Monday, September 30, 2019
Note taking Content Analysis
My research study is completely based on secondary resources because I have used various books and case laws to support the argument and they are a rich source of citation in legal projects. 1) Library Research a) Analysis of Historical records b) Analysis of documents c) Reference and Abstract Guides d) Note taking Content Analysis 2) Researching through the Internet E-article B) Relevance Of The Topic / Scope And Purpose The project aims to give a brief overview of the corruption and bribery practices undertaken by the public servants and the Indian laws dealing with the problem. The main law, I. . The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, is discussed in brief and the provisions pertaining to seizure of ill-gotten wealth and asset reinstatement have also been discussed. The problems and challenges faced by the country in fighting these challenges have also been highlighted. C) Research Questions: 0 What is meant by the term economic offences? 0 What are the various types of economic offences? 0 What is the need of having Economic Offences Wing in India? 0 Sectors most vulnerable to corruption and bribery practices 0 What exactly leads to corruption and bribery practices, undertaken by people? What are the various causes of corruption? D) Limitation of the Research: The research study carries with itself a few limitations, like, as it's restricted to the secondary research so, the quality of research is affected as the origins of the information maybe questionable. Secondary research never meets the specific needs of researcher because all those information, data, statistics have already been generated. Hence, I would suggest further researchers to critically evaluate and validate the reliability and credibility of the information gathered. CHAPTER II ââ¬â INTRODUCTIONThe high potential of the domestic market which is driven by Indian's emerging middle class, cost competitiveness and its large talent pool continue to make our country one of the most preferre d destination for investors and businessmen. Despite the such as the United States, India remained stable. In fact, it registered growth in the foreign direct investment (FED)I . It garnered more than 110 % in the areas of telecommunication and chemicals, with a percentage of 103 and 227 respectively. L Now the question that arises is that, in spite of India being economically sound why re we still in a state of poverty?Why majority of our population still dowels in slum area? Why each day lots of children die out of hunger/ starvation? The most probable answer to these questions are the rooted instances of corruption and bribery in our system. The schemes/policies which are announced by the government each year in order to benefit the unprivileged are not being availed by them since there are certain loopholes in the system and the people who are not entitled to them take undue advantage and enjoy them. Corruption real or perceived is having a detrimental effect on our economy.On o ne and it is forcing investors to rethink about their investment in India and on the other hand, it is distorting the function of free and fair market and creating a state of unfair competition. ORIGIN/ HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The instances of corruption and bribery form a part of our system from a long time. Take for an instances that an early stage of world war II, the Government of India realized that the vast increase in expenditure for war efforts had provided opportunities to both government officials and non-officials, for 1 www. Antistatic. Com indulging in bribery and corruption at the cost of public and the government. It was felt that the police and other law enforcement agencies under the state government were not in a situation to cope up with the situation. An executive order was therefore passed by the Government of India in 1941, setting up the Special police establishment under a DIG in then department of war with mandate to investigate cases of bribery and corrupti on in transaction with which war and supply department of the Government of India was concerned.Corruption has been blamed for the failures of certain developing countries to develop, and recent empirical research confirms a link between higher perceived corruption and lower investment and growth. What is Corruption? Corruption is a result of weak state management and exists when individuals or organizations have monopoly power over a good or service, discretion over making decisions, limited or no accountability, and low level of income.The frequently cited World Bank definition of corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain (World Bank 1997). Corruption not only affects broad macroeconomic variables, such as growth, and investment, but also income distribution. It has been further explained by United Nation Development Program (1997) that corruption increases poverty by creating incentives for higher investment in capital-intensive projects and lower investment in el aborateness's projects. Thus corruption causes poverty and income inequality.WHAT IS BRIBERY? Bribery is an act of giving money or gift that alters the behavior of the recipient, where the gift is of a dishonest nature. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black law dictionary, as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty. Offering a discount or a full or partial refund to all purchasers of the same kind, quality and quantity of product or service, is a legal rebate, and is not bribery.For example, it is legal for a 7 employee of a Public Utilities Commission involved in electric rate regulation to accept a rebate on electric service that reduces their cost for electricity, when the rebate is available to other residential electric customers. If the rebate was done to influence them to look favorably on the electric utility's rate increase applications, howe ver, that would be bribery, and unlawful. Now both corruption and bribery form a part of economic offences. Since they have decision of potential investors but they hamper the growth of free and fair market practices.Special Acts notified under section 3 of DOSE Act mainly pertaining to serious frauds in Banks, Stock Exchanges, Financial institutions, Joint Stock Companies, Public Limited Companies, misappropriation of public funds, criminal breach of trust, violation of Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, Customs Act, IMMIX Laws, counterfeiting of currency, narcotics, drug trafficking, arms peddling and offences related to antiquities, adulteration, black marketing etc. Www. Sibylline. Com 8 However after the Securities and Stock Exchange scam of 1992, a need was felt for strengthening and expanding the Economic Offences Wing of CB.The reorganization of the OWE was sanctioned by the Government of India vide DIP&T Letter No. 201123/92-AVID-II, dated July 22, 1994 and September 22, 1994 and a full-fledged Economic Offences Division came into existence , vide Order No. 4. 6/86-OLD, dated November 26, 1994. WORKING OF THE ECONOMIC OFFENCE WING:4 The Economic Offences Division is headed by a Special Director/Additional Director and it consists of four Zones. Each Zone is headed by a Joint Director. Every Zone has two or three Regions each headed by a DIG. Each Region comprises of two or three Branches headed by Superintendents of Police.Out of the four Zones of Economic Offence Division, one of the Zones deals exclusively with large and complicated security and bank frauds. This zone is also known as Banking Securities Fraud Cell (BASS). The other three Zones take up the investigation (of various types of Economic Offences, in general. The Court trials of the cases charge sheeted by the various OWE Branches are also conducted by the respective Branches. The economic offences taken up for investigation by Branches are usually cases of complicated and intricate nature in which PC offences, as also offences under arioso Central Acts are alleged to have been committed.The investigations usually involve collection and scrutiny of voluminous documents from banks as also from various Central/State Government departments. Many a time, investigation is www. CB. Nice. In/about/about. PH 9 Various type of economic offences Bank fraud Insider trading Money laundering Walla Betting and match fixing BANK FRAUD: bank fraud is the use of illegal means to secure money, assets or other property owned or held by a financial institute or to obtain money from depositors by redundantly posing as a bank or some other financial institute.People who are willing to deceive other people and obtain their money or assets through illegal means may set up companies or create websites with names that might sound similar to the existing banks, or even assume titles conferring notability to themselves for plausibility, then flee with the deposited funds. INSIDER TRADING : insid er trading is a trading of a company's shares or other securities by directors, employees, executives or other authorities of a company that have to access the material, non-public information of the company.Whereby ââ¬ËMaterial information' means any information that can cause a change in the stock prices. Not only does illegal insider trading give an unfair advantage to those who resort to it, but also leads to a loss for the masses, and enormous gains for a few. This makes investors refrain from investing in the capital market as they lose their faith in the system. Also since the investors are the lifeline of these companies, since they provide capital to facilitate liquidity, the economy is affected as a whole.Insider trading exists in India due to multiple reasons such as shortage of investigative powers and tools of SIB, as they cannot use wire tapes, and merely search phone records. Also, eighteen the overburdened Indian courts lead to delays in cases or the punishment is too light even if one is found guilty. 10 obtained money, typically by the means of transfers involving foreign bank or legitimate businesses. It is the process by which large amount of illegally obtained money is given the appearance of having originated from a legitimate source. WALLA: one of the most practiced illegal activity is Walla.It is a transfer of money without physical movement of money. Walla is an Arabic word which means ââ¬ËTransfer'. This process is most prominent in South Asia. It completely takes place on honor system and no promissory instrument is involved. Usually the Walla Walla charge a commission of 0. 5 % ââ¬â 1% for domestic transfer but when the transfer is international along with the commission they also earn profit by bypassing the currency exchange rates. 5 SPOT FIXING: It refers to an illegal activity in a sport where a specific part of a game is fixed.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Confucian Philosophy in the Han Dynasty Essay
This paper will evaluate a brief evaluation of the rise of the Han Dynasty and how Confucian corresponds with it. With included references to authors, Tanner, Liang, Dubs, and Wang, will supply knowledge regarding to Sima Qianââ¬â¢s historical points, incorporation of Confucian principles within the Han Dynasty and the emperor, and within the social lives and families. I will highlight some of the major points of beneficial factors to Confucian thought as well as a brief opinion on how it isnââ¬â¢t always good to base a society of false claims regarding to divinity and how the society originated. However, I hope to make clear a better understanding on why and how the Chinese people in general came to be in current day China. ââ¬Å"Before the founding of the Han dynasty, thinkers of every stripe cited the Five Classics to legitimate their ideas, but the transmission of the Zhouââ¬â¢s cultural heritage was not clearly documented until Sima Qian (second century B. C. E. ) traced the study of the Five Classics back to Confucius. â⬠Sima Qian finished an essay called ââ¬Å"The Collective Biographies of Confucians,â⬠which ââ¬Å"summarizes classical learning from the beginning of the Western Han to the end of the reign of Emperor Wu. â⬠He is considered the first great exemplar of the Chinese historical tradition; however, before he was able to finish his works and had angered the emperor, he took the option of being castrated over controversial writings about a general that had been defeated and surrendered to the Xiongnu, to finish his writings. Sima Qian was a man dedicated to his work for which he chose castration over having to commit suicide. ââ¬Å"The style of Sima Qianââ¬â¢s work was didactic, its purpose to communicate the moral lessons of the past. ââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"In both its organization and its approach to history, the ââ¬ËRecords of the Grand Historianââ¬â¢ served as a model for all subsequent officially sanctioned Chinese historical writing. â⬠Ban Gu eventually took up Sima Qianââ¬â¢s work in 90 B. C. , although he was imprisoned at first for his unauthorized history of the Han emperor, but was freed later due to the emperorââ¬â¢s liking of his work. Regardless whether the historical contexts of both Ban Gu and Sima Qian, it shows that the histories were often dishonest due to the preferences of the elite, but as. Ban Gu was pardoned, there might be more truth to what the Hanââ¬â¢s historical past entails. ââ¬Å"It was during the former Han period that Confucianism developed from being the teaching of a few pedants in a semi-retirement, at the end of the Chou period, to become the official philosophy of the government, which had to be adopted by anyone who hoped to enter public life. â⬠Although it was a gradual process, early Han emperors embraced Confucianism by incorporating its teachings in education and establishing a Confucian Imperial University, which ultimately distributed literati among offices in the government. As this concept became bigger and more popular among the elite, the development of the examination became prominent as there was a high importance of literary ability and Confucian training, to be able to obtain a position within a government entity. It was believed that with all of the claimed advantages of Confucianism, ââ¬Å"unifying the country intellectually by making one system of thought current among all educated men led to the elevation of Confucianism. â⬠In 141 B. C. , Tung Chung-shu, advocated a principle to Emperor Wu that all non-Confucian philosophies should be destroyed with intellectual unification of the countryââ¬âEmperor Wu did act upon this by proscribing Legalism and elevating Confucians to be his highest officials. With the rise of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, it not only effected the elitesââ¬â¢ primary preferences for what should be within the government body, but it also effected the view of the emperor himself. The conception of the central government of the Han Dynasty from a Confucian perspective was that the ruler must be a man, be of noble origin, ordained by Heaven, having great wisdom and virtue, and must be a ruler that is ââ¬Å"all-under-Heaven. â⬠To strengthen the claim to the throne, ââ¬Å"all the rulers of China before Liu Pang were believed to have been of divine origin. â⬠ââ¬Å"However, the living Han ruler, like the rulers of other dynasties, was not regarded as a god, nor was any worship instituted for him. â⬠It was common practice, as in all histories, to have a greater social distance between those who command and those who obey, often times through rituals and ceremonies. The Confucian scholars introduced ceremonies in 201 B. C. which was considered necessary for a new ruler to elevate to an ââ¬Å"unapproachable position. â⬠This of course resulted in the emperor or ruler to be catapulted into the highest authority. Much like in other empires, that due to this common practice of using divinity as the main aspect of the throne, that anyone who goes against, protests, or is considered disrespectful, most often paid the price through draconian laws and usually sentenced to death. The morality of Confucian belief as it was incorporated into the social lives of the common people, also included what the roles should be within the family. Ban Zhao (48? -116? CE), historian Ban Guââ¬â¢s sister, was famous for her writings on the expected roles of women in Han society. Ban Zhao believed that it was the husbandââ¬â¢s duty to control while the wife serves him, but at the same time the wife would be allowed to be educated and literate. Ban Zhao further mentions that the husband and wife must play their roles, but men have the ultimate responsibility to control and to have authority. She further continues, ââ¬Å"If women are to understand and perform their expected roles, then they must learn to read so that they can learn from the same ritual texts as men do. â⬠This all of course is stemming and adding to the Confucian ideology. Perhaps, even though she was a remarkable matriarchal woman, she believed that this ideology is a cornerstone for maintaining a strong and healthy nuclear family environment. In conclusion, it is very apparent that Confucian ideology was the main stronghold for both the Eastern and Western Han Dynasty. Confucianism, with Sima Qian, Ban Gu, Ban Zhao, and a collaboration of other historians, had a major influence on how the elitists, the government, and the common people, were to go about their daily lives and follow what was considered a respectable social order at that time. The ideology of Confucianism built a halo around the emperor to catapult him to a position of higher order, causing the people to look up to him rather than revolt against him for being in a position undeserving. As with many empires, which all rise and fall at some point, the elitists and the emperor always has a philosophical tale which tries to explain where its origins came from, sometimes referring the emperor as a god himself. In essence, there is usually no ground proof what the true history was, mostly due to the perversion of some historiansââ¬â¢ ideology relating to their religious affiliations. Perhaps too, with fear of draconian laws and punishment, especially with low self-esteem and high-ego type of authority, that history in itself will only boil down to ââ¬Å"his story. â⬠Regardless, despite whether or not the histories of Confucianism and the Han Dynasty are valid, there is strong evidence that the Confucian principles still exist today as we see in the current-day Chinese culture regarding to the social lives and families of many. Bibliography: Liang, Cai. 2011. ââ¬Å"Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B. C. E. -8 C. E. ). â⬠Journal of the American Oriental Society 131, no. 3: 371-394. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (Accessed February 25, 2013). Dubs, Homer H. 1938. ââ¬Å"The Victory of Han Confucianism. â⬠Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 58, No. 3: 435-449. American Oriental Society. http://www. jstor. org/stable/594608. (Accessed February 25, 2013). Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. 1949. ââ¬Å"An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty. â⬠Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 12, No. ?: 134-187. Harvard-Yenching Institute. http://www. jstor. org/stable/2718206. (Accessed February 25, 2013). Tanner, Harold M. 2010. ââ¬Å"China: A History. â⬠Hackett Publishing Company, 118. ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â [ 1 ]. Liang, Cai. ââ¬Å"Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B. C. E. -8 C. E. ). â⬠Journal of the American Oriental Society 131, no. 3 (2011): 371. [ 2 ]. Liang, Cai. Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty, 372. [ 3 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History. Hackett Publishing Company (2010), 118. [ 4 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 5 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 6 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 7 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of Han Confucianism. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Sep. , 1938), 435. [ 8 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 446. [ 9 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 447. [ 10 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 448. [ 11 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 448. [ 12 ]. Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 12, No. ? (June 1949), 139.. [ 13 ]. Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 139. [ 14 ]. Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 15 ]. Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 16 ]. Wang Yu-chââ¬â¢uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 17 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 18 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 19 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 20 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words
Final Project - Research Paper Example The army is guided by its motto, ââ¬Å"This Weââ¬â¢ll Defendâ⬠and motivated by their Marching slogan ââ¬Å"The Army Goes Rolling Alongâ⬠, with several credits on various wars and battles they have conquered since inception. The army has four major missions which include: preserving the peace and security and providing for defense of the United States, commonwealths and possessions and any areas occupied by the United States .Support national policies Implementing national policies Overcoming any nations responsible for any acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States Training Training is an essential component of any armed force in a bid to combat existing and arising cases of conflict within and outside the boundaries; a prerequisite for alertness to the changing terrorism activities and the need to adapt to the mechanization of war science. Initially, soldiers are placed on the parameters of their recruitment and placement that is, as Regular Army, Army National Guard or United States Army Reserve; with the reserve components composed of part time soldiers who trainonce in a month and others conduct two to three weeks annual training, for ARNG and USAR respectively with placement based on the best and most qualified basis during the training period. The changes of national policies for the United States and the change of nature of terrorisms and other national threats and disasters calls for effective training by the soldiers on the various aspects of combating these disasters and strategies to help them exclusively contain threats. Incorporation of innovations and technology in the training field has necessitated a higher profile of threat detection and though the military depends largely on other bodies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, space technology has enabled aerial threat analysis and formulation of strategies of combat in case they arise. A soldier, before graduating will is required to successfully train the Basic Combat Training [BCT], conducted the first ten weeks, where they are impacted with fundamentals of being a soldier such as combat techniques and problem solving or approach strategies. At this point, the rigorous training for physical and psychology and aspects of self- discipline will be essential to introduce the prospective soldier to daily routine schedule that encompasses duties with high expectations for which civilians are not immediately ready (Taylor &Mossholder, 2010). The Advanced Individual Training [AIT] which encompasses training of specifics of the chosen field for Military Occupational Specialty, with courses lasting 6-52 weeks, calls for strict daily schedules, high degree of self- discipline and tests of physical fitness and weapons proficiency, though not intensively like in BCT. To improve on effective transition from BCT to AIT, specific programs should be implemented to guide the recruits in the choice of specialization as majorities are guided by their p revious academic achievements which are not a true reflection of self-worth. Proper guidance will ensure the recruit specializes in a field he can handle which acts as self- motivation, improves behavior and the overall output due to
Friday, September 27, 2019
Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Assignment
Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Theory - Assignment Example gs forth to two factors in leadership referred to as leadership style and situational favorableness as outlined in fielder contingency model (Ornstein, & Lunenburg, 2007). This paper seeks to analyze a recent activity in relation to Fielder Contingency Model. Alzheimer disease is a disease that affects the human brain and if not treated at an advanced stage may have lethal consequences. As such, it has been necessary to carry out research on the disease in order to look into the problem and propose solutions that might eliminate it, or provide medicine effective in avowing adverse effects on the victims. Research entails looking into a specified problem and using relevant literature and results obtained, bring out a solution. In this regard, research might include different parties and the success of the entire project is determined by the coordination of each and every party. Therefore, good leadership is essential to ensure smooth undertaking of the research. The research on Alzheimer disease was executed using rats as specimen, as Terrence believed argued , ââ¬Å"We believe the rats will be an excellent, stringent pre-clinical model for testing experimental Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease therapeuticsâ⬠(Thomas para 2). From the research, it emerged that high level of beta-amyloid in the brain leads to the occurrences of the health disorder, Alzheimer. The disease affects a substantive percentage of American population, about five million, making it an important aspect of research, which would ensure that citizens live happy lives, free from diseases. The research on Alzheimer disease was carried out by a team of experts headed by Professor Terrence Town. Each person acted at different capacity and the joined effort led to the success realized. In concluding presenting the results, Professor Neil argued that presenting the results to interested researchers with results obtained would be of great help in the future. This is an aspect of good leadership as in recognizes
Thursday, September 26, 2019
The Ethics of Democracy by John Dewey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The Ethics of Democracy by John Dewey - Essay Example Understanding also the types of government that emerge throughout history would help in appreciating the importance of the government. A government is made up of people who help the citizens every day. The people are part of teams who work hard in the community for the welfare of many. A government may run a town, a school and a country as it decides for the people it leads (Bedesky 4). Basically a government is not just the group spearheading the direction of a country because it may exist in smaller groups that lead the people like cities or even school organizations and companies. There are several forms of government: republic, democracy, monarchy, aristocracy, dictatorship, and democratic republic. Republic is like democracy but it exists in many people and the political system allows the citizens to elect the representatives for their government. On the other hand, democracy is similar to republic but the focus is on the rule by the people. It means that the power of the govern ment officials is granted by the citizens. Monarchy differs from both republic and democracy since the political power is vested upon the king or queen. In other places as shown by the history, monarchy may have an emperor instead of a queen or king. Normally the royal family has the wealth and total control over the land and people have less say regarding the politics of their place. Today monarchy does not exist as part of politics. Aristocracy is somewhat related to monarchy because the members of the royal family are wealthy and educated. Aristocracy is a more general type since it does not need to have a royal family as long as the land is dominated politically by the wealthy families. Dictatorship is somewhat like aristocracy wherein few people are dominating the government but in dictatorship, harshness is involved and the dominant figure can just be a single person. Some of the prominent dictators in history are Castro of Cuba and Hitler of Germany. Last in the list of the c ommon forms of government is the democratic republic. Typically people may say that it is democracy and republic combined, but in reality it is a form of dictatorship as North Vietnam called itself as The Democratic Republic of Vietnam and China as The Peopleââ¬â¢s Republic of China (The Global Citizen). In the study, the essay of John Dewey regarding ethics and democracy would be tackled thoroughly. Since the concept of government had been laid down, it would be great to also give some introduction and basic information regarding the concept of ethics. Later on democracy would be discussed in detail and a brief biography of John Dewey would also be included to connect his experiences and works to his specific view regarding democracy. The concept of ethics is almost synonymous to morality as some people use them interchangeably. The origin of the word ethics can be traced back from the Greek word ethickos which means habit or ethos which describes a pattern of behavior. On the o ther hand, morality comes from the Latin word morales which mean social norms. The concepts of morality and ethics can be misleading as they are more than just patterns of behaviors and norms. Ethics can be separated into several divisions: meta-ethics, normative ethics and practical ethics. Meta-ethics is about the things associated with the terms right, good and virtue. The major purpose of meta-ethics is to analyze an ethical system. Normative ethics as its name shows it is about
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Women in Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Women in Business - Research Paper Example The trend is significant since it continues to exhibit an increasing trend that indicates that the role of women in the workforce would continue to pervade various responsibilities in diverse and more professionalized endeavors. As disclosed, ââ¬Å"women are projected to make up 46.8 percent of the labor force by the year 2014â⬠(Williamson: Women, 2012, par. 1). The trend could therefore be attributed to an interplay of factors that include: social factors (lower birthrates; delay in marrying age; greater and equal access to equal levels of education for both men and women); economic factors (the need for more income to support the family); and political factors (legislations approving equal rights and opportunities), among others. Question 2. Propose three ways that a business can capitalize on this trend to earn competitive advantage. Three ways where business can capitalize on the increasing trend of more women in the workforce to earn competitive advantage are as follows: (1) focus on promoting women to their full potentials since, according to the study published by Barsh & Yee (2011), organizations who have reportedly included women as members of the organizationsââ¬â¢ board of directors have exhibited ââ¬Å"a 26% difference in return on invested capital (ROIC) between the top-quartile companies (with 19-44% women board representation) and bottom quartile companies (with zero woman directors)â⬠(p. 5); (2) ââ¬Å"companies with three or more women in top positions (executive committee or boards) scored higher than their peersâ⬠(Barsh & Yee, 2011, p. 5); and (3) hiring more women in the workforce would be consistent to the ideals of diversity in the worksetting, which, according to the American Society of Women Accountants (2012), ââ¬Å"contribute to a diversity of thought that enables your business to grow beyond the limitations imposed by a homogeneous staffâ⬠¦ A wider variety of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds enables a business to become more innovative, and ultimately more profitableâ⬠(American Society of Women Accountants, 2012, p. 1). Question 3. Speculate about why businesses should pay attention to the development of womenââ¬â¢s leadership. Businesses should pay attention to the development of womenââ¬â¢s leadership because there have already been studies and researches which disclose that women leaders are indeed more effective as leaders, when compared to their male counterparts (Zenger & Folkman, 2012). As revealed, ââ¬Å"at every level, more women were rated by their peers, their bosses, their direct reports, and their other associates as better overall leaders than their male counterparts ââ¬â and the higher the level, the wider that gap growsâ⬠(Zenger & Folkman, 2012, par. 6). Further, one strong believes that if more opportunities for advancement are accorded for women in leadership positions which would be openly encouraged in all contemporary organizations, these would provide greater motivations, higher productivity and higher chances to improve the organizationââ¬â¢s bottom line. Question 4. What would you say to an organization that has little or no interest in womenââ¬â¢s leadership? An organization that has little or no interest in womenââ¬â¢s leadership, would first and foremost be violating the Equal Employment Opportunities Law in terms of according equal opportunities for training and development, regardless of gender, race, and other demographic factors. Likewise, the organization would be foregoing the opportunity to maximize the potentials of women and realize that their instrumental
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Carbon footprint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Carbon footprint - Essay Example Other emissions from greenhouses such as Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O, Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), per fluorocarbons (PFCs), and Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) are all reported as carbon dioxide emissions. Reporting all the other greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as a single value of measurement makes it easy to manage, calculate as well as reporting. While carbon dioxide emissions are primarily used as a method of calculating CO2e, there are efforts by the international coordination of standards and control to make sure that an approach that is consistent is adopted for purposes of usage as well as calculation of the value (Weidema 1995). It is worth noting that there are a set of rules referred to as GHG Protocol that are generally used as the basis of calculating carbon footprint. These protocols are in line with the propositions under the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for national level calculation of carbon emission. Nevertheless, despite the existence of well-built international standards, there are no institutions to enforce such standards, and therefore some companies opt to design their own computation methods. The computations of carbon footprint consist of two key mechanisms which are indirect and direct emissions (McGregor & Vorley 2006). The purpose of this distinction is to enable easy calculation of a particular company or entry as well as to provide a suitable system that eliminates any possibilities of double accounting. It is worth mentioning the various reasons behind computation of carbon footprint, these reasons may include: To set up a true and fair account of carbon emission ( CO2e), the calculations also reduces and simplify the costs associated with carbon emission, in addition, it provides information that facilitates involvement in mandatory as well as voluntary carbon emission reduction programs, the calculation also helps in providing valuable information to the management that can be used to design an effective and viable approach to facilitate the implementation of a carbon management program in an organization (Brenton 2009). Discussion For purposes of computing carbon footprint, it is pertinent to ensure that there are established boundaries of computation. This is because the computation of carbon footprint can be visualized as having a number of boundaries that are different. These boundaries may include: Carbon footprint at the department level, Carbon footprint at the organizational level, Carbon footprint across the supply chain, and the LCA (full life-cycle assessment) on a service or product based model. This study will generally focus on product level carbon foot printing (Kasterine & Vanzetti 2010). As aforementioned, Product carbon foot printing approach is based on LCA (full life-cycle assessment). It is therefore pertinent to describe what is entailed under full life-cycle assessment (LCA) before attempting to understand what product carbon foot printing. LCA boundaries of evaluation broadly encompass the raw materials extraction and processing, manufacturing or production, consumer-use, as well as end-of-life scenarios; this may involve the process of material recycling (Hesselbach & Herrmann 2011). As such, the result obtained from a full life-cycle assessment can be used for purposes of identifying significant impacts on human health and environment emanating from a particular product, and such information can be used to alleviate the impact. The information gathered through LCA evaluation may also be useful in terms of designing an effective strategy that can reduce product cost while at the same time provi ding an opportunity to
Monday, September 23, 2019
Cases and Materials on the Law of Restitution Assignment
Cases and Materials on the Law of Restitution - Assignment Example In normal parlance, English did not cognize a law of restitution footed on the cannons of reversing unjust enrichment. It is to be noted, the passing comment made by the great judges like Lord Wright in Fibrosa and Lord Mansfield in Moses v Macferlan was mostly uncared for the restitution till 1966. (Gilliker 2007:101). Goff and Jones in 1966 published ââ¬Å"the Law of Restitutionâ⬠which assaulted the customary English approach and tried to show that, looking across both equity and common law, there is a coherent English law of restitution, which is footed on the cannon of putting back unjust enrichment. The above authors viewed the law of restitution as belonging alongside tort and contract as a third branch of the law of obligations. Slowly, Goff and Jonesââ¬â¢s findings gained momentum in legal practitioners, academia and judges, thereby ending in the acknowledgment by House of Lords the law of restitution in Lipkin Gorman v Karpnale Ltd in 1991, which can be considered as Donoghue v Stevenson1 of the law of Restitution. In Woolwich Equitable Building Society v IRC, the cannon of unjust enrichment was relied upon by the Lordships to deliver a sweeping decision that in case of payment demanded by a public authority ultra vis, a claimant is entitled as of right to restitution against the same. Thereafter, unambiguous reference to unjust enrichment as the source of the claims made by judges at all categories in various cases in the UK. (Burrows, Mthe Kendrick & Edelman 2007:1). English courts have generally been reluctant to acknowledge restitution as a separate norm of recovery due to the availability of the substitute legal remedies under common law like recovery such recoveries and quantum valebat and the doctrine of waiver that is available inequitable and tort claims. Nonetheless, the law of restitution is often confused through the English courtsââ¬â¢ synthesis of equity and contract founded reliefs vindicated under the head of restitution. I t is to be noted that the inherent issues with the restitution footed claims are the doctrinal complexity of measuring the notion of unjust enrichment. In the case Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington LBC, the underlying aim of restitution has frequently been puzzled with equitable trust law notions, thereby increasing the perplexity in this domain of law as corroborated by the main issue in the above case being swap litigation. (Burrows et al 2007:40). The English courts have given for the claims under restitution a synthetic ââ¬Å"quasi-contractâ⬠hypothesis, which is damned for being ââ¬Å"intrinsically hollow, mirroring a vague concept. The core issue in applying the quasi-contract rationale is that in restitution claims, the defendants were being demanded to make payment on the footage of wrongdoing without any backing doctrinal rationale for making such damage payment to the claimant under logical legal standards.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Calcium carbonate and Hydrochloric Acid Essay Example for Free
Calcium carbonate and Hydrochloric Acid Essay 1. Spatula: We used the spatula to take out the calcium carbonate from the jar because it was the only equipment small enough to fit through the jar. Using another piece of equipment, for example a spoon, would be too large to fit through. 1. Weighing Boat: We placed the calcium carbonate in the weighing boat after we measured it. The weighing boat is light, so it will not affect how we measure the calcium carbonate. 1. Goggles: We wore goggles as part of our health and safety rules that we had to follow to stop any injuries from happening. An example for when we need goggles is when we need to prevent acid from getting into your eyes as it may damage your eyes for the long term. 1. Conical flask with bung: We used this piece of equipment because we needed to put in the reactants (calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid) that we used when measuring the amount of gas being produced. It attached onto the gas syringe so the gas that was produced in the reaction could pass through the tube to be measured. The bung is there to make sure that the gas being produced, does not escape from the conical flask. The method consists of several steps: 1. Put on your lab coat and goggles. 2. Gather all the equipment that you need e. g. gas cylinder with chronicle flask, two clamp stands, measuring boat, measuring cylinder, and stop watch. 3. Set your equipment up e. g. clamp the gas cylinder into one clamp stand, and clamp the chronicle flask into the other clamp stand, making sure they are at the same height 4. Measure the hydrochloric acid with a measuring cylinder. 5. Pour the acid into the chronicle flask 6. Weigh out the calcium carbonate with the electronic balance 7. Pour the calcium carbonate into the chronicle flask 8. Place the bung on straight away, and start the digital stop watch 9. Take readings from the gas cylinder every 10 seconds. Main experiment ââ¬â changing the surface area. The equipment we used was pipette. We used this to make sure the volume of acid used was as accurate as possible. The way we measured the acid was at eye level from the bottom of the meniscus. We used the gas syringe to measure the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced. The syringe was precise because it measured volume in 1ml divisions. We used the electronic balance to ensure the experiment is precise because the electronic balance is measured to 2 decimal places and we also used the stop clock as it is precise because it measured to hundredth seconds. This helped us accurately record the volumes of gas at our set intervals. In the surface area we made sure that we kept the 2M of the hydrochloric acid for each experiment of the surface area. We also used a mercury thermometer as it gives us a better precise reading and allows us to see whether the temperature of the hydrochloric acid makes a difference to the results. The method of the experiment of surface area was on the first experiment we used small calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5g. We measured this by using an electronic balance and we used 2M of hydrochloric acid of a volume of 30ml, by using a measuring cylinder which allowed us to measure the volume accurately. The second experiment we used medium calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5. We measured this by using an electronic balance and we used 2M of hydrochloric acid of a volume of 30ml by using a measuring cylinder which allowed us to measure the volume accurately. For the third experiment we used large calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5g. We measured this by using an electronic balance and we used 2M of hydrochloric acid of a volume of 30ml by using a measuring cylinder which allowed us to measure the volume accurately. For every experiment for the surface area we poured the hydrochloric acid into the conical flask, and then added the calcium chips as fast as possible to ensure the gas does not escape into the air, and not in the gas cylinder. As soon as we placed the bung inside the conical flask, we immediately started the stop watch and timed it up to 120 seconds. For every 10 seconds the person in role of the stop watch would shout at every 10 seconds, and the other person reading the gas cylinder will shout how fast the rubber, tubing is moving out of the gas cylinder. Then we would record the results in the table and repeat the same experiment 5 times to make the results precise and reliable. Results for surface area. We first started off with calcium carbonate powder (1. 5g)with hydrochloric acid (30ml) but the reaction took place within 5 seconds and immediately reacted. Therefore it was very fast and it was impossible for us to take any readings. Because of this we decided to use calcium carbonate chips so it is easier to take the reading. Table 4. Results for small chips of calcium carbonate Calcium Small Chips 1. 5g Hydrochloric Acid 2M 30ml Volume Of Gas Produced (ml) Time Repeat1 (ml) Repeat 2 (ml) Repeat 3 (ml) Repeat 4 (ml) Repeat5 (ml) Averages Evaluating the results for small chips of calcium carbonate Table 4 shows the surface area of small calcium chips. We did this by using 1. 5g of small calcium chips and 30ml of volume of 2M hydrochloric acid. There does not seem to be any outliers; a good start for the first results. As you can see we repeated the experiment 5 times to result precision. From the Table 4, we can see that the volume of gas produced increased fast towards the average of 110. From this we were keen to find out if the medium calcium chips made a more noticeable difference. Table 5. Evaluating results for medium chips of calcium carbonate Calcium Medium Chips 1. 5g Hydrochloric Acid 2M 30ml Volume Of Gas Produced (ml) Time Repeat1 (ml) Repeat 2 (ml) Repeat 3 (ml) Repeat 4 (ml) Repeat 5(ml) Averages EC Outliers Evaluating results for medium chips of calcium carbonate. In Table 5, we show the surface area of medium calcium chips. We did this by using 1. 5g of medium calcium chips and 30ml of volume of 2M hydrochloric acid. In this graph there seems to be an outliner which is highlighted in blue. For the averages we did not include the outlier to give us a more reliable and precise average. As you can see we repeated the experiment 5 times to assure result precision. From Table 5 we can see that the volume of gas produced has gradually increased towards the time of 120 seconds. This shows that medium chips are the best results so far. To make sure we have concluded the right decision we wanted to check if large calcium chips would make a stronger difference. Table 6. Evaluating results for large chips Calcium Large Chips 1. 5g Hydrochloric Acid 2M 30ml Volume Of Gas Produced (ml) Time Repeat 1 (ml) Repeat 2 (ml) Repeat 3(ml) Repeat 4 (ml) Repeat 5 (ml) Averages emp= 24EC 24EC 24EC 24EC 23EC Outliers Evaluating results for large chips of calcium carbonate. In Table 6 we show the surface area of large calcium chips. We did this by using 1. 5g of large calcium chips and 30ml of volume of 2M hydrochloric acid. In this graph there seems to be an outliner which is highlighted in blue. In the outlier the temperature on the hydrochloric acid was 23EC, which is an inconvenience and the rest of the results that donââ¬â¢t have an outlier have all got 24EC. This tells us the that the change in temperature may be a reason why there may be an outlier. For the averages we did not include the outlier to give us a more reliable and precise average. As you can see we repeated the experiment 5 times to assure precision in results. From the Table 6 we can see that the volume of gas produced has gradually increased towards the time of 120 seconds. This shows that large chips results are also reliable. Graphs for surface area. In the graph I can see that small chips used in the reaction releases more volume of gas in (ml) is better as it increases the amount of carbon dioxide produced till 100 seconds so the amount of carbon dioxide produced from 100 ââ¬â 120 seconds becomes constant. The medium chips starts releasing gas at 10 seconds at a volume of 9ml. The volume of gas then increases up to 120 at a volume of 83ml. The large chips starts releasing gas at 10 seconds at a volume of 9ml and the volume of gas then increases up to 120 seconds at a volume of 85ml. Because we did not carry on timing the experiment we do not know if the rate of reaction decreases at 120 seconds and more because both large and medium chips seem to be increasing the volume of gas. As you can see from these results in the graph. large and medium chips release almost the same amount of carbon dioxide. This means that both the differences between large and medium are insignificant. as the range bars overlap. Conclusion for surface area In the surface area there was more area available for collisions to take place. If the reactant is a solid it is necessary to break it into smaller pieces to increase surface area. In the surface area results, we found out that as the mass of the calcium chips are larger; it increases the speed of the particles. The faster the particles move, the greater the number of collisions, and therefore the rate of the reaction increases. Chemical reactions take place by chance. Particles need to collide with enough velocity so that they react. As surface area is increased the particles move faster since they have more energy. This means that they are colliding more often and most of the collisions have enough velocity to cause a reaction. Since there are more collisions the chemical reaction takes place faster. Main experiment ââ¬â changing concentration. The equipment we used was pipette. We used this to make sure the volume of acid used was as accurate as possible. The way we measured the acid was at eye level from the bottom of the meniscus. We used the gas syringe to measure the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced. The syringe was precise because it measured volume in 1ml divisions. We used the electronic balance to ensure the experiment is precise because the electronic balance is measured to 2 decimal places. Qe also used the stop clock as it is precise because it measured to hundredth seconds which helped us accurately record the volumes of gas at our set intervals. In the concentration we made sure that we kept the calcium carbonate small chips of 1. 5g and the hydrochloric acid 30ml but just changed the M to 0. 5M, 1M, 1. 5M, 2M for each experiment for the concentration. We also used a mercury thermometer as it gives us a more precise reading and allows us to see whether the temperature of the hydrochloric acid makes a difference in the results. The method of the experiment for the concentration was on the first experiment as we used small calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5g. We measured this by using an electronic balance and we used 0. 5M of hydrochloric acid of a volume of 30ml by using a measuring cylinder which allowed us to measure the volume accurately. In the second experiment we used small calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5. We measured this by using an electronic balance and we used 1M of hydrochloric acid of a volume of 30ml by using a measuring cylinder which allowed us to measure the volume accurately. For the third experiment we used small calcium chips with the mass of 1. 5g.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Describe the physical and economic factors Essay Example for Free
Describe the physical and economic factors Essay Bournemouth is Dorsets largest city. It has grown in size since the early 1800s to a population over 160,000 today. There are various reasons why Bournemouth is desirable and has attracted so many people. Bournemouth seems to have a certain charm that other British characteristics that many other seaside towns fail to offer. Physical: Bournemouth is situated on a Jurassic world heritage coastline meaning that it offers a beauty that other coastlines lack and people are aware of its beauty. Many new families are drawn to the area as they believe that it is a good area to raise a family, and that it holds good and secure prospects. Although not the vital factor when families relocate, people like to feel safe and have nice surroundings. Bournemouth has these; the city is approximately 21 miles away from the New Forest. The middle class families that choose towns such as Bournemouth like the fact that they are so close to beautiful pastures and cycle paths through the forests, as Cities such as London and Manchester do not offer such environmental diversity. Bournemouth is keen on keeping the building of new buildings as low as possible, encouraging developments to take place on unused brownfield sites to try and worsen the costal squeeze. Bournemouth wants to keep its rare assortment of coast, countryside and city developments. However, there are some new developments in the town; the Bournemouth Pavilion Gardens is a i 59 million project that will see a nine screen cinema, 15 restaurants and over 30+ shops using unused land to create the development. Economic: Unlike many other costal towns, Bournemouth has been fortunate enough to see an economic boom take place. The service sector in Bournemouth has taken off; more residents have seen employment in banking, finance and tourism/ leisure. JP Morgan, a large and well respected American ban has chosen Bournemouth to have a large office on the edge of the city, employing over 4000 people. With the likes of JP Morgan setting up offices here, it means that other banks such as Barclays and Abbey Life have chosen to have offices in Bournemouth. These companies also find Bournemouth desirable due to the university, with graduates finding well paid jobs in these footloose industries. This has some affect on stopping a brain drain that other seaside towns have experienced, with Bournemouth having a surprisingly bottom-heavy population for a British seaside town. Transport in and out of the city has greatly improved since the 1980s, in the late 80s the rail links were improved shortening the length of journeys to London to just 2 hours. This could mean people decide to commute from Bournemouth to London. However, the airport has helped Bournemouth economically develop, with links to cities all over Europe it will continue the cycle that JP Morgan by setting up office in the town, due to its proximity to London and links to Europe. Being the 3rd best airport in the world by The Telegraph newspaper will give it some extra prestige too. Although the tourist trade in Bournemouth is not what it once would have been; now a lot more day-trippers are visiting the town. People might be staying the New Forest and visit Bournemouth for a day. Alternatively, people are using the train links from London to Bournemouth to visit for the day too, leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. They are not spending as much as people who would have once holidayed here for the week, but are still contributing to the upkeep of Bournemouths economy. In conclusion, Bournemouth is a crowded coast due to having career prospects that entice the young to stay in the town. There is not as big a case of a brain-drain that other coastal towns may experience. With over 62% of the population being under the age of 49 it means the town is not just a retirement town that other costal towns such as Walton- on- the Naze have experienced. People inwardly migrate here due to the towns environmental diversity. Some middle class families find that raising children in a town such as Bournemouth is a safer environment than a city. Bournemouth is only 2 hours from London, offering cheaper house prices, a sluggish but achievable commute to London and its proximity to the national park the New Forest have all contributed to Bournemouth being a crowded coast in the 21st century.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Impact Of The Super Bowl On A City Tourism Essay
Impact Of The Super Bowl On A City Tourism Essay Executive summary Its no doubt that American football and the Super Bowl event for that matter is a multi-million dollar business. Most estimates put its contribution to host cuties economies consistently over $300 million. A good number of Americans follow events that shape the sport and contribute to its well being in one way or the other. Besides the benefits that the players and industry regulators reap there are numerous other ways that ordinary people benefit. Entertainment is one such avenue but the biggest of them all is the economic impact that the event brings to the host city This paper seeks to examine the economic impacts that come along with the hosting of the event. The direct and indirect impacts that are accrued from activities that surround the staging of the championship run into millions of dollars. There is significant investment from the authorities that is required for the success of the championship. The authorities then benefit fro revenue collection and improvement of infrastructure. The event also accords the host city business opportunities that local individuals and companies exploit to boost the local economy. Documented evidence and critical reviews on the economic impact of Super Bowl exist. This provided the basis of this research as the starting point and the fleshing up of the conclusions arrived. The paper dwells mainly on the background, statistical evidence as well as the sectors benefit as direct result of the staging of Super Bowl. The contents of this paper aides the conclusion at the end of it. This is the general idea that can be deduced from the whole findings that are contained in the paper. Introduction Sports are today an integral part in the development of nations. Its an income earner for many people both directly and indirectly. In Europe soccer is the major sport developed through the various soccer leagues in Europe. Rugby is common too in Europe as is cricket in Asia (Layden, 2005). In the United States basket ball, base ball and American football form the top cream of sports business entertainment and business. They are huge money minting machines that responsible for the generation of millions in taxes to the authorities hence playing a big part in economic development. The Super Bowl is perhaps the biggest and most unique annual sporting events that take place in the United States. This is the final game of the national football league championship which can comfortably claim to be the most watched television broadcast in the US. It holds such significance in the American culture that some consider it an unofficial holiday. The Super Bowl Sunday, the day that the game is staged is the second biggest food consumption day in the United States only next to thanks giving day. That translates to a big boost in food businesses and others as well. Besides the game which is the star attraction of the event, there has been the cooption of various performances from artists. The artists perform during the pre-game and half times. Its importance is well demonstrated when the campaign of the then senator Barrack Obama bought airtime in various networks 30 minutes before the Super Bowl to advertise his policies. Television channels have used the Super Bowl time to introduce series of the programs that the want to attract huge followings Its not lost to any casual observer that the Super Bowl has importance that stretches beyond the field and beyond the mare fact that its a popular game. To many the hosting presents a windfall of opportunities. The impacts of the game span past sports to culture and the economy. That has always been the subject of debate from the games administrators to commentators and independent observers. According to Depken and Wilson (2003), the viewership of the Super Bowl is estimated to be close to 100 million people worldwide and a potential of one billion. That can easily rival the FIFA soccer World Cup and the Olympic. While it has not acquired the status of the above two, the economic impact that the event is likely to bless a host city with is unprecedented. That is besides other advantages like the chance to revamp its infrastructure and improve its security. Economists have always dismissed that the economic impact that the Super Bowl brings to the host city may a fraction of what its normally touted to be. But that is subject to debate (Feinstein, 2007). Extensive studies are carried out every year to determine the economic impacts that championship game brings to the host city. However there appears to be consensus among attendees, local business leaders, and corporate planners that its beneficial to host the event, whichever way one looks at it. Purpose With super bowl comes a host of opportunities for the companies that win time to advertise and those that manufacture anything associated with the staging of the event. Of particular importance however is the benefit that the host city reaps from the staging of the event. The economic impact on the city can be enormous and careful planning may ensure the netting of a good amount of revenue besides the publicity that the city gets. The current NFL policy is to stage the Super Bowl in a city that has an NFL franchise. Cities normally bid fro the hosting and they are determined five years before the game is played. Currently the cities have been determined up to the year 2013. There has been a string of criticism that the figures and projections that are presented by NFL to the host cites are not based on reality. The purpose of this paper therefore is to shed some light into the whole issue of the economic impact of the host city of Super Bowl. This research will seek to determine the economic impact that the Host city receives. All dimensions are examined, the merits and demerits as far as its economy is concerned. Background Football has been played in the US for a long time just like other sports like baseball. Professional football in the United States began in the year 1920. Super Bowl the premier event of the game-Super Bowl championship however is relatively young having been played for the first time in 1967 (Schwartz, 1998). Since then the event has acquired elevation to one of the most valued sports traditions in the history of sports. Super Bowl is the football game that is played annually to determine the champion of the National Football League. Winners from the American Football Conference championship game and the National Football Conference face each other in the run up to the National Football League playoffs. The merger agreement between the American football league and the national football league saw the creation of the Super Bowl. The NFL has a long history dating back to the 1920s while the AFL started gaining dominance in the 1960s. There was as a result intense rivalry between the two leagues in regards to fans, players and control of the game. To avoid financial ruin, the two rivals decided to engage in talks in 1966 which resulted in the subsequent merger. Since then it has become a national pastime activity whose popularity is rivaled by few events in America. The Pittsburgh Steelers is the team that has won the most Super Bowls- six while the Dallas cowboys and the San Francisco have both won five each Data collection The findings and conclusions that were made in this research paper were very dependent on data. There was no field research conducted, however secondary data form books, scholarly research articles and the internet was used in this research. All sources were included in the in text citation and the bibliography at the end of the paper. General figures The figures associated with Super Bowl indicate clearly why the event is an important one in American culture and business, most importantly the host city. Its the most watched television program every year in the country. 40% of all households in the US tune to television during the game as are 60% of all homes (St. John, 2009). Close to 90 million Americans tune into the Super Bowl game while another close to 120 million partially doing so. Hallmark Cards Inc rates Super Bowl as the number one home party event every year, perhaps bigger than New Years Eve. Wenner (2005) reveals that its the biggest eating day in the U.S apart from thanks giving day. 15,000 tonnes of chips and four thousand tones of popcorn are consumed in homes during the Super Bowl. Avocado which is essential for the preparation of guacamole is another type of food that is widely consumed on super Sunday. According to the California avocado commission, twelve million avocados are sold in preparation for the game. Figures available on the impact of the Super Bowl indicate that cities experience economic impacts amounting to millions of dollars. In 1994 Atlanta Georgia made 166 million dollars from the Super Bowl, Miami made 365 million in1995; phoenix reaped 306 million in 1996 while New Orleans raked in 200 million in 1997. Others include 295 million for San Diego in 1998,336 million for Huston Texas in 204 and 372 million for Detroit Michigan in 2006. Economic impact For the host city to be determined it has to be appealing to tourist, sponsors and spectators. That is besides being a franchise city of the NFL (Depken Wilson, 2003). The NFL, local governments and various associations of hotels and restaurants normally predict the economic impact that the hosting will have on the city (Depken Wilson, 2003). This mainly takes into account the expenditure that the city is likely to incur while determining the real benefits that it will get. For instance the police and fire departments are paid for the overtime hours that they work to ensure safety and security is maintained. The spending is done according to the projected impact and the extent to which the prevailing economy can allow. Tampa Bay had to scale back spending on the Super Bowl due to the state of the current state of the economy. The potential positive impact on the local economy is the major incentive for the city that is hosting the Super Bowl. Economists generally estimate that super bowl always has had an impact of between $300- $400 million on the host citys economy (Coates Humphreys, 2002) There are direct and indirect impacts that come with the event, which can also be long-term and short-term as well (Christopher Peters, 2006). In simple layman terms, the sum total comprise of the economic impact of the Super Bowl on the host city (Polzer, 2003). The direct impacts come form the spending by the various participants while indirect impacts are the multiplier effect the is felt way after the event is done. The money that was spent locally is re-spent again leading to additional rounds of spending (Wenner, 2005). Indirect impacts also include rise in local residents incomes due to the activities associated with the game as well as the dollars that are withdrawn form the local economy. Further the direct impacts comprise of the large scale purchase of goods by companies mainly from local producers and manufacturers (Depken Wilson, 2003) The economic impacts of any sporting event are usually measured in terms of the increase in revenue collection for the authorities and individual business that help sustain it. Direct and indirect expenditure is also factored in. Super Bowl is a unique event that cannot be really compared to any type of sport. However the economic impact that it breeds is comparable to those other world events mentioned earlier. The above statistics paint a rosy picture of the Super Bowl event and day. They are not exaggerated in any way meaning they can translate to real economic benefits on the ground. The host city will have to reevaluate its entire system to be able to deal with the needs of the traveling fans that flock to town for the Super Bowl. The economic impact of the city is more or less positive because of the increased consumption of goods and services that are as a direct result of the temporary population explosion. Overall the change in economic activity associated with the event is the most appropriate indicator of the benefits. Its arrived at by multiplying the direct impacts by the multiplier and adding the result to the direct impacts. To be more precise the economic activities that result into the benefits in the local economies have been highlighted in the following section. Tourism Tourism is one of the major income earners especially for any authorities that enjoy any degree of autonomy. Tourism is boosted by various events that attract record numbers of people. Sports events like Super Bowl are some of them. There is always an influx of visitors mainly traveling fans to the super bowl host city. A joint commissioned study by the NFL and the Sport Management Research Institute in 1999 concluded that the average expenditure of attendees who flocked to the south Florida Super Bowl were double the expenditure of tourists during the peak season of that place (Leiker, 2005).These comprise of the majority of tourists that visit the city during that particular time. The locals who take breaks from their work to watch the event to some extent comprise of the domestic tourists of the city. According to Price Water House Coopers, Indianapolis that is bidding to host the event in 2011 will receive over 98,000 visitors and approximately $131 million in direct spending from the visitors and the locals. An estimated 95600 people visited Atlanta during the Super Bowl period. Huston was estimated to have received close to 90,000 visitors during its Super Bowl (Layden, 2005). The direct impact as a result of the sporting event is widespread spending by the local residents as well as tourist. In Tampa Bay for instance hospitality and tourism industry activities as a result of the Super Bowl XLIII were estimated to generate approximately $150 million in direct spending. In past championships, the same activities generated $195 million in phoenix and Miami. Detroit generated $118 million, $ 124 million for Jacksonville in 2005 and $ 135 million for Huston in 2004 all from direct spending form tourist and hospitality activities as result of the staging of the Super Bowl (Depken Wilson, 2003). They spend on hotels, rental cars, taxis and visits to local attractions. The expenditure that is pumped into the city/s coffers from accommodation, food and other tourist activities is the boon that is capitalized on most. According to Schwartz (1998), most hotels report 100% booking rate in the period on the run up to the games a few days after. Bed occupancy and demand for the provision of other services are critical in the revenue generation of hotels that are involved during the Super Bowl. Shopping Its an unofficial fact among all sports fans, Super Bowl fans are the biggest spendthrifts there are today. Commodity prices rise due to the market forces of demand. Some traders too cash in on the event with modest price increments that translate to the increase in revenue. Many retail chains in the host cities find it economically viable when the Super Bowl is held in their city. They are among the direct beneficiaries of the free spending habits of the traveling fans and tourists. The impact it has on their sales cannot be missed. The week before the Super Bowl always sees a surge in shopping that pumps quite a good amount of money into the economy. Americans spend close to one million man hours doing shopping mainly for food items that are consumed during the game. That has always been the trend and indications show that it getting bigger whether there is a recession or not. The event is big food eating event and shoppers are estimated to spend at least $55 million on food alone. Infrastructure China invested heavily in the build up to the Olympics; South Africa is involved in massive up gradation n of infrastructure ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The same trend can be seen in Brazil and London who are in line to stage the Olympics as well. The same scenario is common in the build up to NFL games. Its a critical component that is a must for the any successful staging. Huge investments from local authorities, NFL and individuals in preparation to the staging of the Super Bowl provide the stimulus money that is needed to boost the local economies. The successful attraction of the event to the host city calls for the capability for the host city to provide the venue, hotels, and transport and entertainment facilities. Public health and safety facilities re also renovated to meet the demand that comes with the people attending the event (Feinstein, 2007). An increased need to renovate infrastructure fro such an event forces the authorities to repair them this ensure a positive long-term effect for the local economy log after the Super Bowl is gone. Roads, pavements and public utilities like parks are upgraded to be able to accommodate the high numbers of travelers entering the city. The stadium where the event is staged is the single biggest infrastructure activity that the host city carries. It has to meet the minimum requirements that the NFL sets. The authorities inject substantial amounts of money normally in hundreds of millions into the economies in the efforts to renovate the NFL stadiums. Since 1995 through 2003 604 billion dollars has been spent on renovating twenty one NFL stadiums (Leiker, 2005). The renovation is a source of numerous jobs that boost the citys employment rate. Publicity There is always a media blitz that accompanies such a sporting event with a national following. The kind of publicity that the host city gets is enough to boost its image among attendee and non attendees. Prospective investors and tourists get a chance for an in-depth review of the cities potential. The city is therefore saved millions in terms of advertising itself as premier business or tourist destination. Jobs With such an event the demand for labor rises. This leads to the creation of jobs that are needed in the overall preparation pf the event. They range from skilled experts to part-time social workers who tend to visitors new to the city. These experts normally sourced locally comprise of construction workers, planners and organizers. The Super Bowl is thought to create an estimated minimum of 500 jobs any time that its staged. In other cases there have been statistics that suges5t that in fact the event creates far more jobs than its reported. According to Christopher and Peters (2006) the event created over 2700 jobs in Atlanta Georgia besides the $166 million that it pumped into the economy. That is quite the most direct impact that the host city feels. Though most of these jobs are short-term and part-time, there is good compensation that comes along with it that makes them economically viable. Local authorities hire residents for the jobs thus helping in the retention and circulation of the money in the local economy. Confidence building The successful staging of such a sports event like Super Bowl build confidence in the management of the city. Together with the publicity that the city gets pairs up to ensure long-term success of the economic ventures of the city. Criticism However no everyone agrees with the notion that Super Bowl is an economic resuscitating machine in the host city. There is some positives but not as they are put forward by industry players. They have presented their case with researches that advance reasons why they think that is the case. Some scholars have accused the NFL of inflating the figures that are presented to cities that are bidding to host the event. They assert that the economic impact is not as big as its meant to look on paper. The figures according to them are presented to be ale to convince reluctant cities into accepting the NFL proposals. There is a general agreement among the critical scholars that the estimates normally never go beyond gross measures. There is also a feeling among these scholars that the multiplier effect they economists use to estimate the economic impact of sports events may not be accurate after all and it pants the incorrect picture as far as the benefits are concerned. Further more the use of expenditure multipliers is not clear in cases like where for instance hotels are owned by a nationwide chain. It does not clearly articulate the fraction of the revenue that remains and circulates in the particular locality where expenditure occurs. The average impact is likely to be a quarter of or less the estimates that are presented by the NFL. According to Leiker (2005), several factors lead to the wrongful estimation of the economic impact of the Super Bowl. Investigator bias and data measurement error rank high as some of the leading factors that are used influence the inaccurate presentation of economic impact figures. Capacity constraint and changing product relationships are the other factors that Porter came up with. He arrived at the conclusion after reviewing the available short-term data on sales receipts for a number of Super Bowls. Polzer (2003) postulates that, after examining twenty five Super Bowls from 1973-1977 concluded that Super Bowl was only responsible for the creation of 535 jobs. The economic impact of the game according to them was not in the hundreds of millions but roughly 30 million dollars. That represented roughly a tenth of the figure that NFL touted. On the same note, Coates and Humphrey (2002) examined the post season play in all American sports. They concluded that hosting the Super Bowl had little or no statistical impact on the per capita income of the city residents where the championship was staged. Conclusion The following facts are clear from the findings above. That millions of dollars are received as revenue by authorities and individuals of the host city of the Super Bowl event That, there are jobs created due to the staging of the event in the city that that is the host. These clearly are indicators of positive outcomes of the event on the economy of the city. There is a long-term positive economic effect that the host city enjoys after the event is over. This is from the publicity that comes along with the staging of the championship game. The improvement of infrastructure certainly bodes well for the host city since it will not need to undergo major renovations should the event or an equivalent come up again. Whether or not the figures that are presented in the by civilian and sports authorities are real, remains to the subject of discussion. Even if they do not amount into the proportions that are presented there must be some net benefit that is realized from the successful staging of a Super Bowl championship game. The event still has a lot of potential that has yet to be tapped. The numerous studies that have been conducted provide the pointers as to where the weaknesses are and what needs to be done. Though its not guaranteed that the event can be staged in any particular city, the earnings from the sport can be improved. That is what the future host cities need to focus on.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Distinguishing Panavision And Bensusan :: Legal Essays
Distinguishing Panavision And Bensusan The law regarding jurisdiction determination was far from crystal clear even before the internet came of age, and courts are now having a difficult time reconciling the "purposeful availment" and related "effects" tests used in traditional jurisdiction analyses with the new paradigms in information transfer made possible by the internet, and in particular by the World Wide Web (WWW). These difficulties are apparent in Panavision, Int'l. L.P. v. Toeppen, 938 F. Supp 616 (C.D. Cal. 1996), and Bensusan Restaurant Corp. v. King, 937 F. Supp. 295 (S.D.N.Y. 1996). Both cases involved trademark infringement and dilution suits stemming from the alleged use of the trademark on the WWW. Each court came down differently on the jurisdiction issue, and rightly so, but neither court's analysis was very satisfying when one attempts to distinguish the two cases. In Toeppen, the defendant had formed a plan to find prominent registered trademarks which had not yet been registered as internet addresses, and register them as his own, with the expectation that he could sell them at a substantial profit to the owner of each mark should that owner desire to do business on the internet using that internet address. The court used a three-part test for specific jurisdiction, the first part of which was the "purposeful availment" test, which in turn became an "effects test" when the claim is in the nature of a tort. After deciding that the claim was tort-like, the court used the "effects test" and found that Toeppen's acts were 1) intentional, 2) aimed at California, and 3) caused foreseeable harm to the plaintiff. This was at the heart of the court's reasoning in exercising jurisdiction. The facts in Bensusan start out very much like Toeppen, but diverge at a point, resulting in a decision to decline to exercise jurisdiction. In Bensusan, which proceeded Toeppen by ten days, the defendant, a Missouri jazz club, had set up a web page the contents of which contained an allegedly infringing use of the plaintiff's trademark, "The Blue Note". The plaintiff, owner of the mark for a New York jazz club, wanted the New York district court to interpret state law so that it could exercise jurisdiction over the Missouri club. It refused to do so because, under a similar "effects test" to that used in Toeppen (the court here also found the claim to be in the nature of a tort), there was no foreseeable harm to the plaintiff.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Is the System Awash? :: essays research papers fc
Is the System Awash? à à à à à Most Americans are unaware of the problems of the poor, it is hard to imagine the challenges of poverty, the daily fears of victimization or the frustration of not being able to provide for a child. These central ideas along with many others have plagued the United Statesââ¬â¢ economy for most of its history. What do we do with the poor? Who are they and what can we do to help them? Well the answer is a mix between individuality with a strong relativity to the central government. It is here that we find our argument and it is here that we find ourselves at bay with many sensitive subjects. I believe that it is the governmentââ¬â¢s responsibility to provide for the nation, but it is up to the individual whom is given to, to make a difference with what is given to them. With such problems as minimum wage, unemployment and little to no affordable housing it is hard for the poverty stricken individual to gain some if any ground at all in their quest to rise up out of the bonds of d estitution. There needs to be a ââ¬Å"battle planâ⬠if you will to attack this issue of poverty head on. It is here that my plan comes into effect. Many propose simply giving them some sort of aid in food or money and being done with it, what I propose is that you give a little and they take it much further than what was originally thought possible. It is not simply the act of supporting them for the rest of their lives, it is the act of providing a strong foundation for which they can build upon. An outstanding quote from a man by the name of William McDonough states (chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York), ââ¬Å"Issues of equity and social cohesion are issues that affect the very temperament of the country. We are forced to face the question of whether we will be able to go forward together as a unified society with a confident outlook or as a society of diverse economic groups suspicious of both the future and each other.â⬠(Collins, Leondar and Sklar 280) à à à à à In a broad view the general public knows not of the hardships that a part of the country goes through each day. I had the opportunity to go to college in Kentucky my first year of schooling.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Causes Animal Extinction Essay
Choose one of the following topics and write a 3-paragraph essay consisting of an Introductory Paragraph, ONE Supporting Paragraph and a Concluding Paragraph. Requirements: 1) Your introductory paragraph should not exceed 150 words, the body paragraph should not exceed 200 words, and the concluding paragraph should not exceed 150 words. 2) Your thesis statement should consist of at least 3 subdivisions and choose only ONE subdivision to develop your supporting paragraph. 3) Type your essay using Arial font, 12 pt., and spaced at 1.5 between lines. Remember to include page numbers. 4) You MUST cite works from experts. Include at least TWO (2) specific supporting details of different types (e.g. quotations or paraphrase/ statistics/ examples from various sources / references / online journals). Citation and referencing should be using the APA format. 5) Essays that are submitted after the deadline will be penalized 2 points per day unless you have prior approval/extension date, or a good and confirmable reason. If you need an extension, see your instructor. Extensions are at his/her discretion. TOPIC 1 Many foreign students are interested in studying in Malaysia for many reasons. However, some of these students do not turn up at their colleges after successfully obtaining their student visa. In some cases, those absentees were caught being involved in vice activities such as prostitution and drug dealing. Suggest some methods that can be implemented by the government and education institutions to stop foreign students from misusing their student VISA. TOPIC 2 Every 4-5 years, Malaysia undergoes the election process by which the citizens select the people to lead the government. However, many of the younger generation do not feel the need to participate in the voting process. Suggest the ways to encourage youths to register as voters. TOPIC 3 It is easy for people to forget that when they travel alone, whether via public transportation or on their own, they are actually exposed to many dangerous situations, such as crime. Hence, it is vital for all to have some basic safety guidelines to avoid or protect oneself from danger. Suggest the precautions that a person can take while travelling alone.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Britain During The Inter-war Years Essay
After the First World War Britain suffered economically. This was due to its material export sales being reduced as trade was severely disrupted in the war years encouraging customers to shop elsewhere for their goods such as Japan and other countries who took advantage of Britainââ¬â¢s uncertainty and added taxes to their imports. Britain was also in debt by one million pounds owed to other countries, which did not help the situation. The first major slump began around 1921 when over two million people were unemployed this was partly due to many men being injured in the war over one and a half million men from the United Kingdom alone were permanently weakened by wounds or the effects of gas. Also Britain saw a large reduction in their traditional exports such as coal, iron or steel which resulted in many jobs being forfeited. The coal industry was being left behind by oil, electricity and gas, these could be obtained cheaper or even for free from other countries like Poland where labour was cheaper and Germany who were still in debt for the reparations of the First World War. Suprisingly though Britain recovered quicker and more so than many of the other countries such as America, France and Belgium, it is argued that this was powered by residential construction and the newer developing industries against rearmament for the Second World War. In the depressed areas of Britain Scotland, Lancashire Northern Ireland and South Wales unemployment and poverty were common and part of everyday life. Most of these areas were working class where its inhabitants will have been employed in the dwindling industries such as shipping and textiles and at that time there was no alternative work available. The government tried various ways to try and raise funds, they decided to reduce the wages paid to the few people who were still working to provide more funds to support the unemployed unfortunately this only succeeded to depress people further and encourage strikes. The government even tried to cut their own expenditure this would have involved a reduction in the pay of teachers and funding to schools and hospitals. They also returned to gold standard in April 1925 this made exports expensive but did make imports cheaper. They then raised income tax and reduced unemployment benefits by ten percent; the bank rates were also reduced to a low two- percent lowering the interest earned on money saved. Two unpaid commissioners were taken on to try and revive the worst hit areas this was said to have little or no effect. The government then set out to encourage new businesses by offering reduced rates, rent and income tax, this was effective but only in providing lightweight factory work mainly directed at women to produce the all new electrical goods such as parts for irons, radios and light bulbs. This meant that people had more extra cash to spend on consumer goods and more people were able to go on holiday for the first time or even buy their own home, this was encouraged by the falling cost of construction materials and cheaper borrowing as the interest rates dropped. This triggered a wave of house building to meet the increased demand, which in turn created many manual male orientated jobs and also increased the demand for household goods such as furniture and telephones.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Leeming’s Monomyth in Regards to Apocalypse Now
John Jarvis Mythology 211 October 1, 2012 Apocalypse Now Redux: Symbolically Mythology Nothing affixes attention, especially in literature and cinematic entertainment, more readily than a hero. Heroes and their journeys are the central focuses in many famous stories, either ancient or modern. The idea of the journey of a hero and their triumph is referred to as a monomyth, and there are a few approaches to determining if a story is or is not a monomyth. In his book Mythology: The Voyage of a Hero, David Adams Leeming proposes a method that involves eight steps or phases that coincide with the life and journey of the hero.Many of our cultureââ¬â¢s most revered and acclaimed movies fit the description of a monomyth, including Francis Ford Coppolaââ¬â¢s Apocalypse Now Redux. The entire movie takes place during the Vietnam War and depicts the hero, Army Special Operations Captain Willard, on his quest up a river to kill a psychotic Army officer, Colonel Kurtz. Francis Ford Coppolaà ¢â¬â¢s Apocalypse Now Redux coincides with David Adams Leemingââ¬â¢s method of a monomyth because Captain Willard symbolically undergoes every aspect of Leemingââ¬â¢s eight part process.Leemingââ¬â¢s system first starts off with the birth of the hero, and the first scene of the movie corresponds to this point perfectly. The scene begins with Captain Willard in a hotel drinking heavily, and he eventually makes a very gloomy aside. In his aside, Willard states that he is back in Vietnam and that when he is back in America he canââ¬â¢t stand the fact that he is not in Vietnam. Willard notions to the fact that now that he is back he feels like he has a purpose, and it becomes apparent to the audience that the war has consumed Willardââ¬â¢s life.Near the end of the hotel scene, two NCOs find Willard in an extremely drunken state and wash him in the shower in order to make him presentable enough to receive his next mission. While Willard is not literally being born, the a ct of the NCOââ¬â¢s washing him and making him new so that he can go back to performing secret missions, in a sense his life, is symbolic of birth or in some ways rebirth. Now that the hero has been born, the next phase in Leemingââ¬â¢s method is that the hero is made aware of greater forces, usually those which the hero will eventually face.The segment in the movie that relates to this point occurs immediately after the hotel scene, when Captain Willard is briefed about his mission by a few higher ranking military officers. The officers inform Willard that his mission is to kill a rogue and mentally unstable special operations officer, Colonel Kurtz. Colonel Kurtz was once a highly decorated and respected officer, but the briefing officers inform Willard that Kurtz is now acting on his own accord killing at will with an army of people following him who worship him like a god.By the end of the briefing, Willard is made aware of the greater force that he must face. After the he ro is made aware of greater forces, Leeming notes that the hero withdrawals for a period of time to prepare to face the greater force. A little while after the briefing, Captain Willard boards a boat and orders the crew to take him up river. Willard takes time to reflect, in the form of another internal aside, upon his mission in the time before he and the crew run in to anything on the river.Willard shows his concern for the rather novice and oblivious boat crew. He also wonders about what exactly he will encounter on the river, what he will find out about Colonel Kurtz when he finds him, and what Willard will ultimately find out about himself. Following the heroââ¬â¢s preparation to endure their quest, the next step is for the hero to embark on their journey. On this journey, a hero typically displays traits that affirm that he or she is in fact a hero. Likewise, Captain Willard exhibits several examples that affirm his heroic demeanor.An instance where Willard shows that he ha s concern for his subordinates, the boat crew, occurs when he trades supplies at an outpost so that the boat crew can have a few hours with a couple of playboy bunnies that are stranded at the outpost. Another example of Willardââ¬â¢s concern for his men happens when they encounter a French plantation further down the river. One of the members of the boat crew had been killed, and Willard requested the permission to bury him on the plantation. Willard also illustrates the concept of putting the mission first when the boat crew, against Willardââ¬â¢s orders, searches a Vietnamese shanty boat.The crew mistakenly fires on the innocent Vietnamese civilians on the boat, which leaves one of the civilians alive. Rather than he and the crew having to deal with the well-being of the civilian, Willard kills her and tells his men that they should have listened. Once the hero has undergone the main leg of their journey, Leeming states that the hero experiences a symbolic death. Captain Wi llard experiences this symbolic death when he and the crew arrive at Colonel Kurtzââ¬â¢s compound. They are immediately over whelmed by the vast number of followers Kurtz has brain washed, the most of whom being an American reporter.In another aside, Willard constantly uses words and phrases to make the compound seem extremely horrific and hell-like. Willard also realizes that the only reason that he and the crew have not been over whelmed and killed is because Kurtz wants him alive, but Willard makes comments to suggest that he is already dead internally. When the reporter takes Willard to meet Kurtz, he tells one member of the crew who stays on the boat to call in an airstrike on the compound if he is not back within a certain amount of time. The next step in Leemingââ¬â¢s process, after the symbolic death of the hero, is the hero confronts death while in the underworld.Captain Willardââ¬â¢s first meeting with Colonel Kurtz represents this point very well, with Kurtz embo dying the force of death. Kurtz informs Willard that he has been expecting someone like him and asks Willard why he has been sent. Willard tells Kurtz that it is because Kurtz has gone completely insane, a fact that Willard backs up. Kurtz then states that Willard is insignificant and imprisons him. While Willard is imprisoned, Kurtz throws the head of the crew member who was to call in the airstrike on Willardââ¬â¢s lap, showing that Willard is truly helpless.Leeming notes that after the hero has confronted death in the underworld, the hero experiences a rebirth and a passing on of knowledge. This passing on of knowledge occurs after Captain Willardââ¬â¢s first meeting with Colonel Kurtz. The brain washed reporter visits Willard while he is imprisoned and states that the reason Kurtz is keeping Willard alive is because the reporter believes Kurtz is sick of being praised as a false idol and is internally dying himself. The reporter says that after Kurtz is dead that Willard w ill be the one to tell the world what happened at the compound.This encounter is what relights Willardââ¬â¢s internal fire, in a way resurrecting him from the symbolic hell he was in. Willard gains highly significant knowledge in his prolonged second meeting with Kurtz, in which an internal strife builds inside Willard because he begins to harbor affinity for Kurtz. In the meeting, Kurtz explains his position on war and how it should be carried out. Kurtz states that a perfect soldier is moral, but knows when to at times forget his moralistic views and use his primordial instincts to discern what the right course of action is.However, Kurtz notes that common soldiers do not operate in such a way which is their downfall. Willard, eve concludes that he must operate on these instincts if he is to conquer Kurtz. The final stage of Leemingââ¬â¢s model to prove a hero, occurring after the heroââ¬â¢s rebirth and a passing on of knowledge, is the hero ascends from the earth and esc apes the cycle of the world. With the compound in this case symbolizing earth and the war representing the cycle from which Captain Willard will escape.Willard reaches these ends by letting his instincts take control, killing Kurtz at the same time Kurtzââ¬â¢s followers are sacrificing a bull in Kurtzââ¬â¢s honor. Willard then boards the boat and escapes with the one remaining crew member. Even though Willard had grown to in a way admire Kurtz towards the end, Willard implemented what he had learned by operating off his natural instincts he was able to make the right choice. The notion that Francis Ford Coppolaââ¬â¢s Apocalypse Now Redux is a modern day monomyth is bolstered by the fact that Captain Willard symbolically experiences every phase in David Adams Leemingââ¬â¢s method of defining a monomyth.Even though Apocalypse Now Redux is a work of fiction, the concept of basing a story around a heroic figure is a staple of literature in our culture. Real people who act in a heroic manner will continue to inspire such stories. Hopefully, society will never see the day where stories based around heroes cease to be written; because that would mean that the people who inspire those tales will have disappeared. Works Cited Apocalypse Now Redux. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall. 1979. Miramax Films, 2001. Film.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 21
Chapter 21 Angel Dust The bed of Simon's pickup was full of beer-sodden Animals enjoying the morning fog and speculating on the marital status of the new cashier. She had smiled at Tommy when she arrived, driving the Animals into a psychosexual frenzy. ââ¬Å"She looked like she was being towed through the store by two submarines,â⬠said Simon. ââ¬Å"Major hooters,â⬠said Troy Lee. ââ¬Å"Major-league hooters.â⬠Tommy said, ââ¬Å"Can't you guys see more in a woman than T and A?â⬠ââ¬Å"Nope,â⬠said Troy. ââ¬Å"No way,â⬠said Simon. ââ¬Å"Spoken like a guy who has a live-in girlfriend,â⬠said Lash. ââ¬Å"Yeah,â⬠Simon said. ââ¬Å"How come we never see you with the little woman?â⬠ââ¬Å"Seagull! ââ¬Å"shouted Barry. Simon pulled a pump shotgun from under a tarp in the truck bed, tracked on a seagull that was passing over, and fired. ââ¬Å"Missed again!â⬠shouted Barry. ââ¬Å"You can't kill them all, Simon,â⬠Tommy said, his ears ringing from the blast. ââ¬Å"Why don't you just cover your truck at night?â⬠Simon said. ââ¬Å"You don't pay for twenty coats of hand-rubbed lacquer to cover it up.â⬠The shotgun went under the tarp and the manager came through the front doors of the store. ââ¬Å"What was that? What was that?â⬠He was scanning the parking lot frantically as if he expected to see someone with a shotgun. ââ¬Å"Backfire,â⬠Simon said. The manager looked for the offending car. ââ¬Å"They were heading toward the Marina,â⬠Tommy said. ââ¬Å"Well, you tell me if they come back,â⬠the manager said. ââ¬Å"There's a noise ordinance in this city, you know.â⬠He turned to go back into the store. ââ¬Å"Hey, boss,â⬠Simon called. ââ¬Å"The new girl, what's her name?â⬠ââ¬Å"Mara,â⬠the manager said. ââ¬Å"And you guys leave her alone. She's had a rough time of it lately.â⬠ââ¬Å"She single?â⬠Troy asked. ââ¬Å"Off limits,â⬠the manager said. ââ¬Å"I mean it. She lost a child a few months ago.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, boss,â⬠the Animals said in unison. The manager entered the store. Simon ripped a beer from a six-pack ring. He held another out to Tommy. ââ¬Å"Fearless Leader, another brew?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I've got to get home.â⬠ââ¬Å"Me too,â⬠said Simon. ââ¬Å"I've got to clean the bird shit off the beast. You need a ride?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure, can we stop in Chinatown? I want to pick something up for Jody.â⬠Simon shook his head. ââ¬Å"You worry me, son. Men have been pussy-whipped to death, you know.â⬠He downed his beer and crushed the can. ââ¬Å"Out of the truck, girls; Fearless Leader and I have to shop for tampons.â⬠ââ¬Å"Pull!â⬠Troy shouted. A half dozen beer cans arced into the air. The shotgun came out and Simon pumped out two quick shots. The beer cans fell to the parking lot unharmed. The shotgun went under the tarp. The manager came through the front door. Simon said, ââ¬Å"I saw it, boss. Was a baby-blue 72 Nova with a stuffed gerbil on the aerial. Call it in.â⬠Jody's hands were covered with a greasy dust: the remains of Philly. The body had decomposed to dust in seconds after she finished drinking, leaving a pile of empty clothes. After staring at the pile for a moment, she shook off the shock and gathered the clothes into a bundle, which she carried into a nearby alley. The blood-high raced through her like an espresso firehose. She leaned against a dumpster, holding the clothes to her breast like a security blanket. The alley tilted in her vision, then righted, then spun until she thought she would be sick. When the alley stopped moving, she fumbled through the clothing until she found a wallet. She opened it and pulled out the contents. This bundle of rags had been a person; ââ¬Å"Phillip Burns,â⬠the license said. He carried crinkled photos of friends, a library card, a dry-cleaning receipt, a bank card, and fifty-six dollars. Phillip Burns in a convenient, portable package. She pocketed the wallet, threw the clothes into the dumpster, then wiped her hands on her jeans and stumbled out of the alley. I killed someone, she thought. My God, I killed someone. What should I feel? She walked for blocks, not really looking where she was going, but listening to the rhythm of her own steps under the roar of the blood-high in her head. Philly had spilled into her shoes and she stopped and sat on the curb to dump him out. What is this? she thought. This isn't anything. This isn't what I was before I was a vampire. What is this? This is impossible. This isn't a person. A person can't reduce to dust in seconds. What is this? She took off her socks and shook them out. This is fucking magic, she thought. This isn't some story out of one of Tommy's books. This isn't something you can experiment with in the bathroom. This is not natural, and whatever I am, it isn't natural. A vampire is magic, not science. And if this is what happens when a vampire kills, then how are the police finding bodies? Why is there a guy in my freezer? She put on her shoes and socks and resumed walking. It was starting to get light and she quickened her pace, checked her watch, then broke into a run. She'd made a habit of checking the time of sunrise every morning in the almanac so she wouldn't be caught too far from home. Five years in the City had taught her the streets, but if she was going to run she had to learn the alleys and backstreets. She couldn't let anyone see her moving this fast. As she ran, a voice sounded in her head. It was her voice, but not her voice. It was the voice that put no words to what her senses told her, yet understood. It was the voice that told her to hide from the light, to protect herself, to fight or flee. The vampire voice. ââ¬Å"Killing is what you do,â⬠the vampire voice said. The human part of her was revolted. ââ¬Å"No! I didn't want to kill him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Fuck him. It is as it should be. His life is ours. It feels good, doesn't it?â⬠Jody stopped fighting. It did feel good. She pushed the human part of her aside and let the predator take over to race the sun for her life. Nick Cavuto paced around the chalk outline of the body as if he were preparing to perform a violent hopscotch on the corpse. ââ¬Å"You know,â⬠Cavuto said, looking over at Rivera, who was trying to fend off a reporter from the Chronicle at the yellow crime-scene tape, ââ¬Å"this guy is pissing me off.â⬠Rivera excused himself from the reporter and joined Cavuto by the body. ââ¬Å"Nick, keep it down,â⬠he whispered. ââ¬Å"This stiff is making my life difficult,â⬠Cavuto said. ââ¬Å"I say we shoot him and take his wallet. Simple gunshot wound, robbery motive.â⬠ââ¬Å"He didn't have a wallet,â⬠said Rivera. ââ¬Å"There you have it, robbery. Massive blood loss from gunshot wound, broke his neck when he hit the ground.â⬠The reporter perked up. ââ¬Å"So it was a robbery?â⬠Cavuto glared at the reporter and put his hand on his thirty-eight. ââ¬Å"Rivera, what do you say to a murder-suicide? Scoop over there killed this guy, then turned the gun on himself ââ¬â case closed and we can go get some breakfast.â⬠The reporter backed away from the line. Two coroner's assistants moved to the body, pushing a gurney with a body bag on it. ââ¬Å"You guys done here?â⬠one of them asked Cavuto. ââ¬Å"Yeah,â⬠Cavuto said. ââ¬Å"Take him away.â⬠The coroners spread the body bag out and hoisted the body onto it. ââ¬Å"Hey, Inspector, you want to bag this book?â⬠ââ¬Å"What book?â⬠Rivera turned. A paperback copy of Kerouac's On the Road was lying in the chalk line where the body had been. Rivera slipped on a pair of white cotton gloves and pulled an evidence bag from his jacket pocket. ââ¬Å"Here you go, Nick. The guy was a speed reader. Snapped his neck on a meaningful passage.â⬠Jody glanced at the lightening sky, ducked down an alley, and fell into a trot. She was only a block from home, she'd make it in long before sunrise. She leaped over a dumpster, just to do it, then high-stepped through a pile of crates like a halfback through fallen defenders. She was strong in the blood ââ¬â high, quick and light on her feet, her body moved, dodged, and leaped on its own ââ¬â no thought, just fluid motion and perfect balance. She'd never been athletic in life: the last kid to be picked for kickball, straight C's in phys ed, no chance as a cheerleader; the self-conscious, one-step dancer with the rhythmic sense of an inbred Aryan. But now she reveled in the movement and the strength, even as her instincts screamed for her to hide from the light. She heard the policemen's voices before she saw the blue and red lights from their cars playing across the walls at the end of the alley. Fear tightened her muscles and she nearly fell in mid-step. She crept forward and saw the police cars and coroner's wagon parked in front of the loft. The street was full of milling cops and reporters. She checked her watch and backed down the alley. Five minutes to sunrise. She looked for a place to hide. There was the dumpster, even a few large garbage cans, three steel doors with massive locks, and a basement window with steel bars. She ran to the window and tried the bars. They moved a bit. She checked her watch. Two minutes. She braced her feet against the brick wall and pulled on the bars with her legs. Rusty bolts tore out of the mortar and the bars moved another half inch. She tried to peer into the window, but the wire-reinforced glass was clouded with dirt and age. She yanked on the bars again and they screamed in protest and came loose. She dropped the grate and was drawing back to kick out the glass when she heard movement behind the window. Oh my God, there's someone inside! She looked around to the dumpster, some fifty feet away. She looked at her watch. If it was right, the sun was up. She wasâ⬠¦ The glass shattered behind her. Two hands came through the window, grabbed her ankles, and pulled her inside as she went out. ââ¬Å"These here turtles are defective,â⬠Simon said. ââ¬Å"It's okay, Simon,â⬠said Tommy. They were in a Chinatown fish market, where Tommy was trying to purchase two massive snapping turtles from an old Chinese man in a rubber apron and boots. ââ¬Å"You no know turtle!â⬠the old man insisted. ââ¬Å"These plime, glade-A turtle. You no know shit about turtle.â⬠The turtles were in orange crates to immobilize them. The old man sprayed them down with a garden hose to keep them wet. ââ¬Å"And I'm telling you, these turtles are defective,â⬠Simon insisted. ââ¬Å"Their eyes are all glazed over. These turtles are on drugs.â⬠Tommy said, ââ¬Å"Really, Simon, it's okay.â⬠Simon turned to Tommy and whispered, ââ¬Å"You have to bargain with these guys. They won't respect you if you don't.â⬠ââ¬Å"Turtle's not on dlugs,â⬠said the old man. ââ¬Å"You want turtle, you pay forty bucks.â⬠Simon pushed his black Stetson back on his head and sighed. ââ¬Å"Look, Hop Sing, you can do time for selling drugged turtles in this city.â⬠ââ¬Å"No dlugs. Fuck you, cowboy. Forty bucks or go away.â⬠ââ¬Å"Twenty.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thirty.â⬠ââ¬Å"Twenty-five and you clean 'em.â⬠ââ¬Å"No,â⬠Tommy said. ââ¬Å"I want them alive.â⬠Simon looked at Tommy as if he had farted in neon. ââ¬Å"I'm trying to negotiate here.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thirty,â⬠said the old man. ââ¬Å"As is.â⬠ââ¬Å"Twenty-seven,â⬠Simon said. ââ¬Å"Twenty-eight or go home,â⬠said the old man. Simon turned to Tommy. ââ¬Å"Pay him.â⬠Tommy ticked off the bills and handed them to the old man, who counted them and put them in his rubber apron. ââ¬Å"You cowboy friend no know turtle.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks,â⬠Tommy said. He and Simon picked up the crates with the turtles and loaded them into the bed of Simon's truck. As they climbed into the cab, Simon said, ââ¬Å"You got to know how to deal with those little fuckers. Ever since we nuked them, they got a bad attitude.â⬠ââ¬Å"We nuked the Japanese, Simon, not the Chinese.â⬠ââ¬Å"Whatever. You should'a made him clean them for you.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I want to give them to Jody alive.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're a charmer, Flood. A lot of guys would've just paid the ransom with candy and flowers.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ransom?â⬠ââ¬Å"She's got your nooky held hostage, ain't she?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I just wanted to get her a present ââ¬â to be nice.â⬠Simon sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if fighting a headache. ââ¬Å"Son, we need to talk.â⬠Simon had distinctive ideas about the way women should be handled, and as they drove to SOMA he waxed eloquent on the subject while Tommy listened, thinking, If they knew about him, Simon would be elected the Cosmo Nightmare Man for the next decade. ââ¬Å"You see,â⬠Simon said, ââ¬Å"when I was a kid in Texas, we used to walk through the watermelon fields kickin' each of them old melons as we went until one was so ripe and ready that it busted right open. Then we'd reach in and eat the heart right out of it and move on to the next one. That's how you got to treat women, Flood.â⬠ââ¬Å"Like kicking watermelons?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right. Now you take that new cashier. She wants you, boy. But you're thinkin', I got me a piece at home so I don't need her. Right?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right,â⬠Tommy said. ââ¬Å"Wrong. You got one at home that you're buying presents for and saying sweet things and tiptoeing around the house so as not to upset her and generally acting like a spineless nooky slave. But if you put it to that new cashier, then you got one up on your old lady. You can do what you want, when you want, and if she gets pissy and don't put out, you go back to your cashier. Your old lady has to try harder. There's competition. It's supply and demand. God bless America, it's nooky capitalism.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm lost. I thought it was like watermelon farming.â⬠ââ¬Å"Whatever. Point is, you're whipped, Flood. You can't have no self-respect if you're whipped. And you can't have no fun.â⬠Simon turned on Tommy's street and pulled the truck over to the curb. ââ¬Å"Something going on here.â⬠There were four police cars parked in the street in front of the loft and a coroner's van was pulling away. ââ¬Å"Wait here,â⬠Tommy said. He got out of the car and walked toward the cops. A sharp-featured Hispanic cop in a suit met Tommy in the middle of the street. His badge wallet hung open from his belt; he was holding a plastic bag. Inside it Tommy saw a dog-eared copy of On the Road. He recognized the coffee stains on the cover. ââ¬Å"This street is closed, sir,â⬠the cop said. ââ¬Å"Crime investigation.â⬠ââ¬Å"But I just live right there,â⬠Tommy said, pointing to the loft. ââ¬Å"Really,â⬠the cop said, raising an eyebrow. ââ¬Å"Where are you coming from?â⬠ââ¬Å"The fuck's going on here, pancho?â⬠Simon said, coming up behind Tommy. ââ¬Å"I got a truckful of dyin' turtles and I ain't got all damn day.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh Christ,â⬠Tommy said, hanging his head.
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