Rhetorical Analysis on JFK’s Inaugural Address Essay

Majority of the people know the eminent line â€Å"ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country† (Kennedy). That is indubitably one of the most well known segments of his speech, however, there are other parts that made it memorable. He knew he was not only speaking to America, but other countries as well. His speech keeps the audience both focused on what is important and understanding of the point he is trying to make. He sought to send a message to the nation about the Cold War and his hope for peace along with his desire to inspire the nation. Throughout his speech, President John F. Kennedy uses parallelism, ellipsis, and antithesis to display to the audience that he was ready to be president and take on its challenges. Of the many rhetorical devices that President JFK used in his speech, parallelism was perhaps the most effective. The repetition of â€Å"Let both sides† amplifies his wants for unity and peace. His first use of â€Å"Let both sides† begins with talking about unity not division. As Kennedy repeats this for the second and third time, he includes how all countries should come together rather than to stand alone and take part in wars against each other. The world should succeed and prosper as one. President John F. Kennedy focuses on the idea of unity and peace throughout his speech. With those two factors, the world can undertake great things without the need for war, tension, or other harmful actions towards opposing countries. In the beginning of his speech Kennedy is willing to â€Å"pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardships, support any friend, oppose any foe†. This shows his willingness to fight for what he wants for the country: liberty, peace, unity. There are numerous forms of parallelism in JFK’s speech; however, there are few which have become infamou s and recognizable immediately. Kennedy’s speech is short and to the point, making it very effective. JFK had moral intentions and wanted to help his nation along with the rest of the world. This is clear by his use of ellipsis when he says â€Å"This much we pledge- and more† (Kennedy). By saying â€Å"and more†, President Kennedy expects the people to accomplish and partake in more than the ideas that were listed. Not listing numerous ideas made his point clear and effective. It allows his audience to think about what else can be done for the country. Kennedy makes it clear that he intends to do anything and everything in his power for peace and liberty. He is telling the audience  that what he said was not all that can be done, and that they were just examples of what should be done to reach that goal. Kennedy uses ellipsis when he mentions â€Å"a celebration of freedom- symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning- signifying renewal, as well as change† (Kennedy). By strengthening his statement on the celebration of freedom, it confirms that with this freedom comes a new beginning alongside change. President Kennedy states this in the first sentence of his speech, which fortifies the idea of freedom and what needs to be done in order to attain it. By the use of antithesis, JFK makes his speech memorable by inverting his sentences. Kennedy goes on to say that America should â€Å"never negotiate out of fear. But let us ever fear to negotiate† (Kennedy). This statement outlines the entire purpose of President Kennedy’s speech-spreading peace and assuring the success and survival of liberty. Kennedy’s most famous line â€Å"ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country† (Kennedy) creates an idea that is still used tod ay. The idea it generates is that citizens should be giving more to the country than they expect to receive in return. It incorporates the audience into his speech, which makes the listener feel as if they can also make a great impact on the world. It shows that America is not afraid to fight for what is right and the country is not afraid of working for what the entire world should be aiming for. Most inaugural addresses are quickly forgotten, but using the correct rhetorical devices in a proper and effective way can make any speech memorable. President John F. Kennedy’s speech is a prime example of a speech that stuck with people and is still be referred to time to time. Kennedy’s speech has stuck with the country for over four decades and will continue to have a great impact on the world. Kennedy knew what to say and when to say it through his own style and grandiloquence. He uses many different rhetorical devices to achieve the main goal of his speech. That being America is not afraid to fight for what is right and let the enemies know that America is not afraid of its enemies. Pres ident Kennedy uses parallelism to emphasize the key points and make sure that his message is given clearly.

Of Mice and Men Critical Evaluation Essay

Question: Write a critical evaluation of the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† in which you consider the setting, the plot and the author’s style as well as what you think the author was trying to get you to think about through the medium of the story. The novel, â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is one which I have read recently. The book is set in the outskirts of Soledad, California, America round about the 1930s. The two main characters of the novel are George Milton and Lennie Small. George is a small, quick thinking man and is the total opposite of Lennie whom is big built, and rather unintelligent and ‘simple minded’. When reading the book it appears as though he could possibly have a mental disability. In that particular time of the centuary is was rather peculiar for two men to be travelling around together. The two men migrate from a town called Weed, the reason for this being that Lennie touched a little girls’ dress as he liked to touch soft materials, this material being the little girls’ dress. Although the young girl claimed that Lennie had raped her and so George and Lennie fled the town. They worked as labourers and so migrated to a ranch near Soledad. At the ranch we are introduced to some other characters. One being Slim, a man who works at the ranch he appears a well respected man and is sort of looked to as the sort of leader of the group. Curley is the bosses’ son and enjoys picking fights with other men present at ranch and is rather disliked by most. Carlson is another man whom works at the ranch who becomes quite friendly with George and Lennie. Curleys wife is referred to as a tart on the ranch, she in known to have given some men the ‘eye’ without Curleys knowledge. Later in the novel Curleys wife is killed by Lennie due to her own careless actions when she flirts with him and torments him. She tells him to touch her hair as he likes to touch soft things. When she tells him to stop ‘mussing’ it up and he does not stop she reacts in a way that Lennie is startled and when she begins to scream he begins to panic and become scared and so he puts his hand round her mouth and lifts her up by the neck and shakes her. We are then told that ‘she flops like a fish’ and when Lennie drops her she land on a pile of hay and it is then we find out she is infact dead. In consequence to this incident Curley and some of the other men attempt to track Lennie down but George tells them that Lennie has gone South of Soledad but in actual fact he has given them the wrong directions because it is only George that knows where Lennie has really gone. When George finally reaches Lennie he decides that it would be better if he ended Lennies life for him rather than have Lennie being tortured and having to experience pain by the other men when they eventually hunted him down. In the novel there are lots of features which run through out the book. The features of the book which will be mainly focused on are the plot, the setting and the author’s style. The first feature which I will concentrate on is the plot. Lennie who is more like a young boy rather than a responsible adult, he likes to pet soft things for example when Slim gives him a puppy because his bitch has a litter of pups he pets it so much that he ends up killing it. An example of the plot is when Lennie is constantly petting the puppy and is warned by George who says: â€Å"‘You’ll kill him, first thing you know.'† The above example shows that Lennie was warned to stop petting the pup or it would result in its death but he is too persistent to stop. A second example of the plot occurs nearer the end of the novel when Lennie and Curleys wife are in the barn: â€Å"Then Lennie grew angry, â€Å"Now don’t,† he said. â€Å"I don’t want you to yell. You gonna get me in trouble jus’ like George says you will. Now don’t you do that.† And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. â€Å"Don’t you go yellin’,† he said, and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.† This example shows that Lennie was so terrified that he would go to any extent to prevent him from getting into trouble from George. Now that he had killed her he was clearly much calmer now that he had somewhat solved the problem which could have got him into trouble because Curleys wife was no longer an issue to cause any concern. These two examples both show how the plot develops through out the novel. I will now cover the setting which is one of the many other features running throughout the book. The book was set back in the 1930s at a ranch near Soledad in California, America. The first example I will direct my attention to is from the beginning of the novel and it says: â€Å"On the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening, and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of ‘coons, and the spread pads of dogs on the ranches, and with the split- wedge tracks of deer which come to drink in the dark.† This example descriptively tells of the surroundings in the novel. This is a good example as it describes the scenery in great detail to give a vivid image in the mind. Lastly, the authors style was another of the very many features of the novel. This style was brought to my attention many times due to the great depth of explanation. An example of this is: â€Å"The little evening breeze blew over the clearing and the leaves rustled and the wind waves flowed up the green pool.† This last example is effective as it describes how the wind blew across the pool. Most writers try their best to show great depth in their description, whereas Steinbeck shows his remarkable and impressive ability to create a descriptive atmosphere. In conclusion after reading the book I think the message that Steinbeck is trying to get across is that people who needed more help than others in those days were treated just the same as any other person. Also I think that Steinbeck would like people to know that America is not always the perfect place to be, as in the novel it shows some examples of racism, unfairness to women and inequality and many more issues. After all everyone has the right to an equal life and Steinbeck is trying to say that no matter how good people think America is its not always a fair society. I found the book very enjoyable but in some parts a little sad and it is most unusual to any other book which I have read. Towards the end I found myself empathizing with Lennie as I did not agree with the way in which his life was ‘stolen’ from him when it was not his fault that he had a somewhat mental disability.

Exploring Deborah Tannen’s “Sex, Lies, and Conversation

Miscommunications Deborah Tannen’s â€Å"Sex, Lies, and Conversation† is a brief look at how men and women communicate with one another and the cross-culture differences between their individual styles and needs for conversation. Women often say that men do not listen or do not want to talk. Tannen gives reasons why women tend to believe that men are not listening, and shows that just because men have a different approach to communicating does not mean they are not listening to what women are saying.She uses several different examples to back up her statements including early childhood differences in communication between girls and boys, the body language men use and how women tend to interpret it, and how women tend to receive information while communicating. Men and women have very different expectations when it comes to communicating with one another. The way women converse varies greatly from the way men tend to converse. Even young girls and boys have very differen t ways of communicating with one another.Young children tend to play with other children of the same gender, and the boys and girls tend to have completely different social interactions with one another. Tannen states that â€Å"these systematic differences in childhood socialization make talk between women and men like cross-cultural communication, heir to all the attraction and pitfalls of that enticing but difficult enterprise (51). † We see in women and in young girls, talk creates intimacy and intimacy creates friendships, but men and boys tend to bond more on doing things with one another rather than talking to each other.Even the stance men take when talking varies from a woman’s. Women tend to think men are not listening to them based on the position men take when carrying on a conversation. Most women, when talking, tend to look one another in the eye. Men on the other hand tend to look around the room, occasionally catching a glance at the person they are con versing with. Women also tend to stay on one topic for longer periods of time than men. Women are also active listeners and tend to â€Å"make more listener-noise, such as ‘mhm,’ uhuh,’ and ‘yeah,’ to show ‘I’m with you’ (53). Men tend to be more silent listeners. All these misinterpretations of communication tend to drive a wedge between men and women. A big reason communication fails between men and women is a lack of understanding the different ways in which men and women communicate. When women expect the person they are communicating with to face them directly, make listener-noises, and stay on topic, it is easy to see how they view men’s unfocused attention, silent listening, and scattered topics as men not listening to what they are saying. These differences begin to clarify why women and men have such different expectations about communication in marriage (54). † Women use talk as a form a gossip, where men a re usually more antagonistic in conversation. Women tend to be offended by the oppositional form of communication, and men find the random babblings of a woman to be useless and unimportant. Understanding these differences as cross-cultural rather than individual can help forge solutions to these problems without placing blame on the individual. Communication between men and women is certainly cross-cultural.Some examples of this theory are early childhood differences in communication between girls and boys, the body language men use and how women tend to interpret it, and how women tend to receive information while communicating. The differences between men and women should not be judged but rather accepted and respected. If they can do that, improvement in our communication will surely follow. Men and women will always communicate differently, but at least if they understand the differences they can move forward. ? Work Cited Tannen, Deborah. â€Å"Sex, Lies, and Conversation. â €  The Norton Mix. Ed. Sieg, Judy. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. Print.

The Human Resource Function of a Retail Store Research Paper

The Human Resource Function of a Retail Store - Research Paper Example Human sources managers should consider training sales staff. Training is a career and development process which would improve the skills of staff with great but untapped potential (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010). They would contribute to the increase of the sales of the retail stores and counter the standards set by the new retail players in the industry. Training would also increase the overall performance of the stores and match the quality and convenience demands from the retail customers. Career and development process in the form of regular training ensures that sales staffs in the retail stores acquire the necessary skills to improve the overall quality of the retail products and services from the stores. Human resource managers should introduce flexible working arrangements in order to manage the cost of labor. Flexible working arrangements is the best way to minimize hiring extra retail staff especially for busy holidays and periods such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter holidays. The new role ensures that employees do not work for long-hours without getting paid notes Krafft & Mantrala (2010). An eight-hour shift would work for a retail store to utilize the entire workforce by the end of the rotation. It is difficult to meet the labor costs during seasonal fluctuations with many staff members, but a temporary working arrangement would ensure that the store keeps selling. Customers are demanding quality and convenience from service and products. Human resource managers have a duty to employ highly visible employees who can keep track of the consumers..Employees should not only have relevant skills for the job, but also ability to keep a sane appearance and code of conduct. Customer need for convenience and quality from retail stores must be met. Again, human resources would benefit from a well-designed strategy that adapts to fair hiring practices for all retail staffs. Meeting high variation in customer demand is a challenge for human

Strategic Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Strategic Knowledge - Essay Example al., n.d.). With the intention to determine that whether the idea of intellectual capital can be managed at the strategic level or not, it can be affirmed that intellectual capital aids an organisation to generate greater value to the customers and drive success at in the long-run. Contextually, it has been viewed that the success of several foremost organisations including Microsoft, Amazon and Google among others have been typically based upon their respective intellectual capital in terms of managing it in an effective manner (Marr, 2008). Samsung Group, popularly known as Samsung, is one of the biggest Information Technology (IT) based global organisation that deals with various products and services including consumer electronics, medical instruments, mobile phones and telecommunication related equipments (Samsung, 2012). Notably, the vision of the company is to incessantly develop its pioneering technological advancements as well as effectual business procedures with the intention of penetrating into new business markets, enhancing profitability and most significantly accomplishing superior competitive position over its chief business market competitors (Samsung, 2012). Thus, it can be stated that the group can attain its expected business goals within the context of KM by effectively managing its intellectual capital. Based on these considerations, the discussion henceforth will intend to present a comprehensive analysis of the statement concerning the issue that whether the perception of intellectual capital can be managed at the strategic level. Different important aspects that include knowledge management or environment related managerial concerns, intellectual along with social capital, communities of practice and soft systems thinking will also be portrayed in this discussion. The conception of Knowledge Management (KM) is

Assignment-Synthesis of a Protein Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment-Synthesis of a Protein - Lab Report Example Errors in protein synthesis produce polypeptides displaying a gain of toxic function which may confer an alternate or pathological function on a normal, folded protein. In case of enzymes, the hydrophobic core provides structural stability for the molecule and amino acid changes may result in unstable protein product that is temperature sensitive. As the catalytic site of the enzyme is extremely sensitive, a single point mutation (either a deletion or insertion or substitution) may completely abolish function. 5. The above sequences represent those of eukaryotes as the intron or the non-coding region (codons from 24 to 66, including 66) had to be removed before translating it into a polypeptide or a protein. Whether sequence is eukaryotic or prokaryotic, it can be identified by the presence of introns and exons. In the case of prokaryotes, the initial RNA molecule or initial transcript is equivalent to the final mature RNA. In most eukaryotic genes, the initial transcript is processed so that the mature RNA is different. Most eukaryotes have genes that contain introns that do not code for polypeptides. However, prokaryotic genes do not contain introns. Eukaryotic RNAs, after transcription, have the intron sequences that are removed/ spliced in order to produce the final mature RNA. The sequences in eukaryotes that are represented in the final RNA and code for amino acids in a polypeptide are called exons. 6. The tRNA anticodon sequence that would build this protein is complementary to the mRNA sequence. The tRNA anticodon bonds to a given mRNA codon, by hydrogen bonding between A-U pairs and C-G pairs. The above sequence represents the intron or the non-protein-coding region of the initial mRNA transcript. The intron sequences are spliced in order to produce the final mature RNA in eukaryotes. Introns play important roles in gene regulation. One of the functions of introns is that they

Hospers' Meaning and Free Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hospers' Meaning and Free Will - Essay Example According to Hospers, acting based on free will is conscious yet such event is directed by unseen wires hidden within human unconsciousness at a depth which guides the main course of hatred or desire to do something that may set the person free. By this argument as well, Hospers states that one cannot be held responsible for an action resulting from a decision governed by the unconscious drive no matter how deliberately done in the process. Though a person sees and is aware of what he actually does, there emerges a series of rationalizations in an attempt to explain this while one is absent in the realization that as he acts in conscious effort or free will, it is the unconscious or the inner clockwork that takes control. Similarly, Hospers maintains the proposition that because this is so, it is the act that must be accountable and not the man to answer for his state of being since his conscious approach serves only as a vehicle to deliver the ends brought about by the unconscious motivation. Within the latter, Hospers assumes that the key to its impact relies upon the shared functions of the ‘id’ by which the wants are acknowledged, the ‘superego’ that typically contradicts the ‘id’, and the unconscious ego which through compromise, keeps these two in proper balance. In support of his position, the professor opens the subject by designating freedom in certain contexts where it may come to mind a full comprehension in relation to the nature of an act. He argues that ambiguity exists in claiming that a voluntary act is free. Hospers does not completely abolish the possibility of being inclined to the thought that all voluntary acts are free or conversely, that free acts are voluntary, he clarifies however that this is limited in scope due to subjective human preference which distinguishes acts that are voluntary from those that are not even if both could be initiated by freedom.  

Colonial Medicine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Colonial Medicine - Assignment Example Money had to be made, and the men, especially, were determined to make themselves and their families financially free. Women, on the other hand, were in charge of caring for the children. Almost every two years, a new child would be born to a woman, making her be responsible for caring for children pretty much her entire adult life. Women even began taking care of the children before the adult years. For instance, when Rebecca Lukens came home from the boarding school that she attended to get a top-of-the-line education, she was home caring for her six younger siblings at sixteen years of age. While some were owners of large farms and plantations, and while there were others who tended to family duties, others went to school to get an education on a wide variety of things, such as apprenticeships and obtaining medical degrees (Gustaitis). According to the article titled, â€Å"Iron Woman† one could draw the conclusion that men primarily were doctors. Women primarily were nurses, and they worked with midwifery, helping other women deliver their children. For instance, the husband of Rebecca Lukens, Charles Lloyd Lukens, studied to become a physician and practiced for quite some time before he decided that he’d go into the iron business along with Rebecca’s father (Gustaitis). During those times, women did not primarily work, as their duties were primarily in the home. However, when their husbands died, leaving them widows, these women were able to inherit all of the estate, the business, and any other financial means that their husbands left behind. Not to mention, they possessed legal rights (Gustaitis). In 1840, Rebecca was the sole owner of her business, and she had done well enough that she be became a very successful CEO. Her iron business thrived until her death, and it even is thriving today. As a matter of fact, in the year 1996, Rebecca was entered into the business hall of fame (Gustaitis). This

New Venture Creation Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

New Venture Creation Project - Essay Example This is because it influences the manner in which they interact with their peers, and the manner in which they conduct their business operations. For instance, the current century is shaped by the emergence of the social media. People look for friends and associations in sights such as facebook, web2.0, and twitter (Pakroo and Marcia, 20). A large percentage of people access these sights by using the computers. Business men on the other hand peruse through the internet in search of information concerning their business activities (Murthy, 23). Murthy (25) further denotes that business organizations cannot achieve their objectives without using computers. Basing on this background, there is a ready market for computer products. On this note, it is advisable to invest in this sector, and to do this, an entrepreneur must have a business plan. A plan will help in raising funds for the business enterprise, and therefore set directions for the business. For instance, this plan identifies t he computer services and products my business intends to offer, and the location of the business establishment. It identifies the scope of the business operations, and the managerial personnel. It also identifies the marketing strategies of the business establishment, its growth plan, and the expected sales revenues. It also identifies the capital required and whether there is a need for an investor. Products and Services offered: The computer products for sale are all computers hardware and software. This includes hardware components such as central processing units (CPUs), tfts, monitors, and a computer key board. The business also sells products such as Kaspersky’s; an anti-virus. The business concerns itself with the repair of broken computer parts, and the designing of websites for companies, and individual people. A central processing unit is a computer hardware whose main function is to carry the instructions of a computer program through logical and arithmetic operati ons of a computer system (Murthy, 34). It is a core requirement for a computer system to be complete. On this note there, these hardware’s will form a majority of the computer products that my organization will sell. Other products are the TFTS, the monitors, and the computer keyboards. My organization can also assemble these parts for purposes of producing a complete computer system. But this service will only depend on the requirements of the customer. Computer systems are also under attack from viruses, and other computer malwares. On this basis therefore, a computer system needs to have software’s that protects it from such kind of attacks. Basing on this need, my organization will seek to sell anti-virus and anti-malwares software such as Kaspersky. Kaspersky is effective in protecting computer systems from malware and virus attack (Murthy, 27). Basing on this notion, Kaspersky’s is a much sought after computer software, and it will prove to be profitable i f we trade in it. The business establishment will also have a repair unit, composed of highly trained individuals on all manner computer maintenance and repairs (Perryer, 28). I believe this service is essential considering the nature of our business. For example, a customer might buy a product from us, and it becomes defective. The proper way is to repair the product, instead of returning back his or her cash. The business will also concern itself with the designing of websites, for individuals and corporate organizations. In the current

Morality & differentiate Essay Example for Free

Morality differentiate Essay Morality is defined as the ability to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. While the concept may seem simple enough, in reality however it is much more complex than that. The main question is how does one define right and wrong? If something is deemed as â€Å"right†for one person, does it automatically mean that it is the right one for another? This rather confusing view of morality is exemplified in the current saying that â€Å"one mans terrorist is another mans patriot. † Truly, morality is not that easy to define. Morality however it seems is more often than not defined by the society at large. A society is define as a group of individuals that have common interests as well as have their own culture. This concept of society and morality is highly apparent in the novel by Azar Nafisi title â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran, A Memoir in Books. † Nafisi is in Iranian scholar who emigrated in 1997 to the United States. The book mentioned in the title is the novel by Vladimir Nabokov which tells the story of a middle aged man who has sexual obsessions with a pre-teen girl, specifically a twelve-year old girl. Although Nafisis novel isnt just about this particular book, Lolita is however one of those books considered as controversial in Iran. Novels like One Thousand and One Nights, Invitation to a Beheading, The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, are also included and their similarity to what is happening in Iran. It is Lolita however that gets a rather good exposure in the book. Nafisis novel however goes much deeper that what the title actually says. It gives a rather good view on what happens to the people when a society suddenly changes its view on things. Nafisis book gives a closer look to what happened in Iran when Ayatollah Khomeini gained power after the Islamic revolution. One of this was the decree requiring women of Iran to follow a dress code. Iranian women were now required to wear veils. An issue that Nafisis tackles a lot in her book. This simple decree caused a great deal of change in Iran. Prior to the decree, Iranian women did not wear veils. For most women, the decree was considered as a restriction to their freedom. Women who do not follow this rule are often detained. As a result, wearing the veil also restricted how people interacted with one another. One reason for this change in interaction is the differences in their reactions to the decree. While some stated that they â€Å"hated†it, others supported it saying it made them feel more â€Å"relaxed. † In general though, women who did not wear veils were considered immoral and even unchaste by the society at large. The decree requiring the veil also allowed for segregation and discrimination. The veil made women have a less status that the men. The veil did not only change the relationships that people had with each other but also on their individual roles and responsibilities. While women were still allowed to go to universities, these were still subjected to suppression by those in power. Segregation was not the only thing that was practiced in the universities but those who were found talking to the opposite sex were punished by the religious authorities. In fact, because the school where Nafisi taught was rather liberal, school officials were often asked if they believed the school was located in Switzerland, the word being connected with all things considered decadent and lax. The wearing of the veil also made women subservient to men who had to follow whatever was said to them. This change in culture actually continued despite Khomeinis death. According to Nafisi, Khomeinis real death would only come when women were not required to wear scarves in public anymore. By interjecting the novel Lolita in her book, Nafisi shows what the society truly is. A country doing its best to live in a fantasy world. In Lolita, the main protagonist Humbert Humbert, wishes to have the perfect Lolita. Implementing the decree on the wearing of the veil in reality reveals Khomeinis dream of having a truly perfect Koranic society. Nafisi argues that much like story, where Humberts pursuit eventually destroys Lolita, Iran may likely experience the same. Living in a fantasy world though may not be that bad. Nafisis book tells us that we all need to create a paradise to escape into. ( 281) She however immediately corrects this and say that â€Å"fiction was not a panacea, but it did not offer us a critical way of appraising and grasping the world not just our world but that other world that had become the object of our desires. † ( 282) Going back to Lolita and its relation with the Iranian society, Iran is much like Humbert who despite molesting the young Lolita, appears normal in other parts of his life. By implementing a standard on morality, the Iranian society was telling people that it was normal to do so in order to run the country better. And like Humbert, the Iranian society does not blame itself but others for what is wrong. Humbert wants Lolita to become what is perfect for him, no different from what the regime wants for its citizens. The Iranian regime blames the â€Å"dissidents† for what has happened to the country hence the imposition of the new rules or codes of morality. The new codes of morality while restricting activities of most of its citizens, have also made their lives more exciting. What was then ordinary activities where now being done as a secret mission. People who wanted to watch foreign films, eat ice cream, or even meet without wearing veils were doing so in secret. Thus while the citizens were openly showing their support for the rules, they were also secretly doing normal things that were now considered as taboo. The imposition of codes of morality this did not totally alter the responsibilities of the citizens and their roles but only on how they performed it. As mentioned earlier, the issue of morality is a very complex one. By imposing a standard on morality, the Iranian regime thus changed the way its citizens behaved. Women now found their freedom curtailed as they were required to wear veils and not allowed to talk to persons of the other sex. Activities that were regularly considered as norm where now being done in secret. While most people were still allowed to hold their jobs, they faced the constant scrutiny of the religious sector. While Iranian women and people around the world viewed these changes as something negative, the regime however defended its actions by stating that the change was needed. Thus even if the propagator, Khomeini, had died, the practice continued. Another effect that the rules had, specifically on Nafisi, was her having to quit the university and teaching a class and discussing books in secret. For Nafisi, the university was no longer a place where students can have honest discussion asking how could one teach when the main concern of university officials was not the quality of ones work but the color of ones lips, the subversive potential of a single strand of hair? (11) This activity leads to Nafisi bonding with her students since most of them feel that they have been made irrelevant by the new regime. The rule requiring women to wear veils becomes more oppressive when Nafisi reveals that when the students that decided to be with her came to the room, their removing the veils and scarves was an act that was not as simple as one imagines. According to Nafisi, â€Å"each one gained an outline and a shape, becoming her own inimitable self. † (5) Because of their continuous gathering, they begin to have hope. The students draw on the parallelism on what they are currently experiencing with what they are reading. Nafisi explicitly states in the book that â€Å"[h]ope for some means its loss for others; when the hopeless regain some hope, those in power the ones who had taken it away become afraid, more protective of their endangered interests, more repressive. † (276) What this tells us is that instead of just living their lives simply, getting jobs and having a family, Nafisi, her students, and maybe some other Iranians, now found a different purpose in life. They know that they have to be strong if they want their society to change. That even if hope is all that they have left, it is better than nothing. On reading the book, Heywoods point that morality is actually concerned with not only the ethical questions but also how right and wrong are different is made clearer. The question that arises is how can an individual survive if that person has a different perception on himself or herself which is different from what society says? The answer is not simply to become political and institute change. Although it can be considered that the personal is political, at the core of the fight for political rights is the desire to protect ourselves, to prevent the political from intruding on our individual lives. (273) Imagination or fantasy is the one that bridges the political and the personal. The regimes first task had been to blur the lines and boundaries between the personal and the political, thereby destroying them both. (273) In summary, we need to keep in mind what a society is. A group of individuals with something in common and that includes moral principles. When a society has different principles on morality, like what happened in Iran, nothing good can come out of it. This is most true when a society that has experienced freedom before is suddenly restricted. Some groups will feel oppressed and will fight it. Those in power meanwhile, will do what they to prevent that from happening. The one good thing about Nafisis novel is that it does not in provide any political analysis on the situation in Iran. Rather it is about what people can do despite the tyranny around them. That students can learn when they apply and feel what they have read. Morality will always be a very tricky issue. The debate on the concept of right and wrong will not end overnight. If there is one thing that Nafisis novel teaches us, it is that setting a standard for morality is not an answer.

internal audit proficiency and internal controls

internal audit proficiency and internal controls LITERATURE REVIEW 9.0 Introduction This chapter is a review of the related literature generated by the researcher on the subject of study. The chapter entails the relationship between internal audit proficiency and internal controls; internal controls and corporate governance; internal audit proficiency and risk management; internal controls and risk management; and risk management and corporate governance. 9.1 Internal Audit Proficiency Internal auditors should possess the knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed to perform their individual responsibilities. The internal audit activity collectively should possess or obtain the knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed to perform its responsibilities. The internal auditor should have sufficient knowledge to identify the indicators of fraud but is not expected to have the expertise of a person whose primary responsibility is detecting and investigating fraud. (IIA, 2007). The rationale is that internal auditors experiences, knowledge and education are most valuable to management (Giselle, 2000). 9.2 Internal Audit Proficiency and Internal Controls From the definition of internal auditing, the objective of internal auditing not only includes involvement in governance but also highlights the importance of evaluating and improving control and risk management (IIA, 2007). Most internal audit professionals argue that an effective internal audit function clearly correlates with an organisations success in meeting management objectives and whether the internal control system is functioning as intended (Faudziah et al, 2005). The effectiveness of internal audit greatly contributes to the effectiveness of each auditee in particular and the organization at large (Dittenhofer, 2001). Dittenhofer (2001) also observed that, if internal audit quality is maintained, it will contribute to the appropriateness of procedures and operations in the organization. Therefore, internal audit proficiency is seen as an important attribute to the quality of the internal audit function and the way it adds value to the internal control frame work. The Institute of Internal Auditors Standard 1210 on proficiency of auditors, requires that internal auditors posse the knowledge, skill and other competencies needed to perform their responsibilities (IIA, 2007). Internal audit effectiveness is determined by the internal audit departments capability to provide useful findings and recommendations and to prove that it is of value to the organization and promotes good governance within the organization. Internal auditors need specific technical skills and to be seen to undertake continual professional development to keep up to date with changing business practices and remain capable of providing a value-added service in their audit approach (Giselle, 2000). They should therefore be experts in the area of internal control and should use their skills and expertise to evaluate internal control systems of their organizations and recommend improvements that will greatly contribute to good governance. According to Jan Cattrysse (2005), internal audit could have an important input based on their experience from independent monitoring operations or previous occurrences of wrongdoing. 9.3 Internal Audit Proficiency and Risk Management. The role of internal audit is to provide objective assurance to those charged with governance and management on the adequacy and effectiveness of the risk management framework, help in improving the processes by which risks are identified and managed, help in strengthening and improving the risk management framework. According to (Herdman 2002; Richards 2002; Bailey et al. 2003; Gramling et al. 2004; Carcello et al. 2005b; Deloitte 2005; Gadziala 2005), the internal audit function plays a unique and critical role in corporate governance by monitoring organizational risks and helping ensure financial reporting reliability. Chris Jeffrey (2008) asked that, if an internal audit group does not clearly understand the industry, how could it decipher what the greatest risks to the organization were? In order to do all this, internal auditors need to be skilled and experienced on how risk management works. They also need to gain a better understanding of the key business risks and the impact they can have on the organizations ability to build shareholder value (risk assessment). Internal auditors must also be able to assess the responses to key exposures and determine if those responses are sufficient or relevant (Gerrit and Ignace, 2006). Spira Page (2003), note that the recent corporate governance guidelines assume that risks can be objectively identified, quantified and thus strategically managed. Consequently, expertise in risk management techniques and knowledge about the internal control system become a source of power which enables internal auditors to advance and play an important role within their organization. Companies facing higher risk will increase their organizational monitoring through internal audit, providing evidence of the importance of the internal audit function (Colin et al, 2008). Lastly, according to Ian William, (2007), one external auditor commented that the internal audit profession had been trying to reposition itself over the last six or seven years from being relatively unfashionable function: â€Å"Im not saying that it was just re-badging. They have been taking on new skills and repositioning themselves more as risk advisory/ management people†. 9.4 Internal Controls and Risk Management. According to the new definition of internal controls by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA, 2007), controls do not exist in a vacuum and implies, rather, that controls exist to assist organizations in managing risk and promoting governance processes. A companys system of internal controls has a key role in the management of risks that are significant to the fulfillment of its business objectives. It is important to note therefore, that a sound system of internal control provides reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that a company will not be hindered in achieving its business objectives by circumstances which may reasonably be foreseen. Risk in a financial context is generally understood to be the potential for financial loss consequent on fraud and incompetence. Although it is widely understood that such risk can never be entirely eliminated, it is generally believed that a system of internal control will act as a deterrent to fraud and a protection against incompetence (Spira Page, 2003). Gerrit Ignace, (2006), noted that internal controls are only one of the means to manage key organizational risks. Other devices used to manage risks include the transfer of risks to third parties, sharing risks and the withdrawal from unacceptably risky activities. 9.5 Risk Management and Corporate Governance From an agency perspective, the importance of strong governance stems from the need to align the interests of management with other stakeholders in the firm in order to reduce agency costs (Cohen et al., 2002). One of corporate governance mechanisms that can be used to monitor managements behaviour is internal audit (Davidson et al., 2005). Internal auditors are certainly exhorted in the professional literature to embrace the opportunity to contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives through risk management (Gerrit Ignace, 2006). 9.6 Internal Controls and Corporate Governance

John Steinbecks East of Eden: Modern Biblical Story of Cain and Abel E

John Steinbeck's East of Eden: Modern Biblical Story of Cain and Abel " And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, ' Where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, ' I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?' And he said, ' What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.' And Cain said unto the Lord, ' My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid. And I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth" (Genesis 4:8-1, KJV). The story of Cain and Abel is probably one of the most violent and unsettling stories of the Bible. It is probably the most unsettling because it tells the truth about mankind. Rejection is the one thing that all of mankind fears, and when one is rejected anger follows. With anger comes the need to commit a crime of revenge, and with this crime comes guilt. Almost everyone has experienced this in some way. East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck is a modern retelling of the biblical tragedy of Cain and Abel. The story is reenacted through the lives of two generations of the Trask family. Cyrus Trask, the patriarch of the family and his two sons Adam and Charles live on a farm in Conneticut. Charles cries out in anguish for his father's love, but his father ignores his cries and loves Adam best... ...il and do goodness. John Steinbeck writes, " We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is" (415). In East of Eden, John Steinbeck creates this world of good and evil. All of the characters are faced with good and evil, and only one is able to triumph over evil. Cal is the representation of what everyone can be. It is possible for everyone to overcome evil if he or she decides to destroy the evil within his or her soul. WORKS CITED Steinbeck, John. Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics: East of Eden. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1992. The Bible. King James Version. World Bible Publishers, Inc.

New Orleans :: American Melting Pot

New Orleans   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a country containing so much diversity and history, it is practically impossible to locate one city which embodies American diversity. A colony started by the French was the first area to fully integrate culture and religion. The city of New Orleans, now prosperous from its diversity, epitomizes the "American Melting Pot". It is complicated to relate such different backgrounds, but with an overview of history, culture, religion, and integration on a small scale, a reader is capable of applying the values to the American culture as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1699 the first plans for New Orleans were born. French-Canadian, Pierre le Moyen, Sieur d'Iberville left France to found a colony on the Gulf of Mexico. Sieur d'Iberville set up a fur trading for originally on the north gulf coast, then moved the establishment to Dauphin Island. Once again, he moved the fort and created an inland colony near Louisiana. Sieur d'Iberville was in charge of all of France's responsibilities in the southern portion of the territory. Wen Iberville died in 1706 the land under his jurisdiction was given to ho brother, Jean Baptiste de Moyen Sieur de Beinville.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beinville had great plans for the development of the French colonies and in 1717 he submitted plans for a new settlement to the Company of the West. In 1718 France agreed with Beinville's plans and authorized him to establish the settlement, according to his plans, one hundred miles up the Mississippi. Four years later the capitol of the Louisiana territory was transferred to the new settlement now know as New Orleans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The new colony was called "New Orleans'; in honor of the Duke d'Orlean. Duke d'Orlean supposedly had something to do with the funding for the new colony. The Duke favored John Law, the founder of the Company of the West, and supported many of the company's ventures, the construction of New Orleans inclusive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The new, growing colony needed a government, so a democratic council was formed. New Orleans was under the rule of a law making body called the Superior council which was first formed in 1712. The Superior Council was well liked by the people because it was a small representative democracy. During the 1720's and 30's Beinville was replaced as mayor by Sieur de Pierre. The colony did not experience much growth between these years so Beinville was reappointed governor in 1733 and left the colony permanently in 1742.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spain took over the government of New Orleans in 1766. The Spanish sent the new governor, Antonio de Ulloa, to reign over their newest asset.

Essay --

Draw backs of recursion: Recursion consumes more memory and stack space. Every recursive method call produces a new instance of the method, one with a new set of local variables. The total stack space used depends upon the level of nesting of the recursion process, and the number of local variables and parameters. Recursive version is usually slower. Recursion may perform redundant computations. In sum, one has to weight the simplicity of the code delivered by recursion against its drawbacks as described above. When a relatively simple iterative solution is possible, it is definitely a better alternative In recursion factorial we must ensure that factorial is never ever called with a negative N. Recursion method less efficient. Recursive version is shorter, clearer and slower. Recursion offers more elegant solutions. Use recursion for clarity and for a reduction in the time needed to write and debug code, not for space savings or speed of execution. Recursion can be savior at times- Actually will recursion whenever we deal with data structure related to linked list or xml for gener...

China – the aims and effects of the one child policy

A variety of social policies aimed at controlling population change have been established around the world. But in this answer I will be evaluating a very controversial example of a policy that aimed to tackle rapid population growth by reducing fertility rate (also known as anti-natalist) – China's One-Child Policy. During the second half of the twentieth century, the Chinese government became concerned about the population growth; this is mainly due to the philosophy of the government under Chairman Mao, in the mid-twentieth century, which was that ‘a large population gives a strong nation' and so the government encouraged people to have more and more children. This consequently led to an increase in population of 55 million every year and a famine in 1962 which caused nearly 30 million deaths. This massive growth in population forced a policy change in 1974, in order to avoid a Malthusian-type disaster in the future (The theory that population increases more rapidly than the food supply leading to famine and, inevitably, death). It encouraged the country to reduce the birth rate by the slogan ‘wan-xi-shao' which called for later marriages, longer gaps between children and fewer children. However, this policy was not effective enough, and the population continued increasing and did not follow the pattern of the DTM (demographic transition model). This then led the government to introduce the one-child policy in 1979, which set strict limits on the number of children that a couple were allowed to have. In order to further enforce this policy; strong pressure was put on women to use contraceptives (e.g. contraceptive pills) which were more widely available. Special family planners and ‘granny police' were introduced in order to make sure that women were practising contraception and were instructed to report any pregnancies. The government also introduce incentives like; free healthcare and education for one child and then fines for more than one child. Also, more controversially, enforced late abortions and sterilisation became common, which mainly human rights activist heavily criticised and opposed. However, the policy had very negative effects on the country. Firstly, it led to female infanticide; where couples preferred sons, and baby girls were killed so they could have another chance of getting a boy. This occurred more often in rural areas, where there was less control from the government, and also where traditions were most important. This was mainly because male descendents were preferred as they can carry on the family name from generation to generation. This male dominance led to an imbalance in male to female sex ratio, where the number of men far exceeded that of men. This then further lowered fertility rates as there weren't enough women ‘to go round'. As well as an imbalance in the sex ratio, where was also an imbalance in the age ratio, as the policy vastly increased the dependency ratio and the country suffered from an ageing population. This was mainly due to the ‘4-2-1' situation, which meant that ‘1' child had to look after their ‘2' parents and ‘4' grandparents all at the same time and because of the increasing life expectancy. The policy also led to social implications on the child itself, such as the spoilt ‘little emperor' syndrome where the attention of the family fell on one child. It is also suggested that it had a negative effect on the child's social skills, as they grew up with no other siblings, therefore found it harder to integrate into society and led to poor communication skills. However, from 1990 onwards, the policy was slightly relaxed in order to combat some of the problems. For example, only-child couples were allowed to have two children, in order to relieve some of dependency on the children and also because they were concerned about the economic implications of an ageing population. In addition, the policy became harder to enforce for reasons such as the revolution in global communication and socialisation, which opened up the country to much greater social influence from the west. However, in more remote parts of the country, the policy is still encouraged. For example, the authorities in Guangdong (state capital) order 20,000 abortions and sterilisations by the end of 2001. Despite all of the negative implications, the decrease in overall population growth has had some positive effects, such as the positive economic growth. This was mainly due to the major decrease in demand for resources to support the needs of the population, which in turn led to a reduction in the stress placed upon the environment. There was also a drop in unemployment due to labour surplus and more disposable being available due to less money being spent on children. In conclusion, I believe that the one-child policy was a very brutal policy that disregarded the basic human rights of people and that a more gentle approach should have been taken. However, there is no argument that population management was inevitable in order to maintain a high standard of living, and that the one-child policy has avoided a Malthusian-type disaster (e.g. famine and war) and has better stabilised the population of China. This is because 400 million births were prevented and the annual growth rate had fallen to 0.6% as well. It is also clear that the policy is evolving for the better, as by 2006 the Chinese government moved towards a more health-orientated policy and committed itself to implement international agreements, promoting mother and child welfare.

Frostbite Chapter 2

TWO DIMITRI MADE ONE PHONE CALL, and a veritable SWAT team showed up. It took a couple of hours, though, and every minute spent waiting felt like a year. I finally couldn't take it anymore and returned to the car. Dimitri examined the house further and then came to sit with me. Neither of us said a word while we waited. A slide show of the grisly sights inside the house kept playing in my mind. I felt scared and alone and wished he would hold me or comfort me in some way. Immediately, I scolded myself for wanting that. I reminded myself for the thousandth time that he was my instructor and had no business holding me, no matter what the situation was. Besides, I wanted to be strong. I didn't need to go running to some guy every time things got tough. When the first group of guardians showed up, Dimitri opened the car door and glanced over at me. â€Å"You should see how this is done.† I didn't want to see any more of that house, honestly, but I followed anyway. These guardians were strangers to me, but Dimitri knew them. He always seemed to know everybody. This group was surprised to find a novice on the scene, but none of them protested my presence. I walked behind them as they examined the house. None of them touched anything, but they knelt by the bodies and studied the bloodstains and broken windows. Apparently, the Strigoi had entered the house through more than just the front door and back patio. The guardians spoke in brusque tones, displaying none of the disgust and fear I felt. They were like machines. One of them, the only woman in the group, crouched beside Arthur Schoenberg. I was intrigued since female guardians were so rare. I'd heard Dimitri call her Tamara, and she looked about twenty-five. Her black hair just barely touched her shoulders, which was common for guardian women. Sadness flickered in her gray eyes as she studied the dead guardian's face. â€Å"Oh, Arthur,† she sighed. Like Dimitri, she managed to convey a hundred things in just a couple words. â€Å"Never thought I'd see this day. He was my mentor.† With another sigh, Tamara rose. Her face had become all businesslike once more, as though the guy who'd trained her wasn't lying there in front of her. I couldn't believe it. He was her mentor. How could she keep that kind of control? For half a heartbeat, I imagined seeing Dimitri dead on the floor instead. No. No way could I have stayed calm in her place. I would have gone on a rampage. I would have screamed and kicked things. I would have hit anyone who tried to tell me things would be okay. Fortunately, I didn't believe anyone could actually take down Dimitri. I'd seen him kill a Strigoi without breaking a sweat. He was invincible. A badass. A god. Of course, Arthur Schoenberg had been too. â€Å"How could they do that?† I blurted out. Six sets of eyes turned to me. I expected a chastising look from Dimitri for my outburst, but he merely appeared curious. â€Å"How could they kill him?† Tamara gave a small shrug, her face still composed. â€Å"The same way they kill everyone else. He's mortal, just like the rest of us.† â€Å"Yeah, but he's †¦ you know, Arthur Schoenberg.† â€Å"You tell us, Rose,† said Dimitri. â€Å"You've seen the house. Tell us how they did it.† As they all watched me, I suddenly realized I might be undergoing a test after all today. I thought about what I'd observed and heard. I swallowed, trying to figure out how the impossible could be possible. â€Å"There were four points of entry, which means at least four Strigoi. There were seven Moroi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The family who lived here had been entertaining some other people, making the massacre that much larger. Three of the victims had been children. â€Å"†¦ and three guardians. Too many kills. Four Strigoi couldn't have taken down that many. Six probably could if they went for the guardians first and caught them by surprise. The family would have been too panicked to fight back.† â€Å"And how did they catch the guardians by surprise?† Dimitri prompted. I hesitated. Guardians, as a general rule, didn't get caught by surprise. â€Å"Because the wards were broken. In a household without wards, there'd probably be a guardian walking the yard at night. But they wouldn't have done that here.† I waited for the next obvious question about how the wards had been broken. But Dimitri didn't ask it. There was no need. We all knew. We'd all seen the stake. Again, a chill ran down my spine. Humans working with Strigoia large group of Strigoi. Dimitri simply nodded as a sign of approval, and the group continued their survey. When we reached a bathroom, I started to avert my gaze. I'd already seen this room with Dimitri earlier and had no wish to repeat the experience. There was a dead man in there, and his dried blood stood out in stark contrast against the white tile. Also, since this room was more interior, it wasn't as cold as the area by the open patio. No preservation. The body didn't smell bad yet, exactly, but it didn't smell right, either. But as I started to turn away, I caught a glimpse of something dark redmore brown, reallyon the mirror. I hadn't noticed it before because the rest of the scene had held all of my attention. There was writing on the mirror, done in blood. Poor, poor Badicas. So few left. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. Tamara snorted in disgust and turned away from the mirror, studying other details of the bathroom. As we walked out, though, those words repeated in my head. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. The Badicas were one of the smaller royal clans, it was true. But it was hardly like those who had been killed here were the last of them. There were probably almost two hundred Badicas left. That wasn't as many as a family like, say, the Ivashkovs. That particular royal family was huge and widespread. There were, however, a lot more Badicas than there were some other royals. Like the Dragomirs. Lissa was the only one left. If the Strigoi wanted to snuff out royal lines, there was no better chance than to go after her. Moroi blood empowered Strigoi, so I understood their desire for that. I supposed specifically targeting royals was simply part of their cruel and sadistic nature. It was ironic that Strigoi would want to tear apart Moroi society, since many of them had once been a part of it. The mirror and its warning consumed me for the rest of our stay at the house, and I found my fear and shock transforming into anger. How could they do this? How could any creature be so twisted and evil that they'd do this to a familythat they'd want to wipe out an entire bloodline? How could any creature do this when they'd once been like me and Lissa? And thinking of Lissathinking of Strigoi wanting to wipe out her family toostirred up a dark rage within me. The intensity of that emotion nearly knocked me over. It was something black and miasmic, swelling and roiling. A storm cloud ready to burst. I suddenly wanted to tear up every Strigoi I could get my hands on. When I finally got into the car to ride back to St. Vladimir's with Dimitri, I slammed the door so hard that it was a wonder it didn't fall off. He glanced at me in surprise. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Are you serious?† I exclaimed, incredulous. â€Å"How can you ask that? You were there. You saw that.† â€Å"I did,† he agreed. â€Å"But I'm not taking it out on the car.† I fastened my seat belt and glowered. â€Å"I hate them. I hate them all! I wish I'd been there. I would have ripped their throats out!† I was nearly shouting. Dimitri stared at me, face calm, but he was clearly astonished at my outburst. â€Å"You really think that's true?† he asked me. â€Å"You think you could have done better than Art Schoenberg after seeing what the Strigoi did in there? After seeing what Natalie did to you?† I faltered. I'd tangled briefly with Lissa's cousin, Natalie, when she became a Strigoi, just before Dimitri had shown up to save the day. Even as a new Strigoiweak and uncoordinatedshe'd literally thrown me around the room. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I'd seen what Strigoi could do. Me running in impetuously and trying to save the day would have only resulted in a quick death. I was developing into a tough guardian, but I still had a lot to learnand one seventeen-year-old girl couldn't have stood against six Strigoi. I opened my eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said, gaining control of myself. The rage that had exploded inside me diffused. I didn't know where it had come from. I had a short temper and often acted impulsively, but this had been intense and ugly even for me. Weird. â€Å"It's okay,† said Dimitri. He reached over and placed his hand on mine for a few moments. Then he removed it and started the car. â€Å"It's been a long day. For all of us.† When we got back to St. Vladimir's Academy around midnight, everyone knew about the massacre. The vampiric school day had just ended, and I hadn't slept in more than twenty-four hours. I was bleary-eyed and sluggish, and Dimitri ordered me to immediately go back to my dorm room and get some sleep. He, of course, looked alert and ready to take on anything. Sometimes I really wasn't sure if he slept at all. He headed off to consult with other guardians about the attack, and I promised him I'd go straight to bed. Instead, I turned toward the library once he was out of sight. I needed to see Lissa, and the bond told me that was where she was. It was pitch-black as I walked along the stone walkway that crossed the quad from my dorm to the secondary school's main building. Snow completely covered the grass, but the sidewalk had been meticulously cleared of all ice and snow. It reminded me of the poor Badicas' neglected home. The commons building was large and gothic-looking, more suited to a medieval movie set than a school. Inside, that air of mystery and ancient history continued to permeate the building: elaborate stone walls and antique paintings warring with computers and fluorescent lights. Modern technology had a foothold here, but it would never dominate. Slipping through the library's electronic gate, I immediately headed for one of the back corners where geography and travel books were kept. Sure enough, I found Lissa sitting there on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. â€Å"Hey,† she said, looking up from an open book propped up on one knee. She brushed a few strands of pale hair out of her face. Her boyfriend, Christian, lay on the floor near her, his head propped up on her other knee. He greeted me by way of a nod. Considering the antagonism that sometimes flared up between us, that was almost on par with him giving me a bear hug. Despite her small smile, I could feel the tension and fear in her; it sang through the bond. â€Å"You heard,† I said, sitting down cross-legged. Her smile slipped, and the feelings of fear and unease within her intensified. I liked that our psychic connection let me protect her better, but I didn't really need my own troubled feelings amplified. â€Å"It's awful,† she said with a shudder. Christian shifted and linked his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. Those two were so in love and sugary sweet with each other that I felt like brushing my teeth after being around them. They were subdued just now, however, no doubt thanks to the massacre news. â€Å"They're saying†¦they're saying there were six or seven Strigoi. And that humans helped them break the wards.† I leaned my head back against a shelf. News really did travel fast. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. â€Å"It's true.† â€Å"Really?† asked Christian. â€Å"I figured that was just a bunch of hyped-up paranoia.† â€Å"No †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I realized then that nobody knew where I'd been today. â€Å"I†¦ I was there.† Lissa's eyes widened, shock coursing into me from her. Even Christianthe poster child for â€Å"smartass†looked grim. If not for the horribleness of it all, I would have taken satisfaction in catching him off guard. â€Å"You're joking,† he said, voice uncertain. â€Å"I thought you were taking your Qualifier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lissa's words trailed off. â€Å"I was supposed to,† I said. â€Å"It was just a wrong-place-and-wrong-time kind of thing. The guardian who was going to give me the test lived there. Dimitri and I walked in, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. Images of the blood and death that had filled the Badica house flashed through my mind again. Concern crossed both Lissa's face and the bond. â€Å"Rose, are you okay?† she asked softly. Lissa was my best friend, but I didn't want her to know how scared and upset the whole thing had made me. I wanted to be fierce. â€Å"Fine,† I said, teeth clenched. â€Å"What was it like?† asked Christian. Curiosity filled his voice, but there was guilt there toolike he knew it was wrong to want to know about such a horrible thing. He couldn't stop himself from asking, though. Lack of impulse control was one thing we had in common. â€Å"It was †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† Christian started to protest, and then Lissa ran a hand through his sleek black hair. The gentle admonishment silenced him. A moment of awkwardness hung between us all. Reading Lissa's mind, I felt her desperately grope for a new topic. â€Å"They say this is going to mess up all of the holiday visits,† she told me after several more moments. â€Å"Christian's aunt is going to visit, but most people don't want to travel, and they want their kids to stay here where it's safe. They're terrified this group of Strigoi is on the move.† I hadn't thought about the ramifications of an attack like this. We were only a week or so away from Christmas. Usually, there was a huge wave of travel in the Moroi world this time of year. Students went home to visit their parents; parents came to stay on campus and visit their children. â€Å"This is going to keep a lot of families separated,† I murmured. â€Å"And mess up a lot of royal get-togethers,† said Christian. His brief seriousness had vanished; his snide air was back. â€Å"You know how they are this time of yearalways competing with each other to throw the biggest parties. They won't know what to do with themselves.† I could believe it. My life was about fighting, but the Moroi certainly had their share of internal strifeparticularly with nobles and royals. They waged their own battles with words and political alliances, and honestly, I preferred the more direct method of hitting and kicking. Lissa and Christian in particular had to navigate some troubled waters. They were both from royal families, which meant they got a lot of attention both inside and outside of the Academy. Things were worse for them than for most Moroi royals. Christian's family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Strigoi, trading their magic and morality to become immortal and subsist on killing others. His parents were dead now, but that didn't stop people from not trusting him. They seemed to think he'd go Strigoi at any moment and take everyone else with him. His abrasiveness and dark sense of humor didn't really help things, either. Lissa's attention came from being the last one left in her family. No other Moroi had enough Dragomir blood in them to earn the name. Her future husband would probably have enough somewhere in his family tree to make sure her children were Dragomirs, but for now, being the only one made her kind of a celebrity. Thinking about this suddenly reminded me of the warning scrawled on the mirror. Nausea welled up in me. That dark anger and despair stirred, but I pushed it aside with a joke. â€Å"You guys should try solving your problems like we do. A fistfight here and there might do you royals some good.† Both Lissa and Christian laughed at this. He glanced up at her with a sly smile, showing his fangs as he did. â€Å"What do you think? I bet I could take you if we went one on one.† â€Å"You wish,† she teased. Her troubled feelings lightened. â€Å"I do, actually,† he said, holding her gaze. There was an intensely sensual note to his voice that made her heart race. Jealousy shot through me. She and I had been best friends our entire life. I could read her mind. But the fact remained: Christian was a huge part of her world now, and he played a role I never couldjust as he could never have a part of the connection that existed between me and her. We both sort of accepted but didn't like the fact that we had to split her attention, and at times, it seemed the truce we held for her sake was paper thin. Lissa brushed her hand against his cheek. â€Å"Behave.† â€Å"I am,† he told her, his voice still a little husky. â€Å"Sometimes. But sometimes you don't want me to†¦.† Groaning, I stood up. â€Å"God. I'm going to leave you guys alone now.† Lissa blinked and dragged her eyes away from Christian, suddenly looking embarrassed. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured. A delicate pink flush spread over her cheeks. Since she was pale like all Moroi, it actually sort of made her look prettier. Not that she needed much help in that department. â€Å"You don't have to go†¦.† â€Å"No, it's fine. I'm exhausted,† I assured her. Christian didn't look too broken up about seeing me leave. â€Å"I'll catch you tomorrow.† I started to turn away, but Lissa called to me. â€Å"Rose? Are you†¦are you sure you're okay? After everything that happened?† I met her jade green eyes. Her concern was so strong and deep that it made my chest ache. I might be closer to her than anyone else in the world, but I didn't want her worrying about me. It was my job to keep her safe. She shouldn't be troubled about protecting meparticularly if Strigoi had suddenly decided to make a hit list of royals. I flashed her a saucy grin. â€Å"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about except you guys tearing each other's clothes before I get a chance to leave.† â€Å"Then you better go now,† said Christian dryly. She elbowed him, and I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Good night,† I told them. As soon as my back was to them, my smile vanished. I walked back to my dorm with a heavy heart, hoping I wouldn't dream about the Badicas tonight.

Memories of My College Life Essay

When I was younger and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up it was always the same response, a Nurse. In fifth grade I broke my wrist on Thanksgiving Day. I was jumping on the bed and got pushed off and of course I had to immediately go to the hospital. Once we got there the Nurses were super nice and took care of me the whole time. Since that moment, I have just wanted to have the same effect on other people as they did for me. Also I want to be the first to graduate from college in my family. I want to show my family that I will succeed in life just like they want me to. My family wants to me to get a good job and not have to worry about money so much unlike they have. My parents showed me how important it is to continue schooling. They live paycheck to paycheck and I know what it feels like to not be the kid with more money. I don’t want to have to live like that or have my future family have to live like that. I want to show everyone that I can do it and make a difference in people’s lives. College will help me become a Nurse and do what I have always wanted to. I want to be able to be a travel Nurse and help people in poorer areas that can’t travel to hospitals and help them get better and know that they have a chance to live again. I have always wanted to make a difference and fortunately JJC will help me do that. Right now especially it is important to get a degree in something because our economy is not the best and you need a lot of schooling to go far. That’s why I am here at JJC to better my life and other people’s life too.

Nike in China

Executive Summary Overview Nike is the market leader in athletic shoes in the United States. The Oregon based company has always utilized offshore facilities in low-income countries to produce at minimal costs followed by importation into predominantly the US for sales. Nike is quick to divest from emerging markets as costs rise and has recently signed short term production contracts with a long term strategy of production in China. Unlike Nike’s previous global endeavors, the political and cultural atmosphere in China has made the collaboration more demanding. Opportunities As the South Korean standard of living continued to improve, expected wages grew forcing Nike to look elsewhere for low cost shoe production. Market research identified China and India as the best long term possibilities for the new production facilities based on finances. Due in part to a trusting relationship between Nike and the Chinese government based on the family lines of vice president David Chang, China was determined to be the optimal location to grow. The possibility of a joint venture giving Nike access to a possible billion customer market was another opportunity that could only be found in China. Issues in China Nike has spent the last four years building facilities, training staff, and developing relationships in China. Unlike other facilities in low GDP countries that had been utilized previously, the China collaboration has been less than successful. The current infrastructure combined with landlocked facilities made transportation logistics difficult. The Chinese government had certain expectations and standardization requirements that were misaligned with Nike’s incentives in terms of quality, pay, pricing, and employee motivation. The PRC government also created difficulties in import/export restrictions causing logistical problems with raw materials, specifically anything entering the country through South Korea, a major Nike supplier. While a foothold in China could eventually lead to an enormous new customer base, the current global strategy was ill suited to take advantage at the current time. Options * Shift strategies in China from global to multi-domestic to take advantage of the market. This option would require the formation of a joint venture with the Chinese government. Move factory locations to reduce transportation and logistics issues. * Pull out of China completely. Recommendations We believe the government regulations will make quality improvement and cost effectiveness highly unlikely in China. Furthermore, a multi-domestic strategy requiring a high investment rate would be required to take advantage of the Chinese population as a new customer market. With low expendable income and a forced jo int venture with the government necessary to sell Nike in China, we determined that selling in China is not currently an option. As such, the team recommends an urgent identification of new possible production environments with a concerted and eventual total divestiture in China. Questions a. How has Nike conceptualized the athletic shoe industry: global or multi-domestic? Justify your answer. What are the implications of this conceptualization? Nike instituted a global strategy, as opposed to a multi-domestic strategy, from the company’s onset to compete in the athletic shoe industry. Knight identified opportunities abroad to reduce costs in the upstream functions of the value chain. Through the coordination of overseas operations integrated with US downstream functions focused on local US markets, Nike’s utilization of a Porter-defined global strategy has brought the company to China. The Far East’s Role in the Value Chain Beginning with the first Japanese facilities, Nike factories located in the Far East, Europe, and South America have accounted for approximately 93% of shoe production with only minor assembly in the US. The identified regions within this concentrated configuration were almost exclusively production-only facilities without the R&D, sales and marketing, and other downsteam services required for a successful multi-domestic strategy. The countries had been targeted due to low costs with certain factories being divested over the years due to increasing wage rates and political uncertainty. Competition to reduce costs between different countries was key to identifying new opportunities and deciding on which factories would remain open as economic factors changed. While reducing costs was the main concern in global production, Nike could not accept a subsequent loss of quality. Previous experiences in Far Eastern plants had proven successful via quickly accepted technology transfer and ratios of grade-B shoes falling below 5% at rapid rates. Without the combination of high value and low cost, the strategic competitive advantage would be lost. Assumptions and Implications of a Global Strategy Nike moved to China based on their strategic history of standardizing the operations life cycle. Knight believed China would mirror other Far Eastern locales. Cost cutting assumptions included pay based on relative Chinese wages (as opposed to relative Nike production wages), employee incentives capabilities, minimal import/export barriers, and an infrastructure for facile distribution logistics. For each unforeseen difficulty encountered along these assumptions, Nike’s costs would increase and could drive margins down to a point where China would no longer be financially competitive. The Olympic team public relations venture attempted to further the relationship between Nike and the Chinese government, not to present a new product for the public. The millions spent were misaligned with a low cost model and were identified with past exploitations by the West. While the possibility of two billion feet was enticing, Nike was in China to produce, not sell, shoes. There was no plan to market, distribute, or sell in China. Accordingly, the idea of a joint venture should not be on the table under the current strategy. However, the PRC strongly pushed JVs and the lack of a true collaborative environment could be detrimental in an environment so heavily regulated. b. Speculate on the reasons for Nike wishing to enter China. Before the entry do you think these reasons were valid? Justify your answer. China’s Excellence in Manufacturing China is known for their excellence in manufacturing. Nike intended to exploit this excellence in order to drive down their supplier costs, while maintaining their customer’s willingness to pay constant which creates value for Nike’s customers and shareholders. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid reason. However, Nike either underestimated or did not entirely comprehend the challenges of conducting business is China. From the difficulty of sourcing local materials to the inconsistency in quality of the finished product, China was not the optimal manufacturing location for Nike. Rapid Growth of the Athletic Footwear Market in the 1970’s (& Bad Forecasting) Perhaps Nike did not do enough high quality market research to see that the growth was slowing in their market. Nike may have become complacent due to their dominance in the industry or Nike may have discounted the market trends in the athletic footwear industry that showed a decline in the rate of growth, when comparing the 1970’s to the 1980’s. The bottom line is that Nike did not accurately forecast and adjust their strategy to the athletic footwear industry trends and market conditions. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid reason. Nike chose to enter China, in part, to meet the demand of the growing market. However, perhaps they should have spent more time and resources on market research, which would have revealed that the growth rate was declining, and perhaps additional suppliers were not necessary to carry out their business plan after all and that a different international location might better meet their sourcing needs and goals. Rising Costs from Existing Suppliers One of the reasons Nike planned to enter China was due to the costs of conducting business in other countries (for example, South Korea and Taiwan) had been increasing. Nike thought that they could source product from China at a lower cost than their current offshore producers. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid rationale. Due to the multiple issues that Nike faced in China, the costs associated in producing a pair of shoes were actually higher in China than their other international producers. See Table A in the appendix for a landed cost comparison from the case. Two Billion Feet Although the case clearly specifies this is not a reason for entry into China, one of Chang’s motives may have been to sell directly to the Chinese. The size of the Chinese population is over three times the size of the United States. Even though the shoes produced in China were for the US, Chang may have considered producing a low cost shoe for the Chinese. Perhaps Nike’s long term strategy was to navigate the Chinese political system, develop a strong local production presence, and then ultimately sell low cost footwear directly to the Chinese market. This reason was not valid prior to their entry. Nike’s product was not produced for the Chinese, as the average Chinese consumer could not afford the product. b. How did the decision to enter China complement Nike's overall strategy? Nike’s decision to enter China was based on flawed information. Nike underestimated the inherent challenges (political bureaucracy, materials sourcing, shipping and transportation, quality control and the Chinese culture of non-motivation and non-commitment) they faced when conducting business in China. Nike also failed to accurately forecast the demand in the athletic footwear industry. The decision ultimately hurt Nike’s overall strategy, as their production costs rose, while the demand for their product was declining. Higher cost and declining demand both negatively affected Nike’s bottom line. c. Identify the entry and ownership strategies used by Nike in entering China. Do you think they were appropriate? Base your analysis on the entry and ownership strategies outlined by Robock and Simmonds, referenced above. Justify your answer. As costs started to rise in other Asian markets, Nike made the strategic decision to open new full-scale manufacturing facilities in China, with the goal to reduce production costs. Nike’s entry strategy into China created obstacles in achieving their long-term goals, which they should have foreseen. Below are a few factors that contributed to the obstacles. External Factors Nike underestimated the scope of the Chinese bureaucracy. Nike’s only choice was to hire a consultant to navigate the issue. This consultant increased Nike’s costs of doing business in China. Furthermore, Nike overestimated the size and future growth potential of their target market. Nike should have conducted additional due diligence and more thorough market research before deciding to move into China. In addition, Nike did not forecast the materials sourcing issue, which added to product costs. Internal Factors Nike failed to forecast/implement some key factors when deciding to enter China. Nike lacked the necessary internal operations to actively manage and solve production problems in real time. Also, Nike had great difficulties communicating the issue of quality control to the Chinese. Furthermore, the Chinese managers and workforce lacked motivation to perform their jobs to levels satisfactory to Nike. Ownership Nike chose to be wholly owned. Nike did not pursue the joint venture route, even though China tried to persuade Nike otherwise. Nike did, however, hire a consultant as a strategic partner to help them navigate the challenging bureaucracy. Given the political climate in China, perhaps Nike should have approached China with a joint venture agreement. Having China as a partner may have saved Nike time and resources when launching a new manufacturing platform. Or, perhaps Nike should have formed a strategic partnership with a local footwear manufacturer in order to bypass some of the issues with starting an entirely new facility and would have had some assistance in navigating the local market. d. Would you say Nike's entry into China was a success? Give reasons for your view, explaining why the entry was successful or a failure. At the time of case study, Nike’s entry into China was not a success. This evaluation is based on several reasons primarily due to the cultural clash between Nike and Chinese production. By 1984, Nike encountered a range of problems—from quality issues (only 80% of Chinese shoes were A-Grade), to inventory management (records kept on a guess method of expected usage), lack of flexibility from Chinese managers, motivational issues with management and workers, as well as complex and difficult government relations. Quality Issues in Product and Management When China’s reformist leader, Deng Xiaoping, opened China to foreign investment and global market opportunities, Nike seized the opportunity to buy a finished shoe product from the PRC as a long-term, low-cost supplier. However, despite China’s opening to the global market, it still existed as a socialist state with severe trust issues and obstructions to the free flow of information. These factors compounded to cause an array of production difficulties. Due to the Chinese factories still producing 20% B-grade shoes (significantly higher than both South Korea and Taiwan), Nike management not only wasted additional time arguing with Chinese managers on the quality problems (rather than actually improving the problem) but Nike also had to hire additional inspectors for each factory. While the money spent to hire these inspectors was relatively low, this illustrates the need for oversight and the lack of faith and trust in the Chinese managers to run the factories to Nike’s standards. Governmental Regulation Additionally, as a socialist state, Chinese workers lacked motivation to increase production (factories at a standstill by midday) and to adhere to production schedules since they would be paid the same regardless of output. Even attempts by Nike of monetary incentives only appeared to have an effect for approximately 60 days. Because of the central planning system, the Chinese managers were used to stable prices. Price negotiations proved extremely difficult as none of the actual participants in the negotiations (foreign trade bureau, factory directors, local production bureau leaders) had the authority to make price decisions—everything relayed to authorities in Beijing. Compared to Korea or Taiwan, negotiations were slow which was extremely detrimental in a global and ever-changing environment. The levels of bureaucracy in China were much higher than those encountered in South Korea or Taiwan. Although Nike tried to establish a positive relationship with China (through contributions to the country’s sports activities and hosting various Chinese officials visiting the U. S. ), meeting with the high-live leaders in China did not prove useful. The Chinese bureaucracy made making decisions difficult as it was never apparent who was in charge of what and Chinese officials did not show the same level of interest in establishing a relationship with Nike (leaders sometimes did not show up for appointments). Ultimately, all of the cultural difficulties resulted in extremely low production numbers (Nike originally targeted production growth to 1,000,000 pairs per month by mid-1980’s but annual production in 1984 was only 700,000 pairs), significantly lower than both South Korea and Taiwan. Although Nike had ultimately hoped for a 20% price advantage over Korea, they were still losing $1. 00 on each pair of PRC shoes while the quality was much lower on these shoes as well. e. Identify the options available to Nike regarding its operations in China. If you were Chang at the time of the case, what future course of action would you recommend in China? Options Some of the options available to Nike regarding its operations in China are to pull operations out of China completely or consider entering into a joint-venture agreement with China. As of 1984, Nike’s foray into China has not been a success due to a variety of reasons (listed above). If Nike were to pull operations out of China, they would risk losing all of the equipment investment as well as damaging the sensitive and already tenuous relations ith the government. Other countries would have to be evaluated as a low-cost source of production. Some possible countries could be Indonesia or shifting a greater percentage of production to Taiwan as their comparative changes in unit labor cost, although increasing, were significantly lower than Korea or Taiwan. However, if Nike did decide to stay in China and enter into a joint-venture agreement, this step would potentially be viewed as a sign of trust and evidence of commitment by China. Nike would also be allowed to sell its products in China—a significant market to consider with a population of 1 billion people. Nike would also have additional freedoms with regards to hiring and dismissing personnel. The costs of a joint-venture agreement though, were estimated at $500,000 per factory and worker salaries would be about 20% higher than local factories. Recommendations to Nike If we were Chang at the time of the case, the future course of action that we would recommend to Nike would be to pull out of China operations. Although the possibility of access to a market with 1 billion people seems counter to this decision, China’s great strides in opening to global markets indicates the likelihood that Nike will be able to access this consumer at some point without having to make the commitment of a joint-venture agreement. Additionally, while recognizing the sunk-costs bias, we feel that the potential costs to continue operations in China would result in Nike still losing money on each pair of shoe produced instead of cutting their losses and finding another profitable production avenue. Conclusions Nike saw China, as well as the many impoverished nations where previous production had occurred, as a part of the supply chain with a cost effective advantage. Korea and Taiwan had become increasingly expensive and China was a long term option. Unfortunately, Nike did not understand the political or cultural implications for utilizing China as part of a global strategy. The political environment and infrastructure in China created unforeseen difficulties for Nike in building an efficient production system. Government controlled wages reduced the influence of incentives for both work efficiency and quality. Strained relationships with the South Korean government made importation of materials slow and expensive. Transportation logistics and regional cultural differences made the government suggested sites for initial factory locations less than ideal. China’s two billion feet did not align with Nike’s global strategy. The Chinese public could not afford the high costs for the Nike brand and current ROI expectations could not be achieved. The Chinese government’s relationship approach to external companies would have much greater acceptance towards a mutually beneficial joint venture. Some saw Nike’s global strategy as exploitation. The financial impact of Nike’s strategy could not be delivered in China. The collaborative relationship desired by the Chinese government was misaligned with Nike’s needs. Together, it becomes apparent that the best option for Nike is to locate a better location for production urgently and completely divest in China.