Strategic Choices at Toyota Corporation Assignment

Strategic Choices at Toyota Corporation - Assignment Example The company’s first truck design weighed one to one and a half ton after assembling. After the Second World War, other nations developed an interest in Toyota’s trucks due to their astounding efficiency during the war. Although they were low on speed, their involvement in the war was highly consequential in that they had eased mobility. This paper will take a broad look into the history and evolution of Toyota, the strategies it used to stay on top of the motor world and its recent strategic moves into making it the leading car brand in the World today. Toyota experienced remarkable growth during the post-war period as the United States encouraged them to venture into the manufacture of other locomotives other than those for war. Remarkably, their invention would later be used in the agricultural sector and above all in the public transport industry. As a result, this led to the designing of the Toyopet, which was one door minimized vehicle. After the withdrawn involvement of the U.S military, its production rose to two hundred and fifteen cars yearly. By the year 1965, Toyota automobile made six hundred thousand units per annum compared to eight thousands four hundred units in 1955. In its expansion process, Toyota designed a weapon carrier truck, the Land Cruiser, whose features resembled those of a jeep. On the contrary, its engine capacity was bigger than that of the Jeep by a slight margin. Its first comfort car, the Crown, emerged in 1955 with a four-power cylinder, half- liter engine capacity and a customized column shift. Th e Toyota Corona was the second luxury vehicle incepted into the Toyota stable whose manufacture growth per month increased to fifty thousand car units by 1964. Since that time, Toyota has continued to release remarkable brands into the world market. The SWOT analysis is the critical evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses from within an organization in relation to the external Opportunities and Threats essentially to determine its growth and development.  

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Research Paper

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Research Paper Example This paper shall seek to closely examine these nuanced facets of the novel. The concepts of free-enquiry and liberal questioning are central to the theory of Transcendentalism. Though Hester is seen to quietly accept her persecution, she is also seen to question and rebel against the rules of the Puritanical society in which she lives. This can be seen in the uncharacteristic vehemence with which she opposes the decision of the clergy to take away her child from her. Hester’s rebellion is also seen in her desire to start her life afresh with Dimmesdale and their illegitimate daughter. It is however Hester’s daughter Pearl, who is an embodiment of this spirit of free-enquiry. Her seemingly naà ¯ve, childish questions about the workings of the Puritanical society of Boston are in fact quite radical. The concepts of self-reliance and compensation are central to the theories of Transcendentalism. The idea of compensation dictates that man’s actions shall result in i nevitable, inescapable consequences. It thus rejects the notion of the society or the state penalizing an individual for his transgression. Hester Prynne is an intensely individualistic woman and the her ability to transform the harshly critical letter ‘A’ into a thing of beauty with her needlework is symbolic of her ability to transcend the cloistered moralities of her times (Bell). It is perhaps also significant that Hester, by the virtue of her pious living and virtuous

Success Factors for Business Growth

Success Factors for Business Growth The purpose of this paper is to search and identify the critical success factors related to growth of the organizations in todays uncertain business environment. The research is exploratory and descriptive in nature. Initially, an overview of the importance of identifying the critical success factors in organizational strategy for growth is given. Later on the concept is delineated to the importance of innovation in the organizational strategy as the most revolutionary factor to gain the competitive advantage in domestic and international platform. The role of leaders in the growth prospects through fostering innovation and especially social innovation is explored from the literature. The paper also gives guidelines for advance research by identifying the research gaps. Globalization and its effects on business and management had led the academics to acknowledge the importance of innovation and its crucial role in the growth and sustainability of an organization (Gupta et al. 1986). Critical success factors are defined as the key performance areas which are crucial for the achievement of organizational goals. With the arrival of globalization both techno-globalization (Henderson Clark 1990) and social globalization (ILO 2008) the need for innovation as a major critical success factor is obligatory to build and maintain competitive advantage. Different types of innovation (product, service, and business model, social) are found to be tightly integrated with the supervision top-management. Several issues related to innovative strategies regarding growth of an organization are discussed in the literature review. Overview of the Literature The foremost purpose of any organization whether it is big or small, local or international, profit or no-profit, is to meet the needs of its customers, employees, partners or alliances, shareholders and the communities that are going to benefit from its business. To successfully accomplish the predefined objectives a company designs a strategy which reflects the mission and vision of the organization. Tasks from top to bottom level of the organization are such divided and assigned so as to ensure the alignment of the whole organizational functions towards a common goal to be met within certain time limits. Strategy leads to the recognition of certain key factors that are immensely required for the fulfillment of the goals and without performing well in those key factors the success of the organization seems doomed. These factors are called the critical success factors. These CSFs are often completely under consideration of the top management but not often unequivocally communicated to the layers of management. Once communicated these factors help the whole organization to be well integrated and aligned towards the achievement of the common organizational goals (Caralli 2004). Critical Success Factors Studies on the critical success factors originated from the studies by Daniel (1961) as the important factor that must be coupled with the organizational goals in order to facilitate organizational administration and management control. Research showed that with the evolution of information technology the organizations were confronted with a information holocaust and even after having so much information the top management was unable to filter the right information needed to make important decisions (Dobbins Donnelley 1998). Rockhart (1979) worked with his team to counter with the problem of continuous information flow in the organizations and suggested the CSF approach to filter the most appropriate and useful information in order to achieve organizational goals. Primarily focus was made on the information needs of the executives in the IT world but later on the significance of CSFs in other business sectors like Federal government program management (Dobbins 1998), Enterprise reso urce planning (Jang, Lin and Pan 2009, Ngai, Law and Wat 2008), manufacturing (Sherer, Susan 2003, Burns,Turnipseed and Riggs 1991), International projects (Freedman Katz 2007, Eid, Trueman and Ahmed 2002) and Education Industry (Huotari Wilson 2001, Mazzarol 1998) was also certified by different studies. Rockart (1981) defined 5-specific sources of CSFs as the industry, organizational peers, organizational environment, barriers/challenges for the organization and managerial hierarchy. Moreover, the dimensions of CSFs are internal/external and monitoring/adapting. The internal CSFs are those which are controllable by the managers while the external ones are uncontrollable as they are influenced by the external forces working in the organizational surroundings. Moreover, monitoring CSFs relate to the factors needed to be scrutinized for the regulatory objectives of the organization whereof the adaptive CSFs are related to the changes occurring in the world outside the boundaries of the organization and are thus used by the organizations to keep their competitive edge over the other organizations in the industry. CSFs, Globalization and organizational strategies Rapid changes occurring in the technological world and burgeoning global competition has alarmed the firms to identify and imbed their critical success factors for the promotion and sustainability of growth. (Caralli 2004). Business world today is confronted by dual effects of globalization. The techno-globalization is related to the advancements in the information technology which organizations have to adapt to be in the race of competition (Henderson Clark 1990) where of the social globalization is concerned with the impact of globalization on the lives of individuals and their families and which must be taken in account before doing businesses internationally (ILO 2008). According to Rockart (1979) the major advantage gained by working on these factors is enhanced communication among the hierarchal levels of management. Among some other benefits of inculcating the CSFs in the organizational strategy is less organizational ambiguity, dynamic nature for reflecting the ongoing opera tional activities, improved risk-management practices and realignment of the organizational activities when contradiction between visualized and real problems occur (Caralli 2004). The critical success factors are essential for organizations start-up phase (Boyer, Creech Paas 2008) and growth (Freedman Katz 2007) to have a competitive advantage over its competitors. Further studies argued on the domain specificity of the critical success factors as they differ from organization to organization (Anthony et.al 1972). The critical success factors for growth of an organization are dependant upon the environment and industry in which it operates. Extensive research is being done in this regard such as the CSFs that are crucial in Enterprise resource planning are top management support and training and education (Ngai, Law Wat 2008). In international business and coopetition strategies the strongest CSFs are found to be management leadership and trust development (Chin, Chan Lam 2008) and those of environmental and social enterprises are leadership, partnerships, innovation, social and economical benefits alignment, long-term short-term planning management , community involvement and risk management (Boyer, Creech Paas 2008). In Strategic management however a great deal of change in defining the critical success factors is seen since 1990s. With t he advent information technology and gust of globalization the organizations need to modify their mission statements in regard of organizational business strategy (Strong 197), stake holders (internal and external) concerns (Greenley Foxall 1996) and identifying the critical success strategies (Strong 1997, Gupta et al. 1986). The ultimate goal of an organization has been to attract and retain its customers (Ennew and Binks 1996) but today the focus of organizations is having a dual nature of being environmental and societal friendly also to sustain their image and growth in global industry (David 1989, Strong 1997). Innovation-an essential growth imperative The revolutionary change in the global competitive world has introduced Innovation and quality as the most essential success factors to become market leader (Gupta et al. 1986). Innovation is defined as the act of doing something new (new method) or bringing in something novel (new product/ service) or moving into something new (new market) (Schumpeter 1968). The burgeoning need for the adoption and implementation of innovative strategies for local and international business is thus the most recent and essential part of academic research on business and management strategies (Jeffery Rana 2008, Haapaniemi Seppanan 2008, Pittaway et.al 2004). The drivers for innovation are categorized as accelerating global competition, technological advancement, turbulent and diversified market needs and volatility of natural resources (Kingsland 2007). Innovations are of different kinds like technological innovations (Henderson Clark 1990), Business model innovations (SAP 2008) and bring in different competitive effects on the organizations. The business model innovations are radical in nature whereof those related to new customer solutions/systems are incremental (Kearney 2008). The organizations of today are focusing more on the business model innovations for its broader aspect of effectiveness throughout the organizational structure. Key factors for innovation strategies The business model innovations are typically classified into customer-centric innovations, supply-chain centric innovations and organizational process innovation (SAP 2008). Innovation is considered to be collective and not individual or isolated in nature. Any idea needs collaboration and collective effort both from internal stakeholders and external stakeholders for the realization of that idea (Majahan Peterson 1985, Panzano Roth 2006, Kearney 2008). Networking Research from several studies on innovation and importance of taking the external stakeholders (suppliers) in account specifically for organizations growth sustainability through innovation has defined the importance of networking (Sherer 2003, Pittaway et.al 2004). The literature about innovation is also intimately connected to the risk management because introducing any novelty is itself a risky job (Panzano Roth 2006). Through networking the benefits of innovation can be doubled as it fosters risk sharing thus increasing the risk propensity of the organizations in contact (Pittaway et.al 2004). Other than networking one of the most important factors influencing the development of innovative culture in the organizations to have a competitive edge in the global market is the role of leaders (Freedman Katz 2007, Morales, Reche Torres 2008, Fairholm 2009). Role of Leadership Studies from the leadership literature proves the important role of top-management in enhancing the organizational learning and thus supporting the innovativeness in the organization. The strategic thinking of leaders links the implicit knowledge of organization with its functionality by explicitly disseminating it to the layers of management and improves organizational learning (Appelbaum, Pierre Glavas 1998, Vera Crossan 2004, Fairholm 2009). Transformational leadership is a relatively new style in the literature of leadership. It is related to a more change-oriented attribute of the leaders thus fostering and encouraging new changes in the organization which in turn motivates the employees to be more innovative and increasing organizational performance (Morales, Reche Torres 2008). The CEOs are considered to be the champions of making innovation and sustainability of any organization in the global market by making ways through open-innovation (involving people in innovative str ategies) and co-creation (involving stakeholders and partners)(Kearney 2008). Sustainability and innovation Innovation has greatest effects on the sustainability of an organization. Sustainability is defined as the tendency to fulfill both functional and emotional needs of the customers in a less resourceful and more competitive environment. Organizations which take into account the sustainability as their business strategy are the ones that outperform in the global world (Kearney 2008). For this they dont just have to focus on making profits by offering product or service innovations rather they would have to focus on social innovations (well-being of society) as well (Simmon Eduardo 2008).The Business and Management world has benefited by introducing innovations in their products, services and business models and will continue to keep up the competitive advantage only if they keep on bringing or doing something new. Conclusion Innovation has been globally accepted as one of the most important success factor in the sustainability of the organizations (Jeffery Rana 2008, Haapaniemi Seppanan 2008, Pittaway et.al 2004). The most important role regarding introducing, communicating and networking the innovation among the organization and its stakeholders is that of top-management (Appelbaum, Pierre Glavas 1998, Vera Crossan 2004, Fairholm 2009). The leaders are thus required to increase research efficiency, encourage open innovation, and emphasize more on sustainability and social innovation by delievering benefits on low cost and use a more structured approach to innovation and technology platforms. Moreover, with the increased competition and uncertainty in the global market the CEOs should be passionate for innovative strategies, set clear expectations and use brand-imprint methodology (pilot study) before entering into larger markets. Research Gaps This literature review on the critical success factors for growth through innovation had led me to find out certain gaps in the studies till now. Firstly, the critical success factors for growth and sustainability vary from organization to organization and industry to industry (Anthony et.al 1972). Same is the case with the innovative strategies as the adoption and diffusion strategies for innovation differ in different organizations and even in the same organization according to its development phases (Moore 1999). This shows that both are greatly influenced by the global turbulent environment and it is crucial for the organizations to foster innovation as the critical success factor for sustainability even in hostile conditions. To date there is very little qualitative research done on the relationship of developing innovative strategies under hostile conditions and organizational growth. Secondly, the women-owned businesses are not sufficiently studied for defining their critical success factors as compared to their male counterparts and specifically in the developing countries (Lee et.al 2009). Although, SMEs are of prime importance in the developing part of the world very less attention in terms of women-owned SMEs is being given to help them in growth prospects through innovation. This might be due to the reason of greater gender discrimination carried out in this part of the world (Tambunan 2009) consequently having low risk propensity in them which is the main ingredient for innovativeness (Brindley 2005). Lastly, although the social innovation has gained importance in the business world still a dearth of robust empirical research is seen in this regard (Simon Eduardo 2008).

The Watch and Livvie :: Literature Control Essays

The Watch and Livvie Solomon's silver watch contained multifaceted significance with regard to his character and it's effect on Livvie--it represented prestige and wealth, control and obsession, and a life of dark retreat. For Solomon the watch represented the prestige and wealth that were rarely attained by colored people. "For he was a colored man that owned his land and had it written down in the courthouse." (P. 85) Yet the watch also had another dimensionCit meant control over his life and his possessions, including Livvie. Livvie watched Solomon as he slept. She wondered what he might be dreaming about "He might be dreaming of what time it was, for even through his sleep he kept track of it like a clock, and knew how much of it went by, and waked up knowing where the hands were even before he consulted the silver watch that he never let go." (P. 89) Solomon exhibited control in all areas of his life--he planted his bottle trees to keep evil spirits away from his home, he had a clean dirt yard, and he evenly planted his roses on either side of the house. (P. 86) Knowing he owned these possessions, I believe, gave Solomon the feeling he controlled his life. The white man or anyone else did not control him. Livvie viewed this control as strict, but it was obsession. Unfortunately, all this control had a very negative impact on Livvie. She lived in a sheltered world--a world she did not see. She saw what she could get out to see--almost what she could steal--even in her mind. "But what if she would walk now into the heart of the fields and take a hoe and work until she fell stretched out and drenched with her efforts, like other girls, and laid her cheek against the laid-open earth and shamed the old man with her humbleness and delight?

Critial Review Extract ‘Convicts, Jailers and Colonists’ 1779-1821

Colonial Experiment 1788 – 1918 Assignment 1 – Review In the extract ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists’ 1779-1821 from the book , Sources of Australian History(1971), the Author Manning Clark uses the primary resource from Lord Sydney to the lords and commissioners of the treasury in 1786 to support the text which discusses the problem of overcrowded jails in England and the proposal for a convict colony in Australia in 1784 – 1786.The primary resource is a dispatch that was spoken by Lord Sydney to the Lords and commissioners of the treasury on the 18th of August 1786 in White hall, announcing the decision of the British Government to establish a convict colony at Botany Bay. Along with many other Books and journals such as Manning Clarks, Sources of Australian History (1971), the Dispatch from Lord Sydney was originally printed in the Historical records of New South Wales.In this review, I summarize the source and analyses what relation it has to th e historical subject as well as what the article says about the aspect of history it addresses. Critical Analysis – In the primary source Lord Sydney to the Lords and commissioners of the treasury, the text implies that Lord Sydney is speaking to the Lords of the treasury on behalf of the King for the funding of the expedition of a new settlement for convicts. The text shows that the over occupied jails in the state of Britain were so full that the king of England had decided that measures be taken immediately in relocating the convicts.Originally the idea been proposed to send the convicts to south Africa, however after sending out a scout ship it was discovered that the area that was desired for settlement was too sandy and barren among other reasons for being unfit. Lord Sydney (1786) then goes on to discuss how instead the convict settlement would be on the Land known as Botany Bay as discovered by James Cook. Lord Sydney(1786) then states on behalf of the king that the t reasury supply the money for vessels to transport 750 convicts as well as Naval Crews and 3 companies of marines .It is also mentioned that a quantity of provisions for sustaining the people for two years be provided as well as ,necessaries such as bedding ,medical supplies and housing materials in order to erect habitation along with tools for agriculture and clothing also be funded as well as contingency solutions for food such as seed for growing grain and other garden seeds. Also it is noted that upon arriving at Botany bay water be procured as Lord Sydney (1786) states the plan for a vessel to stop at Cape de verda Islands as well as Cape of good hope to do so.The text has great relevance to the historical subject as because of this event Australia was colonized by The English. This Source can be considered a factual piece of historical evidence as it was a British parliamentary documented report and the decision to enforce the plan to move the convicts to Australia was a propo sal from his majesty the King. The Source is an objective piece of evidence as it is an account of what was said in British parliament and throughout the text it can be seen that during that period of time the British had planned to make the colony self-sufficient after a certain period of time in order to minimize cost .This can be seen as in the text it is stated that â€Å"According to the best opinions that can be obtained a quantity of provisions equal only to two years should be provided†. Ultimately the Source from Lord Sydney to the lords and commissioners of the treasury in 1786, is a parliamentary documented source that explains how the plan to colonize Australia was set in motion, as the text shows Lord Sydney Outlines what things such as provisions, medical supplies, bedding and Argicultultural equipment would be needed to be funded in order to make the voyage to the new Land.References Clark, M (ed) 1971, ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists 1779-1821’, In Sources of Australian History, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, pp. 60-75. Bibliography Clark, M (ed) 1971, ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists 1779-1821’, In Sources of Australian History, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, pp. 60-75. Lord Sydney to the Lords commissioners of the treasury, on the 18th of August 1786, White hall, Historical records of New South Wales, Vol. 1 pt. 2 at pp. 14 – 19

Twiga Cement

TWIGA CEMENT Twiga cement is a company of Tanzania that manufactures Portland cement. The company’s objective is manufacturing, selling and distribution of high quality construction cement in Tanzania. Today the company remains the market leader in the cement industry in Tanzania. Twiga cement is produced in grades of Twiga Ordinary and Twiga Extra. The company’s marketing environment consists of forces outside marketing that affect marketing management’s ability to build and maintain successful relationships with target customers.Twiga cement’s marketing environment is made up of micro environment and macro environment. The micro environment consists of other actors close to the company that combine to form the company’s value delivery network. The forces include internal environment, marketing intermediaries, competition, suppliers, publics and the customers. The company’s internal environment consists of several departments and management levels as it influences marketing decision making.The marketing intermediaries which help the company to promote, sell, and distribute products to final buyers also affect the marketing decision making. They include resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing service agencies and financial intermediaries. All these work together in order to create customer value for the products produced. The company also faces stiff competition from competitors. The competitors tend to produce similar goods at a low cost making the company to take decisions in order to keep customers. Some of the competitors include Mbeya cement and Tanga cement companies.The company’s suppliers also play a big part in the marketing environment. The company’s marketing managers usually watch supply availability and costs which helps them in decision making. The resources needed for manufacturing are usually available and obtained at a low cost which increases the sales in the short run and creat es customer satisfaction in the long run. The company’s marketing environment also includes various publics which have an actual or potential interest in or impact on the company’s ability to achieve it’s objectives.The various publics include financial publics, media publics, government publics, local publics, general publics, and many others. For example the financial publics enable the company to obtain funds in order to run the production process as a result creating customer satisfaction. The company’s marketing environment also includes the customers. Customers are the most important actors in the company’s marketing environment. The aim of the entire value delivery system of the company is to serve target customers and create strong relationships with them.The company targets different types of customer markets which include consumer markets that is individuals and households, business markets that is buy goods for further processing, resell er markets that is buy the cement to resell at a profit, others include government markets and international markets. The company’s macro environment consists of larger societal forces that affect the entire micro environment. The company’s macro environment consists of; Demographic environment which is the study of human population in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, occupation, and other statistics.The demographic environment is of major interest to marketers of the company because it involves people and it’s the people that make up the market. There has been an increase on the sales due to rapid population growth and an increase on the market share for the goods produced by the company. The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer purchasing power and spending patterns. The economic environment offers both opportunities and threats for the company enabling it to take decisions accordingly.Natural environment involves the nat ural resources that are needed as inputs by marketers or that are affected by marketing activities. The company faces several trends in the natural environment which include shortage of raw materials, increased pollution and increased government intervention. The other factors that affect the marketing environment include the technological environment, political and social environment, and cultural environment.

Battle of the Saintes in the American Revolution

Battle of the Saintes in the American Revolution Battle of the Saintes - Conflict Dates: The Battle of the Saintes was fought April 9-12, 1782, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Fleets Commanders British Admiral Sir George RodneyRear Admiral Samuel Hood36 ships of the line French Comte de Grasse33 ships of the line Battle of the Saintes - Background: Having won a strategic victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake in September 1781, Comte de Grasse took his French fleet south to the Caribbean where it aided in the capture of St. Eustatius, Demerary, St. Kitts, and Montserrat. As the spring of 1782 progressed, he made plans to unite with a Spanish force before sailing to capture British Jamaica. Grasse was opposed in these operations by a smaller British fleet led by Rear Admiral Samuel Hood. Aware of the danger posed by the French, the Admiralty dispatched Admiral Sir George Rodney with reinforcements in January 1782. Arriving at St. Lucia in mid-February, he was immediately concerned about the scope of British losses in the area. Uniting with Hood on the 25th, he was equally disturbed by condition and supply situation of his compatriots vessels. Shifting stores to compensate for these deficiencies, Rodney deployed his forces to intercept French reinforcements and box de Grasse into Martinique. Despite these efforts, some additional French ships reached de Grasses fleet at Fort Royal. On April 5, the French admiral sailed with 36 ships of the line and steered for Guadeloupe where he intended to board additional troops. Battle of the Saintes - Opening Moves: Pursuing with 37 ships of the line, Rodney caught up to the French on April 9, but fitful winds prevented a general engagement. Instead a minor battle was fought between Hoods van division and the rearmost French ships. In the fight, Royal Oak (74 guns), Montagu (74), and Alfred (74) were damaged, while the French Caton (64) took a heavy battering and steered away for Guadeloupe. Using a freshening wind, the French fleet drew away and both sides took April 10 to rest and repair. Early on April 11, with a strong wind blowing, Rodney signaled general chase and resumed his pursuit. Spotting the French the next day, the British bore down on a French straggler forcing de Grasse to turn to defend it. As the sun set, Rodney expressed confidence that the battle would be renewed the next day. With dawn breaking on April 12, the French were sighted a short distance away as the two fleets maneuvered between the northern end of Dominica and Les Saintes. Ordering line ahead, Rodney turned the fleet to head north-northeast. As Hoods van division had been battered three days earlier, he directed his rear division, under Rear Admiral Francis S. Drake, to take the lead. Battle of the Saintes - The Fleets Engage: Leading the British line, HMS Marlborough (74), Captain Taylor Penny, opened the battle around 8:00 AM when he approached the center of the French line. Easing north to remain parallel with the enemy, the ships of Drakes division passed the remaining length of de Grasses line as the two sides exchanged broadsides. Around 9:00 AM, Drakes rearmost ship, HMS Russell (74), cleared the end of the French fleet and hauled wind. While Drakes ships had taken some damage, they had inflicted a severe battering on the French. As the battle progressed, the strong winds of the previous day and night began to temper and became more variable. This had a dramatic effect on the next stage of the fight. Opening fire around 8:08 AM, Rodneys flagship, HMS Formidable (98), engaged the French center. Deliberately slowing, it engaged de Grasses flagship, Ville de Paris (104), in a protracted fight. As the winds lightened, a smoky haze descended on the battle impeding visibility. This, along with the wind shifting to the south, caused the French line to separate and bear to the west as it could not hold its course into the wind. The first to be affected by this shift, Glorieux (74) quickly was pounded and dismasted by British fire. In quick succession, four French ships fell afoul of each other. Sensing an opportunity, Formidable turned to starboard and brought its port guns to bear on these ships. Piercing the French line, the British flagship was followed by five of its comrades. Slicing through the French in two places, they hammered de Grasses ships. To the south, Commodore Edmund Affleck also grasped the opportunity and led the rearmost British ships through the French line inflicting significant damage. Battle of the Saintes - Pursuit: With their formation shattered and their ships damaged, the French fell away to the southwest in small groups. Collecting his ships, Rodney attempted to redeploy and make repairs before pursuing the enemy. Around midday, the wind freshened and the British pressed south. Quickly capturing Glorieux, the British caught up to the French rear around 3:00 PM. In succession, Rodneys ships captured CÃ ©sar (74), which later exploded, and then Hector (74) and Ardent (64). The final capture of the day saw the isolated Ville de Paris overwhelmed and taken along with de Grasse. Battle of the Saintes - Mona Passage: Breaking off the pursuit, Rodney remained off Guadeloupe until April 18 making repairs and consolidating his fleet. Late that day, he dispatched Hood west to attempt to head off those French ships which had escaped the battle. Spotting five French ships near the Mona Passage on April 19, Hood captured Ceres (18), Aimable (30), Caton, and Jason (64). Battle of the Saintes - Aftermath: Between the engagements of April 12 and 19, Rodneys forces captured seven French ships of the line as well as a frigate and sloop. British losses in the two fights totaled 253 killed and 830 wounded. French losses numbered around 2,000 killed and wounded and 6,300 captured. Coming on the heels of the defeats at Chesapeake and the Battle of Yorktown as well as the territorial losses in the Caribbean, the victory at the Saintes helped to restore British morale and reputation. More immediately, it eliminated the threat to Jamaica and provided a springboard for reversing the losses in the region. The Battle of the Saintes is generally remembered for the innovative breaking of the French line. Since the battle, there has been great debate as to whether Rodney ordered this maneuver or his fleet captain, Sir Charles Douglas. In the wake of the engagement, both Hood and Affleck were highly critical of Rodneys pursuit of the French on April 12. Both felt that a more vigorous and protracted effort could have led to the capture of 20 French ships of the line.

Determination of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of River Water Samples

Determination of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of River Water Samples IntroductionThe chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of the amount of oxygen consumed by the organic material within a water sample that is oxidized by a strong chemical oxidant, such as potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7). Its main use is as an indicator of the organic and inorganic matter within water and effluent discharge giving a quantitative value of water quality. There are other tests that are also used to measure the organic content of a water body, such as the biological oxygen demand test. The biological oxygen demand (BOD) and can be found by collecting a sample from the watercourse and incubating it at 200C for five days, and calculating the oxygen used over the incubation period (Harrison 1996). The COD is often used when other methods are not as effective to be used. One advantage of the COD test over other tests, such as the BOD test is that it is relatively fast to carry out, for example the BOD test takes place over a five-day incubation period whilst the COD tests can be carried out in 2 hours; hence provides a much quicker indication of water quality.Heathfield School, PinnerThis property of the test has resulted in a wide range of usage when monitoring and controlling the organic content of industrial waste from effluent systems and the receiving water bodies.Dichromate is often used as the oxidizing agent when determining the COD due to its ability to oxidise most materials and ease of manipulation (Chapman 1996). Test allows the organic matter within a sample to reduce the dichromate; any remaining dichromate is titrated with ferrous ammonium sulphate, FeSO4.(NH4)2SO4, where the Fe2+ ions are oxidised to Fe3+ by the remaining dichromate ions, Cr2O72-. The dichromate (Cr2O72-) is dissolved into a salt by the addition of sulphuric acid...

Introduction to Post-Roman Britain

Introduction to Post-Roman Britain In response to a request for military assistance in 410, Emperor Honorius told the British people they would have to defend themselves. The occupation of Britain by Roman forces had come to an end. The next 200 years are the least well-documented in the recorded history of Britain. Historians must turn to archaeological finds to glean an understanding of life in this time period; but unfortunately, without documentary evidence to provide names, dates, and the details of political events, the discoveries can only offer a general, and theoretical, picture. Still, by piecing together archaeological evidence, documents from the continent, monument inscriptions, and the few contemporary chronicles such as the works of Saint Patrick and Gildas, scholars have gained a general understanding of the time period as set forth here. The Map of Roman Britain in 410 shown here is available in a larger version. The People of Post-Roman Britain The inhabitants of Britain were at this time somewhat Romanized, especially in urban centers; but by blood and by tradition they were primarily Celtic. Under the Romans, local chieftains had played an active role in the government of the territory, and some of these leaders took up the reigns now that the Roman officials were gone. Nevertheless, cities began to deteriorate, and the population of the entire island may have declined, in spite of the fact that immigrants from the continent were settling along the east coast. Most of these new inhabitants were from Germanic tribes; the one most often mentioned is Saxon. Religion in Post-Roman Britain The Germanic newcomers worshipped pagan gods, but because Christianity had become the favored religion in the empire in the preceding century, most Britons were Christian. However, many British Christians followed the teachings of their fellow Briton Pelagius, whose views on original sin were condemned by the Church in 416, and whose brand of Christianity was therefore considered heretical. In 429, Saint Germanus of Auxerre visited Britain to preach the accepted version of Christianity to the followers of Pelagius. (This is one of the few events for which scholars have corroborating documentary evidence from records on the continent.) His arguments were well-received, and he is even believed to have helped fend off an attack by Saxons and Picts. Life in Post-Roman Britain The official withdrawal of Roman protection did not mean that Britain immediately succumbed to invaders. Somehow, the threat in 410 was kept at bay. Whether this was because some Roman soldiers stayed behind or the Britons themselves took up arms is undetermined. Nor did the British economy collapse. Although no new coinage was issued in Britain, coins stayed in circulation for at least a century (though they were ultimately debased); at the same time, barter became more common, and a mixture of the two characterized 5th-century trade. Tin mining appears to have continued through the post-Roman era, possibly with little or no interruption. Salt production also continued for some time, as did metal-working, leather-working, weaving, and the production of jewelry. Luxury goods were even imported from the continent an activity that actually increased in the late fifth century. The hill-forts that had originated centuries before showing archaeological evidence of occupancy in the fifth and sixth centuries, suggesting they were used to evade and hold off invading tribes. Post-Roman Britons are believed to have built timber halls, which would not have withstood the centuries as well as the stone structures of the Roman period, but which would have been habitable and even comfortable when they were first constructed. Villas remained inhabited, at least for a while, and were run by wealthier or more powerful individuals and their servants, be they slave or free. Tenant farmers also worked the land to survive. Life in Post-Roman Britain couldnt have been easy and carefree, but the Romano-British way of life survived, and the Britons flourished with it. Continued on page two: British Leadership. British Leadership If there had been any remnants of centralized government in the wake of the Roman withdrawal, it rapidly dissolved into rival factions. Then, in about 425, one leader achieved enough control to declare himself High King of Britain: Vortigern. Although Vortigern did not govern the entire territory, he did defend against invasion, particularly against attacks by Scots and Picts from the north. According to the sixth-century chronicler Gildas, Vortigern invited Saxon warriors to help him fight the northern invaders, in return for which he granted them land in what is today Sussex. Later sources would identify the leaders of these warriors as the brothers Hengist and Horsa. Hiring Barbarian mercenaries was a common Roman imperial practice, as was paying them with the land; but Vortigern was remembered bitterly for making a significant Saxon presence in England possible. The Saxons rebelled in the early 440s, eventually killing Vortigerns son and exacting more land from the British leader. Instability and Conflict Archaeological evidence indicates that fairly frequent military actions occurred across England over the rest of the fifth century. Gildas, who was born at the end of this period, reports that a series of battles took place between the native Britons and the Saxons, whom he calls a race hateful both to God and men. The successes of the invaders pushed some of the Britons west to the mountains, precipices, thickly wooded forests, and to the rocks of the seas (in present-day Wales and Cornwall); others passed beyond the seas with loud lamentations (to present-day Brittany in western France). It is Gildas who named Ambrosius Aurelianus, a military commander of Roman extraction, as leading a resistance against the Germanic warriors and seeing some success. He does not provide a date, but he does give the reader some sense that at least a few years of strife against the Saxons had passed since the defeat of Vortigern before Aurelianus began his fight. Most historians place his activity from about 455 to the 480s. A Legendary Battle Both the Britons and the Saxons had their share of triumphs and tragedies until the British victory at the Battle of Mount Badon (Mons Badonicus), a.k.a. Badon Hill (sometimes translated as Bath-hill), which Gildas states took place in the year of his birth. Unfortunately, there is no record of the writers birth date, so estimates of this battle have ranged from as early as the 480s to as late as 516 (as recorded centuries later in the Annales Cambriae). Most scholars agree it occurred close to the year 500. There is also no scholarly consensus for where the battle took place since there was no Badon Hill in Britain in the following centuries. And, while many theories have been put forward as to the identity of the commanders, there is no information in contemporary or even near-contemporary sources to corroborate these theories. Some scholars have speculated that Ambrosius Aurelianus led the Britons, and this is indeed possible; but if it were true, it would require a reconfiguration of the dates of his activity, or an acceptance of an exceptionally long military career. And Gildas, whose work is the sole written source for Aurelianus as commander of the Britons, does not name him explicitly, or even refer to him vaguely, as the victor at Mount Badon. A Short Peace The Battle of Mount Badon is important because it marked the end of the conflict of the late fifth century, and ushered in an era of relative peace. It is during this time the mid-6th century that Gildas wrote the work that gives scholars most of the details they have about the late fifth century: the De Excidio Britanniae (On the Ruin of Britain). In the De Excidio Britanniae, Gildas told of the past troubles of the Britons and acknowledged the current peace they enjoyed. He also took his fellow Britons to task for cowardice, foolishness, corruption, and civil unrest. There is no hint in his writings of the fresh Saxon invasions that awaited Britain in the last half of the sixth century, other than, perhaps, a general sense of doom brought on by his bewailing of the latest generation of know-nothings and do-nothings. Continued on page three: The Age of Arthur? In response to a request for military assistance in 410, Emperor Honorius told the British people they would have to defend themselves. The occupation of Britain by Roman forces had come to an end. The next 200 years are the least well-documented in the recorded history of Britain. Historians must turn to archaeological finds to glean an understanding of life in this time period; but unfortunately, without documentary evidence to provide names, dates, and the details of political events, the discoveries can only offer a general, and theoretical, picture. Still, by piecing together archaeological evidence, documents from the continent, monument inscriptions, and the few contemporary chronicles such as the works of Saint Patrick and Gildas, scholars have gained a general understanding of the time period as set forth here. The Map of Roman Britain in 410 shown here is available in a larger version. The People of Post-Roman Britain The inhabitants of Britain were at this time somewhat Romanized, especially in urban centers; but by blood and by tradition they were primarily Celtic. Under the Romans, local chieftains had played an active role in the government of the territory, and some of these leaders took up the reigns now that the Roman officials were gone. Nevertheless, cities began to deteriorate, and the population of the entire island may have declined, in spite of the fact that immigrants from the continent were settling along the east coast. Most of these new inhabitants were from Germanic tribes; the one most often mentioned is Saxon. Religion in Post-Roman Britain The Germanic newcomers worshipped pagan gods, but because Christianity had become the favored religion in the empire in the preceding century, most Britons were Christian. However, many British Christians followed the teachings of their fellow Briton Pelagius, whose views on original sin were condemned by the Church in 416, and whose brand of Christianity was therefore considered heretical. In 429, Saint Germanus of Auxerre visited Britain to preach the accepted version of Christianity to the followers of Pelagius. (This is one of the few events for which scholars have corroborating documentary evidence from records on the continent.) His arguments were well-received, and he is even believed to have helped fend off an attack by Saxons and Picts. Life in Post-Roman Britain The official withdrawal of Roman protection did not mean that Britain immediately succumbed to invaders. Somehow, the threat in 410 was kept at bay. Whether this was because some Roman soldiers stayed behind or the Britons themselves took up arms is undetermined. Nor did the British economy collapse. Although no new coinage was issued in Britain, coins stayed in circulation for at least a century (though they were ultimately debased); at the same time, barter became more common, and a mixture of the two characterized 5th-century trade. Tin mining appears to have continued through the post-Roman era, possibly with little or no interruption. Salt production also continued for some time, as did metal-working, leather-working, weaving, and the production of jewelry. Luxury goods were even imported from the continent an activity that actually increased in the late fifth century. The hill-forts that had originated centuries before showing archaeological evidence of occupancy in the fifth and sixth centuries, suggesting they were used to evade and hold off invading tribes. Post-Roman Britons are believed to have built timber halls, which would not have withstood the centuries as well as the stone structures of the Roman period, but which would have been habitable and even comfortable when they were first constructed. Villas remained inhabited, at least for a while, and were run by wealthier or more powerful individuals and their servants, be they slave or free. Tenant farmers also worked the land to survive. Life in Post-Roman Britain couldnt have been easy and carefree, but the Romano-British way of life survived, and the Britons flourished with it. Continued on page two: British Leadership.

Importance of A Healthy Diet by Saurabh Gaur Essay

Importance of A Healthy Diet by Saurabh Gaur - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that in one instance, the author states some statistical data without acknowledging the source of the data. The failure to use, or reference, reliable and relevant sources implies that the author relied on intuition and personal knowledge to write the essay. The essay is persuasive enough to convince the reader on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. However, the essay would have been more persuasive had the author used reliable and relevant sources to develop the thesis. The author is able to develop ethos since the essays is convincing in relationship with the thesis. In addition, the author developed pathos effectively by provoking emotions on the importance of healthy diets since the author provided the effects of the failure to observe a healthy diet. Conversely, the author developed logos effectively by presenting a few facts and statistics in the essay.

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Reading response - Essay Example This exhibits itself when Stafford tells Susan to make the faculty work for her or get rid of it. He was not ready to shape his leadership based on the followers input. His decisions went from top to bottom. On the other hand, Susan always collected information from participating parties and based her decisions on consensus. One component of Rost’s definition states that the relationship has its base on influence. The influence is not forced upon any party and flows in both directions; from the leader to followers and from followers to leaders. Another component states that the people in the relationship are the leaders and followers. This emphasizes on the nature of leadership being a relationship, practiced by both leaders and followers. The next component says leaders and followers intend real change. This means that both leaders and followers are putting their efforts towards achieving a common, realistic goal. The goal is the desire of both leaders and followers (Rost, 1991). Under the post industrial view leadership, followers are viewed as collaborators in partnership with leaders. The leaders’ wishes are not imposed upon them, but the followers may influence leaders to make changes. To make a common purpose, the followers’ wishes are factored into the relationship. The followers have an interactive opportunity in the processes (Rost,

Corporations Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporations Law - Essay Example Although the venture is doing well, there are some matters that are starting to concern them. One of their good friends who had also created an application similar to ChitChat was sued by an employee for negligence and a footballer for defamation. The court’s decision favored both the employee and the footballer and the application creator ended up losing the application as well as her house and cars. The three friends, Lauryn, Nicole and Elizabeth, are scared that the same might occur to them, and they may lose the application as well as their personal property. The three friends are also unsure on how to sign contracts with suppliers and especially if they will all be liable for a contract entered into by one of them. Additionally, they have heard that other developers are raising money to fund other ventures, and they would also like to be able to raise funds to finance other applications they are working on. The three are unsure of the most appropriate business structure t hey should adopt. Issue The three friends would like to enter into a formal business organization that would allow them to manage and operate the activities of ChiChat effectively. The three friends are concerned about the legal liability of the undertaking particularly the extent of their individual liability in the venture and as such would like a business structure that will address this issue. ... A partnership agreement can be written or oral; however, if the partners wish to make their arrangement positively clear and enforceable it is prudent to draw up Articles of Partnership. Formally partnered entities can easily be made public through press releases, advertisements or public records. There are several types of partnerships, and they include general partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships. In a general partnership arrangement, all partners manage the company and are personally accountable for its liabilities (Mayson, French, & Ryan, 1989 p. 19). In a limited partnership, some limited partners relinquish their management role in the partnership, in substitute for limited liability for the partnerships liabilities. The other type of partnership is the limited liability partnership where all the partners have some degree of limited liability for the liabilities of the partnership (Sealy, & Worthington2007 p.115). Liability Every individual in t he partnership undertaking are both an agent and a principal of the partnership and may, therefore, bind the other partners and the firm. This implies that each partner is jointly and severally accountable for the debts of the partnership, which include the share of the partner’s risks as well as being liable for the risks of the partnership in its general course of business. The liability of a partner to a business is, therefore, unlimited in respect to a general partnership. In limited partnerships, the liability of a partner is limited to some degree (Morse, 2010 p. 24). It is also noteworthy that, in limited partnerships, the limited partners cannot take part in the operations of the partnership for their liability to remain limited. Lauryn, Nicole and Elizabeth’s

The Roman Catholic Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Roman Catholic Church - Essay Example Roman Catholics are seen as Christians in their communion to the Pope. Over the world, there are over a billion members following the Catholic Church. In the following essay, we will describe in Part I the organization of the Roman Catholic Church through, then in part II we will discuss about the role of this religion in one's life with the role of the Pope, the Saints and the Bible. Finally, in Part III, we will compare the Roman Catholic Church with Islam. Roman Catholicism - as other Christian denominations, Judaism and Islam - is a monotheistic religion. The Catholic Church believes that God is one, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent. However, the Roman Catholic Church is also a Trinitarian religion, meaning that even though God is only one in nature, essence and being, He exists in three divine persons: the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are all identical in essence but differ in their relationship to one another which constitutes the Holy Trinity. Faith in God is the keystone, the most fundamental Catholic belief but also faith in the relationship of these three divine entities as being one. Roman Catholics believe that the Son, the second divine person, has been incarnated as Jesus Christ. Born of the Virgin Mary, he is considered by Catholics to be truly divine and as the same time truly human, teaching how to live through his words and his acts and revealing God as love. Even though Roman Catholicism is composed of numerous places of worship such as cathedrals, churches, chapels and oratories, there is no particular rule for Christians to worship in these places. They can worship in any place as God is omnipresent. However, within these places are held the Eucharistic liturgy - the Celebration of the Mystery of Christ, especially the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection - which is considered as the high point of its activity and the source of its life and strength. Within these places of worship, Catholics are particularly focused on the altar, the tabernacle, the place in which chrism and other holy oils are kept, the seat of the bishop or priest, and the baptismal font. The Christian Roman Church recognizes and administers seven sacraments, considered as gifts from Christ to his Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Not every person will receive every sacrament, but they are considered by the Roman Catholic Church as necessary to salvation, conferring each sacrament's special graces, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, conformation to Christ, and membership of the Church. There are numerous holidays and days of observance through the year for Roman Catholics. However, we will only insist on some major events in this essay. Christmas Eve and Christmas day celebrates the arrival of May and Joseph in Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday is an observance to begin the 40 day season of the Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Holy Week and Easter, a time of intense devotion, it is observed by fasting, frequent worship and acts of charity. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. Good Friday is a remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ. Finally, Sundays are considered as days of observance commemorating the rest of God after creating earth during six

Select a type of crime such as rape and write a paper explaining the Research

Select a type of crime such as rape and write a explaining the differences between the consensus and conflict approaches to explaining it - Research Paper Example The paper focuses on two issues: the male-centric conception of rape in current law, and the rape and gender violence as linked to other categories of differentiation. The sociological theories that underpin our understanding of crime and punishment, as well as the justice system have long been the subject of debate by opposing ideological camps. The divergent approaches of â€Å"consensus† and â€Å"conflict† and what approach is the most appropriate lens with which to understand crimes remains to be discussed today, with the debates evolving to meet more modern and complex contemporary problems. It is imperative to begin by defining the concepts. Reid (119) defined the consensus approach as one that â€Å"views the emerging norms and laws of society as representative of the common feeling about what is right and proper; that is, they represent a consensus of views—a mechanism for maintaining social order.† It looks at society as a homogenous whole, without factions or frictions, and making a collective determination on what is right and what is wrong. For example, taking a very recent incident, the harsh punishments m eted against the London street rioters might be deemed appropriate among proponents of the consensus theorists: indeed, the destruction of private property and petty larceny go against collective values and the State must bear down heavily upon those who seek to trample those values. In contrast, the proponents of the conflict theory look at society not as a homogenous whole, but as one wracked by class fault lines. Therefore, laws are not simply collectively-agreed upon rules that establish social order and ensure the efficient and harmonious functioning of society, they are a means by which those who have wealth and power ensure that existing hierarchical arrangements are perpetuated. Whilst Karl Marx did not theorize specifically on criminal justice, his philosophies illumine the conflict theory

How globalization implicate the international business Essay

How globalization implicate the international business - Essay Example In the context of this paper, the definition of globalization that would be more relevant is the following: globalization is ‘a cluster of technological, economic and political processes that reduce the barriers to economic exchange across borders’ (Drezner 2008, p.10). A key sector of international business that has been affected by globalization is marketing. In fact, in regard to marketing globalization has a particular characteristic: it focuses on ‘the creation of marketing strategies as though the entire world were a single entity’ (Pride and Ferrell 2004, p.135). A company that highly reflects the promotion of globalized marketing is Nike: the specific company promotes its products worldwide by employing the same marketing strategies (Pride and Ferrell 2004). For Nike, the use of such marketing strategy is feasible, and effective, since the firm has a strong brand name internationally; in such business culture, the above marketing approach can significantly contribute in the further increase of the firm’s popularity, as a global brand (Pride and Ferrell 2004). The case of Nike implies that globalization in marketing could benefits business performance, but under certain terms, as explained above. In practice, globalization has been found to result both to benefits and disadvantages for international businesses. An important benefit of these businesses, as resulted from globalization, is the ‘creation of global markets’ (Debrah and Smith 2003, p.8). In these markets, international businesses are able to secure the high quality of their products but at lower prices, as compared to the markets in the pre-globalization period (Debrah and Smith 2003). The limitation of business costs, a benefit usually achieved by establishing business units in developing countries, is an important benefit for international businesses but also a drawback for employees: in firms operating globally the rights of employees are often disregarded and wages can be

Select a type of crime such as rape and write a paper explaining the Research

Select a type of crime such as rape and write a explaining the differences between the consensus and conflict approaches to explaining it - Research Paper Example The paper focuses on two issues: the male-centric conception of rape in current law, and the rape and gender violence as linked to other categories of differentiation. The sociological theories that underpin our understanding of crime and punishment, as well as the justice system have long been the subject of debate by opposing ideological camps. The divergent approaches of â€Å"consensus† and â€Å"conflict† and what approach is the most appropriate lens with which to understand crimes remains to be discussed today, with the debates evolving to meet more modern and complex contemporary problems. It is imperative to begin by defining the concepts. Reid (119) defined the consensus approach as one that â€Å"views the emerging norms and laws of society as representative of the common feeling about what is right and proper; that is, they represent a consensus of views—a mechanism for maintaining social order.† It looks at society as a homogenous whole, without factions or frictions, and making a collective determination on what is right and what is wrong. For example, taking a very recent incident, the harsh punishments m eted against the London street rioters might be deemed appropriate among proponents of the consensus theorists: indeed, the destruction of private property and petty larceny go against collective values and the State must bear down heavily upon those who seek to trample those values. In contrast, the proponents of the conflict theory look at society not as a homogenous whole, but as one wracked by class fault lines. Therefore, laws are not simply collectively-agreed upon rules that establish social order and ensure the efficient and harmonious functioning of society, they are a means by which those who have wealth and power ensure that existing hierarchical arrangements are perpetuated. Whilst Karl Marx did not theorize specifically on criminal justice, his philosophies illumine the conflict theory

The McLawsuit Essay Example for Free

The McLawsuit Essay FAST FOOD INDUSTRY OVERVIEW McDonald has spread across the globe, and emerging markets are one of the fastest growing areas in the industry. But the fast food industry is facing its challenges, especially in the United States. From rising food costs, economic recession and changing perceptions about health, many fast food franchises have been under great pressure. Despite of the challenge, the rise in disposable income of middle class consumers and the demand for quick bites in emerging economies are expected to drive the demand for fast food. In addition, increasing number of workingwomen and their changing lifestyles is another factor contributing to the growth of this market. The fast food industry has been adopting new practices and offering new products. There is plenty of demand for a quick bite at all times of the day in modern society. However, fast food contains high amounts of trans-fats and saturated fats, which consequently hamper human health as they lack nutritional value. This factor is expected to have an adverse effect on the growth of the market. Thus, an amplifying demand for healthy fast food such as salads is expected to open the new opportunities for the fast food market. Fast food is expected to rapidly gain market in Asia Pacific and Europe due to its affordability, easy accessibility and huge investment in promotional activities by leading players of the industry. Currently, burgers constitute the largest fast food segment and are expected to maintain their escalation in the upcoming years. Some of the key participants in fast food industry include McDonald, KFC, Bugger King, Pizza Hut and Dominos among others. In addition, a large number of local fast food vendors are present worldwide. CHALLENGES There are challenges for the fast food industry in recent years that have been pressuring profit margins. The industry as a whole has proven robust enough to withstand these challenges, though some players have done better than others. Over the last decade there has been increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. Typically highly processed and industrial in preparation, much of the food is high in fat and has been shown to increase body mass index (BMI) and cause weight gain. Popular books such as Fast Food Nation and documentaries like Super Size Me have increased public awareness of the negative health consequences of fast food. Fast food  companies have responded by adopting healthier choices and have had some measure of success, but the shadow of bad press still hangs over the industry. Rising commodity prices have also significantly crunched many fast food franchises. With food and beverage inputs making up approximately 33% of costs, higher prices for livestock, corn, wheat and more have seriously shrunk margins over the past decade. In such a fiercely competitive space it is impossible to force a price increase on customers, so profit margins are often south of 10%. The recent economic recession did lower commodity prices, but the recession brought on its own complications, and now prices for commodity inputs are on the rise again. Fast food had been thought to be largely recession proof, and indeed the industry did not suffer nearly as much as other discretionary spending sectors. In fact, there was some increase in consumer visits as people choose cheaper fast food options over fast casual or traditional restaurant choices. But overall, the recession hurt spending, and consumers overall purchased less with each trip. Fast food franchises fared reasonably well but still felt some pain. Market saturation is also a relevant issue in the fast food industry today, at least in the U.S. There is a McDonald franchise is in almost every town, and it usually sits in a row with several competitors. With so many competitors who offer similar products there are fewer customers per location. Increasingly fast food restaurants are also losing market share to fast casual, a relative newcomer in the restaurant space. OPPORTUNITIES Busy citizens still need quick meal options, and fast food restaurants are fighting these challenges with gusto. Now offering healthy choices to battle the stigma of unhealthy food, some quick service restaurants now focus on fresh or organic products. From franchises focused solely on salads or healthy wraps to the lower calorie options offered at traditional burger franchises, consumers are able to make better choices. Fast food franchises are also focusing on expanding into new product lines, such as the coffee initiative in the McCafe. Intended to offer competition to Startbucks, McDonalds is luring customers back into their stores, hoping they will purchase food as well. Many franchises have been exploring other meal times such as breakfast and the mid-afternoon snack for growth opportunities and to increase real estate utilization. The industry is most effectively  battling saturation within the United States by creating a much more diverse range of offerings so that there ar e many more types of quick service restaurants than ever before. The fast food industry is still a large and diverse industry with plenty of opportunity. Challenge is being answered with innovation, and fast food franchises are responding with new offerings, pricing and strategies to lure consumers back in. Non-traditional fast food franchises are springing up and gaining traction, and more creativity will always be welcome! Consumers are now on the look-out for new ways to eat fast and healthy. And as the industry continues to evolve and the economy strengthens, fast food franchise profitability will continue to grow. Regulatory environment A study recently suggests government regulation of fast food could slow or reverse the damaging effects of the obesity epidemic, if government steps in to regulate global marketing of fast foods such as burgers, chips and sugar drinks like soda, in a report to be released Monday according to Al-Jazeera America. Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity. ­ There have been pressures that call for governments to do more to prevent obesity from occurring initially, rather than risking the high human and economic costs of treating the health effects of obesity such as diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. The public also urges governments should regulate fast food to prevent and hinder obesity by developing policies that include economic incentives to growers to sell healthy fresh foods, and disincentives to industrie s that develop and sell highly processed foods and soda. Furthermore, the public suggests governments should reduce subsidies to farmers, growers and companies who use excessive amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, chemical and antibiotics. Also, fast-food advertising geared to children and youth markets should be regulated. GOVERNMENT ESPONSE In the United States, there are employment and labor laws that govern all businesses when it comes to the treatment of employees. The U.S. Department of Labor prescribes regulations to protect workers’ rights, specifically those who are young or those may become victims of discrimination. There are  several laws that regulate employers in the U.S. The law that are most important to businesses in the restaurant industry are the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lack of public awareness illustrates the challenge workers face in building wider support. Workers participating in the strikes represent a tiny fraction of the industry. And fast-food jobs are known for their high turnover rates and relatively young workers. The steps of interventions by government might be regulating unhealthy food marketing; limiting the density of fast food outlets; pricing reforms to decrease fruit/ve getable prices and increase unhealthy food prices; and improved food labelling. The most commonly supported pre-selected interventions were related to food marketing and service. Primary production and retail sector interventions were least supported. The dominant themes were the need for whole-of-government and collaborative approaches; the influence of the food industry; conflicting policies/agenda; regulatory challenges; the need for evidence of effectiveness; and economic disincentives. .

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings Sally Hemmings was the daughter of Elizabeth Hemmings. Sally was born in 1733, most people thought she was mulatto. A mulatto was a common term used during slavery when an African American slave and white person create a relations. Most people asked why she had power over Thomas Jefferson. But her family and friends were just trying to make sure that she was being well taken care of by Thomas. It was very possible that Thomas could lose his job for carrying a relationship with a slave. Sally was considered a pampered slave, but she got what she wanted for her children. Was their mixed marriage relationship and mistake? If one were to have an interracial relationship it would be kept in the dark from society or a consequence was paid. After the death of John Wayles and Martha Wayles which was sallys parents. Thomas Jefferson inherited the ownership Hemmings family and moved all of them to Monticello when he lived there. That would be known as the new residence for the Hemmings. The place where the two had met. Some speculate that due to their kinship, Hemmings and Martha Jefferson may have looked very similar which could have been a key factor in Jeffersons attraction to Sally Hemmings. Since there is no factual evidence in writing from either Thomas Jefferson or Sally Hemmings, many people relied on other family members writings and used assumptions to draw conclusions about their relationship. Till this day, many people still have inconclusive evidence about their relationship and why it lasted a long time. Sally made the decision to continue a long term relationship with Thomas Jefferson, after a heavy evaluation of her options, her conditions and the little empowerment she had over Thomas Jefferson. Although Thomas Jefferson was a founding father of the United States of America, he was still human. That being said, Jefferson could have committed the act of having children with one of his slaves Sally Hemmings. Due to the evidence given, this is known to be true. The light treatment of the Hemmings family, the emancipation of the Hemmings family, and Madison and Eston Hemmings accounts of claiming Thomas Jefferson as their father are all reasons that point to the fact that Jefferson indeed fathered the children of Sally Hemmings. Thomas Jefferson often treated the Hemmings family lightly, or without a big workload. As it is stated in A Brief Biography of Sally Hemmings ´ Sallys son Madison recalled that one of [Sallys] duties was to take care of [Jeffersons] chamber and wardrobe, look after us children, and do light work such as sewing. ´(A Brief Biography of Sally Hemmings ´) Along with the light workload, she was also paid occasionally a monthly wage of twelve lires. ´( A Brief Biography of Sally Hemmings ´) This small payment and light workload signifies that Jefferson had some emotional ties to Sally considering he did not pay his other slaves anything. Of all the slaves that Jefferson owned, it is not recorded that any of them received special treatment other than teemings family. Thomas Jefferson treated Sally well as she was his daughters nurse throughout her life. While Jefferson was in France, it is recorded that Sally was sent to France to accompany Martha and Maria Jefferson. It is said by Madison Hemmings that during that time [in France] my mother became Mr. Jeffersons concubine and when he was called back home she was enceinte by him. ´ ( ³The Memoirs of Madison Hemmings ´) Madison Hemmings also stated that soon after their arrival [from France] (Memoirs of Madison Hemmings ´) Not only did the Hemmings family receive light treatment, but they were the only slaves of Thomas Jefferson to be emancipated by him, with the exception of one of his body servants. Israel Jefferson a slave of Thomas Jefferson stated that [Jeffersons] death was an affair of great moment and uncertainty to us slaves, for Mr. Jefferson provided for the freedom of seven servants only; Sally, his chambermaid, who took the name Hemmings, her four children. Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston, John Hemmings, brother to Sally, and Brunel Colburn and old and faithful body servant. Never emancipated any slaves but hose of the Hemmings family. Other than being the concubine or kin of Thomas Jefferson, there was no reason that Thomas Jefferson would emancipate his slaves according to his life as a slave owner. Jefferson clearly wrote in his will that the Hemmings family be free of their slave bond a great a certain age, most likely the age of 21. Another piece of evidence that Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemmings is the accounts that  ³Both Madison and Eston Hemmings made known their belief that they were the sons of Thomas Jeffer son. ´(A Brief Biography of Sally Hemmings ´) In  ³The Memoirs of Madison Hemmings, ´ Madison refers to Thomas Jefferson Directly as  ³father ´ six times when he writes of him. Madison grew up with Thomas Jefferson as his father and continued to follow this belief throughout his life.  ³We were the only children of by a slave woman proclaimed Madison. This particular statement assures that Jeffersons relationship with Sally and her Children relates to their emancipation in Jeffersons will. Madison and Eston Hemmings are not the only accounts of assurance that they are Jeffersons children. Israel Jefferson also gives assurance that Thomas Jefferson was, in fact, the father of Sally Hemings children. In his memoir I also know servant, Sally Hemmings was employed as his chambermaid, and that Mr. Jefferson was in the most intimate terms with her; that, in fact, she was his concubine. This I knew from an intimate relationship. Sally can conscientiously confirm his statement as any other fact which I believe from circumstance but do not positively know. Thomas Jefferson was by no doubt the father of Sally Hemings children. The relationship between Thomas Jefferson and the Hemmings Family was not a coincidence. Jeffersons acts were only proof that he was human. Many other great men in history have had similar stories to that of Jeffersons. Thomas Jefferson was the father of Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemmings as evidence of the light treatment and emancipation he gave to the Hemmings family and the memoirs of the Hemmings family and Israel Jefferson. Was it true was the question most people asked In 1997, Dr. Eugene Foster, a retired medical professor, began investigating the possibility of a genetic link between living descendants of Thomas Jefferson and those of Sally Hemmings. He compared the blood from five descendants of Field Jefferson, Thomass paternal uncle, with the blood of the descendants of Sally Hemmings, Thomas Woodson, and the Cars. The DNA was extracted from the blood samples at the University of Virginia, then sent to Oxford, England where it was tested by three different laboratories. The results showed a match between the Y chromosomes of the Field Jefferson descendants and the Eston Hemming descendent, providing strong support to the theory that Thomas Jefferson fathered at least one of Sally Hemings children. The chances that this match happened by coincidence are less than .1 percent. Was the case closed? A claim that most Jefferson scholars had earlier considered so implausible that nearly all of them rejected it without a truly rigorous investigation-has gained new credibility and extensive national publicity. In 1997, law professor Annette Gordon-Reed reviewed the evidence and concluded that the case for Jeffersons paternity was much stronger than scholars had supposed. In 1999, DNA tests proved compatible with the possibility that Jefferson had fathered Eston Hemmings, Sallys youngest son. The DNA report, a conference held at the University of Virginia, a volume of essays resulting from that conference. Madison Hemmings, another of Sallys sons, said that he and his siblings were Jeffersons children (and his only slave children) in a report which accords in much of its substance with other sources. According to this interview, Thomas and Sally initiated an affair while they were together in Paris from 1787 to 1789. Sally became pregnant and agreed to return to the United States after they entered into a treaty in which Jefferson promised extraordinary privileges for Sally and freedom for her children when they reached age 21. Some very interesting facts would be Madison Hemmings, another of Sallys sons, said that he and his siblings were Jeffersons children in a report which accords in much of its substance with other sources. According to this interview, Thomas and Sally initiated an affair while they were together in Paris from 1787 to 1789. Sally became pregnant and agreed to return to the United States after they entered into a treaty in which Jefferson promised extraordinary privileges for Sally and freedom for her children when they reached age 21. A supposed resemblance between Thomas Jefferson and some of Sally Hemmings children (or other Monticello slaves) is hardly evidence of a very substantial kind. A resemblance is often seen by some observers and denied by others. Later in life by 2003 there was a book published the attorney/historian, Annette Gordon Reed, published a book on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, The Hemmings of Monticello: An American Family, a follow-up to her 1998 book, Th omas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings: An American Controversy.

The Issues Of George Washington Essay -- essays research papers

Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With a new nation facing overwhelming difficulties, George Washington faced the challenges of being the first president to run, shape, and build the foundations of the newly formed United States. Washington came into office with the country in heavy debt, and an empty treasury. With the issues President George Washington was facing, he proved to be a paragon leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One such issue was that of the National debt and creating a National Bank. In 1790, Alexander Hamilton proposed that Congress should establish a national bank, in which private investors could buy stock, could print paper money, and keep government finances safe. Washington signed the bill establishing a national bank and started a strong foundation for a thriving economy and a stable currency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another extremely important issue Washington faced was that of the Whiskey Rebellion. The whisky rebellion started when a tax was placed upon distilled liquor. The farmers of Pennsylvania completely infuriated at the taxed because Whisky was their most profitable product and their form of money. In 1794, they set up an armed uprising against the taxes. Alarmed by the attack, and following Hamilton’s advice, Washington sent over 12,000 troops into Pennsylvania for peace keeping. This was the first time a national militia was ever used in the new country. Washington’s decision proved to the people that Congress finally had th...

The Roots of Bilingual Education Essay -- American History Educating E

The Roots of Bilingual Education A historical perspective on bilingual education is written in the article "Bilingual Education Traces its U.S. Roots to the Colonial Era" in the magazine Education Week. The author begins by writing, "Bilingual education has been part of the immigrant experience in America since the Colonial periods, when native-language schooling was the rule rather than the exception" (21). When immigrant groups settled in the United States they taught their children in their own languages, despite some attempts to impose English instruction. Many do not believe it but bilingual education was started before 1800 when German, French, Scandanavian, Polish, Dutch and Italian schools were established. From 1839 to 1880 French was the medium of instruction in Louisiana and from 1848 Spanish was the medium of instruction in New Mexico. In 1880-1917 German-English schools were established in Cincinnati, Baltimore and Indianapolis. The article mentions, "A resurgence of nativism in the late 19th ce ntury- a backlash against the foreign born, led by such organizations as the Know-Nothing Party- marked the beginning of a decline for bilingual education" (22). Bilingual education decreased significantly following World War I through the 1950’s. This decrease was due in large part to the intense nationalistic mood of the country during this period. President Roosevelt told immigrants, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.. Any man who comes here†¦ must adopt the institutions of the United States, and , therefore, he must adopt the language which is now the native tongue of our people, no matter what the several strains in our blood may be. It would not be merely a misfortune, but a crime to p... ...eton: Princeton U Press, 1986), 98-134 Fernandez, Ronald, "The Disenchanted Island", (Praeger, Westport, Connecticut London) 1996 Figueroa-Martà ­nez, Luis. ed. Hist. 247 Reader. (January 1998). Pagan, Armando. "Puerto Ricans in Hartford and the legacy of the Underclass." Undergraduate Senior Thesis submitted to the Department of History, Trinity College, May 1999 Interviews from Park Street residents (5/5/99): Francisco Acevedo, Liz Perez-Balesky, Epifanio Garcia Interviews with Bilingual Education faculty at Hartford Public Highschool (5/6/99): Mrs. Aida Ramos (Vice-Principal), Ms. Clara Velez (Bilingual Math Teacher), Mrs. Irene Killian (TESOL), Ms. Zoraida Ortiz (Bilingual Science Teacher), and Ms. Nancy Harrison (TESOL/Bilingual Computer Lab Teacher).

Analysis of Passion Diptychs

The front surface has three registers with ‘each crowned by a cusped arcade with five hanging capitals and six recreated apertures' which ‘means that the enter of each composition is aligns with a capital'. The first direct visual impression left on a beholder is that the diptych is a representation of an ordered chaos. It Is ordered because It Is systematically divided Into three registers on each wing with each register having six recreated apertures equidistant from each other and symmetric.On the contrary, it seems chaotic because unlike some other passion diptychs, each individual registers are not bordered inside (or split according to the number of apertures) to explicitly show different scenes. Instead, in most registers in his diptych, different scenes are interposed which makes an interesting narrative and, comparatively, leads to a chaotic On a good way) display In an otherwise neatly bordered and systematic diptych.This type of representation, In each composit ion, also portrays a lively sense of movement to the traditional scenes which are otherwise portrayed in an iconic style. This diptych is read left to right across the wings and from the top to the bottom without changing directions. Although it is of a ‘normal' directional impulse, the implications of reading the scenes horizontally sakes It easier and provides a potential to understand and meditate on horizontal and vertical relationships between registers.Interestingly, an absence of Interior dividers not only provides more space and therefore, more creatively but also leads to an increased scope to form thematic relationships between registers without confusion. The first register is a rather unusual start to a Passion diptych because most of them usually start with the ‘Entry Into Jerusalem' or an event that Is directly related to the death of Christ. However, both, this diptych and the â€Å"Abbreviated Passion Diptych† egging with the Resurrection of Lazaru s (fig. 1). Both the diptychs have Mary and Martha thanking Jesus for what he's done.In the Dormouse diptych, a disciple or onlooker can be seen scratching his head in bewilderment and amazed at the fact that Lazarus has resurrected. Lazarus is half out of the tomb that held him holding the cloak of Jesus, who is compassionately looking at him while Lazarus does look tired as If woken up from an unfinished sleep. This section of the first register stimulates trust and dependency because Jesus, although he's Ralston someone from he dead, is calm but also compassionate which agrees to the fact that ‘He loved Him' and shows His humanity.The next scene in the first register is the ‘Entry to Jerusalem' where a person can be seen laying down his cloak and the people ‘on the wall', which denotes people in the city watch excitedly for the entry of their Savior. Interestingly, the scale of Jesus and his disciples, and the other half- the people and larger than the people ha iling his entry. Noticeably, Jesus head is held high, Just as a king nobly receives the respect he is due while he also greets them and accepts their joyous praise.However, this is a sharp contrast from the previous scene – The raising of Lazarus – which is relatively melancholy and calm, suddenly turning to erupting praise which provides an interesting twist in the prayer of the beholder. Continuing on, the next register shows the Washing of the Apostles' Feet' . At this instant, Jesus is probably talking to Simon Peter, as is recorded in the gospel of account of John in which he is initially taken aback and refused to have his foot washed by Jesus but when Jesus insists and gives his reasoning, Peter agrees to it.The mood is very ember and to a degree, awkward, as Jesus is doing something very unexpected of a leader. Incidentally, In stark contrast to the ‘Entry to Jerusalem', where Jesus is being ushered and hailed as King with his head held high, in this scen e, Jesus' head is tilted down, and he is missing his outer garment – his cloak. In this scene, Jesus is kneeling down before his disciples, humbling himself before them and washing the dirt of their feet. To the beholder, this reminds him of the nature of Jesus, that he being God and master of the apostles, humbled himself to wash their feet.A viewer s reminded and encouraged in the fact that if Jesus showed that the way of the kingdom is serving, then he too, must serve willingly. Furthermore, unlike the previous scene where Jesus is a ‘head above' the disciples, in this register, he is placed at the same height showing that he humbled himself to their level. The third register is the event of ‘The Last Supper' which consists of two scenes : Firstly, Jesus foretelling that one of them would betray him. He is seen dipping the bread at the same time as Judas, his betrayer (Matthew 26:23). Secondly, Peter is seen leaning onJesus' breast as He breaks it to him that h e will be betrayed and in the process, be denied by Him three times. Here, ten of the disciples seem a bit merry as they enjoy a feast with Jesus. However, Judas looks at Jesus with a mix of guilt and deceitfulness while Peter has his eyes closed, visibly sad that his master is going to be betrayed and that he would deny him three times in the process. The diptych continues onto the ‘Agony in the Garden' at Statement where Jesus is praying, fearing for the punishment that he will bear, while his disciples sleep.The three disciples in front' of him are Peter, James and John while the other eight are ‘behind' Jesus. The trees are curved in order to use the available space and is shown in a smaller scale to the disciples and Jesus creating a background that helps imply that they are in a garden. This scene shows the humanity of Jesus; where he is looking up towards heaven, with his arms raised, wide awake, asking for help as he is visibly troubled. Interestingly, there is a contrast between this register and the previous one.Unlike the last supper, he disciples here are asleep and hence, to a degree, the mood is a bit dull and dreary. However, for Jesus, it is a tense night as He gains his strength from the Father. This encourages a beholder to find His strength in God through prayer when from all around support is waning, lacking or even absent. Onwards, the next register, ‘The Betrayal of Jesus' shows three scenes simultaneously with Jesus presented only one time, making an interesting Juxtaposition of various scenes in one register.In the background are two soldiers who are of a slightly lower height which ivies a more realistic sense of scale to the whole composition. Peter looks on with and Jesus has rebuked him for that act. The disciple next to Simon Peter is seen as restraining him to attack anyone else. Furthermore, the betrayer, Judas Chariot leans in to kiss Jesus while Jesus tilts his head downwards to receive the kiss. Jesus looks a t him disappointedly while Judas looks with guilt and remorse as he slowly comes to the fact that he is betraying his master and God.At the same instance, Jesus is healing Mulches who is shown writhing in pain. Onto the next scene in the same sister, Judas Chariot, overcome by his guilt hangs himself on a tree, naked, with his intestines and innards coming out. There is a burst of activity in this diptych as there are a lot of intense activities occurring simultaneously. If the previous register was tense because Jesus was apprehensive of the wrath He would take on, the scenes in this register are even tenser with almost a deceptive calmness that Jesus shows in every composition.Incidentally, this diptych has no scene representing the flagellation of Christ or the trying of Him at a counsel and goes straight ahead, after he betrayal, to the crucifixion of Jesus. In the register containing the crucifixion, two major scenes occur simultaneously. Firstly, Mary is swooning and is suppor ted by women who have come to see of her son. Secondly, a dead Jesus, flanked by Longings, the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side, with his spear leaning on his far shoulder, on the left side, who is convinced of his deity and on the right, Stephan, who offered Jesus sour wine to abate his pain.The soldiers flanking him and the women on the left mourn his death radiating sorrow. Moreover, this composition, in n observer, invokes a feeling of gratitude on meditation. Gratitude, because of the humanity of Jesus, who suffered a horrendous death and took on God's wrath so that all could be redeemed by God through Christ. It also stimulates praise and love when one imagines the degree of humility that Jesus underwent to do what He did on the cross. Interestingly, comparing the bottom two registers, Judas is similar to Jesus hanging on a cross as both have their heads slumped to the left.However, Chrism's torso is bare but his abdomen and loins are covered while Judas' torso is covered while his abdomen and loins are bare. Additionally, Judas' hands are turned out which is similar to the orientation of the hands of Mary, who is despairing, too. Similarly, there exists another diptych, the ‘Passion diptych in three registers (135()-75)' which in form is different from the Dormouse diptych as it has five apertures. Apart from the form of the diptych, this passion diptych varies a lot in terms of expression from the Dormouse diptych. The Dormouse diptych contains a range of emotions and passions.From somberness to Joyous rapture to an awkward tuition – it has it all. However, the ‘Passion diptych in three registers' mostly continues along without much changes in individual expressions of horror or happiness, of Joy or sadness. Additionally, unlike the Dormouse diptych, this diptych doesn't have the cruciform halo and doesn't contain scenes such as the ‘Raising of Lazarus' and ‘The Hanging of Judas'. Furthermore, this diptych also lacks difference in scale and precise proportions that distinguishes itself between a good and great diptych.For example, in the last register, the swooning Virgin is seen as tender, restfully falling into the hands of the women supporting her. However, in this Passion diptych, it seems like she's standing with her eyes closed. In conclusion, the Dormouse diptych is a wonderful piece of gothic ivory that is unrivalled not only each composition provides and produces and how the visual complexity of this diptych make the study of its images rewarding. ‘ Bibliography Lowdown, John, and John Cherry, Medieval Ivories and Works of Art: The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. British Columbia: Skillet Publishing, 2008

A Life’s Music Essay

Taking a deeper look at a passage, pages 5-6, out of Andreà ¯ Makine’s book A Life’s Music, you get a real sense of his style and the appropriateness of its title. Makine shows his skills as a writer in this book, you read so much music in the book and when read out loud it is literally music to your ears. The book almost flows as you read it and so makes it a joy to read. He uses a lot of literary devices to give you this sense of music and flow; onomatopoeia, metaphor, smiles and adjectives. In this passage, pages 5-6, Makine uses a vast amount of onomatopoeic words such as; ‘crunch’, ‘crackles’, ‘hisses’, ‘wail’, ‘whimperings’. He has them in the whole passage, as well as the book. Because of this Makine gives the book a sense of music, by this I mean that the book not only has onomatopoeic words and also reads like music, when read out loud, but also feels like music when read. Makine is so clever, he manages to make the book into music and thanks to this, you are completely and utterly engrosses into the book, once you have started reading it, you’ll not stop. Another show of his cleverness is his opening line of the book â€Å"I have just woken up, having dreamed of music.† (P.5 L.1) Makine introduces us to the first chapter of his book with stating that he (unnamed character) has dreamed of music and from then on in the book is filled and consists of music. It is a very clever way of starting the book, the first line of the book and we are lead in with music and what a strange sentence, dreaming of music, one does not usually dream of music. Within the first two sentences you can depict the style of the book, music. The music in this passage is not very a happy one, in fact it is rather depressing and rough; â€Å"Snore call out to one another(.)†, â€Å"The wail of an infant(.)†, â€Å"An ocean swell of sighs(.)† and â€Å"The wind wips(.)†. All of these quotations give you an image of a rather miserable place, not somewhere you would want to be. Makine uses these quotations really well; they give you a great feel for the place and of the atmosphere at the train station. The music in the passage is really well used to describe the feelings of the people at the station â€Å"The wail of an infant rings out very clearly in the darkness, fades into little whimperings as it suck, falls silent.† (P5-6 L.21-23) The music is used to show the extent of the infant’s unhappiness and its progressions as the emotion subsides. You get a feel of the infant’s urgency for the object that it seeks and once received the infant calms and so does the loudness of the music. Furthermore he uses music to show us the people’s responses to things â€Å"An ocean swell of sighs ripples through the waiting-room. But the truth is that no one expects anything more.† (P.6 L.28-30) The waiting people get told their train is delayed and as you would expect they sigh the point is, they sigh in such a way that it sounds just like an the ocean. Here Makine does not solely use and an onomatopoeic word, but also a metaphor ‘an ocean swell of sighs’. This gives you an image of the people sighing just like they would do a Mexican wave and it gives the sound of the sigh such a magnitude. Furthermore this quotation is a great example in the passage of how the book flows from one sentence to the next. Along with Makine’s great use of music, he uses a lot of adjectives and they go hand in hand with his music. His adjectives give this passage a tone of violence and it constantly affects the atmosphere ‘hurls’, ‘shout’, ‘beat’, ‘grudgingly’ and ‘hardness’. With the soldiers the adjectives are used to give this sense of potential violence â€Å"(A) muffled shout of laughter, then a crunch of a fragment of glass under a foot, an oath. Two soldiers (†¦) beat a path through the mass of huddled bodies.† (P.5 L.16-20) These soldiers give off this feel of violence, it seems if provoked they would fight and they seem to want to fight, they ‘beat a path’ through a mass of people, they are provoking the people to stand up say something about their behaviour. Furthermore at the end of the passage Makine uses simile to further enhance his tone of violence; â€Å"(I)t looks like a battlefield strewn with dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (P.6 L.45) This simile really ties a bow on the tone, at this point there is no longer the possibility for there to be doubt over the tone. You are given such an image of violence this mass of people at the train station are laying down on this hard floor and they are so unmoving and massed together they just look like a mass of corpses. It is quite a horrifying image. In conclusion Andreà ¯ Makine’s style is very clearly music, the sound and the flow of it, and he uses onomatopoeia to translate it into the book and does so very successfully. He uses metaphors to emphasize the music in the book and the metaphors also help to give the music an increased magnitude. In combination with these literary devices Makine also uses similes and a through use of adjectives to make the music in the book stand out and to help the book flow from one sentence to the next. I personally really loved this book, it has stuck out as book among the books I have thus far read and I think it will continue to do so. Andreà ¯ Makine is a wonderful and skilled writer, the fact that he gave this book its title A Life’s Music is no wonder at all, it breathes music.