Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The bottled drinking water industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
The bottled drinking water industry - Essay Example Qualitative measures are to be given utmost importance as it will maintain good health and prevent us from deadly diseases. The awareness about the good quality water became significant for last two decades due to information technology and hence people started preferring bottled drinking water. There are several types of bottled water available in the world (FN2). 1) Purified drinking water 2) Naturally sparkling water 3) Mineral water 4) seltzer 5) Mineral water etc. mineral water contains dissolved solids like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and bicarbonates. (a) In general the consumer surveys revealed that the taste of bottled water is fine compared to that of tap water. It is due to the fact that the disinfectant used for bottled water i.e. ozone doesn't leave any residue or smell. In case of tap water residue will be left by chlorine (disinfectant). As a result 54 % of the American population is found to be consuming bottled drinking water and the it is reported that the consumption of bottled water became tripled in the last decade in U.S.A. Bottled-water consumption has also increased around the world in the past 30 years. It is estimated to be worth $22 billion, the world bottled-water market represents an annual volume of 89 billion liters. It is reported that Western Europeans are the world's major bottled water consumers-85 liters per person annually (FN4). Concern over regulations of bottled drinking water: However there has been growing concern over safety regulations of bottled drinking water in the recent days. Hence here is a need to analyze the present level of regulations, its adequacy and relevance, organization controlling regulations and information provided to the customers relating to critical health contaminants and source of water supply. Let us discuss one by one. (1) What is the present level of regulation for bottled drinking water Presently the bottled drinking water is regulated by FDA (Food and Drug Administration). FDA regulates this product under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA or the Act) and several sections of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Bottled water quality standards were initially adopted in 1973 and were based on the 1962 U.S. Public Health Service standards for drinking water. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act gave the responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency for ensuring the safety of municipal water systems, which includes setting maximum limits for chemical, bacteriological and radioactive contaminants and physical contaminants that affect odor, taste and color. In
Monday, October 28, 2019
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Essay Example for Free
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Essay Purpose Statement: This speech has a primary goal of educating the audience and to give a better understanding of what breast cancer is and how it can be treated with detection by a vast variety of methods. It will also give better understanding that not only women but men also are susceptible to breast cancer. Introduction I. Attention: There are a number of researches done about breast and ovarian cancer. Breast cancer is the second largest cause of death in women. Ovarian cancer is the fourth largest cause of death in women, but there isnââ¬â¢t a lot of attention brought to the public by the media. There needs to be more awareness about these types of cancers for better education. II. Relevance: Everyone will be affected by cancer sometime in their life either directly or indirectly. Getting people the knowledge and information might help save a life. III. Thesis: Being tested and self-exams are the most proactive ways to catch it early to prevent death. IV. Preview: I will tell you the causes of breast and ovarian cancer. I will also tell you information about genetic testing. [Transition: Let me first tell you what cancer is.] Body I. What is cancer? What is breast and ovarian cancer? A. Cancer is a cell that because immortal due to the loss of signal to die as the immortal cell continues to grow it splits its self and continues to duplicate this process until a mass is formed large enough to be felt or see in a scan. 1. Breast cancer an immortal cell that is located in the breast tissue, not only in women but men also. 2. Ovarian cancer is an immortal cell located in the ovarian tissue and the fallopian tubes. B. Approximately 2 million women in the United States have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer and there was a reported 40,000 that lost their lives due to breast cancer in 2009 alone according to the Journal of Cell Tissue Research. C. Approximately 23,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are reported a year and approximately 15,000 will die a year according to the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. D. Approximately less than 1% of breast cancer occurs in men. [Transition: Now that we have talked about what breast cancer is, letââ¬â¢s talk about what age it could develop.] II. What age is breast and ovarian cancer usually developed? A. The average age for breast cancer is over 50 and the average age for ovarian cancer is 65 or older. B. If you have a strong history of these cancers in your family there is a chance that you could test positive for a genetic mutation gene. 1. A genetic mutation gene is a gene that is passed from family member to family member; There are two types of these genes and one is called BRACA Braca 1 is a mutation for breast cancer, which brings the percentage to a higher rate of getting the disease and getting it at a much younger age for men and women. 2. The other gene is called BRACA 2. Braca 2 is a mutation for breast and ovarian cancer, which means not only is there higher risk of getting breast cancer but ovarian cancer also at a much younger age and for men this gene presents its self in the form of breast cancer and prostate cancer. [Transition: Now that we know the age cancer could develop letââ¬â¢s talk about prevention.] III. What are the preventions for breast and ovarian cancers? A. The first prevention you can do is communication; Talking to your family and children lets them know what the family history is and what to be aware of in the future. B. The second prevention is screening by the doctor on a regular basis and self-exams. C. The third is to get tested for the mutation gene if there is a strong family history. 1. If you test positive for the BRACA 1 gene you can lower the percentage of having breast cancer quite a bit by having a bilateral mastectomy. 2. If you test positive for the BRACA 2 gene you can bring the percentage for having breast and ovarian cancer quite a bit lower by not only having a bilateral mastectomy but also a hysterectomy. [Transition: Now that we understand what breast cancer is, when it could develop and how we can help prevent letââ¬â¢s move on to the conclusion.] Conclusion I. Summary: With all of the information that I have given, we now know not only what cancer is but what breast and ovarian cancer is. We also know that men can get it same as women and instead of ovarian cancer it presents its self as prostate cancer. We now know what age to be thinking about it, and we also know good ways to prevent from getting it. It is not a guarantee that you will not get these types of cancers if you follow these prevention methods but it does bring your chances way down and brings the survival rate up. II. Restated Thesis: Being tested and self-exams are the most effective way to catch it early to prevent death. III. Call to action: Talking is the best way for prevention the more you and your family know the better off everyone is. I encourage you to ask questions and be informed about your family history not only because of these cancers but other health risks also. V. Closing Statement: At the beginning of the speech I spoke about the number of researches done about breast and ovarian cancer and breast cancer being the second largest cause of death in women, and ovarian cancer being the fourth largest cause of death in women, but there not being a lot of information about ovarian cancer in the news or on TV. We desperately need to get the awareness out there to educate people. Knowledge is power.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Divorce In The United States :: essays research papers
As we have come closer to the end of the millennium, it is been easier to obtain an escape from a broken marriage. There have been many laws concerning divorce enforced in the United States that allow a quicker processing time. These laws, often referred to as “no-fault';, grant a divorce to a couple even if only one spouse applies for it. Marriages can be dissolved easily and for little or no reason. Laws including this no-fault policy should definitely not be enforced. The no-fault attitude towards divorce encourages casual actions in marriages. Studies show that divorce rates have increased 15-25 percent as a result of the no fault divorce laws. Making it easier for divorces to occur can decrease the quality of a marriage. In general all marriages go through bleak times making one partner often think about solace through divorce. Instead of working through the problems in a healthy manner, divorce through the no fault laws are quickly utilized to provide escape. The breakdown of a family can have many repercussions on the individual members with the least involvement. The children involved in a divorce are often times the most impacted victims of a divorce. Children with divorced parents are often left feeling neglected by the parent that has chosen to move out, unloved, and often times burdened with feelings of guilt. The poverty rates of single parented households are alarmingly high, and are often the result of divorce. With all these factors added together, divorce is a dangerous and scarring event in a child’s psyche. Recently, with the no-fault laws, it has been easier to dissolve a marriage for any reason or for no reason at all. In the past, divorces as well as marriages had to occur as an agreement or as a contract of responsibility. Through the no-fault laws, however, marriages can be dissolved by the wishes of only one spouse. Many believe that courts should treat marriages as any other contract and thus a divorce should be considered a breach of a legal agreement. If courts treated business contracts as they treated marriages, and systematically favored the party that wished to withdraw, the direct result would be the collapse or decline in the economy. In conclusion, the lax no-fault laws concerning divorce in our country are contributing to the moral decay of our society and should not be enforced.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Grapes of Wrath - Questions and Answers :: The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
Grapes Of Wrath: Questions and Answers What are the chief reasons for the mass migration to California? Ã I think that the chief reasons for the mass migration to California where based on a few different reasons. The first reason was because everyone was poor. They didn't have enough money to have the most basic necessities in life. They would even go to such lengths as to steal a neighbors house. No body was happy living in Oklahoma. They all had such hard lives that no one had time to do what they wanted to do. It was farm from sun up to sun down. That is what everyone did, and they didn't even get that much compensation for all the devotion that they put into their work day, after day, after day. If I worked at something for twelve hours a day, and just made hardly enough money to keep living, I would get quite frustrated and not be very happy at all. Ã Another reason that people moved to California was so they could move on to a better place. Living in Oklahoma, really wasn't all that good for the Joad's. They couldn't be very happy at what they had. They where a very proud family and wanted to get away and show everyone that they could do some good in this world for themselves. Ã Who are the members of the Joad family unit that set out for California? Briefly state what happens to each of them. Ã Ma, Pa, Ruth, Winfield, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharron all where in the barn. Rose of Sharron was breast feeding a old man, after her baby died. I think she was doing it for personal pleasures. I don't think that she was sincere about the feeling to prolong the mans life. She was always selfish, and I still think she was at the end. I don't blame Connie for leaving her. Al left with his fiancee named Aggie, to start a new life with her. Tom left to become another Jim Casey. He knew what the power of groups could do, the listed to Jim, and knew that he could make a difference. Grandpa died, of natural causes, and they buried him in a field, tore a page out of the Bible and wrote how he wasn't killed, and he died of natural causes.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
My Grandma’s House
When I was younger, I lived in my Grandmotherââ¬â¢s house in a small village. The house is over 130 years old now and is still standing although my Grandmother doesnââ¬â¢t live there anymore. As I drive by Iââ¬â¢m reminded of all the memories in that house. The house is white with a tan coloured trim and 2 stories high with a wrap-around, screened in porch. The parking is at the right side of the house and you walk around to the front, on a walkway that is lined with pretty yellow flowers. Entering the house through a light wooden door with a large window, you will first see the porch, with a fainting couch to the left of the door and a coat rack to the right. There is an aluminum screen door and a French door that you have to go through to get to the main living area, which is the dining room. It has a nice large wooden table and matching chairs that one of my uncleââ¬â¢s made in the centre of the room and a wood stove to the left, which is used as a second source of heat during the winter. The dining room has a living room off to the right with well-worn, but comfortable furniture in it and a television unit with a small TV, there is a large piano to the right of the door which no one learned to play and many plants placed around the room. Going back out into the dining room right next to the living room is a narrow hallway leading to a bathroom. Next to the bathroom is the stairs leading to the second floor where the 3 bedrooms are located. When you walk into the dining room, you can also keep walking straight into a large open kitchen, which was also used to place another table end to end with the wooden one, for when we had company. There was a pantry to the right and another door to lead out to the back of the house and the basement. Then moving to the left, there was the refrigerator, a large counter with a huge sink, more counters and cupboards going around to the far wall, and finally the stove. Moving to the door to go outside you will see a huge back yard with a shed in the back for storage of a lawnmower and summertime furniture. The yard has a fence at the back leading down to a creek, which I used to climb over and catch frogs, crayfish and salamanders with my friends.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Act 2 of Reasons to Be Pretty
Act 2 of Reasons to Be Pretty Reasons to Be Pretty is a hard-edged comedy written by Neil LaBute. It is the third and final installment of a trilogy. The trio of plays (which also include The Shape of Things and Fat Pig) are connected not by characters or plot but by the recurring theme of body image within American society. Reasons to Be Pretty premiered on Broadway in 2008. It was nominated for three Tony Awards (Best Play, Best Leading Actress, and Best Leading Actor). The following is a summary and analysis of the events in Act Two. Read the synopsis and character outline of Act One. Scene One - After the Break Up Act Two of Reasons to Be Pretty begins in the lobby of a restaurant. Steph and Greg unexpectedly encounter each other. Steph is on a date, and the former couple awkwardly make small talk, attempting to be pleasant. The conversation segues to nostalgia for their good times together, which then transitions into the familiar argument about body image and their break up. She smacks him, then just as suddenly tries to apologize. However, Greg has had enough. He tells her that her date will eventually hurt her feelings too, and that he wont be there to help her. Somehow, they cool down and wish each other well on their lives without one another. Scene Two Carly visits Greg (who is yet again reading some classic literature). He comments that has not seen Kent lately. After trying to flatter him, Carly then wants to ask him an important question about Kent. Before the question, Carly reveals that she is three months pregnant. She suspects that Kent is cheating on her. At first, Greg contends that he does not believe that Kent is unfaithful. Carly continues to pressure him, asking Greg to look her in the eye and say he doesnt know anything. She asks if Greg was out with Kent and girls, but Greg lies and says that it was just guys from work. This relieves Carly for the time being. She tells him: I dont know why God made it so hard for us to trust you guys but he did, and it sucks. Scene Three Greg and Kent prepare for work-related softball game. Kent says that he expects Carly to hit the gym the day after the baby is born. He thanks Greg for covering up his affair, and begins to recount his recent sexual exploits with Crystal, the hot girl from the office. Greg tries to explain that he no longer lie about Kents affair. This irks Kent, who feels that Greg is being judgmental. He repeatedly calls Greg a pussy. Greg tries to get the upper hand, hinting that he might tell Carly the truth, but Kent believes that he is bluffing. He claims that Greg would never tell because he is afraid of people disliking him. Kent bullies him, wrestles him to the ground, and then calls his ex-girlfriend ugly. Greg finally stands up to Kent, not just because he is obnoxious, not just because he is an adulterer, and not just because of his comments about Steph. Before he beats Kent up, Greg explains that he is doing it Because you need it, okay? For who you are and what you have done, and for all the sh*t you will no doubt perpetrate for the rest of your life. After over-powering his ex-friend, Greg leaves Kent, who fumes in rage. Scene Four Carly and Greg are hanging out in the break room. She chats about her pregnancy. In hopes of showing Carly the truth about her husband, Greg strongly suggests that she takes the evening off and go home to her husband. She follows his advice. Although we never see the confrontation between Carly and Kent, it is implied that Carly will discover the truth about her husbands affair, and will move onto a new chapter in her life. Immediately after Carly leaves, Stephanie stops by to share the news: she is engaged to be married. Steph has become a manager at her hair salon. Greg has plans to go to college, realizing that he doesnt want to work at a warehouse for the rest of his life. Steph admits that she cannot stop thinking about Greg, yet at the same time believes that she will be much happier with her soon-to-be husband. Greg apologizes and is very understanding. He emphasizes that she has a pretty face, making her feel better. He also admits that he is simply drifting, and that their four years together may never have turned into marriage. She leaves, but not before kissing him good bye one last time. Although they do not rekindle the relationship, the characters in Reasons to Be Pretty represent a rather optimistic view on relationships and young, middle class Americans. In comparison to the protagonist in Fat Pig, Greg exhibits both courage and selflessness by the end of the play.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Being a Body Piercer essays
Being a Body Piercer essays Body piercing is the art of putting holes in the body so that jewelry can be place in the holes. Body piercers do not make that much money. They are not paid by the hour; most piercers make about half of the money the piercing cost. Usually during the week it is slow and not many people want to get pierced. Business picks up on the weekends. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, business has been significantly slow because people do not want to spend money because they think the economy is going to crash, making it hard for body piercers to make very much money right now. On October 22, 2001 I went and saw body piercing live and up close. When I first got there it was slow with no customers and pretty much remained the same way for the remainder of the day. I met the piercer and he taught me about basic sterilization techniques. First you must take the materials you use and soak them in a hospital disinfectant, after the materials have been soaking for a while u then scrub them thoroughly making sure there are no germs of any kind in them. After they have been scrubbed and rinsed you must put them in a sterile pouch and seal them until use. If any materials came in contact with blood u must do the same process except do it for longer because u do not want to transmit any diseases that the person whos blood was on the material might of had. Needles used in piercing must be disposed of in a hazardous waste box. Every material used in piercing must be completely sterile to prevent spread of disease and germs. As the evening progressed a girl came in and wanted to get the holes in her ear stretched out from a 16 gauge to an 8 gauge. The smaller the gauge the larger the hole. When trying to fit the 8 gauge taper into the 16 gauge hole the pain was too much for the girl so she backed out. The piercer I shadowed had 25 piercings including à ¾ inch holes in his ears, other ear piercings, the septum wh...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
5 excuses that wonââ¬â¢t work for calling out during the ââ¬Åbomb cycloneââ¬Â
5 excuses that wonââ¬â¢t work for calling out during the ââ¬Å"bomb cycloneâ⬠So you may or may not have heard about the weather forecast for January 4th 2018. Well hereââ¬â¢s a quick update on what to expect. There will be a bomb cyclone up ahead for the East Coast. Whatââ¬â¢s a bomb cyclone you may ask? Well according to USA Today, a bomb cyclone occurs through the process ofà bombogenesis, which is basically a winter hurricane. There will be heavy snow, wind, and below freezing temperatures ahead in the forecast. Be prepared! Some areas are expected to get nearly a foot or more of snow. Even with the arctic conditions up ahead calling out of work may not be an option for some. But if you are still planning to stay home under a warm blanket with a hot cup of cocoa, these 5 excuses for calling out of work will not cut it.à à à My car is snowed in.via GIPHY2. I slipped and fell on my way out the door.via GIPHY3. I donââ¬â¢t own any snow boots/ snow gear.via GIPHY4. I tried to come in but the children on my block threw snowballs at me and now I am in the hospital.via GIPHY5. It is way too cold to be outside.via GIPHYThere you have it. These 5 excuses will not work tomorrow. Good luck, be safe, and keep warm during the bomb cyclone. The first snow storm of 2018.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Research Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Research Study Analysis - Essay Example The sampling procedure was systematic. Participants were identified based on previous research and reflections. The sources were invited to participate after being informed about the nature of the study. The theme of the research was recognized as multidimensional. This is the reason why different sets of questionnaires were designed - all focusing on relevant and diverse aspects of the teaching experience in order to comprehensively describe and address the research problem. While there were no face-to-face interviews, observations or focus group discussion, a total of five questionnaire models were used to gather and evaluate experiences. These are the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), Negative Mood Regulation (NMR), COPE, Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey, and Brief Symptoms Inventory. They were designed to measure variables in areas of stress, burnout, coping, negative mood and distress. While the study involved no open-ended question either, the survey questions provided were all designed to reveal highly detailed personal experiences and quantify them. For instance, respondents were asked to rate their responses to items such as Did you feel lonely?" or "Did you feel ke yed up". These questions were asked after situations were provided, which is consistent with the phenomenological technique of describing experiences, as a crucial element in data gathering and interpretation. The researchers established their research paradigm by introducing epistemological and axiological assumptions. This was achieved when assumptions about stress, burnout and coping strategies were provided. For example, teachers were specifically identified as the subject of the research because they were assumed to have more difficult work tasks and, hence, would be more prone to stress and burnout. This was also highlighted with the fact that the data was gathered from self-report questionnaires. What this
Friday, October 18, 2019
Orignial topic - adopting a positive or negative viewpoint Essay - 2
Orignial topic - adopting a positive or negative viewpoint - Essay Example auses major health problems, is more dangerous for the non-smoker than smoking is for the smoker, is most dangerous for children and is an infringement on rights, the right to live. The definition of secondhand smoke is smoke that a person inhales due to someone elseââ¬â¢s who is smoking close to them. While some disagree and say that the hazard from second-hand smoke is negligible, others have identified numerous properties of secondhand smoke that make it more than obvious this type of smoke is even more powerful and therefore more harmful than the smoke the smoker themselves is inhaling into their own lungs. When a smoker inhales through a cigarette filter they are getting only about half of the poisons tar and nicotine that are found in a comparable sized amount of secondhand smoke according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the fact they are non-smokers, this same report states that roughly ââ¬Å"3,000 non-smokers a year die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smokeâ⬠and another ââ¬Å"37,000 non-smokers a year die from heart disease attributed to secondhand smokeâ⬠(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992). These figures are verified by other data of the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke, for example, a study demonstrated that women who did not smoke that were married to heavy smoking men suffered twice the risk of developing lung cancer as compared to women married to non-smoking men. Another study performed on workers such as waitresses and bartenders who are repeatedly exposed for an extended period of time to secondhand smoke experienced a 25-75 percent greater possibility of contracting lung cancer, with the odds becoming proportionately higher with the time employed in these types of places. These are studies on adult lungs. Imagine the damage done to smaller, weaker and less developed more susceptible lungs. ââ¬Å"Children exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke are susceptible to greater instances of bronchitis, pneumonia
Locate articles on the Internet about how population demographics are Assignment
Locate articles on the Internet about how population demographics are changing in the U.S., and other developed countries - Assignment Example On the other hand, the population demographics of developing countries such as Nigeria, Indonesia, India and Pakistan are characterized by high birth rates. The population in Africa and Asia is estimated to triple by 2030 due to the high fertility rates and unexploited resources in those countries (Shapner, 2007). The changes in U.S population demographics will affect the work, healthcare, private wealth and income security of the citizens. The business firms will be required to increase their social security contributions due to the increase in the number of post-retirement years for their workers (Kachru, 2009). The business firms will have to align their employment practices with the changes in population demographics in order to remain competitive. The firms will have to incorporate diversity in their talent development and implement human talent development programs that aim at attracting next generation of young and skilled workforce (Little and Triest, para 3). The business firms will have to shift more of their employees from full-time positions to part-time positions in order to address the life-balance requirements of the aged workforce and the need for luxury (Kurtzleben, para 4). The aging population in the US will increase the demand for health-care services. This requires innovative health technologies that will address the high increase in acute and terminal diseases such as Alzheimer and cancer. The business firms will have to offer additional medical benefits in order to ensure the aged workforce remain productive (Shapner, 2007). In 2008, the birth rate was 14 live births per 1,000 representing a 2 percent decline from 2007 statistics and general fertility rate was 68.6 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. The high fertility rate was attributable to increased access to child care services and other societal adaptations such as male involvement in household labor. The mortality rate was 9.7 deaths per
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Case problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Case problem - Essay Example It can be concluded that though a minor, he voluntarily accepted the risk involved in skiing. There was thus an express assumption of risk. That is supported by what was decided in Murphy vs. Steeplehouse Amusement Company, 250 N.Y. 479. The court ruled that one is solely responsible for outcomes of an activity in which the person takes part if the dangers are obvious and necessary. Contributory negligence makes the defendants not entirely liable. Nealââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ conduct of skiing while being inexperienced and besides too young falls below a certain standard necessary for his own protection, and this conduct cooperated with the defendants negligence of selling the skies to a minor who was also inexperienced. That eventually harmed Neal. Neal would have avoided the injuries had he gone for lessons. That leads to another defense available to the defendants. It is comparative negligence, which in other words would be non-absolute contributory negligence. With this type of defense, Neal would not recover by percentage in which he was at fault for his damage. In this way, the damages are shared between parties according to their
Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether Essay
Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether or not you agree with the law commission's current proposa - Essay Example Laws regarding the rights of consumers across the UK were not protective enough to sufficiently safeguard the interest of consumers. The new laws were, therefore, put forward to enhance sanity in sales of products and consumption of faulty products. In order to show that the grievances presented by the European Commission were heard, the Law Commission published laws that would protect the consumers against consumption of faulty goods. Law Commission made an indirect response to the European Commissionââ¬â¢s paper with pretence that it was responding to the 2002 Consumer Sales Directive. Whether or not the publication of the Law Commission was ignited by the October release of the European Commission, these laws are a sure relief to the UK consumers. The laws protect the rights of consumers in a way that had not been possible in the past. A critical analysis of the Law Commission Proposals and Remedies for Faulty goods to Consumers relays a lot to be desired about the laws. The ne ed for harmonization of European consumer rights and related remedies was the primary objective of both publications. Whereas the consultative paper was not designed to directly respond to the ââ¬Å"The European Law Commission Proposalsâ⬠, it indirectly touched the core values of that proposal as an attempt to harmonize all United Kingdom Laws relating to consumer rights and remedies with those of the Commission proposals. This Consultative paper further earmarked an indirect advice to the commission regarding short term remedies to be harmonized across Union members without necessarily deviating from the traditional Contract Law remedies like rejection, repair and replacement or rescission (The Joint Consultative Paper, 2009, P.63). European Commission Proposals are another area of the laws that exhibit great deal of fascinating and likeable issues. The Law Commission Proposals were aimed at achieving the ââ¬Å"consumer acquisâ⬠across the European Union relating to goo ds consumed and trading rights (The European Law Commission,2008). These rights include the right of withdrawal by the consumer from an ambigueous contract and is associated with the ââ¬Å"cooling off periodâ⬠, the need to protect consumers from ââ¬Å"aggressive commercial practicesâ⬠, removal of all trade barriers across all member states boarders, promotion of online contractual arrangements or trading among other things. The right of withdrawal is concerned with door to door and distance trading activities including both goods and services rendered to the consumer (Schultze, 2009, P.179). By all means, such steps to protect the rights of citizens of the wider European Union are a reason to smile about. The commission proposals are most likely going to enhance economic productivity of the region with increased trade and commerce. These European Commission proposals are majorly intended to harmonize trading activities among European states and once the Union has achieve d this, it will have a better competitive advantage over other regions in trade and industry. The major bottleneck is understanding the micro and macro economic factors that drives businesses. More in particular is an understanding of the
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Case problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Case problem - Essay Example It can be concluded that though a minor, he voluntarily accepted the risk involved in skiing. There was thus an express assumption of risk. That is supported by what was decided in Murphy vs. Steeplehouse Amusement Company, 250 N.Y. 479. The court ruled that one is solely responsible for outcomes of an activity in which the person takes part if the dangers are obvious and necessary. Contributory negligence makes the defendants not entirely liable. Nealââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ conduct of skiing while being inexperienced and besides too young falls below a certain standard necessary for his own protection, and this conduct cooperated with the defendants negligence of selling the skies to a minor who was also inexperienced. That eventually harmed Neal. Neal would have avoided the injuries had he gone for lessons. That leads to another defense available to the defendants. It is comparative negligence, which in other words would be non-absolute contributory negligence. With this type of defense, Neal would not recover by percentage in which he was at fault for his damage. In this way, the damages are shared between parties according to their
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Company Analysis and Evaluation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Company Analysis and Evaluation - Case Study Example The Collins Foods Group is a private company based in Australia with a joint ownership by private investors and management together with employees forming 52% and 48% of ownership respectively. The company's main business includes retail outlets for food service i.e. KFC in Queensland and sizzler in Australia. Collins Food group in Queensland operates from Brisbane where it operates one hundred and fourteen retail outlets and twenty six Sizzler restaurants in within Australia. The earliest KFC restaurant in Australia was established in 1968 and opened in 1969, while the earliest Sizzler was established in 1984 and opened in 1985. KFC has been growing since its establishment and this can be seen in terms of the increased number of retail outlets, more employee, increased profits etc. The company seeks to attain a continuous development in each and every area of its operation as its mission statement describes it "Establish Collins Foods Group as leading restaurant holding company, whi ch operates premier brands where people love to eat and are proud to work." KFC also seeks to better the community in which it operates through its commitment to participate in activities that enhance the community. KFC has a principle that "if you take care of your people they will take care of your customers. If you take care of your customers they will take care of your business" Figure 1: Collins Food Group Pty Limited SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Strong capital base Internal controls for some of our outlets are wanting The state is focusing on subsidizing hotel industry to boost tourism The world economic crisis that has catalyzed inflation and have seen financial industries raised lending rates Strong brand The company is understaffed Internet marketing will help us to reach out the whole global market and hence expanded market Technological advancement may introduce new challenges that may affect the normal business processes. Competent top management and subordinate personnel The regular personnel review might not be very reliable There are many upcoming training and management consultant firms from which the company can outsource this services Big competitors may shift focus and wipe out part of our market position Wide distribution channels A significant percentage of employee turnover Hotel industry expanding providing opportunities to penetrate new markets The upcoming retail food service providers are poaching experienced employees from our company Efficient quality control procedures In case the financial crisis continues to bite people will continue to cut down on their spending habits Efficient staff appraisal system Track record in excellent customer care devoid of top management approval Competitors in the industry might be reluctant to implement new technology Figure 2: Balanced scorecard: Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Analysis Critical success Factor Categories Critical success factors (CSTs) Measurement of the CSFs Understanding of market Sensitivity to volatile market needs Number of active customers Understanding our competitors and their decision making Attainment of a competitive edge above our competitors Innovative response to the needs of the customers Number of new customers Consumer
Strategic Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free
Strategic Marketing Strategy Essay This analysis provides both an offensive and defensive strategic context through which to identify opportunities and threats. Competitor analysis is normally with the focus on the competitors as ââ¬Å¾rivals? and the objective is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the rivals in order to develop strategies to ââ¬Å¾fight the battle?. The focus of competitor analysis is thus not only to gain an advantage over direct competitors but also to search for starting points for collaboration. (Jooste, Strydom, Berndt du Plessis, 2008, p. 96). The focus will be to answer the following: Who Woolworths? present and potential competitors are What positions they have established in the market What their strategic objectives and thrusts are What their present and future strategies are What their strengths and weaknesses are What their response patterns are In order to answer these questions effectively, a framework for competitor analysis will be used. This framework is comprised of four main components (divided into sub-components), each of which will be discussed in detail. These four main steps in performing a competitor analysis include: identifying the competitor; analysing strategic groups; analysing key competitors and forecasting likely response strategies. 1. 1 Identifying the competitor The first step or component of this framework is to identify the competitors, bearing in mind that competitors can be classified into different categories. Identifying one? s competitors might seem like a straightforward task, but in actuality the range of actual and potential competitors faced by an organisation is much broader than appears to be, even though it is much more difficult to ascertain who ââ¬Å¾potential? ustomers are. 3 1. 2 Direct competitors versus potential competitors According to Unisa (2010), competition is an activity that occurs between rival companies that produce similar offerings and between industries that compete to satisfy similar needs of the same customers. For example, rival companies would include BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi and rival industries would include motor car and motorcycle industries. These rival companies are called competitors and two common methods used to identify direct competitors include customer perceptions and strategic groups. Identifying competitors using customer perceptions means asking customers whom and what they consider when making their purchase choices. The second method involves identifying competitors whose competitive strategies conflict with organisation? s strategies. These competitors can be labelled as ââ¬Å¾direct?. Direct competition include: competitors competing to satisfy the same customer need; industry competition; product line competition; organisational competition and brand competition. 1. Identifying Woolworthsââ¬â¢ competitors As noted above, it is possible to classify competitors according to different levels. Woolworths is a company that competes against different competitors in different product categories. According to Cant and Machado (2010), Woolworths? competitors in the retail super market field include Spar, Checkers, Pick ââ¬Å¾n Pay, Shoprite and Massmart. In the retail clothing market, Woolworths? direct competition includes Truworths, Foschini, Edgars, Mr Pric e, Jet and Ackermans/Pep. 2.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in India
Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in India The life styles and culture of India is changing drastically. The population of India is increasing every year and this will have a direct impact on the FMCG industry and its organizations. Although population of India is increasing every year the population growth rate is decreasing over a period of time. In 2008 the population growth rate is 1.6%, in 2009 it is 1.5%. In 2010 the growth rate is 1.3%. Although the figures didnt change drastically, the supply and demand of the FMCG products will be affected due to change in population structure. There will be decrease in demand and intense competition as the birth rates and number of customers decrease. Most importantly it is the change is life style of Indian customers and social behavior will affect the FMCG industry in India. It will demand a new products and services over the time and will lead to increase in investment in RD of FMCG companies. Now the world is facing with food shortage leading to increasing invest in food product ion. If the organizations fail to offer products and services according to changing lifestyle and behavior then it will be difficult for any organization to survive in the market. Economic: Current slowdown in global economic scenario affected almost every industry across the world. There has been increase in unemployment and low consumer spending power. This leads to consumers not opting to buy expensive products or services. This further pressurizes the RMCG companies to reduce the prices for the products and services. Organizations will have to review this economic ride and have to respond accordingly, A successful organization will respond according changing economic conditions, consumer and stakeholder behavior. An efficient organization must be aware of the changing economic condition across the country and global and should employ a suitable strategy to stay in the market. Political: Political factors will have a greater influence on the organization and industry and it is the duty of the organizations to comply with it. It is necessary for the organizations to comply with the legislations implemented non conformance of which may lead to serious implications on the organization. The government has implemented certain restriction in the import policies. However tax exemptions in sales and excise duty are provided for the small scale industries. This will allow the SMEs to invest more and will increase the number of new entrants. Transportation and infrastructure facilities are improving not only in urban but also in the rural area which will help in distribution network. Technological: Advancement in technology boost the production with enhancement in quality of products and services rendered to the customers. Organizations began to adopt e-business to improve brand communication and market. Technological advancement makes the supply chain and transactions along the chain simple. Organizations reduced costs with effective IT technologies and increased the rate of information transactions. Technology is playing a key and huge part in the FMCG sector by developing the new packaging, increasing productivity and longer shelf life of food products. Better, stronger, more effective and faster are the key elements that all manufacturers in this sector push for, as it drives sales. The advancement enhances the sales by enabling the manufactures to produce better products with attractive packaging and better communication. With advancement in communication technology and rising social media network it enables the organizations to communicate better to the customers by improved marketing campaigns. International trends: The economic crisis and slowdown had greatly affected the sales FMCG goods across the world. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil are not greatly affected and manage to do well to recover quickly. A common trend that was followed across the world during economic slowdown was trading down. Because, customers became more cautious looking for less expensive brands, special offers and discounts. This added tremendous pressure on the market prices due to severe competition and down trading. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil saw development in hypermarkets helping the growth of FMCG markets in these countries. Macro environmental opportunities: India has Vast Rural Market with majority of population where the market is still untapped market. India has cheap labour to provide cost advantage over other countries. Many multinational companies are having cost advantage by outsourcing its product requirements from its Indian company. ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: Industry structure: The FMCG market of India divided into two sectors the organized sector and the unorganized sector. The organized sector has only few Indian companies and MNCS whereas the unorganized sector is crowded by a many local players. Indian FMCG market accounts for about Rs.460 billion where the market has been highly occupied by local and unbranded products. This has been a challenge for many organized players to successfully launch a product and to occupy the market share. Distribution and supply chain has also been a challenge as Indias infrastructure and transport systems not quite helpful with millions of retail outlets in the country. Although infrastructure and transportation system is developing in recent times it is still considered as a challenge by many players. The FMCG sector has a wide range of products including confectioneries, beverages, detergents, toothpaste, toilet soaps, shampoos, creams, powders, food products, cigarettes. Typical characteristics of FMCG products are: The products cater to necessity, comfort and luxury. Price and income elasticity of demand varies across products and consumers. Individual items are of small value (small SKUs) although all FMCG products put together account for a significant part of the consumers budget. The consumer spends little time on the purchase decision. He seldom ever looks at the technical specifications. Brand loyalties or recommendations of reliable retailer/ dealer drive purchase decisions. Limited inventory of these products (many of which are perishable) are kept by consumer and prefers to purchase them frequently, as and when required. Brand switching is often induced by heavy advertisement, recommendation of the retailer or word of mouth. Distinguishing features of Indian FMCG Business FMCG companies sell their products directly to consumers. Major features that distinguish this sector from the others include the following: Design and Manufacturing Low Capital Intensity as most of products in FMCG requires relatively little investment in plan, machinery and other fixed assets. Basic technology required for manufacturing is easily available. Third party manufacturing is common and the benefits include production and inventory planning flexibility, flexibility in controlling labor costs and logistics. Marketing and Distribution High Initial Launch Cost with huge investment in product development, market research, test marketing and launch. Creating awareness for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure. Huge Distribution Network as India has millions of retail outlets across the country making the logistics functions difficult for many players. Competition Market is crowded with many unorganized players. Presence of many unorganized players and highly capable MNCs provides fierce competition in the market to launch many new brands. This gives wide range of choice of brands for the customers. PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES: BUYER POWER: The consumer base of this industry is larger than any other industry and they have little or no influence on the price of the product. The consumer always possesses great choice of brands within the product category and they can shift from one to another without much influence. Hence, buyer power is not quite strong in this industry. But they have power when they provide threat to shift from one brand to another brand. In FMCG retailers should also taken into the account for analysis. Retailers can always decide which brand to stock and consumers dont show much interest to wait if one brand of choice is not available. So retailers can always make choice between brands and they have more buyer power than consumers. SUPPLIER POWER: Supplier power is little or limited in the FMCG industry. The industry always has great number of suppliers with great size. There will not be any uniqueness in the product or service of suppliers and the manufacturer can always shift from one supplier to other supplier. However manufacturer faces some amount of supplier power due to the cost they have to incur when switching suppliers. Suppliers who do large business with manufacturers are always obliged to their customers. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: Threat of new entrants is limited in this industry. The new entrants generally cater to local or small markets contributing to the large unorganized sector. Raw materials for most of the segments in FMCG industry can be easily procured. The investment will not be high for machinery and other assets required for most of the products in the industry. Also the basic technology is easily available. These factors can make the local or small manufactures to enter easily in the industry. But this industry requires high initial launch cost and distribution network is always a challenge. These factors act as a barrier for any new entrants in the industry and virtually provide low threat of new entrants. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES: The FMCG industry bears a high threat of substitutes. The industry possesses many organized players with great number of local manufactures. The products in the industry can always be imitated and marketed. The industry possesses high level threat of substitutes in rural market than in the urban. DEGREE OF RIVALRY: The degree of rivalry is high in the industry. There are many global players along with local manufacturers. The industry enjoys low customer loyalty. The customers always have wide choice of brands and the switching cost is always minimum or negligible. There will be only slight difference in the quality of brands. So the competition is fierce in the industry to attract customers and retain them. Strategic groups in the industry: Among the FMCG companies in India Hindustan Unilever Limited is most catered company to almost every segment in the industry. Its competitors are only catered to certain segments but HUL faces stiff competition from all competitors in every segments. The major companies of strategic groups in FMCG industry are Hindustan Unilever Limited, ITC Limited, Nestle India, Emami Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, Dabur India Limited, Procter Gamble, Godrej Consumer Products Limited and Cadbury India. International Competition: India is an emerging market and has become a hotspot for many multinational FMCG companies like HUL, Proctor Gamble and Nestle. However domestic companies like Marico, Dabur and Emami are giving tough competition to them. These companies step into natural product category by offering herbal products and managed to occupy the market. For instance, Maricos flagship brand Parachute Coconut Oil has no foreign competition. The presence of international competition is restricted to areas of where they can act and categories like natural products did not interest the global players. Industry Threats: The organized players in the industry are facing problems high magnitude of imitative products. The fake products are seen highly in rural markets and the Indian FMCG sector is losing large amount of money due to presence of counterfeits products. The industry is facing increasing input costs due to increase in price of the raw materials due to global economic slowdown and potential impact of rising crude oil prices Industry Opportunities: The FMCG sector is the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy and has been growing considerably over the past few years due to changing lifestyle, consumer preferences and high disposable income. The rural market is being highly untapped and provides favorable condition for growth of the companies in this sector. EVALUATING HUL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS: VRIO Framework of Hindustan Unilever Limited: The value of HUL lies in their ability to offer different products and cater to the different segments in the industry. The organization has international expertise and wealth of knowledge to cater to different segments satisfying the customer needs. The organization is displaying high standards of corporate behavior towards its stakeholders. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. The organization encourages the open communication with customers to get feedback and improve its product offerings. Rarity: The company enjoys the competitive advantage in its robust supply chain and distribution network. Though the company resources are not rare it enjoys the competitive advantage in its resources employed in supply chain and distribution network. Imitability: The organization possesses valuable and rare resources in its supply chain and distribution network that the competitors did not have cost advantage in imitating the resource. The social relationships entailed in resources are complex that the competitors cannot easily imitate and manage well. Organization: The organization structure of HUL with its empowered managers across the companys nationwide operations imparts speed and flexibility in decision-making and implementation. The organization leverages its resources for efficient management. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. Analysis of Corporate Strategies: Hindustan Unilever Limited has robust supply chain and distribution network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. HULs sales organization structure integrates the Household, Personal Care and foods distribution networks together. By this the organization aligns all the units of its organization towards the common goal. Analysis of Business Strategies: HUL introduces wide variety of products in different segments at different price points. HUL analyses its strategy to improve its foothold in the processed foods category which is largely unoccupied. HUL Strengths: The company has variety of products in each category giving wide array of choice to customers. Robust Distribution Network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. The Company enjoys many reputed brands and created a well reputed brand image in the customers mind through advertisement. Well developed quality management. The company has highly capable and well developed RD resources. HUL Weakness HUL not able to compete effectively with local competitor in the rural market: The Companys product mostly target middle class and lower middle class population. So the upper middle class population terms the companys product as a cheap product with low quality HUL is over dependent on Indian market and depends on it for majority of revenue generation. This makes the company subject to changes in weather, political and economic conditions and also makes it vulnerable to potential risks arising in India.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Cleisthenes Essay :: essays research papers fc
What reforms did Cleisthenes introduce and what were his likely motives for them. Cleisthenes, the son of Megakles, began work on the constitution of Attica (Athens). Unlike Solon, he left no writings to describe himself, so he remains a vague figure. Unlike Solon, Cleisthenes did not receive any clear directions on reform. His achievements were made through the assembly, the government body made up of all the citizens with the responsibility of passing laws. As the head of a rich and aristocratic clan, his main motives may have been to acquire political power for himself and his noble followers as well as a military purpose and democracy. Cleisthenes' methods allied him firmly with the ordinary citizen and took Attica a long step further on the road to democracy. Democracy was supposed to have begun in Attica after the last major faction fight of the 6th century B.C. This fight was between Isagoras and Cleisthenes. To ensure his position, Cleisthenes reformed the tribal system and introduced the council of five hundred. Again, he did not aim to introduce democracy; rather his aim was most likely to overcome his regional rival, Isagoras. His reforms that were placed in were that the country was divided into 10 new tribes, also know as plylae, on a regional basis, with sections of the 3 classes in each. Each tribe with 3 trittyes (one from the city (asty), one from the coast (paralia), and one from inland (mesogaia)) was composed of new units called demes. In the countryside these were villages, while in Attica itself they were divisions of the city. (Source: Bradley, 1998) Old clans and noble families now possessed far less political significance because they were now able to control only one-third of each tribe. Citizenship was now based on locality, with citizenship being granted to metics and other aliens resident in and around Attica. The tribes were roughly equal in number. They usually contributed soldiers for the army. Usually each tribe contributed a regiment of hoplites and a squadron of military. This action served to reinforce tribal loyalty. Commanding the army was the 10 strategoi, or referred to as generals. These 10 generals were, at first, under the control of the Polemarch but later were to become the chief magistrates. The boule was also enlarged to five hundred, 50 from each tribe, divided into 10 committees of 50, called prytanies. Each committee was in charge of administration and government for a month, so that more people were now directly involved in government. Cleisthenes Essay :: essays research papers fc What reforms did Cleisthenes introduce and what were his likely motives for them. Cleisthenes, the son of Megakles, began work on the constitution of Attica (Athens). Unlike Solon, he left no writings to describe himself, so he remains a vague figure. Unlike Solon, Cleisthenes did not receive any clear directions on reform. His achievements were made through the assembly, the government body made up of all the citizens with the responsibility of passing laws. As the head of a rich and aristocratic clan, his main motives may have been to acquire political power for himself and his noble followers as well as a military purpose and democracy. Cleisthenes' methods allied him firmly with the ordinary citizen and took Attica a long step further on the road to democracy. Democracy was supposed to have begun in Attica after the last major faction fight of the 6th century B.C. This fight was between Isagoras and Cleisthenes. To ensure his position, Cleisthenes reformed the tribal system and introduced the council of five hundred. Again, he did not aim to introduce democracy; rather his aim was most likely to overcome his regional rival, Isagoras. His reforms that were placed in were that the country was divided into 10 new tribes, also know as plylae, on a regional basis, with sections of the 3 classes in each. Each tribe with 3 trittyes (one from the city (asty), one from the coast (paralia), and one from inland (mesogaia)) was composed of new units called demes. In the countryside these were villages, while in Attica itself they were divisions of the city. (Source: Bradley, 1998) Old clans and noble families now possessed far less political significance because they were now able to control only one-third of each tribe. Citizenship was now based on locality, with citizenship being granted to metics and other aliens resident in and around Attica. The tribes were roughly equal in number. They usually contributed soldiers for the army. Usually each tribe contributed a regiment of hoplites and a squadron of military. This action served to reinforce tribal loyalty. Commanding the army was the 10 strategoi, or referred to as generals. These 10 generals were, at first, under the control of the Polemarch but later were to become the chief magistrates. The boule was also enlarged to five hundred, 50 from each tribe, divided into 10 committees of 50, called prytanies. Each committee was in charge of administration and government for a month, so that more people were now directly involved in government.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Adilf Hitler :: essays research papers fc
Nazi belief, and murder of the Jews a key policy. 2 German laws made by Hitler soon required everyone who had one or more Jewish grandparent to register. Those with one grandparent may have escaped but if you had two grandparents you were sent to a concentration camp and classifed as a Jew. One night symbolizing the begining of mass persecution was Kristallnacht, November 10th, 1938, "the night of broken glass". Jewish stores and houses were attacked, synagogues burned, and many Jews were sent to concentration camps. During this time, there were a few countries that would accept Jews. Hitler launched World War 2 by marching into Poland in 1939. Most of Western Europe then fell into the FÃ ¼hrer (Hitler), who had personal command of the troops. Germany invaded the soviet Union in 1941, but Hitler, Crazed with power, had lost his military judgement. His failure to Capture Stalingrad, 1942 - 1943, was the turning point; unable to cope with defeat, he refused to recognize it o r negotiate for peace. As the tide of war turned against him, his mass annhiliation of Jews, socialists, gypsies, and others was excelerated. After the Second World War had began in 1939, the Nazi's dropped all restrictions they had previously made towards the systematic murder of all Jews. In countries such as Europe, steps were made for Jews to follow in order to be seperated from the rest of the population. First Jews were required to register, then they were known to the Gestapo. Some families sent their children to live with christian families and live under an assumed identity. Hitler sent The Jews of Poland to live in poverty stricken ghettos where they were exposed to disease and malnutrition. With the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the Nazi policy of murder began to operate with no restrictions. The armies in Russia were followed by an "extermination squad" who shot hundreds of thousands of people, the majority being Jewish. The Nazis had already setup thou sands of concentration camps to imprison anyone who imposed them. These now began to operate as factories of death. Auschwitz was the biggest of these death camps, a city of barricks where hundreds of thousands of people starved to death amid indescribable brutality. At it's center stood gas chambers and creamatoria design to take train loads of human beings, gas them and burn them.
Heart of Darkness Symbolic Analysis
In the novel Heart of Darkness the focus is mainly about the situation of imperialism in that time period. It describes the hypocrisy of imperialism, the madness as a result of imperialism, and the absurdity of evil. In reality the book is about much more than that. Marlow is the narrator and throughout the novel his visions and thoughts about himself change greatly as he endures the journey of self-discovery. In the beginning Marlow feels lost in his life; the main focus in life to him was being a sailor on the steamboat. Marlow is very naive and has not seen as much of life as he should be seeing in order to expand his overall knowledge of the world. Marlow describes the ship and the ocean as if it was the only thing he had ever seen in his whole life. (Part 1) The fact that the beginning starts with Marlowââ¬â¢s description of the sea, and the facts of imperialism do not start until later indicates that imperialism was not the only reason Joseph Conrad wrote the novel. Imperialism is the policy of extending authority of a nation over foreign countries. In this case Marlow is traveling up the river to the Inner station where he encounters cruelty and torture of the salvages. (Part 1) The men who work for the Company describe what they do as ââ¬Å"trade,â⬠and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of ââ¬Å"civilization. â⬠In reality what they are doing is taking the ivory by force in command to the orders that Kurtz demands. Kurtz knows what he is doing but he makes the other men believe it is not out of cruelty or imperialism. Through all of this Marlow is stuck in the middle because he is blinded by the good that is said of Kurtz and he refers to him as a remarkable man (Part 3), which ends up hurting his relationship with the rest of the company because they know the truth and they strongly disagree. Marlow does not know until the end of the book exactly how mad and narcissistic Kurtz really is and the damage he is doing by trying to get everything his own way. All of the problems that accumulate because of the imperialistic actions of Kurtz make Marlow less close-minded and he finds within himself his own voice and opinion. Another reason why I feel that the book is not just about imperialism, but also about Marlowââ¬â¢s journey to self-discovery is that Kurtz is an unknown character to Marlow and he learns more about him as the story goes forth. ââ¬Å"I had heard about some man named Kurtz who was ill but I did not know what exactly he did or how important he was,â⬠(Part 1&2). At first, very little is known about Kurtz, the only description Marlow has of him was that he was an important person to the company. Kurtz was the way that the author incorporated the idea of imperialism into the novel because he was trying to rule an export from a foreign country which would eventually lead to the rule of the country itself. â⬠You know Kurtz, he is very important and he is ill right now but he must get better,â⬠(Part 2). The station manager states something like that to Marlow which tells him exactly how important Kurtz really is in the company. When Marlow finds two men conspiring (Part 3) it gives him more insight into how different reality was in comparison to his thoughts of how the world worked. Marlow changes a lot throughout the novel. At first he is very naive and inexperienced, but by the end he becomes very brave and strongly opinionated. Although the book seems to be mostly about the concept of imperialism it was actually something that Marlow had to endure in order for Marlow to grow intellectually. All the things that he saw on the journey to ââ¬Å"civilizationâ⬠, everything he encountered was a new experience that taught him a life lesson. The novel Heart of Darkness was not solely a book about the Congo and Imperialism. It was about a boy who became a man in the trials and tribulations of the attempt of his Companyââ¬â¢s head man to rule a country under his command. By the end of the imperialistic battle, between all the hardships of life at sea, conspiracy against the boss, and the extremely cruel and controversial concept of imperialism, Marlow found his true identity.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Tourist destinations – Drayton Manor and Salisbury Cathedral
Drayton manor is a park visited mostly by * Adults * Children * Families * Mother and toddlers * Education groups from schools, colleges and universities * Organised groups and outings * Grandees (60 plus) * Disabled group Accessibility: Location Drayton manor is located near the M42 Not very far from Birmingham southwest and cities like Nottingham and Derby. Opening times Drayton manors currently closed and Thomas land opened on the 12th February 2011- 27th February 2011 half term The park will fully open on the 19th march ââ¬â the 30th October 2011. The staff will start putting in work rides at 9:30 and the rides will be ready for customers to come on them at 10:30, and will close at 5pm. Transport links You can get to Drayton Manor Park by * your own car You can insert their code (B78 3SA) on your navigation satellite and it will bring you straight to the park, you also get free car parking when you bring your own car so you won't need to pay for car parking. * Train service You can take bus from where ever you are located and go to trains station when you reach your train station you take the train with the London midland- towards Crewe and then you get down at the 1st stop which is Tamworth. Range products The have places for children's like Thomas land and at Thomas land there are varieties of things to do like: 1. Thomas land parties: the birthday child goes in the park for free, commemorative photo for the birthday child with their party in Thomas land and also with friends. They also have play areas for children's to spend the time and play any type of game they want. 2. 100 rides and attractions Such as: * The bounty * Maelstrom * G-force * Pandemonium * Shockwave * Storm force 10 * apocalypse 3. 15 acre zoo and zoo farm 4. Garden centre 5. Camping and caravan ground 6. Games/stalls 7. Arcade Services provided: * The park has to offer the following facilities to disabled people: 1. They assistants who will help you walk around with the disabled groups and help you if you need anything. 2. They have fast passes for all disabled people 3. They make sure all disabled toilets are available 4. They have extra wheelchairs for hire that cost à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½5 and electronic ones will cost à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½10. 5. They have fist aids and medical centers incase any of them feels sick all of a sudden. * The park also has facilities fir mother and their babies such as: 1. Comfortable and private sites where they can nurse their babies. 2. Baby changing facilities 3. They have shops where they can buy food for their babies incase they don't want to bring a lot of things with them or they need extra. 4. Have shops where they can buy baby nappies and also hire baby buggies for à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½5. 5. They also have people who are experience with babies that can take care of your babies for you incase you want to do something. Cost of living Age groups Price Online price 12-64 years à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½32.00 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½21.95 4 ââ¬â 11 years à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½19.95 2 ââ¬â 3 years à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½2.50 Under 2 years FREE à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ Grandee (aged 65+) à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½19.00 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½19.00 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ Disabled / Helper (each) à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½22.00 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ 3 Family Members à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½73.50 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ 4 Family Members à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½98.00 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ 5 Family Members à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½122.50 à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ Annual Pass they have an annual pass that allows to get in to the park, so baisially you will not have to pay at the entrance, you will just have to show them your pass and you can go in and a a wonderful day at the park. There is a different price for each age group * à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½90 for aged 12 to 64 * à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½70 for aged 4 to 11 * à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½55 for aged 65 plus * à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½65 for a registered disabled visitor * à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½35 for aged 2 to 3. Salisbury Cathedral Accessibility: Location Salisbury, Wiltshire, England Opening times: The Cathedral is open from 7:15am to 6:15pm The Chapter house, restaurant and shops are open at 9:30am-5:30p You can tour around the towers during the summer at 11:15am, 2:15pm, and 3:15pm to 5pm and in winter 2:15pm only. Transport links: BEEHIVE (501) WILTON (502) BRITFORD (503) LONDON ROAD (504) Range of products: * The cathedral * Shop where people can find souvenir * Special events like: 1. Art for adult courses 2. The history of Christianity in 27 objects 3. Organ recitals 4. Concertsâ⬠¦ * Salisbury Cathedral * Oldest Clock in the World * The Spire of Salisbury Cathedral * the original Magna Carta in the chapter House Services provided: The cathedral provide a number of people who speak different type of languages that can walk you around the cathedral, show you different places and also tell you about them. There is different type of languages such as: English Dutch Hungarian Chinese Latvian French Italian Czech Japanese Portuguese German Spanish Polish Russian Danish They also have facilities for disabled people such as: Easy access to every attraction and everything in the cathedral and outside it. Toilets are available at all time. You can also hire wheelchair. They have a dog assistant to walk you around. They have Braille leaflets and books for people who can't hear and talk. There are shops and a restaurant inn the cathedral incase you want to have a little rest and eat something. Cost living: Tower tour: à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½8 adults, à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½6 children/seniors Cathedral: its allows you to make a donation of à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½5 for adults, à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½4.25 elder and students and children 5-17 only if you want to. Image: People like families and schoolchildren, would rather go and spend time at Drayton Manor than Salisbury Park because Salisbury is a religious place and it attracts cultural people who like history. Drayton Manor Park is surrounded by hotels, restaurants shops which is good incase for families as they will have a place to stay, where to shop and where to eat.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Capital Structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Capital Structure - Assignment Example Perhaps the value of the firm does depend on how its assets, cash flows and growth opportunities are sliced up and offered to investors as debt and equity claims. There are surely investors who would be willing to pay extra for particular types or mixes of corporate securities. For example, investors cannot easily borrow with limited liability, but corporations provide limited liability and can borrow on their stockholders' behalf. There has been constant innovation in the design of securities and in new financing schemes. Innovation proves that financing can matter. If new securities or financing tactics never added value, then there would be no incentive to innovate (Myers 2001). Modigliani and Miller's (1958) theory is exceptionally difficult to test directly, but financial innovation provides convincing circumstantial evidence. The costs of designing and creating new securities and financing schemes are low, and the costs of imitation are trivial. (Fortunately, securities and financing tactics cannot be patented.) Thus temporary departures from Modigliani and Miller's predicted equilibrium create opportunities for financial innovation, but successful innovations quickly become "commodities," that is, standard, low-margin financial products. The rapid response of supply to an innovative financial product restores the Modigliani and Miller equilibrium. ... The Miller theory will be referred again in later parts of this paper. Corporate Taxation In 1977, Merton Miller revisited the issue of the impact of corporate taxation on the irrelevance propositions in a classic paper titled "Debt and Taxes" that shows perhaps better than any of his other papers how he could use arbitrage arguments to change how finance academics and practitioners understood how the world works (Miller 1977). In that paper, he pointed out that the tax advantage of corporate debt might be mostly if not completely illusory. Because interest on corporate debt is taxed as income for the holder of corporate debt, the interest paid on corporate debt must be high enough so that the after-tax income from holding corporate bonds is attractive relative to the income from equity which, when it accrues as capital gains, is taxed at a lower effective rate (Myers 2001). As a result, corporations get to deduct from their taxes interest payments but, because personal taxes on interest income are higher than on capital gains, the before-tax cost of capital on debt must be higher than on equity if investors are to hold debt (Stulz 2000). Interest is a tax-deductible expense. A taxpaying firm that pays an extra pound of interest receives a partially offsetting "interest tax shield" in the form of lower taxes paid. Financing with debt instead of equity increases the total after-tax dollar return to debt and equity investors, and should increase firm value (Myers 2001). Application of Taxation This present value of interest tax shields could be a very big number. Suppose debt is fixed and permanent, as Modigliani and Miller (1963) assumed, and that corporate income is taxed at the current 35 percent statutory rate.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
The EU as a Diplomatic Actor in Recent Conflicts Essay
The EU as a Diplomatic Actor in Recent Conflicts - Essay Example When America appeared to disregard even a consensus on the matter, EU came out with a view that, 'the European Union does not support a war on Iraq without the backing of the United Nations' (Reuters, 2003). A team of weapon inspectors was on a 'fact finding mission in Iraq', but America appeared to eager to strike and was in no mood to wait for their report. On the other hand the European Union together with governments from other parts of the world wanted to have a firm proof for punishing Iraq. After the 9/11 attacks, US appeared desperate to take on the terror outfits. Iraq and Afghanistan were the first in the firing line. UK, an important partner of EU, having good relations with US as well, formed the backbone of support for US policies. The official stand of European Union on the other hand was to start off the attacks after debating the issue and seeking a sanction from UN. But the moot point is, to what extent the European diplomacy was in action. The Maastricht Treaty of 1 992 was instrumental in coming out with a common foreign and security policy (CFSP) for the European Union (Bruter, 1999). This implied that the 'Union' will have a unanimous opinion about an issue. But the factual position has been somewhat different. The CFSP appeared in some common declarations only and not on issues involving diplomatic rows. It is worthwhile here to mention that the European Union and CFSP appeared to provide a semblance of unanimity on paper, but on the surface, the interests of nations forming part of the union forces them to take different stand on a range of issues. Anderson (2001) lists out factors like, lack of participation or concern by the Member States; perceived competition between the Commission and the Member States; inconsistent Member State positions; and slowness as the reasons for the EU not being able to come out with effective and unanimous stands. The Iraq war happened to be one such issue on which the EU could not come out with a strong and unanimous view. The official statement from EU on Iraq is that1, "The EU is committed to working with Iraq and international partners in order to bring about a secure, stable, unified, democratic and prosperous Iraq." But the actual implementation of this commitment is yet to be seen. While on a visit to Greece after the war started in Iraq, the UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan also called upon the EU leaders to come out with a common stand on the issue of Iraq (Barringer and Bruni, 2003). Once the war on Iraq was declared by the US and allied forces, on the basis of 'concrete proof', it appeared irreversible. But as days went by, it was all too apparent that the 'proof' that were being used as an alibi for initiating the attacks were nowhere visible on the surface. Even the so-called 'weapons of mass-destructions' were nowhere to be seen. This resulted in protests in UK and USA against the excesses being committed in Iraq. Today, even after executing Saddam Husain and thousands of deaths the WMDs are still proving to be illusionary. On the other hand the war has become a trap for US and allied forces; now they are finding it difficult to come out of it. Realising the differences in opinions of world leaders in general, UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan said, "No issue has so divided the world since the end of the Cold
Monday, October 7, 2019
What I have learned from the study of Metaphysics Dissertation
What I have learned from the study of Metaphysics - Dissertation Example Before embarking on my journey of discovery in the study of metaphysics I was not very sure what to expect. I knew that it would give me an opportunity to explore new avenues, and I hoped that I would grow in maturity and understand more about life,but beyond that my expectations were quite vague. My first impression of the course was shock. I was surprised at the daunting list of books and articles that I was expected to read and understand. Somehow I had thought that there would be more thinking for myself and less reading of the work of other people. With practice, however, I have come to appreciate that a lot of time can be saved by learning what other people have thought about in the many centuries before it was my time to be on this planet. The best human minds of the past have taken the trouble to leave their insights for future generations, and this is a great gift. It took quite a long time, however, for me to learn how to make best use of this gift, so that it would have re al meaning in my life, and not just be a collection of titles on a shelf. One discovery which has been very important for me has been the realization that thought lies at the heart of our lives. When I was reading As a Man Thinketh by James Allen it was as if a curtain opened, and some things which I had sensed from a distance, suddenly became sharp and clear. I had already been quite familiar with the destructive effect that negative thoughts had been having on my life, and it has been a struggle sometimes to overcome fear and even panic. This text taught me that what goes on inside my head can also have good and positive effects, so long as I learn to channel the positive things in the world and have courage to take responsibility and control for my own actions, while leaving the things I cannot change to exist as they are. Most of the things that people are afraid of are due to bad experiences in the past, or stress in the present, and it was a valuable lesson for me to discover that mental attitude can have a big influence on shaping the way that the future unfolds. Reading a book such as The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling was an interesting experience for me, because it raised all sorts of questions about the sources that underpin most of the modern denominations of Christianity, and the different branches of Judaism, Islam and other world religions. I was intrigued, but not was entirely convinced by the authenticity of this material, but it caused me to wonder about how the scriptures that modern Christians use came to be in the form that they are. It was clear to me that large sections of the life of Jesus were not recorded there, and this means that the record has gaps. The missing teenage years are possibly very relevant to todayââ¬â¢s world, but the traditional texts do not include them. I reflected on the combination of written texts, religious practices and personal experience of God that makes up modern Christianity, and this gave me a deeper understanding of how and why differences arise in the way that particular groups choose to live out their faith. Emphasis on one or other aspect can change the whole style of a religious group, and even cause major difference in items of doctrine. In the past I have been perplexed by this, but now I can see that it is very human for variations to creep in, and for multiple paths to be formed, leading in the same general direction. I am less worried about minor differences now, and can see that there is something to be gained in an appreciation of different perspectives. I do not think that any one group, or even any one religion, has the complete and absolute truth, and now I can see value in the differences. One thing that I will always be grateful for is the discovery that opening the mind can be a wonderful thing. Instead of looking down on some types of metaphysical belief and activity, like for example some of the more unusual features of ââ¬Å"
Sunday, October 6, 2019
What is strategic human resource management and what is HR's role in Essay
What is strategic human resource management and what is HR's role in strategic management planning process - Essay Example Strategic HRM even includes the process of making strategy related choices and the development of priorities of different strategies. In basic terms, Strategic HRM revolves around the amalgamation of the strategy of both the company and the human resources so that HR strategies result in the attainment and implementation of the companyââ¬â¢s strategy. It is more commonly practiced that the human resources department plays a major role in the implementation of the strategic plan. On the other hand some organization do consider HRââ¬â¢s role as an important one in the development of the strategic plan. While devising a strategic plan an organization needs to perform an internal assessment in various areas of the organization including the human resource aspect of the organization. The organization even performs an external assessment in relation to human resource management. While performing an external assessment an organization needs to focus on whether there are opportunities and threats related to human resources (Bernardin 116). For example: an external analysis may reveal that there is a threat to the organization because of shortage of laborers who can work on process of manufacturing denim clothes. The external assessment may even help in identifying opportunities such as an increase in number employees being laid off an d these employees have the ability to handle denim manufacturing processes. After conducting the external assessment, the organization turns to conducting an internal assessment in the context of human resources. For example: a denim manufacturing organization identifies that there is an increase in demand for denim. In relation to that opportunity the organization may conduct an internal assessment regarding whether the organization has the required human resources who are capable of handling denim manufacturing processes such as sewing. If
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Employee privacy on computers in the workplace Research Paper
Employee privacy on computers in the workplace - Research Paper Example Such policies mean that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to define where personal privacy and eavesdropping laws end and the rights of the employer being with respect to monitoring any and all forms of electronic communication that the employee might engage in while employed. Accordingly, the purpose of this essay is to provide a thoughtful commentary on key issues relating to privacy and employer rights with respect to the issues at hand. Furthermore, the analysis will seek to raise some key questions with reference to what the technological development evidenced within the past few years portends for the employment frontier. Firstly, it should be understood that the technological development that has taken place within the past few decades has made a profound and lasting impact on the way that firms surveil and monitor their employees. Prior to this technological revolution, the ways in which an employer could surveil an employee legally were quite limited. Privacy laws d ictated that electronic eavesdropping by means of a microphone or the use of a hidden camera was illegal. As such, the level to which an employer could ethically, morally, and legally gain a degree of inference with regards to what activities and thoughts the employee shares within the company, among personal friends, or any other such activities is brought clearly into focus. The true crux of the matter is not the fact that the employer will be able to gain a high degree of inference with regards to the potential unethical or illegal activities in which the employee might be engaging; rather, it has been proven statistically that a high percentage of emails and correspondence that are done at work are of a personal nature. Naturally, such correspondence put a burden on the sender to understand and realize that the privacy of these communications is suspect due to the terms of the confidentiality agreement and terms of electronic communications that they have agreed to; however, the re is a small degree of moral burden on the part of the employer as well to actively seek to purposefully disregard such personal conversations as long as they do not represent a breach of contract or any form or manifestation of illegality (Detterman 980). Yet, the issue with such an approach hinges upon the fact that the employer will not be painstakingly reading each and every correspondence generated by the employee. Unfortunately, privacy laws or ethical considerations cannot guarantee that this will not be the case. Although this essay has spoken primarily about the privacy concerns that employees might experience as a function of having their employer read their correspondence, it would be remiss of this author to discuss this situation fully without offering advice for a simple way in which the employee can work to avert many of the negative repercussions of over-aggressive privacy policy (Evans 1116). Once the employee signs on the dotted line and accepts the fact that the employer can monitor their activity and communication via the devices that are utilized within the workplace setting, virtually no privacy whatsoever exists within these mediums. As such, it is the strong recommendation of this author that the employee be ever-mindful of the lack of rights they possess while utilizing the employerââ¬â¢
Friday, October 4, 2019
Philosophy of Education Essay Example for Free
Philosophy of Education Essay The word ââ¬Å"teacherâ⬠does the profession no service. A teacher is really a combination of the most important professions in the world. Besides the parents, an educator is the biggest influence in a childââ¬â¢s life. The age span in which children are in school is the most impressionable years of their lives. A studentââ¬â¢s educational experience can mold the events of his or her future. That is why I want to become a teacher. I want to be a mold for younger generations, and I hope for students to remember a knowledgeable and ethical teacher. Beliefs I feel the student should come to school willing to learn and the teacher should come ready to teach! The studentââ¬â¢s role is just as important as the teachers; the studentââ¬â¢s expectations of the teacher should be for her to teach and help them learn at all times. Teachers also play an important role in the classroom when it comes to the environment. If the teacher prepares a warm, happy environment, students are more likely to be happy. An environment set by the teacher can be either good or bad. If students feel the teacher is angry, students may react badly to that and therefore learning can be harder. I think teachers are responsible for the social behavior in their classrooms. This behavior is primarily a reflection of the teachers actions and the environment he/she sets. Metaphysics We are all here for a purpose and I believe that, that is to live for God and follow his way of life. It is hard to know what you are really on earth for until you find it through him! Some teachers will find it hard to keep the focus on the classroom do to all the other outside distractions but, I strongly believe that is you were meant to be a teacher then you will find a way to look past the bad and find the good. Why am I here? I think I am here to help children follow their dreams and make it through school easier than I did. When I become a teacher I want to be the best ever! I want to see that smile on the kidsââ¬â¢ faces after I teach them something amazing. Progressivism I want to teach from some aspects of the progressivism style which focuses on respect for individuality, high regard for science, and learning from experience. I want to teach the children in my classroom to have respect for each other. This is a quality that will help them to be successful in society because if they respect others, then others will have respect for them. Having respect for others also shows that they have respect for themselves. I also want children to learn by hands-on activities. I will direct them from step to step and demonstrate how to do each step in the activities they perform. These activities make learning more interesting for the children because the children are able to get involved instead of just always watching the teacher do everything. Speaking of the children getting involved, they can really get involved when learning in a different atmosphere when on field trips. I feel taking children on field trips is an effective learning experience for them because it allows children to get out of the classroom setting and learn from a different perspective. In addition I want to focus on sciences because they are an important area in the knowledge of children. I think this growing area of our society should be focused on thoroughly because science advances and improves every day and I feel children should be aware of their changing world. Constructivism I feel like this is the main reason why I should teach and why I want to teach, I have learned so much though school and it has molded me to become who I am today. I learn a lot through experience and what I know will make me a better teacher it will help me relate to the ones that hate school or the ones that think they canââ¬â¢t do it. Itââ¬â¢s all a process and the way you take the steps is how I think you will show others so you have to help them with their process and make sure that it doesnââ¬â¢t go bad or in the wrong direction. I plan to continue my education so that I may make teaching my profession. After graduation, I hope to find a position in an elementary school teaching in one of the first through sixth grade classes. I feel that elementary education is extremely important because it is here that children establish their foundation for the rest of the educational career. My goal and desires are to have the opportunity to touch a childââ¬â¢s life.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Overview Of The Enola Gay Controversy History Essay
Overview Of The Enola Gay Controversy History Essay The term History Wars was coined in the United States in 1994à [1]à . It was based on the controversy over how history should be represented for the decision of dropping an atomic bomb on Japan when the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum drafted an exhibit entitled The Crossroads: The End of World War II, the Atomic Bomb and the Cold War around the refurbished Enola Gay to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the war in 1995. This controversy centred around the failed 1995 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums exhibit of the Enola Gay, which intended to examine intersection the end of World War II beginning with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Along that process, various stakeholders in the representation of this historical event were embroiled including Smithsonian curators, veterans such as the Air Force Association and the American Legion, members of the United States Congress, academic historians, media, American public and even the Japanese. As early as in 1988, Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum (NASM) announced that they would display the Enola Gay as part of an interpretive exhibit on the end of World War II and the origins of the Cold Warà [2]à . This announcement brought the museum into contact with a variety of interested groups. As the scripts developed, the exhibit had set off a heated controversy concerning national ideologies, the collective memory of self-victimization, and contestation over historical knowledge. The story of the Smithsonian and the Enola Gay reflected a larger battle in America over academic goals, cultural superiority, sacrifices, heroic effort and how should American remember their past.à [3]à This essay explores the ways in which the Enola Gay debate was fought out primarily in the American public media and in congressional hearings about history and memory. It will focuses on various predicaments in an attempts to produce a nations single and definitive public history and memory shared commonly and objectively by a nation. The Enola Gay controversy or some might called it the Smithsonian atomic bomb exhibit debates sparks a History Wars in American public. In fact, any attempts to produce or exhibit narratives about the past will always spark a controversy and incites various arguments and struggles over historical truth. This essay furthermore attempts to situate The Enola Gay debates within the larger context of the condition of the knowledge that describes those who were involved in this polemic. The Enola Gay controversy was not really about facts, nor was it about which side represented the facts more accurately. Rather, it centred on questions about for whom, for what objectives, and for whose community the event need to be remembered. The difference between the two different factions did not actually portray whether one side distorted the facts more than the other, although there were a number of events that which conservative politicians and veterans deliberately refused to acknowledge the existence of certain information, records and archives materials. Although those who involved in this debate be it veterans, Air Force Association, American Legion, news editors, conservative politicians, academic historians, Smithsonian curators and American public agreed that the main objective of the exhibit is to commemorate the important mission that led America to victory, there will always be different approaches on how to portray American as a saviour of the world and to acknow ledged the United States as the nation that ends the war. The conflation of the history wars with rhetoric of educational over the exhibit escalates during the development of the script. The exhibition main objectives were to showcase the plane that had dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima to end the war.à [4]à The script would have taken visitors through five sections moving from victory in Europe through the nuclear proliferation of the Cold War.à [5]à Along with the script preparation, gradually there are contradiction and different perspectives among the groups involved. The heated discussion of the initial script became public when the Air Force Association accused Smithsonian curators of politicizing the script.à [6]à These debates between veterans and curators foreshadowed a two-year struggle over plans for the exhibition. Veterans insist that the bomb had ended the war and thus prevented further loss of American soldiers lives, while academic historians and curators believed the other way round. The contradiction of the story which is one of a weapon that brought peace and victory and the other side weapon that brought destruction and terrify the world had created different views to American publicà [7]à . Martin Harwit, the Smithsonians director, along with his curators, had held numerous discussions with veterans, academic historians and other interested groups in preparing the script of the exhibit.à [8]à During the preparation of the script and long before the official opening exhibition which is planned in August 1995, criticism on this exhibition increased largely due to the alleged political correctness and historical accurate polemic. There was an intense pressure against the Smithsonian from the veterans especially from the American Legion and the Air Force Association in developing the script. The Smithsonian wanted to tell a narrative purely based on the factual historical event while veterans insist on the portrayal of the struggling American troops, their heroic action that eventually fought to end the war and how the bomb could save approximately hundred thousand lives of American soldiersà [9]à . Tom Crouch, Chairman of the Institute of the Aeronautic Department at the Smithsonian Institute, already getting fed up with the continuous unresolved debates over the objectives of the exhibit, had asked this very important question in his memo to Harwit: whether the museum was producing an exhibit that was intended to make veterans feel goods or an exhibition that will lead our visitors to think about the consequences of the atomic bombing of Japan? Frankly, I dont think we can do bothà [10]à . Veterans boasted that they had a number of powerful lobbying groups in Congress and they have the strength in number. They claimed that they have public backing and the American is always behind them. Their claim is true; on 27 August 1994, twenty four Congressmen sent a letter to the Smithsonian calling the exhibition as anti-American and a historically narrow, revisionist view of the Enola Gays missionà [11]à . When the veterans felt that they were going to be portrayed unfairly in the exhibition, they began to react and gather the support from those who felt the same way they did and started to interfere in the Smithsonian script. Veterans organization had a very high expectation that the exhibition would provide enough balanced historical context so that the reason to drop the bomb were justified enough or at least reasonable, legitimate and might be a necessary to avoid unbalance inference that will equal the bombing with more tragic incident such as holocaust. The politicians were also jumped into the bandwagon in support of the veterans resistance. Newt Gingrich, a Republican leader in House of Representative said that American had been tired and sick of being told by some so called historians that they ought to be ashamed of their country in the way they end the warà [12]à . In the following month, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 257 which stated: . . . any exhibit by the National Air and Space Museum with respect to the Enola Gay should reflect appropriate sensitivity toward the men and women who faithfully and selflessly served, and should avoid impugning the memory of those who gave their lives forà [13]à . The Smithsonian is being criticized from all corners, from those who consider the exhibition as revisionist which is critical of the American History Wars to those who accuse the curators and the historians of staging and exaggerating which glorifies the decision of dropping the bomb. The curators and historians wanted the exhibition to be devoted solely to the justifications in using such a weapon and the task of the curators is to educate people, not to spread some kind of propaganda. Curators have not always been comfortable creating exhibits to celebrate technological prowess, devastating impact, losses of lives and wartime sacrifices. The curators saw the chance to display the Enola Gay as an opportunity to bring to a wider audience the issue of the consequences of the devastating impact for using such a terrible weapon and helping visitors to have better understanding the meaning and implication of the decisions and events that have shaped the subsequent history of the twentiet h century. The veterans accused the Smithsonian in denying the justification to drop the bomb at that time by questioning the morality and motives of President Trumans decision to end the war soonest possibleà [14]à . On the veterans point of view, the decision is just a noble thing to be made which is to save as many American lives possible and to end the war immediately. As the script developed, both parties seem to be at loggerheads. The Smithsonian refusal to change the script infuriates the veterans. The American Legion insists that the script inferred that America was somehow in the wrong and her loyal airmen somehow criminalà [15]à . The congressmen step into the debate sided with the veterans and accusing the Smithsonian as a blatant betrayal of American history, biased and anti-Americanà [16]à . According to veterans, the script was a politically rigged program that made the Japanese in World War II look like victims instead of aggressors, and showed Americans as ruthless i nvaders, driven by racism and revenge.à [17]à Veterans reacted strongly to any Smithsonian attempt to remember the bombing that questioned the good war. They heavily criticized the progress of the script and particularly disturbed by the scripts suggestion that there were element of US aggression and imperialism even in what had been described as the most just and sacred of American wars ever fought.à [18]à While the curators wanted the public to interpret the consequences of the terrifying weapon and the horror of the war, veterans wanted the exhibit to commemorate the sacrifices they made to end the war. Their complaints reflected a perception that the curators and historians refusal to restructured the script as what the veterans wanted was seen as slap in the face of all Americans, including our courageous fallen, who fought from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay.50 Bob Dole, a war veteran and a Republican Presidential candidate, told the American Legionnaires during the speech in Labor Day added that a generation of historians were in fact tend to be intellectual elites who seem embarrassed by America51. Charles B. Sweeney, the pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, heavily criticized the curators and described it as an assault on our language and history by the elimination of accurate and descriptive words.52 The media also inflames the controversy by bringing the exhibition into disrepute. A day after the exhibition were cancelled, the editorial of the Washington Post wrote : It is important to be clear about what happened at the Smithsonian. It is not, as some have it, that benighted advocates of a special interest or right-wing point of view brought historical power to bear to crush and distort the historical truth. Quite to the contrary, narrow-minded representatives of a special-interest and revisionist point of view attempted to use their inside track to appropriate and hollow out a historical event that large numbers of Americans alive at that time and engaged in the war had witnessed and understood in a very different and authentic wayà [19]à . The main problem is to decide who the decision maker in this exhibition is. Curators is just doing their job and they have the right to interpret the past based solely on their scholarly credentials and other primary resources such as archives, historical records, photographs, interviews, bibliographies and also advised from academic historians. In contrast, the veterans claimed that they too have the rights to portrayed the exhibition based on their personal and wartime experience. As far as the veterans concerned, their criticism is not solely against the suffering of the Japanese people due to the dropping of the bomb, but they call for more balance and the completeness of the story rather than for accuracy or fidelity to what happened in fact. Apart from contrary belief that veterans were at all time against the historical accuracy, veterans greatly appreciated the curators effort to portray the exhibition as much attractive as ever but they wanted them to be displayed more on the Americans favour rather than Japanese one. As a whole, all parties came into agreement that they wanted to make this exhibition a success. Everybody involves in the controversy over the exhibition seems to agree that the decision to drop the bomb will resulted various interpretation but it is clear that the decision made in 1945 will be viewed differently as in present day. The veterans came into agreement that the exhibition should tell another side of the story about Enola Gay so that the balanced display would allow visitors to make their own judgement about what happened, how and why. The Enola Gay controversy clearly demonstrates that one cannot effectively seek proper representation in a national public sphere solely by claiming to possess knowledge that is solidly based on factual authenticity. To differentiate between factual history and imaginary commemoration is problematic precisely because it can prove debilitating when trying to prevail over those who adhere to opposed understanding of history. Moreover, as observed in the Smithsonian dispute, to rationalize the demand for the representation in the public sphere by opposing ones legitimacy on factual authenticity alone may unwittingly help perpetuate the myth that the subaltern history is more accurate than mainstream history. As The American Legions national commander, William M. Detweiller declared in November 1994: More than anything else, our disagreements centre on the estimate numbers of lived saved by the use of atomic weapons in 1945. Does it matter? To the museum and the historians, it seems to be of great importance in determining the morality of President Trumans decision. To the American Legion, it matters less, if at all.à [20]à In truth, to all concerned, it mattered a great deal. In the end, everyone believed that memory and history had been abused, and the controversy over the Enola Gay exhibit became a useful symbol for all sides in the history wars going in America. Controversies over museum exhibition clearly demonstrate that political correctness has displaced historical accuracy over issues of humanities, race and history itself.à [21]à If this is true, then the controversy accompanying this fiftieth anniversary marked a dark spot in Americas collective memory, when latent struggles came to the surface about which histories needed to be remembered or forgotten. These are not just academic questions, because public memories are also forms of cultural practice. Scholars should therefore attend to the ways historians, curators, the media, and ordinary citizens participated in the creation of the symbolic repertoires that made up the Enola Gay dispute. For the veterans, the exhibition will display not only the historical memories of the American veterans but also at their sense of personal and national identity. They wanted the exhibition to reflect their past glory and to portray themselves as the saviour of America who risks their lives in order to bring peace to America and the entire world. The exhibit floundered when pressure from conservative politicians and veterans groups denounced it and Congress threatened to cut the museums fundingà [22]à . In the end, after the exhibit had finally been cancelled, Harwit admitted that his curators were defeated by veterans organizations whose summed membership stands six million strong.à [23]à The history wars have a negative influence not because they encourage public debate about historical matters, thereby removing control of them from the authority who really in the know about the subject matters. History is unceasingly controversial because it provides so much of the substance for the ways a society defines itself and considers what it wants to be. The history wars, though unnerving and nasty, offer the public an opportunity to talk with historians and about how history is written, how research has changed in recent decades, and how arguments about the past illustrates the future. History does matter, and it is important for American at the end of the twentieth century to understand how the recent history wars have unfolded, how these struggles are connected to earlier arguments over interpreting the past and what does it tell us of current state of present society. This controversy became a new battle in a war over American culture life and the exhibition is a new ex perience for American public especially in the way the debates were fought between various sides. History Wars are not only occurred or debated in America alone, but in other countries as well. Around the world, various History Wars have sparked over museum exhibits, national commemoration, public anniversaries, history textbooks, usage of jargon and parades.5 Where ever there are past event, there will be History Wars sparked by that particular event. In the past twenty years, there are debates about events that happened in the past. These debates all exhibit the same characteristics: the same obsessive collective pronouns and terminology, as well as the same parochialism and national preoccupations. Such example was a tragic event of infamous holocaust that still been debated until today by different party. There will always be a group of history revisionist, left wing or far-right denial that will keep on debating the truth about events that happened in the past. The debates on History Wars are not restricted in the western society but it also being debated everywhere. In the Far East during the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Japanese Army committed atrocities against the inhabitant of Nanking which will be remembered in history as The Rape of Nanking. The Japanese aggression caused the massacre of more than 260,000 Nanking civilianà [24]à and the Japanese government refusal to confess their past aggression and apologizing their atrocities infuriates the Chinese Government and its people. In the Japanese textbook, there were nothing being mention about their atrocities in the past and refusal had been condemned by China and other nationsà [25]à . In Australia, History Wars represent an ongoing conflict between conservative, leftist groups, politicians and academic historians over the early white settlements and the behaviour of Australias settlers in regard to the indigenous peoples. The History Wars have also been an integral feature of the cultural war conflicts in Australia of recent years and of the consequent attacks on the academic historian publicly. The politician, journalists and revisionist and academic historians try to interpret issues about treatment of Australias indigenous people, the stolen generations, Black Armband view and othersà [26]à . Such questions dominate the History Wars; in this case a Smithsonian lengthy politicised and polarised debate that have raged over years. Such dispute show how issue on nations past has become in US, as academic historians, curators, veterans, politicians and media find themselves increasingly entangled in a heated public debate. It was a paradox where while school children in US found that the subject of American history is being too boringà [27]à , the perspective wasnt shared by the people of the older age, in fact it seems more fraught than ever, in this case at least in this Smithsonian debate. As Richard H. Kohn, professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that the cancellation of the original Enola Gay exhibition may constitute the worst tragedy to befall the public presentation of history in the United States in a generation .à [28]à In my opinion, this exhibit is a major opportunity to inform not only the American people but to all m ankind about war and its consequences and the tragedy of the cancellation was a great loss.
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