The religious influence on comics books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The religious influence on comics books - Essay Example In comic books, religion determines themes and plot development. Plot development determines the actions performed by the characters. In the comic book, â€Å"Our Gods wear spandex† religion (mythology and occultism) takes center stage in driving the plot. The lives of characters in this novel revolve around four key historical periods, the modern times, the Egyptian mythological times, the Roman times and the Greek mythological times(Knowles 30). Each religious period, produces characters with unique personal traits and moral understanding, extensively influenced by the respective period (Wandtke 26). This comic book narrates the emergence of comic superheroes in the 19th century (Knowles 44). It also relives how each character transforms as a response to drastic cultural change of this period. â€Å"Our Gods Wear Spandex† extremely focuses on the rapid spread of occultism in Western Europe and America during the late 19th century (Knowles 50). The spread of occultism during the late 19th century gives rise to four key categories of characters in this comic book. The Messiahs (Superman, Captain America and Spiderman), are selfless individuals; they sacrifice their lives to save the human kind (Knowles 53). The Amazons (Wonder Woman), the female collaborators of the Messiahs, they come in handy in saving lives (Knowles 56). The Golems (Wolverine and Punisher) are the antagonists; they are evil to the core. The fourth group known as Magic Men (Green lantern) applies magic in saving the world (Knowles 59). In this case, in respect to the period of history in which a comic book focuses on, religion plays a critical role in determining and developing personality trait of each character presented within the book. Secondly, in comic books religion presents the characters as subjects to super natural powers such as magic. Thoth the Egyptian lunar god was the pioneer of magic and one of the founding fathers of the

Birmingham International Airport Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Birmingham International Airport - Assignment Example Real estate values drop and countryside vanishes as air traffic increases. The additional vehicle traffic requires new roads or maintenance of existing ones and further degrades air quality and raises noise pollution. The proposed Birmingham Alternative attempts to address environmental and economic issues. The BIA has offered to build a wide-spaced runway to reduce the negative impact on the Solihull Borough area. Some believe the economic benefits are offset by the level of noise and air pollution as detailed in such reports as The Plain Truth, a study commissioned by the Ashford Trust. Compromises can be reached by efforts to decrease demand which will lessen congestion, emissions and noise levels, which have been shown to cause health problems and learning disabilities in children. Airports and the aviation industry are an important part of the UK culture and economy. The government, local residents and the airports can work together to ensure that the increasing air travel does not significantly effect the health of UK residents and the environment. The Birmingham International Airport (BIA) was built and operated by the Birmingham City Council in 1939. During World War II the RAF used the facilities until 1946 when the airport resumed civilian use, but it was controlled by the government until 1960 (BIA). The airport exp The airport expanded several times throughout the years with the "Eurohub' being added in July 1991. It was billed as the first terminal to host both domestic and international passengers. Remnants of the original airport are still evident west of the hangars near the main runway. In April 1987 the airport changed hands and became the Birmingham International Airport plc (public limited company) owned by seven district councils in the West Midlands. BIA currently serves over 800,000 passengers a month and hosts thirty eight airlines, making it the fifth busiest airport in England. The airport handles nine million passengers a year and is located near the M42 motorway and A45 main road. Service is also provided by the Birmingham International railway station. The airport currently has two paved runways one being 2,605 metres and the other 1,315 metres. Expansion plans include

Overview Of Tata Steel Pre Merger

Overview Of Tata Steel Pre Merger TATA Steel, earlier known as TISCO, is the iron and steel production company which is the flagship concern of the TATA group, Indias largest private corporate group. Tata Steel was established by Indian Parsi Businessman Jamsetji Tata in 1907. As of 2005, TATA Steel was Asias largest private sector steel company. The company was also recognized as the worlds best steel producer by World Steel Dynamics in 2005. Tata Steel has set an ambitious target to achieve a capacity of 30 million tonne by 2015. To this end it acquired Singapore based NatSteel in 2004 and acquired a 40% stake in Thailand based Millennium steel. Through these two acquisitions, TATA steel added about 3.2 million tonne to its production capacity. As of 2006, TATA Steel had a production capacity of 5.3 million tonnes. After the Corus acquisition (18.2 million tonne), the net acquired capacity was 21.4 million tonne, and TATA Steel plans to add another 29 million tonne by this route. Thus we see that TATA Steel seems to have a definite strategy of increasing capacity through acquisition and is acting on it rapidly. At this point we will conduct a resource based analysis of this strategy. A resource based view of strategy emphasizes the internal resources of a company in the formulation of strategy in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The following model makes this process clear:- Resources Resources are the input which an organization uses to carry out its activities. And yet organizations in the same industry might have similar resources but have differing performance, since they may utilize their resources differently. For a resource based view, Assets available to a business may be classified in the following form  [1]  (Resources in management TRIZ, Business level):- TATA Steel Particulars Pre Merger Post Merger Tangible assets (in Rs. Crore) Fixed assets 9865 11040 Current assets 2174 2332 Financial assets (in Rs. Crore) Assets (cash) 288.39 7681.35 Net Worth 9755 14096 Intangible Location Jamshedpur Jamshedpur Size World 56th largest World 5th largest Competition None domestically None domestically Thus we can see that prior to the merger TATA Steel was a very large domestic steel player, in fact the largest in India. The location advantage conferred by the plant being in Jamshedpur was aptly put by Mr. Ratan Tata, who said that the owners of iron ore will be the rulers of the steel industry. Its captive raw material resources and state of the art 5 million tonne plant at Jamshedpur gives at a competitive edge. This capacity is slated to go up to 7 million tonne. In addition, TATA steel has extremely good relations with the government in the region by virtue of its long standing developmental efforts in the region. As a result, TATA Steel has acquired a great deal of goodwill among the local population and consequently, the government. This is apparent in the Greenfield projects which the group is setting up in the region:- 6 million tonne plant in Orissa (India) 12 million tonne in Jharkhand (India) Capabilities However, the best resources in themselves are of no real value to a company in and of themselves. The organization must have the capability to employ these resources properly. It is these distinctive capabilities of an organizations resources which result in a competitive advantage. But this advantage is sustainable only if this capability comes from some characteristic other firms do not possess. TATA Steel is one of the lowest cost steel producers in the world. It is also one of the even fewer steel companies which are EVA positive. It has an operating profit margin of nearly 40%  [2]  (avg. = 16%). As an indication, only two manufacturers in USA (and none in India) have higher margins. At the same time, growth rate for sales was 232% and net income was 590%  [3]  . Adding this information to its captive raw materials resources as explained previously, we can see that TATA Steel had a unique position as an extremely low cost steel producer in an extremely fast developing region of the world. Tata Steel holds a very vital place in Indian business history, because it has introduced some of the unique concepts like 8-hour working days, leave with pay and pension system for the first time in India and the first player to start rapid industrialization process. In the later part, the concepts invented and implemented by the Tatas became law and compulsory practice for the Indian employees. A direct result of these employee friendly practices is the goodwill which TATA Steel enjoys among its workforce. In consequence, the Jamshedpur plant furnaces have never been closed down due to industrial strife. Thus we can see the two major capabilities which enable TATA Steel to employ its resources effectively extreme operating efficiency and employee friendly policy. Another point of note is the extremely cash rich status of the organization even prior to the acquisition with an interest coverage ratio of 32, and a growth rate of 380% for net cash flow from operations. Competitive advantage At this point we can clearly see the sources of competitive advantage for TATA Steel prior to the merger. Therefore let us examine its position in the market prior to the merger, with the Porters five forces model. 1) Threat of entry of new competitors The steel industry is one which has a very high entry barrier. In addition, established players already enjoy customer loyalty, and hence it will be difficult for new players to gain market share. On the other hand, the sector promises high returns in future. 2) Intensity of competitive rivalry In terms of price, quality and innovation TATA Steel had no domestic competition as of 2005-06. However, on a global scale, it was just so small in terms of volume that it could not bring into play the economies of scale of the truly major players. 3) Threat of substitute products This threat is well nigh negligible with respect to steel. 4) Bargaining power of customers The steel industry is one of periodic swings in demand. However, with an average growth rate of 7% expected in countries like India, China and Brazil in the foreseeable future, we can safely assume that price of steel will continue to rise. In fact, the price of steel has doubled over 2006-2008  [4]  . However, it is also accepted that consolidation in the steel industry will lead to stabilisation of world steel prices and higher bargaining power. This is necessary because the buyers are consolidating e.g. auto makers are consolidating with six to seven global majors. 5) Bargaining power of suppliers The three major iron ore suppliers CVRD, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have a 75% market share and 40% margins. Clearly, small players are at a distinct disadvantage. Strategy In this context, let us examine the strategy of acquisition as proceeded upon by the TATA Steel management. First, TATA Steel had proximity to low cost iron ore, and the capability to take advantage of it. As a result, TATA Steel had acquired leadership status in the Indian market. In terms of the BCG Matrix, it would be considered a star. However, if it does not grow into the international it would, sooner rather than later, become a cash cow. In order to remain a star, it would have to grow its capacity and become a world major. However, before the Corus acquisition, it was only at 56th position in capacity. In terms of the world market, TATA Steel would find market penetration in Europe or America extremely difficult. In addition, as explained via the Porters five forces model, steel producers are on the wrong side of the equation both with respect to the buyers as well as suppliers, who are well consolidated and hence in a position to dictate terms. Hence, it is necessary for global steel players to consolidate as well, and thereby acquire a position of strength. This would decrease price fluctuations and increase earnings multiples. Hence, considering resources (cash, technology) present with the company, the competitive advantage it enjoyed (low cost, high margin) and the market conditions (consolidation), acquisition of some major manufacturer and jump into the big league was the only choice. Strategic Decision Undertaken The strategic decision we will be considering for the purpose of this project is Tata Steels decision to acquire Corus and the how they went about the entire process. The reasons behind the takeover will be viewed in detail along with a resource based view of the resources so collated by the newly formed company now known as Tata Europe. I really believe that the owners of iron ore are going to rule the industry. They will be OPEC of the steel industry. (Ratan Tatas interview to McKinsey Quarterly quoted by Wheatley in Financial Times, January 29, 2007). This statement made by Ratan Tata expresses in clear words the true reason behind the adoption of this strategy. Corus- An overview Corus headquarter in London, Europes second largest producer of steel and the 9th largest in the world was founded in the October 1999 via a merger between two companies British Steel and Koninklijke Hoogovens. This merger was a result of the privatization of Steel producing companies by the U.K government. In the year 2005 its revenues stood at  £9.2 billion. Corus had a divisional structure which comprised the Strip Products division, the Long Products division, Aluminum Division and the Distribution Building division. Corus customer base ranges across countries of the world and its core businesses include the manufacturing, development and allocation of steel aluminum products as well as services. It has a diversified product services portfolio which comprise manufacturing of electrical steel, narrow strip, plates, packaging steel, plated steel strip, semi-finished steel, tube products, wire rod and rail products and services and also design, technology and consultancy servic es. To support this elaborate array of products services, Corus employed about 42,600 employees in sales services centers across 40 countries. The main strength of the company lay in its international expertise with local customer service and its brand which stood for quality and strength Through the period of 200 2006 Corus grew via a number of acquisitions which did add to its large pool of long term debts, but nevertheless it has a wide range of customer segments ranging from commercial and military aerospace ventures, the automotive, construction, engineering, defense and security, as well as the rail and shipbuilding industry. Some of the Financial Information available in respect to Corus in the year 2005 has been put in annexure 1. Acquisition Based Dynamic Capabilities Tata Steel has often used the Acquisition strategy to expand their products and markets or gain other advantages and have in most cases been good at it. Looking at this strategic decision from Acquisition Based Dynamic Capabilities approach we find that over the years the Tatas have well groomed these capabilities into their system. There are three factors to consider here: Acquisition Selection Capability- Tata steel was correct in timing the merger as it was due to emerging trends in the world steel industry with the increasing consolidation in the market. With a eat or be eaten mentality it was essential for this strategy to be adopted in order to become the 5th largest producer of steel and give competition to post merger entities like Arcelor-Mittal etc. Also there would be multiple points of contact with their firms existing resources and those of Corus owing to the long list of synergies as listed in the following pages of the report. Acquisition Identification Capability- The most appropriate target for the Tatas was definitely Crus as there was the horizontal integration with respect to the R D capabilities that the Tatas were keenly interested in adding to their resource base. The Due Diligence was well carried out as though there were certain cultural issues in the way, the top management of the Tatas were fact to act in a manner to resolve the issues. Some of the steps they took involved retention of crucial executives of Corus to help in a smoother integration process and also aid in running the newly formed entity. Also the Tatas did not over pay for the deal as the market value of it exceed the price they paid, and the yearly savings expected from it were substantial. Apart from that they were able to gain access to wider distribution networks and newer markets. Acquisition Reconfiguration Capability- This is one of the most crucial aspects which can determine the success of failure of a merger. It involves the acquirer to be able to merger its resources with the new ones acquired and do so in a productive and efficient manner in order to enhance the functioning of operations etc. Tata Corus Merger Tata steel started the acquisition process in the year 2005 but since Corus had been involved in a number of its own acquisition processes the deal was finally closed with the acquisition of Corus on the 2nd April 2007 as per official records. The price paid or the same was considered to be too high at an overwhelming $12 billion out of which the Tatas financed the deal with only $4 billion. This strategic decision undertaken by Tata Steel raised their rank from the 56th to being the 5th largest steel producing company in the world. In all fairness it is necessary to note that this acquisition did not come to the Tata with ease, as though the bidding started at 455pence per share, by the time the deal came to a close it had resulted in gaining a price of 608pence per share. This 33% hike in bidding rate was caused due to the emergence of another bidder, the Brazilian Steel maker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN). The Counter Bids The deal so made was a 100% acquisition and the newly formed entity now renamed Tata Europe is being run by one of the subsidiaries of Tata Steel. As Corus had been looking to make an exit, Tatas acquisition proved to be a profitable opportunity. The expected synergies deemed the deal to be beneficial for the Tatas as although some said that the Tatas overpaid, it was clearly communicated by the Tatas that they had paid much less than the replacement cost (market value) of all the assets they were able to acquire via this merger. Reasons For This Merger Strategy- The Global Trends The Steel market in the world had been witnessing some very strong trends which called for such a merger. There are a series of mergers which happened in the world steel industry which include some of the following: In 2004, Mittal bought International Steel Group, an American company which included assets of the previous Bethlehem Steel. Mittals merger with Arcelor ($36.1 billion offer) in 2006 created the largest steel company in the world. In October, 2006, Russian steelmaker Evraz Group bought Oregon Steel Mills of the U.S. for $2.3 billion. Nucor, the second largest US steel producer, acquired Harris Steel Group of Canada for $1.07 billion in January 2007. Severstal, the largest Russian steelmaker had invested $800 million in a new plant in Mississippi and $900 million in a plant near Detroit. Essar Group of India has made a $1.6 billion investment in Algoma Steel of Canada (2007) as well as $4.65 billion offer to buy Minnesota Steel Industries. On May 4, 2007, Swedish steelmaker, SSAB, made a $7.7 billion cash offer to acquire Ipsco of Canada. Global Steel Production in 2005 Hence we see that the environment of the steel industry was amenable to consolidation. There was a strong desire among key players to gain efficiencies resulting from steel production. Some of the reasons for such a trend towards acquisitions were: Obtaining access to new and growing markets Enhancing purchasing power with respect to suppliers and buyers Growing economy of China and India during mid-2000s Higher degree of price stability better margins Attractive to Investors Eat or be eaten mentality A desire amongst the key players to gain efficiencies resulting from scale Steel prices have been on an upward trend as can be seen in the following graph. This phenomenon started in the year 2004 and slowed down due to the economic crisis in 2009. But a great deal of volatility has been witnessed in the market and had been another major reason to consolidate so as to have a greater hold on the market dynamics. There was also lot of speculation in the market about China, the worlds largest producer of steel to increase its capacity resulting in a dip in world prices of steel. Growing economies like China and India did make up for a major demand for steel and to meet this requirement China was even importing steel from outside. Following is the graph of 2006-2008: Prior to the beginning of the deal negotiations, both Tata Steel and Corus were interested in entering into an MA deal due to several reasons. The official press release issued by both the company stated that the combined entity will have a pro forma crude steel production of 27 million tons in 2007, with 84,000 employees across four continents and a joint presence in 45 countries, which makes it a serious rival to other steel giants. Post- Acquisition Scenario A Resource Based Perspective Before After EBITDA 13% 25% Capacity 7 MTPA 25 MTPA Position 56 6 Business Resources with sub-categories in Management- TRIZ Concrete Level Business Specific Level Tangible Assets Fixed Assets Assets: 23741.48 cr Cutting edge technology- providing metal solutions Low cost upstream Tata facilities with high end downstream processing facilities of Corus RD facilities of Corus Intangible Assets Human Distribution networks, Research and Development capability of Corus to be leveraged for Tata Steels green field projects in Orissa, Bihar and Jharkand Finances Capital, Obligations and Savings To finance the deal worth $12 billion the following sources were used: Equity by Tata Steel: $ 3.88 billion Bank loans: $ 8.12 billion by Credit Suisse, ABN Amro and Deutsche Bank Long term loans obligation to be paid by Corus cash flows Obligations: Total interest obligation: $ 640 million to the already existing interest obligation of Corus amounting to $ 400 million Pension liabilities of Corus $ 24 billion Cost Synergies: Production cost $ 710/ton which is far less than a green Field project which would cost around $ 1200-1300 per ton Savings of $350 million per year through synergy General Characteristics Location of Operation Main Center India; UK, Netherlands and South East Asia Markets Innovative solutions to: Construction, Packaging, Automotive, Aerospace Energy, Engineering, Defense and Security, Consumer Products, Ship Building, Rail Greater access to market and Significant presence in over 25 countries or regions Products Bar billet, Business services, Construction products services, Electrical steels, Packaging steels, Plates, Plated steel strip, Pre-finished steels, Rail products services, Sections, Semi finished steel, Specialty, Strip products, Support products, Tube Products, Wire Rod Size Post Acquisition Sales Rs 8105.30 cr Production Capacity 26 million MTPA Competition Position 5th largest Steel Maker with a production capacity of about 26 Million Tons Per Annum Strengthened position in construction, automotive and packaging construction sector Management Resources with sub-categories in Management TRIZ: Concrete Level: Management Specific Level: Planning and Coordinating; Strategic Planning- For the growth and globalization the route of acquisitions was taken up and the logic has been explained before. Post acquisition the top management of the acquired company was retained for effective integration of processes Operational Planning-. The Tata Steel and Corus operations were being run as one virtual company with performance improvement tasks being undertaken in each location. The aim was cross-fertilization of research, development of capabilities across functionalities and transfer of best practices from Europe to India. Organization- Company Operational Structure- 15-18 teams were formed with 3-4 members each with joint representation in teams to look at various synergistic avenues Company Organizational Structure- Corus Tata SteelIntegration Team- 7 members Several Task Force Teams were also constituted for integration. Organization and Environment- Government and society- The acquisition had a very positive response from India, Indians felt patriotic towards this investment. In fact the Indian Trade and Commerce minister Kamal Nath commented that the global perception of India is now changing. This way the Indian government and society was quite supportive of the deal, in spite of critics commenting that the deal was over-priced. The historical ties between India and UK were also becoming stronger, Trade and Industry were looking up. Markets- the Tata Steel stock attained a 52 week high of 721 on March 2007, showing positive investor response. SPs credit rating also improved Informal Organization Culture- Both the organizations had similar performance culture with respect to aspirational targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous improvement and openness and transparency. However, there were some cultural issues: Inherent in the mind of the employees. Resentment of being governed and managed by a former British colony Insecurity of production centers shifted out of the UK to low-cost centers. The labor unions in Europe raised their concern regarding this. Other Characteristics Compensation mismatch 18.5 % employee expense (Corus) 7.9 % employee expense (Tata Steel) Recent developments: In 2010 Tata Group has announced that the name and logo of TATA Steel will be used use for Corus. The transition also signifies that Tata Sons, which controls the use of the Tata brand, is satisfied that operations at Corus are now aligned with the characteristics of the Tata brand. The workers understand this is a name change and also realize that the Tata board has been supportive of the employees. It implies that synergies are being attained and that cultural integration is on the right path. Leadership: Common organization values for Tata Steel and Corus: Continues improvement program Integrity, respect for individual and world class governance Post- Acquisition: The company had effectively retained the top management of the acquired company to facilitate effective integration and to take care of the above stated cultural issues of the employees. This move coupled with effective communication has instilled confidence amongst the employees 2010 Current Executive committee which manages day to day operations of Tata Steel Europe (new name for Corus under Tata Steel) Value Chain Perspective There were significant effects that were seen on some parts of the value chain post Tatas acquisition of Corus. As already detailed above, Tata saw Corus as a strategic acquisition and took some immediate and long term steps to make the acquisition a success. Operations: This part of the value chain witnessed a saving of a whopping $103 million in 2008 09 post the integration process. Performance Improvement Teams (PITs) in 15 different areas were identified. These teams engaged in various new cost related projects in the wake of the economic recession and reduced volumes. The most important project that the teams worked on was the use of low cost coal for coke production and recycling of steel plant waste. Marketing and Sales: The acquisition of Corus gave Tata access to European markets in a very time efficient and cost efficient manner. Tata got access to the distribution network of Corus which was instrumental for its expansion in Europe. With the help of new capacity new products were introduced to cater to an expanding market in Europe. Post the acquisition, the company added flat products to Corus portfolio and thus strengthened Tatas position in the Automotive and consumer product segments. Tata globally became the 6th biggest player in the steel industry. Outbound Logistics: This function of the integrated company has undergone significant computerization and has led to more efficient supply chain management. The IT teams of Tata Steel Europe (Erstwhile Corus) are working in coordination with the IT teams of Tata Steel India to strengthen the IT support to this vertical. Both are also working to create online visibility of the operational performance of the organization. Procurement: This support function has seen significant cost savings driven by the increase in scale of the combined entity. Post the acquisition, Tata Steel Europe has appointed Lead Buyers for high value items and thus has streamlined the processes to a large extent. Contracts have been renewed for these suppliers and a resultant savings of over $40 million have been realized. Technology Development: The acquisition has provided Tata access to the latest technology and state of the art Research and Development setup. Tata has always been known for its technological excellence amongst the Indian peers but Corus took it to international standards. Post this deal, the total RD strength of the company has gone up to 1000 people. Process improvement teams have been set up leveraging the expertise of Corus for better process technologies. Through this RD set up TSE (Tata Steel Europe) has been working with various strategic partners one of them being the UK ministry of Defense. Human Resource Management: To increase efficiencies and in the wake of the economic downturn faced by the organization in FY 09, the company decided to cut its manpower costs by 20%. The target departments were IT, Finance and Human Resources. This undercutting was done through leveraging of Tata Steel Groups capabilities. A Performance Improvement Committee was set up during the integration phase and it still is responsible for knowledge transfer across the organization and adapting of best practices, which has to a great extent to Tata Steel Europe. Firm Infrastructure: Substantial steps have been taken in this regard in various departments such as finance, plants etc. This has been the pivotal point of addition in the value chain of the new company. Finance: Substantial expansion in the equity and debt resources was witnessed in order to acquire a big company as Corus. As the acquisition was essentially financed by raising substantial debt ($7.3 billion), the gross debt of the Tata Steel group stood at $10.54 billion in 2008 and increased to $11.78 billion by close of 2009. Restructuring of the debt has been witnessed in the recent past but the debt equity ratio still stood at 1.65 as at the end of FY 2009 from a low of 0.06 in FY 2006. Asset Restructuring, Integration and Divestment: With the acquisition of Corus, Tata Steel was the owner of an asset base that was thrice he size of the original Tata Steel and therefore was the need for integration of assets, divesting the obsolete assets and pairing down of overlapping assets. Immediate steps taken included closure of 4 plants and mothballing of 2 plants out of the 15 plants of Corus group. The expansion of the hot strip mill capacity at Port Talbot to 4mt. is on the table; and a decision to restructure the Corus Engineering Steels has been taken. All of this was done under the Fit for Future initiative undertaken at the merged company. Sources: Tata Steel Annual Report 2007 08 Tata Steel Annual Report 2008 09 Achieving Global Growth through Acquisition: Tatas Takeover of Corus, Journal of Case Research and in Business and Economics Tatas Acquisition of Corus: A Quantum Leap, Rashmi Malapur, The ICFAI University Press (2007) Achieving Global Growth through Acquisition: Tatas Takeover of Corus by Kimberly, Suresh and Jessica http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=articlesectid=5contentid=201007022010070215213931780a91fb3 http://indiaearnings.moneycontrol.com/sub_india/compnews.php?autono=264760 http://www.tatasteeleurope.com/en/company/management/executive_committee/ http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tata-steelcorus-synergy-realises-76-mn-in-fy08/347487/

Julius Caesar: Brutus Vs. Cassius Essay -- essays research papers

Contrasting Characters In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius are contrasting characters. They differ in the way they perceive Antony as a threat to the assassination plot, their dominance in personality, and their moral fiber. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is the more naà ¯ve, dominant and noble character, while Cassius is the more perceptive, submissive, and manipulative person. Brutus and Cassius are very different in the way they perceive Antony. Brutus is very trusting and naà ¯ve when he judges Antony. When the subject of killing Antony comes up among the conspirators, Brutus underestimates how dangerous Antony could be and says, â€Å"For Antony is but a limb of Caesar†(2.1.178). This statement means Brutus does not think it is necessary to kill Antony and he thinks that without Caesar, Antony is worthless. Another incident where Brutus misjudges Antony is when he allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus trusts that Antony will not say anything bad about the conspirators or him: â€Å"What Antony shall speak I will protest/ He speaks by leave and by permission, / And that we are contented Caesar shall/ Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies. / It shall advantage us more than do us wrong†(3.1.263-268). Brutus actually thinks that by letting Antony speak, the conspirators and he will have a better situation for themselve s because it will make their plot seem honorable. Cassius, on the other hand, is a very perceptive person; he sees how dangerous Antony can be. He notices that Antony is clever and that he might not be trustworthy. When Brutus suggests that they shouldn’t kill Antony, Cassius says if Antony outlives Caesar, â€Å"[They] shall find of [Mark Antony]/ a shrewd contriver† (2.1.170-171). When Brutus gives Antony the right to speak at Caesar’s funeral, Cassius pulls Brutus aside and says, †You know not what you do. Do/ not consent/ That Antony speak in [Caesar’s] funeral. / Know you how much the people may be moved/ by that which [Antony] will utter†(3.1.255-259)? Cassius sees that Antony is a powerful speaker and that if Antony speaks the people will side with him. This shows that Cassius has a much better idea of how dangerous Antony is. Although Cassius is correct on how dangerous Antony really is, Brutus’ ideas are used because Brutus is the more dominant character. In the play Cassius is the more passive character and ... ...proves Cassius is jealous and fears that Caesar will get to become king. He initiates an assassination plot and persuades Brutus to help him. After Cassius comments on how noble Brutus is, he talks about seducing Brutus into allying with him. To show that he says, â€Å"Therefore it is meet/ That noble minds keep ever with their likes; / For who so firm that cannot be seduced†(1.2.322-324). The word seduced itself means that Cassius is planning to trick Brutus into helping him. Again, Cassius shows his mischievous nature when he says how he is going to write false letters to Brutus and throw them in his window: â€Å"In several hands in at his windows throw, / As if they came from several citizens, / Writings, all tending to the great opinion that Rome holds of his name†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1.2.227-230). This shows that Cassius is clever but not trustworthy. These examples prove that Brutus and Cassius differ between being noble and honorable, or conniving and mischievous. Brutus and Cassius have different ways of perceiving people, different personalities, and different values. They contradict each other in these three important ways, but together they play an important part in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Devil in the White City Book Summary Essay

The Devil in the White City, written by Eric Larson, is a gripping novel of two polar opposite men during the building of the World’s Fair in Chicago. It surrounds two characters, both extremely talented at their ‘craft’ and perfectly depicts the rush for industrialization in this time. It follows the lives of Daniel H. Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, and Henry H. Holmes, a serial killer who built a hotel turned torture chamber complete with a dissection table, gas chamber, and crematorium. This story is so interesting because it details true life events and uses real life characters such as Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Meshing these two characters together enhances the intensity of the story and truly shows the effect of the building of the World’s Fair on Chicago in late 1880 and early 1890. The book begins in 1890, when Chicago is a candidate to hold the World’s Fair, or the World’s Columbian Exposition, meant to commemorate Columus’ arriving in America. Daniel Burnham was responsible for building the White City. He overcame multiple crushing obstacles and personal tragedies to make the Fair the magical, awe-inspiring event that it was. He brought together some of the greatest architects of the Gilded Age such as Charles McKim, George Post, Richard Hunt, Frederick Law Olmsted, and others, and convinced them of the importance of the Fair. Burnham somehow got them to work together to achieve what many considered to be an impossible project in an astonishingly short amount of time. The result of their strenuous hard work ended in a beautiful even that brought almost 40 million people to the city of Chicago and transformed the shoreline of Chicago forever. A few miles away, in the suburb of Englewood, a different kind of story was unfolding. Dr. H. H. Holmes had built a boarding house turned torture chamber on one full city block. Holmes was described as a handsome, blue-eyed charmer who had away with women. He would seduce, mesmerize, and intrigue them, all the way up until the pint at where he killed them. He had many ways of torture and death, such as smothering them with ether-soaked rags, of locking them in an air tight chamber and releasing poisonous gas into them. After killing his victims, Holmes would often dissect them; removing their skin, selling their skeletons to be used in medical school. He truly was the worst victim, due to his sociopathic mind that prayed on the vulnerable and found a certain unexplainable joy in the art of killing.

Criminal Theory Essay

People with anti-social behaviors are defined by â€Å"A persuasive pattern of disregard for, and violation, of the rights of others that begins in early childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. † (Walsh and Hemmens page 238) People with this disorder are up for greater health risks, for the disorder makes a person be a risk taker, usually engaging in smoking, alcohol, risky sexual behavior’s and drugs. Their also at risk for they are prone to depression, inflicting self-wounds and violent acts towards others. In this state of mind people are emotional, non-cognitive, and have low self-esteem. Making them act out in violent manners. This behavior is linked to childhood. As a child if something wasn’t right, they were shy or forgotten they probably put on a mask and faked being what society views as normal. They are not connected with society. And they do not understand social norms. They have become experts on faking feelings, and they do not know emotion or empathy. These people are deceitful, manipulative, egocentric, selfish and lacking guilt. Dealing with regards of crime and Anti-social disorder, the criminals often view that their victims were not â€Å"wrong†. Drug users viewing their addiction to a social norm that isn’t there. They do not understand what they are doing is wrong and have no sense of guilt or cognitive thinking process. They do not feel any kind of remorse for the things of which they have done simply because they cannot empathize with the people or actions against which they are offending. Neutralization theory was created by Skyes and Matza. This theory explains that the offender has a positive view on the crime he or she has committed. Also similar to Anti-Social individuals these criminals view that they have done nothing wrong. Unlike Anti-Social disorder, Neutralization theory states that the offender puts the excuses in their own head, not merely understanding the social norms. There are five techniques that Neutralization theory uses in justifying their crimes. The first way people neutralize their crimes and actions they have done is called â€Å"Denial of Responsibility† which is shifting the blame from the offender to the victim. An example is when a rapist says in court â€Å"she was asking for it the way she was dressed and or acting. † They feel absolutely no guilt for the crimes that they have committed. They feel no responsibility at all for the victim and their injuries. The second technique is called â€Å"Denial of Injury†. This is where the offender has no attachment to the crime and has not caused any real injury or offenses. An example of this would be a person breaking a entering and smashing a window in and claiming â€Å"the insurance will cover it. † â€Å"Denial of Victim† is the third technique. This is where the offender says the victim received what they deserved, almost viewed as karma. Most domestic cases portray this, saying significant other or victim got what they deserved from these actions. The fourth technique is â€Å"Condemnation of the Condemners† where the offender states part of the blame on the condemners. These condemners are police, parents, probation officers, etc. An example of this would be the criminal blaming the officer for planting evidence on them or the crime scene and not taking any of the responsibility that it was there’s. Number five is â€Å"Appeal to a Higher Loyalty†. This is where the offender in committed and or loyal to something or someone in their life for the greater good according to their beliefs. Things that would fall under this category re murder or assault. A good example of this would be a person under mafia rule murdering someone for the leader or the greater good of that mafia. Ted Bundy was made famous for his criminal actions. His five-state murder spree was not lightly forgotten. Bundy killed over 100 women and only gave information about where the bodies were of fifty of the acclaimed victims. Comparing hi s life, actions, and behavior point to Anti-Social Behavioral theory and Neutralization theory the most. Putting these theories to the test trying to profile a serial killer. Theodore Robert Cowell was born in 1946 to an single mother that moved in with her parents. He grew up thinking his grandparents were is parents and his mother was his sister. Later in life his mother married and he became Ted Bundy. Growing up he was a â€Å"normal† child, he was an attractive teen that was well liked in school. He did relatively well in his academics. He was known for being shy; people profiled him to be socially awkward. He never did grow out of this stage and the profile followed him to college. Bundy went first to the University of Puget Sound. It was a highly regarded school and many of its students were wealthy. This made ted feel inadequate and inferior due to financial aspects. He left and went to University of Washington. His shyness held him back with social activities and dating, but Bundy did find someone that he fell for. They had the same skiing passion, spending most of days on the slopes. And he soon fell in love and became obsessive. He tried impressing her with receiving scholarships and accomplishments but they fell flat. She ended the relationship saying he wasn’t going anywhere in life and wasn’t husband material. This haunted him for the rest of his life and fell into an extreme depression. While in this depression he had dropped out of school. His anti-social behavior got worse. Also during this time he found out who his mother actually was. Bundy was a on a slippery slope downhill, he was labeled as a petty thief. He soon came out of his depression had false bravo, went back to college and got a bachelor’s degree in psychology. With his new found self he was on top of the world. He was with a new woman that adored him and his first love wanted him back. He had one foot in the political arena. During his time at college women had gone missing from campus. They narrowed the quest down to a man asking for help then kidnapping the women. Bundy being smart realized it was only just a matter of time till local officials connected the dots. So Bundy moved to Utah and enrolled in the University of Utah. He didn’t stop his attacks just because he had moved. Women were being abducted and reported missing at the campus and malls around the city. While in Utah police had discovered a graveyard of bones. They eventually put the dots together and figured out it was Ted. They now knew that he was dealing with a criminal that could go across state lines. Bundy didn’t stop at Utah he also went to Colorado during ski season and killed women there before he was finally caught due to a car suspicion. He was charged with kidnapping charges. During his trial he was charged with murder of one known victim. But he escaped out the library widow being his own attorney. He made his way down to Florida where he rented a house at Florida State University. He was known for his sorority house killings. Ted Bundy was arrested again due to evidence of teeth impressions on a victim’s chest. He was charged with murder and recieved a plea bargain of three twenty five year sentences. He refused the plea and wanted another trail during this time new evidence came forward and at the new trail he was sentenced to death by means of the electric chair. Prior to his death he attempted over 100 murders, keeping some heads of his victims and necrophilia. When asked why he did everything he blamed it on his early exposures to pornography as his stimulants to his obsession with murder. Ted Bundy falls under a lot of different theories but Anti-Social Behavioral theory is most demanding. He was awkward in his youth, not in a strong stable family life, had difficulty dating and participating in other social events. He wore a mask covering himself from the world. He knew he was different and had to change or it would be noticed, so he became a well-known member of society and was respected. He felt no remorse for things that he had done. This action falls under Psychopathy, he found pleasure in re-living kills. Going towards Neutralization theory he blamed the women for the things that he had done. He connected them to his college girlfriend that had dumped him. That they needed to die because of what she did to him. That neutralized any feeling he had towards making these killings. He strongly viewed he was not at fault, and he plead not guilty until he was on the electric chair. In an interview he states â€Å"I don’t know what made people want to be friends. I don’t know what made people attractive to one another. I don’t know what underlays in these social interactions. † The above statement proves my point of the Anti-Social Behavior. He was lacking things that we as â€Å"normal† human beings understand. He goes on to answer the question â€Å"Are murders born or made? Nature vs. nurture? † it’s still an ongoing debate to this day. In my opinion and conclusion Ted Bundy was nurtured.

Economic History of English Colonization of the US

Economic History of English Colonization of the US Early settlers had a variety of reasons for seeking a new homeland. The Pilgrims of Massachusetts were pious, self-disciplined English people who wanted to escape religious persecution. Other colonies, such as Virginia, were founded principally as business ventures. Often, though, piety and profits went hand-in-hand. The Role of Charter Companies in the English Colonization of the US Englands success at colonizing what would become the United States was due in large part to its use of charter companies. Charter companies were groups of stockholders (usually merchants and wealthy landowners) who sought personal economic gain and, perhaps, wanted also to advance Englands national goals. While the private sector financed the companies, the King provided each project with a charter or grant conferring economic rights as well as political and judicial authority. The colonies generally did not show quick profits, however, and the English investors often turned over their colonial charters to the settlers. The political implications, although not realized at the time, were enormous. The colonists were left to build their own lives, their own communities, and their own economy - in effect, to start constructing the rudiments of a new nation. Fur Trading What early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, fishing was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people lived primarily on small farms and were self-sufficient. In the few small cities and among the larger plantations of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, some necessities and virtually all luxuries were imported in return for tobacco, rice, and indigo (blue dye) exports. Supportive Industries Supportive industries developed as the colonies grew. A variety of specialized sawmills and gristmills appeared. Colonists established shipyards to build fishing fleets and, in time, trading vessels. The also built small iron forges. By the 18th century, regional patterns of development had become clear: the New England colonies relied on shipbuilding and sailing to generate wealth; plantations (many using slave labor) in Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas grew tobacco, rice, and indigo; and the middle colonies of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware shipped general crops and furs. Except for slaves, standards of living were generally high - higher, in fact, than in England itself. Because English investors had withdrawn, the field was open to entrepreneurs among the colonists. The Self-Government Movement By 1770, the North American colonies were ready, both economically and politically, to become part of the emerging self-government movement that had dominated English politics since the time of James I (1603-1625). Disputes developed with England over taxation and other matters; Americans hoped for a modification of English taxes and regulations that would satisfy their demand for more self-government. Few thought the mounting quarrel with the English government would lead to all-out war against the British and to independence for the colonies. The American Revolution Like the English political turmoil of the 17th and 18th centuries, the American Revolution (1775-1783) was both political and economic, bolstered by an emerging middle class with a rallying cry of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property - a phrase openly borrowed from English philosopher John Lockes Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690). The war was triggered by an event in April 1775. British soldiers, intending to capture a colonial arms depot at Concord, Massachusetts, clashed with colonial militiamen. Someone - no one knows exactly who - fired a shot, and eight years of fighting began. While political separation from England may not have been the majority of colonists original goal, independence, and the creation of a new nation - the United States - was the ultimate result. - This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Signs of the Times essays

Signs of the Times essays Electronic Commerce is defined by Websters Dictionary as using computer networks to conduct business, including buying and selling online, electronic funds transfer, business communications, and using computers to access business information resources. The Electronic Commerce Association describes electronic commerce as doing business electronically. More precisely we could describe electronic commerce as involving the exchange of information using a combination of structured messages (EDI), unstructured messages (e-mail and documents), data access and direct support for business processes across the value chain. The Internet is only a small fraction of e-commerce applications. Intranets, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems all contribute to business to business marketing, operations and financial services (Wareham, 2000). The Internet was designed to be used by government and academic users, but now it is rapidly becoming commercialized. It has on-line "shops", even electronic "shopping malls". Customers, browsing at their computers, can view products, read descriptions, and sometimes even try samples. They could pay by credit card, transmitting the necessary data by modem; but intercepting messages on the Internet is trivially easy for a smart hacker, so sending a credit-card number in an unscrambled message is inviting trouble. It would be relatively safe to send a credit card number encrypted with a hard-to-break code. That would require either a general adoption across the Internet of standard encoding protocols, or the making of prior arrangements between buyers and sellers. Both consumers and merchants could see a windfall if these problems are solved. For merchants, a secure and easily divisible supply of electronic money will motivate more Internet surfers to become on-line shoppers. Electronic money will also make it easier for smaller businesses to achieve a lev...

Big Fish

The father would tell a story to his son about his life. However, his son thinks his father is full of lies. It brings the conflict between reality and fiction. In Southern Gothic, it doesn’t matter because it combined reality and fiction into one story. Although, it is hard to see the reality behind it because in the movie, the father make up a lot of stuff even though it is almost true. Imprisonment is found in The Big Fish, because the father is imprisoned in his room and in the hospital. Also, the villiage kept all of its people until Ed left the villiage. Those people could’ve been there for years because they love their home so much. The giant was in his cave because he was shunned and feared by the people until Ed befriended the giant. Imprisonment is found in Southern Gothic, and is in found in the story as well. Supernatural is everywhere in The Big Fish, because there was a woman who turned into a fish during the movie. The twins were conjurned but at the end they were serparated. Also, the giant was a huge person who was isolated for a long time. The circus was filled with strange people. Even the headmaster is a wolf at night, and The Eye shows a person’s future death. Also, the way the son was born was very There was a lot of supernatural involved with the movie. Freakiness is all around in the movie, because the villiagepeople had no shoes nor socks on. They walked around barefoot. Even the father was telling a story with his wild imaginations. He even made his death the way he saw in The Eye. He accepted his death from the beginning he saw his death. The father never once freaked out but rather looking foward to the day he dies. Everyone was there at his funeral. By everyone he knows in his life showed up for his funeral. Big Fish The father would tell a story to his son about his life. However, his son thinks his father is full of lies. It brings the conflict between reality and fiction. In Southern Gothic, it doesn’t matter because it combined reality and fiction into one story. Although, it is hard to see the reality behind it because in the movie, the father make up a lot of stuff even though it is almost true. Imprisonment is found in The Big Fish, because the father is imprisoned in his room and in the hospital. Also, the villiage kept all of its people until Ed left the villiage. Those people could’ve been there for years because they love their home so much. The giant was in his cave because he was shunned and feared by the people until Ed befriended the giant. Imprisonment is found in Southern Gothic, and is in found in the story as well. Supernatural is everywhere in The Big Fish, because there was a woman who turned into a fish during the movie. The twins were conjurned but at the end they were serparated. Also, the giant was a huge person who was isolated for a long time. The circus was filled with strange people. Even the headmaster is a wolf at night, and The Eye shows a person’s future death. Also, the way the son was born was very There was a lot of supernatural involved with the movie. Freakiness is all around in the movie, because the villiagepeople had no shoes nor socks on. They walked around barefoot. Even the father was telling a story with his wild imaginations. He even made his death the way he saw in The Eye. He accepted his death from the beginning he saw his death. The father never once freaked out but rather looking foward to the day he dies. Everyone was there at his funeral. By everyone he knows in his life showed up for his funeral.

Wonderfun plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wonderfun plc - Essay Example To analyse the current position of Wonderfun, the trends in financial ratios have been seen and the performance of company with other companies has been compared by taking the industry averages. Based on analysis, few recommendations have been provided to the company and investors. The financial ratios analysis has shown that Wonderfun PLC has been performing above than market average during the period 2005-2008. However, the performance of company has been declining slightly from 2005-2008. The year 2009 appears to be a tough year for the company, as its profits have reduced and debt and liabilities have increased. Still, the company has paid the same dividend in 2009, as it has paid in 2008. Moreover, Wonderfun has also pursued expansion strategy in 2009, which have enhanced the liabilities of the company; however, the sales of company are improving after this expansion. It has been recommended to the company that it can improve its performance in coming years by reducing its operating expenses such as selling and distribution costs. Moreover, it has been suggested to investors that Wonderfun is still a good company to invest in because of its excellent past performance, declining industry performance in 2009 (which also affected company) and potential of increasing revenues because of expansion strategy. Various groups need financial information and the nature of their uses also varies. The main groups of users may include owners of the company, managers, prospective owners, banks or lenders, suppliers of materials, government bodies, related industry regulatory authorities and employees or unions (ACS). The needs of analysis for these users groups also vary for example, investors may want information to decide whether to invest in the company or not. The suppliers of materials may need information to evaluate whether the company is profitable enough to pay back trade

Escape from the Long Arm of the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Escape from the Long Arm of the Law - Essay Example The dialog finds Plato's mentor and narrative mouthpiece imprisoned and awaiting execution, a result of the trial in which he was found guilty of corrupting the youth of Athens. Crito, a friend of Socrates, has come to prison to visit the condemned man and to advocate that Socrates escape from jail. Socrates will have none of it, and instead engages Crito in one of Socrates' famous dialogs, all in an effort to prove that Socrates cannot flee the punishment of Athens in a way that does not do serious injustice. To justify his claims, Socrates introduces the character of the Laws, voice of the legal charter of Athens. The Laws ask Socrates to stay where he is, to avoid even thinking about escape, since doing so would invite the utter ruination of Athens as a whole: â€Å"Do you imagine,† the Laws inquire, â€Å"that a city can continue to exist and not be turned upside down, if the legal judgments which are pronounced in it have no force but are nullified and destroyed by priva te persons† (Plato 50a-b)? If anyone could simply escape their punishment whenever it didn't suit their own desires, they would be bending laws past their breaking point, since punishment would never have any meaning. Socrates concludes that such a stance is unacceptable. To explain his position to Crito, who is obviously predisposed to the opposite position, Socrates offers a couple of analogies, each of which highlights Socrates's subordinate relationship to the Laws. The law, he contends, is like a father or a master, and Socrates is the child or the slave—in either instance, neither the child nor the slave has the legal right to retaliate against the parent or master simply because they did not like their treatment in one particular instance. In a similar fashion, Socrates benefited from the laws regarding marriage and childrearing, and he cannot simply pick and choose such that he gains all the benefits but suffers none of the consequences. It helps his claim that the Laws have been personified, thus making a set of very diverse laws seem as if they were crafted together and objectively (which seems unlikely) and Socrates clearly believes that because one cannot separate out the Lawsone wants to obey from the Lawsone does not, then one must submit to the force of law in general. This is true even if the law ultimately produces an unfair or even unjust outcome. The price of that one small injustice does not justify committing a grave injustice by disobeying. I believe that the logical result of the Platonic view is nothing less than authoritarianism. There exists little wiggle room in Plato's formulation; the law commands and the citizen obeys. Socrates argues that the greater injustice comes from violating the laws, but what is the threshold at which such a statement can be made? If the state orders the infanticide of second or third-born children because of concerns over population density, or if the federal government declares that cancer p atients can only take marijuana if it comes in a pharmaceutical company's pill form rather than an inexpensive and more effective joint, does one really have to just shrug their shoulders and obey?

Identity Theft Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identity Theft - Assignment Example Such developments have made communication a second task, where a large amount of data and information can be collected and used for a number of purposes easily. However, these developments can be seen as positive for human beings, but these can also be seen as a negative phenomenon. It is usually called as the â€Å"double edged sword†, where it has both bright and dark sides. Though computer and information technology has proved to be much useful for communication and business development, but it has also created new ways for doing illegal or criminal activities (Gordon, Hosmer, Siedsma, & Rebovich, 2003; Smith & Spafford, 2004). Up till now a large number of security threats have been emerged in the world of computing, however the identity theft is believed to be the most crucial among all of them. This paper presents an overview of identity theft. Identity theft is the most prevalent criminal activity found to be threatening to most of the people and businesses, as shown above in figure 1. But there is little empirical and experimental research is conducted over this issue, due to some important reason, such as the detection rate, demographic dimension of the crime, and the criminals; identify-ability (Allisona, Schuck, & Lersch, 2005). Identity theft is a form of cybercrime, which can be defined as, â€Å"identity theft is a misuse of a another person’s identity, such as name, social security number, driver’s license, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers† (Denning, 1999, p. 241). As the definition suggests that identity theft can be done from a number of ways, so there some different kinds of the identity related crime, but the most usual type is the credit card theft, where the credit card numbers are used in order to steal a heavy amount. There is an evidence as per a research conducted by Newman and McNally (2007) that the degree of credit card theft through the Internet has been snowballing as internet

Chapter 8 Reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 8 Reaction - Essay Example .. It is a very peaceful way to stop the anger of the other parties involved in conflict and can decrease the element of stress, fight and violence involved in usual conflicts. Things I dislike about this chapter The thing I dislike about the chapter is the section where it discusses about the priority conflict. This conflict where moral judgment is given attention is not taken by me as an ideal way to handle a situation. For example it is shown that in a medical emergency where injured old aged are given priority rather than people with serious injury is not an acceptable method of handling conflict. This cannot be comprehended as in some cases; an individual might be in a fatal situation and if an old person is treated just because of his age, cannot be considered a justifying act. Also in the section for priority conflict, it is explained that, borrowing is considered as bad concept in Germany, which is hard to understand. Borrowing is not a bad concept, as human being come across problems at some point of their life, they definitely demand help from others undoubtedly. So, if one take financial help from government or family members it is not a sin or a morality issue. What I learned about the chapter This chapter is all about methods to deal with conflict and how people in different cultural backgrounds practice various approaches to handle conflicts they encounter in their day to day life. It is very interesting and surprising to know that there are so many ways to control conflict like accommodating, avoiding, competing and collaborating. It is even more interesting to know that Japanese follow a very non aggressive way of avoiding conflicts in comparison with American who follow a competing method. I believe that being tactful about conflicts is the main message of this chapter. The chapter helped in learning that people in the West look in for their benefits when helping out people, and does not just arrive in a cultural scene just for the benefit of t he other party. In the chapter it is also shown that people of different culture around the world have their own beliefs and practices when it comes to conflict management. Some practice outrageous and open- minded method, whereas other takes calm and peaceful tactics to solve a raging situation. It also allowed me to learn that in conflict there are various branches to deal with like as intergroop conflicts, interpersonal conflict and inter cultural conflicts. In all these conflicts the main issue is considering the priorities of the parties involved in the conflict and gives justice to people who support more of a moral ground. What 5 things I learned about myself from this chapter 1) Patience: I believe during conflict it is necessary to have patience, which I lack and need to be cultivated to deal with conflicts in a better way. If other party gets violent in a conflict my peacefulness can suppress the heat of the conflict to a great level. The main factor which makes a conflict worse is when two parties or many parties violently argue or shout during a conflict. In brief, avoiding is the best approach in regard to conflicts even though it is difficult to practice. 2)Morality: I learnt that my morality can help me in dealing with conflicts as I give myself less chance to arouse frightful situation. Being moral, an individual can be more humble, understanding and truthful which gives less chance to fights

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring Assignment

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring - Assignment Example s the case in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring period patron-client relationships offers a platform for the mobilization of the low-status group by the well established elites. Thus, introduction of competitive elections would disadvantage the patron since the client would have additional resources from the patron by use of hiss or her to pay the patron. In essence, incentives linked to voter turn out Egypt’s electoral process during the pre-Arab spring played a chief role in the voting trend among the vast majority. Although some voters cast their vote based on ideological concerns, this is just a small percentage of voters unlike the majority who expected material benefits for voting for a particular leader. In additional, the vast majority cast their vote mainly due to pressure from the government either in a direct or an indirect manner. Thus, responsive to vote buying was high since the higher percentage of the population compromised of poor and illiterate parties (Blayde s 10). The success of Clientelistic practice in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring thrived mainly because one of the benefits clients received from the patron monetary material in exchange for votes-vote

Identity Theft Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identity Theft - Assignment Example Such developments have made communication a second task, where a large amount of data and information can be collected and used for a number of purposes easily. However, these developments can be seen as positive for human beings, but these can also be seen as a negative phenomenon. It is usually called as the â€Å"double edged sword†, where it has both bright and dark sides. Though computer and information technology has proved to be much useful for communication and business development, but it has also created new ways for doing illegal or criminal activities (Gordon, Hosmer, Siedsma, & Rebovich, 2003; Smith & Spafford, 2004). Up till now a large number of security threats have been emerged in the world of computing, however the identity theft is believed to be the most crucial among all of them. This paper presents an overview of identity theft. Identity theft is the most prevalent criminal activity found to be threatening to most of the people and businesses, as shown above in figure 1. But there is little empirical and experimental research is conducted over this issue, due to some important reason, such as the detection rate, demographic dimension of the crime, and the criminals; identify-ability (Allisona, Schuck, & Lersch, 2005). Identity theft is a form of cybercrime, which can be defined as, â€Å"identity theft is a misuse of a another person’s identity, such as name, social security number, driver’s license, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers† (Denning, 1999, p. 241). As the definition suggests that identity theft can be done from a number of ways, so there some different kinds of the identity related crime, but the most usual type is the credit card theft, where the credit card numbers are used in order to steal a heavy amount. There is an evidence as per a research conducted by Newman and McNally (2007) that the degree of credit card theft through the Internet has been snowballing as internet

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring Assignment

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring - Assignment Example s the case in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring period patron-client relationships offers a platform for the mobilization of the low-status group by the well established elites. Thus, introduction of competitive elections would disadvantage the patron since the client would have additional resources from the patron by use of hiss or her to pay the patron. In essence, incentives linked to voter turn out Egypt’s electoral process during the pre-Arab spring played a chief role in the voting trend among the vast majority. Although some voters cast their vote based on ideological concerns, this is just a small percentage of voters unlike the majority who expected material benefits for voting for a particular leader. In additional, the vast majority cast their vote mainly due to pressure from the government either in a direct or an indirect manner. Thus, responsive to vote buying was high since the higher percentage of the population compromised of poor and illiterate parties (Blayde s 10). The success of Clientelistic practice in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring thrived mainly because one of the benefits clients received from the patron monetary material in exchange for votes-vote

Integral part of British culture Essay Example for Free

Integral part of British culture Essay Soaps are contemporary, which means they are written in the same rime that they are being acted. Some viewers develop whats called social critism or social commentary, when as I mentioned before, viewers get lost in the plots and get carried away with their feelings. You sometimes hear about people trying to kill characters that they dont like. I just think how pathetic they are that they cant differenciate between a soap opera and reality. Political bias is another issue, which tends to sway the minds of viewers. This happens when a character is portrayed to have a specific political view on a matter. For example if a character is strongly against the Labour Party, their views may rub off on to the public, and then the public assume that that is their real belief. Really the actors/actresses are shoved a script to learn. They dont mess about and argue with the script writers just because their views differ to their characters. Many potentially controversial issues are embarked upon in soaps. For example, when the first lesbian kiss was screened on Brookside a few years ago everyone was horrified. On the otherhand, it encouraged real life lesbian couples to go public, not being ashamed of their sexuality. Soap operas are a form of voyeurism which means you can enjoy watching without participating, which is just up some peoples street. Its nice to come in from school, make a cuppa and be entertained by people for half an hour, from a distance, without having to participate. Some people believe soaps are anti-depressants. This is true when you are experiencing serious problems in your life. It is comforting when you switch on the tv and find a character with a much worse problem than yours. It puts everything into perspective, and demonstrates that it is quite possible to overcome such problems. Soap operas prove to be relief from everyday pressures, albeit temporary. This is especially true for me. My artistic merit is Neighbours. Sometimes I cant wait till 5. 35pm, because I know that I can relax during the twenty five minutes it is on. Soaps are very informative about occupations. You get to know what a characters job involves and requires. For example, Joe Scully is a builder in Neighbours, Paddy is a vet in Emmerdale and Karl Kennedy, a doctor in Neighbours. All these characters provide good insights into these careers, which may help you to choose which job suits you. Soaps allow you to study lifestyles. This is especially useful for sociology and psychology students who are required to research different lifestyles and the way they affect our personalities. Using these studies they can compare the lifestyles of regions or countries, and how they differ. Soaps are used as message propaganda. This is when truths or quotes are twisted and end up only half true. Journalists use this technique. Since video recorders developed, soaps have given them a revolution. Before technology developed viewers who were unable to watch an episode simply missed it. Now, it is popular to record programmes when you are out, or viewing on another channel. This revolution has increased the viewing figures by thousands. Producers of soap operas have many promotion techniques. Some of these include advertising, omnibus episodes, special length episodes with exciting content, ie, a birth or a wedding. All of these attract the viewer and send the ratings rocketing. There are two types of soaps: Imported and home grown. Imported is self-explanatory-the soap is imported from other countries to our screens, Home and Away and Neighbours are examples. Home grown is the screening of soaps from their own country. Wealth and power V class consciousness is an issue in soaps. An example of wealth and power is Mike Bawldin in Coronation Street. He is portrayed as a filthy rich business man. On the otherhand the employees that work for him in his factory are examples of class consciousness. They are of the working class. In my opinion this is wrong because it demonstrates that people of different classes should be treated differently, when really people should be treated with the same amount of respect. Soaps are a form of escapism, as viewers can escape from the real world to the soap world. Soaps provide a vicarious experience, which means that the viewers experience the soap at second hand. The cast experience at first hand. Soap opera producers use romanticism to enchance love affairs, to give the viewer a rose-tinted image of the issue. Usually the characters chosen to have love affairs are beautiful, psycially desirable people. We all know that in the real world this stereotypical image is not always true to life. Soap operas move with the times in all aspects such as decor and design in houses and settings, up to the minute technology, lifestyles and relationships, entertainment and the cultural scene (mores), eg drugs, alcohol abuse. This can have a powerful impact on the viewers who will emulate a particular home or lifestyle. Overall, I think soap operas are enjoyable and fulfilling, but if watched over prolongued periods of time can lead to unhealthy addiction.

The Mozart Effect: Concept Overview and Analysis

The Mozart Effect: Concept Overview and Analysis The Mozart Effect Beth Boardley Abstract The Mozart Effect is said to occur when individuals listen to the two piano sonata. It is hypothesized that by listening to this ensemble that individuals will remember information more easily. Two studies were conducted relating to the Mozart Effect. The first study relates to spatial skill performance and how we use the same neural pathways to process this as we do music, the second study was conducted to challenge the first study. The second study’s argument was that any music that is appreciated can cause the same memory effect. In the second study they conducted one experiment in which they exposed unborn mice to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 and then also conducted a study to see how Mozart’s piano sonata K448 affected patients who suffered from epilepsy. The conclusions were that Mozart’s piano sonata K448 did have a positive effect on both animals and humans. In this paper we will discuss the parts of the first study including the hypothesis, variable s, evidence, and explanations the researchers use. We will also examine the merit and generalizability of the second study. Music and Spatial Task Performance By conducting research and doing experiments we can gain reliable answers to the millions of questions we have. There are many different types of research that can be conducted. Researchers choose the type of research and experiments to conduct based on the hypothesis, and the resources available to them. This purpose to this paper is to examine the study of the Mozart effect in relation to two articles, â€Å"Music and Spatial Task Performance† written by Rauscher, Shaw Ky in 1993, and â€Å"The Mozart Effect† written by Jenkins in 2011, and to answer specific questions based on their research. Fundamentally the Mozart Effect is a study that examines whether or not music helps individuals complete tasks better. The first article in question is Music and Spatial Task Performance. This article was written by Rauscher, Shaw Ky in 1993. They strove to prove that there was a causal relationship between â€Å"cognition and cognitions pertaining to abstract operations such as mathematical or spatial reasoning† (Rauscher et al., 1993). They hypothesized that scans of the brain and its neural pathways would show that the intake and processing of music and our spatial ability would use the same pathways. They also hypothesized that theses paths cover large portions of the same areas of the brain. To better understand these articles it is important to understand what spatial task performance is. â€Å"Spatial ability is the capacity to understand and remember the spatial relations among objects† (Jhu.edu, n.d.). In other words it is the ability to visualize in one’s mind. This ability is not static as it develops throughout one’s life. In relation to application, spatial ability is related to a person’s ability to perform at a minimum of two tasks at the same time. An example of a spatial skill would be walking and dribbling a ball. Many occupations require prominent spatial ability such as mathematics, meteorology, natural sciences, engineering, and architecture, among many others. Many of these jobs require research. Conducting research also requires spatial ability. There are many components to conducting research. Two of the most important components are the independent and dependent variables. An independent variable is a variable that stands alone and has no changes made to it. The independent variables in this study are Mozarts sonata, the college students, and the three-year-olds (Rauscher et al., 1993). A dependent variable is a variable that depends on other factors and changes. In the Rauscher et al., study the dependent variable was the memory. Another component of a research study is the controlled variables. A controlled variable is a variable in which the researcher wants to remain constant. The controlled variables in the Rauscher et al., 1993 study consist of Mozart’s sonata, the college students, and the three-year-olds. The music was a necessary controlled variable because the study was music based. The age ranges of the participants was important to control because they wanted to find out how memory was affected in children and in adults. They wanted to see who would remember the information the longest. Rauscher et al., 2013, presented data from two studies. They proved that the college students had better short term memory as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata. They also showed that the three year olds had advancements, particularly in nonverbal cognitive ability, as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata too. The evidence from this study was empirical and valid. The researchers explained that infants have the maximum ability relating to developing nonverbal cognitive skills as well as memorization. It has been shown that as we increase in age we lose memory recall and execution skills with the decrease in brain elasticity. This also makes it harder for adults to retain new information. The evidence presented in the article justified their explanation and proved that music and spatial ability travels among the same pathways in the brain. The Mozart Effect In 2001 another researcher Jenkins analyzed the work and studies conducted by Rauscher et al., 1993 in relation to the Mozart effect. Jenkins used the concept of â€Å"enjoyment arousal† as an explanation to the Mozart effect. Jenkins believed two specific factors that affected the study was the type of music being played and the participant’s particular taste for the music. For instance if the participants were to have been of a younger age such as a teenager then they would most likely respond with more positive results to music from their generation such as Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood. In order to test the challenge hypothesis Jenkins conducted a study Jenkins conducted animal experiments. They used rats in utero and exposed them to music for 60 days. The rats were split into groups where each group were exposed to different music. The ensembles in which the rats were exposed to were â€Å"Mozarts piano sonata K448, to minimalist music by the composer Philip Glass, to white noise or to silence† (Jenkins, 2011). After the rats were born and the exposure period was ended they were tested using a maze navigation course. The results from the study were surprising. The study from the maze navigation showed that the rats who were exposed to Mozart’s sonata were the quickest and also the most accurate at completing the maze (Jenkins, 2011). This information is significant because it showed that Mozart’s sonata and the Mozart effect does exist, that it is provable, and that it has an effect on memory. An additional study conducted did not relate to spatial skills or maze navigation. This study involved persons suffering from epilepsy. For this study they used â€Å"29 patients with focal discharges or bursts of generalized spike and wave complexes† (Jenkins, 2001). While listening to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 patient’s EEG results had a visible reduction in epileptic activity. They study showed for some patients there was great improvements. For example â€Å"in one male, unconscious with status epilepticus, ictal patterns were present 62% of the time, whereas during exposure to Mozart’s music this value fell to 21%† (Jenkins, 2001). According to another study, â€Å"The long-term effect of listening to Mozart K.448 decreases epileptic form discharges in children with epilepsy†, the Mozart K448 also had effectiveness in reducing epilepsy and the frequency of epileptic episodes in children (Lin et al., 2011). This study holds merit for several reasons. One reason is that it proves that the Mozart effect does exist. Secondly it provides evidence that the Mozart effect is not based only on music appreciation per the unborn rat’s performance in the maze. It also showed that this effect is not limited to spatial ability or memory as it was also proven to have profound effects in epileptic patients. This study did not take into account individual spatial ability. For instance all the rats were apparently able to complete the maze. The researchers gave no warning that any rats were impaired leading us to assume all of the rats were healthy. The only difference encountered was the music in which the rats were exposed to, or lack thereof. The study performed with the patients suffering from epilepsy did not pertain to their spatial abilities it focused on the decrease of epileptic episodes. .In order to make this study more generalizable all they would need to try and test the spatial ability of many different types of rats. There should be normal functioning rats, mentally deficient rats, deformed rats, and rats that suffer blindness and deafness issues. Added in there could be rats that suffer from malnutrition as well as obesity. With keeping the rest of the study the same a more wide-ranging inference can be made in relation to Mozart’s sonata and the effects it has on the rat’s performance in the maze navigation. In regards to the studies with the epileptic patients other types of music should be used rather than just Mozart’s sonata. Other classical selections could be used such as selections from Bach, Chopin, or other Mozart selections. This could be helpful in order to see if the epileptic episodes are decreased with the various selections or if it is just that particular Mozart sonata. The study could break the music down farther by examining the type of instrumentation within the selection. In the studies it was stated that the Mozart sonata was a piano piece. With this we may deduce that selections using the piano may have an effect on epileptic episodes. A generalization from this is that soothing piano music with no words could have a positive effect on the epileptic episode reductions. Another possibility, just as with the rats, the type of epileptic could be factor such as the severity of the epilepsy in the patient. Conclusion The conclusion of these studies is that the Mozart effect does in fact exist, that it is provable, and that there are positive results in the participants. The first study conducted pertained to spatial skills in college students as well as three year olds. This study proved that younger individuals have the ability to remember information more easily as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata. The college students showed that information was retained only short-term. Also proven was that the intake and processing of music and spatial abilities use the same neural pathways in the brain. It was later argued that any type of music can make people remember more as long as they appreciate they music being played. This however was disproved through the experiment that was conducted using the rats. They study showed that the rats that listened to Mozart’s piece performed better and more accurately in the maze vs. rats that listened to Philip Glass, white noise, or nothing at all. Also interesting was the discovery that listening to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 was proven to reduce epileptic episodes. The Mozart effect unquestionably warrants further study. There needs to be different types of rats to determine if disabilities such as blindness or injury has an effect on their ability to navigate the maze. More studies with epileptic patients could be conducted as well in order to test different types of music’s relation to the reduction of episodes if any, as well as more studies on individuals and children. References Jenkins, J.S. (2001). The Mozart effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94, 170-172. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/[emailprotected]vid=1hid=116 Jhu.edu. (n.d.). What is spatial ability? Retrieved January 21, 2015, from Lin, L., Lee, W., Wu, H., Tsai, C., Wei, R., Mok, H., Weng, C., Lee, M., Yang, R., (2011). The long-term effect of listening to Mozart K.448 decreases epileptic form discharges in children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behavior, 21(4), 420-424. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., Ky, K. N. (1993). Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365. 6447: 611. (October 14, 1993). (ProQuest Document ID 76004658). Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED390733.pd

Essay --

Dan Connelly Mr. Fisher English 10 March 8 2014 JSOC And Modern Special Forces Joint Special Operations Command is a group of elite forces who work alone and side by side with other branches of the military and other countries despite the fact they don't normally work with them. These men are responsible for tracking and killing Osama Bin Laden and other big name terrorist. JSOC consists of Delta force, DEVGRU, and other secretive civilian and military groups. J-Soc is an elite military unit that operates in the most intense battles the world can throw at them. They are the spartans of the modern world and they're known in the military as â€Å"the tip of the spear†. The Creation of J-SOC Joint Special Operations Command was created in 1980 as a member of US. SOCOM ( US. Special Operations Command). Their initial mission and role in SOCOM was to train and assess elite soldiers in Special Operations Programs in the US, to be able to work side by side seamlessly with the worlds other elite Special Operators and law enforcement. For examples, Navy SEALS and Israeli IDF Forces, Green Berets and British SAS, and even with civilian counterparts like the CIA and SEALS or FBI HRT teams and Air force Pararescue. JSOC also took on the role of training Special Mission Units in a numerous amount of schools and training courses.( Smith) The military had ussocom who had units like navy seals and army rangers but the military needed an elite group of people who could perform anything and everything the Pres/ secdef could throw at them. At first, their mission was to train socoms elite, but in 1981 the president decided that JSOCs role in the military needed to be changed. JSOC had done such a good job training socom that they ... ...isted of armed combat and horsemanship. These men fought both for Thebes, but also for his partner. These relationships helped them fight even the toughest competitors.(Crompton). Shaolin Monks were some of the fierce warriors to walk this earth. The Shaolin Monastery dates back nearly 1,500 years, and its tradition of martial arts can be traced back to defence against attacks in the year 610. These men were trained to never to use force when not needed because they wanted peace and were almost pacifist. The Shaolin Monks trained themselves over the centuries and battled everyone from thieves,emperors and Japanese pirates. They were always using their unique combat style Shaolin Kung Fu. This style was so unique many opposing forces did not know how to react to the attacks. This is what gave them the edge in battles against any of their enemies. ( Larmer).

The Rise and Fall of a Peasant Essay -- Scarface Oliver Stone Films Mo

The Rise and Fall of a Peasant The film Scarface, produced by Martin Bregman, written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian DePalma, is a story of an immigrant’s life. The main character, Antonio Montana, who is played by Al Pacino, comes to the United States from Cuba in May 1980 as a political prisoner. Montana arrives in Miami, Florida with nothing and has to find a way to survive. As an alien to the country, Montana can not find a honest job that pays enough money for him to live off of. He is a very confident and intelligent man, and when he begins to sell drugs, there is no stopping him. In only a few years, Montana is a multimillionaire and loving life. Although Scarface comes off as a film only meant to glorify a drug lord, it’s actual purpose is to show how a man from the ghetto moves up in society, yet creates his own downfall. Tony has quite strong ethics, although it might not seem so. Ethos is demonstrated many times during the film. He believes firmly in loyalty, honesty, principles and family. Tony looks after his sister Gina throughout the whole film and has an unconditional love for her. He tells the truth all of the time, whether or not it is a good idea to do so. When he is talking to his Columbian cocaine distributor, Mr. Sosa, Montana says, â€Å"all [he has] in this world [are his] balls and [his] word, and [he] don’t break ‘em for no one† (14). Later in the film, when Montana is in trouble with the IRS and DEA, he makes a deal with Sosa that if he kills a talk show host, who has been doing specials on the cocaine industry, then Sosa will get rid of Tony’s problem with the IRS and DEA. For this reason Montana goes to New York City and places an explosive device under the host’s car. When the... ... killed. Scarface is an attention seeking film. There is not a scene in the film that does not keep the viewer’s attention. It starts out having the viewer feel sorry for Montana and wanting him to succeed, even though he is a drug dealer. When he does succeed and his way of living begins to show it also, the viewer feels a sense of joy for Tony and think that he deserves to be happy. Tony then gets too comfortable with being on top and feels that he can be on top of the whole world if he only tries to get it. At the end of the film, when Tony is breaking down and his time is ticking away, the viewer feels sympathy for Tony again, and wants him to make it out alive. However, that does not happen. Tony gets killed and the story of Scarface ends there. The viewer feels a connection with Tony Montana all throughout his rise and fall as a man from the ghetto.

Fictional novel Essay

Oroonoko became more widely read following Aphra Behn’s death. After that, the accuracy of the claims made by the narrator began to come under questioning. However, since Aphra Behn herself could no longer confirm the factuality of the accounts, it was taken to be that the narrator was Behn herself. Scholars have argued for years now regarding the factuality or fabrication of Behn’s work. â€Å"While I believe the search for truth within Behn’s work is still a meaningful one, there is a need to revisit the motives and aims of that search, to contextualize Behn’s exploration of truth with respect to the period’s changing notions of truth’s relation to and representation of fact and fiction† (Dickson). Historically, the duplicity Oroonoko suffers at the hands of the white men is quite accurate keeping in mind the fact that many people, including princes were subjected to such a fate. Further, the time during which it was written was one of immense political unease in England. This too is reflected in the novel. The central theme and the practices mentioned within the story might be considered, if not wholly, then to a certain degree, factual. From a literary standpoint, it can be seen that Behn has incorporated certain fictional elements into the work, along with a lot of emotion and sentiment, including love and sacrifice. It is this overlapping of facts and fantasies and history and literature that endows the novel with an influence to challenge the boundaries between these aspects. It is difficult to ascertain the exact genre under which the novel might be placed. It is not completely biographical, nor fictional. It cannot simply be identified as a love story or a tragedy. Neither is it a historical account of events. It is a complex story that falls under each of these categories. But the fact that it is not based on a particular person, known to have existed for certain, perhaps constitutes it as a fictional novel. Works Cited Dickson, Vernon. â€Å"Truth, wonder and exemplarity in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko. † (2007) Smith, Nicole. â€Å"Narrative Strategy and the Construction of Otherness in Oroonoko. † (2010) < http://www. articlemyriad. com/186. htm>

Willowbrook

I am going to begin this essay discussing some of the ways the human Services field has changed with the developmental disibilities. I am going to discuss ways it has changed from training classes that I have went to and learned from. Back many many years ago, people with disabilities were looked at in a totally different way then they are today. Today individuals with developmental disabilities are taken very good care of and are watched very closely. Back in the 1930s there was a place called Willowbrook that was built and was a state run facility for individuals with developmental diabilities. Willowbrook was in the Willowbrook neighborhood in Staten Island, NY. It was opened in the 1930s and closed in 1987. Willowbrook was orginally degisned for 4,000 individuals but eventually ib 1965 it had more than 6,000 individuals. In 1965 it was the biggest state run facility for individuals with developmental disibilites. It was a very bad place for these individuals due to questionable medical practices and experiments. Sen. Robert Kennedy even called it a â€Å"snake pit†. In the first decade that it was open individuals were getting hepatitis, it became very common. Most of the individuals developed some type of hepatitis within the first 6 months. In 1965 when the population was over 6,000 individuals Senator Robert Kennedy toured the facility. It was very overcrowed at this time with 2,000 more individuals than the building was designed for. Senator Robert Kennedy gave some recommendations for improving the conditions after he seen they were â€Å"living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and beerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo†. Many of the individuals who lived there were abondoned by their families, foster care, and or other system agencies. In 1972 Geraldo Rivera who was an investigative reporter in New York did some investigation. During his investigations he found â€Å"deplorable conditions†. The deplorable conditions were â€Å"overcrowding, inadequate sanitary facilities, and physical and sexual abuse†. Rivera then went onto the Dick Cavett Show and showed some film of indiviuals that lived at the school. On March 17, 1972 a class action law-suit against New York State was filed in federal court. A settlement was not reached until May 5, 1975. It took several years before all of the violation were corrected. Due to the publicity of the case their is now a federal law called the Civil Right of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980. In 1983 there were plans to close Willowbrook made by the the state of New York. In 1974 it was renamed Staten Island Develpmental Center. By March 1986 the population was at 250. On September 17, 1987 the last individual left the facility. While I was in a training class for my current job, we had to watch a video by Geraldo Rivera about Willowbrook. The conditions named above were so true but reading about it sounds good compared to actually seeing how these individuals actually had to live. Not only were these individuals already abandoned by their loved ones now they had to live in terrible conditions.