Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincolns Killer by James L. Swanson.

A movie hero became the moving hero after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. For once, he fired not the dummy shots, but the ones that will give him fame and place in World History in general and American History in particular. The entire Nation was the audience for this movie. John Wilkes Booth knew that death was following him; perhaps his final acting assignment came to the end, on the 12th day of the ‘shooting!’ The author’s thesis in his book is simple and direct: Why John Wilkes Booth did what he did? Was it the spontaneous overflow of his deep anguish over the policies of the President? The assassin had just twelve days to live after he shot the President; the security forces chasing did   shoot him; but before that they burnt he barn in which he was hiding! The author’s perspective: The author James L. Swanson, will not get another subject matter like this, may God forbid! The man who was killed and the man who killed him, both wee well known personalities in their respective areas. The statesman-politician versus the versatile movie-man! The assassin was a famous, handsome actor, who otherwise commanded lots of respect. The ‘Booth Capturing’ ordeal lasted for 12 days, from April 14 to 26, 1865. The chase was a thriller; it would beat the best stunt and war movie as for the sequence of events! The author describes how the sympathetic individuals tried to save the killer and how he was finally outsmarted by the security forces! Swanson has written the book with a terrific sense of involvement. He has given a very interesting book and from the point of view of writing style, he gives total justice to the tragic subject. Why not! He is a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and must have sieved through the vast literature available on the life, death and after -death sequence of events related to the greatest President of USA, Abraham Lincoln. The man who initiated the Civil War for a great cause, and the man who rejoiced and applauded with open heart, its conclusion! The Nation then must have waited with bated breath as for the day to day hunt for the killer and heaved the sigh of relief when the assassin met with the gory end. On April 26, when Booth refused to surrender, troops set the barn in which he was hiding, on fire. Sergeant Boston Corbett shot the assassin. After a few hours at sunrise, Booth died. April 26-27 Booth's body was brought back to Washington, autopsied, photographed, and buried in a secret grave.   Ã‚  He got what he deserved. Lincoln deserved more to enjoy the fructification of his ideals. But destiny played its part. They say, â€Å"It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving!† The theme of the novel is great! How the author handles the theme is even greater, which evokes unending curiosity. The level of detachment achieved by the author in handling a highly sensitive action-packed subject is commendable. Without giving room for too much sentimentalism, the various grim situations manifest clearly, grow and attain new dimensions. The book deserves an outstanding position and grade on account of this approach. It is not a book; it is the triumph! Conclusion: The action of John Wilkes Booth can not be termed as spontaneous. He wished to avenge the defeat of the South. His heart was the abode of racial hatred. On April 14, 1865 around noon Booth got the information that Lincoln was coming to Ford’s Theatre that night. Within eight hours he had prepared his plan of assassination. This shows that the decision to kill Lincoln was not spontaneous. He was mentally prepared for that, much earlier. The book is the story of the manhunt, but in a book of about 400 pages, Lincoln’s death occurs in page 139. Lots of related backgrounder information is provided in the book. It has all the qualities of mystery, history, detective story and tragedy. It is the delight of the psycho-analyst.                                                                     

Pro Death Penalty – Essay

One main person involved was Susan Atkins an intelligent woman twisted by the ideas of Manson. She stabbed Sharon Tate, a pregnant actress, sixteen times, Sharon begged for mercy and Susan Atkins told her â€Å"there would be no compassion for her or her unborn bar, and after tasting the victim's blood she used the blood to write the word â€Å"pig† on the front door and left. After she admitted to stabbing the pregnant actress in her 1971 court trial, she was sentenced to the death penalty. BUT due to the Supreme Court decision in 1972 of abolishing the death penalty, Atkins was now In prison for life with POSSIBLE PAROLE!She Is now on the brink of death and has cost the state of California over 1. 4 million dollars alone in medical costs That's doesn't even include the 3. 5 million dollars it has took to care for her in prison for almost forty years! In total, this adds up to 5 million dollars The cost to keep the death penalty in California Is ninety million dollars. Right now California has 3,300 people in for a life sentence, this only adds up to the seventy five million dollars right now. But riddle me this with crime rates only moving up in these financially bad times do you want to run the risk of putting more in life in Jail? The costs here say.If we add one hundred people a year to the life In prison list It will only take seven years for the price of life penalties to be higher than the death penalty price! Now some people believe that sometimes the person that was accused didn't even commit the crime and that that person is being killed for no reason, but with modern technology today there Is a very unlikely chance of mixing a person up with the convict. One of the easiest ways to find out If the defendant Is the killer Is by using DNA testing to see if their DNA matches the convicted person, also besides DNA routs can use finger prints to identify the killer.Now even the person convicted isn't the killer there has been in the last few years a average waiting time on death row of 12 and 1/2 years with some men walling up to 25 years, that give the defendant and the government more than enough time to review the case and look for new evidence!!! But enough with costs of the death penalty, what is your moral view. People view the death penalty in many ways, some for it and others against it. But what It takes for ones opinion to be changed Is the death of someone you know or are Emily members with. Most seek revenge and want that person to die and experience what they did to the victim.Now what would you want a the killer of you dad or you mom, maybe you sister or brother to get? Life in prison or the death penalty. The murderer should have to face what their victim did! Now what do you really want? During life prison the prisoners can get a chance to have a education In prisons While we are paying for college and schooling they are getting a free education that 1 OFF we pa Rebuttal The plan proposed by the affirmative s ide will not work! While we are paying for allege and schooling prisoners can be getting a free education that we pay for with our tax!For the people locked up for life in prison. It's a university of crime where prisoners are schooled to be â€Å"better† criminals. The taxpayers pay the tuition. It costs more than a Harvard education. Prison is the breeding ground for the worst social evils. Remember that 35 out of the 50 states still support capital punishment! That is more than 70% of the states, that dost even include the U. S. Government that also supports capital punishment. Ohio also uses the death penalty. Also more than 62% f Americans still support the death penalty. That is way more than half!It also comes down to the view of the watcher, some people that don't support the death penalty haven't gotten to feel what it is like to have a brother or parent, child or friend killed. Many peoples view change when they are asked, † If someone you loved was murdered, would you still want them to have life in prison or do them deserve what they did? â€Å". Many people are hit hard by this question, but what would you want? To know that the murderer that killed a loved one gets the same thing that they did to the victim? Or to see them in prison possibly getting an education with our tax money!With DNA testing and the new advancements in forensics there is almost no chance that the accused is really not the killer. Some killers out there have killed seven people or more, and you really want them to get away with it? Than this is not the America our founding father based it on! People deserve the right to know that they don't have to go to bed worrying that the murderer that killed there loved one is out there not getting what they deserve! Just like in the courts of King Hamburg, The convicted deserves the eye for an eye tooth for a tooth treatment.The idea of abolishing the death penalty is corrupt and will ruin the system, many say that the de ath penalty cost more than life in prison, but if all the people on death row are put in for life in prison within 10 years the death penalty cost will look tiny compared to the price of life in prison. .Sam and Andrew are wrong! If we let people like them take control of society who knows? Maybe gay marriage will be legalized and a women can go and abort a baby, as if it is Just a regular part of their daily routine! Getting rid of the death penalty will ruin society!

Suicide Essay

Suicide has always been an objective of primary interest and main concern to people of different cultures and historical periods. Suicide as a phenomenon has been discussed and described In literature, philosophy, and sociology. There are various definitions of suicide that have been proposed by the writers and researchers, such as the Intentional act of killing oneself, the act of terminating life, and the act of deliberate self-destruction. Some difficulties arise when we try to explain seclude specifically because the nature of suicide is very complex, and it is hard to justify suicidal behavior or distinguish it from other behavior.For example, a person, who knows that smoking leads to the serious health risks but deliberately engages in this activity and dies consequently, has not committed suicide. On the other hand, if a mentally ill individual arranges the circumstances for his or her deaths (by cutting veins, Jumping off buildings, etc. ), we can say that this person has com mitted suicide. In America, suicide rates are going up rapidly since 1999. But in our modern society, if a person commits suicide, it does not mean that that this person is bad and fragile. All of us experience problems during some periods of our lives.But the mall point Is that some people know how to handle these problems and some of them are getting lost because they see no light In the end of the tunnel and eventually give up. Thus, people normally commit suicide to end up agonizing emotional pain. These people are unable to see other options of solving their problems: they feel very isolated and distressed. The factors that contribute to stress or trauma and cause suicide are: financial situation, working environment, school, death of a loved one, loss of Job, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, etc.Philosophical revelation about suicide sakes us back to the time of Socrates, including Plato and Aristotle. In his Laws, Plato declared that suicide is outrageous and people, wh o committed suicide, should be buried in unidentified graves. However, according to Plato, suicide under some circumstances can be excused: when person's mind Is morally degraded; when suicide Is done by Judicial order; when the self-killing results from shame of participating In disgustingly unfair procedures.In contrast, the Stoics thought that suicide may be reasonable If the quality of life Is not available to an Individual and one's life is lacking the desired advantages. The philosopher Seneca claimed that an intelligent person â€Å"lives as long as he ought, not as long as he can. † (R. Frey, 1978) Suicide is forbidden by almost all religions and is viewed as a severe sin. Church has demanded that since suicide involves self-killing, then the person who destroys his or her life is sinning in the same way as if this person killed another individual.Life is given by God and it is sacred, therefore, the Christians are against suicide and euthanasia. Suicide violates God' s privilege in determining when people shall die. The nineteenth century carried new developments that have formed theoretical Hough about suicide topic. It was viewed as the predictable response of a suffering person who was Ignored by society. Also, It was the time of recognition of psychiatry as a telephone that could treat depression, hysteria and other disorders accountable for seclude.And finally, In the work of sociologist Druthers, suicide was described as a social disease producing extensive isolation. The sociologists had explained suicide analysis various causes, such as climate, season, and religion. Thus, he concluded that suicide rate is greater in the warmer months in all countries. He also masticates that suicide is greater in Protestant countries compared to Catholic countries. In general, Druthers viewed suicide as a social fact and considered social reasons, such as lack of connections between people and less integration in family constitution.Druthers developed t he four classifications of suicide: * Egoistic suicide. The factors responsible for it are depression and disappointment. He concludes that the people who strongly attached to their families or some other type of groups are less likely to come across these issues. * Altruistic suicide occurs when attachment is too great and the person is forced to commit self- ailing. Druthers provides examples of old and ill people or women who want to die after the death of their loved ones. Anomic suicide results from breakdown of standards and values, when a degree of regulation is too low. This can happen either during economic depression or quick economic expansion. * Fatalistic suicide occurs when regulation is too strong. The people are blocked by harsh discipline and they see no possible ways to improve their lives. Many of the modern sociological theories have been originated based on a Druthers idea of social integration. However, some of them have created new approaches in the study of s uicide.Thus Breed (1963) interviewed the families of people who committed suicide and introduced into sociology a research method, which provided sociologists with true situations of suicide. Are there any rational circumstances under which suicide can be morally Justified? The moral position on this question holds that it is wrong because people life is sacred. Although this theory is related to the religious version, it is also can be found in the work of Ronald Drink (R. Drink, 1993). Based on this view, individual life is valuable; and suicide violets our obligation to honor our lives.

Loss of Imagination and Magic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Loss of Imagination and Magic - Essay Example We arrived at the park just as the gates were being opened. My daughter jumped up and down, her face shining brightly with excitement. It was the last day of summer and the chilly air was already heralding in the beginning of fall. It was surprising to see the crowds that had gathered already, and a certain sense of panic overtook me. I took my daughter’s small, pink hand in mine and held on tight as the park opened and the visitors began to pour in. After purchasing our tickets, we walked into the park. My daughter squealed with delight when she noticed the bright red train that was the Walt Disney World Railroad. This attraction took the visitors all around the park, and it was one of the only attractions that didn’t appear to have a permanent line of people glued to its entrance at all times. My daughter began pulling me toward it. The distant sound of carnival-style music churned through the air, and only a few feet away, I noticed a person dressed as Pluto waving a t the children that passed by. The golden glint of the costume caught my eye, and I started to point this sight out to my daughter, but she was having none of it. All she wanted was to get on that train. It was surprising to see how much determination she had considering everything else that was going on around her. Any other child might be distracted by the overwhelming sights and sounds, but not her. We stood in line with twenty or thirty other people for the better part of a half an hour. Finally, it was our turn, and my daughter’s excitement had proved to be contagious. I knew it was only a train ride, but excitement rose in my chest, blowing up my heart like a balloon when we were finally able to take a seat at the back of the train. Not long after, the train pulled away from its station, and we were off for a jaunt around the park. I attempted to listen to the garbled, tinny voice of the conductor as it blared through the speaker hanging nearby, but it proved to be too much of a headache. Besides, listening to my daughter animatedly point at everything we passed was much more entertaining. In what seemed like no time at all, we ended up back where we started, but by now, my daughter was bursting to go on the other rides she had seen on our tour. With my stomach cramping and grumbling, I knew that I would need some sustenance before going on any more rides, so I took back the reigns and steered us toward the The Crystal Palace which is a buffet style restaurant where diners can eat with their favorite Disney characters like Winnie the Pooh. The smell of scrambled eggs and french toast wafted through the air making me slightly dizzy and sleepy at the exact same time. I grabbed a warm plate from the stack and piled it high with scrambled eggs. My daughter frowned at me slightly when we took a seat at one of the open tables. She was irritated by the dining detour, but she seemed to cheer up when I handed her a bowl full of juicy, green grapes. Her eye s continued to rove around the room, taking in every single sight possible, which gave me just enough time to shovel the eggs into my mouth. When my stomach was sufficiently stuffed, we took off again. There was no mistaking where my five year old daughter wanted to go next: Magic Kingdom. In fact, it was here that we spent the remainder of our day at Disney World. Of course, a

SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF JOB SATISFACTION Essay

SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF JOB SATISFACTION - Essay Example A relatively trend in these studies and literature works however is that not much has been studied into finding factors that bring about job satisfaction, but the gutters have been jumped into discussing the impact of job satisfaction on growth and development. In this essay therefore, the existing gap is closed by critically outlining key factors that must be put in place within various types of organisations to ensure that there is job satisfaction (Yi and Gong, 2008). This is done from the perspective of four individuals, whose stories are used as a case study. Job Design and Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is a very qualitative and subjective labour principle, as different people seek different opportunities and factors within their work structure to make them satisfied (Yoo, 2002). But as varying and different as job satisfaction may be to different people, one fact remains that job satisfaction comes from within the job that one does and this is where characteristics of the j ob comes to play. Depending on the characteristics of a given job, employees may be more comfortable working in the premise of that job. Yoo (2002) identified two of these characteristics as autonomy and variety, all of which are exhibited in the stories of the successful people presented. Yoo (2002) was however quick to add that there is always the need to ensure that the job characteristics that prevails is defined by the job design in place for workers. These job designs include are nature of job, employee engagement, and business success. Wofford and Liska (2003) has explained that one crucial characteristic of job is variety. By this, meaning is given to the need for the workplace to present the employee with non-static but differential task scope that ensures that employees always have something new to explore at the workplace. This means that the variety of job that a person does go a long way to determine and influence the level of job satisfaction that will be recorded. Cle arly, each of these people works in top enviable organizations that have many different departments and units that offer variety and challenge to exploring new opportunities for every up and coming young executive. As stated by Clark, there are numerous people looking for the kind of job that he does. The same can be said for Kurtz and Bishop, whose jobs take them to various places of the world and makes them enjoy the luxury of travelling from one airplane to the other. Clearly, when the characteristic of the job of a person puts him or her in such a position where there is internal satisfaction as to the variety of work that is done, such person is likely to gain job satisfaction. What is more, there are very high levels of autonomy for each of these workers. The question of ‘when and how tasks are done’ have been said to be very instrumental in job design (Ramsey and Sohi, 1997). Generally, autonomy comes to play when employees are given sufficient room to operate an d manipulate the movement and direction of their jobs (Netemeyer et al, 2007). Once this is done job satisfaction can be said to be guaranteed because it makes employees feel useful of themselves and evidentially become intrinsically motivated. Meanwhile, for all four individual read about, even though they are not the owners of the business they work for, they have very high levels of autonomy and are instrumental in the way and manner the businesses should move. A typical example of this is Clark who has the pleasure of promoting MTV all across the globe. Finally, as recommended by Yoo (2002), there is evidence from the story that the characteristics of job in place have been directly linked with job design. It would be noted that job

Thomson One - Business School Edition - Walt Disney Prospectus Essay - 1

Thomson One - Business School Edition - Walt Disney Prospectus - Essay Example This is a type of debt whereby the investors are paid an interest rate for their money. This debt is different from others in that its interest rate resets after every four months. A company that offers this kind of debt has the right to sell bonds whose benchmark is different from those that are linked to the United States of America. Companies embrace this type of debt since they are able to hedge against risks related to interest rates and at the same time remain in corporates. Its main aim was to attract long term investors into buying the stocks. The company targeted both the existing as well as new investors. The fact that the debentures were offered as floating debt was one major factor that increased their marketability. The interest rates were to be offered in quarterly basis and this served to attract many people to buy the bonds. In addition, the bonds’ interests could be reviewed after every four months, a factor that could also increase its marketability. They wer e to be sold on the basis of shareholding. Those who already have shares at the company would fill an enrolment form to get the bonds at a minimum lower amount. Those who do not hold shares were also given a chance to buy the bonds but their minimum amount was set at a higher than the existing shareholders. 2) List the dollar amount of debt Disney proposed to sell to the public. Indicate whether this amount has increased or decreased from 2008 to 2010. Discuss some potential causes of this increase or decrease. At the time when Disney proposed to sell its debentures to the public, the amount to be sold was stated to be $1 billion (High Beam Business, 2013). The bonds were to be issued in the denominations of $2, 000. For the excess of $2, 000, there was to be issues of integral multiples of $1, 000. It is important to note that the proceeds that the company was to receive equalled $989, 760, 000 with the rest being commission to agents which was stated at the rate of 0.35% (High Bea m Business, 2013). Between the years 2008 and 2010, the amount in dollars increased. There are a number of reasons that could have led to this increase. One of them is the fact that the company needed more money as the expansion plan changed as the business environment changed. In addition, the company’s profitability may have reduced due to the global economic crisis that hit most countries. This reduced the amount of profit that the company could have re-invested and hence it had to borrow more. 3) Determine the percentage of the sales price Disney nets after discounts and commissions. Indicate whether this amount as decreased or increased from 2008 to 2010. Discuss some potential causes of this increase or decrease For every sale of shares or any kind of securities including bonds and debentures, the company usually does not sell them directly. The securities are normally sold through a broker or an agent who has to be paid a commission. In addition, the company may opt to sell its securities at a discount or at a premium. Discounts are expenses to be charged on revenue while premium is recorded as an income. In the case of Walt Disney, the bonds were not sold at a discount. However, there was a commission fee that was pain to the agents who were selling the bonds on behalf of the company. As it has been mentioned earlier, the discounts/ commissions

Motivation an Design Issues in the Creation of an Integrated Health Essay

Motivation an Design Issues in the Creation of an Integrated Health Delivery System - Essay Example a check is also kept on which way it will be more productive for the country to have it modified. There are two major system operating these days managed care system and integrated health care system. Health maintenance organization is an example of the first one and physician hospital integrated delivery system is an example of the second one. Now different research studies have shown that both these systems have their importance at different levels and they have been viewed as inevitable, desirable, and even compatible (Author, 1993., shortell, 1996). At some places these two systems have been merged together and have been said to be managing care and integrating the delivery of the care which is still acceptable to most of the management coordinators. Now in order to be more precise we describe integrated health care system in a bit more detail. This is a system in which health is taken as one unit rather than considering it as heart a different unit, brain a different one and sto mach even a different one. While treating heart the rest of the body has to be taken into consideration and then according to the needs, treatment and expected outcome has to be taken into account. â€Å"In the last two decades there has been a significant emergence of multi- hospital networks (MHNs) in the health sectors of all industrialized countries. Such networks seem to represent an organizational choice, which provides interesting opportunities to cope with cost and quality issues stressing the health field†. (Lega, F. 2005). Having integration in health care system is good for consolidating the system, having a good control on the disease process itself and bringing out more financial benefits out of it for a country. Consolidation is defined as any transaction that involves delegating the key decision-making rights of two or more

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners Literature review

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners in oral contexts - Literature review Example ?....14 2.4 Communication Problems of Chinese EFL Learners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 1. Introduction For communication to take place, a message needs to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. But sometimes the communication process may break down when the intended message fails to be sent to the receiver. In those situations, the speaker will try to solve the problem and re-establish the conversation by adopting certain techniques. These techniques are commonly known as â€Å"communication strategies† (CSs). It was a term firstly coined by Selinker (1972) in his paper on â€Å"Interlanguage†. Selinker considered these strategies as one of the five processes central to second language learning. All language us ers need communication strategies to help them convey their intended meaning. ... The time constraints of naturally-occurring conversations impose an extremely heavy burden on these learners, forcing them to retrieve appropriate TL items from their memory and respond quickly. As claimed by Wagner and Firth (1997), â€Å"CS is a very prominent element in speech production and therefore an important element in natural discourse† (p. 342). 1.1 Definitions In the past three decades, a great amount of scholarly research and discussion has been generated on the nature, taxonomies and use of CSs (Dornyei and Scott, 1997). For so many years, however, the definition of CSs has still remained controversial. Although Selinker was the first to put forward the term â€Å"communication strategy†, he did not dig deep into the nature of such strategies. The first ones to provide a definition of CS were Tarone and her associates (1976), who defined it as â€Å"a systematic attempt by the learner to express or decode meaning in the target language, in situations wher e the appropriate systematic target language rules have not been formed† (p. 78). Moreover, Tarone (1980) emphasized that â€Å"CS relate to a mutual attempt of interlocutors to agree on a meaning in situations where requisite meaning structures do not seem to be shared† (p. 420). This definition introduces an interactional perspective. In Tarone’s words, â€Å"communication strategies are seen as tools used in a joint negotiation of meaning where both interlocutors are attempting to agree as to a communicative goal† (p. 420). Simply put, it means that both parties in the communication process try to compromise on meaning by adjusting their perspectives to see just one meaning both of them understand, and this may include some repair mechanisms in the breakdown of

Photography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Photography - Assignment Example Photograph 2-2 shows a picture of a bride. It talks about shooting wedding photographs like any other professional without having to retake the shots. It’s all about passion and then getting the right shot and having confidence in yourself. In photo 3-3, shooting on a tripod stand makes the camera still and steady. This provides a chance to capture tack-sharp shots. Therefore, the quality of the tripod comes a long way in ensuring one gets shots like a pro. In order to get those quality photos one has to invest much on the accessories that accompany any shooting. In photo 3-4, it’s not only about changing the camera settings, but also getting the right equipment and more so what the pros use. Photograph 4-2 shows a ball head, which is used to position a camera at any angle with one turn of the knob. Like a tripod, a good ball head comes with a price which is worth. Photo 5-2 describes how a release cable allows one to get a tack-sharp shot. The cable is attached to the camera and upon pressing of the button the photo is taken without necessarily pressing the shutter on the camera which would otherwise compromise the sharpness of your photos. Photo 5-3 details the B&H as trusted dealers in camera and all accessories because of their professional photographers who offer the best advice and have cheaper more quality products that meet a photographer’s needs perfectly. Another technique of getting a sharp photo, especially in the field is using â€Å"The Death Grip’. As depicted in photo 6, holding a camera with the strap twisted on one’s arm and wrapping it around the wrist gives extra stability and hence clear

International terrorism Essay Example for Free

International terrorism Essay Terrorism is the intended use or threat of use of extra normal violence or brutality by sub-national groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objective through intimidation of a huge audience, usually not directly involved with the policy making that the terrorists seek to influence. (Enders and Sandler, 2002a, 2002b) Several historical and contemporary terrorist groups support a strong religious party, typically by dint of their membership. Anti-colonial, nationalist movements such as the Jewish terrorist organizations active in pre-independence Israel and the Muslim dominated FLN in Algeria come eagerly to mind, as do more topical examples such as the devastatingly Catholic IRA; their Protestant counterparts, arrayed in various loyalist paramilitary groups like the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commandos; and the predominantly Muslim PLO. Though, in all these groups it is the political, not the sacred aspect of their motivation that is prevailing; the primacy of their ethno-nationalist and/or irredentist aims is obviously true. For others, however, the religious motivation is overriding. Certainly, the religious crucial for terrorism are the most significant defining characteristic of terrorist activity today. The consequences of the rebellion that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic in 1979 have included its critical role in the renaissance of this strand of terrorism; but, the contemporary advent of religious terrorism has not been restricted exclusively to Iran, much less to the Middle East or to Islam: since eighties it has involved elements of all the worlds’ key religions and, in several instances, smaller sects or cults as well. I have no regrets, said Yigal Amir, the young Jewish extremist who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, to the police. I acted alone and on orders from God. (Amir Yigal, 1987, pp. 7-8). Like Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah is another international terrorist group that was the product of numerous splits within the Lebanese Shia movement. Its origins can be traced back to 1974, when a Lebanese Shia cleric, Imam Musa al-Sadr, who had studied in the Iranian holy city of Qom, organized the Movement of the Underprivileged to advance Shia interests and progress the communitys lowly socioeconomic conditions. This movement was consequently reorganized as the principal Shia political party in Lebanon, Amal, which formed its own militia during the civil war that racked Lebanon a year later. Hezbollahs ideology is as simple as the organization is â€Å"wraithlike. † The members are taught that humans form two groups: the followers of Allah (Muslims) and the followers of Satan (infidels) who must be censored so that Allahs rule will expand to the whole planet. Satan, they have been told, evident himself in all sorts of disguises: a womans lock showing from under her veil (chador); the bare leg of a teenager boy; women and men mixing in public places (cinemas, cafes, restaurants); the Israeli profession of Palestine; and so on. The struggle against Satan is a full-time job for party members; the partys proposal clearly states: â€Å"Our religion is not a meager part-time hobby like cross-worshipers who go to church on Sunday to bribe their God. † (Robert Fisk, 1996) The party recruit â€Å"volunteers for martyrdom,† trains them, and flings them on missions. In October 1983, such volunteers carried out the suicide bombing of the American marines and French commandos in Beirut. Other members linger the streets, throwing acid on womens unveiled faces, pasting opponents, setting fire to newspaper offices, and so on. The party also broadcasts courses on radio and TV on how to use a diverse firearm, techniques of guerrilla warfare, kidnapping, assassinations of â€Å"enemies of God,† and other deeds. The size of the membership is composed of teenagers and even children. Throughout the eight-year war with Iraq, â€Å"children’s martyrs† were commonly sent to the mine fields to clear the way for tanks. A senior member of the party explained that children can be replaced at less cost than the tanks. Khomeinis justification was perceptibly less cynical: Those less than twenty have not yet been infected by satanic Western culture. In its first months, the Islamic Republic used Syrian and Palestinian terrorists to perform assassinations of opponents in foreign countries. In 1980, Khomeini ordered the formation of an Iranian force capable of striking anywhere in the world. Hojatol-Islam Fazlollah Mahalati, with the assistance of Hadi Ghaffary and Chamran, a pro-Khomeini radical who lived in Lebanon (who had both been trained in PLO camps in the early 1970s), was dispersed to the task. By 1981 the hit squads started their worldwide operations. In 1979, however, al-Sadr vanished throughout a visit to Libya. The desertion of the Imam created a vacuum within Amal that made the party productive ground for Iranian influence, and given the movement prone to the fundamentalist call of the revolt which had brought Khomeini to power earlier that year. Nabih Berri, a lawyer, was appointed head of Amal the following year. Hussein Mussawi, and the assumed mastermind behind the terrorist campaign against Libya to recover the Imam, was named as Berris deputy and commander of the militia. A fanatical supporter of Khomeini, Mussawi sought to place Amal in the front line of a regional revolution based on the new Iranian Islamic Republic. Berri, on the other hand, clung to a modest line and advocated a new deal for the Shia community within the limits of the existing Lebanese state structure. By this time, though, the radicalization of the Shia in Lebanon had gone far away the narrow nationalist and social aims of Amal. In 1981, Mussawi broke with Berri and founded his own organization, Islamic Amal. Shortly after, another faction split from Amal and under the leadership of Abbas Mussawi and the spiritual guidance of Sheikh Mohamed Hussein Fadlallah, it soon came to be recognized as the Hezbollah. Like Islamic Amal, Hezbollah embraced Khomeinis directive for a pan-Islamic revolt designed to turn Lebanon into an Iranian-style Islamic republic. It is really unfortunate that people around the world are irritable about three human deaths throughout this war yet hardly uttered a word with the massacres lately in Africa where hundreds of thousands of people were murdered. The United Nations is calling for a cease-fire and saying this could lead to a humanitarian crisis. Though, this effort didn’t work well so far. According to Gal Luft, In Hizballahland, the movements fighters have much more than a safe haven. Its training camps have become a hub of international terrorism, a convention center for some of the worlds most dangerous men. Here they can experiment with new weapons, practice their tactics, and collaborate with fellow terrorists from groups like al Qaeda, Hamas, Ansar al-Islam, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Kurdish Workers Party. From Lebanon, similarly, Hizballahs agents and associates can easily export their skills to destinations around the world. (Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003). The second advantage Hizballah enjoys is sophisticated weaponry. Al Qaedas arsenal is now limited to small, easily smuggle arms. When it comes to anti-aircraft capabilities, it possesses (as far as we know) only antiquated Soviet SA-7 Strella missiles, part of roughly 50,000 that were sold to third-world countries during the cold war; such missilesthey may have figured in last Novembers attack on an Israeli passenger plane in Kenyaare largely ineffective against the countermeasure routinely employed by modern planes. By contrast, Hizballah has accumulated an impressive stockpile of weapons, including, as I mentioned at the outset, thousands of rockets, artillery pieces, and antitank and anti-aircraft missiles. In the latter category, it has reportedly equipped itself with SA-18 missiles, whose substantially improved range and speed enable them to shoot down almost any aircraft. Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003. Owning more weapons than it knows what to do with, Hizballah has also helped procure arms for other groups. It played a key role in the January 2002 attempt to smuggle 50 tons of weapons to the Palestinian Authority aboard the Karine-A. Its external-operations commander, Imad Mughniyeh, one of the worlds most wanted terrorists, arranged to purchase the ship, and Mughniyehs deputy Haj Bassem personally supervised the loading operation at the Iranian island of Kish. Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003.

A Brief History Of Nerja History Essay

A Brief History Of Nerja History Essay Nerja is one of the popular tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol. Bordering the province of Granada, it is eastern-most town in the Axarquà ­a and is situated right at the foot of the Sierra de Almijara mountain range. This stretch of coastline is characterized by steep cliffs and some of Andalucias best beaches. History of Nerja Prehistoric History The Nerja caves are actually situated five kilometers from the town in the nearby village of Maro. Discovered as recently as 1959 they have provided a wealth of historical information. The caves were lived in during the Paleolithic era. Initially the caves were inhabitated by seasonal hunter-gathers, however towards the beginnings of the Bronze Age, about 6000 years ago, the settlement became more permanent with evidence of farming and animal rearing. The farming gradually became more sophisticated with the use of tools and simple pottery. The caves appear to have been abandoned some 3,000 years ago. Roman period Detunda The Romans had a settlement called Detunda around 1KM from the Nerja caves. Detunda appears to have been a relatively small town and used mainly as a resting place for soldiers and tradesmen moving between Malaga Almeria and Almeria and Jaen. The remains of a old Roman road, the Castulo-Malaca road, which linked the provinces of Jaen and Almeria are still clearly visible along with an old Roman bridge. Today one of Maros most famous landmarks. Moorish times The first written reference to Nerja came from the poet Said Al-Mugrabi, during the 10th century. The whole area was under the rule of Abderramà ¡n III, the Emir of Cordoba. Said Al-Mugradi referred to a small market town called Nerixa (meaning plentiful spring water) that was famed for its silk industry. Narixa silks were actually internationally renowned with documentary evidence pointing to their popularity in the markets of Damascus. This time period was characterised by its stability and wealth. The ruins of Narixa are still visible next to the old Frigiliana turnoff in a place called Castillo Alto. word Narixa which literally means abundant spring of water. In the year 917, during the period when Spain was occupied by the Moors, the Arabian poet, Ibn Saadi, wrote: Stretched on a carpet of magic colours, while sleep closed my eyes, Narixa, my Narixa, sprang from the flowers to bathe me in all her beauty. Christian times As the Moorish began to crumble during the latter part of the 15C, things took a dramatic turn for the inhabitants of Narixa/Nerja. In 1487, with the surrender of Velez to the Catholic monarchs, Nerja quickly sent envoys to render allegiance to the Spanish King and Queen. A few days after Pedro de Cordoba took possession of the town. The initial transition period was anything but smooth. The inhabitants of Nerja were forced to renounce their Muslim faith or be expelled. At the same time, there were increased Berber coastal raids from North Africa. Making living in the Coastal towns particularly dangerous. This period was characterised by a mass exodus of the local population. Many fled into the surrounding hills, around Frigiliana. The depopulation happened at such a fast rate that Juana la Loca ordered Nerja to be repopulated with long-time Christians from the Basque Country, Valencia, Galicia and Mà ¡laga itself. During the late 17th Century the area was heavily fortified. These fortifications proved sufficient to deter any major coastal raids until the beginnings of the 19th century. The British fleet destroyed most of these coastal fortifications during the Peninsula Wars 1808-1814, to avoid them falling into the hands of the French. One such installation was the La Bateria, a large gun battery that existed in a fortified tower standing where the where the Balcon de Europe is today. On Christmas day 1884 the whole of Andalucà ­a suffered a massive earthquake, with the epicentre near Granada Arenas de Rey. Much of Nerja was destroyed. Several weeks later King Alfonso XII visited Nerja to view the destruction for himself. He is said to have declared this the Balcon de Europa while visiting the site of the La Bateria. Documentary evidence has since proved that this title predated his visit. However the name and the Kings association with it has stuck. Indeed, there is a life statue of the King on todays Balcon de Europa. Modern day Nerja With the loss of Cuba from the Spanish Empire at the end of the 19th Century, the sugar industry began to take off in Spain. The Larios family from Malaga began to capitalise on the demand for sugar and its related products (distilled alcohol and molasses) and built a series of sugar mills along the Eastern Costa del Sol. During the early 20th Century sugar cane production was Nerjas chief industry. However with the increased growing of sugar beet in Northern Europe, the industry began to decline. More valuable cash crops began to dominate the local market, with tropical fruits such as mango and papaya becoming increasingly popular. The avocado was particularly in demand and the area is still one of the major avocado growing regions in Europe. Tourism was relatively late in coming to Nerja.   sugar cane  production has given way to more valuable cash crops, particularly semi-tropical fruits such as  mango  and  papaya  and widespread  avocadoplantations in what is one of the major avocado growing regions in Europe. the loss of Cuba from the Spanish Empire at the end of the 19th century helped to stimulate sugar production in Spain. There was still sufficient demand for sugar and the related products of molasses and distilled alcohol to encourage the Larios family from Mà ¡laga to build new sugar mills and irrigation structures. Examples of these factories, in what is now called the eastern Costa del Sol, can be found in  Nerja, Maro,  Frigiliana  and  Torrox. Read more at Suite101:  Sugar Cane Production and Sugar Mills in Andalucà ­a  http://www.suite101.com/content/sugar-cane-production-and-sugar-mills-in-andalucia-a276295#ixzz13XskeLrm During the early 20th Century sugar cane production was Nerjas chief industy. Sugar-cane production became popular for a while but this declined as the growing of sugarbeet increased in northern Europe. Avocado groves flourished, and still do, and the forced growing of salad foods under glass, then plastic,   provide a valuable contribution to the regional economy. in the age of Abderramà ¡n III (tenth century), in which he refers to this place as a city-sized farming community where fine silk products were produced. Ancient Narixa stood next to a fortress, whose ruins can still be seen in a place called Castillo Alto, next to the old Frigiliana turnoff. Occupation of Southern Spain by the Moors It was during the  occupation of much of Spain by the Moors from the 8th to the 15th century that the first  record of Nerja   appeared. An Arab poet wrote in the 10th century of Nerixa (meaning plentiful spring water) as a small well-run market town famous for its silks. Indeed, this era of Moorish rule brought a certain amount of stability and wealth to the region.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian Purges The expulsion of the Muslins rulers from Iberia at the end of the 15th century led to widespread repression of the Andalusians by the Catholic authorities. The inhabitants of Nerja had to renounce their Muslim religion or be expelled. Many fled into the hills around Frigiliana, others followed as Berber raids from North Africa made coastal living increasingly unsafe. Nerja fell into decline despite repeated attempts to re-populate the area with Basques and other Catholics from northern Iberia, but farming continued on the surrounding plains. Fortification of Nerja Towers were constructed to fend off pirate Berber raids, and during the late 17th century a larger fortification was established on a coastal promontory in Nerja. This remained as a deterrent to erstwhile usurpers until the beginning of the 19th century. The Peninsular War (1808-1814) brought the British into conflict with Spain which, at the time, was largely under French control. In 1810, the British Fleet destroyed the defensive positions to prevent them falling under French control. The Earthquake On Christmas Day 1884 an earthquake occurred with an epicentre under Arenas de Rey near Granada. Flimsily constructed buildings were destroyed over a wide area and more than 800 people lost their lives. In early 1885 King Alfonso XII visited the area of devastation, and Nerja was included in his schedule.   He  promenaded the area known as  La Bateria, where the old fortress once stood, and remarked on the view from the promontory. The  Balcon de Europa were words associated with the King, although the term was probably in local use before his arrival. Nevertheless, in later years, it was to become a   valuable yarn for promoting tourism in Nerja. Tourism arrived in Nerja.slowly There was a gradual increase in tourism along the Costa del Sol during the early part of the 20th Century, but Nerja remained largely untouched. The small-scale fishing industry continued, and farming was the mainstay of the local community. Sugar-cane production became popular for a while but this declined as the growing of sugarbeet increased in northern Europe. Avocado groves flourished, and still do, and the forced growing of salad foods under glass, then plastic,   provide a valuable contribution to the regional economy. Occasional tourists filtered along the coast to Nerja during the 50s, and some stayed; but even in the 60s when cheap package-style tourism boomed, the coaches nearly all drove west from Malaga Airport. During the 80s, the penchant for second homes, especially amongst the British, led to a building boom. Fortunately, sensible planning permits, meant the excesses of high-rise development did not occur at Nerja. It is now a bustling town, with many second homes now becoming first homes, and a thriving ex-pat network exists. General Climate and Weather in Nerja The Sierra de Almijara rises to over 1800 metres to the north of Nerja, and this acts as  a formidable barrier to the cold northerly winds that  occasionally affect  much of the rest of Iberia during the winter months. Rainfall is largely absent during the summer months, and with a regular afternoon sea breeze, the heat of inland Spain is seldom experienced. In fact, a survey suggests, that this part of the Costa del Sol experiences the best all-year-round weather in Europe.   Around 6,000 years ago, domestication of livestock began to take place and primitive farming commenced aided by the production of simple pottery. The farming became more sophisticated and  evidence of locally produced textiles has been uncovered.  The caves appear to have been abandoned as dwelling places around 3,000 years ago. almost the Eastmostly town on in the Axarquia, with the province of Granada sitting t is the eastern-most town in the area known as the  Axarquà ­a Signs of the first human settlement in this municipality were discovered in the famous Cueva de Nerja (Nerja Cave) and belong to the Aurià ±aciense stage of the Upper Paleolithic period. Nothing is known of other civilisations that may have existed here until the period of Roman rule, when apparently a small settlement (Detunda) was established at present-day Maro. It should be noted that Maro is another population centre of Nerja, where the cliffs and the Nerja Cave itself are located. The first documented fact about the history of Nerja, however, appears in the writings of the poet Said Al-Mugrabi, in the age of Abderramà ¡n III (tenth century), in which he refers to this place as a city-sized farming community where fine silk products were produced. Ancient Narixa stood next to a fortress, whose ruins can still be seen in a place called Castillo Alto, next to the old Frigiliana turnoff. After the surrender of Và ©lez (1487), Nerja sent its envoys to that place to render allegiance to the Spanish king and queen and thus prevent bloodshed. A few days after that visit, Pedro de Cà ³rdoba took possession of the town in the name of the Catholic Monarchs. Under Christian rule, the town began to lose population, and in order to prevent greater abandonment Juana la Loca ordered Nerja to be repopulated with long-time Christians from the Basque Country, Valencia, Galicia and Mà ¡laga itself. In the late sixteenth century the first sugar mill was set up in Nerja and in the late eighteenth century a paper mill was in operation here, supplied with water from the River La Miel. This factory remained in operation until the early twentieth century. During the War of Independence, the English levelled the fortress that used to stand where the Balcà ³n de Europa is today, and also destroyed the port that had been adapted to handle coastal shipping. The name of the town comes from the Arabic Narixa, Naricha or Narija, which apparently derived from a pre-Roman name, and the translation abundant spring that some give for this word is still not very certain, although there are plenty of reasons to speak of an abundance of water in this municipality.

Customers Satisfaction Services

Customers Satisfaction Services INTRODUCTION Organizations have been increasingly interested in retaining existing customers while targeting non-customers; measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how successful the organization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace. Customer satisfaction is an ambiguous and abstract concept and the actual manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to product/service. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors such as return and recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending on other options the customer may have and other products against which the customer can compare the organizations products. Because satisfaction is basically a psychological state, care should be taken in the effort of quantitative measurement, although a large quantity of research in this area has recently been developed. Work done by Berry, Brodeur between 1990 and 1998(1) defined ten Quality Values which influence satisfaction behavior, further expanded by Berry in 2002 and known as the ten domains of satisfaction. These ten domains of satisfaction include: Quality, Value, Timeliness, Efficiency, Ease of Access, Environment, Inter-departmental Teamwork, Front line Service Behaviors, Commitment to the Customer and Innovation. These factors are emphasized for continuous improvement and organizational change measurement and are most often utilized to develop the architecture for satisfaction measurement as an integrated model. Work done by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry between 1985 and 1988 provides the basis for the measurement of customer satisfaction with a service by using the gap between the custom ers expectation of performance and their perceived experience of performance. This provides the measurer with a satisfaction gap which is objective and quantitative in nature. Work done by Cronin and Taylor propose the confirmation/disconfirmation theory of combining the gap described by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry as two different measures (perception and expectation of performance) into a single measurement of performance according to expectation. According to Garbrand, customer satisfaction equals perception of performance divided by expectation of performance. The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey (2) with a set of statements using a Likert Technique or scale. The customer is asked to evaluate each statement and in term of their perception and expectation of the performance of the organisation being measured. To efficiently deal with customer satisfaction, coordination of all departments of a company, from the marketing to the human resources, operations and financial departments is not only critical, but they should also be involved in the process. The aim of this report is to reflect on the customer satisfaction in all the processes and operations at the NIKE, Inc. The focus will be on the numerous systems and activities set up by the company to meet overall customer satisfaction. However, it would be of great relevance to firstly investigate who is a customer in general and what is the nature of customer service. A literature review on customer satisfaction and an assessment of the business environment will then follow. Secondly, an analysis of customer satisfaction through the various processes and systems established at the NIKE, Inc. will be undertaken. In a third chapter, an evaluation of customer satisfaction at the BMW Group in relation to the theories will be carried out. Finally, a conclusion and recommendations will follow. Company Background Nikes Heritage NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over historys earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE. Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the worlds greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE swoosh embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) The Swoosh The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company. Phil Knight asked Caroline to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the SWOOSH, he handed her $35.00. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the NIKE SWOOSH was introduced. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) History Nike was founded in the year of 1968 by Philip H. Knight, who is currently the Owner, Chairman, and CEO of the company.   Phil Knight completed his education from the University of Oregon and the Stanford Business School by 1962, (Moore, 128).   As an aspiring young business man, he decided to travel to Japan and speak to the president of Tiger shoes.   He presented himself as an American distributor of athletic equipment when he actually had nothing.   He was pretty sneaky, however, he got what he wanted and began selling running shoes under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). Once he became bored with selling shoes at sporting events from the back of his truck, he began producing his own athletic apparel, (nike/history.htm).   He renamed his so-called company Nike and hoped for the best to happen.   Within the first year, he sold $8000.00 worth of shoes and only received a $250.00 profit, (nike/history.htm).   After some time, Knight turned to his old coach from sch ool, Bill Bowerman, for advice on what to do next.   Phil Knight wanted Nike to stand out above the rest.   Once Bill Bowerman came up with the idea for having traction on the bottom of shoes, Nike had finally made its mark, (nike/history.htm).   The Nike Waffle Trainer stood out and made Nike the most unique shoe company of the 1970s.    By the year of 1979, Nike was the most well-known shoe company in the world.   They no longer just sold shoes but sporting equipment as well.   However, the joy of being on top came crashing down when Reebok surpassed Nike with the aerobic phase in athletics.   In order to maintain the reputation of Nike, the worlds best shoe corporation, Nike struck back by diversifying their shoes for different kinds of sports activities.   Nike continued to rise in success throughout its prosperity by signing famous sports players ( ex. Michael Jordan) and using intelligent advertising tactics, (nike/history.htm).   Today, Nike is a four billio n dollar business that has had its ups and downs.   As of now, Nike is having difficulties with the publicity it is receiving about its labor practices in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Chapter 1: Theoretical aspects of customer satisfaction 1. The concept of customer in general A customer refers to individuals or households that purchase goods and services generated within the economy. The word historically derives from custom, meaning habit; a customer was someone who frequented a particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase goods there, and with whom the shopkeeper had to maintain a relationship to keep his or her custom, meaning expected purchases in the future. Customer needs may be defined as the goods or services a customer requires to achieve specific goals. Different needs are of varying importance to the customer. Customer expectations are influenced by cultural values, advertising, marketing, and other communications, both with the supplier and with other sources. Both customer needs and expectations may be determined through interviews, surveys, conversations, data mining or other methods of collecting information. Customers at times do not have a clear understanding of their needs. Assisting in determining needs can be a valuable service to the customer. In the process, expectations may be set or adjusted to correspond to known product capabilities or service. 1.1 Customer Service Customers are the essential to the business. Basically, the business makes profit from the product sales, so it depends how many customers purchase the companys products. Recently, most of firms are not only to focus their products decoration and price, but also pay attention to the those customer whom buy the products. For instance: listen with understanding, ask questions, apologize, take fair and corrective action and remain courteous to the customers.The profit of a business increase markedly the more loyal, long-standing customers it has. Therefore, it is crucial to provide an excellent service to attract and keep the customer. To begin with, a customer who is a person or business buying goods or services from another. And the customer service is helping and supporting the customer before, during and after they purchase the product. Normally, the customers can be broken into to two types categories: external and internal. External customers are who buy goods or services that are not employed by or combined with the business selling the goods or providing the service. Internal customers which means the people within an organization to whom work is passed or to whim a service provided. The four basic aims for the customers are, what they want, when they want, where there want it and what price they willing to pay. Nowadays, the customers service is quite important to a firm, because of the following reasons. First one is to make the business profitable; of course, it is most important principle to a firm. The second reason, it is differentiation with other competitors. In a market, may be have many of firms produce the products almost the same style, same quality and same price. Hence, the customers might depends the which firms can be provided good service, and this can be helped them to make a decision to buy which brand of product. Beside that above two reasons, if the company provides the excellent services to the customer, who will come back. This is the key for a firm to live longer in a competition market. How many customers will do â€Å"repeat business† with company according to how better services they can obtain. Lastly, as the similar reason with second one, which is increasing competition in the market. Especially, currently most of Mutil-company joining into the domestic e conomic, therefore, the firms really needs to keep their good customer service that not going to be eliminated by the market. Customer services are so crucial to any company, hence, there have some ways that to provide an excellent customer service. First of all, responding any questions from customers. Whatever from the customer calls, E-mail and letters. Customers have higher requirement of response time. If the customer will not be answered quickly, they may think that they are not important and have been ignored; and start to move to other company. One example, like UGR company, we have three groups each week and many sales people to do the same job, which is responding the customers E-mails or letters. However, due to the improper manage, lots of letters and E-mails response to one customer too many times, in contrast, other customers have been ignored. As a result, the company will lose the business with those customers. Secondly, understanding the customers need, such as satisfy customers emotional satisfaction. There are 4 main points that the enterprise should achieve to satisfy customers emotional needs. Fist one is making the customers feel to be understood. This depends on the communication between the company and clients, like a good listener, it lets the customer feel nothing is hindering between their and the company. The second one is to feel welcome. They like to feel that you are happy to see them and that they are important to you. Welcome delivery the image about that the company is happy to see them to the customer. Then the customers need to feel to be important. Ensuring that every customer feels that they are attached importance. To feel important can increase the goods that are consumed by every customer, because they feel the company respects them. Finally, the company should supply a comfort environment to the customer, such as good decoration, a nice music, some soft seats to si t and cup of drinks. All of these images not only make the customers have a happy mood, but also give them a feeling of that the company can take care them properly. To be a great people is other point. For example, speak to people, smile, be friendly and helpful, call people by name, enjoy yourself, be genuine ,be considerate, be thoughtful, be willing and be generous. Sometimes, I do not want to buy something from shop, however, the staffs make me feel they are polite and have a beautiful smile. Therefore, I change my mind to buy something. The other point is listening and communication with your workers. A good leader who is always concerns their employees thinking. Workers to understand that their own well-being is affected by providing good customer service. For example, I had a part-time job before, which is selling the earrings and necklaces. In the first few weeks, my boss just told me try to sell them as much as you can, but she did not taught me how to do. Later, I told her I do not how to describe the feature about each style and she taught me how to say, at the end, I sold many products. Hence, the communication is quite important between the boss and work. Lastly, the enterprise attempts to reducing high product in order to reduce the loss in the business. The enterprise needs concern the household in the whole economy. Most of people cannot afford the high price. Therefore, for the firms might be lost some customers that affect the profit into the business. For instance, if I am going to buy a laptop, the first thing I see the price then its function. I think not too many people can afford high price whether it has high-tech. So, the company might be lost that kind of customer who really cares about the price. In conclusion, the keys of keep a high customer loyalty is to provide the service that could satisfy the customers wants, needs and use proper attitude. However, it is the most important to understand that to deliver the excellent service makes more profit to the business. 1.2. SWOT and PEST analyses of the business environment 1.2.1. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from an analysis of the business environment and the strategic capability of an organization. The main objectives of conducting SWOT analysis is to identify the extent to which the current strategy of an organization and its more specific strength and weaknesses are relevant to, and capable of, dealing with the changes taking place in the business environment. It also uses to assess whether there are opportunities to exploit further the unique resources or core competence of organization. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths Strengths are internal characteristic that has the potential of improving the organizations competitive situation. Every organization has some strength. A strength could be: * A new product or service * New machinery or equipment. * Strong market share. * Strong financial. * Specialist Hardware and Software expertise. Weaknesses Weaknesses are an internal characteristics that leaves the organization potentially vulnerable to strategic moves by competitors. Every organization also has some weakness. A weakness could be: * Poor reputation. * Lack of marketing strategies. * Location of the business in respect of the market-place. * Poor after-sales service record. Opportunities Opportunities are an environment situation that offers significant prospects for improving an organizations situation relative to competitors. All organizations have some opportunities that they can gain from. These could range from diversification to sale of operations. An opportunity could be: * A new or developing market. * Possibility of purchasing an effective competitor. * Government grants offered for new market development. The possibility of cheaper raw materials. Threats Threats are an environment situation that offers significant prospects for undermining an organizations competitive situation. No organization is exceptional to threats. These could be internal, such as falling productivity. Or they could be external, such as lower priced international competition. A threat could be: * Competitors developing new products or services. * Extra competitors in the main market area. * High bargaining power of suppliers. * Taxation is introduced on the products or services 1.2.2. PEST Analysis A PEST analysis, as defined by David Lines et al is Political, Economical, Social and Technological analysis, a means of analysing the external factors that may present opportunities or threats to a business.'(David Lines et al, 2004:p212 ). It is also known as PESTEL analysis when Environmental and Legal factors are included. It is used to identify external factors which may affect a company. (http://www.marketing-intelligence.co.uk/help/QA/question24.htm) The political factors PEST looks at include government stability, taxation policy, foreign trade regulations and social welfare policies. Foreign trade regulations in particular are important for an organisation planning on opening up in a different country or trading with a different country as their laws may differ from those the organisation already employs. Economical factors include business cycles, interest rates, money supply, inflation, unemployment and disposable income. An organisation planning on breaking into a new market would be well advised to look at the economical factors that may affect their proposed business plans, such as market trends and consumer patterns. Sociocultural factors, such as population demographics, social mobility, lifestyle changes, consumerism and levels of education, should also be monitored closely, and example being the tobacco industry. With people becoming more health conscious and with social pressures on smokers growing in western countries the sales of tobacco have been adversely affected in this market. Anti smoking campaigns, restrictions on advertising and packaging and the banning of smoking in most public places, as well as heavy taxes and court cases, have led tobacco companies to concentrate their marketing efforts mainly on the developing world.(Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes, 2002) Technological factors include new discoveries, speed of technological transfer, government spending on research and rates of obsolescence. These are important factors to watch, especially for people in the hi-technology industry which changes constantly. For example in the mobile phones industry new models with bigger memory, new extras and applications and other technological advances have replaced the original mobile. A mobile phone is no longer just a mobile phone but a computer, diary, calendar, and in some cases office. With new models coming out almost every month it is important the mobile phone companies keep up with current trends to ensure their mobiles do not become obsolete. 1.3. Service/ Product quality In its broadest sense, quality is a degree of excellence: the extent to which something is fit for its purpose. In the narrow sense, product or service quality is defined as conformance with requirement, freedom from defects or contamination, or simply a degree of customer satisfaction. In quality management, quality is defined as the totality of characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs. Quality is also rapidly embracing the nature or degree of impact an organisation has on its stakeholders, environment and society. Meeting requirements Specifications are an imprecise means of conveying subjective aspects not everything can be reduced to figures or measurable characteristics. For instance, the characteristics of friendliness or courtesy in a service industry are difficult to measure reliably and repeatedly. Therefore, conformance to requirements is not necessarily all there is to achieving quality. Quality is a result Quality is the result of a comparison between what was required and what was provided. It is judged not by the producer but by the receiver. The judgement can be made of an intention, as is the case when selecting suppliers, or an output, as is the case when purchasing a product or service. Customer satisfaction The only true measure of acceptable quality is customer satisfaction, which takes into account both objective and subjective interpretations of the needs and expectations of customers. If customers are satisfied with the products and services offered, the organisation has not only correctly interpreted customer needs and expectations but it is also providing products and services of acceptable quality. Changing customer perceptions Customer needs and expectations are constantly changing. Awareness of new technology, legislation, problems, competitor products or services creates new wants for customers. Wants turn into demands when these customers begin their next purchase. Therefore, it is vital for organisations to constantly improve quality so that satisfied customers are retained as well as created. Quality and value Value is not a price tag but a measure of the benefits derived from a product or service for what is given in return. A product may well meet physical and functional requirements but be overpriced when compared to others of the same class and grade. Alternatively, the same product may be on offer at another store for 50 per cent less, indicating exceedingly good value for money. In an effort to reduce costs, some organisations have forgotten that it is the quality of the complete transaction that counts. Getting product quality right while ignoring the human relationship between customer and supplier will not lead to satisfied customers. What quality is not? Quality is not perfection, a standard, a procedure, a measure or an adjective. No amount of inspection changes the quality of a product or service. Quality does not exist in isolation there has to be an entity, the quality of which is being discussed. Quality is not a specific characteristic of an entity but the extent to which that characteristic meets certain needs. The value of the characteristic is unimportant it is how its value compares with customer needs that signifies its quality. Why should an organisation be interested in quality? Every business exists not to make a profit, as many would have us believe, but to create and retain satisfied customers. A business would have no profits if it failed to create and retain satisfied customers. Providing products and services which meet customer needs and expectations creates satisfied customers. Anticipating future needs and expectations retains satisfied customers. Therefore, quality is vital to the survival of every enterprise. What does quality apply to? Every product, service, process, task, action, decision can either be acceptable or unacceptable. Hence, there is an intrinsic quality in everything that an organisation does. Everyone must pay attention to quality, from the chief executive to the shopfloor across all functions in an enterprise. It is as important for support staff to pay attention to quality as production staff. Who is responsible for quality? One can only be responsible for doing something relative to quality. Hence a person can be responsible for: specifying quality requirements achieving quality requirements determining the quality of something Assigning responsibility means giving a person the right to cause things to happen and with this right should be delegated the authority to control the processes which deliver the output the quality of which the person is responsible for. One manager cannot be made responsible for quality within an organisation unless that manager is the CEO. All a specialist manager such as a Quality Manager can do it is to enable others to achieve quality by providing encouragement, leadership, training, tools, techniques and performance data. However, it is important for someone in the business to give leadership and results on quality performance and this person needs special knowledge and skills. How can quality be achieved? Several methods have evolved to achieve, sustain and improve quality. They are known as quality control, quality improvement and quality assurance collectively known as quality management. Quality management is not the preserve of one manager but of all managers. Quality is achieved through a chain of processes, each of which has to be under control and subject to continual improvement. The chain starts with top management expressing a firm commitment to quality, then: establishing customer needs and expectations developing and maintaining a management system that will enable achievement of customer needs and expectations reliably, repeatedly and economically designing products and services with features which reflect customer needs building products and services so as to reproduce faithfully the design verifying before delivery that products and services possess the features required preventing the supply of products and services which possess features which dissatisfy customers discovering and eliminating undesirable features in products and services finding less expensive solutions to customer needs making operations more efficient and effective discovering what will delight customers and providing it most importantly, honouring commitments A variety of standards, philosophies, methodologies, tools, techniques and measures have been developed to help organisations meet these goals: management systems ISO 9000, ISO 14000, BS 8800, BS 7799 philosophies total quality management methodologies business process management, continual improvement tools and techniques process charts, failure mode and effects analysis, statistical process control, quality function deployment measures quality awards, best value, ISO 9000 and Investors in People All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This publication may not be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior consent of the publishers. 3. Literature review on customer satisfaction 3.1. What is customer satisfaction? Customer satisfaction is the provision of goods or services which fulfil the customers expectations in terms of quality and service, in relation to price paid. Customer satisfaction can help the businesses achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It is about understanding the way a customer feels after purchasing a product or service and, in particular, whether or not that product or service met the customers expectations. Customers primarily form their expectations through past purchasing experiences, word-of-mouth from family, friends and colleagues and information delivered through marketing activities, such as advertising or public relations. If the customers expectation is not met, they will be dissatisfied and it is very likely they will tell others about their experience. Why customer satisfaction is important? The organisations should not underestimate the value of customer satisfaction. It is becoming an important area of competition. A high level of satisfaction can deliver many benefits, including: -Loyalty: a highly satisfied customer is a loyal customer. -Repeat purchase: a highly satisfied customer buys more products. -Referrals: a highly satisfied customer tells their family and friends about the product or service. -Retention: a highly satisfied customer is less likely to switch brands. -Reduced costs: a highly satisfied customer costs less to serve than a new customer. -Premium prices: a highly satisfied customer is willing to pay more for the product or service. Not happy Jan Monitoring customer satisfaction is important because we are much more likely to tell our friends and family about a bad experience with a product or service than a good experience. The introduction of blogs and websites such as www.notgoodenough.com.au has provided customers with an excellent platform to spread the bad word about a product or service to thousands of people. And theres always the threat of negative publicity generated from current affairs programs or other media outlets. Dont learn the lesson about customer satisfaction the hard way! Customer satisfaction research Satisfaction surveys are an important method for collecting information about how the customers think and feel about the organisations brand, product or service. A satisfaction survey can help the organisations to understand the expectations of their customers, determine whether the customers believe they are meeting those expectations, identify new customer requirements or trends in the market and determine what areas of the organisations business need investment. A good customer satisfaction survey will also help the organisations to understand the causes of dissatisfaction among their customers. Once the organisations have identified these issues, they will be able to implement new practices to improve customer satisfaction. Many businesses systematically measure customer satisfaction through independent surveys, feedback forms, mystery shopping and focus groups. Some third party surveys also compare the customer satisfaction of major competitors, which allows companies to benchmark themselves in their relevant sector. Measuring customer satisfaction doesnt have to be expensive. It can be as simple as preparing a short feedback form or conducting a brief telephone interview that asks the customer to rate the product or service on a number of criteria. Indicators of customer satisfaction An important indicator of customer satisfaction is the customer retention rate. To calculate the customer retention rate, the organisations will need to capture data about the total number of customers and the number of customers switching brands. If they track this information ove

Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation :: American History Research Papers

Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation Until Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on 22 September 1862, the President’s enunciation of Civ il War aims centered squarely upon the restoration of the Union, and purposefuly omited the inclusion of the abolition of slavery. Dismantling the institution of slavery was not his ultimate objective, and Lincoln was forced to pursue a war strategy tha t would not push the slaveholding border -states into the open arms of the Confederacy. General John C. Fremont, however, living up to his reputation for impulsive acts and liberal interpretations of his own authority, proclaimed the freedom of any slave c onfiscated under his command in Missouri. This order ran counter to Lincoln’s war strategy and threatened to deliver Kentucky and other border - states to the Confederacy. Nevertheless, although Fr6mont’s decision was injudicious and unconstitutional accord ing to Lincoln, the conditions in Missouri, the strategic importance of hol ding that state, and the latitude given by the inistration to Fremont in his western department command, indicate that his order may have had military and political value, but th at it was il timed. As a result, Lincoln did not censure or relieve Fremont for this particular act, but congenialy asked him to amend his proclamation to avert unwanted political and military consequences. Lincoln’s belief in the utility of emancipati on as a tool to defeat the South was demonstrated a year later with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Expressions of Character —Who was John C. Fremont? In the course of a lifetime, each person wil act and react in various ways when he or s he is confronted with particular circumstances and situations. While individual expressions of behavior can be misleading, paterns of behavior can reveal true character and values. Fremont is no exception. Long before he proclaimed the slaves of Missou ri’s Confederate sympathizers to be free, Fremont frequently acted and interacted in a manner that indicated an aversion to authority, an enduring pride, and an impulsive and independent nature. The strength of these characteristics wil be made clear in a discussion of his emancipation order, but first it is necessary to examine a selection of Fr6mont’s earlier experiences so that the order can be put in beter perspective. Expeditions. Fremont is best known for his role as an instrument of America n Empire as he surveyed and mapped the burgeoning American frontier.

Richard Wilbur Essay -- Biography

â€Å"It is true that the poet does not directly address his neighbors; but he does address a great congress of persons who dwell at the back of his mind, a congress of all those who have taught him and whom he has admired; that constitute his ideal audience and his better self† (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, National Book Foundation). Richard Wilbur spoke this famous quote at his National Book Award speech in 1957. Many of the events in Wilbur’s life transitioned to his acceptance of this award, but he did not know what direction his life was going in at the time. From the events in his early childhood learning how to write from his maternal grandfather and great-grandfather, to his later becoming a World War II veteran and getting a degree from Harvard University, and everything in-between, Richard Wilbur spent the rest of his life creating a breathtaking assortment of poems which largely connected to his early life. Richard Wilbur’s birth and early life led to his first spark of interest in writing at a young age when he met his grandfather and great-grandfather. He was born on March 1st, 1921 in New York City, New York (Haralson 759). Richard lived in North Caldwell, New Jersey for the rest of his pastoral childhood with his middle-class family (Gioia). They resided on a large property and they did not have many neighbors (Gioia). He enjoyed wandering off to random places on the property with his brothers, and he enjoyed the nature, which inspired some of his later poetry (Gioia).Wilbur’s maternal grandfather and his great-grandfather were both editors and Wilbur began to acquire a love for journalism stronger than his love for painting like his father (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, Poetry Foundation). He enjoyed the company of his grandfather and gre... ...people think more about the life in which they live everyday. His poems connected to his life, e.g. the poems about nature in The Beautiful Changes connected to his life on a large property and its connections to his time on the battlefield. Wilbur closed out his National Book Award acceptance speech by saying: â€Å"Writing poetry, then, is an unsocial way of manufacturing a thoroughly social product. Because he must shield his poetry in its creation, the poet, more than other writers, will write without recognition. And because his product is not in great demand, he is likely to look on honors and distinctions with the feigned indifference of the wallflower. Yet of course he is pleased when recognition comes; for what better proof is there that for some people poetry is still a useful and necessary thing -- like a shoe† (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, National Book Foundation). Richard Wilbur Essay -- Biography â€Å"It is true that the poet does not directly address his neighbors; but he does address a great congress of persons who dwell at the back of his mind, a congress of all those who have taught him and whom he has admired; that constitute his ideal audience and his better self† (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, National Book Foundation). Richard Wilbur spoke this famous quote at his National Book Award speech in 1957. Many of the events in Wilbur’s life transitioned to his acceptance of this award, but he did not know what direction his life was going in at the time. From the events in his early childhood learning how to write from his maternal grandfather and great-grandfather, to his later becoming a World War II veteran and getting a degree from Harvard University, and everything in-between, Richard Wilbur spent the rest of his life creating a breathtaking assortment of poems which largely connected to his early life. Richard Wilbur’s birth and early life led to his first spark of interest in writing at a young age when he met his grandfather and great-grandfather. He was born on March 1st, 1921 in New York City, New York (Haralson 759). Richard lived in North Caldwell, New Jersey for the rest of his pastoral childhood with his middle-class family (Gioia). They resided on a large property and they did not have many neighbors (Gioia). He enjoyed wandering off to random places on the property with his brothers, and he enjoyed the nature, which inspired some of his later poetry (Gioia).Wilbur’s maternal grandfather and his great-grandfather were both editors and Wilbur began to acquire a love for journalism stronger than his love for painting like his father (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, Poetry Foundation). He enjoyed the company of his grandfather and gre... ...people think more about the life in which they live everyday. His poems connected to his life, e.g. the poems about nature in The Beautiful Changes connected to his life on a large property and its connections to his time on the battlefield. Wilbur closed out his National Book Award acceptance speech by saying: â€Å"Writing poetry, then, is an unsocial way of manufacturing a thoroughly social product. Because he must shield his poetry in its creation, the poet, more than other writers, will write without recognition. And because his product is not in great demand, he is likely to look on honors and distinctions with the feigned indifference of the wallflower. Yet of course he is pleased when recognition comes; for what better proof is there that for some people poetry is still a useful and necessary thing -- like a shoe† (â€Å"Richard Wilbur†, National Book Foundation).

Gender Issues In Education, Sports And Employment Essay

Gender is the cultural construct attached to the fact of biological sex. The construct of gender has come to carry significant meaning with regard to the valuing of people or behaviors according to gender qualifications. There is much evidence that suggest that gendered inequality is the product of female oppression in a world dominated by global male hegemony within and across institutions including family, school, politics, and the labor market. Gender inequality is generally manifested in unequal rights for women of access to basic social services such as education; unequal rights for equal work in the employment sector, and unequal opportunities in sports. This paper is a brief discussion of the specific problems commonly identified within the issue of gender inequality in the mentioned areas, along with a number of potential solutions to ease, if not to totally eradicate the said inequities. Gender Issues in Education The literature on women’s and girls’ education frequently focuses o gendered inequalities in educational opportunities, educational attainment, and status of women in social, political and economic arenas both within and across nations. This problem may seem relatively straightforward, but gendered educational inequity is a complex phenomenon. Women’s education is strongly contextualized by the social and cultural environment of the local schools and national educational systems. Schools are the locus for much of the progress that is being made towards a culture of equality, although there is still much more to be done in order for gender equality to be a consistent characteristic of educational systems around the world (Valian, 2004). A solution seen for this is to institutionalize gender equity standards as components of school policy and structure, which will make it more likely that gendered inequalities will be both observed and identified as inequity. In this way, a heightened sense of awareness in gendered educational inequality could work on behalf of women. Gender Issues in Sports Gender differentiation has also been powerfully constructed through sports and the culture of sports. Moreover, Scraton and Flintoff (2002) asserted that organized sport has been a powerful cultural arena for reinforcing the ideology and actuality of male superiority and dominance; its traditions, symbols, and values have tended to preserve patriarchy and women’s subordinate position in society. Sport was an activity that serves two purposes for men: it meets their recreational needs, and it is a perfect antidote for their anxieties about effeminacy. Sport thus became a popular means for men to reaffirm their masculinity, and hence, a powerful tool for maintaining patriarchal gender relations. These social conditions made being both a woman and an athlete an anomaly in life. Female athletes did not suit society’s ideal of femininity, and those who persisted in sport suffers various aversive sanctions, especially derogation and public ridicule. A solution seen about this issue is for sports organizations to be prepared to analyze critically the ways they operate, the ways they make policy, and the ways in which national and international policy processes influence or are influenced by these sites of power. Gender Issues in Employment Gender inequality in employment begins with the gender labeling of workers. Gender categorization in workplace primes workers and employers alike to infuse stereotypic assumptions about gender into the institutional scripts by which a job is enacted and represented to others (Blakemore and Griggs, 2007). Employers often begin the process by implicitly or explicitly seeking workers of a particular gender on the basis of assumptions about labor costs that are themselves suffused by the effect of gender status beliefs. On the occasions that they hire a woman for a certain position, the pay is lower compared to a man employed in the exact same position. As a further result, women are inclined to be concentrated in casual occupations, where salary and work environment are poorer than in formal and public positions. The understanding of how to work towards gender equality is that people need to change inequitable social systems and institutions. Generally, ‘institutional change’ is the requirement for addressing the root causes of gender inequality. It means changing organizations which, in their programs, policies, structures, and ways of working, discriminate against women. Organizations should work on legal and policy change, or change material conditions. In order to bring about gender equality in employment, change must occur at the personal level and at the social level. It must occur in formal and informal relations. References Scraton, S. & Flintoff, A. (2002). Gender and Sport: A Reader. New York: Routledge. Blakemore, K. & Griggs, E. (2007). Social Policy: An Introduction. New York: Open University Press. Valian, V. (2004). Beyond Gender Schemas: Improving the Advancement of Women in Academia. NWSA Journal, 16 (1): 207-220.

Reagan Revolution Through President Obama Essay

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the fortieth president of the United States of America. He was well known for his economic policies during his first term, which later on became well known as Reaganomics. This policy included large tax cuts which was started and implemented in 1981 Reaganomics ‘ was told to rejuvenate the morale of the American people and then let them not be dependent on the government. Supply-side economics is the basis for this economic policy which aimed to stimulate growth of the economy. Identify at least (2) two major historical turning points in the period under discussion. One historical turning point was more than twenty six years ago, Ronald Reagan ordered American troops to invade Grenada and liberate the island from its ruling Marxist dictator. By itself this would have been an insignificant military action: Grenada is a tiny island of little geopolitical significance. But in reality the liberation of Grenada was a historic event, because it signaled the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine and inaugurated a sequence of events that brought down the Soviet empire itself. The Brezhnev Doctrine stated simply that once a country went Communist, it would stay Communist. In other words, the Soviet empire would continue to advance and gain territory, but it would never lose any to the capitalist West. In 1980, when Reagan was elected president, the Brezhnev Doctrine was a frightening reality. Between 1974 and 1980, while the United States wallowed in post-Vietnam angst, 10 countries had fallen into the Soviet orbit: South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Yemen, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Grenada and Afghanistan. Never had the Soviets lost an inch of real estate to the West. The liberation of Grenada changed that. For the first time, a Communist country had ceased to be Communist (http://www.historynet.com/american-history) A turning point for President Obama was on May 1, 2011, American soldiers killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at his compound near Islamabad, Pakistan. Intelligence officials believe bin Laden was responsible for many deadly acts of terrorism, including the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. He had been on the FBI’s â€Å"most wanted† list for more than a decade. This was not only an historical turning point under President Obama this was a turning point for America. Analyze the impact of the two (2) or more major historical turning points selected on America’s current society, economy, politics, and culture. A historical point that impacted our current culture was the bombing of the World Trade Centre September 2001 this was considered to be the gravest attack of international terrorism to be committed against America, and indeed the roots of America’s current War on Terror were born in this. As part of the plot by international terrorists to effectively strike against the United States the plan was to cause great disruption to the dynamics of daily life, commerce, and finance. For some Americans, their grief manifested itself as anger and frustration, and they looked for someone to blame for the attacks. Reverend Jerry Falwell made news by saying on his television program â€Å"The 700 Club† that â€Å"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way–all of them who have tried to secularize America–I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.'† And sadly, some anger erupted into attacks on people of Arab and Muslim descent, with nearly 600 incidents in the first 10 days after the attacks. Five hundred furious people mobbed a Chicago-area mosque and refused to leave until they were forced out by police. A Pakistani grocer was murdered in Texas. A man on an anti-Arab rampage in Arizona fatally shot a gas station owner who was an Indian-born Sikh. (This type of confusion was common since many Sikhs wear turbans, have beards and are seen as looking, as one told The New York Times, â€Å"more like bin Laden than Muslims do.†) FBI Director Robert Mueller said over and over again that â€Å"vigilante attacks and threats against Arab-Americans will not be tolerated,† but harassment and violence at mosques and in Arab-American neighborhoods continued for months. September 11th changed America in so many ways. Culturally we started to target non American’s.(www.history.com) Explain ways in which the AIDS epidemic shook American’s general confidence beginning in the 1980s The disease was first reported in 1981 and it was caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacking certain cells in the body interfering with it ability to fight off many diseases, including cancer. ) And it was absolutely incurable. A diagnosis of AIDS was a death sentence. The outbreak of the AIDS truly shocked the American people in the 80’s. At first the disease appeared to attack mostly homosexual and bisexual men. Soon, though, health officials found it to be affecting IV drug users, blood transfusion recipients, partners of AIDS victims and highest among African American women. Non one was exempt from the AIDS epidemic. Give at least two (2) examples of how the deregulation movement of the Reagan era affects us today. Discuss the factual rationale behind this nation’s decision to go to war with Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 attacks as well as the response from the international community. One factual rationale behind the war emerges: the potential for nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons development in Iraq. In fact, Saddam Hussein had once used chemical weapons on his own people, another act that clearly warranted suspicion from the United States. Such a vicious crime against one’s people brings to light two other common themes for the war with Iraq in 2003: removing the Hussein regime and bringing a known villain and evil man to justice. Saddam Hussein’s rejection of the United Nations Resolution 1441 by forcing nuclear weapons inspectors out of his country also takes its place in the long line of motivations for the war; defying the resolution gives the United States and any other member of the U.N. the right to take action, according to the resolution. Another rationale is reinforced by reports indicating that the United States had made the decision to invade Afghanistan two months before the 9/11 attacks. At least part of the background to this decision was the United States’ long-time support for UNOCAL’s proposed pipeline, which would transport oil and natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to the Indian Ocean through Afghanistan and Pakistan. 15 This project had been stymied through the 1990s because of the civil war that had been going on in Afghanistan since the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. ( Rashid, Taliban 75-79 ) In the mid-1990s, the US government had supported the Taliban with the hope that its military strength would enable it to unify the country and provide a stable government, which could protect the pipeline. By the late 1990s, however, the Clinton administration had given up on the Taliban. When the Bush administration came to power, it decided to give the Taliban one last chance. During a four-day meeting in Berlin in July 2001, representatives of the Bush administration insisted that the Taliban must create a government of â€Å"national unity† by sharing power with factions friendly to the United States. The US representatives reportedly said: â€Å"Either you accept our offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you under a carpet of bombs.† After the Taliban refused this offer, US officials told a former Pakistani foreign secretary that â€Å"military action against Afghanistan would go ahead . . . before the snows started falling in Afghanistan, by the middle of October at the latest.† And, indeed, given the fact that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred when they did, the US military was able to mobilize to begin its attack on Afghanistan by October 7. Some may say that this war was a war of necessity while others may say it was a war of choice. In conclusion, from Regan to Obama our country has seen its shares of disasters, economic failures and tragedies. Under both of these 2 term Presidents we have also seem growth and opportunity. Under Regan, the most famous and admired was the introduction Economic Recovery Act of 1981. The purpose of this act was to reduce the burden of income tax on the individuals’ .The introduction of this Act was somewhat contentious as it gave rise to arguments in the congress. Under President Obama, we have health care reform, giving people the right to have affordable health care. Reference Page http://www.historynet.com/american-history Rashid, Taliban 75-79 www.history.com