Transnational IT Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Transnational IT Operations - Essay Example Understanding how the organizational environment has to function because of virtual needs as well as what the constraints and opportunities are when working with a global network changes the perspective of how many can work within the transnational IT industry. The results which are currently being applied to the industry are based on creating new work environments that enhance quality, culture and the building of an international network. The first components that are providing a change with the transnational IT industry is the work and quality that is within the environment. The transfer of work which has to be created is offering opportunities to explore new ways of developing a system while providing complexities in an environment that can work internationally and through IT processes. The social and institutional conditions that are created are required to transfer work in a different manner while creating conducive levels to working. If the social needs aren’t met or if policies within the institution are not regulated, then gaps with the transfer of work occur. However, the ability to develop a smooth transition for the institution and social components provide better strategies to find the best resources for both work and the implementation of a different product process. More important, the industrial restructuring which takes place may change the position of the company either positively or negatively , dependent on the way in which the work is transferred through the corporation (Carrillo, 2004). A second component that is related to the work and quality that is provided is based on service levels that are taken into account across different regions. The service levels are dependent on new ways in which the IT sector is used for the fast pace and demand that is in the environment. The industry is required to have a different level of flexibility and innovations that are a part of the corporation. More important, the service

Integrating school safety data for the purpose of safe school program evaluation Essay Example for Free

Integrating school safety data for the purpose of safe school program evaluation Essay Abstract This paper addresses the issue of school safety and what should be done to enhance it. The need for all stakeholders; the government, the school administrations and community to facilitate safe school planning and thus essentially enhance school safety are equally taken into consideration. The paper further provides some of the indicators that are considered while implementing an effective safe school plan and how to assess and evaluate the proven programs. This in essence, provides a general picture of promoting school safety so that incidents of crime can be lessened. In addition, the need to create an enhanced safe environment needs to be sensitized in every school since it has a direct impact to the performance of schools. Introduction This paper considers data that will provide the way best practices and proven programs can be used to enhance school safety. Such a program that has been considered is Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block grants (JAIBG). This kind of a program considers the underlying premise that young people who violet the laws need to be held accountable for the offenses if society is to improve the quality of life in the nations’ communities. It is to this effect that the paper goes beyond and evaluates the accountability of the juveniles in relation to the environment they live in and other surrounding factors. Consequences or sanctions that are applied swiftly, surely, and consistently and are graduated to provide appropriate and effective responses to a varying levels offense seriousness and offender chronics work based, in preventing, controlling and reducing further law violations. There is, therefore the need to use best practices and such like proven programs to enhance school safety. Further more, the safe school planning procedures have to involve all the stakeholders including parent, teachers, government and the community and of course the students. Safe Schools and School Planning In most cases statistics and the government reports determine safe schools but this ought not to be an end by itself. Various questions are raised in defining a safe school due to the difficulty that comes along with the definition. A safe school is considered one in which guards patrol the halls, metal detectors protect all entrances and all violent incidents are reported to the police. Creating a safe school goes beyond eliminating knifing, fighting and shootings. Violence is also subtle things such as name calling; fear of being ridiculed; teasing; offensive touching; racial, ethical, cultural, or sexual slurs; and bullying (Hernandez, 2004). This shows that most violence in school does not occur overnight but it develops over a period of time. According to (Stevick and Levinson, 2003), â€Å"violence is the most extreme manifestation of range of behaviors that run contrary to schools’ expectations and purposes† A safe school is the one in which the total climate allows students, teachers, administrators, staff, and visitors to interact in a positive, non-threatening manner that reflects the educational mission of the school while fostering positive relationships and personal growth. In addition a safe school is one, which repeated absenteeism, inadequate performance, or dropouts, withdrawals or transfers due to feeling afraid in school are progressively reduced. Incidences of disruption, crime and violence are progressively reduced too. Safe school planning is a clear and concise plan for creating a safe school climate. This requires collaborative efforts of parents, students, school personnel, and communities. The plan should contain a written conduct and discipline code, and policy for annual building inspections to eliminate barriers to safety and a policy for annual written report regarding learning environment to be submitted to the relevant authorities. These are proactive measures that should be taken to reduce if not eliminating school-based crimes. A comprehensive planning process based on state law, gives a guideline to a school and the community at large in developing a plan that is relevant and effective. Best practice and Proven Programs Best practice is a management ideal, which asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity incentive, or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. These are essentially the most efficient and effective ways of accomplishing a task. They are based on repeated procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people. On the other hand proven programs are those have shown success in their repeated use. Though this is the case, proven programs have to adjust depending on the rising challenges in our society. The proven programs are bound to come up with positive results that are manifested by safety school environment. Purpose of the proven programs is to promote school safety by increasing student accountably for their behavior. This facilitates the development of constructive well-conserved† accountability based programs that work with either juvenile offenders who are referred by law enforcement agents, or which are designed in corporation with law enforcement officials to protect student and school personnel from drug, gang and youth violence. It must be noted, however the accountability based programs operate most effectively when they are part of a comprehensive collaborative approach involving a wide range of partners including students, parents, school faculty, and staff, community residence, members of communities organization, law enforcement justice authorities. Partnership with local juvenile justice systems and schools to establish and maintain accountability based programs, and students’ accountability must work in concert with institutional accountability that addresses the underlying causes of students’ violence and misconduct. School safety programs that emphasis student accountability can be build on the experience of successful community-based delinquency prevention and intervention programs. Comprehensive strategy for serious, violent and chronic juvenile offenders and safe futures program are examples that have proven effective in addressing juvenile delinquency (Wilson, 1993). The comprehensive strategy provides a blue print for establishing a continuum of care to meet the needs of at-risk or delinquent youth while protecting the public from harm. It promotes a systematic approach to prevention and the use of graduate sanctions in dealing with the offenses committed by such individuals and advocates the developments of partnerships between the juvenile court, law enforcement and community. Some of the programmatic strategies derived from the comprehensive strategy and the safe futures programs are applicable to accountability-based school safety initiatives include emphasis on juvenile accountability, develop an expanded and integrated network of social services. In provision of comprehensive strategies there is involvement of law enforcement as a stake holder in community-based efforts to prevent and respond to delinquency. Accountability in a school environment means expecting students to comply with school rules and regulations that reflect community standards or behavior and where necessary, addressing students misconduct with appropriate conduct including school discipline. Programs can take a comprehensive approach to reducing delinquency and misconduct in schools by building student accountability into the school culture. Efforts to enhance school safety should be fully integrated into all aspect of school operation including the learning environment curriculum, administration, staff selection and staff training. Enhancing School Safety through Assessment and Evaluation In enhancing school safety there is the need to understand all the indicators that distinguish a safe school from unsafe schools. One of the indictors that characterize a safe school is the orderliness of the school. This involves a creation of a climate of mutual respect and responsibility. This can be evaluated by the way students relate to others, teachers and staff. Expectations about this amicable relationship are what are accepted and consequences for unacceptable behavior are known and applied where appropriate. Another parameter to measure, evaluate and enhance school safety is to ensure that the school has existing plans, and implement the plans progressively. In addition there should be policies and procedures that address the safety of the school. When these issues are put in place the schools safety is enhance and evaluated. Measures that check the number of trespassers, incident of vandalism, reasons for absenteeism and number of firearms and other weapons have to be taken into account to enhance safety in schools. The environment in which an individual lives in has one to one relationship with the criminal or non-criminal behaviors. In considering the environment there is the need to use Crime Prevention Environment Design to ensure that safety at school is enhanced. This design takes into consideration the relationship between physical environment and the users of that environment. It is equally important to acknowledge that the users of the environment both criminals and honest alike are conscious their environment. They therefore can know and recognize a safe and unsafe environment. In doing so, the environment can be made safe by ensuring that buildings are built in an well-organized way. The doors and windows should not be obstructed. The streets and routes in the school should be well labeled and directions shown. Apart from this these routes and buildings should be under twenty-four hours surveillance to monitor intruders and strangers. Equally important is the lighting system, which should be checked to ensure that criminals do not take advantage of the dark alleys. If all this is taken into account then there is high possibility of enhancing school safety. In this sense there is also need to consider the orderliness of the school by taking measures to ensure this. Taking measures in considering the referrals the school gets and the reasons enhances orderliness of a school. Also the orderliness of a school is reflected by the number of suspensions both in-school and out of school and the performance index of the school. It is inevitable to consider the orderliness of a school because it has one to one relationship with the safety of the school. The more orderly the school is the more safety it tend to be and the vice versa is correct. A caring school also does a lot of good in enhancing its own safety. Schools, which care, are characterized by taking caution of the rate of and reasons for absenteeism in the school. A caring school should consider their staffs turn over-we have had of cases where the students have been incited by their teachers to do crimes for example going on strikes. This can be so when the teachers are against some of the management policies. It is therefore important for schools to care for the se issues and also the rate of students’ transfer. It is when the management put their efforts to enhance the discussed issues that the school safety is realized in the long run. To evaluate a school’s safety assessment, safety concerns of members of the school community should be done through surveys, for example. The information gathered from the survey ought to be used in the creation of the safe school plan so that safety concerns can be addressed. Continuous measurement of safety concerns need to take place so that actions can be adjusted to address concerns. On the hand to evaluate orderliness of a school, assessments of reasons of disorder need to occur. From these assessments, a code of conduct reflecting behavioral expectations can be established as part of the safe school plan. Review of the reasons for disorder should help establish the code of conduct. Adjustments to the code should be made based upon continuous review of the school orderliness. This in essence, the use of the available data will enable the concerned parties to enhance school safety. School Safety Data in the Evaluation of Programs Data is vital in evaluation of the programs that reduce insecurity in school. Data from Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2005 shows that, 17 percent of students in grade 9-12 reported they carried a weapon anywhere and six percent reported they had carried a weapon in school. Though the data show that this is a decline from the previous year, it is still shocking and calls for collective responsibility to all stake holders. The data collected in this report also identified other indicators of unsafe school like drugs availability in school and violent incidents at school. The data found in the Indicator reports for the five consecutive years has been used or integrated in the safety programs for the purpose of enhancing school safety. The data equally highlights reported of other actions which are frequently neglected but have a direct impact to the eventual safety of the school like use of hate-related words. Safety school data collected reported incidents what could be classified or determined if a school is safe or not. The data ranges from possession of weapon, sex offences, use of alcohol and drugs, vandalism, burglary among others. The safety of schools in this case is determined by the rates of transfers, suspensions and expulsions. The data shows that there are no incidents of unsafe schools in this state. All the stakeholders, the teachers, school administration, the community and the state can attribute this to the measures that have been taken. The data used reflected the percentages of students who smoked cigarettes and marijuana in a period of six months. This was considered alongside the strategies for prevention and creating a safe school. The effects of mental health from the use of drugs are equally indispensable. Another source of data was the community. The communities that care survey of student levels of risk and protective factors were also considered. The data used was from survey carried out about students from grade 6-12. The data from the Kansas department of Education was used. The set data includes information regarding the numbers of felonies, expulsions, suspensions, misdemeanors and violent acts on school grounds for various schools. This data was from the year 2000 to 2004. School years were included in this database in order to establish a baseline by which to compare data from the school years in which the safe school initiative will be implemented. Conclusion The issue of safe schools is an issue that should be taken with a lot of seriousness bearing in mind the number of criminal related incidents that occur in the school. It is the obligation of all the stakeholders to ensure that they work towards the betterment of school environment in terms of surveillance- it should be a collective responsibility. Educators should consider physical safety as well as intellectual and emotional safety. To promote truly safe schools, educators must understand the culture of all their students and the communities they serve, and help all the students understand and respect the culture and the climate of the schools they attend. On the other hand, the state and the educational authorities have to come up with policies that the school safety is enhanced. Thorough scrutinisation of these policies will at least ensure that the school and the community do not neglect their roles in enhancing safety in schools. References Aspy, C. (2004) Adolescent violence: The protective effects of youth assets. Journal of counseling and development, 286-277 Hernandez, T (2004) A safe school climate: A systematic approach and the school counselor. Professional school counseling 7 (4): 256-62. Stevick, E. (2003). From noncompliance to Columbine: Capturing student perspectives to Understand Non- compliance and Violence in Public Schools. Urban Review 35 (4) 323-49 Vail K. (2004) Troubling rise in school violence. American School Board Journal 191(1): 9-10 Wilson, R. (1991) Violence Prevention for Young Adolescents: A Survey of the State of Art. New York: Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development. Witt, P. (1996) Public Recreation in High Risk Environments: Programs that Work. Arlington, AV: National Recreation Park.

Deforestation Essay -- Environment Pollution

Deforestation in China Deforestation has been a big problem in China to this day. Throughout its long history, China has gone through several cycles, from mild recovery to severe deforestation. When the Communists took over China in 1949, they introduced many new policies and programs to bring about economic and political changes; however, shifts in policies have led to program shifts in every field of China’s economy, including deforestation. Deforestation exercises a significant influence on the ecosystem, stimulating natural disasters, introducing negative environmental and climatic changes, and threatening biodiversity. Floods are among the most common consequences of deforestation. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), deforestation caused floods to occur every decade, and once every six years between 1921 and 1949, but once every two years in the 1980s. The situation has dramatically worsened since 1994, with the Yangtze flooding every year. Growing silting of rivers and lakes from the def orested lands in the Yangtze basin and encroachment on river beds by Chinese farmers resulted in record levels of floods in the summer of 1998. The building of The Three Gorges Dam is said to stop flooding greatly. As early as the 1950s deforestation in China attracted attention, but it was not until the 1960s that it assumed alarming proportions. The Land Reform of 1950 authorized state ownership of large forests and other types of land. The Cultural Revolution, which turned China upside down, also unfavorably affected its forests. The Ministry of Forestry, like most Chinese institutions and organizations almost ceased to exist during the Cultural Revolution. Decades of neglect resulted in excessive deforestation, impacti... ...is decreasing. In Tibet is has fallen from 9-5 percent, between the years 1950-1985; Yunnan 55-30 percent, 1950-1975; and in Sichuan, 30-65 percent, 1950-1998. Despite all the afforestation measures, heavy deforestation continues to plague China due to mismanagement, unclear policies, bureaucratic corruption, and ineffectiveness. Although recently, China has afforested a total area of 1.4 million hectares over the past two years, with another 13 million hectares of land reclaimed from desertification. The achievements come from a large afforestation project covering northern, northeastern and northwestern China. The project aims to form a shelter forest covering ten provinces, municipalities and self-governing regions. Finally, China plans to invest another 400 million Yuan, or more than 48 million US dollars in afforestation in these areas this year.

Andy Warhol- Pop Culture

Pop Culture Spring 2010 Prof. Howell Andy Warhol â€Å"Pop Art is an art movement in the U. S. in the 1950’s and reached its peak of activity in the 1960’s, chose as its subject matter the anonymous, everyday, standardized, and banal iconography in American life, as comic strips, billboards, commercial products, and celebrity images and dealt with them typically in such form as outsize commercially smooth paintings, mechanically reproduced silk-screens, large-scale facsimiles, and soft sculptures†(Dictionary). While looking up the definition of Pop Art, Dictionary. om tells you â€Å"see also Andy Warhol. † Andy Warhol defined Pop Art. Warhol was a twentieth- century American artist who took simple consumer objects and took them to the level of art. Warhol is best known for his â€Å"precise, enlarged image of Campbell’s tomato soup†(Dictionary). In the book called Andy Warhol: prince of pop written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, they st ated, â€Å"The work created by Andy Warhol elevated everyday images to art, ensuring Warhol a fame that has far outlasted the 15 minutes he predicted for everyone else. He not only produced iconic art that blended high and popular culture; he also made controversial films, starring his entourage of the beautiful and outrageous; he launched Interview, a slick magazine that continues to sell today; and he reveled in leading the vanguard of New York’s hipster lifestyle. Warhol’s rise, from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to status as a Pop icon, is an absorbing tale-one in which the American dream of fame and fortune is played out in all of its success and its excess. No artist of the late 20th century took the pulse of his time- and ours-better than Andy Warhol. † Pop Art influenced popular culture and mass media during the twentieth-century and well into the beginning of the twenty-first-century and no other artists has defined it as well as Warhol. Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1928. â€Å"He was a physically and p psychologically fragile from boyhood and insecure about his freakish appearance and his homosexuality. He was emotionally hapless and sexually timid, terrified of Practically everything†( Puente). In 1945, Warhol went to Carnegie Institute of Technology where he majored in pictorial design. After college, he moved to New York City and landed a job as a commercial artist, where he worked as an illustrator for several magazines, such as Bazaar, Vogue, and the New Yorker. He also did window displays for retail stores. Throughout the 1950’s Warhol won several commendations from the Art Directors club and the American Institute of Graphic Arts and in 1952, he had his first individual show at the Hugo Gallery, showing drawings based on the writings of Truman Capote (Andy). Warhol couldn’t figure out how to break through, so he â€Å"pestered his friends and art-world contacts for ideas. For fifty dollars a gallery owner suggested the can’s of Campbell’s soup†(Puente), which is now one of his signature styles. In the 1960’s Warhol created several paintings that remain icons of the twentieth century, such has Campbell’s Soup Cans, Disasters, and Marilyn’s. Warhol also made several 16mm films, which are underground classics. In 1968, Valerie Solanis, walked into Warhol’s studio and shot him, the attack was almost fatal. Warhol focused on his paintings during the 1970’s. The artist began the 1980’s with the publication of POPism: The Warhol ‘60s and with exhibitions of portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century and the Retrospectives and Reversal series†(Andy). After routine gall bladder surgery, Warhol died on February 22nd, 1987. Warhol is one of the most influential artist s of the twentieth century. David Horowitz states in his book, The Peoples Voice: a populist Cultural History of Modern America, that â€Å"Just as some elements of the counterculture expressed hostility to the market, pop art practitioners sought to incorporate the materials of ordinary life into painting and printmaking†(Horowitz). Realism and naturalism were new movements in America during the twentieth century, but modernism and its boost of art to a new level of self-reliance created a new art that summarized the mindset of people and not the physical description of them. Americans moved from rural areas to urban areas that embodied their social position and this was shown in modernist’s artwork. Warhol took modernism and its assumptions and altered them to his perspective. Warhol made people think what exactly is art? what is an artist? And he changed how art should be displayed. Warhol challenged the modernist perspective and became one of the most recognized artists from the century because of it. Horowitz also explained, â€Å"using commonly available media like vinyl, Plexiglas, and neon, Warhol elevated consumer objects to the level of art. The legendary figure built a cottage industry around widely disseminated silkscreen replicas of soup and soda cans and images of Marilyn Monroe, winning praise as an egalitarian commemorator of everyday life and a rebel against the elitist art establishment. † Andy Warhol has been dead for twenty-three years but his artwork is still popular everywhere. In Maria Puente’s article, â€Å"Andy Warhol is popping up all over the place† she talks about how Warhol’s pop art collections as productive as ever; â€Å"His face stares at shoppers from Gap store windows. His artwork speeds down slopes on snowboards and embellishes Levi’s jeans, Royal Elastics shoes and Diane von Furstenberg’s upcoming swimsuits. Pop culture fans sport Warhol jewelry and watches. Spritz Warhol perfumes on pulse points and hang Warhol handbags from their shoulders. Enthusiasts can even furnish their homes with Warhol- from rugs to dinner plates to bed linens. † I think that Andy Warhol changed how art was viewed in the twentieth century and his artwork has been so popular it is still an ideal most people recognize. In the twentieth century people went saw his artwork in museums and in magazines, now his artwork is on clothing items, posters, dinner plates, cards, pins, and everything you can think of. I mean on of his original self-portraits was for sale in November for over one million dollars. If one of his many self-portraits can sell for over one million dollars means his artwork had a huge impact on the culture. Andy Warhol was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. â€Å"Campbell’s Soup Can, a later, enlarged, and isolated version of the tomato soup can, conveys the erroneous impression that Warhol was out solely to apotheosize the idiom of popular culture† (Honnef). America’s social effects were equally important to Warhol. â€Å"What made American fabulous, he once explained, was that it established a tradition in which the richest consumers basically bought the same products as the poorest. You could watch television and drink a Coca Cola and you knew the president drank Coke, Liz Taylor drank Coke, and there you were drinking Coke. A Coke was a Coke, concluded Warhol, and no amount of money could buy you a better one†(Honnef). That insight explains why Warhol set out to achieve something similar in his work of art. He used standardized production to infuse art with the â€Å"magic of the perpetually same†(Honnef). Andy Warhol enriched the world by providing us with and idol from the world of art. Warhol was an artist of his time. He was a pop artist who saw contemporary art and the art world move to a new era. Warhol was â€Å"in fact a producer of a software for a form of art which paralleled the social system†( Honnef). Warhol reacted to the challenges of his time and gave a new dimension to the world of art. His art had its subversive features, for it uncovered the hidden mechanisms of the modern industrial, the society, and it exposed connections that were normally only visible through depth. Works Cited â€Å"Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts†. March 2009. Web. 3 March 2010. . â€Å"Dictionary. com. † January 2010. Web. 24 March 2010. . Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop. New York: Delacorte Press, 2004 Honnef, Klaus. WARHOL. Taschen: 2007. Horowitz, David. The Peoples Voice: A Populist Cultural History of Modern America. Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY: Sloan Publishing, 2008. Puente, Maria. â€Å"Andy Warhol’s genius, eccentricities just ‘Po p’. † USA Today. 11 December 2009. Final ed. Puente, Maria. â€Å"Andy Warhol is popping up all over the place. † USA Today. 1 April 2008. Final ed.

Competitive Advantage and Objectives Analysis Essay

Competitive advantage and objectives analysis go hand in hand in determining how marketers will determine product positioning. The main goal of a marketer is to create the image of the company or the product brand. Then the job becomes establishing or positioning the same image or brand into the target market. Positioning is putting the concept into the minds of the prospective consumer. It is important for a marketer to understand the different types of analysis and know how to compare the strengths and weaknesses of each type of analysis. In the following paper a comparison of this analysis will be introduced and explained. Different Types of Analysis Used Product Positioning Product positioning analysis is an important step in the marketing plan. Product positioning is when marketers design and image and value so that consumers in the target market understand how the product is important to them. The goal of marketers is to develop the image so it appeals to consumers and builds the competitive advantage. Product positioning is like the tactical factor or analysis that is part of the overall marketing strategy. It is important when developing the positioning strategy that each part of the mix is incorporated including price, how the product will be distributed, what type of advertising will be used, and most important how well will after – sell customer service be generated. Level Two Heading Replace the level two heading with the words for your heading. The heading must be in bold font. Read more about APA headings on the APA Style Blog. Conclusion The closing paragraph is designed to bring the reader to your way of thinking if you are writing a persuasive essay, to understand relationships if you are writing a comparison/contrast essay, or simply to value the information you provide in an informational essay. The closing paragraph summarizes the key points from the supporting paragraphs without introducing any new information. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, triple click your mouse on this line of text and replace the information with your reference entry. You can use the Reference and Citation Examples (Center for Writing Excellence>Tutorials and Guides>Reference and Citation Examples) to help format your source information into a reference entry. The reference page always begins on the top of the next page after the conclusion.

Free Essays on Niebuhr Vs Augustine

Reading the selection by Reinhold Niebuhr on his thoughts of Augustine’s theories was an interesting comparison to the other works we have recently read. His views were similar to some, but almost opposite of others. Although Niebuhr and John Howard Yoder are not necessarily representative of opposing "schools" in Christian social ethics, they do emphasize opposing themes that have been hot topics in the Christian world in the past century. Niebuhr states that he does not believe that pacifism would actually work in society. He separates idealism away from his main point of view- what we know as Christian Realism. One of the greatest things Niebuhr accomplished was bringing Augustinian thought back into public eye. Augustine’s ideas had fallen out of fashion among modern Christians. Niebuhr modernized his ideas and brought them back into current discussion. Niebuhr’s Christian Realism is based on Augustine’s understanding of human nature. Recognizing that humans have the innate will to survive, he knows that we will do whatever it takes to prolong our lives. This is the root of selfish desire, or original sin, as Augustine preached. We try to achieve self worth by getting more power, prestige, pleasure, or wealth. Sometimes we do it in a constructive way, other times in a harmful way. Niebuhr explains that once we start seeking out these things, rivalry between people begins. We would rather fight than compromise if there were a logical chance of gaining something. But Niebuhr says that fighting is irrational. Humans need each other in order to survive. He pre aches that we need to work together for the benefit of all, but occasional uprisings are unavoidable. Because of this, Niebuhr reasons (in an Augustinian way) that a social hierarchy is needed. Both theologians recognize the need for order. Yoder and Niebuhr differ greatly in their opinions on religion. Yoder is a definite pacifist, whereas Niebuhr s... Free Essays on Niebuhr Vs Augustine Free Essays on Niebuhr Vs Augustine Reading the selection by Reinhold Niebuhr on his thoughts of Augustine’s theories was an interesting comparison to the other works we have recently read. His views were similar to some, but almost opposite of others. Although Niebuhr and John Howard Yoder are not necessarily representative of opposing "schools" in Christian social ethics, they do emphasize opposing themes that have been hot topics in the Christian world in the past century. Niebuhr states that he does not believe that pacifism would actually work in society. He separates idealism away from his main point of view- what we know as Christian Realism. One of the greatest things Niebuhr accomplished was bringing Augustinian thought back into public eye. Augustine’s ideas had fallen out of fashion among modern Christians. Niebuhr modernized his ideas and brought them back into current discussion. Niebuhr’s Christian Realism is based on Augustine’s understanding of human nature. Recognizing that humans have the innate will to survive, he knows that we will do whatever it takes to prolong our lives. This is the root of selfish desire, or original sin, as Augustine preached. We try to achieve self worth by getting more power, prestige, pleasure, or wealth. Sometimes we do it in a constructive way, other times in a harmful way. Niebuhr explains that once we start seeking out these things, rivalry between people begins. We would rather fight than compromise if there were a logical chance of gaining something. But Niebuhr says that fighting is irrational. Humans need each other in order to survive. He pre aches that we need to work together for the benefit of all, but occasional uprisings are unavoidable. Because of this, Niebuhr reasons (in an Augustinian way) that a social hierarchy is needed. Both theologians recognize the need for order. Yoder and Niebuhr differ greatly in their opinions on religion. Yoder is a definite pacifist, whereas Niebuhr s...

Western Front and Testament of Youth Essays

Western Front and Testament of Youth Essays Western Front and Testament of Youth Paper Western Front and Testament of Youth Paper Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front World War One is well-known for the horrific amount of men who died in it, many of whom did not fully believe in or understand the causes they fought for. War literature presents the modern reader with peoples experiences from the period. Their views are integral in shaping our own opinions on war. Although war literature often differs in its composition, many themes are concurrent throughout the genre. All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque and Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, both portray the theme of futility of war. They are both drastically different in their portrayal, one an account from a German soldier and the other, an autobiography by a British woman; the ideas that they present on how war is futile presents a human wide consciousness of its futility and begs the readers to question the human nature of declaring and fighting war. The First World War was dubbed the war to end all wars but it did not end all wars as the name might suggest, rather it simply set the pattern for new and even more mechanised killing. Remarque thoroughly explores the impersonality of killing and the idea of a mechanised war in All Quiet on the Western Front. One way in which he presents this idea is through a very matter of fact approach to fighting and injury such as: Kat and Kropp even make another sortie during the afternoon. In the process Kropp gets an earlobe shot off. Vera Brittain also uses a matter of fact approach in her writing rather than romanticising the injuries she witnessed. It is likely that Remarques own experiences in the war heavily contributed to this novel; several of his other novels also dealt with the atrocities of the war and its aftermath. Injured by British shell-splinters at Passchendaele, Remarque witnessed first hand the brutality of war and hence this is a key theme throughout the novel. By presenting how brutal war was, he helps to destroy the false fai ade of the glory and honour of war and in a sense demonises the way in which it destroys the livelihoods of soldiers on the front and civilians back home. As a result, after the Nazis came to power, All Quiet on the Western Front was subject to their book burning. Vera Brittain also destroys the false faade of the glory and honour of war after she learns of the death of her fianci Roland. The loss of honour and glory is symbolised by Rolands returned kit. Notably, his badge, which would represent his honour and that of the army, was thickly coated in mud. He must have fallen on top of it, or perhaps one of the people who fetched him in trampled on it. This suggests that the honour that the badge represents has been soiled by the war, the badge now symbolises the horror of war without its glory. This is also ambivalent in the sense that she suggests he may have fallen on top of it, rather than just presenting how the war is no longer honourable it also suggests that there was no glory in his death and that his death and that death and destruction is what the war truly symbolises. Vera Brittain has altered the clichi of falling on ones sword to illustrate how the soldiers did not die traditional heroic deaths, but like her own fianci died for no military benefit. In addition, her reference of the returned kit as relics suggests that this is all that is left of her fianci  after the death and decay of the war. It represents her attitude towards the war, the return of the kit causes her realisation of all that France meant, that France meant death and destruction for both sides. It is however ambiguous as there is a level of conceit in all that France meant. She surprisingly compares France, which is often seen as cultural and beautiful, to death and destruction perhaps highlighting the idea that civilisation leans itself to war and that after this war is at end it will not be long until the next begins. This is a clever if not relatively elaborate way to express her view on the futility of war, that no matter what they say this war will not end all wars, it is a futile loss of life. Killing removes all honour and glory from both country and men and there shall be no benefit to either side on victory or loss because both ironically mean death. The frankness in which she portrays these ideas is of high importance, but it also unnerved many of the original reviewers. James Agate wrote that it reminded him of a woman crying in the street. One can see how he may have formed his opinion and it illustrates Brittains dramatic responses to the events yet I find him a little unjust in his criticism. Testament of Youth was the real book of the women of England1 and presents the strife of women during World War One. Virginia Woolf expressed the more widespread response, she mocked the story of how she lost her lover and the other clichi s of war literature, she admitted that much about the book had interested her and in turn had left its mark on her own novel The Years that had been influenced by Brittains connection between feminism and pacifism2. Remarque expresses the theme of brutality of war through his clever use of irony, such as in the first chapter. On the opening page of the first chapter, the protagonist narrates: We havent had a stroke of luck like this for ages. The men feel lucky for receiving a double ration yet this is due to the fact they lost a large amount of men because the English guns kept on pounding [their] position. This is both an example of verbal and structured irony, which is used extensively throughout the novel. It is first perceived that the double rations are what are lucky, but the death of half the platoon provides the luck. It is structured irony also, because the remainder of the platoon know they are lucky in receiving the extra rations due to the death of half of their platoon, yet they do not understand its significance. They have been immune to the concept of death to survive. The reader however is presented with mass carnage and the idea of other humans revelling in this stroke of luck. This depicts how the men have been dehumanised by the war; they revel in the death of their own kin because it helps to save their own lives. This irony is key in presenting Remarques view on how the war is futile. Imagery is another integral part in Remarques development of the theme of brutality of war and so how he presents war as being futile. Paul narrates, Its as if it is not the guns that are roaring; its as if the very earth is raging. The war has become so brutal and the killing so impersonal that it is no longer as if there are two sides fighting each other but more as if the earth is fighting humanity. Remarque is also careful to make sure the use of the word enemy is rare and instead Bi umer refers to the others, or to those over there. Vera Brittain is also hesitant to use the word enemy, instead stating that the men had been ordered to fire against the advancing Germans. This reinforces the idea that the earth is fighting humanity. Both sides are experiencing terrible losses and appalling conditions. Vera Brittain describes how she saw the hand of a man whod been killed only that morning beginning to turn green and yellow which demonstrates her use of imagery to graphically illustrate the horrors of war. The idea that both writers from opposing nations record the same details suggests that death itself is the enemy. If death itself is the enemy rather than the opposing side, the very fact that they are fighting is futile. There are no gains to either side, apart from the gain in numbers of death and casualties. Remarque also focuses heavily on the dehumanisation process of front-line soldiers, and remarks upon how all conventions of society lose their place in war in place of pure human instinct for survival. One such scene that demonstrates this is when Bi umer, Kropp and Mi ller use the latrines, they: pull three if them together in a circle and make [themselves] comfortable. It is quite a peculiar image of three men making themselves comfortable whilst in each others company using the latrines. It could be argued to be satirical, ridiculing how society acts in demonising and hiding natural parts of human life. However, I am inclined to believe that Remarque is hinting at how the soldiers have been dehumanised. Due to the loss of their social upbringing they will find it difficult to integrate back into society should they survive the war. This suggests that Remarque views the war as futile because even should the men survive they will not be in a position to live how they used to and in a sense have perished. Brian Murdoch, the translator and author of the afterword suggests that the novel presents the war without heroism but through terror and the loss of human dignity and values. This reinforces the idea that the dehumanisation of the soldiers is important in presenting the theme of futility of war. Whereas Remarque focuses heavily on the dehumanisation of men during the war, Vera Brittain concentrates profoundly upon the effects the war had at home through the themes of feminism and a prevailing sense of pacifism. Despite this, both Remarque and Vera Brittain focus on the effects on society by the war. Vera Brittain grew up in provincial comfort in the north of England, into a family that did not want her to follow her academic aspirations and so her experiences prior to the war evidently contribute to her feminist and pacifist ideology. She links her ideas of feminism to pacifism. Her aspirations to gain an education and then to work towards the war effort she had to confront her own susceptibility as a younger woman to the glamour of war. It became apparent that Brittain was ready to reject anything that identified war with grey crossed, and supreme sacrifices, and red poppies blowing against a serene blue sky. Both Testament of Youth and All Quiet on the Western Front, focus heavily on the theme of futility of war and as suggested by other critical appreciations of the texts, the focus on the novels concentrates heavily on illustration war without glory, without heroism. They both present death as the real enemy within war. Brittain focuses on the dismantling of the  ade of an honourable and glorious war, and invokes her feminist and pacifist ideology (much of what she forms after her experiences of the war) to demonstrate this. Whilst Remarque also illustrates how war is not glorious, his use of imagery and irony help to form images of how brutal war was and how it affected the lives of the young soldiers fighting in it. The theme of brutality of war, and the dismantling of the fai ade both present Brittains and Remarques views on the futility of war. 1 The Writers War, Oliver Edwards, The Times, 19th November 1964 2 Introduction of Testament of Youth by Mark Bostridge, February 2004

Double Comparatives in the English Language

Double Comparatives in the English Language Double comparatives are phrases commonly used in English to express increasing or decreasing returns. Double comparatives are often employed to underline the importance of doing or not doing a certain activity. Here are some examples of double comparatives: The more you study, the more you learn.The more time you take, the better the assignment your turn in.The less money I spend, the less I have to worry about saving.The less you worry about the others, the less they will bother you. Using Double Comparatives As you can see from these examples, the format of double comparatives is as follows: The (more / less) (noun / noun phrase) subject verb , the (more / less) (noun) subject verb Double comparatives with more and less can be used with  adjectives in the same way. In this case, the structure places the comparative adjective first: The comparative adjective (noun) subject verb, the comparative adjective   it is infinitive The easier the test is, the longer students will wait to prepare.The faster the car is, the more dangerous it is to drive.The crazier the idea is, the more fun it is to try.The more difficult the task is, the sweeter it is to succeed. These forms can be mixed up as well. For example, a double comparative might begin with a more / less plus a subject and then end in a comparative adjective plus the subject. The more money and time he spends with her, the happier he becomes.The less Mary thinks about the problem, the more relaxed she feels.The more the students study for the test, the higher their scores will be. You can also  reverse the above by beginning with a comparative adjective and ending with more / less plus a subject and verb or noun, subject and verb. The richer the person is, the more privilege he enjoys.The happier the child is, the more the mom can relax.The more dangerous the amusement park ride is, the less management worries about making a profit. Double comparatives are often shortened in spoken English, especially when used as a cliche. Here are some examples of typical cliches using double comparatives. The more the merriermeans...The more people there are, the merrier everyone will be. Double comparatives can also be turned into commands in the imperative form when recommending certain actions: Study more, learn more.Play less, study more.Work more, save more.Think harder, get smarter. Double Comparatives Incorrect Usage The use of the term double comparative also applies to the incorrect use of two comparative forms together. Here are some examples: This wine is more tastier than that bottle.She is more funnier than Tom is.Alexander is more taller than Franklin. In this case, more is not required as the comparative adjective form has been modified by the addition of -ier. Double Comparatives to Show Change Finally, double comparatives are also used to show a continual increase or decrease. There are more and more people coming to this vacation spot.It seems like there is less and less time to spend with the family these days.Recently, people are finding more and more time to spend with their families. Practice Double Comparatives Use the following sentence segments to create double comparatives (the good kind) of your own. people / come / party , food / we / needdifficult / test , students / studynice / customer service representative / happy / customerhigh-tech / car , expensive / modelfull / church , good / pastorfunny / comic , sales / cd / havesevere / judge , harsh /sentenceexperienced / technician , satisfying / repairlong / play , bored / audiencemoney / spend , money / save Possible Answers Here are some possible answers for the exercise. The more people that come to the party, the more food we will need.The more difficult the test is, the more students should study.The nicer the customer service representative is, the happier the customer will be.  The more high-tech the car is, the more expensive the modal will cost.  The fuller the church is, the better the pastor is.The funnier the comic is, the better sales the CD will have.The more severe the judge, the harsher the sentence will be.The more experienced the technician is, the more satisfying the repair will be.The longer the play lasts, the more bored the audience becomes.The more money you spend, the less money you save.

Reflectivity & appearance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflectivity & appearance - Research Paper Example It comes in two forms. One is the cosmetics approach with is also known as aesthetics. This is the surgery that is based on improving certain body parts and features or changing some parts of the body. This is because we want those parts to look the way we want them to look, (CNN, 1999). It’s for beauty and general outlook. The second kind of plastic surgery is the reconstructive surgery which is done to restore some part of the body that has been damaged, (Soueid, 2012). This might have been occasioned by some occurrences like burns, bone fractures and other complicated problems. The reason why a person would want a damaged part of the body to be repaired is to enhance their looks and productivity, (Hettiaratchy & Griffiths, 2011). Personal appearance and productivity are not strange bedfellows. This is because good looks enhance a confident personality, (CNN, 1999). There are occasions that a deformation becomes extreme enough to destroy the personal confidence or even the s elf image. The main reason for a reconstructive surgery is to repair or even correct the problem of a certain malfunctioning part of the body, (Hettiaratchy & Griffiths, 2011). The aim here is to make the part work normally. This happens so that the normal working conditions of a person can be restored, (Siemionow & Klein, 2010). The personality of a person can be affected when some part of the body are not working normally. This is especially so if part of the body is publicly situated, (Stone, 2006). If the correction of the body leads to an improved self esteem, then it can be argued that it improves the personality and confidence. Personality confidence and improved appearance go hand in hand, (Soueid, 2012). Plastic surgeries are not related or even connected to the use of polymers or plastics or synthetics. When a patient undergoes the plastic surgery procedures, they are likely to have some psychological benefits, (Hettiaratchy & Griffiths, 2011). It must be noted that the is sue of personality is completely mental. It therefore, becomes important to correct it using the perception of within the patients mind, (CNN, 1999). Plastic surgery procedure improves the self confidence and esteem, (Siemionow & Klein, 2010). This is because the new looks give those people confidence which is translated into how they relate with other people. Personal confidence is rarely about how other people view it. This is possibly why some people are strongly against it while others are form it, (Rinzler, 2009). The nature of plastic surgery is that it’s supposed to inspire confidence. It addresses the needs of people with a certain need for which they cannot take medicine or fix it in any other way. The people who go for this procedure obtain the desires they aim at. This leads to more comfort while dealing with others. This then, becomes a social factor that is positive, (Papel, 2009). Correcting mark from the face can cause a person to perform better. This also make s those who go for the plastic surgery procedure happier and more comfortable. Personality and individual productivity go hand in hand, (Hettiaratchy & Griffiths, 2011). Few people plan to undergo a plastic surgery; however it becomes hard to put up with a mulled image in case a misfortune happens, (Gunn, 2010). This is because we have a strong attachment to looks and appearance. Plastic surgery has some side effects. People opt to put up with the side effects rather than a damaged skin or body part. This who

Macroeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Assignment Example The main difference between GDP and GNP is that GDP measures total income in a nation, while GNP measures total income by a nation’s residents. GDP is the more widely relied upon statistic by business, policy makers and the public. The change in GDP is used to calculate whether a nation’s economy is expanding or contracting. As the broadest measure of a nation’s economic activity it indicates the overall health in the economy. As the broadest measure it is heavily relied upon by business and policy makers to plan as well set monetary and fiscal policy. While the general public may not use GDP because of the effects of GDP on business and policy officials they are impacted as well. For business leaders the main use of GDP is in planning and investment. One way business leaders can use GDP and GNP in combination is to determine where revenue is being earned. By comparing GDP to GNP they can determine whether there is growth in income is coming from domestic or foreign sources. GDP and GNP are also traditionally used in business cycle forecasting. By looking at the trends and changes in GDP it can allow businesses to plan for turns in the business cycle rather than simply reacting. These decisions have an impact upon the general public in the form of job creation or cut backs by businesses. For policy makers GDP is a signal used in creating monetary and fiscal policy as well as measuring its effectiveness. If the economy is growing too quickly policy makers can apply contractionary policy such as raising interest rates and taxes to cool the economy. If the economy is contracting they can then use expansionary policy, such as low interest rates, tax reductions and government investment to boost the economy. Government expenditures are of particular importance as they are directly taken into account in GDP. By increasing expenditures the government can turn a recession into an expansion single handedly. This

Pinterest Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pinterest - Research Paper Example Pinterest Community is an archive site that articulates different forms of communication given the fact that the community takes into account the aspect of technology at hand. These forms of communication include; Email has turned into a standard manifestation of business correspondence, particularly for short messages that oblige movement. This sort of engineering based correspondence permits you to deal with a ton of clients, and also accomplices and different stakeholders without long discussions. Advanced programming of Pinterest permits one to send the same email to all invested individuals with the goal that you can keep the message, name, and items in the front line of their brains. Messaging has turned into the most individual manifestation of business correspondence the extent that Pinterest Community and their movement is considered. While you may give your email location to numerous individuals, your particular content number is saved for a couple of close cohorts. Your correspondences by content have a tendency to be more critical than email. In the event that Pinterest business is moving excessively gradually, this has been considered a channel to analyze whether there is message exploitation. Interpersonal organization destinations, for example, Facebook and Myspace has been a vital apparatus to contact of different society through offering of thoughts the extent that Pinterest group is of concern. The group has changed in accordance with these types of correspondence style to a more casual methodology. Rather than deals pitches, spot messages on these locales that sound like you have a great arrangement for your companions. The statement "website" is another way to say "web log." Amateurs frequently compose these destinations, however getting a blogger to survey an item or administration might be a great approach to spread the saying about your little

Auto-ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Auto-ethnography - Essay Example This was the exact description of my childhood days. No limits to govern me and no color to choose from all the children were my friends and I really boasted to have them. Going back home from school one afternoon, my friend and I were waiting for the usual train at the station. When the train arrived and we were rushing to get in one young man shouted at my friend, ‘hey, negro get in fast’. At the moment that did not click in my mind that it was a racial attack and as I tried to calm my really offended friend I embarked to know what was wrong with it. My friend is black and this was the first outright racial abuse that I had seen directed at her. As the days progressed I learnt much about racial discrimination and the selection by race that is so much engrossed in our society. I had been brought up from a background that had no racial bias and when I joined college I found that some students really discriminated others and even went ahead to choose their friends from the filtered group of friends from the ‘favored race’. This is why I decided I had to start a campaign against racism. Race should not be a factor to measure so meone’s ability or determine her strengths. Today I am glad for the step I took some years back to sensitize my friends against racism. We have a group of multiracial students and we are doing great in the field. Our first step is to fight individualism. Tocqueville defines individualism as ‘calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends, with this little society formed to his task; he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself’ (39). With this understanding we have to take the initiative and impact change on the society as it is solely our mandate to ensure that

Problems with Genetic Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems with Genetic Manipulation - Essay Example In Wood's society of predetermination through genetic alterations, no one has to take any measure of personal responsibility. In the introduction of Better Living through Genetics, James Wood uses persuasive speech (logos) as well as a somewhat morally appealing argument (ethos) to convince the reader of the benefits of genetic engineering. An example of this is the sentence "Genetic analysis during in vitro ("test tube") fertilization enables couples to eliminate sickle cell anemia and a host of other diseases from their offspring.". What parent to be would not wish to ensure the healthiest of offspring There is certainly a sense of moral fiber behind wanting to make sure that one has healthy, disease free children. This statement is therefore supported by both logos and ethos. Logos is the part of Aristotelian argument that specifically deals with persuasive argument through speech. As the essay continues, Wood tried to convince his readers of the boundless benefits of literally designing and predetermining their offspring in an almost Hitler like ideology. The statement that follows is an example of something one would assume came straight out of the holocaust ".Nevertheless, society will still have to protect itself from criminals. The only practical solution, until defects are purged from the species, is mandatory genetic testing and preemptive action, including putting people with "criminal genes" in prison before they commit crimes." The fact that the reader cannot escape the notion that Wood's "utopia" is an almost genocide or ethnic cleansing of sorts, allows one to determine that both pathos (appealing to one's emotions) and ethos (moral competence) are completely abandoned. Although, a few statements such as the above idea that one can prevent one's offspring from genetic deformities and disease, may be arguably an example of either pathos or ethos. The overall essay however, deviates from both. In addition, the essay is somewhat choppy and therefore lacking in logos (argument through speech). If the piece had been more eloquently written, one may be able to find it more persuasive. This is not to say that some of the statements here and there are not worded reasonably well and therefore slightly convincing. For example, Wood discusses that the process of creating his genetically engineered "utopia" would take place in stages and eventually appeal to everyone "Almost every one of the myriad incremental steps toward utopia appeals to some value such as competitive advantage or convenience". This causes the reader to wonder if perhaps they are not being open minded enough or perhaps they have missed the greater picture. This is an example of logos (argument and persuasion through speech. The summary of Wood's essay sums up the "utopia" he desires as essentially a planet with robotic organisms devoid of any spirit or autonomy. This is the absolute opposite of the very nature of humanity and is therefore very amoral. Therefore, ethos is not an element of argument used overall in Wood's essay. The following statement in Wood's summary explains this machine run "utopia" void of humanity"In sum, the new technologies

Interface design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interface design - Essay Example Moreover, the intellectual level of target group should be a guiding principle for the interface design document. The user should feel relaxed and comfortable while using the interface and it must be a pleasurable experience. â€Å"Each moment has the potential to increase user’s confidence or destroy his trust in a product or company, and each one is an important piece of the whole experience† (Hoekman 2008). Requirement Analysis of Potential Audience This requires narrowing down what type of information, features and products your targeted audience would be looking for. The basic theme of interface is designed keeping in mind the research conducted in Assignment # 1, which underlines the identification of the user group before starting the development of the product. In our case the site offers massaging services and allied facilities to its customers. The identified customer group is mainly comprised of the middle-aged women of the upper middle class and the elite cl ass of the society. However, there are other groups of customer which are attracted by the product and they include more or less every age group bearing children. The site should also support the customer class where a massage therapy is advised by the doctors. The identified user group is supposed to be well-off and educated. More often than not this group will use the services for stress management and in some cases for medical reasons. The basic theme of the interface is required to be light and refreshing. A shade of light green is used as the theme color of the site. This gives a soothing and refreshing effect to the site. The interface is designed to impart a comforting and gentle effect at first sight to address the issue of the major group of customers while incorporating the needs of the rest of the identified groups. Special care is taken in use of images at the site and especially at the home page of the site to further support and endorse the theme of the site. This is s hown below in figures 1 and 2. [Figure 1: The home page for zypresse.com] [Figure 2: The about us section for zypresse.com] Numbers of interviews were conducted for inclusion of user opinions in the development of the interface. During this process some of the expected clients of the massage services insisted on the availability of video clips of various massaging techniques at the web interface. Feedback of the clients was also integrated in the shape of the price list for various services offered by the massage center. Moreover the names, specialties, and experience of various therapists have also been provided on the basis of requirement analysis. This is shown below in figures 3 and 4. [Figure 3: The video support section for zypresse.com] [Figure 4: The price list section for zypresse.com] A number of doctors, surgeon and physician are consulted to bridge the gap between the customer needs and the product design. This process helped a lot in rationalization and understanding of the customer’s requirement. The user group of massage services is particularly comprised of middle-aged ladies, however adult men and elderly people may also form a part of this user group. Therefore the interface design especially caters for the requirements of this user grou

Problems with Genetic Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems with Genetic Manipulation - Essay Example In Wood's society of predetermination through genetic alterations, no one has to take any measure of personal responsibility. In the introduction of Better Living through Genetics, James Wood uses persuasive speech (logos) as well as a somewhat morally appealing argument (ethos) to convince the reader of the benefits of genetic engineering. An example of this is the sentence "Genetic analysis during in vitro ("test tube") fertilization enables couples to eliminate sickle cell anemia and a host of other diseases from their offspring.". What parent to be would not wish to ensure the healthiest of offspring There is certainly a sense of moral fiber behind wanting to make sure that one has healthy, disease free children. This statement is therefore supported by both logos and ethos. Logos is the part of Aristotelian argument that specifically deals with persuasive argument through speech. As the essay continues, Wood tried to convince his readers of the boundless benefits of literally designing and predetermining their offspring in an almost Hitler like ideology. The statement that follows is an example of something one would assume came straight out of the holocaust ".Nevertheless, society will still have to protect itself from criminals. The only practical solution, until defects are purged from the species, is mandatory genetic testing and preemptive action, including putting people with "criminal genes" in prison before they commit crimes." The fact that the reader cannot escape the notion that Wood's "utopia" is an almost genocide or ethnic cleansing of sorts, allows one to determine that both pathos (appealing to one's emotions) and ethos (moral competence) are completely abandoned. Although, a few statements such as the above idea that one can prevent one's offspring from genetic deformities and disease, may be arguably an example of either pathos or ethos. The overall essay however, deviates from both. In addition, the essay is somewhat choppy and therefore lacking in logos (argument through speech). If the piece had been more eloquently written, one may be able to find it more persuasive. This is not to say that some of the statements here and there are not worded reasonably well and therefore slightly convincing. For example, Wood discusses that the process of creating his genetically engineered "utopia" would take place in stages and eventually appeal to everyone "Almost every one of the myriad incremental steps toward utopia appeals to some value such as competitive advantage or convenience". This causes the reader to wonder if perhaps they are not being open minded enough or perhaps they have missed the greater picture. This is an example of logos (argument and persuasion through speech. The summary of Wood's essay sums up the "utopia" he desires as essentially a planet with robotic organisms devoid of any spirit or autonomy. This is the absolute opposite of the very nature of humanity and is therefore very amoral. Therefore, ethos is not an element of argument used overall in Wood's essay. The following statement in Wood's summary explains this machine run "utopia" void of humanity"In sum, the new technologies

Leonardo da Vinci Lifepath and Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leonardo da Vinci Lifepath and Activity - Essay Example In Milan, he began various projects for the duke and managed to complete six paintings among them there was one called the Virgin of the Rock, which showed figures from the bible including the Virgin Mary, the baby Jesus together with John the Baptist which he finished in approximately 1485. In Milan, Leonardo did not just work as an artist, but he also advised other people on subjects such as engineering and architecture. He was fond of writing notes and filled many pages with observations and thoughts on everything from the human body to astronomy. Leonardo came up with inventions in his notebooks, which could not be made at the time. For instance, he designed a helicopter, an underwater breathing device, a tank and a submarine which showed that he was way ahead of time (Joanne 6).Leonardo wrote most of his personal notes in mirror writing. He only used normal writing if he wanted his texts to be read by others. It is not clear why he did this, but several reasons have been suggest ed. His friends wrote that he wrote and painted using the left hand. In those times, writing left handed was a mess since the wet ink would smear as his hand moved across the paper; therefore, writing in reverse would stop the ink from smudging. It is also suggested that he did this so that people could not read.Leonardo was said to be tall with long blonde hair whose abilities were beyond the ordinary that he could readily solve any difficulty. In addition, Leonardo was said to be able to sing divinely.... Leonardo came up with inventions in his notebooks, which could not be made at the time. For instance, he designed a helicopter, an underwater breathing device, a tank and a submarine which showed that he was way ahead of time (Joanne 6). Leonardo wrote most of his personal notes in mirror writing. He only used normal writing if he wanted his texts to be read by others. It is not clear why he did this, but several reasons have been suggested. His friends wrote that he wrote and painted using the left hand. In those times, writing left handed was a mess since the wet ink would smear as his hand moved across the paper; therefore, writing in reverse would stop the ink from smudging. It is also suggested that he did this so that people could not read and steal his ideas (Jill 18). Leonardo was said to be tall with long blonde hair whose abilities were beyond the ordinary that he could readily solve any difficulty. In addition, Leonardo was said to be able to sing divinely and his charming conversation worn all hearts. Leonardo did more to create the concept of the artist genius than anyone else of his times. He constantly stressed the intellectual aspect of the art and creativity. Leonardo is said to be so curious, this curiosity made him shift from a project to another (Joanne 8). Back in Florence, Leonardo painted an artwork that became one of the most recognized art images in the world, the Mona Lisa; for a long time no one knew who the woman was. However, it is now known that she was Lisa di Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk trader named Francesco Del Giocondo. It is said that Leonardo took the painting with him everywhere. Francesco commissioned the portrait with the aim of

Love and a Roller Coaster Essay Example for Free

Love and a Roller Coaster Essay Being in love is a lot like being on a roller coaster, it is scary, thrilling, and can sometimes be painful. It’s the feeling of excitement going up the first hill; learning things about each other. Learning what makes them smile, their fears, or what keeps them awake at night. It’s the pain of your first fight, not knowing if you’ll make it through. The same kind of pain you get being whipped around a sharp turn, or the lap bar digging into your gut as you roll down a hill. There’s a distinct difference between the two though, on a roller coaster you can always see what’s ahead. Love is between two people, two brain waves, and two completely separate people. There is no telling where you are going to end, or if the ride will come to a complete stop before you jump. With love there is no set value, no admission, or any right or wrong turns. There is both fear and risk, you may get hurt, and you may not enjoy it but you put yourself on the line for someone else. You chose to put your heart in the hands of something, someone else. In the end the ride was still worth it, you learned something along the way. Whether you feel joy, or pain you learned something. Riding a roller coaster over and over loses its excitement, but with being in love there is always a new hill on the way. There is always something to be excited over, from just seeing them again, to meeting their family and learning where they grew up. When you love somebody you experience a full range of feelings such as anger, calmness and annoyance, jealousy or happiness. You have difficulties of controlling these feelings, because you understand that you are depending on the person you love. You understand that you are not just one person, you are two as a whole.

Strategic Management Project Shell

Strategic Management Project Shell COMPANY: SHELL Introduction Shell is one of the worlds leading energy group and petrochemicals companies. It has around102000 employees in more than 100 countries. The objectives of the Shell Group are to engage efficiently, responsibly and profitably in oil, oil products, gas, chemicals and other selected businesses and to participate in the search for and development of other sources of energy to meet evolving customer needs and the worlds growing demand for energy. Mission Statement Shells innovative approach ensures that they are ready to tackle the challenges of new energy futures. 1.1 Topic of investigation having a strategic implication. This report explains the team buildings and teams work in Shell and development of its research work progress within the organization. It also presents suitable analysis of the project management and planning, advisory and project implementation of work. In this report, positive results of theories and its test showed that effective teamwork can lead to a success and achieving critical goals of Shell. It may also be able to gain the sustainability of competitiveness. Moreover, study explains that how team performance can be improved through leadership with project planning to face the upcoming challenges in modern era of business environment Shell operates in. 1.2 The aim, scope and objectives of the project. How can we improve Shells research study about lubes oil? What strategy we should adapt for improving Shells research? How and effective team force can be made for this purpose? The aim of the project is to achieve such team management, technology and resources that meet the new emerging energy challenges. Shell need to adapt such management strategies which will make a strong workforce with experienced and skilful team members. Shell wants to be recognised as a great company-competitive successfully and a force for progress. Shell has a fundamental belief that they can make a difference in the world because of its worth in the global market. A strong consumer proposition has been developed for the brand and embodied in the line World Quality which communicates Shell value-based offering in a precise manner, to its core target audience. The purpose of the advertising in the first instance is to support this strong value proposition and secondly to tailor the media solution to the store. 1.3 Justifying the scope, aim and objective. In meeting the energy challenges, the world faces three hard truths. The first is that there has been a step-change in global energy demand, with rapidly developing countries like China and India entering the energy-intensive phase of growth. Even with huge improvements in energy efficiency and substantial growth in renewables, fossil fuels will still be the main element of the energy mix by mid-century. The second hard truth is that easy-to-access oil and gas is in decline. As a result, energy will come increasingly from unconventional sources, such as oil sands. The third hard truth is that the increased burning of fossil fuels especially coal for power generation could mean unacceptably high emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change. Meeting the energy challenge Shell is helping to meet the energy challenge with a broad range of approaches. It uses advanced technologies that can unlock oil and gas in more remote or hostile environments, and new techniques to extend the lives of existing fields. We are increasing production from unconventional sources, including oil sands. Shell helps make the most of cleaner-burning natural gas through our output of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas to liquids (GTL) products. We are helping to develop second-generation bio fuels that do not compete with food crops; and we are developers of wind and solar power. 1.4 Evaluation of project research methodology. Methodolgy Research Study should be verified by seniors because all research is based on practical data and that data may vary by location of the research and by person. Need to Understand the Hypothesis before research and development. Which department are more feasible and which person is more interested and suitable for that research. Research should be complete on time. Research conduct at same time on different locations 2.1 Identify sources of data and information that will support the aim of the project. For a company like Shell having the right information about the environment, customs, laws and customer needs is of key importance. To gather this information the company will firstly see the law of the country in which it is going to start business, as we are talking about their business in UK the law allows this business. Here in UK there is a high demand it is a rich environment for the company to run their business. Data about this can be obtained by doing surveys and examining the current market i.e. by observing the similar businesses running in the country. Scanning the Environment In this research study, an appropriate approach of environmental scanning is considered in the industrial organisations that are operating in the chemical industry. Different types of information were used in this study. It included general information about the industry and specific about the participating companies. The type of data that was included was; Formal data that concerns the companys character. Data that is publicly available, like in annual reports. Interviews of managers that provided the history and culture of the companies. This information was very important to analyse and research the topic and to see how other companies are operating in the industry. Strauss (1987) emphasizes the usefulness of the case study approach when used with grounded theory. Grounded theory seeks to generate theoretical statements and, ultimately, complex theories based on empirical evidence, although it can be used in different ways and reach various degrees of complexity. The research design framework adopted in this study can be described as a multiple case study, composed according to the theory building structure, as described by Yin (1989), i.e., where the sequence of chapters follow a theory-building logic, and using the grounded theory method of qualitative data analysis. 2.2 Synthesise the data and information for options or alternatives that support the project aims. An effective information infrastructure was implemented to assess the information required in this research, which included technological information, processes and information acquired by people. A rich collection of scientific and technical information was gathered, which was managed by professionals having different backgrounds. However, some companies just provided a consistent picture which was a small collection made up of journals, literature and reports mainly. The information being pervasive is one of the main reasons in having difficulty in accounting for the costs involved in the research as it depends on specific roles and their performance. The data that was collected showed that in medium or large chemical companies data and information was being handled by 50% staff while in smaller companies about 9% staff was involved. The scope of the companies was assessed by their links with Research and Development organisations and hoe they collaborate with the regulatory agencies. Strategic change Larger companies like Shell influence the planning adoption but some other factors also interfere with the tendency, for example in what form the organisation is and what is the management style of the organisation. No evidence was found that suggests that the subsector companies should adopt the planning technique as a planning tool. While, the planning offices are also rare and their main duty is to collect the difficult data which is needed by the top management for decision making. The strategic change analysed mainly talked about increasing the quality of the product, which includes mainly improving the conditions of production. Environmental protection was also an issue in some cases there were highly pollutant industries. Globalisation and diversification were also some important strategic changes. Companies that targeted globalization pursued growth in the industry but some companies just secured their positions in the internal market due to the threat of major competitors operating in the main market. Companies which had a little scope of growth adopted specialization. The main target was to improve the product quality. Some companies claimed that they always pursue improving the production quality while other companies admitted that they have to improve the quality of the product to satisfy the EC regulations. 2.3 Determine an option or alternative that supports the project aims. Other way of supporting the project aim is to use theoretical information and implement it directly on the company. Information is like team management theories. Inductive and deductive research can be used to gather information and to move towards the aim. Deductive research Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific. Sometimes this is informally called a top down approach. Conclusion follows logically from premises Inductive research Inductive reasoning works the other way moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories. Informally, we sometimes call this a bottom up approach. Conclusion is likely based on premises..It involves a degree of uncertainty. Inductive type based on induction. Data is collected on a subject and researcher tries to develop theory from this data. 3.1 Evaluate the research analysis to enable conclusions to be made. Team Management It is difficult to build a team and maintain good working relationships. However, team members go through a number of development stages to work together effectively in team performance management. Individuals performing well are rewarded while those who are not performing good are motivated. The functions and roles of its members should be recognised by its team. The leader should establish continuous communication lines and set clear goals that are understood. A team that performs well accomplishes projects quickly and with less difficulty, misunderstanding, and divergence. Strategic Objectives Strategic goals or objectives are broad, high level aims, derived from organisations mission statement and purpose, affecting the whole organization (sometimes referred to as corporate aims). These will be: Long term (time horizon of several years), although they should be monitored regularly (typically annually) and may be revised periodically. Responsive to external factors such as new competition, changes in global economic conditions, or customer demands. The term strategic denotes a particular focus of the managers planning and decision making responsibilities. Senior mangers focus mostly on why questions, concentrating on the big picture and providing vision and leadership for employees across the whole organisation. Alignment of team performance and corporate goals To achieve the corporate aims it is necessary that the direction of the teams is towards the long term strategic goal. Managers and team leaders have to keep in mind what they need to achieve overall. And hence, to control the teams in such a way that either they are working on long projects or short its all adding up to the final goal. In the case of Shell the main objective of the company is to provide good quality chemicals. To achieve this there has to be a proper direct and control system of the staff working at the stores from the top management to the staff working on the floor. A good communication and understanding will always lead to easy achievement of goals, satisfying the customer at the end. Mangers are supposed to take into account the demand and supply of the products to make sure every product is available on time and then work should be allocated to the subordinates in a proper system to get all the work done systematically and easily. Proper team management should be done by the supervisors and the team leaders. All the staff should be divided into small teams which have to work in different sections. Proper training should be given to all the team members and a standard way of achieving the goal. This performance target should be given to all the team members and should be monitored and reviewed constantly. This standard should be according to the company policy and should be according to health and safety and customer satisfaction oriented. Providing good work at the end of every shift, which is the availability of all the products on time with good customer service. 3.2 Recommend a course of action that achieves the project aim. Skills that need some development Communicating Decision-making Leadership Prioritizing Valuing and Skills need to be achieved. To respond problems, experiences and opportunities from which to learn. To generate ideas without constraints of policy or structure or feasibility. Involving with other people i.e ideas bouncing off them, solving problems as part of a team. Need to have a limelight/high visibility i.e can chair meetings, lead discussion, and give presentations. To be engaging myself in short, activities such as business games, competitive teamwork tasks, role playing exercises. Supporting Others Motivating Analysing Delegating Reporting 3.3 Analyse the impact of the recommendations. Training courses at Shell for career progression. Management Development Programme Includes: Consumer Legislation Customer Service Employment Law Health and Safety Human Resource Management Policies Procedures Opportunity development builds competitive positions by identifying and utilizing opportunities in the environment. Opportunity development is necessary because your existing positions are constantly being degraded by change. Opportunities exist as openings in the environment that allow you to advance your position in the direction of your mission. These openings are usually small, but by taking advantage of the small openings, you eventually position yourself for the big advances you want. Training After the initial audit our ethical trade specialists work with the suppliers to support them through remediation of any issues that are found. Training is offered to suppliers on particular issues and best practice, at regular intervals. Shell is in the process of more than tripling the size of its own ethical trade team that focuses on training and intensive problem solving with its suppliers. These individuals are trained to the highest levels and are equipped to address endemic problems in the supply chain and come up with viable solutions for the suppliers. 4.1 Produce the results of the investigative project. The purpose of this study was to explain the team buildings and teams work in Shell and development of its research work progress within the organization. It also presents suitable analysis of the project management and planning, advisory and project implementation of work. In this report, positive results of theories and its test showed that effective teamwork can lead to a success and achieving critical goals of Shell. It may also be able to gain the sustainability of competitiveness. Moreover, study explains that how team performance can be improved through leadership with project planning to face the upcoming challenges in modern era of business environment Shell operates in. The main result was in the adoption of the learning and training courses within the company in order to prosper and enhance in the future. Shell is one of the leading companies in the world in the chemical an oil sector and it felt pride in taking these training and development steps in order to move forward and to achieve its project aim as a result of the research program. 4.2 Evaluate the impact of the investigative project The future sustainability of any organization heavily depends on the quality of project management to be able to cope with todays dynamic business environment. There is direct co relation between stake holder business project and the people within the firm. Shell is one of the four largest companies in the UK and has been ranked number one of the top 100 graduate employers in the UK and all over the world. The sustainability of Shell competitive advantage of its brightest people is depending on the successful team work and leadership. The best leaders know how to get others to follow and the best team members know how to follow their leaders. REFERENCES BOOKS: Aguilar, F.J. (1967) Scanning the Business Environment. New York: McMillan. Robert , buttrick ,(2005).The project workout: pearso education limited Edinburgh gate Education 3rd (1) pp, 305-350 Strauss, A. Corbin, J, (1990). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. London: Sage. Strauss, A. (1987) Qualitative Analysis For Social Scientists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Total Quality Management: The route to improving performance by John S. Oakland (Hardcover 15 Mar 1993) Shell employee control hand book 07/08 Personal development as a strategic manager unit 7001: level 7 strategic management and leadership CMI Checklist: Personal development planning Developing strategy for world class business E-learning Your role in improving personal effectiveness Development needs and planning development Web links: www.milum.net 13/12/2009 www.enotes.com 13/12/2009 www.quickmba.com 13/12/2009 www.managers.org.uk 10/12/2009 www.shell.co.uk 20/12/2009

Images and Imagery in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Imagery in Macbeth    The Bard of Avon considers imagery one of many elements in his tragedy Macbeth which give underpinning to the theme of the drama. The imagery might be said to be not a goal in itself but a means to an end. In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye shows how the playwright uses imagery to reinforce the theme: This theme is at its clearest where we are most in sympathy with the nemesis. Thus at the end of Macbeth, after the proclamation "the time is free," and of promises to make reparations of Macbeth's tyranny "Which would be planted newly with the time," there will be a renewal not only of time but of the whole rhythm of nature symbolized by the word "measure," which includes both the music of the spheres and the dispensing of human justice [. . .]. (94-95) In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson interprets the imagery of Macbeth: Macbeth is a play in which the poetic atmosphere is very important; so important, indeed, that some recent commentators give the impression that this atmosphere, as created by the imagery of the play, is its determining quality. For those who pay most attention to these powerful atmospheric suggestions, this is doubtless true. Mr. Kenneth Muir, in his introduction to the play - which does not, by the way, interpret it simply from this point of view - aptly describes the cumulative effect of the imagery: "The contrast between light and darkness is part of a general antithesis between good and evil, devils and angels, evil and grace, hell and heaven . . . and the disease images of IV, iii and in the last act clearly reflect both the evil which is a disease, and Macbeth himself who is the disease from which his country suffe... ...e's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1970. Frye, Northrop. Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1967. Kermode, Frank. "Macbeth." The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972. Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin. Warren, Roger. Shakespeare Survey 30.   N.p.: n.p., 1977. Pp. 177-78. Rpt. in Shakespeare in the Theatre: An Anthology of Criticism. Stanley Wells, ed. England: Oxford University Press, 2000. Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Lotus Car Rental Essay

The Lotus Rental Car company is the world’s leading company in a multimillion dollar industry and can take this great opportunity to provide the consumer with alternative options in vehicles by adding alternative fuel vehicles to its fleet in Los Angeles, California, it would be a good move for this company because alternative vehicles like hybrids offer a less contaminated environment, better fuel economy, and the best in its money worth. Electric vehicles produce zero contamination, but are limited to the distance they can travel. Compare to gas powered vehicles offering lower mileage and higher emissions, which is a factor to the contamination of the air we breathe in. Also by adding the alternative vehicle can improve the company’s image and show that we as a provider do care about what we rent out to our consumer, and by providing that image the consumer would be motivated to drive a much cleaner vehicle that will protect the environment. With more car companies coming out with alternative vehicles this would be the right move to make in investing in alternative vehicles and gaining that momentum that would push this company over the top of all our competitors. The standard engine vehicle has come a long way; Conventional vehicles have only grown more reliable. And year after year they come out with more improvements for the vehicle’s engine. The gasoline car has improved from decades before, and in the past century. Modern civilization depends on automobiles for much of its daily existence, to travel to work and back. Gas stations are everywhere and it’s easier to go and fill up your car with gas, rather than go and sit and plug into a charging station. That being a one of pros to having a gas powered vehicle. However a growing disadvantage to having the gas powered vehicle are the gas prices rising. For every gallon of gas you put in your tank, only 1/5 produces mechanical energy that moves your car. The other 4/5 is lost as heat which is why the gas powered car has more engine parts (The Amazing Rate, 2012). The more parts help the gas powered vehicle in cooling down and maintaining power. The parts convert gas that is flowed through the motor into energy, and more parts to manage the excessive heat. Take a Honda Civic EX, for example, normally the Civic would get about 24 mpg around the city and about 36 on the highway, thanks to developments such as the VTEC valve train profiling system that adjusts as speed adjusts and keeps the engine working at optimal levels (Autos.com, 2014). The hybrid and electric cars that they have out for sale only make up one percent of 250 million sold in America. The maintenance of the car would add up after a couple years of having it, but would still cost you less than the alternative vehicle that would’ve got purchased over a gas powered car. The cost of maintenance is lower compared to hybrid vehicle. Spare parts and replacement kits are readily available on car service centers auto body part centers as well. The maintenance of gas powered vehicle is simple as regular oil changes, air-filter changes, and spark plug replacements, keeping the vehicle in good condition will better the emissions and lengthen the lifespan of the vehicle and improve the gas mileage of the car. For most vehicles now dealers offer you more mileage and better coverage on the vehicle of choice, take for example the Ford 150 it offers you a flex-fuel, Eco-Boost truck and the offer more warranty on the vehicle per miles and years. The point in that is for the company to lengthen the life of the truck and offer better gas mileage to the consumer. The gas powered car, truck, SUV all have the one thing in common and that is that they all run on gas and all vary on gas mileage. Maintenance would also vary, because it is not as cost effective as an alternative vehicle. The Gas powered vehicle has been the one vehicle around for decades and still will improve in making better and less cost effective vehicles for people to drive. Since the first electric car was made in 1900 by William Morrison there have been major technological advances throughout the century that have made today’s electric car a more popular choice for the American consumer (Berman, 2009). It was not until 1999 when interest in electric cars began to increase due to growing concerns about the environment and drastic increases in gas prices (Berman, 2009). The electric car runs on an electric motor and battery to increase a vehicle’s miles per gallon ratio and does not require gasoline. The reason Lotus Car Rental did not jump on to this opportunity was because at the time there was a $15,000 price difference between electric and gas engine vehicles. As of 2012 there is  only a $5,000 difference which is a more acceptable amount to consider and there are now electri c cars that are in the $15,000 to $20,000 range (Cars Direct, 2012). The positives of electric cars are that they require no gas and they can be charged by electric stations around Los Angeles and they do not emit pollution and that fact alone might persuade the consumer to rent an electric car (KBB, 2014). The average miles per full battery charge in the city are about 120 miles and highway about 100 miles in town. The maintenance of an electric car is extremely low because there is no longer a need to purchase gasoline and the company no longer has to do oil changes, air filter changes and emissions tests on a yearly basis thus creating a higher profit margin plus whatever major mechanical problem happens it will more likely be covered by the warranty provided by the dealer when buying the electric car brand new from the lot (Cars Direct, 2012). The average dealer warranty is about six year or 100,000 mile whichever comes first but because we are a car rental company, we will reach the mileage first. Insurance for electric cars are considerably low because they offer discounts for owing that type of car so it will be easier to pass on the savings to the consumer if they decide to purchase it (KBB, 2014). One problem with electric cars is that they are low on horse power which might be a problem for consumers considering that they are more than likely to want to exceed the speed limit on the highway and it might make it a difficult drive when going up on hills and mountains. Another problem with electric cars is that depending on the make and model, the average energy span only lasts about 120 miles before the consumer has to stop and recharge the battery. The main complaint among consumers is the amount of time it takes for the battery to recharge. The average charge time is about 4 to 8 hours if the consumer does not use a rapid recharge station which will charge the battery in between thirty minutes to an hour again depending on make and model (KBB, 2014). There are about sixty rapid recharge stations in and around Los Angeles but it more likely recommended that electric cars be used for in town usage instead of long trips because of the lack of rapid recharge stations. Although not considered as an alternative for the fuel vehicle, such as the electric, hydrogen, ethanol, and propane. The hybrid vehicle operates using advanced technology that combines the electric motor, fuel motor, and generator, to create a more efficient use of regular fuel.  Hybrids have become the new sensation of invention since slice bread. There are many reasons why Lotus Rental Car should add hybrid cars to their fleet. Consumer reports and background information backing up on the hybrid vehicle, it also shows how their popularity has grown among the world and the American population. Hybrids have their own unique way of operating, having an electric motor and a fuel motor, which makes them real fuel-efficient. Hybrids also offer a special braking system that allows the braking energy to be captured and stored in an onboard battery. Costumers report that this type of vehicle will offer a substantial savings in fuel costs because of the engine’s efficiency. Some cars typically getting 48 to 60 mpg, and offering 20% to 35% better fuel efficiency than a typical gasoline car. A typical car for example a Honda Civic only offers a range of 36 mpg on the highway. Costumers also report that hybrid vehicles have almost the same maintenance routine as regular vehicles. As, hybrid vehicles switch back and forth between an electric motor, and a traditional fuel engine depending on road conditions. This switch between power sources saves a lot of wear and tear on both of the motors, and increase the fuel range dramatically. The repair costs are high but repair is not as common as it is on traditional vehicles, and as long as maintenance is done properly these vehicles can outlast a traditional vehicle because the technology saves on wear and tear. The typical cost of a hybrid ranges from $19,000 to $25,000 price range. These prices are a quite pricey compare to those of a gas saver car, which range from $14,000 to $17,000. Even though that initial cost of these vehicles is more than the comparable traditional style car, over the long run all of these technologies will save money. When comparing both vehicles the hybrid is still the best investment, on average hybrids offer a ten-year/ 150,000-mile warranty on the batteries and power training, and a three-year/ 36,000 warranty on the rest of the vehicle. Hybrids batteries and motors do not require any more maintenance than any other car, hybrid brakes even last longer than those of a regular car. Hybrids also have tax incentives in the U.S., which can reduce the cost up to $3,400. After all the research we believe that hybrid vehicles are the best pick of an alternative energy vehicle for Lotus Rental Car Company fleet. Given all of this information on the multiple types of vehicles available we at Lotus Car Rental, Inc. have decided to focus on purchasing hybrid cars. The reason for  this decision is because the prices of the new hybrid cars are acceptable even though they are more expensive than regular cars but the price difference is more acceptable now than when it is compared to a few years ago. The cost of maintenance will not be an issue because by purchasing a brand new hybrid car the manufacturer warranty will be able to cover any major mechanical problems that will happen. This is an important factor for our decision because all rental companies including ourselves never keep vehicles for more than four years because the higher the mileage a car has the more likely that there will be mechanical problems that can happen. As soon a vehicle comes close to exceeding the manufacturer warranty that is when it will be put up for sale. Another reason is that we want to show the consumer that we care about their concerns for the environment and gas prices. Today’s consumer will more likely rent a hybrid car if the rental price difference is not a lot and the insurance fee stays the same. Eventually Lotus Car Rental, Inc. will switch over to electric cars in the future when the concept is upgraded with technological advances. What we mean by this is that the miles for a fully charged battery will increase as the years pass by and there will also be way more Rapid Recharge Stations throughout the United States. For now the focus will be on switching over to hybrid vehicles because this will show the consumer that this company is adapting to change and that we care. This will create an image that will to financial success. References Autos.com. (2014, April). Electric Power Car Vs. Gas Powered Car. Retrieved from http://www.autos.com/car-buying/electric-power-car-vs-gas-powered-car?&session-id=d1fa38119d76b5d16b7f062d6bf474f0 Berman, B. (2009, October 30). Timeline: History of the Electric Car. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/electric-car-timeline.html Cars Direct. (2012, March 08). Electric Car Costs vs Gasoline Cars vs Hybrids. Retrieved from http://www.carsdirect.com/car-pricing/new-electric-car-costs-vs-standard-gasoline-vehicles ConsumerReports.org. (2013, February). Hybrid/EV buying guide. Retrieved from