Two Mad Scientists: a Comparison of Hawthorne’s Short Stories “the Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter”

Contents Contents2 1. Introduction3 2. A Comparison of Hawthorne’s Short Stories â€Å"The Birthmark† and3 â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†3 3. 1 The Role of the Scientist3 3. 2 The Role of the Wife and daughter4 3. 3 Nature vs. Science5 3. Conclusion6 Works Cited7 Honestly Declaration8 1. Introduction In the main part of the following paper with the topic â€Å"Two Mad Scientists: A Comparison of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Short Stories â€Å"The Birthmark† and Rappaccini’s Daughter† I will offer a comparison of selected aspects, since the space is limited.First of all I will concentrate on the comparison between Aylmer, the scientist which is presented in Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"The Birthmark†, and Giacomo Rappaccini, the scientist appearing in â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†. Furthermore I will give a comparison of both of the female characters, which are the victims of the scientists. On the one hand th ere is Georgiana, Aylmer’s wife, and on the other hand there is Beatrice Rappacini, the daughter of Giacomo Rappaccini.After I named similarities, as well as differences between the two scientists and also between their wife and daughter, I will concentrate on the symbols â€Å"nature† and â€Å"science† and how they are represented as contrasts within the two short stories. A Symbol in discussing literature is defined as â€Å"a word or phrase that signifies an object or event which in its turn signifies something, or suggests a range of reference, beyond itself. † Thus symbols can give the reader a deeper impression of the meaning of the short story and that is way I chose to focus on two of the main symbols within Hawthorne’s short stories.At the end of the following paper I will give a conclusion, which summarizes the most important facts and also evaluates the aspects of the main part. 2. A Comparison of Hawthorne’s Short Stories  "The Birthmark† and â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter† 2. 1 The Role of the Scientist The two scientists Aylmer and Rappaccini, which both are main characters in Hawthorne’s short stories â€Å"The Birthmark† and â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, have several qualities in common. Both of them are presented as god-like scientists and very successful.Aylmer is described as â€Å"an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy† and also Rappaccini is said to be a â€Å"famous doctor† and absolutely skilled in his profession. Either one of them is striving after perfection concerning their wife’s and daughter’s beauty. Aylmer married a beautiful woman who has a hand-shaped birthmark on her left cheek, which bothers him so much that Aylmer wants to remove his wife’s birthmark. In his eyes the birthmark is â€Å"the visible mark of earthly imperfection† and also the only defect of his wife, who â⠂¬Å"came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature†.Therefore he wants to remove it with the help of scientific methods to make his wife, who actually likes the birthmark, perfect. Also Dr. Rappaccini uses his scientific skills to make his daughter, in his eyes, an object of perfection. Hence they both have the plan to create a consummate human being with the help of science. In addition both of them make someone who is important to them their object of scientific impact on nature. Aylmer risks his wife’s life by removing her birthmark while Dr. Rappaccini doesn’t care if his daughter is happy with the way of life which he has chosen for her to live.Both of the scientists, Aylmer as well as Dr. Rappaccini, have to learn at the end of the short stories that their beloved wife and daughter paid their husband’s and father’s scientific obsession with their lives. However, despite the many similarities between Aylmer and Dr. Rappaccini, there are also a few crucial differences. While Aylmer wants to make his wife a perfect human being by removing her â€Å"symbol of imperfection†, Dr. Rappaccini uses at first his only his daughter as a subject for his scientific experiment and later on he even uses a stranger for his trial, without concerning whether it could harm him or not.Another difference between the two scientists is the way they want to change or impact something. Aylmer wants to remove something which is already existent, his wife’s birthmark. In contrast, Dr. Rappaccini modified his daughter with the help of scientific methods from the moment she was born when he connected her life to the poisonous shrub in his garden. 2. 1 The Role of the Wife and Daughter Just like the two scientists, the two female characters have several similarities to offer. Both, Georgiana and Beatrice are beautiful women which became victims of the scientific obsession of their husband and father.Georgiana is described as a beautiful woman and also Beatrice is characterized as â€Å"a young girl, arrayed with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers, beautiful as the day. † After their description of beauty and pureness their ‘mistake’ is revealed. Georgiana carries a hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek, which was loved and cherished by her former lovers, envied by other women but hated by her own husband. Also Beatrice’s dark character treats are revealed when the young Giovanni Guasconti observed her poisonous breath and her relationship to the mysterious shrub.Thus Beatrice can be compared to the flowers in Dr. Rappaccini’s garden; she is beautiful but poisoned. At the end of the short stories both of the young females die and their former beauty and perfection are destroyed. While Georgiana dies after her husband tried to remove her birthmark, Beatrice dies after she drank an antidote, which was given to her by Giovanni Guasconti, to free herself out of h er father’s scientific experiments. Beside the many similarities there are also a few differences between Georgiana and Beatrice which are revealed throughout the story line.Aylmer’s wife Georgiana is changed by the scientific actions of her husband in the course of the short story. In comparison to Georgiana, Beatrice’s scientific change is performed from the moment she was born by the sprouting of the shrub in her father’s garden, which symbolizes the â€Å"offspring of his science, of his intellect†. According to this, Georgiana’s appearance is natural until the moment when Aylmer tries to remove the birthmark, but Beatrice is changed by science since she was born. Nature vs. ScienceIn both of Hawthorne’s short stories the symbols of nature as well as science play a decisive role. In â€Å"The Birthmark† science is symbolized by the scientist Aylmer, who is able to produce all kinds of scientific perfumes and liquids is not able to control his wife’s nature. Nature is symbolized by Georgiana’s natural beauty and of course by her birthmark which also symbolizes the mightiness of nature. In the end science fails to control nature with the result of Georgiana’s death and Aylmer’s unhappiness after he has lost his beloved wife.In â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter† Dr. Rappaccini’s garden symbolizes nature on the one hand and science on the other hand at the same time. All the numerous and beautiful flowers are linked to nature at the first glance but, when their poisonousness is revealed, the connection to science is made instantly. Rappaccini uses his garden and also his daughter to embody his scientific powers and to achieve his personal goals. Just as in â€Å"The Birthmark† science is not able to control nature. In the end Dr.Rappaccini’s poisoned daughter dies after she tried to fight science by drinking an antidote. 3. Conclusion As it emerges of my paper about the comparison of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short stories â€Å"The Birthmark† and â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, there are numerous aspects between Aylmer and Dr. Rappaccini, as well as between Georgiana and Beatrice, which can be seen as very similar and also aspects which are completely different from one another. Another very important aspect which I analyzed throughout the composition of my paper, are the two symbols nature and science.Even today there are lots of discussions about the change of nature by science. A current example for this is pre-implantation diagnostics, a procedure in which embryos are produced by in-vitro fertilization to make sure they don’t suffer from a genetic disease before the embryos are implanted in the uterus. This topic leads to controversial discussions because the embryos which aren’t used after the examination are thrown out. In addition pre-implantation diagnostics is a current example of science trying to control nature.Even if the result sometimes is not perfect, nature should be allowed to run its course. 1,383 words Works Cited Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Boston: Thomson, 2005. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Mosses from an Old Manse. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1900. 48-78. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Mosses from an Old Manse. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1900. 125-178 Honestly Declaration I hereby declare that the work submitted is my own and that all passages and ideas that are not mine have been fully and properly acknowledged.I am aware that I will fail the entire course should I include passages and ideas from other sources and present them as if they were my own. ———————- ————– Signature Date ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Abrams, M. H. : A Glossary of Literary Terms. p. 320. [ 2 ]. Hawthorne, N. : Mosses from an Old Manse. p. 36. [ 3 ]. (ibid. 129) [ 4 ]. (ibid. 37) [ 5 ]. (ibid. ) [ 6 ]. (ibid. ) [ 7 ]. (ibid. 39) [ 8 ]. (ibid. 133) [ 9 ]. (ibid. 38) [ 10 ]. (ibid. 141,42) [ 11 ]. (ibid. 171) [ 12 ]. (ibid. 56)

Deceptive Advertisement in Tobacco Industry Essay

Deceptive Advertisement in Tobacco Industry Introduction            Managerial decisions form an important element in business success. Griseri & Seppala, (2010,p.45) note that the primary function of a business should not only be geared towards profit making but also strive to check the social implication of the business activities The process of decision making is thus governed by the business ethics, moral frameworks and the Social responsibility. This paper will examine decisions made in a tobacco industry, effect on the living and environmental conditions and evaluate if they conform to the moral frameworks of decision making.            Tobacco companies have constantly employed deceptive advertising strategies. One of them is the use of celebrities from various fields such as sports and media to market their brand. This choice paints a picture of success and pride in using tobacco products and smoking. Moreover, these companies fail to give more details of the tobacco product use and effects. This is in violation of the ‘rights approach’ moral framework in dealing with ethical issues. The rights approach is a traditional moral approach which demands that the rights of individuals (consumers) must be upheld in decision making (Brooks et al 2010, p.197).            Consumers have fundamental rights as highlighted in John F Kennedy (1962) Consumer bill of rights. One right found in the bill is the Consumers right to safety. Businesses should not knowingly sell to customers products that might harm the customer. Secondly, consumers have a right to be informed. Devenney & Kenny (2011, p.10) say that products information should provide detailed facts on the product ingredients, the risks involved and instructions for usage. By failing to inform consumers of the health risks associated with tobacco consumption, the companies are infringing on this rights to life which are at stake.            The companies seem to embrace preference utilitarianism. This is a type of Utilitarianism that states that the right action is that which will produce the best results but the best results are those that will satisfy personal preferences (Krantz 2002, p.28.). By not labeling their products and use of celebrities, the company is able to prey on consumers who lack knowledge on tobacco. Tobacco injects money worth millions into the economy, a fact that cannot be disputed. The companies’ duties to ethical practices are overshadowed by the desire to accumulate more wealth at the expense of health concerns of consumers.            These deceptive strategies have masked the adverse effects of tobacco consumption to health, living and environmental conditions of the users. Tobacco use increases the risk of cancer contraction for vascular diseases and other illness. This results into higher expenditures on medical, lowers productivity and increases premature deaths. The short term effects on living standards include diversion of family income. A research conducted in shanghai china (1995) among 2716 households revealed that 17% of family incomes were spent on cigarettes            Social responsibility is a major function of any business. Tobacco industries in use of deceptive advertisement have demonstrated unethical practices that raise questions on the commitment of these industries in maintaining a striking partnership of its business core functions and the social responsibility. Governments, human rights activists and stakeholders need to put up laws to regulate the extent at which business may exploit consumers. Without laws, it will be difficult to tame tobacco industries as the moral frame work principles and social responsibility cannot guarantee complete ethical practices in this business environment. References DEVENNEY, J., & KENNY, M. (2011). European consumer protection: theory and practice in Europe. Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Pr. GONG YL, KOPLAN JP, WEI FENG et al (1995) Cigartette smoking in China prevalence, characteristics adnd attitudes in Minghan District. JAMA GRISERI, P., & SEPPALA, N. (2010). Business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Australia, South-Western Cengage Learning. KRANTZ, S. F. (2002). Refuting Peter Singer’s ethical theory: the importance of human dignity. Westport, Conn, PraegerJohn F. Kennedy’s speech, Public papers of the United States, Public Messages, Speeches and Statements of the Presiident, 1 January to 31 December, 1962, pp, 235-43 Brooks, Leonard J., and Paul Dunn. 2010. Business & professional ethics for directors, executives, & accountants. Mason, OH: South Western Cengage Learning. Source document

Cardinality and Modality Essay

Cardinality Cardinality indicates the maximum number of times an instance of one entity can be associated with instances in the related entity. Cardinality can have the values of one or many, no more detail than that. It is either one or more than one. On the relationship line, the cardinality is the closest to the entity box. The cardinality symbol in the diagram on the slide is in the red circle. Cardinality is indicated at BOTH ends of the relationship line, so there is a left to right cardinality and a right to left cardinality. Modality Modality indicates the minimum number of times an instance in one entity can be associated with an instance in the related entity. Modality can have the values of zero or one, two or three are not allowed. The modality symbol is located next to the cardinality symbol, on the inside, i.e., NOT next to the entity box. A modality of one is denoted by a straight vertical line and a modality of zero is denoted by a circle. Like cardinality, modality is indicated at both ends of the relationship.

The Host Chapter 57: Completed

It was a small tribunal this time, not like the trial for Kyle's life. Ian brought only Jeb, Doc, and Jared. He knew without having to be told that Jamie must not be allowed anywhere near these proceedings. Melanie would have to give that goodbye for me. I couldn't face that, not with Jamie. I didn't care if it was cowardly of me. I wouldn't do it. Just one blue lamp, one dim circle of light on the stone floor. We sat on the edge of the ring of light; I was alone, the four men facing me. Jeb had even brought his gun-as if it were a gavel and would make this more official. The smell of sulfur brought back the painful days of my mourning; there were some memories that I would not regret losing when I was gone. â€Å"How is she?† I asked Doc urgently as they settled in, before they could get started. This tribunal was a waste of my small store of time. I was worried about more important things. â€Å"Which one?† he responded in a weary voice. I stared at him for a few seconds, and then my eyes grew wide. â€Å"Sunny's gone? Already?† â€Å"Kyle thought it was cruel to make her suffer longer. She was†¦ unhappy.† â€Å"I wish I could have said goodbye,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"And good luck. How is Jodi?† â€Å"No response yet.† â€Å"The Healer's body?† â€Å"Trudy took her away. I think they went to get her something to eat. They're working on finding a temporary name she likes, so we can call her something besides the body.† He smiled wryly. â€Å"She'll be fine. I'm sure she will,† I said, trying to believe the words. â€Å"And Jodi, too. It will all work out.† No one called me on my lies. They knew I was saying this for myself. Doc sighed. â€Å"I don't want to be away from Jodi long. She might need something.† â€Å"Right,† I agreed. â€Å"Let's get this over with.† The quicker the better. Because it didn't matter what was said here; Doc had agreed to my terms. And yet there was some stupid part of me that hoped†¦ hoped that there was a solution that would make everything perfect and let me stay with Ian and Mel with Jared in a way that absolutely no one would suffer for. Best to crush that impossible hope quickly. â€Å"Okay,† Jeb said. â€Å"Wanda, what's your side?† â€Å"I'm giving Melanie back.† Firm, short-no reasons to argue against. â€Å"Ian, what's yours?† â€Å"We need Wanda here.† Firm, short-he was copying me. Jeb nodded to himself. â€Å"That's a tricky one. Wanda, why should I agree with you?† â€Å"If it were you, you'd want your body back. You can't deny Melanie that.† â€Å"Ian?† Jeb asked. â€Å"We have to look at the greater good, Jeb. Wanda's already brought us more health and security than we've ever had. She's vital to the survival of our community-of the entire human race. One person can't stand in the way of that.† He's right. Nobody asked you. Jared spoke up. â€Å"Wanda, what does Mel say?† Ha, Mel said. I stared into Jared's eyes, and the strangest thing happened. All the melting and melding I had just been through was shoved aside, into the smallest part of my body, the little corner that I took up physically. The rest of me yearned toward Jared with the same desperate, half-crazed hunger I'd felt since the first time I'd seen him here. This body barely belonged to me or to Melanie-it belonged to him. There really wasn't room enough for the two of us in here. â€Å"Melanie wants her body back. She wants her life back.† Liar. Tell them the truth. No. â€Å"Liar,† Ian said. â€Å"I can see you arguing with her. I'll bet she agrees with me. She's a good person. She knows how much we need you.† â€Å"Mel knows everything I know. She'll be able to help you. And the Healer's host. She knows more than I ever did. You'll be fine. You were fine before I was here. You'll survive, just like before.† Jeb blew out a puff of air, frowning. â€Å"I don't know, Wanda. Ian's got a point.† I glared at the old man and saw that Jared was doing the same. I looked away from that standoff to level a grim glance at Doc. Doc met my eyes, and his face clenched with pain. He understood the reminder I was giving him. He'd promised. This tribunal didn't overrule that. Ian was watching Jared-he didn't see our silent exchange. â€Å"Jeb,† Jared protested. â€Å"There's only one decision here. You know that.† â€Å"Is there, kid? Seems to me there's a whole barrel of 'em.† â€Å"That's Melanie's body!† â€Å"And Wanda's, too.† Jared choked on his response and had to start over. â€Å"You can't leave Mel trapped in there-it's like murder, Jeb.† Ian leaned forward into the light, his face suddenly furious again. â€Å"And what is it that you're doing to Wanda, Jared? And the rest of us, if you take her away?† â€Å"You don't care about the rest of anybody! You just want to keep Wanda at Melanie's expense-nothing else matters to you.† â€Å"And you want to have Melanie at Wanda's expense-nothing else matters to you! So, with those things being equal, it comes down to what's best for everyone else.† â€Å"No! It comes down to what Melanie wants! That's her body!† They were both crouched halfway between sitting and standing now, their fists clenched and their faces twisted with rage. â€Å"Cool it, boys! Cool it right now,† Jeb ordered. â€Å"This is a tribunal, and we're going to stay calm and keep our heads. We've got to think about every side.† â€Å"Jeb -† Jared began. â€Å"Shut up.† Jeb chewed on his lip for a while. â€Å"Okay, here's how I see it. Wanda's right -â€Å" Ian lurched to his feet. â€Å"Hold it! Sit yourself back down. Let me finish.† Jeb waited until Ian, the tendons standing out in his taut neck, stiffly returned to a seated position. â€Å"Wanda is right,† Jeb said. â€Å"Mel needs her body back. But,† he added quickly when Ian tensed again, â€Å"but I don't agree with the rest, Wanda. I think we need you pretty bad, kid. We got Seekers out there lookin' for us, and you can talk right to 'em. The rest of us can't do that. You save lives. I got to think about the welfare of my household.† Jared spoke through his teeth. â€Å"So we get her another body. Obviously.† Doc's crumpled face lifted. Jeb's white caterpillar eyebrows touched his hairline. Ian's eyes widened and his lips pursed. He stared at me, considering†¦ â€Å"No! No!† I shook my head frantically. â€Å"Why not, Wanda?† Jeb asked. â€Å"Don't sound like a half-bad idea to me.† I swallowed and took a deep breath so my voice wouldn't turn hysterical. â€Å"Jeb. Listen to me carefully, Jeb. I am tired of being a parasite. Can you understand that? Do you think I want to go into another body and have this start all over again? Do I have to feel guilty forever for taking someone's life away from them? Do I have to have someone else hate me? I'm barely a soul anymore-I love you brutish humans too much. It's wrong for me to be here, and I hate feeling that.† I took another breath and spoke through the tears that were falling now. â€Å"And what if things change? What if you put me in some-one else, steal another life, and it goes wrong? What if that body pulls me after some other love, back to the souls? What if you can't trust me anymore? What if I betray you next time? I don't want to hurt you!† The first part was the pure and unadorned truth, but I was lying wildly through the second. I hoped they wouldn't hear that. It would help that the words were barely coherent, my tears turned to sobs. I would never hurt them. What had happened to me here was permanent, a part of the very atoms that made up my small body. But maybe, if I gave them a reason to fear me, they would more easily accept what had to be. And my lies worked, for once. I caught the worried glance Jared and Jeb exchanged. They hadn't thought of that-of my becoming untrustworthy, becoming a danger. Ian was already moving to put his arms around me. He dried my tears against his chest. â€Å"It's okay, honey. You don't have to be anyone else. Nothing's going to change.† â€Å"Hold on, Wanda,† Jeb said, his shrewd eyes suddenly sharper. â€Å"How does going to one of those other planets help you? You'll still be a parasite, kid.† Ian flinched around me at the harsh word. And I flinched also, because Jeb was too insightful, as always. They waited for my answer, all but Doc, who knew what the real answer was. The one I wouldn't give. I tried to say only true things. â€Å"It's different on other planets, Jeb. There isn't any resistance. And the hosts themselves are different. They aren't as individualized as humans, their emotions are so much milder. It doesn't feel like stealing a life. Not like it feels here. No one will hate me. And I'd be too far away to hurt you. You'd be safer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last part sounded too much like the lie it was, so I let my voice trail off. Jeb stared at me through narrowed eyes, and I looked away. I tried not to look at Doc, but I couldn't help one brief glance, to make sure he understood. His eyes locked on mine, clearly miserable, and I knew that he did. As I quickly lowered my gaze, I caught Jared staring at Doc. Had he seen the silent communication? Jeb sighed. â€Å"This is†¦ a pickle.† His face turned into a grimace as he concentrated on the dilemma. â€Å"Jeb -† Ian and Jared said together. They both stopped and scowled at each other. This was all just a waste of time, and I had only hours. Just a few more hours, I knew that for certain now. â€Å"Jeb,† I said softly, my voice barely audible over the spring's gushing murmur, and everyone turned to me. â€Å"You don't have to decide right now. Doc needs to check on Jodi, and I'd like to see her, too. Plus, I haven't eaten all day. Why don't you sleep on it? We can talk again tomorrow. We've got plenty of time to think about this.† Lies. Could they tell? â€Å"That's a good idea, Wanda. I think everyone here could use a breather. Go get some food, and we'll all sleep on it.† I was very careful not to look at Doc now, even when I spoke to him. â€Å"I'll be along to help with Jodi after I eat, Doc. See you later.† â€Å"Okay,† Doc said warily. Why couldn't he keep his tone casual? He was a human-he should have been a good liar. â€Å"Hungry?† Ian murmured, and I nodded. I let him help me up. He latched on to my hand, and I knew he would be keeping a tight hold on me now. That didn't worry me. He slept deeply, like Jamie. As we walked from the dark room, I could feel eyes on my back, but I wasn't sure whose. Just a few more things to do. Three, to be precise. Three last deeds to be completed. First, I ate. It wouldn't be nice to leave Mel with her body uncomfortable from hunger. Besides, the food was better since I'd been raiding. Something to look forward to rather than endure. I made Ian get the food and bring it to me while I hid in the field where half-grown sprouts of wheat replaced the corn. I told Ian the truth so that he would help me: I was avoiding Jamie. I didn't want Jamie frightened by this decision. It would be harder for him than for Jared or Ian-they each took one side. Jamie loved us both; he would be more evenly torn. Ian did not argue with me. We ate in silence, his arm tight around my waist. Second, I went to see Sunny and Jodi. I expected to see three glowing cryotanks on top of Doc's desk, and I was surprised that there were still just the two Healers, set in the center. Doc and Kyle hovered over the cot where Jodi lay inert. I walked quickly to them, about to demand to know where Sunny was, but when I got closer, I saw that Kyle had an occupied cryotank cradled in one arm. â€Å"You'll want to be gentle with that,† I murmured. Doc was touching Jodi's wrist, counting to himself. His lips pressed into a thin line when he heard my voice, and he had to begin over again. â€Å"Yeah, Doc told me that,† Kyle said, his gaze never leaving Jodi's face. A dark, matched set of bruises was forming under his eyes. Was his nose broken again? â€Å"I'm being careful. I just†¦ didn't want to leave her alone over there. She was so sad and so†¦ sweet.† â€Å"I'm sure she'd appreciate it, if she knew.† He nodded, still staring at Jodi. â€Å"Is there something I'm supposed to be doing here? Is there some way to help?† â€Å"Talk to her, say her name, talk about things she'll remember. Talk about Sunny, even. That helped with the Healer's host.† â€Å"Mandy,† Doc corrected. â€Å"She says it's not exactly right, but it's close.† â€Å"Mandy,† I repeated. Not that I would need to remember. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"With Trudy-that was a good call there. Trudy's exactly the right person. I think she's gotten her to sleep.† â€Å"That's good. Mandy will be okay.† â€Å"I hope so.† Doc smiled, but it didn't affect his gloomy expression much. â€Å"I've got lots of questions for her.† I looked at the small woman-it was still impossible to believe that she was older than the body I wore. Her face was slack and vacant. It frightened me a little-she'd been so vibrantly alive when Sunny was inside. Would Mel†¦? I'm still here. I know. You'll be fine. Like Lacey. She winced, and so did I. Never like Lacey. I touched Jodi's arm softly. She was much like Lacey in some ways. Olive skinned and black haired and tiny. They could almost be sisters, except that Jodi's sweet, wan face could never look so repellent. Kyle was tongue-tied, holding her hand. â€Å"Like this, Kyle,† I said. I brushed her arm again. â€Å"Jodi? Jodi, can you hear me? Kyle's waiting for you, Jodi. He got himself in a lot of trouble getting you here-everybody who knows him wants to beat him senseless.† I grinned wryly at the big man, and his lips curled up at the corners, though he didn't look up to see my smile. â€Å"Not that you're surprised to hear that,† Ian said beside me. â€Å"When hasn't that been the case, eh, Jodi? It's good to see you again, sweetheart. Though I wonder if you feel the same way. Must have been a nice break to get rid of this idiot for so long.† Kyle hadn't noticed his brother was there, attached like a vise to my hand, until Ian spoke. â€Å"You remember Ian, of course. Never has managed to catch up to me in anything, but he keeps trying. Hey, Ian,† Kyle added, never moving his eyes, â€Å"you got anything you want to say to me?† â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I'm waiting for an apology.† â€Å"Keep waiting.† â€Å"Can you believe he kicked me in the face, Jodes? For no reason at all.† â€Å"Who needs an excuse, eh, Jodi?† It was oddly pleasant, the banter between the brothers. Jodi's presence kept it light and teasing. Gentle and funny. I would have woken up for this. If I were her, I would have been smiling already. â€Å"Keep it up, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"That's just right. She'll come around.† I wished I would get to meet her, to see what she was like. I could only picture Sunny's expressions. What would it be like for everyone here, meeting Melanie for the first time? Would it seem the same to them, as if there were no difference? Would they really grasp that I was gone, or would Melanie simply fill the role I had? Maybe they would find her entirely different. Maybe they would have to adjust to her all over again. Maybe she would fit in the way I never had. I pictured her, which was picturing me, the center of a crowd of friendly faces. Pictured us with Freedom in our arms and all the humans who had never trusted me smiling with welcome. Why did that bring tears to my eyes? Was I really so petty? No, Mel assured me. And they'll miss you-of course they will. All the best people here will feel your loss. She seemed to finally accept my decision. Not accept, she disagreed. I just can't see any way to stop you. And I can feel how close it is. I'm scared, too. Isn't that funny? I'm absolutely terrified. That makes two of us. â€Å"Wanda?† Kyle said. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Um†¦ why?† â€Å"For trying to kill you,† he said casually. â€Å"Guess I was wrong.† Ian gasped. â€Å"Please tell me you have some kind of recording device available, Doc.† â€Å"Nope. Sorry, Ian.† Ian shook his head. â€Å"This moment should be preserved. I never thought I'd live to see the day that Kyle O'Shea would admit to being wrong. C'mon, Jodi. That ought to shock you awake.† â€Å"Jodi, baby, don't you want to defend me? Tell Ian I never have been wrong before.† He chuckled. That was nice. It was nice to know that I'd earned Kyle's acceptance before I left. I hadn't expected that much. There was no more I could do here. There was no point in lingering. Jodi would either come back or she would not, but neither outcome would change my path now. So I proceeded to my third and final deed: I lied. I stepped away from the cot, took a deep breath, and stretched my arms. â€Å"I'm tired, Ian,† I said. Was it really a lie? It didn't sound so false. It had been a long, long day, this, my last day. I'd been up all night, I realized. I hadn't slept since that last raid; I must have been exhausted. Ian nodded. â€Å"I'll bet you are. Did you stay up with the Heal-with Mandy all night?† â€Å"Yeah.† I yawned. â€Å"Have a nice night, Doc,† Ian said, pulling me toward the exit. â€Å"Good luck, Kyle. We'll be back in the morning.† â€Å"Night, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"See you, Doc.† Doc glowered at me, but Ian's back was to him, and Kyle was staring at Jodi. I returned Doc's glare with a steady gaze. Ian walked with me through the black tunnel, saying nothing. I was glad he wasn't in the mood for conversation. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on it. My stomach was twisting and turning, wringing itself into strange contortions. I was done, all my tasks accomplished. I only had to wait a bit now and not fall asleep. Tired as I was, I didn't think that would be a problem. My heart was pounding like a fist hitting my ribs from the inside. No more stalling. It had to be tonight, and Mel knew that, too. What had happened today with Ian had shown me that. The longer I stayed, the more tears and arguments and fights I would cause. The better the chance that I or someone else would slip up and Jamie would find out the truth. Let Mel explain it after the fact. It would be better that way. Thanks so much, Mel thought; her words flowed fast, in a burst, her fear marring her sarcasm. Sorry. You don't mind too much? She sighed. How can I mind? I'd do anything you asked me to, Wanda. Take care of them for me. I would have done that anyway. Ian, too. If he'll let me. I've got a feeling he might not like me so much. Even if he won't let you. I'll do whatever I can for him, Wanda. I promise. Ian paused in the hall outside the red and gray doors to his room. He raised his eyebrows, and I nodded. Let him think I was still hiding from Jamie. That was true, too. Ian slid the red door aside, and I went straight to the mattress on the right. I balled up there, knotting my shaking hands in front of my hammering heart, trying to hide them behind my knees. Ian curled around me, holding me close to his chest. This would have been fine-I knew that he would end up sprawled out in all directions when he was really asleep-except that he could feel my trembling. â€Å"It's going to be fine, Wanda. I know we'll find a solution.† â€Å"I truly love you, Ian.† It was the only way I could tell him goodbye. The only way he would accept. I knew he would remember later and understand. â€Å"With my whole soul, I love you.† â€Å"I truly love you, too, my Wanderer.† He nuzzled his face against mine until he found my lips, then he kissed me, slow and gentle, the flow of molten rock swelling languidly in the dark at the center of the earth, until my shaking slowed. â€Å"Sleep, Wanda. Save it for tomorrow. It will keep for the night.† I nodded, moving my face against his, and sighed. Ian was tired, too. I didn't have to wait long. I stared at the ceiling-the stars had moved above the cracks here. I could see three of them now, where before there had been only two. I watched them wink and pulse across the blackness of space. They did not call to me. I had no desire to join them. One at a time, Ian's arms fell away from me. He flopped onto his back, muttering in his sleep. I didn't dare wait any longer; I wanted too badly to stay, to fall asleep with him and steal one more day. I moved cautiously, but he was in no danger of waking. His breathing was heavy and even. He wouldn't open his eyes till morning. I brushed his smooth forehead with my lips, then rose and slid out the door. It was not late, and the caves were not empty. I could hear voices bouncing around, strange echoes that might have been coming from anywhere. I didn't see anyone until I was in the big cave. Geoffrey, Heath, and Lily were on their way back from the kitchen. I kept my eyes down, though I was very glad to see Lily. In the brief glimpse I allowed myself, I could see that she was at least standing upright, her shoulders straight. Lily was tough. Like Mel. She'd make it, too. I hurried to the southern corridor, relieved when I was safe in the blackness there. Relieved and horrified. It was really over now. I'm so afraid, I whimpered. Before Mel could respond, a heavy hand dropped on my shoulder from the darkness. â€Å"Going somewhere?†

South China Sea and the factors and effects of establishing a Research Paper

South China Sea and the factors and effects of establishing a multi-national joint force command - Research Paper Example Joint forces ought to achieve operational effectiveness. The United States Code provides doctrines that specify the hierarchy of obtaining joint forces’ effectiveness.2 Bearing in mind that most countries the challenges that have been mentioned, every nation regards stability of its economy as a vital aspect because it determines the country’s economic influence and survival in the current global economy that is characterized by stiff competition. Stability of a country’s stability is determined by macroeconomic factors such as its Gross National Product (GNP) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Precisely, a country’s stability is directly related to the country’s aggregate GDP. Therefore, it is vital that countries maintain their stability, through stabilization of their economies at all times. On the other hand, it should be noted that a country’s national and economic stability faces various external and emerging factors such as terrorism, inflation, political influences, and even the emergence of a multinational joint force structure. Most of these factors tend to have a negative impact on the country’s economy, therefore, leading to economic and social instability causing a decline in growth and development. As a result, such instabilities may lead to poverty and unemployment, which may emerge as serious national issues. In addition, such issues may lead to further degeneration of the country’s economy, leading to possible events of emigration and poor living standards. Multinational partnerships or alliances are defined as an agreed upon partnership between two or more countries that have shared principles, a common view of threats, and a commitment to greater global security3.The partnerships reached, should aid in ensuring that there are mutual benefits that are derived from such coalitions directly aiding in the stability of a nation. Different nations have collaborated with each other in the

Apple, Google, and Microsoft Battle for Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple, Google, and Microsoft Battle for - Essay Example Initially, the journey of Google begins as one of the search engines. However, it gained popularity by its ‘copyrighted Page Rank’ search algorithm that allows the web clients to experience advanced results. Moreover, another main feature of Google is that it allows every organization whether small or large to advertise online through this medium. In order to experience superior web-based services and software applications, Google provides its users a low-cost and supple infrastructure. Microsoft: the business model of Microsoft mainly spotlights the Windows operating system that is available on workstations. In addition, the products related to Microsoft are good for both organizations and consumer users to work easily on desktop. However, Microsoft is still struggling to increase its business in order to keep the customers integrated. In this study we compare the main prospective of users shifting from Personal Computers (desktop) to mobile devices that are providing Internet services. The Smartphone or tablet device market is an economy of around $400 billion. The computing based devices are gaining popularity globally therefore every company is struggling to be in this race. In order to win in this struggle, companies must advertise and claim its large user following. In fact, Apps plays an important role for the popularity of the Smartphone or tablets. Thus, benefit is gained by the company who has launched the most appealing device enriched with loads of apps. Apple: (Reynolds) Mmore than 250,000 apps can be downloaded by the Apple Incorporated Users and thus making it at the top list. The earning are about 30% on buying every app. Apple Incorporated Only allows a controlled proprietary system that allows users to purchase apps from Apple store. Google: recently Google has launched the Android mobile OS operating system for the users of non-Apple products. There are several features that are not available in Apple Inc for example,

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles Research Paper

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles - Research Paper Example al areas the access to health care is very limited because many physicians are less likely to practice in the rural areas where APRN’S can readily venture into (Cross & Rimmer, 2002). APRN’s are divided into four main categories having different roles although their educational backgrounds may be the same. These four categories of APRN’S include: the certified registered nurse anesthetist, the certified nurse-midwife, the clinical nurse specialist and the certified nurse practitioner. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The role of a certified registered nurse anesthetist is to provide a full range of clinical services especially the role of administering anesthesia during surgery but these people usually work hand in hand with an anesthesiologist and they are found mostly in operating rooms. In the case of an operation, a CRNA should be aware of the extent of the operation so that they can determine the type of sedation that will be used on the patient. These people also have the responsibility of following up on the patient in order to ensure that these patients recover completely from the effects of sedation. Certified nurse midwives have the role of helping mothers through the process of giving birth as well as giving advice to mothers on how to take good care of the new born babies. They have advanced knowledge that enables them to deal with various complications that occur during pregnancy although their scope of work is only limited to normal deliveries (Chism, 2013). Clinical nurse specialists are the types of nurses who provide services in their area of specialization and due to their strong knowledge base they can be consulted by other registered nurses according to their area of specialization. The varieties of field these nurses can specialize in vary from operating room nurses, oncology nurses or intensive care unit nurses. Nurse practitioner provide generalized health care and do tasks like diagnosis as well as giving

Stepfamilies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Stepfamilies - Essay Example Wilkes and Fromme (2002) investigated the stability over time of themes in the experiences of biological parents, stepparents, and adolescents in stepfamilies. Twelve adolescents, ten stepparents, and nine biological parents from ten stepfamilies that participated, completed follow-up questionnaires that sought to determine if the themes found in the earlier study were still present in their stepfamilies four years later. The results indicated areas that remained stable over time and areas of positive change and adjustment. The results also suggested the need for further research about the specific factors that shape adjustment to stepfamilies. The initial study consisted of 37 participants from 12 families. Of those 37 participants involved in the initial study, 31 completed follow-up questionnaires. Of the 12 families involved in the follow-up study, the adolescents consisted of six females and six males. All of the adolescents were Caucasian. The average age was 16.6 years. All of the children were the biological child of one of the parents living in the home. Four were from stepfather families, two were from stepmother families and six were from blended families. Of the stepparents involved in the present study, there was one Hispanic stepfather and the rest were Caucasian, three of the stepparents had never been married before, and six of the stepparents were male and four were female, with an average age of 41.2 years. Among the biological parents, four were female and five were male. All of the biological parents were Caucasian, with an average age of 43.6 years. Prior to the current marriages, eight of the biological parents had been married in the past. Assessment procedures included three questionnaires: one for the adolescents, one for the stepparents, and one for the biological parents, plus second versions with modifications made to render the wording appropriate for members of the stepfamilies that had been separated. The statements related to the core themes identified in the initial study. The questionnaires in Wilkes and Fromme's (2002) follow-up study asked each participant to rate their level of agreement with 32 to 34 statements on a five-point Likert scale. Based on the ratings participants gave to statements, averages were calculated to determine the level of agreement or disagreement with each statement. One of the major overarching themes found in the initial and follow-up studies was that adolescents were continuing to find ways to cope with the losses in the stepfamily formation process. These losses included undergoing changes in relationships, adapting to different family traditions, experiencing less power in the stepfamily, and having a sense that their family had changed very quickly. 'Therapists' perceptions of bioparent-child relationships in stepfamilies: What hurts What helps'- Cartwright, C. (2003). Stepfamily relationship research has focused on step relationships with particular emphasis on stepparent-stepchild relationships, despite increasing evidence that residential bioparent-child relationships can be negatively impacted through remarriage and stepfamily living. In a project by Cartwright (2003), nine stepfamily therapists were

Islamic Philosophy and Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Philosophy and Law - Essay Example The result was a split between the Sunnis, who sought elections, and the Shi-ites, who sought a heritage accession. Now, the rift has meant further difference between the two groups of Islam who have claimed their respective leaders as political figures (in the case of the Sunnis) and prophets with divine insight (in the case of the Shi-ites). As such, followers of both sects have a different kind of respect for their leader and for the modern translations of ancient Islamic texts. Islamic law is very specific, with rules governing everything from punishments for stealing or adultery to the proper methods for burying the dead or how to conduct business. Sunni law is based on four different schools: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii and Hanbali, with specific reference to both the Qur'an and the Sunnah as perfected doctrine. While Sunni laws are quite similar to Shi-ite laws in that they subscribe to both major texts, the major differences in law are in terms of modern society. As Shi-ites put faith in their divine leaders (Imams) to show them towards the path of religious enlightenment through Islamic law, the majority of Sunnis instead believe that with democratic elections their people might be able to use religious doctrine to the best of their abilities in politics. Both sides are adamant in their interpretations of Islamic belief and law, and as such are often at violent odds with one another. Sunnis reason that it is through the already perfected Islamic texts that Muslims will find enlightenment, while Shi-ites conversely believe that the descendents of Muhammad are able to bring deeper insights to the previous texts and offer a better way of life for the future. Because of these differences, inheritance laws and punishment laws differ between the two Islamic sects and no permanent common ground has been cultivated as yet. Not unlike the rift between Catholics and the Orthodox Church, Sunni and Shi-ite Muslims have both grown past their original religious teachings to such an extent that the two can never come back together; in terms of governance this proves to be a continuously difficult challenge in the Middle East. Islamic philosophy has been influenced a great deal by the Persian (or in modern terms Iranian) theologian Al-Ghazali, who lived from 1058 to 1111. Al-Ghazali believed that every event and interaction was occasionalistic, or the will of god as opposed to a simple physical reality. He wrote a book called The Incoherence of the Philosophers in the 11th century that would change the face of Islamic theology greatly for years to come; the book moved the Islamic school of thought from its focus on Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato towards a more rigorously religious point of view. Where Islamic scholars of past centuries had celebrated the teachings of Greeks like Plato and Socrates, Al-Ghazali denounced the men as non-believers and encouraged his fellow Muslims to embrace their religion instead of thinking outside of it. He made clear his belief that supporters of Greek philosophy were being disloyal to Islam, and literally hundreds of Muslims gathered to hear these theories where h e lectured at the Al-Nizamiyya

Immigration As A Source Of Conflict In France Essay

Immigration As A Source Of Conflict In France - Essay Example With a huge proportion of the immigrants being unemployed, there is a rise in labor riots in France. This can be attributed to the competition for jobs between the North African immigrants with the local French laborers. This is because they are willing to work at lower wages due to their lack of skills. This has sparked up racism and ethnic violence between the French Nationals and the North African immigrants. The immigrants feel they are not accepted as being French and are stigmatized to go back to their country, as they do not belong in France. They are not given jobs due to their immigrant nature and end up doing work beneath them. The lack of employment has also sparked up social evils and increased the crime rates in the country. The governments of the day are forced to deport some of the illegal immigrants to avoid extreme political movements due to high unemployment rates among the immigrants. There are two key things that are depicted about immigration as a source of confl ict in contemporary France. Immigrants come along with their cultural practices, religion, and this when they interact with local nationals, conflict can arise in the attempt of either group trying to dominate the other. This makes integration of the immigrants with the local communities difficult and can result in animosities between the two. Immigration adds competition for resources in the country and, therefore, the government should provide enough job and investment opportunities so as to avoid socio-economic conflict and labor woes.

Histology practical write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Histology practical write up - Essay Example Upon the maturation of the beneficial T cells, they are released into the blood. The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ (Paul, 2013). The spleen on its part is an immunologic blood filter. The spleen is of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, red blood cells and macrophages. The spleens functions by capturing antigens from the blood passing through the spleen. The migratory macrophages together with the dendritic cells transport the foreign bodies to the spleen through the blood stream. When the antigens get to the spleen and gets into contact with the appropriate B or T cells, an immune response is initiated. The B cells once activated produces large amounts of antibody which kills the antigen as well as aged red blood cells. The spleen contains two types of T-cells which are helper T-cells and killer T-cells. The helper T-cells are responsible for systematising the attack while the killer T-cells destroys the infected cell since it has then been turned into a virus reproduction factory. The spleen is a secondary lymphoid organ since it contains both T and B cells and requires an antigen entry to stimulate the lymphoid cells (Turgeon, 2014). Since the tissue sections are in wax, they are placed in hot plates for 2 minutes till all the wax is melted, and no traces of wax found in the tissues. Within a two-minute interval, the tissues are placed in absolute alcohol, 90% alcohol and 70% alcohol. In order to stain the tissues, they are placed in Ehrlich’s Haematoxylin for 45 minutes. Since this is a regressive stain, over stained tissues will have the stain solution removed with a tissue paper and rinsed for 30 minutes with tap water. The tissues should appear bluish purple/dark blue. The tissues are in acidic alcohol for 4 minutes and turn red. Immediately the slides are put into ammoniated alcohol and will turn blue. Within two-minute duration, the tissue

Financing A Healthcare Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financing A Healthcare Organization - Essay Example If a firm has sufficient net working capital it is assumed to have enough liquidity (ICFAI Center for Management Research ICMR, 2004). In the operating cycle of the firm current assets are converted into cash to provide funds for the payment of current liabilities. Hence, if the current ratio is higher it means that the short-term liquidity of the firm is also higher. Long-term Solvency Ratio - This is one of the leverage ratios. When the analysis of a firm is extended to the long-term solvency, we come into the category of leverage ratios. The leverage ratios are structural ratios and coverage ratios. Structural ratios are based on the proportions are derived from the relationships between debt servicing commitments and sources of funds for meeting these obligations. This ratio measures the extent to which borrowed funds support the firm’s assets. The denominator in the ratio is total of all assets as indicated in the balance sheet. The type of assets an organization employs in its operations should determine to some extent the sources of funds used to finance them. Management/Expense Ratio - An expense ratio is determined through an annual  calculation,  where  a funds operating expenses  are divided by the average dollar value of its assets under management. Operating expenses are taken out of a funds assets and lower the return to a funds investors (Investopedia). Line-item Budget: Line item budgets are used in private industry for the comparison and budgeting of selected object groups and their previous and future estimated expenditure levels within an organization. The line-item budget should include all income and expense associated with the proposed project. The major advantages of the line-item budget are that is easy to prepare, understand and justify. The big disadvantage is that there is no relationship between the budget request and objectives and priorities, and it is different to transfer

Poem explanation for Rumi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poem explanation for Rumi - Essay Example The poem’s form is very loose, rhyme free, almost like a flow of free thought from the heart, a confession of a soul not confused any more, but illuminated and free. Its haunting aura of deep simplicity almost borders on atheism: â€Å"Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Man is the bedrock of all religious and cultural systems, but he is always taught what to believe in and what to feel, while in fact, he should believe in what he feels. For Rumi, religion is a highly personal experience, not necessarily limited to logical arguments or perceptions of the senses, and in this particular poem, he disregards the importance of outward religious observance. Faith and love, just like breath, are invisible, yet inextricably present, and he truly believes that people of all religions and backgrounds can live together in ecumenical peace and harmony. His words come from the heart and ache to explain the often perplexing worl d of personal, spiritual growth, and are aimed at everyone, every single human being on earth. He continues to list contrasting worlds of â€Å"the East or the West†¦ the ocean or†¦ the ground, not natural or ethereal† pushing his existence away from all those cultural and natural systems. He is neither, yet he is all of them.

Urban machines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Urban machines - Essay Example Skyscrapers were constructed using steel rods and plates and with these passengers elevators were made. Electricity was initially used for lighting the cities and invention of bulb by 1879 enabled lighting in homes in America. At around 1900, telephone was invented by Alexander Graham and this connected people living in the urban centers in terms of communication. By this time, population centralization increased around the municipal government with defined administration and more expansion followed. The urbanization had negative impacts; for instance the smog, from the industries polluted the environment. The streets became dirty as a result of improper management as well as crowding. Chicago was majorly a trading center characterized by historical palaces as well as public buildings. However, Berlin was more developed as it had good transportation networks in terms of road and railway .Berlin ensured easy access to educational materials by building and equipping public libraries. Later, majority of people moved out of the cities as development (commercially) began in the outcasts of the cities (Henretta and Brody

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Discussion - Essay Example This philosophy requires that whatever one believes to be true or rational, must set aside while assuming the new opinion to be in provisional presumption. This not only helps the listener to put himself in the shoe of the speaker for the time being, but also helps him to get a clear picture of the speakers view. Moreover, this principle develops within a person the patience require to negate his personal attitudes and helps him to absorb a new concept, which might he has never come across. Interpretationism: Interpretation acts as a significant tool in the principle of charity and, is the process of evaluating attitudes to an individual on the basis of what he believes, says and does. Child (1996, p. 7) suggests that whenever we interpret someone, we actually aim to make attempt to sense of him by attributing beliefs, desires, intentions, emotions, and other propositional attitudes in the light of which we try to predict his rational action to the extent where we feel to gain an understanding of the nature of his mental reflection. An interpretation conception to this principle revolves around the notion that no individual can claim to be perfectly rational. He is always ready to learn new ideas which means he is exposed to all sorts of local irrationality in thought and action to which he believes is rational, but in fact is not rational for the set of attitudes he possess are absolutely irrational. Thus, he creates a nexus between the propositional attitudes and the notion of rationality as one of the source of interpretationists principle of charity. Contradiction incurs when the listener has own set of premises and is not ready to consider any argument other than the one he hold. Through such attitude, the listener actually contradicts to believe in the other set of principles and is adamant to learn no new concept or approach. This deviates from the above discussed principle of prediction because

History of Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of Policing - Essay Example r inspection of every of the Peelian principles, it is apparent that not only does a direct correlation to today’s policing exist, but also the 9 principles are frequently cited as being the primary foundation for present law enforcement organizations as well as community policing all over the world. This is also evidenced by the fact that several law enforcement agencies presently cite the Peelian Principles especially on their public websites as being their own principles.Thus Peel’s Principles are applied by most policing units in the world. Thus the fundamental undertaking of majority of police organizations currently is symbolized as law enforcement and crime prevention. The most recognizable phrase today in most policing institutions is â€Å"protect and serve† which is a direct reflection of the first principle of Peel; â€Å"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder† (Thomas, 2011). The governments together with members of the police force are being taken to task for actions that the media has chosen to highlight. Thus, the public today has got a bigger opportunity in reviewing as well as scrutinizing inefficient, illegal and inappropriate activity by police officers. Regrettably, the actions of a single government official or police officer can be very detrimental to a whole local government, police force or community. The second principle put forth by Peel states that, â€Å"The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.†This principle is therefore more applicable today than in 1829 since the media of today are keen to focus on any doubtful governmental or law enforcement activities. Thus in a bid to achieve public approval and assistance, community policing was then established. The 3rd Peel Principle is best illustrated by present-day technology as well as media developments that have allowed co mmunities to be more enlightened of the governing laws in addition

HRM Module Examination Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRM Module Examination Questions - Essay Example It should be noted that without work-life balance, employees tend to feel guilty and deprived of not being able to attend to activities involving their family as their career life robs them of these. Thus, they compensate these through several absences in order to make time for non-work activities. Absences also occurs when employees are physical exhausted and are suffering from sickness from overworking. In order to improve attendance, companies should strive to make the workplace worth going to. The workplace should not be a venue of stressful and tiring tasks by designing leisure activities every now and then. Also, rapport among colleagues should be established. Rewarding employees who are always present can also be pursued. Instead of adopting the total renumeration approach, the CIPD is pushing through the total reward system which is comprised of flexible benefits, opportunity for personal growth, recognition of achievements, flexible working hours, and others that are indeed favorable for employees. The CIPD argues that the total reward system will yield benefits such as â€Å"easier recruitment of better quality staff, reduced wastage from staff turnover, better business performance, and enhanced reputation of the organisation as an employer of choice.† The first and last advantages from CIPD are seen to be obvious benefits from a total reward system. As employees are favored, adoption of this scheme will surely boost company image thereby allowing it to recruit prospective applicants more efficiently. However, for the reduced wastage from staff turnover, this is quite questionable because adopting total reward system might not necessarily decrease turnover. Also, since employees have different personalities a more relaxed management approach might not work for some and might even promote a carefree attitude among employees. There are five stages in the process of performance management namely strategy definition,

The use of microrobotics in healthcare Research Paper

The use of microrobotics in healthcare - Research Paper Example Nanobots are engineered nanodevices or nanomachines whose size is as small as a microbe and are expected to have a wide range of application in the field of medicine as therapeutic agents and other medical uses (Kroeker). The tiny size of the robot is their unique feature which will enable them to interact at the bacterial and virus levels. They could also be easily injected into the bloodstream by which they can reach the target site to fix any problem. This potential application is now being considered for cancer treatment as cancer-killing robots can be injected in to the bloodstream by which they can locate the malignant cancer cells and destroy them through laser or other mechanisms. The efficiency of the nanorobots is such that the tumor could be completely removed right till the last molecule. Such a utility of the nanorobots offers immense benefits both to the patient and the medical team as it is less traumatic and at the same time more efficient than other forms of treatmen t that are currently in use such as chemotherapy. In chemotherapy apart from the malignant cells some non-target normal tissue cells are also damaged. This causes unwarranted stress to the body which is already waging a battle to fight out the tumor cells. Surgery, which is being touted as the last alternative in cancer treatment is also not always effective as it still retains the chance of a tumor relapse as even if a single molecule is left in the body from the surgery the tumor has the potential to return. In such cases even the effort from the medical team might go in vain as it is not always possible to completely remover the tumor cells. The use of nanorobots in such cases will not only cause the non-target cells to remain undamaged while eliminating every single cancer cell but will also ensure that the patient will not be out through a highly invasive or traumatic procedure. Only such a treatment will result in complete recovery for the patient (What are the capabilities of Nanobots?). In addition to their potential use as cancer curing agents, nanorobots could also be used in other common ailments. They can be used to remove particles from the bloodstream by which clogged arteries can be completely opened up by removing every cholesterol molecule. In case an organ is affected nanorobots can be made to swim to the affected region and perform a micro-surgery on the organ in a non-invasive and less traumatic manner thereby preventing the need for any surgery on the already damaged organ. The fact that surgeries are still a painful experience for all concerned cannot be sidelined and hence researchers are constantly searching for an alternative procedure that would be less invasive and traumatic. They can also be used to repair normal tissue damage such as internal wounds. In addition to clearing the damaged tissue cells nanorobots can also be engineered to build newer and healthy cells in the area and seal the wound. By this process the presence of any scar tissue from the wound healing process can also be alleviated. As nanobots do not necessarily warrant a surgical intervention those people suffering from allergies to anesthetics, hemophilic patients who are incapable of undergoing surgery and others with surgery related problems would be immensely benefited by nanobots.. Studies have also shown that nanobots can also function as

Rhetorical analysis assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical analysis assignment - Essay Example Thereby this essay intends to use the basics of rhetorical analysis to analyze and interpret the article The Gun that killed my Sister published in the opinion section of Politico. The author Elvin Daniel commands an intimate relationship with the content of the article as his sister was killed in the October 2012 Brookfield, Wisconsin spa shooting, thereby the approach of Elvin in the given article happens to be emotive and personal. This article intends to bring to fore one of the salient politico-social issues that have raked in much controversy in the America political and social circles, which is Gun Control. The author does not preach a tough or staunch stance towards the issue of gun control, but rather tends to extend a reasonable and emotive plea to the readers that the online sale of guns ought to come within the legal purview of background checks. The overall approach of the author towards gun control is sane and logical as he mentions that, â€Å"I’ve seen how dev astating Gun violence can be (Elvin 1).† Irrespective of the fact that the author in a way happens to be the firsthand victim of gun violence, as his sister got shot by her husband with a gun procured online and without succumbing to any background checks, the reason extended by the author is also based on facts and commonsense. The author believes that the online sale of guns is fraught with dangerous possibilities, as he goes on to cite the conclusion arrived at by a report that, â€Å"every year tens of thousands of criminals and domestic abusers like Radcliffe are looking for guns on Armslist.com, where they can easily buy weapons from private sellers without a background check (Elvin 1).† The overall purpose of the author is to move the public opinion in support of the fact that the online sale of guns must come within the ambit of background checks. Going by the fact that the writer’s sister herself got killed by a gun procured online without any background checks, the opinion expressed by the author happens to be utterly valid, credible and reliable. The thing is that the author is no way against guns as he acknowledges that, â€Å"I’m a gun owner, a hunter, and a member of the National Rifle Association (Elvin 1).† However, the writer staunchly supports a responsible attitude towards arms that no way opposes or decries a background check while purchasing arms at any online portal. The writer intends to target a range of readers subscribing to Politico. The writer is targeting the common citizens, many of whom end up being victims of the gun violence on a daily basis. The writer may also be targeting the anti gun control organizations like the National Rifle Association, encouraging them to support a reasonable and midway approach towards gun control. The article also has an undeniable political angle as it also happens to target the law makers, ordinary citizens, think tanks, pressure groups and anybody who is concerne d about the issue of gun control. The article contains ample information that helps the readers construct the writer’s persona in their minds. Even a cursory perusal of the article testifies to the fact that the writer happens to be a person who has personally suffered from gun violence, as he clearly

The role of coaching in improving performance Essay

The role of coaching in improving performance - Essay Example Had it not been for the coaching that they had received at the right time, they would still be struck at one place or the other. International Coach Federation (ICF), the international accrediting body for coaching, the defines coaching as, â€Å" an ongoing partnership that helps [people] produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives and†¦deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life†. In Sir John Whitmore’s words, coaching is defined as â€Å"unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.† (Whitmore 2002). A coach could be someone to train you in a new skill, encourage and motivate you, give you feedback for improvement and provide you with individual attention. Plants grow in wild; however they cannot match the yield from that of a well-cultured farm. The culturing that creates a well-maintained farm out of an unevenly undulated jungle in what coaching does to an individual. At an organization level, training plays a very significant role. After getting fresh talent into the organization, it is the responsibility of the management, to ensure that they are provided with the right training plus coaching at the right time. Only this will guarantee that they work in alignment to company’s goals and objectives. Coaching at its basic level is ‘observation and feedback’. (Luecke 2004). This simple yet magical definition can turn around organizations and boost-up individual performances to great heights. That is, coaches will normally be experts, who has 360 degree experience in the field, using which they can guide prospective employees on the opportunities and challenges of undergoing coaching. (Sherman and Freas 2004). The corrective measures needed or the area to be focused and worked upon will be obtained through the feedback. Thus coaching can pump in the invaluable component of ‘trigger for change’ into

Doctrine of Judicial Precedent Essay Example for Free

Doctrine of Judicial Precedent Essay Introduction Statutes and case law are two significant sources of the UK law. In the convention of common law, the law applied to a case is decided through judicial precedent and statutory interpretation. There can be effectiveness of judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in separation as well as when they are combined in the development of law. To what extend can a judge develop the law through the operation of doctrine of judicial precedent and application to the rules of statutory interpretation will be discussed in this assignment. In the first place, this assignment will give an introduction to judicial precedent and statutory interpretation. In the second place, how can judicial precedent and statutory interpretation develop the law will be analysed and evaluated. Eventually, the conclusion of this assignment will be given. Judicial precedent, a procedure whereby judges follow previous case with sufficiently similar facts, regulates case law, which is crucial to protect law stability. As MacCormick said: â€Å"to understand case law†¦ is to understand how it is that particular decisions by particular judges concerning particular parties to particular cases can be used in the construction of general rules applying to the actions and transactions of persons at large.† (James, 2010) Judicial precedent applies to the doctrine of stare decisis. That is to not disturb the decisions that are settled. For instance, through the stare decisis, the House of Lords held that the manufacturers owed a duty of care to their ultimate consumers of their goods in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), creating a binding precedent followed in Grant v Australian Knitting Mills (1936) in respects of duty of care and neighbor principle. The binding precedent is a legal principle formed by the ratio decidendi, the reason for the decision. This means that the ratio decidendi must be followed with the recognition of the legal reason for the decision in the previous case (Jacqueline, 2010). The remainder of a judgment is Obiter dicta. It is a statement made by the way, which though is not binding but can be persuasive in the future cases. Statutory interpretation is the process of how the statutes interpreted and applied by a judge. There are four approaches developed to deal with the task of interpretation, including literal rule, golden rule, mischief rule and purposive rule. When literal rule is applied, the words in the statutes are given their dictionary, original or everyday meaning, with the respect to the will of Parliament. For instance, in Whitley v Chappell (1868), with the application to literal rule, the court held that the defendant was not guilty since a dead person is not, in the literal meaning of the word, ‘entitled to vote’. Golden rule was defined in Grey v. Pearson4 (1857), â€Å"the ordinary sense of the words is to be adhered to, unless it would lead to absurdity, when the ordinary sense may be modified to avoid the absurdity but no further.† One of the illustrated cases is Re Sigsworth (1935). A son murdered his mother entitled to nothing since the court applied golden rule to modification to prevent repugnancy and absurdity. Instead of determining what the Parliament said, the Mischief rule is applied to what Parliament meant. The Mischief rule was applied in Smith v Hughes (1871). Lord Parker CJ held that the activities of prostitution were in a â€Å"street or public place† for the intension of the Act to prevent the mischief of the impact of solicitation on the passers by. With a wider application, purposive rule is aimed to give promotion to the general legislative purpose emphasizing the provisions. Lord Denning stated â€Å"we sit here to find out the intention of Parliament and of ministers and carry it out, and we do this better by filling in the gaps and making sense of the enactment by opening it up to destructive analysis†. In Cutter v Eagle Star (1998), instead of literal rule, purposive rule is applied, holding that car park was a road, which underlies the Road Traffic Act (1988). Also, a purposive approach is now often applicable as a result of European Law. (James, 2010) Examples and evaluations of development The judicial precedent is regarded as the backbone of the common law whereas approaches of statutory interpretation have developed as significant tools in interpreting the statutes. Furthermore, there has been a notable synergy between judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in the development of law. First of all, the development of law can be achieved by applying a suitable decision from previous cases with similar materials. In the case of Shaw v DPP (1962) the House of Lords held that a crime of conspiracy to corrupt public morals existed. The conspiracy to corrupt public morals consisted of an agreement to corrupt public morals by means of the magazine, and the defendants had been rightly convicted. This was followed in Knuller v DPP (1973), being held that an agreement to publish adverts to facilitate the commission of homosexual acts between adult males in private was a conspiracy to corrupt public morals (E- lawresources, N/D). Therefore, with the application to doctrine of judicial precedent, the decision in a previous case can be applied to similar cases in the future, which then can contribute to the development of law in terms of quantity, certainty and stability. In addition, since consistent decisions are provided, the law is more possible to ensure fairness, and the citizens can be more willing to trust the law with confidence of being treated fairly. On the other hand, it is said that the doctrine of judicial precedent can be too rigid, as there seems to be a tendency that the binding precedent will be strictly applied in the decisions of cases. Also, since there are no uniform cases, the operation of the doctrine of judicial precedent may lead to a certain degree of injustice, leaving limited space for the development of law. However, the rigidity of judicial precedent can be avoided in practice through the exceptions of decisions including application of overrule and distinguishing (James, 2010). As Posner (1990) claimed: â€Å" judges follow the previous decisions of their court when they agree with them or when they deem legal stability more important in the circumstances than getting the law right. But a precedents analogical significance means simply that the precedent contains information relevant to the decision of the present case.† (Richard, 1990) Despite following the precedent strictly, judges are able to change the decisions in cooperation with facts. The Practice Statement was made by Lord Gardiner in1966, allowing the House of Lord to change its previous decision when it appears â€Å"right to do so† in an attempt to achieve justice (Jacqueline, 2010). To illustrate, in Miliangos v George Frank (Textile) Ltd (1976), the House of Lord overruled Re United Railways. In the case of Re United Railways (1961), it had been held that all debts were to be paid in sterling in an English civil case. In the case of Miliangos v George Frank (Textile) Ltd, the House of Lords held that damages could be awarded in any other foreign currency in the contract, due to the changes in conditions of foreign exchange (Vaughan, 2010). This was stated as â€Å" the existing reason ceased now for a rule† by Lord Denning (Michael, 2004). Distinguishing is another technique used by judges in order to avoid a previous binding decision that may cause inconvenient or unsuitable results. The case Balfour v Balfour (1919) is often cited in conjunction with Merritt v Merritt (1970) by way of illustration of how distinguishing works. In both of the cases, a wife sued her husband for breach of contract. In Balfour v Balfour, based on the fact that the parties had not yet been divorced when the agreement was formed, the court held that there was no enforceable agreement, owing to a rebuttable presumption against intention to create a legally domestic agreement. In the case of Merritt v Merritt, however, the claim was successful. The court was able to distinguish the material difference between two cases. Lord Denning stated that â€Å"When †¦ husband and wife, at arm’s length, decide to separate and the husband promises to pay a sum as maintenance to the wife during the separation, the court does, as a rule, impute to them an intention to create legal relations.† (Zander, 2004) As a result, the appeal from the husband in this case was dismissed. The exceptions of decisions enable the judges to be more flexible in relation of following or refusing earlier decisions from similar cases, which seems to extend the power of the law lords to create law and the space for the development of law. However, it may decrease the level of law certainty and predictability. Regardless of the role statutory interpretation plays in helping judges deal with the task of interpreting statutes, the application and development among the four rules of statutory interpretation can promote law to adapt to changing needs. In practice, judges are continually applying the existing rules to new fact situations and thus being able to keep pace with the changes of society. Firstly, approaches to statutory interpretation can attribute to the creativity and flexibility of law. Applying purposive rule, the court of the case of Royal College of Nursing v DHSS (1981) held that the Abortion Act 1967 aimed at preventing the mischief of ‘back-street abortions’ where no medical care was provided. Therefore, with the advancement of medical technology, abortion became legal to be administered by nurses. (James, 2010) In addition, rules of statutory interpretation can ensure the willing of Parliament. Judges cannot make law, which is the role of Parliament, however, they can and do try to give effect to Parliament’s intentions by using statutory interpretation. For instance, in the case of R v Registrar General ex parte Smith (1991), purposive rule was applied instead of literal rule due to the fact that the applicant was confirmed to be dangerous to his natural mother by a psychiatrist and ‘Parliament could never have intended to promote such serious crime.’ Consequently, the applicant was failed to obtain his birth certificate (Jacqueline, 2010). Approaches to statutory interpretation provide opportunities for judges to apply to different rules flexibly based upon the facts and the intention of Parliament. However, increases of flexibility and creativity of law may cause decreases of certainty and consistency. Last but not least, as two major aspects of the UK law, the interrelationship of the doctrine of judicial precedent and the rules of statutory interpretation are significant to the development of law. For example, in Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Ltd (1953), there is a technical legal meaning of â€Å"offer for sale†. With the application to literal rule, the display of goods in a store shelf was held as an invitation to treat but not an offer to sell. This decision was followed in Fisher v Bell (1961). The court held that the display of product in a shop window was an invitation to treat and thus there was no violation of the Act. (James, 2010) Conclusion As a consequence, with doctrine of judicial precedent, previous cases can be applied to cases with similar facts in the future, whereas with statutory interpretation, different decisions can be made with choices of different rules depending on different facts. The synergy between these two aspects produces certainty, elasticity and appropriate space for the gradual development of law. In conclusion, although a degree of rigidity and instability might occur in the progress of law development. Judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in combination can attribute to an increased level of certainty, consistency, flexibility, and elasticity of the law, creating an appropriate space for a gradual development of law. Bibliography: 1.James, H., 2010, Learning Legal Rules 2.Jacqueline, M., 2010, Unlocking The English Legal System 3.E-lawresources, N/D, [Internet] Available from http://www.e-lawresources.co.uk [Accessed 11 /11/ 2012]†¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ 4.Richard, A, P., 1990, The Problems of Jurisprudence 5.Vaughan, B., 2010, Foreign Currency Claims in the Conflict of Laws 6. Michael, Z., 2004, The Law-Making Process

Belonging Related Texts Essay Example for Free

Belonging Related Texts Essay What do you think the most powerful influences that impact on an individual’s sense of belonging? * Strictly Ballroom by Baz Lurhmann * The Red Tree by Shaun Tan * Who you are by Jessie J You will almost always find where you belong if you search for it. So ultimately a sense of belonging comes down to perception. This starts from places and/ or relationships, which potentially alter your understanding or you and the world around you, so you can accept the person you are and your individual identity by creating this sense of belonging. In strictly ballroom by Baz Lurhmann, The Red Tree by Shaun Tan and who you are by Jessie J the composers use a wide range of techniques to convey the ideas belonging through forcible authority, challenging authority and alienation. These are illustrated through the concept of belonging to a person or place. These three ideas demonstrate what the most powerful influences are that can cause someone to feel a part of something or not. Forcible authority is illustrated in the film ‘Strictly Ballroom’ by Baz Lurhmann. Forcible authority is when a person or group has the power to make you feel a certain way that you may not agree on and make you feel as though you do or don’t belong. This is conveyed in the film when Barry Fife the president of Australian Dance Federation (ADF) forces Scott Hastings to dance a particular way. The forcible authority is demonstrated in Strictly Ballroom with close ups and bright lighting on Barry’s face. This creates attention and power to the audience’s concept on Barry. Scott then feels isolated from the ADF as a result of Barry’s ideas for the ADF. Forcible Authority is also shown in ‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan. This is conveyed through visual techniques of the little girl standing alone in many pages of the book. The concept of a powerful influence is a little red leaf with â€Å"without sense or reason† this demonstrates herself as a symbol of the ‘little red leaf’ with many factors contributing to that idea. E. g. ‘The little girl with the red hair’ The little girl becomes frustrated by society and not being able to find her place or where she feels she belongs without sense or reason. Here the most powerful influences that influence the little girl is her on mind set on other people and how she see’s everyone trying to conform and belong to a place she hasn’t been nor understands. Forcible authority is again conveyed in the song ‘who you are’ by Jessie J through the singers lyrics. Jessie illustrates a strong opinion on society’s sense of belonging when she states â€Å"forget how to fit the mold, yeah! † this informs the audience that society’s conception of belonging is based on a mould and she feels out casted because she doesn’t know how to find her place in society anymore. Jessie feels as though society has clung to a certain way of thinking and living, this is because of the forcible authority, which is the society as a powerful influence on Jessie’s sense of belonging. Challenging Authority is another idea shown in ‘strictly Ballroom’ this can be when you choose to do something about following other rules from a higher authority. This is illustrated when Scott is introduced to Fran’s grandmother Ya Ya. She explains that dancing comes from the heart. The close ups of Ya Ya’s hands beating the traditional rhythm of the Paso Doble on Scott’s chest gives both Scott and Fran the inspiration to dance their own moves which demonstrates to the Audience how they are challenging authority and now have somewhere to belong to. Challenging authority is illustrated in ‘The Red Tree’ when the little girl struggles to find herself in society; this becomes an issue throughout the whole book, always feeling as though she didn’t belong. The very last page is her standing in her room with a large Red Tree filled with lots of red leaves and you can see that she has accepted herself in the society. She has done this because she has a glowing smile on her face. Jessie demonstrates challenging authority in â€Å"Who you are† by giving advice to other people to be yourself instead of living a lie and following society’s rules. This is illustrated when Jessie sings â€Å"Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars! † Alienation is the estrangement of somebody who is forced or unforced to distance people from each other or of people from what is important or meaningful to them. Strictly Ballroom demonstrates many moments of alienation, one particularly is Scott feeling as though he doesn’t belong in the ADF because he doesn’t confine with the ballroom dancing rules. This is illustrated when himself and Fran dance their own steps and cause a stir in the ADF judging, this is a powerful impact on belonging because if you don’t follow the rules you are forced to feel neglected. Alienation is also illustrated in The Red Tree through pictures and descriptive language. The visual technique as quoted, â€Å"nobody understands†, It is raining and the brushstrokes are soft but distinctive nd the colours are dull and dark creating the audiences idea of how the girl is feeling. The girl is a seclusion to society showing her being an ‘outsider’, the visual techniques are a powerful influence to belonging and clearly demonstrate how the girl feels alienated by society. Jessie J also shows alienation in ‘Who you are’ b y the visual technique in the film clip, Jessie sings â€Å"Sometimes it’s hard to follow your heart. † In this particular part she is sitting in an empty bathroom with dim lighting, this demonstrates her feelings of loneliness and confusion. Jessie feels confused because she doesn’t know what the right thing to do is and this causes her alienation to the environment she is in, this particular songs provides proof with her excluding herself from society until she makes up her mind. Jessie being the most powerful influence as she is the only one making the decision to alienate herself. Strictly Ballroom by Baz Lurhmann , The Red Tree by Shaun Tan and Who you are by Jessie J all convey powerful influences such as authority to demonstrate people belonging and not belonging . This is conveyed through the techniques of forcible authority, challenging authority and alienation.

SM Prime Holdings (SMPH): Internal and External Analysis

SM Prime Holdings (SMPH): Internal and External Analysis Introduction Organizations are dynamic nowadays. One reason for this is the complexity of the environment they belong to and the need to constantly respond to this intricacy. Environment consists of various factors that affect how organization operates. These components include both internal and external factors that can either make or break the companys success. In addition to this, they have to react to various trends in which they are subject, for example the emerging environmental awareness of the public. To put all of these into perspective, one company will be used to illustrate how these factors influence the operations of the company. SM Prime Holdings (SMPH) is the mall operations arm of SM Investments Corporation which is todays one of the Philippines biggest conglomerates, occupying a dominant position in most of its lines of business, namely shopping malls; retail merchandising; banking and finance; and property. It all started with a simple vision of its founder and chairman, Mr. Henry Sy, to sell shoes to every Filipino (SMIC, 2009). Today, SMPH is the Philippines largest mall operator that owns and runs world-class malls over the country, providing millions of square meters of floor area for a fully integrated shopping, dining, and entertainment experience (SMIC, 2009). Moreover, it manages the parking area and the amusement facilities of the mall such as SM Cinemas, SM Ice Skating and SM Science Discovery Center. As of December 2008, there are 36 SMPH malls 33 here in the Philippines and 3 in China and this year it is expected that three new SM malls are opening. By the end of 2009 the total gross floor area (GFA) of all SM malls would total to 4.5 million square meters, a 5% increase from 2008s GFA. Above all, SMPH recorded a good financial performance year last year as it delivered a seven percent increase in net profit to Php6.4 billion, from a 12% growth in revenues worth Php17.8 billion (SMPH, 2008). Overview of the Internal Environment Every organization differs from one another. Each has its own unique characteristics that contribute to the over-all success of the company. These unique characteristics are often called the internal environment, which is composed of elements within the organization. These elements include employees, management, and corporate culture (Cliffs Notes, 2009). Out of all of these elements, there are two distinctive attributes that are vital to a company and these are its structure and culture. These two provides background on how the company operates. SMPHs Internal Environment For SMPH, understanding how their internal structure and culture operates allows them to organize, to take advantage of their strengths, to improve their weaknesses, and to develop an environment that breeds and encourages success among its employees (Organizational Culture 101, 2007). Moreover the success of the whole SM Group is attributed to its founder, Mr. Sy, whose determination and passion is considered exceptional. His influence has remained strong and visible both in its organizational structure and culture. Organizational Structure According to Drucker it is the correct design of structure which is of the most significant in determining organizational performance (Mullins, 2005. p. 597). In SMPH, they made sure that the structure is well-defined so that it will lessen confusion for their employees as it limits and controls what they do, for the organization is structured around high levels of formalization and specialization. Also the company has a strict adherence to chain of command that helps employees to identify their position in the company. Lastly, it is highly centralized wherein all decisions have to be made by higher ranking officials (Robbins, 2003, p. 575). In other words, the organizational structure of SMPH describes the management philosophy of Mr. Sy which is conservative yet with fine tuned instincts. Organizational Culture Like every individual, organizations also have their own personality that set them apart from others. In case of SMPH, their work ethics is prominent. For them everything is a serious business. Furthermore, they are guided by traditional Confucian values which are highly influenced by Mr. Sy who is an immigrant from mainland China. Hard work, frugality, discipline, love of study, self-sacrifice for the family welfare and harmonious social relationships are the Confucian values integrated to the company. These are the anchor values of SM Group which are the building blocks of their success (Flores, W. L., 2007). Overview of the External Environment Aside from managing its resources, organizations operate in a larger scale called the external environment. But unlike their internal resources wherein they have a full control of, the external environment suggests otherwise and in some cases may be considered as a threat. The number of the external environment factors is virtually unlimited for there are many macro factors that could impact organizations productivity. The only distinction between these factors is the degree of its impact to the company (NetMBA, 2007). SMPHs External Environment: PESTLE Analysis of SMPH SMPH, being the number one mall operator in the Philippines, regularly reviews its external environment. In their perspective, understanding the environment they belong is vital to the planning function of management for it influences the companys success rate. They identify and analyze the key trends, forces, and phenomena having a potential impact on the formulation and implementation of their strategies. In effect, the environmental assessment attempts to prepare the organization to acclimatize to environmental changes to take advantage of opportunities and to minimize the adverse effects of threats (Appelbaum, 1991). (P)olitics The Philippines is a democratic republic with an elected bicameral legislature, and a multiparty system. Filipinos exercised their right to vote every three years and despite the rumors to the contrary that the current President, Ms. Arroyo would not step down from office; there would be an election next year (US Department of State, 2007). This issue is important for the business sector as the next countrys leader may affect the operations of their organizations. This can influence them due to the reforms the new public officials would take. For SMPH, the results of the upcoming election would greatly affect them because it may affect the stability of the country and may undermine their confidence in their expansion plans. (E)conomics The countrys economic system is mixed economy wherein most of the companies are owned privately; however, government can control when the need for it arises. One of the features of the Philippine economy, it is consumer driven and the sales at the countrys biggest malls have been a gauge of trends in consumer spending. Almost 70% of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) is contributed by consumer spending. Moreover the 30% of this total consumer spending happens inside malls, and two-thirds of this slice of the pie is accounted to SM alone (Balea, 2009). But according to the Fitch Ratings Inc. the countrys GDP is predicted to be at its lowest at 2.5%, which is lower than the 1998 Asian Crisis (Burgonio, 2009). Given this forecast, this can predict how SMPH would perform this year. This economic downturn will most probably affect the company and would be visible in its financial statements. (S)ocial-Cultural One social-cultural factor that affects organizations is the consumer buying behavior. Consumers are the source of profit of the company and that is why they are researching in great detail to learn the buying behavior of their consumers in order to track consumer trends and respond to it. Understanding the purchasing patterns answers what consumers buy, where they buy, how much they buy, when they buy and why they buy (Kotler Armstrong 2007. p. 129). In a recent survey conducted by the global market research firm Synovate, it revealed that during the six month stretch of December 2008 to April 2009, 92% of residents in Metro Manila, which is comprised of all social brackets and where malls are concentrated, have cut their spending, while 61% did less impulsive buying. Moreover 55% said theyve focused on food and other necessities and spent less on recreation as well as luxury items. In short, Filipinos are still spending but they are spending for the cheaper and basic things (Balea, 2009). Although SMPH may not be directly affected by this buyer behavior, this may affect its tenants total sales. Since tenants rental fees are determined through a percentage of their income or through a fixed monthly rent basis, SMPHs total revenue may squeeze (Narciso, 2009). (T)echnology The continuous improvement of technology has dramatically changed every organizations process; for example new marketing channels were introduced like the internet. Here in the country, internet penetration is still low. As of 2008, only 14.6% of the Philippine population is internet users; however it is forecasted to record a 23% growth annually. If this trend continues it will revolutionize the way Filipinos live. A good example of this is e-commerce, wherein markets, which were once unreachable because of distance and costs, are now open through cyberspace (Internet World Stats, 2009). Although e-commerce is still an unfamiliar territory here in the country wherein only 3% in National Urban Philippines made online purchase, it has a strong promise especially in the coming years due to the increasing accessibility of the internet, greater PC penetration and enactment by the government of appropriately strong e-commerce legislation (Internet World Stats, 2009). With this implication SMPH may find a new competitor by means of the so-called e-malls. This can be a serious threat for the company since this brings many advantages to consumers such as convenience, accessibility, interactivity and immediate response. (L)egal The current legal system of the Philippines is based on the 1987 Constitution but there is an on-going movement that is aimed to revise the current system. According to several lawmakers the business sector would be the number one beneficiary of the constitutional change as the proposed amendments include creation of a more efficient and competitive business environment among others (Rubio, 2009). SMPH is highly subjected to this change. If this would push through, all corporate laws may be altered which would affect how the SMPH operates taxes may rise, new labor codes may be enacted, ownership act may be amended. (E)co-Environment The Philippines is a developing company and as a result of this is the degradation of the natural environment. That is why theres environmental legislation and provision that protects welfare of the environment. Hence these should be followed strictly by both the private and public business sectors. For SMPH, this is very much applicable since they are mall developers. They have to be in compliance with the rules and standards or else they would be penalized (Kirk, 1998, p. 83). A particular example of an environmental legislation that should be followed by SMPH is to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) during the conceptualization stage of their expansion plans. Getting an ECC certifies that the project under consideration will not bring about an unacceptable environmental impact and the proponent has complied with all of the environmental legislation preventing and controlling water, air and land pollution. Securing an ECC is important for SMPH because if they fail to do so all their expansion plans will be put on a halt (Kirk, 1998, p. 83). Competition Here in the Philippines, malls have become a huge phenomenon in the country. Most often than not, whether for recreational, dining or shopping purposes, Filipinos go to mall. With this high demand for shopping malls, this translates competition for SMPH and as of now there are three primary players in the shopping mall industry and these are Ayala Land, Robinsons Land and of course SMPH. Although the industry seems attractive with only 2 competitors for SMPH, the rivalry is still high since both Ayala Land and Robinsons Land are also expanding and has its own loyal customers. But an advantage being in the mall operations business is that it has high barriers to entry due to the huge capital needed to start up a mall, to find strategic locations and to attract reputable anchor tenants. With regards to SMPHs stand against its competitors, SMPH, with a 51 year experience under its belt, is still the mall of choice for tenants since they can enjoy heavy consumer traffic with almost 2.5 million foot traffic. This enormous number of SMPHs customers is due to their malls convenience, affordability and diversity, and these translate to high customer power. But theres also threat for substitutes like no-fuss shopping complexes (e.g. Tutuban Centermall, Greenhills) that is becoming a serious peril due to its cheaper prices. Knowledge Management In our daily lives, knowledge is considered as power. Same goes in businesses. But knowledge management is not merely gathering all the data, for it is more involved in processing all these information into a cohesive knowledge. Being efficient with the sourcing, analyzing, dissemination and storage of knowledge can be a source of competitive advantage for a company. With the case of SMPH, knowledge management is essential especially during times of expansion wherein they gather all information demographics of the area, spending capacity, competitive environment level of commercial and retail activities in the surrounding area and distance from other SM malls that will aid them in decision-making (SMPH, 2008). Financial Management The entire worlds economic system depends upon the exchange rate. The currency exchange rates effect global businesses like a thermometer, it measures the health of global economics (JD Files, 2009). Last year the Philippine Peso (php) was one of the worst performing currencies in Asia, closing at 47.52 php to a dollar. This is a 15% decline from the 2007s 41.29 php. (James, 2008) This can affect SMPH, since most of the Overseas Filipino Workers remittances are spent by their beneficiaries in shopping malls, tourism and entertainment. If the peso weakens, it increases the value of dollar remittances and this translates to more OFW beneficiaries spending in their malls. International Market Entry Many companies successfully operate in a niche market without ever expanding into new markets. However, some businesses could achieve increased sales, brand awareness and business stability by entering a new market (My Business, 2009). For instance, the company could review new geographical market to serve and at this time of globalization, many companies try to penetrate the international market as a source of their growth. Relating this to SMPH, the company expanded internationally through an acquisition of three SM shopping malls in China through a share swap agreement. This move allowed SMPH to gain a foothold in Chinas fast-growing economy and use this as a platform for long-term growth outside the Philippines where it is clearly the dominant player in the mall business (SMPH, 2007). Ecology According to Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, ecology means the scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms, the interactions among organisms, and the interactions between organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter. (n.d) In other words, ecology is about environmentalism. Today, one of the biggest issues in ecology is the increasing effect of global warming. Global warming as its name suggest is the gradual increase in the temperature here in earth. This is caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the suns heat and causing the planet to warm up (NRDC, 2009). Major sources of CO2 emissions are deforestation and burning of fossil fuels. This global concern is alarming for it may bring about natural disasters that may affect peoples health, bring ecological imbalance, rise in sea levels and change in crop and food supply. Here in the country, the effects of global warming are now being felt. According to World Wide Foundation (WWF), â€Å"The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of climate change. Food and freshwater shortages, receding coastlines and an increase in political and economic turmoil are the bleak picture that climate change paints for the country.† (Burgonio, 2007) With these consequences organizations have taken additional measures to respond to these impending catastrophes since they have the leverage to start the change and besides they are also the biggest offenders. In addition to this, various pressure groups, like WWF, are negotiating the companies to adopt energy-efficient saving measures in their operations to help in the global effort to cut CO2 emissions, the leading cause of global warming. (Burgonio, 2007) Ecology and SMPH SM CARES aims to unify and integrate all SMPHs CSR initiatives that are geared towards caring their shoppers and nurturing Mother Earth. Under SM CARES, the company has therefore taken an aggressive stance in protecting the environment through four major initiatives: Solid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, and Air Quality Efficiency. Below are some of SM CARES programs (SMPH, 2008). SM Cares Activities Solid Waste Management SM Supermalls holds Trash to Cash, a recycling market every first Friday and Saturday of the month in all SM Prime malls in the country. Here, the public can convert their recyclable trash into cash. To date, Trash to Cash has generated over Php10 million in recyclable items and is estimated to have saved nearly 11,000 seven-year-old trees. Mall tenants are also educated on the benefits of waste segregation. As a result, solid waste in the malls garbage depots has been reduced by as much as 20% a month and two tons of garbage per mall is diverted away from landfills every week. Water Conservation Since its inception a few years back, SM Supermalls now saves about 2.4 billion liters of precious water every year through tertiary treatment plants that recycle water for use in the cooling towers of the malls air-conditioning systems, toilet flushing, and landscape irrigation. Add to that, the use of waterless urinals in mens toilets save another 315 million liters of water annually. Energy Efficiency SM malls control their air-conditioning systems through the Focus Enterprise Building Management System. This computerized process closely monitors the building temperature to optimally balance supply versus demand for cool air. As such, mall areas that are full of people are made cooler while those less congested are left a bit warmer. The system saves almost 50 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. All tertiary treatment plants mentioned earlier utilize a device known as a sequential batch reactor that saves up to 500,000 kilowatt hours annually. To reduce the use of light bulbs during the day, the new SM malls are designed to have glass walls and ceilings to light up the mall with sunlight. Lighting has also been replaced from fluorescent to energy efficient bulbs and has saved the malls a considerable amount of kwh annually. SM CARES also avidly supports Earth Hour, an annual global movement that encourages households and establishments to shut down a ll power sources for an hour, thereby heightening awareness for energy conservation. Air Quality Efficiency SM strictly enforces the no-smoking policy inside the malls, and requires all public utility vehicles entering and parking in its mall terminals and depots to present certificates of having passed smoke emission testing. They also encourage the use of bicycles by providing safe parking spaces for them. Green Bags Pioneering efforts to promote eco-shopping in the Philippine retail industry, SM Supermalls recently unveiled the new SM Supermalls Greenbag. The SM Supermalls Greenbag enables shoppers to participate in the global cause to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. The SM Supermalls Greenbag which is available in all SM malls is made from 100-percent polypropylene (PP) material. It is recyclable, non-toxic, allergy free and nonreactive to human skin. The Greenbags size is equivalent to two regular SM Supermarket shopping bags and has an estimated life span of two years. It is very light, handy and can be folded into a small pack. The SM Supermalls Greenbag comes in four exclusive designs by world-renowned artist Manuel Baldemor, turning this utility item into a prized art piece. Another contribution of SMPH to ecology is through green architecture. Early this year SMPH unveiled their first mall to turn â€Å"green†, the SM North EDSA via the Sky Garden. It uses roof gardens that help in neutralizing global warming for roof gardens are known to reduce the effects of ‘urban heat islands and are energy efficient that cut down up to 20% air-conditioning costs. It also catches rainwater, which will be released into a storm water infrastructure that is subsequently recycled for landscaping and car park maintenance. Lastly roof gardens also lessen the plumbing design and systems expenditure. With all of these green features, the Sky Garden is an example of how a large-scale property developer can contribute to the improvement of the environment (The Philippine Star, 2009). Policies and Decision Making Since SMPH is a mall developer, ecological factors like global warming are always part of their discussion. As a matter fact preserving the environment is part of SMPHs objectives and that is to ensure environmental sustainability through various programs on energy, water and air conservation. For them more than just complying with the legal standards (e.g. environment legislation), they also have the responsibility to the community since their company is in the position to make a difference (SMPH, 2008). The management regularly holds meetings to discuss their effect to the environment as well as to discuss the effectiveness of their programs and their up-and-coming activities. One situation wherein SMPH considers the environment in their decision-making is every time they expand and open new malls. During the conceptualization stage, SMPH constantly explores breakthrough architectural models for its malls that are environment-friendly. The Sky Garden at SM City North EDSA, which is a first in the Philippines, is a noteworthy showcase of the companys innovative thinking. Utilizing the latest in green architecture, the Sky Garden brings their customers closer to nature and at the same time contributes to environmental conservation (The Philippine Star, 2009). To stress even more SMPHs integration of ecology in its company, they held a conference on Sustainability, Energy, and Green Design Initiatives. The conference was aimed at providing a fresh view on how green design initiatives can influence sustainability and promote environmental preservation. Some of the countrys seasoned architects and engineers shared their views on the subject with SMs executives to bring more awareness on how these timely subjects can impact their mall operations (Manila Bulletin, 2008). Through this conference, the management reassessed its policies concerning the environment and recognized the link between a healthy economy and a healthy ecology. Evaluation and Recommendation With all these initiatives on responding to the ecological issues, it seems that SMPH is reacting well but actually they are kind of late already. Their competitor, Ayala Malls, has been the pioneer to this trend and is successful in incorporating ecology programs in their system. Ayala Malls was the first to retrofit the existing structure of their malls to a more eco-friendly one. Furthermore all of their malls show a close-to-nature effect; in contrast to SMPH wherein most of their malls look like a concrete jungle. As a recommendation, SMPH may restructure all of their malls. But this could be done little by little so it will not interrupt the malls activities. Another precaution is that this can be very costly but if SMPH is really determined to be environment-friendly in all their malls this is the best means to show it. An alternative method is to put more in-door plants and garden to make their malls at least appear as eco-friendly. Another first by Ayala Malls is their integration with its mall tenants by means of â€Å"Greenology† that bolsters the malls environment awareness campaign. Through Greenology, Ayala Malls mark the trend of being an eco-friendly and eco-chic establishment by showcasing remarkable events that aims to capture the hearts of concerned mall patrons and environmentalists (Ayala Land, 2008). Although SMPH also has their own mall-wide activities such as Trash to Cash and their Green bag, they do not have monthly activities like the Ayala Malls. In addition to this their tenants do not actively participate as much as those in the Ayala Malls. A likely proposal for SMPH is to create an earth-friendly philosophy encompassing all mall activities that are related to conservation of the environment. Then make an apt title to it so that it will create awareness to the people, like the Ayala Malls Greenology. SMPH should also communicate to its tenants to support and participate in the activities. Together they can brainstorm and come up with ideas that are appropriate with the objective. For example, every month all the mall tenants would feature a product that would help in preserving the environment or are made with environment-friendly materials. But the good news for SMPH is that even though they are not proactive in responding to ecological factors, what matters most is that they are trying to keep up and do all their best to preserve the environment. All of their programs are actually well-thought of and practical. Their advocacies for Solid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, and Air Quality Efficiency are properly executed. As a matter of fact, SMPH has received some accolades for these activities including an Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency and Conservation from Don Emilio Abello Awards for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Best Practices for Buildings (SMI, 2008). However with all of these good strategies what is lacking to SMPH is publicity. They do not create so much buzz about their environmental concern and activities that makes the public think that they are not doing anything for the sake of the environment. That is why Ayala Malls remains to be the top of mind of the customers when it comes to being eco-friendly mall. To counter this SMPH should make use of public relations to show their plans in connection to greener lifestyle. They should utilize the different kinds of media to create awareness that they are good corporate citizen. Also they can sponsor events such as the yearly celebration of Earth Day to show their support for nature as well as to use this event to promote the earth-friendly facilities of their mall. All in all, SMPH has been sound with all its action plans towards the emerging environmental awareness and it would probably have a 65% marking since theres still a room for improvement. Conclusion Through the years, SM malls has become synonymous to the phrase one-stop shopping. You can ask any Filipino about what mall comes first into their minds and without batting an eyelash, they will respond and say SM. This is how great the impact SM has to the Filipinos. It is more than just the shopping, dining or entertainment experience it is part of the culture already. But before SM became an icon in the country, it started like any other rags to riches story. Its success can be traced back to its founder, Mr. Henry Sy. Even at his age, Mr. Sy is still very hands-on with the business. The countrys shopping mall magnate is a contrarian who not only survived but prospered after every political and economic crisis in the last five decades. This is because he studies the environment very well and handles every downturn as a challenge to seek new opportunities. These work ethics of Mr. Sy is visible in the company and are the main drivers for the continuous achievement of SM. (Tan-Co, 2001) Also contributing to the accomplishment of SM Group is its response to ecology. Although it is still lagging behind its competitors, SMPH is doing its share to conserve Mother Nature. They have opened their first green mall and have conducted various activities to counter their enormous carbon footprint. All these efforts towards being environment-friendly, shows the commitment of SMPH to be the mall of choice that cares to preserve the nature.