Case study for strategic management Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

For strategic management - Case Study Example The main competitive advantage of the company is its network effect. The brand is well established in the international market with many clients across the globe as compared to its competitors. This has been effectively and efficiently supported by the company resources and assets. Pursuing Asia market was a failure as the company recently pulled out of Japan. However, the company has managed to survive in other areas by buying startups, especially in China. Further, it is developing strategies that will enable to compete in the Asian market. The latest challenge is the low entry barrier system into the market that allows both local and international firms to enter the market. Good examples of these companies are the Amazon and Yahoo, which are already established in the market. This poses a threat of a reduction of the entire market share, hence, of revenues and profits of the

Reflection Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Reflection Paper - Assignment Example Corruption has lead to the failure of democracy and good governance in the states that have been hit by this catastrophic. For example in Zimbabwe citizens just hear the word democracy but they haven’t yet experienced it. President Mugabe has used his political power to influence the election so as to favor him to continue be the president. This is an infringement to the rights of the voting citizens who are forced now to be led by a person they haven’t chosen. Since corruption influenced the electioneering process, definitely the governance will not be to the standard. This is because the president has to do a favor to those who supported his candidature and helped in rigging. According to (Fraser, 2007) this favors comes in form of appointment of public offices. The efficiency in the government to dispense service now become a tall order, since the one appointed is chasing his objective of gathering more wealth from the public. It has been noted that most cash got from illegal activities are not banked in the local banks but rather they are moved to other foreign banks. For instance in Nigeria between 1960 to 1999 their leaders had swiss bank accounts and within that period more than $400 had been moved from national treasury without being accounted for (Fraser, 2007). This clearly shows that the leaders have no interest of the people whom they serve. That large amount of fund being moved in an economy creates a financial deficit leads to inflation. Industrialization has brought with it benefits and tragedy too. The problem comes in with management of the waste products. Most companies in Africa receive political backing maybe because they financed the election campaign of the leader who is current in office. The company will use that on their advantage to fail to manage its waste products at the expense of citizens simply because a certain leader will protect them through thick and thin politically. This has

A Biography Of Booker T Washington History Essay

A Biography Of Booker T Washington History Essay Birth, Parents and Family Life The well known clichà ©, bad beginnings have good endings, resonates in ones mind when this name is mentioned. Booker T. Washingtons life, undoubtedly encapsulate this well-known phrase as throughout his life evidence proves how he grew and became very successful. Booker Taliaferro Washingtons life began on April 5th, 1856 where he was born into slavery on the Burroughs Plantation in the rural, Hales Ford, Virginia. He had three siblings, one of whom was adopted. His mother Jane was an enslaved African American woman who worked as a cook on the plantation. His father was a white man, whom he knew very little about. His mother later married another slave, Washington Ferguson, who left to for West Virginia. Early Life Washingtons early life was that of a slave where he lived in a small cabin and slept on a dirt floor with only a pallet that was put on the ground for his comfort. Survival was a struggle as his mother Jane from time to time would take a chicken or an egg from her masters and cook them during the night just to feed her children. From an early age, Booker knew what labour entailed and began working quite young. One of his duties was to carry sacks of corn to the mill on the back of a horse. Sometimes when a sack fell on the ground he had to wait for hours for someone to come and replace it on the horses back. Washingtons discomfort of his living arrangement and hard labour as a child was mingled with the discomfort of his clothes and shoes. Until his shirt was worn for six weeks, Washington had to bear the pain from his flax material shirt which pricked his skin. The discomfort was so great that once his brother offered to wear his shirt until it got a bit softer. His shoes also were uncomfortable as his first pair of shoes had wood as its sole and coarse leather tops. Education Although he went to school while he was a slave, Booker T. Washingtons education only began when his family was freed of slavery. In Washingtons time, it was illegal for slaves to go to school and be educated. However, Washington went to school with James Burroughs daughter in Franklin County, not as a student but to carry her books. It was only when the Emancipation Proclamation in April, 1865, Washington now nine, was read to the jubilant slaves that Booker was able to spread his wings a bit. Washington, his siblings and mother soon left the plantation with a wagon that his stepfather sent for them to join with him in Malden, West Virginia. Because of the state of poverty that the family was faced with, Washington could not have had a normal schooling experience. Instead, at the tender age of nine, Washington was thrust into the world of work. His stepfather, who worked in the salt mines, found work for him and his brother at a salt mine that began at four in the morning and ended at nine. Sometimes they even worked at coal mines. One Mr. William Davis opened a school for coloured children. Bookers parents allowed him to go but on the condition that he maintain his job. As Booker worked in the morning period, he was now able to attend school later in the day but returned to the mine after school. After a few years, Booker had to leave the school in order to work fulltime in the coal mine; but his mother found him another job. He was taken in as a houseboy by a wealthy family, General Lewis Ruffner. The wife was very strict on him but very encouraging. He proved his trustworthiness to her while he stayed with her for four years and saw her as one of his best friends. It was at this point that Booker learned about a school, Hampton Institute, where black students can get an education, paying their way by working. He saved up some money from his labour at the mines and in 1872, at sixteen, when he had just about saved enough money, Booker left for Hampton. The road to Hampton was not an easy one. He walked the way but stopped for a few days, sleeping under a plank sidewalk during the night and loading a ship with food items during the day to raise more money to buy food. When Booker finally arrived at Hampton; he was first denied entrance into the school because of his appearance, but soon impressed the head teacher with his janitorial skills and continued doing these services to pay for his school expenses. It was during one summer of his studies that his mother died while he was on his summer vacation. He still went on to spend three years there, graduating in 1875 at age nineteen. Life as an Adult: His Marriages and Family Booker was married three times. The first of the three came just after moving to Tuskegee in 1882, when he married his childhood sweetheart Fannie Smith. From this marriage one daughter, Portia, came in 1883. Unfortunately, one year following the birth of their daughter, Fannie died unexpectedly. Washington remarried in 1985 to Olivia Davidson who was also working at the Tuskegee Institute as an assistant principal. The new couple had two boys, Booker Jr. and Earnest; however, Olivia only remained with him for four years before she also died. Washington soon got married again for the third time to Margaret Murray, a teacher at Tuskegee, in 1893 but the couple had no children however she helped with her stepchildren. Margaret died ten years after Washington in 1925. Washington credited each of his wives for their contribution to the Tuskegee Institute. Where he lived and worked By now, Booker T. Washington was developing into an adult, being able to sustain himself. Washington was a strong advocate of education and believed that through education, the quality of his people could be improved. Due to the strong belief that he maintained, when he graduated, Booker moved back to his hometown, Malden, to teach, but spent only a short time there teaching eighty to ninety children in the day, adults in the night and two Sunday schools. However, during the short time at the school, Washington encouraged students to attend the Hampton Institute and sent his two brothers, John and James, to school. Washingtons time at this school was soon up when he was hired by General Armstrong, the principal of Hampton, as a member of the faculty and a postgraduate student. Washingtons now taught classes at nights for students who could not attend classes in the day, teaching also a group of seventy five Indian boys. His Accomplishments Now at twenty five, in 1881, Washington was recommended by General Armstrong to a prominent white man in Tuskegee who wanted to establish a school for black children in that town. Mr. Armstrong recommended Washington for the position to spearhead the establishment however when he arrived in Alabama Washington found out that no provisions were made for acquiring lands or buildings. He also found that the only funding for the school was two thousand five hundred for teachers salary which was given by the state legislature as a favour to the black people who had supported a politician. Although throughout the early years, the institute was able to survive on gifts of individuals, Washington was still faced with the challenges maintaining the school even at the beginning where he had to locate an appropriate location for the school and building of the campus. However, Washington was soon able to purchase farmland that amounted to two thousand acres where he established the school. Two sm all buildings were converted; there were no equipment and hardly any money. All the students had to work in addition to their academic studies. Some of the activities the students engaged in were chopping of trees, making bricks, building furniture, clearing lands and constructing buildings. Classes were opened with thirty students and what was taught developed the students, teaching them both trades and professions. Ten years later in 1891, now 35, the institution had matured into a campus which boasted of over five hundred and forty acres of land, many well equipped buildings, thousands of students, over two hundred faculty members teaching thirty eight trades and professions. Booker T. Washington was taught the skill of public speaking by one of his teachers during his years at Hampton. The lessons Ms. Nathalie Lord taught him made him a very eloquent speaker and he used this to propel his efforts bringing many benefits to the Tuskegee Institution. To add to Booker T. Washingtons accomplishment, in 1895, Washington was asked to speak at the opening of the Cotton State Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia which was a major accomplishment for an African American. In his speech, later referred to as the Atlanta Compromise, Washington encouraged blacks and whites to work together and explained his idea that African Americans can secure their place in the society through their own economic and moral development and not by legal and political changes. Washingtons belief was not accepted by all African Americans as some feared that some may fight against them for their want of equal rights. However, the whites approved of his views and helped to bring the programs he envisioned to fruit. He was later given an honorary degree by the Harvard University in 1896. One year after his speech, in 1896, Washington was able to acquire funding for an extension of his institution. He opened an agriculture school with the help of the Slater Fund for Negro Education. At this extension school, George Washington Carver was entrusted to lead the school, many other people who were interested in the education of the blacks helped and the school flourished. Contributions to Society The Tuskegee Institute still educate people today, and in addition to this, Booker T. Washington also instituted a variety of programs for rural extension work. He also helped to set up the National Negro Business League. Although Booker was selected to be named to a cabinet post, he refused, stating that he preferred not to be involved in politics. It was not until 1901 that Booker T. Washington published his autobiography, Up from Slavery of which the profits were given towards strengthening the economic stability of the Tuskegee Institute. It was in this same year that Washington was invited to the White House by the president at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, the first African American to be recognized in this magnitude. He was also privileged to have tea with Queen Victoria during a visit to Europe. By1904 Washington was now forty eight and became very influential in many political decisions, becoming the advocate and key advisor to the African American community. Through the use of the black newspapers and other publications Washington was able to create good public relations for his causes. Washington however refused to be a part of a race relations conference that was the driving force for the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). Washington was sceptical of the motives behind the conference fearing that it may be of a combative nature; however, the elections of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 caused Washington to change the way he spoke. After assuring in his campaign that he will fight for equal rights of the African Americans, Wilson never follow through on his promises. This caused Washington to surprise everyone when he published an article whose tone was similar to the militant black leaders of the time. Even with this change, many still believed that Booker had done more than he was credited for or that was recognized by others. How he was Renowned The key contributing factor that distinguishes Booker T. Washington from all other African American advocates was his approach. Although he believed in equality, the method in which he used to achieve it was quite different from any other. Washingtons approach was not confrontational, as was the approach of many at the time. He realized that being confrontational would only be to his disadvantage, and worked in a way to develop and maintain the support of the white people who were instrumental in fulfilling many of his ideas. He believed that success for blacks can only come through economic stability using mainly vocational training. Washington was unlike his critics such as Fredrick Douglass and W.E.B Du Bois who protested, challenged the political system and spoke up about the lack of equality. Instead he saw these militant actions as distractions to economic success and encouraged blacks to concentrate on developing industrial skills. Booker was also known for his capability to raise funds for the Institution, which when coupled with his ability to speak made many individuals give generously to Tuskegee because of his clarity of expression for how the school can help blacks make a better life for themselves. Through education, Washington, more than any other, helped to elevate his people. He is therefore best remembered for freeing African Americans from the economic slavery that kept them bondage even after they were physically and legally freed from slavery. His Death Even at the gates of his death, Washington remained a fighter as he continued to principal the Tuskegee Institute. Washingtons body was deteriorating. He collapsed in New York where he was sent back to Tuskegee. On November 14th 1915 his body could bear no more and he passed on. Although at first it was assumed that he died of heart failure due to exhaustion, it was later confirmed when in March 2006, with the permission of the descendants, the examination of his medical records showed that he died of hypertension with a blood pressure more than twice the normal range. Washington was finally laid to rest on the grounds of the Tuskegee Institute near to the chapel. Reason for my Choice In a society where there is s thirst for good male role models, I found it a pleasure reading about Booker T. Washington and making him my choice for my biography. Washington was an individual whose life I can emulate and imbibe. First of all he was a black man who started life by measly means; however, he did not allow him to hinder his determination. Washington pressed forward and at his death he was financially secure, had a family and was well renowned. He was very intelligent and used this ability for good causes. The exceptional qualities that surrounded Washington are those that I would like to portray in my life; hence my ultimate reason for my choice or Mr. Booker T. Washington. How he has affected my Life The life of Booker T. Washington has greatly affected me in many positive ways. I now look at life differently since his life is truly a testimony that it is not about how your life begins but how you decide to end it. I am also encouraged to face any challenges that are put before me. Washington faced a number of challenges, but although at times he may have been disappointed, he did not allow that to keep him down but instead rose from the challenge to become an even greater person. From his life I was also encouraged to look out for others and to show more humanitarianism to my fellowmen. For me it can begin at home, just as it began at home for Washington. When he started working, he was able to send his two brothers to school which to me if very commendable. Booker T. Washington has therefore proven to be a person worth emulating, and once this is done success would come my way.

On Emotion and Value in David Hume and Max Scheler Essay -- David Hume

On Emotion and Value in David Hume and Max Scheler ABSTRACT: While some philosophers tend to exclude any significance of emotion for the moral life, others place them in the center of both the moral life and the theory of value judgment. This paper presents a confrontation of two classic positions of the second type, namely the position of Hume and Scheler. The ultimate goal of this confrontation is metatheoretical — particularly as it concerns the analysis of the relations between the idea of emotion and the idea of value in this kind of theory of value judgment. In conclusion, I point to some important theoretical assumptions which underlie the positions of both thinkers despite all the other differences between them. In at least four types of ethical theories emotions and feelings are regarded as a vital factor in explaining the nature of both value judgement and value itself. Such types of ethical theories, however, offer not only different theories of value and valuation but they also assume or imply quite different theories of emotions and feelings. A look at the history of philosophical psychology can convince us that there has been no generally accepted theory of emotion but the idea of emotion has been changing together with the idea of mind or soul. (1) One could expect that there is a correlation between the idea of emotion and the idea of value or the good in each type of the above mentioned theories. In what follows, I shall discuss this correlation for two ethical theories in greater detail. I shall consider the moral philosophy of David Hume which I construe as psychological naturalism of non-relativistic type. (2) I shall also consider the case of emotional intuitionism exemplified by Max Scheler. Both H... ...the objects of emotion see: Sousa, de R. - The Rationality of Emotion, The MIT Press, Cambridge MA, 1990. (9) For excellent discussion of this point see: Hudson, S. D. - Humean Pleasure Reconsidered, "Canadian Journal of Philosophy" 5 (1975), no 4, pp. 545-62; Fieser, J. - Hume's Classification of the Passions and Its Precursors, "Hume Studies" 18 (1992), no 1, pp. 1-17. (10) See note 8 above. (11) Scheler, Max - Der Formalismus in der Ethik und die materiale Wertethik, Gesammelte Werke, Bd. 2, Francke Verlag, Bern - MÃ ¼nchen 1954, pp. 256-278; hereafter cited as F. (12) F, pp. 341-356. See also: Smith, Q. - Scheler's Stratification of Emotional Life and Strawson's Person, "Philosophical Studies" (Irleand), 25 (1977), pp. 103-127. (13) F, pp. 125 -130. (14) Cf. Calhoun, Ch., Solomon, R. C. - What is an Emotion, Oxford University Press, New York 1984.

Nine Major Regulatory Bodies Essay

1. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS was established in 1913. Its purpose is to administer and enforce the internal revenue laws. Its stated mission is to provide America’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. (Internal Revenue Service, 2008) 2. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 created the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the securities market. â€Å"The mission of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation†(U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2008) 3. Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF). The Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) is a private sector organization that formed in 1972 to create standards for financial accounting. Its mission is to â€Å"establish financial accounting and reporting standards through an independent and open process, resulting in financial reports that provide decision useful information† (Financial Accounting Foundation, 2008) 4. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The (FAF) formed the (FASB) in 1973 to set up standards for nongovernmental accounting and reporting. The mission of (FASB) is â€Å"to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting for the guidance and education of the public, including issuers, auditors, and users of financial information (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2008) 5. Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The Governmental Accounting Standards Board was organized in 1984 by FAF to generate GAAP for state and local governments. The mission of the GASB is to establish and improve standards of state and local government accounting and financial reporting that will result in useful information for users of financial reports and guide and educate the, including issuers, auditors, and users of those financial reports. (Governmental Accounting Standards Board, 2008) 6. Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board. The (FASAB) was established in 1990 by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Comptroller General to produce GAAP for the federal government. The mission of the FASAB is to promulgate federal accounting standards after considering the financial and budgetary information, needs of citizens, congressional oversight groups, executive agencies, and the needs of other users of federal financial information. (Federal Accounting Standards Accounting Standards Advisory Board, 2008) 7. International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) Since its inception in 2001 the (IASB) has created global GAAP and standards. The mission of the (IASB) â€Å"is to develop, in the public interest a single set of high quality, understandable and international financial reporting standards (IFRS’s) for general purpose financial statements† (International Accounting Standards Board, 2008) 8. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) established the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to issue auditing standards for public auditing firms. The mission of the PCAOB is to oversee the auditors of public companies in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, fair, and independent audit reports (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2008) 9. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants was born in 1887. The mission of the (AICP) â€Å"is to provide members with the resources, information, and leadership that enable them to provide valuable services in the highest professional manner to benefit the public as well as employers and clients† (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 2008) References American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (2008). AICPA Mission. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.aicpa.org/About+the+AICPA/AICPA+Mission/ Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board. (n.d.). Welcome to the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.fasb.org/facts/ Financial Accounting Foundation. (n.d.). FAF Strategic Plan. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.fasb.org/faf/Strategic_Plan.shtml Financial Accounting Standards Board. (n.d.). Facts About FASB. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.fasb.org/facts/ Governmental Accounting Standards Board. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.gasb.org/. Internal Revenue Service. (n.d.). The Agency, its Mission and Statutory Authority. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=98141,00.html International Accounting Standards Board. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.iasb.org/About+Us/International+Accounting+Standards+Board+-+About+Us.htm Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. (2008). Our Mission. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://pcaobus.org/ U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2008, November 7). The Investor’s Advocate: How the SEC Protects Investors, Maintains Market Integrity, and Facilitates Capital Formation. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml

Project on Time Series

Project 4 Fall 2012 1. Open the data file called JCrew on Blackboard under the Assignments link. 2. Get a 4 point Moving Average for the data using Time Series Analysis. 3. Highlight the Revenue column and the 4MA column. Insert /Line. 4. Go back to the data. Time Series Analysis/ Exponential Smoothing. Use alpha of . 7. 5. Highlight Revenue and Smoothed and Insert /Line. 6. Go back to the data. Time Series Analysis/ Trendline / pick Exp Ln. Check the Scatterplot and all boxes on the right side. 7. Finally, go back to the data and choose Time Series/ Deseasonalize. Questions: 1.Compare the 4 point moving average chart to the exponentially smoothed one. Which one shows the SECULAR trend better? Explain. The four point moving average shows the secular trend better because its values aren’t as volatile as they are in the exponentially smoothed model. 2. What is the forecasted revenue for JCrew in Quarter I of 2010 using Exponential Smoothing? 377. 388 in Q1 of 2010 Look at the Lo gged Model 3. What percent of the variation in Revenue is explained by Time? 84% of the variation is explained by time 4. By how much does Revenue change per quarter on average? Revenue changes by 4. % per quarter on average 5. Are there any outliers (suspicious or definite)? There is one outlier at time period 4, but it is only suspicious 6. Is Autocorrelation a problem? No because the Durbin-Watson is 2. 77 therefore reject fail to reject H0 H0: No residual correlation (p=0) H1: Positive residual correlation (p>1) 7. Does the data seem to fit the plot well? Explain. Yes it fits the plot well in general. There is one suspicious value that skews the plot. Look at the Deseasonalized Model 8. What is the secular trendline? y=10. 15x + 139. 39 9. How well does the model explain JCrew’s revenue? 94. 2% of the variation in Jcrew’s revenue is explained by the model 10. Which quarter is most prosperous for JCrew? 1st Quarter is the most prosperous for Jcrew with a seasonal in dex of . 898 11. Fill in the following table: |2010 |t |Predicted |SI |Forecast | |QI |Â  21 |352. 54 |Â  . 898 |Â  316. 58 | |QII |Â  22 |Â  362. 69 |Â  . 968 |351. 08 | |QIII |Â  23 |Â  372. 84 |Â  . 938 |Â  349. 72 | |QIV |Â  24 |Â  382. 99 |Â  1. 196 |Â  458. 06 |

The Battle of Yellow Tavern - Civil War

The Battle of Yellow Tavern - Civil War The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought May 11, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). In March 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Major General Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and gave him overall command of Union forces. Coming east, he took the field with Major General George G. Meades Army of the Potomac and commenced planning a campaign to destroy General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia. Working with Meade to reorganize the Army of the Potomac, Grant brought Major General Philip H. Sheridan east to head the armys Cavalry Corps. Though short in stature, Sheridan was known as a skilled and aggressive commander. Moving south in early May, Grant engaged Lee at the Battle of the Wilderness. Inconclusive, Grant shifted south and continued the fight at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. During the early days of the campaign, Sheridans troopers were largely employed in the traditional cavalry roles of screening and reconnaissance. Frustrated by these limited uses, Sheridan bickered with Meade and argued to be allowed to mount a large-scale raid against the enemy rear and Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuarts cavalry. Pressing his case with Grant, Sheridan received permission to take his corps south despite some misgivings from Meade. Departing on May 9, Sheridan moved south with orders to defeat Stuart, disrupt Lees supply lines, and threaten Richmond. The largest cavalry force assembled in the East, his command numbered around 10,000 and was supported by 32 guns. Reaching the Confederate supply base at Beaver Dam Station that evening, Sheridans men found that the much of the material there had been destroyed or evacuated. Paused overnight, they commenced disabling parts of the Virginia Central Railroad and freeing 400 Union prisoners before pressing south. Armies Commanders: Union Major General Philip H. Sheridan10,000 men Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart4,500 men Stuart Responds Alerted to the Union movements, Stuart detached Major General Fitzhugh Lees cavalry division from Lees army at Spotsylvania and led it south to hamper Sheridans movements. Arriving near Beaver Dam Station too late to take action, he pushed his tired men through the night of May 10/11 to reach the intersection of Telegraph and Mountain Roads near an abandoned inn known as Yellow Tavern. Possessing around 4,500 men, he established a defensive position with Brigadier General Williams Wickhams brigade on the right west of the Telegraph Road facing south and Brigadier General Lunsford Lomaxs brigade on the left parallel to the road and facing west. Around 11:00 AM, less than an hour after establishing these lines, the lead elements of Sheridans corps appeared (Map). A Desperate Defense Led by Brigadier General Wesley Merritt, these forces quickly formed to strike Stuarts left. Consisting of the brigades of Brigadier General George A. Custer and Colonels Thomas Devin and Alfred Gibbs, Merritts division quickly advanced and engaged Lomaxs men. Pressing forward, troopers on the Union left suffered from flanking fire from Wickhams brigade. As the fighting increased in intensity, Merritts men began to slip around Lomaxs left flank. With his position in jeopardy, Lomax ordered his men to retreat north. Met by Stuart, the brigade was reformed on Wickhams left and extended the Confederate line east by 2:00 PM. A two-hour lull in the fighting ensued as Sheridan brought up reinforcements and reconnoitered the new Confederate position. Spying artillery in Stuarts lines, Sheridan directed Custer to attack and seize the guns. To accomplish this, Custer dismounted half of his men for an assault and ordered the remainder to conduct a wide sweep to the right in support. These efforts would be aided by the rest of Sheridans command. Moving forward, Custers men came under fire from Stuarts guns but continued their advance. Breaking through Lomaxs lines, Custers troopers drove on the Confederate left. With the situation desperate, Stuart pulled the 1st Virginia Cavalry from Wickhams lines and charged forward to counterattack. Blunting Custers assault, he then pushed the Union troopers back. As Union forces withdrew, former sharpshooter Private John A. Huff of the 5th Michigan Cavalry fired his pistol at Stuart. Hitting the Stuart in the side, the Confederate leader slumped in his saddle as his famous plumed hat fell to the ground. Taken to the rear, command on the field passed to Fitzhugh Lee. As the wounded Stuart departed the field, Lee attempted to restore order to the Confederate lines. Outnumbered and overpowered, he briefly held back Sheridans men before retreating from the field. Taken to the Richmond home of his brother-in-law, Dr. Charles Brewer, Stuart received a visit from President Jefferson Davis before slipping into a delirium and dying the next day. The loss of the flamboyant Stuart caused great sadness in the Confederacy and greatly pained Robert E. Lee. Aftermath: of the Battle In the fighting at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, Sheridan sustained 625 casualties while Confederate losses are estimated at around 175 as well as 300 captured. Having upheld his pledge to defeat Stuart, Sheridan continued south after the battle and reached the northern defenses of Richmond that evening. Assessing the weakness of the lines around the Confederate capital, he concluded that though he could probably take the city, he lacked the resources to hold it. Instead, Sheridan wheeled his command east and crossed the Chickahominy River before proceeding to unite with Major General Benjamin Butlers forces at Haxalls Landing. Resting and refitting for four days, the Union cavalry then rode north to rejoin the Army of the Potomac. Sources Encyclopedia Virginia: Battle of Yellow TavernCWSAC: Battle of Yellow TavernHistoryNet: Battle of Yellow Tavern

Keine Lazarovitch Essays

Keine Lazarovitch Essays Keine Lazarovitch Essay Keine Lazarovitch Essay Irving Layton was written about his mother, Kline, most likely as a eulogy after she died In 1959. The unusual yet astonishing thing about this poem Is during the first four paragraphs the mood is dark, almost evil like, and fierce, as he speaks of growing old and death, For her mouth was not water but a curse, (paragraph 2). We can see that the speaker, her son, is an honest and expressive man. The emotional effects of these four paragraphs makes us question why Irving would bother to write a eulogy for his mother if he only states readers things about her, it also makes the reader believe perhaps his mother was an unhappy miserable woman who only cursed Gods creatures. The final paragraph of the poem leaves the reader with a satisfying sense of peace, where he basically says that although his mother spoke her mind and was firm on her beliefs, and though the things did may have sometimes been a nuisance, she was his mother. The things she did made her the person she was. Her characteristics were the things that made her real. Though eulogies are usually spoken with a soft tone, and speak of all the great things the person did, the reality Is o one is perfect, and the flaws that people have make them who they are. The authors purpose was to show his true love for his mother. He loved her because she was, in fact, so fierce and outspoken, which is why the thought of this poem is so important. The imagery is very powerful as we can see the picture of his deceased mothers head on the cold pillow, her white watermarking hair in the cheeks hollows, (paragraph 1). This immediately illustrates his mother in the casket at her funeral. Also, we can see the obvious look of the mother when he talks of her amber dads that she wore upon her breast so radiantly. (paragraph 4). These clear visual characteristics also show Layton observance and attention towards his mother. Although this poem does not include a uniform rhyme scheme, we notice the last word of every line (except the last line of each paragraph) has the same ending. For example, in the first paragraph the first line ends with the word pillow, the second line ends with the word hollows and the third line, the word how. Though these words do not necessarily rhyme, they make connections to each other through sound. Also, there are many literary devices in the poem that help emphasize the imagery and sound. For example, in the first paragraph, the alliteration of white watermarking hair really catches the readers attention and creates a greater visual image. Another example would be In the third paragraph when he says Till popularizing Death leaned down and took them for his mould. This line represents growing old and death as a reason for the loss of her rich, black eyebrows. Yet, death cannot physically lean down and take eyebrows, for that is only a human trait, thus making tons Ellen a Tort AT personalization.

How to Use Formal and Informal Italian Subject Pronouns

How to Use Formal and Informal Italian Subject Pronouns While in English we might differ in word choice during informal and formal situations, we don’t change the forms being used.  However, Romance languages have separate forms of addressing others in formal versus informal situations. As if learning a new language wasn’t difficult enough! Learning how to use the formal and informal subject pronouns in Italian is very important. So-called social graces are key to Italian culture, and what seems like a language nuisance can determine the success of a social interaction, especially with the elderly and someone to whom you should show respect. How Many Ways You Can Say You? There are four ways of saying you in Italian: tu, voi, lei, and loro. Tu (for one person) and voi (for two or more people) are the familiar/informal forms. The Informal While it’s taught that tu is used only with family members, children, and close friends, it can also be used with people  around your age. For example, if youre around 30 and go to a bar to get a cappuccino, you can use the â€Å"tu† form with the barista who seems around your age, too. It’s likely that she’ll give you the â€Å"tu† form first anyway: Cosa prendi? – What are you having?Che cosa voui? – What do you want?Di dove sei? – Where are you from? If youre talking to a person that is younger than you tu is always the best choice. Voi is the plural form of the informal way of addressing people. Voi works for formal and informal scenarios and its the plural you: Di dove siete? – Where are you all from?Voi sapete che... – You all know that... The Formal In more formal situations like at a bank, the doctors office, a work meeting, or talking to an elder, the lei form is always best. Use lei (for one person, male or female) and its plural voi in more formal situations to address strangers, acquaintances, older people, or people in authority: Lei à ¨ di dove? – Where are you from?Da dove viene lei? – Where do you come from?Voi siete degli studenti. – You are students. You’ll often see Lei capitalized to distinguish it from lei (she) when there might be room for confusion. TIP: If you’re really not sure and you want to avoid choosing between â€Å"lei† or â€Å"tu† entirely, you can always use the generic altrettanto to mean likewise in place of anche a lei/ anche a te. Also, unless you’re talking to royalty, you don’t have to use the formal loro like most textbooks teach. It Can Be Confusing Finally, it’s tough to figure out when you should use the tu or when you should use the lei form, so if you get it wrong at first, don’t worry. Italians know that you’re learning a new language and that it can be difficult, so do your best. When In Doubt, Ask You can always ask when you are unsure about how to address a person. If, for example, you feel youre close in age or there is no relationship that might call for a respectful lei, go ahead and ask: Possiamo darci del tu? – May we switch to the tu form? In response, someone can say: Sà ¬, certo. –Yes, certainly. If you want to tell someone to use the tu with you, you can say: Dammi del tu. – Use the the tu form with me.

Supply Chain Management College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply Chain Management College - Case Study Example This creates a bottle neck, which is translated in its inability to supply the eight-pack in the market. This creates a substantial loss in consumer sales which could have uplifted the numbers for the sales and marketing department. The inability to run in full capacity leaves some of its products unmanufactured. This can be seen as an opportunity cost for the company. Supply chain is indeed "one of the major areas for companies to gain a competitive edge" and operations is the first step (Lee, 2002). Efficient operations management allows the company to cut on costs through efficient labor and capital use and presents desirable products to the marketing people. The Seven Principles of Supply Chain Management suggests that to "develop a supply chain-wide technology strategy that supports multiple levels of decision making and gives a clear view of the flow of products, services, and information" (David L. Anderson, 1997). The system prepares the company in the short-term, the midterm and the long-term operations. For the daily transaction, this technology will be used to align the "supply" to the "demand" through "sharing of information on orders and daily scheduling" (David L. Anderson, 1997).

Technology Management and Collaboration Assignment

Technology Management and Collaboration - Assignment Example People still inhabit a world where an individual’s technical ability and instinct determines the worth of technology. Gaining knowledge of technology management is a human work and requires experienced and qualified individuals to examine this (Dauda 2009). Human intelligence produces ideas for new products and/or services, which produces the requirement to ‘identify’ technology. Hence (Moehrle 2013, p. 17):  Identification of technologies that are not currently part of the firm’s technology base,   but may be important in the future (for example, by attending a conference, reading journals, visiting trade fairs, questioning suppliers and conducting pure research.   Each time a technology is ‘selected’, the company has to always remember who will manage and operate such technology. Human resources are an important determinant for this ‘selection’, for they should possess the eagerness, knowledge, and capability to sustain thi s technology (Treat 2011).  Selection of those technologies that the firm needs for its future products and technologies (for example, by using portfolio-type methods, expert judgment, pilot studies, and financial methods). Likewise, HR participation is a crucial component in all the phases of IT acquisition programme So as to guarantee an effective and efficient application of the acquired IT, HR participation is needed the most in the process of pre-acquisition so as to successfully deal with later phases.

An examination of conflict and development in global south(case study) Essay

An examination of conflict and development in global south(case study) Somalia - Essay Example This piece of work paper gives an examination of conflict and development in Somali which is the case study with much insight being given to the impact of decolonization on the state, the extent of positive development, the effect of conflict on the state’s development and the position of the state in today’s international system. Other relevant issues regarding the states will also be discussed for better understanding. Aspects Regarding Somalia Somalia is a country located in the horn of Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It is a country that is relatively small (smaller than Texas), with a population of approximately 9,133,124 people. It is arid and barren having only two rivers namely juba and Shebelle. It however have got some very essential natural resources for instance uranium, natural gas, iron ore, tin, gypsum, salt, copper, bauxite and some possible oil deposits as well as fish and marine life situated along the gulf of Aden, the Arabian sea, and the Indian ocean. The problem is that most of the natural resources are unexploited mainly due to the political instability and lack of appropriate technology for the exploitation and processing (Anonymous 2011). Somali gained independence in 1960, 1st July following a reunion between the British Somaliland and the Italian Somaliland forming the Somali republic. Somalia has had a lot of changes of the presidents and had no working government from the year 1991 to 2000 when a weak parliamentary government was created but did not last long as it run out in 2003 without any positive changes in terms of control in the country (Federal Research Division 2004). It was in 2004 that an intermediary parliament, transitional federal government (TFG) was established and a president elected, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. It was during the national election in 2009 that a permanent government was established and Sheik Sharif Ahmed elected as the president and has ruled to present ( Mansbach and Rafferty 2007). Somalia is a country that has been faced with a lot of conflicts associated with the various changes in the government and presidents leading to instability and lack of control in the country (Kisiangani 2006). The government of Somalia is a democratic republic and the state is viewed as a politically failed state by the international community due to its inability to restore the political stability in the country and its indulgence in criminal activities like piracy and bombing attacks in various parts of the world (Best 2008). Answers to the Questions Decolonization entails the process of changing from colonial status to independent status. It involves the reverse of colonization and establishment of governance hence attainment of authority where a country can now carry out its practices and activities without interference by the colonizers. It involves gaining of independence and autonomy from the colonizing country such as in the governing of it owns practices and activities for example the utilization of the natural resources. Somalia is a country that is well known for political instability for a long period of time. It was colonized by Britain, France, and Italy all with their specific interests in the country. This is a contributing factor towards its political instability as all the colonizing countries had effects on the governance hence the conflicts (Baylis, Smith and Owens 2011). Wapner

My experience on censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My experience on censorship - Essay Example We did not care to ascertain the age limit of the movie. The security officers at the entrance were equally more concerned with the security details than verifying the details of the moviegoers. Nevertheless, they reserved the verification of personal details to the end of the first episode. At the end of the first episode, the security men sought to verify our personal details by asking for our identification cards. My friend produced his identification card and got a clearance. When my turn came, the security agent could not believe that a sixteen year old is watching a movie rated eighteen years and above. The security agent was actually very furious that I had breached the rules of the theatre by entering the theatre well knowing that I had not acquired the required age. My attempts to explain that I had not seen the age requirement landed on deaf ears. My friend watched in disbelief and the audience caught the scene with amazement as the security agent manhandled me. The security agent whisked me out of the theatre to the security cabin where he locked me up in readiness for resultant punishment. It was the greatest shock of my life as nobody dared come to my support. Later on, the management of the movie theatre sought to explain to me the various rules applicable in a movie theatre and the attached punishments and fines on defaulters. Playing audience to the movies relevant to one’s age was one of the rules that attracted heavy penalties upon defaulting. Security agents treat ignorance to this rule with equal wrath. The management expects the audience to brief themselves with the relevant terms and conditions pertaining to a given movie with no omissions and total strictness. This act of censorship caused me to think objectively of censorship. The stringent measures put in place to ensure compliance to the set rules proved effective for censorship. The need to seek

International Monetary Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Monetary Economics - Essay Example From the Keynesian identity it can be deduced that the current account deficit is caused by the reduction of the private spending and a large budget deficit. This model was applied to the international trade by Keynes. Keynes designed this model just to deal with the current account deficit that UK was suffering from in the 1960s. Since at that time the foreign capital investment was minimal and there was a fixed exchange rate system in the UK, most of the policies of the Keynesians work according to these two conditions. The Keynesian model relies greatly on the expenditure changing policies. The expenditure changing policies are designed to change the level of spending in the domestic economy. This can be explained through the income and the adjustment model. Since the expenditure that is spent on the imports results in a loss of the money and income to the foreign countries, it is considered an injection. The Keynesian model states that in order to maintain or improve the circular flow of income it is important that the expenditure on the imports is reduced. This can be done if the income in the country is reduced. The domestic income has a direct relation with the imports of a country. This is because as the income in the country increases, there is an increased amount spent on the imports. Also the increase in the income means that the production of the country has increased. The production process may also involve raw materials that are to be imported. As a result the expenditure on the imports would be further increased. In order to reduce the expenditure spent on the imports the Keynesian policies propose the reduction of the domestic production. Since the Keynesian identity is also applicable to the domestic economy (without the net imports), the governments can reduce the government expenditure and reduce the taxes etc to decrease the domestic activity and so the expenditure

Leadership and Mentorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Leadership and Mentorship - Essay Example On the other hand, a leader is not necessarily a mentor. Although the leader has the decision-making authority yet the subordinates may not necessarily consider him competent enough to make the right decisions. Leadership may not always be like mentorship, which means that the leader may not always have a responsibility of the development of the mentees like a mentor has. For example, servant leadership is a kind of leadership in which the leader works among the followers. Followers and students comply with the instructions of leaders and mentors respectively because they know that doing so would benefit them in some way. In the workplace, workers follow their managers in order to have increments of salary and addition of benefits or to be in a superior position. In the school, students listen to the mentors because they know that their mentors control their academic career, and not complying with the instructions of the mentor might have an adverse effect on their grades. On the oth er hand, leaders and mentors may or may not have personal interest in leading the followers. It really depends upon the circumstances that vary from one case to another. For the leader of a political party, the motivation to lead is intrinsic since the leader’s personal interests are associated with that. ... Likewise, a mentor teaching in a school is just another employee who is assigned the task of teaching a certain subject to certain classes, and the performance of his students depict the effectiveness of the individual as a teacher. Hence, the goal of a leader or a mentor may or may not be of his/her personal interest. An individual can be a leader without being a mentor, but he/she cannot be a good or effective leader until he/she is also a mentor. Not many leaders are able to successfully transfer their knowledge to their followers or let them benefit from their experiences. Leadership is more about the people who are being led than the leader himself. The success of a leader is fundamentally depicted by the level of satisfaction of the followers. The privileges one gets as a leader are obtained not without one’s obligation of service. The leader assumes the prime responsibility of providing the followers with care and stewardship and assuring their well-being. This may be p erceived as the liabilities of being in the position of a leader, but this is all what leadership is about. Had the objective of safeguarding the rights and interests of the followers not been there, there would not have been any need of a leader in the first place. Mentoring is one of the job responsibilities of a leader. One’s obligation as a leader is the development of the followers’ skills and competencies so that they may optimize on their potential to play a constructive role for the progress of the organization they are working for. Without being a mentor, one cannot do justice to one’s responsibilities as a leader. Similarities between Mentorship and Leadership There are many things that a leader and a mentor have in common. The first and the most

International Monetary Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Monetary Economics - Essay Example From the Keynesian identity it can be deduced that the current account deficit is caused by the reduction of the private spending and a large budget deficit. This model was applied to the international trade by Keynes. Keynes designed this model just to deal with the current account deficit that UK was suffering from in the 1960s. Since at that time the foreign capital investment was minimal and there was a fixed exchange rate system in the UK, most of the policies of the Keynesians work according to these two conditions. The Keynesian model relies greatly on the expenditure changing policies. The expenditure changing policies are designed to change the level of spending in the domestic economy. This can be explained through the income and the adjustment model. Since the expenditure that is spent on the imports results in a loss of the money and income to the foreign countries, it is considered an injection. The Keynesian model states that in order to maintain or improve the circular flow of income it is important that the expenditure on the imports is reduced. This can be done if the income in the country is reduced. The domestic income has a direct relation with the imports of a country. This is because as the income in the country increases, there is an increased amount spent on the imports. Also the increase in the income means that the production of the country has increased. The production process may also involve raw materials that are to be imported. As a result the expenditure on the imports would be further increased. In order to reduce the expenditure spent on the imports the Keynesian policies propose the reduction of the domestic production. Since the Keynesian identity is also applicable to the domestic economy (without the net imports), the governments can reduce the government expenditure and reduce the taxes etc to decrease the domestic activity and so the expenditure

Of Mice and Men is a novel about people Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men is a novel about people Essay Of Mice and Men is a novel about people. Are there too many cripples, misfits and unusual characters in the novel to consider Steinbecks portrayal as true life? Steinbecks novel is based on ordinary people during the American Depression. Steinbeck has an understanding of how migrant workers were and how it was as he had his childhood in California near Salinas Valley. During the period in which the novel was wrote was written migrant workers went from ranch to ranch working for money never really having a secure job as new technology in machinery made it cheaper to harvest crops. This introduces the two main characters George and Lennie, migrant workers, who do not fit into 1930s society. The novel based is on characters that represent different walks of life during the period illustrating the American culture. Steinbeck portrays the American culture in a condensed version occurring only on a ranch, showing the grim truces of the society, when the novel was written In Steinbecks novel the character Candy is a man who has gone past his prime of his life. He has a stumped hand and therefore he is too maimed to be working in the fields, he can be seen as a cripple in the novel. The result of this is that he has menial job as a swamper. To represent the fears of time Steinbeck writes about Candy being worried about getting the can as a result of his unimportance on the ranch, and this is shown when Steinbeck wrote I aint much good with ony hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. Thats why they give me a job swampin This suggests that the job was only given to Candy out of sympathy. Furthermore Candy saying I aint much good shows his awareness of his own situation, being worthless to the ranch. Candy represents the aged sector that exists in every society, at the time the novel was written work was very scarce and if people were employed they would have to work hard to say in work. Candy as an aged person is on his last job, because if he loses it no one else will take him on. This is his major fear throughout the novel and Steinbeck portrays the aged migrant worker as a pathetic man with only a dog to keep him company. Steinbeck writes Candy looked a long time at Slim to try and find some reversal The above statement suggests that Candy has no authority with the other workers on the ranch and needs Slim to assist him; this shows Candy, as a cripple, has no respect from the other characters, which is a portrayal of true life during the American Depression. With the dog eat dog world of the period skill, strength, intelligence, age and skin colour affected authority. Candy has a change of attitude after hearing about the dream soon after his dog was shot, Steinbeck choosing to write the dream being heard by Candy at this point in the novel when the character had lost everything that was important, gives the cripple hope for the future as his past (with his dog) is finished. Sadly the dog is a symbol of his possible future, the fate of the aged. In a time of mass unemployment and the fear of loneliness compels Candy to latch himself onto a belief to persevere in the harsh lonely world and this gives Candy the renewed confidence. Steinbeck shows the change of Candys attitude after he hears about the dream, Candy joined the attack with joy Glove fulla Vaseline, he said disgustedly. This quote enhances the change in the character of Candy, as before he did not say anything in general conversation between the workers and at this point he was important. The verb attack shows Candys aggression against Curley, who has a higher status than Candy and is more important to the running of the ranch and is the bosses son, not a cripple and stronger. The adjective disgustedly in the quote shows that Candy is sickened by Curley and Curleys attitude to others and Candy himself. This shows Candy is more than a cripple in the story, but a character who needs an image of a better future for himself with no worries. The dream of getting a ranch of their own is the need for some security can be compared as a pension in a modern view. Once Candy has this security in the dream Steinbeck enhances the character making him bolder, and his character comes out from the shell of an old cripple. In chapter two Steinbeck introduces the reader to the character of Crooks. The name Crooks is not used for him at the start of the novel and it is only later on that he is called Crooks. The names used for him are derogatory labels including stable buck, nigger and Crooks. Throughout the whole novel the reader never finds out the characters real name, which adds to the effectiveness of the character being a misfit. Steinbeck enhances the idea of Crooks being a misfit when he writes They let the nigger come in. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger. Done pretty good, too This depicts that the other characters do not see Crooks a real human being but as an object of entertainment. Steinbeck conveys how a black man fits into the society of the period through racism. Crooks is a misfit in the novel because of his skin colour and his physical appearance, because of this he is segregated from the other workers on the ranch. This can be shown by They let the nigger come in this implies that the others do not want to be around him and that it is an important event when he does. The above quote can also suggest that Crooks wants to be sociable with the others and the word let suggests that the character has tried before. His injury to his back illustrates to the reader that he can be put into a category with Candy, as a cripple. The connection between the two is deeper than them both have a disability. Steinbeck brings them both together in chapter 4 at the start of the novel when he writes Yeah. Nice fella, too. Candy is shown to have a high regards and respect for him; Steinbeck puts them in the same situation in the novel. Candy and Crooks as cripples both need to belong to something as there is always the threat of getting the can or a similar consequence to of Candys dog. One may think that Steinbeck was trying to portray a bridge across racism in the period with a white man and black man wanting the same dream. As Crooks changes his view in the novel from being a defensive one to felling some hope about the dream too. At first Crooks attitude to little piece of land in his head is an objectionable because society has made him pessimistic and spiteful to any sign of others having some dream of happiness knowing that he can not have any because of race. However when he hears about the money he is more open and suggests he wants to be apart of it, this can be shown when Steinbeck wrote If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing- just his keep This quotes conveys Crooks hope in the dream and he wants to be apart of it to be secure and treated as an equal. The reader learns a valuable lesson from Crooks and Steinbeck portrays it effectively that society is in the wrong not that the characters. Steinbeck illustrates Crooks as being a proud son of a bitch with his tidy room but this does not make just a misfit or a cripple but he has humanity with all other blacks. Thats why a lot of time is devoted to him in the novel, his role is equally important to the social statement made by Steinbeck. The end of this key chapter with Crooks in, chapter 4, unhappily ends how it began with Crooks rubbing medicine into his back, this is a powerful message put across to the audience which may evoke the reader to think that society will not change unless we change society. Crooks had briefly gained some respect from other white males and had hope for the future, but it is when this happens that a women shattered his hopes, this would be terrible to Crooks because women were thought to be lower and weaker than men, so being put down by Curleys wife made him worth nothing, just like during the beginning of this chapter. A character that is, in essence, unusual is Curleys Wife. She is unusual because she is the only female character who speaks in this novel. Steinbecks portrayal of women in this novel is not in a good light, given that the men go to a brothel. Women typically represented as objects of sexual nature not as partners or equals but as. Curleys Wife is unusual in a way that she is the only women on a ranch full of men going around dressed to seduce, this can be shown in She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Steinbeck suggests that she is trouble by all the red in the description, with red bringing up connotations of danger. The red also can connote seduction. Steinbecks character has a habit of looking for her husband which can suggest that she is lonely and is constantly seeking attention from the other men, another reason for dressing up seductively is to conceal her loneliness, Steinbeck includes her in the novel to portray the American housewife, wanting to be something more than a housewife. This was typical during this period of social change with Hollywood and women becoming celebrities, which is exciting compared to a life on the ranch. Steinbeck effectively portrays this in He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. This implies to the reader that she wanted something more to her life than to be stuck on a ranch. This however makes her a misfit on the ranch in the novel because of her wanting a different dream to come true, but during that period people were fascinated about celebrities so the character of Curleys Wife can represent the womens struggle during the American Depression. We learn from the novel that society during that period was male orientated and that women were beginning to have their own dreams other than finding a good man to marry. Throughout the whole novel the reader is aware of Lennie being a misfit in the novel. When the reader is first introduced to this character his physical description suggests that he is misfit large pale eyes can connote the lack of intelligence, giving the sense of subdued expression, the adjective large agrees with the stature of Lennie, though the adjective pale implies the mindlessness of him. The other characters in the novel who are misfits, unusual characters or cripples have a physical or emotional problem but Lennie as one of the lead characters is different with an intelligence problem; this engages the readers sympathy as Lennie is every childlike. Steinbeck writes about the childlike behaviour of Lennie in Lennie was still smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch This quote depicts Lennies lack of social skills, like a child, which gets the character into a trouble that wouldnt have really happened in the novel if the character was not a misfit, such as what happened in Weed where he stroked the womens dress not knowing that he was doing something wrong and ended up being outcast and hunted. Steinbecks 1930s society is not tolerant of Lennie and his disability to handle a difficult social problem. Society when this novel was written is not an understanding one and Steinbeck dramatically portrays this by the fight in the novel. Steinbeck shows the reader during that period people acted too rash and unsympathetic, and Steinbeck with this novel wants people to take notice of society and for it to be more tolerant to misfits, cripples and in a sense unusual characters. Steinbeck leaves the ending of Lennie at a moderately neutral point of view; this lets one make up ones mind to know that its a tragedy. On one side that it is a tragedy that Steinbecks characters have no acknowledgment of Lennie killing Curleys Wife by accident and that he has no understanding of death and his own strength. On the other side some readers may believe that Lennie should be shot because he killed a human, even with his lack of intelligence it still make him a danger to society. Steinbeck writes his death in the place where Lennie suits best throughout the whole novel, in nature Suddenly Lennie appeared out of the brush, and he came as silently as a creeping bear moves. This quote implies that Lennie suited the environment that he was in, and the metaphor a creeping bear moves is a powerful one. In addition, it conveys the character to be almost part of nature and if he was never meant for society. As a result of this, the reader may think it is less of a tragedy as Lennie dies where he belongs. Steinbeck portrays the purpose of Lennies character of being the character that allows people to have a dream. Lennie is the one to console in and not to put down people, because he has no real understanding of how the world works. Candy and Crooks benefit from having time with Lennie as Candy has someone to talk too furthermore ensuring Candy a no opposition to joining the dream, which may not have occurred if Lennie was not a misfit to society. Crooks has someone to talk to without no prejudice as it because of Lennie being unintelligent, he did not understand the concept of racism. Lastly, Lennie ensured Curleys Wife finally got someone to talk to in the novel. Steinbecks misfit Lennie shows the flaws in society that needs to be exposed in true life. If there were more people like Lennie on the ranch (society) there would be more empathy towards others and their feelings and there wouldnt be feelings of superiority other one another. George and Lennie have a friendship that is not typical of the period in which the novel was set. Two men travelling around together and working together was unheard of, the American Depression saw people distant themselves from each other. With no security, men chose not to trust each other. Steinbeck depicts this effectively throughout the whole novel. This relationship is not typical of the era, Steinbeck shows this when he writes Guys like us, that work on the ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place. This illustrates the stereotype of the migrant worker making this unusual relationship out of place in the novel and Steinbeck wanted to show this by the effects of their relationship upon the characters. The relationship being not of true life has a sense of inevitable doom to it. Steinbeck depicts the relationship to draw other characters to it so that they can belong even though the friendship creates suspicion in; He hooked his thumbs in his belt and squinted one eye nearly closed This expresses to the reader the Boss had never seen it before and that thinks it trouble, with squinted one eye the verb creates suspicion. This clearly emphasis the idea, that the relationship sparks the plot with eventually, Lennie killing Curleys Wife. Perhaps Steinbeck shows this because he is making a social statement on the period where people just can not trust in one another or be emotionally close to each other, with out anything going wrong. George and Lennies relationship shows one how much empathy and understanding one man can have in another. Against everyone being antagonistic to the relationship George stuck by Lennie until he could no more. Steinbecks characters have a friendship that is destroyed by the attitudes in society of the period. In conclusion to this essay, Steinbeck has wrote misfits, unusual characters and cripples in Of Mice and Men to show the faults and prejudices during the 1930s American depression, in which the novel was written. Steinbecks characters portray different aspects to the life in the period. Crooks represents the life of a black man having to struggle through life being worth nothing because of skin colour, whilst Curleys Wife represents how a women struggles in a male dominant society, the male dominant society being the ranch itself. Candy symbolises the aged in the period, being old is being useless and unwanted. Though the novel has misfits, unusual characters and cripples they would not have as much affect if they were not contrast to the more stereotypical characters of the period. Curley and Carlson show the reader the bleak and lonely lives migrant workers had. The contrast has a bigger and more meaningful social statement made by Steinbeck. The writer effectively shows this at the end of the novel. Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin them two guys? This enhances the social statement made by Steinbeck, with Slim consoling George but the other more usual characters, Curley and Carlson, not coming together after the whole plot Steinbeck keeps them apart and socially distant, unaware of the situation George is in. the novel is also concluded within the novel where the image of the water snake an the heron. The whole novel is summarised, with the calmness to the heron snatching the water snake. Steinbeck implies this animal image that humans in a society live like animals and how that we have not evolved to be more tolerable of peoples differences; the consequence of this is Lennies death. Steinbeck conveys marvellously that this will keep transpiring as the heron returns to the pool to catch another water snake.

Criminology Essays | Robbery Violence Weapons

Criminology Essays | Robbery Violence Weapons Robbery Violence Weapons Introduction Armed robbery can be defined as the process of seizing property through violence which can even involve killing of people in most of the societies and involves the use of weapons. It involves the act of depriving one the right to posses his/her property through the use of force by the robbers and it’s against the law. So you will find that there is a forced intimidation which is imposed on victim/victims by the use of force. Armed robbery take many forms and a good example to explain this is when a thief grabs a purse off the victims hands while on the other hand armed robbery involves the use of violence that is the robber is forced to use weapons. But in this case whether one uses a weapon to threaten another person or whether a robber snatches ones pulse and runs away with it is a bad habit which needs to be stopped in most of the societies. This is because there is a growing case of insecurities which is happening in most of the societies and am going to try and recommend the policy of doubling the maximum prison term for the armed robbers here in Kenya. (Kennedy, 1994). Policy of doubling the prison term is the way to go This is the time the state has to fight the war of crime and the only way to do this is through putting in to action some policies which will eventually fight crimes in our state. Crimes can have its own negative impacts to the members of the state and also to the state at large. You find that more resources have been put in place to fight crimes but all these methods which have been used have all proved ineffective due to the fact that the issue of criminals is increasing day and night. Policies need to be put in place instead of putting the countries resources in trying to combat this particular behavior. Am proposing the policy of doubling the prison term for those people who are convicted with the armed robbery since I tent to think it’s through this policy that most of the criminals plus those people still wanting to become criminals will be in a position to deter their behaviors and engage in other economic activities. Doubling the prison term for the armed robbers will have many advantages than it is today. This is because through doubling the prison term, you will find that most of the people intending to become robbers will tend to decrease in that it will bring a sense of fear to most of the armed robbers. This is one of the habits which need to be stopped with immediate effect since many people have fallen victims of armed robbery whereby some people end up loosing their property or even loosing their lives. (Kennedy, 1994). People have the right to posses their own property but some people have the habit of taking their property away which is of course wrong. Every citizen of a given country should have the pleasure to be protected by the ruling government. So in order to be in a position to curb the armed robbery, the best policy to adopt in this case is doubling the maximum prison term which is given to the armed robbers. It is due to this that the country will be in a position to record a decreasing number of armed robbers in the country. So you will find that once this particular bill has been implemented, you will find that the ex- convicted felons plus those people are still planning to become armed robbers will tend to see that the state is very much serious with handling the criminals cases especially the armed robbers. The bill will also act as a warning to other criminals with similar robbery behaviors hence leading to a peaceful nation in our country. So in this case the way forward to go is only through doubling the prison term for the armed robbers since they are threatening people’s lives and properties a lot. People feel insecure and yet they are in their own country. They are supposed to be proud in their own country but instead the country has become a den of robbers whereby people are not supposed to own their own property simply because some people somewhere will take them away from them. So I tend to think that proposing the bill will mean a decreased rate of armed robbers plus other criminals on the streets and in many societies in which they come from. (Kennedy, 1994). It’s also through doubling the prison charges to the convicted people that te country will be in a position to control the use of guns by many robbers. This is because you find that most of the armed robbers use guns and the biggest question is where they accessed these guns. So you will find that if a bill is passed on doubling the prison terms for the robbers, most of the guns which are used by these robbers will tend to decline as a result of so many people who will surrender robbing other by the use of these guns. You find that most of the non military people are in possession of guns and hence they use these guns when robbing people both in the rural areas and also at the urban areas. So the best thing to try and control the issue of gun use by the robbers will at the same rime decline since those people who will be caught in possession of these guns against the law which face a serious penalty which will be imposed after the bill has been recommended. One of the most visible issues under debate today in most of the countries is that whether the federal government should regulate the possession of the firearms by most of the individuals today. Some of the methods which have been applied to regulate these firearms are by making it hard for those individuals who would wish to buy these firearms. This is achieved through the strictly selling of these arms by the members who are recognized by the federal states, by improving the safety of these guns and also by regulating sales at gun shows. So you will find that if this bill is passed, then those people who sell these guns to the robbers will not have a market to sale them. This is because there will be only a few deviants who will be willing to have these guns since they are fearing been convicted with the guns. So if the bill of doubling the prison terms for the armed robbers is passed, you will also find that less people will be in possession of these guns and hence security levels will rise. (Bridges, 2000). The economy of the country will also increase in that most of the people who were intending to become robbers will get involved in other economic activities which will lead to the economic growth of the country. This is because the populations of those criminals who have been convicted of armed robbery are so many and this labor can be used in other economic activities of our country hence leading to the economic growth. So you will find that with the passing of the bill, then many people will tend to become economically productive since most of the countries labor is been used in non economic activities like the armed robbery and threatening peoples life. People will also at the same time feel secure and have a since of been protected by their own country. This is because the citizens will be in a position to realize that the government is still doing something on the issue of insecurity which is growing at an exponential rate. It will mean that people can do their economic activities with no fear since the government in this case is taking a keen action on those people who are convicted with the armed robbery. (Lott, 2000). You will also find that the money which was used in building the prisons for these people will also decline in the sense that you will find that it’s only a few deviants who will be caught with such behaviors. You find that most of the government budget has been constraints by the issue of building more prisons to put these criminals. This is a lot of money which is actually going to waste and could be used in other economic activities. This is because the legislature only needs to pass the bill and start working immediately. This is because you find that most of the criminals have already adapted to been in the prisons for quite a short time and hence don’t usually find it a challenge for them. So you will find that if this bill is passed, then automatically it will mean that fewer individuals will be willing to get involved in such crimes since they are sure that the charges are so high for them. This bill should also go with removing fines which are given to such criminals. This will definitely ensure that many people will be deterred from such offenses and hence the government budget which was used in building prisons will now be used in other economic activities say the provision of free health services or even free education to the needy people in our society. So am trying to propose this bill to the state legislature since this is one of the best policies which the judiciary has to put in practice since many people in our societies are crying of the increased rates of insecurity levels which are also affecting their economic activities and also their standards of living. If the government put in practice this particular policy, it is the time it will notice a change in the number of criminals who are now at our prisons are more are still on the way coming since you find that in every day, someone somewhere has to be convicted of the armed robbery and the prisons are not even enough to hold all these people so the government has to take the initiativ e of constructing more prisons to hold all these criminals. (Lott, 2000) Conclusion Armed robbery is one of the crimes which require the government intervention through the state legislature, law enforcement, criminologists and prosecutors to work together towards ensuring that this behavior is curbed. The proposed prison term for doubling the prison term for those people who are convicted with armed robbery will in a way aid in deterring those individuals in the societies who are planning to commit such crimes. It is the only way forward in that if we double the prison term for them, then many people will tend to run away from the crime since no one would accept serving at the prison for more than 10 years. So it’s due to this that most of the people who are intending to become criminals in future will look for other careers since its penalties are so high for them to achieve. Reference Lott, J. (2000): More guns, less crimes: Understanding crime and gun control laws. New York, the Lindesmith Center. Bridges, G. (2000): â€Å"Crime, Social structure and criminal punishment. White and non White rates of imprisonment.† Social problems Journal, Vol. 34(4). Kennedy, R. (1994): â€Å"The state and the criminal law†. Law Review Journal, Vol. 107.

Inherit the Wind Think Piece :: essays papers

Inherit the Wind Think Piece In today’s society, where angry children shoot, bomb, and threaten their schoolmates, there exists a rather incoherent line between appropriate classroom conversation and unacceptable discussion. True, this line did not exist some years ago, but as times changed, so did certain parameters. A teacher’s freedom in the classroom is one such hotly debated question. Where should the line be drawn? What is the difference between right and wrong? These are questions that are not easily answered. Some say that we should look at each individual incident of indecent or inappropriate discussion, but really, how will these halt future conversation? In a society where our youth is incredibly impressionable, how will this put an end to the tragedies that have become so terribly regular? Some say that since the community pays teachers’ salaries, they should be the ones to decide the curriculum. But how will this prevent incidents like the one portrayed in Inherit the Wind? True, parents should absolutely have a voice in what their children are taught, but is that where the buck stops? Really, it’s not. Perhaps it is the best idea that the entire community discussion curriculums, and that means teachers, school board comities, PTAs as well as parents. Through this way, everyone can discuss what goes into the minds of our leaders of tomorrow. We will get the best of both worlds. On the subject of how much freedom does a teacher possess, that too is up to the community. And when the term community is used, that again means everyone: teachers, school boards, and parents. Maybe it would be even better if teachers were allowed to discuss things as whole. A subject should be explained in as many ways, from as many view points, as possible. Then students can decide for themselves for themselves what they believe. However, in a time when kids will take most everything literally, and then take it too an extreme, maybe this methods is not the best. If this topic were to have been discussed two years ago, perhaps the answer would be different. However, since the tragedy at Columbine High School in Colorado a couple of years ago, parameters have changed, and perhaps tightened.

Essay on Character Parallels in To Kill a Mockingbird :: Kill Mockingbird essays

Character Parallels in To Kill a Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In real life there are many different types of people, some of them are similar to one another, while others can be opposite/different, just like in the book To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee. There are many people in the book, some people are contradictory to one another (character foils), while others resemble each other (character parallels) in both good and/or bad ways. Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexander is an example of a character foil in the book. Even though they are brother and sister and grew up together, they are two people with very different views. Atticus is more easy going when he raises up Jem and Scout, for example he lets his kids call him Atticus, and let's Scout dress with the clothes that she feels comfortable in. While on the other hand Aunt Alexander is more strict, she cares a lot about family background and she wants Scout to act and dress more "lady like". Atticus views that it is his duty to do his best in the Tom Robinson trial and feels no prejudice against Tom, because he is black. While Aunt Alexander doesn't like Atticus taking the case because Tom is black, and wants Atticus to go and fire Calpurnia. Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell is another example of a character foil in the book To Kill a Mocking Bird. Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson are two completely different people in the story. They both don't have a lot of money, but Tom Robinson chooses to work hard for his money, while Bob Ewell lives off welfare and sqaunders all his money on booze and whiskey. Bob Ewell beats up on his daughter Mayella, while Tom tries to do all that he can in order to help her out. Tom says that he did not beat and rape Mayella, while Bob Ewell says that he did. Two characters that are similar to each other are Tom Robinson and Boo (Arthur) Radley. These two are similar in that there are false rumors going on about them. People accused Tom of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, and people talk about Boo, and say that he is a very violent person, when those things are both false.

A Case Study of the H.B. Fuller Case on Honduras Essay

As the CEO of the H.B Fuller Company, I have a great degree of first-hand knowledge and can honestly say that when it comes to business ethics, few American corporations have a better image than the H.B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. We are a leading manufacturer of industrial glues, coatings and paints, having won various awards, honors and inclusion in a variety of socially conscious mutual funds, all of which attest to our standing as a good corporate citizen. Recently, however, its handling of a stubborn image-staining problem has tainted our reputation. Specifically, there was illegal abuse of its shoemaker’s glue by homeless Central American children who became addicted to the product’s intoxicating and dangerous fumes (Henriques, 1995, p. 1). By ignoring this very serious issue we are indirectly saying to businesses and stakeholders, the community and society in general that we are concerned with financial gain at the expense of people’s safety. Such perceptions, however, are in direct contrast to our vision statement and it is of the utmost importance that we make all necessary changes to restore the faith of both the public and private sectors. One of the ways that this can be accomplished is through a series of commercials that address the fatal affects of â€Å"huffing† glue and which will erase the pairing of our brand name to drug use. In conjunction with various subsidized drug awareness programs, we can save costs in combating our recent negative publicity, restoring our profits and, more importantly, saving lives. A first step will be to add a warning label or disclaimer directly to each tube of glue that may be harmful if inhaled. An additional and well-documented plan is to add oil of mustard to the product, which will make it less attractive to inhale. In addition, for approximately one year a portion of our proceeds will be reinvested into programs that will provide counseling to children about the dangers of drug abuse. Furthermore, we plan to work with the local government to educate locals about financial opportunities in their area, the lack of which is the primary cause of escape and overdosing. The overriding and primary plan will be to implement a well thought out CSR (corporate social responsibility) plan, the foundation of which has been outlined above. Our vision statement ought to serve as our guide. Vision StatementH.B. Fuller’s following vision statement includes our purpose  and mission to be a leader in our industry as well as our commitment to our stakeholders:Our purpose is to deliver value to our customers using knowledgeable people and the best technologies. Our mission is to be a leading worldwide formulator, manufacturer and marketer of technology-driven specialty chemical products and related services and solutions. We are committed to the balanced interests of our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. We will conduct business ethically and profitably, and exercise leadership as a responsible corporate citizen. Our commitment is to continually:Enhance our capabilities;Expand our presence in existing markets and our brand identities;Extend our reach geographically and through new businesses;Execute our strategies with urgency and discipline;Energize our employees by creating a culture that recognizes performance, values contributions, celebrates success, and respects work-life balance (H.B. Fuller, 2006, p. 1 – 2). H.B. Fuller’s environment, health and safety efforts are guided by the following missionstatement:†We will be a responsible company with respect to the environment, health, and safety by operating in a manner that protects our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. We will provide the resources and technology to develop, implement, and maintain environmental, health and safety programs that support the achievement of company goals† (H. B. Fuller, 2006, p. 1 -2). According to our vision and mission statements we are fundamentally responsible for the way we do business, â€Å"and the company’s progressive and proactive environment, health, and safety efforts reflect this philosophy† (H. B. Fuller, 2006, p. 2). One of our primary goals is to continually progress toward reducing, and where possible, eliminating, the release of substances that cause environmental damage by the use of â€Å"periodic self-examinations of manufacturing plants which help the company identify  risks and exposures that may exist or develop, so that best management practices can be proposed and implemented† (H. B., 2006, p. 2). Corporate Environment, Health and Safety ProgramWe have already implemented a corporate Environment, Health, and Safety program, including a team of experts who provide specialized expertise to all H.B. Fuller operations worldwide. â€Å"Standardized policies and practices, often more stringent than local regulations, are implemented and managed by regional and local EHS specialists around the world (H.B., 2006, p. 2). This team will be responsible for working with local drug agencies to provide public service anouncements. According to Jeffrey, â€Å"the H. B. Fuller Company’s employee profit sharing, corporate giving and funding of a University of Minnesota chair in corporate ethics won it rave reviews from the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) community and a listing in the book The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America† (1995, p.1). Elmer L. Andersen, founder and president of the H.B. Fuller Company which he bought in 1941, was a liberal Republican who as g overnor of Minnesota pressed for new park land and human rights and helped turn Fuller into a Fortune 500 company (â€Å"E. L. Andersen,† 2004, p. 1). However, â€Å"South of the Rà ­o Grande, this transnational with 1995 revenues of $1.1 billion supplied the drug of choice to Latin American street children seeking an escape from poverty, abuse and family disintegration (1995, p.1)? As such, it is important that we instill in the children the sense that their lives are not hopeless and that they do in fact have opportunities. According to Henriques, â€Å"some child welfare advocates have demanded for years that the company add a noxious oil to its glue to discourage abusers. The company had resisted that approach, possibly because it might reduce the glue’s effectiveness, possibly because the smell would be irritating to legitimate users.† We have done all we reasonably could to prevent abuse. But by some estimates, tens of thousands of Central American children sniff some sort of glue. These kids are often called resistoleros, a reference to Fuller’s Resistol glue† (par. 1995, p. 1). This is a dangero us association, which must be erased. By speaking with local and national news media, we can insist that the media not refer to those who sniff our glue as resistoleros. Although our main consumers are shoemakers and leather workers, a vast though unknown quantity ends up under the noses  of street kids. â€Å"The adhesive’s fumes go straight to the frontal lobes, the switchboard of the brain, and to brain areas that control emotions. Resistol turns off the brain’s connection to reality, neutralizing stress, pain and fear, taking the place of parental affection. Short-term use can produce nosebleeds, rashes and headaches. It can also lead to long-term use because toluene is psychologically addictive. Chronic abuse can cause neurological damage, kidney or liver failure, paralysis and death† (par. Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1).There is no doubt that our glue was designed for shoes, not immature brains, and although we are not responsible for product abuse, we do feel a moral and social responsibility to rectify this situation. ‘We don’t sell to street children. We sell to legitimate users who are manufacturing a product,†™ says Dick Johnson, Fuller’s executive vice president for investor relations. ‘If people, children or adults, get it illegitimately, that’s a concern to us, but you’ve got to remember that’s not our main focus'† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1). In contrast, activists argue that glue makers can speak to the abuse dilemma in the manufacturing process. In 1968, the U.S. based Testor Corporation became an industry model as soon as it added mustard oil to its model airplane glue. Mustard oil made the glue difficult to inhale, dramatically reducing Testor glue abuse and sales. Confronted with rising toluene addiction ten years ago, children’s activists in Central America requested manufacturers to learn from Testor’s case. Activists did not think that the additive would get rid of inhalant abuse, because hard-core users could turn to other substances. Instead, it was argued that additives would discourage first-time users and do away with the most available inhalant. Glue makers refused (par. Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1 – 2).Consequently, the Honduran Congress passed a law in 1989 that required the addition of mustard oil to toluene-based products to which we responded with a lobbying blitz. â€Å"David Calvert, an advocate for street children in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, stated that Fuller barraged shoemakers w ith claims that mustard oil would endanger our health, a tactic he called ‘a campaign of lies'† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 2). In retrospect, the triple bottom line could actually be greater with the added mustard oil because of the positive publicity it would likely generate. In addition, by adding mustard oil, we can use this distinguishing factor as a selling point. Concerned friends and family who care about their loved ones would certainly  be more likely to purchase a product with the additive if they know it will deter the temptation for abuse. In conjunction with anti-drug campaigns we can bring the epidemic of inhaling chemicals to the surface. Once this issue is acknowledged, we can pair the additive with reduced levels of abuse. As such, there would likely be a subsidy for our commercials. We could recommend that people buy only glue with mustard oil, such as our particularly. Our lobbying campaign worked and a government commission decided that toluene products in Honduras do not have to contain any mustard oil. This resulted in controversy and poor media publicity. In 1992, a few days before NBC ‘Dateline’ was to tape a critical Fuller piece, we pledged to â€Å"discontinue its production of solvent adhesives where we are known to be abused† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 2). In addition to this, any loss of profits could be remade by concerned people who do not want their loved ones to be tempted by inhalants. EconomyHonduras’ economy has a GDP per capita of $2,050.00 (U.S.) per year (1999). It has persisted to increase gradually but the sharing of wealth continues to be quite polarized; normal wages are persistently low. Economic growth is approximately 5 percent per year. Nevertheless, several people stay below the level of poverty. It is anticipated that there are over 1.2 million unemployed people. The rate of unemployment is 28 percent. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund recorded Honduras as eligible for debt relief. This debt relief was given in 2005 (par. Wikipedia, 2006, p.1).According to the Global Business Center, U.S. GDP per capita for 1999 was roughly $30,200.00 and the GNP was $8.083 trillion (GDP, 2001, p. 1). In addition, there is greater distribution of wealth among the U.S. population as well as a democratic form of government and free economy. In contrast, Honduras has a centralized government that shows little concern for the welfare of its people resulting in poor economic growth and lack of stabilization in that country. â€Å"Both the electricity services (ENEE) and land line telephone services (HONDUTEL) were run by government monopolies, with the ENEE receiving heavy subsidies from the government because of its chronic financial problems. HONDUTEL, however, is no longer a monopoly, the telecommunication sector having been opened after December 25, 2005†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wikipedia, 2006). Although there is a somewhat overwhelming and even helpless sense of unemployment rate in Honduras, there are in fact opportunities. Regardless of education, the tourism industry is booming and if the locals are educated about such opportunities. With the knowledge of how to break into the tourism industry, kids and teenagers who are more likely to be attracted to drug abuse may realize that there are in fact other opportunities. Whether it be selling trinkets to tourists, taking them on guided tours or other opportunities, tourism can offer people from Honduras a constant flow of cash. With these opportunities the sense of hopelessness which breeds drug abuse in general and huffing of our glue in particular, will be greatly reduced. To implement such an educational program would not be very costly and could make a significant difference in many people’s lives. The Honduran government started to actively encourage tourism in the late 1960s (Ritchie et al 1965). Emphasis was placed on building three separate physical as well as cultural geographical areas which include the following: â€Å"the Mayan archeological site of Copà ¡n, the beaches and colonial history of the North Coast, and the coral reefs of the Bay Islands (ibid). La Mosquitia and the Rà ­o Plà ¡tano Biosphere Reserve were added as ecotourism became a popular world trend in the 1990s† (Rivas 1990). In the 1980s,the government of Honduras established a set of laws that established special â€Å"tourism zones.† These zones were helpful in drawing foreign investments by making available liberal tax and import enticement. Nonetheless, Article 107 of the Honduran Constitution prohibits foreign land ownership within 40 kilometers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Fonseca as well as the international borders of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Aware of this barrier, in 1990 the Honduran National Congress passed Decree Law 90/90 to permit foreign property purchases in specific tourism areas, recognized by the Ministry of Tourism. This was done to construct never-ending or vacation homes (Tourism as a Geographical Phenomenon, 2006)Regions all along the North Coast and the Bay Island were among the most well-liked for investment. Sustained speeding up of these â€Å"neoliberal† financial policies took place during the 1990s in particular with the formation of Tourism Free Zones in 1993 (Decree Number 98-93 1993). Tourism investors were give the  same benefits as the private Export Processing Zones. This includes 100 percent â€Å"foreign ownership of property, federal and municipal tax exemptions, tax free imports for any materials needed to further the industry† (Decree Number 98-93, 1993). Within the beginning five months of 1995 the tourism industry in Honduras produced $90 million US dollars, a 62 percent increase from 1994 (Durà ³n, 1995). The Bay Islands made up nearly 25 percent of this total. According to Maria Callejas de Durà ³n (1995), Senior Commercial Officer for Honduras, in 1995 tourism ranked fifth in the revenue generation for the country, but it did not reach its full potential. Despite the tourist attractions offered by the continuously warm weather, it was believed that the country still lacked supplemental motivation in the areas in which the flow of foreign visitors was the highest. â€Å"Nevertheless, with the institution of the Tourism Free Zone Law, ecotourism programs, and the national demand for additional tourism projects, she felt tourism had the potential to become the country’s leading industry (Durà ³n 1995). By 1997 tourism ranked third in foreign exchange earnings (US $ 143 million) behind coffee (US $330 million) and bananas† (US $ 239 million) (Tourism as a Geographical Phenomenon, 2006). Social ConscienceFuller claimed that that mustard oil was itself a toxic substance which cause harm to the respiratory system and mucous membranes stating that it did not make sense to add toxic chemicals to our products when our goal was to reduce overall toxicity. When asked about the Testor decision, Fuller responded ‘that maybe 50 percent of our sales of glue went down when we added oil of mustard. Were we only selling to abusers’ (par. Jeffrey, 1995).’The Fuller experience provides a textbook example of the thorny moral equations that lie beyond the simple arithmetic of the bottom line (Henriques, 1995). Did we leave themselves open for attack? Or does this case emphasize the importance of a corporation to live up its self-created image? â€Å"Fuller does repeatedly present itself as a good citizen. Year after year it sprinkles its annual reports with statements proclaiming that it has a commendable corporate conscience† (Henriques,  1995). Fuller mu st live up to its â€Å"good citizen† image if it wants to survive. â€Å"A September 1995 study by the Washington, D.C. based Social Investment Forum (SIF) found that $639 billion, or one out of every 11 professionally managed investment dollars, is held in a fund subject to some kind of ethical screen. More than 1,000 members of SIF, which includes large institutional investors, technical analysts, foundations and individual investors, pledge to invest responsibly by applying ‘honest, thorough and diligent methods of research and evaluation’ to investment picks. Interviews with SRI firms, many of which are bullish on Fuller stock, suggest that this pledge is easier to take than to practice† (Jeffrey, 1995). We are not the only company guilty of exaggerating its adherence to its â€Å"good citizen† principles. In addition, glue-sniffing is not a new issue for the makers of solvent-based adhesives. ‘The Testor Corporation added a noxious ingredient to discourage abuse of its hobby glue in July 1969. And Henkel, a German chemical company that competes with Fuller, stopped making certain toxic glues in Central America†¦in 1994†³ (Henriques, 1995) We too plan too add a similar additive to discourage such abuse. Nevertheless, our company dominates the Central American market with its Resistol brand of glue and it seems to have been singled out. If we had a lesser reputation we would be less of a target (Henriques, 1995).Finally, Fuller’s board adopted a resolution in 1992. â€Å"For years, the directors had been under pressure by a loose alliance of child advocacy groups concerned about the hazards of glue-sniffing among the homeless children of Central America. Then, on July 16, 1992, the board abruptly but unanimously voted to stop selling Resistol adhesives in Central America. As the company explained in its 1992 annual report: ‘Faced with the realizations that a suitable replacement product would not be available in the near future and that the illegitimate distribution was continuing, the Board of Directors decided that our Central American operations should stop selling those solvent-based Resistol adhesives that were commonly being abused by children'† (Henriques, 1995). Unfortunately, â€Å"by October 1992, the advocates had learned that we had not stopped selling Resistol in Central America — and did not intend to. It no  longer sold the glue to retailers and small-scale users in Honduras and Guatemala, but it did sell large tubs and barrels of it to industrial customers in those countries, and to a broader list of commercial and industrial users in neighboring countries† (Henriques, 1995). Consequently, we have since taken other steps to address the abuse. We have â€Å"changed the product’s formula, dropping the sweet-smelling but highly toxic solvent toluene and substituting the slightly less toxic chemical cyclohexane. It has tried to develop a water-based glue, which is not intoxicating. It has studied the issue ‘thoroughly and carefully’ and has contributed to community programs for homeless children in Central America† (Henriques, 1995). Many of our critics and experts in business ethics have accused the company of image polishing but â€Å"the company has been praised for a high level of corporate philanthropy, including giving 5 percent of its profits to charity in each country where it operates† (Henriques, 1995). Nevertheless, â€Å"on Jan. 3, 1995, Mr. Hendler and a co-counsel, Michael Brickman of Charleston, S.C., filed a wrongful-death claim against Fuller in state court in Dallas which was eventually dismissed. We stopped distributing solvent-based glues in Latin America on November 30, 1999. We spent the better part of the past decade trying to make our solvent-based glues harder for children to obtain and less attractive to inhale, while at the same time developing water-based alternatives (par. Kokmen, 2000). Industry watchers, however, suspected that our change in policy may also have to do with shifts in Fuller management. The president and chairman retired and I was brought in to head the firm. Another theory is that the company pulled out of Latin America for fear of litigation and poor sales due to the change in the formula (par. Kokmen, 2000). ConclusionAfter failing to keep our initial heralded promise to withdraw abused adhesives, we eventually pulled our glue off the market. â€Å"Even with such skillful management, another company might not have been able to escape further scrutiny. But Fuller has a bid advantage: Its good name, its dollars, and its employees are woven so deeply into local politics, business, media, and nonprofits that to tug at its reputation means to rip big holes into the fabric of Minnesota Nice. In addition to its network of community and business connections, Fuller has taken advantage of a key  principle of corporate relations: Get your story out first, and your critics will bear the burden of refuting it. That’s how the glue issue could be defined as a â€Å"blemish† on an otherwise spotless reputation, rather than as one of the problems created by a large, multinational chemical company† (N’Kauoa, 1993). â€Å"The solution is not for Fuller and other companies to stop selling toxic glues, but rather to help get children off the streets and into productive lives. Fuller has said previously that its goal is to help get children off the streets in Central America. It donates thousands of dollars each year to children’s groups aiding in that effort† (Kurschner, 1995). Like Central America and the Honduras, the US also has social issues such as illicit drug use and homeless children. Fuller and other companies should use their resources for improving the quality of life for the citizens of the US and Central America. And we have the money to do just that. According to Shah, Fuller’s global adhesive revenues grew 13% for its fiscal first quarter ended February 2005 and our sales were strong in Europe, as well, during the quarter (Shah, 2005). We plan to help children by introducing them to opportunities such as tourism; this will hopefully allow them to realize that there is in fact hope for the future. In partnership with anti-drug campaigns, we can raise awareness of the dangers of a inhaling glues and the benefits of buying only products that contain mustard oil and which are simultaneously less harmful. In short, we will c onvince and prove to the public that our product is safer and less likely to be abused. References Andersen, E.L. 95, Ex-Minnesota Governor. (2004, November 17). The New YorkTimes. p. A27. â€Å"GDP.† (2001, January 2). Global Business Center [Online]. Retrieved September 26,2006, from http://www.glreach.com/gbc/en/Englishphp3†³H. B. Fuller, About Us.† (2006, September 24). This is H.B. Fuller [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006, from http://www.hbfuller.com/About_Us/index.shtml#P0_0Henriques, D. B. (1995, November 26). Black Mark for a â€Å"Good Citizen.† Money andBusiness/Financial Desk: The New York Times, p. NA. Jeffrey, P. (1995, December). Glue Maker’s Image Won’t Stick [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006 from http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/fuller.htmlKokmen, L. (2000, February 9). Coming Unglued. City Pages Online [Online]. Retrieved September 26, 2006, fromhttp://www.citypages.com/databank/21/1001/article8414.aspKurschner, D. (1995 July/August). Product Liability: Is Resistol Too Sticky For H. B. Fuller To Handle: Litigators want to paste company with â€Å"wrongfuldeath† suit over child’s misuse of product. Business Ethics [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2006, from http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/ethics.htmLee, L. (1996, August 30). Free, unlimited energy brightens rural Honduras — but at acost. Honduras This Week [Online]. Retrieved September 26, 2006 from,http://www.marrder.com/htw/aug96/national.htmlN’Kaoua, L. (1993, August 11). The Sweet Smell of Success (Part 2 of 2) [Online]. Retrieved September 23, 2006 from,http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/citypg2.htmlShah, V. (2005, September 28). Prices Rise, But So Do Costs. Chemical Week, 167, 42Honduras. (2006, September 24). Wikipedia Encyclopedia RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras