Electricity Policy Reform and Responsible Government in...

With many different religious, ethnic, and social groups, the Republic of India is a unique and diverse state. Since gaining independence, India has faced a challenge of encouraging the variegated people within its borders to embrace and celebrate a common Indian identity even while nurturing their distinct cultures and traditions. This diversity is reflected throughout social and political challenges in Indian society. Although the different federal states are given a certain amount of leeway to accommodate for the population’s heterogeneity, the central government maintain a great amount of power for purpose of holding the nation together. As India has developed, one of its focuses†¦show more content†¦In general, however, the Indian government still maintains a great amount of control over the electricity sector. Its centralized control over the sector remains largely intact and is directly accountable by the government to the people, thus indicative of a responsib le government. With an annual population growth of 1.3 percent (United Nations 2013), India’s energy needs are growing, especially in regards to electricity. Because new energy gains require multiples of power use, for the Indian economy to expand, electricity production has to rise more rapidly than total output. Thus far, areas of India remain in the dark: the â€Å"rise of 122 percent in [electric] generation [has been] insufficient for continued expansion† (DeVotta, 138). Still, the electricity sector has grown substantially since independence. Installed capacity in 1950 was 1,713 megawatts; by 2002 it had grown to 104,918 megawatts (Kale 2004). However, per capita annual electricity consumption, which increased from approximately 13 kilowatt-hours in 1951 to 365 kilowatt-hours in 2001, remains low. At the federal level, India’s government has initiated a major policy initiative to make electricity generation and supply commercially viable. As part of the 20 01 Energy Conservation Act, the government outlined an ambitious plan for achieving 100 percent village-level electrification by the end of 2007 and total householdShow MoreRelatedAn Investigative Study About Deregulation ( Restructuring ) Of Indian Power Sector2061 Words   |  9 Pagesby introducing restructuring and deregulation in electrical power sector. Deregulation involves unbundling of different components of power system, availability of components for sale and also forming new set of rules for operation and sales of electricity [1]. An main and important aspect of deregulation is restructuring. Restructuring means unbundling of power system into both horizontal and vertical components. 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The first instance of sensing the phenomenon of electricity was the accidental observation of what was later found out to be neon glow by Framas Bauksbw in 1709 at the Royal Society in London. Luigi Galvani observed moving of the legs of a dead frog when touched with a metal scalpelRead Moreindustrial relations systems in India1700 Words   |  7 PagesOutlining the formal industrial relations systems in India and comparing it to Australian industrial relations systems. Describing the views on how appropriate Indian industrial system is for modern industry and commerce. Executive summary: The determination of this report is to compare the industrial relationship system of India and Australia. The assessments provided here describes how appropriate Indian system is for modern industry and commerce. The conclusions gives a clear view of IndustrialRead MoreIndia s Electricity Crisis From Uttar Pradesh State1818 Words   |  8 Pages ELECTRICITY CRISIS IN INDIA (UTTAR PRADESH STATE) Name: Zhaomengqi Wang Instructor: Anshul Rana Course: SA. 790.722: Infrastructure and Development in South Asia Date : Nov 11 2016 Words:1460 †¢ Introduction Uttar Pradesh State in India has been a severe victim of electricity shortages for several years . Data from the Central Electricity Authority indicates that by May 2015, Uttar Pradesh’s power availability was around 11.6% less than maximum demand, compared to India’s power shortage ofRead MoreCritical Analysis of New Indian Economic Policy5290 Words   |  22 PagesINTRODUCTION TO INDIAN ECONOMY The economy of India as per the GDP is the eleventh largest economy in the world and by purchasing power parity the fourth largest. Following strong economic reforms from the socialist inspired economy of Indian nation before the time of independence, the country began to develop a fast-paced economic growth, as free market principles were initiated in 1990 for international competition and foreign investment. India is an emerging economic power with a very largeRead MoreSummer Training Report on Delhi Transco Limited7876 Words   |  32 PagesIntroduction Electricity plays a vital role in our day-to-day life.   It powers our houses, industries, hospitals and in fact our entire economy.  Electricity  (from the  New Latin  Ã„“lectricus, amber-like) is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of  electric charge. When we consider electricity, we usually think of electric power, and thats how well use the term here. Electricity is energy, and energy can do work. Electric power, electricity, is used

Nat Turner Researched Essay (with Citations) Free Essays

Nat Turner English 10 5 March 2012 There comes a time when everyone has to choose what they want to do with their lives, and few have done what Nat Turner has. He led a rebellion against his slave owner and opened the door for other slaves to begin their own fight for freedom. He was born a slave October 2nd, 1800 to Southampton County Virginian Benjamin Turner (â€Å"Nat Turner†). We will write a custom essay sample on Nat Turner Researched Essay (with Citations) or any similar topic only for you Order Now Turner was born into slavery by the slave of a refugee from the Saint Domigue revolt and raised on the plantation of Benjamin Turner. Benjamin Turner was one of the few slave owners that allowed Turner an education in reading, writing and religion – although he taught himself to read after being given a book (â€Å"Nat Turner Biography†). Nat Turner was a very advanced child, people around him at the time of his childhood said he knew the details of many events that occurred before his birth. He also had visions from a young age, and those he believed always led him to his great purpose. These visions led him to many different plantations and slave-masters in the attempt to find that calling (â€Å"Nat Turner Biography†). After his early education Turner was sent to various plantations like that of Benjamin Turners son, Samuel. He worked at each for several years, during one period he was the slave of a nine year-old boy whose father had just died until his mother remarried. He viewed his visions as a gift from God and learned to become a preacher in adulthood, while still working as a slave (â€Å"Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property†). At his fourth and final plantation Turner would start receiving visions of creating an uprising to free him and his fellow slaves. He gathered followers and planned out the entire rebellion, believing it to be for the greater good of all black slaves. But a just day before he could instigate the rebellion Turner got sick and the rebellion was held off until he was well enough to lead and fight (â€Å"Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property†). It would take a short period of time for Turner to get better before he had another ‘god vision’ telling him when the time would be right for an uprising. That time came in the form of a solar eclipse which Turner interpreted to mean it was time. He led forty men through several Virginia towns, killing at least 50 people. But Nat’s plan had been found out by whites who arrived to capture his small troupe. Turner successfully hid from the men until October 30, when he was captured and sent to the county jail. His â€Å"confession† was given to Thomas R. Gray before being sentenced to death by hanging (â€Å"Nat Tuner: A Troublesome Property†). Nat Turner is remembered in the South as being one of the first and most important rebels in history for this act of rebellion. Nat had one of the largest amounts of killings by slaves in his time, and he also is memorable for his openness about it. He was quoted in his confession as saying: â€Å"I see sir, you doubt my word; but can you not think the same ideas, and strange appearances about this time in the heavens might prompt others, as well as myself, to this undertaking. â€Å"(â€Å"Insurrection of Nat Turner, The†). Confessions of Nat Turner (1831). † Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. 24 Nov 2008. 7 Feb 2012. â€Å"Confessions of Nat Turner, The. † Wake Forest University. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. â€Å"Nat Turner. † International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encylopedia. com. 7 Feb. 2012. â€Å"Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property. † PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. 2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. â€Å"Nat Turner Biography. † Biography. com. AE Television Network, LLC. 1996-2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. How to cite Nat Turner Researched Essay (with Citations), Essays

Enterprise Resource Planning Nike Inc - Free Sample Assignment Soluti

Question: Describe about the purpose of adopting an ERP system, Critical Success Factors and SAP Reflective Essay? Answer: Introduction This assignment gives an in-depth understanding of various phases involved in an ERP system implementation and studies various challenges faced by Nike Inc when they decided to implement an ERP system in year 2000. Nike opted for an ERP system implementation in order to streamline their business processes and have a centralised system. Nike Inc. was founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight in year 1964 at Beaverton, Oregon(Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). Initially named as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) it was in year 1972 when the company introduced Nike as a new brand of athletic footwear. Nike witnessed rapid growth since then and by year 2005 Nike comprised of 26,000 employees working in facilities at Tennessee, Oregon, Netherlands and North Carolina, around dozen Nike women stores, 200 factories and 100 above sales and administrative offices (Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). Nike reported revenues of $ 13.7 billion in year 2005 and since then has never looked back. Nike has a number of subsidi aries like Bauer Nike Hockey, Cole Haan Holdings, Hurley International LLC, Converse Inc, Nike IHM Inc and Execter Brands Group LLC. By year 2004 the company had around 137 factories in Americas, 252 factories in North Asia, 104 in EMEA and 238 factories in South Asia. The company was created 650,000 jobs for the local communities thus supporting the economy. Today Nike is recognised as worlds largest manufacturer and distributor of athletic footwear and apparels. It is also involved in the manufacturing of some of the worlds best sports equipments. Purpose of adopting an ERP system Nike initially started as a sneaker manufacturer however it was in early 1970s when the company started selling its products to different parts of the world thus becoming a global company. Nikes supply chain as a sneaker manufacturer was highly centralised but as the company grew its global presence it was unable to run on 27 different order management systems that were highly customised and did not communicated well with each other and to the home office. Nike primary purpose behind adopting an ERP system was a need to increase reach, profitability and information availability. Nike was focusing on rapid global expansion with facilities, factories, manufacturing plants and sales offices in different geographic locations. Their operations were organised in a manner that product designs, deliveries and factory contracts were managed through their headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Owing to this fact by year 1998 Nike had developed 27 different order management systems that were highly customised and hardly communicated to each other or to home office. Thus a centralised system was urgently required to increase Nike reach to different parts of the world. ERP systems are highly integrated thus can be used as a centralised system in multiple geographical locations. Nike had a manufacturing cycle of nine month that lacked proper control. In order to increase their productivity and operational efficiency it wanted to have better control on their manufacturing cycle and eventually reduce it to six months. The integrated system architecture of ERP system help organisations integrate data and process from various departments and locations so that products are moved faster, orders are processed quickly, customers are invoiced accurately in time and shipments are reconciled rapidly. Thus, an ERP system owing to its high processing speed and data accuracy help increasing overall operational efficiency and productivity. An inability to access real-time information from different order management system resulted in malfunctioning of Nikes complete supply chain. Orders were missed and shipments delayed resulting in huge losses. Nike thus needed a system that could deliver real-time information with high accuracy; this requirement could be easily met by implementations of an ERP system. Implementation Strategies ERP system implementation is a complex process and involves high risk thus it is very important to ensure that resources are effectively allocated and the chosen implementation strategy best suits the nature and type of organisation (E.O'Leary, 2004). The process starts with the assessment of organisations culture, environment, staff expertise and overall readiness. It is important to ensure that the assessment is carried out in an open and honest manner. The process involves selecting the most suited implementation strategy along with the identification and planning of various implementation components. Hardware, Software and Human resources are the three main ERP implementation components (Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). Hardware components comprises of all physical hardware used in the implementation process. An ERP system uses powerful set of servers for supporting production, development and testing environments. Key resources that are referred to as hardware resources include servers like high-end multiprocessor systems, main and secondary memory of several gigabytes and terabytes respectively, clients like end-users, developers and IT support accessing the system and peripherals like printers, networking hardware and print servers. Software components refer to the set of operating instructions and logical programs that are used to direct and control the activities of system hardware (Finney Corbett, 2007). It includes system software/ operating system platform, database management system and application software. People resources for an ERP implementation include end-users like clients, employees, vendors and anyone who uses the system (J.Morris, 2011). IT specialists like trainers, database administrators, developers and change management. Project Manager is an important human resource who ensures that the complete implementation team works in coordination with each other to achieve desired business goals. Once the hardware, software and people resources are identified it is important to decide over important aspects of virtualisation, use of third part products, database requirements and governance. Governance is an important part of ERP implementation that is concerned with defining and outlining committees and workgroups that will be responsible for different components of implementation, how they interact and making decisions related to those components (Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). Different components of implementation include technical development, functional components, hardware and software installation, communications and reporting, project management, change management, budget management, project owners and sponsors and escalation process. Roles and responsibilities of implementation are divided among owners, project executive, steering committee, application steward, chairperson, project management office, project teams; project team leads and cross functional teams Vanilla implementation and Chocolate implementation are the two most commonly used implementation strategy(Addo-Tenkorang P.Helo, 2011). Vanilla implementation strategy is one in which organisations prefer to make considerable changes to their business practices in order to fit the system instead of modifying or customising the ERP system(E.O'Leary, 2004). This strategy is best suited for businesses that have simple and common business practices. It is good for businesses that lack the needed resources to build and change systems. Changing business practices also serves as a competitive advantage in some situations. Chocolate implementation is one in which organisations chose to customise or modify the ERP system in a way that fits with the existing business practices(Finney Corbett, 2007). It is a single-system instance thus is easy to maintain and support. It also help in accessing organisational change as resistance to change and risk is greatly minimised by customising the syst em so that it fulfils business needs. Modify the ERP implementation strategy however require considerable focus on effective knowledge transfer. The case depicts use of chocolate implementation strategy by Nike to implement a purchased single-instance ERP system. It helped in effective change management and handling resistance to change. Business process re-engineering helped them define performance based goals which was one of the driving force behind successful ERP implementation. Vendor Selection Vendor selection is a crucial step in ERP implementation as it is essential to ensure that the selected vendor fulfils needs and goals of the organisation. It is important to have a well-defined vendor selection process in place in order to ensure successful implementation. There are a number of consulting firms that help businesses select most appropriate vendor. Two most important criteria for evaluating an ERP vendor is the degree to which the ERP fits the business functions and the ERP product performance in the market(Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). A high level ERP purchase process involves following predefined series of steps starting from vendor research and information gathering, evaluation of vendor demonstrations, assessment of needs and requirements, request for bid development, analysis and selection that include evaluation of bids, technical and functional evaluation, detailed demonstrations from vendor, reference checks and development of total cost of ownership. Next step is vendor negotiation where contracts are reviews and changes done if needed and prices for software, maintenance, support and consulting are finalised. Once all the above steps are completed the ERP system is purchased from selected vendor. ERP systems are afforded by number of vendors in the market however some of the most recognised ERP vendors are; SAP is the market leader of worlds ERP market with 24% market share and provide solutions for industries of all types and sizes. SAP faces competition from other vendors like Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, Lawson, SSA Global, Infor Visual, Epicor, Great Plains and Plex Online (Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). It is important to review vendor documented processes to identify their system functionality. The two main documents to be views are data and functional flow of business processes and table of functions performed in each department also presenting priorities assigned to each function. The case does not give enough information about the vendor selection process followed by Nike. No specific ERP vendor is named in the case. It is important that management of the organisation give enough time to evaluate the system, review detailed demonstrations and communicate effectively with references and other organisations using the system. As Nike was looking for a single-instance ERP system which would centralise their operations SAP would have been the best choice for them. Knowledge Transfer Before the Go-live it is important to ensure that proper training has been delivered to end-users and the knowledge transfer process is almost complete (E.O'Leary, 2004). Once the ERP system goes live the organisation needs to undergo a stabilization process of 60-90 days. It is important to ensure that there is well-defined and continuous process in place which works effectively so that knowledge and skills are transferred to employees and team members during the implementation as well as stabilisation process. Development of a knowledge transfer plan is important to ensure that knowledge is transferred effectively as implementation proceeds from one phase to another. It helps ensuring that knowledge is retained, cost of support is reduced by reducing number of support calls, faster learning is facilitated, system capabilities are enhanced and that system is used correctly. Ineffective knowledge transfer and lack of proper end-user training was the main reason behind the failure of demand planning system at Nike. They realised their mistake and so in case of ERP implementation they ensures that employees are not allowed to work on systems until they undergo a mandatory training for 140-180 hours. End-users were completely trained before the go-live which made them use the system properly. Critical Success Factors Apart from choosing a perfect implementation strategy, effective vendor selection and focused knowledge transfer it is also important to ensure that effective human resources and leadership team is allocated to handle different activities of ERP implementation (E.O'Leary, 2004). Some other factors that are critical for overall success of the project are: Decision making process: It is important to have a well-defined decision making process which minimises risk related to scope, productivity and efficiency (Finney Corbett, 2007). Nike had a strong decision making process that helped them identify faults and according plan improvements in demand planning system. Project Scope: It is essential to identify what is actually expected from the project. Nike wanted ERP system to achieve business goals and was not at all concerned about getting the systems running. They focused on performance which helped them make the process successful Teamwork: Project team comprises of internal employees and external consultants who need to work in coordination with each as a team. Effective team work helped Nike achieve desired business goals. Change Management: Effective change management is important for handling resistance to change shown by employees. Business process reengineer helps Nike in defining performance based goals and accessing organisational change in an effective manner. It is important that implementation and executive team work in coordination and provide full support to the project. Organisational Commitment Organisational commitment refers to the unwavering commitment and will of senior management and team members to see the implementation process deliver desired results (Motiwalla Thompson, 2011). It is important that the project team members and leaders believe in their strategies and plans and always face all challenges with a can-do spirit. A well-define communication plan and Organisational Project Management Model is two main approaches that help ensuring organisational commitment. OPM3 is a continuous improvement process that is divided into three steps of knowledge, assessment and improvement. Nike showed high organisational commitment which lead to successful ERP implementation. Business process reengineering helped them in effective change management which further ensured strong organisational commitment. Recommendation for suitable alternatives Nike opted for single instance ERP system with a phased roll out over six years. They adopted modify the ERP (chocolate) implementation strategy which proved out to be successful as their goal was to achieve desired business goals and not to get the systems running. Nike learned from their mistakes which resulted in failure of demanding planning system implementation thus gave due importance to knowledge transfer in case of ERP implementation. Nike lacked required expertise and resources for an effective ERP implementation as presented in the case thus vanilla implementation strategy could have been a better choice for them. Vanilla implementation strategy is best suited for companies whose business practices are not unique and all are followed in same manner across different locations. Hiring an external consultant with expertise in ERP implementation would have helped them complete their project within the allocated budget. As Nike comprised of large number of employees working in different geographical locations they needed a centralised ERP system with integrated functional modules that provided high cross departmental visibility and real-time information instead of two different systems. Also one of the best advantage of vanilla implementation is that it involves almost no customisation of the ERP system, lesser the customisation less are the risks involved in implementation and so cost and time involved is also comparatively less. Highly customised systems are relatively very difficult to manage and call for a reimplementation every time business processes are altered. The changes made in the business practices during vanilla implementation also serve as a competitive advantage in todays dynamic marketplace. SAP Reflective Essay SAP or Systems, Applications and Processes in Data Processing is a German multinational software corporation started in year 1972 in Mannheim, Germany by five former IBM employees that develops enterprise software and solutions to help their clients manage customer relations and business operations (SAP SE, 2015). SAP is the market leader of worldwide ERP software market with a market share of 24% and sale value of $6.1 billion. SAP develops products for businesses of all sizes and types helping them streamline their business activities and increase market share. SAP faces tough competition from Oracle, Microsoft and IBM as their main competitors (Forbes, 2014). Innovation is the key behind the remarkable success of SAP across the globe. Reflective practice is a step involved in self-managed learning which enable users to review their own actions and plan improvements accordingly. SAP software can be evaluated against five end-user criteria of response time, usability, flexibility, b usiness insight and transactional efficiency. SAP scores high on usability and is highly user-friendly software (Addo-Tenkorang P.Helo, 2011). Users can easy move from one process to another using simple T-codes and navigation paths. It is self explanatory software that gives complete information about itself. The production and the testing environment called sandbox is completely separated in order to ensure that operational activities are carried out effectively without any interruption. The Easy Access screen serves as a guide to the system and menu bars are easy to understand. Almost all possess are carried out in an identical manner making it convenient for end-users to understand process flows. SAP allows end-users to save T-codes that are very commonly used as favourites; it creates a log of recent activities performed and keeps a track of searches thus scores a high on transactional efficiency. SAP provides scripting option for repeated tasks that help saving time spent on performing exactly similar tasks. Thus, it is very easy to perform common and repeated tasks using SAP software. SAP scores a high on flexibility and supports businesses of all sizes and types. It is a highly integrated ERP system that brings almost all functional modules on a single platform. It allows extensive customisation thus can fit in all business processes. End-users can easily navigate from one process to other using simple T-codes. SAP scores a high on business insight as it allows end-users to access comprehensive reports, real-time data and cross departmental data visibility. SAP reports are executable programs that read information from the database and deliver real-time data of activities performed in different business modules based on the selected filter criteria. They can be standard SAP reports, Ad hoc queries and customised reports. For example sales order report not only inform the end-user about the sales orders entered within specified timeframe but also other related information like customer, pricing, shipment etc. These reports can be easily accessed using specific T-codes or navigation paths. SAP is recognised worldwide for its high processing speed and quick response time. Single searches and activities are performed very quickly however response time for reports depend on the volume of data desired. Greater the time frame greater is the time consumed to extract reports. SAP reports present accurate, real-time data that present visibility to cross departmental data thus consume comparatively more time than single searches and activities. All the factors make SAP a highly user friendly software that helps organisations achieves their desired organisational goals and performance objectives. References Addo-Tenkorang, R. P.Helo, (2011) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) : A Review of Literature Report. Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Society, 2(1), pp. 1-10. E.O'Leary, D., (2004) Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) Systems: An Empirical Analysis of Benefits. Jounal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, 1(1), pp. 63-72. Finney, S. Corbett, M., (2007) ERP implementation: a compilation and analysis of critical success factors. Business Process Management Journal, 13(3), pp. 329-347. Forbes, (2014) 2013 Business Intelligence And Analytics Market Share Update: SAP Continues Market Leadership. [Online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2014/04/29/2013-business-intelligence-and-analytics-market-share-update-sap-continues-market-leadership/ [Accessed 2015]. J.Morris, J., (2011) The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems on the Effectiveness of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Journal of Information Systems, 1(129-157), p. 25. Motiwalla, L. Thompson, J., (2011) Enterprise Systems for Management. Essex: Pearson Education. SAP SE, (2015) SAP at a glance: company information. [Online] Available at: https://www.sap.com/corporate-en/about/our-company/index.html [Accessed 2015].

Matthew Sinrod Essays - U.S. Route 66, Monterey, California

Matthew Sinrod Dr. Doyle Eng 102 5/5/98 Themes in The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California February 27th 1902. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst Steinbeck II, manager of a flour mill, and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, a former teacher. Steinbeck said of his youth, (We were poor people with a hell of a lot of land which made us think we were rich people, even when we couldn't buy food and were patched.) Steinbeck used the area where he grew up as the setting for many of his stories. He attended Stanford University for a few years. He had to work to pay for his education, and sometimes took off one quarter to pay for the next. (He worked as a clerk in several stores, was a hand in a ranch, and even worked at the Spreckels Sugar Company where he gained knowledge of labor problems he would later write about in The Grapes of Wrath.) Other books by Steinbeck include Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and Cannery Row. He died in New York City on December 20th 1968. Sinrod 2 A constant theme in our story is the suffering of humans. As F.W. Watt says, (The primary impact of The Grapes of Wrath...is not to make us act, but to make us understand and share a human experience of suffering and resistance.) Steinbeck shows us that his characters, as well as all people must endure suffering as human beings. Humans suffer due to many factors. Religious suffering is one factor which is self imposed. (When we first see Casy he is explaining to Tom Joad how he left preaching, not merely because of the lusts that plagued him, but because religious faith as he knew it seemed to set up codes of behavior which denied human nature its proper and full expression) Religious suffering is perhaps epitomized in Jesus Christ, and Joseph Fontenrose believes the tragic character of Casey is believed to be the symbolic representation of Jesus Christ himself. (Jim Casy's initials are JC, and he retired to the wilderness to find spiritual truth and came forth to teach a new doctrine of love and good works...Casy sacrificed himself for others when he surrendered himself as the man who had struck a deputy Sinrod 3 at Hooverville...Tom told his mother, I'm talking like Casy, after saying that he would be present everywhere, though unseen...) However the character of Jim Casy goes beyond Christ. While pondering sin and virtue, Casy comes to the enlightening conclusion that people cannot be judged good or bad. (Maybe it's just the way folks is...There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing. And some things folks do is nice, and some ain't nice, but that's as far as any man got a right to say.) Viewing the morality of individuals as dynamic, as opposed to static, provides tremendous freedom for characters such as Tom Jode. He is capable of many different actions throughout the story, including intimidation, guile, support, love, and even murder. Steinbeck wants to show that even a murderer still loves his mother. The mother after all, is holding his family together. (In all the families in crisis, the children look to the women for answers to their immediate survival: What are we gonna do, Ma? Where are we going to go?) At one point in the story, Tom Jode considers leaving home rather than possibly Sinrod 4 endangering his family, however his mother reminds him that without his family, he has nothing. (There is no question that in this model the mother makes the most important contributions to the family stability.) Placing such importance on family values is not without reasons. Family is all the Jodes have to hold onto in the uncaring world in which they live. It is the only way they survive in the system which thrives on the exploitation of the poor. (The real power of Grapes of Wrath is the savage anger at the impersonal process that uproots men from the land and rapes it...) The best way for the Jodes to gain strength was through groups. Each time a fairly stable group or community was achieved, those in power attempted to destroy the group, effectively

Religions Spread Through Conquest Essays - Culture, Islamism, Jihad

Religions Spread Through Conquest Essays - Culture, Islamism, Jihad Religions Spread Through Conquest When studying history, both in a professional and academic sense, we try to make connections between civilizations and time periods. Historians have attempted to discover universal conezts of human nature, a bond that forms from continent to continent, human being to human being. Is there a conezt quality that all peoples posses, and is reflected in all civilizations? Indeed, it is extremely difficult to make generalizations about centuries of modern history. To say that something is true of all of history is virtually impossible, as a counter-example exists for just about anything that can be said of any group of civilizations. To say that all religions are spread by violence is equally unfair and untrue - because contrasted religions has been spread in exceedingly diverse regions of the world, by vastly different cultures. Islam, as a prime example, has been characterized inequitably by historians and the media as a religion of violence. To put it bluntly, as this article does, "Islam was mainly spread through Arab territorial conquests (Sudo, 4)." However, upon examination, it is not fair to make the generalization that Islam is a religion of violence, and one notices when looking at world religion on a whole, one finds that Islam was no more violent than any other religion. In fact, not only is Islam not a fundamentally violent philosophy, but we can also see that many other religions normally considered "non-violent," such as Christianity or Hinduism, have been spread through bloody conquest. Thus, in searching for a universal conezt of history, we ought not fall into the "fallacy of abstractions," as Sydney J. Harris keenly puts it, and assume that because of isolated incidents and conflicts of territorial ambitions, that all religions have violent tendencies. Islam has, throughout the centuries, been somewhat a victim of circumezce - indeed it has been perceived by many as oppressive and cruel. This belief originated over a thousand years ago, when Islamic peoples first threatened the western world. As they slowly undermined Byzantine authority, Christians became terrified of their presence, resulting in widespread animosity and aversion. Hindus and Buddhists of the South Asian subcontinent lived under Islamic law for hundreds of years (Ahmad, et. al., 186), and eventually, in the twentieth century, split the region into angry factions (Ahmad, et. al., 207). Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, was a great warrior. This invariably lead defeated peoples to believe that he begot a cult of war and violence. Over the centuries, it also has developed the ability to instill a sense of holy purpose onto its believers and soldiers, where they go into a battle of certain death for their faith in the jihad, or holy war. Even today, the jihad is still a potent source of conflict and aversion, as the many of the problems in the Middle East center around the issue of Islamic Fundamentalism and the jihads. Originally, Islam was perceived by western historians as a religion of violence and conquest; "by preying on the caravans of the Quraish, [Mohammed] weakened them to the point of submission (Mohammed and Islam, 1)." In fact, Mohammed was a warrior, aristocrat, and brilliant strategist - a stark contrast to many other holy men of history. He was forced to both defend his cities and force submission, as the passage had shown, because of the strong military powers of his religious predecessors and oppressors, the pagans of the Middle East. Islam means "submission" according to the Islam discussion in class - and one might assume that the submission was attained through military and forceful means. In fact, while Mohammed preached peace from 610 to 622 AD, he attracted few converts and was persecuted by the current ruling paganistic regime. After the visions of 622 AD, he realized that his cause was even more urgent than before, and only at that point did he begin to utilize his military skills (Class Discussion). However, despite the more violent nature that his quest took, even after the revelations by Gabriel in 622 AD, "by reciting his revelations aloud, Mohammed made many converts, (Mohammed and Islam,1)." Mohammed was not a purely violent man, but also a great speaker and demagogue (Mueller, 2). He did

Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Example for Free

Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Oneil and Adele Cannon will be honored this year as they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage. The following is just a short summary of the many ways Oneil and Adele Cannon have contributed to the history of Los Angeles. The great French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) wrote in his work Emile: â€Å"there is no happiness without courage nor virtue without struggle†. This is a quote that certainly can apply to the lives of Oneil Cannon and his wife Adele. As they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage, their life journey has exemplified the qualities of courage and struggle. The causes that they have fought together are a chronicle of the progressive movement over the last half century. Oneil Cannon was born in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on January 28, 1917. He attended grammar and high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. In his 20’s he was drafted into the Army in Louisiana. He first visited L. A. during his furlough from the Army, to visit his sister and younger brother. He met and married his first wife, Elizabeth, in New Orleans in 1939. After his discharge from the Army in 1945 he felt that Los Angeles would probably offer better opportunities for a man and his young family, so they moved to Watts. This was during the era of a large migration of African-Americans from the south to California and other northern states. In order to sustain an income in those beginning years, he had various jobs. In 1946 he obtained a position as an Insurance Agent with the historical Golden State Insurance Company (the first insurance company to predominantly serve the African American community in Los Angeles). As Oneil puts it: â€Å"My brother Fred and I had opened our own printing shop in Watts before either of us knew very much about printing. We were both just out of the Army (World War II) and after a time, we decided that I would go to school and learn printing. I studied printing at Frank Wiggins Trade School which later became Trade Tech Junior College in the years 1947 to 1950. Fred would stay and take care of the shop and then I would come home and teach my brother what I learned at school about printing. That was my job. That’s the way we did it. So we both became printers at the same time, but I became a printing teacher, the same day that I became a printing student. We ran the shop and studied between meetings and other community activities, which we were both involved in Mrs. Carlotta Bass, editor and publisher of the California Eagle Newspaper, (who also introduced Oneil to Paul Robeson) also had a printing shop needing someone to take it over at that time. So Oneil went in and made a deal with her–she rented him the use of the printing shop. Therefore Oneil was in business for himself as the California Eagle Printing Company (1950-55). Also, he still worked with his brother at the Quick Service Advertisers Print Shop on 111th and Wilmington. They printed signs, leaflets and advertisements for various funeral establishments, political causes and groups, and businesses in the community. One day Carlotta Bass came into the printishop with some people to talk to Oneil about the Printers Union. Because of his hands-on work and training as a printer, they invited him to join in starting a campaign to break the color line in the Printers Union. This was a significant point in continuing the struggle for equal opportunities for all, and shows his genuine concern and courage to bring justice to the community. Philip â€Å"Slim† Connelly from the CIO, asked if he could participate in this very important campaign. Prior to this time, the Union did not have any African American members. Considering Oneil’s history of activism, from the voting rights movement in the south in the 1930’s, to being involved in breaking the color bar in the International Typographical Union (ITU), this was one of the most important, telling and dramatic labors of his life. Oneil stated, â€Å"This is how I got started to working on getting into a printing union. After getting all sorts of â€Å"run arounds† from printing unions, somehow some of the Communists who were in the ITU came to me and offered to help, if I was really interested in breaking the Jim Crow status in the printing industry and unions in Los Angeles. I had absolutely no doubts that I was ready for this struggle; â€Å"a piece of cake†, after all, hadn’t I just come from â€Å"Jim Crow† Louisiana where I’d lived all my life, and hadn’t I just gotten out, after three years in a â€Å"Jim Crow† Army. I had been all over Los Angeles looking for, and working on different jobs. But you â€Å"ain’t† lived until you have to deal with well-organized trade union bigots. These dudes were really pros. Interestingly, I never once heard them attacking my desire for membership on the basis of race, but only because the people who advocated my membership were Communists. Incidentally, I never saw any membership cards, but saw that they knew of my efforts to become a printers union member, and that they were the ones who came to my assistance. Logic tells me that there was something strange about the Union’s argument, because if they hated Communists so badly, why were these white Communists â€Å"in the union†, and not one African American? This point was raised by one of the comrades on the union floor and he was roundly booed, but not put out of the union. † Oneil finally became a member of the Printers Union, but then was never sent out to jobs. When he went to the Union Hall, somehow there was no work for him. However, some of his friends benefited by Oneil breaking that barrier, and did get jobs. So the struggle continued. Meanwhile, Oneil continued operating his own â€Å"Union† printing business Fidelity Lettershop, which he continues to run today. â€Å"I ended up not only running my own printing shop, but also teaching graphic arts at S. T. E. P. ne of the â€Å"Poverty Programs† and eventually I retired as a California State credentialed graphic arts teacher in 1999. This is where he first met (now Congresswoman) Maxine Waters. I still teach on a volunteer basis at the Paul Robeson Center in south Los Angeles, of which I am the director. I’ve been teaching printing a long time. † Oneil and Adele met in 1947, while working together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace (who was running against Truman) and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the Ballot. Adele was also an activist, beginning with the Franklin Roosevelt campaign as a precinct worker. Adele Marx Rosenfield was born in El Paso, Texas in 1923. Her family moved to California in about 1936 and she graduated from Fairfax High School in 1940. She then attended UCLA to study Chemistry. After Pearl Harbor, she enlisted in the WAVES, but was discharged after only 17 days due to â€Å"political activities in civilian life†. It turned out the government had interviewed a friend of the family who told of her activities. She married and had two children—Jan and Dale Goodman. Adele and Oneil were married in December, 1954. When her youngest child, Jan Goodman, was in Junior High School she went back to school at UCLA Extension and then for her Masters of Business Administration at Cal State Dominguez, while working as an office manager, and raising a family. After earning her CPA and working as a full-time accountant, she served as the Peace and Freedom Party’s State Treasurer for 16 years and is still a State Officer of the Peace and Freedom Party. Since starting to work together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the ballot in the late 1940’s, they continued as a team when fighting to free the Rosenbergs and later Angela Davis. One fight always led to another, as they fought as part of the IPP to force employers to hire African and Mexican- Americans, where the slogon was â€Å"don’t bank or buy where you can’t work†. As part of the South-East Inter-Racial Council, they fought to end segregated housing and restrictive covenants and to bring Negro History Week into the Los Angeles City Schools. Always striving to bring peace, they gathered signatures to the Stockholm Peace Petition, fought and demonstrated against the wars in Vietnam and continue to fight for Middle East peace. As they raised their six kids, the Cannons fought to bring equal education to South Los Angeles, including the multi-years struggle led by Odessa Cox to bring a Junior college to South Los Angeles, which culminated in the establishment of Southwest Community College. They were also involved from the beginning to acquire a health facility of some kind in Watts, which ultimately came under the leadership of Ted and Bernice Watkins and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), a predecessor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. Oneil Cannon is known to current activists as owner/operator/union printer at his print shop, Fidelity Educational Press. Oneil, along with his wife Adele and others co-founded the Paul Robeson Community Center in 1986. When they were thinking about a name for this Center, their daughter Jan Goodman suggested it be named in honor of Paul Robeson since their goal was to establish a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic community center. Therefore, who better to exemplify multi-culturalism than Paul Robeson. In the Cannons’ fifty years as a team, they have certainly lived their motto to improve our community. Instead of leaving when the kids were grown, they stayed to continue the fight for better schools and living conditions in South Los Angeles. In this way they have been able to truly contribute to a multi-cultural South Los Angeles. Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon. (2017, Jan 14).

Racial Tensions in Elderly-Care Home Setting Essay

Racial Tensions in Elderly-Care Home Setting - Essay Example The most evident query at this point is likely to question why racism is still rampant in the elderly care home setting whereas the rest of the United Kingdom seems to have seen the light. Why is it that racism has been forced out of the society and seemed to have entertained in these homes? There are correct responses to this query but only a handful are aware of them. In fact, most residents of the nation are not aware that racism is a common practice in these homes. Although many people are not open to the idea of taking their relatives to these homes, circumstances have forced many to do so as they are not in a position to offer the much needed care (Macrae 2012).As an effort to realise the reason behind the practice of racism in the elderly homes, it is initially appropriate to comprehend the factors that sets these home apart from society. Doing so allows one to be in a position to establish the precise factors that may to blame. These homes are meant to provide care to the eld erly in the society, a population that had to live in another generation that is very separate from the one that is in force today. The elderly is society are not very vibrant and the fact that they are few as compared to other age gaps means that their influence in society is minimal (Macrae 2012).However, bringing them together nurtures a very distinctive atmosphere that is far from the one that is in the rest of the UK society. Even though many elderly individuals may feel uncomfortable in these homes.

Case Review and Principles Governing Application of Privacy Related Essay

Case Review and Principles Governing Application of Privacy Related Torts - Essay Example In the previous history of the case, the plaintiff, Wentworth, lodged an amendment complaint against Settlement Funding, the defendants asserting that the defendant took part in actions that amounted to copyright violation, trademark dilution, injury to the business reputation and false representation in breach of sections 32 (1) and 43 (a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C pursuant to section 114 (1) and 1125 (a) (2006) (O’Neill 1). The plaintiff also claimed trademark violation and unfair competition under Pennsylvanian state law. The plaintiff claims originate from the defendant’s supposed use of plaintiff’s emblems in two ways: through Google’s Adwords program and the â€Å"meta-tags† for defendant’s webpage (O’Neill 2). The plaintiff alleged that the two usages of the plaintiff’s brand name guarantees that a link to defendant’s webpage will appear instantly adjacent to a link to defendant’s webpage when people carry out internet searches for â€Å"J.G. Wentworth† or â€Å"JG Wentworth† (O’Neill 4). The plaintiff further claimed that the use of the plaintiff’s emblems constitute violating deeds that were aimed at confusing the consumers and to divert prospective customers away from the plaintiff’s webpage (O’Neill 6). Plaintiff noted that this also would steal their potential customers and wear down the uniqueness of plaintiff’s emblems, therefore, resulting to a considerable loss of profits. In its judgment, the court granted the defendants the motion to dismiss and, therefore, the plaintiff’s claims were dismissed (O’Neill 8). ... In the previous history of the case, the plaintiff had moved to court and lodged claims against trademark violation and false advertisement. The plaintiff relied on sections 32 (1) and 43 (a) of the Lanham Act. The plaintiff claims originate from the defendant’s supposed use of plaintiff’s emblems next to the defendant’s name in the search results. The plaintiff noted that the appearance of the trademark next to the defendant’s name could indicate a relationship with the defendant. In the first circuit, the court had discharged charges on trademark violation relating to material on the defendant’s webpages since none of the rings were branded â€Å"dating rings†, the trademark of the plaintiff. However, the court permitted trademark violation linking to purchase to survive and dismissed the false advertisement claim. In the second circuit, the court established that this type of entry of the search results next to the plaintiff’s emble m included a â€Å"use† under the Lanham Act. In the case J.G Wentworth, S.S.C. Limited Partnership vs. Settlement Funding LLC, in order to determine breaches of section 32(1) and 43(a) of the Lanham Act, the court, as according to Fisons Horticulture, Inc. vs. Vigoro Indus, Inc., 30F.3d 466, 472 (1994), required the plaintiff to demonstrate that the plaintiff’s emblem is lawful and protected by law, that the plaintiff is the rightful owner of the mark and that the defendant’s use of the emblem to recognize goods or services was most probable to generate confusion regarding the origin of the goods (O’Neill 5). Additionally, as according to the claims of the defendants, the plaintiff would not meet the third aspect of the Lanham Act on trademark

Paradigm Shifts of Church History Essay Example for Free

Paradigm Shifts of Church History Essay As described by Bosch in his foreword he talks about the title as ambiguous. â€Å"Transforming† can be an adjective used to describe â€Å"mission†. Mission can be understood as not the enterprise that transforms reality, but something that is itself being transformed. Let’s now look at the first paradigm shift. 1. Primitive Christianity . go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. [2] The great commission has to be taken into account with the rest of Matthew’s gospel where we see the â€Å"road† of mission to the gentiles is open. The Mission of Jesus was to breakdown boundaries and to include all, even those who were seen as enemies. God invites all and it is those who respond that are accepted. Early Christian mission was focused only on the Jews. Mission to the gentiles came as a spin-off mission. Early Christian mission involved the person of Jesus and it was political and revolutionary. The revolutionary aspect was seen in the new relationships it brought among Jews, Greek, free, slave, rich, poor, women etc. The early church had to seal their witness (martyria) with their blood; â€Å"Martyrdom and Mission† says Hans von Campenhaussen â€Å"belonged together†. [3] 2. The Patristic Period (The Eastern Church) Mission in the Patristic (first fathers) period is thoroughly church centered which means that the church is the aim; the fulfillment of the Gospel, rather than the instrument or means of mission[4]. In Orthodox thinking, mission is the place of liturgy (public worship). A witnessing community is a community of worshippers. Also Orthodox mission is founded on the love of God as seen in John 3:16. The church began to progress too, the apostles and itinerant preachers were replaced by bishops and deacons and later too was the monastic movement (which was the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote ones self to spiritual work). Mission to the non-Roman Asia spread mainly by the Nestorian monastic orders (who emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus). In 1054 the great schism took place between the Eastern and Western church. This was the beginning of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. Constantine moved the headquarters of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople and the church began to compromise with the state politically. The church became secularised and Salvation was a gradual progress that leads to the divine. 3. The Medieval Roman Catholic Period Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. [5] Where the early church took its missionary text from John 3:16 talking about the love of God, the Roman Catholic Church had the focus of ‘compelling them to come in’. They argued that there was no salvation outside the formal membership of the RC Church. The Roman Empire had become linked to the RC Church. The Catholic Church became extremely influential over the State and loyalty to the state meant being loyal to the church. Is lam became increasingly popular in the East leading to the capture of Constantinople in 1453. Pope Alexander VI divided the colonized world into two for mission purposes. One was under the King of Spain and the other under the King of Portugal. The mission of the church was linked to the mission of the state. They sent Missionaries to the colonized territories. Europe was broadly seen as Christian and therefore no real need for evangelism. The monastic movement may have been the reason was so much authentic Christianity evolved in Europe’s ‘dark ages’. Reformation Period (the Protestant Paradigm) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 6] Martin Luther had a realization that God’s righteousness did not mean God’s punishment and wrath, but his gift of grace and mercy in which anyone could be saved. Bosch noted that the Protestant missionary paradigm tended to vary from various extremes. Bosch shows that although the idea of mission was there among the Protestants, their involvement was limited. This was due to; (a) their primary task was to reform the church; (b) contact with non-Christians was little (c) they were struggling to survive; (d) denial of the monastic orders meant they denied themselves access to important services and (e) their own internal struggles. Luther’s reformation made little sense of this world, Calvinism in Holland (developed Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith) and Puritanism in England (the Protestant church regarded the Reformation of the Church of England as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship) did. Bosch then refers to Gisbertus Voetius’s threefold model of the theology of mission. He sees these dimensions as; (a) conversion of the Gentiles (b) planting of the church and (c) the glory and manifestation of divine grace (he saw the churches of old and new standing as equal)[7]. Enlightenment Period Mission during this period was diverse and multifaceted than ever before. The change from medieval to enlightenment thinking made the supernatural redundant and the natural attracted more attention. God, the church and the nobles were no longer revered, but nature was. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [8] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 9] Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. [10] During this period as you can see from the scriptures above, the main sense of mission was the urgency of the coming o f the new millennium. The modern missionary enterprise has been greatly influenced by the enlightenment’s concept of ecclesiastical and cultural expansion. These were in the church and state. Colonisation and Christianisation went together, and were two sides of the same coin. Later, during the enlightenment the two went onto separate paths, forces of renewal and the second awakening. 6. Ecumenical Period The church turned from being an institution to being the body of Christ with its outlook on mission being revitalized and seen afresh. Missionary conferences began to emerge as Bosch referring to Gunther; â€Å"ecclesiological reflections of missionary conferences from Edinburgh 1910 to Mexico City in 1963†[11]. The ‘Missio Dei† concept first surfaced in 1952 at the Willingen Conference[12]. The idea of God as a missionary God[13]. Mission as stated by Bosch is as follows; meditating salvation; the quest for justice; evangelism; contextualization, liberation, inculturation; common witness; ministry by the holy people of God, witness to people of other living faiths; and as action in hope. Bosch looks at the life of Jesus with what we can learn for mission today.

Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood Essay -- Argumentative Per

Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood Fraternities have been a major part of student life at universities all over the world since the beginning of the 20th century. For many students they have offered an improvement in social life, more friends, opportunities for athletics, and a great sense of brotherhood. Unfortunately, since their beginning fraternities have been questioned about their activities. Many people today think that they subject their members to harmful acts better known as "hazing." Massachusetts General law defines hazing as: [A]ny conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person"(Anti- Hazing Policy). Specific examples of hazing include: whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, mental stress, deprivation of sleep, extended isolation, and any activity which seriously affects the health and well-being of an individual. Over the past thirty years there have been many fraternity hazing incidents, which now appear on the web. In one incident at S.M.S.U. Edith Davis, a pledge at Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity was beaten to death in February of 1994. One brother, Keith Allen was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hazing. Keith claimed that the law against hazing was unconstitutional since it was unclear. Even worse is that the case has been appealed numerous times which has caused the victims family's grief to get worse each time. The family asked "what does he expect, does he want the gentleman to go free or what? Does he think he didn't do anythin... ...wego.edu/~milano/. (23 March 1997). Phi Kappa Phi Fraternity. "Chapters In Virginia". http://www.pagelink.com/pi_kappa_phi/index.html. (24 March 1997). News Center Online. "Westminster Fraternities Facing Hazing Issues". http://www.missouri.edu/~joursww/sep01.html. (1 April 1997). The College Reporter. "Student Hospitalized After Day of Pledging Activities". http://www.tandm.edu/CampusLife/Organiza...legeReporter/04-09- 96/NEWS/KappaSig.html. (5 April 1997). The Vermilion. "UP Arrest Three, Seek On in Hazing Case". http://www.usl.edu/Publications/Vermilion/96_03_29/page_01.html. (9 April 1997). The Brothers of the Manitoba Chapter Delta Upsilon. "What is a Fraternity?". http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/groups/DeltaUpsilon/duinfo.html. (10 April 1997). Crouch, Elisa. "Hazing Law Upheld". http://www.mdn.org/1995/STORIES/HAZE.HTM. (20 April 1997).

Commentary of a Passage Taken from ” the Comfort of the Strangers “ Essay

The passage taken from â€Å"The Comfort of Strangers â€Å"by Ian McEwan essentially describes the want of two sisters Eva and Maria to look beautiful and furthermore the denial of their parents towards the girls’ desires. It is written in the third person i.e. the omniscient. The passage conveys few symbols: Beauty through the want of the sisters to look gorgeous ie. lipsticks, mascaras make up etc. , The truth and honesty through the confession of the boy. Owing to the fact that, when cosmetics are used they don’t illustrate the true face or beauty of the person they also symbolize the deceptiveness of appearances. The main centralized theme in this passage is deception. The girls lay trust on their brother for not disclosing whatever they did in the absence of the elders. But, conversely, we see that the boy divulges every action of his sisters. Furthermore, there are a couple of primary themes: childishness in the first paragraph and tension of the girls that their parents would return soon. We see that passage gradually passes from the afternoon to later in the afternoon and then to the dinner. So, it is chronological. The passage, when observed started with an exclamation and a question as well. â€Å"So! Did my sisters hate me?† – This paints a picture of the dubiousness, the author is having about whether his sisters in the future will lay trust on him or not. The Speaker in the passage is Robert – the young brother of the teen girls. At first he seems to be tranquil characters – moving comfortably with his sisters. But in the last part we observe a friction developed between him and his sisters. This passage can be humorous to the audience especially to kids who do not have any kind of desires as such of the sisters mentioned in the passage. The way the sisters have been cheated can be funny. In contrary to the humour, the passage can also generate a sense of discontent in the reader’s mind as the sisters had been cheated and their actions have been disclosed which they wish for. The passage is set in house. The situation in the first can be said to normal as elements of love and relationship can be observed. Ironically , as the day advances into the afternoon and into the evening a large variance is observed. The tension of the girls and the seriousness when they are blamed can be discerned. Along with this sad atmosphere created when the girls are blamed , when the first part is carefully swot up it can be noticed that a pleasant mood is indicated. Initially, in the passage, we see that the author uses they, them and their frequently. Hence repetition is observed. In the later part the author addresses the sisters to look like American film stars, thus using metaphor. The whole passage can create empathy in the minds of the readers – especially in adult girls towards the two sisters.  ¶As a consequence there are a lot of images produced in the reader’s mind. The girls waving their arms in the air to dry their nails and the metaphorical image – Girls addressed as the American film stars. Imagery, especially in this passage explains the frame or the situation much more in detail. Every action returns to its source – it may take very short time or even aeons . The confession had alienated the author from his sisters. His actions left him pondering whether his sisters will again lay trust on him in the future.

Black People and Roberta Essay

In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif,† the story is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta. They grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not care for them. Morrison makes it clear the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds but never states which one is black or white. At one point in the story Twyla comments, â€Å"We looked like salt and pepper. † I grew frustrated with the story and had to read it several times. I could never determine who was black and white and the lesson I learned should have been it doesn’t really matter. The story begins with Twyla’s mother dropping her off at the orphanage. She meets Roberta and they become best friends. The bond they share occurs because they were not considered real orphans. They were abandoned kids unlike the other children whose parents had died. One of the last times the girls see each other was the day of a visitation. On that night, Twyla’s mother was wearing â€Å"those tight green slacks that made her butt stick out. † Many people have labeled blacks as having larger butts. She could have been black, she could have been a heavy white woman with a large butt, or a Hispanic woman like me. But I automatically stereotyped and went with Twyla has to be black. During the visitation Roberta’s mother â€Å"had brought chicken legs. † Twyla notices Roberta does not eat the chicken legs. I always thought black people liked chicken more than white people which means Roberta was white since she did not eat the chicken. Or maybe she just wasn’t hungry. Shortly after that visitation Roberta’s mother came to take her home, leaving the girls devastated. They see each other several times throughout the years. At their first meeting, Roberta was rude and distant because she was high. Roberta tells Twyla she is on the way to see Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an infamous black guitarist. I thought at this point Roberta has to be black. However Hendrix’s band was interracial with a diverse audience. Roberta could have been white due to the diverse audience. I am a huge Hendrix fan and I am not black so why would I think Roberta is. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was extremely friendly to Twyla. Twyla cannot hold back her emotions and asks Roberta about the last time they saw each other. Roberta shrugs it off, â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black—white. You know how everything was. † I can relate to this. In 1980, the Cuban Mariel Boat Lifts came over bring thousands of Cubans. I am Cuban but I was born here. Kids I had known since kindergarten treated me as if I just come over on the boats. It had a lasting effect on me and matured me beyond my years. The third time they meet is at the school where their children attend. Roberta and other mothers were picketing because they did not want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight severing any last chance of a friendship for them as it would not be resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time. As the story ends I do not get a sense of closure. The question of which girl is white or black remains unanswered. It opened my eyes and made me question how prejudice I really am. I try to not stereotype as a result of what I went through as a child but I found myself doing just that. I can understand why Morrison wrote the way she. I am not sure what her goal was overall but to me it seemed as if she were teaching me about prejudices. â€Å"Recitatif† challenged me to not judge either girl by their race but accept them for who they are. In the end, what difference did it really make about the girls’ races? The story is about how their friendship develops and then deteriorates. Nothing more; nothing less.

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buy custom Terrorism World essay This essay will look at the operations of the homeland security management system with respect to the policies which have been instituted to fight terrorism. The essay discusses these policies in the perspective of Al Qaeda: a terrorist group which has been quite consistent in attempting to carry out terrorism within the U.S. boundaries. The paper starts by showing the mechanism of operation of the Homeland security management system which operates through four phases purposely to ensure that effectiveness is achieved. This makes it a highly dynamic body with an ability to make multiple changes in an attempt eliminate terrorism activities. The paper will proceed to discuss a sample of the policies which have already been instituted. Keen attention will be given to show how effective the policies are with respect to terrorism groups, in this case the Al Qaeda. The paper will make some recommendation followed by the conclusion. The U.S. faces threats from the terrorism world and as a result needs to come up with policies which ensure that its interests are safeguarded. Bush (2007) calls these threats complex and dynamic. He believes that the best way to face these threats is by understanding them. The author writes about successive concerted worldwide efforts which were manifested after the September 11 attacks on the American soil. However he is quick to add that a new challenge faced is that these groups are continuously evolving and coming up with new ways of attacking and inflicting pain. The author particularly associates the al Qaeda group with the new creativity ways of carrying out terrorism activities: the most serious and dangerous manifestation of this threat remains al-Qaida, which is driven by an undiminished strategic intent to attack our homeland (Bush 2007, p. 5). The U.S. is faced with constant threats of being attacked by terrorists. This threat is made more daring by the fact that the terrorist groups keep on adapting more and more elusive ways of planning their attacks. Adapting new creative ways of carrying out terrorism activities make it hard to speculate on what they are to do and how. This creates the necessity to understand their ways of operations. Buy custom Terrorism World essay

English Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Writing - Essay Example The only choices are to ride on it, to suppress it or subvert it. In my case, I have usually been fortunate enough to be able to ride on it. Since my early childhood at study or play I have always been the popular choice whenever the question of leadership came up. I could always be counted upon to start off with things that hadn't been done before and soon have a bunch of other people happily doing the same. A few disagreed, of course, but I was frequently able to win them over, sooner rather than later. I have always been seen as fair, capable and full of common sense. Being a leader has thus become a second nature to me, and my passion. Nothing pleases me more than being able to chart a course for a worthy cause. When I joined school a year back, I was immediately intrigued with the prospect of establishing an International Business Club, the environment seemed ripe for one. I threw up the idea at different forums, and got a positive response. With that vote of confidence I threw all my energies into putting together a club that would harness the potential of students while providing a positive platform for interaction. In the beginning I had few takers for the idea, some thought it was too ambitious, others found it impossible. But I held on, tackling tonnes of club paperwork while still coming to grips with studies.

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a Essay

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a hypothetical product or service - Essay Example This maximum capacity of plant production especially if the demand is high cannot completely compete with other paint producing company. This remains one of the big challenges of the company that it takes into consideration at present time. Aside from continuing innovation of its products, Paint X Corporation continuous to aim for strong market penetration. Although situated in London, Paint X Corporation is providing quality paints in the international market. It is in this regard that the market segmentation variables are needed to be analysed based on the international level. Paint X Corporation is supplying paints across Europe, Asia and through out the entire world. Based on this consideration, it cannot be denied that the company’s consideration of its segmentation variables is a bit complicated. Everything needs to be designed based on a universal approach on geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioralistic consideration. On geographic consideration, various competing paint manufacturers in Europe are good reasons to create more innovative quality paints. This is clear when cost of raw materials was considered in order to compete with multinational companies (Renart and Pares, 1991). The world is such a huge market. Around 6 billion people today are living in the world (Sheffield, 1998). This is a potential mark et considering that these people need shelter and quality way of life. Paints are part of visual effects. Visual effects are said to influence people’s perceived usability, satisfaction and pleasure (Moshagen and Thielsch, 2010). Colors from paints bring decorative appeal (Smith et al., 2003). Paints are used everywhere and this only implies higher significant acceptance of these products. Maslow believed that humans have five hierarchies of needs and these are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization (Robins and Timothy, 2010). In the event that the first need is substantially satisfied,