Economic Exposure Essay

This report reviews the foreign exchange exposure of Eurojet due to the future development plans and growth of the low cost airline company, this report also highlights the various risks Eurojet, faces in operating in different countries identifying, measuring, and managing the various foreign exchange exposures that might be faced by Eurojet. However, some of these issues will be analysed differently. Foreign Exchange Exposure: According to Buckley (2004, pg.135) foreign exchange exposure means that a firm has assets, liabilities, and profits or expected future cash flow streams such that the home currency value assets, liabilities, profits or the present value in the home currency terms of expected future cash flows changes as exchange rate change. ISSUE 1: foreign risk exposure management Identifying Eurojet foreign exchange risk For Eurojet the risks that might arise currently for being an international business is the concentration of Eurojet airlines with significant exposures in Euro areas (Dublin Dusseldorf, London-Stanstead, Milan, Brussels,) and North Africa, means that they need to be aware of this risks before they analyse, and agree on what to do about it. Therefore, this exposure occurs due to their currency movements in operating centres, which may alter their home currency (Buckley, 2004, pg.143) giving rise to exchange rate fluctuations and risks. Therefore Eurojet exposure to exchange rate fluctuations will come in three forms: transaction exposure, economic exposure, and translation exposure. In addition, these different exposures will be analysed by applying to Eurojet. Transaction exposure Transaction exposure occurs because; a payable or receivable is denominated in a foreign currency (Buckley, 2004). It is also a cash flow exposure including sale of an asset and the receipt of the payment. Within this time interval exchange rates might change, and will exposed Eurojet to a risk either positive or negative, which will have an impact on Eurojet exposure to international contractual transactions to exchange rate fluctuations. Eurojet transaction exposures will therefore have an impact on the exchange rate fluctuations in the value of committed cash flows. From Eurojet income statement (appendix 2-note 5), due to the contracts for the supply of  fuel and oil to Eurojet invoiced in US foreign currency (dollars). It could be analysed that Eurojet will be faced with currency risk. This is going to affect the price of fuel cost due to exchange rate movements. So the current price of fuel cost is â‚ ¬18887million, so to get the fuel cost in dollars. It will be â‚ ¬188 7 divided by US$1.59686 (current exchange rate value in dollars) will equal to US$1181694075- this is how much eurojet have to pay in dollars to get fuel supplied to their airlines, which is certain. However, there is also an issue of uncertainty as to what the fuel cost in dollar will be in the future. Due to dollar invoicing of fuel, the dollar price will vary with the exchange rate. Although eurojet can lock in the dollar price on its current orders, it has no idea what the will be the dollar costs of its future orders of fuel. This also explains the volatility of fuel prices, as when eurojet buys fuel they have to pay for it immediately. So they will need to hedge fuel price to stablise fuel costs. However, losses due to transaction exposure merely result in lower sales revenue. Eurojet also faces currency risks as regards to the British pound sterling. From the case study, 40% of Eurojet revenues come from its London-Stanstead operations, this means that a change in pound sterling will hugely affects Eurojet profitability. In calculation, (40% of â‚ ¬4884m=1953.6) to get the real revenue, we say 1953.6 divided by â‚ ¬1.19683(currency exchange rate) = £1632.312024-so therefore, this is Eurojet revenue from its London-Stanstead operations. To measure transaction exposure, Eurojet will need to project the net amount of inflows or outflows in each foreign currency, and determine the overall risk of exposure to those currencies (Pilbeam, 2006). And then it will measure any gains or losses that may arise from the settlement of existing financial obligations whose terms are included in the foreign currency. Economic exposure According to Tesar and Dominguez (2006), factors such as firm size, multinational status, foreign sales, international assets, and competitiveness and trade at the industry level may influence economic exposure of the companies Economic exposure the impact of long-term currency exposure and analyses the health of a company’s business in the long run. The changes registered in the expected future cash flows depend of the  change in the position the company holds In the case of Eurojet foreign operations and competition, managing economic exposure will involve all aspects of the company. Economic exposure will arise in all markets for Eurojet against US dollar, British pound, Swiss Franc. This arises because Eurojet has its costs base in Euros whereas competitors might have theirs in British pound, US dollar etc. Although it is difficult to reduce economic exposure, Eurojet can reduce the risk by offering same as competitors. Airlines, like many industrial companies, are potentially exposed to risks resulting from adverse movements in interest rates, foreign currency prices, and commodity prices, particularly fuel prices. Airlines’ fuel price exposures are particularly transparent because oil is a widely traded global commodity, and the poor economic condition of airlines (partly as a result of higher fuel prices) has frequently been in the news since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 Translation exposure Under the FASB 52, Eurojet translation gains and losses of â‚ ¬138 million will be included in their stockholders equity. So therefore, when the Euro strengthens, the consolidated earnings of Eurojet will be unfavourably affected by the translation exposure, and when the euro weakens the consolidated earnings are favourably affected. Also from Eurojet income statement, it could be analysed that currently eurojet concentrates on local sales and has little foreign competition, although obtains foreign fuel supply from the US (-denominated in foreign currency) this will likely be hurt by depreciated local currency. As in the case of translation exposure the MNC can have an equal amount of exposed foreign currency assets and liabilities. By doing so the company will be able to offset any gain or loss it may have due to changes in the exchange rates of that currency, also known as balance sheet hedging. (Eiteman, Stonehill, & Moffett, 2007) Management of foreign exchange exposure/risks Eurojet Foreign exchange risk management will focus on identifying areas in the operations of Eurojet, which may be an issue to foreign exchange exposures, evaluating and analysing the exposure, and choosing the right  approach to manage the risk to the final performance of Eurojet. Before establishing hedging policies, Eurojet will need to measure its economic exposure. In order to do that a eurojet can invest some of its resources in evaluating its exposure, i.e., identifying the set of environmental contingencies affecting and relevant to the creation of shareholder value (Miller, 1998). This identification allows the assessment of alternative environmental scenarios and consequent adoption of improved strategic decisions by the company. Furthermore, Froot et al. (1993) analysed that firms find hedging more valuable when the connection between investment opportunities and cash flows resulting from hedgeable risks is lower. For Eurojet, it could be implied that hedging will increase their value and investment opportunities, which are available when fuel prices are high (and internal cash flow is low as a result). In addition, hedging can assist Eurojet ability to invest by negotiating with US aircraft manufacturer in advance of delivery of some of the aircraft. In essence, Hedging might preserve Eurojet internal cash flow to meet future commitments to purchase aircraft. In dealing with economic exposures efficiently, a MNC may have to diversify either its finance or its operations. It can diversify its operations by either moving to locations where the cost of production is low, or having a flexible supplier policy, or changing the target market for its products and the types of products it deals in. As it can be illustrated from the 1994 example of Toyota, when a strong Yen made Japanese exports to US more expensive, it decided to shift its production from Japan to US, where it achieved comparatively lower costs of production, enabling it to compete in the US car market. (Eun & Resnick, 2007). ISSUE 2 Firstly, for Eurojet expanding to more routes, this will mean more revenues as regards to cash inflows and outflows. And Eurojet achieving their business objective of airline ambitious growth plans. One of the Risks eurojet is mostly likely to face is operating risk, which it will incur from the US dollar. This also reveals that exchange rate has been a big challenge for the airline industry. The instability of an exchange rate makes it  impossible for airlines to match in transaction and timing of foreign currency expenses. Furthermore, in extending its route network Eurojet might incur a net cash outflows in currencies (dollars and rubbles) when operating in US and Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg) which will create a higher exposure to exchange rate. As Eurojet currency (â‚ ¬) will represent a net cash outflows on the balance sheet thereby giving rise to translation exposure due to the increase in proportion of earnings as generated by these foreign subsidiaries ((Muller, 2005). So therefore as eurojet wants to operate in US and Russia areas, if they want to fly from other European locations they will need to approach government to deal with US and Russia Eurojet also face the risk of weather turmoil in Russia, compounded with the volatility of risk in Euro-dollar exchange rate. Also in expanding to Russia areas, there are some legal issues due to tightening regulations from government authorities. As non-refundable tickets, charging for meals, and hiring of foreign pilots ISSUE 3: Firstly, due to Eurojet opportunity for network growth, by ordering 200 aircraft from US, and China manufacturer. Here Eurojet will be considered to be an importer, and their exchange rate risk will be limited to net cash flows in US and China currency. Eurojet transaction risk will arise in the US (dollar) and China (yen) order received immediately for the manufacture of 200 aircrafts to Eurojet, payable within 10 years. Also, the quantity of US dollar and China yen price is already known. This means that the transaction risk will concern the euro value of the dollar payment in 10 years, and the China quotes the yen value of the dollar payment in 10 years-as the price of china aircraft in Renminbi . To buy the C900 aircraft offered by the Chinese manufacturer, eurojet might face exchange rate risk as they will need the dollar to buy the Chinese aircraft. In calculation, this will be 116,307.5m Renminbi divided by 6.12287CNY= US$18995.5854-this is how much it will dollars to pay for China aircrafts. Furthermore, Eurojet will also face exchange rate risks, as their transaction risk arise from their euro currency denominated imports in the same ways as US and China foreign currency denominated exports. Eurojet economic risk will be subject to variations of its costs induced by exchange rate fluctuation. This is  also going to have an impact on Eurojet exchange rate variations on their stock market return, and controlling the return for their entire market (Dohring, 2008). So therefore euro appreciation will increase Eurojet share value because it is eurojet-operating currency. Also the exposure of Eurojet to US aircraft payment is 65% when measured over a 10 year period this can be quite difficult, to hedge as Dohiring (2008) identified that long term exposures are difficult to hedge than short term exposures as they could increase over the time horizon under consideration. Risks involving short-term transactions can be dealt with using financial instruments but long-term risks often require changes in the operations of the company. In the case of Eurojet, importing aircrafts from US and China. Eurojet will have to pay in the currency of the US manufacturer (US dollars), therefore it is Eurojet who carries the risk as they have to buy dollars in order to pay the manufacturers. However, Eurojet can pay in its own currency (Euros) but this might mean that China manufacturer will carry the risk most as they have to change the Yen from dollars. Furthermore, as Eurojet wants to contract out much of its production to US (including fuel supply) and China manufacturers, this means that Eurojet will face currency risk and uncertainty as US and China manufacturers are billing in their local currencies, There is also an issue of uncertainty as to what the dollar cost of its orders will be, both now and in the future. If it insists on dollar invoicing, the dollar price will likely vary with the exchange rate. Hence, although Eurojet can lock in the dollar price of its current orders, it has no idea what will be the dollar costs of its future orders Furthermore, adding new aircrafts means that Eurojet needs more crew members, pilots and maintenance engineers, this will impact on the Eurojet profitability as the expenditure will go up. Eurojet will also face political risk due to significant foreign financing, foreign suppliers or customers, and international transactions or assets are relatively exposed to adverse changes in currency controls, capital flow barriers, and other laws and regulations (Graham, 2012). The probability of expropriation can differ across industries. Firms whose cash flows are particularly sensitive to general economic conditions may be exposed to political risks due to their broad impact on the economy. APPENDIX 1 The main objectives of the Bretton Woods system are to achieve exchange rate stability and promote international trade and development According to David Ricardo, with free international trade, it is mutually beneficial for two countries to each specialize in the production of the goods that it can produce relatively most efficiently and then trade those goods. By doing so, the two countries can increase their combined production, which allows both countries to consume more of both goods. Any foreign currency (ie non euro) denominated transactions may give rise to transaction exposure if there is a delay between entering the contract and settlement Eurojet addition of 200 aircrafts of its existing operations reveals a strategic move by Eurojet. Bringing new flights will also require upgrading of its scheduling and reservation application, this is mostly related to change management, so Eurojet will need to understand the risk, which could arise due to it. However, as the number of fleets go up, Eurojet will face the challenge of domestic aircrafts been rested for a short period. Inappropriate handling of this issues will lead to operating risk where the charges to be paid to authority will increase. Therefore Eurojet need to make sure that its scheduling application is proficient enough to take this challenge. There’s also a risk, which might arise due to social acceptance from Eurojet passengers if this happens, Eurojet will have to educate its customers more on the usefulness of its new aircrafts may be by offering at discounted rates. Eurojet will need to implement on the job and off the Traning programs for its new crew members and maintenance engineers. So they can learn how to operate the new fleet. For new employees the training will include, training for B737 or C900 depending on which option it wants to buy. However, the aim of achieving this will generate some additional training costs for Eurojet, but it help Eurojet to enjoy its process driven operation rather than having its driven people operation Russia climbed eight places to the 112th position in The World Bank’s 2013 Doing Business Rankings, up from 120th in 2012. Tax payment and contract enforcement fueled this improvement. However, despite this progress, Russia’s overall ranking for doing business remains relatively average. According to recent estimates†¨by the Central Bank of Russia, approximately US$54.1 billion of private capital was invested out of the country in 2012. This is†¨an improvement on the US$80.5 billion of outward investment recorded in 2011, which suggests that some of the Government’s efforts to improve this situation have been successful. Also, the traditional literature on the choice of he invoicing currency of international business trade. Grassham law 1973, starts from the observation that trade in manufacturing goods between industrial countries is mostly invoiced in the exporters currency Exchange rate changes can also impact on the level of competitiveness of the firms that are exposed to exchange rate risk, or affect the value of their net assets denominated in foreign currencies It is widely believed that changing exchange rates affect the competitiveness of firms engaged in international competition. According to Luehrman (1991), a falling home currency promotes the competitiveness of firms in home country by allowing them to undercut prices charged for goods manufactured abroad. Many simple partial equilibrium models (e.g. Shapiro) predict an increase in the value of the home country firm in response to a real drop in the value of the home currency. Economic theory suggests that under a floating exchange rate regime, exchange rate appreciation reduces the competitiveness of export markets; it has a negative effect on the domestic stock market. Conversely, if the country is import denominated, exchange rate appreciation may have positive affect on the stock market by lowering input costs. Financial hedging may be a more cost-effective strategy than operational hedging for many firms since it doesn’t involve major redeployment of resources like building factories in other countries. One likely risk to be faced by Eurojet is the financial crisis. Involved with the foreign currency exchange markets. It is also evident from the case study that due to eurojet current and future operations it is already dealing with more than one national currency especially in extending its routes to US travels. So therefore, the changes in the foreign exchange rates will affect eurojet profitability. Also this risks arises because of currency movements may alter in home country values(Buckley, 2004), which depends on various variables such as the interest rate parity, government policies purchasing power parity on exchange rates Is there any direct evidence that risk management increases firm value? The answer is yes, but the evidence is fairly limited as yet. A number of more recent studies show a clearly positive correlation between higher share values and the use of derivatives to manage foreign exchange rate risk and interest rate risk. And one study provides fairly compel-ling evidence that the use of commodity price derivatives by commodity users increases share values. But studies of the hedging by commodity producers provide no clear support for the argument that risk management adds value. At a minimum, whether hedging adds value appears to depend on the types of risk to which a firm is exposed to. Given investment patterns in the airline industry, the value premium suggests that hedging allows airlines more ability to fund investment during periods of high fuel prices. The constructive relation between hedging and value further suggests that investors view such investment as positive net present value projects. We find that The interaction between hedging and capital expenditures captures a large majority of the hedging premium. We also examine a two-stage system in which hedging impacts value through its effect on capital expenditure. Given investment patterns in the airline industry, the value premium suggests that hedging allows airlines more ability to fund investment during periods of high jet fuel prices. The positive relation between hedging and value further suggests that investors view such investment as positive net present value projects. We find that the interaction between hedging and capital expenditures captures a large majority of the hedging premium. We also examine a two-stage system in which hedging impacts value through its effect on capital expenditures. The results of this procedure also suggest that the hedging premium is largely attributable to the effect of hedging on capital investments. The results of this procedure also suggest that the hedging premium is largely attributable to the effect of hedging on capital investment. However, from airline industry research it could be assumed that Eurojet is faced with the following financial risks; change in fuel prices, foreign currency exchange fluctuations, and changes in interest rates. An increase in fuel price, which is due to increase in demand from emerging economies like India and China. And decline in supply is due to major disruptions in oil production and refinery. REFERNCES http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2005.00042.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2005.00042.x/pdf David A. Carter, Daniel A. Rogers, Betty J. Simkins 2008 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/2013-Russia-attractiveness-survey-Eng/$FILE/2013-Russia-attractiveness-survey-Eng.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/publication11475_en.pdf

Cosi Essay

Moreover, Nowra displays black comedy through the character’s uncouth and crude dialogue. The approach of a play within a play is used to mirror the life of Lewis within the play itself. It is only through the use of these structural techniques. It is only through the utilisation of such structural techniques that Nowra is able to accentuate the intensity and dramatic impact of Cosi The initial and most dominant structural technique used by Nowra to vividly and visually depict to the audience love and our compassion for ‘others’ in our society, is his use of structure in the text. Act one begins with the play opening in an old and burnt out theatre; theatre; this symbolises the presence of confusion and uncertainty in the atmosphere. However, the theatre undergoes a slow transformation for the characters as the rehearsals gradually progresses. The first act of the play is used to depict the relationship of the characters and their perception of the outside world, â€Å"Will outsiders see the show? † by asking this, Cherry acknowledges the difference between the world she exists in and the rest of society, distancing herself from the outside world and the people in it. Act one show the internal relationships of the characters, which eventually applies the dramatic impact. Moreover, the second act of the play is designed to portray the inner workings of the character’s minds. Nowra uses employs the technique of contrasting the two acts in order to not only show the transformation experiences by the characters, but to also show the two different perspectives of mental health in the 1970s. Thus, Nowra asserts through this technique that there are in fact two competing perspectives of mental health, one within the institution and also an ‘outside’ perception, hence challenging the characters own values and beliefs. *** It can be understood that Nowra uses the structural techniques of contrasting two acts, in order to show a transformation undergone by the characters and to show the inner working verses the outside perspective of mental health in the 1970s. They face their own challenges and values as they learn more about their own abilities. Nowra also demonstrates to the audience that these are ‘extraordinary people’ not judgmentally insane, â€Å"Cosi gave me something to think about, something to do, see I’m happy coming to this burnt out theatre†. Through the use of the two contrasting acts, the audience is Shown the character’s extraordinary change which is accentuated by the use of structural techniques such as the juxtaposition of the two acts, Which allows the characters to transform and finally â€Å"come out of their shells†. Nowra also uses dialogue to contrast characters and highlight to the audience that they are people worthy of viewing in a play. Nowra challenges the audience’s perception of mental health in the twentieth century when he introduces the character Doug, who is a ___(frail and broken young man who perceives life as ‘nothing more than a pile of crap’). Doug’s dialogue is direct and blunt but also intelligent and socially correct when he says _________________________________________________________ the way ‘outsiders’ deal with mental illness in the institution. His use of uninhibited directness highlights that the patients are not afraid to say what they are thinking and that what they are thinking is the same as a person in a broader society. â€Å"You’re not deaf are you? † this type of dialogue indicates that he knows how to behave socially, as he asks the right questions, in fact Lewis seems as if he is mental, hence why Doug asks if he is deaf. In the conversation with Doug and Lewis we see Doug asking questions, which seem to be inappropriate, Lewis ________________quote for when he uses synonyms_______hesitantly replies. Do you love her? , does she sleep around†¦. † From this we see that Doug has good mental agility, as his sequence of Questions are in fact, socially correct.. Moreover, Dough is portrayed as intelligent which is highlighted when he articulates synonyms for ‘location’ and ‘dwelling’. The directness comes at his question, â€Å"are you a poofta? † which ultimate ly gets the laugh from the audience; It is these uncensored, blunt and awkward lines that create the desired shocked but amused response from the audience. The Play within a play is a technique employed to mirror Lewis’ life with the words of an opera and escalate the desired dramatic response by Nowra. When mirroring Lewis’ life, Nowra touches on the theme of love and compels the audience to assess their own attitudes to love at the conclusion of the play. We are encouraged to empathise with the characters as they discover the value of love and loyalty. (Find a quote research play within a play. ) â€Å"What is going to happen to the couples in the future: a life of torment and adultery†. Nowra purposely draws on the consequences of immorality through Zac to show the generalisation on the modern world, towards the end of the play this statement ironically contests’ the final events of Cosi fan tute. Another effect that the play within a play acts as is a filter which allows the audience to see the issues of the external world through the behaviours of the characters. Nowra anticipates the audience to tap into the worries and dilemmas that they face from the actors, â€Å"It’s just that in here you miss out on a lot of changes in society’s morals†. The audience are also involved in the actor’s reality and are able to relate to their lives and reconsider and redefine their own morals and values. Consequently, the audience are drawn into the play to such a real level that they are affected by the character’s problems, feelings, motivations and search for reality. Thus, the technique of mirroring the character’s lives creates a surreal and realistic impact on the audience, hence heightening the vivid effect of Cosi. In order to create an intense and dramatic impact of the play, Nowra utilizes various structural techniques throughout Cosi. The use of two contrasting acts displays the transformation of many significant characters and invites the audience to the concept of transformation of the individual. Moreover, the frank and straightforward dialogue assigned to the characters prove to the audience that Cosi is a play worth viewing and create the desired ‘shock’ response by the audience. Furthermore, Nowra scripts a ‘play within a play’ to compare and contrast the parallel between the play and the lives of the characters, thus extending the dramatic impact of Cosi to each member of the audience.

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Summary of Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts 7 - Assignment Example In most of the accounting measurements, the observable marketplace-determined amount is used nevertheless; the accountants use the estimations of future cash flows in accounting measurements very often. The present value measurements are not required when the price of an asset or liability s observed in a marketplace because marketplace assessment of present value if already embodied in these prices. The present value formula determines the time value of money and contributes to the foundations of economics and corporate finance. In accounting measurement, the use of present value is intended to capture the economic difference between sets of cash flows. For example, the price of unlike assets may appear similar when it is measured through undiscounted cash flow method however, present value helps to distinguish between the unlike assets by providing more relevant information through the incorporation of uncertainty in the estimation of future cash flows. Present value can be compute d by using cash flows and interest rates and for financial reporting purpose it must represent any observable measurement attribute of asset or liability otherwise the limited information to the users of financial statements may mislead the users. The five components of present value include an estimation of the future cash flows, expected variations in the amount or timing of cash flows, time value of money, price for bearing the inherent uncertainty in the asset or liability and other factors like illiquidity and market imperfections. When present value is used at initial recognition and fresh-start measurements, its objective is to measure the fair value. The market‘s pricing mechanism facilitates the marketplace participants because it ensures that like items do not appear different and unlike items do not appear alike. The accountants typically accepts actual exchange prices as fair value in the measurement of transactions when the exchange of cash happens near to the dat e of transaction however, using a measurement becomes necessary when the stated price is not the actual representative of fair value. In other words, when the transaction of an asset or a liability is not accompanied by a cash transaction, the accountants look for the techniques for the initial measurement of the asset or liability. However, the measurement objective in both the cases remains same. Since the Board could not identify the logic for using a different view in fresh-start measurements therefore, the principles for the initial recognition also apply to fresh-start measurement. It is also possible that an entity’s best estimate of presence value of future cash flows is not equal to the fair value. Some reasons have been identified because of which the entity may pay cash flows different from the expected cash flows in the marketplace. The primary reason is the perceived advantage or disadvantage of the entity relative to others in the marketplace. Although the expec tations of the management of entity can be informative and useful however, the final arbiter of values of assets and liabilities is the marketplace. Therefore, sometimes the entity pays the market’ prices regardless of its expectations and sometimes it completely relies on its own expectations. The inherent uncertainties in the estimated cash flows should be reflected in the accounting measurements that used the present value technique; or else, the assets or liabilities with different risks may

Midterm Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Midterm - Term Paper Example Pro-choice According to consequentialist theory, the results or consequences of actions (i.e. pain versus pleasure) are the primary relevant feature in evaluating actions. Consequentialist defending abortion rights typically argue that without the opportunity to decide independently issues essential to one's being and existence, such as reproduction, one's critical faculties and moral enlightenment are compromised. Reproductive choice is a freedom so fundamental to one's being that to withhold it from women is also to threaten their personhood by suppressing precisely those abilities that make one human: the conscience and the intellect (Luker 77). Put another way, denying women reproductive choice--turning the fact that women can bear children into the assumption that they (legally or quasi legally) should--will make them in some measure less human by essentially turning off their intellect and moral faculties, the sine qua non of humanness. In Beauvoir's terms, a capable actor is o ne possessed of moral and intellectual freedoms. Without these freedoms, political participation, democracy's modus operandi, is either hampered by a diminished quality of participation, as certain disadvantaged groups participate less effectively, or is altogether impaired, as these groups are so reduced in their humanity as to feel incapable, or excluded or alienated from the process. Without reproductive rights, including the right to choose or not choose abortion, individuals are denied freedoms so fundamental to their humanity, their intellect and morality, as to be ill-served to undertake any effective political and social engagement. The control of one's body denied by abortion prohibitions is the most basic civil right in democratic society, with deep roots in American political life. In 1891, the Court stated: "The right to one's person may be said to be a right of complete immunity: to be let alone" (Union Pacific, R. R. v. Botsford, 251). In her exhaustive analysis of abo rtion rights, Christine Luker borrows from Herbert Marcuse to argue that control of one’s body is a precondition of conscious engagement in social life (Christine 74). Marcuse posits that a connectedness with one's body is a precondition for the development of personality and the participation of individuals in social life (Herbert 72-78). Luker writes, drawing on Marcuse's theory of the body and political activity, that "control over one's body is a fundamental aspect of this immediacy, this receptivity [that is open and that opens itself to experience] ," which is a requirement of being a person and engaging in conscious activity (Luker 4). Thus the right to chart one's reproductive destiny helps to ensure that women's humanity comprising their feelings, intellect, and spiritual nature is not being suppressed, that they are not being relegated to the status of other where they languish in immanence and stagnation. In being denied the right to make the choice of whether or n ot to bear a child by being deprived of a right to abortion, women are not only denied the right to undertake the complicated moral reasoning and critical thought necessary for a decision in this important matter, but they are, more fundamentally, diminished as people. The reproductive choice is left, entirely in the hands of doctors (who decide as they see fit whether or not bearing a child will harm the pregnant woman). For this

Moudawana reforms in Morocco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Moudawana reforms in Morocco - Research Paper Example Women play a major role in the family dynamics in Morocco as they help form the structure of the society. Initially, Moroccan women had fewer privileges to enjoy in the family. They were treated as inferiors and the men around them made all family decisions. While women were restricted from divorcing their husbands, men were allowed to break up with their wives without their consent. Women could not marry without the approval of their guardians, and when married, they were to obey their husbands. On the other hand, men could marry as many wives as they wanted without any approval from their wives. In other words, women were treated as objects. When the Moudawana reform movement was adopted in 1958, these unjust laws continued to prevail as women had no control over their marriage life. Some even argued that getting married was the end of a woman’s life because if she was unfortunate and faced hardships, she did not have an easy way out. All this started to change, when the Wom en's Action Union was formed and decided to sweep out these injustices against women. This union catalyzed the reform to play its full part in the fight. This was the start of the Moudawana Reforms in Morocco. Prior to the formation of this union, the reform movement governed the family laws but gave few privileges to women. The governed areas by the law included child custody, inheritance, divorce and marriage. Men enjoyed many privileges and saw traditional laws as an opportunity to suppress women. The same laws made life unbearable for women and bound the reforms. This paper will focus on the contributions made by women and especially the Islam activists in Moudawana reforms. The efforts made by different organizations led by women activists would also be highlighted. Moudawanna as a national Issue The Moudawana law suppressed women as it gave them limited opportunities to enjoy their rights. The main goal of the activists as argued earlier was to ensure that women were treated w ith fairness in the society. This was a fight against authoritarianism as defined by Childress. It is defined as the type of ruling used by rulers to oppress their women. In this case, women were the oppressed group. Regarding women as the main element making up the family and eventually the society, they had to have privileges in life. Men could make any decision in their marriage without the consent of their wives. On the side of women, even the least decisions, for example deciding who to get married to and when, needed a guardian’s intervention. Women were getting married at the tender age of 15 while instead they should have been in schools studying. This shows that women were deprived of their human rights (Bran 276). As argued by Bayat, resource mobilization theory, collective behavior approach, and crowd theory were necessary. No single woman could push for the reforms on her own efforts. This called for an ‘imagined solidarity’ in which women had to come together and create set actions that had to be followed (890). Imagined solidarity was a situation in which different people or groups visualized to have similar interests even though they fought using different strategies but headed to the same goal. Similarly, Childress argues that social, community-based, coalitional, and organizational movements played a major role in the entire reforms. This was because with the political parties in place, activists saw community-based movement as the best (1). The argument to support this was that people were heard the most when they are together. The main goal of the activists in the reform was to persuade the government to treat women more equally, just as they treated men. Their main goal could not be reached by the activists’ words only, and they needed support from as many Moroccans as possible so that it would be easier to prove to the government that the Moroccans indeed demanded for change. Engaging many Moroccans into the idea of reforms was done through the 1 million-signature petition

Study Guide Essay Example for Free

Study Guide Essay Why is Fort Sumner signi? cant in relation to the Civil War? 2. List advantages held by the Confederates at the beginning of the Civil War? 3. List advantages held by the Union at the beginning of the Civil War? 4. Identify a copperhead. 5. Identify writ of habeas corpus. Why did President Lincoln suspend this during the war? 6. What were the three parts to the Union military strategy known as the anaconda plan? 7. Why was the confederate General Stonewall Jackson successful at the ? rst Battle of Bull Run? 8. Identify Union General, George McClellan 9. What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation? 0. Describe the Economy of the north during the Civil War. 11. List hardships experienced by soldiers during the Civil War? 12. What is Andersonville? 13. Who did President Lincoln name as commandeer of union troops from 1864 to the end of the war? 14. Why did General William Sherman burn the city of Atlanta in 1864? 15. Identify Sherman’s March to the Sea. 16. Describe â€Å"total war† 17. What did the Democratic platform consist of during the presidential election of 1864? 18. Why is Appomattox Courthouse signi? cant during the Civil War? 19. Who was the President of the United States during the Civil War? 20. How did John Wilkes Booth impact the history of the United States? 21. Identify the Battle of Shiloh. 22. Identify the Battle of Atlanta. 23. Identify the Battle of Antietam. 24. Identify the Battle of Gettysburg. 25. Identify the Battle of Vicksburg. 26. List characteristics of the Civil War. 27. What was the purpose for the Gettysburg Address? 28. Who was the President of the Confederate States of America? 29. List characteristics of the Union. 30. What was the signi? cance of the 54th Massachusetts during the Civil War? 31. List characteristics for Abraham Lincoln. 32. Know general facts about the Civil War.

Essay on Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Essay on Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay In many works by Shakespeare, single parents struggle with the difficulties their children have, such as Desdemona and her father in Othello, or Hermia and her father in A Midsummer Nights Dream. Issues between parent and child are evident in Hamlet, but the single parent is a mother, not a father. The poem Meditation at Elsinore by Elizabeth Coatsworth embodies the situation between characters, and has hidden morals within the prose. There are many morals and life lessons in Hamlet, one of which is the effects of poor parenting. In Hamlet, emotional suppression and lack of parenting lead to the downfall of Gertrude, and her son Hamlet. Proper parenting can be defined as caring for children and providing them with shelter, emotional security, food, education, and safety so that they can become successful adults. Gertrude may have had involvement in her husbands murder, and this as such, would qualify her as a poor parent. Her failure to respect Hamlets emotions, provide emotional security for her son, and engender mutual trust confirms her as an unfit parent. This behaviour by Gertrude caused Hamlet to be suspicious, and it was his suspicion that brought about his and his mothers death. When King Hamlet died, Gertrude quickly remarries Hamlets uncle, Claudius, and the timing of this union is detrimental to the relationship with her son, eliminating all respect Hamlet had for his mother. Gertrude realizes that her swift remarriage has greatly affected her son, and doubt[s] [that] it is no other but the main: / His fathers death and our o erhasty marriage (Hamlet, 2.2.57). She realizes the cause for Hamlets new found insanity, but does not react to the situation as a responsible parent would. Hamlet, being witty and quick, refers to his new parents as his uncle-father and aunt-mother (2.2.362) when talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This demonstrates that Hamlet has lost respect for both his mother and his uncle. Hamlet tells Horatio that the funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables (1.2.180) when asked about the funeral. In a respectful relationship, a mother would have confided in her son before making the choice to remarry. Hamlet grieves for his lost father, but Gertrude seems more interested in spying on him. This causes Hamlet to become suspicious. When Gertrudes husband died, she did not mourn his death and she did not  provide emotional security for her son, in the way mothers are supposed to console their children and support them through the tough times by helping them grieve. Gertrude is annoyed by Hamlets depression, and tells him to stop seek[ing] for [his] noble father in the dust (1.2.70). Instead of comforting Hamlet, she tells him that all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity (1.2.72). She is telling Hamlet to stop weeping over the past, and to move on, when Hamlet misses his father and wants him to return so badly that Hamlet contemplates suicide so that he can be with his father in the next life. Hamlet obviously notices his mothers lack of grieving, and states to himself that a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer! (1.2.150). Hamlet notices that an animal would mourn longer over a dead loved one than his mother did with King Hamlet. This demonstrates that he recognizes the lack of communication between them, and that communication between child and parent is an important part of a healthy relationship. Hamlet is left with no one else, and one by one his loves [betray] his love (Coatsworth, 7). Helping a child grieve and showing empathy for his feelings is the role of a parent. Gertrude failed in this role as Hamlets mother and further exposes herself to his scrutiny. Gertrude sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on her son, demonstrating that she does not trust Hamlet. Trust is absolutely key to a healthy relationship between mother and son, and can be attributed to proper parenting. Without trust, there is no true love, there is no relationship, and as a result, there is no happiness. Gertrude tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to instantly visit my too much changed son (Hamlet, 2.2.35). She wants to know what Hamlet is doing, whether to cure her curiosity or to simply know what he is plotting. Even if this act was committed out of love, the proper parenting approach would be to ask her son instead of spying on, and to talk with him in a mature, sympathetic and respectful manner. When she does talk to him, she agrees with his antics and asks him what shall she do (3.4.184), but when he is gone, she says that he is as mad as the sea and wind when both contend which is the mightier (4.1.7). Hamlet realizes that his own mother does not trust him-nor does he trust her- and that his boon companions came as spies (Coatsworth, 12), not friends. This leaves him feeling abandoned and alone as the relationship with his mother, the only  parent he has left, has been damaged. Although Hamlets death is not directly caused by Gertrudes early remarriage, failure to help her son mourn, lack of trust and mutual respect, and the suspicion aroused by these acts lead to his demise. If Gertrude had paid more attention to Hamlet, and not to her own personal affairs, Hamlet may not have been suspicious. Things may not have been so rotten in the state of Denmark (Hamlet, 1.4.94). Gertrudes failure to parent Hamlet and convince him that everything is well leads to a downward spiral which results in the death of many. Gertrude dies a painful death, and only wishes that she would have had an opportunity to say good night [to her] sweet prince (Coatsworth, 20). Children will always push the limits with their parents, seeing what will make them give in, or what will make them explode with anger. Every child has does it, and every parent deals with it. It is part of life, but in the end, proper parenting will prevail, and the children will grow up knowing that they may have their own children. This is evident in Hamlet, by Shakespeare, and Meditation at Elsinore by Elizabeth Coatsworth. Hamlet will never have children, because of Gertrudes failure to properly parent, which eventually leads to the demise of both mother and son. This failure could be prevented, but many factors end up swaying the final decision, and Gertrude is the reason for the demise of both Hamlet and Gertrude. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. This is because of the high levels of hormones during periods such as birthing a child and menopause. The latter of the two is the reason for Gertrudes depression, and specifically leads to a failure in parenting. That is why Gertrude hurried with most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets (Hamlet, 1.2.157). This horrendous act committed by Gertrude can be classified as a failure in parenting. Gertrude forces her son to live with the reality that his uncle has become his father, which, on her part is a thoughtless and impetuous act. With the loss of her husband, it would be proper for Gertrude to fully mourn her deceased husband. Before remarrying, a mother should join with her son in the grieving process, to show that the  father in the family would be missed. The ten stages of grieving ensure that a person can accept and affirm reality, a stage that Gertrude achieves far too quickly. She skips a few steps on the way, and knows that Hamlets rash actions can be blamed on no other but the main: his fathers death and our oerhasty marriage (2.2.56). While some steps are missed, some are taken too far. Depression and loneliness is a stage Gertrude botches, as it is a stage where family members find communication difficult. Instead of moving on to the next stage, Gertrude lingers around loneliness and depression, which eventually brings her to marry Claudius. Gertrude does not erupt with emotions, or is never overcome with anger at anyone for the misfortune brought on old Hamlet. Ultimately, Gertrude reached the final step of the ten stages, but disregarded many rules on the way, resulting in poor communication between mother and son. Communication is essential to proper parenting, and this is where Gertrude failed. A lack of communication between mother and son can distance a relationship. To state that Gertrude has communication issues would be to grossly underestimate-she does not communicate at all. The love between mother and son had been established, but one by one [Hamlets] loves betrayed his love(Coatsworth 8). Instead of instantly jumping into marriage with a dead husbands brother, a parent must talk to their child about what their feelings are. Gertrude should have told Hamlet that she had a desire to find another man, so that Hamlet would have been prepared for what was coming. Gertrude sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to extract information from Hamlet, instead of talking to her son in person. In Gertrudes final seconds of her life she calls for her dear Hamlet (Hamlet, 5.2.314), the only person she really loves. Gertrude chooses to address her only son in her dying seconds, when the conversation should have taken place long before. All of the miscommunication leads to the demise of both Gertrude and Hamlet. On his deathbed, Hamlet knows that life will probably be better after death, as his biological father will not deceive him in heaven. Hamlets mother has left him with nothing, and even though Hamlet did not plan on dying, he wished that the Everlasting had not fixed his cannon gainst self-slaughter!(1.2.131-132)Depression, loneliness, improper grieving, and miscommunication lead to the failure of parenting. Hamlet was not crazy; he  was simply confused and misunderstood. Gertrudes selfish choices hurt Hamlet, and showed Hamlet that his mother no longer cared about the welfare of her son. If Gertrude had used proper parenting skills, things may not have been so rotten in the state of Denmark(1.4.94). Denmark would not have to say good night [to their] sweet prince (Coatsworth 20). Works Cited Coatsworth, Elizabeth. Meditation at Elsinore. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. John Crowther. New York: Spark Group, 2003.

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay Wes Andersons Rushmore is an appealing and skillful movie. It has that quality that tells you there is something very special about this film, rather than it being just another teen movie that we see every day. The genius of this film, and the true reason for Rushmores originality, is that it manages to entertain us even without us having to actually getting it completely. The film is about Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15 year-old student who attends Rushmore and has all the ambition in the world but no concentration. He is a member of every club in school but he is failing most of his classes apart from drama. He loves to put on elaborate productions of classic films. Max lies to everyone by telling them that his father (Seymour Cassel) is a brain surgeon but in reality, he is a barber. Max is simply blown away by Mr. Blumes (Bill Murray) speech at Rushmore and introduces himself. Mr. Blume decides to mentor Max out of pity and loneliness. Shortly after they become friends, they both fall in love for a beautiful new first-grade teacher at Rushmore named Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Their friendship quickly turns to a war as they try to win her over. Max refuses to believe that his age has anything to do with Miss Cross refusing to love him. This leads to immense consequences as Mr. Blumes family life disintegrates and Max loses his best fri end. There are many devices that Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson use in Rushmore to advance the understanding of the film. First, instances of literary devices used are characterization and plot. They do an amazing job in making sure that every single character in the film grows over the course of the film. Moreover, it is incredibly interesting to see that every character in the film has a Rushmore. thus, every character has something that they want in the film and ultimately wants and by the end, each one of them gets it. For example, Blumes Rushmore was Miss Cross. Max is embarrassment that he goes to Rushmore with a scholarship and that his father is a barber as covers it by telling everyone that his father is a neurosurgeon. These two characters are performed amazingly by both actors, which really make us comprehend them. The plot of the film was truly amazing and original. The heart of the movie, for me, was not only how charming or quirky Max is but also how Maxs fascinations are fuel ed just as much by sadness as by selfishness. When he tells Miss Cross that Harvard is his safety school if he does not get into Oxford, this is not only to impress her but this is really the high standard he holds himself to. This is due to his mother who died of cancer, because she was the one who encouraged him to write plays and helped him get into Rushmore,. We can appreciate this film from the beginning from Maxs planned battle of distraction from genuine pain. We follow along in the film as the colors are washed out as soon as Max is expelled from Rushmore, and we do not see them return until the end when Mr. Blume gets a haircut. Everything gets darker and duller in the film after Max is expelled from Rushmore. Wes Anderson has done an amazing job with the plot. It is like nothing we see in theatres today. It has something different and original about it that really makes the story interesting and funny. The setting is always very unique and intriguing. The main two places t hat the film takes place in is Rushmore and Grover Cleveland High School. There are big differences between these two schools and it is clearly shown during the film. At Grover Cleveland High School, we see the rusted sign that hangs on a chain-link fence, which shows the conditions inside where students are subjected to search for weapons and drugs. The school is practically a prison. Compared to at Rushmore, we can see the clear difference between the two schools. Rushmore has a perfect sign that is hung on an iron fence with an amazingly cared for landscape. The two contrasting settings clearly show what Max has lost when he was expelled from Rushmore. A problem that I noticed in the continuity of the film was at a certain moment, Max uses a ladder to enter Miss Cross house and he leaves without going down the stairs, by walking out of the front door. This to me was a very big mistake that should have been fixed. It didnt take anything from the film, but it was something that I noticed. In addition, I really liked how there was a timeline in the film, showing sequences and narrations. The progression by months and how it was introduced with movie curtains, related back to Max loving to direct plays and was a great addition to this terrific film. The film shows the audience the story not tell it to us. Rushmore is Maxs life; he simply cannot live without it. He has dedicated lots of time and energy in that school because he enjoys it. The audience gets to see and experience Maxs delusional view of the world from the beginning when we see him dream about completing a very difficult math problem in class. Anderson and Wilson decided to convey Maxs delusional view of the world visually. The viewer can immediately identify with Max to see where his character is coming from because he is actually shown by how Max perceives the world. Another instance is when Max is put on academic probation and needs to improve his marks or he will be expelled from Rushmore. The principal explains that Max has too many extracurricular activities and not enough studying. Anderson and Wilson brilliantly show the viewer all of Maxs extracurricular activities instead of just simply having the principal say them. If the principal would have just listed the activities, they wouldnt have truly grasps Maxs role and dedication to Rushmore but by showing the audience every activity, we can understand the amount of devotion he has for this school. Maxs really cares and loves Rushmore. This film has an amazing script. Anderson and Wilson took every opportunity to show us visually the story. As a result, every single line of dialogue in this film has a purpose, which makes the film crisp and never drag. In the end, the viewer is left with an amazing story that is wonderfully created through visuals and writing. The dialogue in the film is very monotone, except for at the dinner table. I found it quite natural and normal. It seems as when Max speaks to his peers, he speaks above his peers with a sense of superiority in his voice. In addition, when Maxs speaks to his father, it is very quiet and ashamed. The dialogue changes when he talks to Ms. Cross and especially when it becomes super awkward which shows that he likes her. Just to brief ly mention lightning, it was much brighter at Rushmore and inside it. It was very colourful and happy inside the school because it represents that he really loves it at Rushmore. In comparison to outside where it is a bit darker showing how he is unhappy. Last, some cinematic devices used are music, sound and camera angle. The music in this film is very key. One of the best part of music in the film is the part when Maxs is feeling his first rejection from Miss Cross and the song I Am Waiting by the Rolling Stones plays. Max is experiencing his first pain and this song could be representing Max and how he is waiting to become the person he is supposed to be. There is also the part when Murrays face changes into one that shows his desire for true vengeance against Max. This is when the song A Quick One While Hes Away by The Who plays. This music goes perfectly with the scene and wanting revenge. There are many sounds that are put and used in the perfect times. When Max shows Ms. Cross the book, there is a dancing ballerina box sort of sound on. The sounds are often of bells and charms showing the innocent, young and juvenile of this film. Also, it seems to become quiet and quite silent during awkward moments in the film. For example, d uring many conversations with Ms. Cross, such as the one in the library or times in her classroom. The music and sound are very innocent, playful and somewhat cheesy and awkward to fit in with the story. It goes very well with this coming of age film. The camera angle does not seem to change that much in the film. Anderson uses anamorphic wide-angle lenses and there is hardly anything but wide-angle lenses in the film. Most of it is wide-angle lenses to be able to show his(Maxs) world/school and not have it be a straight horizontal line. I did find that it was a bit overboard and that it was at some points annoying because of the exaggerated wide-angle lenses. It felt like I was removed from the character at certain points. Wes Andersons story displays the importance of being able to do things yourself. With Maxs wild and bizarre imagination, we can see Max being an awful lot like Wes Anderson as a kid. This movie was clearly created based on personal experiences, which is shown throughout the film since he was inside the head of the character the entire film. There is no way for someone to be able to think of this without experiencing this first hand. This film truly tries to blurs the line between childhood and adulthood. In order for Max to grow up, he needs to first accept that his father is not a brain surgeon, he cannot have a romantic relationship with a woman far older than him and he will never be able to return to Rushmore. Maxs maturity throughout the film is shown in different ways. He begins by stopping the war between Mr. Blume and himself and actually starts to help him out rather than destroy him. He also starts to write stories of his own, instead of basing them from famous films. The f ilm shows that there might not be a line between kids and adults and that sometimes the kids are more mature than the adults are, as we say with the actions of Mr. Blume. Ultimately, Rushmore is an unusual and wacky movie but still an appealing and out of the ordinary film. It talks about many important themes and is acted by brilliantly talented actors. The three main characters together are amazing and their affection and frustration with each other is so intense throughout the film. This story is absolutely funny while still examining love, anger and imagination like we have never seen. Max is so geeky and weird that the audience cannot help but feel for him. Everything from the writing to the music in this film is done marvellously. You definitely should go and watch this film. You wont regret it.

The Duel Essay -- essays research papers

In reviewing John Lukacs, The Duel, I noticed that the author has other intentions in mind besides the facts. Lukacs gives a very precise account of the actualy events during those eighty days but in my opinion he wants the reader to grab the bigger concepts. One of these concepts is that Lukacs wants the reader to honestly consider just how close the Allies came to losing the war. Another of these notions is the idea that the main difference between Churchill and Hitler concerned nationalism versus patriotism and a third idea is just how greatly history can be effected by the courageous decisions of a few people.Lukacs makes strong mention of how close Hitler came to victory. Hitler got everything he wanted for so long, without even having to resort to force. Lukacs describes Hitler as ''being an amateur at generalship, but he posessed the great professional talent applicable to all human affairs: an understanding of human nature and the understanding of the weaknesses of his opponents. That was enough to carry him very far''(3). Lukacs wants to make that a point in all of his readers' minds; that Hitler could manipulate people so he could get what he wanted without resorting to violence. Of course, the threat of violence was always present but Hitler was smart enough that he could scare his enemies enough that they would not want to engage in combat. Once actually forced to fight, Hitler still dominated and he could have very possibly won the war if not for that one fatal mistake he made by hesitating in his plans against the English. I think it is important that Lukacs makes sure to get this message across because some people choose to ignore this truth due to the devastating outcomes that would have resulted if Hitler succeeded. The major point presented by Lukacs concerning the difference between Hitler and Churchill has to do with nationalim versus patriotism. Lukacs describes Hitler as a nationalist and Churchill as a patriot. He describes Hitler as a man of ideas and Churchill as a of man principles, because Churchill's ideas changed throughout the war while Hitler tended to think that his ideas were principles. In a footnote there lies a a brilliant explanation of this idea. Dr. Johnson states ''Nationalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Patriotism is defensive, while nationalism is aggressive. Patriotism is not a substitute for a relig... ...till evident in this directive when it says if necessary. Hitler delivered his speech for a last attempt at peace on July 19, but it did not work. One of his main goals for the speech was to disconnect the people of England from Churchill but this failed because of the manner in which he spoke about Churchill. The next day, Hitler said that the English response meant that the German attack would commenec on Britain in a few days. Looking back at how these events unfolded, everyone should be glad that Hitler made such a mistake. I, for one couldn't believe that Hitler made this mistake. Throughout reading this entire book Hitler usually makes swift, decisive actions that get results and that is why Lukacs stresses this string of events in the book.Overall, this book is wonderfully written on a very interesting topic. The reader is put in the middle of a war of nerves and will between two men, one of which we have grown up to learn to hate. This only makes us even more emotional about the topic at hand. For a history book, it was surprisingly understandable and hard to put down. It enlightened me to the complex problems that existed in the most memorable three months this century.

The Way it Was :: essays research papers

Washington Post: Research Points to a Key Alzheimer’s Risk factor Key Terms: Amino Acids: An organic molecule with a hydrogen atom, amino group, an acid group, an â€Å"R† group which are all covalently bonded to a hydrogen atom. Genes: Unit of information about a heritable trait passed from parents to their offspring. Hypothesis: possible explanation, of a phenomenon, one that has potential to be proved false by experimental tests. Statins: cholesterol lowering drugs. Text References: Chapter 16: Recombinant DNA and Genetic Engineering- pg. 741-743 on vitamins and the essential amino acids. Summary: Researchers believe that homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, is the cause for an increased number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease. Chances of getting this disease are believed to almost be doubled due to high content of the amino acid in the blood. Scientists believe now that they can determine people who are at greater risk and also be able correct the problem. The answer, scientists believe, is to simply lower the high amounts of homocysteine in the blood by taking certain vitamin supplements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New research by scientists have led us to the conclusion that the higher amounts of homocysteine in the blood the greater chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease. In the late 1980’s , scientists studied 1,100 participants all with the average age of 75, to see what amount of homocysteine was present in their blood. Approximately eight years later, 10% of those tested had developed dementia, most of its attribute to Alzheimer’s. The 30% which had the highest content of homocysteine in their blood had twice the risk of developing the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The data found by scientists has lead them to believe homocysteine is the cause for elevated occurrences of Alzheimers disease. Scientists believe that homocysteine accounts for 15% of the populations risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Obviously if the 15% of those cases were prevented that would mean a much fewer amount of cases of Alzheimer’s disease from occurring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willaim Jagust a neurologist from the University of California at Davis tends to disagree with the results. Dr. Jagust states, â€Å"If we lower homocysteine levels, will we lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?† He questions homocysteine because he says there are many other factors which play a role involving dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Reflective thinking essay Essay

Early this week we where given a assessment to complete. I found the concept to be very interesting and I began to think about how the honest opinions of my peers would effect me. In an attempt to maintain an open mind and to maintain the effectiveness of the exercise, I tried to rate my peers based on where they actually stand. This is more difficult than one would think, I tended to want to rate some one else based off of how they would in my mind rate me. A couple days later it was time to reveal the results of the peer assessment, and admittedly, I was pretty nervous. I usually like to feel as though I am liked by every one and to know that I would for sure have some negative things brought to my attention was a bit nerve racking. We sat down and discussed where we all stand as a class is concerned and much to my surprise most of my feedback was good. The negative things that where brought up I was distinctly aware of already so I feel as though I took that well. I will try to continue in my efforts to resolve these issues and focus on self improvement. I think over all My perception of my self was confirmed. I would also say that this was the case for the majority of the class. Most people where aware of there flaws. I also think that we grew as a class, knowing the true feelings of your peers and can help to resolve differences between class mates. Over all the entire exercise was a great success in my eyes.

Scarlet Letter- Grey

Scarlet Letter Assignment Topic: Gray Part I- Cite six times in the book where your topic appears and analyze how those instances relate to the meaning of the work as a whole. 1. â€Å"A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray† (33). The color gray adds to the atmosphere of the day, the day of judgment for Hester. The people of this Puritan town are close-minded and dull, all represented by the color grey. 2. She bore in her arms a child, a baby if some three months old, who winked and turned aside its little face from the two vivid light of day; because its existence, therefore, had brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of dungeon, or other darksome apartment if the prison† (36) When in the dungeon Hester spoke to no one and would not admit to anything, because she concealed her secrets. The color gray connotes secrets and hiding. Once Hester and Pearl depart from the prison for the first time the gray of the dungeon disappears and the secret s can now be found out—this admission being a major plot in the novel.This is the moment when the secrets break free and begin to unfold. 3. â€Å"Standing on that miserable eminence, she saw again her native village, in Old England, and her paternal home: a decayed house of grey stone, with a poverty-stricken aspect, but retaining a half obliterated shield of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility† (40). When leaving the jail, Hester gazed at her hometown. However, she was not filled with nostalgia or wistfulness. Rather, she looked out and saw her family’s poverty stricken house, though it was noticeable that it was once of high nobility.Those who were once elite and considered noble people are now in poverty and being trialed for murder. Grey connotes this transition. It is dull, boring, and is not red, blue, and purple, which are the colors that aristocrats wore at that time. When leaving the jail Hester realizes that everything has turned to gr ey—life will not be as luxurious and she will be repudiated by society because of her sins. 4. â€Å"The wide circumference of an elaborate ruff, beneath his grey beard, in the antiquated fashion of King James's reign, caused his head to look not a little like that of John the Baptist in a charger† (74)This description of Governor Bellingham is to show how he is esteemed and of high class in Puritan society. Puritans desire to live like their ancestors; no room for change at all. Governor Bellingham is illustrated in the novel and is compared to those living in King James’ time. To the Puritans this is positive, this dullness and inability to change their ways: it is the way of life. But to others, like Hester it is a negative aspect of the society. The color gray is therefore used in this context to highlight this. The Puritan society is gray, devoid of color and excitement.In today’s day, a black-and-white movie suggests that it is old and outdated. So too here, adding the fact that Governor Bellingham’s beard is gray is to elucidate Hester’s opinion that the society is and should be obsolete. 5. â€Å"An unwearied pall of cloud muffled the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon. If the same multitude which had stood as eye-witnesses while Hester Prynne sustained her punishment could now have been summoned forth, they would have discerned no face above the platform nor hardly the outline of a human shape, in the dark grey of the midnight† (101).The use of grey in this instance defines the mood Nathaniel Hawthorne is attempting to portray. Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold and screams out, confessing his sin. It is in the depths of the night and is dark, somber reflecting Dimmesdale’s desire of penitence for his sin. He wishes to be found out and for his guilt to be palliated. 6. â€Å"Mr. Dimmesdale throughout the long hereafter. But as he came down the pulpit steps, the grey-bearded sexton met him, holding up a black glove, which the minister recognized as his own† (108).The day after Dimmesdale’s profession of his sin in the midst of the night, the church sexton comes over to Dimmesdale and hands him his black glove that was found on the scaffold. The sexton decides that it was Satan’s doing and not that of Dimmesdale. Everything around Dimmesdale suddenly begins to turn gray. He sees everything as gray—full of sin and darkness void of life and purity. Part II- Explain how your topic sheds light on at least one character’s development in the novel Grey symbolizes many different ideas in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. However, a main theme of the color gray is that of darkness and the presence of sin.Throughout the novel, Dimmesdale’s status and health slowly deteriorate and the color gray helps track this decline. At first the society is looked at as gray, boring, and dull in the eyes of Hester. Dimmesdale was a prize pastor giving the best sermons. However, once Hester is reestablished in society, Dimmesdale’s guilt begins to take over. Especially after he and Hester talk about leaving the town by ship, his shame gets the best of him. He ascends the scaffold hoping someone will hear him confess his sins, but everyone thinks it is a witch. Everyone and everything around him appears gray, all reminding him of his sin.Dimmesdale even gives a sermon in which he reveals that he too has sinned, so as to alleviate some of his guilty conscience, but it makes the people like and revere him even more. At last he cannot take it and he mounts the scaffold, Hester and Pearl in hand, confessing his sins to all and dying there as Pearl kisses him. The guilt was too much for him and finally the pain is gone for Dimmesdale. Part III- Choose three biographical facts about Nathaniel Hawthorne and/or historical facts about the time period, and explain how the facts add to your understanding of the overall book 1.Nathaniel Ha wthorne’s ancestor, John Hathorne, originated in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was a judge in the Salem witch trials. Hawthorne was fascinated by his kinship to John Hathorne and inspired several of his novels. This was a great inspiration for The Scarlet Letter, as witchcraft, sin, and Puritan society are all main themes of this novel. 2. Nathaniel’s father died when he was at an early age. This was therefore the inspiration for Hester being a single mother in the novel. He felt the same way that Pearl did and at the same time empathized with Hester because he watched his mother go through the same thing. . One important influence on The Scarlet Letter is money. Hawthorne never made much money as an author and the birth of his first daughter just added to the financial burden. He received a job at the Salem Custom House, but lost it three years later and was forced to return to writing to support his family. Consequently, The Scarlet Letter was published a year aft er being fired by his job in the Salem Custom House. At first, the work was only intended to be a long short story, but the extra money a novel would bring in was needed to support his growing family.

Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations Essay

The criminal justice organization is composed of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Law enforcement, courts, and correction each have a significant role within law enforcement. It takes a great leader to manage and deal with all of the issues within the criminal justice organization. This paper will describe the challenges currently faced by leaders of criminal justice organizations. It will also provide steps that one can take as a criminal justice or security professional to affect change for the future. The leaders of criminal justice organizations are faced with many challenges on a daily basis. Some of these challenges include noble cause corruption, communication skills, conflict and power, legal and political challenges, and shortage of help. According to â€Å"Ethics in Policing† (n.d.), noble cause corruption in policing is defined as â€Å"corruption committed in the name of good ends, corruption that happens when police officers care too much about their wor k. It is corruption committed in order to get the bad guys off the streets†¦the corruption of police power, when officers do bad things because they believe that the outcomes will be good† (Noble Cause Corruption). Some examples of noble cause corruption include falsifying or planting evidence, committing perjury court, writing incorrect information on police reports, and abusing police authority. Ensuring that employees are trained properly can help prevent corruption. The court system, police and corrections have a special language or dialect that they use within that specific organization. Different jargon amongst these criminal justice organizations can create miscommunication between the manager and the employee. Duelin (n.d.), â€Å"leaders need to be effective communicators to handle these challenges† (para. What are the Challenges with Leading Groups in Criminal Justice Organizations?) Management needs to make sure that their employees know what their job is an d what is expected of them (Duelin, n.d.). Police officers are in charge for investigating and arresting persons charged with crime, while the court system decides whether or not a punishment should be imposed. If a person is convicted, the court system also decides what that punishment it. Punishment can come in the form of community service probation, jail, or prison. The court system and law enforcement do not always agree on the type of punishment that should be carried out. Duelin (n.d.), â€Å"For example, the police often seek to remove offenders from the streets, while the courts may feel it is best to rehabilitate the offender within the community. The police, courts, and prisons wield a substantial amount of power with these responsibilities. Leadership for these criminal justice agencies must balance this power with fairness† (para. What are the Challenges with Leading Groups in Criminal Justice Organizations?). Police are required to enforce laws and arrest anyone who breaks them. The court system role is to make sure that the individual’s rights are not violated in any way. Politics can have a major effect on criminal cases. An election year can lead to a number of changes in the criminal justice organization. Different judges, sheriffs, or district attorneys may be elected. All leaders and employees of law enforcement and judicial system need to stay informed of any laws that may have changed. One must be aware of political alliances at all times. Political alliances can jeopardize the outcome of a trial (Duelin, n.d.). Many organizations across the United States have been dealing with the issue of budget cuts. Budget cuts can be the result of financial cuts from the city or state or if a citizen is elected into a new position. As the population increases, so does crime. Budget cuts can eliminate necessary jobs that are needed to help keep society safe. Eliminating jobs causes an increase in the amount of work for the remaining employees left. Increasing the workload, in turn can create fatigue and stress. Employees are not able to do their job efficiently if they are overwhelmed with work. With new employees taking over their positions, comes new budgets to adhere to. One has to remain knowledgeable of all new rules, regulations, and budget cuts when someone new is elected into office. As times change, so should the way we manage the criminal justice system. The Criminal justice system must stay advance in order to prevent crime and protect society. There are many steps that  one can take as a criminal justice or security professional to affect change for the future. Over the past decade, technology has advanced greatly in the criminal justice system. Every organization should have the same technology. Different versions of computer programs make it difficult for states and federal organizations to communicate effectively. Sometimes information is not up to date or it may take a while for a different organization to retrieve the information. It would be beneficial to all if every organization had access to the same computer software. For example, criminal justice organizations can improve sex offender communication. Often times, sex offenders fall between the cracks of the system. They are not monitored correctly and fail to register on the sex offenders list. Sometimes, these offenders work for jobs that are a clear violation of their release. If every state and organization had the same software or technology available these offenders can be monitored closely. It is important that all employees and leaders undergo training every year. Ethics and moral standards should be the main focus of team workshops and classes. It is important that all employees maintain a certain level of respect for the law and society. Employees should also undergo psychological examines. Sometimes in the line of duty an officer may see something traumatic or have some type of trauma. This can have a detrimental effect on an officers’ mind. The officer may not feel comfortable asking for help; therefore, psychological examines can show what areas are of major concern for that particular individual. There should be a balance between private and public security. Public and private security partnerships are vital resources for law enforcement today. â€Å"Law enforcement agencies posses the legal authority and training to enforce the law. Carter (2007), â€Å"Private industry, with approximately triple the personnel resources of the law enforcement community, is more advanced in the use of technology to prevent and detect crime and is uniquely able to address certain crimes, such as workplace violence or computer crimes (para. Public-Private Partnerships: Vital Resources for Law Enforcement).† By combining public and private security, the security of the United States will be heightened. Protecting our borders is a main concern for the United States particularly when it pertains to drug trafficking. Drugs are a major problem in the United States. In 2010, 51 percent of federal inmates were  in prison for a drug offense (Klein, 2013). Drugs are often times the main reason people rob or kill others. Prisons should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment. By placing more emphasis on rehab programs, daily support groups, and work placement programs, offenders can overcome their addiction. The United States may not be able to eliminate drugs from entering the country; however, the amount of drugs entering the country can be significantly reduced. A few ways that can help prevent drug trafficking include increasing the amount of border control agents, creating a task force whose main priority is to locate underground tunnels that cartels use for trafficking drugs, and build a wall to divide Mexico and the United States. Many critics will argue that legalizing marijuana can also decrease drug trafficking into the U.S. While other critics argue that even if marijuana is legalized it only creates an opportunity for other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs to enter the country. Even though California allowed the prescription of marijuana to some of its citizens, it had no effect on drug trafficking from Mexico because the majority of marijuana is entered through Texas and Arizona. Overall, there is not any scientific evidence that would conclude that it will either increase nor decrease the amount of drug trafficking. McKinney (2008), â€Å"in a criminal justice organization, leadership is essential to the success of the goals of the organization† (para. Modern Leadership Theories in Criminal Justice). To be a great leader one must acknowledge the issue and create ways to solve the problem at hand. Effective communication, training, and advance technology can help overcome some of the major challenges that leadership often deals with on a daily basis. References Ethics in Policing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ethicsinpolicing.com/noble-cause- corruption.asp Klein, E.. (2013, August 13). Wonkbook: 11 Facts about America’s Prison Population. The Washington Post . Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/13/wonkbook-11-facts-about-americas-prison-population/ Duelin, D. (n.d.). Ehow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6883806_challenges-groups-criminal-justice-organizations_.html Carter, J.C. (2007). The Police Chief . Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1257&issue_id=92007 McKinney, C. (2008). Yahoo Voices. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/modern- leadership-theories-criminal-justice-1338251.html

Conscious Capitalism

In the introduction of conscious capitalism, John Mackey gives us a brief history on how he established Safer Way which is now known as Whole Foods Market with no prior business education background. His intention was to create a business that was ethical and purpose driven. His insight on free enterprise capitalism is much focused throughout the introduction and first chapter, its importance and how it has changed the world. I agree with the findings because, it free enterprise capitalism has led to innovations and social cooperation that any other system.It has freed millions of individuals from extreme poverty and enabled businesses to open up around the world that have contributed to the welfare of humanity. Raj Sisodia, the co-author of the book together with Mackey, have pursued to change the way business is thought about, taught and practiced through their movement. This is both noble and I believe it’s our human responsibility to find solutions to the world and innovat ions that can take us to the next phase of how business is done.Capitalism has been misunderstood and has been tagged with bad titles such as crony capitalism, profit maximization for investors as top priority and unethical business activities as inferred by products from its activity. Crony capitalism is one of the most tagged names of big corporations because they have the financial resources to corrupt and bribe the government and inturn use this power for their own enrichment.Although the above examples are true and real, conscious capitalism is able to resolve this issue by ensuring that businesses not only focus on profit maximization but in creating value for all its stakeholders. Examples of how it does this, is by strongly opposing greed, exploitation, manipulation and by building environments based on trust and love that positively transform the world. Business are good because they create value, they are ethical because they are based on voluntary exchange.The book provid es turning points in history that were made possible by free capitalism, examples include the fall of the berlin wall on November 9, 1989, which brought about the end of communist regimes and the birth of the web by Tim Berners in 1989 which has brought about access to unlimited information and has connected almost everyone in the world with social media such as Facebook and Twitter. No known business is in isolation; all exist and have interaction with people in different environments in their pursuit of profit maximization. In  order to do this and create more value for all its stakeholders we are introduced to the four tenets of conscious capitalism, they include higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership and conscious culture.First and foremost the reason I agree with Conscious capitalism is that they are subjected to the discipline of the market and they need to deliver strong financial results just as any other business however, they do this by doing what is right because it is right Secondly, I agree with John Mackey is his description of a business based on conscious capitalism by using imagination.Imagine a business based on love and caring whose team member are passionate and committed to their work; a business that cares profoundly about wellbeing of its customers and above all a business exists in a virtuous cycle of multifaceted value creation, generating social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, cultural and physical wealth for everyone. John Mackey ends this description with giving examples of businesses that exist with such a description, from Google to Starbucks to the container store; this proves that conscious capitalism does exist in reality and therefore it can be achieved.Traditional businesses tend to use corporate social responsibility as a defensive mechanism and to build its reputation with external stakeholders. I solely agree that CSR mindset should be built in to the core of the business because it integrates the interests of all stakeholders and incorporates higher purpose and caring culture. An example is Google, with its Google grant donation program awarding free Ad Words advertising to select charitable organizations; this is centrally aligned with its business.Another example is Johnson and Johnson, its purpose is to alleviate pain and suffering however remains focused in making profits to ensure sustainability and growth. Thirdly, I also agree with the statement that happiness cannot be pursued unless for short term gratification. True happiness comes from living a life of meaning and purpose, which I believe goes the same for businesses. If a business pursues achieving its purpose then happiness will be achieved through satisfaction of all stakeholders.Matching individual purpose with business purpose is one of the ways to enhance passion for work and increase performance. This also makes it easier for team members to overcome challenges with ease. In conclusion, although some o f his view on some issues such as reduction in violence levels and majority becoming aware of consuming healthier foods is brought about by conscious capitalism is contentious generally I agree with his thought. By aligning business in a set of four categories the good, the true, the beautiful, the heroic.Conscious businesses should strive to provide service to its stakeholders that improve the quality of life such as Wholefoods in its endeavor of providing food products that are healthy to consume; they should be in the forefront of furthering human knowledge by being innovative and researching on better products or services for their customers, an example is Google; they have been able to create a way to access any information in the internet by a click of a button and last but not least a business should be heroic, the courage to do what is right to change and improve the world an example given is Grameen bank in India that has been able to empower poor people in the eradication of extreme poverty. Finally, as businesses pursue profit maximization they should also strive to discover and grow in their purpose; this is the only way they can be able to wholesomely create value for all stakeholders and adapt to an ever changing and developing world.

Bubble Popping

â€Å"Aren’t you hot?† â€Å"Were you forced to put that on your head?† â€Å"How many scarves do you have?† These were all questions I had received upon making my decision to wear the hijab, or Muslim headdress. However, there was one question that had not been asked. The answer had been lounging in the back of my mind since July, dangling on the edge of my tongue and waiting to exercise. And finally, â€Å"Why do you wear that?† accompanied with a circular motion around the head. I looked up and found a boy staring back at me, wearing a genuine expression on his face, one of solemn curiosity. I had been preparing for this question for months, yet I did not want to launch into a 20-minute speech preaching about my religion, so I opted for a relatively simple answer. â€Å"I wear this,† pointing to my scarf, â€Å"because it’s a really important part of my religion. It represents modesty, so people won’t judge me by my body shape or appearance, but they’ll like me for my personality and character.† An uncomfortable silence followed. â€Å"Does that make sense?† I prodded. He smiled thoughtfully. â€Å"Yeah, it actually does.† I breathed a sigh of relief and a wave of satisfaction washed over me as I realized I had taken a huge step toward reaching my goal. More experiences similar to this one arose, yet one in particular seemed to clear away the uncertainty of my dreams and aspirations. Every Wednesday the Global Relief club would drive down to El Cajon, California and tutor Iraqi refugees at Emerald Middle School. It became my favorite day of the week—the eager children waiting for us outside the classroom, the Arabic circulating around the room in rapid breaths, and the feeling of contentment I received when I knew I had helped someone. That Wednesday was different though. As we approached the regular classroom, I noticed a small girl standing alone against the wall, staring down at her sneakers. I walked over to her, smiled, and said hello. She replied back in a small voice, and from her accent, I deduced that she had recently immigrated. I knew I could never imagine what she had been through, but I immediately felt a connection to her. In that scared, self-conscious girl, I saw my previous self. Her name was Rana, and she had the quiet, nervous voice I had adapted when I started wearing the hijab. She avoided direct eye contact and almost all conversations that were not in Arabic. My constant attempts to engage her in conversation were dismissed. Communication with her was difficult. While I tutored her, we struggled to understand each other, but after experimenting a few Arabic words in a horrible accent, I managed to make her smile. I learned to say, â€Å"Is this right or wrong?† and â€Å"friend.† In retrospect, I learned many new Arabic words, but those held no hope with my terrible language skills. Instead, Rana taught me other things. By the end of the year, Rana was speaking English at a fast pace, and, laughing, I had to tell her to slow down so I could understand her. She bickered with young boys who were bothering her, and giggled with other girls her age. The same girl who was standing alone against the wall was now chattering away in the large group of kids that waited for us outside the classroom. I watched her grow, and in a way, Rana showed me how much I had grown in the past year as well. Coming from a Muslim background and wearing the hijab has had a lasting impact on who I am, and my dreams of who I wish to be. An ordinary engagement with a peer, a learning experience with a young girl, and the feelings that followed pushed me in the direction of helping others, breaking down barriers, and overcoming communication obstacles. I have learned to communicate with and relate to people who may not be in my immediate religious circle, yet have faced similar experiences of discovering identity and trying to fit in. After a long year of struggling to blend in with 2,500 students, I have not succeeded, yet this â€Å"failure† has benefited me in the long run. I am now not afraid of what people think of me, I can speak my opinions without stuttering, and I do not hesitate to make silly faces at friends across the classroom, just to earn a smile. At some point in each of our lives, we have stared up at the tall, intimidating walls of difference, contemplating the best way to jump, climb, or dig under them to make it to the other side. Some may walk away from these walls, ignoring wonderful opportunities to meet someone who may be different from them, but someone who, nonetheless, they may be able to form a connection with. Our ability to tear down these walls, break out of our molds, and communicate with and relate to others is what truly makes us unique, social beings, and I believe that, with the help of many, including Rana, I have succeeded.