Value and Risk Management in Construction Essay

Value and Risk Management in Construction - Essay Example The value management exercises are basically carried out first in order to determine an exact cause which is responsible for constituting the values to the business mainly from delivery of any project. A preferred option is also identified and together with all other risks, there is a great chance of it to occur if any particular option is implemented. (Office of government commerce, 2003) Risk management mainly includes all the activities that are required for the identification and control of the risks that are related to the option of the preferred project. Successful risk management also requires a senior management commitment along with ownership and a thorough understanding of the whole process and also an active risk management regime that is reviewed on daily basis in a much constructive culture. Attitudes to the risk are known to have a significant effect on the overall success of the projects being carried. For instance, the main objective related to ‘not failing†™ will surely have a low tolerance for the risks of all kinds. Conversely speaking, the objective of ‘succeeding’ will also encourage the participants to become more innovative and to take more risks where necessary and to make an effort for monitoring along with management of the recognized risks. (Office of government commerce, 2003) If the talk in detail about the risk management mainly in the construction projects of my country, USA, it mainly involves: a proper identification and assessment of the risks mainly in terms of its impact along with probability, proper establishment, and maintenance of the joint risk register, it should have the concept and assurance of agreement by all the integrated project team members, establishment of the procedures that are required for active management and monitoring of the risks throughout the on-going project and the during occupation on the completion, to make sure that the members of the team are having a proper opportunity for engaging in a dialogue that is eventually going to promote an agreement of the appropriate and accurate allocation of the risk, proper updating of the risk information throughout the project which would surely ensure the control of the risks by proper planning of how the risks will be managed through the on-going project so that it could have an acceptable limit and lastly efficient allocation of the responsibility for proper management of each of the risks with the suitable party that will best their job. (Office of government commerce, 2003) Now talking about value in detail particularly in much broadest sense then its main is to benefit the client or in simpler words the project that is worth doing and which could also quantify in the main business terms, for example, this can be done by creating a better and an efficient working environment or even by improving the overall experience of the associated people during their workings. In this respect, value basically means to e nsure that the correct choices and decisions are being made mainly to obtain the optimum and the best possible balance of the benefit mainly in its relation to the overall cost and its risk.

Louis XIVs foreign policy Essay Example for Free

Louis XIVs foreign policy Essay Assess to what extent was Louis XIVs foreign policy less successful after 1684. Up to 1684, Louis XIVs foreign policy had allowed him to acquire strategically important territory which made France more secure. In doing so, he also defended the reputation of the House of Bourbon on the battlefield and thus increased its gloire. However after 1684, his foreign policy enjoyed less success due to a combination of factors. The latter half of Louis reign was marked by two major wars: the Nine Years War and the War of Spanish Succession. Both of these wars emphasized a decline in France after its peak in 1684. For instance, the results of the Nine Years War suggest that France had clearly lost most of the territory gained at the Treaty of Nymegen in 1678. Meanwhile, the War of Spanish Succession did not result in as much success as Louis previous wars. This indicates a less successful foreign policy after 1684. In terms of territory, Louis only real gain was Spain from the War of Spanish Succession. On the other hand, Louis surrendered all possessions gained since Nymegen, with the exception of Strasbourg, such as Trier, Breisach, Philippsburg and most of Lorraine. Plus, the Spanish Empire had to been carved up, with parts of it going to other European powers. These losses imply that Louis no longer possessed a dominating influence over Europe; the North-Eastern border was yet again vulnerable to attacks from other nations. To add insult to injury, France and Spain could not unite to become one country. Prior to 1684, the French had been undefeated since Louis took his majority in 1661. However post-1684, there were several defeats for the French army, most notably at Blenheim in 1704 and Oudenarde in 1708 after which France was invaded. These defeats weakened the gloire of the French army, which had been feared prior to these defeats. Frances gloire was further diminished when the Allies invaded her during 1708 and 1709. These defeats suggest poor leadership and a deteriorating army which no longer held its former feared reputation. Other setbacks include destruction of the French navy at the Battle of Cap de la Hogue in 1692. This ended any chances of restoring James II as King of England. Restoring James would alter the balance of power in Europe in favour of Louis. The balance of power was extremely important because the balance of power had been in favour of France from 1661 1688. Despite these setbacks, both Louis and France were still able to gain some gloire. Firstly, gaining the Spanish Succession implied that the Bourbons had the upper hand in the dynastic struggle with the Hapsburgs. Secondly, although the French were defeated on several occasions, it did win some important battles, namely at Brihuega and Villa Victoba in 1710. Plus, the results of the Treaty of Utrecht suggest that France was still the dominating power in Europe. It would appear that the achievements of the latter half of Louis reign did not match the first half. This is reflected in the French gains in terms of territory and gloire. While the former half of the reign was characterised by territorial acquisitions such as Franche-Comtà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, Aire, Ypres, etc, the latter half was highlighted by losing land gained since the Treaty of Nymegen. These losses weakened Frances north-eastern and eastern border, which Louis had worked so hard to protect in the first half of his sovereignty. This loss also meant diminished gloire and reduced hegemony. Compared with the initial half of his reign, Louis appears to achieve less in the second half. This decline can be attributed to a combination of factors. Louis foreign policy before 1684 had created plenty of enemies in Europe, namely England, United Provinces, Spain, Holy Roman Empire and the German Princes. While before the Holy Roman Emperor had to deal with the Turks in the east, Leopold now had a free hand to intervene in the west. Louis foreign policy prior to 1684 had united Europe in hatred of him and France. The Dutch opposed him because he had fought them in the Dutch War, which resulted in sever disruption to Dutch trade. German Princes opposed him because Louis had taken land from them via the Policy of Reunion. Leopold also wanted revenge because Louis had illegally seized Strasbourg. Compared to the beginning of Louis reign, the European balance of power has shifted against France; whereas before there was disunity in Europe, now Europe was unified in hatred of France. This unity is very important because it shifts the balance of power against France. Whereas in previous wars France was able to isolate enemies, now she had to fight against the whole of Europe. Previous wars had used up Frances resources. Even by 1680 France was already in debt. On the other hand, her enemies enjoyed better provisions for finance, for example the William III was able to borrow money at low rates from of interest from the Bank of England. The minister and generals in the latter part of the reign did not have the same standard as at the beginning. This is particularly true of the army; Villeroi and Villars were mere shadows of their predecessors. The Allies, on the contrary, had excellent and able generals such as the Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Heinsius. Whereas before France had the dream team of ministers and army generals, now the Allies have superior personnel. France was further weakened by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which forced plenty Huguenots to leave the country. This had a devastating effect on the French economy since many of the Huguenots were merchants, industrialists, engineers, etc. Frances loss was the Allies gain as many of these Huguenots moved to Allied countries. As a result, the Allied human resources grew at the expense of France. Although the change in the balance of power in Europe is importantly, ultimately the loss of resources was a more important factor in explaining why France was less successful after 1688. Hugue de Lionne was able to alienate opponents during the War of Devolution and Dutch War, whilst his successors were not able to do that in the Nine Years War or War of Spanish Succession. If French diplomats had been able to alienate opponents, then she wouldnt have had to fight the whole Europe. While Conde and Turenne remained undefeated, Villeroi and Villars suffered frequent defeats in the hands of the Allies. Had the French army stayed undefeated during the Nine Years War and War of Spanish Succession, then no doubt her gains would have been much more than what she actually received. Part of Louis success in the former half of his reign was due the fact that there was a power vacuum in Europe for France to explore. However, by the second half of the reign, that power vacuum had disappeared. Emperor Leopold had dealt with the Turks on his eastern frontier and could turn his full attention onto the west. While Charles II didnt want to be involved in expensive European warfare, there was no question of that after William III became King of England. This suggests that other European countries no longer had internal problems and were able to take part in European affairs. Another reason for the less successful latter half is the foreign policy of the former half of his reign had caused deep resentment and anger from other powers in Europe. Many countries had been offended by French actions; particularly regarding French aggression during the Policy of Reunions. This resulted in them wanting revenge against France. It would appear that Leopolds availability to intervene in the west was a more important factor than other countries wanting revenge against France. Leopold can be seen as Louis nearest contemporary. So, if any nation or coalition was going to match France, then Leopold had to be in it. This can be seen in the Grand Alliance of the Hague. Therefore, one of the main reasons for a less successful foreign policy post-1688 is because of Leopolds availability to intervene in the west. There is a combination of reasons as to why Louis was less successful after 1688. Some reasons are more than important than others; for example, the hatred of France from the Policy of Reunion drove other nations together against France and so the power vacuum, which was there at the beginning of the reign, disappeared. However, ultimately it was the combination of these reasons which caused French foreign policy to be less successful following 1688. Unity in Europe alone wouldnt have stopped French aggression. Similarly loss of French resources alone wouldnt have had as much effect had Europe been in disarray. In conclusion, the foreign policy in the latter half of Louis reign was clearly less successful than pre-1684. In terms of achievements she had secured her status in Europe by acquiring the Spanish Succession, which ensured that she was no longer surrounded by Hapsburgs; Louis had built a Bourbon base in Western Europe which would secure and strengthen both France and Spain. He also left behind a legacy of unprecedented French supremacy during which France was arguably the most powerful country in the world. However, there were failures from his foreign policy as well. The North-Eastern and Eastern frontiers was yet again weakened by the loss of lands which he had worked so hard to acquire before 1684. Furthermore, he left his successor with a Europe united in hatred of France who wanted to curb French power and hegemony.

Child Abuse Case Study: Peter Connelly Essay -- Toddler Peter Connell

Child abuse does not discriminate against a child because of age, sex, religion, or socioeconomic background. Every child is vulnerable to abuse. Parents today face the possibility that someone they know or a stranger may hurt or take advantage of their children. Research indicates that as many as one out of every four children will be the victims of some kind of abuse (National Child Abuse Statistics). Furthermore, one of the biggest ironies of child abuse is that the family, a child’s primary source of care, love, and security, can also be their most taunting experience. This was the case of 17 month old baby, Peter Connelly. Throughout his short life span, he suffered from neglect and physical abuse that ultimately caused his death. Child abuse is a serious problem that is being taken too lightly. Peter Connelly was born March 1st, 2007 in Haringey, London. In a two month period Peter’s father moved out of the house, while his mother Tracey Connelly met a new guy Steven Baker at a club. On October 13th Peter was taken to the doctor’s office with bruises to the side of his head. His mother told the authorities that he fell out of his crib. Sometime around December Peters mothers thirty-two year old boyfriend, Steven Baker, moves into the home. Within the same month he was rushed to the emergency room with head injuries, bruising to the bridge of the nose, sternum, right shoulder and buttocks. Peter’s mother said he fell off of his seat. Ultimately, his case was referred to social services. Peter was given temporarily to a friend of the family. Pursing this further, on January 26th Peter is returned to his mother, even though Tracey Connelly was still on bail for assaulting and neglecting the baby. Time... ...Baby P Death Named." BBC News - Home. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . Hughes, Mark. "Baby P's Killers: the Untold Story - Crime, UK - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . Layman, Richard. Child Abuse. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 1990. 15+. Print. "National Child Abuse Statistics | Childhelp." Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse | Childhelp. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . "Timeline Leading to Toddler Peter Connelly's Tragedy | The Sun |News." The Sun | The Best for News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities | The Sun| The Sun. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. .

Greek And Roman Arches :: History, Art, Architecture

Greek and Roman Arches and Architecture Architectural designs changed greatly since the ancient times. Most famous architectures and sculptures today originated from the Greek and Roman civilizations. Moreover, some of the inventions from those civilizations are also being used today, such as the arch, which originated from Roman architecture, and the columns, which originated from the Greek architecture. Throughout history, these architectures and inventions have become the foundations for our buildings, churches, and much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Greek architecture used mainly columns in most of their temples. The shape of the column was the most significant architectural factor. There were three types of columns, which were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. On these columns would lay a magnificent centerpiece, which displayed Greek gods or any sort of decorations. On the other hand, the Romans’ architecture used mainly arches, which could hold much more pressure than a column. Romans also used columns in their buildings, but only in a decorative form. Arches were made of stones or bricks and placed on top of each other in a way that it can form an arch and hold weight upon itself. In most Roman architectures, such as the Colosseum, there would be a dome over the top to protect from rain, sun, or any other weather. The dome has a massive weight, so there has to be something to support it up, and this is where the job of the arch takes place. In these Greek and Roman buildings or temples, there would be sculptures of famous gods and warriors. The Greek sculptures were also different than the Romans’.

Compare/Contrast of the Movie and the Book Night of the Twisters

There were many differences between the book and movie. One of the differences in the movie is there is a tornado tracker guy gets information on the tornado, but in the book there isn’t a tornado tracker guy. In the movie, Stacey doesn’t help get Dan ad Arthur out of the basement out of the basement, but in the book, she does. In the movie, the Mom doesn’t give instructions to Dan and Arthur, but in the book she does. In the movie, when Mom leaves the house, she’s checking if Grandmas okay, but in the book, she checks on Mrs. Smiley. In the book, Mrs. Smiley is one of the characters, but in the movie, she isn’t one of the characters. In the book, Dan drives the police car, but in the movie, Dan drives through roadblocks to get to Grandma. In the movie, the Dad got stuck under a car and got rescued, but in the book, the Dad never got stuck under a car. In the movie, Dan sneaks into the car when the Dad is looking for the Mom, but in the book, that doesn’t happen. In the movie, Dan has an earring, but in the book, he doesn’t. In the movie, Grandma dies, but in the book, Mrs. Smiley dies. In the movie, when the family meets, another tornado is upon them, but in the book, when they meet, there are no more tornadoes. Even though the movie and book were different, I still liked both of them a lot. The movie and book were similar in many different ways. The movie and book had the same date, setting, and title. They both talk about red and black letter days. The movie and book had mostly the same characters. They both had Dan doing bike races. In the movie and the book, Dan likes Stacey. They both had tornados in it. In the book, and the movie, Dan and Arthur are friends. In both, the movie and the book, Arthur has a lot of sisters and brothers and moved from California. In both, the movie and the book, when the tornado starts to destroy the house, Dan struggles to get Ryan to the basement. In the movie and the book, they hide in the basement and then get into the shower. In the movie and the book, so many things get destroyed, but no one died from the tornado. There were a lot of similarities between the book and movie.

Are humans still evolving essays

Are humans still evolving essays In order to figure out if humans are still evolving scientists have to ask, do humans have variety in their gene pool, and is there a differential fitness to these variants? Everybody, whether or not they believe humans are still evolving, agree that we have variety. Between genetic drift and when Eyre-Walker and Keightley claimed in 1999 that humans, on average, had 4.2 amino acid altering mutations every generation since humans separated from chimpanzees it is unreasonable to claim that we dont have variety between humans. People who dont believe humans are still evolving are basing their theory on selective pressure. They believe with all the modern technology, medicine, food distribution, heating and cooling, etc, there are no longer any selective pressures in our lives to separate the fit from the unfit. They believe that the capabilities within our modern society and speed with which our culture adapts to change has completely overruled the process of natural selection and ther efore stopped natural selection. However, there are several problems with these claims that could prove these people wrong. These problems are placed into 4 different classes of error including: 1. Misunderstanding the nature and power of natural selection, 2. Forgetting other forms of selection, such as sexual selection, 3. Assumptions about the entire world from the specific first world lifestyles of the very people claiming this, and 4. Mistakenly taking the term current evolution to mean that evolution must happen before our eyes. The first class comes from the assumption that selection only works on the more obvious visible traits and little else. We perceive certain things as good attributes (sharp teeth, strong muscles, speed, and intelligence) and others as bad attributes (obesity, skin prone to sunburn, and uncoordination) and we decide that anything t ...

BOB

BOB The effectiveness of leaders depend on how appropriate leadership style is to the situation in which they operate. Given that the effectiveness of a leader depends on the situation, it naturally follows that certain leadership behaviors will be effective of ineffective in certain situations. BOB's International Entertainment Conglomerate, although for the most part a financially successful organization, is an organization that is ran by ineffective leaders.This case study will attempt to derive a solution to the many problems cited in the case. Although there are numerous problems, many of these if not all can be resolved through the implementation of several key concepts to be explained in greater detail.All organizations are occasionally confronted with problems that need to be solved. Unlike a decision-making process which centers its energy on selecting the best alternative from several choices, the intention of the problem-solving process is to find the root cause of a problem, or in the case of BOB's , the problems.Michael PhelpsThis distinction is crucial, as we tend to lump decision making and problem-solving together, and treat them much the same way, when in fact they are distinct processes.In an attempt to solve the problems, it is vital that we restate many of the problems that BOB's has had to endure and is currently confronted with. BOB's is an International Entertainment Conglomerate consisting of, bars, opera houses, and ballet houses. My role in this organization is that of Regional Vice President of Operations. Under me, I have three operation managers. Each are in charge with overseeing either the bars, ballets, or operas within my region. Each operations manager has reporting to them, district managers who then in turn, have facility mangers underneath them. The facility managers are supported by their own respective staff members.The current situation has...

The Cratchits all worked Essays

The Cratchits all worked Essays The Cratchits all worked Paper The Cratchits all worked Paper In A Christmas carol, how does Dickens make the reader aware of the conditions of the poor in the 19th century? In what ways does he make his message palatable? The story of A Christmas Carol is set in Charles Dickens home town of London. In the Victorian period Londoners were split in two categories, the rich and poor and the streets were filled with diseases and many poor children died at young ages. There were many big families who had small but affordable meals throughout the year, but for one day in the year they attempted to earn as much money as they could so families could have a special meal. This day was Christmas and in my essay I am going to be describing how Dickens get across the Christmas spirit people have. Dickens knew London well and he saw all the poverty on the streets and the diseases. Dickens cared immensely about poor peoples welfare and started writing his books to help people understand the hard lives poor people had to live, to earn enough money and make enough food for their families to survive. He hoped that someone would listen to what he had seen and change London to make the poor and rich an equal community. Many businessmen in Dickens lifetime were making their money from the Royal Exchange. Like them Scrooge was a very wealthy businessman who is selfish and only cares for himself. Scrooge rarely spoke to people as he kept himself to himself and didnt like expressing his feelings to other people. He showed his attitude to people when he said, every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should. Businessmen were supported by their clerks who worked very hard for an amount of money that could only afford to rent a house and support a small family. This would usually be about i 80 a year. But Bob Cratchit who worked for Scrooge as a clerk was treated even worse then most poor workers who were never treated with dignity. He was paid below the average pay for a regular poor worker, so struggled to pay for food and his family bills. He had to work in terrible conditions, for example Scrooge looked after the coal box and wouldnt give Cratchit fclerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which efforts, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed. Bob Cratchit really loved Christmas and when he applauded Scrooges nephew talking to Scrooge about how great Christmas was, Scrooge said, Let me hear another sound from you and youll keep your Christmas by losing your situation. Scrooge had threatened to sack Bob Cratchit so close to Christmas and just shows how mean he was and how poorly workers were treated in Victorian times. In Dickens time workers were paid poor money but they had to rely on this income so much because if a poor person didnt have this small amount of money they would surely have to live on the streets begging for food and would find it difficult to get another job which is why Bob Cratchit cant argue with Scrooges dismal treatment of him and he just has to cope with it. Cratchit had to work everyday in the year, except Christmas which was the one day the Cratchit family would have a proper meal with a goose and lots more treats they wouldnt be able to afford on an ordinary day. Christmas was a day that poor people didnt care about the expense of all the food or presents, it was a day that all families came together. The Cratchits all worked together to make their Christmas dinner, Mrs Cratchit made the gravy, hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Mrs Belinda sweetened up the apple sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates. Christmas was a great day for all poor people but they all knew the next day was just another ordinary day and so they would have to go back to the usual boring diet which usually consisted of bread and potatoes but this is why the Crachits were so happy at Christmas as it was the one day they would have a good meal and would be very happy. In the Victorian times population in London was at its peak. This meant there were more illnesses mainly young people but it was usually only the richer families that got treatment. If a poor person got ill they wouldnt stand much chance of surviving.

The Problem of Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Problem of Evil - Essay Example However, this world is filled with things beyond evil and people do feel pain and suffering, which contradicts the claims of orthodox theist that God is perfectly good. This conflict is called problem of evil. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is He impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then is He malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil? (Hume) In an attempt to unravel the complexities of this predicament, few queries must be made. Evil goes beyond what we do not want other people to do to us. According to Hick, there are two classifications of evil. First, the moral evil which includes those acts an individual or group may be responsible of such as the seven deadly sins and more. Second type is the natural evil. Pain and suffering brought by natural calamities which people has no control over. Although the line which separates the two is still blurry, since some natural evil are consequences of human actions or lack of action. Nevertheless, we cannot deny the fact that there are things beyond our control ----- accidents and natural disasters. Evil is often associated with suffering which highlights an individual’s sense of pain or loss that focuses on a particular kind of evil: one which is considered as a consequence of an act rather than a more abstract concept. Thus arise another confusion which is the existence of hell ----- a place where God put those who have failed Him to rot and suffer; because this very notion contradicts the idea of a loving God. Augustinian theodicy argues that God is wholly good, thus He’s not responsible for the existence of evil in the world. It claims that evil is not the opposite; rather it is the absence of good. According to this theodicy, evil happens as a result of people’s misuse of their free will, therefore exonerating God and putting the blame of all evil and suffering to people who abuse their free will. This particular claim of Augustinian theodicy makes the subject more baffling, for it puts all the blame to the ‘finitely perfect’ being, that is us humans, who fails to choose perfection, hence shifting the blame back to the Creator. Moreover, the term ‘privation’ is inadequate justification for the apparent effects of evil in its truest sense. Then comes the knowledge of evolution ---- a process by which humans, being the most complex creatures, learn to adapt and grow in accordance with its environment. This is the claim of Irenaean theodicy which is restated by John Hick on his Soul-making theodicy. Hick defines soul-making as the existence of evil and suffering which allows flawed creatures to outgrow their imperfections and develop to a more perfect state. It emphasizes on the development by practicing free will, people are able to overcome temptations and suffering hence bringing them closer to perfection and to God. Unlike that of the Augustinians which give much stress on the negativity of the existence of evil, Irenaean theodicy puts God in an epistemic distance from us. It explains that this distance is meant for us to learn to love God on our own free-will by prevailing over all the difficulties He places on our path as we journey through life. Evil is created by God to hone the inner values we have, for some ideals need to go through some difficulties to develop like that of courage and forgiveness amidst suffering. This theodicy believes that individuals evolve towards a higher state by

Global Environment of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Global Environment of Business - Essay Example It would be wise to look into dividing the development into two components with an Asian software development for less critical components of the software to take care of issues with customers that are not in the same time zone as those of the software development team in the United States. The use of an Asian development team also allows for global infrastructure embracement wherein it satisfies all the components of PARC. The advantage of Option 1 is in the recruiting section that would look into recruiting outside of North America and hire international project managers to handle international projects. This could work well within the scope of not necessarily having a VP of software development in Europe, but could have the project managers report to the VP of software development within North America. Option 2, although viable in the sense that the organization needs to be streamlined between North American and European management teams it is not necessarily a wise move to move to hire additional Vice-Presidents for operations with respect to Europe and North America, but rather review the current managerial functions and fix areas of redundancy and focus on how each of the departments can be utilized in a more streamlined fashion. One of the areas that require further discussion in the area of recruitment with respect to the areas that ZAK-Squared is recruiting in. Although it is important for cultural diversity and following employment standards, it is important to look at the bottom line in hiring in the countries that have a large increase in the standard of living. In such countries as Asia, it is less expensive to hire programmers, but, there are items that are required for staff with respect to compensatory measures. For instance, in India, women are automatically driven home via taxi in the evening for safety reasons. This needs to be considered

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Final project - Essay Example A harmonious combination into the use of these instruments fell into categories such as metal, stone, clay, bamboo, wood, bone, string, and gourd. The instruments gave symbols to Chinese people. These instruments were rudimentary and played about five notes out of the seven musical notes. The most recognized instruments in this episode include the Guzheng, the Zhong Ruan, the Liuqin, the YangQin, the Erhu, the Dizi, the Pipa, the Zheng, the Rattle drum, and the Xun, which was a wind musical instrument, and one among the ancient and oldest instrument used in China, approximately 7,000 years ago. In the past, the Xun was played in the open and provided the main part of the entertainment. It dates back to the Neolithic age. It has six holes at most and a very simple structure. Its sound creates a unique artistic feeling that inspires (Jin, Li & Rong 65-73). The changes in time and rapid development of musical instruments led to more instruments that were played in china to about over 70 instruments. Among them as recognized in the episode were the Qin, which is the oldest instrument of its time in the world, and can take on many shapes and accommodate many sounds. It was produced in the imagery of a cloud, and playing it required good manners by the players; hence, it was reserved for scholars. This instrument was mainly used to cultivate the mind and character of the player. The other instrument is the chime whistle used by ancient hunters, the pottery drum, the pottery whistle, and the chime stone, which originated from a simple farm tool, and resembled an ancient plough. Other instruments identified include the Shao Jingqun, the Piano, and the Chime bells, which were large and had complex shapes. The bells comprised 65 in total and weighed about 5 tons. There was also the chime stone that is recognized for being predominant in the musical industry of the Chinese, the giant drum found in the excavated tomb, and perceived as

Marketing Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Environment - Essay Example The company was recently noted to have started transactions with the economy of Japan by offering the Japanese customers with regular and premium quality of wine. In its future expansion panning, Company A has selected the market of China owing to the opportunities and the threats presented by the Chinese wine industry in comparison to the other probable target markets including that of UK and USA (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2012). The core objective of this paper is to state the procedure of expansion of a wine company from Australia to the selected market of China explaining the reason for focusing on the Chinese market rather than USA and UK. With this concern, the study will emphasize on conducting a situational analysis in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the target market, based on which, particular strategies will be suggested to the company with regards to its expansion plan. Country Brief All the three prospective markets for Company A’s expans ion planning, including China, USA and UK, are having good trade relationships with Australia. In the three countries the demand for wine is high and plays an influencing role for the wine producer or company. However, it is worth mentioning that a few differences made Company A to choose Chinese market for its expansion. With a substantial rise in the total population of China, demand in the wine industry have also been noted to increase at a significant rate as wine is considered to be an inseparable part of Chinese culture and lifestyle (Conley, 2007). On the other hand, the population of USA is increasing, but at a low pace. However, the demand for wine is increasing rapidly and has influenced many companies to expand their businesses in USA. It is in this context, the USA wine industry can be identified as majorly captured by the national companies which develop the industry to be a concentrated one with barriers for the foreign companies. Hence, while deciding upon expanding t o the USA market, Company A might have to face various competitive factors which might restrict its sustainable growth (Colman & Paster, 2007). The Chinese wine market can further be regarded as more promising than the UK market based on various facts. For instance, UK has witnessed a significant fall in its overall consumption of alcohol due to increased taxation rate and other legal constraints. The recently recorded figure shows that the consumption of alcohol in UK fell by 11% in 2010 in comparison to that of 2004. Moreover, impositions of duty charges and other taxation limits also act as barrier to foreign wine companies to enter in the UK market. On the other hand, China has gradually developed as a leading purchaser of alcohol in the international market. Moreover, in the international context, China has also been observed to consume more quantity of wine than USA (The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, 2011). The growing population in China along with the subsequently incre asing demands in the market plays a significant role as a vital attracting aspect to many foreign companies, especially in the current wine industry. Australia and China are interdependent on each other in terms of foreign trade through Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Subsequently Company A, being an Australian company, can enjoy various benefits in terms

Analysis of Strategic Marketing Planning Literature review

Analysis of Strategic Marketing Planning - Literature review Example Based on Levitt's (1983) contribution, technology is one of the factors which affects firms to globalize their strategy (p.92). The other factor is cultural, that is consumer homogeneity (p. 96). It means that the preferences and tastes of consumers are becoming the same around the globe. The main aspect here is that communication (e.g. internet, cable television) is in the hands of normal people because through technology its costs have been reduced. Consequently, people around the world want all the things they have watched, heard and experienced via new technologies. So it means that the firms hast to decide if it will standardize or customize its product according to the market they penetrate. Based on the proposal of Levitt (1983) and Douglas and Craig (1991), if the firms consider themselves as a global player, they would opt for standardization of products because of consumer homogeneity. According to Douglas and Craig (1991) contribution, the competitive pressure (p.51) in the global market forces firms to defend their market position. Rivals are no more only in the domestic markets but in all markets around the world; consequently, firms have to be around the globe fighting with their competitors. In this situation, firms have to control their internal factors related to Resource-based View.

Marketing Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Environment - Essay Example The company was recently noted to have started transactions with the economy of Japan by offering the Japanese customers with regular and premium quality of wine. In its future expansion panning, Company A has selected the market of China owing to the opportunities and the threats presented by the Chinese wine industry in comparison to the other probable target markets including that of UK and USA (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2012). The core objective of this paper is to state the procedure of expansion of a wine company from Australia to the selected market of China explaining the reason for focusing on the Chinese market rather than USA and UK. With this concern, the study will emphasize on conducting a situational analysis in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the target market, based on which, particular strategies will be suggested to the company with regards to its expansion plan. Country Brief All the three prospective markets for Company A’s expans ion planning, including China, USA and UK, are having good trade relationships with Australia. In the three countries the demand for wine is high and plays an influencing role for the wine producer or company. However, it is worth mentioning that a few differences made Company A to choose Chinese market for its expansion. With a substantial rise in the total population of China, demand in the wine industry have also been noted to increase at a significant rate as wine is considered to be an inseparable part of Chinese culture and lifestyle (Conley, 2007). On the other hand, the population of USA is increasing, but at a low pace. However, the demand for wine is increasing rapidly and has influenced many companies to expand their businesses in USA. It is in this context, the USA wine industry can be identified as majorly captured by the national companies which develop the industry to be a concentrated one with barriers for the foreign companies. Hence, while deciding upon expanding t o the USA market, Company A might have to face various competitive factors which might restrict its sustainable growth (Colman & Paster, 2007). The Chinese wine market can further be regarded as more promising than the UK market based on various facts. For instance, UK has witnessed a significant fall in its overall consumption of alcohol due to increased taxation rate and other legal constraints. The recently recorded figure shows that the consumption of alcohol in UK fell by 11% in 2010 in comparison to that of 2004. Moreover, impositions of duty charges and other taxation limits also act as barrier to foreign wine companies to enter in the UK market. On the other hand, China has gradually developed as a leading purchaser of alcohol in the international market. Moreover, in the international context, China has also been observed to consume more quantity of wine than USA (The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, 2011). The growing population in China along with the subsequently incre asing demands in the market plays a significant role as a vital attracting aspect to many foreign companies, especially in the current wine industry. Australia and China are interdependent on each other in terms of foreign trade through Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Subsequently Company A, being an Australian company, can enjoy various benefits in terms

Impact of Management on Organizations Term Paper

Impact of Management on Organizations - Term Paper Example This paper is an attempt to explore the various dimensions and dynamics of the impact of management on organizations. Whether positive or negative and internal or external, the paper will critically analyze this impact. During this discussion, this paper will touch various sub topics under the umbrella of such as strategic management, leadership, and managing change. Body/Discussion Before even initiating the discussion about management and its impact on organizations, it is imperative to present the basic idea and definition of management. According to its definition, management refers to the process of achieving organizational goals and objectives effectively and efficiently by engaging in â€Å"the major functions of management, which are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling†. Planning is â€Å"the process of setting goals and deciding on the best possible methods of achieving them† (Hamel & Breen, 2007). Without goals, objectives, and targets, management cannot even exist. The first task of management is to set a vision and create objectives about what the organization intends to achieve and how it intends to achieve the same (Daft & Lane, 2009). Consider the example of Whirlpool, a Fortune 500 company which is celebrating its 100 birthday this current year, to understand the importance of planning as the function of management and its impact on the overall organization. The overall objective of the company, during the 1990s was to achieve the best possible performance in delivering the shareholder value. The company went on to define that as achieving the target of revenues of 15 billion US dollars annually from their existing level of 7 billion US dollars (Hamel & Breen, 2007). Whirlpool and its executives and managers knew that this is an imper ative yet difficult task and something had to done effectively in order to achieve this target. The company initiated intensive efforts to understand the needs, wants, demands, expectations, ideas, and thoughts of the customers so that the company could introduce the best possible products, which are in line with the needs of the

Converting gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy Essay Example for Free

Converting gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy Essay Unavoidably, I encountered two anomalous results due to making some of the measurement errors mentioned before. When I plotted my graph, I realised that one of the points was much higher up in relation to the line of best fit while the other was much lower down. I named these measurements A B. The kinetic energy gained by the ball bearing was just more than half of the gravitational potential energy it lost for most measurement e. g. when the ball bearing was dropped from a height of 0. 15 metres, it stored 18. 8 i 10i 4 mJ of potential energy which transformed into 11. 7 i 10i 4 mJ of kinetic energy which is just a bit more than 9. 4 i 10i 4 mJ (half of the gravitational potential energy it stored). Interestingly, for measurement A, when the ball bearing was dropped from 0. 17m, it had gravitational potential energy of 21. 3 i 10i4 mJ but it didnt gain just a bit more than 10. 65 i 10i 4 mJ of kinetic energy but actually gained less than half of the potential energy it stored 10. 2 i 10i 4 mJ. The reason for obtaining this irregular result may have been that I didnt release the ball from the highest point of the runway but a few centimetres further down. This would not have provided enough energy for it to drop down as fast as it did for other measurements because gravitational potential energy ,which the ball bearing stores, depends on height h ( E p = mgh), which is lowered in this case. Therefore, it brought a decrease in the kinetic energy which the ball bearing gained it didnt gain as much kinetic energy as it could have done, had it been dropped from the highest point on the runway. This is why, unlike the other measurements, it gained less than half of the potential energy it stored. Another factor which may have caused this anomalous result could have been that the height of the runway itself wasnt set accurately lower than it should have been so although the gravitational potential energy we calculated = mgh = 0.00125 i 10 i 0. 17 would have been correct theoretically, it would have been practically inaccurate as the actual height set was less than what it should have been (0. 17m) and therefore the ball bearing in reality stored less gravitational potential energy than we calculated . On the other hand, for measurement B, when the ball bearing was dropped from 0. 19m, the ball bearing had gravitational potential energy of 23. 8 i 10i 4 mJ but it didnt gain just a bit more than 11. 9 i 10i 4 mJ of kinetic energy ( 1/2 of the gravitational potential energy) but actually gained a lot more than that. The reason for obtaining the inaccurate result would have been either pushing the ball bearing down the runway or releasing the ball bearing in air on the top of the runway instead of releasing it from rest in contact with the runway floor. Either of these reasons would have provided more energy for the ball bearing to roll down faster therefore it gained more kinetic energy than it did in other measurements when it was released from the top of the runway. Another factor which may have caused this anomalous result can be that the timing of the ball bearing rolling along the distance of 1m was recorded incorrectly or once again, the height wasnt set correctly the actual height set was smaller than what it should have been and therefore the potential energy calculated was less than what the ball bearing had actually stored and therefore the kinetic energy the ball bearing gained was calculated, was more than half of the potential energy which it stored. Finally, if I was going to do this experiment again, I would use more accurate measurement equipment to make my results more accurate. I would   use a computerised stop watch and lasers instead of a manual one to time the ball bearing rolling across the distance of 1m.   do an experiment on more even surfaces to reduce energy being lost in the form of heat by friction when the ball bearing slides down the runway or hits the sides on the way down the runway. Take more measurements for each reading to obtain more reliable and accurate averages Be more careful and alert in measuring and timing.   Have the same person operating the stop watch as different peoples have different reaction times which may not give reliable enough results to reach a firm conclusion.   Do the experiment in the same environment on the same day so that changes in room temperature doesnt affect energy transformations e. g.when the room temperature is higher, the runway floor would become hotter and the ball bearing sliding on it would lose more heat energy by friction. Use an even more accurate metre ruler to make the timing of the ball bearing rolling along the distance of 1m, more accurate.   Enlarge the distance I want the ball bearing to roll along so chances of obtaining inaccurate timing of the ball bearing is reduced.   Use a smoother ball bearing so it loses less energy in the form of heat and sound when it slides along the runway floor.

Drama Essays West End Production

Drama Essays West End Production In the West End production of The Woman in Black, assess the skills of the two male performers when performing their role(s). Essay Outline: ‘As Alfred Hitchcock noted, suspense and atmosphere are more potent than scary events themselves’ Part 1 Introduction Introduction: ‘The Woman in Black,’ West end mainstay and classic enjoyed by many people since 1989, is a remarkable adaptation of a superb horror novel. Stripped down to a minimal cast by the impressive Stephen Mallatrat who has fitted a cunning theatrical frame around it, the play, which has seen many different duos taking the roles involved in the drama and ‘always bringing something new to it’ , is still to this day a massive hit. Undoubtedly talented, the two actors on stage, Brian Miller and William Rycroft, handled their varied roles superbly and brought the tension and terror inherent in the adaptation forth, using the limited props, large amount of space and excellent writing, to scare the audience witless.     Ã‚  Ã‚   Part 2 – Physical appearance and specific actor traits Physical and vocal qualities – Vital in creating the characters and expressing the different contexts of the change within the play, in a wonderfully orotund, flamboyant and self confident way, Rycroft educates the storyteller in the ways of theatre and the techniques of acting. Coaching the older ‘Kipps,’ clearly portrayed as a less confident and able man, his magnificent vocal expressions display him as the stereotypical Victorian actor. Especially with a two man cast, it is vital that the ranges of vocal abilities in the two men are expressive and changeable, and there is no doubt that through the different characters portrayed this is in evidence. Range of facial expressions and other actor skills– Perhaps the most dynamic and vivid use of a facial expression for me, was Rycroft’s reaction to the final twist in which he is asked about providing the ‘woman in black’ as part of the performance. Twisting in horror, his abject terror contrasts beautifully with the perceived ‘pale, wasted face and expression of desperate, yearning malevolence’ of the woman in black. Elsewhere throughout the play, his confident, expressive features work well in expressing the slightly woebegone look of Kipps, the actor who has slipped a little too far into the horrors of his past but still manages to become more adept at ‘performing’ throughout the play. From the self conscious, withdrawn character at the opening, through to his improved attempt at reading Shakespeare and finally onto his ability to switch characters, his facial expressions, and indeed whole character, seems to evolve. Creation of emotion – In a ‘two hand’ minimalist play, creating base, thrusting emotions within the hearts and minds of the audience is vital in place of spectacular effects, impressive sets or big choral numbers. Indeed, the raw fear and suspense (as well as dark humour) produced by the two actors is extremely well done. Using many of the devices discussed within this essay, and manipulating the vulnerability of the stark setting, they are able to, and carry off a wide range and evolving set of personal movements, expressions and speeches. Coupled with this, the fact that there are only two of them, makes their dialogues, and emotion fuelled actions, paramount to the audience’s concentration span, as they focus on these two purveyors of this simple, chilling and edgy tale. Part 3: Interaction Rapport with audience and response/ Use of Black Comedy – Again, I was very impressed with the skills of the two actors in terms of their ideas of audience participation. From the moment that Rycroft came striding up the aisle of the theatre talking about the need to really make the morbid tale ‘live in performance to an audience of family and friends,’ one immediately felt a part of this close knit group. It was as if he was striving to please and perform admirably directly for the benefit of the audience in the theatre itself, and lift the moribund tale for our immediate benefit. The occasional smattering of black comedy in this piece is also beautifully dealt with, Rycroft’s cool delivery of amusing lines giving the audience an element of relief to hold onto, before the actors deliver them once more into the unfurling horror. Interaction with other performers – The use of the two narrators within the performance allows an additional dimension to be added to the play, with the very process of storytelling and its purpose being investigated, as well as the chilling tale itself. Rycroft is magnificent in portraying the vessel, for which Miller (as Kipps) can relay his tale, and the heated discussions between the two talented performers split the mind away from the horrors somewhat, to concentrate on the issue of truth within a story that may be lost to the ideas of excitement within storytelling. Rycroft is also effective in moulding his reaction subtly differently to each of the different characters that Miller plays, making sure that the changing of characters does not seem stilted. Part 4 Setting Costume – The use of varied costume between the two actors, offers an almost surreal twist to the play, and while Miller is spectacular in manipulating his acting talents to drift between his roles, the occasional modern costume mixed with Victorian imagery does a lot to distort the mind of the already shaky audience. Less really does mean more in this production, and the fact that a mere change of coat can transport the two actors into entirely different roles, speaks volumes of the performances of the two men and the level of versatile performance required to suitably mix up their acting characters. Space – The key to this play, and inspiration for much of the horror generated by the stark atmosphere, is the power of immense space that setting the adaptation inside an empty Victorian theatre conveys. The feeling of spiritual goings on outside the main two characters is paramount, and Miller and Rycroft are able to exist all over the theatre, bringing the realism and terror to life within a large, empty setting. They have room to build their characters and through use of facial expressions and extravagant posture, utilize it widely. Part 5 – Interpretation of the on stage atmosphere Directorial interpretation of play – Mr Mallatratt adds ‘deliberate environmental anachronisms’ so claimed the Times review in 1989, and so it seems, much to the mystical improvement of the production. Set in a Victorian theatre, yet at no particular, specified time, modern touches (such as electric torches and sound effects) are used, allowing the audience to become uneasy with the setting and allowing the actors to spread their story in a setting that cannot be entirely tied down to anything specific within the mind. Form and production aims/ Sensitivity to style – Apparently, the original aim in performing ‘The Woman in Black’ with only two authors was to save money, and while a magnificent job has been done to use minimal output to produce such a thriller, one cannot help to wonder how a big budget production may handle this play. Mallatrat himself admits that ‘there are scenes he would have loved to have included but simply couldn’t,’ but I feel the actors have taken on board the necessity to make this appear a ‘classic ghost story’ and have taken the necessary steps to provide the exuberant and expressive performances within the stark setting that are required. Part 6 – Conclusion and Bibliography – The Woman in Black is undoubtedly a very tense and exciting script reaped from a ‘classic style’ horror tale in the vein of Henry James, and requires two excellent actors to take on the roles, engage an entire audience with their characters internal struggles, and essentially build up a horrific tale and ghostly presence. In my opinion, Miller and Rycroft both performed excellently using a wide variety of styles, stage devices and a mixture of expression and clever use of scenery, stage play and setting to grip the audience into what is a very compelling tale. Of course, with a story so moreish, it could be claimed that their jobs were easier than those of someone acting out a more complex and ‘slow’ narrative, but the fact they were able to mould their acting techniques to fit the changing of characters, lack of physical prop stimulus and slightly eclectic timeframe of the events taking place, shows the p resence of great skill. I am only interested to see how the next two actors can deal with the roles!  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cix.co.uk/~shutters/reviews/00191.htm Review of former actors http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/womaninblack.htm Reviews of The Woman in Black performed by other actors http://www.thewomaninblack.com/pdf/wib_pack.pdf Interview with Susan Hill describing her reaction to the on stage version Irving Wardled, The Times, January 1989 Susan Hill The Woman in Black (Vintage: 1998) http://www.susan-hill.com/pages/books/the_books/the_woman_in_black.htm Interview with Susan Hill

Study Of Environmental Issues Associated With Industrialization :: essays research papers

Study of Environmental Issues Associated with Industrialization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although our industrial ways seem to be a very progressive step into the future, there are many flaws to the way many things are today. Things have definitely changed over the past century, as we can currently do things much more efficiently then before. The cost of this efficiency may seem inexpensive in many ways, however we do not realize that the cost of these new technologies do not just include money, time and labour, but it also costs us our well being as well as the beauty and comfort of our own home, earth. Ozone depletion, climate change as well as the direct effects of chemicals from industrial emissions and fuel combustion are a great threat to our planet and if nothing is done to resolve this problem soon, the results may be disastrous. There is a layer of chemicals twenty kilometers up in the stratosphere called the ozone layer. This layer protects the inhabitants of earth by reflecting much of the suns harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. Without this layer above us, many living things including humans could not survive. The ozone layer is currently depleting and the reason for this is believed to be caused by a few things. Deforestation, fertilizer use and fuel combustion are minor contributors to this problem while chemicals such as chloroflourocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide and hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs) are the major contributors to the deterioration of the ozone layer. These chemicals have industrial halocarbons that break up into chlorine and bromine in the upper stratosphere when they react with the sun's rays. Chlorine eats up the ozone layer while bromine acts as a catalyst and speeds up the process. Often found in Antarctica, there are frozen chemical clouds in the upper stratosphere called polar stratospheric clouds. These polar stratospheric clouds destroy the ozone layer at a much faster pace then the industrial halocarbons. The depletion of the ozone layer is a great threat to mankind and all other living things on earth because without this layer of chemicals, we will be exposed to excess UV rays. This excess exposure can lead to many things such as malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, damage to eyes by means such as snow blindness and cataracts, which is the clouding of the eye that can eventually lead to blindness. Above all this, excessive UV exposure can lead to symptoms similar to AIDS as prolonged exposure could weaken the human immune system. As far as plants and animals go, plants may die or may not be as healthy as a result of too much UV exposure and animals will suffer

Beowulfs Manifestation of Hrothgars Lessons :: Epic Beowulf essays

Beowulf's Manifestation of Hrothgar's Lessons "We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered contemptible; the rest have failed."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   --Machiavelli, The Prince            Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this statement --and in the rest of his major work, The Prince -- Machiavelli attempts to justify the cruelty of a leader; it is necessary, he seems to say, to be feared in order to succeed.   It is doubtful that the renaissance political theorist ever read the poem of Beowulf; in any case, he did not very much with its message. For if its titular hero followed the maxims of Machiavelli, Hrothgar, the leader of the Danes in the poem, contends that it will bring upon pride and, ultimately, Beowulf's downfall. Hrothgar's message is exactly contrasting to that of Machiavelli's. His political theory states that it is necessary to be good-willed to one's people and to refrain from being blinded by pride in order to be a successful leader. Fortunately for Beowulf, during his fifty-year reign as the ruler of the Geats he follows Hrothgar's sagacious lesson; consequently, he is compassionate leader who never lets his pride overcome his judgment.    Throughout his reign as the ruler of the Geats, Beowulf is a benevolent leader - bringing peace and power to his nation as Hrothgar instructs him to after the great warrior defeats Grendel's mother. Hrothgar relates to him a story about the Heremod, King of the Danes, who "brought little joy to the Danish people, only death and destruction" (1711-1712), and that "suffered in the end for having plagued his people" (1720-1721). That is, Hrothgar claims that one cannot be a successful leader unless one is virtuous ruler. Furthermore, he tells Beowulf to "learn from this and understand true value" (1723-1724). Therefore, Hrothgar's intends that this information be carried on with Beowulf. During his final moments, after he kills the treasure hording dragon, Beowulf reflects on his reign over the Geats, and those reflections demonstrate that he understands the importance of virtue and honor. He claims that he "cared for and stood by things in [his] keeping, never fomented qua rrels, never swore to a lie" (2736-2739). His goodwill and righteousness is highly regarded by the warrior, for he continues, "the Ruler of mankind need never blame me [.

How to Stop Drug Trafficking in Our Country

The paper is to open people eyes about drug trafficking in our country. Where do you think the drugs are coming in from? Some say from Cuba. Others say from Mexico. I believe that the majority of drugs come from Mexico. It is okay to say that we cannot track down where all of the drugs are coming from but we can try to prevent our children, the next generation, from having access to these drugs. I would like to talk about legal drugs that are in our children’s schools. Even if we can stop illegal drugs from entering into our schools, legal drugs can also be use to get high (American Psychological Association (http://www. apa. org/) In the past, there were organizations, mostly in Mexico, that were involved in cultivating marijuana and opium. Over the past decade, however, Mexican drug organizations secured a particular position in drugs like cocaine market that was formerly dominated by Colombian drug lords, and opened the doors for Mexican groups to dominate the drug trafficking market. Not only Mexican, but African Americans, Cubans and other cultures who want to make some extra cash in the drug selling business. In the late 1980s, Mexican traffickers were middlemen for the Colombian cartels. Traffickers would receive shipments of cocaine in northern Mexico, smuggle the drugs across the border, and leave stashes in specified locations where Colombian distributers would retrieve the cocaine and transport it to destinations across the U. S. In 1989, traffickers who were annoyed at delinquent service payments from Colombian suppliers retained shipments of cocaine in extortion until payments were made. During the same year, in a stroke of good fortune for U. S. law enforcement, a massive stockpile of these shipments amounting to over forty thousand pounds of cocaine was discovered in an industrial warehouse in the vicinity of Los Angeles, California. This pivotal event forced the hand of the Colombian drug barons and led to a business arrangement that presently gives the Mexican traffickers as much as half of all the cocaine that they ransport (United Nations activities). In Texas the Mexican traffickers kidnapped people who live on the border line that mean between Mexican and U. S. The drug traffickers look for people who were or are on spring break or vacations in Mexican. They use young foreigners to get the drugs here. According to Sonia Perez, the flood of drugs and money have intensified, first with security crackd owns in the U. S. after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and later with Mexico's assault on organized crime beginning in 2006. (2009). Also according to Ms Perez, authorities mark the worst crime waves with the arrival of the Zetas cartel in Central America in 2008, about the same time Mexican cartels started to pay their collaborators on the ground in drugs instead of cash – creating a boom in local drug sales and violent street crime. (2009) As you can see, this paper is beginning to sound like it is pointing at foreign people smuggling drugs. Although foreigners are trying to survive financially illegally, they do not know where these drugs go to. Some will probably go to the schools to sell to children and teenagers all around the US. In conclusion, it is important to prevent drugs, illegally and legal, from our children to use illegally. Our children are our future and we need to find ways to help our children succeed in life without the use and selling of legal and illegal drugs. In the U. S. children are exposed to illegal drugs by family and a good friend or hanging out with a lot of friends. Some kids start to smoking by age 14 years old they think it cool but not. Kids and teens continue to smoke and some are trying chewing tobacco. Many young people pick up these bad habits in one year. Right now you see a man or woman smoking they started when they were kids. So it's important to make sure kids understand the dangers of tobacco use. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, and can cause cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. Chewing tobacco (smokeless or spit tobacco) can lead to nicotine addiction, oral cancer, gum disease, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. (Kids Health 2011) Teenagers trying drugs in order to fit in. hey are trying real bad to be accepted by their peers. The teen sees drugs being used at a party or among a common group of friend. Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 have tried alcohol. Some teens and young people tried use of cocaine for the first time. Some kids may lead to criminal penalty in addition to possible physical social and psychological harm both strongly depending on local jurisdiction. In conclusion, Unite d States is working with Canada, Mexico and Colombia in the border protection to stop drug from coming in the United States. References Retrieved on April 2, 2011 at www.apa.org Sonia Perez, Associated Press (2009) Retrieved on April 2, 2011 at www.ksat.com/news/27378488/detail.html Parquets search J. Blum retrieved on April 2, 2011 at www.mctinfoservices.com Kids Health Retrieved (1995-2011) at www.kids health.org /parent/positive/positive/talk/smoking.html

Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin Essay

‘Non-fiction texts only deal with facts.’ Discuss the validity of this statement. In your essay response, you should discuss how composers of non-fiction texts present their point of view with specific reference to your non-fiction text. Autobiographies, as a narrative non-fiction text, generally rely on the conventions of factual historical evidence while presenting a personal point of view. Non-fiction texts therefore, rely on objective detail and a subjective perspective. Throughout the autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer the composer Li Cunxin offers a personal evaluation of actions and speculates on the significance of certain actions and events. To engage and entertain the responder the composer uses opinionative language and emotive language throughout. Recounts rely intensely on memory, which can be fragile and misleading, and therefore one should question the validity of such a text. Such an autobiography also deals with factual events but includes a level of subjectively. By saying non-fiction texts only deal with facts is partially wrong because non-fiction texts such as autobiographies do deal with the things other than facts and it contrastingly brings immediacy to events that have been simply narrate d by secondary versions. Consequently, non-fiction texts are not always objective when dealing with the events in a person’s life and this proves right through the novel. Autobiographies by their very nature rely back on memories from the past. This can be fragile and can ignore certain facts. In Li Cunxin’s text, most of his writing relied back on his memory. He exaggerates and reinforces his points quite strongly. Hyperbole is used in this line, â€Å"My leaps were high†¦It felt like as if I was flying†¦gliding through the open sky, and if the music allowed it, I would have stayed in the air all night,† (p314) adjusting the truth to portray him in a positive light. Furthermore, Time does have an effect on memory as it can be clouded over time and cannot be as strong. For example when Li has a conversation with Teacher Xiao he includes the exact dialogue, which was spoken. â€Å"Cunxin I understand your anger and I think Teacher Gao was wrong. He shouldn’t name†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p182) The reader must question how the author remembers each detail from his past.  This adds to the subjective nature of this genre. Li reflecting from his memory also shapes his emotion, full on life. Emanating from Li’s personal emotions this indicates that this is a subjective recount as well as objective, â€Å"My feelings about leaving her and going back to China became unbearable† (p289). Aspects of the story also describe how his parents were feeling before he was born through the short dramatic sentences, but is not essentially factual as he was not actually there, â€Å"She knows her family will no longer be her main source of comfort†¦looks back at her familiar village for the last time, she has no tears,†(xiv) and so this relies on memory and perspective once again. The use of first person, it interoperates non-fiction texts such as autobiographies, an unreliable source of information. The purpose of writing in this style is to give the responder a personal effect, while reflecting back on their life story. Therefore, this reiterates the fact that the autobiography is only set on the personal and selective events being conveyed by the author. By doing so, the reader is presented with bias and limited factual content explored within Mao’s Last Dancer. They persuade the reader into believing its true; it could give the reader a wrong perception of true events and places because there is nothing else to judge them from. Aspects of one-sidedness are presented to us in Mao’s Last Dancer, which suggest the narrator is unreliable. The use of omission is brought to our attention at the start of the ‘afterword’. The fact that the author finishes writing on the page about a particular event which occurred in the distant past (being released from the Chinese Government). And then starts a new page erasing a whole stage out of his autobiography. â€Å"My new life with Elizabeth began like an East meets West fairy tale†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p308) simply reassures the readers that the legitimacy of the text is not all true. What has happened in the release and the meeting of Elizabeth? The reader does not hear what her point of view is on the circumstances or what she thinks about it, such as why their marriage failed, â€Å"but it didn’t work out the way we both had hoped.† (p308) This merely gives the reader a one sided point of view. As we hear Li’s thoughts and emotions towards Elizabeth, the reader is manipulated into sympathizing with Li. Therefore Elizabeth is not given adequate characterization. â€Å"Our marriage eventually failed. We suffered  greatly and I felt terribly alone in the world. I had no one to go to.† (p308) The use of this personal style makes this genre a subjective text. However, autobiographies do include factual detail and are not all subjective. In Mao’s Last Dancer, the author includes an appendix, which outlines the historical events mentioned in the book. These include reference map, a historical timeline of China in the 20th Century and black and white photos with captions. These endorse Li Cunxin’s life story and set it within a historical context. Related evidence for the reader that these events actually occurred, â€Å"In 1921 the Chinese Government party was founded.† (p328). This references to historical figures, such as Chairman Mao Zedong, and the use of dates provided. However one must question why the author and their purpose selected these examples. The written style of non-fiction text both deals with facts and emotional theories. Thus all this occurring by nature. Emotional theories, which are focused on in the text, Mao’s Last Dancer, involves the idea of memory in which the events occurred. Throughout the novel we witness from the author the numerous times the fragility in memory. The one-sidedness in autobiographies often gives the reader a bias view on all events and the author usually alters the truth. By saying non-fiction texts only deal with facts is highly debatable as facts are intertwined with the personal.

South Korean Automobile Market - Non-Tariff Barriers Essay

South Korean Automobile Market - Non-Tariff Barriers - Essay Example The thesis examines the updated trade patterns and determinant of complete passenger and road vehicle trade between the U.S and S. Korea. The main explanatory variable is the effect of S. Korea’s Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) on the automobile industry trade with its one of the biggest trading partner, the U. S. The patterns and performance of automobile industry trade and the effects of NTBs in S. Korean car market will be assessed by the Normalized Trade Balance Index, Grubel and Lloyd index and the regression that is by using multiple regression analysis approaches, more specifically. The results of the thesis will highlight the trend of the road and passenger vehicle industry trade and the impact of NTBs on the volume/ value of trade in automobile sectors between the countries since the beginning of the 2000s. S. Korea and the U.S share a great deal of interest in pursuing positive development in the automobile industry’s trade performance. Both countries substantially rely on the profits of the automobile trade for their economic growth and their market sizes are often large. (Dyer & Chu, 2000). Consequently, S. Korea and the U.S Free Trade Agreement is about to come into effect and one of the biggest issues that prolonged the deal while negotiating for the FTA was regarding the automobile, especially passenger vehicle industry trade. President Obama and the U.S industry representatives claimed that the FTA deal regarding automobile trading regime is not fair if they start to trade bilaterally in the current condition and regulation. Opponents of recent FTA provision even claimed that the U.S automakers exaggerate the potential sales in S. Korea of cars produced in U.S. assembly plants (Schott, 2010).  

Philosophy Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy Midterm - Essay Example Deductive reasoning? (a) A deductive argument will claim to support the truth of the conclusion. It takes general facts and uses them to make specific claims. An inductive argument will use reasoning gathered from particular facts to come to the conclusion. (q) What is epistemology? (a) It is the study of the nature of knowledge. It is concerned with how knowledge is acquired and how it is justified. (q) What is Descartes’ cogito argument? (a) Cogito ergo sum—I think therefore I am. The cogito states because we think, we know that we exist, and that is the one thing that we are unable to doubt. (q) Purpose of evil demon? (a) The evil demon as a thought experiment is used to get to the cogito. Because we cannot prove that some evil demon exists that is tricking us into making us think that reality is in some way different than how it actually is, we do no know whether anything beyond ourselves or beyond our minds is actually true. (q) a prioro vs. a posteriori? (a) These are two different ways in which to justify claims. A priori uses reasoning and logical evidence , and a posteriori uses experience and empirical evidence. (q) Paley’s watchmaker argument? (a) Paley’s watchmaker argument is an argument for the proof of the existence of God from design. If we see something such as a watch, which has many intricate parts and which has obviously been designed, then we should be able to identify other objects which have also been designed. Paley states the human eye has many intricate parts that fit together and therefore should be considered to be designed, thus requiring a God-figure to serve as the designer of the eye. (q) Cosmological proof of God’s existence? (a) This argument states that there needed to be an original cause, that matter cannot create itself, that energy cannot create itself, and that there necessarily needs to be an original cause, an original

Legal Immigration in the European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Legal Immigration in the European Union - Essay Example The European Union has put into place immigration laws that have been approved by member states. With the constant threat of global terrorism member states are constantly on the lookout for possible terrorists that use the immigration laws to their advantage thus putting the population of the member states at risk. This paper explores the legal immigration legislation that the European Union has put into place. 1. Legal immigration as it appears in the European Legislation. The European Union has put into place legislation that attempts to regulate immigration and migration of workers. The economics and demographics of the European Union dictate managed migration. Obviously, the European Union does not want to encourage migration to areas within the Union that are currently economically depressed. It is in the best interest of member states to have immigration and migration managed to provide workers where there is a need for them. Still, with legislation in place, the Union has a problem with illegal migration, smugglers, and traffickers. The migrants seek work while the smugglers and traffickers make money off of the migrants. A. Persons from third countries are permitted entry into the European Union legally under many circumstances. ... It is well understood that the social well being of immigrants allows for social well being of the member states as well. Legal immigration can take the form of family reunification, long term resident status, student visas, and entry to researchers. The European Union also has guidelines, that member states are encouraged to follow, that include integration of immigrants into society, and 'best practices' for integration. The European Union has in place directives that combat illegal immigration, trafficking of illegals, and return of illegals to their country of origin when most practical. B. There are programs in place to assist member states in dealing with immigration issues such as ARGO (action program that assists with immigration issues), and INTI (an EU program that promotes integration of immigrants). C. The European Commission has installed legislation that governs legal immigration. Article 63(3) of the EC Treaty allows the European Union to draft and institute immigration policies that governs issues such as immigration and residency. The Amsterdam Treaty makes immigration an EU problem/responsibility. The Tampere European Council put into place agreements and legislation to consolidate immigration policies. Scoreboard is a program that follows implementation of immigration policies and reports status every six months. Finally, the treaty that created the European Union outlines the role of the European Commission. (EC of Justice and Home Affairs). 2. Discuss the recent legislations from the Amsterdam Treaty to 2007. Following the Maastricht Treaty (1993), which made immigration a common concern in the European Union, came the Amsterdam Treaty (1999) that put into

Trafficking in Person's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trafficking in Person's - Research Paper Example Whereas the individual reader may be thoroughly familiar with the trade in illicit substances and/or narcotics, the level of knowledge that many societal shareholders have with respect to human trafficking is quite limited. One need look no further than the way in which popular culture and media portray drug smugglers, drug addicts, and each and every wrong of the supply and demand chain for narcotics to realize that this has primarily come to be the focal point of discussion and analysis with respect to the illicit/underground economy. However, according to 2011 statistics, human trafficking is a $35 billion a year global industry (Knepper, 2013). Moreover, from an ethical and moral standpoint, the trade of human beings and the buying and selling of these individuals as if they were merely a commodity to be consumed and disposed of as perhaps the most troubling aspect of all. Whereas it is true that the impacts of illegal drugs have far-reaching consequences that can harm any number of individuals in any socioeconomic strata in any country, human trafficking is unique due to the fact that it is one of the only exhibitions of slavery that currently exist within the world. Sadly, human trafficking is increasing with each and every passing year as the demands for cheap labor, sexual services, and healthy babies only continues to rise with the increasing population of the world. As a function of this sad reality, the following analysis will seek to analyze the scope, definition, impacts, policies, levels of governmental engagement, and factors that ultimately encourage the prevalence and continued exhibition of human trafficking around the globe. Although the greatest emphasis with regards human trafficking will necessarily be with respect to the way it is evidenced within the United States, it is impossible to engage such a topic without realizing and appreciating the global ramifications that the increasingly interconnected world demonstrates. Within such a mann er, global aspects of human trafficking will be discussed and engaged interchangeably with domestic concerns. The United Nations typically defines human trafficking as international organized transnational crime. For this very purpose, the United Nations reached an international agreement entitled â€Å"The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime†; specifically targeting trafficking protocol is one of the first major issues that must be engaged. With regards to the actual definition of human trafficking, this particular analysis will refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a means of defining the way in which the reader should approach the issue throughout the course of this analysis (Onuoha, 2011). As such, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines human trafficking as the following: â€Å"†¦the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of the production, of fraud, a perception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or the giving up of receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent that a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs†

Culturally Responsive Teaching in American Education Research Paper

Culturally Responsive Teaching in American Education - Research Paper Example Culturally responsive teaching is particularly important in the case of the USA. People from different backgrounds characterize the USA. Therefore, the students in a particular state experience a different culture from the student from a different state. The education in the different states is based on the culture of the region. The society in the USA is multi-racial with the intrusion of people from different countries. (Culture, n.d.). The presence of different races in society with their different backgrounds and culture has led to the importance of the culturally responsive teaching in the USA. The paper will deal with the importance of the culturally responsive teaching in the context of the USA. The modern world has been characterized by the globalization of the economy. The countries have come closer with the closeness in the economy and it is common nowadays to experience society as a multi-cultured one. People from a country moves to the other countries to integrate into the society. The people from the other countries bring some distinctive cultural traits with them, which become part of the society. The USA has become one of the most developed economies of the world. The development of the economy in the country attracted people across the world. They went to the USA to be part of the development and make them economically stable. The economy of USA offered an opportunity for all people in the world. The society of the USA has grown to become one of the most multicultural societies in the world with the influx of people from all over the world. The population of USA consists of people from different ethnic backgrounds. The Native Americans and the Alaskans are perhaps the oldest community in the country. Blacks are the descendants of the people from Africa. Many of the Blacks in the modern days came to the country in the days of slavery and the openness of the society and the economic development of the country convinced them to stay in the USA. The Black population in the country is projected to rise in the coming years.

Copyright Essay Example for Free

Copyright Essay A Copyright it the sole privilege of the owner to duplicate or allow someone else to duplicate their work. Items that can be copyrighted are anything that one creates including but not limited to literary work such as articles, stories and even computer programs. Along with any graphics, pictures, music, song lyrics, screenplays and movies can also be copyrighted by their owner or creator. If there is a question if something is copyrighted it more than likely is copyrighted and you will need permission to use it if not that is considered copyright infringement which is wrong and punishable by law. Something as simple as printing a Web page, downloading a picture, printing and image even copy the HTML, JavaScript is considered infringement and against the law. If you chose to copy code from a Web site you must show the original author respect by properly citing the material and following necessary steps. You do so by asking for permission to use their material. To use text or an image from a Web site you just need to contact the owner and explain what you would like to use the text or image for and then ask to use it. No matter if an image or text does not have a copyright notice or not it is still covered by the copyright laws, (J Kyrnin 2012) It is important to protect your own images and text as well. To protect your images and text create a copyright notice for you Web site. Images can have watermarks among different copyright details using a unique software program. Companies such as Digimarc have created a technology that enables you to watermark images and the back ground for text. The watermark cannot be adjusted or changed by the user of the image or text. Even though browsers all for the copying of information it is important to never use another person works without notifying them and receiving their consent to use their material. It is crucial that you ask for the permission to use anything created by someone else on the Web and that you properly cite your sources for the information.

Comparative Education Research: Approaches and Methods

Comparative Education Research: Approaches and Methods Comparative Education:Â  Some Reflections As we started discussing deep topics in our class, I came to analyze the need for comparative education in research and the practical use of it in schools. How do different cultures and countries deal with educational policy, issues, and curriculum? Can policy be borrowed and implemented the same way in a completely different context? Is educational research essential for policy making? We know that people in different cultures and nations behave different in many aspects. Is it unknown what aspects of humanity can be considered homogenous, therefore the questions of comparison and the need to sample data from a wide variety of nations and cultures becomes crucial. People in different cultures learn to learn differently, so if one wants to establish a proposition with a specific group of children, this is where an experiment should be performed with a different group of children from another culture and compare the results. There must always be compared data, since comparison now ent ers into the study of human behavior at this point (Farrell, 1979). If we want to take this position as valid, there is a need now for cross-national research, however, one must understand a single country first before comparing it to a second one. How can we compare the United States to New Zealand, if we do not provide an adequate explanation or research for the United States first? Comparative data can also explain single country findings and it is fundamental for the consequent comparisons of two countries. Now, who is to perform this job? A need for people engaged in educational research involving comparison arises since it would bring expertise from different fields into the field of comparative education. The term comparativist was created for this type of research, although, there is no concrete and specific field that must be acquired to be a comparativist. Researchers contribute their multi-disciplinary origins in different fields to inform their approaches and enrich the field of comparative education. Some requirements are needed though: intimate and expert knowledge of another society and its historical development, an acquired foreign language, they must be generalist scholars, well-traveled, and they must work within broader parameters, to have a wider perspective. Considerable knowledge of systems and different approaches and disciplines are necessary qualifications to be a comparativist and engage in studying education (Phillips, 2014). What is it that comparativists are trying to compare? It is simple to state that these researchers want to study education, but what is education? As Bereday (1964) says, education is nothing else than an aspect of life, education includes the training of the body and the training of the intellect, it is something greater and deeper than physical and intellectual training, and a moral influence as well. Education is not a matter of schools and book-learning only, so in order to study foreign systems of education, our attention should not only be focused on the classrooms, teachers, and students only, we should go outside into the streets and homes of people, and engage into the intangible, spiritual force that holds the school system. Comparativists should remember that the things outside the schools matter even more than the things inside of schools, and govern and interpret the things inside. Once that is done, the work of foreign systems of education will result in our being better fitted to study and understand our own (Bereday, 1964). However, not only comparativists can engage in studying comparative education. Any person who has worked in education before has some wise words to say, therefore it would be dangerous to just have the words of the specialist alone. We can all contribute to the field of education. What are some practical ways to engage on comparative education as a teacher or school administrator? An experienced teacher can learn significantly by visiting another school and watch another teacher at work. A very good way to improve this learning is if groups of experienced teachers could be sent abroad to see and to judge other systems of education. This way they would return home and inform thei r schools if what is been currently done is been executed correctly or needs improvement. Travel is important for educational researchers as well. Travel is one of the characteristics that most unites the work of contemporary comparative and international education researchers. The movement of educational policies, pedagogies, and curricula is much of what comparativists study as researchers and often engage in as practitioners (Sobe, 2002). This travel would create a view from the outside which is relevant for the social sciences, and also have the inside perspective that is already acquired and implemented. As Sobe states, these two components (the outside and the inside) should work in concert, integrally and mutually constituting one another to improve the study of comparative education. In conclusion, a wide approach and perspectives of research should be taken into account in comparative education. One approach adds to another and would consequently enrich the systems of education. Comparative studies should not become trapped in one single tradition and we should explore the outside world to benefit ours. Consequently, we should also compare objects that are more than the observable. More than just the sex, color, and school attendance of pupils, but also the factors of social status and other sources of social power and prestige in societies where observable traces are not important (Farrel, 1979). If somehow we can unite these ideas of the inside, outside, and external factors, comparativists and educators would create an effective system of comparative research and improve our systems of education. REFERENCES Bereday, G. Z. F. (1964). Sir Michael Sadlers Study of foreign systems of education. Comparative Education Review, 307-314. Farrell, J., P. (1979). The necessity of comparisons in the study of education: The salience of science and the problem of comparability. Comparative Education Review, 23(1). 3-16. Phillips, D. (2014). Comparatography, history and policy quotation: some reflections. Comparative Education, 50(1), 73-83. Sobe, N. W. (2002). Travel, social science and the making of nations in early 19th century comparative education. (141-166).

Hysteria :: essays research papers

Hysteria is a very unique and abnormal mental disease. What makes it so interesting is that it causes physical symptoms that someone would not normally experience. “Mental conflicts are unconsciously converted to symptoms that appear to be physical, but for which no organic cause is found';(Hysteria 1). One major outburst of hysteria occurred in 1692, resulting in the deaths of twenty-four innocent lives. “By the time hysteria had spent itself, twenty-four people had died';(TWHSTSV 2). This type of hysteria was mass hysteria, where a group of people are in a frenzy as opposed to just one individual. Evidently, hysteria is a very serious disease and has the potential to cause many avoidable deaths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mass hysteria is a frenzy that has the potential to effect an entire community, state or possibly even country or nation. “[It is] a condition where a group of people dash about wildly, screaming and sometimes talking as if another person is in them; experiencing rapid breathing, spasms of extremities or even fainting';(Hayes 1). In some ways, it can be look on as a chain reaction. “It is often caused by new problems that worsen existing difficulties';(TWHSTSV 2). When one person sees another running about wildly and finds out what the cause is, he or she will do the same; until eventually the idea spreads to the entire population. Some problems that cause these are “overly strict regulations, lack of open communication between the authorities and the residents, as well as inadequate healthy recreational outlets';(Hayes 1). All these issues are things that if performed, can help prevent or calm an outbreak of mass hysteria.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Salem Witch Trials, the “existing difficulties'; that led up to the witchcraft theory were ordinary stresses of seventeenth century life in Massachusetts. These include “a strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village fanatics and rivalry with nearby Salem Town, a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes';(D’Amario 1). All these issues led to rising fear and suspicion. “Soon prisons were filled with more that 150 men surrounding Salem; their names had been ‘cried out’ by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death, the practice of witchcraft';(D’Amario 1). Many theories exist as to why these girls behaved as they did and caused the witchcraft hysteria. One theory states: “they had eaten bread contaminated with a hallucinogenic fungus';(TWHSTSV 2), which supposedly caused them to act as they did.