High-Tech Government Contracting Essay

FedBizOpps, or FBO, is the Federal government’s web site that posts all Federal procurement opportunities over opportunities with a value over $25,000. It can be thought of as the U. S. Government’s proposal central, or better yet, a request for proposal (RFP) central (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). Top Three Reasons Why I believe FedBizOpps Will Enhance Opportunities for Minorities The top three reasons why I believe FedBizOpps will enhance opportunities for minorities is FedBizOpps gov (pronounced fed biz opps) provides a sophisticated search engine for finding more than 40,000 immediate RFP opportunities, as well as archived records. It also lists possible future federal contract opportunities. All GSA Schedule solicitations are also listed on FedBizOps which will assist in bidding for current and future contracts. Several training programs are available at the site to teach you the mechanics of using the FBO system (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). The Factors the Government Used to Design and Build This Website The factors the government used to design and build this website are global accessibility, ease of usage, and availability. Due to the need for the government to ensure that the world or every person accesses information in this website, the government made the opportunity accessible in the world wide website (instead of intranet). Through this effort by the government, it is possible for all people all over the world to catch up on what the federal government is doing in terms of procurement opportunities. In addition, the government wanted to ensure that the website is easy to use. Because the government had in mind that all people (minority and majority groups) will be using this website, the website was designed with the information posting page as the homepage to make it easy for people to use the website. The website itself is also a search engine for federal business opportunities with a search boxes at the top of the homepage to ensure that people can reach their destination WebPages with ease. The third factor put in mind when designing this website is availability. The website is hosted on secure and reliable servers. This ensures that chances of being offline are minimal, something that makes this website available and reliable at all times (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. . ). Three Improvements I Predict That Could Be Applied to the FedBizOpps Website There are three improvements I predict that could be applied to the FedBizOpps website in the future. First, the website needs to be highly optimized in search engines. This will enhance easy access by people who are searching for information regarding federal procurement opportunities even if they have no idea about the FedBizOpps website. This is, in fact, a way of marketing that is cost-effective. Secondly, the website should have an application to display the most recent federal business opportunities at the top of the website. These may be designed to be â€Å"mobile† through the use of â€Å"marquee† HTML tags to ensure they catch the eye of the reader, thus ensuring that people who visit the website get information about the most recent opportunities at first sight. Thirdly, a summary of the information about the website should be included in the homepage. This will enhance visitors get a glimpse of the function of the website. For instance, when one accesses the homepage, it is hard to understand the function of the website before viewing a number of WebPages. This may discourage new visitors who do not understand what the website is all about (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ). Three Services Offered By the FedBizOpps Website through the Website Three services offered by the FedBizOpps web site through the website are: government users can post and manage, as well as, award procurement opportunities. This information posted is available for mass readership. On the website, a tab to view opportunities is placed close to the login form making. In addition, information regarding the possibility to view the opportunities without logging in is displayed near the link to motivate visitors to view opportunities. This logged in ensures that the information is easily accessible. However, this may not translate to many views of the opportunities. This may be improved through placing many â€Å"view opportunities† tabs with various classifications such as states, days, type of opportunities and so on. This is a sure way that visitors will be motivated to view only those opportunities that they interested in. In addition, the website offers a platform for vendor and citizens to search, follow-up and retrieve opportunities. Here, one does not need to be logged in to find opportunities making the information available to all. In contrast, the fact that one needs to log in to retrieve opportunities makes it hard for people who cannot register or remember passwords to access this service. Furthermore, the website services as a marketing platform for government approved business opportunities. In this regard, when a business opportunity is posted on this website, it is easy for people to trust it. However, the failure inability of the federal government to allow posting of classifieds makes this service a limited one (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ).

Black Tuesday and the Great Depression

As the American economy is presently dealing with a heavy recession, I deemed it appropriate to choose the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash of 1929 as the topic for my research paper. The Great Depression was a 10 year period of suffering in the United States from 1929 to 1939, also majorly affecting the rest of North America, Europe and other industrialized areas across the globe, caused by many different events and choices. In early 1929, as the New Era neared its calamitous end, America was the richest nation in the world; the richest in all history.America’s 122 million people had more real wealth and real income, both per person and in total, than the people of any other country (Chandler, 1970). General observations of the stock market frequently discussed were of the high stock prices, and speculations were made about what would happen in the late 1920s. Were the stocks generally too high? Or was this a new level for the stock market? October 29, 1929, otherw ise known as Black Tuesday, gave a precise answer to these questions with the crash of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the start of the Great Depression in America, quickly to spread across the globe.The Great Depression is often said to demonstrate the instability of market economics and the need for government oversight and direction (Smiley, 2002). The stock prices were far too high, which quickly caused the bloated stock market to crash, resulting in dynamic losses for the entire American economy. Stocks had risen to uncommonly high levels which had not been explored before, but occurred regularly throughout the late 1920s. These high prices marked the peak for stocks in September of 1929 just before the market began to drop drastically.The Times estimated the loss for Black Tuesday at between $8 and $9 billion (Harold Bierman, 1998), with the overall loss at a much higher price than that. In reality, the major causes of the Stock Market Crash were because of actions take n and decisions made during the Roaring Twenties. However, the Great Depression did not occur simply because of one cause. It was a combination of easy credit, unequal distribution of wealth between the classes, the Stock Market Crash, and many more rising tribulations.The Roaring Twenties were a time of liberal and progressive ideas which included new technologies and goods resulting in an increase of the monetary prosperity within the economy. There was Henry Ford’s development of the moving assembly line, and new industries and inventions in chemicals, aviation, and electronics. By 1929, the United States were producing over 40% of the world’s manufactured goods (Foner, 2008). The automobile was the backbone of the prosperous economic growth.Henry Ford’s inexpensive Model T, with its ability to be mass produced was very significant, seeing that throughout the 1920s, automobile production tripled from 1. 5 to 4. 8 million. Charles Lindbergh flew the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927, and the nation’s total income rose from $74. 3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929, along with many other prosperous events (Gusmorino). Even though there were these numerous new expansions that increased the standard of living in the United States, there was a good portion of the economy that remained in poverty and was not able to prosper like the rest of the country.Farmers’ incomes continually declined, which forced many banks to foreclose tens of thousands of farms because owners were not able to pay the mortgage. Also, the majority of families had no savings because everything was bought on easy credit, which would drastically hurt them when the stock market collapsed in 1929. Many goods in the 1920s were commonly purchased on credit through a new type of payment plan, otherwise known as â€Å"buy now, pay later. An interesting fact is that while Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, Herbert Hoover had been warning since 1925 against the use of credit in the market. Coolidge, instead of speaking out against stock market speculation, insisted in March 1929 as he left office, that U. S. prosperity was absolutely sound and that stocks were cheap at current prices (White, 1996). It turns out Hoover had been correct, which most likely had an effect on Hoover getting elected as President after Coolidge. The stock market crash did not, by itself, cause the Depression.There had been signs of economic trouble throughout the decade, with the highly unequal distribution of income and the prolonged depression in farm regions, which resulted in reduced American purchasing power (Foner, 2008). Through the period of imbalance between the earnings and spending of the different classes of families, the only two things the United States could rely on to keep the economy at the same level was credit sales and luxury spending and investment from the wealthy (Gusmorino). The quick collapse of the worldwide economy was dreadf ul and to most, unpredictable. Around 26,000 businesses failed in 1930.Throughout the industrial world, millions of families lost their life savings; depositors immediately withdrew money from the banks because they were worried that they could no longer count on the promise to redeem paper money in gold (Foner, 2008). This was true because the global financial system in this time in history was based on the gold standard, and ill-equipped to deal with the downturn. Four-fifths of the Rockefeller family fortune disappeared; General Motors stock fell from $73 to $8 and U. S. Steel stock fell from $262 to $22, while U. S. Steel, who had 225,000 full-time workers in 1929 had none at the end of 1932 (Foner, 2008).By 1933, 11,000 of the United States’ 25,000 banks had failed (Nelson). Unemployment grew to five million people in 1930 and then up to 13 million by 1932. Hundreds of thousands of Americans roamed the country in search of food, shelter, and work; at least 13 million mem bers of the labor force who were able and willing to work were entirely unemployed, and millions more were only partially employed (Chandler, 1970). The future was masked in plain uncertainty. Over the course of the first few years of the Depression, President Herbert Hoover was thought by many Americans that his response to the Depression was uncaring and inadequate.Nevertheless, the federal government had never faced an economic crisis as severe as the Great Depression, so you can’t blame the political leaders for not knowing exactly what to do in that situation. Hoover remained strongly opposed to direct federal intervention in the economy, and constantly made public statements to aim for higher public confidence, but all it did was make him progressively more out of touch with what was really happening in the country (Foner, 2008). Hoover’s administration’s response was very ineffective, and forced American freedom to be redefined during the 1930s once he le ft office with Franklin D.Roosevelt’s election in 1932. Franklin D. Roosevelt came to be beloved as the symbolic representative of ordinary citizens, which was strongly needed in America at that time. I’m sure this was part the reason he was President for three straight terms and was able to lead the United States out of the Great Depression. One of the best things Roosevelt did when entering his Presidency was to include as many intellectuals and social workers in key positions in his administration with decisions about what should be done to deal with the Depression.He introduced a number of new changes in hopes that it would increase the structure of the American economy by using increased government regulation and massive public-works projects to hopefully promote a recovery (Nelson). Unfortunately, these changes did not help much at all, except for a key move by Roosevelt to take the United States off the gold standard. He also established the Federal Deposit Insu rance Corporation (FDIC), which insured the accounts of individual depositors.By severing the link between the country’s currency and its gold reserves, he made is possible to issue more money in the hope of stimulating business activity; these two measures rescued the financial system and greatly increased the government’s power over it. To show an example of how positive it was, not a single bank failed in the United States in 1936 (Foner, 2008). Franklin Roosevelt’s â€Å"New Deal† was created to help the American public believe that greater regulation would solve many of the country’s problems.The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was established in 1933 along with the National Industrial Recovery Act, which would work with groups of business leaders to establish industry codes to set standards for output, prices, and working conditions. FDR believed that the idea of liberty should be brought back in order to encourage economic activity an d ensure a fair distribution of wealth, and was welcomed immediately. In spite of this, the NRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935, and never produced economic recovery or peace between employers and workers (Nelson).In March 1933, Congress established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which set unemployed young men to work on projects such as forest flood control and many other jobs outside in nature and the wildlife. The young men’s ages ranged from 18-25; by the time the program ended in 1942, over 3 million young men had participated in the projects where they received government wages of $30 a month (Foner, 2008). In 1935, Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act which gave workers the right to bargain through unions of their choice and gave clear labor practices (Nelson).A policy that took place during the first three months of Roosevelt’s administration, otherwise known as the â€Å"Hundred Days,† was the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) in 1933. Roosevelt moved to bring agriculture under the federal umbrella, and to have farm subsidies and production controls be protected under the AAA (Scaliger). The AAA made the federal government attempt to raise farm prices by setting production quotas for major crops and by paying farmers to plant less (Foner, 2008).This was very effective in providing economic relief for farmers; especially since farmers had been having serious problems for years before the Great Depression began in 1929. Even though not all farmers benefited from this act, it was able to raise farm prices and incomes for many, which opened up a way for farmers to begin receiving benefits once again. Unfortunately, the period of unusually dry weather, otherwise known as the Dust Bowl, in the Great Plains caused some serious problems for the AAA, farmers, and rural America.The Dust Bowl occurred mainly from 1935-1938 in the areas of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. The region suffered a very severe droug ht, the most severe of the century. Wind and dust storms blew most of the soil away, which resulted in crops being destroyed, cars and machinery being ruined, and people and animals dying and being harmed in general. The drought and dust storms displaced more than 1 million farmers and American citizens, in addition to forcing them to leave the Great Plains and head west, or anywhere they could go where these high winds and droughts were not occurring.Even though the AAA was generally successful, it was deserted in 1936 when it was ruled an unconstitutional exercise of congressional power over local economic activities. The Depression also devastated the American housing industry, but the establishment of the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) helped insure millions of long-term mortgages issued by private banks (Foner, 2008). Home ownership now became possible for tens of millions of American families, and more opportunities began to arise.Roo sevelt’s First New Deal came to a halt after having many both successful and non-successful experiments, along with being unable to pull the United States out of the Depression. Afterward in 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Second New Deal for the reason that he was stimulated by the failure of his First New Deal to pull the country out of the Depression. The First New Deal had focused on economic recovery; the weight of the Second was on economic security, where Americans would be protected against unemployment and poverty (Foner, 2008).In 1935, Congress and Roosevelt attacked the problem of weak demand and economic inequality by levying a highly publicized tax on large fortunes and corporate profits which ended up creating the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The purpose of the REA was to bring electric power to homes that lacked it, and proved to be one of the Second New Deal’s most successful programs. FDR then approved the establishment of the Works Pro gress Administration (WPA), which hired countless Americans every year until it ended in 1943.The attempt was to provide work instead of welfare; buildings, roads, schools, airports, bridges, stadiums, swimming pools, and sewage treatment plants were built across the United States. On top of all this, Congress created the National Youth Administration in 1935 which was set to provide much needed relief for teenagers and young adults who were unemployed. The centerpiece of the Second New Deal was the Social Security Act of 1935. This act created a system to provide unemployment insurance, old age pensions, and aid to the disabled, the elderly poor, and families with dependent children (Foner, 2008).Social Security, along with these many other actions taken by Congress during the Second New Deal showed a great deal of promise for the American people in hopes to soon rise out of the Depression. Roosevelt was the also first president to make effective use of the radio to promote his pol icies. He won a landslide victory against Alfred M. Landon in 1936 to become President for a second term in a row even though some critics believed the expansion of government functions would undermine the liberties of the people.President Roosevelt insisted to these critics that his measures to increase an economic well-being would strengthen liberty and democracy (Nelson). He reminded the American people on a radio address in 1938 that: Democracy has disappeared in several other great nations, not because the people of those nations disliked democracy, but because they had grown tired of unemployment and insecurity, of seeing their children hungry while they sat helpless in the face of government confusion and government weakness through lack of leadership†¦.Finally, in desperation, they chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting something to eat. We in America know that our democratic institutions can be preserved and made to work. But in order to preserve them we nee d†¦ to prove that the practical operation of democratic government is equal to the task of protecting the security of the people†¦. The people of America are in agreement in defending their liberties at any cost, and the first line of the defense lies in the protection of economic security. (Nelson)Toward the end of the 1930s, tension began building between Japan and the United States while the war in Europe had started, and the United States had joined Canada in a Mutual Board of Defense. At this point, the American economy was still in distress, with Roosevelt getting elected once again in 1940. FDR was the president for the third term in a row for the first and only time in U. S. history. During 1941, the United States had become more and more closely allied with those fighting Germany and Japan. FDR declared that, â€Å"America would be the great arsenal of democracy† (Foner, 2008).Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the U. S. , which halted virtually all trade b etween the countries. In retaliation, Japan involved the United States in World War II when Japanese planes bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This resulted in the destruction of 19 ships (including five battleships), about 150 planes, and the deaths of more than 2,300 soldiers, sailors, and civilians. The following day the United States declared war with Japan; three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.Less than a month later, President Roosevelt announced that the upcoming year would deliver 60,000 planes, 45,000 tanks, 20,000 antiaircraft guns and 18 million deadweight tons of merchant shipping to help fight the war (Nelson). The United States entry into WWII also brought many new jobs and opportunities for Americans, such as working in areas of mass production of weapons and manufacturing, along with joining the United States’ Army, which helped turn the economy around even though the country was at war.In the l ong run, freedom, not government, is the best cure for economic crises; the American Great Depression fostered from start to finish by our own federal government, with the help of wily bankers and financiers (Scaliger). A depression occurs when something disrupts the free market system so that resource owners and consumers cannot accurately identify and respond to change. The recovery during the Great Depression shook the faith of many people, took many changes in the role of the federal government, and in more ways than one, created the conditions that led to World War II (Smiley, 2002).In reality, there is no reason to believe that recessions will not continue to occur in the United States, just like the recession we are currently in as Americans. Luckily, we do have reason to believe that we now have the knowledge, instruments, and national will to prevent recessions from developing into deep and prolonged depressions (Chandler, 1970). The Great Depression of the 1930s was a worl dwide phenomenon composed of an infinte number of separate but related events. The Great Depression was a terrible time in America, lasting for more than ten years, and forced millions of people out of jobs, homes and life.I believe it may have been necessary to have a depression like the Great Depression at some point in history so we know what not to do if the time were unlucky enough to come; but since it did take place, we can today have more high hopes about the future. Some people question today in 2008 if this is a repeat of 1929 or 1930, but we are not even close to the terrific economic turmoil that took place back in the 1930s, and I am thankful for that. Nobody in their right mind should ever desire an event as tragic as the Great Depression to ever transpire again.Works Cited Anonymous. (n. d. ). Finance And Economics: 1929 and all that; Echoes of the Depression. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from ProQuest: http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=1566742201&sid=8&Fmt=3&clien tId=5046&RQT=309&VName=PQD Chandler, L. V. (1970). America's Greatest Depression 1929-1941. New York: Harper ; Row. Foner, E. (2008). Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W. W. Norton ; Company, Inc. Garraty, J. A. (1987). The Great Depression. New York: Anchor Books. Harold Bierman, J. (1998). The Causes of the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Westport: Greenwood Press. (Gusmorino), P. A. (n. d. ). Main Causes of the Great Depression. Retrieved October 18, 2008, from (Gusmorino) World: http://www. (Gusmorino). com/pag3/greatdepression/ Nelson, C. (n. d. ). The Depression in the United States- An Overview. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from Modern American Poetry: http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/depression/overview. htm Scaliger, C. (n. d. ). The Great Depression. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from ProQuest: http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=1504859451;sid=8;Fmt=3;clientId=5046;RQT=309;VName=PQD Smiley, G. (2002). Rethinking The Great Depression. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. Wigmore , B. A. (1985). The Crash and Its Aftermath. Westport: Greenwood Press.

Lg Rural Marketing

LG India—Approach To Rural Markets Summary From the few years, consumer electronic manufactures have started focusing on the rural markets for their growth and expansion. The major reasons include saturation of urban growth rate and increased contribution and higher growth rate in markets. Increase in disposable incomes due to good agricultural output, increase in easy financial options by banks and financial institutions, increased media penetration and electrification of rural areas are influencing the growth of marketing in rural areas.In this light situation, India’s learning consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. (LGEIL) began concentrating on rural marketing. To mark its presence and to increase sales, LGEIL designed a different marketing strategy for rural areas. It made changes in its products to suit needs of rural customers. For example, LG removed ‘golden eye’ technology in models sold in rural market. Keeping in mind ab out the rural customers, LG carried out campaigns in various regional channels like Lashkara, Alpha Punjabi, and Gujarati.LGEIL adopted a unique distribution strategy for rural markets to increase its presence and sale of its other products. The company designed a pyramidal sales structure by decentralizing its distributing network. The company fragmented the distribution network with branch offices operating from big cities and many Remote Area Officers (RAOs) working under each branch office. These RAOs were further fragmented with Regional Sales Officers (RSOs) working under the supervision of each RAO. By 2005, company had 51 branch offices and 78 RAOs.Each RAO was given charge of the territory with an independent accounts, sales, servicing and marketing team. To assist RAOs in there endeavour; the offices were computerised and connected with branches officers and the corporate office’s ERP system through Very Small Aperture Terminal (V-SAT) and an Intranet network. This enabled the RAOs to have up-to-date data on important aspects such as inventory, payment status of the dealers, etc. The RAOs overseeing the territories were given independent decision-making powers to the extent of developing their own marketing and promotional strategies in their territories.This setup helped the company in not just improving sales but also in penetration deep into the market. The distribution setup also enables the company to establish relationship whit the sub-dealers who are not been contacted by the company representatives. Better servicing of the sub-dealers helped in increasing their sales. But analysts pointed out that such a distribution strategy was not unique and had been many of its competitors. For example Samsung and Electrolux Kelvinator followed the same strategies. Questions for Discussion 1.A company needs to be careful in its approach while taking decisions regarding territory management. Discuss the territory management followed by LGEIL for its rural markets. Answer: Territory management develops and implements a strategy for directing selling activities toward customers in a sales territory aimed at maintaining the lines of communications, improving sales coverage, and minimizing wasted time. It includes the allocation of sales calls to customers and the planning, routing, and scheduling of the calls. LGEIL designed a different marketing strategy for rural areas.It made changes in its products to suit needs of rural customers. Keeping in mind about the rural customers, LG carried out campaigns in various regional channels like Lashkara, Alpha Punjabi, and Gujarati. The company designed a pyramidal sales structure by decentralizing its distributing network. The company fragmented the distribution network with branch offices operating from big cities and many Remote Area Officers (RAOs) working under each branch office. These RAOs were further fragmented with Regional Sales Officers (RSOs) working under the supervision of each RAO.Each RAO was given charge of the territory with an independent accounts, sales, servicing and marketing team. To assist RAOs in there endeavour; the offices were computerised and connected with branches officers and the corporate office’s ERP system through Very Small Aperture Terminal (V-SAT) and an Intranet network. This enabled the RAOs to have up-to-date data on important aspects such as inventory, payment status of the dealers, etc. The RAOs overseeing the territories were given independent decision-making powers to the extent of developing their own marketing and promotional strategies in their territories.This setup helped the company in not just improving sales but also in penetration deep into the market. The distribution setup also enables the company to establish relationship whit the sub-dealers who are not been contacted by the company representatives. Better servicing of the sub-dealers helped in increasing their sales. 2. LGEIL followed a new sales str uctured to market its products in the rural markets, different from the one used in urban market. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of LGEIL’s rural sales structureAnswer: Advantages: – * Better market coverage. * Effective distribution of work load. * Evaluate sales people. * Control on direct and indirect costs. * Optimum utilization of sales time. * Helps manager better control and monitor sales and evaluate programms. Disadvantages: – * Sales achieved through personal relationships * Sale of technical and sophisticated products. * Customers spread over vast geographic area. * Service expectations and product deliveries is at multiple places; so geographic division will not help.

Business Process Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Process Management - Case Study Example Out of these 90-92% of the outlets are franchised operations which are handled by independent franchises. An important aspect of operational excellence of Burger King is embedded in its customer service. The customers are not merely customers, but they are called guests and are also served the value as one would serve to their guests. The operation excellence achieved by Burger King comes from its trained team of workers at each and every restaurant. The top management boasts about serving their customers well with the best burgers, cooked on an open fire and also have a clear vision and guiding values to take its people along. Burger King is divided into different operating divisions which are headed each by independent vice presidents who report to the senior vice presidents of each franchised divisional zone. These leaders hold strong values, leadership skills and thus result in producing great results. All divisions are supported by cross functional team from all critical areas that is human resources, marketing, finance, technology, research and development etc. When the customers who step into the Burger King outlet he or she first experiences the ambience and the dcor of the place, filed with the hot smell of the burgers with fries. On the counter as the customer places the order, the order is forwarded into the kitchen, where the process begins. To analyze a simple process of how it works, we have a simple process flow represented by the diagram as under: Burger King uses conveyor belts similar to an assembly line, which are highly specialized piece of equipment. The process starts with the worker placing the raw burger patty on one end of the moving conveyor belt which proceeds under the broiler. In the broiler hamburgers are cooked from top and bottom both. And at the same time burger buns are placed which also move on to the broiler and are roasted. These are cooked for a specified time period. After the bun and the raw meat are broiled for the standard set time, both of these assemble and in the sandwich assembly add-ons are inserted which include tomatoes, condiments, cheese, sauces etc. Burgers at this stage are almost prepared and ready to be served; they are then placed in the microwave oven and then served fresh. Burger Making Process at Burger King Process Improvement at Burger King We have explained the process that is used at Burger King to make the burgers, the process is quick in terms of speed of delivery until the ordered menu is very customized, but still at Burger King it is made sure that work in process inventory is maintained and replenished in an ordered manner. This work in process inventory helps catered well and quickly to the individual customer needs and requirements as it reduces the preparing time to a relatively short interval. The strength of the burger making process at Burger King lies in its ability to make made-to-order burgers and meals, to attract individual who prefer to eat their own way and style. But the inherent weakness that arises from the assembly type production method at Burger King is its lack of flexibility. Since the raw material that is buns and patty move on the conveyor belt and get processes using the standard and set cooking time of 90 seconds, hence the size, shape and other specifications such as thickness

Snowstorm Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Snowstorm Case Study - Essay Example Every airport should have safety as the priority when conducting its operations. An important first step to doing this is by ensuring that all equipment that is to be used in snow and ice control are calibrated properly, updated, and certified as required at all time. The supervisor, mechanics, and equipment operators should inspect equipment at all times to ensure that the airport is in a position to deal with a snowstorm (Zhang, Debendra,and Rorik, 13). The supervisor needs to ensure that the required automotive fluids, parts used for replacement, and equipment are inventoried and stocked as is required as a pre-emptive move towards preventing a crisis in the event of a snowstorm. It is important to ensure that personnel notification procedures are up to date at all times. The supervisor should, therefore, review the call-out procedures for personnel preceding winter. The supervisor can do this by overseeing the updating of the cell phone numbers and other contacts of personnel involved in snow and ice control. Weather forecasting is of utmost importance to an airport because it is invaluable when it comes to scheduling of flights and the snow crew. The supervisor should, therefore, ensure that the airport contracts aviation weather services so that it is prepared in case of a snowstorm. In addition to contracted forecasting services, the airport should make use of the local weather service forecast and the runway surface condition sensor system. Forecasting information from these avenues is useful in scheduling of on-duty and off-duty snow crew personnel. The forecasting information can also be used for preparation of necessary equipment in snow and ice control procedures and the restocking of anti-icing or deicing materials. One way to ensure that snow and ice do not accumulate and cause a nuisance in the airport is by sweeping or plowing accumulations of the runway. The

A Philosophical Understanding of Researching Gangs in the NTE Essay

A Philosophical Understanding of Researching Gangs in the NTE - Essay Example As postulated by Plato, the Greek philosopher (427-347 BC), knowledge can be distinctively considered as â€Å"Justified True Belief†. The theory encompasses major queries regarding the basis of knowledge, the methodical approach of its acquisition, people’s understanding level, and how & why is it necessary to know what one perceives. There is a subtle difference epistemologically between the theory and practical (of what is gathered by experience) aspects of knowledge. (Watson, 2004) John Locke advocates the idea of Innatism, which proposes that the knowledge accumulated in an individual through experience, is actually born of that person’s pre-existing sub-conscious knowledge base. Empiricism is a theory of knowledge that lays emphasis on the role of experience, especially the experience based on constant observations by the five senses. Some empiricists think that all the knowledge is empirical while others separate mathematics and logic from the stream. (Fum erton, 2005) The German philosopher Immanuel Kant of the 18th century states, "although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience" (Taylor, 1989, p.80). From here also we get the essence of â€Å"Transcendental Absolute† as guided by the theorists of Innatism. In his works of Personal Knowledge, Michael Polanyi attempts to bring out the distinction between â€Å"knowing that† and â€Å"knowing how†. The level of consciousness is heightened through the attainments of multiple experiences and different perception levels. The epistemological approach identifies two basic types of knowledge; one is â€Å"A priori† which interprets the structure of knowledge is independent of empirical experiences and the other one â€Å"A posteriori† is justified by the experiencing through the practical way. Hume’s epistemological treatise on natural knowledge

Recruitment and Selection Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Recruitment and Selection - Literature review Example Thus, the principle guidance policy of the Recruitment and Selection process is the merit principle, requiring that the process should be done on the basis of merits, by ensuring that the candidates are selected based on their suitability for the job vacancy, without any favoritism or discrimination of the candidates based on any other factors. Under the merit principle, it is required that the selection and recruitment process should be fair, credible and in strict adherence to the policy of equal employment opportunity (Bach, 2005 p27). However, there are circumstances under which the Recruitment and Selection process may be allowed overlook the legal and ethical guidelines of recruiting a candidate, when a certain vacancy within the organization is created, targeting an already identified competent individual, thus eliminating the need to follow the whole Recruitment and Selection process (Schultz & Duane 2010 p53). Nevertheless, even under such circumstances, the principle of mer it, as well as the requirement for non-discrimination or favoritism must apply. Thus, the exemption to following the whole of the Recruitment and Selection process does not amount to an exemption to adhere to the legal and ethical requirements of the recruitment process, but only to skip some of the procedures involved, such as advertisement of the job position, where the vacancy is targeting an already available competency (Runhaar & Sanders, 2013 p236). The fundamentals of Recruitment and Selection as a Human Resource function are that; the post must be publicized, the selection and recruitment must be on the basis of merit and already predetermined criteria, and a record of all the selection and recruitment decision must be kept (Schultz & Duane, 2010 p53). Types of Recruitment and Selection The Recruitment and Selection function of Human Resource Development can take the form of either internal or external selection or recruitment. Internal Recruitment and Selection This is a fo rm of filling the job vacancies within an organization through recruiting individuals internally or within the organization (Neil, Born & Nicole, 2002 p207). There are various advantages that are associated with recruiting individuals from within the organization, the most important being the fact that such individuals have the ready knowledge of how the organization works and functions, and thus offers a reduced cost advantage, by eliminating the need for further induction and orientation to the organizational functions and operation (Bach, 2005 p12). Further the individual recruited internally will need less time for training and subsequent fitting into the post. Another advantage associated with this form of recruitment is that; the organization reduces the chances of disruption of its functions, considering that the individual recruited is already used to working with others who are within the organization (Runhaar & Sanders, 2013 p243). In addition, the internal recruitment of individuals to fill in a job position that has fallen vacant or that has been newly created serves as an incentive, to motivate the individuals within the organization to keep working hard and improving on their knowledge and competencies. Finally, internal recruitment is advantageous to an organization, since it offers additional predetermined assessment of the individual filling the open job position, in areas that are necessary for the

Using Your Manager Skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Using Your Manager Skills - Research Paper Example Most companies are using sustainability as a key component in their business strategies. Consumers have also increased their demand for companies to be attentive to their environment of operation. The price of petroleum-based packaging plastics has continued to rise leading to a decline of its competitive advantage over biodegradable packaging material. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) foresees a continued increase in the prices of the plastics in the coming year (Pekhtasheva, & Neverov, 2012). This will boost the marketability of the biodegradable material. Simply Green Products Company has capitalized this market trend and established product chain of biodegradable packing materials. Valued at $10 million, the company produces packing material for pears, apples and peaches that orchards use in the Shenandoah Valley. For its marketing, Simply Green Products has adopted the name SafePack to imply the biodegradability of the material. The eco-friendly agricultural that is e mphasized by lobby groups has contributed to the market advantage of SafePack over the non-biodegradable packing material. However, there have been recent internet campaigns that argued that SafePack is not biodegradable. The environmental group, SafePack Materials Pollute, which is behind the campaign, argues that SafePack materials cause environment pollution due to seepage into surface waters. The group campaign is done on the internet where fruit producers are discouraged from buying SafePack materials. The issues raised by the group touch on the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA). It is necessary to assess the environmental concerns raised by the environmental group against the relevant laws so that the company can devise strategies to safeguard its market. The claims made by the lobby are critical to the reputation of Simply Green Products. However, for such claims to be considered valid under the law, they

Practice to Policy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Practice to Policy Paper - Essay Example The problem that a drug addict and his/her family face is the total alienation from the mainstream of the society. Moreover, one of the family members has to keep a watchful eye upon the victim of the drug addiction and it can alter or control human behavior. It diminishes the capacity of a person to control his conduct and his/her conduct in the manner society expects from him/her. The person who is happened to be a victim of drug addiction may not be bantered about morals and values in a society. So, there is high chance to consider him/her as an antisocial being. It must be kept in mind that in the United States, the problem of drug addiction is considered as so serious that more than 11,000 specialized drug treatment facilities handle the tasks of drug related disorders. Most teenagers are attracted to the addiction of drugs either for company sake and to prove themselves that they are grown up to violate the strict laws set forward by the society, and wish to be in the hands of pleasure seeking principle. This is a disheartening sight for a dedicated social worker. The drug problem that the people of America face is transforming to a social epidemic that the crime rate of the country is increasing due to the increase in drug addiction among the people .Rudolph W. Giuliani feels that the drug problem in the US is increasing; however he does not consider it as a ‘plague’ or ‘mystical problem’ . Rather, he points out that the drug addiction problem is related to cultural factors in America : â€Å"This is a problem that we created in our culture, in our messages that we send to each other, we created this in the attitude that we have as a society ... in the 60s and in the 70s and we created it in the 80s.† (Giuliani 19 98). The alarming problem of drug addiction may create serious problems in near future. Moreover, there is a close relation between

Book Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book Analysis - Essay Example His efforts in the fight for the rights of different people gained him respect and admiration across the globe. This is the first ever written hypothetical book that highlights the plights that arose when Castro left office. The book explains the truth on the life of Che Guevara on his mission during his lifetime. Che Guevara went for an exile when his was in his revolutionary mission in Bolivia. Many thought he had passed on after he went missing during the period he was away in exile. Later he came back to the public face and fights for the good of the people as his main mission and aim. The book is a biography on the life and death of Che Guevera. Body This section highlights different thematic issues that surround this book. It is important to highlight that this themes will be explained in a vivid manner. I will also highlight different justifications for the themes and how they relate to the author and Che Guevara. Revolution Revolution is seen as the main theme. In the novel, the main theme that is clearly highlighted, and comes out clearly is Che Guevara’s fight for revolution. In the novel, the author talks much of Che Guevera in his mission as a revolutionist. He fought a guerilla type of warfare and his main target in the revolutionary mission was on the call for unity and fights against the racial discrimination on the country. In the novel, John Blackthorm has discussed the various conferences where Che was giving his speech on the call for unity in the country. Unity This book has highlighted the theme of unity. Unity is an aspect that has been stressed by the author. The author has connected this theme with Che Guevara in a better manner. Such issues have been explained in vibrant manner. Che was seen to unify different people in the fight for people’s rights. This book has noted that one of the instances where Che was calling on the unity of the people was in the international conference on the global disarmament and his message wa s that there should be unity among all the anti-colonialists and the imperialist’s movements and there should be a common cause between them and the community. Che worked closely with Castro in the role they undertook of fighting against individualism in the society. He rather encouraged unity and people to work as a whole unit in the state. In brief, it is true to note that Che Guavara has earned respect for his efforts in ensuring unity. Discrimination The book reveals clearly that Che worked for the benefit of the people and not a spy on the people. In the speeches that Che made in various conferences, He in many times wanted for free soviet help. In the partnership that Che made with Washington, this was for the strengthening of the economy of Cuba and against the Soviet Union. Che referred to the racial discrimination that led to the apartheid system in the country. In his speech, Che Guevera said, "How can countries that murder its own children and discriminates between them daily, because of the color of their skins and allows the Negroes murderers to go scot free. Actually protects them and punishes the Negroes for demanding for respect for their lawful rights as human beings, claim to be the guardian of liberty?" In the novel, the instances that remains unforgettable in my entire life. The first one is the case where the writer acknowledges the fruits

Pressure Gradients Essay Example for Free

Pressure Gradients Essay The atmosphere is composed of a mixture of gases. Air has weight which is directed towards the centre of the earth. The force (weight) of air per unit area acting on object on the earth is called the atmospheric pressure (Diane, 11). The atmospheric pressure is measured by an instrument called a barometer. On a map, regions of equal pressure are linked by lines called isobars. These lines are drawn in such a way that they never cross each other. The drawing of these lines is based on the average sea level pressure reports. It is true that majority of the weather stations are situated some heath above sea level. Therefore the pressure measured at a particular place has to be converted into sea level pressure before the isobars are drawn. This is due to the fact that pressure decreases with increase in height and the pressures on maps should be as a result of weather conditions and not due to changes in height(Integrated Publishing). According to Diane, Pressure differences occur due to differences in the heat absorbed by the land or water. When air is heated, it expands reducing its density and rises. A partial vacuum is therefore created. Cold denser air flows to take up the space left by the rising air. Basically wind flows from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure. Therefore, as the pressure changes from place to place, the speed of wind also changes. Diane defines pressure gradient as the rate of change of pressure at a particular time in a particular place. The force that pushes air from a region of high pressures to the region of low pressure is called the pressure gradient force. The force is greater when the pressure gradient is high. Eady notes that the speed of wind depends on the pressure gradient, being higher with greater pressure gradient. It could be expected that the wind will flow perpendicular to the isobars. However the pressure gradient force is somewhat circular as it depends not only on pressure gradient but also on Coriolis Effect, centrifugal force and frictional force (Eady, 142). Coriolis force is brought about as a result of the rotation of the earth. All particles at the surface of the earth rotate once every day. Since the radious is greater at the equator than towards the poles, an object rotates faster at the equator than at higher latitudes. If air moves northwards due to pressure gradient force, it maintains it horizontal motion; in accordance to Newton’s first law of motion (Ferrel, 98). The air therefore moves in a North Easterly direction. In actual sense, wind flows in a circular path (integrated Publishing). For a body to maintain a circular path, centripetal force must be provided. In accordance to Newton’s third law of motion an equal and opposites force called centrifugal force acts on the body (Eady, 139). This force tends to push winds out of their paths and it increases with speed of wind. As wind flows over objects over the earth’s surface it experiences fractional drag. This drag results to wind flowing at an angle to the isobars near the earth’s surface. At higher altitudes air flows parallel to the isobars (Joseph). Diane Fisher contends that in some cases, air cools at a particular place in the troposphere. The cooling results into contraction of air which in turn leads to increase in mass per unit volume of air. This leads to increased pressure directed downwards. This air then attempts to flow outwards towards regions of low pressure. But due to Coriolis force, the air is made to rotate clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere. This is referred to as an anticyclone. On the other hand, Diane tells us that a region of rising air of low pressure is called a cyclone. This occurs at the boundary of cold and warm air. It is caused by warm air rising and cools air descending which creates of reduced pressure. An inward pressure gradient is created and in addition to Coriolis Effect causes air to circulate in anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and Clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. The cyclone usually moves upwards and it contributes to the circulation of air in the atmosphere. Works Cited Diane Fisher. â€Å"Become a weather wizard†. In The Technology Teacher, Vol. 61, 2002:11 – 15. Eady, E. T. â€Å"The general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. † In: The Earth and Its Atmosphere, ed. D. R. Bates. New York, Basic Books, (1957):130-151. Ferrel, W. The influence of the Earths rotation upon the relative motion of bodies near its surface. Astron. J. , Vol V. No. 109, (1858):97-100. Integrated Publishing . http://www. tpub. com/content/aerographer/14312/css/14312_16. htm Joseph E Van Riper. Mans Physical World. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 1962.

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay Example for Free

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay There are many TV service providers available in the U. S; however there are only two companies that offer services via satellite. Dish operates within the monopolistic competition market. Dish has been in business since the early 1980’s and has gradually worked its way up to become one of the leading satellite provider and innovator of new technology. In 2013 they offer service to over 14 million subscribers nationwide. This market in which it competes is where all firms have some market power, which controls the market price. They produce the same product as Direct TV and no other provider is in the same market. They know all competitor prices and services in order to be able to compare services and offer the best value to potential customers. Within the market structure buyers/consumers have the ability to know the prices of both companies so that they can decide which one will be better for them. In this market customers have the ability to leave the service at any point in time. They can choose to cancel services if they are not content with the quality of the product, some may leave with no penalty while others may have to pay a penalty for the cancelation. Dish is a leader in the TV industry when it comes to equipment, programming and pricing,. They have to maintain a level of competitiveness in order to compete with other providers. Dish like any other company, is looking to maximize profit and will provide service that is appealing to the customer in order to increase customer base in turn increasing profit. Differentiating Between Market Structures In the pay TV industry, Dish has managed to out rank Direct TV in many areas such as customer service, equipment technology and pricing for programming. Dish is a company that offers promotions to all buyers/consumers in order to make the sign up more enticing. The market structure in which Dish operates would be the monopolistic competition. Within the TV industry that Dish operates there is only one other company that is included, Direct TV. These two companies offer similar products and customers can choose whom they do service with. It is ideal for Dish to compete in this market because there are only two companies within the same industry. This market structure is suitable for Dish because it provides more opportunity to maximize profit due to the competition. Dish has more availability to customers and the opportunity to be able to increase customer rate in turn increasing the profit due to the fact that there are only two service providers. It cannot be in a monopoly market because there is another company that provides the same service or product. It also does not have extremely high prices or excessive barriers to obtain services. They always provide affordable prices that will also benefit the company to increase profit. (Monopolistic Competition, 2013). Dish has many promotions that are being offered to obtain new customers and also retain the existing consumers. The company offers upfront discounts as a sign up bonus to gain the attention of those prospective consumers. It offers up to $30 credits up front on the programming for the first twelve months of service. With a qualifying promotion the customer will have the activation and the equipment fees waived saving the consumer over $200. When existing customers look for any type of promotion they will have anything from discounts for a few months up to free programming. Even if the customers receive free programming Dish will still be making a profit because of all the other programming, equipment and services they provide. A company is making profit with any service it provides because it continues to sell its service because it continues to sell its services to consumers. The strategies for Dish to obtain new customers are a good way for the company to increase profit and obtain new customer base. Even though the company is making a profit off all the services they provide there are some changes to the promotions. For example, on the promotions that are offered to new customers I would recommend that they make the qualification process a little easier. They could reduce the credit score criteria and make it less of a hassle to qualify for Dish. There are some promotions for those customers that do not qualify for the highest promotion but the fees are much higher. They must pay for the activation fee plus the equipment fees. This can get expensive depending on the equipment the customer chooses. With the qualification being so strict many potential customers will be swayed to not obtain services. With the upfront discounts there should be on extension in the time they are offered but reducing the amount being given. For some of the customers that qualify may receive a credit up to $30 other may get credits ranging from $10 to $25 for the first twelve months of service. If the company reduces the amount given to customers and extends the time allowed for the credit more customers would be content and more likely continue with Dish service. ( Dish Network L. l. c. , 2013). There are customers that leave the service due to the credits ending and seeing an increase in the statements. Some of the consumers do not take into consideration any penalty for early termination. Customers will keep looking for the best deal that they can possibly obtain. If we provide more options on the discounts Dish would be able to retain more customers in turn increasing customer base. Another recommendation that would be made to Dish would be that they make upgrade on equipment more feasible and less expensive for consumers. For those customers that want different equipment than the one that was installed. In some cases there would be a fee to upgrade the equipment the customer is deciding to obtain. The fees can range anywhere between $0 up to $300 with a twenty four month commitment. Of those customers some may find the fees excessive and will decide to keep what they have or go with a different provider. This is preventing Dish from obtaining more revenue and increasing profit. For every company the main focus is to maximize profit. They have many different options in order to do so. Dish operates in a monopolistic competition market where there are only two companies that offer similar services. In this market Dish offers many promotions for potential customers as well as existing customers. The consumers are allowed to leave services at any point during the service period. Some may leave with no penalty and other with a penalty due to breaking a commitment. Dish, even with all the discounts, manages to still increase profit because of all the other services that Dish offers. They make money off of programming, equipment, internet services, online service, and phone service and with the company blockbuster that was recently purchased by dish. With Dish and Direct TV in the same market and no other satellite competitor they are allowed to place their own market power when it comes to price. They compete with each other for all potential consumers as well as existing customers. Each company wants as much of a customer base as possible in order to increase profitability. They will go to great lengths to obtain those consumers and increase profitability.

Candide by Voltaire Analysis

Candide by Voltaire Analysis According, to Candide by Voltaire, he describes the transformation of the protagonist Candide, throughout the story. Voltaire utilized satire, characterization, and techniques of exaggeration and contrast to represent Candides point of view in life. Basically the protagonist endures the human suffering to get his final destiny. Moreover Voltaire demonstrates the character development over the course starting with an innocent personality as a child who does not have responsibility to know into a great man. In the text the language shows Candides progress towards maturity. In the beginning of the novel the reader finds compact, colorful and crisp sentences as Candide, the hero rushes through life. Later Voltaire adopts a calm and reflective style analogous to Candides mental development. Also, the author disproves the overly optimistic philosophy that Candide and Pangloss represent. While the experiences of Candide and Pangloss conflict dramatically with this philosophy, both choose to maintain their beliefs in this regard. Candide to get his change goes through many adventures and gradually matures into an experienced and practical man. Some of his adventures were sad and some not. He was expulsed from the palace for his love to Cunegonde, but it help him to faces the cruelty of life with the philosophical view that all things in life are necessary for some greater good. Candide is a simple person who has not had much real life experience. He is banished from his home and unexpectedly introduced to the reality of the outside world. Throughout his travels he develops a new philosophy of life. His eyes open to reality, He sees that everything does not happen for the best as the philosophers and metaphysician Pangloss had told him in the Barons castle. In Europe as well as in America, he encounters misery. He meets a number of people from various walks of life. He comes across many philosophers ranging from extreme optimism of Pangloss to the pessimism of Martin. He experiences the love with Ms Cunegonde but it was not accept for their different social classes. One of some changes of Candide was his philosophy really optimistic mind everything is for the best.It was a phrase of his teacher Pangloss He taught that everything was for the best and Candide, having never heard any other philosophies, agrees blindly. While at sea, Candide sees a man who saved his life by nursing him back to health thrown overboard. Candide is ready to jump into the raging waters after his benefactor, but Pangloss stops him. He demonstrates that the Bay of Lisbon had been made for the Anabaptist to be drowned,(p.386) . This begins to clash with Candides ideologies: if this is the best of all worlds, how was this man who was so kind and generous thrown to his death and Candide not to save him? Candide begins to doubt in this philosophy. Candide eventually learns how to achieve happiness in the face of misadventure. He learns that in order to attain a state of contentment, one must be part of society where there is collective effort and work. Candide spends a great deal of time traveling the world and learning of many different idealogies in metaphysics. Finally, he decides to settle down and live by farming his own garden-this symbolizes his surrender to simple self-preservation. After a long and difficult struggle in which Candide is forced to overcome misfortune to find happiness, he concludes that everything is not as good as it seems the way Dr. Pangloss, his tutor had taught him. During his adventures he realize that things not always happen for the best, he understand that it just happen in his innocent mind. However, Candide always keep in his heart goodness amd love. Also, he knows that at the end, he is going to find the best for his life.We are destined , in the end , for another universe, no doubt that is the one where everything is well.(p.391).Also, Candide begins to experience human suffering in many different ways as love, loneliness and disasters. He understands that no matter who are you, always going to experiment the both sides happiness and sadness because is part of human life, Its true, and you see how people make mistakes who have not received a measure of education(p.402).Make mistakes is of humans and those mistakes make the experience, that later help us to take decisions. Furthermore, others important characters that contribute for Candides change are The Old Woman and Martin. Both of them help Candide to get more knowledge in outside world and contrast the Pangloss philosophy. The old woman, she was a suffered woman that had to survive of many obstacles. My last post was as servant to the Jew don Issachar; he attached me to your service, my lovely one; and I attached myself to your destiny, till I have become more concerned with your fate than with my own.(p.396).In the other hand Martin is a very pessimist man who had been experienced bad situations; he was really offended with life. It was another event that makes Candide changes his philosophy. In his amazing journey he finds that every event in the world has a reason, and whether there are positive or negative moments you have to live them. There is no effect without a cause, all events are linked by the chain of necessity and arranged for the best. I had to be driven away from Miss Cunegonde, I had to run the gauntlet, I have to beg my bread until I can earn it; none of this could have happened otherwise(P.381). However, by the end of the story the protagonist realized that to achieve happiness a lot of work, compromises, and sacrifices are necessary. Though life does not become any easier, at this point Candide begins to grow from a naive young person into a grown realist. Candide realizes he must take responsibility for his life. He must accept situations and try to change obstacles that may be hindrances. Candide learns that labor will eliminate the three curses of mankind: want, boredom, and vice. Candide realizes he must build his own life, however simple it may be. Voltaire says through Candides ultimate discovery that happiness in many ways depends on a persons attitude. When meeting a man that is happy with a simple garden to tend and a family to love, Candide realizes life does not have to be full of wealth in order to be happy. At the end he realizes that everything in life is not evil, especially when a person strives to make changes and not simply accept what comes their way. Voltaires philosophy expressed through Candides final realization is that We must cultivate our garden,(p.4380, which is the key to happiness. By cultivating our garden, Voltaire means that we must make the best of our situation in the present moment. We accept what we are given in life and work to make the best of it. It all has to do with our perspective on life. Candide finally realizes that he must try to make his own happiness even while battling hardships. Candides happiness is finally realized when he too becomes a man of simple means with a garden to tend and a loved one at his side.

Dubliners :: essays research papers

Dubliners is considered a champion among books written in the English language. James Joyce's characterization of not only the people in the stories, but of Dublin itself, demonstrates his great ability as an author. Dubliners is not a book with a normal story line, a plot, and a definite climax and resolution. Instead, it is more of a setting, an atmosphere, an "epiphany" as Joyce called it. To understand the book, it is recommendable to focus on Irish history, and more specifically, Charles Stewart Parnell. He is a figure alluded to in this and other books by Joyce. He has been referred to as the "uncrowned king of Ireland."The series of short stories included in Dubliners depict a broken morale in and around the city of Dublin. The early 1900's marked a time of disheartened spirits not only in Dublin but all of Ireland. England still clutched Ireland under it's own control.. The citizens were bitter and dismayed.It wasn't until 1922 that Ireland freed itself from England. Up until that time, Ireland was occupied and ruled from Britain. The occupation had begun hundreds of years before, but from the end of the 18th century, a distinct Irish nationalism began to evolve. From 1801 onwards, Ireland had no Parliament of it's own. It was ruled by the Parliament in Britain which consisted of the House of Commons and House of Lords.Meanwhile, in the 1840's, a small group formed out of the Young Ireland movement. The leader, Thomas Davis, expressed a concept of nationality embracing all who lived in Ireland regardless of creed or origin. A small insurrection in 1848 failed, but their ideas influenced the coming generations. This small nationalism was illustrated in the stories "Evelyn" and "A Painful Case." In the latter, Mr. James Duffy, despite his dislike of the "modern an pretentious" Dublin, decides to stay at least in the suburbs and commute back and forth to his house. Also in the story of "Eveline", we see her refusing to leave with her fiancà © because of her ties to her home and her city. She couldn't leave; she couldn't abandon it. The small or perhaps hidden pride in the city of Dublin displayed itself in subtle methods throughout the book. After the potato famine in Ireland, a group was founded in 1858 known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Also known as the Fenians, they formed a secret society which rejected constitutional attempts to gain independence.

International Institutions and Nuclear Proliferation: The Dependence on

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that took effect in 1968 was the landmark of international cooperation during the Cold War. As of 2015, there are 190 nations as parties to the treaty with four abstentions and one withdrawal. While the cooperative importance of this treaty cannot be understated, it is not the only International Institution that has a prominent place in the non-proliferation, disarmament and nuclear safety realm. The question isn’t whether these institutions are necessary in the international community, but how effective these Non-Governmental Organizations and institutions are in an international community dominated by sovereign nations. These institutions may have member states or they may be a transnational cooperative based on private/public funding and have obtained authority by its actions and/or the support of sovereign states. In order to argue the merits of this diverse range of NGOs and international institutio ns in nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and safety, I will look at the NPT and briefly at its custodial body, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium and finally the IAEA, or the International Atomic Energy Agency. In order to judge the effectiveness of these organizations, I will analyze their mandate, their operational flexibility and their authority in certain cases, such as the ongoing Syrian Crisis, the nuclear situation in Iran, and finally recent pressures in the Middle East with regards to the NPT, namely the relationship between Israel and nearby Arab states. The NPT has been the called the most binding non-proliferation agreement in existence and has influenced all national and interna... ...-547. â€Å"About ISIS,† Institute for Science and International Security, accessed November 5, 2013, http://isis-online.org/about/. Patrick Migliorini et al., â€Å"Iranian Breakout Estimates, Updated September 2013,† Institute for Science and International Security, October 24, 2013, accessed November 5, 2013, http://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/Breakout_Study_Summary_24October2013.pdf: 1. Richard Engel and Robert Windrem, â€Å"Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, US officials tell NBC News,† NBC News, accessed November 4, 2013, http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/09/10354553-israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-irans-nuclear-scientists-us-officials-tell-nbc-news. Ian Johnstone, â€Å"US-UN Relations after Iraq: The End of the World (Order) As We Know It?† European Journal of International Law, 15(4) (2004): 814.

Juliet’s Transformation in Romeo and Juliet Essay -- Free Romeo and Ju

From â€Å"the fatal loins† (Prologue.5) of Lord and Lady Capulet, protagonist Juliet is born in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Early on in the play Juliet is portrayed as a very dutiful daughter to her family. After her encounter with Romeo however, she begins a rapid transformation from a naive young girl into a woman. By the end of the play Juliet’s transformation evolves her from a dutiful daughter, into a faithful wife that is willing to desert her family in the name of love. The audience is first introduced to Juliet in the exposition of the play. Juliet attracts the attention the Count Paris and her father (Lord Capulet) wisely says that Juliet â€Å"is yet a stranger in the world† (Act I.2.8) and should be allowed â€Å"two more summers† (Act I.2.10) to grow until she is ready for marriage. This implies that Juliet is young and has not yet matured to level where she is eligible to be married. Lord Capulet’s love for his daughter leads him to protect her from the prospective marriage until she is â€Å"ripe to be a bride† (Act I.2.11). The audience’s first impression of Juliet however, is through her interaction with her mother (Lady Capulet) and the Nurse. From the Nurse’s remarks, the audience learns that Juliet is thirteen and â€Å"Come Lammas-eve at night shall [Juliet turn] fourteen† (Act I.3.18-9). As Juliet enters the presence of her mother and the Nurse, Shakespeare portrays Juliet as a very faithful daughter. When summoned by the Nurse, Juliet comes promptly then responds politely to her mother â€Å"Madam, I am here, what is your will?† (Act I.3.7). When Juliet refers to her mother as ‘madam† (Act I.3.7), the audience also gets the impression of Juliet being compliant to her elder’s wishes. This can be observed when her mothe... ... Juliet bringing news for Juliet to â€Å"hie you hence to Frair Laurences’ cell; there stays a husband [Romeo] to make you a wife† (Act II.5.73-74), Juliet is ecstatic. This portrays Juliet as being disobedient because while she accepted Romeo’s proposal, her family has already arranged a marriage between Juliet and Paris. Juliet’s disobedience continues until her death in scene five when Romeo’s dagger finds â€Å"thy sheath† (Act V.3.170) in Juliet’s body. The significance of Juliet’s change in character is to show her accelerated transformation from a young girl into a mature woman. In the beginning of the play Juliet is unable to make her own decisions. However after her meeting with Romeo, Juliet becomes more assertive and defends her love for Romeo. In conclusion, individuals cannot be forced to love; love is nurtured and nourished but also is always put to test.

Sultry Days by Shobha de

SULTRY DAYS : A Tale of Struggle and Freedom Sultry Days is the fifth novel written by Shobha De published in the year 1994. With Sultry Days Shobha De has explored a different approach in her characters which had not been seen in her previous novels. Shobha writes in the front page of this novel; ‘For my children†¦ finally a book by me that they can read. ‘ L. Sonia Ningthoujam writes; ‘Sultry Days, takes us into the world of power, sex and guns, the shady side of Mumbai upper class society. [1] In this novel Shobha has realistically presented the lives of youth, their aspirations their attitudes, she mentions in her autobiography; ‘ The novel is littered with types from that mixed-up decade-the self-styled bohemians out to change the world but not their smelly underwear; the dirty old men of Mumbai, all gas and small turds; the corporate ladies with their ‘good life' hangs-ups; the intellectuals, pariahs and parasites who feed off the rich while s pitting on their ‘capitalist values'. It was a fun book to do.And for those of us who grew up in that era in Mumbai, there were a lot of familiar echoes and reference points that provided loads of amusement during the recounting. I consider ‘God' one of my better-etched characters†¦ I can only regret he wasn't for real. ‘ [2] Shobha De dazzles the reader with her frank and candid tales of the lives of males and females who are trying to carve a successful career in the field of literature and journalism in the city of Mumbai. Because of her own journalistic stint in Mumbai Shobha's Sultry Days emerges as a very realistic novel.Shobha says, ‘I rather liked doing this book with its simple tale of doomed love, simply because it took me back to my college days and to the edges of the pseudo-arty intellectual world I flirted with briefly before beating a hasty retreat. ‘ [3] The protagonist in this novel is also a female like other novels of Shobha De, but unlike her other novels Sultry Days also revolves around a male character. Nisha, the protagonist of the novel is a strong headed and career oriented female although the novel also deals very realistically with a male character who also becomes the central character as the novel unfolds.God or Deb is the central male character and Nisha is the narrator. It is through Deb that Nisha discovers herself. Nisha is a young college student who is sharp and focused towards studies, she comes from an upper middle class family. Nisha's parents do not have a very loving relationship. She always feels tense that father has no time for her mother and neglects his daughter. Nisha is a shy girl and she always hated the frown birthmark on her forehead which made her look tensed all the time. ‘ Was it my expression? Did I look troubled? In pain? Depressed? Maybe it was that birthmark of mine.It had to be that. I was born with worry lines between my brows. ‘ [4]——  page 2 Nisha thought that she may appear to Deb as a, ‘A prissy little good girl who carried far too may books around. Pretty enough, I suppose. But not special. ‘ [5]— page 2 From the beginning we become aware of Nisha's attraction for Deb who is also referred to as God by most of his college friends. Deb is the son of a communist and is also a communist himself, he often gets arrested while taking out Morchas. Nisha gets attracted to Deb because of his unusual personality.His appearance is shabby, wears days' old stubble, always scratches his ‘matted locks which were full of lice-nests,' smokes ‘beedies,' is a man of loose morals, ‘has had several girls by the time he reached college'. His attitude towards girls is also to – ‘use them and leave them. ‘ ‘ I learnt very quickly that I had to bury whatever little ego and pride I had if I wished to hang around God. His attitude towards girls was simple-use them and leave them†¦ As for me, I was plain moonstruck. And for once in my life I wasn't going to lose out by default. ‘ [6]— page 5Despite his shabby appearance, ‘God's hands and fingernails were surprisingly, neat and clean. ‘ He knows many languages such as German, French and Spanish. He had already read Chaucer and Karl Marx before leaving school. Deb fails to tolerate exploitation and hence revolts against injustice, tyranny and frivolities. In the beginning of the novel Deb asserts the importance of decent means and told Nisha that he was not interested in money as it is only ‘means to an end. ‘ Nisha is very impressed with his manners. Nisha is truly in love with Deb and tries hard to work their relationship.Deb however, is not very emotionally attached to Nisha or at least he pretends so. He mainly lives off Nisha's money. Nisha tells; ‘I loved buying things for God. It gave me a sense of belonging. Gifts were a bond-perhaps the only one. Gi fts-which he took entirely for granted. ‘ [7]— page 13 Nisha's parents disapproved of God as they felt that God is using their daughter for his own profit. But Nisha is totally smitten by Deb and tells them, ‘I'd like Deb to ruin my life. I want him to ruin it. I don't care if he wrecks it. I love him. [8]——– page 14 Nisha is very possessive about her mother and when Deb passes some nasty comments on her mother, Nisha screams at him in a fit of anger, ‘Oh, shut up! How dare you? ‘ I screamed, ‘You and your filthy mind. What would you know about the needs of ladies-you who have no background, no class, you filthy bastard. ‘ [9]– page 17 Nisha's father is a typical hypocrite husband. At home he had set rules for his wife and daughter to follow. He expected his wife to be dolled up in office parties according to his tastes. His wife had no choice.Nisha tells, ‘ My father's ideas of a well-dressed wife were pre tty fixed-she had to be draped in pastel-coloured chiffon worn with a sleeveless blouse†¦ Make-up, especially lipstick, was of vital importance since he firmly believed it was a sign of sophistication and no stylish woman should ever be seen without it. ‘ [10]— page 19 He expected his wife to look after the house and accompany him for occasional parties. She was never encouraged to do something worthwhile outside home. When Nisha's mother told her friends that she had no time for her personal interests her friend tells her; ‘That is your problem.But if I were in your place, I would just tell him that if he'd wanted to marry an ayah, he shouldn't have married you. We bring a lot of status to our husband and they should realize it. ‘ [11]—-page 24 Nisha's father did not approve of women going out of home for work. When Nisha's mother got an offer for work from her friend Pratimaben her husband denied it straightaway by saying; ‘In our company wives do not work†¦. They stay at home and organize dinner parties' [12]— page 147 For a large number of years after their marriage Nisha's mother use to give up without a fight with her husband.But when the artificial behavior of her husband started taking toll on her senses she told her husband in a fit of anger; ‘I have had enough of your bullying and hypocrisy. I have kept quiet for far too long. Go to hell with your corporate nonsense†¦. Why should you I? Why should I bother about you either? You can also go to hell with your pompous talk and empty boasts. I am sick, do you hear, sick of living this false life†¦ Well-it's my turn now. And you can listen to me for a change. I will go along with Pratimaben with anything I choose to do. She is my friend.She encourages me. She appreciates me†¦ Whether you like it or not, henceforth I will make the decisions about my life. And the first thing is that I'm taking a job. ‘ [13]——â⠂¬â€œ page 148 Shobha De satirizes the hypocritical couples who have extramarital relations and yet pretend to be faithful to each other. Deb broke the news to Nisha that her father is having an affair with a Sindhi woman. Even Nisha's mother confirms that her father has broken all ties with her. Inspite of their differences Nisha's parents throw an anniversary party for their friends.Nisha was tensed seeing all this and admits; ‘As for me, I was drwn into my mother's sad world, full of self-pity and doubt. I didn't know what to make of the bomb she ad dropped. My father continued to be ‘normal' and pretended nothing had happened. ‘ [14]——page 62 In this novel Shobha De throws light on the hollow life of film and modeling world. Deb gets no pocket money from his father, he does free lance reporting as well as proof-reading. After college Nisha joined an ad agency and she became a little busy in her life. Whenever she had time she met God and enjoyed h is company.As God became conscious of his creative powers, he started writing poems. Nisha felt delighted seeing God moving in the league of contemporary poets. God is also very proud of his poetic sensibilities. God started attending workshops in which amateur poets gathered and showcased their work. Shobha De gives a very realistic picture of this strata of upcoming talent. She refers to such workshops as; ‘The sessions were conducted I dingy halls where the organizers didn't have to pay any rent. Everybody sat around on uncomfortable folding chairs or on the floor†¦Others who were present regularly were a fairly motley lot of struggling writers, a Grande Dame of Verse, frustrated copy-writers and self-styled critics. ‘[15] – page 26 Nisha never felt at ease in the meetings of Anglo Indian Poets Association. There were some aspiring women members also in the group. Women like Chandni, Sujata, Pramila etc wanted to get name and fame in the field of journalis m. These women wanted to get away from the clutches of domesticity and wanted to breathe in the fresh air. One such character is that of Sujata. Sujata was also a member of God's poetry recitation group.She represents modern women who fulfills all her homely duties and also doesn't forget her own interests. Shobha writes; ‘All of them-her timid husband and four daughters, doted on her. However, she had made it plain that she had gone beyond them and that she'd stopped playing wife and mother long ago. ‘ After fulfilling her duties as a wife and mother, Sujata decided to live her life on her own terms. She told her family ; ‘ My duties are over. They are on their own now,' she would explain. ‘I have played the roles I was expected to at the appropriate times. Now†¦I'm on my own. And they are on their own. This is my life. I want to live it my way. ‘ [16]—- Page 31 God appreciated Sujata's behaviour, he tells Nisha; ‘What's wrong with h er behaviour? She is beautiful, man, just beautiful. She follows her instincts. She makes her own rules. She's not a coward. She cares two hoots for the so-called â€Å"society†. I admire her guts, yaar. ‘ [17]—page 31 Ultimately, God joined Plume magazine as sub-editor and felt delighted. The basic aim of Plume was to encourage young poets.Shobha de has very realistically portrayed women's protest against the prevalent system which limits the scope of a woman's life to mere day to day household chores. In this novel women like Sujata and Pratimaben do not accept their traditional roles in marriage. They detest being limited to the domestic chores. Extremely conscious of their changed role in family, they proclaim loudly, ‘We are not only housekeepers after all, ‘We are not mere housekeepers, after all. ‘ [18]—page 24 Some women are career conscious to the extent that they do not think in terms of a settled family.Manju, Vimla are the pro fessionals in marketing field and are career oriented females. They represent the ‘new age' females writes Shobha De; ‘ These were the no-nonsense women who had ‘take me seriously' written all over them†¦.. They took their jobs with an earnestness that was almost terrifying in its intensity. Even the married ones insisted on being addressed as ‘Ms' or stuck to their maiden names. Their male colleagues were not permitted to crack jokes or flirt lightly. ‘ She writes further, â€Å"Workaholism for women had become very fashionable. If men can pursue careers ruthlessly, so can we, women declared at seminars and workshops for senior managers†¦.. ‘ Postpone babies or ask your husband to share house work. ‘† [19]———–page 119 These characters in Sultry Days have an altogether different outlook towards family and social life. In this context, De's feminist concerns in her fiction come close to the ideas e xpressed by Veena Noble Dass, ‘Literature should show women in activities that are not traditionally ‘feminine' to speed the dissolution of rigid sex roles.It is not enough, however to simply place a female character in a new occupation, with no corresponding change in her personality and behaviour. ‘ [20] The modern woman aspire to exercise power and control the situation. Feroze and Kiki also fall in the category of the New Woman of the new era. Regarding Feroze Shobha De remarks; ‘Feroze was on her own in more ways than one. Enterprising manipulative and full of strange kind of charm, she got around to places most people only dreamt of†¦Feroze became a familiar and popular figure in filmdom in an incredibly short period†¦ She drove her own car-she smoked foreign cigarettes. She traveled by planes. ‘ [21]——page 150 Nisha met Anil Bhandari, a young marketing guy who'd just set up a hot-shop of his own after coming back from a l ong stint in America with one of the best marketing agencies. Anil was in his early thirties and mockingly referred to himself as a ‘first generation yuppie'. [22] —page 76 He was a fine example of a modern educated young man with refined international tastes.He smelt of Aramisor Drakkar and used Studio Line gel in his hair, wore Warren Beatty glasses. Soon Anil was going around with a supermodel model Shona. Shona and Anil perfectly complemented each other. Once they were engaged Anil emerged as a typical male from a hypocrite society. He told Nisha; ‘ In fact, I'm going to ask Shona to give up modelling once we're married. She won't need the money anyway. ‘ Nisha asked him; ‘Maybe there's more than money in it for her. Maybe she loves her career. She is right at the top now. Have you discussed it with her? ‘ ‘Not yet. I'm sure she'll agree. She's such an innocent docile girl. ‘ Anil said. What will she do with her time? ‘ Nish a asked him. Anil replied and asked Nisha; ‘What does any housewife do? There's so much to do around the house. ‘ [23] — page 109 As the novel progresses we see visible change in God's attitude. From a small time poem writer and proofreader Deb starts working for an art magazine Plume. Having tasted power and money during his association with Plume, God's sole interest is to acquire money and power. Although Nisha does not approve of God's new way of life. She explains her utter repulsiveness to God's new style of living which had begun sowing the seeds of discord and estrangement between them.She says; ‘No I didn't like what was happening to God at all. We were beginning to see less and less of each other now that he didn't need to touch me for cash that often†¦ God was behaving like a mortal, like all the other journalists in the town, a bum who shamelessly sold his pieces for a fews pegs of scotch and a five-star evening' [24] – page 100 Nisha always looked for a loyal partner in Deb which Deb ceased to be, not because of his alliance with other women but because of their varied interests. Deb and Nisha's relationship turned cold after the former starts caring less and less for his self-respect.He turned out to be a typical man from a male dominated society. Deb has moved to his own place and required somebody to cook for him and look after his house. Nisha suggested him to get a maid. Deb very casually told her; ‘These maids-shaids are a hassle, yaar. I need my own woman. If you want, I don't mind a shaadi-waadi-I know that will make you feel better. Theek hai-we can be burgeois and go through with that marriage rubbish. You can cook, can't you?†¦ Can you fry puris without burning your fingers? Can you make rice that isn't sticky?†¦ Better to get all this straight from the start, hai na?No lafda later on†¦ Give me my daal-roti, a warm bed, twice-a-week maalish and a daily screw. That's all I expect. ‘ Nisha was too stunned to respond to what she heard; ‘One part of me was laughing. The other, feeling sorry for this man. He was obviously deranged-or the world's biggest egotist. He actually expected me to jump at this offer. He looked so comic. So vulnerable, standing in the lobby, trying to look nonchalant and heroic. ‘ [25]—- page 160 God's sole interest in life was reduced to acquire money and power. Contrary to his attitude Nisha wants everything in life through sheer labor.Nisha had never expected this change in God and she failed to convince him as to he did not need to work for a political broker, he needed to trust the power of his pen, but all her efforts went in vain. As ill luck would have it, Deb became proud of his power and joins Yashwantbhai, a don. God's new life style began to sow seeds of discord and estrangement between them. Nisha realizes that God was no longer the same person she had fallen in love with. Nisha tried her best to refr ain Deb from associating with a criminal like Yashwantbhai but Deb had gone too far to come back.Nisha started exposing Yashwantbhai and his underworld connections in her write-ups. Nisha's bold action is supported by her mother and also by a social activist Pratimaben who unravels and brings to public notice Yashwantbahi's atrocities on his former mistress, Pramila. Pramila is a fine example of a new age woman. Pramila is a Nagpur woman, her husband is in a well paid job, they have three children. Pramila is a talented poetry writer and to pursue her career in writing she leaves her family and moves to Mumbai. She shots to fame as soon as her poems are published in English.She administers a shock to her husband when she divorces him and leaves the house along with her two daughters. She eventually meets Yashwantbhai and becomes her mistress. She becomes avictim of his lust. She becomes pregnant with his child, Yashwantbhai forces her to get a sex check done for the unborn baby as h e did not want a girl child. Knowing that the child is a girl Yashwantbhai abuses her and then it is God who helps her in going underground. Nisha, her mother, Pratimaben with Pramila's help expose Yashwant bhai.Ultimately, Deb has to pay for his association with Yashwant bhai, he is shot by Yashwantbhai's goons and God collapses after struggling for a couple of days in hospital. When Dev is shot and admitted in the hospital, Nisha analyzes the life of ignorant and uneducated women of Bombay who never think of higher issues of life such as- What are the fundamental rights of a citizen? What is the interpretation of women liberation movement? What is secularism? Will women be free from the drudgery of the kitchen? What is the meaning of democratic socialism? Is socialism going to help women in any way?What is the importance of L. I. C in the life of a family? Nisha thinks very realistically that these ignorant and simple-hearted women are not shot dead as they don't raise their voice against the underworld Dons. No threats are given to them as they don't interfere with the working of politicians. But the women in Shobha De's novels are strong and confident. These women know what they want from life and how to achieve it. Nisha's mother followed her husband's instructions through out her life but finally she raised her voice against his hypocrite nature and emerged a winner.Women in Sultry Days assert their free and autonomous existence, they struggle and fight against the established social order that threatens their existence. Bhaskar A Shukla observes; ‘It may be partly on account of her experience as a journalist that she is able to tell things interestingly and with a courage of conviction in a language uniquely her own. ‘ [26] Women in Sultry Days represent a modern, self-sufficient and financial independent woman. These women do not expect their male partners to provide them financial security.In fact, it is Nisha grants monetary favors to her boyfriend Deb for a long time. Sujata, Pramila, Pratimaben are women who do not wish to be enclosed in their homes, they wish to be free from the clutches of male dominated society. They show the courage to leave their houses and pursue their dreams and make a mark of their own. Binod Mishra remarks; ‘In De's novels women's desperate struggle for existence unfolds in their unconventional behaviour, their sexual escapades and their dream for a life free from male domination. ‘ [27] BIBLIOGRAPHY Sonia Ningthoujam, Image of the New Woman in the Novels of Shobha De. 2Shobha De, Selective Memory:Stories From My Life, page 336 3Shobha De, Selective Memory:Stories From My Life, page 336 4Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 2 5Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 2 6Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 5 7Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 13 8Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 14 9Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 17 10Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 19 11Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 24 12Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 1 47 13Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 148 14Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 62 5Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 26 16Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 31 17Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 31 18Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 24 19Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 119 20Veena Noble Dass, ed. , â€Å"Feminism and Literature†, Feminism and Literature (Delhi : Prestige Books, 1995), page 10 21 Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 150 22 Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 76 23 Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 109 24 Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 100 25 Shobha De, Sultry Days, page 160 26Bhaskar A Shukla, Shobha de : The Writer and Feminism, page 114 27 Binod Mishra, Critical Responses to Feminism

Ethical Issues in Human Cloning Essay

In the modern society, cloning has been described as the man-made, genetic duplicate of another living form (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2005). Cloning of mammals has been a far-fetched idea to some scientists for a very long time. However, in 1997, Dr. Ian Wilmut, along with his team, successfully cloned a lamb from a mature ewe (Kass & Wilson, 1998). This announcement has caused a lot of positive and negative responses from medical and non-medical communities. Protests from religious groups, bioethicists, humanitarians, and the general public led former President Clinton, the United States president of that time, to form the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) (Campbell, 1997). This committee then published a report and concluded that human cloning was morally unacceptable. It was then that government funds have been forbidden to be provided for human cloning research, making it illegal (Kass & Wilson, 1998). Critics of human cloning dispute that human cloning provides a number of medical risks that may harm the clone and the progenitor (Huang, 2001). Ninety percent of failure rate and high mortality rates in animal cloning have been reported. Dolly, the first lamb clone, was euthanized for developing old-age diseases despite her young age (Kass & Wilson, 1998). To create one successful clone, a huge number of unsuccessful embryos also have to be sacrificed. This concept has resulted in outrage among the critics of cloning for killing innocent clones for the benefit of one (Kuppuswamy, Macer, Serbulea, & Tobin, 2007). Apart from the medical risks of cloning, human reproductive cloning may also weaken the concept of kin and human reproduction (Kass & Wilson, 1998). A successfully cloned child would also have to face psychological problems such as personal identity and individuality. Designer babies and human enhancements will also be provided by reproductive cloning. Babies with perfect features and desirable characteristics will be available to high class societies because of the high-priced value of making them. Low class societies, on the other hand, will not be able to afford these babies, thereby creating a new form of discrimination that would further increase the gap between the rich and poor (Piercy, 1999). With human enhancements available, diseased and disabled people could be categorized as the â€Å"undesirables. † This implies that the lives of such persons are not worth living (Quick, n. d. ). In the society today, life is promoted and extended as much as possible. Discrimination is frowned upon and despised by all. Such ethical issues and many more are still being argued because of human reproductive cloning. Until these ethical issues are resolved, human cloning will still be morally unacceptable in the society. References Campbell, C. (1997). Cloning human beings: Religious perspective on human cloning. Retrieved from http://bioethics. georgetown. edu/nbac/pubs/cloning2/cc4. pdf. Huang, N. (2001). The ethics of human genetic cloning. MURJ, 4, 69–75. Retrieved from http://web. mit. edu/murj/www/v04/v04-Features/v04-f6. pdf. Kass, L. , & Wilson, J. (1998). The ethics of human cloning. Washington, CD: AEI Press. Kuppuswamy, C. , Macer, D. , Serbulea, M. , & Tobin, B. (2007). Is human reproductive cloning inevitable: Future options for UN governance. Yokohama, Japan: United Nations University – Institute of Advanced Studies. Retrieved from http://www. ias. unu. edu/resource_centre/Cloning_9. 20B. pdf. Piercy, E. (1999, December). Human cloning scientific, ethical and regulatory considerations relevant to cloning of human beings. Retrieved from http://www. aph. gov. au/house/committee/laca/humancloning/sub240. pdf. Quick, S. (n. d. ). Stem cell research and cloning—Science and ethics (Rev. ed). Retrieved May 27, 2010, from www. ethicalhealthcare. org/articles/quick_scr_cloning_ethics. pdf.