Strategy implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategy implementation - Essay Example In Andrews’ definition, there appears to be a clear division between strategy formulation and its implementation. It is at the implementation stage that resource allocation becomes crucial. This is in keeping with the classical or planned model of thinking about strategy. In the more recent, process, or resource-based view (RBV) of strategy, when speaking of the competitive advantage of a firm, scholars stress the importance of ‘resources’ and ‘capabilities’ available to it (Amit and Shoemaker 1993). It is commonsensical to argue that the strategy implementation of an enterprise is predicated on the availability (’command’) of resources and capabilities of the firm. Resources are held to be available business-wide, while capabilities are the skills and abilities developed within and specific to the firm. Resources alone therefore, are not in themselves sufficient to gain a ’sustainable competitive advantage’ for a firm. Cap abilities, often in the form of patents, and expertise developed in-house, and not easily replicated by outsiders, are equally, if not more important. It is too simplistic to separate strategy implementation from strategy formulation, since a strategy has to be adaptive and evolving, while keeping at the forefront the ends and goals that need to be met for the business to remain viable. Barney (1991), supported by a number of other researchers, claimed that a firm’s key resources needed optimally to conform to the following criteria.

Academic freedom Essay Example for Free

Academic freedom Essay The playgrounds of any public school in the United States today abound with children from different races. African-Americans, Asians, Latin Americans and Caucasians all populate the diversity rich public school system of America today. Classrooms are filled with different opinions regarding the different races and beliefs (Faegin O’Brien 203). The lunchrooms are full of children all races rubbing elbows with each other without regard for whatever differences in appearances they may have or for whatever the color of their skin may be. This same diversity parallels the situation in today’s world. With all these differences in race, nationality and beliefs, one will be hard pressed to find people who do not feel strongly for or against these differences. While there are rules against the practice of beliefs or convictions, there is no limitation on the right to believe. In relation to this, Universities must not be allowed to banned hate speech as such is against the Freedom of Speech as enshrined in the United States Constitution. See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay In order to arrive at a better understanding of the issue, there must be a discussion of the Freedom of Speech, particularly in the academic environment. Freedom of Speech has historically been used as a tool of the people to prevent the suppression of their rights by voicing out their opinions. The United States Constitution, and other constitutions for that matter, holds one’s freedom to information in the highest regard (Holmes 198). One will be hard-pressed to find a constitution that does not guarantee this fundamental right. One must also be remember at this point that with every right comes a corresponding responsibility. There is no right so absolute that it oppresses the right of other individuals as well (Holmes 198). In line with this, it must be remembered that the freedom of speech, as a tool against oppression, must be exercised responsibly because of it may also lead to the suppression of the rights of others. In furthering the Civil Rights movements, the Freedom of Speech has proved to be crucial to its success. Without the Freedom of Speech, it is arguable that most of the social legislation that is in effect today would be present (Holmes 198). The power of the Freedom of Speech, in the context of protecting one’s civil and constitutional rights, is that it allows people to bring the attention of the public to their grievances in an attempt to provide a solution to the problem (Holmes 197). The United States Constitution, and other constitutions for that matter, holds one’s freedom of speech in the highest regard. One will be hard-pressed to find a constitution that does not guarantee these fundamental rights. One must also be remember at this point that with every right comes a corresponding responsibility. There is no right so absolute that it oppresses the right of other individuals as well. There are exceptions to this rule such as the secrecy of military information, national secrets, trade secrets, and certain information offensive to the public. These exceptions constitute the reasonable restraints on one’s freedom and under the last category fall the information that is being suppressed from minors in public libraries. As such, the means employed is not an undue restraint but rather a reasonable means to maintain one’s constitutional liberties. This means that while there exists the right to speech, there is a need for certain limitations to exist as well. In the context of the right of Universities to ban hate speech, it must be remembered that while the United States Constitution also grants Academic Freedom, it must not run contrary to the Freedom of Speech. Hate Speech is one of the expressions of speech that is constitutionally protected. As the United States Supreme Court has held in several cases, there is a public interest that must be protected. Individuals must be allowed and cannot be unduly restricted with regard their right to Free Speech. The important issue here is the fact that while such speech may be regarded as offensive it does not contravene the constitution unless such speech is made with the intent to create an uprising or lead to overt acts of hate. Therefore, Universities cannot ban hate speech arbitrarily since this is contrary to the Constitution and such right is protected under certain circumstances. A very integral part of the education process lies in learning to interact with other races and nationalities, especially in the United States which is considered as a melting pot for all cultures and races all over the world. The sad reality is that most Americans are brought up in relative isolation from other races and cultures and only in college does such exposure occur. This leads to undesirable consequences such as the creation of strong stereotypes and racial biases (Richey 204). A restriction on the right of people to free speech only serves to widen this bridge between races. While it is true that hate speech may be offensive, it also serves to educate and enlighten people. Expression is an integral part of learning and as such it must not be stifled at the cost of depriving students not only the chance to speak their minds but also to deal with the real world and cultural differences on a more mature level. Freedom of Speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right. It protects the right of every person to speak his mind with regard to any issue at all even if it is critical of a certain class or even the government. The only limitation, as previously highlighted, is that it must be exercised within the rights of other people meaning that it is constitutional as long as it does not impair the rights of other people. Everyone, therefore, regardless of creed, color or belief may exercise his or her right to Freedom of Speech (Reeve 206) and no university can be allowed to curtail this constitutionally protected right. References: Amar, A. (2000) The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction Yale University Press; New Ed edition. 432 pg Amar, A. (1992) The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment Yale Law Journal The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc Smith, G. (1999) Reconstruction or Reaffirmation? Review of â€Å"The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction† George Mason University. Virginia Spaeth, H J. and Smith, E. (1991). HarperCollins College Outline: The Constitution of the United States (13th ed. ). New York: HarperCollins. The Federalist with Letters of Brutus, edited by Terence Ball, Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, pgs 447-453.

Holyrood Project Case Study

Holyrood Project Case Study ABSTRACT: The need to adequately implement a project successfully with the required Project Management indices has ensured that project managers are continuously seeking ways of ensuring that projects meet and satisfies customers cravings. A project is said to be successful if it is implemented with an efficient and effective cost, quality and time management approach thereby meeting customers expectation; it is a failure when it fails to met these set objectives. The Holyrood -Scotland Parliamentary Building project management approach is critically analysed in a post mortem approach in this paper with a view to discussing how each of the stages in the project lifecycle culminated in the failure of the project to meeting certain criteria of an effective project. INTRODUCTION The Holyrood: A project of the Scottish government which was undertaken to provide a magnificent structure for the use of the Scottish Parliament. The advent of the Devolution proposal in 1979 gave rise initially to the project, however, the project became main-stream in 1998. The project became a key issue for the stakeholders due to key project management controls. A successful project is judged to be efficient, cost effective, quality, on time, and meet customers satisfaction. An appraisal of the Holyrood project indicated that some of these indices were not achieved especially in terms of cost and duration, hence the need to evaluate and analyse the entire project life cycle from initiation to closure to ascertain what went wrong and what could have been done. This paper aims to diagnose the indices of a successful project with respect to the Holyrood project, and critically evaluates how the project deviated from the expected project management indices. It identifies the problems of project management associated with each stage of the Holyrood project life cycle using project management theories of the like of P. Gardiner 2005 and J. Westland 2006 to define each stage of project life cycle Initiation Definition; Planning Development; Execution Control and Closure and analyse it to the Holyrood project. The first section reviews the background of the Holyrood Parliament building project. Section two identifies the problems associated with each stage of the project Initiation and definition; Planning and development; Execution and control and Closure. Section three analyses the problems that are most significant to cost increase and schedule slippage using the Auditor General report as well as other authors. Section four will evaluate the problems identified in section 3 and relate it to PM writers (Cimil J.K 1997), (Pinto 1998), (OGC, 2005) to identify why project fails; section five is a summary of findings and conclusion. Chapter 1 1.0 Background of the Holyrood Parliament Building Project The devolution proposals of 1979 may have given room for the incoming labour administration in 1997, to implement the proposal which included the building of the Scottish parliament. The Scottish parliament was and is still an important symbol for Scotland. It is expected that the parliament building should possess the best of quality, durability as well as represent civil importance. The Holyrood project from the initiation process faced enormous challenges starting from the quest for early completion and the high expectation in terms of quality. The major hindrance started with first, the cultural difficulties in the joint venture which did not allow them to work effectively. Secondly, the construction management approach of the project adopted, and the selection criteria for design procurement. Harnessing the ideas of different project team was a major concern for the project, as virtually all teams had different ideas indicating no clear direction, leadership, and project stage c ontrol. This ensued that there were lot of scope creep during the implementation of the project. A major creep was the cost creep: the initial capital cost was estimated at  £40million in 1997, which rose to  £90 million and from then rose to  £195 million. By April 2001 the cost had crept again to  £359 in June 2003 and the  £414.4million by 2004 resulting to a 20month delay. Lord Fraser report and the Auditors Generals report have scrutinized what must have gone wrong with the project. Chapter 2 2.0 Problems with the stages of the Project For a proper evaluation of what went wrong with the Holyrood Project, it is important to understand what really makes up a project life cycle. According to Paul D.Gardner (2005) the project life cycle indicates the phases a project has to go through from beginning to completion in an orderly from ensuring that the successful completion of one stage leads to the beginning of another, till the end of the project. It is imminent to state here that a well structured project phase of a project help in proper controlling and monitoring of the project, and ensure that timely corrective actions are implemented when deviation from plans are observed. 2.1 Initiation and Definition stage This stage kick starts the lifecycle of the project and establishes the ‘sum of the products and services to be provided by the project (PMI 2000). The business justification for the project is firmly established at this stage. The sponsors strategic plan is investigated by conducting a feasibility study which includes the project assessment in terms of its cost and benefits. For the Holyrood project whose objective was to provide a home fit for the Scottish parliament indicated a right step as a business case was made to justify such a proposal. However, the project encountered political problems which included the selection of an appropriate site to house the parliament, the PM drawing a time table to fulfill the political objective of early completion. It is of note mention that given the proposed cost estimate of the project one would have concluded that a poor feasibility study was conducted which drew a budget that can never have been a realistic estimate for anything other than a basic building for the new parliament. It also showed that adequate risk assessment was not carried out as the time frame approach for the completion of the building indicated. Overall impression for the initiation stage indicated that the project scope was not well defined, which would have indicated where the priority should be laid on , either on cost, quality, or early completion of the building . The project did not put into consideration the evolve of the clients need which does not fit into Cimil success criteria. 2.2 Planning and Development stage In this phase of the project three elements are important and they are; the creation of all the required plans to support the project (the scope management plan, the work plan, timeline, risk management plan and quality management plan), the mobilization and organization of all resources required for the project and infrastructure to support the resource as well as ensuring effective communication across the network of project stakeholders. The project lacked a sense of appreciation of plan, which made the project budget under estimated. A key setback for the planning stage was the disparity in choosing the proper design procurement approach. The selection criteria for the chosen procurement approach designer competition showed that the entire process lacked clarity; as a systematic approach was not adopted towards the handling of PQQs. This attributed to the lack of coordination from personnel undertaking visits in verifying the applicants/Competitors informations thereby leading to unfairness in choosing the appropriate candidate. This singular act ensured that all applicants including the joint venture partners presented drawings that extended outside the required size in the brief- a major signal of a possible project scope creep. Secondly in a project of this magnitude the choice of a project sponsor a very vital role to the success of a project should not be guided by political undertone as it appears in the choice of Mrs Doig who lacks expertise in matters of projects and construction. This to a large extent gave room for a lot of poor decisions which is evident in the choice of adopting construction management as the building option. Another problem at this stage in the project was that the project initiator, Mr. Dewar was too attached to the project. This often made him opt for unpopular choices like the choice of opting for a designer competition as against a design competition as specified by the RIAS team. Moreover, the competition process was conducted in an unprofessional manner that lacked finesse and proper coordination. For a project of this nature with very high risk content the lack of a contingency risk plan is inexcusable. The critical path of the project was not mentioned. The project lacked proper communication and coordination at this stage, sight of the terms of the brief was lost 2.3 Execution and Control stage (Westland Jason 2006) described this phase as the longest phase of a project. This is the stage were the deliverables are physically built and presented to the customer for acceptance. (Paul D. Gardiner 2005) described it as the phase where new information from other phases can lead to change, and a good project manger should know that some changes are inevitable, therefore there is need to maintain control over these changes to the project plan. Change Management for this project was out of control as most changes done in execution stage of the Holyrood project was not agreed by the parties involved. This exhibited the lack of good leadership, control and good management associated with the project. The reporting system did not encourage effective communication as well as flow of information between the teams which lead to the resignation of the 1st PM (Mr Armstrong) and subsequent managers. This lack of control saw the cost of the project skyrocketing with a lot of changes done in the design plan. 2.4 Closure stage Closure is the last phase of the project life cycle; it represents the end of a project. Money is no more paid out, all documentation and administration of the project is closed and opportunity for evaluation and performance review. The finished product is transferred to the care, custody and control of the owner (Paul D Gardnier 2005). In the Holyrood project, there were delays in the project handover as conflict between the contracted parties remains unresolved till the end of the project. The project closure and handing over lack some merits as potential risk elements were ignored in the final documentation. Some examples are 45,000 defects were discovered after handover and issues regarding the infrastructure. Chapter 3 3.0 Problems with the most significant cost increase and schedule slippage 3.1 Significant Cost Increases The project from inception has suffered successive increases in its cost forecast, but the most significant is in the construction stage (Execution and Control phase). Increase in construction cost was (caused by) as a result of design development and delay in construction process as the project progressed. The construction cost increases fall into three main areas Design development  £68m Prolongation, disruption and delay  £73m Inflation and Risk certainty  £19m Most of this cost was incurred from the year 2000, though this increase was as a result of poor planning, control and management attributed at the planning and development stage. 3.2 Significant Schedule Slippage The rush for early delivery of such huge project resulted to lot of schedule slippage. The complexities in the design variation as well as the late communication/supply of information during the construction phase were the most significant cause of the 20 months delay of the project. This delay started in 2000 and this still fall under the Execution and control phase. Apart from the complexity and late supply of information, other factors also attributed to the schedule spillage are 19-24 weeks delay in the Foyer roof, Glazing and assembling of the windows 15 Months each for the debating chamber and Canon Gate There was no contingency plan for spillage in the initial timetable. Chapter 4 4.0 Evaluation of the Project Management Problems Corresponding to those Identified in the Literature This section brings us back to the question why do project fail? And the writer is going to relate some of this failure to the problem associated with the Holyrood project. Writers like (OGC, 2005), (Cicmil 1997), (Carlos 2005) theory of why project fail will be used to evaluate the Literature. OGC, 2005 gave eight reasons why project fails and some of the reasons are lack of clear senior management and ministerial ownership and leadership. In the literature it was seen that was no clear direction, control as well as leadership among the different civil servants groups that handled the project. The project manager had no single point of authoritative command and could not use his authority and influence to control the project. In the literature decisions were made without communicating them to the stakeholders, this shows lack of effective engagement with stakeholders. Also there was lack of skills and proven approach to project management and risk management. The project sponsor knew very little about construction and this showed when no further inquiry was done on the construction management choice which has much risk on the client was not appreciated by the sponsor because of her incompetence. Risk was never incorporated in any of her decisions. (Cicmil 1997) also researched on principal sources of project failure where he talked about poor understanding and identification of client need. The joint venture never understood the clients need that was why from the beginning they never adhered to the clients brief, which would have minimised the risk that exists in undertaking a project with tight time frame. (Cicmil 1997) talked about organizational behaviour factors. The organisation of Holyrood project d id not provide the necessary clear direction and leadership and this led to lack of control, communication and poor management that existed in the project. The project was conceptualized as one without any provision for change. Such deficiency highlights the lack of (Cicmil 1997) bounded rationality approach to project management. The literature is rife with instances where proper procedures were not adhered to. Examples include the architects (Snr Miralles) reluctance to fit his designs into the project brief even when he was informed to. (Carlos 2005) talked about why project fails and most of it boils down to what existed in the Holyrood project which was lack of teamwork, cultural differences, communication, politics, control and poor management. This inevitably led to cost increase, and delays seen in the project. 4.1. RECOMMENDATIONS (Gardiner 2005) Valuation should have been applied to all the stages of the Project life cycle by PM The important key positions should not have been handled by Civil Servants Plan for contingency risk should have been made. The implementation of multi perspective framework on projects. In my opinion if this had been used issues like the choice of construction management would not have been made the content context and organisational character would have been analysed and a more suitable method like PFI/PPP would have been selected 5.0 Conclusion The Holyrood Project in the long run became a huge success, however most critics believed that the time and cost slippage would have been avoided if proper project management indices were followed. The author has been able to diagnose this key indices and is of the opinion that the success of every project is dependent on the effectiveness of the project manager , a major problem of the Holyrood Project .It is also worth mentioning that my recent visit to the Parliament Building afforded me the opportunity to have my personal take on the building and it is indeed a magnificent piece and so despite the many problems encountered it met the clients expectations of quality, â€Å"Past Glory of Scotland flowing within the present into the future† PRIMARY SOURCE Lord Fraser, Holyrood Inquiry, Blackwell Bookshop, (2004) Reid G., The Scottish parliament: Holyrood project closure (2007) Books Andersen E.S, Grude K.V, Haug T, Goal directed project management: effective techniques and strategies Kogan Page 3rd edition (2004) Gardiner P.D, Project Management: A strategic planning approach Palgrave Macmillian (2005) Kerzner H. Project Management, a systems approach to planning scheduling and controlling (John Wiley and sons Inc) (2006) page 66 Leech D.J, Turner B.,Project Management for profit, Ellis Horwood publishing (1990) Lockyer K.and Gordon J, Project management and project Network Techniques (6th Edition Pitman Publishing), (1996) Page 3 Lock D, Project Management Gower publishing limited, Pg 6, 12-14 Maylor H, Project Management (Pitman Publishing ) (1996) Page 25 Nickson D Siddons S, Project management disasters: And how to survive them, Kogan Page Limited, (2006) Page 25-74 Westland J., Project Management lifecycle: A complete step by step methodology For initiating, planning, executing and closing the project successfully, Kogan Page (2006) Articles Cicmil S.K , Critical Factors of effective project management the TQM magazine Volume 9 Number 6 1997,390-396 INTERNET SOURCES Architecture week, http://www.architectureweek.com/2005/1019/news_1-3.html ( Last visited on 20th July 2009)   BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4343690.stm ( Last visited on 25th July 2009) Project Management, http://www.pmhut.com/project-phases (Last visited on 20th July 2009) The Scottish Parliament, ,http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/corporate/spcb/publications/docs/Holyrood_closeout_report.pdf http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/audit/or-04/au04-1402.htm (Last visited on 20th July 2009)

Song Analysis of Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional Essay -- Music

â€Å"Hands Down† By: Dashboard Confessional Song Analysis Everyone has that one song they can listen to over and over again. There are various reasons people press the repeat button, whether it be the sound of the singer’s voice, the quality of their musicianship, or their heartfelt lyrics and the story they tell. The song â€Å"Hands Down†, by Dashboard Confessional tells the story of a day-in-the-life of lead singer, Chris Carrabba, in high school. Carrabba has said that this song is about the best day he has ever had, and introduces it as such at concerts. Dashboard Confessional effectively uses paradox, irony, imagery, and repetition, to enable the listener to create a visual and experience emotions felt by the writer. â€Å"Hands Down† is an acoustic and emotional song about a teenage boy who has fallen in love with a girl. The setting that is established is a series of events on a significant and passionate night in their relationship. â€Å"Hands Down†, was written to express the feelings and hopes the boy has for their relationship. The song is speaking to the girl he is in love with, and to anyone and everyone who has felt the way he feels in this stage of a relationship. Dashboard Confessional uses the literary device of paradox multiple times throughout the song. Paradoxes seem to contradict themselves, which makes its use so effective when writing about the feelings of a teenage relationship. â€Å"This night is wild, so calm and dull. These hearts, they race from self-control† This line, from the beginning of the song, relates to the anxious and nervous feelings both the boy and girl were feeling. It is describing the anticipation the couple was experiencing about the events to come. Another example of paradox that... ... The repetition used clearly shows the sincerity and meaningfulness of the girl’s kiss. The boy knew that she was sincere in her actions and wasn’t just doing it because it was expected. On the contrary, the night was very special and meant something to her and she expressed her feelings through a kiss. Here, both the boy and the listener realize that she sincerely loves him. Thus, the story is comes to an end, the boy gets what he sought out from the beginning: a real kiss. In conclusion, â€Å"Hands Down†, explains the expectations of our generation and how we, as teenagers react to them. Dashboard Confessional has exceptional talent when it comes to writing relatable lyrics and engaging their fans. This song is a rare example of a boy who is not focused just on â€Å"getting some†, rather he has his sights set on getting the girls’ heart before he gets into her pants.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Seven

When I crossed over to the castle in the Thorn Land, I was surprised to find Nia sitting on the floor beside my rabbit paperweight. Her knees were drawn up, and her face-which appeared tear-streaked-rested on her knees. Yet, when she saw me, her face lit up like the sun bursting from behind clouds. â€Å"Your majesty!† she cried, springing up. â€Å"Some of them said†¦they said you wouldn't come back. But I knew. I knew you would.† The devotion in the girl's eyes was startling. Nia had been another servant passed from Dorian, and it had never occurred to me that she would serve me out of such love. â€Å"Of course I came back,† I said softly. â€Å"Why wouldn't I?† She averted her eyes. â€Å"After everything that happened, and†¦well, because of Queen Katrice. There are those who assumed you'd abandon us and stay in the world of the humans.† I didn't bother pointing out that abandoning this land would kill me. I was too shocked by something else. â€Å"They thought†¦they thought I'd just start a war and leave?† â€Å"I knew you wouldn't,† she said fervently. â€Å"I knew you wouldn't.† I gave her a small, comforting smile while a knot twisted in my stomach. â€Å"Take me to Shaya and Rurik.† The two of them were surprised by my arrival, but something told me they hadn't doubted I would return either. I could tell by the compassion on Shaya's face that what Leith had done to me was common knowledge. To my surprise, it was Rurik I took the most comfort from. He didn't question my appearance. He offered no sympathies. He simply jumped straight to business. â€Å"We've gathered as many soldiers as we could while you've been gone,† he said. â€Å"Some are camped outside, and Dorian's said he'll send reinforcements-his military's much larger. The majority of yours is in Highmore. We'll need to determine the best way to distribute them.† For a moment, I felt dizzy as he continued rattling off military strategy. What was going on? What was I doing? I was a girl from Tucson who'd grown up in a middle-class neighborhood. How on earth was I standing here, listening to a fairy soldier explain how to lead a war? I held up a hand. â€Å"Wait†¦before you go any further. Is there†¦is there any way this can be avoided?† Kiyo's words came back to me, and I hated to say what I did next. â€Å"Is there any way to make peace?† Rurik's eyes widened, and shock and anger filled his features. â€Å"Peace? After what-â€Å" Shaya silenced him with a gesture of her own. â€Å"Yes, actually. Katrice sent a rather long letter about it.† â€Å"So†¦we could get her to understand that it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Was an accident? Hardly. â€Å"I mean, could Katrice let all of this go, considering Leith started it?† Shaya cleared her throat uncomfortably, and Rurik looked angry. â€Å"Well,† she began, â€Å"not entirely. For Katrice not to go to war, she demands that we become her subject kingdom and has very specific details on the kinds of tribute and taxes she requires for that. She also†¦she also says that you must marry her nephew in place of her son and tie this kingdom to her through that branch of the family. My impression is she sent a similar list of demands to Dorian-aside from the nephew part-which he refused rather, ah, indelicately.† I stared, my mouth agape. That was not what I had in mind. How could Katrice demand those kinds of things after what Leith had done? How dare she act as though I had done something wrong? Yes, I could imagine her grief for her only son. I wasn't that heartless. Yet†¦what she was suggesting was ludicrous. And if she thought I would ever, ever let another member of her family lay a hand on me†¦ I turned back to Rurik as though the issue of peace with Katrice had never been mentioned. Later, I would ask Shaya to help me compose a formal response to Katrice's letter, something along the lines of I am the Thorn Queen. Fuck off. â€Å"What should I do next?† I asked Rurik. He smiled, a fierce delight in his eyes. â€Å"You should speak to the soldiers gathered here and make an official declaration of war. And then you should go to Highmore and speak to the ones there. They don't even know you as their queen yet, let alone the person sending them to fight. And you should practice up on your magic, both for battle and to show your own people that that Rowan bitch can't touch you.† I shivered at the feelings his words inspired in me. In Tucson, I'd been trying to hide from my magic, but now it was calling to me again. And with this threat from Katrice-no, this insult from Katrice-there was nothing I wanted more than to summon all the forces of nature and rip her apart. â€Å"Dorian is coming here-today, I think,† said Shaya, interrupting my murderous thoughts. â€Å"Follow his lead. He knows what to do.† I wasn't entirely sure what that meant. The only thing I felt certain of was that I wasn't quite ready to go over the maps Rurik had laid out and examine all the troop placements he had in mind. I'd always sucked at Risk and had a feeling this would be similar. Besides, I hadn't returned to the Thorn Land to make war-not right at this second, at least. I'd come because of the dream from last night, the dream where I'd felt at peace. Because at the moment, I felt no peace. A gentry queen wanted to lead armies in and kill my people-and I was supposed to do the same to her. I'd just broken up with my boyfriend, someone I loved dearly, because I-possibly irrationally-held him responsible for not protecting me from an assailant. And as for that assailant†¦well, his face still flashed in my mind, and no matter how much time passed, I couldn't seem to rid myself of that dirty feeling within me or my repulsion at being touched. I swore to Rurik that I'd talk to him later, that I needed some time to myself first, and left them both for one of the castle's enclosed gardens. It was the one I frequently meditated in, where Shaya was still attempting to grow grass and where Kiyo and I had made love. I sat down there cross-legged, taking in the sun on the orange rocks around me and relishing in the faint breeze that stirred the branches of the mesquite and smokethorn trees. A tiny lizard scurried off behind a rock, and I heard what sounded like a hummingbird-or a big-ass bee-in a cluster of nearby flowers. I cleared my mind and tried to communicate with and heal the land like I had before, but for whatever reason, the connection didn't come. Panic seized me. Had the events with Leith broken something within me? Had I lost my ability to revive the kingdom? I sat there sweating, wondering what would happen to the land if I couldn't connect to it. The heat eventually made me sleepy, and I lay down on the grass, my hands digging into the earth. When I woke up, two things immediate became apparent. First, I felt†¦better. I felt strong and refreshed, and all around me, the colors and scents seemed stronger and more vivid. I still wasn't happy about the impending war, but that horrible feeling in me†¦the bitterness Leith had left†¦well, it had lessened. The air hummed around me, and for a disorienting second, I couldn't tell where I ended and the land began. It was then that I realized why my meditation hadn't worked. I had been in no condition to heal the land. It had had to heal me. I was energized now, ready to do anything. Ready to lead a war. The other thing I noticed after waking was that Jasmine was sitting right beside me, gray eyes staring into mine. I bolted upright. â€Å"What the hell are you doing here?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You're not supposed to be loose.† Girard's cuffs were still upon her, and she jerked her head back toward the castle. â€Å"I'm not exactly loose.† I followed her motion and saw a dozen guards, all keeping a respectful distance, but all watching Jasmine closely. When Volusian had disappeared, Rurik had undoubtedly increased her security detail. â€Å"Jasmine,† I said, â€Å"I'm not really in the mood for your banter, okay? Save your whining and insults for a day when I don't have to worry about having caused a war.† Her face was perfectly calm. â€Å"I heard what happened to you.† I braced for smugness. â€Å"Yeah, I'm sure everyone has.† â€Å"I'll fight for you, you know.† â€Å"Look, I'm sure-wait. What did you say?† I stared at her, waiting to see that composure crack. It didn't. She was still serious and actually looked older than her age. â€Å"He had no right. I told you before: no one does that to a daughter of Storm King. Not even to you.† I was speechless for a moment, still waiting for a punch line. â€Å"Jasmine†¦you hate me.† She nodded. â€Å"Yup. But that doesn't change what happened. No one does that to our father either and gets away without punishment. Dorian should stab Katrice too.† I decided not to mention that nothing had been done to our father technically, seeing as he had died years ago. â€Å"What will you do exactly?† â€Å"Same thing you will. Fight. Use my magic. Summon monsters.† â€Å"But†¦I mean, even if you're trying to, um, protect our family honor, you realize you're still helping me in the process, right? I thought you wanted to destroy me and go have Dad's world-conquering grandson.† â€Å"Oh,† she said sweetly, â€Å"I still do. And I will. But we're going to deal with Katrice first. Our father's heir cannot be born from rape. I told you before-only someone worthy. That bastard wasn't, and his mother has to pay for it. Once she's done†¦well, then I'll deal with you. Besides, someone's got to take her kingdom when we kill her. Might as well be me.† Whoa. There were so many parts of Jasmine's logic that were flawed that I didn't even know where to start. I didn't entirely know the story of her own conception, but my mother had been raped. God knew how many other women Storm King had taken advantage of; I found it hypocritical of Jasmine to take such a high moral ground about his heir in light of that. Still, I couldn't deny the fact that she would be useful, and if that was the reasoning it took for her to help me, so be it. It would also be handy to not have her trying to kill me. â€Å"Well, then, thanks,† I said at last. I decided not to mention just then that there was no way in hell I would ever let her rule the Rowan Land. Details, details. Jasmine looked supremely pleased. â€Å"So I can go free then, right?† I scoffed. â€Å"Not a chance.† â€Å"But I'm helping you!† â€Å"Yeah, and in the same breath, you talked about how you want to usurp me. Look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I glanced back at her guardians. I would have to consult with Rurik about those least likely to try to knock her up, now that Volusian was missing. Some of my soldiers were female. â€Å"You can wander the castle more-under guard, of course. And I'll see about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, suddenly recalling my helpers at Art's house. They were close to Jasmine's age, relatively speaking, and for Markelle at least, I had no doubts whatsoever of her loyalty. I wondered if she might have the makings of a bodyguard/friend. â€Å"I'll see about getting someone your own age to hang out with you.† Jasmine scowled. â€Å"That's not what I had in mind.† â€Å"Yeah, well, your cell in the dungeon is still available.† She gave me her trademark sullen glare and then stormed off back inside. Nonetheless, I felt like she really would help me, and frankly, I was going to need everyone I could find to get me out of this mess. Kiyo had implied that Katrice might call in some allies, and if this became about multiple kingdoms squaring off†¦ I stood up, suddenly feeling ill about it all once more. The flames of passion and initiative that had flared in me earlier began to flicker uneasily. I couldn't do this. I couldn't lead an army. I couldn't go to war. What was I thinking? Trying to shake off my building panic attack, I headed back toward the castle, wanting to hide in my room for a while. I passed Rurik along the way. He'd apparently been seeking me, hoping I'd go talk to the gathered soldiers and inspire them-particularly since word had come that Dorian was almost here. I nodded quickly, promising anything, so long as I could get a moment to compose myself and summon my earlier confidence. All of this was overwhelming me. I needed to be alone, lest I start crying. Only, I was apparently still a ways from being left alone. Ysabel was standing outside my bedroom, arms crossed. Apparently, my earlier suspicions had been right. She really did hang out in the hall waiting for me. â€Å"No magic lessons,† I told her. â€Å"Magic lessons?† she exclaimed, straightening up. She was as immaculate as ever, her red hair twisted into myriad braids. â€Å"I'm never teaching you anything again. My lord is sending me away-and all because of you!† The land might have healed me, but there were only so many weird revelations I could handle today. Jasmine becoming my ally currently held the lion's share. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"My lord is on his way,† she hissed. â€Å"And he sent word that I was to pack up my things and be prepared to leave. He has a small group of guards ready to escort me away.† â€Å"So?† I shrugged, eyeing my door longingly. â€Å"Isn't that what you wanted?† She took a step toward me. â€Å"He's not sending me back to the castle. He's sending me back to my village-back to my children. Don't you understand? He's through with me! He's casting me aside because of you!† The anger and hate on her face made me guess she'd forgotten I could suffocate her. As it was, she was in my personal space so much that I feared she might actually attempt physical blows. I wanted to tell her that Dorian casting her aside had little to do with me. That was just Dorian's way. Shaya had said Ysabel was one in a string of mistresses who resembled me. He'd grown tired of her, just like the rest, but that wasn't my fault. Telling her that wouldn't help, though. â€Å"I'm sorry. But, I mean, won't you be glad to see your kids?† â€Å"Glad?† she cried. â€Å"What do I have to give them? What do I have to show for my time at court? I have nothing. I came to Dorian's court to improve my children's lives-to bring us wealth. Now I have to return empty-handed, tossed aside to our backwoods village.† Ouch. I didn't know what to say, didn't know whether to laud a mother's attempts to improve her kids' lives or look down on someone who'd tried to do it via sleeping with a king. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said wearily. â€Å"I'm sure you'll figure out something.† I started to turn away, and to my astonishment, she grabbed my shoulder and spun me toward her. I think she'd been about to hurl an insult, but I gave her no chance. I still wasn't ready to be touched, and she'd caught me off guard. With no second thoughts, my instincts summoned up magic, the air shoving her away from me and slamming her-hard-into a wall. She stood there, dazed, and I gasped, horrified at what I'd brutally done without even thinking. I really was turning into my father's daughter. â€Å"Are you okay?† I asked, stepping toward her when she didn't move. She jerked away from me, which I hoped meant no concussion. â€Å"This isn't over. I will never forgive you for taking him from me! I'll make you pay. He's mine. Do you understand? Mine.† This was followed by a whole tirade of ranting and insults about how much she hated me and would see me destroyed. She kept her distance, though, so apparently my brief lapse into violence had done some good. After a while, I had no patience for it and simply went into my bedroom, leaving her out there. I locked the door but could still hear her going on and on. Remembering Rurik saying that I should go out and talk to the people who could possibly be dying for me, I tried to distract myself from Ysabel by looking through the room's closet. I figured I should probably wear something gentry, and Nia had kept me well-stocked. The spark was rekindling in me, that need to take revenge against Leith and show Katrice we couldn't be pushed around. I would prove a strong leader for those out there. I was pulling out a silvery blue silk dress that looked suitable when Ysabel's shouting finally stopped. With a sigh of relief, I started to drape the dress over a chair-and caught a glimpse out the small window. There was an army out there. I immediately backed away, trying to block out the sea of faces encamped outside. I dropped the dress, feeling dizzy. The reality of it all hit me, and I again felt helpless and out of my league. A sharp knock sounded on the door, momentarily breaking through my panic. Anger was an easier emotion to deal with, and I hurried over, yanking the door open. â€Å"Look, I told you there's nothing I can do about-â€Å" I stopped. It wasn't Ysabel outside my door. It was Dorian.

How the length of wire affects its resistance Essays

How the length of wire affects its resistance Essays How the length of wire affects its resistance Paper How the length of wire affects its resistance Paper Introduction- In our investigation we are trying to find out that what are the factors which effect the resistance of a resistance wire. Through textbooks and information from the Internet I have identified these factors. -The length of the wire -The thickness of the wire -The material of the wire -The temperature of the wire Through my general knowledge and reading through various textbooks I know that electrons move more easily through some conductors than others. And that the resistance is the opposing force, which slows down the flow of electrons. And through learning I know that good conductors have low resistance and poor conductors have high resistance. And a resistance is caused in a circuit when a free moving electron collides with an ion where the kinetic energy of the electron is transformed to heat energy and therefore it loses its speed and in turn the material the electrons were flowing through gets hot. From past learning I know that the free moving electron is said to be free because they have enough energy to escape from the attraction of the nucleus, and move with a random motion. And they will flow in one direction from the negative side to the positive of the circuit (because the electron is negatively charged) when I pass a current through the circuit. While reading through a textbook I also found out that when the current is passing through the circuit the electrons would have many opportunities to collide with an ion because this is a fixed structure of the metal wire that I will be testing. And would be attracted to the negative side of the circuit because it is positively charged but however it cannot move because it has no energy to do so or again because it is a fixed structure. Trough learning I know that the best way to find out the resistance of a wire in ohms is by using the following equation. Resistance of voltage across the conductor A conductor = current through the conductor Which in short can be written as V R= I Variables- The main factor of the whole experiment is the wire that we use to test the resistance. The wire will be in use the hole time through out the experiment. Beginning from 100cm and ending at 10cm. The only other factor that will affect the wire is the temperature, the reason being because I have worked with it if the electricity is left for a long time on. Then the wire will start to melt or if it is on a higher electricity level from the power pack then the wire will actually burn. Prediction- I predict that the longer the length of the wire the higher the resistance because, the longer the wire the more ions it will have, so theoretically there are more opportunities for the free moving electrons to collide with the ion. Which reduces its speed so to this the resistance increases also predict that the length of wire would be directly proportional to the resistance. So if you increase the length by two the resistance would also increase by two times. I predicted this because from my past learning and the information I have gathered tells me that this is true. (GCSE physics by Duncan) clearly states the resistance of a wire is proportional to its length (quadrupling the length quadruples the resistance) And (lets revise GCSE science) also suggests, the length of wire is proportional to its resistance Apparatus- Ruler-100cm long with the wire attached to it with tape. Voltmeter -this was connected parallel to the wire. Power pack -the supply of energy was put to two volts Ammeter -this was connected from the positive side of the power pack to the positive of the ammeter with a lead because this is the best way to get an accurate reading. Leads -this connected all the equipment Crocodile clips -this was used to connect the leads to the metal wire to let a current pass through. Variable resistor- if reading of voltmeter beyond range adjusted. Method- My circuit was set up like this: + Variable resistor Power pack Voltmeter Ammeter + + 100 cm Ruler Test wire. In this investigation a simple circuit will be set up to read the voltage and current when the length of the wire changes. The circuit should be set up as above. The length will range from 10cm 100cm (1m) with intervals of 10cm. Moving the crocodile clip across the wire on a ruler will change the length of the wire. If I am doing the experiment rite then I should be able to spot a pattern straight away. This way I would be able to see if the experiment is going ok. Of the pattern does not show up then the experiment that is being carried out is wrong.

Tobacco Dispute Settlements In The Wto Essays - Tobacco Control

Tobacco Dispute Settlements In The Wto Essays - Tobacco Control Tobacco Dispute Settlements In The Wto International Law Essay lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/international-law/tobacco-dispute-settlements-in-the-wtointernational-law-essay.php The focus of this article is the US decision to implement the Family Smoking Prevention Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which contains a provision that bans the sale or distribution of all flavored cigarettes except menthol. A birds eye view of the Family Smoking Prevention Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives the impression that it is well intentioned. Keeping a close eye on tobacco product manufacturers seems like a good measure for society as a whole. However this legislation is deeply flawed. Furthermore it has far reaching implications for the Indonesian tobacco industry and for Indonesia as a whole. Now how does this affect Indonesia? The majority of cigarettes produced and exported by Indonesia contain clove, so the US has more or less banned Indonesian presence in the US tobacco industry. What is even more surprising is that the legislation contains no restriction on menthol cigarettes which directly benefits the local industry of the US where a high majority of cigarettes produced contain menthol. The name of Phillip Morris Inc. cannot go unmentioned in this regard considering the fact that they are the largest makers of menthol cigarettes and strongly support this bill , leading to this act being nicknamed as the Marlboro Monopoly Act of 2009. The main purpose of this article is to educate the readers about the current dispute in light of the GATT rules and regulations. It will focus not only on the Indonesian perspective but also on the US response to the Indonesian allegations. WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE Dispute settlement in the WTO occurs through the DSU (Dispute Settlement Unit) whereby a dispute settlement board (DSB) is set up which consists of a representative from both WTO members. The WTO dispute settlement mechanism is a 2 step process namely Consultation Panel Proceedings Indonesia can firstly exercise its rights under article 22 and 23 of the GATT and make its concerns known to the US authorities. The US will then have to abide by the WTO rules and under article 22 of the GATT, give sympathetic consideration, to the concerns of Indonesia and enter into consultations with them. The US is then bound by WTO laws to reply to a request for consultation within 10 days of receiving the request and start the consultation process within 30 days of the receipt. Consultations would take place in accordance with article 4 of the DSU. In the event the issue could not be resolved through consultation within 60 days of the receipt of the request, the complaining party may request the establishment of a panel and thus moving to the panel proceedings step. The complaining party may request a panel even within the 60 days if both parties agree that the dispute cannot be resolved through consultations (Art 4.7). The panel proceedings stage is based on a 2 tier structure (1) Panel & (2) Appellate Body. In this stage, as mentioned before, the complainant, in this case Indonesia, can ask the DSB to appoint a Dispute Resolution Panel which assists the DSB in making a decision. The panel then investigates the issue and is required to submit its final report to the DSB within 6 months. Firstly only the interim report is distributed to the parties and if none of the concerned parties have any comment on the report, the report is considered final. If any party feels the need to add something then their views are included in the report before finalizing and then submitted to the DSB for consideration and within 60 days would be adopted formally unless the DSB decides by consensus not to adopt the report or either party chooses to appeal against the report (Art 16.4). BREACH OF GATT Article 3 Article 3.4 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) agreement states that "The products of the territory of any contracting party imported into the territory of any other contracting party shall be accorded treatment no less favourable than that accorded to like products of national origin in respect of all laws, regulations and requirements affecting their internal sale, offering for sale, purchase, transportation, distribution or use." According to Indonesia flavored cigarettes represent a "like" product manufactured in Indonesia and the U.S. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act restricts the sale or distribution of clove flavored cigarettes - made in Indonesia - but not the menthol flavored cigarettes manufactured in the U.S. As long as clove cigarettes and menthol cigarettes are considered to be

International Finance essays

International Finance essays As early as 1941 plans were being prepared in the UK and the USA for the post-war economy that were heavily influenced by the experience of the 1930s which had witnessed the collapse of the gold standard, the Great Depression, volatile exchange rates, trade-protection and competitive devaluations. In 1944 the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference took place in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA, where forty-five countries attended in order to restructure international finance and currency relationships and sought to build a framework for economic cooperation that would avoid the disastrous economic policies that led to the previous conditions. The participants of this conference created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development which was later divided into the World Bank and the Bank for International Settlements. The plans for the system of Bretton Woods were developed by two all time important economists, Harry Dexter White, then minister of state of the U. S. treasury and John Maynard Keynes, a British economist. Throughout the years, the IMF has been able to assist countries in need and as such, has been the focus of the international financial system. However, the financial crises of the past few years have exposed weaknesses in the international financial system. These weaknesses relate to the increasing size and importance of large cross border capital flows and the interdependence of global economies as a result of globalisation. It was found that once crisis struck in one country, the reaction of the interconnected financial markets was extreme and highly contagious causing disastrous effects in unrelated markets. Following the collapse of the Thai baht in 1997, the financial markets in other East Asian countries suffered similar and devastating consequences. Furthermore, the continued spill over effects of this crisis hit Russia, reached Latin America...

Diagnosis and the Treatment Planning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diagnosis and the Treatment Planning - Case Study Example The full range of approaches would be based on establishment of a secure therapeutic relationship which may move gradually into formal psychoanalytic therapy. The motivation and life situations are important to understand since they extensively contribute to the development of psychosis, which in this case is manifested by delusions. Family interventions are not possible in this case. The need-adapted approach should be based on idiographic assessment of his needs and the type of treatment suited to these needs. Need-adapted approaches, although difficult to design, are more suitable since the overall therapy would depend on several interventions over time rather than a single approach. The therapy would thus not only aim towards reduction of psychotic symptomatology, but also would address a number of developmental trajectories, the deviations from which are responsible for the current symptomatology. For his alcohol dependency, counseling and psychotherapy again are important compo nents of effective treatment. Although psychosocial interventions are recommended, it would take time to arrange a supportive network for this patient. In this case given his dual diagnosis, apart from psychotherapy improved drug therapy may also be employed.

Environmental safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Environmental safety - Assignment Example The purpose of both these entities is to measure the harmful impact of such mishaps resulting from accidents causing loss of property, blocking supply of essential services and causing interruption in the routine working. The UK government offers suggestions to business organisations for risk verification and assessment so that any impending accident may not come in the functioning and performance of such business by initiating emergency planning and business continuity management processes through the National Risk Register for reducing the impact of such loss (Cabinet Office 2010). The Scottish Parliament has passed an Act in 2007, named the Right of Relatives to Damages (Mesothelioma) (Scotland) Act 2007, reserving the right to damages in case the affliction is caused by Mesothelioma as per the amendment of Section 1 of the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 including subsection (2) and (3). The subsection (2) inserts an except to the ruling that damages need not be paid to the relative if the deceased has relieved the accused from the responsibility of paying damages to the relative before the death of the diseased. The subsection (2b) becomes applicable if the injury or death is caused due to Mesothelioma. The damage payment is conditioned to occurring the liability and death on, before or after the date with the coming into force under Section 1 of the Right of Relatives to Damages (Mesothelioma) (Scotland) Act 2007 (Legislation 2007). The above figure indicates that deaths due to the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma are rising on a yearly basis. In the year 2008, out of 2249 mesothelioma deaths, 1865 were men and as per the rate of yearly increase, it is forecasted to cross the figure of 2000 by the year 2016 (HSE 2010). Considering the data pertaining to Scotland regarding ill-health, injuries and enforcement in the previous 12 months, self-reported ill-health reporting rate was 3700 out of 100 000 for 2009-10. The reportable injury rate was 880 workers in 2008-09 while fatal injuries in 2009-10 numbered 23. On the other hand, major injuries to workers counted 2548 in 2009-10. Considering the offences prosecuted in Scotland by HSE in 2009-10, they were 93 in number while local authorities carried prosecution on 7 reports (HSE 2010, 14). Further, if we consider rate of self-reported work-related illness and reportable non-fatal injury in manufacturing and other sectors, data is not sufficient to depend upon regarding ill-health and injury for the latest period but for illness it is below 2000 per 100 000 on an average while injury reporting has been below 1000, as per the Labour Force Survey (HSE 2010, 17). Although workplace fatalities are reducing but such accidents are happening in â€Å"low risk† industries such as retail, hospitality and financial companies to the extent that they have become a challenge for the employers; they have to face government questioning. Media also follows such accidents arduously. The near and d ear ones of the affected employee feel the loss the most. An employer has to face all these ordeals erupting from the catastrophe. Therefore, it is the foremost responsibility of the employer to get ready to know beforehand the emerging workplace tragedies before they happen. No employer can totally succeed in controlling such mishaps but must be ready with an emergency plan at the shortest notice (Foulke 2009). Whenever such a fatal accident at a workplace occurs, first priority is to deal with the emergency situation by arranging

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Business - Essay Example The scope and extent of a company’s contribution towards social and environmental causes, almost guarantees successful results, which is why, every other company, today proudly flaunts its commitment towards such causes, in its annual reports. Are the companies today, actually environmentally and socially conscious or is it a desperate bid to gain consumers’ trust through deliberate green-washing? This paper seeks to delve deeper into this aspect of business, and seek answers to the critical issue of social and environmental commitment of multinational companies, their corporate agenda and the impact of the same on their stakeholders. For the purpose of this study, the case of The Body Shop will be explored and analyzed. Corporate Social Responsibility: Fact or Farce? Contemporary multinational organizations today are caught in the middle of a heated debate, surrounding the legitimacy and credibility of their claims regarding their social and environmental commitments. In the process, they are being pushed towards including broader public good will, and beyond their conventional commitment towards their shareholders. ... The Body Shop exemplifies one such situation, where the company seems to have got it right in the beginning, but over the years, ended up in controversies, putting the company on the pedestal, and forcing its management to justify its actions, with regard to its mission and values, which boasts of environmental and social commitment and broader public good (Rosenthal, 1994, Pp. 15 - 17). This brings up the question, whether corporate social responsibility can go hand in hand with the core corporate motive – that of maximizing profits; whether commitment to social and environmental causes and contribution towards society can co-exist along with commitment to the company’s stakeholders; and whether CSR is a farce or a fact? The same is discussed through the case of The Body Shop International Plc – a UK based multinational cosmetic brand, which boasts of its commitment towards the environment, via its ‘green’ and natural products and its contribution t owards social and environmental causes. The Body Shop International Plc. The Body shop is a world renowned British cosmetic retailing firm, founded in the year 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick, and having a strong international presence (The Body Shop, 2011). The company adopted an environmental strategy from the very beginning and showed a strong commitment towards green causes and social issues, thus ideally being an advocate of ‘green’ business and a portraying a model corporate social responsibility agenda (Dennis et al., 1998, Pp. 649-653). The company boasts of an impressive range of environmentally friendly / bio-degradable range of products; endorses recycling and over the years, have shown an active involvement in social and

Why should we drink alcohol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why should we drink alcohol - Essay Example It makes one feel better after a hard day at office, in the playgrounds, at theatres, in shopping malls and even when standing before the teetotaler. There is nothing specifically that can happen in a neighborhood. Well, if this is the way you have been thinking on consuming liquor and avoiding academic statements, it is fine to the extent that you have been consuming liquor moderately and not more than 3-4 times a week (Who should not drink alcohol). Obviously irrespective of what scientists and doctors say, alcohol is a pleasant drink. Scientists have now veered to the view that drinking is all right as long as it is done within limits and the frequency maintained. There is no point in binge drinking during weekends and staying sober the rest of the week. This does more harm than good according to research conducted on drinking (Alcohol: Our Favourite Drug). However, moderate drinking which consists of consuming two to three drinks has health benefits. It stops heart attacks and improves blood circulation. It does the work of an appetizer inside the human body and it boosts digestion. On the other hand, people say that the benefits of alcohol are highly one sided. There may be some benefits to the heart. But it still leaves the kidneys and liver vulnerable to attacks by alcohol. So in spite of all the benefits discovered to be present in alcohol there is still the nagging doubt if the drink or two you consume every evening could be irreversibly problematic to your precious liver. There is nothing clear about the benefits or disadvantages of alcohol. Nowadays, scientists are quite clear that alcohol is beneficial to the heart. But it is silent when it comes to the kidneys and liver. Hence, we are back to square one where consuming alcohol is concerned. Therefore, the teetotaler is better off as he quietly battles the possibility of heart attacks by means other than alcohol. Thus, the debate

LOVE Family Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

LOVE Family Law Assignment - Essay Example Section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 governs the distribution of properties between spouses. The act stipulates the grounds on which a divorce petition may be presented to the court. In this regards, either party to a marriage may present a petition for divorce to the court on the grounds that the marriage has broken irretrievably. It further delineates the grounds on which the court shall hold a marriage to have broken. In the case Alan and Lisa Brown, Lisa is eligible to present a divorce petition on the grounds that her husband Alan has committed adultery and she finds it intolerable to live with him. The act of adultery by Alan is evidenced in the affair he has with Susie, a young police officer, with whom he has moved to stay with in his mother’s flat. The manner in which their financial assets will be distributed is determined by the courts whilst applying relevant legislations and common law precedents know as the ancillary relief. In the Matrimonial Cause Act 1973, the law that is relevant to this application is found in Section 25. It specifies the circumstances that the court must consider when deciding upon the manner in which its powers will be exercised during the application of ancillary relief in any case (Luppino & Miller 2011, p. 221-224). The courts therefore have the mandate of considering all the aspects surrounding the divorce including the welfare of children who are under the age of eighteen years, the income of the spouses, the earning capacity, property owned as well as other financial resources which each of the parties to the marriage has or is likely to have in the future. It is therefore important for the parties to the marriage to fully and frankly disclose their resources. For instance, in Alan and Lisa’s case, the information to be considered include: their  £650,000 jointly owned home, Alan’s annual earning of  £85,000,

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

Light Photography - Assignment Example Diffusion scatters light making the source broader and softer. For example, when clouds drift in front of the sun, shadows get less distinct. For the shadows to disappear, just add fog. Thirdly, bouncing light acts as diffusion. By aiming a narrow source of light at a broad matte surface such as wall and ceiling, it will not only reflect the light but will also diffuse it by scattering it over a wider area. The further the light source, the more it falls off meaning it gets dimmer on your subject. If light is moved twice as far from the subject you end up with only one quarter of it on the subject. Light fall-off can be used for varying the relationship between the light on your subject and your background. If a light source is placed close to the subject, the fall-off from the subject to the background will be more pronounced. When light is moved further from the subject, the background will be relatively brighter. Generally, I have learnt a lot from the light photography assignment. Light lessens shadows, the closer the source of light the closer the light, diffusion scatters light, and that bouncing light acts as diffusion. The further the light source, the more it falls off, Light falloff can be used to vary relationship and Front lighting deemphasizes

Why should we drink alcohol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why should we drink alcohol - Essay Example It makes one feel better after a hard day at office, in the playgrounds, at theatres, in shopping malls and even when standing before the teetotaler. There is nothing specifically that can happen in a neighborhood. Well, if this is the way you have been thinking on consuming liquor and avoiding academic statements, it is fine to the extent that you have been consuming liquor moderately and not more than 3-4 times a week (Who should not drink alcohol). Obviously irrespective of what scientists and doctors say, alcohol is a pleasant drink. Scientists have now veered to the view that drinking is all right as long as it is done within limits and the frequency maintained. There is no point in binge drinking during weekends and staying sober the rest of the week. This does more harm than good according to research conducted on drinking (Alcohol: Our Favourite Drug). However, moderate drinking which consists of consuming two to three drinks has health benefits. It stops heart attacks and improves blood circulation. It does the work of an appetizer inside the human body and it boosts digestion. On the other hand, people say that the benefits of alcohol are highly one sided. There may be some benefits to the heart. But it still leaves the kidneys and liver vulnerable to attacks by alcohol. So in spite of all the benefits discovered to be present in alcohol there is still the nagging doubt if the drink or two you consume every evening could be irreversibly problematic to your precious liver. There is nothing clear about the benefits or disadvantages of alcohol. Nowadays, scientists are quite clear that alcohol is beneficial to the heart. But it is silent when it comes to the kidneys and liver. Hence, we are back to square one where consuming alcohol is concerned. Therefore, the teetotaler is better off as he quietly battles the possibility of heart attacks by means other than alcohol. Thus, the debate

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

Light Photography - Assignment Example Diffusion scatters light making the source broader and softer. For example, when clouds drift in front of the sun, shadows get less distinct. For the shadows to disappear, just add fog. Thirdly, bouncing light acts as diffusion. By aiming a narrow source of light at a broad matte surface such as wall and ceiling, it will not only reflect the light but will also diffuse it by scattering it over a wider area. The further the light source, the more it falls off meaning it gets dimmer on your subject. If light is moved twice as far from the subject you end up with only one quarter of it on the subject. Light fall-off can be used for varying the relationship between the light on your subject and your background. If a light source is placed close to the subject, the fall-off from the subject to the background will be more pronounced. When light is moved further from the subject, the background will be relatively brighter. Generally, I have learnt a lot from the light photography assignment. Light lessens shadows, the closer the source of light the closer the light, diffusion scatters light, and that bouncing light acts as diffusion. The further the light source, the more it falls off, Light falloff can be used to vary relationship and Front lighting deemphasizes

A Guide to Internet Privacy Laws and Ethics Essay Example for Free

A Guide to Internet Privacy Laws and Ethics Essay With information systems, privacy deals with the collection and use or misuse of data More and more information on all of us is being collected, stored, used, and shared among organizations Who owns this information and knowledge? Privacy is a status wherein an individual can work on his/her information in seclusion, resulting in a selective revelation of ones identity and information. Privacy can mean anonymity in case a person wants to remain unidentified. Privacy can also be related to the security aspect of an individual or information. The definitions of privacy can differ across individuals and cultures. The invasion of privacy can be avoided by the issue of privacy laws. Internet Privacy and Ethics Using the Internet often comprises the use of social networking sites, email facilities and the browse of various other websites. Internet privacy comes on the scene when it comes to website users giving out their personal details on the Internet. For certain websites, which facilitate online shopping, the users are made to input their credit card numbers. In case of emailing sites, there are issues about whether third parties should be allowed to store or read emails without informed consent. Whether or not, the third parties should be permitted to track the visitors on a website, is another major privacy concern. The other important Internet privacy issue is whether the sites that gather personally identifiable information from the users should store or share it. Internet privacy can be considered as a subset of computer privacy. Computer privacy consists of the data privacy relating to the avoidance of the improper disclosure of the personally identifiable information collected and stored by websites. The effective sharing of data while protecting the private information is the real challenge. Privacy and the Internet * Huge potential for privacy invasion on the Internet * E-mail messages * Visiting a Web site * Buying products over the Internet * Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P): screening technology * Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 1998: requires privacy policies and parental consent * Potential dangers on social networking Web sites E-Mail Privacy * Federal law permits employers to monitor e-mail sent and received by employees * E-mail messages that have been erased from hard disks can be retrieved and used in lawsuits * Use of e-mail among public officials might violate â€Å"open meeting† laws Computer Matching is a mass surveillance technique involving the comparison of data about many people, which has been acquired from multiple sources. Its use offers potential benefits, particularly financial savings. It is also error-prone, and its power results in threats to established patterns and values. The imperatives of efficiency and equity demand that computer matching be used, and the information privacy interest demands that it be used only where justified, and be subjected to effective controls Computer matching is the comparison of machine-readable records containing personal data relating to many people, in order to detect cases of interest. The technique is called computer matching in the United States, and data matching in Australia and Canada. Although the latter term is perhaps more usefully descriptive, the United States term is more common in the literature, and is used in this paper. The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (5 U.S.C. 552a(o) et seq.) amended the Privacy Act by describing the manner in which computer matching involving Federal agencies could be performed and by adding certain protections for individuals applying for and receiving Federal benefits. As amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act, the Privacy Act requires Federal agencies involved in computer matching programs to: Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies participating in the matching programs; Obtain the relevant Data Integrity Boards approval of the match agreements; Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress and OMB; Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are subject to matching; and Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, or denying an individuals benefits or payments. Though the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act certainly involves detailed procedures, including obscure Data Integrity Boards, it is probably most notable for the fact that it institutionalizes sharing of data among federal government agencies. Information collected for one purpose may be used for different purposes by a different federal agency. Though integrity and fairness seem assured by the Act, privacy is not. Flaming also known as bashing, is hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users, often involving the use of profanity. Flaming usually occurs in the social context of an Internet forum, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Usenet, by e-mail, game servers such as Xbox Live or PlayStation Network, and on video-sharing websites. It is frequently the result of the discussion of heated real-world issues such as politics, religion, and philosophy, or of issues that polarise subpopulations, but can also be provoked by seemingly trivial differences Spam is most often considered to be electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited email. However, if a long-lost brother finds your email address and sends you a message, this could hardly be called spam, even though it is unsolicited. Real spam is generally email advertising for some product sent to a mailing list or newsgroup.

World Leaders And Their Leadership Styles History Essay

World Leaders And Their Leadership Styles History Essay Adolf Hitler is recognized worldwide for his leadership in the Nazi Party and also as the chancellor of Germany during the early period of 1930s. His leadership style was autocratic leadership as he believed in acting like a dictator and focused on making decisions on his own. He never trusted his generals and felt no need of having two-way communication as he wanted to have complete legitimate power in everything. Hitler believed that the ultimate authority resides with him and it should never be extended downward. He made decisions that were supportive in enhancing his legitimate power. Any mistake made by the followers was unacceptable and punishments were given for wrong doings (Megargee, 14). Since Hitler was reluctant to take advice from anyone and made all decisions on his own, his followers did not like this attitude and started developing ill-feelings towards him. From the analysis of Adolf Hitlers leadership style, the leaders of the todays world have realized that they cannot be a dictator and cannot get the work done by forcing their followers (Popper, 64). The modern leaders and managers in organizations have ensured that they implement collaborative methods so that the followers and subordinates are part of the team and the joint efforts will ultimately produce positive results. The leaders who have adopted this style of leadership have faced strong resistance from their followers and even received less support from them in accomplishing the ideal objectives. Mahatma Gandhi is among the favorite personality of most of the leaders worldwide and majority of them want to follow the leadership style followed by such an inspirational man (Barnabas and Paul, 135). Mahatma Gandhi had a servant style of leadership which is described as the style in which a leader takes care of his followers even before they start taking care of themselves on their own. This inspirational leader emphasized that the struggle should be done in non-violent manners without using any harmful weapons; the leader had to face severe problems such as beating by the British police and getting locked up in the prison when he started fighting with British for independence of India. Gandhi had a clear vision about the independence of Hindus and was able to communicate this vision effectively to dispersed people by using simple and inspiring language. One aspect that was stressed by the leader was never to accept defeat and keep on striving hard because success will eventually; the moral is that people should never lose hope and continue the efforts until the goal is attained (Nojeim, 30). His personality is a source of inspiration for the leaders and managers of todays world that no matter how challenging the situation gets it is important to boost the morale of oneself and the followers. As a leader, the person should motivate his/her subordinates until the victory is gained in the particular mission. Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln had the desire of serving his country so that he could bring revolutionary changes that will be beneficial for its people in the long-run. Abraham Lincoln had a servant leadership style; one of the vital components of this form of leadership is the importance of ethical values i.e. working for the benefits of the people and this aspect was evident in the leadership style of Lincoln (Hubbard, 21). The servant leader wants to lead the people because he/she has internal desire of serving the people; the person does not need any legitimate power to bring the changes. Abraham Lincoln focused on the sustainability element which meant producing a lasting change that will finally lead to the transformation of others. The leader was provided the opportunity of demonstrating his leadership traits during the American Civil War; he had two lasting impacts on the world i.e. freeing the slaves and preservation of the Union (Polelle, 40). During his Presidency, Lincoln followed a prudent and careful leadership to bring about mandatory reforms in the United States of America. The leader also set the example of the paramount democracy in the world and even extended the liberty opportunity to every American. In present times, Americans have been given the full liberty of expressing their feelings and fighting for their rights and it has revolutionized the way in which democracy should be implemented by the leaders so that projected results are successfully accomplished. Even in organizations, the work culture has been changed i.e. employees are motivated to share their ideas and claim their rights as the organization is compelled to fulfill all the requirements of its workforce. Alexander the Great At the age of twenty, Alexander became the king and in eleven years of his journey he fought more that seventy battles and never lost any one of them. The leadership style of Alexander the Great is visionary leadership as he shared the vision with his people to motivate them to inspire them in achieving the well-set goals (Polelle, 23). From the analysis of the leadership traits of Alexander the Great, it is evident that he had set certain set of principles to inspire his followers such as show people that they are considered to be valuable and are given importance in every decision by seeking their opinions, lead by example so that people are inspired to follow the leader, innovation should be encouraged so that something new can be done and every action should be taken after creating a vision so that there is clarity about the goal that will be achieved (Cartledge, 14). In todays world, the leaders have realized that they need to first follow what they tell their followers so that the leaders can gain their trust. When any decision is made, it should be done on a consensus manner so that everyone agrees to it and they can see the big picture clearly. A visionary leader communicates to his followers the effectiveness of the entire process and their importance in this process so that their production level gets accelerated. Julius Ceasar Julius Ceasar was an exceptional general and one of the important leaders in ancient Rome. In his life, he held almost every vital title in the Roman Republic such as tribune of the Roman people, consul, well-known priest and high positioned commander of the army (Freeman, 32). He dared to introduce new laws that were easily approved by the Senate and he is recognized globally for improving the ways in which the provinces were governed and he even developed his own army. After conquering the Rome, he became the master and started ruling the place like a dictator. Caesar used his power for carrying out the needed reforms, relieving huge amount of debt, revised the calendar and enlarged the Senate. He was assassinated by his enemies in 44 B.C. (Popper, 70). It shows that a dictator has less chances of gaining appreciation by the followers as all other leaders who have followed the dictatorship style of leadership have never been able to get the support of their people and have faced unfortunate deaths in the form of assassination. Hence, the dictatorship leadership is not acceptable by people as the leaders tend to focus on their own benefits rather than on the followers needs. Napolean Napolean was among the best conquerors of the world and his efforts are recognized globally. During the French Revolution period, the leader took various important decisions that proved to be harmful for his followers (Blaufarb, 42). Although the positive aspects of his personality were that he had a clear vision about his goal, had the ability of motivating the people to achieve the desired goals and ensured that he took proper care of his people. However, his followers believed that the leader made decisions that were beneficial for himself and cared less for them. Napolean has received a lot of criticism for being a dictator as many wrong decisions were taken by him that severely impacted the lives of people. Since he was an ambitious person, he started making decisions without taking consent of his followers and started giving commands to his army (Polelle, 62). When he got carried away in the lust of power, he had to face defeat by the Russian Army on his way back to Austria; it shows that the dictators or autocratic style of leadership is among the least preferred styles of the leader. When a leader becomes a dictator, his/her relationship with the followers starts to get deteriorated and eventually it breaks. Napoleon is still considered to be the best conqueror in the world as he had the highly exceptional intellectual capabilities. Genghis Khan Genghis Khan was among the noteworthy leaders of Mongolia who conquered most of the Asian and European areas; his style of leadership is classified as a combination of autocratic leadership and participative leadership. Genghis Khan was considered a dictator because whenever he conquered any of the regions he would give only two options i.e. either surrender or get killed. However, when working with his army, he used to take their opinion and share his ideas with them so that they can develop a strategy for the implementation of the plan successfully (Ratchnevsky, 26). Genghis Khan moved to the loyalty to himself and he even started to deal with his adversaries in an inappropriate manner. Anyone who opposed to his conquest and power had to suffer from an extreme blow. Since Genghis Khan started treating people in a brutal way, he was assassinated later by his enemies (Man, 51). It has become important for todays leaders to realize that they can be successful only when they have cordial relations with their followers and they try to incorporate their demands so that a healthy relationship is created which will last for a long period. The autocratic leaders will face strong resistance from their followers so it is advisable to use it to minimal extent to ensure control within the organization or legal body but it should not be followed excessively as it will create problems such as retaliation from subordinates in the long-run. George Washington George Washington had a servant leadership style as he had the vision of revolutionizing everything in US during his presidency. He knew that he can motivate the people only by developing an inspirational personality and he did extensive efforts for creating the desired image. He even motivated his people to provide him support in attainment of the goals so that the set vision can be accomplished (Northouse, 72). The main characteristics of his personality as a leader were that he was willing to accept any challenge and face it; he was persistent in achieving the set targets; and was brave enough to handle all the issues and provided help to his people in resolving them. Since he had no lust for power and wanted to work for the benefits of his people, he always ensured that the decisions made by him were in accordance with the requirements of the country. As he was a trustworthy president, people started showing their loyalty to him and provided their complete assistance so that they could successfully implement any necessary change in the country effectively (Bongilla, 35). The leaders who want to gain the support of their followers have to develop their personality that has certain key traits such as confidence, integrity, courage, self-discipline and clear vision. George Washington is the best example for all those leaders who want to do something beneficial for the country and get the support of its people. Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt is recognized for helping U.S. to get out of the Great Depression period in 1930s by helping the people in rebuilding their self-confidence. His leadership style is a combination of charismatic leadership and transformational leadership as he inspired the people to get back on their feet and initiate the activities to help the country get out of the dark times. Roosevelt provided his people various avenues to do a lot of creative thinking but with a focused approach; he first set out the vision so that everyone was aware of the final goal that has to be attained (Greenstein, 45). The best lesson learnt from the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt is that fear is something that needs to be conquered and there is nothing to fear about. The leaders can take inspiration from such an extraordinary leader who taught people how to maintain their focus on specific vision and face the challenges with courage and bravery. It is mandatory for every leader to accept the challenge of life and work and be prepared to handle them with confidence and will power to counter the challenge. Since the changes happen at a fast pace these days, the leaders have to remain alert all the time for the problems that can arise and they should react to them in a calm and an organized way. Winston Churchill Winston Churchill leadership style is classified as transformational and charismatic leadership; he was among those leaders who always kept the people motivated by delivering inspirational speeches. During the World War II, Winston Churchill provided immense support and guidance to the Great Britain by developing strength and courage among the people (Nordquist, 2). As a leader, he focused on three important aspects for developing a charismatic personality that comprised of elements such as excellent communication skills, creating a vision so that everyone is able to keep a focus on single goal and developing trust so that people are willing to provide their support to the leaders. From the leadership style of Winston Churchill, it is evident that the leaders have to develop a charismatic leadership by strengthening the bond with their followers so that everyone is part of the team (Axelord, 34). When the entire team shares a common vision, only then conflicts, problems and issues can be resolved. As most of the organizations have to undergo changes, they will face resistance from the people; communication is the key to resolving this issue by sharing with them the purpose of the change along with showing them the vision. Hence, excellent communication and well-designed vision can inspire people to work hard and support their leaders in achieving the desired goals. Conclusion The world leaders have demonstrated different leaderships and they have been successful in accomplishing various challenging tasks. Regardless of the dictatorship style, some of the common features that are important for the leaders and organization in todays world are creating a vision so that everyone has an idea about the goal that will be achieved in the long-run, motivating people to make valuable contributions and developing excellent communication skills so that a clear, concise and right message can be communicated to everyone. Therefore, the leaders and managers have to realize that they can achieve their objectives by getting support from their followers and subordinates and showing them appreciation for making valuable additions by offering them excellent rewards. The leaders have to develop a charismatic personality so that they can inspire their followers and should lead by example so that positive results can be attained.

Boethius :: essays research papers

â€Å"Evil is Nothing† Her argument of Evil is Nothing is very simple. She begins by speaking with Boethius and getting at the definition of what is good and how that is related to God. She starts out by stating that they agree on the fact of God. Then they come to the agreement that God is the good itself. They then state that there is nothing that can go against God and still have power because God is all-powerful and all good. Lady Philosophy then says, â€Å"No one could doubt that God is omnipotent,† and Boethius responds by saying no one in their right mind could deny it. And she says that God can also do evil, which Boethius immediately states â€Å"No.† After that remark she goes on to make her argument by stating that evil must be nothing because God can do anything but God can not do evil so therefore there is no such thing as evil. In this discussion, Lady Philosophy states that because God can do anything and that God cannot do evil then evil is noth ing. Her statement is sound if you believe the statements that they both agreed on. First they said yes there is a God and yes God is good. They then agree on their good God being omnipotent, meaning that their God can do anything. Lady Philosophy then brings up her big argument. She says that God can do anything in the world that he wants to, anything at all, and that he is good. But she also says that God can do evil. This is usually a perspective that humans in general do not look at. We see God as being the good of the world and something to look up to. Her idea of God doing evil is rejected by Boetheius. This meaning that if he believes in evil then he cannot believe in a God that is all-powerful and cannot do good. Therefore Boethius contradicts himself, and Lady Philosophy is found to be correct. However, I agree with this idea and that her statement is sound. However, unlike Boethius I don’t believe that God cannot do evil. If God is all powerful then of course he can do evil, rather he chooses not to, and because of this God is represented as only allowed to do good. But how can anything that is as powerful as that not be able to do something horrible.

Prejudice in Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan :: essays research papers

Esperanza Rising Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan is a novel about prejudice. Prejudice is when a superior being looks down on colored, sex, lower classes or different races of people. There were many obstacles in this novel that dealt with racism and mistreatment with Mexicans. Mexican immigrants in the 1930's suffered greatly because of the prejudice in the hearts and minds of the farm owners, lawmakers, and the American people. Business owners were prejudice against Mexican migrant workers. Miguel was very capable of working as a mechanic at the train stations, but ?they will only hire Mexicans to lay tracks and dig ditches, not as mechanics.?(120) Prejudice was also shown when the farm owners said, ?The Mexicans can only swim on Friday afternoons, before they clean the pool on Saturday mornings.?(218) Business owners were very unfair and prejudice to the Mexicans, they treated them like lower class citizens. The laws and government didn?t treat the Mexicans as Americans. Some of the Mexicans that were citizens were protesting for better pay, but immigration officials came to the fields to send them back to Mexico. ?! Americana! ! Americana!? ?yelled one woman and she began to unfold some papers.?(206) The guard ripped the papers up, he didn?t even give her a chance because she was causing problems for the government. Prejudice was shown in the laws in Mexico against women. ?As you know, it is not customary to leave land to women and since Luis was the banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.?(30) It was very prejudice that women couldn?t own land and it was sexist. Americans were not their cover page, free and equal, they treated Mexicans as dirty lower class citizens. Isabel?s teacher didn?t choose Queen of the May by the best grades, she chose a pretty blonde American with blue eyes. ?I did not win Queen of May!?(226) Isabel had the best grades, but her teacher was prejudice against Mexicans. Mexicans went out of their way to go to Mr. Yakota?s store because, ?At this market, no one stares at us or treats us like outsiders or calls us ?dirty greasers?.?(187-188) Americans didn?t treat Mexicans like people, they were unfair. I believe prejudice is still going on today in America and all over the world. Some women are owned by men and have to cover all over their skin completely.