Boiler Room

Boiler Room Boiler room is a story about a college dropout name of Seth. He likes the feeling of earning fast money, therefore he decided to quit school and start an underground casino in his apartment with a few of his friends. However, his father, who is a federal judge, finds out about the casino. His father then commends him to close down the casino and search for a real job. Seth wants to regain respect and approval from his father, and fortunately he got introduce to a stockbroker company J. T. Marlin. Seth has a great talent in this job and he becomes the best trainee in the firm. He works under the senior brokers, and starting to adapt to the â€Å"Always be closing† philosophy, which means he never take no as the answer and will keep convincing the customers until he objective is reached. Very soon, Seth becoming a successful broker and neglect all the unethical issues he is committing. He not only sells stocks to the rich â€Å"whales†, he also drags the poor workers that can barely afford a new house into the scam. Unfortunately, Seth discovers the truth about the numerous stocks sold by the firm and realizes J. T. Marlin is a boiler room that sells non-profitable stocks. And start to realize that all these times he is forcing customers to buy something that they don’t want or cannot afford. There are quite a few of unethical dilemmas throughout the movie. First of all, Seth and his firm are selling non-profitable stocks to rich people that are interested in high return investment. Moreover, J. T. Marlin teaches their employees to tell untrue statement about the stock and the company in order to attract the clients’ interest toward the stocks. The drug that helps infants to develop is one of the examples they mention in the movie. Also, at the middle of the movie, once the brokers see the rip increase, they will try to push the customers even harder in order to make a fortune for themselves. Furthermore, the more skillful Seth becomes, the more we can see Seth is using different powerful persuasive techniques in order to catch the attention of the clients. On the other hand, it is very unethical for Seth to drag the poor people into buy stock that will never be profitable, because they are selling stock for companies that don’t exist. However, there is still an ethical side of Seth. For example, he tries to protect his father from losing his job due to try to help Seth from trying to get back J. T. Marlin. He also agrees to work with the FBI to raid J. T. Marlin so that no more victims will fall into their scams. And most of all he helps Harry, the poor investor, to get his life saving back in the end. So it is nice to see Seth changes his mind and try to become clean in the end.

‘Stand Up Tall’ by Dizzee Rascal Evaluation Report

There are several features to our production which were included based on research in past examples. To try and create authenticity with our production became one of the aims because of he style of research done and its extensiveness on past examples. One key feature was the speed of the edited scenes. Researched examples always included a fast paced style and this was incorporated. This not only meant scenes of shorter but it increased the length of times given to develop the story. The increased number of scenes due to the nature of the music led to a development in the story which could be told to make up this number and to make up the duration of the track. One of the key strengths of our production I feel is the way in which it closely relates to its genre. With the speed of editing, the urban locations chosen and the ethnicity of the characters involved, it was a very genre specific video. One weakness however I feel is the lack of varying camera angles. Close ups were used a large percentage of the time. Understandably, due to the videos narrative nature and the fact that there are no scenes which involve speech embedded in our video, or cut-scenes, it is difficult to correctly convey feelings or reactions without needing to focus on a characters expression. However, there are more ways to do this. High angle shots can signify authority and low angle shots the adverse. Establishing shots could be used to set a whole scene to the audience. If we were given the chance to do it again, I would greatly vary the amount of types of shots used. It is important to add variety to the style of camera work to increase the size of the parameters for creativity, which is what the narrative style of our video did indirectly. An example in our video where more camera angles could have been incorporated is the scene which shows the phone call between Tariq, the main character, and his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Although the camera work here is good and it conveys successfully the message it wants to, it doesn't vary in camera angle between the two characters. It tends to stay with medium close ups. In a video I analysed called ‘Stand Up Tall' by Dizzee Rascal, the artist is in a majority of the shots but is seen from different angles such as over the shoulder, long shot, medium close ups and close ups. I think our group could have worked better as a team. The main flaw was our inability to meet up, discuss ideas and become all aware as to which stage of production we are at. We at times thought different things were occurring and we didn't all pull in the same direction until towards the end of production when editing. These are the sessions where we worked well as a group. When editing, we looked at the production and any idea brought up by one of our group members were considered. This process happened several times and this ensured us that we were all happy with the final production. Another disappointing thing about our group was the lack of met deadlines. However, this directly came as a consequence as a lack of deadlines set. Although the work was shared between the group, it was very disorganised as to when it should be done. It was very difficult for this reason to know whether we were ahead or behind schedule with the only dates determined was the final deadline for all work. Although I have no first hand experience as to how a real film production team works, I assume due to the scale of their work and the time they spend on it that they would be much more organised than we were. I feel a real film production team would make a priority a schedule to refer back to as to what should be done before a certain stage but we failed to do this. BBFC's film classifications detail parameters to meet a certain certificate. We wanted our production to be available for viewing pre-watershed and this meant it could not involve any swearing, scenes of nudity or scene of extreme violence. Our production met these criteria. I had decided to show ten members of our audience a screening of our music video in an attempt to establish how these members would appreciate its qualities and informs us of some flaws. I was happy with many of the responses because they were intelligent answers. I decided to outline nine features of our work and asked then on the questionnaire to circle one of the words excellent, good, satisfactory, disappointing and poor. And then there was a tenth open ended question asking them to detail how well they felt it went with the genre of music. The results of this investigation were positive. According to our results, our camera work and mise-en-scene features were very good. This could be down to the emphasis this took when deciding to produce a narrative music video with the absence of speech. The quality of our editing was though of well also. This could be down to the way we each combed through thr music video when editing and discussed ideas thoroughly during the editing process. However, one thing which disappointed was the lighting. It was at times unclear as to what was happening due to the poor lighting at times. The responses to the open ended question at the end of the production was positive. The most mentioned feature which related it to past examples was the use of scenes, synchronised which changes in the beat of the music and mentioned to speed of the editing. The synchronization of the beat to scenes was apparent in the very beginning when the door closes as the heavy beat drops in the music. And the fast paced editing came about as the research into previous examples showed us that it was important to music and music videos of this genre.

How does Shakespeare present love and hate Essay

Shakespeare wrote the play of two lovers’, Romeo and Juliet. Thought to be, one of the greatest, tragic love stories of all time, however, throughout the play, Shakespeare contrasts love with hate at every possible moment. The two themes, love and hate, are like twins separated at birth, brought up in different backgrounds, a totally different society. Combining these two themes, creates curiosity into how ‘a pair of star crossed lovers’ and an ancient feud of two rivalry family’s, can come to together to present, a great and unforgettable love, with fate bringing them to their death. At the beginning of each act, there is a chorus. This device, is used to inform the audience of the events to follow in the next act, it is written in the sonnet form, which was popular at the time the play was written. Writing in this form, creates suspense and leaves the audience anxious to see the next act. At the beginning of act 1 the prologue reads, â€Å"from forth the fatal loins of these 2 foes. A pair of star crossed lovers take their life† here we have love and hate side by side from the beginning. It tells the audience that, regardless of the hate of the two families, a pair of young lovers will do whatever it takes to be together. The prologue is very formal and solemn, it is written like this to create tension. So when the play begins, two servants, from the house of Capulet enter, they talk about fighting and raping the Montague’s, â€Å"I will push Montague’s heads from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall†. So straight away the audience immediately sees hatred being portrayed. Then they see some Montague servants, and decide to start a fight, â€Å"I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list†. A fight then begins. However when Benvolio enters the mood drastically changes, as we begin to see the first signs of love and peace, as he tries to break up the fight. â€Å"Part fools! Put up your swords you no not what you do.† No sooner have  these words of peace been spoken, hate is brought straight back into play, with the entrance of Tybalt! Who forces Benvolio to fight. Then enters Capulet and Lady Capulet, and Montague and Lady Montague. Here we see the love and hate intertwining with the men wanting to fight, but their wives are holding them back, during which the prince enters. Immediately the fighting stops. Here you see the superiority of the prince as he threatens everyone, â€Å"if you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace†. All this of course happening in the street, creating chaos amongst the town. This presents the feud being not just between the two families, but the whole town, as we are shown, during the fight, with citizens of the town willing to join in fighting both Montague’s and Capulet’s, â€Å"Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! Beat them down! Down with the capulets! Down with the Montague’s!† Which portrays more hatred! During the play we see a lot of respect being portrayed, a lot of it within the two families, for instance in act 1 scene 1 when Benvolio is talking to his uncle (Montague)†My noble uncle† although this is perceived as respect, it could also be perceived as love. Whereas in act 1 scene 5 when Tybalt is arguing with his uncle (Capulet) although he shows him respect by listening to his wishes, he has hate burning inside of him, this both for his uncle and Romeo, â€Å"Patience performance with wilful choler meeting Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting†. There is also respect shown for the Prince, â€Å"the prince came, who parted either†. At the time the play was written, arranged marriage was very common. People did not marry for love, but for wealth. Juliet’s parents arranged for Juliet to marry. They shouldn’t have, as Juliet was only young and was very vulnerable. Juliet was also still a child and still growing up, she wasn’t ready to marry, but her mother and father thought at Juliet’s age ‘happy mothers are made’. The play is set in Verona, Shakespeare set it there, because he was trying to describe an exotic place, were the audience could believe a tragic love story might happen. During the play we come across many types of love, The Montague’s love for their son is one of them. We are shown of their concern  for Romeo, very early on in the play, â€Å"Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, we would as willingly give cure as know.† Another type of love is Benvolio’s love for his cousin, â€Å"so please you, step aside; I’ll no his grievance, or be much denied.† All these types of love were within the family. One, which was not, was Romeo’s ‘supposed’ love for Rosaline, â€Å"I do love a women†. At the end of act 1 scene 1, Romeo enters and explains of his undying love for Rosaline, the only problem is, she does not like Romeo and rejects his love, â€Å"she’ll not be hit with cupids arrow†. In act 1 scene 2, Benvolio suggests that Romeo should go to the Montague’s masked ball to take his mind off Rosaline, so he can compare other beautiful girls with Rosaline, and realise that she’s not that nice after all, â€Å"At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s†¦and I will make thee think thy swan a crow.† Romeo agrees to go but only so he can admire Rosaline, â€Å"I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own.† When at the masked ball, Romeo catches his first glance of Juliet, he immediately falls in love with her, without a second thought for Rosaline, â€Å"did my heart love till now?† Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.† Romeo speaks in sonnet form, which is typical for lovers, and uses rhyming couplets, â€Å"so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.† Straight after this, Shakespeare brings hate back into the play with Tybalt. Tybalt despises the Montague’s, so when Tybalt hears Romeo’s voice at ‘his’ party, â€Å"This by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy.† The mood changes rapidly back to hate. Tybalt informs Capulet, who tells him to ignore him. Tybalt is furious by his uncle’s wishes, and swears revenge on Romeo, â€Å"I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall.† In the flash of an eye lid, the hate is turned back into love when Romeo approaches Juliet. Romeo uses parts of the petrachan tradition. He uses lots of imagery related to religion. â€Å"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this† The love that is being portrayed towards Juliet is true love, unlike his ‘supposed ‘ love for Rosaline. We believe Rosaline was a ‘crush’ as he had never actually spoken to Rosaline, only gazed at her from afar. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, when presenting Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting, in that the audience no what is happening but the  characters don’t i.e. the audience no that they are from rivalry families but Romeo and Juliet do not, as it is a masked ball. The nurse, who brought Juliet up, was more like a mother than her real one. When she calls for Juliet, Romeo asks her who this beautiful girl is that he has fallen madly in love with, when he realise he is in love with his only enemy, â€Å"My life is my foe’s debt† he feels like he has no power, and Juliet’s response is much the same, â€Å"my only love sprung from my only hate. Too early seen unknown, and known too late.† The only people she hates brought the only person she loves, into the world, and now that she knows who he is, it’s too late to change anything, because it was love at first sight. In conclusion, Shakespeare contrasted both love and hate during act 1 scene 1 and act 1 scene 5, to create a strong beginning to the play. He presented love and hate in many different ways, but always alongside each other, intertwining throughout. He keeps these two themes combined together, through the rest of the play.

Colonialism in Southeast Asia and the Austral and Pacific Realms Essay

Colonialism in Southeast Asia and the Austral and Pacific Realms - Essay Example However, though the Philippines became subjected to another power, they still maintained some of their native belief systems. Colonization of the Philippine realm was due to its potential in commercial success with other countries. During the 18th century, the Spanish population was significantly less but soon the population started expanding. Intermarriage of the Spanish and the Philippines led to the growth of a very strong community that became the most powerful politically and economically (McCoy, 2001). A consequent growth of the Spanish community in Philippine later took over the Philippine realm. Spanish colonization of the Philippine realm did not face confrontation by indigenous states supported by aristocracies, bureaucracies, or religious organization contrast to other European colonizers elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In addition, the Spanish rule over the Philippines defined the modern state of the Philippines in matters concerning the social, religious, and ideological underpinnings. The Spanish rule over the Philippines had less impact to them economically. However, there was a considerable impact on the people politically and religiously. To have full control of the Philippine realm, the Spaniards gradually abolished hereditary nobility and dignity, limited power to Philippine chiefs, encouraged slavery and subsequently secured themselves high aristocratic positions in the state. Since Philippine had a history of economical flourish, the Spaniards took this as an opportunity to excel, expand, and uplift their country’s economic status (Lockard, 2006). They used water to transport silver, gold, and other materials of exchange to Europe where it graced the lives of the European elite. Philippine consequently turned to a regional trading area in Southeast Asia. The key reason that enabled the Spaniards to colonize Philippine was the close relationship the state had with the church. Spain being a Christian realm wanted to convert

Database management systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Database management systems - Research Paper Example Organizing and maintaining such enormous amount of data in only papers is almost impossible. If back up is not maintained properly, the business might lose critical information which could lead to losses. Thus, the migration of existing and current data to cloud based platform will require well defined architecture as well as strategies. The cloud database model should have specific objectives in line with policies of the organization. The model should also include sufficient security, encryption, and control over information which will be transferred. The biggest challenge lies in maintaining the balance between speed of data transfer, cost of data transfer, data accuracy and consistency. If all these aspects of cloud database management are not ensured then the consequences could be data loss, wrong location data placement or data alteration during transfer process. Even though cloud based computing platforms are becoming popular, especially for e-business and MNCs, due to cost eff iciency, there are issues related to data safety, speed and security. The objective of this paper is to critically analyze the cloud database by pointing out disadvantages of cloud data. Introduction and Background of the Research The cloud computing technology has been receiving significant attention in the market lately. For many sectors and companies in various industries, cloud is not just an umbrella for marketing but a consolidated technology that offers grid computing, SAAS (software as a service), distributed computing, and so on. There are many companies that offer cloud services including Amazon RDS and Microsoft SQL Azure. A cloud database is basically a database management system that runs on cloud computing platform (Curino, pp.1-2). Some of the cloud computing platforms are Go Grid, Amazon EC2, and Rack space. (Source: Curino and et.al, n.d, p.2) The main vision on the basis of which cloud computing was developed is based on certain key features that cloud database is expected to perform. Some of the important features that was kept in mind while creating cloud data platform were data storage, processing, software installation, software delivery from local servers and desktops across various networks. The key concept was that the target users must get access to remote data from anywhere at any time without requiring to carry a hard drive or other storage device. The concept was created to free big corporations from generating own power and capital investment. Thus, the most important candidate of cloud computing is the database management applications. The main reason behind this is that large corporations spend huge sum of money to safely manage enterprise data which involves upfront investment in both hardware and patented software services. The advantage that the different enterprises would get from cloud computing is that they could reduce their annual data management cost significant with the help cloud database. By using cloud data the comp anies will not have to install, own and maintain dedicated expensive software packages. The reason is that cloud computing service providers or vendors provide their customers with virtual machines or platforms from where the customer will be able to install and manage software services without having to own and store a version in their

Police System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Police System - Essay Example The conclusion of this research detailed that without law enforcement there would be many unfavourable consequences for those in British society. The role of the police officer is concluded as being one of the most essential and crucial in a societal atmosphere within the country of Britain. From a historical perspective and dating back to 1962, the role of 1British police officers has been that of a civil, and peace keeping community official more so than anything else. The police are in the communities for a number of reasons and their purposes are so numerous that there really is no way to define just one of their roles. It is best known that the police have developed a well-meaning and defined relationship with the generalized public due to the fact that they are always readily available to assist when needed, even if it is for a minute reason. Furthermore, from a political standpoint, foreigners who have had the opportunity to visit the country of Britain have commented on the quality of the police force as well, making note that they provide some of the most proficient and high quality services in maintaining social control throughout the world. Although the British police force is not unique in their ability to maintain social order, they have been found to be on e of the main legal forces that have developed and expanded throughout the decades. The main differences in Britain's policing system in comparison to other countries are the fact that their legal remedies stem from common law practices that have been passed down through history. The philosophy of the British police force is in allowing for a "2community policing itself", and for police presence to be in the communities when it is needed. This ideal has not changed that much in the past decades but indeed, there have been many reforms in the British police force that have developed it into becoming what it is today. Due to globalization and the entering of other ethnicities into the country of Britain, the British police force has had to learn how to police specific cultural areas. This is due to many cultural beliefs and various ideas having unique qualities about them and therefore policing can not be handled in the same way with all cultures. An example of how the police have ada pted to this idea is evidenced in how effective they have been since the mid 1950's when they first were exposed to having to police the communal society of Sri Lanka3 Firstly, when a new ethnicity is intertwined with another culture within a country there is the issue of safety and trust that comes into play. It has been found that some cultures attempt to use the idea of discrimination against the police in order to try and detract from correct policing in a minority community, such as like Sri Lanka. However, British

Overview of The Republican Theory Research Paper

Overview of The Republican Theory - Research Paper Example The Republican idea of freedom encompasses negative liberty, which in essence, roughly encompasses no interference by other individuals or even at least any interference that may be deemed to have been negligent, sufficiently intentional, indifferent or reckless to count as culpable or blameworthy. The notion of a republican liberty can thus be seen to be negative as is the case with the standard liberal idea. The way republicans perceive freedom has roots which can be traced back to the day of the Roman republic. According to the Romans, the simple fact of one not suffering any interference did not warrant to be considered as liberty, they argued that one could in effect be a slave without any master whatsoever, but still be viewed as not being free. According to the Romans, being free was to be of equal or even full party to the Roman law, a free person was an individual who happened to be protected in the same respect as all other persons by the Roman law and in effect was considered to be wholly incorporated as a citizen into the Roman body politic (Braithwaite & Pettit, 2002). Under the republican theory, a person could be considered to fully enjoy negative liberty if the person happens to be exempted from all the constraints that may happen to be imposed by the blameworthy or intentional actions of others in choosing specific given options. These options may include things such as hobbies which he is able to perform with his own intelligence and strength, in effect, these options are those things that the person is capable of doing without any benefit from any unique circumstances or from any of his colleagues. An individual may be said to enjoy full dominion if the person happens to enjoy the same prospects of liberty as all the other citizens, if it is common knowledge to all that the person enjoys this

Team Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Team Leadership - Assignment Example Harnessing these and getting them to work in tandem is the most difficult thing as it involves convincing people to forego their differences for the good of the company. Not everyone can do this, and this is the reason why companies have different positions, which mandate occupants to mobilize those under them. Those assuming these positions are referred to as team leaders, team leaders are mandated with the responsibility of mobilizing team members. They should also work towards a defined goal which may be either the company’s goal or a means to a company goal. Team leadership, on the other hand, is not about an individual it is about a process, a process which can be led by either one of the team members or can also be led from the outside. In fact, there are four potential sources of team leadership; formal internal leadership, formal external leadership, informal internal leadership and informal external leadership. This brief insight into team relations and team leadership is important in evaluating the various problems facing Global-tech Company where I happen to work. In the past few months, there have been continuous wrangles within the company teams. This is alarming as the effects of these misunderstandings will soon spill over to the company performance. This is worrying because business has been exemplary given the ensuing economic conditions. The ones active and very motivated teams have slowed down and their morale has taken a dip; differences have emerged on what is wrong and what is right in regard to culture and communication. There are also technical differences like utilization of technological equipment. Well and beyond these challenges employees have also become selfish and all these challenges have made it impossible for people to relate well.

Taxation and you must use Ireland taxation to do this essay

Taxation and you must use Ireland taxation to do this - Essay Example Failure to retain it, it will expose Sonya to parents original CGT that was evaded by Retirement Relief and any CGT liability on their own disposal. This implies that there will be no capital gains tax liability when Tom transfers the business to Sonya. Disposal of shares in family trading company to Sonya will require standard qualifying conditions, control voting rights requirement and working directorship for 10 year and 5 year periods. Sonya must also own 25% or more of the voting rights in the company or own 10% or more of the voting rights in the company. In addition, the family must own 75% or more which includes the individual’s own 10% throughout the 10 year qualifying period. ii) The transfer of the business to the local businessman is also qualifying since Sonya is above 55 years and it involves the transfer of shares in the family trading company. Disposal to others are exempt from CGT if the gross sales proceeds from qualifying assets during the individual’s lifetime from the age of 55 onwards does not exceed â‚ ¬750,000. In the case of sale to the local businessman, the amount of 850,000 exceeds the set limit of 750,000. The capital gains tax liability will be calculated as follows b) If Tom transfers his business to his daughter, there will be no capital gains tax liability, but when he sells the business to the local businessman there is a capital gains tax liability of 50,000. This can be analyzed in the sense that an increase in the capital gains tax liability minimizes tax liabilities. Therefore, Tom should consider selling the business to the local businessman so that he can minimise the tax liabilities. It will also help to minimise the requirements of directorship and control of voting rights. There is no consideration if Sonya agrees with Tom to take over the business now since it is within the family and she has worked for 5 years plus the current year. However, if Sonya

Northern Ireland History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Northern Ireland History - Essay Example This is what will be dissertated in the following. When discussing the history of Ireland, the 'peace process' is generally considered to cover those events which lead up to the 1994 IRA ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of The Troubles, the Belfast (or Good Friday) Agreement, and subsequent political developments. The history of Ireland in regards to the peace process as well as the ongoing battle and strenuous struggle for peace in the modern world is one of great detail and significant complexity. The Good Friday Agreement was reached in Belfast on Friday, April 10, 1998; it was signed by the British and Irish (Republic of Ireland) governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. The agreement said that Northern Ireland should remain within the UK so long as that was the wish of the people living there; but that the British and Irish governments would give effect to arrangements for a united Ireland if that should become the wish of the people of the province. The basic ideal of the plan is that it sets out a plan for devolved government in Northern Ireland on a stable and significantly exclusive basis, while also providing for the creation of Human Rights and Equality commissions. Such things as the early release of terrorist prisoners, the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and other far reaching reforms of criminal justice and policing are also included in this agreement. The main provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are as follows: The principle that the constitutional future of Northern Ireland should be determined by the majority vote of its citizens A commitment by all parties to 'exclusively peaceful and democratic means' The establishment of a Northern Ireland Assembly with devolved legislative powers Creation of a 'power sharing' Northern Ireland Executive, using the D'Hondt method to allocate Ministries proportionally to the main parties Creation of a North-South Ministerial Council and North-South Implementation Bodies to bring about cross-border cooperation in policy and programmes on a number of issues Establishment of a British-Irish Council, composed of representatives from the governments of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, to discuss areas of common concern Conditional early release within two years of paramilitary prisoners belonging to organizations observing a ceasefire Establishment of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission A two year target for decommissioning of paramilitary weapons The abolition of the Republic's territorial claim to Northern Ireland via the modification Articles 2 and 3 of its constitution New legislation for Northern Ireland on policing, human rights and equality Normalization of security measures, e.g. closure of redundant army bases Police reform. Undertaken by the Patten Commission (1998-1999) Equality of social, economic and cultural rights of all ethnic communities e.g. official recognition of the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages as equal to English (Wikipedia, 2006). The executive of a new regional government, which should have been installed in April of 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday agreement, is instead held in a state of frozen animation. "Pro-British Unionist refused to sit in government with Sinn Fein, an Irish

Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay Depiction of human figures have dramatically changed through time. It was in sculpture that human physical dimensions were visibly illustrated. There have been many variations of the human body shown from the prehistoric to the modern period. In this research, three sculpture namely: statute of Gilgamesh, the Moschophoros and the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta will be used to trace the progression of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilgamesh was   the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh wherein he was portrayed as half god and half human. His personality was the representation of all the virtues of humans. In the statue, Gilgamesh was shown holding a lion in a headlock position wherein his arm was protected by the â€Å"chain-mail robe† (Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria). Meanwhile, the other hand was gripping a snake.   These portrayals symbolized Gilgameshs warrior and royal status. The body was irregularly depicted because of the   disproportion of the upper and lower body.   The torso seemed intentionally elongated making the waist line looked low. However, since the statue is an example of a Gargantuan statue, they type of perspective would make a difference in the alteration of the figures proportions (Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Calf-bearer or the Moschoporos is the interpretation of a Greek specifically a rich Attican who was about to sacrifice a calf as an offering to the goddess Athena. The figure was clothed with a thin cloak that outlined the structure of the body resulting to a partially nude sculpture. The animal was put around the figures shoulders with his hands clutched on the hooves. More so, muscular details were evident in the abdomen area. Many details were present on the face of the human figure. The curls of his hair took the shape of pearls or corals that framed his forehead while a closed small mouth with a curved beard and â€Å"deep-set eyes† accented the whole face (Atlantis International â€Å"The Acropolis Museum†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta signified Augustus military supremacy. Historically, the statue was believed to be created as a sign of the commemoration of the triumph of the Romans against the Parthians. Unlike other Roman leaders, Augustus was   depicted as a mere man and not the traditional deified god (Ramage â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue †). The head of the statue contained details that were very recognizable such as the broad head with a Primaporta styled hair, full close mouth, keen ridged eyebrows, smooth round chin and   pointed nose highlighted. The breastplate with intricate graphical details and the hand in an upright position signified his authority. Meanwhile, the presence of the robe suggested the godliness of Augustus and the cupid riding a dolphin emphasized the divinity of the â€Å"founder of Venus and Italy namely the Julian family to Aeneas† (Ramage â€Å"Description of the Statueà ¢â‚¬ ).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among the three sculpture, the Roman portrait of Augustus was the most defined in terms of human form. It exactly depicted the human characteristics from top to bottom. The statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer have some distortions in the body image making it look disfigured. In the statue of Augustus, it had a sense of movement while the statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer appeared stiff. Also, the Gilgamesh lacked the three-dimensionality because of the awkward position of the legs and arms while the Calf-bearer compared to the former achieved more proportion because of the smooth construction of the muscles in the body. It is evident that from the Archaic period to the time of the Romans, human figure developed from a god-like depiction like the Gilgamesh to a more real person represented by Augustus. However, the concept of the sanctity of gods and goddesses were prevalent in the three sculptures. Overall, the sculptures showed the progress in depicting the human body from being disproportionate to a perfect formation of the shape and movement of the whole body. Works Cited Glimore, Tom. â€Å"Ancient Sumeria.†1999. T Byron G Publishing. 27 March 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.anticipation.info/texte/gilmore/Tom  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   %20Gilmore/www.tomgilmore.com/sumeria.htm. Ramage. â€Å"Description of the Statue.† (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prima Porta   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://web.mit.edu/21h.402/www/primaporta/description/. Ramage. â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue.† (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prima Porta http://web.mit.edu/21h.402/www/primaporta/context/reflection/. â€Å"The Acropolis Museum.† (2006). Atlantis International.   27 March 2008     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://madeinatlantis.com/athens/acropolis_museum.htm.

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay Example for Free

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay I. Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), it represents the momentous transformation of the U.S. health care system. Its main goal is to decrease the amount of uninsured citizens as well as to reduce the overall costs of health care. It is a vastly complex reform that will affect many people in aspects of their health care, costs, and the country. There are many opinions about how this reform will affect the nation, some saying it will make us better off, others saying we will be worse off, and those who do not think it will make a difference. But regardless of these opinions, what the majority does agree on is that these laws may be difficult to understand and that many are not even aware of these changes. There are many problems that the health care industry is facing. The cost of health care may arguably be the most important factor that people are concerned about. Many think that health care policies and premiums are too expensive. Coupled with the fact that our population is aging, meaning that there will be more elder people with more health problems, health care costs are rapidly growing and take up a huge chunk of the federal budget. There are also many loopholes within the current health care system. Individuals who are looking to buy insurance can be denied based on their pre-existing conditions. Some insurance policies even have a lifetime limit on benefits. What all these examples basically sum up is that the people who are in need of health care the most are those who are also the most unlikely to be insured, or are under insured. In an attempt to address these issues, the PPACA and Reconciliation Act were established. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act was enacted to amend the PPACA. It is divided into two titles, one addressing the health reform and the other addressing student loan reform. It makes changes to some parts of the PPACA. That is why many people commonly refer to the overall health reform as just the PPACA. The most noted change this brings  is that it requires almost all citizens to have health care insurance, or to pay a penalty. Some examples and cases regarding this issue will be discussed later on. The PPACA also considerably expands public insurance as well as funds private insurance coverage. It will close loopholes such as setting life time limits as well as making it illegal to reject coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. In terms of affordability, the PPACA will expand Medicaid to cover low-income families and individuals across the nation. It also aims to cut down and reconstruct Medicare spending, which will be the main focus of this paper. II. The Impacts of the PPACA and HCERA on Medicare and Health Physicians The PPACA is made up of 10 titles. I will be discussing selected provisions in Titles II, III, IV, and V regarding Medicare. These include program modifications and payment to Medicare’s fee-for-service program, the Medicare Advantage, prescription drug programs, Medicare’s payment process, changes to address, waste, fraud, and abuse, and other miscellaneous Medicare changes. As for the HCERA, the first title has provisions detailing health care and revenues. Subtitle B of Title I involves provisions that change provisions PPACA relevant to those listed above (Medicare Advantage, fee-for-service, and prescription drug programs). Subtitle D has provisions regarding decreasing fraud, abuse, and waste in Medicare. Subtitle E discuses revenue related provisions such as a provision that changes Medicare tax provision in PPACA. A. Impacts on Medicare According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the provisions in PPACA as amended by the HCERA will reduce direct spending by an estimated $390 billion (CRS, 2010). The provisions that are predicted to produce the largest savings include the following: (1) developing an Independent Payment Advisory Board to create changes in Medicare payment rates is presumed to save about $16 billion (2) decreasing Medicare payments to hospitals that aid a vast number of low-income patients, is expected to reduce expenditures by an estimated $22 billion (3) permanent deductions to Medicare’s fee-for-service payment rates (4) changing the high-income adjustment for Part B premiums, and (5) making maximum payment rates in Medicare Advantage closer to spending in fee-for-service Medicare. However, it is critical to  note that these are just estimates. Medicare is made up of four parts that are each accountable for paying for various benefits, dependent on different eligibility criteria. Under traditional Medicare, Part A and Part B services are usually paid by a fee-for-service basis (services supplied to a patient is reimbursed through a separate payment). Part A supplies coverage for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services, inpatient hospital services, hospice care, and home health care, which are subject to some limitations. Provisions that reduce Part A spending make up a large part of the savings related to this legislation through either payment changes or constraining payment updates. PPACA will alter Medicare’s payment updates to Part A hospitals to account for cost savings, which will significantly reduce Medicare spending in the next 10 years. Under PPACA (Title III Subtitle A Section 3001), beginning for discharges on October 1, 2012 hospitals will acquire value-based incentive payments from Medicare. The first year of the value based purchasing (VBP) program will aim at collecting data and assessing performance. Starting in 2013, adjustments to hospital payments will be made based on performance by the VBP program. There will also be VBP standards established (i.e. levels of improvement and accomplishments), as well as a method for assessing how hospitals perform. Hospitals with the highest score will obtain the biggest VBP payments. Those that meet or go beyond the standards are able to receive an increased DRG payment for each discharge within the year. However, to provide for these VBP incentive payments the DRG payments will be reduced by a certain percentage: 1.0% in 2013; 1.25% in 2014; 1.5% in 2015; 1.75% in 2016; and 2.0% in 2017. An alternate choice to receive covered benefits would be Medicare Advantage (MA). Private health plans are paid a per person amount to supply all Medicare-covered benefits to those who enroll in the plan under MA. The payments made to MA plans are decided by comparing the maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits with a plan’s cost of providing those required benefits. If the plan’s cost is below the maximum, then it is paid  the cost plus a rebate equal to 75% of the difference to the maximum. But if the plan’s cost is above the maximum, then it is paid and must also charge the enrollee the difference between the cost and the maximum. PPACA modifies how the maximum payment is decided. Beginning in 2012, it will implement benchmarks (maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits) calculated as a percentage of per capita FFS Medicare spending. It will also increase benchmarks depending on the quality of the plan. Those with a high quality rating will get an increase in their benchmark while new plans or those with lesser enrollments may also qualify to get an increase. PPACA will also vary the plan rebates based on quality with new rebates set from 50% to 70%. In regards to changes affecting Medicare’s prescription drug benefits, the health reform makes a few changes to the Medicare Part D program. PPACA increases the premiums held by higher income enrollees. The income standards are set to be at the same manner and level as that in Part B. Beginning in 2011, those enrolled in Part D will have a 50% discount for drugs during the coverage gap. In extension, HCERA will supply a rebate of $250 to those who enter the gap in 2010. Hopefully this phases out the â€Å"donut hole† (coverage gap) by slowly lessening the cost-sharing and coverage gap for generic and brand name drugs. Medicare’s finances are operated through two trust funds, the Hospital Insurance (HI) and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust fund. The main provider of income to the HI fund, which pays for Medicare Part A, is the payroll taxes paid by employers and employees. Medicare Part B and D are funded by general revenues and monthly premiums. In addition to all the previous provisions addressing Medicare’s financial issues, there is another precautionary step being taken. The PPACA has a provision to establish an Independent Payment Advisory Board with the goal of decreasing Medicare spending. B. Impacts on Physicians The PPACA and HCERA make various changes to the Medicare program, which in turn affects physicians and how they practice. Some of these provisions have clear consequences, such as immediately changing physician reimbursement, while others have indirect influences on how physicians may practice in the  future by modifying the incentives to improve the delivery and quality of care. PPACA broadens the Medicare Physician Quality and Reporting Initiative (PQRI) incentive payments though 2014 and administers a penalty for those who fail to report quality measures starting in 2015. It also supplies for a further bonus to physicians who meet the requirements of an assessment program, such as the Maintenance of Certification Program, while penalizes the physicians who fail to meet those standards in the future. Under Section 3002 of Title III, Medicare claims data will be used to provide reports to physicians that measure resources used to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries. Under Section 3007 of Title III, the Secretary of HHS is obliged to create and administer a separate payment modifier to the Medicare physician fee schedule. This payment should be based on the relative cost and quality of the care provided by physicians. The quality of care should be assessed based on risk-adjusted measure of quality determined by the Secretary. Costs are also assessed based on measures determined by the Secretary. Risk factors such as ethnicity, demographic, socioeconomic characteristics, and health status should be taken into account. By January 1, 2012 these explicit measures of cost and quality, along with implementation dates of the adjusted payments should be published. III. Regulations Implementation With such significant changes and provisions being made, there should be a way to keep track of how each is being regulated and implemented. I will discuss the regulations, time limits, and effective dates on how each are being done so by year. The first changes of 2010 start with Medicare provider rates. This includes reductions in the annual market basket updates for hospital services. Currently, there have been productivity adjustments added to market basket update in 2012. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued these updates for varying provider types starting in August 2010. The  implementation of the Medicare Beneficiary drug rebate, which supplies a $250 rebate to those in the Part D coverage gap, started January 1, 2010. In May 2010, the CMS published a brochure containing information about the coverage gap in Medicare Part D. As of March 22, 2011, about 3.8 million people have received the $250 rebate (HHS, 2011). As for closing the Medicare drug coverage gap, on December 17, 2010 CMS sent a letter to pharmaceutical companies addressing guidelines to the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program. This program became effective on January 1, 2011. Moving onto provisions implemented in 2011, Medicare payments for primary care will provide a 10% bonus payment for services. It will also provide the same bonus to general surgeons working in areas with a shortage of health professionals. This is being implemented starting in January 1, 2011 through December 2015. As for the MA payment changes, they will restructure payment to private plans and prohibit higher cost-sharing requirements. This has been in effect since January 1, 2011. The CMS issued a notice to MA plans in April 2010 addressing the freeze in 2011 payment rates at 2010 levels. A Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board made up of 15 individuals to arrange proposals and recommendations to decrease the per capita rate of growth in spending if it exceeds targeted rates was planned to be established. On October 1, 2011, funding was made available and the first proposals are due January 15, 2014. In 2012, the second part of the MA plan payments, which reduce rebates paid and provide bonuses to high quality plans, went into effect on January 1, 2012. On February 28, 2012 the CMS sent out a letter to MA plans addressing the payment rates for 2012. Fraud and abuse prevention was also implemented on January 1, 2012. It establishes procedures for screening and reporting those who participate in Medicare. On March 23, 2011 CMS issued a notice addressing the fee that providers would have to pay to fund the screenings. Later on in the year, on October 1, 2012 Medicare value based purchasing was put into effect. This creates a program to pay hospitals based on their quality of performance. This coming year in 2013, there will be a few provisions to come into effect  starting off the new year. On January 1, 2013 the Medicare tax increase (increases the Medicare Part A tax rate on wages by 0.9% on incomes of $200,000), Medicare bundle payment pilot program (program to create and assess payments for certain services), and the latter part of the prescription drug coverage gap (reducing coinsurance) will be put into effect. As for 2014, the last of the Medicare provisions will be implemented. The Medicare Advantage plan loss ratios are mandated to be no less than 85%; this will begin at the start of the year on January 1, 2014. The second implementation for that year will be Medicare payments for hospital-acquired infections; it will decrease payments to those hospitals for their hospital-aquired conditions by 1% and this process will continue onto 2015. IV. Cases Challenging PPACA When the PPACA and HCERA were signed into law, many people opposed and sued claiming that the reform was unconstitutional for a number of reasons. The most controversial was the mandate that require most citizens to obtain health insurance coverage, and if failing to do so would have to pay a penalty in the form of an individual tax. Another debated provision was the expansion of the Medicaid program to cover even more individuals, such as those with low income. All of these separate cases were then merged into a single case, The National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. (2012). When ruled, it was a momentous Supreme Court decision in which the Court maintained Congress’s authority to enact the provisions of the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act. In December 2011, it was announced that there would be a 6 hour oral argumentation heard by the Court over a time span of three days beginning on March 26, 2012 and ending on March 28, 2012 discussing varying debatable topics of these provisions. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Court maintained the Individual Mandate aspect of the PPACA as a binding exercise of Congress’s authority to lay and collect taxes. The critical characterization of this financial penalty as a tax is what passed the mandate as constitutional. Preceding this landmark case there were many previous hearings held, all  having similar conflicting opinions. The Eleventh Circuit was also dealing with arguments in relative cases challenging PPACA. While it was assumed that the Fourth Circuit, which had heard oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit, would issue a decision on PPACA first, the Eleventh Circuit was actually the second to issue its opinion, on August 12, 2011. In Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health Human Services (2011) the plaintiffs of the case were two private individuals, the National Federation of Independent Business, and 26 individual states. The Eleventh Circuit then published a 300-plus page opinion finding by a 2:1 majority that the Individual Mandate (requiring health insurance coverage) is unconstitutional, and thus created a split of authority between the two Circuits. The Eleventh Circuit heard this appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, which saw the Individual Mandate to be an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s authority. The district court also found that the Individual Mandate was not applicable to the rest of the PPACA, meaning that the whole act was invalid. The plaintiffs in the district court case also debated that the PPACA’s expansion of Medicaid was unconstitutional, but the district court granted the government judgment on that issue and the Eleventh Circuit agreed to that court’s decision. These two cases show how divided opinions can be and how difficult it was and is to pass a health reform law. Opinions are still divided, concerning many aspects such as the Medicaid expansion, the Commerce Clause, and the Necessary and Proper Clause. On the issue of Medicaid expansion, no one, single opinion had the support of the majority of the Justices. Also, on the issue of if the Individual Mandate was within the authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, again there was no single opinion that was supported by the majority of the Court. Despite all these controversies, and even though the act has passed, there are still those who are continuing to pursue litigation in order to repeal and defeat the PPACA. V. Conclusion Medicare spending has been increasing much more rapidly compared to the general economy, and this definitely raises concerns about Medicare’s  long-term sustainability. The provisions in the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act were established to decrease Medicare program costs by about $390 billion over the following 10 years through modifications in payments to various providers, by leveling payment rates between fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and by boosting efficiencies of how health services are delivered and paid for. Overall, the PPACA and HCERA are momentous pieces of legislation that will restructure the future of the U.S. health care system. It is still unclear of how well these provisions have been implemented, with some still having yet to be so. The main concern is probably how well costs will be contained or reduced. With all of these new taxes, hopefully the reform will actually reduce the federal deficit over the next ten years that these provisions are being implemented. There is still much work to be done within the next few years, to see how this reform works out. Many people are glad that it has passed and support this reform as well as encourage it to be expanded, while others oppose the reform arguing that it creates too much government involvement in the issue. But since it has passed and is enacted in the present, people should make use of what is being provided. Some are not even aware of the changes in the health care industry and are oblivious to how they are being affected. That is why it is important to stay informed and make decisions, after all this is what directly affects your future. References CRS Analysis of CBO (March 20, 2010). Estimates of the effects of PPACA and the Reconciliation Act combined. Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved October 31, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11379/AmendReconProp.pdf Barrett, Paul M. (June 28, 2012). Supreme Court Supports Obamacare, Bolsters Obama. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-28/supreme-court-supports-obamacare-and-bolsters-obama Congressional Budget Office (March 2009). An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Letter to the Honorable Evan Bayh. Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10781. Kaizer, J. (2010). Implementation Timeline. Health Reform Source. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from: http://healthreform.kff.org/timeline.aspx Hilgers, David W. (February 2012) Physicians post-PPACA: not going bust at the healthcare buffet. The Health Lawyer, Vol. 24. Retrieved November 4, 2012 from: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/health_lawyer/health_mo_premium_hl_healthlawyer_v24_2403 Pozgar, George D. (2009). Legal essentials of health care administration. Missisauga, Ontario: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Michael Brown. National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health Human Services 567 U.S. (2012) No. 11-393 Argued March 26-28, 2012 – Decided June 28, 2012 Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health a Human Services, 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1256 (N.D. Fla. 2011), order clarified by 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1307. (N.D. Fla. 2011).

Staples: PESTEL Analysis and Five Forces Model

Staples: PESTEL Analysis and Five Forces Model Staples Inc., a US based office products company, has been chosen for this report which carries out an analysis of the company and its subordinate offering a range of office supplies, business machines, technology products, office furniture, and business services with about 91,000 employees. Founded by Tom Stemberg, Staples opened the worlds first office supply superstore in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston in 1986. In 1989, Staples made an initial public offering (IPO) of $36 million and launched its catalog delivery service, Staples Direct. In three years time, Staples went for diversifying its portfolio and acquired 42% ownership in Business Depot, a Canadian company, in 1993 and the next year the company took over Business Depot with 100% stake. Later, Staples purchased its European partner Kingfisher and Maxi-Papier in 1996. In the same year, the company became a Fortune 500 company (Datamonitor, 2010). The strong growth in revenue is attributed to the attachment of Corporate Express, whose revenues are included in the companys Financial Year. On its successful venture, Staples signed a marketing agreement with Yahoo! and became an office supply merchant on Yahoo! small business portal in 2000. In the consecutive year, the company entered into an agreement with an online legal resource for consumers and small businesses, MyCounsel.com, and with ePolicy.com Insurance Services. Staples has been very successful in expanding its worldwide operations even in the Asian markets. In this continuation, the company entered the $10 billion office products market in India through a joint venture with Pantaloon Retail in 2007, and its new office products business unit, Future Office. The very next year, Staples opened its Copy Print Shop, a new store format in New York City, designed to meet customers copy and print needs. During the same year, the company opened its first store in Houston, Texas. Very recently, Staples Advantage launched the Staples Technology Solutions in February 2010 which offers business customers from small and medium-sized businesses to Fortune 1000 corporations, access to a full range of offerings from data center solutions and printer fleet management services to network services and everyday desktop technology products (Datamonitor, 2010). Task 1: Review and determine the organizational strategic aims and objectives 1.1 strategic aims and objectives The strategic aim of a company is a broad statement of the strategic outcomes which it plans to achieve. At times the strategic aim of a company is also called company goals. The strategic aim is what the organization wants to accomplish (Chartered Management Institute, 2009). Accordingly, the aim of Staples is to be an employer and neighbor of choice, to differentiate its brand, to grow profitably and responsibly, carry out its business activities ethically, work in a sustainable manner, give job skills and education opportunities to its employees, leverage diversity, create sustainable change in its local communities. The aim of Staples is be a committed company that shows its obligation to the environment, practices diversity and be an ethical company. It wants to be a global in its operations and grow financially. It wants to be a great employer, corporate citizen and neighbor (Staples, 2007). According to Chartered Management Institute (2009), the strategic objectives of a company are the specific outcomes and are most often quantified. Objectives are the aims of the company which are broken down and are more concrete. Particularly, the strategic objectives of Staples are (a) to make it easy for customers to recycle eWaste, (b) to build greener buildings, (c) to donate $15 million to community related projects, (d) to deepen commitment to environmentally responsible products, (e) to Qualify 500 U.S. retail stores to the ENERGY STARÂÂ ® standard for retail store standard for energy efficient performance by the end of 2011, (f) to save $10 million in costs through energy conservation programs in the U.S. by the end of 2011 (Staples, 2007). Staples objectives follow the SMART criteria as they are clearly written. They are measurable as the Compensation Committee assesses the extent to which Staples achieves these objectives. They are achievable as Staples analyses the resources it has before setting them. They are realistic as the company has analyzed the skills it posses before setting them. Staples has also aligned these objectives with its long-term vision. Staples objectives are time-bound as the company sets the timescales by which it has to achieve these objectives (Staples, 2007). 1.2 Components of strategic plan The components of the strategic plan include a companys mission, vision, values, its objectives, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), its action planning, implementation process and how it measures and evaluates the achievement of its objectives (Friel, 2009). Mission statement: The mission statement of Staples is very clear and states their motive in following few lines: Staples Soul reflects commitment to corporate responsibility what moves us to embrace diversity, sustain the environment, give back to our communities, and practice sound ethics. Linking these values with our global business strategy and operations contributes to our financial success and helps us become a great employer, corporate citizen, and neighbor (Staples, 2007). Vision statement: Staples vision statement elaborates responsible aspects of company in this way: Staples corporate soul is centered on a rock solid belief in social responsibility and the desire to make a positive impact on our associates, customers, and the world. We act responsibly and with integrity, conducting our global business as a great employer, corporate citizen and neighbor. Staples soul thrives in the fair treatment of our diverse and talented associates, in our environmental conscience, in giving back to our communities and in our sound business ethics(Staples, 2010). Value Statement: Staples aims at greater value to its customers therefore its productivity, revenues are as high as customer satisfaction and goodwill. Staples gets higher quality consumer data from its electronic procurement system, lower costs due to lower maintenance/customer service/and ordering costs, ability to lock in customers through dependency on their ordering system (switching costs), larger product offering of 80k items, and differentiation of services from its competitors. (Staples 2010a). Considering New York, Staples is celebrating its 20th anniversary with $16 billion in revenue, 11 percent compounded growth and 1,780 stores in 21 countries. According to the CEO of Staples, consumer electronics is a big part of our business and has been one of the most rapidly growing categories, therefore main forces lies upon these goods. (Staples, 2010). Staples is taking growth in its business and maintains its position in the market. In particular, office supplies and ink cartridges, signify 40 percent of the retail mix, along with notebook computers leading the sector in enhanced growth rate. Miles recognize that better attachment selling of more profitable products like cables and ink is much better corporate strategy rather then selling individual items. Complete Care Plans, Attachments which include variety of discounts according to nature of product is major present strategy of Staples to maximize profits, on other hand the corporate looks forward to target maximum markets along with wide range of brands and generating staples compatible versions of these brands (Staples, 2010). Finally, Staples measures and evaluates the achievement of its aims and objectives through the Compensation Committee. Some 90 days after the beginning of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee establishes goals and objectives for that fiscal year. The responsibility for the achievement of these goals and objectives rests with the Compensation Committee (Staples, 2009). 1.3 Factors affecting the strategic plan The strategy of Staples is affected by the external environment. Staples external environment includes political, economic, social and technological factors that can impacts on its strategy. Staples strategic plan is affected by its internal environment. Staples internal environment includes its competitors, customers, suppliers, its Board of Directors (BoD), its corporate culture and its employees. Staples capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats also affect its strategic plan. Staples strategic plan is affected by the nature and kind of products and service it provides to its customers, its target customers, the market it serves, the degree of innovation it practices and how it faces the challenges that affect its operations (Bracken, 2006). The factors highlighted in the SWOT analysis affect Staples strategic plan. Staples Inc SWOT (S)trengths Staples Inc is a office product company which operates in three segments: delivery, retail and international segment. While the operations of delivery and retail segments are concentrated in the US and Canada, the international segment has its operations worldwide covering 23 other countries. The company has its strength in its international segment, which contributes to almost 22% of the companys revenue. Staples recorded higher comparable store sales growth (comp growth), for more than a year, than its close competitors as Office Depot and OfficeMax. Operating margin, which represents income as a percentage of sales, of Staples has witnessed an increase for the first time in Q1 of 2010 since Q3 of 2007. The acquisition of Corporate Express enhanced Stapless position in several fronts. The addition of Corporate Express expanded the companys offerings into new areas and enhanced the offerings in existing areas (Datamonitor, 2010). (W)eaknesses The capital structure of Staples consists of debt which has increased by close to 27% in FY2010 compared to FY2009. The company has long-term debt and debt service requirements with $500 million 7.75% notes due in April 2011, $325 million 7.375% notes due in October 2012 and $1.5 billion 9.75% notes due in January 2014 (Datamonitor, 2010). (O)pportunities Staples is successfully getting the average order size up in the Corporate Express delivery business, despite the economic backdrop and it is now around $180, up from $160 at the time of the acquisition. In addition to direct selling and retail stores, Staples generates revenues through the internet on its web portal. The performance of Staples Business Delivery and North American Retail stores is dependent on the performance of the small business segment in the US (Datamonitor, 2010). (T)hreats Strong relationship exists between macro trends and office sales. Office product companies are late cycle plays. For most corporations, office products fall under General Administration expenses. Other than small and large businesses, Staples also serves white-collar workers. The level of employment among white-collar workers, the end-users for Staples, has an impact on the demand for office products. The economic situation in China and Europe continue to be a cause of concern as it would have direct impact on the profitability of Staples.The unemployment rate in China has been on a sequential rise. From, 4% in Q32008, the unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in Q22009 and continued at that level till January 2010 (Datamonitor, 2010). In addition to SWOT analysis, the factors highlighted in the PESTEL and Porters Five Forces model are used as analytical tools to achieve a more complete understanding of the strategic aims and objectives. PESTEL Analysis for Staples Inc Political Factors: Considering the political aspect of Staples Inc, the most prominent areas are stated below. As Staples manufactures goods in china, the rising fuel costs due to political factors effects supply chain of Staples forcing to increase its product prices and therefore, effecting customers and profitability. However, on the other side, the ongoing practice of price fixing amongst the big four retailers within the UK can have some negative impact to the industry in general and Staples in particular. Staples monopolistic nature in office supplies has created deep concerns among its customers. Staples is the most popular among the students who buy laptops, printers and other student accessories, but due to political influence and cutting down student inflow in England, staples is expected to see decrease in profits. Beside that, in the UK, the Government is to decrease the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which will save big companies like Staples significant sums o f money (Staples, 2011). Economic Factors: Considering the economic factors of the staples, the following areas are identified. Recession lead higher numbers of unemployment.ÂÂ   As one of the largest and fastest growing retailers, Staples can provide more jobs therefore helping to reduce the levels of unemployment. Recession may also effect the profit margins of the company, as it decrease the purchasing power of consumers and though they will still buy the essentials they may be more cautious. They might avoid buying the luxury items, something that has a greater profit margin for Staples. Online buying competition within every segment of the retail sector has lead to retailers giving a lot of incentives to the consumers. Which ultimately affects Staples profit levels as the prices have to be brought down to meet competition. Increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 17.5% has created negative impact on profits as Staples was unable to increase prices to cover the profits (Staples, 2007). Social Factors: Staples appears to be committed to environmental factors as the below mentioned lines states positive about the company behavior. Environmental stewardship and maintainable business practices continue to be important aspect at Staples. The company is offering products and services to help customers preserve natural resources and reduce their environmental footprint. The major commitment to the environment is in the purchase and promotion of products having post-consumer recycled materials; recycling initiatives; energy conservation and renewable power procurement; and environmental education initiatives for customers and associates. Staples Inc has implemented a variety of programs to make it easy for customers to recycle. The recycling facilities by Staples regarding ink and toner cartridges in the US, UK and Canada, helps to benefit the local schools through Staples Recycle for Education, a program that donates $1 to public education charities and schools for every eligible used cartridge that is recycled at more than 1,200 Staples stores. The company is considering the new ways to recycle the products to utilize the minimum energy and maximize the safety of environment, which helps to preserve the economys need of power generating resources. Staples keeping in consideration Humanity, Donated huge sum of money to Haiti victims in collaboration of Red cress society and any one who desires to donate can easily donate in any Staples store (Staples, 2011). Technological Factors: For the convenience of consumer, Staples also introduces the self checkout machines, employed by Staples in USA, which can help solve queue up problem. Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology is used in Staples which significantly benefits to the supply chain of Staples. This technology leads more efficient inventory handling. Staples uses advance machines to manufacture its brands and compatible ones which assure quality satisfaction (Staples, 2011). Environmental Factors: A lot of emphasis of Staples has been on the role of reducing carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency. Staples are a multicultural organization where proper career planning of all associates is carried out without any racism or cultural issues. Staples Foundation for Learning sponsored a grant in 2004 to Earth Force, an organization which provides teachers an innovative multi-disciplinary curriculum focused on environmental education for middle school students (Staples, 2011). Legal Factors: Staples strictly follow all environmental regulations and promotes environmental education. Staples strictly follows police regulations regarding selling of knives, scissors, glues which must not be sold to children under 21 years of age (Staples, 2011). Porters Five Forces Analysis Porters (1985) Five Force Analysis deals with factors outside an industry that influence the nature of competition within it, the forces that influence the way in which firms compete, therefore industrys possible profitability is conducted in Porters Five Forces model. Every business must understand the activities of its industries and markets in order to compete effectively in the marketplace. (peerpapers.com) Staples Inc Five Forces Analysis The business of Staples Inc can be suited into the Five Forces analysis as follows: Competitive Rivalry Office-max, Office-Depot, Currys, are major Competitors in market. Online buying facility and online stores. Small shops in Universities. Switching Cost for Staples is very high. Staples manufactures and sells variety of office accessories, which many rivals dont. Threat of New Entry Small shops are opening in universities Staples manufactures and sell its own brands, with minimum cost. Staples Recycles material in its manufacturing premises with less cost. Threat of Substitution Staples Specializes in unique and multiple brands with wide range of products. Staples manufacture many compatibles of brands such as Epson, Lexmark and cannon Cartages. Brand loyalty of customers due to low price Buyer Power Staples Manufactures its own products at cheap rates. Facilities such as in-store NUS discount and special offers Less Switching power to buyer Customer Doesnt know production cost of products. Products are of strategic importance to customers Supplier Power Staples Manufactures and supplies to its stores on its own. Less supplier power available in hands of supplier. Switching cost from one to another supplier is low Source: Staples (2011, 2007, 2010) Task 2: Identify and analyze progress towards organizational strategic aims and objectives 2.1 Application of strategic analysis tools Staples can monitor progress towards achievement of its strategic aims and objectives by using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach. BSC was first proposed by Norton and Kaplan (1996) who claim that it helps the company translate its strategy into measurable actions. Therefore, McCarthy and Chapman (2009) describe BSC as a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organization. It can measure a teams performance on four perspectives such as financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process perspective and learning and growth perspective. 2.2 Review and assess the expectations of all stakeholders and their influence upon the organizational strategy Stakeholder analysis is used to review and assess the expectations of all stakeholders and their influence on organizational strategy. Stakeholder analysis is a methodology used to facilitate policy and reform processes by keeping in consideration the needs of those who have a stake or an interest in the reforms. With information on Stakeholders, their interests, and their capacity to oppose reform, reform advocates can choose how to best adjust them, thus making sure that policies adopted are politically realistic and sustainable (Johnson et al, 2008). Stakeholder Impact Analysis for Staples Inc Staples stakeholders are its shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, investors and the government. Each Stake holder show sincere relationship with staples. This is further elaborated as follows: Shareholders: There sincere relationship even during recession kept the company standing while many other superstores couldnt bear it. Employees: All company employees are dedicated to there work and it is due to there friendly environment which keeps them motivated to generate profits for company rather then making unions and creating problems. Customer: Customers are dedicated to staples brand due to cheep product and reliability, therefore company generates huge revenues each year. Investors: All brands rely upon staples. From Technology to office supplies variety of brands can be seen. All investors trust upon staples policies and future growth. Environmentalist: Staples promotes environmental consciousness among people, therefore it is never objected by environmentalists. Government: Staples generates huge revenue therefore provides huge tax amounts, which gives government shelter to Staples. 2.3 Analyze, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of the organizational strategic position Strategic capability analysis is used to analyze, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of Staples strategic position. Staples Resource and Competence Analysis It is the analysis of competencies, knowledge, and skills that Staples Inc can apply to achieve success in a competitive environment. This concept is derived from the core competencies approach to corporate strategy. This will encompass the need to adjust and change in order to fit the changing environment and the need to stretch to exploit organizational resources in ways that are innovative, or that other organizations will find it hard to compete. Strategic Capability Ways to Build on the Competency/Resource Competences Core Competencies Manufacturing capability. Branding and Expansion. World wide Stores and access. Transforming its Supply Chain. Cheap production Threshold Competencies Customer satisfaction and value Customer service, online and offline. Resources Unique Resources Cheep production I.T. use for inventory management. Research and development. Wide range of brands. Threshold Resources IT outsourcing Production in china at low cost Staples Inc recognizes that it has to find new ways to drive sustainable growth and profitability. The area of major attention is that Staples has been improving its supply chain management activities. Staples goal was to widen its lead over competitors in all key industry areas, by improving supply chain execution, and thereby decreasing costs while increasing productivity and reliability and ensuring that customers could always find products they wanted on store shelves. Manufacturing products and differentiated product are the key core competencies of Staples. Task 3: Determination and Evaluate of Strategic Options 3.1 Identification and development of strategic options Internal Environmental Analysis Based on the internal environmental analysis (SWOT analysis) of Staples, it appears that the company has unique competencies in office supplies business. Staples manufacturing competency, multiple retail channels and strong distribution network target different customer segments efficiently. Whereas threat of new entrants in shape of small stores at key areas and online buying trend from cheep online stores are major threat to staples. External Environmental Analysis Furthermore the external environmental analysis (PESTEL analysis) for Staples shows that increase in VAT, reducing inflow of international students and credit crunch; and Porter`s Five Force analysis showing increasing threat of new entrants in shape of small shops in universities and local areas and increase in online buying trend with cheaper price; along with stakeholder`s analysis reflecting total dependence upon employees and customers are weak aspects of Staples. Suggested Corporate Strategy for Staples Beside that the above analyses, since Staples produces goods at competitively low-cost and has operations worldwide, propose that Staples should adopt Cost Leadership strategy of Porter`s Generic Strategies. Rationalization of Cost-Leadership as the Corporate Strategy: Cost-leadership strategy emphasizes efficiency which is based on avoiding unnecessary or non-value adding activities that consume organizational resources but cannot add any value for which customers are willing to pay. Along with this philosophy, economies of scale is the guiding policy for implementing cost-leadership strategy as it requires the company to produce items at the lowest possible cost among all competitors of the similar products. By producing high volumes of standardized products, the firm will take advantage of economies of scale and experience learning curve effects. Since products are produced at a relatively low cost and made available to a very large customer base, along with access to raw materials, components, labor, and other important inputs, cost leadership approach is most suitable for Staples. Successful implementation of this approach is expected because of Staples following capabilities: Good process engineering skill system of Staples. Office Supplies products designed for ease of manufacture Sustained access to cost-effective capital Good and close supervision of labor Staples tight cost control Incentives based on quantitative targets Always ensuring that the costs are kept at the minimum possible level. 3.2 Determine and justify the strategic option The above new corporate strategy for Staples can be implemented by carrying out the functional strategies discussed below. Functional Strategy: Since there are other rivals in the market, however, their concentration is focused upon food, clothes, and other products rather then office supplies, therefore Staples has acquired major position in market. Consequently, the corporate strategy of cost- leadership must be remained focused and maintained. Staples should adopt following functional strategies for its relevant departments in order to implement this corporate strategy of cost leadership: Research and Development for minimizing costs. (RD Department) Online Selling, Marketing, maintaining goodwill and customer service (Marketing Department). Branding and expansion (Purchase Department) Functional Strategy: Research and Development for minimizing costs Staples manufactures in China where cost of production isrelatively low due to availability of cheaper raw materials and labor, while on the other hand, Staples needs to concentrate on research and development facility to minimize cost at such a level where rivalry influence can be easily coped, if required. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Exploring more countries for much cheaper production. (During one year period) Number of countries found, comparing production costs with current product costs. 2) Opening production facility to produce raw material for finished goods. (During Two Year Period) Number of Factories established. Functional Strategy:Online Selling, Mraketing, maintaining goodwill and customer service. Staples should advertiseits online buying facility to students and offices. In addition, maintaining good customer service is essential to keep Staples goodwill intact and even stronger. This will eliminate rivalry influence and help maintain cost leadership and monopolistic influence. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Awareness Campaigns in universities, offices and exhibitions that Staples provide cheep and quality products. (During 6month period) Number of Campaigns launched, customer feed back and sales figures. 2) Participation in Community and social projects. (During Two Year Period). Number of Projects undertaken. Functional Strategy:Branding and expansion Staples must open stores all over the world to maintain its influence, adding more brands will satisfy customers as they can find everything under one roof. This will ultimately make Staples a popular brand and its cost leadership influence will be enhanced. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Expanding brands and producing its compatible ones. (During 6month period) Numbers of brands added in Staples and its compatibles. 2) Opening Stores in major parts of world. (During 2 years Period) Number of Stores opened worldwide. 3) Opening Small shops and stores in universities and offices will remove small rivals from market. (During 1 year Period) Number of small shops and stores opened in these places. Staples Inc, for its manufacturing capability and unique products, can easily integrate in various cities of the world. With expansion and branding it can obtain huge amount of market share thus eliminating rivalry influence. With its skilled RD Department, Staples can manufacture compatible goods for various brands at cheap rates. They have got a great management team with motivated team work and great leadership style. This differentiates Staples as a unique store which not only provides eco-friendly products but possess a good reputation among its customers. It must focus upon its vision, mission and values in order to maintain such reputation. Conclusion The strategic analysis of Staples Inc., reveals that it has been enjoying a very well is a well established company which is known for providing quality products to its customers. By careful consideration of its external and internal environment and keeping in mind the interests of its stakeholders, it has been able to establish itself as a leader in the office supplies business. Staples is competent in carrying out its business activities. It is recommended that it applies the new corporate strategy highlighted in this report to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace for a long sustainable period.

Psychotherapy via Bellow in Seize the Day Essay -- Seize the Day Essay

Psychotherapy via Bellow in Seize the Day  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The ending of Seize the Day is ironic and revealing about the theme of the entire novella.   When Tommy Wilhelm inadvertently attends a funeral for a stranger, he begins to sob uncontrollably at the sight of the unknown corpse.   It is a painful reminder of his own mortality and a cathartic release of emotion he has been building up over the downward spiraling course of his life.   However, it is ironic because Tommy is the only one at the funeral who is expressing such emotion and it makes others in attendance believe he must have been very close to the deceased to be so devastated.   In other words, no one is crying for the dead man, not even Tommy, but Tommy is crying for himself.   This is not only irony but serves to underscore the entire theme of the novel-laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.   Instead of seizing the day and living in the here-and-now, Tommy is torn by anxiety over the future and regret over the past.   Because of this, he believes he is in need of some kind of favor, or break, or sympathy.   However, he comes to realize that, like the tears we often shed for ourselves, pity is often a personal exercise of self and seldom forthcoming from others.   He recognizes this because he learns that from the perspective of others, he is the only one to blame for his repeated mistakes and his repeated failures.   As he muses at one point when in need of sympathy, "And why, Wilhelm further asked, should he or anybody else pity me; or why should I be pitied sooner than another fellow?   It is my childish mind that thinks people are ready to give it just because you need it" (Bellow   93).   Tommy considers himself a failure because he has taken to heart... ...isis helps him to accept the discomforts that come with being free and fully alive, and, as the novella ends, we can only hope from that moment on Tommy will begin to seize the day each day in the present as he strives to make something of himself in the here-and-now for the future, his own and others.      WORKS   CITED Bellow, S.   Seize The Day.   (9th printing).   New York, The Viking Press, 1968. Christy, M.   Bellow's pleasure in imaginary states.   Boston Globe Online. http://www.boston.com/globe/search/stories/nobel/1989/1989e.html, Nov. 15, 1989:   1-4. Stein, H. T. and Edwards, M. E.   Classical Adlerian theory and practice.   http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/theoprac.htm,   Aug. 21, 1998:   1-19. Stevenson, D. B.   Freud's division of the mind. http://landow.stg.brown.edu/HTatBrown/freud/Division_of_Mind.html,   Oct. 4, 1999:   1-2.

The Rise of Technology and Film throughout the Twentieth Century :: Film Movie Movies Technology Computers

The Rise of Technology and Film throughout the Twentieth Century As time and people are continually changing, so is knowledge and information; and in the film industry there are inevitable technological advances necessary to keep the attraction of the public. It is through graphic effects, sounds and visual recordings that all individuals see how we have evolved to present day digital technology; and it is because of the efforts and ideas of the first and latest great innovators of the twentieth century that we have advanced in film and computers. Technology is a central issue surrounding film making from the times of Charlie Chaplin's silent films to today's modern and computer-animated films such as George Lucas's Star Wars. In addition there have been a system of changes in computer, phone and video enhancement which has propelled vast amounts of information knowledge to the public at a rapid rate. Film was not always as it is today due to the digital sounds and graphic picture enhancements of George Lucas's THX digital sound in the late 1970s to enhance the audience's perceptions. Sound was first discovered in 1928 and the first films before that were silent. There is a social need to heighten an audience's film going experience and it allows each person to color their own views of what they see and presents either directly or indirectly society's moral values. Time is a major factor in innovation because it provides visions, which point to the future but do not disregard the attempts of innovation in the past. Such inventions are Industrial Light and Magic's development of special effects like motion-control camera's which alter the audience's perceptions and create a more realistic setting to enhance the imagination. Entertainment has traveled from burlesque and vaudeville to high tech filmmaking, and this is the physical existence of our century. The Era of Silent Film in the early 1900s had such geniuses as Charlie Chaplin who paved the road to the time of the "talkies" and to development of sound. If not for him and some other "greats" along the way, where would our film culture be today? Much of the history of our nation seems to be held as digital recordings through visuals. In this respect it is interwoven with the current era of computer information because we want to preserve and record the history of the present as well as at the turn of the millennium.

The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, delves into symbolism. A few of the symbols throughout are: the Scarlet â€Å"A† embroidered on Hester’s chest, the Forrest (in the daytime), the Forrest (in the nighttime), the prison, the rose growing up by the prison wall and light and dark. Each of these has a certain significance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"A† is the outward symbol of Hester and Dimmsdale’s sin. It is the tangible, form of punishment. The thing that physically sets Hester apart. This symbolizes her sin and her punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Forrest during the daytime is a symbol of beauty of freedom. While at nighttime it is the devil’s playground, symbolizing chaos and evil. The Puritans felt this way because they had no control over the Forrest and were thus threatened by it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prison is yet another symbol of Hester’s physical punishment and isolation from the world. She is cast out. No longer an accepted member of society for the crimes that she has committed. The prison is hard and cruel, it is also a reflection of the ideals of the Puritan society. The rose shows the beauty that can grow out of that harsh, ugliness. The rose is Pearl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Light and darkness is used to show Dimmsdale’s guilt and his mental anguish. He walks to the scaffold, mocking a confession at night in the darkness. Then blazes an meteor in the sky as if God himself were looking down and saying to Dimmsdale, â€Å"Almost, but not quite.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author gives several lengthy, difficult descriptions in the beginning of the novel to set the harsh, Puritan tone of the novel. He says, â€Å"The founder of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, with this rule, it may safely be assumed that the forefathers of Boston had built the first prison-house gone where in the vicinity of cornhill, almost as seasonable as they marked out the first burial-ground, on Isaac Johnson’s lot...† (pg. 75). He uses very long, hard to read passages to create a Puritan-esque feeling in the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pearl is her mother’s only treasure, bought with all she had. She is the symbol of her guilt, and the price of her sin. Pearl is described as a â€Å"sprite† and an â€Å"elf-child†. She is lively, and spirited. She is a constant reminder to Dimmsdale of his mistakes, and the fact that he has yet to be punished for them by the

Al Qaeda 4

Paper 1 – Al-Qaeda 10/19/10 It would not at all be surprising if this decade comes to be known as the decade of terrorism in years to come. Since the turn of the millennium, terrorism, maybe more than any other global issue or topic, has plagued the world stage with constant news and horror. It can be argued that terrorism is a problem with no solution and no end in sight. The Islamic militant group, Al-Qaeda, is the most well known terrorist organization in the world.Al-Qaeda has been held accountable for some of the most tragic and horrifying acts of terror in history. Still, many people do not fully understand what Al-Qaeda is, who is behind it, and why it exists. A fluid, agreed-upon definition does not exist for the extremist organization, run by Osama bin Laden and responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks, but rather a multitude of beliefs on the number, strength, and whereabouts of Al-Qaeda. Most researchers and historians point to August 11th, 1988 as the o rigin of Al-Qaeda as an organized group.However, it was the events leading up to this meeting that caused Osama bin Laden and a small group of extremist leaders to officially organize what had grown into a large, strong Islamic following. From December 1979 through February 1989, the Soviet Union was engaged in a war with Afghanistan. The communist Soviet Union allied with the Afghan Marxist regime in order to fight the native Afghan mujahideen (Burke and Allen). The United States channeled funds to the native Afghanis in order to stop the spread of communism by the Soviet Union in a CIA program called Operation Cyclone.There are many people today that are of the belief that it was this CIA program that kick started Al-Qaeda, and that the US was directly responsible for the growth and success of the same terrorist organization that executed the most devastating attack on US soil (Dixon). Once the war ended, Osama bin Laden met with the leader of the Egyptian Islamic-Jihad, Abdullah Azzam and planned to expand their newly founded organization. Al-Qaeda relocated to Sudan from 1992 to 1996.During this time, Al-Qaeda grew through various forms of terrorist attacks, until the Saudi Arabian government exiled Osama bin Laden and forced him and his followers to once again relocate to avoid conflict (Bergen). After the Soviets left Afghanistan, there was a period of great turmoil and anarchy that took hold. There was no established form of government, and many separate groups claimed the rights to certain territories throughout the country. This was the perfect time for bin Laden and Al-Qaeda to return home and regain power in Afghanistan.They teamed up with the Taliban, an organization that garnered its strength through the education and training of children. The Taliban had been the most successful group to rise to power, and many recognized them as the governing entity in Afghanistan. With the protection and support from the Taliban, bin Laden was able to mobilize and organize Al-Qaeda into a dominant and strategically planned terrorist organization (Burke and Allen). Al-Qaeda’s mission has been summarized as â€Å"centralization of decision and decentralization of execution. In other words, bin Laden hoped to form a group in which he and a few close advisors would set out guidelines and make decisions for the smaller cells that would then spread around throughout the world and execute his attacks. Structurally, Al-Qaeda is formed just like any other corporation, with senior executives at the top and then smaller, less powerful roles towards the bottom. Bin Laden is the emir, which is the highest power in the organization, almost king-like. Ayman al-Zawahiri is Al-Qaeda's Deputy Operations Chief, and is known as bin Laden’s second in command.Similar to other organizations and corporations, Al-Qaeda has several divisions that handle issues specific to their role. First, the Military Operative is the most destructive and infamous . It is responsible for training soldiers, acquiring weapons, and planning attacks around the world. Second, the Money/Business Committee is responsible for providing the funding for the training operatives and attacks, using the hawala banking system (informal value transfer system that is not used in the United States).The Law Committee rules on whether certain actions follow Islamic law. The Islamic Study/Fatwa Committee issues religious edicts, also known as fatwas, that the rest of the organization and even the territory it controls must follow. For example, in 1998, Al-Qaeda issued a fatwa that all Muslims should kill any American if given the chance. The most recent addition to Al-Qaeda has been the formation of As-Sahab, Al-Qaeda’s media outlet that supplies video and audio recordings and sends them out to the rest of the world (Inside Al-Qaeda).Tapes of bin Laden have been released to the United States where he takes responsibility for the September 11th attacks, as well as numerous other hateful speeches about the evils of Western culture and perceived Muslim intolerance. Although there is a large following of people that believe Al-Qaeda has been dismantled and broken down since the War on Terror, evidence still points to a structurally organized and strategically planned organization in which each department works in conjunction with each other to carry out acts of terror.Osama bin Laden is advised by a Shura Council, estimated to consist of twenty to thirty members, who make plans and decisions for the entire organization. They recently released a document called â€Å"Al-Qaeda’s Strategy to the Year 2020† in which they outlined their military, political, and religious goals for the organization in the upcoming years. The strategy can be summarized into five stages. First, provoke the United States into invading a Muslim country. This was successfully executed once the United States invaded Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks.Second, incite local resistance to occupying forces. This way, Al-Qaeda creates the enemy and turns the natives against the foreign invaders, thereby leaving them as the only reliable solution to restore â€Å"peace†. Third, engage surrounding countries in the war so that the United States is trapped in a â€Å"long war of attrition†. Fourth, convert Al-Qaeda into a set of operating principles and ideologies that can be franchised into smaller countries and smaller cells. Then, these cells will engage the United States and its allies until they can no longer fight and must withdraw.Al-Qaeda was able to do this with the 2004 Madrid train bombings, but failed to impact British involvement with the July 7, 2005 London bombings. Finally, the fifth stage, which has thankfully yet to occur, is that the United States’ economy will crumble due to too many engagements in too many areas, and any allied nations supported by the United States will fall as well. Al-Qaeda will then be able to take control and set up the desired form of government, a Wahabi Caliphate, throughout the region (Atwan).Al-Qaeda has been responsible for several acts of terror in the 1990’s and 2000’s that were designed with the intent of furthering Al-Qaeda’s mission. In 1992, Al-Qaeda successfully executed its first terrorist attack. Two bombs were detonated in Aden, Yemen. The first target was Movenpick Hotel and the second was the parking lot of the Goldmohur Hotel. Although no Americans were killed and it went with little notice in the United States, the attack did signify the first attack on Western culture by Al-Qaeda.Then, in 1993, Ramzi Yousef used a truck bomb to explode one of the World Trade Center towers. The plan was that the bomb would crumble the foundation of the first tower, sending it into the second tower and resulting in the collapse of both. Although the plan did not work to perfection, it did kill six people and put Al-Qa eda on the radar as a potential threat to American security. There were several other attacks in the late 1990’s, such as the bombing of the U. S. S. Cole, a military destroyer based off of Yemen that killed 17 US servicemen (Terrorism Project).However, no attack in history has come close to the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. The September 11th attacks were the culmination and result of Al-Qaeda’s growth, organization, and mission. Once bin Laden was able to mobilize the extremist followers, he was ready to execute the first stage of its mission strategy. On September 11th, Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. The hijackers flew two planes into both towers of the World Trade Center, eventually collapsing both towers into debris and destruction.Another plane crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth was originally intended for Washington, D. C. , but crash-landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These attacks left 3,000 people dead and countless injured, allowing i t to be the worst attack in American history (Bin Laden). Following the attacks, an extreme sense of national unity erupted in the United States, and George Bush’s administration had no choice but to wage war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime. The War on Terror began on October 7, 2001 with the first set of US troops landing in Afghanistan.The original plan was executed swiftly and successfully, and by early 2002, Al-Qaeda had been dealt a serious blow. Many of its top executives and leaders were either captured or killed, and many of its training facilities and bases were destroyed. By the end of 2004, the United States government estimated that two-thirds of Al-Qaeda’s most senior figures had been captured and interrogated by the CIA. However, Osama bin Laden was able to escape each attempt at capture, and is still believed to be hiding out in an undisclosed location.Overall, the initial strike in the War on Terror was deemed a success, even though the aftermat h has divided the nation and raised serious questions about the United States’ involvement in the Middle East (9/11 Commission Report). The world changed forever on September 11th, 2001. Aside from the tragic consequences and the unfathomable death toll, a new evil was officially born into the world. There had been terrorist attacks before, but none that shook the United States, and the world stage, as much as September 11th did. As a result, this decade has been plagued by fear of terror.New organizations and strategies have emerged that solely engage in counter-terrorist activities. Airport security has been completely revamped following an extreme fear in almost all Americans that caused aviation activity to decrease significantly after the attacks. So, after all that Al-Qaeda has been accused of, and after all the intense fear that spread throughout the country, why is it that there are still such differing beliefs and theories on Al-Qaeda? Why do some people believe that , for the most part, it has become a brand name that smaller terrorist groups use, but in reality have no real affiliation with the defeated organization?And on the other hand, why are there people who strongly contest these views and believe that Al-Qaeda is still a functioning, organized militia run by Osama bin Laden? I am not sure whether there is a right or wrong answer, but a serious concern in the minds of both beliefs is that terrorism, as a threat, could be one that proves insolvable.Works Cited â€Å"The 9/11 Commission Report. † National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Atwan, Abdel Bari. The Secret History of Al-Qaeda. Los Angeles, California: University of California, 2006. Google Books. Bergen, Peter. â€Å"The Osama Bin Laden I Know. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Bin Laden Claims Responsibility for 9/11. † CBC News. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Burke, Jason, and Paddy Allen. â€Å"The Five Ages of Al-Qaida. † Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian. co. uk. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . Dixon, Norm. â€Å"How the CIA Created Osama Bin Laden. † Green Left Weekly. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Inside the Alqaeda Terrorist Network. † Middle East: MidEastWeb. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"List of Known Terrorist Organizations. † CDI – Center for Defense Information – Security Policy Research Organization. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .