An Icon of American Expansionism Essay - 1092 Words

As a nation born out of the desire to reject despotic rule and reinvent a new, non-Eurocentric model of the nation state, Americans during the nation’s nascent decades subscribed to a notion of anti-imperialism and relied upon a closed door approach to national foreign policy. Yet simultaneously, the United States engaged in acts of global expansion throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and by the arrival of the 20th century, the nation had reached an ideological crossroad. Following a series of foreign conflicts which left America as an active participant in global expansion and a growing world power, by the conclusion of the 19th century, the nation was forced to determine whether or not it would permanently adopt a national doctrine†¦show more content†¦When examined closely, the illustration achieves this objective by clearly presenting distinctly domestic American elements and subsequently gives them critical agency through â€Å"their insertion into underlyi ng cultural and political patterns† . Without the artist’s careful attention to detail, the subject, a white, well-dressed seemingly upper class female, would have no inherent cultural and visual link to an American identity; yet when the image is injected with distinctly American elements, the cartoon is able to gain basic comprehension on a universal level. Indeed, the domestic presentation of this blatantly American subject, with its American flag dress, American eagle pendant, and American battleship bonnet, must be wholly highlighted and ingrained into the viewer’s perception in order to establish the thematic parameters around which the artist will seek to convey the image’s deeper social commentary. Consider then that while the physical subject of the piece has been identified as American, that is only the preliminary step in uncovering the image’s intended meaning; the actual ideological subject of the image lies not in any physical object but rather in the discussion that is created by the framing of those objects within â€Å"the entire system of significance that encompasses them.† The female subject merelyShow MoreRelatedEssay On Wilderness And The Frontier1421 Words   |  6 Pagesthe frontier and wilderness an uninhabited land of opportunity; second, new historians challenged Turner and claimed wilderness and the frontier were merely constructs of society; lastly, concepts of the frontier and wilderness expanded past the American West—into space and the future. Each of these perspectives shaped the general narrative of the West. First, Turner’s frontier thesis influenced perceptions of wilderness and the frontier. 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Health Care System and Illegal Immigrants Free Essays

Saul Diaz was a penniless, unemployed and uninsured undocumented alien living in Georgia. He got into a severe car accident. While he was in hospital, he racked up $1 million in medical expenses. We will write a custom essay sample on Health Care System and Illegal Immigrants or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before being sent back to Mexico, he died. The uncompensated bill was left over for the hospital. An illegal immigrant pregnant lady delivered her baby in U. S. She received Medicaid on her baby and prenatal care. Under the Medicaid, she got paid for her child delivery cost, her Spanish interpreter and diapers for her baby (Guzzardi, 2). What is the common thread in these two stories? They are both about illegal immigrants who received medical care without paying for it. Here comes another argument: Should we provide health care service to illegal aliens who have not contributed to our country? Would that be unfair to our citizens because we had shared a piece of our properties with the illegal aliens? No matter whether the answer is â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, the illegal immigrants are greatly disturbing out health care system. Since World War II, poor workers from largely Agrarian, Catholic and authoritarian Spain flocked northward into industrialized and more democratic Germany and France to find jobs (Hanson, 1). Until now, people are still moving place to place for better living standard or better job opportunities. For some countries such as Mexico, people tries to get away from the impoverishment and the politic from entering U. S. borders illegally. According to â€Å"How Will the Illegal Immigrant Ends? †, Mexico’s per capita gross domestic products is only a quarter of the United States (Hanson, 2). Wages in Mexico are far lower than in America. Many Mexican came to U. S. to achieve better living standard even by illegal method. There are approximately 14 to 22 millions of illegal immigrants in U. S. urrently, according to the data given by the Department of Homeland Security (Health Care Solution in the Real World). They are uninsured, most likely under the impoverished line. They are eligible for Medicaid by the law. As we can see from the cases in the beginning, the hospital will provide emergency care for patients, regardless of whether they are undocumented or not. Th ey failed to pay the bill and put a huge burden on the hospital. According to the article, â€Å"Why the Health Care Is So Costly? †, U. S. hospitals in border states spend at least $1 billion a year in providing health care to illegal aliens. In 2005, eighty hospitals in Florida ended in closure due to unbearable costs and expenses (Schlafly, 3). This would be a big problem for the Florida citizens because the close out of hospitals makes them less accessible to health care service. Moreover, since the undocumented aliens are uninsured, they cannot afford to pay the expensive medical bills. Base on their identity, they cannot access regular health care service because they cannot provide a proof of their citizenship. As a result they can only use the emergency room service whenever they need medical care. This leads to the abuse of emergency room service. According to the article, â€Å"Why the Health Care Is So Costly? † hospitals in border states provide at least $200 million a year in uncompensated emergency cares to illegal aliens in 2005 (Schlafly, 2). Nevertheless, what we really concern is a person had died because he or she could not access to medical care immediately because of the abuse of ER service by those do not really need it. Furthermore, the illegal aliens affect our health cares system by carrying in diseases into our country. According to the medical literature reports that many illegal immigrants carry fatal diseases or infections. They might carry diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, polio, leprosy, plague, dengue fever and chagas diseases (Glueck and Cihak, 1). The reason behind is they may not get high quality medical cares in their own country, so they came here to achieve a more quality health care service. Another reason is they are from some poor countries that lack of health care with poor sanitary situation. They are more likely carrying sicknesses. If they don’t get treat properly, the disease will spread out and threaten other people’s health. While the illegal immigrants are affecting our health care system, how come we do not stop them from receiving cares? This is not an easy question to answer. We have to think about it in both moral and political ways. According to James Dwyer in his article, â€Å"Illegal Immigrants, Health Care, and Social Responsibility†, â€Å"Nationalists† argue that illegal immigrants have no claim to health benefits because people who have no right to be in the country should not have the right to share benefits in that country. Humanists† say access to health care is a basic human right and should be provided to everyone, no matter if they are illegal or legal here. Neither of the above ideas is correct enough. He suggests that there is no direct relation between violating the law and the right to share the health care. For instance, a lot of citizens violate the law in many ways. They did not get caught and still receive the medical benefits. The illegal immigrants violate the law only because they entered the U. S. in an unlawful way. They should also receive health care just the same as other citizens do. Even when people argue that illegal immigrant did not contribute to paying taxes; they do pay sales tax, gas tax, and value-added tax (Dwyer, 1). In the worse case, if we insist to deny cares to illegal aliens, they will fail to seek care because of deportation, yet leads to more severe diseases and might harm the public in long term. But, if we say that we should give out benefits to everyone based on human needs and rights, we would have to owe people too many things that we don’t have enough resources to produce. Since the issue is so complex, it has been argued for many years. The government proposed so many policies and laws to reduce the number of illegal immigrants. However, there are still approximately 300,000 to 500. 000 undocumented immigrants that enter the U. S. each year (Glueck and Cihak, 5). I would suggest some solutions here. For long term solution, we should modify the immigration process and law. First, we should restrict our border. In â€Å"Policy Analysis†, the author says that the Border Patrol has made significant gains in stopping illegal entries over the last 2 years, especially in El Paso, and San Diego (Miller and Moore, 2). Many illegal immigrants are first here legally by visa and become illegal when they stay after the visa expires. If the visa policy is more restricted, for example, more documents needed or fewer visa issues, fewer people can enter easily. Also, if we put more fences or build a wall at the border, less people can enter by climbing over. Second, we should shorten the immigration process and time. The most effective method of reducing illegal aliens is to make them become legal. A lot of undocumented aliens here are willing to go through a lawful way, but they do not have the time or money to do so. Yet, they are more risk-taking and willing to work hard, which would be a labor capital to U. S. Therefore, making them legal here will benefit the country because they can contribute more to the country. The third way is sending some support to where the most illegal immigrants are from. Based on my surveys on some illegal aliens here, they would rather stay in their own country if there were a better economy and more job opportunities. For short term solution, I suggest we should provide affordable medical care. We should provide cheaper drugs and prescription to the illegal immigrants. According to the article, â€Å"Here’s a Health Care Solution Everybody Can Love† by Jack Lohman, we can also introduce a program which requires the graduates of U. S. medical school who are citizens of foreign countries to spend community service on helping the illegal aliens from their country (Lohman, 4). This program can join with the cheaper prescriptions policy, which can lower the price of medical care and meanwhile, lower the medical expenses from the government as well. We all understand that we are trying to help the illegal immigrants, not putting them in any harsh situation or deporting them. Yet, we need to keep the country runs in order and people are under control. Since the illegal immigrants are disturbing our country in many ways, not only in health system, but also in job opportunities, crime rates and other social problems, we need to solve the issue as soon as possible. And, I am sure this is the only way to keep America a nice and fair place to live. How to cite Health Care System and Illegal Immigrants, Essay examples

Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities †Free Samples to Samples

Question: Discuss about the Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Answer: Introduction The financial crisis that occurred in the period of 2007-2008 was attributed mainly to occur due to mark-to-market accounting that caused the melt down of the U.S. financial system. The accounting professionals has emphasized on the weakness existing in the current accounting standards that results in the occurrence of global financial crisis during the year 2008 (ACCA, 2011). In this context, the present essay emphasizes on the controversy and complexity surrounding the accounting for financial instruments at the time of 2008 financial crisis. The global financial crisis has caused the debate among the accounting professionals regarding the reasons responsible for its occurrence. It has been argued by the financial analysts that current deficiencies in the accounting standards and their application have contributed to the collapse of the financial system. The main weaknesses as pointed out by the financial analysts in the accounting standards are use of fair value mark-to-market accounting approach in illiquid markets, the delayed loss recognition arising from financial instruments such as loans and the complexities in the structuring of the balance sheet (Zadeh, Barth and Landsman, 2013). The major point of criticism in the current financial reporting standards was use of fair value accounting that as per the views of many financial experts contributed to financial breakdown. The use of fair value accounting has caused the pro-cyclical of financial instruments by recognizing excessive losses that resulted in large sale of assets and debt repayments (Pozen, 2009). The pro-cyclicality of the accounting leverage refers to the decrease in the debt amount during economic downturn and increase during upturn. Thus, it has been argued that fair value accounting model has lead to the reporting of excessive profit and losses leading to the development of a vicious cycle. The decline in asset price has caused their write-downs leading to their forced sales for meeting the capital requirements and thus increasing the price of assets. On the other hand, some financial experts have a different view in relation to the use of fair value accounting. The fair value accounting approach provides early signs of inflated asset values and thus it can help in overcoming the occurrence of a corporate scandal. Thus, there are differing views in relation to the contribution of fair value accounting practices to the global financial crisis (Zadeh, Barth and Landsman, 2013). The accounting standards are not responsible for the wring accounting of financial instruments during the crisis as pointed out by various financial experts. It can be realized from the fact that banks adopt the use of historic cost approach for asset valuation. However, the value of these assets was also overstated despite of the fact that these assets are not marked to market and are not subjected to liquidity in market. Also, the provision for recognition for losses was too complex during the crisis that has caused the delay in identifying the losses on loan portfolios. Also, the complexity involved in implementing the off-balance sheet standards has also caused the understatement of losses in the financial system during the crisis. Thus, it can be said that accounting standards are not responsible for introducing pro-cyclicality in the financial system (Jarolim and Oppinger, 2012). On the basis of above discussion, it can be said that only improving the current accounting standards cannot restrict the occurrence of financial crisis as there are other economic and governance issues that are responsible for financial collapse. The development of accounting standards for improving the transparency and reliability of financial information is essential for minimizing the chances of financial crisis occurrence in future context. In this context, it is also essential that adequate risk management and corporate governance systems need to be developed for safeguarding against the financial crisis. The major factors responsible for the economic downturn during the global financial crisis were asymmetry in accounting for stating gains and losses, use of fair value accounting and pro-cyclicality. However, there has still no relation determined between the fair value accounting and pro-cyclical accounting leverage. Thus, there is no single factor but a combination of variou s factors that led to the collapse of global financial system in the year 2008 (ACCA, 2011). The accounting of financial instruments is a topic of debate among the accounting professionals ever since the global financial crisis. There is also debate around the rules-based or principles-based accounting standards to be implemented for the development of financial reports. The IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are largely emphasizing on reviewing and resolving the accounting issues that have developed from the crisis. This involves developing new and revised accounting standards in order to replace the complex accounting standards that exist for stating the gains and losses. This is essential for safeguarding the interest of the users of financial statements so that they can develop a better understanding of accounting for financial instruments for their decision-making. The main objective of the IASB and FASB in the development of new accounting standards is to improve the relevance and decision-usefulness of the f inancial information and reduce the complexity that exists for reporting the financial instruments. In this context, the IASB is currently placing focus on replacing IAS 39 with the IFRS 9 that highlights the measurement of financial assets through the adoption of two measurement categories. The major financial instruments recorded during the financial reporting are assets, debt instruments, derivatives and equity. All the financial instruments will be initially recognized at fair value and then at amortized cost after the initial recognition. This will help in improving the accounting practices adopted by businesses for managing the financial assets. The accounting for financial instruments is an area of conflict for both IASB and FASB board and both want to achieve same policies reading their recognition and measurement. The reconciliation of the accounting standards is possible through modifying and replacing the IFRS 9 standards (Huian, 2012). The development of new accounting standard aims at reducing the complexity that involves in measurement of financial instruments. It also aims at aligning the management strategies developing for monitoring and controlling the financial assets. The IFRS 9 standard also aims at issues arising from financial crisis such as credit gains and fair value accounting. The simplifies accounting rules as per the IFRS 9 standard also helps in preventing the manipulation of financial data that can cause the occurrence of corporate scandals at later stage. Also, it is highlighted from the global financial crisis of 2008 that business entities need to implement and adopt proper risk management system for overcoming the instability in the market. The financial institutions faced challenging competitive market conditions at the time of financial crisis due to market fluctuations and regulatory environment (Kirkpatrick, 2009). Also, the corporate governance system of business entities needs to be rig id so that management follows standard policies and procures for valuing its assets and liabilities. Therefore, the development of new approaches regarding the valuation of assets and liabilities need to be developed for preventing the financial crisis occurrence (ACCA, 2011). Conclusion It can be summarized from the overall discussion held in the essay that accounting of financial instruments is a major topic of debate in the accounting field. The overstatement of assets and liabilities during the financial crisis of 2008 has lead to the collapse of large financial institutions. However, the accounting professions need to develop new approaches for valuing the financial instruments and should not only emphasize on improving the accounting standards. References ACCA. 2011. The future of financial reporting 2011: global crisis and accounting at a crossroad. Retrieved 28 August, 2017 from https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/acca/global/PDF-technical/financial-reporting/tech-tp-farsig11.pdf Huian, M.C. 2012. Accounting For Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities According To IFRS 9. Economic Sciences 59 (1), pp.27-47. Jarolim, N. and Oppinger, C. 2012. Fair value accounting in times of financial Crisis. ACRN Journal of Finance and Risk Perspectives 1(1), pp. 67-90. Kirkpatrick, G. 2009. The Corporate Governance Lessons from the Financial Crisis. Financial Market Trends 1, pp. 1-30. Pozen, R. 2009. It Fair to Blame Fair Value Accounting for the Financial Crisis? Retrieved 28 August, 2017 from https://hbr.org/2009/11/is-it-fair-to-blame-fair-value-accounting-for-the-financial-crisis Zadeh, A., Barth, M. and Landsman, W. 2013. Does Fair Value Accounting Contribute to Procyclical Leverage? Retrieved 28 August, 2017 from https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2013/11/13/does-fair-value-accounting-contribute-to-procyclical-leverage/

The Yellow Wallpaper Essays - Mental Illness In Fiction,

The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper If there is one story that we have read so far that has had a tremendous impact on me, The Yellow Wallpaper is definitely it. I read the story in high school, however I really didnt remember too much about it. I saw the story as one womans journey into madness however; I also saw it as more than madness. It made me very upset when not only her husband but also her brother, both physicians, shrugged her sickness for lack of a better word off as nothing because it was something they could not understand. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that they are indeed men. I also think that part of her madness is due to the fact that she is kept in a room in which she detests the yellow wallpaper. In a way, I guess I see it as an almost claustrophobia. I used to suffer from claustrophobia and the one thing I noticed to be similar is that it is terribly easy to pick one part of the room and obsess about it. The yellow wallpaper was a symbol of her entrapment. However it is not only he physical entrapment but also a mental entrapment, she has an unbelieving husband (according to her) and she recently gave birth and she must be feeling some of the emotional strings connected to such an event. She must be feeling extremely overwhelmed and used. She feels as though her husband is not trul y there for her, he constantly belittles her by calling her little girl and the like and he does not pay any attention to her ailments. He keeps telling her that shell be fine as long as she eats right, and gets plenty of rest and exercise, however he lacks the ability to understand that her problem are not physical. The end of the story confused me totally. I really didnt understand where she was going with the woman creeping around in the room. I totally didnt understand what was going on when she became the woman that was creeping. Was that her final decent into her madness or was it related to something else?

Definition of Heterogeneous Mixture With Examples

Definition of Heterogeneous Mixture With Examples A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture having a non-uniform composition. The composition varies from one region to another, with at least two phases that remain separate from each other, with clearly identifiable properties. If you examine a sample of a heterogeneous mixture, you can see the separate components. In physical chemistry and materials science, the definition of a heterogeneous mixture is somewhat different. Here, a homogeneous mixture is one in which all components are in a single phase, while a heterogeneous mixture contains components in different phases. Examples of Heterogeneous Mixtures Concrete is a heterogeneous mixture of an aggregate, cement,  and water.Sugar and sand form a heterogeneous mixture. If you look closely, you can identify tiny sugar crystals and particles of sand.Ice cubes in cola form a heterogeneous mixture. The ice and the soda are two distinct phases of matter (solid and liquid).  Salt and pepper form a heterogeneous mixture.Chocolate chip cookies are a heterogeneous mixture. If you take a bite from a cookie, you may not get the same number of chips as you get in another bite.Soda is considered a heterogeneous mixture. It contains water, sugar, and carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles. While the sugar, water, and flavorings may form a chemical solution, the carbon dioxide bubbles are not uniformly distributed throughout the liquid. Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Mixtures In a homogeneous mixture, the components are present in the same proportion, no matter where you take a sample. In contrast, samples taken from different parts of a heterogeneous mixture may contain different proportions of components. For example, if you take a handful of candy from a bag of green MMs, every candy you pick will be green. If you take another handful, once again all the candies will be green. That bag contains a homogeneous mixture. If you take a handful of candy from a regular bag of MMs, the proportion of colors you take might be different from what you get if you take a second handful. This is a heterogeneous mixture. However, most of the time, whether a mixture is heterogeneous or homogeneous depends on the scale of the sample. Using the candy example, while you may get a different sample of candy colors comparing handfuls from a single bag, the mixture may be homogeneous if you compare all the colors of candies from one bag to all the candies from another bag. If you compare the ratio of colors from 50 bags of candy to another 50 bags of candy, chances are good there will be no statistical difference between the ratio of colors. In chemistry, it is the same. On the macroscopic scale, a mixture may appear homogeneous, yet become heterogeneous as you compare the composition of smaller and smaller samples. Homogenization A heterogeneous mixture can be made into a homogeneous mixture via a process called homogenization. An example of homogenization is homogenized milk, which has been processed so that the milk components are stable and dont separate. In contrast, natural milk, while it might appear homogeneous when shaken, isnt stable and readily separates into different layers.

Brothels and Convents in Renaissance and Measure for Measure Essay Example for Free

Brothels and Convents in Renaissance and Measure for Measure Essay In this investigation I will focus mostly on the regulation of both convents and brothels in the time period of Shakespeare and the early Renaissance. Ruth Mazo Karras’ â€Å"The Regulation of Brothels in Later Medieval England,† focuses exactly on this topic throughout England and other European countries during the Renaissance. In regards to the convents I will be looking closely at an article entitled â€Å"Subjects on the World’s Stage: Essays on British Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance,† written by David G. The regulations of brothels in the Renaissance were regarded heavily. Karras says that women within these brothels were basically regarded as evil and as sinners yet they remained occupying the position of prostitution solely because of the sexual appetite of men; these brothels were considered â€Å"†¦a necessary evil† (Karras). The first parallel between women of convents and stews I came to find was that of the aspect of being forbidden from society in a sense. Women of convents were completely shut off from the public, no insiders could leave and no outsiders could come in (Allen). The only difference in the secrecy of these two places was the fact that the brothels were attended by men. Karras also states that the women of brothels were not given any rights that regular women had, â€Å"In some places, she was not allowed to reject any customer, indeed could not be raped because she was considered to belong to all men and thus had no right to withhold consent† (Karras). These two aspects of women’s lives in this time period play a major part in the drama Measure for Measure, and especially set up the scene in the opening act of the play. When Claudio sends for his sister, Isabel, to help him get out of jail, in which he was sentenced to death for having premarital (by the eyes of the church) sex with Juliet, Isabel leaves the convent in which she was about to take her vows in order to save her brother. Thus, we have an almost-nun and sinful intercourse immediately in Act 1, both directly related to the idea of convents and brothels and the women within these places. In this case, however, Juliet is not a prostitute but in the eyes of Angelo and the law is regarded as one because of her and Claudio’s unofficial and insufficient marriage. Brothels and Convents in Renaissance and Measure for Measure. (2016, Oct 13). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Culture shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture shock - Essay Example Group study replaced solo study with parents and teachers. I do not come from a wealthy class therefore I had to support myself in college for tuition funds and my pocket money. I come from a middle-class family. My parents and family members expect a lot from me. For this reason, they gave special attention to my studies while I was in school. This soft authority and system made me comfortable and dependent on it. Unfortunately, this is not nurturing or helpful in the long term. Eventually, a child has to open his wings and fly to leave the nest. Freedom, independence and choice were alien to me regarding life-changing decisions. I always had my parents and family there to guide me about difficult decisions. But college life is where parents expect their children to prove that they are capable of taking care of themselves. It was a whole different challenge to me. I believe that my family life was an educational ground for me to be ready for college life. My family background supported, nurtured and raised me in a secure and relaxed environment. The college life challenges people that they need to come out of their comfort zones. College life is where students do not care about laundry; bunking classes is the norm and having no money for anything is the story of almost every student. While at home, one is expected to live ‘normal. Obeying parents is the law. It is not just me, my fellows also feel this cultural shock. Some fall victims to this stark change while some adapt and refine themselves. I do not believe that one should consider college life as the ultimate test where penalty is either life or death. This way of thinking can turn average students into ‘useless’ bookworms. I have used the term useless because if someone learns nothing after spending hours reading something, he/she could have spent that time in more ‘useful’ ways. The illusion of acting well is worse than behaving bad. The

Theory paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theory - Term Paper Example Activists in international associations seek to influence outcomes of policy as well as change the terms and the character of debate. The various attributes of networks constitute core network conception represented in Keck and Sikkink theory of transnational activism. One of the key values to the theory is values, which motivate network actors to work together because of shared values or principle idea embedded in international human rights laws. Keck and Sikkink works revolve around ideas or values to diffuse progressive ideas in order to aid institutionalize value in political process and bring government practice to comply with established norms. Network is made of various types of actors like international and domestic non-governmental organizations, private foundations, local movements, media, churches, intellectuals and parts of governmental apparatus and politicians. Hence, international and domestic NGOs play a significant role since they are characterized by coordination an d cooperation between actors in the network and exchange information, services, resources and personnel (Tang 229-230). Transnational human rights associations are capable of doing a lot in guaranteeing the protection of human rights. For instance, transnational human rights network participate in drafting international human rights laws, advocate and diffuse norms inherent in laws and promote socialization of norms in domestic politics. Moreover, transnational networks place human rights problems of a nation on the international agenda, legitimize and empower the claims of repressed groups in a country and mobilizes international pressure against nations that violate the norms. Since most members in transnational activism networks have no economic or military power, one may wonder how transnational activism accomplishes their task in a world filled with power struggles. First, actors in transnational activism derive moral authority from the legitimacy inherent in international norm s of human rights. Since ideas and norms have constructive power to define state identities and interests transnational activists use their persuasive power to enforce policy changes. Transnational activists are â€Å"teachers of norms† as well as authors of norms thus they persuade policy makers to change their minds regarding what is right and alter public perception of what governments do. Hence, transnational activism makes difference by standing on the right side and defining what is right (Tang 231-232). Nevertheless, moral power of transnational activists never guarantees moral success in actual political processes; hence, members of the network of international activists employ sets of strategies to gain from strengths of norms in order to change certain human rights practices. Strategies for transnational activists on human rights fall in two categories soft politics and hard politics, with soft politics refereeing to strategies that depend on information and moral p ersuasion. Contract between domestic and international organizations, transnational activists uncover facts human rights violations within a country and circulate information regarding state repression unknown to the outside world. These transnational activists of human rights then embark on campaigns that aim at shaming the international community by exposing inconsistency of state behavior and values it claims to aspire. Transnational activists employ hard politics with essential strategy in this area being leverage politics where network members

Hybrid and electric cars Essay Example for Free

Hybrid and electric cars Essay Several types of vehicles which use alternative sources of energy have already been developed. These are mainly aimed at controlling the levels of air pollution and to provide a cheaper means of technology, especially with the increasing oil prices. With today’s current economic situation, many money saving cars have hit the road, such as hybrids from Toyota and Honda. However, our society thinks that the hybrid or electric car is a recent advancement, when in fact there were actually more electrics than gas fueled cars on the road in the 1800s. The aim of this research paper is to find out why the society is oblivious to this fact. The history of the electric car The history of the electric vehicle started from the first successful attempt to store electrical energy made by Alessandro Volta in Italy in 1800. The next event of major significance was in 1921, when Michael Faraday demonstrated that wire rod carrying electric current supplied by a Volta pile would rotate around a fixed magnet of one end and was unconstrained by allowing it to hang in a bath of mercury. He also showed that the magnet would rotate around the wire if the fixed and moving elements were reversed. Furthermore, the direction of rotation was reversed if the polarity of the electric current was reversed. This was the principle of the electric motor. In 1832, an electric motor was operated by having a bar magnet mounted on a shaft rotating inside stationary coils of wire in which the electric current was successfully switched by contacts on the shaft. The first electric motor was first constructed in 1968, but it was not until 1973 that the first road vehicles were driven. Interest had also developed in competitions between internal combustion-engine vehicles to show which was superior in speed and reliability. Leitman etal, pg 62-67) While all these developments in electric vehicles were going on, the gasoline fueled internal combustion engine vehicles were also being rapidly developed, so that by 1900, the market for automobiles was almost equally divided between the three contenders of steam, electricity and gasoline. Enthusiasm of the electric vehicle was strong at this time; primarily because of its ease of starting without tiresome need to hand crank the engine. The12 years from 1900 to 1912 was the golden age for electric vehicles, although gasoline-powered vehicles were developing rapidly over this period. In 1903, there were more electric vehicles in London than these powered by the internal combustion engine, but this situation did not last for long. By 1909 when the model T was launched it was already clear that the race for personal transport had been won by internal combustion engine This did not stop the number of electric vehicles in use in the USA increasing to a peak of 30,0000 in 1912. However, by this date, there were 900,000 gasoline engine vehicles on the road in that country, and comparable numbers in Europe. Slowly, the electric car manufacturers went out of business, or started manufacturing gasoline powered vehicles. Leitman etal, pg 62-67) Pollution in the modern era From the 1970s, the interest in electric cars began to appear again; air pollution caused by gasoline engines was beginning to be of concern and a number of small firms were set up to try and met the new demand of electric vehicles. The Ford Motor Company of Britain was asked to look at the possibility of designing a small electric car for urban use which was small enough to occupy minimum road and parking space, had high maneuverability, minimum pollution, was simple to operate and had low initial and running costs. Plant etal, pg 234) The 1990 mandate At the beginning of the 1990s, the electric vehicle had already been improved. They became more marketable, and people preferred them more than the other vehicles. One of the reasons that people preferred to use these vehicles was the fact that they did not use fuel. It was also cheaper and easy to recharge them. These cars were more effective in the 1990s, when the concerns for the environment were on the rise. This forced most car manufacturing industries, being led by General Motors to start manufacturing the electrical vehicles. Since the rate of emissions from gas fueled cars was increasing, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 was enacted. This Act required a reduction in the vehicle emissions (so called Tier 1 controls) by the 1994 model year. It also authorized even stricter Tier II controls on a contingency basis, which was to be imposed by 2004 by the EPA administrator, if further studies showed that they needed, technically feasible, and cost effective. The 1990 Act also put up standards to check the evaporative emissions (emissions that occur after engines are shut off. ) (Collantes etal) California, being the leading state in air pollution, was required by the 1990 law to impose stricter vehicle emissions standards. The state therefore made it a requirement that the manufacturers achieve in stages, fleet-weighted average emissions that would have been lower than the ones mandated by the federal Tier I regulations, beginning with the 1994 model year. All The car manufacturers were authorized to manufacture several zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs, effectively electric-powered cars) by 1998. They were also required to have achieved a total market share of at least 10% by the year 2003. The Clean Air Amendments Act of 1990 also stated that other States should opt to voluntarily set the Environmental Conservation standards that had been set by California. Some of the North Eastern States, including New York and Massachusetts imposed similar rules in their states. The Ozone Transport Commission, through another provision of the 1990 Act, was also persuaded by some of its members to ask the EPA to pass the auto technology measures on the whole region. The imposition of the laws was required because some of the states had no intention of passing the Californian standards voluntarily. If EPA had passed these auto technology measures on all the states, then the electric cars would have taken over 40% of the entire U. S auto market. (Collantes, etal) However, this petition was debated on a lot. It was said that the technology then was not ready to meet such high targets. Another reason the proposal was rejected was due to the fact that the battery technology could only give a little range to the vehicles, besides this, the infrastructure to meet them was inadequate. The industry instead proposed an alternative to the Californian standards, which was to market a national low-emitting vehicle (NLEV) in 49 states. This alternative was tougher than what the law had required the automakers to do, and could meet only the first two levels of the Californian standards. It is clear that the industry was definitely opposed to the idea of an electric vehicle, because it passed the alternative laws, which required all states to ignore the zero emissions Act. For several years, the EPA was unable to make an agreement with between the thirteen jurisdictions and the industry. Also, California was successful in delaying the implementation if the zero electric vehicle mandate until model year 2003. Of all the states, only Massachusetts, Mine, Mew York and Vermont adopted the Californian requirements and refused to accept the NLEV as a substitute to the law, and the industry would not produce it either, unless they did. In the beginning of 1998, there was stiff competition among the â€Å"Big Three† U. S. and three major Japanese companies manufacturing cars. This therefore pushed them to pledge voluntarily to market the NLEV vehicles in the forty-five states which had not mandated Californian cars. This shows that the auto industry was among the reasons why the electric car was not so successful in the market. Collantes, etal) Were it not for the fact that the U. S. levels of air pollution are increasing every day, the industry would not have realized the need to manufacture the electric vehicles. Although the gasoline-electric cars were also a way to reduce the air pollution, the electric cars would have been more effective. This also shows the extent to which people and the auto industries disliked the electric car. Benefits of the electric cars Although the electric cars are a bit inferior compared to the petrol engine or diesel engine vehicles, they have several attributes. They are quiet, and therefore provide an appealing driving feel to the user. The major benefits are however on air pollution, the cars reduce the energy use and the green house emissions; they are zero emitting. The pollution benefits are also large, considering the amount of pollution generated at the power plant. The electric vehicle batteries have the capability to practically eliminate the carbon monoxide emissions and volatile the unburned hydrocarbons and hence diminish the nitrogen oxide emissions regardless of how electricity is generated. (Nakamura etal, pg 223-228) The pollution benefits would be greatest in places like California where most of the electricity comes from tightly controlled natural gas plants and zero-emitting hydroelectric and nuclear plants. They could also be of help to a country like France, which gets most of its electricity from nuclear power. Highly populated cities like Mexico City, Beijing, Bangkok, and Kathmandu, which also source their electricity from nucleus power, could also take advantage of the electric vehicles. Another advantage is that with an electric vehicle, all you have to do is to recharge the battery at home. You don’t have to worry of the increasing fuel prices or that you have to pass through the gas station on your way to work. In the 1990s, people used to worry that their batteries will run out of charge and cause them inconveniences. However, this has changed, as there are new and better batteries nowadays, with the ability to store charge for longer periods. The battery powered vehicles should be effective today, especially with global warming on the increase. With all these benefits, the electric vehicle needs to be marketed and manufactured in large scale. The government and the manufacturers need to promote the car, as much as they do to the fuel powered vehicles. A former employee of general motors in the 1990s said that one of the reasons why the electric vehicles did not sell well is because enough advertising was not done. The government has greatly contributed to the low popularity of the electric vehicles. Realizing that cars manufactured in foreign countries could attract more demand than those produced in the U. S. , it opted to support the manufacture of the fuel powered cars, which were more preferred by the public, to the electric powered vehicles. It was also ineffective because it failed to enact the 1990 Clean Air Enforcement Act. Fuel manufacturing companies, on the other hand, fearing that they would lose the market for fuel, sided with the government in the support for the manufacture of the fuel powered vehicles. The lack of vigorous campaigns to market the electric vehicles is one of the reasons why they are so unpopular today. The fact that the electric cars were once crushed to pieces shows the extent to which their popularity was. Americans have also been ignorant to the idea of promoting the electric car. They have preferred the hybrid cars to the electric cars, ignoring the fact that they have more benefits. (Paine) Conclusion For the past few years, General Motors has been trying to revive the popularity of the electric vehicles. One of the reasons that brought the realization that there was a need to bring back the electric car was the attack of the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and the plane that clashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. All these instances showed that complete reliance on imported oil is a big threat to the financial and the national security. Also, the onset of the global economic crisis, which resulted to an increase in the oil prices, made Americans realize the importance of the electric car. America faces the challenge of energy security, reduction of its reliance on imported oil and the ways in which global warming can be reduced. Electric cars could be the solution to these challenges. The ironic twist of events about national security, oil and the climate change has at last brought the understanding that to stabilize our economy; we need to use the electric cars.

The Physics of Basic Antenna Theory and Design :: physics

Long ago there lived a race of cat people who had much the same problems with antennas that we humans have today: bad reception during the last few seconds of a game, continual snow during their favorite part of their favorite movie, and a severe lack of the "magic position" that one is required to hold when covered in tin foil and grasping the antenna. Unfortunately for them, they did not have this web page to reference and therefore they died. This left an opening for humans. Initially, humans could only communicate verbally over short distances, yelling distance that is, stirring in them a desire for long distance communication (very different from a long distance relationship, do not get the two confused, otherwise this site will make absolutely no sense). Okay, so I made that part about the cats up, but seriously, if anyone knows how to get good reception with a younger brother covered in tin foil, let me know......not that I have done it, mind you, I am just wondering. Now, on with the show. The first antenna experiments were conducted by Joseph Henry in 1842 at Princeton University. Henry was successful at "throwing a spark," when he observed that magnetic needles were magnetized by a current induced in a circuit several floors up. In 1885, Thomas Edison patented a communication system the used a type of vertical antenna. Then came James Clerk Maxwell, who in 1864, presented his theory on electromagnetism to the Royal Society, providing the theoretical foundation for antennas. With this discovery, many other scientists began to explore this new frontier and the age of the radio began. Just so you do not end up like this guy, I am going to explain a few terms so the technical discussion is a little easier to follow. (Note: do not actually try to open a window in such a manner, you will most likely throw your shoulder out because mice have relatively low mass and it takes a heck of an arm to get them up to window cracking speed, aka "ludicrous speed" for you Space Balls fans). The terminology is as follows: Technical Stuff Here is the information that goes a little deeper into the theory of how an antenna works. Although this is not a very intellectually intense site, I will warn those viewers on a lunch break or perhaps surfing the net while "between projects," that there are some concepts on this page that use what some people call "math," and other supposedly important "scientific information. The Physics of Basic Antenna Theory and Design :: physics Long ago there lived a race of cat people who had much the same problems with antennas that we humans have today: bad reception during the last few seconds of a game, continual snow during their favorite part of their favorite movie, and a severe lack of the "magic position" that one is required to hold when covered in tin foil and grasping the antenna. Unfortunately for them, they did not have this web page to reference and therefore they died. This left an opening for humans. Initially, humans could only communicate verbally over short distances, yelling distance that is, stirring in them a desire for long distance communication (very different from a long distance relationship, do not get the two confused, otherwise this site will make absolutely no sense). Okay, so I made that part about the cats up, but seriously, if anyone knows how to get good reception with a younger brother covered in tin foil, let me know......not that I have done it, mind you, I am just wondering. Now, on with the show. The first antenna experiments were conducted by Joseph Henry in 1842 at Princeton University. Henry was successful at "throwing a spark," when he observed that magnetic needles were magnetized by a current induced in a circuit several floors up. In 1885, Thomas Edison patented a communication system the used a type of vertical antenna. Then came James Clerk Maxwell, who in 1864, presented his theory on electromagnetism to the Royal Society, providing the theoretical foundation for antennas. With this discovery, many other scientists began to explore this new frontier and the age of the radio began. Just so you do not end up like this guy, I am going to explain a few terms so the technical discussion is a little easier to follow. (Note: do not actually try to open a window in such a manner, you will most likely throw your shoulder out because mice have relatively low mass and it takes a heck of an arm to get them up to window cracking speed, aka "ludicrous speed" for you Space Balls fans). The terminology is as follows: Technical Stuff Here is the information that goes a little deeper into the theory of how an antenna works. Although this is not a very intellectually intense site, I will warn those viewers on a lunch break or perhaps surfing the net while "between projects," that there are some concepts on this page that use what some people call "math," and other supposedly important "scientific information.

Carrie Chapter One

News item from the Westover (Me.) weekly Enterprise, August 19, 1966: RAIN OF STONES REPORTED It was reliably reported by several persons that a rain of stones fell from a clear blue sky on Carlin Street in the town of Chamberlain on August 17th. The stones fell principally on the home of Mrs Margaret White, damaging the roof extensively and ruining two gutters and a downspout valued at approximately $25. Mrs White, a widow, lives with her three-year-old daughter, Carietta. Mrs White could not be reached for comment. Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow. On the surface, all the girls in the shower room were shocked, thrilled, ashamed, or simply glad that the White bitch had taken it in the mouth again. Some of them might also have claimed surprise, but of course their claim was untrue. Carrie had been going to school with some of them since the first grade, and this had been building since that time, building slowly and immutably, in accordance with all the laws that govern human nature, building with all the steadiness of a chain reaction approaching critical mass. What none of them knew, of course, was that Carrie White was telekinetic. Graffiti scratched on a desk of the Barker Street Grammar school in Chamberlain: Carrie White eats shit. The locker room was filled with shouts, echoes, and the subterranean sound of showers splashing on tile. The girls had been playing volleyball in Period One, and their morning sweat was light and eager. Girls stretched and writhed under the hot water, squalling, flicking water, squirting white bars of soap from hand to hand. Carrie stood among them stolidly a frog among swans. She was a chunky girl with pimples on her neck and back and buttocks, her wet hair completely without colour. It rested against her face with dispirited sogginess and she simply stood, head slightly bent, letting the water splat against her flesh and roll off. She looked the part of the sacrificial goat, the constant butt, believer in left-handed monkey wrenches, perpetual foul-up, and she was. She wished forlornly and constantly that Ewen High had individual-and thus private-showers, like the high schools at Andover or Boxford. They stared. They always stared. Showers turning off one by one, girls stepping out, removing pastel bathing caps, towelling, spraying deodorant, checking the clock over the door. Bras were hooked, underpants stepped into. Steam hung in the air; the place might have been an Egyptian bathhouse except for the constant rumble of the Jacuzzi whirlpool bath in the corner. Calls and catcalls rebounded with all the snap and flicker of billiard balls after a hard break. ‘-so Tommy said he hated it on me and I-‘ ‘-I'm going with my sister and her husband. He picks his nose but so does she, so they're very-‘ ‘-shower after school and-‘ ‘-too cheap to spend a goddam penny so Cindi and I-‘ Miss Desjardin, their slim, nonbreasted gym teacher, stepped in, craned her-neck around briefly, and slapped her hands together once, smartly. ‘What are you waiting for, Carrie? Doom? Bell in five minutes.' Her shorts were blinding white, her legs not too curved but striking in their unobtrusive muscularity. A silver whistle, won in college archery competition, hung around her neck. The girls giggled and Carrie looked up, her eyes slow and dazed from the heat and the steady, pounding roar of the water. ‘Ohuh?' It was a strangely froggy sound, grotesquely apt, and the girls giggled again. Sue Snell had whipped a towel from her hair with the speed of a magician embarking on a wondrous feat and began to comb rapidly. Miss Desjardin made an irritated cranking gesture at Carrie and stepped out. Carrie turned off the shower. It died in a drip and a gurgle. It wasn't until she stepped out that they all saw the blood running down her leg. From The Shadow Exploded. Documented Facts and Specific Conclusions Derived from the Case of Carietta White, by David R. Congress (Tulane University Press: 1981), p. 34: It can hardly be disputed that failure to note specific instances of telekinesis during the White girl's earlier years must be attributed to the conclusions offered by White and Steams in their paper Telekinesis: A Wild Talent Revisited-that the ability to move objects by effort of the will alone comes to the fore only in moments of extreme personal stress. The talent is well hidden indeed; how else could it have remained submerged for centuries with only the tip of the iceberg showing above a sea of quackery? We have only skimpy hearsay evidence upon which to lay our foundation in this case, but even this is enough to indicate that a ‘TK' potential of immense magnitude existed within Carrie White. The great tragedy is that we are now all Monday-morning quarterbacks †¦ ‘Per-iod!' The catcall came first from Chris Hargensen. It struck the tiled walls, rebounded, and struck again. Sue Snell gasped laughter from her nose and felt an odd, vexing mixture of hate, revulsion, exasperation, and pity. She just looked so dumb, standing there, not knowing what was going on. God, you'd think she never ‘PER-iod!' It was becoming a chant, an incantation. Someone in the back-ground (perhaps Hargensen again, Sue couldn't tell in the jungle of echoes) was yelling ‘Plug it up!' with hoarse, uninhibited abandon. ‘PER-iod, PER-iod, PER-iod!' Carrie stood dumbly in the centre of a forming circle, water rolling from her skin in beads. She stood like a patient ox, aware that the joke was on her (as always), dumbly embarrassed but unsurprised. Sue felt welling disgust as the first dark drops of menstrual blood struck the tile in dime-sized drops. ‘For God's sake Carrie, you got your period!' Sue cried. ‘Clean yourself up!' ‘Ohuh?' She looked around bovinely. Her hair stuck to her cheeks in a curving helmet shape. There was a cluster of acne on one shoulder. At sixteen, the elusive stamp of hurt was already marked clearly in her eyes. ‘She thinks they're for lipstick!' Ruth Grogan suddenly shouted with cryptic glee, and then burst into a shriek of laughter. Sue remembered the comment later and fitted it Into a general picture, but now it was only another senseless sound in the confusion. Sixteen? She was thinking. She must know what's happening, she†¦ More droplets of blood. Carrie still blinked around at her classmates in slow bewilderment. Helen Shyres turned around and made mock throwingup gestures. ‘You're bleeding!' Sue yelled suddenly, furiously. ‘You're bleeding, you big dumb pudding!' Carrie looked down at herself. She shrieked. The sound was very loud in the humid locker room. A tampon suddenly struck her in the chest and fell with a plop at her feet. A red flower stained the absorbent cotton and spread. Then the laughter, disgusted, contemptuous, horrified, seemed to rise and bloom into something jagged and ugly, and the girls were bombarding her with tampons and sanitary napkins, some from purses, some from the broken dispenser on the wall. They flew like snow and the chant became: ‘Plug it up. Plug it up. Plug it-‘ Sue was throwing them too, throwing and chanting with the rest, not really sure what she was doing – a charm had occurred to her mind and it glowed there like neon: There's no harm in it really no harm in it really no harm-It was still flashing and glowing, reassuringly, when Carrie suddenly began to howl and back away, flailing her arms and grunting and gobbling. The girls stopped, realizing that fission and explosion had finally been reached. It was at this point, when looking back, that some of them would claim surprise. Yet there had been all these years, all these years of let's short-sheet Carrie's bed at Christian Youth Camp and I found this love letter from Carrie to Flash Bobby Pickett let's copy it and pass it around and hide her underpants somewhere and put this snake in her shoe and duck her again, duck her again: Carrie tagging along stubbornly on biking trips, known one year as pudd'n and the next year as truck-face, always smelling sweaty, not able to catch up; catching poison ivy from urinating in the bushes and everyone finding out (hey, scratch-ass, your bum itch?). Billy Preston putting peanut butter in her hair that time she fell asleep in study hall; the pinches, the legs outstretched in school aisles to trip her up, the books knocked from her desk, the obscene postcard tucked into her purse; Carrie on the church picnic an d kneeling down clumsily to pray and the seam of her old madras skirt splitting along the zipper like the sound of a huge windbreakage; Carrie always missing the ball, even in kickball, failing on her face in Modern Dancing during their sophomore year and chipping a tooth, running into the net during volleyball; wearing stockings that were always run, running, or about to run, always showing sweat stains under the arms of her blouses; even the time Chris Hargensen called up after school from the Kelly Fruit Company downtown and asked her if she knew that pig poop was spelled C-A-R-R-I-E: Suddenly all this and the critical mass was reached. The ultimate shit-on, grossout, put-down, long searched for, was found. Fission. She backed away, howling in the new silence, fat forearms crossing her face, a tampon stuck in the middle of her pubic hair. The girls watched her, their eyes shining solemnly. Carrie backed into the side of one of the four large shower compartments and slowly collapsed into a sitting position. Slow, helpless groans jerked out of her. Her eyes rolled with wet whiteness, like the eyes of a hog in the slaughtering pen. Sue said slowly, hesitantly: ‘I think this must be the first time she ever-‘ That was when the door pumped open with a flat and hurried bang and Miss Desjardin burst in to see what the matter was. From The Shadow Exploded (p. 41): Both medical and psychological writers on the subject are in agreement that Carrie White's exceptionally late and traumatic commencement of the menstrual cycle might well have provided the trigger for her latent talent. It seems incredible that, as late as 1979, Carrie knew nothing of the mature woman's monthly cycle. It is nearly as incredible to believe that the girl's mother would permit her daughter to reach the age of nearly seventeen without consulting a gynaecologist concerning the daughter's failure to menstruate. Yet the facts are incontrovertible. When Carrie White realized she was bleeding from the vaginal opening, she had no idea of what was taking place. She was innocent of the entire concept of menstruation. One of her surviving classmates, Ruth Grogan, tells of entering the girls' locker room at Ewen High School the year before the events we are concerned with and seeing Carrie using a tampon to blot her lipstick with. At that time Miss Grogan said: ‘What the hell are you up to?' Miss White replied: ‘Isn't this right?' Miss Grogan then replied: ‘Sure. Sure it is.' Ruth Grogan let a number of her girl friends in on this (she later told this interviewer she thought it was ‘sorta cute'), and if anyone tried in the future to inform Carrie of the true purpose of what she was using to make up with, she apparently dismissed the explanation as an attempt to pull her leg. This was a facet of her life that she had become exceedingly wary of†¦ When the girls were gone to their Period Two classes and the bell had been silenced (several of them had slipped quietly out the back door before Miss Desjardin could begin to take names), Miss Desjardin employed the standard tactic for hysterics: She slapped Carrie smartly across the face. She hardly would have admitted the pleasure the act gave her, and she certainly would have denied that she regarded Carrie as a fat, whiny bag of lard. A first-year teacher, she still believed that she thought all children were good. Carrie looked up at her dumbly, face still contorted and working. ‘M-M-Miss D-D-Des-D-‘ ‘Get up,' Miss Desjardin said dispassionately. ‘Get up and tend to yourself.' ‘I'm bleeding to death!' Carrie screamed, and one blind, searching hand came up and clutched Miss Desjardin's white shorts. It left a bloody handprint. ‘I †¦ you . . .' The gym teacher's face contorted into a pucker of disgust, and she suddenly hurled Came, stumbling, to her feet ‘Get over there!' Carrie stood swaying between the showers and the wall with its dime sanitary-napkin dispenser, slumped over, breasts pointing at the floor, her arms dangling limply. She looked like an ape. Her eyes were shiny and blank. ‘Now,' Miss Desjardin said with hissing, deadly emphasis, ‘you take one of those napkins out †¦ no, never mind the coin slot, it's broken anyway†¦ take one and†¦ damn it, will you do it! You act as if you never had a period before.' ‘Period?' Carrie said. Her expression of complete unbelief was too genuine, too full of dumb and hopeless horror, to be ignored or denied. A terrible and black foreknowledge grew in Rita Desjardin's mind. It was incredible, could not be. She herself had begun menstruation shortly after her eleventh birthday and had gone to the head of the stairs to yell down excitedly: ‘Hey, Mum, I'm on the rag!' ‘Carrie?' she said now. She advanced toward the girl. ‘Carrie?' Carrie flinched away. At the same instant, a rack of softball bats in the corner fell over with a large, echoing bang. They rolled every which way, making Desjardin jump. ‘Carrie, is this your first period?' But now that the thought had been admitted, she hardly had to ask. The blood was dark and flowing with terrible heaviness. Both of Carrie's legs were smeared and splattered with it, as though she had waded through a river of blood. ‘It hurts,' Carrie groaned. ‘My stomach †¦' ‘That passes,' Miss Desjardin said. Pity and self-shame met in her and mixed uneasily. ‘You have to †¦ uh, stop the flow of blood. You-‘ There was a bright flash overhead, followed by a flashgunlike pop as a lightbulb sizzled and went out. Miss Desjardin cried out with surprise, and it occurred to her (the whole damn place is falling in) that this kind of thing always seemed to happen around Carrie when she was upset, as if bad luck dogged her every step. The thought was gone almost as quickly as it had come. She took one of the sanitary napkins from the broken dispenser and unwrapped it. ‘Look,' she said, ‘Like this-‘ From The Shadow Exploded (p. 54): Carrie White's mother, Margaret White, gave birth to her daughter on September 21, 1963, under circumstances which can only be termed bizarre. In fact, an overview of the Came White case leaves the careful student with one feeling ascendant over all others: that Carrie was the only issue of a family as odd as any that has ever been brought to popular attention. As noted earlier, Ralph White died in February of 1963 when a steel girder fell out of a carrying sling on a housing-project job in Portland. Mrs White continued to live alone in their suburban Chamberlain bungalow. Due to the White's near-fanatical fundamentalist religious beliefs, Mrs White had no friends to see her through her period of bereavement. And when her labour began seven months later, she was alone. At approximately 1:30 P.M. on September 21, the neighbours on Carlin Street began to hear screams from the White bungalow. The police, however, were not summoned to the scene until after 6:00 P.M. We are left with two unappetizing alternatives to explain this time lag: Either Mrs White's neighbours on the street did not wish to become involved in a police investigation, or dislike for her had become so strong that they deliberately adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Mrs Georgia McLaughlin, the only one of the three remaining residents who were on the street at that time and who would talk to me, said that she did not call the police because she thought the screams had something to do with ‘holy rollin'.' When the police did arrive at 6:22 P.M. the screams had become irregular. Mrs White was found in her bed upstairs, and the investigating officer, Thomas G. Mearton. at first thought she had been the victim of an assault. The bed was drenched with blood, and a butcher knife lay on the floor. It was only then that he saw the baby, still partially wrapped in the placental membrane, at Mrs White's breast. She had apparently cut the umbilical cord herself with the knife. It staggers both imagination and belief to advance the hypothesis that Mrs Margaret White did not know she was pregnant, or even understand what the word entails, and recent scholars such as J. W. Bankson and George Felding have made a more reasonable case for the hypothesis that the concept, linked irrevocably in her mind with the ‘sin' of intercourse, had been blocked entirely from her mind. She may simply have refused to believe that such a thing could happen to her. We have records of at least three letters to a friend in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that seem to prove conclusively that Mrs White believed, from her fifth month on, that she had ‘a cancer of the womanly parts' and would soon join her husband in heaven †¦ When Miss Desjardin led Carrie up to the office fifteen minutes later, the halls were mercifully empty. Classes droned onwards behind closed doors. Carrie's shrieks had finally ended, but she had continued to weep with steady regularity. Desjardin had finally placed the napkin herself, cleaned the girl up with wet paper towels, and gotten her back into her plain cotton underpants. She tried twice to explain the commonplace reality of menstruation, but Carrie clapped her hands over her ears and continued to cry. Mr Morton, the assistant principal, was out of his office in a flash when they entered. Billy deLois and Henry Trennant, two boys waiting for the lecture due them for cutting French I, goggled around from their chairs. ‘Come in,' Mr Morton said briskly. ‘Come right in.' He glared over Desjardin's shoulder at the boys, who were staring at the bloody handprint on her shorts. ‘What are YOU looking at?' ‘Blood,' Henry said, and smiled with a kind of vacuous surprise. ‘Two detention periods,' Morton snapped. He glanced down at the bloody handprint and blinked. He closed the door behind them and began pawing through the top drawer of his filing cabinet for a school accident form. ‘Are you all right, uh-?' ‘Carrie,' Desjardin supplied. ‘Carrie White.' Mr Morton had finally located an accident form. There was a large coffee stain on it. ‘You won't need that, Mr Morton.' ‘I suppose it was the trampoline. We just †¦ I won't?' ‘No. But I think Carrie should be allowed to go home for the rest of the day. She's had a rather frightening experience.' Her eyes flashed a signal which he caught but could not interpret. ‘Yes, okay, if you say so. Good. Fine.' Morton crumpled the form back into the filing cabinet, slammed it shut with his thumb in the drawer, and grunted. He whirled gracefully to the door, yanked it open, glared at Billy and Henry, and called: ‘Miss Fish, could we have a dismissal slip here, please? Carrie Wright.' ‘White,' said Miss Desjardin. ‘White,' Morton agreed. Billy deLois sniggered. ‘Week's detention!' Morton barked. A blood blister was forming under his thumbnail. Hurt like hell. Carrie's steady, monotonous weeping went on and on. Miss Fish brought the yellow dismissal slip and Morton scrawled his initials on it with his silver pocket pencil, wincing at the pressure on his wounded thumb. ‘Do you need a ride, Cassie?' he asked. ‘We can call a cab if you need one.' She shook her head. He noticed with distaste that a large bubble of green mucus had formed at one nostril. Morton looked over her head and at Miss Desjardin.

Process Design

Riordan is a leading future 1000 manufacturing company that is an industrial leader in the field of plastic injection molding (Riordan, 2004). Riordan Manufacturing China plant acts as a decentralized unit of Riordan Manufacturing (Riordan, 2004). I have created a proposal package that will address the new process design that focuses on all phases of manufacturing the electric fans from determining the number of parts and components to the materials needed in production. It will include a new process design for manufacturing Riordan electric fans. The proposal will incorporate an analysis of the current production process. This analysis of the process design will provide information to remove bottlenecks. The production forecast will encompass the implementation plan of lean production, which will include a Gantt chart. Finally, a cover letter that details the coordination of aggregate operations planning and TQM processes. Material Requirement Planning (MRP) The Riordan Manufacturing China plant has applied the material requirement planning, which encompasses controls systems from the order entry through scheduling and inventory control. The MRP system is used to schedule materials, parts, and components for raw material that should be ordered or produced. The MRP provides the China plant with information about what is needed to complete a specific number of units during a specific period. The present process of the Riordan Manufacturing electric fans is located primarily at the China plant. Riordan Manufacturing purchases the polymer plastics from local distributors. The China plant uses the material requirement planning to determine the quality and timing of the assembly units. The raw materials are first received at the receiving department. These materials are drawn upon for production in the molding process to produce fan blades and housing. These finished goods are stored in a finished good stockroom. Individual buyers and contracted third parties pull inventory from the finished good stockroom. Trimming from the molding department are used to make other products. Inventory, which has been sold, and ready to be shipped are transferred to the package department. Finally, the shipping department packages the electric fans for distribution. Riordan Manufacturing needs to consider the supply and demand during the electric fan production process. Currently, Riordan is only experiences a 93% customer satisfaction in delivery of the electric fans in a timely manner. New Process Design The current bases for Riordan Manufacturing China plant operation is the quality and quantity of electric fans produced. The inventory based on forecasted production is stored in the finished good stockroom. The forecasted inventory has not been an accurate measure of the stock that Riordan should have on hand to meet the customers demand more than 93% of the time. The new process recommends that Riordan seek out additional manufacturers of electric motors in addition to its current supplier to increase the likelihood of possessing adequate inventory in stock. This new process will increase the efficiency of their scheduling and delivery. The stock on hand will be slightly increased but a reduction in polymer plastics would help offset the cost of increased inventory. The China plant can reduce the polymer plastic because the buyer can obtain it from a local buyer. Supply Chain According to Chase (2005), â€Å"Supply chain is applied to the total system approach to managing the entire flow of information, materials, and services from raw suppliers through warehouses to end users† (Chase et al. , 2005, p. 406). Riordan China plant should reconfigure their supply chain process to be more competitive and marketable. By reconfiguring how they are linked to their suppliers could provide Riordan with the competitive advantages, which have been shown to be the characteristic of successful companies. Like many other companies, Riordan can achieve significant competitive advantage by the way they configure and manage their supply chain operation (Chase et al, 2005). Riordan should consider outsourcing as a one means of improving the supply chain. Outsourcing is an approach to push the responsibility and decision making to other companies, which are a part of several components of the supply chain. Company’s find that outsourcing can provide some relief to a company whom is experiencing a shortage of resources. Outsourcing could allow the company to focus on the core process of the business while providing the flexibility needed during varying demands. Supply chains management concentrate on inventory processes to complete the orders that are requested (Chase, 2005). The movement toward a just-in-time inventory system (JIT) could provide Riordan with continuous improvement in efficiencies to its fan production process. Riordan will take the stance of eliminating all cost that does not add value to the product. The China plant will be able to have their parts arrive at each workstation at the optimal time to complete the process in a more efficient manner. Riordan will establish areas in their production that are linked, which will provide a beneficial balance of flow of material throughout the production process. Production Forecast The production forecast for the China plant accounts for both the electric motors and plastic polymers, which are essential components of the electric fans. The inventory for the electric fan is projected by taking the average sales over the last three years, which is used to project the fourth year. Riordan Manufacturing assumes history will repeat itself within manageable units (Riordan, 2006). Riordan Manufacturing has not forecasted their scheduling, production, and delivery effectively. Riordan should consider the implementation of lean production to establish an optimal price while reducing cost and waste. Implementing a lean production process is ideal for the China plant because the concept states that nothing produced until needed. Developing closer relationships with the suppliers could result in a reduction in the delivery time. The implementation of lean production is considered a good strategy to respond to the market needs. Implementation Plan Riordan will need to begin by developing a production plan that specifies what the customers’ demands are. The forecast of future demands will need to be established. The implementation of the just in time lean production system will be the bases for the forecast. Production planning includes decisions that will affect production and inventory. Riordan current labor force could be affected with implementation of the new process design. Riordan plan implementation will begin with the formation of the project teams. The team will be establishing the tasks and duties. The teams will choose which tactic, tools, and software that could be utilized such just-in-time inventory and MRP software packages. The final task will be troubleshooting and quality control. Riordan will need to identify any problem or bottlenecks in the process that need to be addressed or redesigned to establish the more optimal outcomes. The new process will allow Riordan to achieve its goal of at least 99% customer satisfaction from the current 93% customer satisfaction.

Stacker 2s essays

Stacker 2's essays Stacker 2s, the worlds strongest fat burner! is a caffeine based supplement designed to burn calories fast enough to see results in just 45 minutes. All fat burners rely on heat to burn our bodys fat. Our bodies have three large heat sources: the thyroid hormones, the adrenergic hormones (epinephrine and the weaker norepinephrine), and the prostaglandin hormones. Stacker 2 and other ECA-based fat burners seem to mimic and intensify the adrenergic hormones, which mobilize fatty acids from our triglyceride stores and force the skeletal muscles to use more fatty acids for heat production. Aspirin may inhibit the "bad" prostaglandins that lower your body temperature. Stacker 2 is a very simple fat burner that reliess on the work of ephedrine. Although ephedrine is successful in the fat-burning department, I will explain later how harmful and deadly this supplement can actually become. Ephedrine has been shown to increase the effectiveness of thermogenesis (fat burning) in the body. It has powerful effects on the cellular mechanisms that control fat release from fat cells. Some of these effects include contributing to the release and blocking the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This gives norepinephrine the ability to continuously stimulate receptors in your body, causing fat cell "flood gates" to open and facilitate fat loss. The Chinese herb ma huang is the chief natural source of the ephedrine family of compounds, although there are other minor sources, such as Sida cordifolia. The second key thermogenic ingredient caffeine is a methylxanthine that stimulates hormone-induced fat burning. Kola nut is the caffeine source in Stacker 2. Caffeine works by increasing free fatty-acid concentrations and adrenaline levels. This results in greater lipolysis (oxidation of fats for energy), which can drain your fat stores over time. This change in a muscle's utilizat...

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project management - Essay Example The paper tells that project management has been defined as a discipline (science and art) that entails planning, managing, organizing and securing the components or resources of a project so as to ensure its success. A project is usually a well defined endeavor with a beginning and end that are well defined and time constrained so as to meet desired objectives and goals by adding value or bringing change. A project is not like normal business operations which are permanent and repetitive. A project is usually temporary and is created once to achieve a specific purpose. Project management is necessary because a lot of resources are put into these projects. In any project, performance, cost and time should be managed so as to ensure a project is controlled and executed well to achieve its goals and objectives. The key elements of project management that will be outlined in this report include managing human resources through directing and coordinating the administration of people invo lved in the project. Another key element of project management that will be outlined in this project is managing quality through the fulfillment of the quality standards set up for performance of the project. The final element of project management that will be discussed in this essay is the Managing the scope of the project in controlling the project through aims, goals and objectives of its sponsors. The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) project was specifically started to provide a parliamentary building complex that would house members of parliament, civil servants and other staff.... be discussed in this essay is the Managing the scope of the project in controlling the project through aims, goals and objectives of its sponsors (Joseph 2003, p. 60). The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) project was specifically started to provide a parliamentary building complex that would house members of parliament, civil servants and other staff (Taylor 2002, p. 4). The project was a very crucial one because it was a political project that could easily be affected by the politics of the country. The project was launched in 1999 and construction of the building began in June 1999 (Taylor 2002, p. 21). The project was successfully completed in 2004 and the building was officially opened on October 9th 2004 by Queen Elizabeth (Taylor 2002, p. 11). The project of constructing the Scottish Parliament Building was one of the most successful known projects. The success of the project can be attributed to a number of factors, mostly revolving around its management (Taylor 2002, p. 25). The first factor that led to the success of the project was the effective managing of human resources through directing and coordinating the administration of people involved in the project. The history of the project dates back to when the Scottish electorate held a referendum on September 11th 1997 that allowed Scottish Parliament to legislate on some of the common domestic affairs (Taylor 2002, p. 11). This led to the decision to construct a purpose built facility in Edinburg that would house the Scottish Parliament. Enric Miralles design was chosen out of the twelve proposed ones and the work was given to a company called EMBT/RMJM that was specifically set up to manage this project (Harrison & Dennis 2004, p. 28). One of the key factors that led to the success of the project

Role of Economic Factors Behind Neo-imperialism Phenomenon Essay

Role of Economic Factors Behind Neo-imperialism Phenomenon - Essay Example This paper aims to evaluate whether neo-imperialism is a political or economic phenomenon by evaluating its origins and consequences. The paper provides not only an understanding of neo-imperialism as a phenomenon but also gives insight into its current influence in the global arena. To understand neo-imperialism, it is essential to valuate its validity as either a political or economic phenomenon. Many of the activities and strategies employed in neo-imperialism resulted to or were caused by political measures to preserve influence and power in the home regions of the nation involved. Marxist and socialist critics point out the underlying economic motivation driving imperialistic movements. Regardless of the stated and actual motivations, neo-imperialism both has political and economic rationales. In the resolution of conflicts during the imperial period territories were the central issues while in neo-imperialism, trading rights were seen as more important than physical occupation. The intimacy of government and economics allows for both economic and political elements in neo-imperialism. Thought the economic rewards remain at the core and purpose of neo-imperialism, political will acted its arm in enforcing its objectives.Its mechanism was to exploit markets and trade to establish presence in the global community. Its costs also find its justification in the financial rewards. Neo-imperialism proves itself to be a dynamic economic force that has helped shape the global economy as we know it today.

Advanced Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Advanced Accounting - Essay Example So that the combined totals for individual accounts may be increased or decreased so that only transactions with external parties are reflected in the consolidated amounts. Because they do not carry over from period to period (Peterson, 2012). Although most parent companies do possess 100 percent ownership of their subsidiaries, a significant number establish control with a lesser amount of stock. If the parent does not own 100% of the company (Peterson et al, 2012), WHO owns the rest of it? No controlling Shareholders. The ownership interests of the No controlling Shareholders must be reflected in the consolidated financial statements. The Parent, with controlling interest, must consolidate 100% of the Subsidiary’s financial information. The acquisition method requires that the subsidiary be valued at the acquisition-date fair value. Parker purchased 9,000 shares at $70 per share. The fair value of their consideration transferred is $630,000. The remaining 1,000 shares trade at $60 per share indicating that the fair value of the no controlling interest is $60,000. The total acquisition-date fair value of the sub is $690,000. The total acquisition-date fair value (amount paid) of Strong of $690,000 is greater than the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired of $600,000 (10,000 shares x $60 per share). The difference is allocated to Goodwill. The parent first allocates goodwill to its controlling interest for the excess of the fair value of the parent’s equity interest over its share of the fair value of the net identifiable assets. ($600,000 X 90% = 540, 000). Goodwill allocated to the controlling and no controlling interests will not always be proportional to the percentages owned(Ittelson, 2009). Errors or omissions on the books of the subsidiary. Corrections should be made directly on the subsidiary’s books as of the date of acquisition. Excess of fair value over book

Reckitt Benckiser plc

Reckitt Benckiser plc History In 1814 Jeremiah Colman begins milling flour and mustard in Norwich, UK. Jeremiah then diversifies in the mid-century into starch, wheat flour and laundry blue. Johann A. Benckiser founded Benckiser in 1823 from industrial chemicals. Isaac Reckitt rented and then later bought a starch mill in hull in 1848. He diversified into other household products and became the owner of starch, washing blue and black lead for polishing. After his death his four sons took his place. Then in 1888 Reckitt Sons was first launched on the London Stock Exchange. Reckitt Sons merged with J J Colman to become Reckitt Colman Ltd in 1938 and then finally in 1999 Reckitt Colman plc and Benckiser N.V. merged to become Reckitt Benckiser plc The worlds no. 1 in house hold cleaning. Introduction Reckitt Benckiser plc is a United Kingdom based company which was formed with the merger of Reckitt Colman, plc. and Benckiser N.V. Reckitt Benckiser Inc. manufactures markets and sells household, cleaning and specialty food products in North America. These products include LYSOL ® cleaners and disinfectants, RESOLVE ® cleaners, SPRAYNWASH ® laundry stain removers and FRENCHS ® mustard. Reckitt Benckiser plc is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of cleaning products and a member of the FTSE 100 index of the largest companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. It is headquartered in the town of Slough just to the west of Greater London. Reckitt Benckiser has operations in more than sixty countries and sells its products in more than 180 countries. Turnover for the year to 31 December 2004 was  £ 3,871 million. Profits before tax were  £770 million, and net profits were  £586 million. The company focuses on high margin products and has shown strong growth in earnings per share in recent years. At 31 August 2005, it had a market capitalisation of  £12.4 billion. Vision and Future Strategy According to Reckitt Benckiser, â€Å"We are a truly global company with a consumer- oriented vision, with operations in 60 countries, sales in 180 countries and et revenues in excess of  £4 billion† The vision is to passionately deliver better solutions in household cleaning and health, personal care of the ultimate purpose of creating shareholders value. Reckitt Benckiser has an exciting future where the people and the companys brands can continue to deliver profitable growth to the benefit of employees and shareholders. The main strategy is to focus on household cleaning, to maintain a clear strategy for profitable top line growth, plan and define the program for improved financial returns and to develop a strong focused team. The organisations vision is also to keep delivering better products to consumers that improve their lives at crucial moments and specially to drive sales growth through focus and constant innovation while optimising costs to expand margins and profi ts. Way of working in Reckitt Benckiser is open and direct. Nothing is sacred. Thats the way they have built market leading brands across the world. They challenge each other in an open and direct way, sharing ideas, solutions and best practice. They hire people who recognize the need to beat the competition every time but who understand that the competition doesnt include their colleagues. They look for diverse characters that spark off each other, are creative and generate fresh thinking. Environmental Analysis Reckitt Benckiser is dedicated to running its business in a responsible, environmentally sound and sustainable manner. It is recognized that Reckitts processes and products have both direct and indirect environmental impacts. v Political and Legal Business decisions are also influenced by political and legal forces, which determine the rules by which business is conducted. Political forces play a major role in international markets, where decisions by government can often have profound implications for companies. [David Jobber 2nd Edition] Political action, then, in the form of legislation and less formal directives, can have a profound influence on business conduct. Reckitt and Benckiser perhaps more than any organisation reacts to the political and legal situations. Spread in 60 countries Reckitt and Benckiser has to take care of different policies and government laws in each of the different country. [Policy Reports 2006] The household and health personal care industry is heavily regulated by, inter alia, the European Union, the United States government and individual country governments elsewhere. Ingredients, manufacturing standards, labour standards, product safety, marketing and advertising claims are all subject to d etailed and developing regulation. Reckitt and Benckiser publish its annual financial statements in sterling but conducts business in many foreign currencies. As a result, it is subject to foreign currency exchange risk due to the effects that exchange rate movements have on the translation of the results and the underlying net assets of its foreign subsidiaries. v Ecological Reckitt and Benckiser has a real commitment of running their business in a responsible, environmentally sound and sustainable manner. The strategy is to realise the opportunities and manage the risks that arise from the environmental impacts of the business in order to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance and progress towards environmental sustainability. Its is a new project of the business to plant more than two million trees in over 15 square kilometres of new forests and to make more than 8 billion products which will be produces globally from ‘carbon neutral. [Simeon Goldstien 2007] v Technological Reckitt and Benckiser is increasingly building a business that they can be proud of. The products and the business are a force for good in the world. This includes powerful and developing track record on sustainability through initiatives such as the Trees for Change programme on carbon reduction, or the ‘reduce energy and water programme on automatic dishwashing. The business is planning to get more of the recent available technologies in order to improve production methods of the company that will later result into higher sale and our brand will be able to compete other brands available in the market. In 2006 our factory commissioned the Companys first solar panel which is working alongside the highly efficient Combined Heat and Power energy plant. Another plant was setup in South Korea at Reckitt and Benckiser factory iksan. Renewable energy is helping the organization to meet and exceed their target of a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from out manufacturing energy use by 2010. [Accounts : 2006] v Social Reckitt Benckiser recognises its accountability to the community in which it operates and seeks to actively support and enrich these communities. Our community involvement policy sets out the broad principles through which we support community work throughout our operations. Our annual newsletter on our community involvement demonstrates how we are turning these principles into action and making There should be a positive contribution to the societies in which we live and work. Reckitt Benckiser continues to invest over  £1 million per year towards projects that really make a difference to people in the communities in which we operate around the world. As well as the company providing much needed financial support, our people also give unselfishly of their time on a range of projects that assist those who can benefit from some help and support. v Economical The un-audited financial information is prepared in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority and on the basis of the IFRS accounting policies that the Directors intend to use in the 2006 annual report. This basis is subject to amendment by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The Directors have chosen not to early adopt International Accounting Standard 34: Interim Financial Reporting (IAS 34). Consequently the financial information in this interim report is not presented in accordance with IAS 34. This consolidated financial information has been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of financial assets and liabilities at fair value through the Group income statement subject to the Groups hedge accounting policies. The results and net assets of the Groups subsidiary in Zimbabwe have been excluded from the consolidated Group results. This is on the basis that the Group does not consider the Zimbabwean business to be a subsidiary due to the loss of power to govern the financial and operating policies of the Zimbabwean business and to the restrictions on remitting funds out of the country. Results for 2005 (half and full year) and 2006 half year, and the balance sheets as at 30 June 2005, 31 December 2005 and 30 June 2006, were insignificant. Risks The Companys new product pipeline may not generate consumer- relevant innovation and improvement to fuel growth and build market shares. There are possibilities that management turnover might significantly increase. Another possibility that information technology systems may be disrupted or may fail, despite the companys disaster recovery processes, interfering with the Companys ability to conduct its business. Customers, mainly large retailers, may decide to de-list the Companys brands, or not participate in the active promotion of the brands through in-store programmes. Product Quality Safety is very essential and failures in product quality controls could potentially lead to damage to the reputation of and trust in the Companys brands. Most product and raw material supply chains present a number of potential reputation risks relating to labour standards, raw material sourcing, and the social, ethical and environmental performance of the third party manufacturers and suppliers. There should be effective recruitment process in order to attract the best from the market. They should introduce compensation program to retain the valued employees by market competitive salary, incentives, bonuses and protective programs. Training programs are very essential in all type of business; they should carry out training to the employees for continuous development of employee skills. Recommendations The following recommendations have been recommended after a thorough analysis of the Environment: Decision making at Reckitt Benckiser should be decentralized. On company platform each department is involved in decisions related to products. For example in case of new product launch, cost department determines the cost of new product, marketing department decides if it can sell the product at the given price. Suppliers are involved if they can provide the raw materials for the new product and distributors are involved to effectively distribute the product. Thus each department is involved but participation of the finance department is fundamental because if the cost calculated for the new product is too high accounting department would give the critical decision of not launching the product no matter how innovative the initial idea was. Conclusion Based on the strength of the business they expect net revenue growth for the full year of around 15% at constant exchange (base  £4,179m) and are upgrading their targeted adjusted net income growth (base  £653m) to 14%, at actual exchange. Net revenues grew 18% (15% constant) to  £2,386m. The underlying business (excluding BHI) grew 8% (6% constant). †¢ BHI contributed net revenues of  £204m. Restructuring costs for the BHI acquisition were  £57m. †¢ Operating profit as reported increased 6% to  £367m. Operating profit before restructuring charges increased 23% to  £424m. †¢ Net income as reported was 3% lower at  £261m. Earnings per share for the period were 1% lower at 35.5 pence. Net income before restructuring increased 13% to  £303m. EPS diluted, before restructuring grew 15% to 41.2p. †¢ Cash generated from operations increased 30% to  £616m. Net borrowings at the half year were  £795m. †¢ The interim dividend will be increased 14% to 20.5 pence per share and the Company is committed to its  £300m share buyback program this year. [Annual Report 2006] List of References Accounts 2006 http://www.reckittbenckiser.com/Sites/annual_report_2006/site/alternate/rb_txt_changeit.html Policy Reports 2006 http://www.reckittbenckiser.com/RBTemplates/CorporateResponsibilityReports.aspx?pageid=262 David Jobber, Principles of Marketing, Second Edition. Business and Human rights http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Individualcompanies/R/ReckittBenckiser Simeon Goldstien 2007 http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/764320/Reckitt-Benckiser-combat-consumer-carbon-use/ [Word Count: 1,911]