Columbia Coffee Study Juan Valdez

1. Procafecol S. A. Basic information 1. 1. Development and History CH2. Participants in international business – Say if Procafecol is Multinational enterprise (MNE), Small and medium-sized enterprise, or the born global firm CH1. Why Colombia trade coffee? Theories advantages, etc. Coffee was introduced in Colombia in the late 1700s and the first commercial production began in the early 1800s. Despite these early developments, the consolidation of coffee as a Colombian export did not come about until the second half of the 19th century.The great expansion that the world economy underwent at that time allowed Colombian landowners to find attractive opportunities in international markets. Little by little, the United States became the most important consumer of coffee in the world, while Germany and France became the most important markets in Europe. In 1927 the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) was created to help the Colombian coffee growers on structuri ng a very traditional and atomized sector.In 1959, during a crisis that came about due to instability of the coffee trading price, the FNC decided to work with Doyle Bernback, an advertising agency (ex DDB) with the goal of building a strong symbol, highly identi? able, that would allow them to promote the speci? cities of the Colombian Coffee and sell the production at a higher price than the current market price. Presently, Colombia is the second largest coffee producer in the world (after Brazil). It accounts for almost 12% of the world’s total production. Coffee accounts for 8% of Colombia’s GDP.A personi? ed brand since its creation Following the advice of the advertising agency, Juan Valdez was personified since its creation. He would be the symbol of a Colombian coffee grower worldwide. A mere six months after the launch of the campaign, 87% of the American people associated Juan Valdez with Colombian coffee. In 1961, Juan Valdez was launched on the European mar ket with similar success. Since then, a limited number of actors have personi? ed the emblematic coffee grower focused on protecting the traditions that make his coffee the â€Å"best in the world†.Between 1959 and 2000 more than 750 million dollars were allocated to develop the image of Juan Valdez and to promote the Colombian coffee. Transformation into a commercial icon After a particularly dif? cult political and social period it was really important for the FNC to help the Colombian coffee growers in both economic and social aspects. Procafecol SA was created in 2002 by Fedecafe Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, being the major shareholder along with Colombian coffee growers which own 13,000 shares.Since 2004, the company has been fully responsible for the operation of Juan Valdez ® stores in the country and in 2006 began the distribution of packaged coffee in retail and horeca (hotels, restaurants, catering) channels. Juan Valdez is also offered to passeng ers of Avianca, the most important airline in Colombia. In a coffee market where prices and margins are really low, a diversi? cation strategy is indeed really pertinent considering the gross margins of gourmet coffee houses (Starbucks, Colombus Cafe†¦ and even more if we consider its direct relation with coffee growers as a strong competitive advantage. Positioned as Gourmet Since the beginning of the project it was made clear that the Tiendas Juan Valdez ® are a chain of coffee houses focused on selling coffee products to the consumers. These coffee houses were created to be a part of the coffee supply-chain and to strengthen the awareness of the Colombian coffee. This would gradually increase the incomes of Colombian coffee growers, historical mission of the FNC.Since their launch, the Tiendas Juan Valdez ® was designed to reach the up-market, with an ambiance mixing the Starbucks standards and the touch of a Lounge coffee shop of Barcelona. The warm colors symbolize Sou th American tradition, however they also exhibit luxury and a calm atmosphere. The ? rst Tiendas outlets were opened near business centers, high-end malls and trendy sectors of the cities. Since its creation, this ambitious project based its expansion on a 3 step strategy: 1. Colombian Pilot (2003-2006) 2. International Pilot (2004-2007) 3.International Development (2006 -†¦) In 2003, year that the project was launched, 10 coffee houses were opened in Colombia. Since 2004, this international expansion made possible the creation of 10 coffee houses in the USA (Washington, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia) and 2 in Spain (Madrid) 3/ Strengthening the brand image and the commercial development Renewal of the icon In order to sustain the international development of the project it was considered as important to renew the image of the Juan Valdez person, taking care of preserving its historical values.Since 1994, according to the recommendations of the DDB agency, a new advertising c ampaign was created to conquer the youth segment. Juan Valdez was acting in different TV commercials and Out Of Home formats where his codes (hat, poncho, moustache) were shown in extreme situations (sur? ng, snowboarding, hang-gliding†¦), with the strong presence of the historical logo, seal of authenticity and quality for the consumer.This innovative mix had enormous success in the USA and was awarded in 2005, during the New York AdWeek, it was named as top icon of the year in the USA, even before Ronald McDonald or the Nike Swoosh. Diversifying to fashion Propelled by the commercial success of the Tiendas Juan Valdez ®, Procafecol decided to develop a line of alternative products around the authentic image of Juan Valdez. From coffee mugs to umbrellas, more than 50 products were created and sold to consumers. In 2006, the ? rst clothing collection based on the historical icon was launched.In trendy neighborhoods of Bogota you may ? nd executives with a Juan Valdez jacket o r women with the latest model of a leather handbag. Gaining the European market When considering the conquest of the European market, the FNC did a thorough analysis of the consumption trends. Two ? gures impacted the directors of the Federation: European consumers are willing to pay 10% more for a product with a European Label and 73. 9% of them consider it as a quality seal. In September 2007, after 33 months of legal procedure, Colombian coffee became the ? st non-European product to obtain the PGI European Label (Protected Geographical Indication). Juan Valdez could now develop its commercial strategy and think of opening new coffee houses. Two were just created in Madrid while Paris and Moscow are now on the list of the international expansion plan of the Colombian Federation. By the end of 2007, the FNC and Procafecol were running more than 100 coffee houses in Colombia, 10 in the USA and 2 in Europe. They are now launching a new coffee house per month and want to make 2008 th e year of their European expansion. 1. 2. Juan Valdez BrandDescribe who Juan Valdez, what the brand represents, is and general details about it. Principal characteristic of the brand, why it is known, importance and recognition of Colombian coffee 1. 3. Strength of identity: Colombian Coffee To understand the influence of GI among Colombia the following four elements represent its national advantage in coffee industry. Factor conditions Due to the uniqueness of topographical factors and two rainfall seasons creates strongly national advantages. 6. 4% of total area of Colombia is cultivation zones, and 12% of coffee production area producing â€Å"GI coffee†.It provides 11 to 12 million production possibility per year. In addition, in 2010, there were 990 airports with 196 thousand air transport carriers, 6 ports and terminals with 2 million port container traffic, 874 km railway routes, 141,374 km roadways (CIA 2010 and The World Bank 2010). 18% of total 22. 5 million labour force involving agriculture, there have been an increasing number of producers after joining GI (Figure1) (Gomez, 2007) as well as foreign direct investment with 6. 7 billion in 2010 (The World Bank 2010). Demand conditionsThe demand of domestic market is one of important forces for development of industry. Compared to other countries, Colombia had lower needs of domestic market, which has low per capita consumption with 2. 8 kg only 5% of total national coffee production ( Benni, N. E. and Reviron, S. 2009). The domestic consumption did not increase even joining GI system, maintained at 1,400 thousands bags from 2007 to 2010 (Figure 2). Related and supporting industries In this factor, Colombian coffee industry has lower related and supporting industries.These industries and processes are mostly run by family or small businesses, due to the relatively simple methods and low investments needed. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry As one of well know coffee producer, Colombia has su ccessfully increased its competitiveness via sophisticated marketing strategies of the FNC. It applies trademark and certification mark to protect Colombian coffee. Since registered GI it has increased consumer’s awareness and creates better advantage against other competitors

An Inconvenient Truth vs. the Great Global Warming Swindle Essay

Is our planet headed for irreversible disaster? Every reputable scientist in the world believes it is. Left unchecked, global warming’s negative effects on our natural environment could have catastrophic consequences not only for our planet and wildlife but for mankind as well. What is Global Warming you might question? Well, Global warming is caused when a greenhouse gas known as CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere from by burning fossil fuels and is then trapped causing the global temperature to rise more than normal. Many might be thinking that this is a good thing because then it would be longer summers but it is actually quite frightening. Having our population past 7 billion people today has quite the impact on our planet. Burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal gives us electricity to power our factories and run our vehicles but it does emit tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Even breathing gives off CO2. There is however a natural cause of this as well. The decaying leaves in autumn or forest fires also give off CO2 just as all living things do when they die. The natural levels of CO2 in our atmosphere in the past 600,000 years have been at a non-harmful level, proven by the ice cores collected from the great ice sheets. The argument that was less convincing was the Inconvenient Truth. Although it does have truths into it about how humans are emitting tons of CO2 into the air but Al Gore’s argument ignores some information. The information that is ignored is the natural causes of carbon dioxide emissions as well as the natural fluctuations in temperature that the planet normally has. Even though the burning of fossil fuels has had a small impact on this situation, there still is scientific evidence that humans are not the only cause of Global Warming. There is also the case that Al Gore forgot to mention and that is the fact that the Earth’s climate is not driven by carbon dioxide, man-made or natural. Having CO2 not be the cause of Global Warming, the cause would have to be solar activity, which regulates cloud formation, and  includes solar winds and sun spots. The most concerning part of The Inconvenient Truth is that it uses Al Gore, a recent U.S president as their spokesperson rather than an actual scientist. The reason I believe that Al Gore is used is because he was a country’s leader for a few years so more people would be inclined to believe him rather than the people who were interviewed in The Great Global Warming Swindle. I have found The Great Global Warming Swindle to be more believable because the producers of the film have more resources and data as opposed to The Inconvenient Truth that has just charts. The Great Global Warming Swindle has actual scientists and science professors with information but although they had no data, they seem to be more believable. If Al Gore had actual people come and speak for him that are experts in the field of climatology or otherwise, I would have found his documentary to be more believable. Even though I believe that CO2 is not the cause of Global Warming, it should still be taken into consideration as to how much we put into the atmosphere because it is

Money & Banking Foreign Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Money & Banking Foreign Trade - Essay Example Today, foreign trade accounts for a noticeable percent of GDP in all the countries except some poorly developed economies. Evidently, the highly developed banking network worldwide has notably contributed to the fast growth of international trade. The foreign trade sector relies on commercial banks for services like corporate finance, foreign branch banking, and trade finance. Although the global financial crisis 2008-09 severely affected the foreign trade sector, this sector can still grow further through strategic business alliances. Since the global economy has not yet recovered from the shock of the recent global recession, level of market uncertainty is high and this situation increases the possibility of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Due to this financial market uncertainty, commercial banks are reluctant to finance foreign trade operations and investors hesitate to experiment their luck in an unpredictable global market environment. However there are some potential inter nal and external currency-hedging techniques to avoid foreign exchange rate risks to a great extent. This paper will discuss foreign trade with particular focus given to money and banking. History of Money and Banking The history of money can be dated back to nearly 2500 years. Coinage was first minted in seventh to sixth century BC. Historically, money was considered to be any identifiable object which had a particular value and was used for the payment for goods or services and for repayment of debts within a market environment. Historians suggest that since ancient times, people have exchanged items of value, such as livestock and cereal grain, in order to meet their needs for different goods and services. It is also identified that ancient people followed a commonly shared system of tokens with intent to make market transactions more convenient. The concept of commodity money was developed followed by barter system and gift economy. This concept assisted people overcome the limi tation of bartering and to make commodities more liquid. The period between 700 and 500 BC witnessed the emergence of standardized coinage. Paper money was first introduced in China over the 11th century. The US dollar was developed only 200 years ago. Banking history started around 2000 BC in Babylonia and Assyria. The first prototype banks of merchants during the ancient period represent the starting point in the banking history. These banks had granted grain loans to traders and farmers who carried goods between townships (The lawyers & jurists). Later in ancient Greece, lenders developed two innovative practices including accepting deposits and changing money. Northern rich cities such as Florence, Venice, and Genoa had a great influence on shaping the word banking in the modern sense. Banking activities in Florence over the 14 century were dominated by Bardi and Peruzzi families, who established branches across many other parts of Europe. Banking operations notably developed in Amsterdam and London during 16th and 17th century respectively. On the strength of advancements in telecommunication and information technology over the 20th century, banking operations have undergone dramatic changes. Since this time, banks have been significantly increasing its size and geographic coverage. The global financial crisis 2008-09 led to a series of bank failures, which in turn sparked the debate

SAM 340 UNIT 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SAM 340 UNIT 9 - Essay Example Socially, karate provides an opportunity for participant to build good relationships through friendship. It also helps an individual to develop excellent team-building, leadership and social skills (Samurai Karate, p. 1). I have learnt and therefore mastered Karate over the years. As a sport manager in the community’s progressive organization, I would like to take advantage of the upcoming sporting event to popularize Karate programs in my community. The theme for the campaign will be â€Å"Karate for a healthy community. This means that my approach will be inclined towards creating awareness about Karate on the basis of its health benefits (eHow Contributor, p. 1). My personal opinion is that as long as members of the community join the Karate program for health reasons they are definitely bound to enjoy all the other associated benefits. My first step will be to organize for production of T-shirts that might be donated or awarded to contestants of the day. The T-shirts will have the Karate campaign’s theme and the organizations logo clearly printed on it. This will serve to send a clear message with regard to the relevance of Karate during the event. I assume that the progressive community organization has a website such that more information about the Karate program will be posted. I will also mention freebies that will be offered to interested members of the community courtesy of the Karate program. This will be in the form of free classes for those who will sign up for the program. This will be intended to encourage as many members of the community as possible to enroll as many people are not usually as interested to pay for a new venture when they have other things to do. I will also organize a demonstration of a number of Karate skills to show how exciting the program will be. The demonstration will be showcased by experienced martial artists in the area of Karate. The performances will involve a single

Macro economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro economics - Research Paper Example To understand the European Debt Crisis, the events leading up to 2009 must be thoroughly analyzed. On February 7th, 1992 the 13 member nations of the European Council gathered together to sign the Maastricht Treaty The purpose of the treaty was to lay out key financial rules for each member state to adhere to, with the long term goal being that of creating a union between the member states promoting economical growth and free trade. The treaty primarily encompassed four points: Firstly, a close monitor on inflation rates, ensuring that no member state was 1.5 percent higher than the average of the three best countries' rates. Secondly, tight regulation on the annual government deficit. Thirdly, member states would adhere to the currency exchange rates set by the European Monetary System (EMS). Finally, the nominal long-term interest rate should not be more than two percentage points higher than in the three lowest inflation member states. While all 13 members signed, at the end of 20 10 only four countries were able to abide by the policy for Government Debt. In essence, the members of the European Council were spending far more than they were bringing in. The inability for the European countries to manage their debt was the leading cause for the European Debt Crisis. (Arghyrou & Tsoukalas, 2011). ... The creation of the Euro in 1999 was a vehicle to ease trading between its member countries and therefore benefit their economies. The countries that were joined through the Euro were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. After these countries were united, countries such as Greece were able to take advantage of the lending rates of 1-3% compared to previous rates of 6% or more. Banks lowered their rates as a result of their connection with countries like Germany. The banks reduced their rates on the basis of â€Å"tacit promise†, if Greece could not repay the loan, Germany would. The same rates were additionally offered to Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and Spain. Between 1999 and 2009 Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, (PIIGS) with their new access to low interest rate loans, took on huge amounts of debt to fund the activities of their countries. This inflow of cash from the loans generated a f alse sense of prosperity in the countries created a 'bubble'. The loans to the countries were issued in exchange for Sovereign Bonds. When Greece announced it had financial difficulties it had a drastic impact on the sovereign bonds that were owned by the banks. The news led to an increase in the bond yields to above 7% indicating that the bond was distressed. As a result of Greece relying on deficit spending to cover their debt, issuing bonds was the only way they could manage, however, with the huge decline in their bond value they are currently not able to raise enough funds to stay solvent. In April of 2010, the Troika—the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB), and the European Commission (EC, the executive arm of the European Union)—structured a bailout

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud Research Paper - 4

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud - Research Paper Example This essay demonstrates that different improvements and various practices should be involved in the process of earnings management. Financial reporting can be influenced by numerous factors and even a personal impact can be very important trigger when fraud occurs. A lack of motivation from the company can lead managers and accountants to fraud. Concealment is one of many possible strategies implemented in the process of auditing. It can be claimed that the following four parties are key determinants of internal and external concept development of legal and fraudulent earnings management: boards of the directors, stakeholders, managers, and auditors. It is possible to describe their mutual relations in the following way: stakeholders make boards of directors write invented figures in their financial statements, managers are subjected to the orders of the company's authorities and auditors are cheated when all these actions are combined. This paper makes a conclusion that thus, financ ial statement looks like Pandora's Box and different vices come out of it by voluntary actions of directors, accountants, and managers. Moreover, the two basic pillars would make earnings management fair and stable: flexibility and inviolability. In addition, It can be also supposed that any modern company can be influenced by changing the environment, politics of the county, national or local influences etc. Thus, ethical issues are integrative elements of legitimate practices in earnings management.... With respect to the study conducted by Levitt in 1998, accountants should develop more flexible practices, but the highest standards of objectivity. Fraud in management practices can be illustrated by numerous examples, such as a famous case of fraud experienced by the Enron Company (Hoffman et al, 1996). Accountants of the company were not afraid of providing their financial statements. The company experienced bankruptcy and a great impact was made on the employees of the company, retired employees and their pensions and many other people, who suffered huge financial losses. The following conditions are the most relevant to the earnings management conduct: â€Å"remaining alert, through observation and making inquiries as necessary, for evidence of noncompliance with relevant ethical  requirements by members of the engagement team, determining the appropriate action if matters come to the engagement partner's attention that indicate that members of the engagement team have not co mplied with relevant ethical  requirements, and forming a conclusion on compliance with independence requirements that apply to the audit engagement† (Statement on Auditing Standards, 2010). The words and word combinations in italics can be considered as triple conditions for fair and successful earnings management. To reveal fraud in earnings management relevant ethical  requirements, the appropriate action and independence requirements should be followed by the auditors. Otherwise auditing will fail and the company will be subjected to a spoiled goodwill, suspicion of stakeholders or even bankruptcy (Statement on Auditing Standards Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor, 2010). Conclusion Different improvements and various practices should be involved in the process of

He is My Hero - Essay about my Grandfather Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

He is My Hero - about my Grandfather - Essay Example He might never have caned me but his advice challenged me even at a very tender age. He would always be straightforward with me and warned me that he was not going to watch me turn into a wicked child. He was a very loving man, not only towards me but also towards my grandmother. My grandfather had a great heart, to be sincere, I have not known anyone with such a heart. His face always shone with a smile even when facing hard times. Most thought his life was ever smooth but we who were around him knew the many hardships he had faced. Even when he was sick and could barely raise his head, he always preached peace and love. He would call all of us, his grandchildren and tell us how important it was to be good to other even when they were not good to us. Being a great physician, he would always inspire me by the way he dedicated himself to ensuring that he gave his best to his patients. Sometime he would wake up in the middle of the night to go attend to patients even he was not in duty , particularly when he learnt that there were emergency case. I will never forget one incidence since it really touched me. It revealed to me something I had never known about my grandfather. I would often go to see him in the hospital when I was young since he worked a few metres from our house. While I was visiting him on one of the occasions there happened to be a patient who needed a liver transplant but had not found a donor even after making requisitions from several organizations that deal with organ transplant. However, it happened that my grandfather’s liver matched with his. Nonetheless, the hospital prohibited organ donation by the staff members. Irrespective of this, my father requested the surgeon in charge to arrange for him to donate part of his liver to the almost dying man. The surgeon was reluctant and reported the matter to the hospital administrator. When the administrator learnt of my grandfather’s plan, he threatened to sack him if he decided to g o on with his plan. Most thought that my grandfather would give up and forget about the whole issue but his personality could not let him do so. He demanded that he had to donate his organ, which he eventually did though he lost his job. Most of his workmates felt that he was irrational since he was helping a stranger at the expense of his job. Even the family members could not understand his actions. Several years later, I asked him why he had chosen to do this. What he told me made me realize he was a rare kind of a person. He was a bighearted hero and no one or anything could prevent him from doing what he was right. He told me that the best thing you can do is to follow your instincts if you felt what you were doing was right, since you only have one chance to live. Giving up a job to enable him donate his liver was one of the greatest sacrifices that a person could ever make. We knew he was noble and generous but not to such an extent. Those who knew him in the hospital thought he was just a physician like any other doctor, but he was more than that. You only needed to know him more to realize the kind of a person he was. When he lost his job, he decided to dedicate himself to charity work. Some thought he was ridiculous to spend his time working as a volunteer in hospitals that took care of less privileged. According to him, he was just doing the right thing. He was such a talented doctor, but he used his talent

Strategic Planning for Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Strategic Planning for Advertising - Essay Example On the other hand, as Wanadoo's chiefs believe, re-branding will enable the UK ISP to compete more effectively in the field of providing a host of services under one brand name (Armitt 2005). In addition, hence Wanadoo intends extending the services it has been providing, new brand will better reflect the range of new offerings. Some of the new services include combined mobile and Internet access, a broadband telephone that tells when a customer receives emails and remote surveillance of a customer's home through a mobile or a computer. New possibilities will enable a customer to transfer photos stored on a phone through the ISP's wireless Livebox hub to photoblog and an interactive mobile guide providing location-specific information when on the move (Woffenden 2005). FT Group intends that Orange will become the group's worldwide brand for mobile, broadband and multiplay services, and re-branding Wanadoo is one of the steps on this way. The expectations of the company are clearly ex pressed by the Wanadoo's spokesman: "A single, integrated brand strategy will enable the company to compete more effectively against our competitors. It will help to accelerate the momentum of the FT Group's ambition to become the leader in convergence. We will have a single brand with global clout" (The Register 2005). Despite of the company leaders' optimism and good expectations, there are some problems to overcome in the situation with the re-branded ISP though. Considering the fact that Wanadoo brand itself replaced Freeserve ISP only 14 month ago, the new re-branding may confuse the customers: "For customers in the UK, it's yet more confusion as the ISP takes on yet another identity" (The Register 2005). In addition, previous Freeserve's metamorphosis into Wanadoo was supported by pounds 20m TV, press and billboard campaign (Hirst 2004). In future advertising campaign the company chiefs should be ready to invest again to save old customers and attract new ones. Summarising all written above, we can outline the general situation. One of the leading UK ISPs Wanadoo becomes the acquisition of a well-known brand Orange. Parent corporate - Communications Group France Telecom - intends becoming the leader in providing the host of services under one brand name and the UK ISP is the step on a way for this strategy realisation. The FT Group's targets on the UK ISP market are to save Wanadoo's customers

What is the relationship between health and pollution Research Paper

What is the relationship between health and pollution - Research Paper Example Arguments will be based on the health outcomes of environmental pollution. The research will also focus on examining those that are more vulnerable to environmental pollution. In addition, the research will try to examine the factors that are causing the high rate of environmental pollution that has a negative impact on the health of the people. Therefore, my position on the relationship between pollution and health is that pollution has a negative effect on human health. There is numerous negative effect of pollution on human health. The essay will also include a concession paragraph, which identifies the strongest arguments held by those that disagree that pollution has negative outcomes on human health. Regulations and monitoring policies that are needed in order to protect the environment that will in turn prevent pollution will be briefly highlighted. A conclusion will be made towards the end of the essay summarizing the main point made in the essay. There are different forms of pollution that have negative impacts on human health such as air, noise, radioactive contamination, water and indiscriminate disposal of waste, which is soil pollution. The research will mainly focus on air and water pollution, as they are the major causes of human diseases. The major causes of air pollution on human health include cardiovascular and respiratory illness such as asthma and pneumonia. These air pollutants cause air pollution; smoke, sulphur dioxides, particulate matter, ozone and reactive nitrogen just to mention a few. Soil or water pollution may occur when there is the improper management of solid and liquid waste. For an instant, the solid waste may be directed to a water body that is used by human. Solid waste is a significant cause of pollution because of a lack of proper solid waste disposer regulations and disposal facilities (UNEP 9). Such waste may be toxic, infectious and radioactive. Depending on the source of environmental pollution and interactions

Family Guy Travesty Essay Example for Free

Family Guy Travesty Essay Scholars express the concern that the image of an American family is transitively evolving through time. The conceptions of denigrating the styles and beliefs of racial-ethnic, immigrant, gay-lesbian, and single parent families has been contended in the early nineties to be that which is not encouraging the veracity of portraying an American family but rather offers the otherwise. Hence, little has been known on the context of the eminent portrayal of an American family in television. Family ideology shapes the consciousness and expectations of those growing up the margin of the mainstream; nevertheless, this leads to the manifestation that the image of the aforementioned member in the community transforms as the market of media simultaneously evolves as well (Greenblatt, 1990). In essence, media is one of the most surprising sources of information in the society. The potential of television to negatively or positively affect attitudes, social behaviors, and other sort of the like has been studied and thrilling results were gathered. Same is true for the portrayal of families, age, sex, and race-role socialization. As a matter of fact, studies show that the images seen on television by its viewers somehow serve as an educational tool, with this, the threat of getting the â€Å"wrong perspectives† is uncontrollable and so are the views of those who have been touched by the influence of media (Fabes, Wilson, Christopher, 1989). This then connotes the perception that the portrayals aired on television are products of the evolving sense of simultaneous reaction over the media and the society. In simple logic, what the society wishes to see are given by the media, therefore, the portrayal of an American family in the television nowadays are depicting â€Å"reality† so to speak. Of course critics often spur a fight with whatever is served on the table that is not a new thing. How media portrays an American family is an issue that comes along with societal changes (Lasswell, 2002). More specifically, the rise of â€Å"reality TV shows† could attest to that matter. 1950: The Black and White Medium Media in the fifties were not as influential as it has been today. Perhaps the barrier on this is the connotation that there were only few who has television in their household because TV shows were then new to them. In the light of portraying American families, the issue on ethics and morality then surfaces the scenario. Americans were still â€Å"conservative† in some point that showing the â€Å"bedroom† or love scenes would be considered as pornography. Basically, what most viewers would love watching are news about the war, or the commercials which are basically done on live stream. The scarcity of technology and celebrities keep the audience up waiting for their favorite show to air. As critics and normal citizens would contend, they consider the shows in the fifties as strict and politically correct; perhaps because television wanted to portray an â€Å"idealistic† form of family to attract audience whom as commended are experiencing several financial and social problems during that time (Lasswell, 2002). Popular shows in the fifties Something unique sprouted during the 1950s in the vortex of television shows – the heroes were young men returning from war to a nation ravished and ripe for one of the greatest booms in civilized history, and the love stories that utterly triggers romance among its viewers. Few of the shows who topped are The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver and the Lone Ranger. These shows were among the pioneers of the quasi-comic, quasi-drama shows that contemporary media are now pursuing. For Nelson and Harriet’s reality show, it portrayed the reality of being in a middle class family in the eyes of the masses. They were in the limelight and the story mainly revolved to them. It was the politeness of David and Ricky which captured the hearts of young women, and what amazes the audience all the more were the practicality of the show since they were all representing their real lives and their real names. Similarly, the Beavers in Leave it to Beaver belonged to the â€Å"elites† or the middle-class families. They were the epitome of nice individuals and they were living in Pleasantville. Airing for ten years, I Love Lucy was the representation of a typical American family. Unlike that of the Ozzies, there is a husband who frantically hates his wife’s dream of becoming famous and being a movie star but never left her despite the opposing poles. Not only that, there was a bond between Lucy’s family and the Mertz, it showed that a typical American family is healthy inside and outside the corners of their house (Casconi, 2008). 1960: Batman, Gilligan’s Island and the Addams Family Conceivably, the sixties is considered as the rise of â€Å"superficiality. † This is because the shows which topped the charts were owned by fictional characters and imaginary families. There came Batman, Gilligan’s Island and the Addams Family. Among the rest, these are few of the shows which are carried on in the 21st century. As a matter of fact, up to date, these shows have several renditions—movies, cartoon shows and theatrical plays—all of which connote one thing, that their influence is flexible. American families in such shows showed determination, passion for life and love for family. Still, explicitness was not very much present due to the fact that there have been regulations on the content of the shows aired. However, the question needs further deliberation as there are media laws and other forms of rules but then again, these are not properly implemented since these are tolerated (Casconi, 2008). Empowerment: The positive effect of media in the current schema For every human services organization, the empowerment both of its members and of its target population is perhaps at the core of its every endeavor. A compact and lively human service can only be thoroughly and truly achieve under the condition where the members and participants in the provision of human services are active and empowered. There are many ways to achieve this end, and perhaps the most recent of these ways is the trend of using video files for informing the public and the members of the organization (Coontz, 1998). Since empowerment essentially means â€Å"bringing people who are outside the decision-making process into it (Rowlands, 1995, p. 102). † Thus, it can be said that the empowerment of people outside of the inner circle in the provision of human services can be achieved through the actual mode of absorbing these people right into the heart of the decision-making process. This can be achieved through the help of digital videos where a careful elaboration into the processes of the provision of human services is done through moving images instead of the conventional paper documents and slideshow presentations. For example, the group of people who does not fall among the ranks within the circle of decision-makers in the human service operations can be empowered by giving them a thorough and lively presentation of what they will be doing. By making them fully aware of their tasks, they can be empowered in terms of preparing for what they should expect from the actual operations or field work. Digital videos can help strengthen such a drive for empowering the other members of the human services organization through the creation of visually stimulating videos or documentaries which are rich in content but are not presented in a stale and conventional manner typical to that of formal business corporate meetings. By using videos to stimulate the active participation of the organization members who are not essentially part of the decision-making body can lead to a more vibrant campaign for providing services to people. For instance, in organizational operations such as information dissemination, the human services organization can arrive at certain decisions such as what specific information should be given to the audience and what specific information should given more emphasis and how it can be achieved by taking into consideration the perceptions of the other members (Lasswell, 2002). One way to spur these members to contribute to the decision-making process is by showing them what the organization and the people expect from them through videos. By the time the other members are informed and have become acquainted with the expectations, they can further replenish the tasks and operations of the organization by sharing what they know to the decision-making body which the latter may not be familiar with (Okwumabua, 1999, p. 154). For example, after playing a certain digital video documentary, other members who are very much familiar with the topic viewed can be stimulated by the desire to share what one knows for the awareness and betterment of the organization. The Underprivileged: Their Dose of an Ideal Family in the Fifties The scenario in the fifties showed the following: acutely and chronically ill children were cared for in hospitals and other institutions with severely restricted parental visiting privileges; moreover, children with chronic illnesses rarely survived. But the otherwise are shown today, advances in health care have prolonged and improved the lives of children with chronic illness, and the majority of children are cared for by their families in their homes and communities. The first merger movement at the turn of the century led to significant concentration in some manufacturing industries, and less conspicuous inter-corporate links through family connections, financial houses, and interlocking directorates probably reinforced the trend towards concentration. However, there seems to have been little trend toward increased concentration since then, although average concentration ratios, however measured, show modest increases since 1945. Whatever the measures used, it is clear that oligopoly is prevalent in about one-half of American manufacturing industry, and that there remain sharp distinctions in concentration levels among industries. This does not mean that there have been no recent changes 1950; problems of housing, medical services, education and employment. And so majority of the families were in dire need of a dose of fantasy in their lives (Lasswell, 2002). If they were living in the underprivileged level of the pyramid, then at least they witness how Lucy and Harriet lived a life of fame and fortune. Sixties and Crossing the Lines of Mainstream TV Meanwhile, the expansion of schooling combined with growing affluence contributed to the emergence of a youth culture separate and apart from the family. Late-Twentieth-Century Families In 1960, 70 percent of American households consisted of a go-to-workdad, a stay-at-home mom, and two or more kids. By the end of the twentieth century less than 10 percent of American households fit that profile. But what makes the sixties fascinating in the world of media and broadcasting were the rise of â€Å"adventure† flicks and creative stories. Apart from the â€Å"usual† types of stories—which in one point are considerably idealistic—they crossed the line and took the risk of introducing superficial characters, and superficial kinds of families. 21st Century Warning: Explicit Content The presence of media as a tool of information dissemination has increased largely because of the technological innovations consistently being introduced not only in advancing the productivity rate of media organizations but also in expanding the capacity of the various media outlets to include a wider range of topics (Hudson, 1986). With this expansion, the subjects incorporated into the mass media has also been augmented (Graber, 1980) such that former topics that were once rarely untouched have now been constantly infused with unceasing publicity such as those that tackle Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The changes made by mass media are evidently found on a series of notions due to consciousness, certain perceptions on reality and the palpable alterations of the masses’ individual lives concurrent on what had reconstituted by the mentioned technological change (Palmer Young, 2003). Technological or digital innovation dwelled on to by human beings had been observed to have been conducting a protective bubble of fixed racial, cultural and ethnic identity resulting to a sense of detachment which lies on the physical state of the screen persona as well as with the transcends in the reality of social culture (Barker Petley, 2001). To thoroughly understand the representation of media of an American family, one must be enlightened of the status of real-life events. With this, an assessment on the trend of the shows shall commence. Perceivably, the five major parts regarding on the family status includes married, separated, widowed, divorced and never married. Their study showed that there is an increasing number of adults who are not presently married due because of separation of the partners. As expected, there was a variation of the proportion of the numbers of separated people in different cities of the country. Florida exhibits the highest rate of divorce while in Boston and California got the lowest proportion. This can be explained because of the geographic differences (DAntonio, 2004). Gradually, television shows nowadays such as those which have been mentioned are almost synonymous in context and manner. Furthermore, American families differ from those of more educated families who typically were studied with regard to family interactions and adolescent autonomy issues. Inner-city African American families may experience age-condensed generations such that the generational boundaries are not as clear. Because the boundaries between the roles of mothers and daughters may be blurred, the need for a struggle over autonomy issues may be less salient because the authority differences were never as strong (Lawler, 1997). Additionally, autonomy issues may not be as pressing in a context characterized by preoccupations with the representation of media in such forms of distinction. How they portray and American family is no longer boxed in a certain class—Americans, for that instance—but their target market includes global viewers. Nonetheless, the diversity of characterization of the shows is proof that freedom in the vortex of media and entertainment has lesser rules and the core virtue lies in the truth of fame (Fabes et al. , 1989).

Effective Management Action Plan

Effective Management Action Plan The report aims to help understand distinct management competencies skills possessed and develop an Action Plan for effective management by taking the Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) test located in Carlopio and Andrewarthas textbook Developing management skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders, (2012). A 6 choice Likert scale questionnaire of PAMS test helped in determining the strengths and weakness associated with each of the skills. To triangulate the analysis of competent skills, feedback from manager, co-worker and friend also assisted in final decision-making process. The following graph represents the results of PAMS, which helped me and the mentors to rate my skills and decide to describe the two competencies, which need to be focussed.   Ã‚   In assessing self-awareness competency, I scored 68% comparatively lower than other competency skills. It wasnt that I in sighted it as a weakness but due to the importance of skill in day to day life I wish to focus on improving it further since it determines emotional intelligence which relates to being smart, healthy and contented. The good was that I did reflect on incidents and tried to analyse shortcomings but the barrier was an image created whenever things went wrong and was not ready to accept wrong things and the same was hindering my personal growth. This was a major issue where everyone wanted me to work build self-confidence and inculcate positive sense of self-worth. 1) LITERATURE REVIEW: Self-awareness is the ability to read and understand our emotions as well as recognise the impact on work-performance relationship. Self-awareness is crucial for productive interpersonal and personal functioning as it helps to understand and empathise people. It helps to acquire knowledge about underlying dimensions of personality and is associated with human behavioural skills of work performance, problem solving, creativity, motivation and life satisfaction (Goleman (1998b: 14)). The five core aspects of self-awareness are Emotional Intelligence, Values, Cognitive Style, Attitude towards Change and Interpersonal Style, which capture all the essential aspects of personality (Allan Waclawski 1999; Atwater Yammarino 1992; Goleman 1998a, 1998b; Parker Kram 1993; Sosik Megerian 1999). Hence being self-aware is being smart, knowing and well managing feelings, utilizing them to make good decisions, motivating with zeal and persistence, maintaining hope in face of frustration, exhibiti ng empathy and compassion, interacting smoothly and maintaining relationships in all walks of life. (Goleman (1998b: 14)) 2) SKILL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY: My deficiencies rooted from the fact I was quick in assuming things in which sometimes I missed on facts and was rigid of my judgement. So to develop the shortcomings not being judgemental after things do not work out and moving on accepting things and change is on priority in my to do list. In addition, the focus was to ensure all the facts and never assume things and take a quick decision based on incomplete assumptions. I started maintaining a reflective journal for the whole semester and would describe the situations and improvements, discuss them with my mentors to achieve long-term strategic improvement. 3) ASSESSMENT OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT: During the final week of the semester I would again complete the evaluative surveys on Self Awareness in Carlopio and Andrewarthas textbook Developing management skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders, (2012), page 124 and believe that there would be a significant improvement in my scores reflecting that issues of being rigid and over judgemental have been ameliorated. Building effective teams is a group competency and I feel the need to master the skill since I aspire to become a successful Project Manager. The score for this skill from PAMS test by individual assessment was 70%, whereas peers and mentors graded around 74%. One of the reasons being, in case of difficult team members I usually end up taking their tasks and completing on time. However, gradually have realised to have a group mindset and encourage member contribution by group inspiration and motivation. 1) LITERATURE REVIEW: Paying attention to conflict situations (Bakken, E. (2007)) and making sure it resolves within the meeting and implementing four Ps of effective meeting for preparing and conducting meeting, before every group assignment meeting (Carlopio, J., Andrewartha, G. (2008)). Purpose: The reason for organizing a meeting should by clearly communicated amongst team members by circulating meeting agenda, which will help team members come, prepared for meeting. Participants: Depending on the purpose of meeting the right number of people and type of participants (homogeneous- heterogeneous, competition- cooperation, task process are invited. Planning: To ensure that the meeting is productive and efficient, everyone should be prepared for the meeting agenda, which is well structured as per the common rule and leads to final decision. Process: Process is defined as actual conduct of meetings with seven steps stated as follows: 1) Review 2) Introduction 3) Discussion of Ground Rules 4) Report 5) Display 6) Participation 7) Summarise. 2) SKILL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY: I plan to maintain a diary on daily basis. After team allocations, I will then analyse my actions during the task by writing down and reflect on these five questions; How successful was the building an efficient team from my point of view? How did the others respond to mine team-building decisions? Was there any conflict? What modifications can I make next time according to own feelings and from the feedback of my co-workers? In what ways can I contribute to make my team better at work? How can I improve my interpersonal relationships with difficult team members, which could be by analysing their attitude in order to encourage them to participate? Also need to follow the 4 Ps principle to ensure active participation of each team member, no stress to anyone in team, motivate the team to achieve goals and effectively allocate teammates by identifying the strengths and weakness and assuring that teams are competent to work virtually as well as in office. 3) ASSESSMENT OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT: During this semester, I have a chance to be a part of team and would do my best to be an efficient team player as well as be chosen to lead by vote. This will inculcate in me a sense of confidence to build effective teams for future work. Also would take the evaluative assessment again to ensure team-building skills have been significantly improved. (Allan Waclawski 1999; Atwater Yammarino 1992; Goleman 1998a, 1998b; Parker Kram 1993; Sosik Megerian 1999). Bakken, E. (2007). Twelve ways to build an effective team. Ceridan Corporation. Carlopio, J. Andrewartha, G, 2012.   Developing Management Skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders. Pearson Australia Goleman (1998b: 14)

The Reagan Tax Cuts And Foreign Policy Essay -- essays research papers

The Reagan Tax Cuts and Foreign Policy During the 1980's President Ronald Reagan's (our 40th president from 1981 to 1989) domestic policy of a substantial tax cut led to greatly increased economic prosperity for our country. During Reagan's administration marked changes were made to the tax code and economic statistics showed a major change for the better. However, at the same time, the Democrats controlled the Congress and continued increased spending against Reagan's wishes. The Joint Economic Committee stated that an across-the-board tax cut was not new. In the 20's the Mellon tax cuts were implemented by Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon during the Administrations of Hoover, Harding, and Coolidge. In the 60's Kennedy introduced tax cuts. In both instances the decrease of high marginal tax rates somehow increased tax payments by the rich. Perhaps a foreshadow of things to come. Debates were raging over the Reagan tax cuts, known as the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (or, ERTA). This act was designed to spur savings, investment, work, and economic efficiency. This policy would impose a 25% across-the-board cut in personal marginal tax rates. In the act of decreasing marginal tax rates, and stimulating economic incentives, ERTA would increase the flow of resources into production, thus lifting economic growth. This policy received much criticism because its opponents argued that ERTA would be a giveaway to the rich, because their tax payments would collapse. Reagan worked hard and skillfully with the congress to obtain legislation to stimulate economic growth and curb inflation, he embarked upon a course to cut taxes and curb inflation. President Reagan was able to sign into law a tax cut in late 1981 even though congressional Democrats tried to block his cuts. All tax payers received these cuts which helped to spur the economy. The cuts were taken over three years with a 5% cut in 1981, a 10% cut for 1982, and in 1983 another 10% cut. Reagan's call for extensive changes in the federal income tax laws helped bring about passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. In 1986 Reagan introduced the Tax Reform act of 1986. The tax reform act of 1986 chopped taxes, and indexed taxes for inflation as well. During Reagan's first term the inflation rate was at -5.7%, unemployment was at1.4%, interest rates were at -.7, and the gross na... ... The aides had then illegally given some of the arms money to contra guerrillas. Conclusion The Reagan Tax cuts showed that reducing excessive tax rates stimulates growth, reduces tax avoidance, and can increase the share of tax payments given by the rich. With respect to foreign policy Reagan's performances especially with Mikhail Gorbachev showed a high approval of performance with the people. Reagan had the highest poll ratings for performance of any president since World War 2. It appears that his leadership helped to make the feeling of the country to have a more confident outlook on the future. References "Iran-Contra Affair," Microsoft ® Encarta ® 96 Encyclopedia 1993-1995. 1996 Grolier Interactive Inc. Edition copyright  © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. http://www.house.gov/joe/welcome.html http://www.reaganhome.com/taxcuts.html http://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic/election/connections/foreign/reagrus.htm Hyland, W.G., ed., The Reagan Foreign Policy (1987). The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Third The Atlantic Monthly, February 1994; Reagan and the Russians; Volume 273. The Joint Economic Committee reports on the Reagan Tax Cuts

Essay on Quilts and Art in Everyday Use :: Everyday Use essays

Quilts and Art in Everyday Use  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With her story, "Everyday Use," Alice Walker is saying that art should be a living, breathing part of the culture it arose from, rather than a frozen timepiece to be observed from a distance. To make this point, she uses the quilts in her story to symbolize art; and what happens to these quilts represents her theory of art.(thesis) The quilts themselves, as art, are inseparable from the culture they arose from. (topic sentence) The history of these quilts is a history of the family. The narrator says, "In both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn fifty and more years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jarrell's Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece . . . that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War." So these quilts, which have become an heirloom, not only represent the family, but are an integral part of the family. Walker is saying that true art not only represents its culture, but is an inseparable part of that culture. The manner in which the quilts are treated shows Walker's view of how art should be treated. Dee covets the quilts for their financial and aesthetic value. "But they're priceless!" she exclaims, when she learns that her mother has already promised them to Maggie. Dee argues that Maggie is "backward enough to put them to everyday use." Indeed, t his is how Maggie views the quilts. She values them for what them mean to her as an individual. This becomes clear when she says, "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts," implying that her connection with the quilts is personal and emotional rather than financial and aesthetic. She also knows that the quilts are an active process, kept alive through continuous renewal. As the narrator points out, "Maggie knows how to quilt." The two sisters' values concerning the quilt represent the two main approaches to art appreciation in our society. Art can be valued for financial and aesthetic reasons, or it can be valued for personal and emotional reasons. When the narrator snatches the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, Walker is saying that the second set of values is the correct one. Art, in order to be kept alive, must be put to "Everyday Use" -- literally in the case of the quilts, figuratively in the case of conventional art.

The Sweat Lodge :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sweat lodge is a key healing and spiritual practice of most, if not all, Native American cultures. A variant of the sweat lodge is seen in those cultures from the artic to South America. It can be seen as a form of water therapy as it uses extreme heat and water to produce its effects. Specifically I will explain my personal journey and experience as a participant of a Mohawk sweat lodge. Each tribe has its own unique way of performing the sweat even if they all share the same base upon which to personalise it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mohawk sweat lodge that I attended on Thanksgiving last October is an experience I will not soon forget. It was an interesting blend of people coming together to share in a sacred experience for the spiritual healing of a friend. My friend is Mohawk and he gathered his five closest friends to join him; all of us Caucasians, the shaman/medicine man, the shaman’s wife (a medicine woman in here own right), the fire keeper and the woman in Hudson who graciously allowed us to use her land for this occasion. Names have purposely been omitted for the sake of anonymity as the type of sweat was one of personal healing and not a general sweat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The figures in the sweat are the shaman who directs and explains the procedure of the sweat and conducts it. The next figure is the fire keeper who tends the fire on which the stones for the sweat are heated and transfers them with the help of a pitchfork which he hands to the person closest to the entrance of the lodge as he does not enter the lodge. The final figure is the person being healed, in this case my friend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As this sweat was a personal healing we all had to be intimately involved in the preparations, we did not have to build the lodge only cover it with skins and tarps. The frame of the lodge had been built for a previous sweat. Before we could cover the lodge we had to lay down cedar on the floor of the lodge in an intricate manner based on the traditional beliefs of the Mohawk. This task is normally done by the women and those men who are attuned with their feminine energy, as such I was asked to join in this task. Laying down the cedar branches that have been cut into small pieces was a very calming exercise; it also provided me with a chance to learn about some herbal lore from the other women.

Personal Response to Dear Daddy Essay

The short story Dear Daddy by Lee Maracle brought me back the tears that I, too, had as a child. I felt pitiful for the main character’s experience and deeply impressed by the thirteen-year-old girl’s courage of getting over her negative feelings for the past and going on with her life. The story, written in the form of a letter, shows the process of a thirteen-year-old girl becoming more mature as she expresses her grievances from her tragic childhood. At the beginning of the story, she described both the emotional and physical difficulties her family suffered through because of the absence of her father. She felt lonely, insecure and confused as she hoped that her father would come back. â€Å"Sometimes I had bad dreams. I would dream the welfare took us away and no one missed us, not even mommy. Daddy where were you?† (Page 163) At the end of the letter, however, the girl started to understand that her view of the world before was unbalanced and incomplete, â €Å"through a thin veil full of small holes†. (Page 165) She felt more released and started to notice â€Å"the greatness of the world†. (Page 165) She began to treasure all the memories she had with her family instead of thinking about her misery all the time, â€Å"we carried on living.† (Page 165) There was a great transition of her character from the beginning to the end of the letter. The girl’s story reminded me of myself. Although I did not have a childhood filled with misery, I did have similar feelings as her when I first came to Canada at the age of thirteen. Unlike a lot of people, I did not have enough time to get ready for a new environment. My parents told me that we were immigrating to Canada exactly one week before we left China. It almost felt like my feet were already on the Canadian land before I knew it. For a long time I felt extremely lonely, unsecure, and uncertain about my future. I missed my friends, my old teachers, and the nice big house we had in China. For the thirteen years of my life in China, I had have depressions, but never as hard as this one because I always had a best friend that could support me and comfort me. This time, I had no one. Like the mother in Dear Daddy, my parents had to work, so it was almost impossible to express my feelings to anyone. â€Å"It was hard, now that mommy was working.† One midnight when I woke up from a bad dream, I saw two tiny mice climbing on my bedroom window. I was horrified as I had never seen a real wild mouse before. Because of my parents’ hard work during the day,  they were in deep sleeps. Like the girl in the story, I did not make a noise when I cried. â€Å"It took me such long time to stop crying and finally fall asleep. I knew better than making noise—just tears trailing down my cheeks.† (Page 163) For the same purpose as the girl’s letter in the story, to express myself, I started to write journals every day. I gradually thought about my past less and less. Instead, I started to study hard and try to make new friends and â€Å"carried on living† like the thirteen-year-old girl. I greatly admire the girl for her courage of moving on with her life instead of thinking about the past all the time. I have done the same before and I knew that it was very hard especially when her life was such a misery. I believe that the lesson the story tries to teach people is that sinking in the past can only bring more misery, while life is wonderful if we view it with tolerate and tranquil eyes.

Lord of the Flies Coursework

‘The main characters in the Lord of the flies are similar to world leaders that have ruled through history’. I agree that the main characters from Lord of the flies are similar to the world leaders that have ruled through history. There are four main characters in the film ‘Lord of the Flies’ and they are Jack, Simon, Piggy and Ralph. All these characters have an individual point of view and they all have different personalities. Jack is very comparable to the world leader called Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was absolute evil, all-powerful, mad, and hated by others, bright, deeply religious and stubborn.Adolf Hitler was a leader because he was able to convince people and make them do what he wants them to do. Jack wanted to be a leader as well and after the votes when he wasn’t picked to guide the kids he persuaded Ralph that he would help him out. Jack thought he was all-powerful because everyone followed what he said. Half way through the movie Jack w as getting unwanted because people found him too bossy so he used he’s skills to convince people that he is the best leader and that he is much better than the leader that they picked which was Ralph.I think Jack wasn’t so bright but he knew how to convince people to believe him and this made him very stubborn and tough. He was very sure of him self and he was a very confident person. When the kids joined his group because they had a choice of joining Jack or Ralph they picked Jack and he turned really aggressive and killed two members of the opposite group. Jack took his anger on animals and other members from the plane crash. Piggy reminds me of Martin Luther King as he wanted to change the whole of America to make peace. Piggy wanted to change the people that argued and he was very supportive towards the leader Ralph.When Jack was a very leader Ralph wasn’t sure what to do to stop him and Piggy helped him and seemed to be very supportive and friendly. He was also very gullible and he thought he could trust Ralph by telling him a secret that people used to call him ‘Piggy’ and he never liked him. He asked Ralph not to tell anyone but Ralph told everyone about it. Piggy carried on being very nice towards Ralph. Piggy was very smart and brave just like Martin Luther King and he spoke his mind and came up with different ideas. By: Natalia Jozwiak 10EA

Salinity

Problems arise in the world due to salinity, as when the salt gets on to the top of the soil†¦.. it causes disaster to the plants and trees. Salt comes in many forms in the natural environment—calcium, magnesium, carbonate, sodium chloride, bicarbonate, and sulphate. Many landscapes are naturally saline, but secondary salinity isn’t so natural, occurring when salts from deep within the earth are dissolved and deposited into soil and water as a result of human activity. This can happen in one of two ways: Dryland salinity – from removal of deep-rooted plantsIn dry regions, deeply-rooted perennial plants, such as shrubs, trees, and grasses, play an important role in regulating groundwater levels. As water is applied to the soil, the plants drink it up and breath it out through a process called evapotranspiration. This ensures that the water table levels stay relatively stable. But this balance is thrown into chaos when farmers clear the land to gain more space for grazing animals and cultivating food crops. In doing so, they remove the deep-rooted plants and replace them with shallow-rooted annual crops.These plants do not take up as much water as once-plentiful native plants, and as a result, more water remains in the soil. Over time—up to 30 years—water accumulates in the land, causing the water table to rise. As it does so, it passes through layers of salt and dissolving the deposits that have existed in the land for centuries. The shallow-rooted plants can’t keep up with the rising water levels, which results in rising salt deposits in ever-increasing concentrations in topsoil. Irrigation salinity – from overirrigationMuch like dryland salinity, irrigation salinity results in a rising water table that brings deep deposits of salt upwards through soil layers. But instead of being caused by land clearing, it results from increased irrigation. As water soaks into the soil, it adds to existing water, raising t he water table, bringing salt along for the ride. During periods of irrigation, the water table will lower again, but salt will remain in surface soil, increasing the salt concentration with each irrigation cycle. What impact does it have? Contamination of ecosystems with excess saltBoth dryland and irrigation salinity result in similar environmental challenges: * Groundwater used for human consumption as well as agricultural and industrial applications becomes saline, making it unusable * Wetlands and bushland ecosystems are damaged, resulting in declines in wildlife biodiversity * Salt damages houses, pipelines, railways, buildings, roads, and water supply systems What has been done about it? Many conservation and regeneration options available There are many possible steps a community can take to prevent and/or reverse salinity: Identify areas where potential for biodiversity loss is significant due to salinity, setting targets to protect and bring back sensitive species * Protec ting key native vegetation species from being cleared and promoting reintroduction of these species in areas affected by salinity * Limit over-irrigation and the construction of dams in sensitive areas, such as wetlands and watercourses * Promote environmentally-sound property management planning * Educate farmers and the public about the risks of increasing salinity * Construct both surface and sub-surface drainage systems to prevent salinity that results from rising water levelsIs this action working? Reversing soil salinity a slow process – prevention is easier Progress in preventing and reversing the effects of salinization is slow and painstaking. Research is beginning to identify ways farmers can continue to cultivate their crops without increasing soil salinity. Planting salt tolerant, deep-rooted plants throughout agricultural lands in one way to see improvements, but like most solutions, it can be costly and requires by-in from farmers and communities alike. Further education of key stakeholders in communities at risk of salinization is required. Why is this? Effects of soil salinity take many years to appearIt can take up to 30 years for communities to begin to feel the effects of increasing salinity, making reversal of the problem equally time-consuming. It also requires significant funding. The Australian government, for instance, pledged to spend nearly $8 million on salinization remediation plans to 2008. Should it continue? On one side, there are those who are against Without remediation of soil salinity, great problems lie ahead Without long-sighted solutions, the problem of salinity, including loss of agricultural land, devastation of ecosystems, and the costs associated with damaged property, will continue to increase. In the US, it is estimated that 10 million hectares of land is lost to salinity every year. The challenge is equally serious in Australia.Environmentalists have been drawing attention to this growing crisis for years, an d only after seeing the effects of salinity are individuals and governments coming to terms with the magnitude of the problem. Failure to address salinity could result in widespread crop failures and even more devastating loss of biodiversity. Should it continue? On the other side, there are those who are all for it Hydro advocates oppose There are many who prefer to turn a blind eye to the problem of salinity, especially those with a vested interest in the industries responsible for the consequences. Salinity can increase in the presence of dams and other water reservoirs, making salinity an acceptable cost to advocates of large-scale hydro projects.The damming of the Colorado River, which flows into Mexico, has caused significant increases in the brackish (i. e. saline) quality of the water. Reversing these problems so that those down river can be supplied with high-quality water has been expensive for the US, resulting in costs upwards of several hundred million dollars every yea r. Farmers’ struggles Equally challenging is working with farmers who see the very long-range problem of salinity as minor compared to the desire to see short-term financial gains through over-irrigation of crops. Small and large-scale farmers alike struggle with the reality of spending money to prevent a problem that may not occur for decades.

Scientific Method and Criminal Investigator

Methods Used as a Criminal Investigator Cynthia Scaff Kaplan University CJ210: Crime Scene Investigation Professor Post March 26th, 2013 Unit-5 Methods Used as a Criminal Investigator Throughout its history, criminal investigation has been built upon a methodological foundation that has become increasingly refined and reliant on science. Moreover, a good investigator often adopts a particular mindset when approaching criminal investigations. Among the most effective approaches to investigation involves the use of the scientific method, which is simply a time-tested means of gathering reliable facts.Gathering information is the key to all good investigations, and so understanding the three sources of information is of great concern to any investigator. All of these items add up to a well-rounded and thorough investigation, and thus they will all be addressed herein. First, an exposition on the methods of inquiry are in order. The two overarching methods of inquiry are 1) those that re construct and examine past events and 2) those that discover or generate new information (Osterburg & Ward, 2010). These two are actually interrelated, and there is a good deal of overlap between them.Any number of disciplines in both the hard and soft sciences can be employed in the service of an investigation, including those, which would not necessarily seem related to a police investigation, like entomology, meteorology, etc. Thus, understanding the behavior of insects that inhabit a body or the effects of weather on a body might provide crucial details about the precise date and time of a murder, for example. In fact, a wide array of disciplines is often applied to a complex investigation when used in conjunction, can provide a great deal of information about a case.As well as utilizing the methods of inquiry, the best criminal detectives also generally approach a case with a particular mindset. In essence, the investigative mindset is part schema (innate perspective based on a broad knowledge of the world) and part active thought process. What it amounts to is an open-mindedness and (preferably unbiased) skepticism that allows the investigator to remain open to anything unusual in a case or anything that leads to a better understanding of the facts and circumstances—evidence—related to or surrounding a case (Osterburg & Ward, 2010).The investigator with this mindset will therefore approach a case looking for evidence that seems contrary to how things should be according to his or her knowledge about the world and understanding of how things generally go under normal circumstances. She is also looking for information that fits what is already known about the case, but the investigator must be careful here not to come at it with preconceived notions about the guilt or innocence of anyone directly involved in or a tangential to the case.For the gathering of evidence, the best approach is usually the application of the scientific method, define d as such: â€Å"a method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and observations, experiments, or other relevant data are then used to construct or test hypotheses that purport to solve it (Scientific method, 2009). † The problem to be identified in this case is the investigator’s hypothesis about what took place at the crime scene and who was involved in it. Ergo, a good investigator moves from inductive reasoning—guesswork, hunches, suspicions, etc. toward deductive reasoning, which is the use of specific data applied to the situation to see if everything fits with what she believes to have happened. In Osterburg and Ward’s Criminal Investigation, the authors give an example in which a woman was murdered in her apartment in conjunction with a romantic dinner. Going on a hunch, the investigator suspects an ex-boyfriend to be the culprit. He then gathers data to see if his suspicions are reinforced by the facts available to him (Osterbur g & Ward, 2010).There are three sources of evidence that an investigator may draw from. The first of these is people. The relevant sources here are all of the people directly connected to a case (witnesses, suspects and of course surviving victims) and friends, relatives and various associates of suspects and victims (Osterburg & Ward, 2010). Although people can be open and helpful in a case, some of them may lie; distort facts or even refuse to cooperate altogether, creating a conflict for the investigator.Witnesses may also be confused about what they actually observed as memory is not always reliable and can even be biased by personal, professional or societal schemas. Learning how to get people to cooperate with police and sorting out lies, half-truths, mistakes or previously overlooked information is essential to criminal investigation. Ongoing surveillance of the people involved may also shed light on a case. The second source for investigators to consider is physical evidence .In police work, the two main disciplines employed in the examination of this data are forensic medicine and criminalistics. The condition, location and position of human remains; materials and fibers located at the crime scene; the trajectory of bullets and the type of bullets used; the pattern or spatter of blood; impressions made by fingerprints, shoes or tires; the presence of contraband (such as illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia or illegal weapons)—these are all types of physical evidence that might be used to reconstruct a crime or other past event (Osterburg & Ward, 2010).In considering this evidence, the investigator will ask herself questions related to the crime, such as: What is this item doing here? Why is the blood pattern directed this way? Does this evidence support or contradict my hypothesis about a suspect? And so on. Finally, records and documents are a prime source of evidence for most investigations. Although technically records are physical evidence, t hey are a special form of physical evidence, in that they are in widespread use and are used, stored and accessed both privately and professionally specifically for their informational value.It is no wonder then that they often contain or form important, highly specific evidence for an investigator. Documents such as a driver’s license, social security card or state ID card will help the police identify an unknown murder victim, for example. Criminal records of a murder victim may also provide clues about the nature of his murder, such as whether or not he was involved in the illegal drug trade, which may lead to a suspect. Phone records may even indicate that two people have been in contact when one or both have denied that they know each other (Osterburg & Ward, 2010).Records may be stored as a hard copy on paper, plastic or some other medium, or they may be stored digitally, as on a computer hard drive or CD. In the end, it is apparent that science and a scientific perspec tive are highly important to police investigations. The two methods of inquiry provide a basis for understand what happened and how it happened. Encountering an investigation with the proper mindset will offer a higher success rate. In addition, of course, the application of the scientific method is indispensable, as is understanding and exploiting the three sources of evidence.With a strong foundation in these principles, a criminal investigator is well on her way towards making headway in an investigation. References Osterburg,  J. W. , & Ward,  R. H. (2010). Criminal investigation: A method for reconstructing the past. Albany, NY: LexisNexis/Anderson Pub Scientific method. (2009). Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved March 29, 2013, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/scientific method

ROBBERY police foundations program (canada) Essay

ROBBERY police foundations program (canada) - Essay Example Robbery refers to illegal possession, attempt over one's property or cash by violence, threat of force or any influencing force with or without injury. For instance, bank robbery, shop robbery, snatching, looting, train robbery etc. Nature and percentage of robbery in various countries vary from time to time. Faulkner shared his views for United States as Robbery-related injuries constitute a major risk for convenience store workers in the United States. Studies that focus on the injury outcomes associated with convenience store robbery are extremely limited in number. Robbers make their plans and strategies with respect to their targets. It has been observed that robbers are mostly aware of wealth status and routine of their targets. Most of the time, Cash-in-transit vans are being targeted. Mr. Gill defined the same statement as Cash-in-transit vans are an attractive target for robbers because they are lucrative. Rate of robberies and crimes such as armed robberies, crimes committed by employees, commercial crime, are not controllable even in countries like United States of America then third world countries stand no where. Robbers, who are lost in greed, do not care for one's life for the sake of money. Robbery is a result of being associated or friendly to extremist people. After a few robberies, robbers become habitual of crimes and robbery becomes their nature. Individual robbery is the most common type of robbery.

Business Organisation and Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Organisation and Policy - Essay Example Moreover, if any firm buys or merges with any other firm which is at a different level of the value chain and the chain of production, it will be called vertical integration. There are two types of vertical integration namely: Backward vertical integration and forward vertical integration. Backward integration occurs when a firm merges with or takes over firms at an earlier level of the chain of production than itself. For example, when a big retail store such as Wal-Mart, purchases a factory or plant which processes and produces frozen food, it would be called backward vertical integration as Wal-mart is ensuring a stable and secure supply of frozen food. Backward vertical integration is helpful where the suppliers have a stronger network and a stronger negotiating power in the industry. On the other hand, forward vertical integration occurs when firms take over or merge with firms which are at a later level of the value chain of production. For example, if a raw material supplier b uys a factory or when a clothes manufacturer opens up a retail outlet, it will be called forward vertical integration. Forward vertical integration opens doors of a steady revenue stream for firms. ... ADVANTAGES OF HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION When a firm expands horizontally, it is likely to experience economies of scale from the increased output. Firms can increase their profitability as per unit cost decreases with the increased level of output. For example, if a huge retail store merges with another chain of retail store, it can achieve economies of scale in the form of more discounts from manufacturers owing to bulk purchasing. As the store would now technically be purchasing close to twice as much as it did before under one umbrella, it would receive large discounts from manufacturers as well. Similarly, if a manufacturing firm merges with another, not only this would be the merger of capital, assets and liabilities, but also the firm would now share each other’s competencies and specialties. This might even include more cost-efficient production processes, vendor relationships, discounts on bulk purchase of raw materials etc. Besides this, the business would also expand on its geographical reach to the market. For example, when the Royal Bank of Scotland merged with Faysal Bank in Pakistan, all of Royal Bank of Scotland’s network of branches and accounts spread throughout Pakistan came under Faysal Bank’s control and brand name. Unilever’s taking over of Polka ice-cream in Pakistan is another example of geographical expansion through horizontal integration. This gave them an easy access to the market of Pakistan. However, as opposed to vertical integration, firms might enter into businesses which are out of the scope of their operations and specialization. This could misallocate resources into less profitable ventures if not unprofitable and even lead to money being drained on the

Macro4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macro4 - Essay Example By removing inflation, real GDP allows economists to make more accurate comparisons between countries and across multiple years. For example, let us consider a scenario where Nominal GDP in year N-1 was 500 and 525 in year N. The nominal GDP has grown by 5%. Now we look at three scenarios, one where inflation is 5% (country like UK), second where inflation is 1% (country like US) and the third where inflation is 10% (developing countries like India or China). If the economic policy makers were to consider only nominal GDP, all the three policy makers might consider similar fiscal policies. However, by looking at the real GDP, we are able to see that even though nominal growth of developing countries is higher, it is still lower than the inflation rate and the real GDP would actually have dropped. The goal of economic policy makers is to have low unemployment, stable prices and to stimulate growth. They have two sets of tools for this objective: 1) Fiscal policy – Government sp ending and Taxation 2) Monetary policy – Discount rate, Bank reserve ratio, and Open market operations So, the assumption made about what policy makers want to know when considering Real GDP more meaningful is the following: a) Are economic policies creating a real increase in the output? b) How much real demand is being created by government spending and taxation policy? c) Is the monetary policy able to drive growth at constant prices? 2. Why is GDP inadequate as a measure of social welfare? Can you think of any ways to make GDP a better measure of social welfare? GDP simply adds up all the products and services that are bought and sold. It makes no distinction between transactions that ass to the social welfare and those that diminish it. GDP assumes that all monetary transactions add to well-being without separating cost from benefit. For example, as a result of the recent earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, GDP would not take into account the loss caused by it but would act ually add up the cost spent in bringing things back to normal. Also, activities that actually are negative for the social welfare are added up in GDP – like lawyer fees in divorces or property damage and medical expenses due to crime. Further, GDP does not take into account some of the most important social welfare work that happens in our everyday lives – childcare, DIY home repairs, or even voluntary work. As an example of the ambiguity of GDP, if we hire someone to do the home repairs, GDP adds the income but if we do it ourselves, the DIY repair goes â€Å"unnoticed† in the GDP. In order to make GDP a better measure of social welfare, we could represent GDP like the balance sheet of a company showing separately the assets (monetary transactions that lead to social welfare and development) and the liabilities (monetary transactions that cause negative impact on social welfare or those that have been made in order to be back to normal after a disaster). The ne t of these assets and liabilities would then be a good indicator of how much actual social welfare has occurred in the country or over time. 4. a. Compute real GDP for each year. 1987 is the base year. Show your work. Year Nominal GDP GDP deflator Real GDP 1989 5 244 1,08 4 856 1990 5 514 1,13 4 880 1991 5 672 1,17 4 848 Real GDP in Year n = Nominal GDP in Year n GDP Deflator for that year Real GDP in 1989 = 5 244 / 1.08 = 4

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Euthanasia - Essay Example In the two scenarios, the doctors argue that the actions were in the best interests of the patient. Legalizing involuntary euthanasia is likely to be opposed by law enforcers for many reasons. One of the reasons as explained by Lafollette is that people may shy away from hospitals and trained medical experts for fear of being killed against their wishes. Another reason for denial of legalizing it is the fear that unconscious persons will be terrified to be taken into hospitals and be killed against their will. These reasons have made it hard for euthanasia to be legalized because of the possibility that people may avoid hospitals whenever they get life threatening ailments. Based on a poll conducted on April 8th to 11th in 2005 by the Polling Company, 15% of interviewed persons agreed that doctors should be allowed to withhold life support machine, 77% said patients should be able to get the life support machine while the remaining 8% are undecided. With these results, it only shows how difficult it will be when it comes to legalizing euthanasia because it is clear that many people are opposed to its legalization. Many people believe that life is sacred and the strong argument that is favored, in my opinion, is that life is inviolable and it is wrong to take it away from someone without his or her consent. The suffering of one person does not give the other the right to help him or her die. I believe nature should be left to take its course. The responses are shown in the table below.

Siemens case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Siemens - Case Study Example It is the commitment of companies, especially those that have a significant influence on the international market that ensures that efficiency is maintained. Efficiency is integral not only when it comes to using minimum resources to fulfill maximum needs, but is also pivotal when it comes to allocation of resources and their eventual distribution. In other words, the basic economic problem is seen to have its solutions within the confines of efficiency, and it is advantageous for the members of the world of commerce to ensure that the equilibrium of efficiency is maintained, both locally and internationally. Multinationals companies are seen as increasingly responsible for maintaining the equilibrium that would benefit all since their increased market share gives them greater influence in the arena of buying and selling. This is one reason why the use of bribes is heavily frowned upon by the international markets, especially when large multinational firms are involved. The use of br ibes is an act that disturbs the equilibrium of free trade, since they influence the decision power of individuals, prejudicing it to fall in the favor of the one offering bribes. Siemens, being one such multinational firm that possessed significant share of the global market was caught in the hurricane of media attention, international scrutiny and internal ratification policies when fraudulent actions were seen to be prevalent within the company. The Siemens executives were accused of paying six million Euros to another company in order to achieve the gas turbine contract in Italy. The accusation involved that the executives used the company funds to influence the decision of others. This accusation attracted the attention of the international media since it involved the transaction of such a large amount of money. Moreover, the reputation of one of the world’s largest companies was at stake. As a company that complies and abides by the restrictions and regulations of the f ree market, the bribe was seen as an act that harms the spirit of competition and free trade in the global market. Thus, Siemens was seen as the perpetual deviant of the global market. Subsequently, the fact that a multinational company such as Siemens is involved in financial embezzling had a negative impact on the brand. The executives accused of the embezzling were Andreas Kley and Horst Vigener. While they agreed that the transfer of six million Euros from Siemens to Enel did occur under their authorization, they defended their actions. These former managers said that their actions cannot be classified as an act of fraud since the financial transaction between Siemens and Enel was made solely and purely for the benefit of Siemens the company. They claimed that a bribe is an act that ensures personal gain, and signifies corruption that is intended to harm the company. However, their decision to transfer the amount to Enel was not for their own gain. Siemens would have gained imme nsely if the contract for the gas turbine had been awarded to them, and the managers were aware of this. The company hoped to earn 90 million Euros in addition to a firm footage in the Italian market. Thus, Siemens’ funds were not used to benefit anyone else, except Siemens the entity itself. Since neither employee benefitted personally from the funds transferred, both Kley and Vigener testified that they were innocent. The defenses they presented were to an extent

Moonshine and it's effect on the U.S. economy Term Paper

Moonshine and it's effect on the U.S. economy - Term Paper Example However, this prompted the rise of illegitimate businesses that came in the form of moonshiners, and organized crime. The crime came in the form of criminals willing to transport and distribute alcohol for capital. It was known as moonshining since the brewing of alcohol was done in the night. This paper will review the effect moonshining had on the U.S. economy, and the decline of the business after the repealing of the laws of prohibition. The disruption of normal activities in the local breweries and taverns made it exceedingly difficult for the residents to make a living (Miller 35). The sale of alcoholic beverages that had a percentage of more than 2.5% was illegal. This meant that all the activities being carried out were illegal. This was as the amendment dictated. What this disruption in business created was an economic, and social problem that affected the economy, and people of the nation respectively. In the economy, there was the disruption of the tax revenue. This was the tax revenue that was to be collected through legitimate sales of alcohol and other alcoholic beverages. This caused the economy to fall since the number of companies conducting business went down. This loss meant that the government had to look for alternative sources of revenue, other than that brought in from the brewing companies. This move presented a problem since other local traders suffered the brunt of this law (Caraway 35). The tax increment placed on their goods and services made it hard for them to stay in business for long, and still make profits. The rise in illegitimate business transactions made it hard for tax to be collected as it should. Organized crime came into existence since there needed to be importation and distribution of illegal alcohol. The law of prohibition prevented the sale of alcohol. However, it did not prevent the prevailing rate of illegitimate businesses that would follow

Capital Communes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Capital Communes - Essay Example church"ii Here, we see Benjamin's Marxist roots. Yet we also informed by his premonitory observance of the ideological drift of civil society toward what he argues is a phantasmagoria: a dream world of market based consumer-citizenship, that at once and the same time, the teleological mechanism by which authoritarianism is obscured. If the Arcade stood as the preeminent example as a built space for inculcating the collective unconscious toward misrecognition of Napoleon Bonaparte's true intent, and in this case, that would be speculative market measures that began to stratify the populations of Paris and its environs by class, then Haussmann's project of urban expansion with its "lavish, self-glorification of the bourgeoise" with its "loans totaling hundreds of millions of francs" confrontation with those living in marginal spaces became the victims of nothing short of "engineered destruction."iii Nevertheless, Haussmann's project proceeded as a renewal strategy for Paris. He also employed a large scale constituency of laborers to participate in the construction of the rehabilitation; hence stabilizing his political position against confrontation with worker dissent. Rationale for this perspective was not unfounded as, 'the Parisian workers were better organized militarily than in any earlier rebellion; that the street widening undertaken during the administration of Napoleon III would necessarily work to their advantage, should the assault on the city succeed; that for the first time, the barricades would be defended by cannons and regularly organized troops."iv The environmental impact of Haussmann's urban planning was pronounced in design, and also in terms of security. Haussmannization was distinctly a project of "strategic embellishment" that applied the concept of direct access to the workers' districts by opening up the thoroughfares for direct barricade. The system of open boulevards with a central node for systemization of public works and oversight also held promise for alleviation of poverty of districts such as Faubourg St-Marceau, through ready access to trade. The work commenced in the city centre surrounding Ile-de-la-Cit adjacent to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. He also extended the cross between the Louvre and the Tuileries, built the Boulevard Sbastopol. A site of leisure, Place du Chtelet became the center of the City's system of boulevards. Prior to his office, Paris was a city of moderate dimensions. Haussmann's new plan of advancement for the capital city resulted in the definition of neighborhoods, or modern system of 20 arrondissements. Public transportation also saw expansion, and the "opening of Paris" to the market linked the main road network between Gare St-Lazare the Rue Auber and Gare du Nord (built between 1861 and 1864 by Jacques-Ignace Hittorff), Gare de Lyon and Gare Montparnasse the Rue de Rennes. Tivoli Arcade, Paris A new system of