The Road to Basra: A Case Study in Military Ethics

The Road to Basra – A Case Study in Military Ethics This report states that this mission contained three moral themes they are as follows: 1) noncombatant immunity and the question of surrender, 2) military necessity and proportionality, and 3) observations regarding the psychology of combat and the possibilities of right intent in combatants. My translation of what those theme mean, as for noncombatant immunity and the question of surrender, a large concern was that the number of unneeded hostage that were contained within the convoy. There seemed to be a lack of certainty on what was defined as surrendering and those that did surrender appeared to still be subject to attack. Immunity didn’t appear to be an option to many, regardless of various attempt made by many different statures. In regards to, military necessity and proportionality, Was it actually necessary to attack the convoy or could it have been allowed to pass? The convoy passing was the intended purpose of the war. Because of the knowledge and fear of a retaliated attack it was felt that attacking the column with what was best at the time. Whether the attack was proportionate depended on what one thought the goal of the war was. Lastly, observations regarding the psychology of combat and the possibilities of right intent in combatants. The psychological well-being of the troops were all over the board. Some being excited about their involvement of the â€Å"feeding frenzy† as some called it. Where others were clearly upset but this, those were asking not to be sent back to that position upon return for refuel. To be delighted on the amount of destruction contributed, having a sense of pleasure from shooting large quantities of live targets. It was stated that the longer a soldier lives in the zone of combat the more desensitized to what he doing he becomes. White Flags on the Road to Basra – Surrendering Soldiers in the Persian Gulf War First section depicts soldiers that were waving their white flags and still shot and killed. Pilots expressed delight in the havoc they were causing. Enjoyed displaying the abilities of their aircrafts, showing the damage they can cause. Many Iraqi soldiers abandoned their vehicles on foot, many mere children ages of 13 and 14. They were hunted down and killed by cluster bombs. Many were waving white flags, and this was disregarded. It stated that killing soldier in war is acceptable. There were no established facts that showed that the attack was military necessary. Military necessity consists in acts of violence relevant to achieving a tactical or military objective and compatible with laws and customs of war. So basically because its war, what is defined and necessary is a bevy of ideas depending on what is needed or wanted. There appears to have been a discrepancy as to whether or not the Iraqi troops waved the white flags to surrender. In previous practice when a soldier held up a white flag, they surrender and are granted immunity and fire is ceased. It is believed that Iraqi troops did not display the white flag with intent to surrender. The study states that today’s wars aren’t any remotely close to how they used be when the fight was face to face. With the advancement in technology it becomes a virtual fight so to speak. In many situations you won’t see the enemy coming.

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel called The Poisonwood Bible beautifully illustrates the lessons learned in a journey that is both physical and metaphysical. As this family travels from Bethlehem, Georgia to the Congo, Africa in order for Nathan, the father, to become a missionary, they each take their own journey of gargantuan proportions. As each character takes very different ideas out of their experiences in Africa, the reader too, is able to experience Africa from the vantage point of multiple narrators. Kingsolver asks the reader from the very beginning to take the journey with this family.â€Å"Oh, but I know better and so do you†¦Take your place then. look at what happened from every side and consider all the ways it could have gone† (Kingsolver 8). In an interview from Book Page, Kingsolver offers some explanation for looking at history. â€Å"We can never know, never look at history with anything but a narrow and distorted window,† says the author. We ca n never know the whole truth, only what's been recorded for us and what our cultural and political predisposition understands. Leah says history is never much more than a mirror we can tilt to look at ourselves† (Kanner).Many members journey from Georgia to the Congo and from ignorance to understanding. In the first section called â€Å"The Things They Carried,† Kingsolver shows the characters packing all the necessary things that they carry into the Congo on this journey. They hide objects in their waistbands that they can’t live without, like band-aids, scissors, cake mixes, and more. The cake solidifies before they are even able to attempts to use it. Before they even get there, Leah realizes these objects weigh her down. What hey realize is that they don’t â€Å"need† any of the objects they brought with them, and that our concept of need is warped by our culture.These possessions stand out against the items of the Congo. The demonstration garde n is a symbol that shows many characteristics of this journey of ignorance and understanding. Nathan’s purpose in the demonstration garden is to show the Congolese agricultural techniques. This garden is symbolic of the attitude that the family carries into the Congo. they believe that their way is superior and Africans are hopelessly backward. However, the plants that they bring are inappropriate to Africa as are the attitudes of the family.The plants are useless; they bear no fruit just like the attitudes of the family. When Mama Tataba tries to advise Nathan, he cannot heed her advice because he believes the Congolese are so backward that she doesn’t know what she is talking about. It never occurs to him that there are reasons other than â€Å"backwardness† as to why there is no agriculture in Kilanga. The journey continues as more attitudes change throughout the course of the novel. Adah believes that it is so terrible that so many children and adults die in Africa of things we can cure.So people like her have brought medicines and inoculations. However, this leads to overpopulation and food shortages and more. Another lesson the family learns on this journey is that human beings cannot change the balance of nature. Nature always finds a way to retain its own balance. Not all characters succeed in taking the journey. Nathan Price never â€Å"sees the light† of his journey. He arrogantly believes that he can change these ancient traditions to his own, and this would be for the betterment of everyone. His way of life is simply superior, but he is blind in so many ways.He actually is physically almost-blind in one eye because of an old war wound. He is figuratively blind to anyone outside his own version of his divine mission. He then loses sight temporally by ignoring Mama’s advice about the poisonwood tree. Kingsolver ultimately longs for the reader to make this journey as well, a journey to explore what really happened in the Congo. She wants the reader to question what we did in the Congo and how we respond to its destruction. This is why we hear the story from five different narrators. There is no right answer; there is only the journey of exploring the possibilities.Orleana is paralyzed at the end of the book. Rachel refuses to accept any part. Leah becomes an activist, attempting to right the wrongs of the world. Adah responds with science, wanting to figure out and understand her world. What this family’s ultimate â€Å"journey† becomes is one of arrogance and superiority to one of understanding and open-mindedness. â€Å"We aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth. And so it came to pass that we stepped down there on a place we believed unformed, where only darkness moved on the face of the waters.Now you laugh, day and night, while you gnaw on my bones. But what else could we have thought? Only that it began and ended with us. What d o we know, even now? Ask the children. Look at what they grew up to be. We can only speak of the things we carried with us, and the things we took away† (Kingsolver 10) Works Cited Kanner, Ellen, Barbara Kingsolver turns to her past to understand the present. 1998 Retrieved June 3, 2007. from First Person Book Page site http://www. bookpage. com/9811bp/barbara_kingsolver. html Kingsolver. Barbara, The Poisonwood Bible. HarperCollins, Canada. 2005.

All Consuming Images

What is Ewen trying to understand in regards to the ‘politics’ of style and what are his research questions? Which methods does he use to conduct this analysis? Ewen in his study of style is trying to understand how this came to be of â€Å"utmost† importance in our society. Obviously, considering himself a scholar and trying to make an impact on his students, Ewen is perplexed, when after reviewing the impact of the mass media on our society, the most important question a student can ask him, is â€Å"Where did you get your shoes? † Why does it matter? This is what Ewen wants to understand. When did style become representative of all that we are?And how did become tied to social power. Ewen, although able to recognize the symbols of style in our society, through images on magazines, fashion, interior design, found it difficult to define what style is, and the â€Å"universal preoccupation† with style in this society. Ewen believed that understanding this preoccupation, would ultimately provide an understanding of this contemporary culture. Ewen was curious of this notion, that made such an impact on our society, yet lacked concrete understanding. Style is elusive, yet craved by everyone. â€Å"This conception of style is both perceptive and confounding. The idea that styleis a way that the human values, structures, and assumptions in a given society are aesthetically expressed and received is a powerful insight. † Ewen found that the concept of style was often determined by current fads or modes of behavior. Style can be defined by its currency, and also defined by its consumption. â€Å"One of the main points of a style is that it will not remain current. † Ewen asked his students to write an essay entitled â€Å"What Style Means to Me. † He established the ground rules: †¢ No dictionary definitions †¢ No academic or research papers †¢ Draw on your own experiences and feelings about styleEw en believed that each of their essays would reveal how their definition of style was essentially part of their history and experience. â€Å"Every story could be pursued to reveal many things about the particular individuals and groups that are spoken for: the way people express themselves, the way they conform, the way they rebel. † Ewen found through their essays that their were similarities in that at some point, most of them equated style with consumption and the power of the mass media to define and influence popular notions of style. Ewen wants to determine the meaning of the prominence, significance andconsumption of style, and how it has come to be a contemporary phenomenon. Ewen is concerned about the ability of the mass media to define style and its ability to create a way of life. â€Å"The people we view apparently inhabit a universe of bounty. They wear dresses costing thousands. They live in castles. Their encounters with interior designers lead to unrestrained flights of fancy. Their desires, their fantasies, their whims are painlessly translated into objective forms. There are no conflicts. In the name of â€Å"good taste,† there is no mention of cost. There is no anxiety about affordability. †Style, in contemporary culture, appears to offer the opportunity to have all that one desires, without ever even questioning if it what should be desired. Question 2 Using THREE EXAMPLES from the book, explain at least two ways that personal experience (and/or identity) is related to the politics of style. According to Ewen, the power of style has become an increasingly feature in the lives of individuals. â€Å"Style is a visible reference point by which we have come to understand life in progress. † Take for example the invitation that an individual may receive from American Express, to receive their new Gold Card.â€Å"Only a select group will ever carry the Gold Card. So it instantly identifies you as someone specialâ€⠀œone who expects an added measure of courtesy and personal attention. . . . The Gold Card says more about you than anything you can buy with it. We think it's time you joined the select group who carry it. It is a gesture that speaks volumes. It says you are someone special–whose style of living requires very special privileges. Someone whose financial credentials rank among the nation's highest. Someone who appreciates–indeed, has come to expect–an extra measure of courtesy and personal attention. In fact, the Gold Card in your namesays more about you than almost anything you can buy with it. † This is a promise of â€Å"unspoken prestige. † You will be seen. You will be noticed. The symbols you display, your most valuable possessions, will permit you to stand apart from the crowd. You will be noteworthy and honored. You will be someone. You will have â€Å"joined the select group. † Only the faint remnant of perforations–at the top and bottom edges of the personalized letter–suggests that this promise of individual identity is being made, simultaneously, to a mass of others. This is a typical manner in which the mass media and consumerism do define style, asidentified by Ewen. It speaks to the quality of life that will be held by the person who has the â€Å"Gold Card,† as though being identified as royalty. This person not only has style and power, but already has the American Dream. â€Å"When a rising middle class of merchants began to appropriate the marks of style from the late Middle Ages on, it was a tangible expression of their increasing power, both locally and globally. When they took on the vestments, titles, and properties previously monopolized by the aristocracy, it was because they had assumed a central, increasingly decisive position in the world.While political structures took time to acknowledge their franchise, these merchant capitalists were becoming men of power. † Acc ording to Ewen, this middle class claiming of power, was a mask, to let them feel as powerful as the elite that claimed social power. â€Å"Its symbolic identification with power, this â€Å"middle class† performed, and continues to perform, a political function; it effects divisions among people who otherwise might identify with one another. † Ewen cites the impact of the mass media and its ability to convince the American public of their personal worth as evidenced by their style. â€Å"By the late 1950s, Fortunemagazine asserted, nearly all Americans had the option of â€Å"choosing a whole style of life†: A skilled mechanic who earns $7,500 after taxes may choose to continue living in â€Å"working class† style, meanwhile saving sizable sums for his children's college education; or he may choose to live like a junior executive in his own $17,000 suburban house; or he may choose to live in a city apartment house otherwise occupied by business and prof essional men. When the American â€Å"masses† have options of this breadth, . . . it is scarcely an exaggeration to suggest that we have arrived at a landmark in all the history of human freedoms.(1) people constantly express their personalities not so much in words as in symbols (ie: mannerisms, dress, ornaments, possessions); (2)most people are increasingly concerned about what other people think of them, and hence about their social status. Thus the taste of many Americans is expressed in symbols of various social positions. . . . people tend to buy things that symbolize their aspirations. Our social status and hence our social power are identified by our belongings and those personal possessions that we choose. Question 3 In the closing chapter, Ewen begins by suggesting that â€Å"In American Society today‘image management’ has become both a lucrative business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and a necessity. He concludes that â€Å"in countless aspects of life the powers of appearance have come to overshadow, or to shape, the way we comprehend matters of substance. † What are his conclusions regarding this form of social control? What do you think of his argument? What began for Ewen as a quest to understand why one student found more importance in his shoes than his message, Ewen uncovered what is perhaps our failing in contemporary society. Image management in contemporary society is a billion dollarbusiness, with people being willing to do whatever it takes, to achieve the perfect status and the perfect image. The perfect image sells! Image is created by an individuals style. For most individuals, style is created by what is identified in the mass media as valuable, status enhancing, and important. Our priorities are in great part determined by what the mass media determines as important. This is a belief that is upheld by not only the commercial industry but our main sources of news: â€Å"If the news helps to promulgate an ongoing cognitiv e confusion, closely related are the dominant channels of political influence.As far back as the presidency of Andrew Jackson, when the vote was extended beyond the propertied classes, political style makers have negotiated between the objective power and interests of ruling elites on the one hand, and rising popular democratic aspirations on the other. Social inequalities of wealth and opportunity were transformed, by the hoodoo of political promotion, into a consensual notion of â€Å"common interest. † I absolutely agree that the perception or attitude represents â€Å"the ascendancy of politics as pure public relations. † If we continue to reduce all social issues to simply matters ofperception, that is the only place where we will see change. If that is how we address social needs, we will only see an image change, rather than real change that is needed. â€Å"The impulse to dissociate images from social experience, or to present images as a surrogate for experie nce, is reiterated throughout our culture. The perpetual repetition of this dynamic–affecting our sense. † Ewen represents a compelling study of the effect of image and style on contemporary society. The value of individuals in this society is determined by their image and their ability to project that image to others.

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND LAW ( A STRATEGY FOR A WATER COMPANY ) Essay

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND LAW ( A STRATEGY FOR A WATER COMPANY ) Bonus to the writer - Essay Example In the traditional strategy, the design is conducted by a client that is different from the contractor in charge of constructing the project according to OGC (nd). Other variants of the management contracting strategy include design, manage and construct and construction management. The design and build strategy on the hand is where the consultant that designs a construction is also charged with the responsibility of actualizing it in reality. The other main strategy is the management strategy. This strategy involves contracting an organization to be in charge of ensuring that other contractors in a project deliver predefined goal effectively (OGC nd). The management contractor in most cases is separate from the consultant that completes the design of the construction. There are a number of factors that must be considered when selecting a contract strategy. The main factor involved in this respect include timing, variation, price certainty, competition, quality, complexity profession al responsibility, risk avoidance, and professional responsibility. ... 1. Bestwater Main Rehabilitation Contract Strategy Bestwater’s main rehabilitation project is aimed to replace small diameter water mains with MDPE pipes. The project however involves a lot of liaising with several authorities. The contract will involve a little of risk related to timely completion of the work as there is about five years to complete the tasks involved. The work involves general and specialized activities that may necessitate the contracting of different contractual partners to spread the risks involved as well as to achieve the best possible quality of service. Alternatives In order to accomplish this task, the company may opt to use the traditional and design and build contract strategies. The advantages associated with traditional contract strategy include the competitive tendering, cost certainty at the beginning of the construction process and the existence of clear lines of responsibility as noted by Engineering Construction EDC (1985). The strategy also makes it easy to change designs while making use of the best possible design and construction skills. This strategy can however make it difficult to complete the project in the shortest possible time since decision making is bound to be slow and convoluted. Furthermore, this strategic option requires good organizational interfaces which may not be very easy to achieve. On the other hand, design and build has high buildability levels making the project have short completion times. The company’s responsibility in the process is also reduced which makes the company bear less risks compared to the traditional strategy (Walker and Hampson 2002). The quality provided by this option may however not be as good as that offered by

Megamusicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Megamusicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber - Essay Example Musical Theater is an art form that combines the basic elements of speaking, acting, singing and dancing. It is a play that may have all the four elements together in varying proportions or it may utilize pure singing and dancing only and is considered as pure-music or sung-through form. Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats and Phantom of the Opera are almost sung-through musicals, a trademark of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. When story and music are put together, the synthesis is an extremely powerful, expressive and stimulating work of art that is very effective in communicating a message and eliciting a warm response from the audience. All the ingredients of a story including the setting, characters, the plot, the conflict, the resolution and the message contribute to make a good story. It provides a time and place which may be real or imaginary; while a real-life setting is determined by historical facts, an imaginary setting however can make a story very interesting. Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita are based on real-life persons and events while Cats and Phantom of the Opera on fictional stories. A story also provides characters whose personalities, background and visions become the basis of songs. Information about the character becomes the source of the content of the lyrics and the basis of the styles to be used for the music. In Webber's musicals, songs have been written for and about the characters like Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar; Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Macavity in Cats; Evita, Juan Peron and Che in Evita and the Phantom, Raoul, and Christine in The Phantom Of The Opera.2 A story also layouts the plot, that is, the series of events arranged in a logical sequence and meaningful format that progresses interestingly to bring a clear conveyance of the musical's idea. The plot provides the structure or outline for the sequencing or ordering of songs and music for the musical while the context of the scene helps the composer to determine the type of melody, rhythm, tempo, dynamics or style of music to be used to suit the scene. Considerations like whether to use vocal or instrumental music, solo or choral; sad or happy music, for example, are influenced by the nature and meaning of the scene. Webber is very successful in this aspect which may be appreciated in some of his works especially in his musical Jesus Christ Superstar.3 The conflict is the core of a story, for without it a story becomes uninteresting and unrealistic. Human life is full of conflict and it is this aspect of a story which people relate and respond to. It is then a rich source of material for lyrics and music; conflict leads to the composition of intense songs and powerful music. Webber's song "I Don't Know How To Love Him" and the Overture of Jesus Christ Superstar are just some of his great works that manifest conflict. The resolution of conflict in a story is also a source of material for score writing. Conflict resolutions create wonderful, victorious and inspiring song and music. "Hosanna" and "Superstar" are examples of inspirational songs written by Webber.4 Lastly, the message of the story is a very important source of material and content for the making of song and music for a musical. A story without a message is useless and a song without a message is devoid of significance and meaning. Webber's musicals have great meanings and messages including love for fellowmen, romantic love, love for country and love for life. His musicals contain deep values like hope, love and loyalty.5 In musical theater, the Story is the ingredient that provides meaning and essence. It is the core and substance that endows the musical its development and evolution. It is the component that carries the message to the audience in a forward movement and making the play comprehensible; it is the constituent of the musical play that makes the mind think. Because of the story, actors and actresses have something to say, act, sing

Glass ceiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Glass ceiling - Essay Example Women however insisted that it was real and no matter how hard they work a time comes when they no longer get promoted to higher management positions. This glass ceiling prevents untold number of qualified people from advancing in the corporate hierarchies. It may be invisible but it sure is impenetrable (Wallace, n.p.). Colleen O'Neill, partner of Mercer Human Resource Consulting says: "Everyone in the U.S. is very focused on gender, and corporate boards are pushing for more equity [at the highest levels],"(Farell, n.p.) Companies think that if they hire women their profits will go down. Surveys show different results. Convent Investment Management did a study of Standard and Poors 500 and found that companies which promoted women and minorities had a return of about 18.3 percent over a five year period whereas companies which did not promote women and minors had a return of only 7.9 percent. The reason is simple. First of all the management in the first case had a diverse pool of people to choose from as they considered women and minors also, where as in the second case, the company did not fully utilize human capital. Secondly, treating the workers properly results in better productivity and higher morale. 95 percent of senior-level managers of the top Fortune 1000 industrial and 500 service companies are men even though women get almost half of all the Master's degrees. Out of these 95 percent, 97 percent are whites (U.S Glass Ceiling Commission, 6) In order to compete in a diversified marketplace companies need to fully utilize human capital. By excluding women these companies also exclude extraordinary amount of talent, creativity and productivity. Today, women are trying to seek more satisfying and rewarding jobs and if they do not find what they are looking for they try to set up their own businesses. Women are leaving the corporate sector twice the rate men are leaving and they are also forming new businesses at the same rate. Since 1990, there has been an increase of about 43% in Women Business Owners. Women own about 7.7 million firms. These statistics show that these women were experienced, skilled, educated and enthusiastic as they had opened up their own businesses. But due to this glass ceiling and unsatisfying jobs they were forced to leave their jobs and seek another option. It was a loss for the companies and not for these women. Nora Frankiel says: "Women have reached a certain point -- I call it the glass ceiling. They're in the top of middle management and they're stopping and getting stuck. There isn't enough room for all those women at the top. Some are going into business for themselves. Others are going out and raising families." Why does glass ceiling persist The answer varies. It is a

Holistic care of patient with chronic obstrucive pulmonary disease Essay

Holistic care of patient with chronic obstrucive pulmonary disease - Essay Example noea associated with progressive obstruction of expiratory airflow secondary to chronic airways and lung parenchyma inflammation (Woodley and Whelan, 1992; Sutherland and Cherniack, 2004; Fibbri, et al., 2008). COPD, the term used to refer chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is one of the most common disorders in an adult lung (American Lung Association, 2009; National Lung Heart and Heart Blood Institute, 2009). Both chronic bronchitis and emphysema alike coexists; therefore, referred to by the physicians as COPD (American Lung Association, 2009). On the other hand, Barnes (2000) stated that COPD encompasses chronic obstructive bronchitis accompanied with small airway obstruction as well as emphysema with air space enlargement, destruction of parenchyma of the lung, loss of elasticity of the lung, and small airway closure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the leading cause of death in the western society, requires prevention and treatment improvement (Simpson and Rocker, 2008). Its because of the fact that traditional approaches of healthcare to COPD is focused only on the pathophysiology underlying the disease that aimed to treat and prevent acute exacerbations not knowing the psychological impact that instantaneously follows the physical decline are the powerful forces in shaping patients’ experience with COPD (Simpson and Rocker, 2008). In patients with advancing COPD, the dominant role and psychosocial impact on the quality of life requires one to think twice on efficient approach to effectively address the issue of care (Simpson and Rocker, 2008). In COPD, a holistic approach must be practised, and to achieve this, an individual nursing care plan of treatment must be carried out. These include lifestyle modification such as cessation of smoking, pulmonary status optimisation by means of pharmacotherapy and exercise as well as nutritional and metabolic intervention strategies (van der Valk, 2004). Around 600 million individuals are diagnosed with COPD

The death penalty is not a deterrent Research Paper - 1

The death penalty is not a deterrent - Research Paper Example Pillsbury argued that it is the violence of our crimes that is the problem and not the number of crimes. And in dealing with the American homicide problem, we need to approach it squarely with all the help we can muster from social scientists, lawyers, police officers, community leader and activists, even novelists and movie makers. Each of these people provides a different perspective on what makes people commit crime, and each provides a different solution in dealing with the criminal who committed the crime. (Pillsbury 3) A police officer who apprehended the criminal may want conviction and incarceration. The psychiatrist may ask for psychiatric treatment, while a social reformer may ask that the offender be given family support which he/she lacked when the crime was committed. Each professional or actor in the justice system may want a different approach. But this will hold only for as long as each respects the other. The criminal, after a psychiatric treatment, may find himself a promoter of social reform, but not capital punishment. This paper will provide an answer to the question whether the criminal deserves punishment and not the death penalty. Is capital punishment a deterrent to a convict’s commission of another crime? Or is it a deterrent for others to commit a crime? Literature Review Proponents of the death penalty provide four fundamental rationales in imposing it: ‘deterrence, instrumental perspective, retribution, and incapacitation’ (Lambert and Clarke, qtd. in Elechi, Lambert and Ventura 110). Proponents argue that people can be stopped from committing crimes by imposing severe sanctions and executing criminals deters others who planned to commit crimes from doing so. Proponents also advocate that the death penalty is an ‘effective deterrent than life imprisonment’ (Elechi et al 110). Retribution is vengeance (Mitchell 480). Statistics about homicide rates in conjunction with execution rates Since 1999 the mu rder rate has remained unchanged despite the decline of death sentences, executions, and the size of death row. (â€Å"Death Penalty Information Center† para. 1) In the so-called execution capital of the nation, Texas, executions go up the same thing with homicide. For example in Bexar, San Antonio, with a population of about 1.4 million, the murder rate is 14.91, executions registered at 18 and executions per 1,000 murders are 4.3; in El Paso, a population of .7 million, the murder rate is 6.60, execution 1; in Tarrant (Ft. Worth), population of 1.5, murder rate is 12.78, executions 22, and executions per 1,000 are 6.5; in Dallas, a population of 2.2 million, the murder rate is 19.33, executions 26, and executions per 1000 murders are 3.1. The hiatus in executions during 1972 to 1976 was brought about by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Furman v. Georgia, which states that capital punishment in America was cruel and unusual punishment. (â€Å"Mortal Justice: The Demogra phy of the Death Penalty† 40) Statistics about homicide rates in conjunction with life imprisonment States, which do not have the death penalty and only have life imprisonment, have reported lower murder rates. In 2010, the murder rate in death penalty states was 5.00, while the murder rate in non-death penalty states was 4.01 or a difference of 25%. In other words, death penalty or life imprisonment has no deterrence on violent crimes like murder. The murder rate is calculated by dividing the total

Study of Efficient Market Hypothesis 04012 Essay

Study of Efficient Market Hypothesis 04012 - Essay Example ns that the bubbles in prices of assets are not possible nor does EMH deny that behavioural and environmental features cannot have deep influences on the required risk premiums and rates of returns (Timmermann and Granger, 2004). EMH declares that shares are constantly traded at their reasonable value, therefore making it impracticable for the investors to purchase the undervalued shares or sell shares for overstated or inflated prices (Borges, 2010). According to this, it may be impossible for the investors to outperform the entire market through market timing or expert share selection. So, the only means for the investor to receive higher or advanced returns is through buying riskier investments. There are three forms of efficiency i.e. weak-form, strong and semi-strong form of efficiency (Morningstar, 2015). In the efficiency of weak-form, it is not possible to predict the future price by analysing the past prices and the surplus returns cannot be received by employing the investment strategies which is based on the historical data (Gupta and Basu, 2011; Moustafa, 2004). In the semi-strong efficiency, stock prices are adjusted to the publicly accessible new information (Ma, 2004). However, the technical o r fundamental analyses are not able to consistently produce surplus returns. In the efficiency of strong-form, share prices reveal all information, private and public and no individual or company can earn surplus returns (Chau and Vayanos, 2008). The most influential argument against EMH is that the securities markets have frequently experienced excessive bubbles. When the market bubble exploded, internet associated stocks lost almost 90% of their value. The related mispricing of securities which are mortgage-backed had excessive consequences for the financial institutions as well as for the economy of entire world. Critics have deemed these incidents to be evident cases of the market inefficiency. The continuation of bubbles in the prices of assets is

Trinity Church, Boston Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trinity Church, Boston - Essay Example The construction of the church was ordered by Rector Phillips Brooks who was in charge of the parish. The original church burned down in the Great Boston Fire of 1872, which prompted Brooks to seek a designer for a brand new church. He is the one who influenced the commissioning of Richardson, an emerging reputable architect at the time. Richardson himself was not widely known before this particular project that was to change his reputation forever, for the better. The building came up at a time when the neo-classical architecture had emerged strongly in the post Baroque era. The Baroque era traced back to the Council of Trent of 1545 emerged out of a counter reformation in the Catholic Church against the Protestant movement at the time. It coincided with the emergence of wealth and power in the Catholic Church and colonial Europe. It was therefore an expression of the pride, opulence and power of the state and church of the era. It replaced the classical era, which insisted on funct ional forms and simple order of symmetry in structures. The Baroque era tended to achieve structural unity in its own seemingly asymmetrical way. In addition, it emphasized structure that appealed deeply to the emotions; something that classical architecture had frowned at.Subsequently, the emergence of the neo-classical era was therefore a kind of restoration of the old classical forms with the requisite improvisations adopted from other forms, including Baroque. The movement came out strongly in the mid to late 18th century.

Poverty and Pollution Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poverty and Pollution Case Study - Essay Example Firms that manufacture chemicals, which are too unsafe to manufacture within the first World will always acquire a market within third World Nations (The Environment..., 2013). There exist no regulations within the Third World Nations that govern dumping and pollution. Generally, Third World nations have to choose between food and a contaminated environment. Third World governments cannot limit nor have regulations, as it would be too expensive to their countries more specifically since most of their people are trying to earn a living (Hardoy, 2011). This paper is an analysis of the Pollution and Poverty Case Study. Ethical effects of pollution in a third world nation would directly affect the inhabitants of the Third World Countries (Hardoy, 2011). For instance, the dumping of toxic electronics within the south of Chinese town of Guiyu had Women melting hard drives and motherboards from CPUs to extract gold from them. This exposed them to toxic fumes. Ghana is another country, which has had wastes dumped in one of its regions. On the borders of Agbogbloshie town, there is an enormous wasteland as well as one of the highly polluted water bodies on Earth(The Environment..., 2013). ... Once they obtain the personal data in them, they sell the data for roughly $35 for each hard drive. Information obtained from these hard drives includes private financial facts, credit-card numbers, account data and reports of electronic transactions. Mostly, the original holders of the hard drives do not know that such information had been left in those drives. It becomes easier to clear out accounts with the account information. Ghana is listed as among the top cybercrime perpetrators in the globe conferring to the American State Department (Ghana Dumping..., 2012). During an off-camera interview, one of the drives purchased had a $22 billion United States government contract. The hard drive had come from an American military contractor known as Northrop Grumman; it is among the largest military contractors in the U.S. The hard drive contained very sensitive details such as multi-million dollar deals of the United States government with agencies such as the DIA (defense intelligenc e agency), Homeland Security and NASA (Ghana Dumping..., 2012). This poses an enormous security risk that places everyone at the vulnerability of the perpetrators. If regulations and laws had been established to govern e-waste disposal and pollution, then cybercrime might not be a huge issue as it is currently. Obtaining personal information about people is one thing, but it is another to obtain detailed information on government contracts (News Week Magazine, 2013). When 3rd World nations do not have any regulations or laws shielding them from 1st World Nations polluting and dumping in their nation, then it renders it difficult for them to prohibit 1st World Nations from dumping and polluting in their countries. Initially, some counties embraced the e-waste. A

Adjusting to Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Adjusting to Terrorism Essay Due to significant changes within the criminal justice system in the United States of America, the effort to combat terrorism has grown to be more effective. The terrorist attack that occurred during September 11, 2001, this terrorist attack happen to take place on American soil and become and monumental period in American history. Prior to September 11, 2001, the United States was more in a relax mode when regarding to a federal, state, and local problems. The resources were not leveraged in certain cities and the capacity tended to focus on terrorism. The changes that required significant analysis on the attacks reflected how the country and local agencies around the country have adjusted to the threat of terrorism. A major component in the criminal justice system has contributed to the adjustment of the attack for the Department of Homeland Security. See more:Â  The 3 Types of Satire Essay I would consider using the Patriot Act which is defined as a response to terrorist attacks to September 11th, significantly reduced restrictions in a law enforcement agency. The intelligence of gathering information is for the United States of America. The combat efforts that I have gathered to aid my situation and provision of the Patriot Act are to prevent another catastrophic attack on United States soil. I have already proved extraordinarily beneficial for the war on terrorism that we have to the opportunity to use and tackle it head on. By resulting in a free flow of information that can be retrieve and coordinated between different law enforcement agencies can help produce the intelligence information that is need to show the expansion of our ability to use all appropriate resources to prevent terrorism. My next step is trying and improves the technology in the US. Many experts tend to think that it is unnecessary for us to focus on vehicle crossing the borders. Majority of the vehicles crossing the border could be the most dangerous, because they will be transporting massive equipment to cause disruptions in the United States. The process to stay alert and aware of the different types of technology will be critical for us to stay afloat. Reference FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov

Management Situation In A Police Organisation Management Essay

Management Situation In A Police Organisation Management Essay This essay will analyse a change management situation in a Police organisation, comparing approaches to leadership, analysing the efficiency of interpersonal skills for a Leader and analysing the role of a Leader within the Police environment, taking cognisance of the principles, theories and approaches to Leadership. Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realise your own leadership potential. The Police service in Scotland has under gone many Change Management Situations over the years. In 1975 the Local Government reorganisation brought about the amalgamation of the Burgh and City police forces into the eight territorial forces that we recognise today. At the present Strathclyde Police are undergoing a significant change management situation, the result of which is the implementation of Variable Shift Agreement (VSA) across the force at operational level. EVALUATE APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP The introduction of the VSA saw the force revise its traditional four group system for core uniform coverage into a five group system. The demands of the new arrangement meant that the leader (Chief Constable) was tasked with altering the resource management for each of Strathclydes territorial divisions considering factors such as: Length of Service and age Specialities i.e. Public Order , Firearms Gender These factors were all considered to provide an equal share of skills and experience across a Division as possible. This could prove the cause of friction between the management and subordinates, as well formed; productive shifts could be fragmented and divided up across a division. Kotter (1990, cited in Leadership 2009) observed that managers and leaders have three main tasks that they accomplish in different ways: Deciding what needs to be done Shift pattern must change to give better work life balance, better service to the public and more efficient use of resources. Creating networks of people and relationships that can accomplish the agenda Setting up of a review and implementation team, looking at best use of resources. Trying to ensure that people actually do the job monitoring the results of the newly formed shifts through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as cases submitted, stop searches undertaken and absence management. In the implementation of the VSA shift pattern the leader involved, more or less followed the three tasks as observed by Kotter, however depending on the leaders rank within the hierarchy, their approach to the same task will differ. Remembering that there is a difference between leaders and managers Kotters approach allows Leaders to concentrate on the creation of strategies and visions for the future, communicating and committing to achievement of these visions and motivating others despite obstacles to change. During this change management situation the Leader was more concerned with focusing on the implementation of the VSA rather than focusing on the needs of the employees. Lewin et al (1939, cited in Leadership 2009) identified a leadership approach, sometimes referred to as the behavioural approach: Autocratic (or authoritarian) style where the leader concentrates on getting the job done; the leader takes responsibility for everything that is done e.g. making decisions , allocating work, setting targets and ensures , through the use of rewards and punishments that team members obey. Democratic (or participation) style where the leader concentrates on the needs of the group or team; leadership is shared with team members who have a greater say in the decision making; how tasks are allocated and so on. Laissez Faire (or delegative) style as its name suggests this is where the leader deliberately allows the team to decide what has to be done and how to do it; the leader is available for help and advice if needed but does not interfere. According to Lewin et al the leader utilised an autocratic style of leadership when implementing the VSA, controlling decision making and task setting. Shown with the formation of the VSA implementation team. They had the set task of rolling out the shift plan to each division in turn, with target dates set for this roll out. Furthermore, the Chief Constable regularly chaired a strategic tasking and co-ordinating group, receiving feedback from the implementation team and Divisional Commanders, whilst making all the decisions regarding the implementation, without handing any of these decisions down to subordinates to undertake, showing that in this case he was taking responsibility for everything that was done. A different approach to leadership is that of Hersey and Blanchard (1988, cited in Leadership 2009) theory known as situational leadership, they make use of observing members willingness to perform a task and from this select a suitable leadership style. The four stages of readiness are described as: R1 unable and unwilling R2 unable and willing R3 able but unwilling R4 able and willing Most personnel which would be affected fell into: R2 New Probationers who do not yet have the necessary skills and had not experience any other shift pattern. And R3 More experienced officers who could foresee that the shift pattern was not as favourable as the current one, some possibly resistant to change. But others able to argue that there would be problems with child care, longer working days and frequent cancellation of rest days with the VSA. The leadership styles suggested are: S1 telling or directing requires state of readiness R1 S2 selling or coaching requires state of readiness R2 S3 participating or supporting requires state of readiness R3 S4 delegating requires state of readiness R4 From this theory the leader should have adopted a combination of S2 and S3 styles to communicate and sell the VSA and support those who require it. However in choosing to implement S1 (similar to the autocratic approach) with telling and directing the VSA implementation, does not follow Hersey and Blanchards theory and could create more friction by choosing the wrong leadership style. This is shown in the table below. This table shows that different readiness levels require differing styles of leadership, leaders should consider their relations with others, and the structure of the task before determining what style of leadership to adopt, evolving their leadership style as readiness levels change, as with many things one size does not fit all. ANALYSE THE EFFECT OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ON LEADERSHIP When a leader decides upon a particular leadership approach to their given task, they must then interact with others and consider their own interpersonal skills. A successful and effective leader requires a range of interpersonal skills such as listening, asking questions, giving feedback, being assertive and so on. This section will analyse two particular aspects of interpersonal skills: Influencing trying to get someone to do, or to think, something that they might not otherwise have done. Managing Conflict coping with disagreements between people(in broad terms) Using interpersonal skills is not just a matter of knowing what they are, but about being aware when they are suitable and knowing how to use them effectively. According to French and Raven (1959, cited in Leadership 2009) power comes from five sources: Reward Power Coercive Power Referent Power Legitimate Power Expert power Power is an abstract concept and is difficult to define; basically A has the ability to make B behave in a certain way. The types of power demonstrated by the leader, throughout the organisational change was a mixture of coercive and legitimate power. The leader had the authority to influence behaviour through their rank within a disciplined hierarchal organisation, the force were presented with the VSA or an alternative of an even older shift pattern without consultation. Influencing Leaders are likely to adopt a particular style or approach when trying to influence someone, the balance of power between both parties will possibly determine the strategy, these may include: Reason using reason and logical argument. Assertion making a direct request with no argument to support the request. Exchange negotiating to arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome. Courting Favors friendship and positive behavior to encourage others to behave in the required manner. Coercion using or threatening to use some form of sanction. Partnership gathering support from both sides to build a coalition. And also the style used, Manning and Robertson (2004, cited in Leadership 2009) suggest six possible influencing styles: Strategist this is where the influencer is clear in what they what to achieve and has considered it before hand .A strategist style tends to favour reason, assertion and partnership styles of influence. Opportunist this style involves responding opportunistically to the situation facing the influencer. An opportunist style tends to use courting favour and exchange strategies. An opportunist is unlikely to prepare much beforehand but will attempt to grasp chances that come their way. Collaborator this style as its name suggests, involves collaboration with others for the overall good. A collaborator style concentrates on partnership, reason, exchange and courting favour strategies. Leaders who favour consensus are an example of collaborator style. Battler this is where the influencer concentrates on what they want and the sanction that they will use if they do not achieve this. A battler style tends to make use of coercion and assertion styles. A battler style is associated with people who want to get their own way and are reluctant to take no for an answer. Shotgun this strategy involves attempting to influence on a frequent basis and by use of a number of different strategies. Bystander those who adopt this style tend to engage in relatively few influencing attempts and make use of a restricted use of strategies. For the VSA to be implemented the leader combined their influencing strategy and style, using assertion and coercion. By making a direct request to Divisional Commanders to introduce the VSA to their respective divisions, through the VSA implementation teams, underpinning this with their legitimate power by virtue of their position within the force. The leader wanted to get their own way, however reluctant to take no for an answer from their Divisional Commanders. This resulted in conflict, which may have been avoided had the leader utilised a partnership or reason approach, justifying the reason behind their requests. Managing Conflict On some occasions leaders can use the previously discussed influencing strategies and power levels to assist them in managing conflict. Robbins (1996, cited in Leadership 2009) describes conflict as a process that begins when one party perceives that another has negatively effected, or is about to negatively effect, something that the first party cares about . Buchanan and Huczynski (2004) argue that conflict is a state of mind . Some will argue that conflict is a necessary part of organisational growth and development, where some will claim that an absence of conflict could be seen as an indication of complacency. However conflict has functional or potential benefits such as: Enabling opposing parties to gain a better understanding of each others views. An essential part of the process by which a team becomes effective. Leads alternative suggestions being made. Helps to implement a change successfully. Leads to an agreement that establishes a framework for future working. It is not always straight forward to manage conflict; some measures can be used to contribute to reducing the conflict at an organisational level reminding those involved of the rules and procedures, but also of remits, targets and goals of the organisation, however sometimes it is these that are the root causes of the conflict. Leaders will all handle conflict differently depending on the type of conflict faced; Thomas (1976, cited in Leadership 2009) suggests five styles for managing conflict: Avoiding this means doing nothing to tackle the conflict, this can be used when the issues are trivial and there is no chance of resolving the conflict. Accommodating this means accepting the existence of the conflict, this can be used to maintain harmony and allow people to learn from their mistakes. Compromising this involves some form of bargaining or negotiation; this can be used when getting a solution is important and both parties have equal power. Competing the opposite of accommodating and pursuing the interests of one party at the expense of the other, this can be used in an emergency and a quick solution is necessary. Collaborating working out a solution that is acceptable to both parties and meets all their concerns, used when it is important to gain long term commitment and issues are to important to compromise. Successful influencing and conflict management was certainly required with the initial introduction of the VSA. Firstly the leaders had to influence the core shifts and federation into accepting that it would provide a better quality of service and greater work life balance. The conflict arose through others unwilling to accept the terms of the VSA; however the leaders in managing this conflict firstly adopted an avoiding strategy during the initial pilot stage of the VSA. At the conclusion of the pilot and in preparation for roll out the leader, still facing resistance changed into competing. The leader believed the shift plan would work force wide and therefore would be implemented, with no consultation and no argument to justify the reasons for implementation. Either that or resort backwards to an older shift pattern. In implementing the VSA the Chief Constable has made effective use of their interpersonal skills, in their own distinct approach to this particular change management situation. However a more beneficial approach may have been a mix of accommodation, accepting that there were flaws in the VSA, and the existence of conflict with its implementation, collaborating with subordinates to work out a better solution for the long term strategy of the VSA. ANALYSE THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE Organisational change is about closing the gap between where the organisation is at the moment and where it wants to be. It is the leaders role to close this gap. Senior (2002, cited in Leadership 2009) has identified four levels of change in which some, if not all would be involved in, Fine tuning Incremental adjustment Modular transformation Corporate transformation According to Senior the level of change that the VSA posed to the force was that of a modular transformation, as a significant number of the force, but not all, would be affected by its implementation. Kurt Lewin (cited in Leadership 2009) suggests that there are three main stages of change, unfreezing, change and refreezing. For the change to happen, the Leader firstly recognized the need for change, with a new shift pattern, following this with proprietary planning with the implementation team before the unfreezing stage. At this point resistance to the change should have been addressed, but the leader chose to avoid the conflict. The change period was overseen by the leader through chairing tasking meetings and monitoring its progress. During the refreezing period the VSA became an everyday part of life, the change was institutionalized, to give no chance of reverting back to previous shift patterns. Within these three stages people will play different roles in this organisational change; Kanter (1992, cited in Leadership 2009) distinguishes between three different types of people; Change strategists or initiators who initiate change and set the direction for it. Change implementers who co-ordinate and carry out the change. Change recipients who are effected by the change e.g. officers on the street. Change strategists are normally leaders the Chief Constable, change implementers are normally managers Divisional Commanders and the VSA implementation team, and subordinates are the recipients of change Officers on the core shifts. Force field analysis is a technique for analysing the internal and external drivers that can influence any organisational change; some of these driving factors for this organisational change can be identified as PESTEL factors, such as: Political MPs and councilors demanding more police presence on the streets. Economic overtime cost, reduced budget and the new Chief Constables promise to cut costs. Social-cultural alcohol induced anti social behavior. Nearly all forms of change will be met with some resistance, the VSA being no different. Strebel (1996, cited in Leadership 2009) argues that employees resist change because it disrupts the personal contract between employees and the organisation. Resisters to this organisational change can fall into different categories, Parochial self interest those employees resistant to change, they think that their position will be threatened and will make them worse off, the same employees that fall into Hersey and Blanchards R3 state of readiness. Misunderstanding and lack of trust employees misinterpreting the reasons behind the change, due to a lack of communication, viewing this change as just one of many For this organisational change to be successful the leader had to reduce resistors and increase drivers for change in an attempt to reach equilibrium. To do this they communicated the benefits of change, through more days off and a better work life balance; however there was an element of manipulation used to show employees that they would have more weekends off. Under the current shift pattern officers received one weekend off in every four, the VSA would allow two weekends off in every five. Look back at the current shift pattern over five weeks, officers were already receiving two weekends off in every five. The leader used this information selectively thus attempting to paint a rosy picture of the benefits of the VSA. A better way may have included an element of participation helping to build commitment to the change and negotiation, which could avoid some resistance from the employees affected by the change. CONCLUSION Drawing a conclusion for this essay, firstly considering the approach to leadership undertaken by the Chief Constable during this, change management situation. In their autocratic (or authoritarian) approach they concentrated in getting the job done and took responsibility for all the decisions made. Had the Chief Constable approached the organisational change according to Hersey and Blanchards situational leadership, identified their officers level of readiness and adopted the suggested leadership style, they may have been faced with less friction or resistance by the officers that would be affected by the VSA implementation. Secondly, in analysing the interpersonal skills and its effect on the organisational change, the Chief constable utilised their legitimate power to achieve the implementation, in adopting an assertion style of influencing with no argument to their request, coupling this with the conflict management style, by firstly avoiding and then competing. Had they followed an alternative style suggested by Thomas (1976) such as accommodating and accepting the existence of conflict or resistance to the VSA, they may have been able to negotiate better with the federation and the officers affected by the change to find out the root causes of conflict and address them at an early stage. Thirdly, considering the Chief Constables role within this organisational change was that of a change strategist, they initiated the VSA and set its direction, posing, as Senior (2002) identifies as a modular transformation to the force. With some officers resisting due to a parochial self interest, whilst others through misunderstanding and lack of trust in this change, the Chief Constable had to reset the balance by education and manipulation, driving his vision forward. One thing certain from this is the Chief Constable requires managers with the skill, knowledge and experience of organisational change, enabling them to have the ability to change and adapt their leadership style to suit each given change management situation. These managers may not be able to ease all of the resistance to change, but should be able to reduce it considerably to implement future changes that are required.

An Analysis of After Apple-Picking :: After Apple-Picking

An Analysis of After Apple-Picking "After Apple-Picking" has often been compared to Keats' "Ode to Autumn," as if it were primarily a celebration of harvest. But its elevated diction as well as its images, mood and theme, all suggest a greater affinity with Keats' :Ode to a Nightingale." In that weary, drowsy poem the speaker longs to escape through art, symbolized by the nightingale, from the pain of the real world and wants to melt into the welcome oblivion of death: My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk, Frost's narrator, standing on the earth but looking upward, is also suspended between the real and the dream world: My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree Toward heaven still And there's a barrel that I didn't fill. The long and short lines, the irregular rhyme scheme, the recurrent participles (indicating work), the slow tempo and incantatory rhythm all suggest that repetitive labor has drained away his energy. The perfume of the apples - equated through "essence" with profound rest - has the narcotic, almost sensual effect of ether. Frost's speaker, like Keats', is suffused with drowsy numbness, yet enters the visionary state necessary to artistic creation: Essence of winter sleep is on the night, The scent of apples: I am drowsing off. I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough. The glassy piece of ice - which distorts, transforms and makes the familiar seem strange - is, like Keats' nightingale, a symbol of art. In his dream state (the word "sleep" occurs six times in the poem), Magnified apples appear and disappear, Stem end and blossom end, And every fleck of russet showing clear, and he rhythmically sways on the ladder when the boughs bend with his weight. As the apples are gathered - and the poem written - he becomes both physically and mentally exhausted: An Analysis of After Apple-Picking :: After Apple-Picking An Analysis of After Apple-Picking "After Apple-Picking" has often been compared to Keats' "Ode to Autumn," as if it were primarily a celebration of harvest. But its elevated diction as well as its images, mood and theme, all suggest a greater affinity with Keats' :Ode to a Nightingale." In that weary, drowsy poem the speaker longs to escape through art, symbolized by the nightingale, from the pain of the real world and wants to melt into the welcome oblivion of death: My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk, Frost's narrator, standing on the earth but looking upward, is also suspended between the real and the dream world: My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree Toward heaven still And there's a barrel that I didn't fill. The long and short lines, the irregular rhyme scheme, the recurrent participles (indicating work), the slow tempo and incantatory rhythm all suggest that repetitive labor has drained away his energy. The perfume of the apples - equated through "essence" with profound rest - has the narcotic, almost sensual effect of ether. Frost's speaker, like Keats', is suffused with drowsy numbness, yet enters the visionary state necessary to artistic creation: Essence of winter sleep is on the night, The scent of apples: I am drowsing off. I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough. The glassy piece of ice - which distorts, transforms and makes the familiar seem strange - is, like Keats' nightingale, a symbol of art. In his dream state (the word "sleep" occurs six times in the poem), Magnified apples appear and disappear, Stem end and blossom end, And every fleck of russet showing clear, and he rhythmically sways on the ladder when the boughs bend with his weight. As the apples are gathered - and the poem written - he becomes both physically and mentally exhausted:

Don’t Shoot the Sheriff: An overview of Rastafarians and the Legal System :: essays papers

Don’t Shoot the Sheriff: An overview of Rastafarians and the Legal System Rastafarianism is a way of life†¦ for many it is the only way of life. Growing up under a certain religion instills varying values and understandings into one’s moral fiber. These values are what shape a human’s character. In some countries, the government is trying to tell these peaceful people to disregard their upbringing and to conform to alien ways. Every religious sect has its own traditions and historical rituals that they abide to. In religions, almost everything has significance to it. And anyone concerned about the future of his/her religion, will continue to ensure that these traditions are followed, to preserve their own way of life. Now, most countries have religious freedom clauses in their constitutions that state that anyone living on their soil has the right to practice the religion of their choice. Now this might seem a minuscule fact for someone of a common religion, but to someone of a minority religion, this is all the protection they have from the legal system. This paper is only a taste of the justices and injustices that Rastafarians have faced in legal systems across the globe. Some instances a loophole for the "misfortunate", others an outcry from the oppressed. Every country’s legal system has problems. Some problems are masked with legal terms. Theses are the hardest to overcome. The "land of the free" is what the United States is sometimes referred to as, but for some, this statement seems phonier than an Ed McMahon sweepstakes. In the U.S. case, Belgrave vs. Coughlin, an inmate of the Sing-Sing Correctional Institution in New York, claims his religious rights were revoked. Nekyon Belgrave, a Rastafarian, says the Department of Correctional Services ("DOCS" hereinafter) denied his request to wear his religious head covering known as a crown. A crown is a loose-knit, circular hat that covers the wearer’s dreadlocks (Anderson, 1). Belgrave’s appeal reached the Second Circuit where acting Justice Anthony A. Scaprino Jr. sent the matter back to DOCS saying they overlooked their own regulations denying Belgrave’s request. The matter had already been solved in the precedent of Benjamin vs. Coughlin, 905 F2d 571, where the Second Circuit had agreed with a lower court ruling that denying a Rastafarian’s request to wear a crown did not break the First Amendment, ruling that is was an interest of security (Anderson, 2). This precedent and an August 8, 1990 memorandum stating that regulations allowed the wearing of certain head-coverings, was enough to send the matter back into the hands of the DOCS.

Euthanasia In The United States :: Free Essay Writer

Euthanasia in the United States Every year two million people die in North America. Chronic illness, such as cancer or heart disease, accounts for two of every three deaths. It is estimated that approximately seventy percent of these people die after a decision is made to forgo life-sustaining treatment (Choice in Dying). In America and all around the world, the ongoing debate is whether patients should have the opportunity to implement this critical alternative of euthanasia. Although controversial, it is imperative that United States citizens are not denied this right to a humane death. Groups in opposition to euthanasia say that patients who yearn to make this decision are neither in a healthy psychological state of mind nor have the God-willing right to do so. These groups feel if euthanasia were to become a publicly accepted option to the terminally ill that physicians, family, and even patients may abuse it. They also strongly support modern end-of-life treatment, known as pall iative care, as a more logical and moral option. Perhaps the strongest belief that euthanasia is wrong comes from those who follow the words of the Bible and believe that every aspect of life belongs to God. The Old Testament records an incident involving King Saul of Israel, who became seriously wounded on the battlefield. Fearing the advancing enemy, Saul took his own sword and tried to fall against it. He cried to a soldier, â€Å"Come and put me out of my misery for I am in terrible pain but life lingers on.† The soldier acted in accordance with the wishes of the king and killed him. The soldier then brought some of Saul’s armor to David and said, â€Å"I killed him, for I knew he couldn’t live.† David ordered the soldier put to death (Eareckson, 111). Those who believe in the Bible clearly see here that, whether a monarch or a common person, mercy killing is perceived as iniquitous in the Lord’s eyes. To see a more recent example of the Cathol ic Church’s disagreement of euthanasia we only have to look back a few years. In 1994, for instance, the Dutch television station IKON’s filming of the death of a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease in a documentary, â€Å"Death on Request,† brought a denunciation from the Vatican (Branegan, 30). Equally important to those supporting the anti-euthanasia cause is the thought of any physician, family member or patient who would abuse this right if given the chance.

Mice and Men Essay

John Ernst Steinbeck was born on 27 February 1902, in Salinas, California, USA. The Salinas River is mentioned in the first line of Of Mice and Men. The whole novel is centred on the landscape around Salinas. Steinbeck was the third of four children, of mixed German and Irish descent. His parents owned a considerable amount of land, and his mother was a schoolteacher who encouraged him to read widely. His background was neither rich nor poor, and his parents wanted him to follow a ‘respectable’ career. John Steinbeck wrote the novel called Of Mice and Men. It was published in the depression years of the 1930’s. Steinbeck raises questions in the mind of the reader that the novel would be based on loneliness. The first line read â€Å"A few miles south of Soledad†. This is a clever idea by Steinbeck as â€Å"Soledad† means loneliness in Spanish. John Steinbeck’s family was wealthy, but was interested in the lives of farm labourers. It gave him a inspiration to write books about migrant workers. He could of been a doctor or a teacher but he chose to become an author. John Steinbeck must of met a lot of people like Lennie and George, so he has ideas to write a good book. The historical context of the novel is that its all about the depression years in the 1930’s. It was illegal to be unemployed. People living in the 30’s didn’t have a choice but to go to work. The main characters in this story are George and Lennie. They travel around together, share their minds together, and what ever trouble Lennie gets into, George had to get him out of it. George didn’t like Lennie that much because of all the trouble that he gets into. He didn’t want to stay with Lennie, but his mother told George to look after him. Lennie was always trying to find a good opportunity to go off alone in the hills. George didn’t want that, he liked Lennie as a friend, but Lennie gets into too much trouble. But they always say; ‘You got me, and I got you’. This novel called ‘Of Mice and Men’ was set in a town called ‘Soledad’. It meant ‘Lonely’ in Spanish. The ranch is located in the middle of no where. It’s 4 miles to the town. The characters in this novel are ranch workers who are described as lonely. Ranch work is not long term. All of the workers except for Candy and Crooks are only passing through. When George and Lennie get jobs, the boss is suspicious of them because they look like they’ve known each other from somewhere and are close friends. The other ranch workers see that George is always answering for Lennie. But they cannot understand why they are always together. George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. In this paragraph, I’m going to write about Crooks. Crooks is a black guy. He’s not allowed to stay in the bunkhouse with the other ranch hands because he is black. He doesn’t have the same status as the other white workers. Crooks was also excluded because he suffered an injury and so is not as capable as the other ranch hands. His possessions show that he is lonely. Everyone can see that because he loves to read his books but was excluded. Crooks doesn’t like when Lennie tries to talk to him. Crooks get angry every time he tells Lennie to go away from him. But after that, he admits that he is lonely. Lennie will also get lonely and even sick when no one is with him. He needs someone beside him all the time so that he feels supported. For this, he always wants George. In this paragraph, I have looked at the way Crooks treat other people and what his appearance looks like to everyone else. I will now write about Candy. He’s an old man who wants to join up with George and Lennie and get a place where they can live. Candy provides a parallel to George and Lennie in that he relies on his dog – ‘I’m so used to ‘im’ (p.46) – just as George and Lennie are an elevated version of a master/dog relationship. Candy clings to his dog, despite all that logic and common sense dictate. He loves to be with his dog because he had him since he was a puppy. It was the best sheepdog he had ever had. The other workers didn’t realise the relationship between Candy and the dog. It meant nothing to everyone except for Candy. They’ve been together for all of Candy’s life. But now Lennie’s life has ended. Candy cleans out the farm buildings, and shows George and Lennie the bunkhouse. Candy lost his hand whilst working on the farm, and was allowed to stay on in this lowly position as cleaner. Candy soon asks George and Lennie if he can come in with them. George said ‘We weren’t thinking of a third person. Cause we was gonna do it on our own’. George knew that it was owned by old people who might be willing to sell it for $600 or so. Candy confesses he has $350 saved up and asks if he can come in with them. George really begins to believe that his dream might become a reality. He needs to work for another month or two and not spend anything so that they will have the stake to buy the farm. This will be good for Candy because then he can live a happy life and avoid the loneliness in the life of a ranch worker. He’s worked here for so long and wants to change his miserable life and make it peaceful. Candy was moaning that he just let a stranger shoot his dog. By the look of him, he could see that Carlson didn’t like the smell of Candy’s old dog. Carlson asks Slim to give Candy one of the other pups so that the old dog can be shot. Once the dog has been shot, he feels strong pressure because he had him since he was a pup. When George and Lennie were talking about their dream, Candy steps in and instead of being sad, George and Lennie gives pride and gives Candy more confidence. In this paragraph I have explained Candy’s life and the way he lives. I am now going to write about Curley’s wife. She doesn’t like Curley very much and wants to go elsewhere but cannot because of Curley. The other ranch workers avoid Curley’s wife as they know that if they befriend her, they will get into trouble. She also said that she could hang Curley at anytime if she felt like it (Showing that she can be dangerous as well as Lennie). She also visits the bunkhouse a lot, she wanted company, but had to ask where Curley was. On Saturday nights she is left at the ranch alone. When she is left alone at the ranch, she tells everyone about her life and story. It’s very miserable for Curley’s wife. She tells everyone the truth†¦ that she doesn’t really like Curley. Everyone else has names except for her. She has to be called Curley’s wife. That is why she doesn’t appear much in the story. She’s being treated like an object. Slim’s dog name is ‘Loulou’. We have looked at the character of Curley’s wife and how she got on. George and Lennie are different to the other ranch hands. The way they respond to each other shows very close friendship. Lennie always get into trouble and George is there to get him out of it. They share a dream together of working and then getting a lot of money so that they can live comfortably in the place that there going to get. Every time George says ‘We’re gonna get the place’. Lennie gets very excited and says ‘I get to tend the rabbits’. But when George is about to shoot Lennie, he keeps saying this so that Lennie puts his mind fully onto the house in his head and imagining him tend the rabbits, George wanted this because when he looked the other way, there was a time to shoot him. George wanted him to see it as he is talking. It was related to the shooting of Candy’s dog too which gave George more confidence in shooting Lennie. But at the end, it is George who will feel guilty. George often insults Lennie and ‘gives him hell’, but he doesn’t really mean it. Although he often talks about how well off he could be without Lennie he secretly doesn’t want Lennie to leave, and when Lennie offers to do so in the first chapter, George virtually pleads with him to stay. This is because George also depends on Lennie to a certain extent for his unconditional friendship. I didn’t think that Steinbeck would make George shoot Lennie. At first, those two was good friends, I thought they would actually get that bunkhouse. But it ended in a bad way. It made the readers / watchers feel shocked and feel that his life has ended with just one shot. George always gets annoyed of Lennie and Lennie says that he will go up to the hills. George knows that he’s the only one who has to get him out of trouble. But then decides if Lennie’s gone, then he can have total freedom and do anything he wants. At the end, it might of been a mistake to shoot Lennie. The first paragraph tells us about the introduction of John Steinbeck. It tells the readers what is going to happen. The second paragraph describes the setting and ranch workers. It’s the setting of the story and the ranch workers. The third paragraph let’s the readers understand Crooks. It also describes his ethnic group and his rights. The fourth paragraph tells us about Candy. It tells the readers about his loving dog and his dreams towards the ranch. The fifth paragraph also describes Curley’s Wife. The way she acts in the story, and how lonely she is. Finally, the last paragraph tells the readers about the friendship of George and Lennie. It tells us how George and Lennie travel together, live together and the trouble that they get into. It also summarises George and Lennie’s dream. John Steinbeck is trying to say that life in the 1930s in California was lonely. He doesn’t just write it down, because that will just give the point away. He wants the readers to imagine it for themselves.

Semiotic Analysis of Barack Obama in Time Magazine

SEMIOTICS ASSIGNMENT The front cover of TIME magazine, issued on December 10, 2007 was taken before the start of the presidential campaign in America, and the man on the front cover is Barack Obama – who was a favourite at the time. The bias of the picture, the cover’s anchorage and the article altogether show that the underlying purpose of this magazine’s issue was to influence readers to side with TIME and vote for this man. This cover resembles a famous picture taken of Martin Luther King Junior and serves to link Obama with the American Civil-Rights hero in order to influence the reader’s position towards Obama.This cover can be seen as a metaphor of the rise of the African American in society, as well as politics. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation (Oxford dictionary) and will be used to unveil the hidden meaning behind this front cover. This is a picture of a black man in a suit, who is standing upright with h as his arms crossed. This man is neither smiling, nor is he frowning and is not looking directly at the camera. The background is multiple shadings of grey. The word â€Å"TIME†, as well as the anchorage is in white, and words â€Å"the contender† are in red.The outside rim of the magazine is also red, with a white border between the picture and the red rim. Obama’s suit gives off an impression that he is polished, prepared and serious. Obama’s suit also commands a sense of respect from the reader and a sense that he has etiquette as well as control. The man’s facial expression is neutral – which gives off the impression that he is stable, reliable and somewhat loyal. This is effective because one sees this control and presumes that this man is secure in who he is (he feels no need to make false pretences) and thus one can trust him with their vote in the coming presidential elections.The man’s upright posture illustrates a sense of s trength because he looks anchored and thus powerful. The man is not looking directly at the camera which enhances his seriousness and creates a sense of intrigue within the reader – one can’t help but wonder what this man is thinking of, and why he is thinking it. The man’s posture makes him appear courageous and determined to handle the responsibility of anything (i. e. the presidential campaign). Obama’s body language of firmly folded arms insinuates that he is being defensive, ready to take on a boxing fight.The fight will be the upcoming presidential campaign which includes the â€Å"attacks† that he will get from the public and media being in the race (for example the media will be negative and pointedly highlight his inadequate characteristics). Therefore by looking just beyond the camera, Obama appears to be aware of what is coming and prepared to face the coming battle like a courageous boxing hero. The shaded grey background highlights the man’s power and illuminates him in a god-like manner.The light surrounding the man results in the reader’s eyes being drawn directly to him, and gives the the impression that he is â€Å"the light† and is like an angel in the darkness. The magazine name, â€Å"TIME†, is in white in order to contrast the grey background and highlight the magazine’s name. The anchorage on the front cover enhances the overall message of a sense of polish and control. â€Å"TIME† is written in Times New Roman, an old-fashioned and serious style of writing – which corresponds to the pieces of writing within the magazine.The name of the magazine is also not fully displayed (Barack’s head is blocking the â€Å"M† of TIME) and this demonstrates the popularity of the magazine because the magazine is so well known that people can immediately recognise it, without even displaying its full name. It also highlights Obama’s importance and pres tige – the fact that the company are willing to be less recognised by their name is not an issue due to Obama’s great popularity and dominance, which will influence people to buy the magazine anyway because of him.TIME is in the colour white which makes it an arbitrary sign which represents goodness, peace and innocence. â€Å"The Contender† is also highlighted on the cover, and characterizes someone who is fighting for first place in a competition. Red attracts the reader’s eye to the title of the magazine’s issue, draws attention to the man’s face and highlights that he is in the running for something big. â€Å"The Contender† is in bold (which draws the reader’s attention to the words) and is in a very rich red – which is an arbitrary signifier that can represent passion, power and strength.This corresponds to the article’s position towards Obama which highlights his courage, ambition and dominance in the presi dential campaign. It is also interesting to note the publisher’s use of â€Å"the† instead of â€Å"a† because Obama is a contender for the presidency of America, and is joined by many other contenders. However, by replacing â€Å"a† with â€Å"the† the reader is positioned to view Obama as the one and only competitor in the campaign.This therefore influences the reader to believe that he is going to be the ultimate winner of the competition because all other opponents are forgotten and will pale in comparison to his lead in the competition. The article inside the magazine talks about Obama’s â€Å"pledge to practice a new kind of politics† and how he managed to get â€Å"more money from small donors than all the other Democratic candidates combined† (TIME). This extract shows the biased approach that the author of the magazine, as well as the director of the photography for the front cover took with regards to Obama’s p ortrayal as an American politician.The article purposefully highlights the massive power that Obama and his organization has in the lives of many Americans, and this is linked to the light in which he’s portrayed in on the front cover – a portrayal of power and dominance. The article also speaks about the other political campaigners who are opponents of Obama’s (such as Hilary Clinton, Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld) – however Obama portrayed to be in a more dominant position than them.For example: â€Å"Obama has also begun to sharpen one of his strongest arguments – that experience is not the same thing as judgement – for which Clinton has not yet found a rejoinder†. When reading the article, it is very apparent that the writer is clearly in favour of Obama and his political campaign. This bias is also seen through the light that Obama is portrayed in the picture – a dominant, powerful and superior light, a sign that he is supe rior to all the other â€Å"contenders† in the presidential campaign.One can’t help but question if this magazine company’s political reliability due to their bias when it comes to the governance of the country. It is also interesting to note that Obama, who used to practise Civil Rights Law, is positioned to resemble Martin Luther King junior. O’Shaughnessy and Stadler (2008) define intertextuality as the process of knowingly borrowing and referring to other texts or interpreting one text in the light of other related texts. As you can see from the very famous above image, TIME very skilfully resembles the Front cover to this picture of the American hero, Martin Luther King junior.King was a peaceful Civil Rights leader who also refused to conform to the political practices of the time and created a peaceful yet powerful movement that America had never seen before. King is known as an innocent, equality-driven leader who made a big difference in a small amount of time. King’s portrait is a medium sized picture of him in a suit with his arms folded where he is also not looking directly into the camera – much like the portrait of Obama.The likeness between these two pictures therefore makes the reader assume these same quality traits of King, to that of Obama – which then makes the reader regard Obama to be a hero who will lead the country into equality and greatness, much like King did. This picture highlights the growth of the African Americans in society as well as politics because Obama is portrayed in a dominant light, instead of the inferior light with which the African Americans were portrayed in the previous century.TIME’s target market is success-driven, intelligent men (and on the rare occasion women) who are involved in business and take an interest in politics. This is therefore a successful front cover because it addresses all of those fields – politics, business, current affairs etc. W hilst most people would say this was a boring front cover – when correlated with their target market, it is clearly effective in convincing their desired consumer to choose their magazine from the rest. Even though this cover is severely biased, it is valuable because of its link with Martin Luther King Jr. nd its emphasis of the rise of the African American in not only society –but also politics. REFERENCES: BarackObama. Biography. 2010. [O] Available: http://www. biography. com/people/barack-obama-12782369? page=4. Accessed on 25/03/2012 Oxford Dictionaries. 2012. [O] Available: http://oxforddictionaries. com/definition/semiotics? q=semiotics. Accessed on 27/03/2012 Tumulty, K. 2007. [O] Available: http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1689203-2,00. html. Accessed on 28/03/2012

Marketing Mix Essay

Introduction Companies today try their best to continue to keep up with the changes of services, products and technology. Companies rely on their abilities in marketing to keep consumers interested in their products and services. The success of a company may rely on the company’s marketing performance. Marketing planning starts by thinking of the targeted audience needs, strategies, and the development of the products and or service needed. Developing a marketing strategy will consist of the marketing mix. The marketing mix is â€Å"the strategic plan that defines the company’s overall mission and objectives†. (Armstrong & Kotler, 2011) Sprint will be used as an example as to how they implement the marketing mix to their company. Sprint’s overall mission and objective is â€Å"To be No. 1 in providing a simple, instant, enriching and productive customer experience†. (Sprint, 2012) The marketing mix includes the four Ps (elements) of marketing. The four Ps are product, place, pricing, and promotion. To better explain how the four Ps work in a company we will see how Sprint applies the four Ps to their company. Frist P Element: Products Sprint is constantly trying to keep up with the technology changes to ensure customer satisfaction. â€Å"Sprint is one of the premier wireless providers for smart phones in the US†. (Sprint, 2012) Sprint cells top of the line phones and phone services for residential customers as well as business customers. Sprint is not limited to just new products or service, but to enhance products or services that are already established as well. Marketer’s decisions on products are based on the nature of what the customer’s needs are. For Sprint to make sure they are listening to their customers and to know what their needs are they have blogs and chatting sessions on their website where everyone from customers to employees can share their comments, ideas, suggestions and opinions about improving products and services that are already established. Improvements can consist of phones to be able to handle more information or new technology added to the phones. Improvements can also be as simple as color or size. Decisions on products are also by the targeted customer (younger=texting abilities, older=tracking system for their children, oldest=being able to see the numbers on the key pad). Improvements may also be a wider range of service accessibility for fewer calls dropped. Second P Element: Place Where can Sprint be accessible to their targeted audience? Sprint makes themselves available through their website, kiosks in malls, as well as local Sprint stores. All places provide the phones and services needed. Not only regular customers are targeted, businesses are targeted as well. Sprint offers plans for businesses which provide packages which consist of several phones on one plan. The business plans are specifically designed to make it easier to conduct daily business transactions. The store supplies physical one-on-one people for those customers who prefer the person-to-person interaction. The store also provides a hands-on scenario where customers are free to look at the phones and see what they look, sound and feel like. The store provides a comfortable opportunity for the customers to make a personal educated choice. On the other hand, Sprint also provides their website. Sprint’s website provides a wider range of phone choices (new and used), wide range of services (phone service, wireless service, etc.) and for customers that need to ask question, Sprint provides online help (chat session, contact numbers, website links). The kiosk is just a convenience catcher. It is in a mall in hopes that a passing by customer will catch a glimpse of the products and be curious enough to stop, ask questions and possibly purchase a product on their way to another store. The store, website and kiosk are designed to give the customers all the tools and information needed to make the best choice for their personal or business needs. Sprint prides itself to making sure all their bases are covered and provides total accessibility to their customers in order to provide them with quick and convenient service available. In marketing a place is also known as the warehouse where, in this case, Sprint houses their phones for distribution so it is available for its customers. Third P Element: Pricing Pricing is a crucial part of the four Ps. Price is also considered a flexible marketing mix element. Marketers must consider the research, development, and services when pricing. In addition, marketers have to think about the how their company will price their products and services based on how much they will spend on fabrication and how competitors are pricing the same products and services. Customers are an important thought in the pricing process as well because they are the ones that are going to produce the revenue for the company. Marketers are also at the mercy of the economy; they will have to price low enough to get a good number of customers and gain a profit, but no low enough that they will get financially hurt in the process. Producing the right or good price for products and or services a company might have to consider redesigning products and services that may already exist. Sprint might offer better phones at a lower service plan or a better service with less expensive plan. Many times Sprint offers free phones to get new customers to purchase their service plan. Customers are given several options so that they do not feel like they are trapped picking a plan that does not accommodate their needs. Fourth P Element: Promotion The last element is promotion. â€Å"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it†.(Armstrong &Kotler, 2011) This element is the one that helps with enticing the customers to buy their products and services. Promotions are done in numerous ways. Ways of promotion may include, but are not limited to, deals, rebates, discounts and internet sales. â€Å"Deals are short-term price reductions, commonly used to increase trial among potential customers or to retaliate against a competitor’s action†. (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011) Deals and discounts are a very common way of promotion. Almost all retailers use deals in order to bring in existing, as well as, new customers. Sprint sometimes will have deals where you can add a particular feature to your phone service; like texting. These deals go on for a particular amount of time just so you can try it for a discounted price in hopes to get you to purchas e the feature. One common promotion that Sprint offers is rebates. Sprint gives out rebate promotions on some of their phones. A rebate, for example, is when a phone is purchased and the company (like Sprint) is willing to give you a portion or all of the money you paid for the phone for using their service. You will not be able to buy a phone without the service in order to get the rebate. At times the rebate is given when trying a new phone that they are piloting. Internet promotions are another way of getting people to buy products and services. Although Sprint is over both the store and the websites, they were able to provide in store special promotions that customers were not able to receive online. The same went for their website; they were able to provide online specials that were not given in the store. Most of the time the promotions were on phones; customers were able to purchase phones with a special on service or customers were able to purchase phones that have been refurbished or used. These particular internet promotions were not available if the customer went to the store and said that they saw the promotion online and ask if the store would honor it. Unfortunately, the answer to the customer’s question would be no. Conclusion The four Ps serve as the four main parts of the marketing mix. As shown each one of them has an individual function. Each element is equally important on its own as well as a whole of the marketing mix. All of the elements are an effective part of a successful combination. The combination consists of reaching the customer’s needs and wants and the company’s ability to produce revenue and profits. The four P elements of the marketing mix is one of the most crucial parts of a company’s marketing today and it proves to be a bit complicated at times. At times, not all customers will be satisfied and the company might suffer a loss but the ultimate goal is to be successful by any means using the help of the four Ps. References Armstrong, G. & Kotler, P. (2011). Marketing: An Introduction. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S. W. & Rudelius, W. (2011). Marketing (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGrawHill Sprint.com (2012) About Sprint. Retrieved on December 20, 2012 from http://www.sprint.com/about/