The 7 Species of Sea Turtles

Christopher Johnson Mccandless s Transcendentalism

Christopher Johnson McCandless’s Transcendentalism To think philosophically, the reality of living does not really has a definition. Around the 1840s, specific groups of people known as transcendentalists argued that there’s an intensive connection among God, man, and nature. They emphasizes that the main truth of understanding reality in life should be an individual epiphany. Christopher Johnson McCandless from Into the Wild shared similar philosophical ideas as two notable transcendentalists known as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and lived life like a transcendentalist based on his behaviors and life values. With the fact that remained in history, the primary conception of transcendentalism was led by the unitarianism, the reaction to the strict Calvinism, which supported that people should live the spiritual life in terms of a continuing effort to cultivate one’s own spiritual resources. David Robinson explicated it in his article â€Å"Transce ndentalism†: Although the relatively brief duration of transcendentalism as a movement may appear to indicate finally a narrative of failure or collapse, a longer historical perspective suggests the pervasive and continuing influence of transcendentalist principles and goals in the shaping of American culture. (Robinson 1178) Transcendentalism is defined as the philosophical movement that manage an insistence to the idea of culture and society. For example, Robinson gave a meaning of it with the quote, â€Å"This philosophy,Show MoreRelatedHuman Nature Vs Transcendentalism883 Words   |  4 Pagesearth, no phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes, ultimate freedom, an extremist, an aesthetic voyager. Whose home is the road. No longer to be poisoned by civilization. He flees, and walks alone upon the land of to become, lost in the wild.† Transcendentalism, emphasizing human nature, truth, simplicity, comfort and the importance of comfort, emphasizing human intuition, people only by virtue of spiritual intuition to achieve the best living conditions. The Transcendentalists place an emphasis onRead MoreMccandless Vs Transcendentalism1840 Words   |  8 PagesAlaska or Bust: The Two Men That Believed Alaska Had All the Answers As Christopher Johnson McCandless once said: â€Å"The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences† (Krakauer, 57). Society has given the majority of the human population a predetermined cookie-cutter lifestyle for which they must follow in order to be accepted. This includes which virtues to follow, how to interact with others, and what is and what is it not acceptable. For many people, fitting into this mold is the only way they

Bloodsucking Fiends A Love Story Chapter 27~28 Free Essays

Chapter 27 Bridging the Boredom Half past midnight. He stood at the top of the southwest tower of the Oakland Bay Bridge, some fifty stories above the gunmetal-cold bay, thinking, Jump or dive? He wore a black silk suit and he paused for a moment, regretting that the suit would be ruined. He liked the feel and flow of silk on his skin. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 27~28 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Oh well. Two miles away Jody was walking up Market Street wishing that she could just get drunk and pass out. I wonder, she thought, if I found someone who was really drunk and drank his blood? No, this damn system of mine would probably identify alcohol as a poison and fight the effects. So many questions. If only I’d remembered to ask them. She stopped at a phone booth and called Tommy at the store. â€Å"Marina Safeway.† â€Å"Tommy, it’s me.† â€Å"Are you still mad?† â€Å"Not mad enough, I guess. I just wanted to tell you to stay in the store until after daylight. Don’t go outside for any reason. And stay around the other guys if you can.† â€Å"Why? What’s the matter?† â€Å"Just do as I say, Tommy.† â€Å"I cleaned up the loft. Mostly, anyway.† â€Å"We’ll talk about it tomorrow night. Stay at home until I wake up, okay?† â€Å"Are you still going to be pissed?† â€Å"Probably. I’ll see you then. Good-bye.† She hung up. How could he be so smart sometimes and so ignorant other times? Maybe the vampire was right, a human could never understand her. She suddenly felt very lonely. She ducked into an all-night diner and ordered a cup of coffee as rent on a booth. She still could enjoy the smell of coffee, even if she couldn’t keep it down. She opened the paper she had bought from the bum with her cosmetics bag and began to read through the personals. â€Å"Men Seeking Women,† â€Å"Women Seeking Men,† â€Å"Men Seeking Men,† â€Å"Women Seeking Women,† â€Å"Men Seeking Small Fuzzy Animals†; there was a wide selection of categories. She scanned over the more mundane entries until her eye settled on one under â€Å"Support Groups.† â€Å"Are You a Vampire? You don’t have to face your problem alone. Blood Drinkers Anonymous can help. Mon.-Fri. Midnight. Rm. 212 Asian Cultural Center, Non-Smoking.† It was Friday. It was midnight. She was only ten minutes from the Asian Cultural Center. Could it be this simple? The first thing she noticed when she walked into room 212 of the Asian Cultural Center is that all of the people sitting in a circle in molded plastic chairs, all twenty of them, were giving off heat signatures. They were all human. She was backing out of the door when a pear-shaped woman in a leotard and black cape intercepted her and took her hand. â€Å"Welcome,† said the woman. She sported a set of rather wicked-looking fangs that caused her to lisp. â€Å"I’m Tabitha. We’re just getting ready to start. Come on in. There’s coffee and cookies.† She led Jody to an orange plastic chair and urged her to sit down. â€Å"It’s hard the first time, but everyone here has been where you are.† â€Å"Not bloody likely,† Jody said, wiping a speck of Tabitha’s spittle from her cheek. Tabitha pointed to a plastic medallion that hung from her neck by a heavy silver chain. â€Å"See this chip? I’ve been clean and bloodless for six months. If I can do it, so can you. One night at a time.† Tabitha squeezed her arm, then threw her cape over her shoulder, turned dramatically, and stalked across the room to the cookie table, her cape billowing behind her. Jody looked at the other occupants of the room. All were talking, most were sneaking looks at her between sips of coffee. The men were all tall and thin with protruding Adam’s apples and bad skin. Their dress ranged from business suits to jeans and flannel. They might have been a chess club out for the evening if not for the capes. To a man, they wore capes. Four of seven had fangs. Two sets of four were made of glow-in-the-dark plastic. Jody focused on two of them whispering in the corner. â€Å"I told you, this is a babe-fest. Did you see the redhead?† He sneaked a look. His partner said, â€Å"I think I saw her at Compulsive Cleaners last week.† â€Å"Compulsive Cleaners, I was going to try that. How are the odds?† â€Å"Lots of gay guys, but a few babes. Mostly they smell like Pine Sol, but it’s hot if you like latex gloves.† â€Å"Cool, I’ll check it out. I think I’m going to quit going to Adult Children of Alcoholics, everybody’s looking to blame, no one’s looking to get laid.† Jody thought, I don’t know if I want to hear quiet desperation this clearly. She changed her focus to the women in the room. A six-foot-two brunette woman in a black choir robe and Kabuki-like makeup was complaining to a washed-out blonde wearing a tattered wedding dress. â€Å"They want to be tied up, I tie them up. They want to be spanked, I spank them. They want to be called names, I call them names. But try and drink a little of their blood, and they scream like babies. What about my needs?† â€Å"I know,† said the blonde. â€Å"I asked Robert to sleep in the coffin one time and he left.† â€Å"You have a coffin? I want a coffin.† Christ, Jody thought, I’ve got to get out of here. Tabitha clapped her hands. â€Å"Let’s get the meeting started!† Those who were standing found seats. Several men tried to shove their way into the seats next to Jody. A skinny geek with peanut-butter breath leaned in to her and said, â€Å"I was on ‘Oprah’ on Halloween. ‘Men who drink blood and the women who find them disgusting. If you want, you can come by my place and watch the tape after the meeting.† â€Å"I’m out of here,† Jody said. She jumped up and headed for the door. Behind her she heard Tabitha saying, â€Å"Hi, I’m Tabitha and I’m a bloodsucking fiend.† â€Å"Hi, Tabitha,† the group said in chorus. Outside Jody looked up and down the street wondering which way to go, what to do. She paused by a phone booth, realizing that there was no one she could call. Tears welled in her eyes. Why even bother to hope? The only person who had the slightest idea how she felt was the vampire who had made her. And he had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in helping her – the evil fucker. I should set him up with my mother, she thought, then the two of them can look down on humanity together. The thought made her smile. Then the phone rang. She looked at it for a second, looked around for someone else who would answer it, but except for a guy standing by his car a couple of blocks away, the street was empty. She picked up the phone. â€Å"Hello.† A man’s voice said, â€Å"I thought you would show up here eventually.† â€Å"Who is this?† Jody asked. The man sounded young, his voice was unfamiliar. â€Å"I can’t tell you that yet.† â€Å"Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Bye.† â€Å"Wait, wait, wait, don’t hang up.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"You’re the one, aren’t you? You’re real. I mean, you are a real vampire.† Jody held the phone away, stared at the receiver as if it were an alien object. â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"I don’t want to tell you my name. I don’t want you to be able to find me. Let’s just say that I’m a friend.† â€Å"That’s how most of my friends are,† Jody said. â€Å"They don’t tell me their names or how to find them. It keeps my social calendar pretty clear.† Who was this guy? Who could possibly know that she was here, right now? â€Å"Okay, I guess I owe you something. I’m a med student at†¦ at a local college. I did some research on one of the bodies†¦ one of the bodies of the people you killed.† â€Å"I didn’t kill anyone. I don’t know what you’re talking about. If I am who you think I am, how did you know I’d be here? I didn’t even know I would be here until an hour ago.† â€Å"I’ve been waiting, watching every night for a couple of weeks. I had a theory that you wouldn’t have any noticeable body heat, and you don’t.† â€Å"What are you talking about? No one notices anybody’s body heat.† â€Å"Look up the street. By the white Toyota. It’s running, by the way. If you make a move to come toward me, I’m gone.† Jody looked more closely at the person up the street standing by a white car. The car was running. The man was holding a cell phone and looking at her through some very large binoculars. â€Å"I see you,† she said. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I’m looking at you through infrared glasses. You’re not giving off any body heat, so I know you’re the one. My theory was right.† â€Å"Are you a cop?† â€Å"No, I told you, I’m a medical student. I don’t want to turn you in. In fact, I think I might be able to help you, if you’re interested in being helped.† â€Å"Talk,† Jody said. She held her hand over the phone and focused on the guy by the car. She could hear him talking into the cell phone. â€Å"They gave one of the cadavers to our department after the coroner was done with it. It was a male, about sixty years old, the third victim, I think. I noticed that there was a clean spot on his neck, as if it had been washed. The coroner hadn’t put that in his report. I took a tissue sample and put it under a microscope. The tissue in that area was living. Regenerating. I cultured it and it started to die, until I added something on a hunch.† â€Å"What?† Jody asked. She didn’t know what to think. This man knew she was a vampire, and strangely, she felt an urge to attack. Some protective instinct wanted her to hurt him. Kill him. She fought to stay calm. â€Å"Hemoglobin. I added some human hemoglobin and the tissue started to regenerate again. I ran it through the sequencer. It’s not human DNA. It’s close, but not human. It doesn’t produce heat, doesn’t seem to burn fuel the same way that mammalian cells do. The coroner said that he was the one that had drained the blood from the body, but he’d never done that before. And I knew that the guy had been murdered. I made a guess. I saw the ad in the Weekly for a vampire support group, so I’ve been watching.† Jody said, â€Å"Suppose I believe what you’re saying. Suppose I believe that you believe this bullshit, how could you help me? Supposing I wanted to be helped?† â€Å"My major is gene therapy. There’s a chance I could reverse the process.† â€Å"This isn’t science. I’m not saying that you’re right about your theory. There are a lot of things that you don’t know, that can’t be explained by science. If you don’t know that by now, you will. What you’re talking about is magic.† â€Å"Magic is just science that we don’t know yet. Do you want me to help or not?† â€Å"Why would you want to do that? As far as you know, I kill people.† â€Å"So does cancer, but I still work on it. Do you have any idea what kind of competition there is for jobs in my field? It’s an all-or-nothing field. I could end up getting my PhD and giving saccharine enemas to rats for five bucks an hour. What I learn from you would put my resume at the top of the stack.† Jody didn’t know what to say. Part of her wanted to drop the phone and go after him. Another part wanted to accept his help. She said, â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"Nothing yet. How can I get hold of you?† â€Å"I can’t tell you that. I’ll call you. What’s your number?† â€Å"I can’t tell you that.† Jody sighed. â€Å"Look, Mr. Scientific Genius, figure out something. And by the way, I really didn’t kill those people.† â€Å"Then why are you even listening to me?† â€Å"I guess this conversation is over. Get in your car and get comfortable with asking rats to bend over. Good-bye.† â€Å"Wait, we could meet somewhere. Tomorrow. Someplace public.† â€Å"No, it has to be at night. Someplace private. You could have cops everywhere.† She watched him as she talked. He had put the binoculars down and she could see that he was Asian. â€Å"You’re the killer here. Would you meet you someplace private and dark?† â€Å"All right. Tomorrow night. Seven o’clock, at Enrico’s on Broadway. That public enough for you?† â€Å"Sure. Can I bring a blood-sample kit? Would you let me?† â€Å"Would you let me?† she asked. He didn’t answer. â€Å"Just kidding,† she said. â€Å"Look, I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want to get hurt either. When you leave here, drive like hell and take an indirect route home.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I really didn’t kill those people, but I know who did, and he’s been following me. If he’s seen you, you’re in danger.† The line was quiet for a minute, just the ghost voices of a cellular connection. Jody watched the Asian guy watching her. Finally he cleared his throat. â€Å"How many of you are there?† â€Å"I don’t know,† she said. â€Å"I know that all of the victims don’t change. It couldn’t work. The geometric progression would have the entire human race turned to vampires in a month.† He sounded more confident now that he had brought the conversation back to science. â€Å"I’ll tell you what I know tomorrow. But don’t expect much. I don’t know much. Or I’ll tell you now if you want to talk face to face, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about this with you on a cell phone.† â€Å"Yeah, you’re right. Not now, though. Not here. You understand, don’t you?† Jody nodded, exaggerating the gesture so he could see. â€Å"The longer you stand there, the better chance you have of being seen by†¦ by the other one. Tomorrow night, then. Seven o’clock.† â€Å"Will you be wearing that dress?† Jody smiled. â€Å"Do you like it? It’s new.† â€Å"It’s great. I didn’t think you would be a woman.† â€Å"Thanks. Go now.† She watched him climb into the Toyota, the cell phone still in hand. â€Å"Promise not to try and track me down?† â€Å"I know where you’ll be tomorrow night, remember?† â€Å"Oh yeah. By the way, my name’s Steve.† â€Å"Hi, Steve. I’m Jody.† â€Å"‘Bye,† he said. He disconnected. Jody hung up the phone and watched him drive away. She thought, Great, another one to worry about. It hadn’t occurred to her that her condition might be reversible. But then, the med student didn’t know about how the body had turned to dust. Science indeed. Jump or dive, he thought. The silk suit whipped about his legs in the chill wind. The tower’s aircraft warning light flashed red across his face and he could see heat swirling off it, dissolving over the bay. His name was Elijah Ben Sapir. He stood five feet ten inches tall and he had been a vampire for eight hundred years. In human life he had been an alchemist and had spent his time mixing noxious chemicals and chanting arcane incantations trying to turn lead into gold and tap the secret of eternal life. He hadn’t been a particularly good alchemist. He had never been able to pull off the gold transformation, although by a bizarre miscalculation of chemistry he did manage to invent Teflon some eight hundred years before DuPont would find a use for it. (It should be noted, though, that archaeologists recently uncovered a Viking rune stone in Greenland that mentions a Jew who entered the palace of Constantine the Magnificent in 1224 selling a line of nonstick hot pokers for the Emperor’s torture chamber and was promptly given the bum’s rush to the city gates. The accuracy of the story has been questioned, however, as it begins, â€Å"I never believed that your letters were true until Gunner and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and goes on to recount the sexual exploits of two Vikings and a harem of brown-skinned Byzantine babes.) Ben Sapir’s search for eternal life had been somewhat more successful. Granted, it came with the side effects of drinking human blood and staying out of sunlight, but he had gotten used to that. It was the loneliness that he couldn’t abide. Perhaps, after all these years, it would end. He was afraid to hope. It had been a hundred years since a fledgling had lasted this long. She had been a Yanomamo woman in the Amazon Basin and she had hunted the jungle for three months before she returned to her village and turned her sister. The sisters declared themselves gods and demanded sacrifices from the village. He found them by the river feeding on an old woman, and he took no pleasure in killing them. Perhaps the redhead, perhaps she would be the one. Dive, he decided. He leaped away from the tower, jackknifed into a dive, and plunged fifty stories to the black water. The challenge was to avoid changing to mist before hitting the water. That was too easy. The impact of the water ripped the clothes off his back; the stitching of his shoes exploded with the pressure. He surfaced, naked except for one sock that had strangely survived the impact, and began the long swim back to his yacht thinking, I shouldn’t have saved her from the sunlight. I must be desperate for entertainment. Chapter 28 Is That a Blackjack in Your Pocket? Tommy booted the Emperor out of the store at dawn. It had been a long night trying to keep the crazed ruler away from the Animals while throwing stock and trying to figure out the logistics of his meeting with Mara, all while under the influence of Dr. Drew’s polio weed, which seemed to affect the part of the brain that motivates one to sit in the corner and drool while staring at one’s hands. When the shift ended, he declined the Animal’s invitation for beers and Frisbee in the parking lot, swiped a baguette from the bread-delivery man, and caught the bus home, intent on going straight to bed. He knew his plan was foiled when Frank, the biker/sculptor, met him outside their building holding a familiar-looking bronze turtle. â€Å"Flood, check it out.† Frank held up the turtle. â€Å"It worked!† â€Å"What worked?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Thick electroplating process. Come on in, I’ll show you.† Frank turned and led Tommy through the roll-up door into the foundry. The foundry took up the entire bottom floor of the building, here was a huge furnace making a muffled rumbling sound. There were several large pits filled with sand, and plaster-of-Paris molds lay in them in various states of completion. In the back, near the only windows, stood wax figures of naked women, Indians, Buddhas, and birds, waiting to be cut up and placed in plaster of Paris. Frank said, â€Å"We’ve been doing a lot of statues for people’s gardens. Buddhas are big with the koi-pond types. That’s what we needed the turtles for. Monk already sold one of them to a woman in Pacific Heights for five hundred bucks. Sight unseen.† â€Å"My turtles?† Tommy said. He looked more closely at the bronze turtle Frank was holding. â€Å"Zelda!† â€Å"Can you believe it?† Frank said. â€Å"We did them both in less than eight hours. Lost-wax process would have taken days. I’ll show you.† He led Tommy to the other side of the shop where a short, portly man in leather and denim was working beside a tall Plexi-glas tank filled with a translucent green liquid. Frank said, â€Å"Monk, this is our neighbor, Tom Flood. Flood, this is my partner Monk.† Monk grunted, not looking up from a compressor that he seemed to be having trouble with. Tommy could see how he had gotten his name. He had a large bowl-shaped bald spot with a fringe of hair around it: the Benedictine version of Easy Rider, Friar Tuck on wheels. â€Å"This,† said Frank, gesturing toward the ten-foot tank, â€Å"as far as we know, is the biggest electroplating tank on the West Coast.† Tommy didn’t know quite how to react. He was still stunned by seeing the bronze likeness of Zelda. â€Å"That’s just spiffy,† he said finally. â€Å"Yeah, dude. We can do anything we can find. No molds, no wax carvings. You just dunk and go. That’s how we did your turtles.† Tommy was beginning to get it. â€Å"You mean that that is not a sculpture? You covered my turtles with brass?† â€Å"That’s it. That liquid is supersaturated with dissolved metal. We sprayed the turtles with a thin metal-based paint that would conduct current. Then we attached a wire to them and dipped them in the tank. The current draws the metal out of the water and it fuses to the paint on the turtle. Leave it a long time and the coating gets thick enough to have structural integrity. Voila, a bronze garden turtle. I don’t think anybody’s ever done it before. We owe you, man.† Monk grunted in gratitude. Tommy didn’t know whether to be angry or depressed. â€Å"You should have told me you were going to kill them.† â€Å"I thought you knew, man. Sorry. You can have this one, if you want.† Frank presented the bronzed Zelda. Tommy shook his head and looked away. â€Å"I don’t think I could look at her.† He turned and walked away. Frank said, â€Å"C’mon, man, take it. We owe you one. If you need a favor or something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tommy took Zelda. How would he explain to Jody? â€Å"By the way, I’ve turned your little friends into statues.† And this right after they’d had a big fight. He slunk up the steps feeling completely lost. Jody had left him a note on the counter: Tommy: Imperative that you are here when I wake up. If you go out you are in serious, life-threatening trouble. I mean it. I have some very important things to tell you. No time now, I’m going to go out any second. Be here when I wake up. Jody â€Å"Great,† Tommy said to Peary. â€Å"Now what do I do about Mara? Who does Jody think she is, threatening me? What does she think she’s going to do if I’m not here? I can’t be here. Why don’t you keep her busy until I get home.† Tommy patted the chest freezer and an idea came to him. â€Å"You know, Peary, scientists have frozen vampire bats and thawed them completely unharmed. I mean, how would she know? How many times has she thought it was Tuesday when it was really Wednesday?† Tommy went to the bedroom and looked in on Jody, who had made it to bed, but not in time to change out of her black dress. Wow, Tommy thought, she never dresses like that for me. She looked so peaceful. Sexy, but peaceful. She’ll be angry if she finds out, but she’s angry now. It won’t really hurt her. I can just take her out tomorrow morning and put her under the electric blanket. By sundown she’ll be thawed out and I’ll have handled the Mara thing. I can tell Mara that I’m involved. I can’t start something new until this is finished. Maybe with the extra time, Jody will have chilled a little. He smiled to himself. He opened the lid of the freezer, then went into the bedroom to get Jody. He carried her into the kitchen and laid her in the freezer on top of Peary. As he tucked her into the fetal position he felt a twinge of jealousy. â€Å"You guys behave now, okay?† He tucked a few TV dinners around her nice and snug under her arms, then kissed her on the forehead and gently closed the lid. As he crawled into bed he thought, If she ever finds out about this, she’s really going to be pissed. Tommy had been asleep three hours when the pounding started. He rolled out of bed, stumbled across the dark bedroom, and was blinded when he opened the door into the loft. He was just regaining his eyesight when he opened the fire door and Rivera said, â€Å"Are you Thomas Flood, Junior?† â€Å"Yes,† Tommy said, bracing himself against the doorjamb. â€Å"I’m Inspector Alphonse Rivera from the San Francisco Police Department.† He held up a badge wallet. â€Å"You’re under arrest† – Rivera pulled a warrant from his jacket pocket – â€Å"for abandoning a vehicle on a public street.† â€Å"You’re kidding,† Tommy said. Cavuto stepped through the door and grabbed Tommy by the shoulder, whipping him around as the big cop pulled his handcuffs from his belt. â€Å"You have the right to remain silent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cavuto said. Two hours later Tommy had been processed, probed, and printed, and as Cavuto had expected, Tommy’s fingerprints matched those on the copy of On the Road that they had found under the dead bum. It was enough for them to get a search warrant issued for the loft. Five minutes after they entered the loft a mobile crime lab was dispatched along with a forensics team and two coroners’ trucks. As far as crime scenes went, the loft in SOMA was the mother lode. Cavuto and Rivera left the crime scene to the forensics team and returned to the station, where they took Tommy from a holding cell and put him in a pleasantly pink interrogation room furnished with a metal table and two chairs. There was a mirror on one wall and a tape recorder sat on the table. Tommy sat staring at the pink wall, remembering something about how pink was supposed to calm you down. It didn’t seem to be working. His stomach was tied in knots. Rivera had done dozens of interrogations with Cavuto and they always took the same roles: Cavuto was the bad cop, and Rivera was the good cop. Actually Rivera never felt like the good cop. More often he was the I-am-tired-and-overworked-and-I’m-being-nice-to-you-because-I-don’t-have-the-energy-to-be-angry cop. â€Å"Would you like a smoke?† Rivera asked. â€Å"Sure,† Tommy said. Cavuto jumped in his face. â€Å"Too bad, punk. There’s no smoking in here.† Cavuto took great pleasure in being the bad cop. He practiced in front of the mirror at home. Rivera shrugged. â€Å"He’s right. You can’t smoke.† Tommy said, â€Å"That’s okay, I don’t smoke.† â€Å"How about a lawyer then?† asked Rivera. â€Å"Or a phone call?† â€Å"I have to be at work at midnight,† Tommy said. â€Å"If it looks like I’m going to be late, I’ll use my call then.† Cavuto was pacing the room, timing his path so he could wheel on Tommy with every statement. He wheeled. â€Å"Yeah, kid, you’re going to be late, about thirty years late, if they don’t fry you.† Tommy pushed back in his chair with fright. â€Å"Good one, Nick,† Rivera said. â€Å"Thanks.† Cavuto smiled around an unlit cigar and backed away from the table where Tommy sat. Rivera moved up. â€Å"Okay, kid, you don’t want an attorney. Where do you want to start? We’ve got you hands-down on two murders and probably three. If you tell us the story, tell us everything, about all the other murders, we might be able to waive the death penalty.† â€Å"I didn’t kill anybody.† â€Å"Don’t be cute,† Cavuto said. â€Å"We found two bodies in your freezer. We’ve got your fingerprints all over a book that we found under a third body outside your apartment. We’ve got you staying at the motel where we found a fourth body. And we’ve got you with a closetful of women’s clothing and eyewitnesses that put a woman near where we found a fifth body†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tommy interrupted, â€Å"Actually, there’s only one body in the freezer. The other is my girlfriend.† â€Å"You sick fuck.† Cavuto drew back as if to hit Tommy. Rivera moved to restrain him. Tommy cowered in his chair. Rivera led Cavuto to the far side of the room. â€Å"Let me take this for a minute.† He left Cavuto grumbling to himself and went to the seat across from Tommy. â€Å"Look, kid, we’ve got you cold, so to speak, on two murders. We’ve got circumstantial evidence on another. You are going to jail for a very long time, and at this point, the death penalty is looking pretty good. Now if you tell us everything, and don’t leave anything out, we might be able to help you out, but you have to give us enough to close all the cases. Do you understand?† Tommy nodded. â€Å"But I didn’t kill anybody. I put Jody in the freezer, which I admit is inconsiderate, but I didn’t kill her.† Cavuto growled. Rivera nodded in mock acceptance of the story. â€Å"Fine, but if you didn’t kill them, who did? Did someone you know force you into this?† Cavuto exploded, â€Å"Oh Christ, Rivera! What do you need, a videotape? This little bastard did it.† â€Å"Nick, please. Give me a minute here.† Cavuto moved to the table and leaned over it until his face was next to Tommy’s. He whispered, raspy and gruff, â€Å"Flood, don’t think you can use a wiggle and a wink to get yourself out of this. That might work down on Castro, but I’m immune to it here, you got me? I’m going to leave now, but when I come back, if you haven’t told my partner your story, I’m going to cause pain. Lots of it, and I won’t leave a mark on you.† He stood up, smiled, then turned and left the room. Tommy looked at Rivera. â€Å"A wiggle and a wink?† â€Å"Nick thinks you’re cute,† Rivera said. â€Å"He’s gay?† â€Å"Completely.† Tommy shook his head. â€Å"I would have never guessed.† â€Å"He’s a Shriner, too.† Rivera tapped a cigarette out of his pack and lit it. â€Å"Looks can be deceiving.† â€Å"Hey, I didn’t think you were allowed to smoke in here.† Rivera blew smoke in Tommy’s face. â€Å"You had two people in your freezer, and you’re giving me shit about smoking.† â€Å"Good point.† Rivera sat down and leaned back in the chair. â€Å"Tommy, I’m going to give you one more chance to tell me how you killed those people, then I’m going to let Nick back in here and I’m going to leave. He really likes you. This room is soundproof, you know.† Tommy swallowed hard. â€Å"You’re not going to believe me. It’s a pretty fantastic story. There’s supernatural stuff involved.† Rivera rubbed his temples. â€Å"Satan told you to do it?† he said wearily. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Elvis?† â€Å"I told you, it’s supernatural.† â€Å"Tommy, I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before. If you repeat it, I’ll deny I said it. Five years ago I saw a white owl with a seventy-foot wingspan swoop out of the sky and pluck a demon off a hillside and take off into the sky.† â€Å"I heard that cops get the best drugs,† Tommy said. Rivera got up. â€Å"I’m going to bring Nick in.† â€Å"No, wait. I’ll tell you. It was a vampire. You can thaw Jody out and ask her.† Rivera reached over and turned on the tape recorder. â€Å"Now slow down. Start at the beginning and go until we walked you into this room.† An hour later Rivera met Cavuto behind the one-way mirror. Cavuto was not happy. â€Å"You know, I’d rather you just threaten that I would beat him up.† â€Å"It worked, didn’t it?† â€Å"There’s nothing there we can use. Not a thing. If he sticks with that story he’ll get off on insanity. It’s too wild. I want to know how he got the blood out of the bodies.† â€Å"The kid thinks he’s a writer. He’s showing off his imagination. Let’s let him sit awhile and get something to eat. I want to find the Emperor.† â€Å"That wacko?† â€Å"He’s been reporting seeing a vampire for weeks. Maybe he saw the kid doing one of the murders.† How to cite Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 27~28, Essay examples

Cause of the revolutionary war Essay Example For Students

Cause of the revolutionary war Essay The haphazard and disorganized British rule of the American colonies in the decade prior to the outbreak led to the Revolutionary War. The mismanagement of the colonies, the taxation policies that violated the colonist rights, the distractions of foreign wars and politics in England and mercantilist policies that benefited the English to a much greater degree then the colonists all show the British incompetence in their rule over the colonies. These policies and distractions were some of the causes of the Revolutionary War. The interests of England within the colonies were self-centered. The English were exploiting were trying to govern the colonies by using the mercantilist system. Mercantilism is when the state directs all the economic activities within its borders(Blum 31). England was not attempting to make any changes that would help the colonists. They limited the colonies commerce to internal trade only(Miller 9). The English were exploiting the colonies by demanding that the colonies import more from England then they exported to the colonies. They were importing raw materials from the colonies and making them into exportable goods in England. They would then ship these goods to foreign markets all around the world including the colonies(America Online ). Throughout the seventeenth century the English saw America as a place to get materials they didnt have at home and a market to sell finished products at after the goods had been manufactured. This was detrimental to the colonies because it prevented them from manufacturing any of the raw materials they produced and made them more dependent upon England. In addition to the unrest caused by their mercantilist policies, domestic political issues distracted them from the activities of the colonies. Throughout the sixteen hundreds, Great Britain was more involved in solving the Constitutional issue of who was to have more power in English government, the king or parliament. When this complex issue was finally resolved in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, England turned its attention back to the colonies and found that colonists had developed their own identity as American. There was no central office in England to control what was happening in the colonies. The executive authority in England was divided among several ministers and commissioners that did not act quickly or in unison. Also, the Board of Trade, the branch of government that knew more about the colonies than any other governing body in England, did not have the power to make decisions or to enforce decrees. Due to the distractions from the complex constitutional issues and ineffective governmental organization the colonists felt further separated from England(Blum 51). The political scene in England was laced with corruption. Officers of the government sent to the colonies were often bribe-taking politicians that were not smart enough to hold government positions in England. After Grenville and Townshend the most incompetent was Lord North, who became Prime Minister in 1770 after the death of Charles Townshend. North was the kind of politician George had been looking for -a plodding, dogged, industrious man, neither a fool nor a genius, much like the king himself. For the next twelve years, despite the opposition of abler men, he remained at the head of the government(Blum 104). Corruption and incompetence among governing politicians often made their rule over the colonies ineffective. In the years leading up to the final decade before the American Revolution, the relationship between Great Britain and her colonies in North America continued to deteriorate. Relations began to worsen with the great victory over the French and Indians in the Seven Years War. Unwelcome British troops had remained in the colonies. .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .postImageUrl , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:hover , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:visited , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:active { border:0!important; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:active , .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2 .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u39ef31755a3f2f586a710c51b23cecf2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Broken Ears, Wounded Hearts Book Report Essay Debts from this war caused the Prime Minister at the time, Lord Grenville, to enforce Mercantilism in an effort to get the colonists to pay their share of the national debt that had doubled since 1754(Blum 95). England passed many Acts that were ill conceived and had long term effects on the relationship between England and the colonies. The most controversial of these were direct taxes. The last time Parliament had tried a direct tax was as recent as 1765, when Lord Grenville enacted the Stamp Act which forced the colonists to pay for stamps on printed documents, the Stamp Act(Higginbotham 34). The .

Anthropology in Todays World free essay sample

A study of the application of anthropology today. This paper describes the relevance of anthropology in todays world. The paper demonstrates that their discoveries and theories bear heavily on our understanding of our past and future, as illustrated by the recent discovery of Neanderthal violence also sheds light on mans capacity for love and caring. The paper states that anthropology is defined as the science of the physical, cultural and social development of man, his evolution, behavior and geographic distribution from prehistoric times to the present. Anthropology is sometimes viewed as a bit arcane as well, but even a quick glance at some of the aspects of anthropologists work indicates immediately that anthropology is more relevant today than ever. Indeed, anthropologists are one of the only groups of intellectuals who are able to draw together the hard sciences and social sciences and develop cohesive and encompassing theories of history, sociology and understanding. We will write a custom essay sample on Anthropology in Todays World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Explicit Lyrics essays

Explicit Lyrics essays John Schroeder, an 18-year-old Marilyn Manson fan, was walking with his mother in a grocery store in New Braunfels, Texas,when he was arrested by an off-duty police officer for wearing a Manson T-shirt. The shirt bore a lyric from Manson's song "Cake And Sodomy" which read "I am the god of f*ck". The officer, who was working security, said that some shoppers had complained about it. Schroeder was walked outside, where the officer asked passersby if they found the shirt offensive. All but one just laughed and said no. Schroder allegedly offered to remove his shirt, but instead was arrested for misdemeanor obscene display, jailed for a few hours, and fined $125. The American Civil Liberties Union is defending Schroeder, whose trial date should be set within the next month. It is these kinds of actions that infringe on the First Amendment o f the Constitution of the United States of America, and they must be stopped. Music is a large part of our culture, and has been for thousands of years. It is a form of expression, motivation, or just plain pleasure. This basic activity of humans is a birthright, it is freedom of expression, freedom of speech, which the government specifically spells out in the First Amendment. Many groups use their music to express their feelings on issues. ...

Theories and methods of employee motivation Essay

Theories and methods of employee motivation - Essay Example Therefore, from the preceded discussion, it is clear that success of a company partly falls on the ability of the manager to employ appropriate employee motivation strategies. There are various motivational methods available around the globe all depended on several factors such as culture, company structure, and intended goal of motivation. The first method applicable, in this case, is empowerment. It involves the technique of granting the employees more responsibility and a chance to be consulted in the decision-making process. Furthermore, involving the employees in decision making enables them to create goals and objectives which will make them feel accountable to achieve as they were part of the creation. Such sense of responsibility improves the productivity of individuals as they intend to prove their suggestions are doable. The method can be related to the control theory of employee motivation (Fernandez and Pitts 2011). Involving employees in decision-making gives them a sense of control over what is happening in the company. It is an effective method considering the company is embracing technology in various departments. The implementation of this technique is through the use of questionnaires, suggestion letters and holding branch meetings regarding the issue. The intended changes should be openly told to the people for them to have a good basis to offer viable suggestions and opinions. Such a step is cheap as the expense incurred would involve the creation of the questionnaires, and minor expenses f holding the meetings. The success of such an initiative can be evaluated through analysis of productivity and employee attitude towards the changes taking place in the company. Furthermore, such an initiative would be beneficial in reducing the supervision cost required as most of the employee would feel obligated to the suggestions and thus work towards achieving the set goals. The method can be implemented immediately considering

The Microsoft Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

The Microsoft Case - Essay Example The company was involved with zero marginal price deals with computer producers that brought stiff competition in the market because other companies would not meet this zero marginal price. According to the Kiang (2010), the company was illegally leveraging its monopoly power in the operating systems market by giving its applications programmers with unfair lead time. The company was involved a with license agreement in which conditions had minimum commitments that amounted to exclusive dealings by the monopolist. Moreover, the antirust behavior investigation was as a result of claims by Novell that the company was unlawfully trying DOS windows in the market. The Microsoft managed to hide some interfaces from third party applications software firms and it intentionally sent error messages to users of other software when users tried to use it in combination with Microsoft’s operating system. Finally, the investigation was carried because the company had bought Intuit Company that had a market share of 90 percent. However, the merger would take the market structure from being duopoly to a monopoly, but Microsoft Company abandoned plans from the merger several weeks after the suit was brought that led to investigation of antitrust behavior of the company in the market. By tying to purchase the Intuit Company that had largest shares in the market, I agree the company was trying to adopt the monopoly power in the computer software industry. The company wanted to be a price taker in the market that could result into imperfect competition over other firms in the industry (Mukherje, 2010). Meanwhile, the company option of zero marginal price to its manufacturers show that it wanted to gain the monopoly market structure due to its marginal revenue that are greater than marginal cost. According to Hall and Lieberman (2005), the demand curve of the monopoly company slopes downward because the

ASSESS THE VIEW THAT REFORMING THE REGULATION OF PRIVATE SECURITY Essay

ASSESS THE VIEW THAT REFORMING THE REGULATION OF PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY IS USELESS, WHAT IS REQUIRED IS DEREGULATION - Essay Example This paper will explain why this measure is counterproductive both for the public and for the industry. The SIA was created under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The law provides two mandates for the agency: 1) the licensing, regulation, monitoring, inspection of private security workers and organisations; and, 2) the management of the Approved Contractor Scheme, a voluntary assessment mechanism designed to evaluate the quality and performance of private security suppliers (PSIA 2001) Art 1(2). The statute was enacted in response to the widespread criminality in Britain in the early 2000 involving contract security guards, bouncers, among other workers for security firms (Travis 2012). With the passage of the law and the creation of the SIA, the private security industry employees require license to practice or operate. A criminal background check is also mandatory for such license. This is the same for organisations. Stringent checks, evaluation, monitoring and assessment mechanisms are in place, making it possible to deter criminality involving people or groups belonging to the industry. For supporters of the regulation, the law and the mandate of the SIA are even considered insufficient. For example, many believed that the system is too narrow since it excludes many sectors in the security industry like security systems installers and in-house guards (Jones, 2006, p.43). There are those who also point out that the law lacks teeth because of the voluntary nature of the regulation wherein private security firms are not mandated to follow regulation or be subjected to SIA control in several aspects of their operations. The arguments brought forward by these criticisms reveal how the law and the SIA are important and are even lacking in many respects. It underpins the fundamental argument that this governmental

Unilever SWOT and PESTLE analysis

Unilever SWOT and PESTLE analysis Company background and mission statement Unilever is a global company that can trace its origins to 1929, when a merger between a Dutch margarine manufacturer and a British soap maker was negotiated (Jones, 2002). Given the distinct sectors in which the two organisations were located, the merger was considered somewhat of a ‘curiosity’ (Jones, 2002, online), but it set the stage for a multinational corporation producing a wide portfolio of goods. Some of the world’s most recognised brands are produced by the company, including Surf, Lipton, Dove, Lynx, Magnum and Hellmann’s. Today, Unilever is one of Europe’s largest companies, and in terms of sales, it is the third-largest consumer goods firm in the world, after Nestle and Procter and Gamble (Thain and Bradley, 2014). The company has been floated twice, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and the AEX Index. The stated aim of the company is to â€Å"provide people the world over with products that are good for them and good for others† (Unilever, 2014, online). Strategic Audit A strategic audit comprises a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of a company’s business environment and internal assets. There are two key elements to the audit: the external environment and the internal environment. The external environment identifies issues concerned with customers and competition, and examines the social, economic, technological, environmental political and legal elements impacting the business. A typical tool used at this stage is the PESTLE analysis. The internal analysis focuses on the resources the company possesses, such as the product distribution, product portfolio, sales and profit margins. A typical tool used at this stage is the SWOT analysis, in which the strengths and weaknesses, and the advantages and disadvantages of a company compared to its competitors are listed. Below, these tools are in turn applied to Unilever. The External Environment PESTLE analysis The PESTLE framework below analyses the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental dynamics of the environment in which Unilever operates. Political Unilever is co-headquartered in London and Amsterdam. Both the Dutch and the British political systems are in a time of flux. The British government currently comprises the first coalition government in the post-war period, with another expected after the General Election in 2015 (Taylor-Gooby and Stoker, 2011), while in the Netherlands, coalitions are standard. Such governmental frameworks have important implications for the conduct of business, for there tend to be policy ebbs and flows over short periods of time. For instance, in the Netherlands, the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) for businesses has changed three times since 2010 (Wolf, 2014). Both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are original members of the European Union (EU) which facilitates trade among member states by the harmonisation of certain rules relating to business and the removal of trade barriers. There is some political impetus in both countries, however to leave the EU. For instance, in 2012, the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, threatened to pull the country out of the Eurozone as a means of easing the local Dutch economy (Dutch News, 2014), while in the UK there is a lobby for a referendum on EU membership. Exiting the EU would have massive implications for a co-headquartered business like Unilever. For this reason, Unilever has been vocal about its preference for both countries to remain in the Union (The Guardian, 2014). There is growing political unrest in the Middle East, and while Unilever does not currently operate there, 53 per cent of its business comes from developing markets (Unilever, 2014), and globalisation means that it may not be shielded from the effects of conflict and instability overseas. For example, in 2012, oil prices reached unprecedented levels (Smith, 2014). This is a matter of concern for the company because it directly impacts on transportation costs. Economic Shoppers in Europe are still suffering from the effects of the longest and deepest recession in the post-war period. Data from Eurostat shows that household consumption fell drastically across Europe following the recession, and while there has been some recovery in recent years, household consumption is still not back to its pre-2008 level (Gerstberger and Yaneva, 2013). In addition, unemployment has risen and wages have stagnated in several of the economies in which Unilever supplies consumers. Low household consumption, high unemployment and falling wages bring about drops in consumer demand which adversely affect manufacturers like Unilever. During recessions, households tend to cut back on non-essentials, which might impact some parts of the companys product portfolio. While the West has suffered from the financial crisis, economies in other areas, such as Latin America and China, are booming, providing considerable opportunities for the company. For instance, in 2013, sales of the companys products to emerging markets grew by 8.7 per cent (The Guardian, 2014). Social Life expectancy has been increasing over time in wealthy nations. For instance, in the UK in 1980, life expectancy stood at 70.4 years for men and 79.8 for women. By 2010, it had increased to 79.3 years and 83.6 years, respectively for men and women (Blossfeld, Buchholz, and Kurz, 2011). At the same time, the fertility rate has been falling over time. The increase in life expectancy and a below replacement fertility rate coupled with the ageing of the so-called ‘baby boom’ generation (those born between 1946 and 1965) are accelerating population ageing. The UK government has estimated that the proportion of the population aged 30 and under is set to fall, while the proportion aged 60 and above will increase. By 2034, it is estimated that 23 per cent of the British population will be aged 65, while just 18 per cent will be aged 16 or below (Office for National Statistics, 2009). There are important ramifications of the ageing population for businesses like Unilever. Firstly, there are likely to be changes in the structure of demand in future. Older people have unique needs and desires that will need to be met by Unilever. For instance, there is a greater demand for frozen ‘ready meals’ by older people (Ahlgren, Gustafsson and Hall, 2004) which will directly impact Unilever’s ‘Sara Lee’ brand. Secondly, there may be labour shortages in the future. Expanding businesses like Unilever will need to respond to this by encouraging workers to work longer or recruiting migrant workers (Maestas and Zissimopoulos, 2010) As a direct result of some high profile public campaigns, people are becoming more health and ethically conscious. This has led to an increase in demand for ethically produced and healthy products and heightened concern regarding genetically modified goods. This trend has already had a direct impact on Unilever’s product portfolio, with sales of two of its margarine brands (I Can’t Believe its Not Butter and Flora) seemingly in free-fall (The Guardian, 2014) Technological Increasingly, consumers, particularly younger individuals, utilise social media, retailing websites and mobile forms of communication to connect with retailers, to discuss with members of their social networks their purchasing decisions, and to review past purchases (Sashi, 2012). This means that consumables companies like Unilever need to harness the Internet and mobile technologies in accessing these customers. For instance, a growing number of companies now include social networking websites such as Facebook and micro-blogging sites like Twitter in their promotion mix as a means of engaging their current consumer base and recruiting new customers. At the same time, constant connectivity makes the selling environment for consumer products increasingly competitive. The readiness of product price and promotional information, the ability of shoppers to access online stores quickly and the aggregation of online content and offline information all mean that, in the digital age, firms like Unilever must carefully craft their marketing activity (Sashi, 2012). Legal Unilever has a presence in some 190 countries worldwide which means that it must abide by their national laws. The extent of the company’s multinational activity means that it must devote considerable resources to scanning the legal horizon and ensuring that it responds to changes accordingly. There have been significant legislative changes in the area of people management. For instance, across Europe many countries have enacted anti-discrimination laws which companies like Unilever must adhere to. In the United Kingdom, under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, businesses are not allowed to discriminate against individuals on the basis of factors such as gender, age, disability, religion and ethnicity in their recruitment, selection, training and promotional practices (Hyman, Klarsfeld, Ng, and Haq, 2012). Legal frameworks have also been put in place as a response to the ageing of the population (Maestas and Zissimopoulos, 2010). For instance, the mandatory age of retirement has been removed in both the UK and the Netherlands, which means that Unilever can no longer compel employees to retire once they reach the age of 65. Large companies also must put adequate pension provisions for workers in place under a new British scheme, which has a direct impact on business costs Environmental There is increasing political impetus to respond to environmental degradation, and the onus is on large manufacturers like Unilever to use fewer resources and produce less waste. In Europe, a major development affecting the company is the establishment of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which was set up in 2005 as part of a concerted and collaborative attempt to reduce carbon emissions under the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. The EU ETS is a system under which polluters emissions are ‘capped’; in order to pollute more, manufacturers must purchase credits from other polluters. Participation in the EU ETS is mandatory for all large factories and plants that produce more than 25 thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide and that use ammonia or petrochemicals (Ellerman, Converey and Perthuis, 2010). The Internal Environment SWOT analysis The second element of a strategic audit is an analysis of the internal mechanisms of the business. This part of the paper uses a SWOT analysis to identify and critically examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Unilever Strengths The size of the company is its major strength. Unilever manufactures more than 400 brands which it sells to some 190 countries (Unilever, 2014, the Guardian, 2014). In addition, it employs over 167,000 people and expends 928 million euros on research and development annually (Unilever, 2013). In terms of performance, the company has bucked recent economic trends. In 2013, the company reported profit growth of 9 per cent over the previous year, reporting a net profit of  £4.4 billion. In addition, global sales grew by over 4 per cent that year, with sales to emerging economies growing by 8.7 per cent (the Guardian, 2014). As well as its sheer size, a major source of strength for Unilever is its longevity and brand recognition. The company has been in existence since 1929 and is the world’s oldest multinational enterprise (Thain and Bradley, 2014) Another strength of the company is its geographical spread. Unlike some consumable manufacturers, which are headquartered in just one country and found on just one public index, Unilever has headquarters in two countries, is floated on two indexes and is secondarily floated on the New York Stock Exchange. Another of the company’s strength is its human capital. Human capital is the volume of skills, knowledge, experience and competencies embodied in individuals that staff and run the business. This is important for there is a good deal of empirical research that links high levels of human capital with firm performance (Huselid, Jackson and Schuler, 1997). The company’s chief executive officer, Paul Polman, who held senior positions at both of the companys major competitors, Nestle and Procter and Gamble, has been termed a ‘rainmaker’ that has taken the company from strength to strength (The Telegraph, 2014). On taking the reins in 2009, Polman set out a plan to double the size of the business, to double sales to  £80 billion and to boost efforts at environmentalism and sustainability. Weaknesses Some analysts have argued that the companys broad product portfolio is a source of weakness (the Guardian, 2014). The firm produces goods in four broad product categories – cleaning agents, food, personal care products and beverages. It is argued that such a broad portfolio can prevent the business from focusing its marketing efforts appropriately (Putsis and Bayus, 2001). Thus, in order to consolidate its activities, the company may need to divest some brands or product ranges in the future. Indeed, the company already seems to be taking steps in this regard, selling popular brands Peparami, Slim-Fast, Ragu and Bertolli in 2014 (The Telegraph, 2014). In addition, most of brands produced by the company are multinational brands which may prevent them from being tailored to the needs of local markets. A further weakness of the product line concerns the prices offered to consumers. The prices of Unilever brands are generally higher than those of its competitors (Thain and Bradley, 2014). The company has explained that prices are high to represent the quality of the goods, while analysts have attributed the high prices to the enormous amount the company spends on research and development and its massive marketing budget (Thain and Bradley, 2014). In 2010 alone, Unilever spent 6 billion euros on advertising, and today, the company is one of the world’s largest purchasers of advertising media (The Telegraph, 2011). Threats The company is facing a number of threats, particularly from competitors, the market and consumers. Firstly, while Unilever’s broad product portfolio might be conceived as unusual, it is not unique in this respect. Procter and Gamble and Nestle have very similar business models and product lines (Thain and Bradley, 2014). Indeed, in terms of sales, Unilever is outperformed by both of these competitors. A large proportion of Unilever’s products are premium brands aimed at consumers with relatively high levels of disposable income. This might be considered a threat in the context of the current economic downturn. Increased financial uncertainty might lead households to move away from these brands to own-brand and lower value products, negatively affecting both net sales and sales margins. Food prices have risen substantially worldwide (Headey and Fan, 2008). This represents a significant threat to the company because it must pass the cost of food inflation to customers in order to maintain current profit margins. This might explain why the firm’s CEO is starting to consider refocusing the company strategy on alternative product lines, such as sundries or hard lines (The Guardian, 2014) Although the company has a stated aim to double its sales levels, analysts have noted that the company is still far short of accomplishing that aim. As the Telegraph (2014, online) notes, â€Å"the acquisitions of TRESemmà © shampoo maker Alberto Culver and Radox bath foam have added almost â‚ ¬3bn in turnover†¦However, these deals have hardly moved the needle and Unilever is still sitting on a big pile of cash. With growth slowing in emerging markets where 60pc of the group’s sales are generated, investors may start pushing for Unilever’s leader to be a bit bolder if he is to reach his ambitious â‚ ¬80bn sales goal†. In the context of the recent economic downturn, there have been some demergers and sell-offs in some of the sectors in which Unilever operates. While in some cases this has proven to be an opportunity for the company (for instance, the firm has recently been able to purchase top hair care brand TRESemmà ©), it also poses a threat should any of these product lines fall into the hands of its competitors. For instance, the 2008 purchase of shaving brand Gillette by Procter and Gamble immediately made it the biggest company in men’s personal care (The Telegraph, 2014) An increased social ethic and concern for the environment among consumers should also be considered a threat to the company. In Japan, Thailand and particularly in India, Unilever has attracted heavy criticism for the manufacture of so-called ‘fairness’ products. These are products that are typically aimed at women and used for lightening the skin. While such brands are a major source of income for the company allegedly, one skin lightening agent produced by the company, Fair and Lovely, is used by 80 per cent of the population of Bangladesh (Unilever Bangladesh, 2014) – the company has also come under fire for promoting Westernised standards of beauty. In Thailand, an advert for one of the company’s fairness creams was withdrawn from media outlets after widespread censure because it correlated white skin and high levels of intelligence (The Guardian, 2014). Opportunities Social media offers considerable opportunities to Unilever, particularly given its aim to reduce its advertising expenditure (The Telegraph, 2014). Social media sites are increasingly used by companies to update consumers on new products, to offer discounts and special promotions, and to invite consumers to special events that are either held online or physically (Sashi, 2012). Unilever may be able to capitalise on this trend either through corporate accounts or through brand accounts. There are considerable opportunities to the company through its extensive research and development efforts. Unilever has research facilities in England, Shanghai, Bangalore, New Jersey and Connecticut, which are working continually to develop new product lines and refine existing ones. Through this investment the company is able to regularly introducing new brands or reintroduce redesigned brands to the market. Conclusion Unilever is a unique company. The firm is dual listed, co-headquartered in two of Europe’s wealthiest cities and it offers the market a vast and very broad range of products. This strategic audit has shown that while the company is operating in a turbulent business environment, it is managing to perform well, both in terms of sales and growth. Despite the company’s strengths, there are some external threats posed by market developments, customer attitudes and the actions of its key competitors. The company leadership will need to monitor these aspects if Unilever is to meet its objective to become the largest consumables multinational company in the world. References Ahlgren, M., Gustafsson, I. B., Hall, G. (2004). Attitudes and beliefs directed towards ready-meal consumption. Food Service Technology, 4(4), 159-169. Blossfeld, H. P., Buchholz, S., Kurz, K. (Eds.). (2011). Aging populations, globalization and the labor market: Comparing late working life and retirement in modern societies. Cheltenham, UK/Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar. Dutch News (2014). Opposition MPs call on premier to explain quit the euro claims. Retrieved from http://www.dutchnews.nl/elections/election_news/opposition_mps_call_on_premier.php on 11 October 2014 Ellerman, A. D., Convery, F. J., De Perthuis, C. (2010). Pricing carbon: The European union emissions trading scheme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Gerstberger, C. and Yaneva, D. (2013). Household consumption expenditure national accounts. Retrieved from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Household_consumption_expenditure_-_national_accounts on 09 October 2014 The Guardian (2014). EU exit could see Unilever cut investment in UK. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/21/unilever-warning-uk-withdrawal-european-union on 09 October 2014 Headey, D., Fan, S. (2008). Anatomy of a crisis: the causes and consequences of surging food prices. Agricultural Economics, 39(1), 375-391. Huselid, M. A., Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S. (1997). Technical and strategic human resources management effectiveness as determinants of firm performance. Academy of Management journal, 40(1), 171-188. Hyman, R., Klarsfeld, A., Ng, E., Haq, R. (2012). Introduction: Social regulation of diversity and equality. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 18(4), 279-292. Jones, G. (2002). Unilever – a case study. Business History Review 32(12). Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html on 09 October 2014 Maestas, N. Zissimopoulos, J. (2010) How longer work lives ease the crunch of population aging. Journal of Economic Perspectives. 24(1) pp. 139-160. Office for National Statistics, (2009), Health: ‘Life expectancy continues to rise’. Retrieved from http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/58499152/life-expectancy-continues-rise on 09 October 2014 Putsis Jr, W. P., Bayus, B. L. (2001). An empirical analysis of firms’ product line decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(1), 110-118. The Telegraph (2011). Unilever to shake up  £5.1bn global advertising spend. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8954352/Unilever-to-shake-up-5.1bn-global-advertising-spend.html on 09 October 2014 Sashi, C. M. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media. Management decision, 50(2), pp. 253-272 Smith, D. (2014). The State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution. London: Routledge. Taylor-Gooby, P., Stoker, G. (2011). The coalition programme: a new vision for Britain or politics as usual?. The Political Quarterly, 82(1), 4-15. Thain, G, and Bradley, J. (2014). FMCG: The Power of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods. London: Design Publications Unilever (2014). About us. Retrieved from http://www.unilever.co.uk/aboutus/ on 09 October 2014 Unilever Bangladesh (2014). Our brands. Retrieved from http://www.unilever.com.bd/our-brands/detail/Fair-and-Lovely/366071/ on 09 October 2014 Wolf, R. (2014). Dutch Turnover Tax or EU VAT? On the Permeation of EU VAT Rules in the Dutch Turnover Tax Practise. Intertax, 42(8), 525-537.

immoral :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Someone that I find to be immoral is my mother. There are many reasons for why I feel this way but just a few of them are, she likes to date men that are younger than me, she has never held a full time job in her life, she puts herself before her children, she is lazy, and she is very sexually active.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As far as my family is concerned she needs to grow up and start taking responsibility for her life and the actions that she takes. My mother bitches because she has no money and can’t pay rent, yet she won’t go out and get a full time job to pay her bills. Since she won’t work and has no money she live off the system, basically the way it works is the taxes we pay as employed people go to her and she does nothing. The amount of money that she gets from being on welfare has allowed my siblings and I to go without for much of our lives. Now since our fathers are in the picture more and have custody of us we are no being raised the way we have deserved to be our whole lives. The problem is that as a mother I thought that u were supposed to provide for your children and if anyone goes without clothing or food it is the parent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When it comes to relationships my mother doesn’t have the best judgment. The men that my mother has had are normally younger than me and I am only 20, and most of the time they are unemployed just like her. My mom has no standards if it has a pulse she goes after it. For example I brought my best friend over to my moms house and the next day she told me how cute she was and that if he was single she would go after him. My mom hasn’t dated someone over the age of 25 since I can remember. She also has a new boyfriend every couple of weeks. A huge problem with her sleeping with so many men is that she isn’t setting a very good example for my 12 and 14 year old sisters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my eyes my mother is the most immoral person that I know.

Degrading Women Essay

Today in America there is a vast amount of lyrics that are extremely degrading women. These lyrics are found in many of Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop music that portray women as objects, and not as an actual human being. Other popular music these days relate to women as tricks or other horrible names that no woman should ever be called. Sadly, since this epidemic of only thinking of women as objects has over come America today, it needs to stop. The teenagers and young adults of this country are hearing many of these degrading songs on the radio and having it engraved in their mind that women are only good for one thing, which is why this current phenomenon needs to be put to an end. Paragraph One: Song: â€Å"Candy Shop† by 50 Cent Lyrics: You can have it your way, how do you want it, You gon’ back that thing up or should I push up on it. Degrading why?: 50 Cent only sees this girl as using her for a one night stand and never having any contact with her ever again. Paragraph Two: Song: â€Å"Can’t Hold Us Down† by Christiana Aguilera Lyrics: This is for my girls all around the world who come across a man who don’t respect your worth. Thinking all women should be seen not heard, SSo what do we do girls? Shout out loud! Not Degrading: Every women should listen to these lyrics and know that even though they are bombarded with lyrics that make it okay for a man to see women as object, its not and no one can hold us down. Paragraph Three: Song: â€Å"Every Girl† by Lil’ Wyane Lyrics: And I’m in he mood to get faded so please bring your finest and what are all your names again? Degrading Why?: Lil’ Wyane obviously sees himself as a pimp who deserves every fine girl in the world, but only to use them for one thing. On top of that he will not remember their names and still relate to them as objects. Paragraph Four: Song: â€Å"A Woman’s Worth† by Alicia Keys Lyrics: ‘Cause a real man knows a real woman when he sees her. And a real woman knows a real man ain’t afraid to please her. And a real man just can’t deny a woman’s worth. Not Degrading: The man in this song sees Alicia as a future soul mate and not just a one night stand. He is not afraid to love her and care for her and that is what every woman should strive to find in a man.

Preparing to Conduct Business Research Essay

On September 12, 2012 the New York City Health Department voted eight-zero with one vote abstaining, to enact a city wide ban on sugar-sweetened beverages in containers over 16ounce in size (Susman, 2012). At the urging of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg the health department is hoping that this ban will have an impact on the growing obesity problem among New York citizens (Susman, 2012). Opposition to the ban was evident before the final vote by citizens believing violations of his or her freedom are occurring and vendors who see the choices in what he or she serve the customers under dictation from city hall. Perhaps the group with the most to lose is the beverage industry; the ban limits servings of sugar sweetened drinks to 16 ounces or less in the city’s 24,000 restaurants, delis, movie theaters, sports venues, and street carts (Petrecca, 2012). This means no 20-ounce bottles, no super-sized drinks, no monster drinks at the movie theater, the fact is most of these establishments consider a 16-ounce beverage a small or medium drink (Petrecca, 2012). So smaller drinks mean smaller profits; however, it may be possible that this is not the case. The ban does not limit the number of 16-ounce drinks a person may purchase; the possibility for additional sales does exist (Petrecca, 2012). Because only restaurants offer free refills, it is possible that the smaller size drinks will result in greater quantities of sales at the other locations. Business Research The CEO of the Coca Cola Company is communicating with Learning Team A, hiring Learning Team A to research potential issues and opportunities resulting from the ban on containers over the limit of 16 ounces of sugar sweetened beverages in the city of New York. Coca Cola is showing interest in learning what the consumer thinks of the ban; how the customers believe it will affect his or her recreational and dining experiences. Coca Cola is not only showing interest in this information as it pertains to New York City but also because the interest this ban is attracting from other large cities and what it would mean to the company if this became common practice in other locations (Koebler, 2012). Hypotheses Team A offers several hypotheses to the ban and the effects it will have on the citizens, vendors, and distributors of sugar sweetened beverages: ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages will cause a decrease in beverage sales that contain sugar, costing the Coca Cola company millions of dollars in sales. ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages larger than 16 ounces will cause consumers to purchase multiple quantities of beverages in replacement of what they use to purchase. Also the sale of sugar free beverages will rise; this will cause an increase in revenue for the Coca Cola Company. ? Team A hypothesizes that the public will be unreceptive to the ban and believes that the government body responsible for it has overstepped their bounds. The public will think that the removal of this choice goes against the constitutional rights every person has and that he or she will attempt to find a way around the ban. ? Team A hypothesizes that although there will be citizens upset in regard to the ban, the citizens will embrace the law proving a measurable difference on the obesity problem in New York City. Variables to Consider and Questions to Ask In an effort to offer to the Coca Cola Company the most complete information, the best recommendations, and a reliable foundation on which to base future changes it is necessary to research as many variables as possible. Variable questions to include in the research include: 1) â€Å"The various age groups of the consumers, and their drink preferences. † 2) â€Å"How the vendors plan on handling this new rule and will the vendor adjust the prices, add free-refills, implement buy one get one programs, and add additional drink dispensers to accommodate customers. 3) â€Å"How these bans encourage customers to leave the city limits and visit establishments in the suburbs? † 4) â€Å"How the consumer understands the reasoning behind the ban and the obesity issue with the removal of beverage choice? † 5) â€Å"Coca Cola currently holding a 70% market share in New York; this is a significant margin over the competition (Petrecca, 2012). It is important to research if the customer loyalty level will hold up to â€Å"deals† by the competition and how aggressive Coca Cola is going have to be with marketing and pricing. † 6) â€Å"Is Coca Cola willing to embrace this ban, explore ways to market their diet products and fruit juices as an alternate to the sugar sweetened beverages? † Ethical Considerations Ethics play a critical role in conducting research projects (Donald R. Cooper, 2011). It is critical to examine how the results of the research issue breach the rights of the citizens. In the case of the New York City law that limits the sales of sugar sweetened drinks there are several ethical questions that arise. The strongest being, â€Å"how will this state law infringe on an individual’s rights to choose the size of their desired beverage? † The motivation behind the law is the unhealthy factors of sugary drinks, targeting one unhealthy option. Supporters of the law believe that this law will help prevent obesity; however, opposition believes it is unfair to place the weight of this issue on one product. Also at question â€Å"Is it ethical to restrict a consumer’s right to choose what he or she wants to drink? † Along with sugar sweetened beverages there are other unhealthy products available that have proven effects on weight with no restrictions. Vendors and beverage makes can argue that the law shows bias and is discriminatory. This leads to another ethical issue; does the law give preference or competitive vendor advantage over consumer’s advantage. A consumer, who may wish to purchase a larger drink, may find the need to purchase multiple drinks, thereby increasing the sales of the company but yet not eliminating the risk of obesity. Also under consideration is the ethical question, â€Å"does the beverage company have a responsibility to their customers to reduce the chance of obesity, knowing that these beverages offer empty calories with no nutritional value? † Conclusion Moving into the future it is important to understand what difficulties a company will be facing. Knowledge from research projects provide companies the possibility to develop contingency plans and reduce the chance that the unknown will alter the course of a successful business plan. Earlier this month the New York City Health Department passed a law that has altered the way beverage makers and vendors conduct their business and altering the freedom consumers have in choosing something as simple as the beverage he or she drinks. The Coca Cola Company is looking to go forward armed with the knowledge they will need to maintain their superiority in the New York Market. This task has fallen on Learning Team A, as they will research and discover what the market and consumers will demand to remain customers of Coca Cola. References Donald R. Cooper, P. S. (2011). Business Research Methods, Eleventh Edition. McGraw-Hill Company. Koebler, J. (2012, September 12). Experts: Courts Likely to Uphold New York Soda Ban. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from U. S. News: http://www.usnews. com/news/articles/2012/09/14/experts-courts-likely- to-uphold-new-york-soda-ban_print. html Petrecca, L. (2012, July 18). Coke, Pepsi, others launch assault against NYC beverage ban. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from USA Today: http://usatoday30. usatoday. com/money/industries/food/story/2012-07-09 /coke-pepsi-fight-soda-ban/56279302/1 Susman, T. (2012, September 13). New York City bans big sugary drinks in restaurants. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from LA Times: http://articles. latimes. com/2012/sep/13/nation/la-na-soda-ban-20120914.

Free Essays on Power Hour Controversy

Who is responsible for the death of a 21 year old due to lethal alcohol poisoning? Jason Reinhardt, after just becoming 21, headed out to begin his power hour. A day later he is discovered to be dead from alcohol poisoning by a former brother in his fraternity. A few have been named responsible for this tragedy. These few include his friends, Jason himself, and the bar at which he was drinking. If it weren’t for the bad judgement of these individuals Jason Reinhardt may still be alive today. Jason’s friends are held partly accountable. First, they needed to stop him before things got out of hand. Instead, his friends were only contributing to is condition by encouraging him and buying him drinks. Next, friends should be looking out for friends. Jason was visibly very intoxicated when he got home and went to bed. Third, after spending an extensive amount of time at the bar, his friends should have decided that their friend had had enough and got him on his way home. In sum, the ignorance and immaturity on behalf of Jason’s friends could have cost them the life of their friend. Jason was also responsible for himself for several reasons. For example, he knew he was putting himself at risk. Jason’s mother had talked with her son about the dangers of alcohol just hours before he went to the bar to celebrate. Another example, Jason should have been drinking responsibly. He had began drinking moments after arriving and drank heavily until the bar closed. A third example, he should not have been responding to the peer pressure. His friends bought him drinks and encouraged him to continue drinking. To sum up, if Jason had been thinking more maturely, this devastating tragedy may not have occurred. Many have also felt the business of Coach’s and its employees are responsible. Most importantly, Coach’s should not tolerate binge-drinking events. They should support the end of power hours. Equally important the bartender should kee... Free Essays on Power Hour Controversy Free Essays on Power Hour Controversy Who is responsible for the death of a 21 year old due to lethal alcohol poisoning? Jason Reinhardt, after just becoming 21, headed out to begin his power hour. A day later he is discovered to be dead from alcohol poisoning by a former brother in his fraternity. A few have been named responsible for this tragedy. These few include his friends, Jason himself, and the bar at which he was drinking. If it weren’t for the bad judgement of these individuals Jason Reinhardt may still be alive today. Jason’s friends are held partly accountable. First, they needed to stop him before things got out of hand. Instead, his friends were only contributing to is condition by encouraging him and buying him drinks. Next, friends should be looking out for friends. Jason was visibly very intoxicated when he got home and went to bed. Third, after spending an extensive amount of time at the bar, his friends should have decided that their friend had had enough and got him on his way home. In sum, the ignorance and immaturity on behalf of Jason’s friends could have cost them the life of their friend. Jason was also responsible for himself for several reasons. For example, he knew he was putting himself at risk. Jason’s mother had talked with her son about the dangers of alcohol just hours before he went to the bar to celebrate. Another example, Jason should have been drinking responsibly. He had began drinking moments after arriving and drank heavily until the bar closed. A third example, he should not have been responding to the peer pressure. His friends bought him drinks and encouraged him to continue drinking. To sum up, if Jason had been thinking more maturely, this devastating tragedy may not have occurred. Many have also felt the business of Coach’s and its employees are responsible. Most importantly, Coach’s should not tolerate binge-drinking events. They should support the end of power hours. Equally important the bartender should kee...

History in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History in Education - Essay Example History of Canadian Education The Historical Events When it comes to Canadian society, the role of education has always remained pivotal. There are several historical events of Canadian education system which point out to the importance of education in society. Just like the process of learning which began in Canada when the Catholic Church started giving the formal education to the people on multiple subjects (mathematics, religion, and historical philosophy). Similarly, the French Canadian sisters of the congregation with the support of Government brought in place several schools in rural areas of the country (Angelfire 1-2). This was the beginning of an education reform (the early 17th century reform) where both the society and the government were seemed engaged in the educational establishment. The point of impression is the basic schooling which has always remained signified in Canadian education system. Likewise, the Catholic missionaries who stepped up in the mid-17th century to bring in place the Catholic schools. The point of surprise is that due to social, economic, political and cultural divides, the Canadian education system remained discriminated in the history of education. It was the presence of minorities (Blacks and Asians) which made discrimination to intrude the education system (Gaffield 1-4). ... tegration was supposed on an immediate assimilation as minority Indians were not prepared to transmute into the socioeconomic order of the Whites (Barman). Actually, the minority Indians wanted to carry on their own cultural and educational norms instead of imitating the Whites. This caused the discrimination to enter the Canadian society as the Federal government argued where education section was most influenced and got affected. The Canadian Whites of the time asserted that it was the governments’ parsimony that weakened the process of education. However, the discrimination was there in the schools and at the work places especially where the Indians-Asians were the most present (Barman 106). Cooper (2013) uncovers the story of Mary Bibb- a famous black female teacher in the nineteenth century North America, who was famous but still was unknown to the people who were writing history (Hill). The author describes Mary Bibb as a leader, a reformer and an educationist who was hi dden somewhere in the history of education- in the history of Canadian education where positions of minorities were remained undiscussed and less highlighted (Cooper 141-144). Challenges in Literature The primary challenge in reading was the text itself as the text presented in the Canadian history is not describing the position of minorities in whole. Just like the story of black teacher â€Å"Mary Bibb†, where author Cooper (2013) has tried to uncover her life experiences but still have not able to present her life in detail and comprehensive way (Hill). The literature has presented the facts in tits and pieces and is not depicting the special events like the educational discrimination between the Indian and White Girls in clarity. This has made the literature more general to connect to the

The importance of motivating pilots and extending layover periods Essay

The importance of motivating pilots and extending layover periods - Essay Example The years following the launching of the first commercial flights have witnessed many aircraft crashes. Some passengers have also complained of unfriendly and negative services among some crewmembers in the aviation industry the world over. Studies have revealed that a significant number of the accidents and poor services occur due to a lack of motivation and enough rest periods for crewmembers. The crewmembers end up feeling stressed with their work and feel fatigue, which add up to their ineffectiveness at work. Enough rest and proper motivation allows pilots and crewmembers to appreciate their works since they have a normal pattern of sleep, complete flight procedures, and thus, serve passengers well. Allowing flight crewmembers enough rest periods and the right motivational packages will significantly reduce the amount of flight accidents and boost the image of flight companies.Research works strongly suggest that it is important for pilots and other crewmembers to have better tr eatment and allowed enough rest periods to enable them enjoy their work and serve their passengers better. Notably, one of the effective ways of ensuring safety of aircrafts and passengers is a good treatment of employees since human factors are the leading causes of aviation accidents (Hobbs 335). There are several reasons why resting and motivation is important for the flight staff. First, resting enables flight members that operate long distance travels have a normal pattern of sleep and wake hours.