The Return: Midnight Chapter 12

â€Å"Stefan. Stefan!†Elena had been too nervous to stay out of the bedroom for longer than the five minutes it had taken to show herself to the sheriffs. It was Stefan the officers real y wanted and couldn't find, not seeming to consider that someone might backtrack and hide in a room that had already been searched. And now Elena couldn't get a response out of Stefan, who was locked in an embrace with Meredith, mouth pressed tightly over the two little wounds he'd made. Elena had to shake him by the shoulders, to shake both of them, in order to get any response. Then Stefan reared back suddenly, but held on to Meredith, who would otherwise have fal en. He hastily licked blood from his lips. For once, though, Elena wasn't focused on him, but on her friend – her friend whom she'd al owed to do this. Meredith's eyes were shut, but they had dark, almost plum-colored circles under them. Her lips were parted, and her dark cloud of hair was wet where tears had fal en into it. â€Å"Meredith? Merry?†The old nickname just slipped out of Elena's lips. And then, when Meredith gave no sign of having heard her: â€Å"Stefan, what's wrong?† â€Å"I Influenced her at the end to sleep.†Stefan lifted Meredith and put her on the bed. â€Å"But what happened? Why is she crying – and what's wrong with you?†Elena couldn't help but notice that despite the healthy flush on Stefan's cheeks his eyes were shadowed. â€Å"Something I saw – in her mind,†Stefan said briefly, pul ing Elena behind his back. â€Å"Here comes one of them. Stay there.† The door opened. It was the male sheriff, who was red-faced and panting, and who had clearly just lapped himself, returning to this room after starting from it to search the entire first floor. â€Å"I have them al in a room – al but the fugitive,†the sheriff said into a large black mobile. The female sheriff made some brief reply. Then the red-faced male turned to speak to the teenagers. â€Å"Now what's going to happen is that I'm going to search you† – he nodded at Stefan – â€Å"while my partner searches you two.†His head jerked, ear-first, at Meredith. â€Å"What's wrong with her, anyway?† â€Å"Nothing that you could understand,†Stefan replied cool y. The sheriff looked as if he couldn't believe what had just been said. Then, suddenly, he looked as if he could, and did, and he took a step toward Meredith. Stefan snarled. The sound made Elena, who was right behind him, jump. It was the low savage snarl of an animal protecting its mate, its pack, its territory. The ruddy-faced policeman suddenly looked pale and panicked. Elena guessed that he was looking at a mouth ful of teeth much sharper than his own, and tinged with blood as well. Elena didn't want this to turn into a pi – that was, a†¦snarling match. As the sheriff gabbled to his partner, â€Å"We may need some of them silver bul ets after al ,†Elena poked her beloved, who was now making a noise like a very big buzz saw that she could feel in her teeth, and whispered, â€Å"Stefan, Influence him! The other one's coming, and she may already have cal ed for backup.† At her touch, Stefan stopped making the sound, and when he turned she could see his face changing from that of a savage animal baring its teeth back to his own dear, green-eyed self. He must have taken a lot of blood from Meredith, she thought, with a flutter in her stomach. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. But there was no denying the after-effects. Stefan turned back to the male sheriff and said crisply, â€Å"You wil go into the front hal way. You wil remain there, silent, until I tel you to move or speak.†Then, without looking up to see if the officer was obeying or not, he tucked the blankets more tightly around Meredith. Elena was watching the sheriff, though, and she noticed that he didn't hesitate an instant. He made an about-face and marched off to the front foyer. Then Elena felt safe enough to look at Meredith again. She couldn't find anything wrong in her friend's face, except her unnatural pal or, and those violet shadows around her eyes. â€Å"Meredith?†she whispered. No response. Elena fol owed Stefan out of the room. She had just made it to the foyer when the female sheriff ambushed them. Coming down the stairs, pushing the fragile Mrs. Flowers before her, she shouted, â€Å"On the ground! Al of you!†She gave Mrs. Flowers a hard shove forward. â€Å"Get down now!† When Mrs. Flowers almost fel sprawling on the floor, Stefan leaped and caught her, and then turned back to the other woman. For a moment Elena thought that he would snarl again, but instead, in a voice tight with self-control, he said, â€Å"Join your partner. You can't move or speak without my permission.† He took the shaken-looking Mrs. Flowers to a chair on the left side of the foyer. â€Å"Did that – person – hurt you?† â€Å"No, no. Just get them out of my house, Stefan, dear, and I'l be most grateful,†Mrs. Flowers replied. â€Å"Done,†Stefan said softly. â€Å"I'm sorry we've caused you so much trouble – in your own home.†He looked at each of the sheriffs, his eyes piercing. â€Å"Go away and don't come back. You have searched the house, but none of the people you were looking for were here. You think further surveil ance wil yield nothing. You believe that you would do more good by helping the – what was it? Oh, yes, the mayhem in the town of Fel ‘s Church. You wil never come here again. Now go back to your car and leave.† Elena felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She could feel the Power behind Stefan's words. And, as always, it was satisfying to see cruel or angry people become docile under the power of a vampire's Influence. These two stood for another ten seconds quite stil , and then they simply walked out the front door. Elena listened to the sound of the sheriff's car driving away and such a strong feeling of relief washed over her that she almost col apsed. Stefan put his arms around her, and Elena hugged him back tightly, knowing that her heart was pounding. She could feel it in her chest and her fingertips. It's all over. All done now, Stefan thought to her and Elena suddenly felt something different. She felt pride. Stefan had simply taken charge and chased the officers away. Thank you, she thought to Stefan. â€Å"I guess we'd better get Matt out of the root cel ar,†she added. Matt was unhappy. â€Å"Thanks for hiding me – but do you know how long that was?†he demanded of Elena when they were upstairs again. â€Å"And no light except what was in that little star bal . And no sound – I couldn't hear a thing down there. And what is this?†He held out the long, heavy wooden staff, with its strangely shaped, spiked ends. Elena felt sudden panic. â€Å"You didn't cut yourself, did you?†She snatched up Matt's hands, letting the long staff fal to the ground. But Matt didn't seem to have a single scratch. â€Å"I wasn't dumb enough to hold it by the ends,†he said. â€Å"Meredith did, for some reason,†Elena said. â€Å"Her palms were covered with wounds. And I don't even know what it is.† â€Å"I do,†Stefan said quietly. He picked up the stave. â€Å"But it's Meredith's secret real y. I mean it's Meredith's property,†he added hastily as al eyes fixed on him at the word secret. â€Å"Well, I'm not blind,†Matt said in his frank, straightforward way, flipping back some fair hair in order to look more closely at the thing. He raised blue eyes to Elena. â€Å"I know what it smells like, which is vervain. And I know what it looks like with al those silver and iron spikes coming out of the sharp ends. It looks like a giant staff for exterminating every kind of Godawful Hel acious monster that walks on this earth.† â€Å"And vampires, too,†Elena added hastily. She knew that Stefan was in a funny mood and she definitely didn't want to see Matt, for whom she stil cared deeply, lying on the floor with a crushed skul . â€Å"And even humans – I think these bigger spikes are for injecting poison.† â€Å"Poison?†Matt looked at his own palms hastily. â€Å"You're okay,†Elena said. â€Å"I checked you, and besides it would be a very quick-acting poison.† â€Å"Yes, they would want to take you out of the fight as fast as possible,†Stefan said. â€Å"So if you're alive now, you're likely to stay that way. And now, this Godawful Hel acious monster just wants to get back up to bed.†He turned to go to the attic. He must have heard Elena's swift, involuntarily indrawn breath, because he turned around and she could see that he was sorry. His eyes were dark emerald, sad but blazing with unused Power. I think we'l have a late morning, Elena thought, feeling pleasurable thril s ripple through her. She squeezed Stefan's hand, and felt him return the pressure. She could see what he had in mind; they were close enough and he was projecting pretty clearly what he wanted – and she was as eager to get upstairs as he was. But at that moment Matt, eyes on the wickedly spiked staff, said, â€Å"Meredith has something to do with that?† â€Å"I should never have said anything at al about it,†Stefan replied. â€Å"But if you want to know more, you'd real y better ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow.† â€Å"Al right,†Matt said, final y seeming to understand. Elena was way ahead of him. A weapon like that was – could only be – for kil ing al sorts of monsters walking the earth. And Meredith – Meredith who was as slim and athletic as a bal erina with a black belt, and oh! Those lessons! The lessons that Meredith had always put off if the girls were doing something at that exact moment, but that she always somehow managed to make time for. But a girl could hardly be expected to carry a harpsichord around with her and nobody else had one. Besides, Meredith had said she hated to play, so her BFFs had let it go at that. It was al part of the Meredith mystique. And riding lessons? Elena would bet some of them were genuine. Meredith would want to know how to make a quick escape mounting anything available. But if Meredith wasn't practicing for a little light music in the drawing room, or for starring in a Hol ywood Western – then what would she have been doing? Training, Elena guessed. There were a lot of dojos out there, and if Meredith had been doing this since that vampire attacked her grandfather she must be pretty darn good. And when we've fought grisly things, whose eyes have ever been on her, a soft gray shadow that kept out of the limelight? A lot of monsters probably got knocked out but good. The only question that needed to be answered was why Meredith hadn't shown them the Godawful Hel acious monster staker or used it in any fights – say against Klaus – until now. And Elena didn't know, but she could ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow, when Meredith was up. But she trusted that it had some simple answer. Elena tried to stifle a yawn in a ladylike way. Stefan? she asked. Can you get us out of here – without picking me up – and to your room? â€Å"I think we've al had enough stress this morning,†Stefan said in his own gentle voice. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers, Meredith is in the first-floor bedroom – she'l probably sleep very late. Matt – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. I don't know where the schedule went but I might as well make it my night.†Matt presented an arm to Stefan. Stefan looked surprised. Darling, you can never have too much blood, Elena thought to him, seriously and straightforwardly. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers and I wil be in the kitchen,†she said aloud. When they were there, Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"Don't forget to thank Stefan for defending the boardinghouse for me.† â€Å"He did it because it's our home,†Elena said, and went back into the hal , where Stefan was thanking a flushing Matt. And then Mrs. Flowers cal ed Matt into the kitchen and Elena found herself swooped up in lithe, hard arms and then they were gaining altitude rapidly, with the wood staircase emitting little creaks and groans of protest. And final y they were in Stefan's room and Elena was in Stefan's arms. There was no better place to be, or anything else either of them real y wanted now, Elena thought and turned her face up as Stefan turned his down and they began with a long slow kiss. And then the kiss went molten, and Elena had to cling to Stefan, who was already holding her with arms that could have cracked granite, but only squeezed her exactly as tightly as she wanted them to.

Ethnic Notions Essay

Ethnic Notions is a documentary directed by Marlon Riggs. The title itself explains what the movie is about-impressions of race. Throughout the documentary, Riggs presents the history of stereotypes and shows how they still exist. In today’s society we have become so accustomed with stereotypes that they are considered normal. The movie Ethnic Notations introduces the problem of stereotypes by explaining their origin and history, giving examples, and showing how they still exist today, so that we are no longer fooled and unaware of stereotyping and racism. During the early and mid 1900’s black people were depicted on television and media as ignorant, ugly, violent and inferior to white people. These negative, degrading and horrible images of black people over time shaped people’s views and thoughts about black people and this was how stereotypes were created. Media used caricatures which are exaggerated representations of people to get racist views across to whit e and black American people. One example of a caricature is The Sambo. The Sambo was a caricature created to depict the black male as being lazy, child like ignorant and care-free making the black male seem more like a child than a male. Another example of a racist caricature is pickaninnies which are black children. Pickaninnies were depicted as ugly kids with rough wooly hair, big eyes, dark black skin, big mouths and bright red lips. Pickaninnies often resembled animals in children cartoons and were viewed as savage by white people. One of the most popular caricatures of the 1900’s is the mammie caricature. The Mammie was an older black woman who took care of the white man’s family. Mammies were shoed as loving mother figures who were fat black and unattractive. Mammies were created to show that some blacks were happy as slaves and loved black people. These stereotypes were disturbing, degrading and in most cases poor representations of black people. It saddens me how whites could think so low of black people or any other human being at all. Sadly stereotypes still exist today in television, media and society. One stereotype I feel definitely still exist today ids the Sambo stereotype although there are great black actors that play dramatic roles most black men in the media are still shown as being careless and immature. However not all stereotypes today are exactly the same as the caricatures from the 20th century but a new modern version. For example instead of black women being depicted as unattractive mammies on television, they are now ghetto loud and un-lady like. Sometimes I even find myself acting out a stereotype, like being loud or cursing in public. After watching Ethnic Notions I feel like stereotypes are too deeply rooted in Americas culture to ever be completely gone. Although this conclusion is unfortunate I do believe that we could make people believe in stereotypes less and less through media, by depicting blacks in a more positive light.

Health,Hygiene and Cleanliness Essay

The barracks are places great emphasis on cleanliness and well-being, both physically and leadership. In these places, even as much as a clean window is linked to physical cleanliness. More importantly, cleanliness is termed an indispensable fundamental of our role as a leader. However, this fundamental is sometimes hard to understand for some people, unfortunately, is not reflected in our cilivilian life practically. Serious reflection is required on our individual as well as collective teamworking to complete any thing to show others that we as individuals can do anythingMaintaining your barracks room is a very easy task to do. It does not take much to put your dirty clothes away or evem wash them or to make your rack or even dust. All of those tasks are very simple to do. By not maintaining any room I,my room mate, and anyone else at a greater risk of getting sick. Unsanitary conditions in the barracks room is disgusting. Through frequent contact throughout the day with the other soldiers that one soldier could be if he, or she becomes sick, could possibly cause other soldiers to be ill.When one person becomes the source of another person being sick then that soldier could be face possible punishmen The above few examples from the Holy Quran and sayings of the Holy Prophet reveal that without cleanliness of our body and environment, one cannot receive the proximity of Allah spiritually and most importantly, faith cannot be completed in the absence of cleanliness and purity. Much is said rhetorically about cleanliness in our society but practically its application is missing. A quick observation can reveal how insensitive a culture we have developed regarding cleanliness and hygiene.Throwing garbage in the streets, roads or parks has become a common practice in our society. In public places dustbins are seldom found. Even if dustbins are installed, people do not use them properly. Rather, they prefer to throw garbage outside them. It is also observed that peo ple clean their homes and shops and throw the garbage on the street without considering its implications. It is evident that even students of elite schools throw garbage on the ground even in the presence of garbage bins.This shows our attitude towards cleanliness and hygiene. Another habit that is commonly found in our society is spitting openly. People spit paan from running vehicles without considering the pedestrians walking on the road. This practice not only affects the environment but is also an eyesore. Another area that needs consideration is the horrible condition of public toilets. The shortage of public toilets is a big challenge, hence people are compelled to use open spaces to answer the call of nature.The toilets that do exist are in such pathetic condition that one cannot use them. There are many other examples which can be cited to indicate the pathetic condition of cleanliness and hygiene in our society. Hence, conscious efforts are needed to tackle this issue. The re is a dire need to educate and sensitise people about the importance of cleanliness in light of our faith. In this regard social institutions such as educational institutions, the media and religious institutions can play a vital role.It is essential to provide civic education in order to train the younger generations of a society. In Pakistan, the education system needs to transform its practices. Teaching and learning material regarding cleanliness and hygiene should be included in the curriculum and textbooks. Educational institutions should demonstrate cleanliness in their premises. To train young people schools should involve students in cleaning their schools, homes and environment and highlight proper sanitary practices. The use of dustbins should be strictly followed in the school premises.Secondly, the media can be a powerful source to educate and sensitise the masses about the importance of cleanliness and disadvantages of an unhygienic way of life. It should focus on bo th the good as well as unhygienic practices in our society. Thirdly, religious institutions such as mosques and madressahs can also play their part in educating the people about the importance of cleanliness in the light of Islamic teachings. Furthermore, the role and commitment of the government cannot be overlooked in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in society.The government’s will is very crucial in making policies and implementing them at the grass-roots level. The government can play an important role in cleaning areas, installing dustbins, collecting garbage and enforcing laws against littering etc. The importance of cleanliness cannot be ignored in individual as well as communal life. On one hand it is an important factor for human health and spiritual development; on the other hand it is essential for environmental development. By adopting a clean and hygienic lifestyle, a valuable amount can also be saved where health issues are concerned.A clean and healthy life helps in refining the culture of a society and reflects in every aspect of life such as art, architecture, food, music and so on. Ultimately, it leads towards a higher level of civilisation. Islam has put unique emphasis on the importance of cleanliness by making it a part of faith. Hence, there is a dire need to make conscious efforts in educating the people about the importance of cleanliness. In this regard, serious steps are required at multiple levels to make this precious value of our faith part of our individual and collective lives.

Financial Reporting and Analysis IBM Assignment

Financial Reporting and Analysis IBM - Assignment Example The management of International Business Machines also decided to narrow down their advertising agencies to one. This minimized cost and maximized the resources of the company hence an effective advertisement which led to increase in sale of IBM products therefore increasing profits. The performance of the organization led to increase in price of shares which resulted to increase in return of equity and increase on number of investors (Garr, 2000). Revenue increased in the year nineteen ninety eight by four percent and declined in the following year by fifteen percent. Growth in revenue of a company indicates efficiency in marketing and advertisement strategies. It is also an indication of increase in market share of products of the firm (Hill & Jones, 2012). This can be caused by expansion in operations of the firm and diversification of its products. In the following year, there was a decline in revenue of the organization. The company reaching its maturity might have caused this and revenue started declining. In addition, the consumers of the company product might have changed preference for the product. This could be caused by an emergence of a similar product or reduction of price of the same product through rivals of the company. The decline in revenue could also be caused by changes in the economic conditions such as inflation. This would reduce sales which in turn force prices of goods up leading to decline in sales he nce decrease in revenue. Changes in technology could largely affect the revenue of the organization. The firm did not change to technology as expected by its customers hence led to decrease in revenue (Hill & Jones, 2012). Gross margins on the other hand are profits made after the company deducts all the costs or expenses made on sales which are referred to as gross sales. The gross margins have increased throughout the years for IBM Company as indicated in its

Accident Investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accident Investigation - Essay Example These 11 accidents are divided into two parts: (1) the absence of gas monitoring; and (2) the lack of proper gas testing (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). The bulletin mentioned about OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standard practices that should be critically followed during the work’s operation. The OSHA hot work standard 29 CFR 1910.252 refers to guidelines in performing welding, brazing, and other similar field operations. Usually, OSHA discourages hot work in an environment that is prone to explosion. However, OSHA fails to directly mandate the utilization of combustible gas detector before and during the hot work (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). Of the seven lessons drawn, two of these lessons are given emphasis: first is analyzing the hazards; and second is monitoring the atmosphere (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). To analyze the hazards means conducting assessment in the work field. Workers or technical professions identify the work’s scope, study possible hazards, and look for ways of controlling or eliminating these hazards. On the other hand, to monitor the atmosphere means to check, from time to time, if there’s a presence of flammable gas using the combustible gas detector (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). Clearly, these lessons offer methods or procedures on how to conduct hot works before those works are carried out. On the one hand, the bulletin’s premise on the third lesson (i.e., monitoring the atmosphere) is quite heavy, if not redundant. In conducting gas monitoring, says the bulletin, it should be done before and during the hot work operation (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). I wonder if it can be done only before, no more after, the hot work activity. This has three main implications: (1) the combustible gas detector is unreliable; (2) the technical men employing such detector do not know how to properly use them; (3) there’s no use of monitoring the atmosphere before hot work begins. Moreover, the

Evaluate the Impact of Media such as Video Games, Film and TV on the Essay

Evaluate the Impact of Media such as Video Games, Film and TV on the Behaviour of Teenagers - Essay Example This means that their sexual behaviour is influenced in one way or another. As media exposure reaches out to teenage persons, pornography becomes a point of concern (Wallmyr and Welin, 2006, pg. 292). This is because different forms of media have made pornographic materials easily accessible to both intended and unintended audience. The readily available explicit materials have had immense effect on the behaviour of teenagers. While not all have succumbed to the force of pornography, others have plunged into the ditch of immorality and undefined sexual behaviour. This has been accelerated by the need for teenagers to identify with influential people in the world as they grow and develop physically, emotionally, and mentally. As a result, new trends keep emerging relative to sexuality and sexual behaviours. At the same time, sexual attitudes have enormously changed. The respect and importance accorded to sex and related activities have continued to lose meaning as this generation beco mes more and more exposed inappropriate sexual materials through the media. Even as the negative implication of media on teenage behaviour rages on, all is not lost in that regard. The media plays a very crucial role of sensitizing teenagers on safe sexual practices and the importance of using contraceptives. In so doing, more and more teenagers are becoming cautious and responsible for their sexual behaviours. Media advocacy in this respect is commendable but the challenge surrounding teenagers and explicit sexual exposure through the media still remains. Over and above the sexuality factor, the daily lifestyles and standards observed by teenagers have faced the influence of the media. As earlier mentioned, the media platform is characterized by global diversity and dynamism. For... The above discussion does not imply that the media only affects eating behaviours negatively among teenagers. In fact, there are key positive aspects associated with the media as far as eating behaviour is concerned. The media is a rich source of information on weight loss programs. These programs have made it possible for teenagers to manage their own weights from wherever they are all over the world. TV programs offer help to persons dealing with eating disorders. There are doctors’ reality shows that are primarily designed for teenagers and teenage life, and they are meant to enhance the quality of life that teenagers lead. Over and above that films have been developed that deal with eating behaviour among other issues that teenagers face. In the process, media also fosters a positive behaviour line among teenagers although both the open and underlying negative implications are still critical. This report makes a conclusion that all said and done about the positives of the media on eating habits, research indicates that most of the teenagers with eating disorders have developed them from watching too many model media shows such America’s next top model and in their emulation of these celebrities, they end up with the eating disorders. Video games have been the main mode of entertainment for the teenagers in the recent past. More evidence of this violence and even that which is seen in the television and action or thriller films is portrayed in their social life where most of them and especially boys constantly engage in fights and other violent behaviour all in the name of emulating their favourite character from the media.

The gender class between the past and modern China Essay

The gender class between the past and modern China - Essay Example In today`s world, Chinese women are given greater freedom and opportunities. They are allowed to live a normal life and make their own decisions but even today, the Chinese culture is in favor of men. No matter how much advanced and successful the economy is, men are still preferred more over women and are given greater opportunities. Historically, women were treated as mere creatures rather than members of the human community. The patriarchal structure of the Chinese culture gained a lot of importance during the years 960-1279 CE. During this period of the song dynasty, the gender differences in China reached to its maximum limit. The practice of foot-binding was introduced during this period and though not practiced today, this practice has left a number of foot prints (Gender issues in the Chinese culture, Web). Foot binding is a practice in which a girl`s feet are tightly bound to limit female mobility as well as to restrict the growth of girls. It was a totally inhumane practice which was thought to be started in Imperial China during the 10th or the 11th century. It started as a status symbol indicating a high social rank, but unfortunately spread through out China. Although it has been banned by the Chinese government, its effects can still be seen today as some of its victims are still found today. As a result of this practice, the women affected were not able to support their families by working in the fields and made them dependant. During the same period, women were forced to marry against their wishes and after marriage, had to comply with the wishes of her husband as well as her in laws (Traditions of foot binding in China, Web). Confucianism is the foundation of traditional Chinese system, created by Confucius who displayed gender discrimination by placing women at the lower end of a patriarchal domestic family system. This theory was supported by the initiation of the Neo-Confucianism which placed more restrictions of women. The teachings of Conf ucius were further strengthened by Ban Zhoa`s â€Å"Lesson for girls†. Apart from the practice of foot binding, female infanticide became quite common. The Chinese men only cared about their sons as they would carry forward the family name. The girls born in their family were treated as dirt and were either left to die or were even sold to rich families as mere objects and slaves. Families in China have favored sons over daughters in the past as well and this has increased the number of men in China today. There have been infinite cases of infanticide, better treatment of baby boys than baby girls and abandonment of new born baby girls. This increase in the number of Chinese men has been made possible by advances such as ultrasounds which make it possible to know the sex of the baby about to be born. This has been supported by factual evidence as the number of male births has increased from 108 in 1980s to 120 in 2000. This problem was worsened by the one child policy by the Chinese authorities and people were reluctant to give birth to baby girls as their only child. This increase in the number of men has been predicted to result in a rise in crime rates of sexual violence and other social crimes (China`s great gender crisis, Web). The problem of surplus of women has been felt by the Chinese authorities as they have made it a part of the country`s fie year plan to cut the ratio of the sex gap to 112 or 113 by

World War II through the 1970s Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World War II through the 1970s - Research Paper Example The very first effect was the development of an anti-war attitude and a general decline in patriotism among a considerable number of Americans. The nation witnessed many protests like the Chicano Moratorium that marred the integrity of the nation. Since then, the nation has been ideologically split into two spheres in all military activities. Also, it becomes necessary for Presidents to select such generals and admirals who are ready to carry out the military policy laid out for them. Also, the Presidents never get the chance to get the people united even in war situations. The political impact of the war is evident from the fact that the War Power Resolution was enacted by the Congress to forbid the President from sending troops abroad without the consent of the Congress. According to Albert and Henderson (2002, 56-57), the war resulted in the incorporation of an anti-war sentiment and a Vietnam syndrome as evidenced by films, magazines and social movements. The Civil Rights Act too had profound impact on the American society, economy and culture. An immediate effect was the improvement in the education levels of the African American students. In the opinion of Donohue III and Heckman (1991), a similar trend was visible in gender equality too; and the legislation also resulted in a significant improvement in the average income of blacks. Also, it considerably improved the work environment for the immigrants. Thus, all these years, America remained an attractive destination for immigrants, which has both positive and negative consequences according to the scholars. Because of this race-friendly legislation, America has become a society with various races ranging from whites, Asians, American Indians, Hawaiians, and pacific islanders. This resulted in the development of a vibrant culture that has wide variety in music, literature and all other art forms. As the World War I ended, America realized the heavy loss it incurred as a result of the involvement in the w ar. Realizing the fact that the war was a disastrous mistake, the nation introduced a number of Neutrality Acts, and stayed away from issues like the Japan invasion of Manchuria, German effort to raise arms, and Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia. Secondly, America was facing the brunt of the Great Depression that had a traumatic effect on the nation’s economy. So, America was unable even to think about another war in the imminent future. Thirdly, America had peace treaties with a number of nations ranging from Britain, Japan and France. So, America was not willing to show more attachment towards any nation as it would dissatisfy the others. As Macdonald, Holden and Andener (1988) point out,women played a significant role in support of the American Military. Firstly, many women joined the nurse corps and the armed forces so that the men could be deployed in the combat front. Also, many women volunteered to run the government during the crisis. Secondly, females readily accep ted the traditional male jobs in factories when the factories were set for war production. Thirdly, women activists engaged in activities like social fundraising and blood collection for war (p.23). The first breakthrough (as cited in (Lawnix. Com, 1954), came in the year 1954 in the form of a Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that setting separate educational facilities for blacks and whites is unconstitutional. It was this ruling that gave way to the civil rights movement. The second important breakthrough was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that ensured voting rights for the blacks. As Ryan (2010) points out, the first political awareness came in the realization that America is fully of

Common Sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Common Sense - Essay Example This is so primarily in the order of Paine’s way with his philosophies that were written down based upon the prevailing cause for the American Revolution especially one that was justified by the burdening economic policies of Britain. Apparent grievances which comprised such propaganda were quite compatible with the real protest toward the British authorities who only wanted to make as much money out of the New World to add to their home treasury and finance British wars in Europe so they restricted trade and raised taxes against the desires of the native Americans. Similarly, the fateful Stamp Act of 1765 which required tax stamps on all publications, commercial bills, legal documents, and public papers heightened the anguish of the American people. Paine managed further to incite an amount subtle indignation on adding via Common Sense: â€Å"I am not induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence; I am clearly, positively, and conscientiously persuaded that it is the true interest of this continent to be so..†. Through â€Å"Common Sense†, Paine brought up sensitive points regarding the origin and design of the government in general with concise remarks on the English Constitution as well as its association to the monarchical government and hereditary succession. Then a complete balance of discourse is set upon the accounts pertaining to insights on the prevailing ability and state of American affairs including reflections thereof during that age. Knowing the people’s heart and thought toward the delicate matter of protest concerning independence, his writings and approach to reasoning were carried out in a style which aligned exactly with their level of understanding and common manner with voice and speech. Moreover, Paine was found to have patterned â€Å"Common Sense† after the structure of sermon, heavily based on the Holy Scriptures which the traditional American people could readily

Retention Strategy in GENBAND company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retention Strategy in GENBAND company - Essay Example GENBANDCARE The technical support provided by GENBAND Care is of extreme quality. For best solutions, GENBAND Care provides timely updates, intense SLA which is inclusive of 24*7*365 help as well as timely releases of software so as to ensure that the client’s network remains current and displays best performance. By providing the customers with greatest up-time, GENBAND Care makes sure that the customers enjoy uninterrupted revenue and the customers of the customers are provided with emergency services. In as many as 80 per cent of the cases, GENBAND provides the clients with effective actions of recovery in no more than 14 minutes. This makes the GENBAND’s emergency services and tendency of restoration among the best all over the world. In addition to the conventional features, GENBAND Care provides the clients with a service of software updates which covers up to 6000 elements worldwide. GENBAND offers comprehensive maintenance for hardware which is inclusive of serv ices for the repair of hardware along with managed spares programs that offer altering Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with a view to providing the clients with accurate responsiveness. GENBAND also provides post-disaster recovery services in emergency. This service is quite unique in that it allows access to GENBAND’s resources for emergency recovery and pre-emergency planning when a disaster takes place. Primary Portfolio Factors They include: 24*7*365 technical assistance for emergency Regular updates for software Hardware maintenance and repair Help desk for disasters Subscription of software Managed spares Advanced Services The portfolio of Advanced Services in GENBAND offers creative and value-added skills that are directed at promoting and improving GENBAND’s solution abilities with the help of optimization, integration and adjustment. GENBAND retains a team of experienced and well-trained professionals that are always available to assist the clients in streamli ning the multimedia services, reducing the cost of operation, enhancing the performance of network from one end to another, and thus increase client’s retention and satisfaction. The provisioning solution GENBAND offers manages more than 2500 switches that include both non-GENBAND and GENBAND ones. The provisioning solution also assists the carriers in solving and automating various tasks of configuration and provisioning on daily basis. GENBAND enables its clients minimize the time of recovery, support expenses and eradicate useless truck rolls with the help of its ticketing and testing solution which encapsulates more than 30 million lines. The Audit and Optimization services of GENBAND are meant to assist the clients in making estimates about the performance of their network and switch close to real time, thus developing a way to ensure proactive arrangement as well as optimization. The services of Revenue Assurance provided by GENBAND align the information regarding confi guration and billing and make it accurate, thus reducing the expenses for carriers and enhancing their revenues. Re-skinning of soft customers and their customization are two very important factors of the capability of GENBAND’s advanced services. Primary Portfolio Factors Provisions of service and product Access care Optimization of capacity, performance and

“To escape is nothing. Not to escape is nothing.” Louise Bogan Essay Example for Free

â€Å"To escape is nothing. Not to escape is nothing.† Louise Bogan Essay Hinduism is a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices from India. It is a religion with many beliefs and practices. Hinduism is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, belief in a supreme being of many different forms, the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and a desire for liberation from earthly evils. Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus which is shown in the New Testament. Christians believe Jesus is the son of God, God having become man and the saviour of humanity. Hinduism has grown and is the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam. It has about 837 followers in the world. Hinduism is regarded as the world’s oldest organised religion. Hinduism consists of thousand of different religious groups in India that have evolved since 1500BCE. It is the main religion of India, Nepal, and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The individuality of the Hindu world focus on 4 important ideas: anadi (beginninglessness), karma (the moral law of life), samsara (rebirth) and moksha (freedom or release). Hinduism believes in reincarnation. They believe that there is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Hindus desire for the release of suffering. Living in the world shows suffering because it implies the separation from the divine. Christianity was founded in the early 1st century AD. It came to be a religion with the teaching, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Today it is the largest religion in the world. Christianity has around 2 billion followers. It is most popular in the western world. Today, Christianity has a many different forms, beliefs and practices, but it is all centered around the belief and faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe that there is one God. God created the world and everything in it, and we are also created in the image of God. There are difference and similarities with Hinduism and Christianity. First Hinduism is pantheistic, not theistic. Christianity believes that God created the world out of nothing, and humans out of the image of God. Christians believe that the world was corrupted by sin and is under Gods fate, moving towards perfection. Hindus believe the world is part of God and that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution. Hindus believe that all people will be united with God, and Christians believe that those who are called to God will have eternal life and whoever rebels will be lost eternally. Hindus believe in karma. Whatever goes around comes around. And Christians believe that sins can be forgiven. Hindus believe that humans will die and go through a cycle until karma is resolved. Christians believe that you die once, and face judgement. Hindus worship different structures and Christians only worship God alone. There is quite a large difference between Christianity and Hinduism. Mainly because it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single concept of deity, a single holy text, a single system of morality, a central religious authority, and the concept of a prophet. We are similar because we are all looking to be good people and worship our creator. Christianity is more based on faith and belief and Hinduism, although they have their faith and belief, is more of a lifestyle and a way of life.

College Student Pressures Essay Example for Free

College Student Pressures Essay Students committing to the college of their choice are unaware of the peer pressures that arise when one attends school. Many may feel as though peer pressures tend to happen more often when one lives on campus, but it can occur off campus too. For example, peer pressures can lead to partying, drinking and drugs. The want to attend class is a daily pressure because there aren’t any consequences when no attending. Another main college pressure is financial stress. The percentage of partying that goes on throughout college is very high and is a common interest that happens every week. From facing the pressures of to staying and studying for a huge test, friends bothering each other constantly to go out and drink with them and pressure to take drugs to â€Å"have a good time. † These examples happen very often, and it is hard to say no to them, one factor is that friends may say â€Å"you’re no fun†, and making friends feel bad about not going out, and then the students start to not care about studying thinking you don’t need to do it anymore. In high school, going to school every day was a daily routine. Children always did because their parents made them, and if they didn’t, there were consequences. In moving up to going to college, there are no consequences in skipping class. If students skipped then they would miss the lesson of the day, and there is no â€Å"making up the work,† teachers are there to teach and not to babysit, so they could care less if students show up to class or not. This is a main pressure, students think, I don’t need to attend class today, and if they don’t go, there is no punishment or consequence. The common question of how am I going to pay for this, is commonly asked daily in a college students head. Financially pressures are high and rising throughout universities. The stressing and struggle to find enough money to pay for tuition and the costs of books and housing while living at school add up. Even though some student can qualify for financial aid cover the costs only temporary and have to deal with the costs later after graduating. This pressure leads some college students to either drop out or to focus more on working and less on their school work.

Procurement Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay

Procurement Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay Traditional purchasing and logistics functions have evolved into a broader strategic approach to materials and distribution management known as supply chain management (Tan, 2001). Successful supply chain management requires cross functional integration and marketing plays a critical role (Lambert and Cooper, 2000). Procurement is extension of supply chain management allows the smooth functioning of departments engaged in the management process. Cooper et al (1997) mentioned that practitioners and educators have variously addressed the concept of supply chain management as an extension of logistics, or as an all-encompassing approach to business integration. BCAM is headed by James Irvine, Managing Director holding 40% of the shares while Tom Irvine is the Production Director with 25% shares in the company. The company was established 100 years ago by the Irvine family which came into existence during mass industrialization of UK agricultural sector manufacturing tractors and wide ra nge of associated agricultural equipments like harvesters, balers, mowers and sprayers. Over these years, BCAM was able to build good reputation in the market but lacked innovation and neglected both product and market development failing which the company was not able to react to the demand and had to face stiff competition, mainly from Europe, USA and Far East. As supply chain management and procurement logistics are important in efficient, smooth and continuous functioning of the company, this paper critically analyses the supply chain management process of British Consolidated Agricultural Machinery (BCAM), its consequences on the operation and management of the company and evaluating different approaches of supply chain management to benefit the company in terms of improved procurement and supply chain management. A) Supply Chain Management Process BCAM According to Mentzer (2001) supply chain management is the systematic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain for the purposes of improving the long term performance of the individual companies and supply chain as a whole. Further Hugos (2006) states that supply chain management is the coordination of production, inventory, location and transportation among the participants in a supply chain to achieve the best mix of responsiveness and efficiency for the market being served Various definitions from different authors concentrate mainly on flow of goods and materials within the company for timely production, cost effective operations and better customer service which is not evident or persistent in the supply chain process of BCAM. The supply chain process at BCAM did not meet any of the essential criterions as suggested by several authors in Mentzer (2001). BCAM lacked strategic planning i n its supplied chain process as purchasing officer would make a reorder for the goods and materials only after the low stock level and stock issue made by the warehouse. Warehouse officials manually carried the inventory and issued reorder report to the purchase department after which purchase department would require three days to forward purchaser order to the supplier, which may extend to week further if the individual product lines are batched up into one large order with a single supplier. It may be noted that logistics play a major role in supply chain management process which is not limited to single organization but refers to a network that work together and coordinate their actions to deliver a product to the market (Hugos, 2006). Delivering product to customers requires implementation of the strategic process within the firm to integrate the firm with other members of the supply chain and other operational activities at day to day level (Lambart, 2008). Procurement of mate rials, which is the primary task of purchase department lacked decision making power as it did not vested with any individual and dispersed across different units making it a tedious job for purchasing unit. Organizations give the power to purchasing department to take the decisions and send purchase order to the suppliers, but at BCAM, production staff and engineers made most of the decision that doesnt apply in supply chain process. Moreover, the purchase order is placed in bulk in order to secure maximum discounts but out of the items purchased, only few are used for the production while the rest are maintained in the warehouse which is a serious problem concerning the high operational costs and low profits of the company. The company lacked the basic tenets of supply chain management like integrated behavior, mutual sharing of information, mutual sharing channel risks and rewards, cooperation, similar goal and focus of serving customers, integration of processes and partners to build and maintain long term relationships (Mentzer, 2001). The instance of purchasing materials in bulk shows that the company lacks partnerships with small suppliers as it has to purchase items in bulk to minimize the logistics cost. Moreover, the deliveries of goods by the suppliers were often late, as it is evident that they were not interested in doing business with BCAM due to late payments. Mutual sharing of information is not evident at BCAM as the company was not able to meet the market demand. The instance of new products being launched and irregular notice to the purchasing department makes it clear that there is no cooperation and coordination in the internal business units at BCAM. Market demand could not be meted due to inefficient managing practices because fulfillment of market demand is the process of measuring the process and communicating the results throughout the firm and to key members of supply chain (Lambart, 2008). Marketing department needs to provide neces sary information to the production and purchasing departments about the new product, the market demand and requirements so as to meet the demand on time. Supply chain management at BCAM is not integrated with most of the departments not sharing information which is essential for production and meeting the market demands. BCAMs supply chain management lacks integral relationship with similar goals and objectives and works on its own while decisions are taken at all levels. Lack of basic characteristics of supply chain management has resulted in various challenges to BCAM in form of competitors in the industry, high operating cost, low profit, inability to meet the market demand, inability in procurement of materials, low level of coordination in the management, and the situation where the management is thinking of merger with French firm, Eiffel Mecanisme which is lower than its size but makes more profit than BCAM, thanks to its low operational cost, effective marketing strategy and management. The ineffective supply chain management has very drastic consequences which is evident in case of BCAM which is at the verge of merging with a French company and on condition that all the senior management positions should be French while production operations being transferred to the French factories. In order to avoid the major setbacks and merger with French company, BCAM will have to restructure its organization and reformulate its strategy matching the technology of its competitors and producing innovative products meeting the expectations and demand of the market. B) Supply Chain Management Approaches for BCAM Kale (n.d.) mentioned that the supply chain management within the organization includes all the functions involved in fulfilling a customer demand like new product development, marketing, operations, distributions, finance and customer service and any break in the chain of functioning between these departments will have an adverse effect on the organization (Basu and Wright, 2007). Operating successfully in any business environment today requires companies to become much more involved in how their supplies and customer do business. As global markets expands and competition increases, making products and services that customers want to buy means that businesses must pay closer attention to where materials come from, how their suppliers products are designed and produced, how they are assembled, transported and stored, etc. Steve Darendinger, Vice President of advanced sourcing and supply chain strategy for Cisco Systems, California stated that the key to developing effective supply ch ain management programs is keeping the customer in mind and if the customer is skipped during decision making process, then these decisions transfer risks costs and additional waiting time along the supply chain leading to higher operational costs and lower end customer demands (Wisner et al, 2008). Supply chain is a holistic approach that stretches forward across the organization and customer and backwards through various suppliers and to their suppliers. There can be substantial benefits for all stakeholders by having integration across company boundaries which was missing in BCAMs supply chain management process (Basu and Wright, 2007). Regarding suppliers too, BCAM didnt had much to choose among the suppliers as most of them were not satisfied by the payment terms of the company which resulted in less priority in delivering the goods. The ultimate objective of supply chain management is to achieve strategic fit between the companys competitive strategy and supply chain strategy (Kale, n.d). Cutting et al (2006) states that the main objective of supply chain management is to have the right products in the right quantities at the right time at minimal cost in a situation that would guarantee optimal service levels for the customer and optimal performance for the organization ( Basher, 2010). This is the main problem with BCAM as the departments within were not able to coordinate with each other and the basic objective of supply chain management was not fulfilled. According to supply chain management philosophy (Markland et al 1995) inventory should be the last resort in solving supply and requirement imbalances between the tiers but at BCAM, inventory was carried out manually and 80% of the man hours would be spend on matching the documents of suppliers sent during the delivery of goods. Companies, nowadays, formulate their strategies devising supply chain management that suits their organization. Leo and Bart (n.d.) recognized three basic forms of supply chain namely internal supply chain. which is an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, from supplier and towards the customer; external supply chain, an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, across the direct suppliers and customers; and tota l supply chain, an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, across multiple trading suppliers and customers. According to Harrison et al (2005) supply chain management is a set of approaches utilized to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses and stores, so that merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantities, to right places and at right time so as to reduce operational costs while giving optimum customer satisfaction. It is important to note that logistics plays an important role in successful implementation of supply chain management. The supply chain management approach differs from the logistics functions like optimization of the transportation and distribution structure. Two different approaches have been identified namely make to stock and make to order. The difference between the two approach lies in production strategy wherein if a product is created according to specific customer demand, it follows make to order approach while production on any other criteria is due to make to stock, as the products are produced to stock in advance to meet the ev er increasing market demand. The supply chain approach benefit the organizations in maintaining low operating costs, flexibility and responsiveness and delivery performance (Dickersbach, 2009). BCAM should reinvent its supply chain management by focusing on internal processes. Internal supply chain would be efficient so as to integrate the departments and initiate systematic coordination, cooperation and mutual sharing of information among the departments in the company. Moreover, the company should focus on make to order approach of supply chain management in the current situation so as to avoid unnecessary costs of extra items being purchased from the suppliers. BCAM should apply modern approach of supply chain management which encourages facing challenges across organizations, different lines of business, and across consumers and eliminate the traditional approach, which is being presently practiced in the organization (Altekar, 2005). In conclusion, Tom Irvine, Production Direct ors strategy should be implemented to improve the procurement and supply chain process which aims to use make to order approach, reduce the excessive inventory and aggressive marketing of the products. Conclusion BCAM should focus on restructuring its supply chain processes so as to improve its performance in the market and withstand stiff competition from its rivals. Toms strategy to revive the companys performance in the market should be implemented as it focuses on reducing the overall operational expenditure and low cost production mechanism.

Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research Essay example -- Res

Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research Quantitative research data is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data is utilised to obtain information around the world. Quantitative research is all about quantifying the relationships between variables such as height, weight. It is obtained by such things as questionnaires, official statistics and planned interviews and then from the numerical data we can identify trends and correlations and get an idea of the attitudes of large numbers of people which can be very helpful. It is obtained mostly in the form of numbers. They were originally developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. Qualitative research data is all types of data that are not in the form of numbers including written sources, pictures, films, open-ended questions and unstructured interviews. Qualitative data can often provide a richer and more in-depth picture of social life. It was developed in the social sciences to enable researchers to study social and cultural phenomena. Qualitative research uses unreconstructed logic to get at what is really real: the quality, meaning, context, or image of reality in what people actually do, not what they say they do. The advantages of a questionnaire which produces quantitative data are you do not have to pay interviewers and it is cheap to classify results. Fast and efficient analysis possible with pre-coded closed questions and answers can be easily quantified and entered straight on to computers. Also questionnaires do not normally need interviewers so you do not have the risk of the interviewer influencing the respondent'... ...ty as if another researcher did the same experiment would they get the same results as others. And if a group of researchers all researched the same topic would they all get different results? If so which should we believe. Researchers often combine quantitative and qualitative data in their research to get a fair and accurate result even thought quantitative is often more accurate than qualitative. The major difference between qualitative and quantitative research is the underlying statement about the role of the researcher. In quantitative research, the researcher is ideally an objective observer that neither participates in or influences what is being studied. In qualitative research, however, it is thought that the researcher can learn the most about a situation by participating and/or being immersed in it.

Movie Review: Yentl Essay -- essays research papers

Movie Review: Yentl Everyone at one time or another has felt out of place. Feeling unsure of one's place in society is an experience that every young adult faces but deals with differently. Some rebel while others comply with whatever has been set out for them by society or their parents, or both. The role of the woman in society is forever changing. Where women were once obligated to stay in the home and dote on their husbands, they are now working in the same types of jobs as their husbands. What was typically the male role has been blurred and practically obliterated. Religious roles have followed society's lead in their evolution. For example, since its creation over five thousand years ago, the Jewish religion has evolved in some movements to involve women and men equally in ceremonies. The orthodox movement has always remained traditional in its belief that women have their place in the home, cooking and raising children, and serving their husbands. Education remains the man's duty. The movie Yentl starring Barbara Streisand, shows this traditional belief through its plot, characterization, music, lights, camera angles, and symbolism. Set in Eastern Europe in 1904, Yentl captures the essence of the Jewish woman's eternal struggle. It is the story of a young girl, in love with learning but forbidden to do so by Jewish tradition. Upon her father's death, Yentl disguises herself as a boy to attend a yeshiva (religious school) and continue her studies. She befriends Avigdor, a male scholar at the yeshiva, and falls in love with him. Driven by her love for him, Yentl will do all that she can to ensure that he is near her and that her secret is not revealed. Yentl struggles with her secret until the day she can no longer remain silent. She tells Avigdor what she has done, and of her love for him, but he cannot accept a woman who refuses to act as a traditional woman should. So Yentl departs for America in hope of a different mentality, but never forgetting her love for Avigdor and all that she has learned. Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's acclaimed short story, "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy," the story is somewhat unrealistic but serves its purpose in proving a point; the point being that women have always been just as capable as men in studying and education, an... ...e bird, is able to soar - through the prejudices of her traditions and through the world of knowledge for which she so longs. She displays this thought in the last line of the movie when she sings "Papa watch me fly." As well, when Yentl transforms herself into Anshel, the boy, she looks at herself in a cracked mirror and cuts her hair. This displays her uncertainty of herself and her place in Jewish society, and the cutting of her hair symbolizes her transformation and the beginning of a new life for her. Symbolism throughout the film, contributes to the film's theme of self-discovery and role reversal. The plot, characterization, lighting, camera angles, and symbolism reveal thoroughly the plot of this highly thought-evoking film. The plot mainly contributes to proving that a woman's place is not solely in the home. That "story books for women, sacred books for men", as the bookseller says at the beginning of the story, is not an accurate assessment of a woman's intellectual capabilities. Because of Barbara Streisand's fabulous and complete characterization of Yentl, this movie comes to life and touches the hearts of its viewers.

Antigone †Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Essay -- Antig

Antigone – Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Of the tragic figures in Antigone, Creon is the most obviously evil because his motives are self-serving and his fate the worst. As the play begins, we learn that Antigone has defied Creon's royal decree by performing sacred burial rites for her exiled brother, Polyneices. Polyneices has been declared an enemy of the state by Creon. The sentence for anyone attempting to bury him is death by stoning. Creon has become King of Thebes by default, as a result of Oedipus' fate as previously predicted by the Oracle at Delphi: Oedipus murders his father and unknowingly marries his mother. Jocaste, his mother and wife and Creon's sister, commits suicide upon learning the truth. Between Oedipus' two sons, Creon sides with Etocles in his claim for Oedipus' throne and exiles Polyneices. Polyneices, in exile, raises an army against Thebes, attempting to seize the throne for himself. The two brothers fight and slay one another. Etocles is awarded an honorable burial by Creon for bravely defending the city, but Polyneices is denied any burial because of his act of treason. Denial of a ritual burial was damming and nearly sacrilegious to the ancient Greeks. Creon is enraged to discover his decree has been disobeyed. When he learns it is Antigone, his niece, he asks her if she has heard the decree. She says yes, that the decree was declared publicly and openly -- she answers that she understands the consequences. Creon further asks Antigone if she is blatantly defying him. She replies that she is answering and obeying a higher law. Creon condemns her, and in doing so violates the unspoken law of loyalty to the family. Creon's will be done! Creon: Do you want me to show m... ...th her death. Chorus: You has passed beyond human daring and come at last Into a place of stone where justice sits. I cannot tell What shape your father's guilt appears in this. Antigone: You have touched it at last: the bridal bed Unspeakable, horror of son and mother mingling: Their crime, infection of all our family! Your marriage strikes from the grace to murder mine. I have been a stranger here in my own land: All my life The blasphemy of my birth has followed me. (Sophocles 4,33-44). Perhaps this self-sentencing is her noble moral cause, or the very extreme of evil indulgence in self-pity and stupidity; self absorption at the eminent loss of human life, including her own. Maybe she's just spoiled and stubborn. Works Cited Sophocles. Antigone Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1984.

Attticus finch eulogy

Attic's told me and Jeremy to â€Å"walk a mile In someone else's skin before you Judge them† this quote from him showed us that Attic's was the best role model that I could ask for and I don't think I would change Attic's as father for anything In the world. I would Like to tell you about one of the greatest moments In the life of this great and honorable man, the time he defended a dark skinned man against a white women In the Macomb courthouse, this man was Tom Robinson. My father believed that Tom Robinson was n innocent man who was convicted of a crime he didn't commit.My father bravely took on this case, even though he knew that he would probably not win. When taking on this case he knew that people would think of differently because he was defending a colored man. But he believed that he could win on the evidence he had gathered, he believed in Justice and believed in the Justice system. He wanted the justice to be color blind for the trial so the court could Judge Tom Robinson like a normal person. People rarely win, but sometimes you do. Sadly, this was one the cases my father did not, which shows that even the best can lose sometimes.Another great moment I think in his life was him taking time of his life to teach Gem and l. He wanted us to enjoy and to learn good useful things throughout our time with him. One of the great things taught us was it is better fight with your head instead of using your fists and also taught us that you never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view. He taught us these things o he could keep us away from the ugly things in the world but not all the ugly things so we could learn from them.From the things my great father has taught Gem and l, I have learnt to respect myself and others, to try my best and to do what is right. With these things in mind I'd like to this speech to an end. I would like you reflect and learn from the things Attic's has taught me and the quotes he had sa id to me such as â€Å"walk mile in someone's skin before you Judge them†. When he first said these things to me I didn't realism what his sayings meant, but now I know what his quotes meant and I am honored he had said these things to me.It has been a privilege to have known Attic's, and to especially to have him as a father. I do not know what I would have done without him, may he rest In peace. Autistic finch eulogy (killing a mocking bird) By allotment Jeremy to â€Å"walk a mile in someone else's skin before you Judge them† this quote from him showed us that Attic's was the best role model that I could ask for and I don't think I would change Attic's as father for anything in the world.I would like to tell oh about one of the greatest moments in the life of this great and honorable man, the time he defended a dark skinned man against a white women in the Macomb Courthouse, this man was Tom Robinson. My father believed that Tom Robinson was with him. One of the gre at things taught us was it is better fight with your head as â€Å"walk a mile in someone's skin before you Judge them†. When he first said these things to me I didn't realism what his sayings meant, but now I know what his quotes would have done without him, may he rest in peace.

Managerial Accounting Essay

Explain the distinguishing features of managerial accounting. Identify the three broad functions of management. Define the three classes of manufacturing costs. Distinguish between product and period costs. Explain the difference between a merchandising and a manufacturing income statement. Indicate how cost of goods manufactured is determined. Explain the difference between a merchandising and a manufacturing balance sheet. Identify trends in managerial accounting. Managerial accounting is a field of accounting that provides economic and financial information for managers and other internal users. (b) Mary is incorrect. Managerial accounting applies to all types of businesses—service, merchandising, and manufacturing. (a) Financial accounting is concerned primarily with external users such as stockholders, creditors, and regulators. In contrast, managerial accounting is concerned primarily with internal users such as officers and managers. Financial statements are the end product of financial accounting. The statements are prepared quarterly and annually. In managerial accounting, internal reports may be prepared as frequently as needed. The purpose of financial accounting is to provide general-purpose information for all users. The purpose of managerial accounting is to provide special-purpose information for specific decisions. 2. (b) (c) 3. Differences in the content of the reports are as follows: Financial †¢ Pertains to business as a whole and is highly aggregated. †¢ Limited to double-entry accounting and cost data. †¢ Generally accepted accounting principles. Managerial †¢ Pertains to subunits of the business and may be very detailed. Extends beyond double-entry accounting system to any relevant data. †¢ Standard is relevance to decisions. In financial accounting, financial statements are verified annually through an independent audit by certified public accountants. There are no independent audits of internal reports issued by managerial accountants. 4. Budgets are prepared by companies to provide future direction. Because the budget is also used as an evaluation tool, some managers try to game the budgeting process by underestimating their division’s predicted performance so that it will be easier to meet their performance targets. On the other hand, if the budget is set at unattainable levels, managers sometimes take unethical actions to meet targets to receive higher compensation or in some cases to keep their jobs. Karen should know that the management of an organization performs three broad functions: (1) Planning requires management to look ahead and to establish objectives. (2) Directing involves coordinating the diverse activities and human resources of a company to produce a smooth-running operation. (3) Controlling is the process of keeping the company’s activities on track. Disagree. Decision making is not a separate management function. Rather, decision making involves the exercise of good judgment in performing the three management functions explained in the answer to question five above. Employees with line positions are directly involved in the company’s primary revenue generating operating activities. Examples would include plant managers and supervisors, and the vice president of operations. In contrast, employees with staff positions are not directly involved in revenuegenerating operating activities, but rather serve in a support capacity to line employees. Examples include employees in finance, legal, and human resources. 5. 6. 7. 1-4 Copyright  © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Weygandt, Managerial Accounting, 5/e, Solutions Manual (For Instructor Use Only) Questions Chapter 1 (Continued) 8. CEOs and CFOs must now certify that financial statements give a fair presentation of the company’s operating results and its financial condition and that the company maintains an adequate system of internal controls. In addition, the composition of the board of directors and audit committees receives more scrutiny, and penalties for misconduct have increased. The differences between income statements are in the computation of the cost of goods sold as follows: Manufacturing company: Merchandising company: 10. Beginning finished goods inventory plus cost of goods manufactured minus ending finished goods inventory = cost of goods sold. Beginning merchandise inventory plus cost of goods purchased minus ending merchandise inventory = cost of goods sold. 9. The difference in balance sheets pertains to the presentation of inventories in the current asset section. In a merchandising company, only merchandise inventory is shown. In a manufacturing company, three inventory accounts are shown: finished goods, work in process, and raw materials. Manufacturing costs are classified as either direct materials, direct labor, or manufacturing overhead. No, Matt is not correct. The distinction between direct and indirect materials is based on two criteria: (1) physical association and (2) the convenience of making the physical association. Materials which can not be easily associated with the finished product are considered indirect materials. Product costs, or inventoriable costs, are costs that are a necessary and integral part of producing the finished product.

Hilton Hhonors Worldwide: Loyalty Wars

Hilton HHonors Worldwide: Loyalty Wars 1. Why do you think the modern form of FMPs is more sustainable than the earlier forms like trading stamps and coupons? Trading stamps and coupons were required to give in to newer forms of loyalty programs because: oCompetitive pressure has made it necessary for corporates to innovate oTrades and coupons are not differentiating factors because they can be easily emulated by competitors †¢Modern FMPs are more sustainable because they can withstand emulation due to the following reasons: oFMPs can provide individual customised experiences for each consumer oData ware housing capabilities of computers has made information required for such customization easily available oFMPs can benefit alliances through mutually beneficial loyalty programs oFMPs also help in segmenting customers and formulate customized services to each segment 2. What are the benefits of HHonors Program to Hilton? Hilton would benefit from the HHonors Program through the f ollowing methods; oEfficient estimation of â€Å"Walking Cost†: The program would provide historical information about the customers and thus aid Hilton to gauge the customers’ characteristics which in turn would lead to better revenue and yield management oBenefits from Double Dipping: The program allowed transfer of benefits within Hilton and its partners which allowed both sides to earn currencies through joint customers. oBetter scope of gaining franchises/management contracts: The program’s ability to drive business made it more lucrative for the smaller hotels to strike deal with Hilton oEnhanced customer relationship: The program enabled Hilton to provide customised hotel experiences for each of its guests which would in turn help Hilton and its collaborators become the customer’s favourite oHelp gain corporate contracts: Hilton’s major business came through corporate clients and this program would aid the corporate travel managers ensure co mpliance to their overall travel policy 3. What is the decision problem of Jeff Diskin? What alternatives are left with him for HHonors program with announcement of competitive rewards program by Starwood? †¢Context: Starwood, one of the major competitors of Hilton, has announced the launch of â€Å"Starwood Preferred Guest Program† which is anticipated to be a bigger loyalty program than Hilton’s HHW which would be aided by a huge investment in advertising †¢Dilemma: Jeff Diskin, as the head of Hilton HHonors, has to take a call on Hilton’s reaction to the announcement and its future course of action. †¢Alternatives: Jeff Diskin currently has the following options to decide from; oCompete point to point with Starwood Position HHonors differently from Starwoods and hold on to loyal members oCut down on its costs and deliver the same business to gain better margins 4. What should he do? Why? The various alternatives can be evaluated as mentioned in the table given below; †¢All the four major hotel chains will soon start competing on frequent-stay programs thus leading to price wars which may result in serious damage to the industry. †¢Overtly generous loyalty programs have various risks which include the following: oCustomers tend to be variety-seeking and use loyalty programs to make profits oThus even the repeating customers might go to other hotel chains oThe more the rewards, the greater the expectation customers will have. Thus the rewards will tend to be ever-higher oLoyalty programs generally function as discount programs. Thus by offering greater incentives, Hilton will implicitly train the customers to expect lower prices which will lead to reduced margins and thus lower revenues †¢Cost cutting measures are likely to be limited in such service industries. Thus, Jeff Diskin should avoid loyalty wars and maintain current rewards levels. Further, he should explore differentiating Hilton’s brand through sustainable brand loyalty. One possible measure could be to reposition the brand as a unique experience and create brand loyalty and brand passion as competitive advantages.

Grammar Translation Method Overview Essay

According to Fromkin (2011), grammar translation is a technique or method of second-language learning in which the student memorizes words and syntactic rules and translates them between the native language and target language. In other words, grammar translation method is a foreign language teaching that requires students to translate words and memorize. The goal is to make sure that the student able to read and translate the target language. Grammar translation method is a traditional method and was originally used to teach ‘dead’ languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, involving little or no spoken communication or listening comprehension. The original purpose by using this method is to help students read and appreciate foreign language literature so that student can become more familiar with the grammar of their native language. This familiarity will help them speak and write their native language better. It was thought that foreign language learning would help students grow intellectually. Language learning is an upright intellectual workout for students. Knowledge of the target language and mother tongue would endow students mentally and it was predictable that students would probably never use the target language but the mental exercise of learning it would be useful anyhow. Many methodologies to second or foreign language teaching have been developed over the years. There are two broad categories that fall from second-language teaching method: the synthetic approach and analytic approach. Synthetic method emphases on the teaching of grammatical, lexical, phonological and functional units of the language step by step. This is a bottom-up method, a method that begins with the small units like phones and proceeds stepwise to increasingly larger units and often ending in a semantic interpretation. On the contrary, analytic approaches are more top-down. Top-down is a method that begins with the assumption that a large syntactic unit such as a sentence is present and the analyses it into successfully smaller constituents which are compared with the sensory or acoustic data to validate the analysis. With the aim of clarifying, grammar transmission method or GTM can be traced by its certain features. GTM characteristics and principals are: * Translation of a literary passage * The ability of communicating in the target language is not a goal * Memorization * The primary skills to be improved are reading and writing * Its focus is on accuracy, not fluency * The authority in the classroom is the teacher Therefore, by following all this features; classes should be taught in the mother tongue or student’s native language, with little active use of the target language or second language. Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words, along with long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar. Grammar provides the rule for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words. The reading activity of reading difficult classical texts is begun early and little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercise in grammatical analysis.

A Study Of The Superiority Of Man Over The Environment As Depicted In Never Cry Wolf

A Study Of The Superiority Of Man Over The Environment As Depicted In Never Cry Wolf Man over Nature? In Never Cry Wolf Ootek tells Farley a legend that links man, wolves, and caribou in a perfectly balanced, continuos, natural cycle. Nevertheless, the whole novel uncovers the sad truth that man has altered this unique cycle and its own denial of it threatens to destroy it. This theme, suggests the idea that man, although being a part of nature, has abused the power that was granted to him only to have a better life at the expense of other living beings. In Ooteks tale, man is clearly referred as a superior being who plays the main role in nature. For example, the woman in the story and her sons, which in a way represent humanity, are given the caribou as a gift from the gods, a gift that would supply all their needs. so the sons of the Woman hunted well, and they were fed and clothed and had good skins to live in, all from the caribou (Mowat 84). In the same way, nature has provided humanity entirely with all its needs in a way where it can coexist harmonically with the living things around it. People, in a somewhat self-centric way, have viciously transformed the natural world for their own good in order to supply themselves with superficial things. Nevertheless, though hominids basically make nature work for their profit, they too form a part of it. On the other hand, man has surpassed its use of nature and has begun to destroy the delicate cycle it forms. No one can deny, how civilization has basically stripped jungles, polluted air and water, exterminated species and contaminated the land. The human beings have lost complete respect for nature and will probably have to face the consequences. It is incongruent to think that exploiting a planet will not end up harming all the living things that coexist together in it. In Never Cry Wolf, hunters face the problem of having few caribou to hunt. They immediately blame the wolves of being monstrous and obnoxious beats who savagely devour deer, and never stop to consider the possibility that this problem might be caused by their own addiction to make money by over killing animals. my predecessor supplied the Minister with an explanation of this situation in which it was his contention that there were fewer deer because the hunters had increased to the point where they outnumbered the deer about five to one. He was promptly shouted down by Members howling Liar! and Wolf-lover! (Mowat 9) The hunters in the story also lost respect for nature and the vital role the wolf plays in the life of the caribou. They decide to exterminate it. Slowly but surely, the lack of wolves will alter the caribou-wolf cycle by allowing the caribou population to grow weak and sick; this will eventually have repercussions on man himself. It could now be concluded, that man, as well as the hunters in Never Cry Wolf, have abused nature and have not tried to give something back by contributing to the circle of life. Because the discrimination against wolves, it cause an extensive rumor, numerous rumors, and several lies. Evidently the denial of this situation will soon backfire on man. This would bring out the question: why can man not look over his shoulder and care for others if this means caring for himself? It is now up to the future generations to become responsible for nature and give something back for all it has been taken from it.

Sources of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sources of finance - Essay Example As you grow, you may need to turn to alternate sources such as Venture Capital. Once you have achieved a financial track record, you can turn to other sources such as Asset Based Lending or Commercial Loans. The main sources of financing can be divided into: Roger Inman can use cash for his purchase of new computer or the following sources of financing, such as a small loan(notes payable), buy a computer on accounts payable (in this case computer company would have to finance the purchase). Or another solution would be to lease a computer. A firm can raise money for working capital by selling bonds, bills, or notes to individual and/or institutional investors. In return for lending the money, the individuals or institutions become creditors and receive a promise that the principal and interest on the debt will be repaid. First of all it is difficult to answer, because we do not know in which industry the company is, therefore we can not say what the optimal capital structure is. So, making a few assumptions, next sources of financing can be used: E) Euro Tunnel suffered trading losses in its first year of operation. If the company wanted to maintain its gearing ratio at the same level as previous year, what type of finance would it have to raise As the company is suffering losses it implies that retained earnings are going down, resulting in equity decrease, so the gearing rate is going up. In order to keep the leverage rate at the level of previous year, new issues should be issued in order to counterbalance the losses that a company is currently making. F) Carlton Holdings PLC has a

Network security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Network security - Essay Example There is a requirement of a powerful vulnerability assessment and management tool that will facilitate the network security team in crises situations. Moreover, there is one more challenge for the network administrators i.e. they are not able to find traces for the threat that has already penetrated into a distributed network environment. Likewise, distributed network is a merger of two or more networks and may be operational on a broad spectrum. Moreover, the existing network security controls are not capable to detect the worm, as the distributed network is connected to one or more networks; it is difficult to analyze specific anomalies and patterns of unknown activity on the distributed network. Furthermore, the combination of infinite data packets can construct a major impact on the network because they all have the same frequency and are associated with the same domain that is similar to the current scenario. For addressing this issue, powerful vulnerability detection and assess ment tools are required for detecting threats on a distributed network. ... Moreover, these tools will also facilitate to categorize data packets in to time and frequency domains distinctly. Furthermore, network administrators can also implement a methodology, subset of the current methodology, which is called as anomalous space extraction based on predictions of network traffic or transmission of data packets. Successful information security management involves an amalgamation of prevention, detection and response in order to deploy a strong security defense. Security has become an encircling issue for designers and developers of the digital world. A system should also be able to counter incidents and raise proper procedures in case an information security incident occurs. Information security incident handling takes a stride forward in the information security management procedure. The aim is to provide a reference for the management, administration and other technical operational staff. If considering the enterprise government, focus on executing manageme nt actions is required to support the strategic goals of the organization. It has been calculated approximately half of the breaches to the security of the information systems are made by the internal staff or employee of the organization. Security incident management facilitates the development of security incident handling and planning including preparation for detection and reply to information security issues. The standard of the incident management primarily relates to ensure the existence of processes rather than the contents of these procedures. The security incident of different computing systems will have dissimilar effects and escort to different consequences, bureau, departments the organization need to tailor the security

The risk of cultural issues in written communications Essay

The risk of cultural issues in written communications - Essay Example A good example is given by Tannen & Saville-Troika (1982, p. 41), about an Egyptian pilot called a traffic controller of Greek origin, asking if it was safe for the plane to land in Cyprus. The controller responded with a silence to mean refusal but the Egyptian interpreted that as acceptance and proceeded with the trip to Cyprus, only to be fired at by the Greeks in Cyprus while approaching the run way. Another cause is the complete language barrier between non related languages such as Russian and English, unlike the case between French and English whereby many words and closely related in spelling and pronunciation. Most of the Russians do not understand or speak English at all (Gudykunst 2003, p. 62). Likewise, Many English speakers do not understand Russian. In such a scenario, if a speech is presented in Russian, an English man will lose some important points. As mentioned before, in a miscommunication and misunderstanding in cross-cultural interaction, people lose the exact meaning of the communication and may respond in undesired ways. In cross cultural conversation, participants may decide to deliberately mislead the hearers, and convince them with false information. For example, Reynolds (2004, p. 38) argues that a participant may masquerade as being of greater social status than his or her true position in the society is. In a written communication, this can be more misleading because apart from just hearing wrongly, the reading itself may be wrong from the onset. Once a misunderstanding has occurred from cross-cultural communication, there should be a quick way to resolve and clarify on the specific errors. For example, it is a good practice to apologize and make possible clarification as suggested by Pride (1985, p. 62). With apology, the hearer’s may not be able to take offence. Where possible, the communication between different cultures ought to

International law extra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International law extra - Essay Example It was however difficult to pinpoint the location of the 48th Battalion responsible for the Tet offensive. After gathering intelligence reports, the military authorities collectively decided that the 48th Battalion was near the village of My Lai. American military authorities then planned to seek out and neutralize the 48th Battalion through the elements of the Task Force Barker. Their orders from their military officers were to clean out the area and destroy the villages. The civilians however were to be spared. When the different platoons, including Charlie Company, were deployed to the suspected area, they met no resistance, no Viet Cong, no 48th Battalion. Only Vietnamese civilians appeared to occupy the village. And for William Calley and other members of the Charlie Company, they felt it was their time to take revenge for the men they lost in combat and for the atrocities that the Viet Cong committed against them. â€Å"Soldiers shot old men sitting outside their homes, women carrying water, children searching for places to hide† (Olson & Roberts, p. 22). Not one of these Vietnamese fired back, and yet they were gunned down by the soldiers. Calley ordered his men to shoot all the civilians because their superior officers ordered them to. Some of the soldiers disobeyed the orders and others reluctantly carried out the orders. Calley was in his element. He happily pulled the trigger on every man, woman and child at the My Lai village. And in the end, Charlie Company â€Å"rounded up and killed as many as 500 unarmed women, children, and elderly Vietnamese in the hamlet of My Lai 4 in Son My, South Vietnam† (Wilkins, p. 77). Lt. Calley was court-martialed, charged with the murder of Vietnamese civilians. Four officers and nine enlisted men were also charged with murder. However, most of these charges were dropped and only a few, especially the charges against Calley, made it through to trial. Private

Book Report on Johnnie Cochran's book A Lawyer's Life Essay

Book Report on Johnnie Cochran's book A Lawyer's Life - Essay Example In order to better understand not only this particular piece of literature but as well the author, Johnnie Cochran himself, we must thoroughly address and discuss the most major and significant areas within this book, and as well any and all key related factors and issues that are involved here. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Cochran approaches a number of different issues in this book, and he tries to explain each one as thoroughly as he possibly can. The literature drifts from one legal matter to the next, really showcasing off his history of work, and one of the most major issues that he tries to bring to attention within it is the reasoning as to why so many African-Americans have a jaded view of the legal system overall. In the beginning of the book Cochran speaks about how he actually began in the business and how he considered himself as having derived "from conceptions of the lawyer embodied by both Dershowitz and Kunstler, leading to an awkward notion of the lawyer's vocation in which contradictory ideals are willfully joined and then corrupted for the sake of convenience (65). Cochran makes numerous different memorable and significant quotes throughout his book, including where he stated that "If one man cannot get a fair trial, no matter how hideous his crime or evil the man, none of us can be certain of getting a fair trial." (72). Another issue that Another issue that Cochran makes significant note of in this literature is in regards to Kunstler's romantic model of the activist lawyer, and he uses this to somewhat reference the strong identifications that he feels he shares with his clients. As he also states in the book, "I looked down and saw that my hands were shaking, not with apprehension but with the power of revelationBeing a lawyer means not only sharing the pain of other people's suffering but also accepting the burden of their trust. In the final moment, being a lawyer isn't about winning or losing. It's about keeping faith." (101). Cochran calculates quite exactly throughout the book, making references to at least parts of most of his cases as well as cases including other credible and notable lawyers, such as Kunstler, and he appeals incredibly to the Kunstler model in order to lay claim to being an African American leader. There is also a certain reliance that is shown by Cochran, particularly on that of the issue of political activism, especially when he feels that he should have evoked the legal process. One of the most significant issues that are discussed however is that of racism and about how his background has helped - and as well in ways negate - cases and other issues that took place during his career. As he states, "There's something in your background, in your character, that helps you understand that this is wrong. Maybe you are the right people, at the right time, at the right place, to say, 'No more, we are not going to have this. This is wrong'." (125). From this review we can conclude many different things, several which are of particular importance, and that includes the matter of racism and how Cochran feels that it is an issue within the judicial system. We truly get to grasp at least a remote idea of Cochran's background and history as a lawyer but more so we get to understand how he feels about being a lawyer and who the figures are in his life that have influenced him along the way. Although there are certainly parts throughout