing services of which supposed as one. Both are correlated in terms of industrial needs but different. Customers may vary on every organization to which they provide their products, be of services or goods, by some mechanism acceptable in the industry’s marketplace. Of course, getting through the competition in the market is another endeavor which organization needs focus.Customer satisfaction is a business term which is used to capture the idea of measuring how satisfied an enterprise's customers are with the organization's efforts in a marketplace (Wikipedia, 2006). Once customer’s expectations are exceeded, the organization will attain high levels of customer satisfaction and will create â€Å"customer delight.†Ã‚   This implies that organization must possess the ability to fulfi ll the consumers’ needs through business, emotional and psychological aspects.The interaction between the service provider and the recipient, which are the customers, must not be in idle to properly measure the level of satisfaction. Proper attitude in dealing with varied customers should be considered; knowing their attitudes, feedbacks or commendations can contribute in determining the organization’s marketing strategies. Basically, organizations aim is to retain customers in patronizing their services offered and the target of increasing the number of loyal customers and eventually increasing the organization’s revenues.Although customer satisfaction may vary from customer-to-customer, it is important to consider that physical and psychological characteristics which play a very important factor in measuring the degree where customers satisfy with the organization’s services. Comparatively speaking, the customer’s expectation can be evaluated wit h the customer’s experience prior relevant to the services the organization delivers. Organization must take into account that satisfaction is not quantitatively measured since it is more of a psychological aspect; it is more of the qualitative. And, service of quality will be now measured.Commonly, customers define ‘quality’ as they are met by their perception and experience. This is the degree or level of customer’s satisfaction with the services or products an organization offers dependently to the environment and the kind of service given. It is difficult to conform to the expectations of the customers needs with the level they require with regards to efficiency, quality, flexibility, and dependability to the services delivered.To achieve this, Total Quality Management (TQM) is applied. TQM is management philosophy committed to a focus on continuous improvements of product and services with the involvement of the entire workforce. This principle is a l ong-term process to sustain business excellence and the comprehensively and continuously involvement of all organization functions. Through this method, organization can now have the adequate knowledge where the mistake has been made and will consider as factors. These factors are then submitted into variety of measurements, commonly the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) and Attribution Based Method (ABM).Critical Incident Technique (CIT) is used for collecting direct observation from customers’ experience in relation to the services or products the organization provides. This is a flexible method which relies on determining and reviewing the collected information from the participants. Data are then submitted for fact finding to determine the issues encountered. Evaluation is followed to find solutions and resolve the raised issues to cause no further problem. The foundation of this technique was laid by the studies of Sir Francis Galton (circa 1930). This method can also av oid the stereotype opinions about the organization.This technique is more of academic since it use the qualitative research method.   Identifying atypical events that may be missed by other methods can be eliminated using this technique. Also, this is expensive and provides rich information needed for fact-finding related to the issues. Disadvantage to this is that the information collected relies mostly on memory; events may be inaccurate or may even go unreported.Attribution Base Methods (ATM) focuses on risk and performance with a direct focus on standards of service. Using this methods, organization conceptualize the service or product must remain of standard or of higher level. Aiming to retain loyal customers and bringing a number in, suggest that regular raise of standards is made to meet different expectation level amongst customers. Organization intends to have the quality of excelling; possessing good merits in high degree.Some organization uses the customer satisfaction survey procedure. This is an efficient and easiest way to measure service quality which may be viewed as facile. Obtaining customers’ feedback helps ensure business is meeting the needs of customers and giving insights on which aspects needs improvement where changes should be made to increase customers’ overall satisfaction with regards to quality service. Lack of gathered details during the survey may cause some problems in measuring the relation of problems to the factors involved.SERVQUAL (Service Quality), derived from LODGSERV, is a method developed by Valarie A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman, and Leonard L. Berry. This technique is used in achieving gap analysis in an organization to gauge its service quality construct performance against customer service quality needs. Basically, this method is used to improve service quality when faults are detected to the service or product customer receives. Using this method demands to show the discrepancy between customer†™s expectation and customer’s perception, both must be answered to measure the customer’s attitude towards a service offered.This methodology comprises 5 key dimensions; tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. In the hospitality industry, it is necessary to do a qualitative study. In healthcare, SERVQUAL is used in determining issues between management, staff and the services offered to solve practical problems. This may be considered as an academic method as it uses professional surveys. Additionally, this provides assessment with the desired and actual performance; maximize service quality whilst costs are controlled. Comment box or card and survey questions can be used, usually present in most establishments especially in hotel rooms, restaurants and other servicing field.The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) program can also be used to measure quality assurance. Particularly, ISO 9000 family offers organizations with qual ity assurance seeking advantage through the implementation of a quality management system. The common notion of customer to an organization (like hotels, clinics, medical institution and the related) which acquired an ISO certification equally delivers their desired service quality – expectation and the confidence of customer are at high degree. With that, the service industry is determined to subscribe ISO service to obtain the certification. Similar to ISO, EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) was developed aiming service quality excellence driving organizations to be more competitive.There are many approaches in achieving sustainable excellence in all aspects of performance. Both deliver practical analysis to organizations seeking assessment with regards to their level of excellence to carry customer’s wants and expectations. Bearing the positive impact to potential customers, the organization must maintain their excellence or even increase service qual ity.Still at high priority, Total Quality Management (TQM), assist organizations to sustain customer’s quality satisfaction. The management and employees must be involved in the continuous development of products and services offered. Combining quality and management methods, TQM remains a necessary tool for organizations in achieving aims of increasing business and minimizing loss. Continuous improvement must deal not only with improving results, but more importantly with improving capabilities to produce better results in the future.Examining the various methodologies discussed may seem analogous. Their main purpose is to help organization attain the aim of delivering excellent services and products with proper management. In the hostility industry, it is advisable to know the expectations and needs of customer to retain loyal customers and attract prospect clients due to the industry’s high competition. Relevant information gathered is essential for quality analysis to achieve excellence in the services offered. Every department in the organization plays an important role for the continuous development and seizing in the boost of hostility market.Although some may say it is academic or facile, the important thing here is to deliver the needs and customer satisfaction. The mentioned methods or techniques can be applied differently on various industry; dependent on the level of issues and technical problems. Furthermore, to close gaps amongst customer-provider relation, service industry should focus to be more customer-oriented. Hence, service industry requires continues progress. This venture may be difficult, comprehensive, and a long-term process in maintaining the commitment of excellent service management.List of ReferencesParasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994). Alternative scales for measuring service quality: A comparative assessment based on psychometric and diagnostic criteria. Journal of Marketing, 70 (3) Fall, 201-230.Wikipedia. (200 6). Customer Satisfaction. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from the  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wikipedia Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction.Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perception and Expectations. The Free Press.Parasuraman, A.; Berry, L. L.; Zeithaml, V. A. (1988), SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing, , 64, 12-40.Stephen, H. (1991). Why Quality Circles failed but Total Quality management might succeed.   British Journal of Industrial Relations, 29(4), 541-568.Anderson, Kristin & Kerr, Carol (2002). Customer Relationship Management.Berry, Leonard L; Parasuraman, A; Zeithaml, Valarie; Adsit, Dennis (1994). Improving service quality in America: Lessons learned; Executive commentary. The Academy of Management Executive. May.  Favell, Andy (2002). Opinion Sites Offer Guidance To E-Commerce Consumers. The Wall Street Journal.

Google Prediction Markets

Part I: Briefly evaluate how Google’s Prediction Markets have worked to date. To what extent have the markets been successful or unsuccessful? 250 When the five Googlers got together to start with this project, their main objective was to launch an internal prediction market and test if crowds would make more accurate predictions than individuals’. To determine if this project was a success or not we need to determine our parameters of success. Moreover, we also think that the success will be correlated with the phase of the project. From the case we can see that this project is still going through its first steps, despite the system has been running for seven quarters. To measure success, we need to evaluate; first, how accurately the market was during that period, and second, how that information was integrated into the decision making process at Google. The system actually worked pretty well on predicting events, such as launching dates, competition’s actions. There are some structural constraints for e.g. no money exchanged, lack of participation, lack of diversity, etc. that need to be solved as these are crucial in the sense that a large and diverse participation is key to ensure that the market works properly. Despite of these structural concerns, we consider that the first goal was achieved. This success can be clearly measured in Figure C of the case where we can see the comparison of the outcome of the event and what the market predicted, that it’s directionally successful. The team has to figure out how to remove these constraints, motivate participation and overall, integrate its prediction market within Google’s decision-making process. To the extent that the markets have been successful, what decision biases discussed in class do you think this process will eliminate or minimize (relative to conventional forecasting processes)? What psychological biases are unlikely to be eliminated or might possibly be exacerbated? 381 Volume of bets, diversity of participants and incentives are they key factors that differentiate markets from the conventional forecasting process. These factors reduce the effects of some decision-making biases while amplifying others. Availability of information. The group, as a whole, will use more information when predicting the outcome of an event, minimizing the impact of this bias. Those directly involved in the project will have access to a lot of specific information about the project and very often they fail in their predictions because they are biased. They underestimate or ignore the impact of the information they lack. Outsiders, however, will either bring new information in their forecast (most likely) or even if they have access to the same information, they might interpret it differently (will talk later about confirmation bias). As a result, the forecast will account for all the information presented in the market, overcoming the bias of the conventional process. Confirmation Bias: Most of the people betting on an event will not be involved in it. Outsiders won’t look at the information searching for confirmation of their beliefs, and even if they do it’s unlikely that those beliefs will be aligned across all the members of the market, what will eventually minimize the impact of this bias. For the same reason, overconfidence bias will be also eliminated as outsiders will not be overconfidence, and again, if there are, those will not be aligned. (Reference: Dolores Haze's assessment of the value of GPM). Likewise persistent of incorrect beliefs will be also eliminated. Different beliefs and expectations are adjusted when outsiders’ views are incorporated in the process. However, there are some biases that will not be eliminated. Those are, Framing the outcome. Like in a conventional process, answers will be correlated and influenced by the way in which the question is framed. However, it’s still possible that this effect will be somehow minimized. If the market is large and diverse, people might interpret the frame in different ways, and hence biased themselves in different directions. Endorsement effect. By default, the decision makers will tend to continue with what they are actually doing (if the market is not diverse enough this bias cannot be corrected, if everyone asked is in Goggle then they might be influenced by this type of bias). Under what conditions are prediction markets most likely to perform relatively well and relatively poorly? 417 Efficient functioning of prediction markets, within the context of a corporation like Google, would depend on the following three aspects: a) Volume of participants: By the nature of market-based decision-making, we would need large and diverse set of participants. Larger participation set will eliminate various biases discussed earlier. Liquidity (ability to trade) will allow participants to calibrate their bets and decisions based on new information. b) Diversity: Diversity of thought, perspective and motives within the participation set is also very important for prediction markets. Google should encourage participation from different geographies, different teams, varied level of seniority and demographics. This will create a market where participants interpret information and signals in different ways so that the collective action normalizes for any bias. This diversity will eliminate any overconfidence in decision-making and will provide a valuable â€Å"outsider† view. The issue of diversity is quite important in closed markets (e.g. Google). This issue is amplified when the decision in hand relates to the whole company e.g. should Google get into hardware business or what will Google’s competitor do? The market as a whole might be overconfident in these situations. Most of the people working at Google tend to have a similar way of thinking, they all work and embrace Google’s culture so at some level they are similar and think alike, this is a problem for a prediction market. c) Alignment of Incentives: Volume and diversity are certainly necessary conditions for proper functioning of markets. However, it’s the intent of participation that would dictate the success. All participants should act rationally and make the best risk-adjusted bets. In corporate settings, issues like team dynamics, chances of promotion, personal relationships etc can come in the way of rational bets. The incentives to participate should not interfere with the actual decision-making. Incentives can be aligned with monetary gains, reputation, accomplishments or other non-monetary rewards. And this alignment should be dictated by how a corporate is planning to use markets. Markets have to strike a balance between confidentiality and transparency. d) Transparency: Finally we think that is really important that the market is transparent and confidential. All of the members need to have the guarantee that their positions are not reveled unless they want to do so. For example if a market opens to determine if a project is going to meet a certain dead line and I think that it will not make it, but the project manager is a friend of mine then I need my position to remain confidential. Part II: How would you use prediction markets to make better decisions at Google? Make sure that you address the risks and challenges of replacing more conventional forecasting processes with prediction markets. Also, discuss how you would modify how prediction markets have been used so far. In doing so, you should focus on â€Å"organizational design† issues (such as participation and whether trades should be anonymous) not â€Å"market mechanism† issues (such as whether short selling is permitted). Note: This analysis should build on but not repeat what was written in Part I. Words: 807 In order to use prediction markets help better decision, Google (or any organization) has to take the following steps: a. Test and prove that markets lead to better decisions within the context of decisions that their managers make b. Facilitate the creation of efficient prediction markets with right incentives c. Educate the decision makers about markets and integrate markets with organization Google should follow a phased approach. Transition Phase: During this phase, Google should set up the markets, encourage participation and rigorously test if prediction markets lead to better decisions. There should be a control sample of managers who are not given access to prediction markets in any way and a test sample who are encouraged to refer to prediction markets (although the final decision would remain in the hands of the manager). The final decisions and the actual result should be tracked.