African and Native American Slavery Essay

The 1500’s, a time of discovery, was when the Europeans came to dominate most of the New World. The Europeans traveled to Africa and captured Africans to help develop their land and satisfy their need for power. I feel that the treatment of the Indians and Africans by the Europeans was completely unjustifiable. While the Indians and Africans were less technologically advanced and the Europeans were uneducated, in this particular field, nothing can compensate for the actions of the Europeans. As Europeans began to settle new lands they began their exploration of the foreign worlds. What they found was the opposite of what they expected. They found what they thought was a new breed of humans. In reality they were just Native Americans. These Indians were less technologically advanced than the Europeans. They also worshipped different and multiple gods and ate different foods. Europeans saw this as barbaric, so they treated them as barbarians. In the beginning Native Americans hadn’t the faintest idea of what the Europeans had in mind when they said trade. They figured that when the White Man came and showed all that hospitality they meant it. Of course, they didn’t, the Europeans captured the Indians to be used as slaves. They were also slaughtered and raped because of resistance to leave their land. If any Indians refused to leave their land they would be killed. The women were raped for sick and disgusting reasons. Europeans didn’t feel that the women, or men for that matter, were worth anything as humans so they were beat and raped without any thought about what they might be doing. As we watched the movie Roots, I noticed a part in the movie where they were on a ship and a man brings in a black woman, who was a slave. The man offered her to the ship’s captain and referred to her as a belly warmer. That got me to thinking what could be going on in that man’s head as he said that. When I heard that I was shocked that a man could treat someone like that. People have feelings and cannot be treated as objects. Maybe the Europeans didn’ t realize that these people were, in fact people, and that drove them to this awful conclusion that they could treat people this way. As Europeans settled their land and began to build houses, farms and plantations, they realized that they needed servants to assist them in their farming. So people would travel to Africa capture blacks and then sell them to merchants and plantation owners. They would then beat them and put them to long, grueling work. They would treat them as they did the Indians, and for much the same reason. They figured that since the blacks were black and appeared to be less advanced then they must be less significant. People of the next generation whose parents owned slaves and grew up thinking slaves were okay is understandable. I just don’t feel that anything could justify treating the slaves they way they did. they had absolutely no respect for them. They would savagely beat them to get them to work harder than humanly possible and they would rape the women. I don’t think that I will ever know how any one could do such a thing. I conclusion I strongly feel that the way Europeans treated people that were less technologically advanced is completely and utterly wrong. It is difficult to contemplate what was going on in their heads as they were capturing them, killing them and even raping them. I can not believe how they could think that the color of someone’s ones skin or religious beliefs could make them less human. I am glad I live in a country based on the belief that all men are created equal.

Nonsense in Alice in Wonderland Essay

Alice in Wonderland is a tale that ends with death, and violence lurks within all of its nonsense. Throughout the book, Alice grows and matures, just like we do; however, all journeys must come to a close and death is always at the end of the road. Carroll neither forestalls, nor denies the realities of death and loss in his book. If anything, he manifests the prevalence of its threat in everything. Instead Carroll soothes his readers for the pain and loss with nonsense-answers in excess of sense. He asks his readers to trust in another logic beyond the rational and believe in precisely what we cannot know. In wonderland, death is a present and probable outcome everywhere, and Alice is promptly introduced to the possibility of it when she enters wonderland. After becoming enlarged after eating a piece of cake, Alice became scared of her sudden, large state. In the midst of her despair, she sees the White Rabbit and calls for his help. He was startled by Alice, and dropped his fan before scurrying away in fright. Alice became hot and irritated and began fanning herself; however, she realized that her fanning was causing her to shrink. She immediately, â€Å"dropped it hastily, just in time to avoid shrinking away altogether. ‘That WAS a narrow escape!’ said Alice, a good deal frightened at the sudden change, but very glad to find herself still in existence.† This â€Å"narrow escape(Carroll)† accentuates Alice’s childlike naivety upon entering Wonderland. She has never had to worry about dying, but now she is faced with it head on. Shortly after this near death experience, Alice is confronted with an identity crisis prompted by an interrogation from a caterpillar. â€Å"Who ARE you?† asks the Caterpillar, to which Alice replied, â€Å"I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then (Carroll).† Alice has only been in wonderland a short period of time and already she has transformed in more ways than one. Her experiences have made her question her previously stable identity because in Wonderland-nothing is as it seems. As Alice ventures on into Wonderland and Looking Glass Land, death becomes even more of a reality. The Queen of Hearts is one of the many obstacles Alice runs into in Wonderland, and, by far, the most threatening. The Queen exclaims, â€Å"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS,† in response to most situations. During the trial, the queen says the subject must have a, â€Å"sentence first—verdict afterwards,† to which Alice replies, â€Å"Stuff and nonsense! The idea of having the sentence first!†After refusing the queen’s order to be quiet, Alice is sentenced to a beheading (Carroll). The theme of death is also prevalent when Alice converses with the Mock Turtle who is very aware that he will soon be made into Mock Turtle Soup. The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon spend most of their time with Alice telling her about their school days. The subjects they studied are strange undersea parodies of real school subjects, just as the dance they perform for her, the Lobster Quadrille. This makes them real and relatable characters, one of which inevitably faces death. Alice realizes this and is careful when referring to lobster as â€Å"dinner,† which she nearly does several times (Carroll)`. In Looking Glass Land, Alice runs into Tweedledum and Tweedledee who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter that lure the little oysters away from their bed by enticing them with a nice walk on the beach. The young, naà ¯ve oysters, willing for an adventure. During their walk on the beach, the Walrus says, â€Å"If you’re ready Oysters dear,/we can begin to feed.† â€Å"†But not on us!† the Oysters cried,/Turning a little blue,/After such kindness, that would be/A dismal thing to do!† The walrus ended up eating all the oysters (Carroll 2). Although the oysters died in the end, they went on their adventure thinking that it was all innocent fun and games. Throughout these stories, Carroll invites us to believe in the nonsense. Although we may grow old, and we may die, we must not forget that child hood is the most important time because we have no preconceived notions of the world. Anything is possible if we believe it, and things have whatever meaning we give them. Time, in Wonderland, is of the mind. However, in the real world, time is generally perceived as a unit—hours, minutes, and years—and age is time from a certain year. We accept that the time mirrored on a clock and our ages are one in the same. However, a clock may cycle endlessly, whereas we have only one lifetime. Therefore, our age is simply our own fabrication. It is the product of an irreversible psychological sense of duration. Mad Hatter says of Time, â€Å"Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything you liked with the clock (Carroll).† In Wonderland, the aboveground conception of time as a reliable, unchanging system does not hold. Time is represented as a person, and is therefore susceptible to all the foibles and inconsistencies that plague actual humans. Defeating time thus changes from Alice’s normal conception of observing the regular intervals that time sets to meet to the Hatter’s idea of a grudge against a personified time. Since time is now like a person, there is the inevitable danger that he will rebel and refuse to be dependable. It is yet another haphazard, changeable artifact that has no claim to absolute validity in Wonderland. That is exactly what has happened in this Wonderland tea party: the Hatter says time â€Å"won’t do a thing I ask! It’s always six o’clock now (Carroll)†; that is, it is always teatime. Therefore, time is frozen, and one of the most essential models of common human understanding are laughed out of reality. Through making time insignificant to the goings on of daily life, Carroll intended to highlight the subjectivity of age and time. So what if eighty years old means death is on the doorstep? What is time and age but a means of measuring, and who needs that? Even though growing old is inevitable, Carroll insists with the nonsense of the tea party that time does not have to go on. It can always be teatime. It can always be childhood where things do not have to have answers to make sense. Despite the fact that Alice is growing and maturing, and despite the fact that death is an inevitable step in the process of life, Carroll wants to leave us with one thing: Believe in nonsense. His method was to imagine a dream-state in which the ordinary ways of logic were replaced by fantastic ones. Within the dream-logic, everything is consistent, but queer. That is the point-life in wonderland is nonsensical, but it is consistently nonsensical; therefore, the nonsense makes sense, so who is to say that the real world sense makes sense? Most importantly, we must remember the significance of childhood-no matter how old we get, for as long as one believes in nonsense, they will be happy no matter what ails them. Bibliography Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. Project Gutenbeg, 2008. Web. . (Carroll) Carroll, Lewis. Alice Through the Looking Glass. Project Gutenbeg, 1991. Web. . (Carroll 2)

Correct Positioning of the Foot and Ankle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Correct Positioning of the Foot and Ankle - Essay Example These four positions are all that are needed for accurate and complete x-ray views of the foot and the ankle; depending on the location of the pain or injury depends on which of the three positions are used; this paper will discuss all four of the different positions that are used, as well as an example of a foot injury, an example of an ankle injury, and which of the three positions are used to best diagnose and treat the specific injury. The anteroposterior, or AP, view provides imaging of the forefoot, midfoot, tarsometatarsal and transverse tarsal articulations. To be able to obtain this particular view, the foot is placed pad down on the x-ray film, with the knee bent at a 90 degree angle, while the patient sits on the table. The beam is â€Å"centered on the third metatarsal and angled 15 degrees cephalad from the vertical† (Jones & Younger, 2006). This natural position mimics that a person would be in if they were sitting on the ground with their knees bent, and their weight placed on their elbows and buttocks. The lateral view is obtained by a person lying on their side, with the junction of the talus and fibula placed directly on the x-ray film, or plate. The beam is directly â€Å"perpendicular to a point above the base of the fifth metatarsal† (Jones & Younger, 2006). The internal oblique, or medial oblique, image compliments the lateral and AP views of the foot and ankle and is used routinely as the third view in the series. This position involves the turning of the foot and ankle outward, as though the patient were looking sideways at their ankle. The foot should be kept at a 30 degree angle ideally, with the distal phalanx of the big toe supporting the weight of the foot, and the last three phalanges of the foot not resting on the plate at all. It provides a clearer picture of the forefoot. The external oblique image is used to provide a clearer picture of the hind foot and is used as a main part of the three view foot

Term paper_INB 5807 - Foundations of Global Business Article

Term paper_INB 5807 - Foundations of Global Business - Article Example This paper seeks to evaluate institutional environments of Turkey as a developing nation, and those of Germany as a developed country, and critically analyze how these environments impact stability and development of these countries. Political Environment Germany is a federal republican economy with republican form of government where there is division of powers between the federal government and the government of individual subdivisions. Turkey on the other hand has the parliamentary system of democratic governance where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy and is held accountable to the parliament/ legislature and legitimacy regarded on the will of the citizens. These kind of political institutions have the executive arms of the government as ceremonial with much accountability based on the legitimacy of the legislature with which activities of the government are shared with majority in the legislature. ... ls of governments with regular checks on the legitimacy of the executive by other branches of the government which helps to promote accountability and transparency (Weatherly & Otter, 2011). Stability in both countries can be traced on their legal systems and the provisions of representations in that for instance, Germany practices civil law system with many fundamental matters of administrative law being left in the hands of the states with the penal system aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminal and protection of the general public. Stability on the other hand can be traced in Turkey’s universal suffrage form of election and representation and continued efforts by government and international organizations to enhance observance of human rights which promotes development in the long run. Economic Environment Germany has a social market economy; capitalism combined with social policies that favor union bargaining and social insurance, coordinated by highly skilled labor f orce and levels of innovations, and higher capital stock and strict levels of management. Turkey on the other hand has a private and a more market based economic system where investment, production and distribution decision are broadly defined by market forces of demand and supply; with prices determined by these market forces. Unlike in social market economy where Rhine capitalism; where finance is more dominated by banks instead of stock exchanges, market model primarily depend on the willingness of the parties to transact. The social and economic/ financial institutions in a Rhine model enhance a well-adjusted balance of power between shareholders and managers, partnerships between employers and unions, regulated markets and shred relationships between banks and companies, and shared values

To what extent are there differences between the Tories and New Labour Essay

To what extent are there differences between the Tories and New Labour Discuss - Essay Example They believed in divine right and in traditional hereditary system. They also were also strong supporters of the Anglican Church being against the Catholics which served to bring the reign of King James II to an end since he pushed the country to Catholism. They also were against scientific advances claiming that they pushed people away from the church. They were not in support of change The New Labor or Labor Party came into formation in 1900 by a group of working people who felt that the Tory Government ignored them and thus was born under the name Labor Representation Committee. However it did not take root until the 1920s and 1930 they occupied most of the seats in the government. It served to improve the lives of the minority on the principles of equality within the society. They were supporters of change and believed that the country’s resources belonged to everyone. The party pledged to deal with issues like poverty, unemployment, diseases and ignorance in the country. Labor Party put their focus on economic and social factors with the advocating of social liberation achieved by the legalization of social vices like divorce and separation, homosexuality and the stopping of capital punishments. With 1the name change to New Labor, the party was taken over by a new leader, Tony Blair, the youngest leader the party had ever had. He was elected Labor Prime Minister for three terms.2 One of the differences between the two parties is the capitalism verses socialism. The Conservatives Party had more of capitalist ideologies while the Labor Party had the communist one. Communists relied on the market to allocate capital to different socially owned enterprises where we see Tony Blair actually relying on the business men to be in charge of the economic policies. The Conservative Party on the other had relied on markets to determine investments, production and distribution decisions. Leaders like Margaret Thatcher who were conservative in

Indoctrination of children to child soldiers Essay

Indoctrination of children to child soldiers - Essay Example The use of children as soldiers has become a global problem today that requires urgent solution. Post notes that the use of children as militia has rapidly increased since the end of the cold war in 1990sThe increase is mainly attributed to the intra-state conflicts witnessed in various countries around the world particularly in developing countries.Estimates show that more than 300,000 children used as soldiers in 36 conflicts across the globe (Singer 6). At the same time, reports indicate that National Military and rebels groups are both recruiting children as soldiers in armed conflicts. The most recent involvement of children in armed conflict has been witnessed in countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Uganda, Congo DRC, Angola, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Rwanda, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan and Sierra Leon just to name but a few (O'Neill par.2). Findings indicate that some of the children participating in these armed conflicts were forced to participate while others volunt arily joined the fray as an escape means from social problems such as poverty and abuse, or as revenge against their families. However, the daunting statistics show that most of these children become victims of the war itself. This paper seeks to explore how children are indoctrinated to become child soldiers. The use of children as soldiers in armed conflicts has rapidly increased over the last ten years. Most of these children have been subjected to all sorts of dehumanizing atrocities. Tiefenbrun notes that these children are often abducted from their homes by armed militias, tortured and indoctrinated with intimidation and coaxed to take mind-altering drugs, threaten with dire consequences such as death or dismemberment (423). Others are forced to return to their villages to witness or participate in the killing of their friends and family members who fail to comply with the commander’s directives. The abducted children are also forced to watch how children who attempt es cape or disobey commander’s directives are punished. Tiefenbrun claims that child soldiers are normally brainwashed meticulously and brutally until their morals and ethics becomes completely distorted to the extent that they are made to believe that doing evil is luxurious (423). For Example, a twenty-year old Colombian who happened to have been indoctrinated to become a soldier stated that, once a child is introduced into the paramilitary, his or her first duty is to kill. According to the child, commanders tell the children being recruited that they are to engage in killing (Chancellor Par.8). As a result, they are trained how to kill. This implies being given someone to kill by either chopping off hands or head or jabbing with a knife. This directive must be followed even if it means killing a friend or a family member. Tiefenbrun noted that brainwashing is normally accompanied by desensitization of children to the sight and commission of murder and other forms of atrociti es (424). Children who dare escape are boiled a live according to a report. The boiled body of the murdered child soldier is used as a meal for the other child soldiers, who are forced to eat the human flesh as part of their training, according to Tiefenbrun (424). Child soldiers who have managed to escape reveals that they were being forced to beat dead bodies of a captured escapee. Additionally, they are forced to smear themselves with the blood of the murdered escapee. According to Beah, rebels ensure that child soldiers remain obedient through frequent beatings, death threats, and threats against retaliation against the family members of the children on training as child soldiers (22). Despite boys being the main targets of rebels for recruitment as a child soldier, girl child are also victims. Tiefenbrun observed that 40% of child soldiers worldwide are girls who are abducted and indoctrinated to child soldiers (424). Report indicates that young girls make up a third of child

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario Assignment

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario - Assignment Example The research identifies three aspects of risk management ought to receive a high amount of attention. One of these is risk identification the other aspect to consider is that of risk assessment and then there is risk management. The paper seeks to review the issues of risk management and analysis when choosing an investment which in this case is either between Sundowner and Magnifique. Risk Identification and Analysis In the case provided, it is important to analyze the situation of both Sundowner and Magnifique as a study. The study shows how the external and internal risks are vital for identification in any company seeking to succeed (Wagner & Bode, 2009, 138). This is due to fact that risks not only present themselves from outside an organization but also from the interior. The research portrays deeply the various risks that a company has from the outside, which are the demand of the products, the environmental risks that the products have, the physical issues and the supply issu es. Internal risks are other factors that the research portrays for the precise recognition of all the risks involved. This brings to attention the fact that many of the contemporary business people tend to ignore the fact that interior risks are more dangerous than exterior ones and thus this acts as a major cause of failure. Identification of the various internal practices that a company takes is important, and the review and scrutiny of each is vital in that it acknowledges internal risks associated with the planning of the product flow from the producer, control and mitigation that may pose as negligible but very crucial. Risk Assessment After clear identification of the various existing risks, the following step is the risk assessment stage. There are two major types of risk assessment, and these include the quantitative and the qualitative risk management procedures. Indulgence in these key properties is very important in Supply Chain Risk Management research. Both of the proc edures have their importance and exclusion of any of them might have excessive repercussions on a company (Berman & Putu, 2012, 843). This is based on the fact that each one of them has its major points that work towards achieving a fully functioning risk assessment process. Quantitative risk management is the type of management whereby the manager or the responsible personnel identifies various aspects of the risk through calculations and the use of diagrams to assist in the process of resolution (George & Lisa, 2004, 400). The research gets deep into this type of management with the use of various examples and analysis charts for further understanding of risk management. The study also focuses on the qualitative aspect of risk management that involves the review of the various theoretical notions that often bring about the occurrence of risks and consequently try to analyze an example of a company that undergoes this with its provided supply chain. The study also seeks to identify the given five major steps involved in the risk assessment process. This is because for the success of any given policy in an institution, the management team of the company has to ensure that it is free from any previous risk, thus ensuring a smooth flow of workload. The first step that a company should take towards risk assessment is identifying the hazard (Martin & Hau,

Primiparous perception of labour pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Primiparous perception of labour pain - Essay Example Back ground and obstetrical data will be collected using patient's files. Following the completion of each interview; Data are usually text so audio tapes transcription using data base needed and themes best describing pain perception will be analysed. Hermeneutic phenomenological approach will guide me to understand women's experience of labour pain. This study will take a step in complex field of pain understanding and management by attempting to gain more understanding of primiparous perception of labour pain by focusing on quality, nature and meaning of pain rather than pain intensity. According to Creswell (1998), "The investigator writes a research questions that explores the meaning of that experience for individuals and asks individuals to describe their every day lived experience then collects data from individuals who have experienced the phenomena under investigation". Normal birth defined as "Spontaneous in onset, low-risk at the start of labour and remaining so throughout labour and delivery. The infant is born spontaneously [without help] in the vertex position [head down] between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy. After birth mother and baby are in good condition." (WHO, 1999). Although natural labour pain is a positive pain indicates that women's body working well and hard, and mostly increases in intensity with progress of labour, reaching mother to appositive end - the baby; most women report painful labour especially for those who had not previous birth experience "primiparous women". Most women represent perceived labour pain as cramping, sharp, aching, throbbing, pressing, shooting, and few women not experienced painful labour. That means the only suffering women can know what it feels like .The degree of pain experienced during labour is related to frequency, intensity, duration of uterine contraction and dilatation of the cervix. The positions of the fetus, descent of presenting part, stretching of the perineum and pressure on the bladder, bowel and sensitive pelvic structures also contribute to pain levels (Melzack, 1993). During the first stage of labour visceral pain of diffuse cramping and uterine contraction felt more within primiparous , in the second stage of labour ,sharper and more continues somatic pain in the perineum caused by fetal head pressure felt more within multiparous women.(Lee Man et al 2003). According to Ural (2004) labour pain perception and expererience range from woman to woman and also from pregnancy to pregnancy. Waldenstrom (1999) highlighted many of the factors that affect experience of labour pain like: belief in ability to cope with pain, societal expectations and beliefs about labour pain, birth environment, anxiety, fear and previous experience of birth. Midwifes are less able to accurately identify pain levels when the women describe them as sever. Non verbal cues (facial expression, body movement and vocalization) may be appropriate tools for the assessment of pain, however, action

Topshop Case Essay Example for Free

Topshop Case Essay Introduction A company that’s does business domestically and internationally runs on strong values and foundations. Whenever the thought comes up, of opening up a franchise in a new location, it becomes mandatory for research to be done. The research intensifies when the franchise is supposed to be open in a new country. The following report will give an in depth analysis of the popular clothing retail company â€Å"Topshop† as it would assess the company and   shed light on where the corporation stands now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The report would also indicate the marketing possibilities of the company of opening up its franchise in Thailand based on assertive theories and research. This would help assimilate about the company’s future motive of continuous prosperity. Company Profile Topshop is one of the leading retail clothing and apparel store for men and women in the world. It success and attribution in UK is very high. Topshop is an apparel retail group of Arcadia owned by Sir Philip Green. Topshop operates more than 300 stores in United Kingdom itself and boast of more than 50 outlets in other countries. Its 90,000 square foot store in London at Oxford circus is an iconic store on its own. The organization has a website from which it takes thousands of orders every day. ‘Topshop is the fashion destination on the British high street. Selling an average of 30 pairs of knickers a minute, 6,000 pairs of jeans a day and 35,000 pairs of shoes every week, its an unrivalled, iconic brand. Blending cutting edge style with purse-friendly prices, Topshop attracts women from their teens to the 40s searching for a weekly fashion fix’ (Topshop).    Company Mission    ‘Our core values relating to any of our activities are integrity, dialogue, transparency, excellence and innovation’  Ã‚   (Topshop). Company Portfolio    Topshop has the best ranged street clothing Great Britain. It has a varied collection of tops, dresses, shoes, knitwear, outerwear, skirt, trousers, accessories, jewellery, lingerie, nightwear and many on hand latest dresses by the famous designers. Financial performance and management    The company after being launched had always done substantial business, by the early 1990’s there was a major dip business. The Topshop was addressed with names and was reckoned to fail. Jane Shepherdson joined the company at a basic level and with hardwork and talent she climbed up the ladder of success ultimately becoming a brand director in the year 1999. Under her guidance and arc, the company blossomed and started having a massive turnover of  £500million of the entire Topshop outlets. Currently Jane Shepherdson has resigned form the post and Kate Moss is now responsible for running the creative designing part. The above graph represents an estimated dip in sales of Topshop from the year 2005 to 2007.The above figures is in Pounds and represent in millions. Price    Topshop price is mid ranged and has a very affordable line of clothing and accessories Marketing Strategy    Topshop has a very definite ‘hit’ marketing strategy.   It believes in conceptualizing the ‘in thing’, in fashion. It basically works on a strategy that takes has high speed and development technique. The following will give a hint of the marketing strategy occupied by Topshop: ‘Young celebrities style themselves in a way that’s moved on to the next season. A year ago when Sienna Miller wore that gilet, we had to pull them forward fast and bump up the order. If you’re in the fashion business, you have to be fast to take the risk out of it. Part of (our success) was that we brought a lot of our production closer to home. We source about 60% of it from Eastern Europe now as opposed to the Far East’ (Jasmine Smith 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above piece indicates that, Topshop uses a strategy which is based on celebrities and also which is considered as one of the running things in the fashion industry. Also it produces a similar line and range which goes around as the latest gimmick, and all this is manufactured in Eastern European countries which is logistically faster to reach the stores and outlets in Great Britain. Promotion    Topshop using a very street smart strategy doesn’t really have to stress on its promotion much. Time and again it associates themselves with celebrities and all they do is showcase their product in magazines and newspapers. Also already having carved a niche as a brand that promotes the ‘in fashion’, buyers flock into stores and its outlets and it has been seen a no. of times that the fashion stock get purchased in a matter of hours. Also Topshop’s product marketing through has been considered as one of the biggest hit promotional scheme for the company, as it seen thousands of female buyers associating with the brand purchase merchandise online itself. Selling Ambience    Topshop’s outlet and stores have a pretty decent ambience, that entices customers and the feel good factor is shelved in them by the color scheming of the interiors. Its 4 storied monstrous and elegant store at Oxford Circus is magnificently built to lure customers. Topshop’s major shop is also its website, which also is very smartly developed and the customer seeing the verified credentials of purchasing safely, makes the customer feel safe, which is one of its reasons of having thousands of orders to fulfill via the internet.    Topshop’s unique merchandise    Topshop has always founds ways of alluring customers of all fronts. It has gained expertise in making maximum profits by targeting females of all ages and sizes. One of the most unique collections of Topshop is its maternity collection, where popular designs of the store are tailored for pregnant females. It is a unique concept in wooing pregnant females and their range for them is also considered to be one of the best. Topshop also has a very unique collection known as ‘vintage’, which highly reciprocates the collection of the yesteryears, thus providing customers with a choice of clothes between today and yesterday. The biggest hit concept is however the â€Å"tall and petite†, concept, where an entire line is devised for tall and short women. Also the organization is one of the very few in the world who along with clothing line have a very standard and fashionable line of shoes, whose range changes every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This unique merchandise has made Topshop a hot favorites amongst people, and because of this diversity, customers have a very high rating for the store. Topshop Staff    Topshop’s strength can be assessed because of its staff. The company’s employees are the biggest boost, when the customer approaches the store, it is these employees who treat them equally and since they have a certain amount of fashion knowledge; they suggest and help customers to choose products from the store. Also with ever pleasing personalities, they help customers during rushes and are look after giving customer refreshments, when the buyer is scanning through the company’s products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A happy staff can be considered as the pioneer of any company and since the company has very transparent rules for promotion, the staff at Topshop becomes more working as they know that higher performances can bag them upper jobs in the company, of which Jane Shepherdson is a prime example, as she had joined the company on entry level and she got opportunities to ultimately become a brand director of the organization. Customer Segmentation    Topshop because of its all time varied clothes line and shoe range, it has a very solid customer background which can be demographically stated from teenage to females above 40s. However a correct demo graph cannot be branded as the no. of females who buy from the company is a lot more than one can imagine. Its high brand awareness and positive strategy has actually not spared many females in the United Kingdom who haven’t ventured into Topshop even one once.    Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Has a sound reputation in the market Lack of financial planning   Can diversify into more new ventures Could distract from core business Topshop till now has been operating in more than 30 countries. Till date it has had a successful stint with its franchises in other countries and to confirm it as one of the leading members of the worldwide retail industry, it becomes mandatory for companies of Topshop’s ability to keep increasing its franchises and explore its product into new countries. In the following part of the report, it will be seen of Topshop’s future in Bangkok and its marketing capacity will be assessed for this venture. Bangkok    Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is one of the leading metropolitan cities of the world. It is often considered as one a city with high amount of tourists and an empowering nightlife. Bangkok is considered to be the gateway of Asia and is a unique mixture of development and tourism. Bangkok market    The city is famous for high purchase of clothing and along with the locals, the foreigners who visit the place too shop for clothes. The clothing retail sector still relatively is untapped for bigger names like Topshop, though merchandise of most of big names is available in the city. Topshop’s marketing mission    The company has a marketing mission to enhance and produce their goods in all parts of the world. PESTLE ANALYSIS    Political- the capital of the country always faces worse fate than the country. The country in its initial days was under monarch rule and it was only in the year 1997 that the constitutional amendment was made for holding general election. Thailand has been a country of political uncertainty, but somehow it has not caused much of a hassle to the retail market or to its tourism. The   elected of Tahksin was deposed by a military coup in 2006, due to the allegation of the   government being highly corrupt. The latest condition of the political scene is as follows: ‘The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) Wednesday passed a government draft bill to lift a ban on registering new political parties by 149 to 4 votes. The draft law is soon expected to take effective after receiving royal approval’ (The Nation politics). Because of the coup the market was affected, but every country has got its fair share of problem, and though there is a mount of political uncertainty, it is expected from the nation to let the markets and shops and tourism prevail in peace. Economic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bangkok is the high earning capital city of the nation. Thailand’s    economic can be assessed from the following :   Ã¢â‚¬ËœWith a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fully recovered from the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis. The country was one of East Asias best performers from 2002-04. Boosted by strong export growth, the Thai economy grew 4.5% in 2007. Bangkok has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. By 2007, the tourism sector had largely recovered from the major 2004 tsunami. Following the military coup in September 2006, investment and consumer confidence stagnated due to the uncertain political climate that lasted through the December 2007 elections. Foreign investor sentiment was further tempered by a 30% reserve requirement on capital inflows instituted in December 2006, and discussion of amending Thailands rules governing foreign-owned businesses. Economic growth in 2007 was due almost entirely to robust export performance despite the pressure of an appreciating currency. Exports have performed at record levels, rising nearly 17% in 2006 and 12% in 2007’ (CIA world fact book).Bangkok can be considered as a metropolitan city as it has the infrastructure that is required can be compared to other western nations. Socio Cultural  Ã‚   Bangkok like any other metropolitan city has its chare of foreigners staying, thus enriching the culture and the heritage. Out of the total population it is estimated that 94% are Buddhists, the rest are Muslims, Christians and Hindus and also some other religions. Apart from the usual partition of the rich and the poor, Bangkok and also the whole of Thailand also suffer from the heat of AIDS. The no. of AIDS patients has increased tremendously, killing mostly the young people of the nation. The people of the city however are avidly interested in different types of cuisines and also shopping. Most of the generation of the country is pretty much young and also the female population is higher than the men in the country. The country’s educational trend can be assessed by the following: ‘The adult literacy rate among Thailand population too has gone up from 78.6 in 1970 to 95 percent in 1997.   The trend, however, reversed after the economic crises, as the literacy rate went down to 93.1 in 2000.   It is estimated that literate population of 15 years and above will reach to 97 percent in the year 2010’ (World health Organization).    Technological  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The country and especially the city rides on technology. The latest technology is all grasped by the youth and the city can be seen using technology well for its advancements. Environment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As most of the cities in the world, Bangkok is also fighting a losing battle with pollution like the rest of the major cities. However it is still less compared to that of other cities like Beijing and New Delhi, but still the rate of pollution is pretty high. Bangkok has beautiful flora and fauna and tourists from all over the world flock the city and around it to get mesmerized in its beauty. Marketing Strategy Bangkok is a place that is booming with the retail sector and more and more people are getting attracted to it. Thailand over the period of years has seen a huge rise in the purchase power of the consumer. The following will help cement the fact about budding scope of retail business in Bangkok: ‘The retail sector has been active throughout the year while protests from small local retailers against national discount stores were growing. However foreign retailers shrugged off the protests and continued to open stores nationwide. The biggest retail development is Siam Paragon, a joint venture between Bangkok Intercontinental Hotels Co (BIHC) and the Mall Group’ (Amazing Thailand). The hunger for having more and more retail stores is endless in the city. It is has been planned of having the outlet in ‘Siam Paragon’. This edifice had been constructed after the tearing put a star rated hotel and the way it has been constructed has been a marvel for most, a sit it is considered as one of the best malls in Asia. This mall caters to the rich and the moderately wealth people. To have a store in the edifice would firstly mean that the That the organization could cater to people who are well to do and also mainly the people who come in the upper middle class section. With thousands of people visiting the mall everyday, the shop couldn’t be in any better place in Thailand for that matter. Topshop has a tradition of delivery fashion quickly. This is possible because of manufacturing units being in nearby locations or in nearby countries. Topshop can also open up a manufacturing unit in Thailand, as here the labor is considerably cheap. This would have two major advantages, which are as follows. The basic cost of the clothing line would come down, which in turn would increase more profits at lower costs. From Malaysia, Topshop can export to other Asia countries that are closer like Malaysia and Singapore. The entire export unit would have to face lower costs for manufacturing and warehousing as costs compared to eastern European countries and United Kingdom is much cheaper hence Topshop would have an outlet at the busiest and the most happening mall of Thailand and would have costs that would be marginal as local labor and resource would be used to get the trade moving. The creative department can also do something for the clothes lineups on the basis of Thai silk, which is supposed to be the best and affordable silk in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The announcement of the arrival of Topshop can be made with a lot of fanfare, which would include local celebrities as brand ambassadors and also lots of publicity can be arranged through the print media. Competitor Analysis Bangkok has many outlets of leading brands, but most of them are not legal bands and a huge population of branded clothes available is duplicate with made in China references. Topshop frankly doesn’t have much competition to face in the city, as the brand itself is very popular on its own. However it would have to watch out for not getting into the piracy and duplicity scandal of clothing line going well in Thailand. Integrated Marketing communications    The publicity of Topshop can be done with popular links and websites of the nation. SEO’s can be put up in websites which has gaming to newspapers to current trendy social networking sites of the city. This kind of publicity would strengthen the integrated marketing campaign of the company and would ensure more and more orders via the internet.    Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Location of the outlet Brand still unknown in Asia   Can use the labor, and start the in fashionable line up for Bangkok at nominal costs Could become a victim of duplicity of clothes lines. Conclusion    It can be assessed from the following report the current situation of the company and its desire to open up an outlet in Bangkok. Bringing the outlet in Thailand would globalize the company on Asian terms, as Bangkok is one of the major access points of Asia. Not only Asians but also people from all over the world come and visit this enticing city. Bringing an outlet to a place where it could get recognition from all four corners is one of the best business future expansion a company can have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company from here can only expand, if it can keep a check over a few shoddy elements. Once the market of Bangkok is captured, then it can be assumed that Topshop has made its major entry in Asia, even though it has its outlets in other Asian countries. Works cited: Topshop official website. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556catalogId=19551 The nation politics, â€Å"Ban on political activities lifted†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/07/18/politics/politics_30041398.php Central Intelligence Agency, The world fact Book, â€Å"Thailand† . Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html World health organization, â€Å"TRENDS IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1525_10862.htm Amazing Thailand, â€Å"Thailand’s economy†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.amazing-thailand.com/Economy.html â€Å"Siamparagon’s official website†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.siamparagon.co.th/v3/index2.html â€Å"Political crisis in Thailand†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from http://www.anu.edu.au/thaionline/Political%20Crisis%20in%20Thailand.pdf Hadley freeman, â€Å"Topshop will open in New York, with help from Moss†. November 29th Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/29/lifeandhealth.fashion RUTH LA FERLA, New York Times, â€Å"But Will It Play in Manhattan?† July 21st Accessed on April 28, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/business/worldbusiness/21topshop.html Jasmine Smith, â€Å"Topshop’s turnaround†. June 6th Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.insideretailing.com.au/articles-page.aspx?articleType=ArticleViewarticleId=651

Natural Environment and Early Human Development Essay Example for Free

Natural Environment and Early Human Development Essay In order to support the idea of nurture influences on early human development, psychologists have done some researches on several factors of early human development. One of these factors is motor development. All children go through the same stages which begin with rolling over and end by walking. However, it seems that motor behaviours can be improved by practice or encouragement. This belief is supported by Zelazo and Kolb (1972) who did an experiment where infants, who were given stepping practice during the first two months, began walking five to seven weeks earlier than babies who had no practice. Such a result can be considered as an environmental influence. Another factor, which has been researched, is speech development. Speech can be improved by more talking with babies or rewarding them for making speech sounds. Kagan (1979) claimed that children, who were reared in middle-class American homes, begin to speak one year earlier than children reared in some villages such as San Marcos due to the fact that these children, culturally, have little â€Å"verbal interaction† with adults. This research assures the importance of the environments, nurture, in early human development. In conclusion, psychologists and scientist have been arguing as to whether nature or nurture has more influence on early human development. As a result both heredity or the nature and environment or nurture are important factors in shaping human personality, but environment is the more important one. Because nature only goes so far whereas further growth and development is formed by the environments influence on early human development.

Huck Finns Journey to Adolescence

Huck Finns Journey to Adolescence Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye, takes a journey into maturity in order to form into an adult from an adolescent. Holden struggles to find the maturity and responsibility for manhood, struggling from hypocrisy and misunderstanding. In order for him to reach that sense of sophistication, Holden has to complete his journey with reversing his sense of thinking and his acknowledgement of his superiority toward the environment around him. He eventually figures out his faker views and attempts to change from his experience with others. He eventually fails to change from his past view on hypocrisy from others and himself, seeking professional help at the end, [an assistance that helps fix his hypocrisy issuesAM]. On the contrary to Holden Caulfield, Huck evolves his adolescence by learning from his experiences on others and using his moral conscience to find what is right to him. Huck, still on a mission to adolescence to adulthood, fixes his teachings from others to form his personal thoughts and expanding on his experiences from the past involving family and views on slavery. In Mark Twains novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Hucks adventures on land and his evolving relationship with Jim depicts the importance of heating his experiences together during his adolescence. The Widow and Pap relations with Huck on land teach him about the importance of freedom and of ones desires. The Widow taking Huck in, couldnt stand it no longer he lit out, not enjoying the stay with Miss Watson and the Widow therefore, he follows what others want, and what others want him to do is stay with the widow and doesnt stay because he wants to. Huck, not being deprived of his complete freedom, doesnt want to be with the Widow reflecting some case of imprisonment in his early life . The widow also forces Huck to do activities that he doesnt really want to do. Huck is made to learn bible stories which he thinks is futile because [he] dont take no stock in dead people (2), and even to go to school, even though [he] dont take no stoke in mathematics (15). [Captured in a psychological imprisonmentPaPP], the widow persuades Huck to complete and learn the tasks that she feels are necessary for him like bible stories and math. Tom contributes to this mental imprisonment as well wh en Tom Sawyer gang is founded. Huck, born an orphan, requires a type of sacrifice for the oath Tom Sawyers gang has if someone was to go against their back against the gang and betray them;however, Huck has no one except the Widow in which he is essentially constricted to for the gang, Tom says every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldnt be fair and square for the others (8). [Losing his freedom progressivelyPrPP], Huck cannot leave the Widow and Miss Watson as he has to stay with them being something he doesnt prefer, teaching him the importance of decision making on his own. Later, [when Pap physically imprisons Huck-AdjSC], Huck transitions from one with lack of freedom psychologically to both being imprisoned physically and psychologically. Pap locking Huck in the cabin, strips Huck of his rights while at the same time teaching him a lesson on how important freedom is.ÂÂ   Pap goes to lock the door and keep the key under his pillow to prevent an att empted escape from Huck when he is sleeping, still trapping him. This trap contains Hucks want for freedom, [a freedom of being freed physically- RWM]. Hucks experiences with Pap and the Widow makes Huck urn for personal freedom that he wasnt entitled to as a child. Hucks experience with the Wilks teaches him about the honesty and trust in strong relationships to be supported. Urning to be more friendly towards Mary Jane, Huck notifies her about the scheme between the King and Duke. Huck believes that him telling her improves his relations with her even though he ever seen her since she walked out that door (191). Later on however, Huck follows up with proof that exhibits the strength of his bond with Mary Jane saying that he thought of her a many and a many a million times (191), explaining how relationships can be formed from honesty and trust. The connection with Mary Jane being based on honesty prevents him from being untruthful and lying instinctively towards others, an example being the statement from Levi Bell. Huck also learns another lesson from the Wilks; he learns the connections that Slave Owners can also portray sad emotional feelings toward their Slaves. The day after the funeral, the king sold the niggers (182) as property without the sisters being notified about the situation and the selling came as a surprise. [Mary Jane cryingAbP], she learns that her slaves are being sold thus separating their families apart from one another. This is a metanoia towards Huck as he has never seen anyone else be concerned with another slaves life and emotions, allowing him to connect to Jim even more. He now knows that he is not the only person breaking the social norm of bridging the race gap by showing compassion to someone that isnt white. Hucks decision to not turn in Jim is influenced by his experience with the Widow and Pap and how he lost some of his freedom evolving his relationship with Jim. Huck knows that Jim yearns for the same freedom that he was not able to have, helping Jim out from his experiences. Even though Huck wouldnt turn Jim in due to him saying that he said he wouldnt, and hell stick to it(43),ÂÂ   he had another reason to not turn Jim in besides his thoughts; he was influenced by his involvement with Pap and the widow. He understood that Jim had his rights and freedom restrained like he did and wanted him to experience something different than the restriction his parents gave him during his childhood. Continuing to help Jim instinctively while facing troubles, his late internal conflicts exemplify the knowledge he has of the sin he has commited by helping Jim. However; Huck was still searching for freedom after achieving it from escaping and can relate to Jims search for freedom. His experien ces compunction about helping Jim resurfaces when he remembers about widow and Pap. Remembering what the Widow and Miss Watson have taught Huck, he feels guilty helpingÂÂ   Jim , but still decides to assist him even knowing he will be going to hell(214). [He would rather go to hell for his actions, than tell the truth to Miss Watson// Structure], protecting Jim from being enslaved again. From his moral dilemma with himself, Huck feels guilty only after remembering what Miss Watson has done for him and what he has done to pay her back. He fights the urge to tell Miss Watson about Jim, with both of them seeking a greater freedom in their life. Huck, influenced by his memory and experiences with Pap and Widow, displays his ability to learn from experience during his adolescence. Huck also reflects what he saw with Wilks family. He now establishes and acknowledges that relationships should be built off of trust. Huck then connects his relationship with Jim towards these ideas and M ary Janes view of slaves. He realizes that he would be breaking the trust and friendship he established with Jim as he is Jims old friend in the world. And the only one hes got now (214) Huck cannot deal with breaking Jims trust and contemplates the dilemma and feud toward blacks and whites. He is also aware that he shouldnt break away Jims feelings with him, like how the slaves from the Wilks felt and that they shouldnt be separated from each other. Huck understands that feuds are breakable and attempts to bridge the gap between the races which he would have never thought of doing before his experiences. Huck coalesces his experiences together from land and on the raft with Jim to develop his sense of moral conscience. Through this development from experiences, Huck can be compared to any child that goes through different experiences and guidance to form who they are, they just each have a different story. These experiences can be a developing factor that formulates theÂÂ   concepts and the type of person someone is. In society, many children use their experiences in school and parental guidance to form whom they will become. With their experience in school and parental guidance, they use this criterion to find out their attitude and their formation as a person and can radically change their ideas and motives. Without these understandings, children are in a sense of free world in where they have to develop themselves without guidelines but still form into who they are. Works Cited Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantum, 1981. Print.

stem cells :: essays research papers

The history of research on adult stem cells began about 40 years ago. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called bone marrow stromal cells was discovered a few years later. Stromal cells are a mixed cell population that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue. Also in the 1960s, scientists who were studying rats discovered two regions of the brain that contained dividing cells, which become nerve cells. Despite these reports, most scientists believed that new nerve cells could not be generated in the adult brain. It was not until the 1990s that scientists agreed that the adult brain does contain stem cells that are able to generate the brain's three major cell types — astrocytes (star shaped neurological cell) and oligodendrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells, and neurons or nerve cells.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ABOUT ADULT/EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS AND DIFFERENCES Adult Stem cells are thought to reside in a specific area of each tissue where they may remain (non-dividing) for many years until they are activated by disease or tissue injury. The adult tissues reported to contain stem cells include brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin and liver. Human embryonic and adult stem cells each have advantages and disadvantages regarding potential use for cell-based regenerative therapies. Of course, adult and embryonic stem cells differ in the number and type of differentiated cells types they can become. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent(single cell becoming many different cell types). Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin Large numbers of embryonic stem cells can be relatively easily grown in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues and methods for expanding their numbers in cell culture have not yet been worked out.

Culture of Ancient China :: Ancient World Culture

Imagine: a collection of poems whose date of authorship has not been determined. Imagine: a Chinese thinker about whom little is known and whose authorship of the poems has been challenged. Then read statements like these: "Accept being unimportant" and "Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles." You have entered the mysterious world of The Tao Te Ching. Despite their cloudy and distant origins, the poems make many statements that may sound curiously familiar to contemporary Americans. The Tao describes the allure and artificiality of wealth as it reaffirms the value of a modest, balanced life: "Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it. / Retire when the work is done. / This is the way of heaven" -- a refreshing antidote to the "keeping-up-with-Joneses" syndrome. The Tao relocates humans in an ecological context where the company of humans is but part of a natural world order: "Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things." How appropriate this injunction is today, when many people worry that they must care for the physical environment that must, in turn, care for them. At the same time, the Tao questions the value of abstract thinking in favor of selfless action: "Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom. / It is more important / To realize one's true nature." And, the Tao recognizes the limitat ions of coercive power and encourages "leading, not dominating," certainly a desirable profile for leaders of the future, where consensus-building might take place of patriarchal authority. For all its difficulties (of translation, of transliteration), the Tao offers a restorative vision of a balanced human life lived in the context of a natural world community.

Angels Demons Chapter 64-65

64 Langdon and Vittoria's taxi completed the one-mile sprint up the wide Via della Scrofa in just over a minute. They skidded to a stop on the south side of the Piazza del Popolo just before eight. Not having any lire, Langdon overpaid the driver in U.S. dollars. He and Vittoria jumped out. The piazza was quiet except for the laughter of a handful of locals seated outside the popular Rosati Cafe – a hot spot of the Italian literati. The breeze smelled of espresso and pastry. Langdon was still in shock over his mistake at the Pantheon. With a cursory glance at this square, however, his sixth sense was already tingling. The piazza seemed subtly filled with Illuminati significance. Not only was it laid out in a perfectly elliptical shape, but dead center stood a towering Egyptian obelisk – a square pillar of stone with a distinctively pyramidal tip. Spoils of Rome's imperial plundering, obelisks were scattered across Rome and referred to by symbologists as â€Å"Lofty Pyramids† – skyward extensions of the sacred pyramidal form. As Langdon's eyes moved up the monolith, though, his sight was suddenly drawn to something else in the background. Something even more remarkable. â€Å"We're in the right place,† he said quietly, feeling a sudden exposed wariness. â€Å"Have a look at that.† Langdon pointed to the imposing Porta del Popolo – the high stone archway at the far end of the piazza. The vaulted structure had been overlooking the piazza for centuries. Dead center of the archway's highest point was a symbolic engraving. â€Å"Look familiar?† Vittoria looked up at the huge carving. â€Å"A shining star over a triangular pile of stones?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"A source of Illumination over a pyramid.† Vittoria turned, her eyes suddenly wide. â€Å"Like†¦ the Great Seal of the United States?† â€Å"Exactly. The Masonic symbol on the one-dollar bill.† Vittoria took a deep breath and scanned the piazza. â€Å"So where's this damn church?† The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo stood out like a misplaced battleship, askew at the base of a hill on the southeast corner of the piazza. The eleventh-century stone aerie was made even more clumsy by the tower of scaffolding covering the faà §ade. Langdon's thoughts were a blur as they raced toward the edifice. He stared up at the church in wonder. Could a murder really be about to take place inside? He wished Olivetti would hurry. The gun felt awkward in his pocket. The church's front stairs were ventaglio – a welcoming, curved fan – ironic in this case because they were blocked with scaffolding, construction equipment, and a sign warning: Construzzione. Non Entrare Langdon realized that a church closed for renovation meant total privacy for a killer. Not like the Pantheon. No fancy tricks needed here. Only to find a way in. Vittoria slipped without hesitation between the sawhorses and headed up the staircase. â€Å"Vittoria,† Langdon cautioned. â€Å"If he's still in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria did not seem to hear. She ascended the main portico to the church's sole wooden door. Langdon hurried up the stairs behind her. Before he could say a word she had grasped the handle and pulled. Langdon held his breath. The door did not budge. â€Å"There must be another entrance,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Probably,† Langdon said, exhaling, â€Å"but Olivetti will be here in a minute. It's too dangerous to go in. We should cover the church from out here until – â€Å" Vittoria turned, her eyes blazing. â€Å"If there's another way in, there's another way out. If this guy disappears, we're fungito.† Langdon knew enough Italian to know she was right. The alley on the right side of the church was pinched and dark, with high walls on both sides. It smelled of urine – a common aroma in a city where bars outnumbered public rest rooms twenty to one. Langdon and Vittoria hurried into the fetid dimness. They had gone about fifteen yards down when Vittoria tugged Langdon's arm and pointed. Langdon saw it too. Up ahead was an unassuming wooden door with heavy hinges. Langdon recognized it as the standard porta sacra – a private entrance for clergy. Most of these entrances had gone out of use years ago as encroaching buildings and limited real estate relegated side entrances to inconvenient alleyways. Vittoria hurried to the door. She arrived and stared down at the doorknob, apparently perplexed. Langdon arrived behind her and eyed the peculiar donut-shaped hoop hanging where the doorknob should have been. â€Å"An annulus,† he whispered. Langdon reached out and quietly lifted the ring in his hand. He pulled the ring toward him. The fixture clicked. Vittoria shifted, looking suddenly uneasy. Quietly, Langdon twisted the ring clockwise. It spun loosely 360 degrees, not engaging. Langdon frowned and tried the other direction with the same result. Vittoria looked down the remainder of the alley. â€Å"You think there's another entrance?† Langdon doubted it. Most Renaissance cathedrals were designed as makeshift fortresses in the event a city was stormed. They had as few entrances as possible. â€Å"If there is another way in,† he said, â€Å"it's probably recessed in the rear bastion – more of an escape route than an entrance.† Vittoria was already on the move. Langdon followed deeper into the alley. The walls shot skyward on both sides of him. Somewhere a bell began ringing eight o'clock†¦ Robert Langdon did not hear Vittoria the first time she called to him. He had slowed at a stained-glass window covered with bars and was trying to peer inside the church. â€Å"Robert!† Her voice was a loud whisper. Langdon looked up. Vittoria was at the end of the alley. She was pointing around the back of the church and waving to him. Langdon jogged reluctantly toward her. At the base of the rear wall, a stone bulwark jutted out concealing a narrow grotto – a kind of compressed passageway cutting directly into the foundation of the church. â€Å"An entrance?† Vittoria asked. Langdon nodded. Actually an exit, but we won't get technical. Vittoria knelt and peered into the tunnel. â€Å"Let's check the door. See if it's open.† Langdon opened his mouth to object, but Vittoria took his hand and pulled him into the opening. â€Å"Wait,† Langdon said. She turned impatiently toward him. Langdon sighed. â€Å"I'll go first.† Vittoria looked surprised. â€Å"More chivalry?† â€Å"Age before beauty.† â€Å"Was that a compliment?† Langdon smiled and moved past her into the dark. â€Å"Careful on the stairs.† He inched slowly into the darkness, keeping one hand on the wall. The stone felt sharp on his fingertips. For an instant Langdon recalled the ancient myth of Daedelus, how the boy kept one hand on the wall as he moved through the Minotaur's labyrinth, knowing he was guaranteed to find the end if he never broke contact with the wall. Langdon moved forward, not entirely certain he wanted to find the end. The tunnel narrowed slightly, and Langdon slowed his pace. He sensed Vittoria close behind him. As the wall curved left, the tunnel opened into a semicircular alcove. Oddly, there was faint light here. In the dimness Langdon saw the outline of a heavy wooden door. â€Å"Uh oh,† he said. â€Å"Locked?† â€Å"It was.† â€Å"Was?† Vittoria arrived at his side. Langdon pointed. Lit by a shaft of light coming from within, the door hung ajar†¦ its hinges splintered by a wrecking bar still lodged in the wood. They stood a moment in silence. Then, in the dark, Langdon felt Vittoria's hands on his chest, groping, sliding beneath his jacket. â€Å"Relax, professor,† she said. â€Å"I'm just getting the gun.† At that moment, inside the Vatican Museums, a task force of Swiss Guards spread out in all directions. The museum was dark, and the guards wore U.S. Marine issue infrared goggles. The goggles made everything appear an eerie shade of green. Every guard wore headphones connected to an antennalike detector that he waved rhythmically in front of him – the same devices they used twice a week to sweep for electronic bugs inside the Vatican. They moved methodically, checking behind statues, inside niches, closets, under furniture. The antennae would sound if they detected even the tiniest magnetic field. Tonight, however, they were getting no readings at all. 65 The interior of Santa Maria del Popolo was a murky cave in the dimming light. It looked more like a half-finished subway station than a cathedral. The main sanctuary was an obstacle course of torn-up flooring, brick pallets, mounds of dirt, wheelbarrows, and even a rusty backhoe. Mammoth columns rose through the floor, supporting a vaulted roof. In the air, silt drifted lazily in the muted glow of the stained glass. Langdon stood with Vittoria beneath a sprawling Pinturicchio fresco and scanned the gutted shrine. Nothing moved. Dead silence. Vittoria held the gun out in front of her with both hands. Langdon checked his watch: 8:04 P.M. We're crazy to be in here, he thought. It's too dangerous. Still he knew if the killer were inside, the man could leave through any door he wanted, making a one-gun outside stakeout totally fruitless. Catching him inside was the only way†¦ that was, if he was even still here. Langdon felt guilt-ridden over the blunder that had cost everyone their chance at the Pantheon. He was in no position to insist on precaution now; he was the one who had backed them into this corner. Vittoria looked harrowed as she scanned the church. â€Å"So,† she whispered. â€Å"Where is this Chigi Chapel?† Langdon gazed through the dusky ghostliness toward the back of the cathedral and studied the outer walls. Contrary to common perception, Renaissance cathedrals invariably contained multiple chapels, huge cathedrals like Notre Dame having dozens. Chapels were less rooms than they were hollows – semicircular niches holding tombs around a church's perimeter wall. Bad news, Langdon thought, seeing the four recesses on each side wall. There were eight chapels in all. Although eight was not a particularly overwhelming number, all eight openings were covered with huge sheets of clear polyurethane due to the construction, the translucent curtains apparently intended to keep dust off the tombs inside the alcoves. â€Å"It could be any of those draped recesses,† Langdon said. â€Å"No way to know which is the Chigi without looking inside every one. Could be a good reason to wait for Oliv – â€Å" â€Å"Which is the secondary left apse?† she asked. Langdon studied her, surprised by her command of architectural terminology. â€Å"Secondary left apse?† Vittoria pointed at the wall behind him. A decorative tile was embedded in the stone. It was engraved with the same symbol they had seen outside – a pyramid beneath a shining star. The grime-covered plaque beside it read: Coat of arms of Alexander Chigi whose tomb is located in the secondary left apse of this Cathedral Langdon nodded. Chigi's coat of arms was a pyramid and star? He suddenly found himself wondering if the wealthy patron Chigi had been an Illuminatus. He nodded to Vittoria. â€Å"Nice work, Nancy Drew.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Never mind. I – â€Å" A piece of metal clattered to the floor only yards away. The clang echoed through the entire church. Langdon pulled Vittoria behind a pillar as she whipped the gun toward the sound and held it there. Silence. They waited. Again there was sound, this time a rustling. Langdon held his breath. I never should have let us come in here! The sound moved closer, an intermittent scuffling, like a man with a limp. Suddenly around the base of the pillar, an object came into view. â€Å"Figlio di puttana!† Vittoria cursed under her breath, jumping back. Langdon fell back with her. Beside the pillar, dragging a half-eaten sandwich in paper, was an enormous rat. The creature paused when it saw them, staring a long moment down the barrel of Vittoria's weapon, and then, apparently unmoved, continued dragging its prize off to the recesses of the church. â€Å"Son of a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon gasped, his heart racing. Vittoria lowered the gun, quickly regaining her composure. Langdon peered around the side of the column to see a workman's lunchbox splayed on the floor, apparently knocked off a sawhorse by the resourceful rodent. Langdon scanned the basilica for movement and whispered, â€Å"If this guy's here, he sure as hell heard that. You sure you don't want to wait for Olivetti?† â€Å"Secondary left apse,† Vittoria repeated. â€Å"Where is it?† Reluctantly Langdon turned and tried to get his bearings. Cathedral terminology was like stage directions – totally counterintuitive. He faced the main altar. Stage center. Then he pointed with his thumb backward over his shoulder. They both turned and looked where he was pointing. It seemed the Chigi Chapel was located in the third of four recessed alcoves to their right. The good news was that Langdon and Vittoria were on the correct side of the church. The bad news was that they were at the wrong end. They would have to traverse the length of the cathedral, passing three other chapels, each of them, like the Chigi Chapel, covered with translucent plastic shrouds. â€Å"Wait,† Langdon said. â€Å"I'll go first.† â€Å"Forget it.† â€Å"I'm the one who screwed up at the Pantheon.† She turned. â€Å"But I'm the one with the gun.† In her eyes Langdon could see what she was really thinking†¦ I'm the one who lost my father. I'm the one who helped build a weapon of mass destruction. This guy's kneecaps are mine†¦ Langdon sensed the futility and let her go. He moved beside her, cautiously, down the east side of the basilica. As they passed the first shrouded alcove, Langdon felt taut, like a contestant on some surreal game show. I'll take curtain number three, he thought. The church was quiet, the thick stone walls blocking out all hints of the outside world. As they hurried past one chapel after the other, pale humanoid forms wavered like ghosts behind the rustling plastic. Carved marble, Langdon told himself, hoping he was right. It was 8:06 P.M. Had the killer been punctual and slipped out before Langdon and Vittoria had entered? Or was he still here? Langdon was unsure which scenario he preferred. They passed the second apse, ominous in the slowly darkening cathedral. Night seemed to be falling quickly now, accentuated by the musty tint of the stained-glass windows. As they pressed on, the plastic curtain beside them billowed suddenly, as if caught in a draft. Langdon wondered if someone somewhere had opened a door. Vittoria slowed as the third niche loomed before them. She held the gun before her, motioning with her head to the stele beside the apse. Carved in the granite block were two words: Capella Chigi Langdon nodded. Without a sound they moved to the corner of the opening, positioning themselves behind a wide pillar. Vittoria leveled the gun around a corner at the plastic. Then she signaled for Langdon to pull back the shroud. A good time to start praying, he thought. Reluctantly, he reached over her shoulder. As carefully as possible, he began to pull the plastic aside. It moved an inch and then crinkled loudly. They both froze. Silence. After a moment, moving in slow motion, Vittoria leaned forward and peered through the narrow slit. Langdon looked over her shoulder. For a moment, neither one of them breathed. â€Å"Empty,† Vittoria finally said, lowering the gun. â€Å"We're too late.† Langdon did not hear. He was in awe, transported for an instant to another world. In his life, he had never imagined a chapel that looked like this. Finished entirely in chestnut marble, the Chigi Chapel was breathtaking. Langdon's trained eye devoured it in gulps. It was as earthly a chapel as Langdon could fathom, almost as if Galileo and the Illuminati had designed it themselves. Overhead, the domed cupola shone with a field of illuminated stars and the seven astronomical planets. Below that the twelve signs of the zodiac – pagan, earthly symbols rooted in astronomy. The zodiac was also tied directly to Earth, Air, Fire, Water†¦ the quadrants representing power, intellect, ardor, emotion. Earth is for power, Langdon recalled. Farther down the wall, Langdon saw tributes to the Earth's four temporal seasons – primavera, estate, autunno, inverno. But far more incredible than any of this were the two huge structures dominating the room. Langdon stared at them in silent wonder. It can't be, he thought. It just can't be! But it was. On either side of the chapel, in perfect symmetry, were two ten-foot-high marble pyramids. â€Å"I don't see a cardinal,† Vittoria whispered. â€Å"Or an assassin.† She pulled aside the plastic and stepped in. Langdon's eyes were transfixed on the pyramids. What are pyramids doing inside a Christian chapel? And incredibly, there was more. Dead center of each pyramid, embedded in their anterior faà §ades, were gold medallions†¦ medallions like few Langdon had ever seen†¦ perfect ellipses. The burnished disks glimmered in the setting sun as it sifted through the cupola. Galileo's ellipses? Pyramids? A cupola of stars? The room had more Illuminati significance than any room Langdon could have fabricated in his mind. â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria blurted, her voice cracking. â€Å"Look!† Langdon wheeled, reality returning as his eyes dropped to where she was pointing. â€Å"Bloody hell!† he shouted, jumping backward. Sneering up at them from the floor was the image of a skeleton – an intricately detailed, marble mosaic depicting â€Å"death in flight.† The skeleton was carrying a tablet portraying the same pyramid and stars they had seen outside. It was not the image, however, that had turned Langdon's blood cold. It was the fact that the mosaic was mounted on a circular stone – a cupermento – that had been lifted out of the floor like a manhole cover and was now sitting off to one side of a dark opening in the floor. â€Å"Demon's hole,† Langdon gasped. He had been so taken with the ceiling he had not even seen it. Tentatively he moved toward the pit. The stench coming up was overwhelming. Vittoria put a hand over her mouth. â€Å"Che puzzo.† â€Å"Effluvium,† Langdon said. â€Å"Vapors from decaying bone.† He breathed through his sleeve as he leaned out over the hole, peering down. Blackness. â€Å"I can't see a thing.† â€Å"You think anybody's down there?† â€Å"No way to know.† Vittoria motioned to the far side of the hole where a rotting, wooden ladder descended into the depths. Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Like hell.† â€Å"Maybe there's a flashlight outside in those tools.† She sounded eager for an excuse to escape the smell. â€Å"I'll look.† â€Å"Careful!† Langdon warned. â€Å"We don't know for sure that the Hassassin – â€Å" But Vittoria was already gone. One strong-willed woman, Langdon thought. As he turned back to the pit, he felt light-headed from the fumes. Holding his breath, he dropped his head below the rim and peered deep into the darkness. Slowly, as his eyes adjusted, he began to see faint shapes below. The pit appeared to open into a small chamber. Demon's hole. He wondered how many generations of Chigis had been unceremoniously dumped in. Langdon closed his eyes and waited, forcing his pupils to dilate so he could see better in the dark. When he opened his eyes again, a pale muted figure hovered below in the darkness. Langdon shivered but fought the instinct to pull out. Am I seeing things? Is that a body? The figure faded. Langdon closed his eyes again and waited, longer this time, so his eyes would pick up the faintest light. Dizziness started to set in, and his thoughts wandered in the blackness. Just a few more seconds. He wasn't sure if it was breathing the fumes or holding his head at a low inclination, but Langdon was definitely starting to feel squeamish. When he finally opened his eyes again, the image before him was totally inexplicable. He was now staring at a crypt bathed in an eerie bluish light. A faint hissing sound reverberated in his ears. Light flickered on the steep walls of the shaft. Suddenly, a long shadow materialized over him. Startled, Langdon scrambled up. â€Å"Look out!† someone exclaimed behind him. Before Langdon could turn, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. He spun to see Vittoria twisting a lit blowtorch away from him, the hissing flame throwing blue light around the chapel. Langdon grabbed his neck. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† â€Å"I was giving you some light,† she said. â€Å"You backed right into me.† Langdon glared at the portable blowtorch in her hand. â€Å"Best I could do,† she said. â€Å"No flashlights.† Langdon rubbed his neck. â€Å"I didn't hear you come in.† Vittoria handed him the torch, wincing again at the stench of the crypt. â€Å"You think those fumes are combustible?† â€Å"Let's hope not.† He took the torch and moved slowly toward the hole. Cautiously, he advanced to the rim and pointed the flame down into the hole, lighting the side wall. As he directed the light, his eyes traced the outline of the wall downward. The crypt was circular and about twenty feet across. Thirty feet down, the glow found the floor. The ground was dark and mottled. Earthy. Then Langdon saw the body. His instinct was to recoil. â€Å"He's here,† Langdon said, forcing himself not to turn away. The figure was a pallid outline against the earthen floor. â€Å"I think he's been stripped naked.† Langdon flashed on the nude corpse of Leonardo Vetra. â€Å"Is it one of the cardinals?† Langdon had no idea, but he couldn't imagine who the hell else it would be. He stared down at the pale blob. Unmoving. Lifeless. And yet†¦ Langdon hesitated. There was something very strange about the way the figure was positioned. He seemed to be†¦ Langdon called out. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"You think he's alive?† There was no response from below. â€Å"He's not moving,† Langdon said. â€Å"But he looks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No, impossible. â€Å"He looks what?† Vittoria was peering over the edge now too. Langdon squinted into the darkness. â€Å"He looks like he's standing up.† Vittoria held her breath and lowered her face over the edge for a better look. After a moment, she pulled back. â€Å"You're right. He's standing up! Maybe he's alive and needs help!† She called into the hole. â€Å"Hello?! Mi puo sentire?† There was no echo off the mossy interior. Only silence. Vittoria headed for the rickety ladder. â€Å"I'm going down.† Langdon caught her arm. â€Å"No. It's dangerous. I'll go.† This time Vittoria didn't argue.

Wilma Rudolph

Expository Piece Wilma Rudolph Wilma Rudolph is indeed one of the most inspirational people in America. She seemed to help set a new era of going after your dreams and conquering goals. She had a lot of success but it was not easy getting there for Rudolph. There were many hardships she had to face as well. She overcame every obstacle because she had a lot of determination; this inspiration is why she is an important person that should be remembered from history. Wilma was born in Clarksville, Tennessee on June 23rd, 1940. She was African- American so at this time segregation was still prevalent.She was born prematurely and didn’t get the medical attention that she deserved due to being in a white hospital. This led to one illness after another without medicine; measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox and double pneumonia. The hardship that altered her whole childhood and rest of her life was being diagnosed with polio after her left leg had become weak and deformed. She wa s told that there was no cure and she would never walk again. This news was devastating to her and her poor family. Wilma was the 20th child out of 22 children and they were living through the Great Depression.Wilma’s parents Ed and Blanche Rudolph were very hardworking people the support there large family and the whole family helped out with taking care of Wilma; their young sister in need of a more normal childhood.. It was at age 12 when she finally got her big metal leg brace off and started learning to walk. It was like a miracle. It was in junior high school that Wilma followed in her sister Yolanda’s footsteps and joined the basketball team. Finally three years later the coach put her in her first game. Her sophomore year she became the starting guard.It was at a state basketball tournament that the track coach of the University of Tennessee Tigerbells, Ed Temple saw the potential in Wilma. HE invited her to Tennessee State that summer for a summer camp because Burt High School (where Wilma attended) was a poor school that did not have enough money to fund a track team. After high school she received a full ride scholarship to Tennessee State. In 1956 Wilma went to her first Olympic games where she won a brinze medal in the 4Ãâ€"4 relay. In 1960 she went to the Olympics in Rome and became the first US women to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.Not only was she a black woman that had overcome polio but she was in the Olympics setting records! She won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor on the 400-meter relay team. Her victories in sport represented the ideals of America; ideals that celebrated the accomplishments of African-American women in a democratic nation. She helped to show the concept that if you work hard, you will be successful, regardless of your skin color, gender or economic standing. Wilma Rudolph was an example of someone changing and benefitting the future America using determination to insp ire.

Legal Law Reform

It could be argued that both the international and the Australian domestic legal systems have both been effective in responding to the need for law reform in modern society. There are four key conditions that have been identified as influencing the need for change to law. Both the parliament through statute law and the courts through common law have important roles to play in bringing about effective change. One important condition that gives rise to law reform is the changing of social values. This means reforming laws to suit the changes in society. Social values are standards that guide people in the direction of wrong or right. The similar views society holds upon these standards is a reflection of public morality. Therefore, in order for the law to be abided and relevant to society it needs to reflect the social value of the people. An example of law reform in this area is seen amongst same-sex relationships. Changing social values led to same-sex couples being recognised as de facto relationships. This led to the Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW). Therefore it is evident that the domestic legal system is effective in responding to changing social values. Another important condition that gives rise to law reform relates to new concepts of justice. As social values change, so does the idea of justice. New concepts of justice come in when the law is incapable of delivering just outcomes to individuals and the community. An example of law reform in this area is seen in the case of capital punishment. The concept of justice shifted from retribution (a life for a life) to rehabilitation. This comes to show the effectiveness of the domestic legal system in responding to concepts of justice. Law reform is also influenced by new technology. As technology advances, pressure is placed upon the need for the law to keep up. This is due to its continuous development. An example of law reform in this area is seen in the introduction of motor vehicles, where the law changed regarding safe driving and road safety rules. On a positive note, the introduction of DNA testing machines, have helped to solve many criminal matters. It is therefore seen that the domestic legal system if effective in keeping up with technological advancements. However, technology continues to advance and in order for the law to remain effective it needs to keep up with these changes. A fourth condition that gives rise to law reform is the failure of existing laws. If a law is not being effective, there is a need for law reform. In order for there to be a law reform, a current law must be broken. An example of law reform is this area is seen in the case of AVO’s. Prior to reform, stalking wasn’t a part of putting can AVO on someone. After a woman was killed because of being stalked, the law changed and stalking was added to the AVO. The two agencies that are most influential in carrying out law reform are the parliament and the courts. In relation to the parliament, statute law refers to laws passed in parliament. This entitles the state, territory and federal governments to all have the right to change the law. One example of recent law reform in relation to statute law in Australia, relates to ‘bikie gangs’ and making them illegal. These new laws provide police with powers to search ‘bikies’. It allows them to make court orders regarding the members that associate together. The courts are another important agency of law in Australia. Common law refers to laws passed by courts. The doctrine of precedent is utilised whereby judges must resolve disputes on the basis of decisions made in similar cases. This alone deems the law effective in providing equality to society. One recent example of common law in action relates to Christian Rossiter, a man with spastic quadriplegia after being hit by a car. He argued with the Supreme Court to allow him to refuse the food he is fed by his carer. In doing this, he agreed to understand the consequences of dying, but to Christian dying was better than staying alive in pain. The law reform commission (LRC) in both NSW and Australia plays an important role. The role of the LRC is to provide and improve access to justice, modernise and simplify the law, eliminate problems in the law, suggest new ways of administrating the law and providing justice and removing out dated and unnecessary laws. At the present time, the LRC is involved in many current projects which are helping in changing the law for the better. It is currently working on areas in bail, penalty notice offences, jury directions in criminal trials and people with cognitive and health problems in the criminal justice system. A case that determines a mechanism of law reform relates to Skye’s Law in NSW. This this case the existing law appeared to be failing. In December 2009 a 19-month-old baby, Skye Sassine was killed in a road rage accident. Police were on a high speed chase after two alleged robbers in Sydney’s southwest. The law which was put in place by the NSW cabinet stated that anyone who leads a high speed chase will face jail terms of up to five years. Therefore it can be seen that both statute law and common law have been effective in allowing the legal system to respond to the need for law to make the legal system function in a more effective manner.

Corregidor Island Essay

The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a country in the Southeast Asia. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila. The country is known for its very rich culture, history, scenic spots and most especially by being hospitable due to warmth acceptance given to the guest. One of the places that are mostly visit by the tourists is the Corregidor Island and probably the most historical place in the country. Corregidor is a small rocky island in the Philippines about 48 kilometers west of Manila which is strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay and is a part of the municipality of Cavite City. This island fortress stands as a memorial for the courage, valor, and heroism of its Filipino and American defenders who bravely held their ground against the overwhelming number of invading Japanese forces during World War II. It is also the headquarte Also known as â€Å"the Rock,† it was a key bastion of the Allies during the war. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941, the military force under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur carried out a delaying action at Bataan. Corregidor became the headquarters of the Allied forces and also the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth government. It was from Corregidor that Philippine President Manuel Quezon and General MacArthur left for Australia in February 1942, leaving behind Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright in command. Although Bataan fell on April 9, 1942, the Philippine and American forces held out at Corregidor for 27 days against great odds. On May 6, 1942, their rations depleted, the Allied forces were forced to surrender Corregidor to Lt. Gen. Homma Masaharu of the Japanese Imperial Army after having successfully halted the Japanese advance on Australia. It was only two years and ten months later in March 1945 when the Allied forces under the command of General MacArthur recaptured Corregidor. The big guns of Corregidor are now silent and the ruins of buildings, structures, and tunnels in the island tell a very moving story of a war that has claimed so many lives. A visit to this former battleground is a memorable experience especially for those who cherish and value peace and freedom. In his speech delivered at the signing of the surrender of Japan aboard the U.  S. S. Missouri at Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur said, â€Å"It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice. † This study is carefully done by giving enough time, focus, dedication and hard work by the researchers in order to give justice to the desired topic that will help improved the level of service in the tourism industry of our dear country.

A Comparison of Robert Frosts Fire and Ice and the Mending Wall

A Comparison of Robert Frost's Fire and Ice and the Mending Wall Robert Frost was a successful poet for many reasons. He was well known for the diction used in all his poems. Along with diction, he was widely known for the complexity of his poems. Imagery also was key in many of Frost poems because of the way he described events, people and places. He appealed to many Americans because of the life lessons told in many of his poetry. In all, Frost was one of the most popular poets in America’s history. The diction in Frost’s poems stood out to many of his readers because of the elementary language he used, which made his poems easy to understand. To make his poetry easy to understand, he ventured away from difficult words. The elementary diction was shown in â€Å"Fire and Ice† and â€Å"The Mending Wall†. â€Å"Fire and Ice† is an example where the diction draws attention to a certain concept or idea for the reader to understand. When Frost uses the antonym words â€Å"fire† and â€Å"ice†, he is making a point to the reader that the words are representation of love and hate. In â€Å"The Mending Wall†, there are examples of elementary diction that noticeably portrays Frost intentional word choices. Frost says that, â€Å"there where it is we do not need the wall†(Frost 23). Another focal point is Frost’s poetry was complexity. The messages of his poems are interesting because he does not usually talk about the main idea directly but by using figurative language to get his ideas across. Frost was also commonly known for writing different types of poems like his most humorous one, â€Å"Home Burial†. One of Frost’s most complex poems is â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, Frost uses complex metaphors to describe the story within the poem. â€Å"Two roads diverge in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by† (Frost 19). When Frost uses a metaphor about the â€Å"two roads that diverge†, he is referring to the two paths in life that there are to take. Imagery in Frost poems was extremely vivid to describe events, people and places. Frost often related nature imagery with romantic views. In â€Å"Desert Places†, Frost uses snow to describe an image of loneliness. For example, the word â€Å"snow† is described as expressionless, â€Å"A blanker whiteness of benighted snow/ with no expression, nothing to express†(Frost 12). â€Å"Birches† is a typical example of the use of nature imagery that Frost uses to talk about the dislikes of the pressures of social life. While Frost does not specify exactly which burden he is targeting, the reader can easily piece together enough evidence from various parts of the poem to depict Frost’s meaning. When Frost compares ice to crystal shells, he uses descriptive words to enhance the image to the reader. The words â€Å"shattering and avalanching† (Frost 11) are used to enhance a visual image for the reader. Robert Frost was most famous for the way that he structured and managed his career. Frost became most popular because of the stories told within his poetry. In Frost poetry, he avoided any explicit language. He also did not discuss the economy or anything dealing with politics. Many other Americans became aware of who Frost because he was the first American poet to read poetry at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. He read â€Å"The Gift Outright†, which was a poem that was written especially for the inauguration. In all, Frost was known for the elementary diction that he used in all of his poetry. Along with diction, he was widely known for the complexity of his poems. His use of imagery was descriptive in a way that it painted a picture for his readers. The life lessons that were depicted in his poems were one of many reasons why Americans favored him. Altogether, Frost was one of the most popular poets in America’s history.