New Jersey corrections officer

Paul Leaders has been a New Jersey Department of Corrections Officer (NJDCO) for over ten years.   As a NJDCO, Paul’s role and responsibility is to â€Å"ensure the custody, safety and care of criminal offenders confined in state correctional facilities† (www.state.nj.us/corrections).  Ã‚   It is his duty to â€Å"ensure the safety and welfare of the staff and inmate population, assist in the rehabilitative efforts for those incarcerated individuals returning to the community and promote public support for the operation and objectives of the Department of Corrections† (www.state.nj.us/corrections). At the age of 25, Paul began his career with the Department of Corrections.   Before he became a full-fledge corrections office, he had to go through a screening process.   The pre-employment screening is a four phase process that includes filling out an application, taking a video test, completing a computer background assessment, a general and intensive background check, a drug test, a written psych exam, a medical exam and a psych interview.   If an interviewee gets through the screening successfully, next comes a 14 week training course at the academy and then an on the job test period (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   The pre-employment screening is vigorous to discourage those who are not serious about making the Department of Corrections their career of choice. Once Paul successfully completed his screening, his on the job test period began in a youth facility.   His eyes were opened to the harsh realities of his position when he was attacked by a 15 year-old inmate. Although, he was not seriously hurt, his perspective changed. Paul realized that to do his job to the best of his ability and to protect himself and his co-workers, he had to treat all inmates as dangerous, no matter what their age.   Throughout the years, the dangers associated with his career choice were clearly seen.   NJDOC’s are often put in a variety of sticky situations. The ratio of officers to inmates is 1 to 3 (www.njpp.org/rpt_moneyfornothing).   Since they are out-numbered, a NJDOC’s goal is to stop potentially harmful situations before they happen.   Paul learned many valuable techniques in his psychology classes during his 14-week training process. (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   It is so much easier to prevent situations from happening than to try to de-escalate a situation once it has started. Paul has found the most challenging aspect of being a NJDCO is the personal standard necessary.   An NJDCO must have a higher set of standards when the bars clang shut.   A daily part of the job includes being taunted, called out of your name, and possibly attacked.   Through all this, a NJDCO cannot retaliate.   It is not the correction officer’s place to get angry or respond in kind.   They must turn away when an inmate is purposely trying to rile them.   If an officer hurts an inmate or is caught abusing their authority, they will be fired.   The duty of a NJDCO is to uphold the laws of the penal code and treat inmates with respect. NJDCOs’ spend time at lease forty hours a week with inmates.   Officers get to know the inmates extremely well and see facets of the human psyche many people are unaware of.   â€Å"40% of NJDOC offenders were convicted of a violent offense such as homicide, sexual assault, aggravated or simple assault, robbery, kidnapping and other personal offenses (terrorist threats, coercion, larceny from a person, death by auto and negligent manslaughter)† (www.state.nj.us/corrections). Dealing with inmates intimately is no walk in the park.   Officer relationships with inmates have gone from one extreme to another.   Some officers have been charged with bringing inmates contraband and others have been charged with assault on an inmate.   The key to survival is finding the balance – living in the middle is an NJDCO officer’s way. The department of corrections has a code of ethics that must be adhered to if an officer is to last on the job.   It is necessary to hold in confidence all information gained on the job, no gifts or services can be accepted from inmates or family members and no personal or financial gain is to be made that is in conflict with duties or will impair objectivity or judgment (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   To sum it up, be honest and do your job.   Unfortunately, for some, that’s easier said than done. The Department of Corrections has a Hearing Appeals Section and an Administrative Law/Civil Employment Litigation Section that handles employee discipline/grievances and resolves cases against employees (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   Whenever a corrections officer is facing an ethical issue, representation is provided so that the officer’s rights are not violated. Of course, there are specific laws correction officers must obey and if they knowingly exceed the extent of their power then they can face a judge and possibly go to jail.   The added stress of the job decreases the correction officer’s life span to 59 years (www.jrank.org).   Therefore, it is necessary to have your guard up continuously if you want to make wise choices, get through the workday with your personal honor intact and live longer than what some researchers have predicted. The stress of the job has caused Paul to think thought about moving into a different area of law enforcement but this might require more training and schooling.   As a corrections officer, his high school diploma was all he needed, along with being a US citizen, having a valid New Jersey driver’s license, speaking English well and being able to handle the job physically and psychologically.   Although he took extra courses during training, he does not believe that will be enough for a transfer to a different department.   Paul has not investigated the move and after an especially hard day with the inmates, he promises himself that he will. Prolonged contact with inmates is the main difference between NJDCO positions and other law enforcement positions.   Policemen and detectives, for example, investigate crimes and track criminals.   They may have to face the individuals in court, but once they are locked up, their contact with the criminal is over.   A NJDCO’s contact with the criminal begins after the other law enforcement officers’ contact has ended and that contact lasts as long as the inmates’ sentence. For the first few years of his career, Paul found fulfillment on his job.   He is serving his state, providing a needed assistance, protecting the residents of New Jersey and helping his fellow officers.   Now, he can’t say that.   The stress of not knowing what will happen from day to day is extremely hard and the last few years have been a struggle.   The constant hassle of the job has become overwhelming and is causing a strain on his marriage of 2 years.   The fact that he cannot express why he dissatisfied and he does not want to talk about the job increases to the couple’s frustration. Add the fact that he cannot talk about confidential information and the situation gets dangerous.   Communication between Paul and his wife has gone from bad to worse.   Because they are planning to have children, Paul recently transferred from the youth facility to a minimum security prison.   They are hoping this change will decrease his stress and ease the strain in their relationship.   Paul believes the transfer will make a big difference in his attitude and stress level, increasing his job satisfaction. In New Jersey, the Department of Corrections is made up of minimum, medium and maximum-security prisons.   With 14 major institutions, including 8 male prisons, 3 youth facilities, 1 female prison, and one prison for sex offenders, there were plenty of facilities for Paul to choose from.   Moving to a maximum-security prison would have meant an increase in pay but for Paul, added money would have brought added stress.   This wasn’t the case when Paul’s career began but today, the salary for a corrections officer is $43,000.   The max amount for a senior corrections officer is $65,000, achieved in nine step increments (www.state.nj.us/corrections). There are over ten different promotions available to senior corrections officers, which include, Central Transportation, Correction Staff Training Academy, Critical Incident Negotiation Teams, Custody Recruitment Unit and SRP Boot Camp.   These are just some of the positions available to Senior Correction Officers (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   Although, all officers go through rigorous training that includes coursework, most officers who move into higher positions have additional schooling.   If things go well in his new position, Paul believes that one day, he may be ready to interview for one of the promotional positions. Paul believes the key to a successful career in the Department of Corrections is to walk on the job daily with a mindset of integrity and tactfulness mixed with firmness.   Inmates are people, just like you, no matter what they’ve done.   An officer cannot take their crimes lightly but an officer must, to the best of their ability, treat them with respect.   Then, do your job, have a life outside of work, leave your job at the door and choose to be happy.   That may be the key.   Paul hopes it will be the key to his future happiness and the future happiness of his family. References 2006.   Retrieved April 3, 2007 from http://www.jrank.org. Forsberg, Mary E.   Money for Nothing?   The Financial Cost of New Jersey’s Death Penalty.   November 2005.   Retrieved April 6, 2007 from http://www.njpp.org. New Jersey Department of Corrections.   1996.   Retrieved April 3, 2007 from http://www.state.nj.us/corrections.

“Only the Lover Sings” by Josef Pieper Essay

â€Å"Thoughts about Music†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦music prompts the philosopher’s continued interest because it is by nature so close to the fundamentals of human existence† (Pieper 39). In the section, â€Å"Thoughts about Music,† from Josef Pieper’s Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation, discusses music and the intriguing question, â€Å"What do we perceive when we listen to music?† (40). Pieper answers this question by quoting Schopenhauer, who claimed music, â€Å"does not speak of things but tells of weal and woe† (42). This makes sense because it relates to â€Å"man’s good,† and our yearning for perfect happiness. When listening to music certain emotions surface, as Plato stated, â€Å"Music imitates the impulses of the soul† (Pieper 45). Thus, to truly understand what we perceive when we listen to music, one must understand what is being expressed, and not simply â€Å"listen.† For many, music can be an â€Å"out of body experience,† something that truly reveal’s man and his meaning in life. Some may argue that music is simply â€Å"†¦a means of personal enchantment, of escapism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pieper 50). How one views and interprets music truly reveals one’s character, because, â€Å"music lays bare man’s inner existential condition,† (Pieper 50). In addition, Pieper continues to answer the question of what we perceive when we listen to music, by quoting other philosophers and the ideas of Western philosophical traditions. â€Å"To repeat: thus has the nature of music variously been understood in the Western philosophical tradition- as nonverbal articulation of weal and woe; as wordless expression of man’s intrinsic dynamism of self-realization, a process understood as man’s journey toward ethical personhood, as the manifestation of man’s will in all aspects, as love. This, for instance, is the meaning of Plato’s statement that ‘music imitates the impulses of the soul’, or as Aristotle puts it: music is similar to ethics and related to it. The same tradition continues in remarks by Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche when they say that music ‘invariably is the expression of an immediacy as no interfering medium is involved’; or (Schopenhauer) that of all the arts it is music that represents the will itself; or (Nietzsche in his interpretation of Wagner) that music lets us hear â€Å"nature transformed into love†Ã¢â‚¬  (Pieper 44-45). The philosophy of music is something that can be interpreted differently by all. Pieper uses sufficient evidence to support the claim that music does in fact play an important role in man’s true character and how he views his life, and ultimately his existence. Reference: Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper

Golf Logix Case Analysis

Group 3 THE GAME OF GOLF †¢ †¢ †¢ Invented in Scotland in 15 th Century Brought to the United States in late 19 th Century Clubs used to hit small hard balls into a cup on each of the 18 different holes on the golf course The players use a club to drive the ball onto the fairway. Starting point on each hole is from tee box Players drive the ball with the use of a club onto the fairway, hit an approach shot onto the green, and putt the ball into the cup Holes: range in length from over 100 to 500 yards or more †¢ Par 3, par 4 or par 5 †¢ 18 holes par was 72Along way hazards – ponds, sand traps, and high grass Swing: called â€Å"stroke†, counted towards the players total score Lowest score wins TYPES OF CLUBS Woods Club Driver †¢ 200-300 yards Iron Club 3-iron 7-iron †¢ 120-150 yards Wedges Pitching wedge †¢ 120 yards or less Putter 5-wood 9-iron Sand wedge Typically 14 different types of clubs are used CRITICAL ELEMENTS TO ACHIEVI NG LOW SCORE ? Hit the ball straight so as to avoid the various hazards around the course ? Advance the ball in desired direction ? Distance to target ?How far player could hit the ball with each golf club? ? Ability to putt the ball well Golf market: †¢ 2000: 26. 7 million Americans played 586 million round of golf (on 17,000 courses) †¢ 200,000-400,000 new golfers a year. The prototypical golfer was still male over 40 years old with an income over 70,000. The golfer: segmented in 3 different ways 1. frequency of play: 25% considered â€Å"avid† played 25 rounds or more per year. 50% considered â€Å"core† played 8-24 rounds per years. The remainder were considered â€Å"occasional† golfers. 2. xpertise: typically measured by a golfer handicap (historical average of how many strokes a golfer took, relative to par, for an entire round) 3. type of courses â€Å"public vs. private: 80% of golfers played on public courses Expenses: 1999, golfers spent ov er 22 billion, 50% of this were by avid golfers. †¢ Golf clubs was the single largest expense aside from the courses fees, 1,000 for a high-quality set of clubs, 2,000 or more for some top of the line sets (depending on how many times golfer played, good set could last anywhere from 5-20 years) Golf courses: as of 2000, there was around 17,000 golf courses in the U.S. Golf courses Number of courses 7,000 4,000 2,000 4,000 Charging fees Average of rounds per course/year Municipal and lower-end public high-end public courses resort courses private courses charging 20-50 per round 40,000 50-100 per round 30,000 100-200 a range 20,00-100,000 and annual 20,000-25,000 membership fee of 5,000-10,000 ? May afternoon, 2002 – all 6 employees of GolfLogix held conference in Scotsdale, Arizona ? $2 million in investments ? Purpose of meeting – to discuss merits and demerits of direct-to-consumer version of the Distance Only xCaddie ?Thinking ? Outsource production ? Market di rectly to players under GolfLogix name ? Likely retail for $300 ? Diane DiCioccio, Chief Marketing Officer – disagreed ? Jeff Saltz, CEO – agreed COMPANY STARTUP ? The GolfLogix concept came about in 1998 ? During a round of Golf between Todd Kuta and Scott Lambrecht ? Basis of problem – judging the distance to the green and choosing the right club for that distance ? Solution to problem – GPS device ? Permission – USGA (United States Golf Association) ? Founded in May 1999 ? $2 million spending – executive alaries, facilities rental, development of xCaddie software, and GlofLogix website GOLFLOGIX Product Leasing: Difficult initially First 4 months of 2002, they had leased 15 systems Additional courses requested a 30-day trial Marketting TV infomercials Internet Mass merchandiser’s Consumer Electronic Firms Golf Outlet Stores Walmart Best Buy COMPANY STARTUP (CONTD. ) ? Future operating expenses – $50,000 to $75,000 per month for at least 3 years ? Selling xCaddie till date – Pete Charleston and Saltz ? Future selling to Distributors ? First – Steve Goodwin ? 1500 per month for Distance Only ? $2000 per month for entire system ? Recent leases suggest 20-30% distributor markup GPS TECHNOLOGY Objective: GolfLogix use of GPS technology to aid golfers Use of customized handheld GPS receiver called â€Å"xCaddie† Manufactured by Garmin International †¢Provides the distance to the green to which the golfer was hitting †¢Accuracy designed to be within two yards and being sold by Garmin to GolfLogix for about $200 per unit Golfer will be able to determine which golf †¢Records golfer’s progress around the course. lub to use to reach the distance provided Recording the beginning and ending of every shot and club used to make that shot by the xCaddie Information can be downloaded Information forwarded to Website to retain the records so that golfer can track progress over time †¢Provide the golfer with statistics that will improve the accuracy of the shots GPS TECHNOLOGY GPS originally developed by the U. S. Department of Defense to help determine the position of military troops, ships, vehicles, and missiles Consisted of 24 satellites, the system could pinpoint a GPS receiver anywhere on the globe with an accuracy of several feet to several yardsLocation determined by â€Å"triangulation† which involved simultaneously measuring the distance and direction of the GPS receiver from four or more of the satellites GPS gradually became available to civilians free of charge in 1980 By 2000 estimated 1 million GPS receivers per year were being manufactured for commercial use in devices ranging from on-board map systems for cars (OnStar System) to marine navigation systems to handheld devices for hikers and campers GOLFLOGIX SYSTEMS GOLFLOGIX SYSTEMS COMPLETE SYSTEM ? ? More time consuming in terms of use.Involved the use of three key items; Xcad die device, GolfLogix touch screen kiosk connected to the internet and a high quality printer. The system needed to know the locations and dimensions of the tee boxes, fairways, greens and any hazards on the course. Involved a detailed aerial photograph of the course and 3 people taking 20-30 GPS location reading for each of the 18 holes. This took about 4 hours. Xcaddie unit ? ? ? A technician located at a GolfLogix office would then combine these data’s and produce a digital map with precise GPS coordinates for the entire course Lambrecht estimated time to map a complete system to be 20 man hours.The kiosk and printer had a combined cost of about $5000. The GolfLogix webiste maintenance cost was estimated to be $100,000 per annum. Kiosk connect ed to internet High quality printer ? ? ? DEVICE FEATURES AND OPERATION Complete System Distance Only System ? ? Xcaddie Kiosk High quality printer More explaining on the part of the pro shop employee, about 5 minutes. Golfer needed to register his name and email using the touch screen kiosk. ? Has a scrolling feature no more complex than that of a cellular phone. ? ?As the distance type, Xcaddie determined distance to the green Golfer would select the appropriate club on the Xcaddie device and press enter which would give a location reading for the golf ball. Golfer stows away Xcaddie device and proceeded to hit the ball as he normally would. Upon finishing his round, the golfer would connect his Xcaddie via a cable to the kiosk and received a three-page full color printout of his round. A golfer could track his progress overtime through the information forwarded to a dedicated website (golflogix. com). ? The player would scroll to the hole that he was laying and the device would give exact yardage to the green. ? ? ? A pro shop employee could adequately explain how the device worked in about 2 minutes to first time players. ? LOW TECH DISTANCE SOLUTIONS ? Yardage markers – were unreliable the farther a way the golfer was from the center of the fairway ? Sprinkler heads – golfers still needed to pace off distances between their ball and the nearest sprinkler ? Yardage booklets – limited availability to resort and high end public courses ? Range finders – illegal under the rules of USGA and not accepted by erious golfers. High Tech Distance Solutions Cart mounted systems ProShot, ProLink, UpLink. Systems were expensive to outfit. More than $250000 to outfit 80 golf carts. PDA based systems – SkyGolf GPS, Golf GPS. GPS adapters came in a form of attachments to PDA systems, at additional cost. PERFORMANCE TRACKING SOLUTIONS Booklets for manual recording and PDA software; both proved to be tedious, time consuming and distracting USGA handicap system was predominantly used to track scores, but provided no account for performance factors. THANK YOU†¦

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Review - Article Example belief and understanding that if only the next biggest competitor could be eliminated that business could somehow get better, the fact of the matter is that the competition that these two firms provide to each other as well as the ideas that are ultimately â€Å"borrowed†/stolen between the two are yet another reason why the firms continue to operate with such a high premium placed on innovation, design, and development. This tense competition is further interesting due to the fact that the article raises the specter of Internet Explorer and Netscape as well as the resurrection that Apple experienced as a result of the iPad under Steve Jobs ultimate direction. What these cases help to bring to the mind of the reader is the fact that as soon as a single firm gains market dominance and somewhat eliminates a rival, the ability of the dominant firm to continue to efficiently innovate and design quality products necessarily decreases. In this way, the reader can appreciate the way in which the firms in question are currently locked in competition; meaning that this ultimate translates to increased quality to the end user. Gupta, Poornima. "Insight: Apple and Samsung, frenemies for life| Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. Reuters, 10  Feb.  2013. Web. 24  Feb.  2013.

MPH599 - Culminating Project Mod 3 Case Assignment Essay

MPH599 - Culminating Project Mod 3 Case Assignment - Essay Example Children watch television or play video games for greater than four hours a day have a greater risk for obesity. It has been shown that a reboot reduction in the television or video game time can not only improve but be a treatment for obesity. Further, other behaviors that have changed in this age group, more children are eating high calorie foods than they have in the past. Television ads increase the desire for fast food which is high in calories and high in fat (Epstein and Keller, 2003). Those children who are raised by obese parents also have a greater risk for obesity. There has been discussion as to whether there is a genetic or environmental factor that may predispose children to obesity. However they been unable to prove that (Golan and Wiseman, 2001). Another great risk factor for childhood obesity is low socioeconomic status. Food insecurity and not having access to healthy food are the reasons for this problem. Children from low-income families often do not have safe facilities for physical exercise. This increases the number of television hours that these children have. Many of them are awaiting their parents arrival home from a job, as these parents cannot afford child sitters. Is also at issue that this group of children are not able to visit the position as often as other children do. They may very well not have a yearly checkup like so many other children due to the lack of insurance or money to cover visits. This alone contributes to childhood obesity. It is not picked up early in the event, therefore instead of catching these children at the stage of being overweight, we do not see them until they are at the stage of obese. By this time, they may very well have some of the side effects of obesity including hypertension and type II diabetes. Young people throughout the world are becoming increasingly inactive, as are their parents. 30% of boys and 41% of girls aged 2 to 15 do not meet

Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Research Paper

Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes - Research Paper Example But as he went along, it became a highly entertaining and wonderful story, â€Å"quite as adventurous as any old –time romance, full of humor , abounding in wisdom an the very day things of life ,and to a certain extend ,of human nature â€Å" (N L Carrington). The theme of this novel is the tragedy that befalls those who are incapable of realizing the change of times and stick on the values and manners of a bygone era . The story which is a panorama of captivating events embodies the life, manners and milieu of medieval Europe which even at the time of his writing were outdated. The name of the book in Spanish is â€Å"E1 Ingeniso hidaldo Don Quixote de la mancha†. The hero Alonso Quixado belonging to place called La Mancha is a member of the lower nobility.(hidaldo) .He is tall and lean, about fifty years old , with cheeks that appeared to be kissing each other on the inside of his mouth, a neck half-yard long . Books of chivalry and adventure, which became very com mon in the fifteenth century, had been his obsession. Innumerable such books he has read with relish and enthusiasm. As a result, his mind is steeped in gripping accounts of enchantments, battles, challenges, wooing and agonies. He has thus lost his sanity. He fancies that he can make himself a knight errant and roam the world in full armor, righting every kind of wrong and exposing himself to peril, thus he will reap eternal renown’s as the undoer of injustice, the protector of damsels, the terror of giants and the winner of battles. In the book Don Quixote he himself says â€Å"I know I’m capable of ...of being all the Twelve Peers of France, and all the Nine Worthies as well, for my exploits will be far greater than all deeds they have done all together and each by myself† The novel is a highly amusing account of how this strange hero living in a make-believe world of medieval romance and adventure tries to make good this boast. The first thing he does is to change his name in keeping with the glorified office of a knight. The pedestrian Quixado thus becomes (Don Quixote of La Mancha, â€Å"Don ‘being the title reserved for the highly sophisticated and upper class in society, equivalent to ‘Sir’ In English. A knight was expected to have chivalric lady love. And he gallantly chooses a sturdy farm –lass, to whom he was never uttered a word, and gives her the name Dulceniadel Toboso. The next requirement was a mighty steed. A white but sickly and lean horse he manages to get from his family stable, and renames it Rocinate. A Set of ancient metal armor, helmet, sword and spear he is able to get from a dark room in his house and this serves as his knightly equipment. The armor and helmet are too large and heavy for his lean and lank body. But It is with supreme satisfaction that he whereas the armor and wields the weapons although the onlookers find him totally grotesque and funny. His knightly pose is complete onl y when he takes with him, as his squire or assistant, Sancho Panza, a stupid fat and short farmer from the neighboring village, According to stories of chivalry, the squire is to follow the knight –errant on another horse, but as they fail to secure a horse, Sancho Panza rides on a donkey. Don Quixote gives Sancho all kinds of promises including that of the governorship of a newly conquered island, and the foolish squire believes in all that completely. The ludicrous situations created by this pair going out in search of adventures are of unending interest

Profit Maximization - An Actual or Theoretical Objective Essay

Profit Maximization - An Actual or Theoretical Objective - Essay Example For example, rice farmed and thrashed by the farmer is sold for a particular value to companies. These companies in turn process the rice, separating quality grains and packing them with their label, thereby increasing the value of rice. The transporters and stores extract their profit by integrating it in the cost of the rice. In the end, the consumer pays a multifold monetary worth for the rice along with comparable value for money. Some organizations tend to get carried away with their profit-making motives, ending up reaping unjustly high profits. Such organizations tend to lose their loyal customers for two major reasons: not being able to provide comparable value for money and with the entry of competition into their market. Profit Maximization is now a general trend, which had earlier been a typical phenomenon for monopolistic competition – where the absence of competition enables these organizations to charge unjustly high prices for their offerings. Hence it is said t hat free competition is the â€Å"invisible hand† for controlling market prices naturally (Smith). When companies are allowed to compete without regulatory interventions like government policies etc, the resultant market provides both buyers and sellers with best opportunities in terms of exchanges. Buyers and sellers benefit alike from the competition. Profit Maximization: Profit Maximization is a basic Economics concept, which implies extracting highest possible profits through production and sales processes. Profit is the difference between total revenue and the total cost. Total revenue implies the total amount an organization receives from business whereas the total cost means the total investment the organization makes to produce and sell the goods and services. At different activity levels, the cost incurred and the revenue earned tend to be different (as shown in the diagram). From: Sparknotes.com The above graph clearly shows varied profitability at different activit y levels. However, the highest profitability is at the point marked â€Å"profit maximization†. At this point, the difference between costs and revenue is the greatest. At all activity levels below and above this point, the profit is lower in comparison with this point. Profit Maximization can be devised through numerous methods. The aforesaid theory is the Total Cost-Total Revenue methodology for determining the profits. Marginal Revenue-Marginal Cost method is also used to determine maximum profitability activity level. However, the base line for both methods is the same – revenue minus cost equals profit. Theoretically, Profit Maximization is often explained as an unethical practice on behalf of business owners, focusing extensively on monetary gains and overlooking other factors. On this note, it is important to remark that profit maximization does not necessary include unethical practices regarding pricing. However, â€Å"it fails to take adequate account of alte rnative desires of the businessmen, for power, leisure, social prestige, and similar non-monetary rewards† (Koplin). Some critics do not agree that Profit Maximization is the underlying objective for business operations since it does not take into account other factors important in the eyes of the investors. Most businesses do not operate for profit reasons only – some businesses like certain blood banks and hospitals work for societal welfare that cannot be weighed in monetary terms. But some critics maintain the importance of Profit Maximizati

Strategic Marketing - The Drucker Assignment Essay

Strategic Marketing - The Drucker Assignment - Essay Example The three components have been brought together so that a managerial environment can be created (Drucker, 2001). The three components can be considered to be the main theme of the book. Peter Drucker was highly interested in the role played by the people in the organizations. His book â€Å"The Essential Drucker† deals with various management topics. The book comprises a selection of pieces from Drucker’s many books in a period of sixty years (Drucker, 2001). The Most Enlightening Chapter Topic The most enlightening topic for me is 'know your strengths and values'. This chapter topic has been chosen from the second chapter named â€Å"The individual†. This chapter teaches an individual about identification of the person’s strengths as well as values. By recognizing the strengths and the values, the person is capable of knowing where he/she belongs. According to Peter Drucker, people need to be flexible and thus stay mentally alive so that they can expand t hemselves in dimensions where they are capable of making the greatest involvement and where their productivity tends to be higher (Drucker, 2001). The people need to learn how and why they need to alter their occupation. Comprehension of the strengths and the values enables the person to seek out where the person belongs. The person will be capable of finding a place to work where he/she will be able to take the greatest advantage of the strengths, without getting into a conflict with his/her values (Drucker, 2001). Reason behind the Choice of the Chapter Topic The chapter is of greater significance for the people searching for jobs. Drucker mentions the fact that people in the workforce need to manage themselves. The people need to position themselves in a way so that they can make a significant contribution. This concept is related to the notion of motivation (Drucker, 2001). The chapter reveals the fact that for the purpose of managing himself/herself a person must be motivated t o learn and to improve. It mentions that be it internal motivation or external motivation the person needs to be aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses. It has further been mentioned that instead of altering oneself, it is quite significant to train to enhance the way the person performs. Once the person knows himself/herself inherently, it is vital to focus upon the duties that fit his/her strong attributes and he/she must not choose the one that does not compliment him/her (Drucker, 2001). . The chapter has been of significance as it places greater emphasis upon the motivational aspects which are considered to be factors leading to success. Most of the people are of the view that they are well aware of their strengths. However, many a times they are found to be wrong in their judgment and are only aware of what they are good at. It becomes quite difficult for the individual to build performances based upon their weaknesses (Drucker, 2001). Drucker had introduced feedback analys is where a person pens down his/her decisions, whenever he/she makes a key action and what is expected from that decision. Peter Drucker states that the result obtained after a year tends to be quite impressive. The feedback analysis identifies numerous actions that can be taken in order to improve the individual performances. It states that it is vital to concentrate upon the strengths (Drucker, 2001). A

Testing anti-bacterial agents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Testing anti-bacterial agents - Essay Example Firstly, the infected cell may be exposed to different types of quinolone antibacterial. Secondly, McCoy cell monolayers should inoculate with 103 (IFU) OF C. trachomatis then incubated with or without ofloxacin. Result: The main results of testing anti-bacterial agents will show in this paragraph. The effects of four types of antibacterial (Ofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Enoxacin, and Norfloxacin) in McCoy cell are different. The results may refer to the different abilities for each antibacterial to penetrate the eukaryotic cell. Moreover, the infected cell may not increase the time of incubation after the removal of anti-bacterial agents creating a little different between MIC and MLC for each antibacterial agent. On the other hand, Ofloxacin antibacterial agent may act contrary to some enzymes that are important for the survival of non-replicating intracellular chlamydia. As such, Ofloxacin has a responsibility of treating the determined and calm infection. Conclusion: This study deriv es and presents four important points. Firstly, quinolone antibacterial agent acts quickly against chlamydia. Secondly, Ofloxacin considers suitable antimicrobial agent against chlamydia infection. Thirdly, humans can achieve and maintain 1mg/l of Ofloxacin in serum. Therefore, the clinical experiment against chlamydia infection will be of interest. Finally, Ofloxacin may give us a tool to show the importance of DNA metabolism in non-replicating intracellular chlamydia organized by topoisomerases.

Cain Motors Information System Essay Example for Free

Cain Motors Information System Essay The purpose of this document is to define the Context of Cain Motors Information System in order to form the basis for the Information System and assessment of the success of the project. This document will allow the Project Board to ensure the project has a sound basis before making a major commitment to the project. It will act as a base document against which the Project Board and Project Manager can assess progress, change management issues, and on-going viability issues. Approval of the Project Initiation Document (PID) is sought from the Project Board, together with authorisation to proceed with the next stage of the project. here are eight main stages to using PRINCE2 Quality Management, which is the system we will be using to develop this project. Cain Motors is a small garage in the east end of London situated under the railway arches. The garage has been running for thirty years and relies mainly on word of mouth and passing trade for its business. It deals with car repairs, MOTs, servicing and insurance work. There are a total of four workers including the owner Mr Cain. Last year we were brought into update the system from a manual system to a computerised system, which we did but Mr Cain has called us back to update the system and to redevelop the existing information processing system at Cain Motors to resolve defects highlighted by users and Mr Cain, the project will also incorporate certain changes requested by users of the present information system such as to be able to produce a complete MOT history, to produce invoices, web site for advertising and booking appointments (MOT, crash repairs and servicing). Mr Cain has decided to store stock on the premises; therefore he now requires a facility for stock monitoring i. e. a stock table added to the database so he can keep track of what needs to be reordered and what has to be used. The project aims to provide an information system that will assist staff in the day-to-day operations of Cain Motors, providing an efficient computer system, which reliably and securely stores information manages stock control, customer information and MOT service history. If the aim of the project if achieved it will make the business more efficient, it will cut down on lost time, because everything should be on the computerised system, which means the company will on lost man hours. The identified defects are listed below, also the desired improvements Improvements Defects As business expands, stock details needs to be included and supplier referencing for purposes of stock control and monitoring. The supplier table is not related to any other tables within the databases, at present it is a flat file contained with the database. Web site for advertising and booking appointments (MOT and crash repairs servicing) MOT history is not recorded for each customer, when a search is entered only the last record is shown. A full history needs to be returned. Estimates were not included into database version 1 to be included in version (estimate log, costs retail date given who gave when was it given to customer, proceed or decline. How long does estimate stand) Printing details currently only tacks a screen dump and prints that off rather than a full report, which is really what is required. Delete functions used in a VB front end for the database does not delete record conation with the database table this needs to be readdressed. The stock control system will be integrated into the existing system, linking the supplier table to the database. The system will be loaded as part of a new version, data migration for the previous version will be required and data entry will be required to enable the staff to see all supplier information. Financially this change will benefit Cain Motors immensely, turn around time will increase for cars, and cars will not be held static in the garage awaiting parts thus increasing the amount of cars that can be worked on at once. Thus increasing business revenue.

Survival of Organisms in Extreme Conditions

Survival of Organisms in Extreme Conditions Organisms, known as extremophiles, survive in environments that other terrestrial life-forms find intolerable and in some cases lethal. They are evolved to survive in extreme hot niches, ice, and saline solutions, also adapting to survive in varying pH conditions; extremophiles are even found to grow in toxic waste, organic solvents, heavy metals, or in multiple habitats thought previously to be inhospitable for life. Within all the discovered extreme environmental condition, a variety of organisms have shown that they are able to not just tolerate these conditions, but they require these conditions for survival. If organisms can survive in these hostile environments on Earth it seems feasible that there could be life present in other areas of our solar system. Extremophiles are classified according to the conditions in which they grow. These sections can be further divided into two broad categories: extremophilic organisms which need these hostile conditions to survive, and extremotolerant organisms which can withstand the extreme pressure of one or multiple conditions however, grow optimally at normal and less hostile conditions. From all three domains of life, i.e. bacteria, archaea, and eukarya, extremophiles can be found. Most extremophiles are microorganisms with many of these being archaea, but protists, in the eukaryotes, have some extremophiles from the families: algae, fungi and protozoa. Archaea are the most common extremophilic domain, however are generally less versatile than bacteria and eukaryotes in at adapting to differing extreme environments. Although, some archaea are some of the most hyperthermophilic, acidophilic, alkaliphilic, and halophilic microorganisms known. The archaeal Methanopyrus kandleri strain 116 will tole rate and grow at temperatures up to 122 °C (252  °F), while the genus Picrophilus (i.e. Picrophilus torridus) are some of the most acidophilic organism, growing at a pH as low as 0.06. Bacteria like cyanobacteria, is best adapted to environments with multiple physicochemical parameters, by forming multi-layered microbial mats with other bacteria. They can survive in hypersaline conditions and alkaline lakes, which support high metal concentrations and low availability of water or xerophilic conditions, in a group of endolithic communities in stony desert regions. However, cyanobacteria is rarely found in an acidic environment at a pH lower than 6. Not only does this give insight into the origin of life on Earth, but opens up a new realm of possibilities for life elsewhere in the universe. Thermophilic bacteria are common in soil and volcanic environments i.e. hot springs. Thermophiles are thought to be one of the original organisms to have survived on earth over 3 billion years ago, in an environment with much higher temperatures, this allows possibilities to assume that a life form could be found on another planet. The ability to proliferate at growth temperature optima well above 60 °C is associated with extremely thermally stable macromolecules. As a consequence of growth at high temperature and unique macromolecular properties, thermophilic organisms can possess high metabolic rates, physically and chemically stable enzymes, and lower growth rate with a higher end product yield. Thermophilic reactions appear more stable, rapid and less expensive, and facilitate reactant activity and product recovery. Most thermophiles are anaerobes, this is due to oxygen being much less soluble at higher temperatures, therefore is not available to the organisms. Thermophiles and acidophiles have membranes that contain tetra-ether lipids, which form a rigid monolayer that is impermeable to many ions and protons. The ether type lipids are far stronger than the ester lipids found in mesophilic organisms, also the lipid layers consist of more branched and saturated fatty acids. This gives a stronger lipid complex, and is most prevalent in Archaean thermophiles. Thermophiles also stabilize their proteins, DNA, RNA and ATP, however there is no distinctive reason for how they stabilize. Though, most thermophilic organisms have more Cytosine and guanine bonds as the triple bond is a lot stronger than the Adenine Thymine bond. Thermophiles have developed unique ways of heat stabilizing their essential proteins. The protein surface energy and the hydration levels of the exposed non-polar groups are monitored and minimized by packing the hydrophobic regions into a dense core, of the protein, by the amino acids charge-charge interactions. An increased number of salt b ridges and internal networks are present, stabilizing the internal structures and an elevated amount of synthesis of chaperone proteins. Chaperone proteins unfold and help to refold proteins that are not formed properly, this is important as during hot environment there is a higher chance of misfolded proteins. The methods thermophiles employ to survive on earth could be used to survive elsewhere in our solar system. Psychrophilic organisms or psychrophiles grow best at low temperatures (freezing point of water or below) in areas such as deep sea and polar regions. The main problems for organisms in this environment is the exponential effect on the rate of biochemical reactions and the viscosity of internal and external environments, which changes significantly between 37 µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and 0 µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C. (Feller Gerday, 2003; Georlette et al, 2004; Russell, 2000). In an attempt to overcome the effects on the cytoplasmic membrane, i.e. permeability and hence transportation across the membrane, there is a higher lipid concentration in the membranes containing more unsaturated, polyunsaturated, methyl-branched fatty acids, and shorter acyl-chain length. The lipid head group within the membrane is also thought to be larger. All of these adaptations increase the fluidity of the membrane and in turn survival at lower temperatures (Chintalapati et al, 2004). Another adaptation for lower temperatures is the ribosomal extract, RNA polymerase, having a larger elongation factor and the presence of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase which have shown to retain activity near 0 °C in multiple differing psychrophilic microorganisms, like Moritella profunda, Another enzyme catalyses cis-trans prolyl isomerisation, and its high activity and overexpression at low temperatures might be important for overcoming the impaired folding protein rates. Likewise, nucleic-acid-binding proteins like Escherichia colis CspA-related proteins and RNA helicases, which are important in the transcription and translation of DNA and RNA secondary structures, are also overexpressed (Berger et al, 1996; Lim et al, 2000). The relationship between the flexibility of the membrane and the increase in activity is meant to create quite an unstable organism however, only in mesophilic environments. In a comparison of thermodynamic parameters between psychrophilic enzymes and their mesophilic homologues, at low temper ature there is a decrease in activation enthalpy, meaning a decrease in the number of enthalpy-driven reactions that have to be broken in catalysis. Organisms in this habitat are also considered to be oligotrophic as they live with lower nutrient content. Psychrophiles could use all of these adaptations in similar environments except Earth. Acidophiles and alkaliphiles are optimally adapted to acidic or alkaline pH values, acidophiles live in a higher concentration of Hydrogen ions as, Alkaliphilic organism live in a higher concentration of hydroxide ions. Acidophiles partially deflect the flow of protons into the cell by reversing the membrane potential with a reduced pore size in the membrane channels. By having a highly impermeable cell membrane organism can restrict the influx of protons, with their chemiosmostic gradient and by actively exporting protons out of the cell maintaining a habitable internal pH. In comparison to mesophiles, acidophiles have a higher proportion of secondary transporters which reduce the energy demands associated with moving protons, solutes and nutrients across the membrane. Acidophiles contain more DNA with a high proportion of protein repair mechanisms which repair at a lower pH, in B.acidocaldarius there is a higher level of cytoplasmic buffering found. In most acid environments there is a high metal content which these organisms use in their favour to stabilize their intercellular enzymes. In alkaliphilic organisms, such as Bacillus pseudofirmus and B.halodurans, oxidative phosphorylation occur to support non-fermentative growth and proton-coupled ATP synthases occurs, using proton-motive force (PMF) but mostly from the sodium-ion gradient. A major adaption of the alkaliphiles for surviving in their environments is within the diversity of their enzymes. Mesophilic organisms produce enzymes with similar activity however, do not have the same enzymatic capacity to cope with the increase pH. An internal pH is maintained by the active and passive regulation mechanisms across the membrane, actively removing the hydroxide ions. The addition of cytoplasmic pools of polyamines and low membrane permeability, with sodium ion channels actively regulates these levels. Alkaliphillic bacteria also compensate for the high levels by having a high membrane potential or coupling Na+ expulsion through the ETC. All of these processes used could be utilized by interplanetary organism. Throughout our solar system there are many environments where some of these extremophiles could use their adaptations to survive. The main necessity for life would be the presence of even a minimal supply of water. In our solar system there are environments thought to be able to support life. Titan, one of Saturns moons, has sustainable atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen, similar to earths. There are many ammonia and methane lakes on titan that theoretically could combine, in an electrically charged environment, to make an organic habitat. Thermophiles that also contain sulfureted properties could survive there as they survive in similar conditions in the deep ocean hot springs. Enceladus, another of Saturns moons has an abundant supply of water vapour geysers and Europa, one of Jupiters moons, both are thought to be entirely covered in ice. Psychrophiles and Alkaliphilic or Acidophilic organism could adapt to live in this environment. Enceladus is considered an active water w orld with oceans with Europa thought to have subglacial water systems under the ice layer. Models of Enceladus predict the oceans to be a solution of Na-Cl-CO3 with a pH of 11 to 12. This is a similar environment to Lake Shala in the Rift Valley Lakes, with a high alkaline pH and due to it being the deepest lakes on earth, a cold temperature at its lowest depth. Europa has a highly acidic water system and due to the total coverage of ice on the surface of the moon, any organism able to survive there must also be anaerobic. Overall, on earth we have many extreme environments which are considered lethal to most organism but are home to extremophiles, such as thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles and alkaliphiles. From the way many of these organism adapt to survive on earth it is feasible that organism with similar adaptations could be present or could survive elsewhere in our solar system, in similar environments.

Is It Possible to Reconstruct a State?

Is It Possible to Reconstruct a State? Definitions: According to Max Weber, â€Å"State is an entity which possesses a delegatable monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.† (Warner, 1991) When a state looses its monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force or looses its capacity to perform even the most basic functions within its territory, it comes under the category of failed/ dysfunctional states. Most of the times reasons for failure of a state are civil war, international conflict, corrpution, lack of resources etc. De jure state[1] State which exist by a fiat of the international community, which recognizes them as soveregin entities whether or not they have a government capable of effectively controlling or administering the territory. Example- Somalia De facto state- State which receives no international recognition and has weak institutions, but where power is exercised and enforced within its territory. Examples- Kurdistan, Puntland, Somaliland De facto de jure state- State which enjoys international recognition and excercises control over people and territory through formal and strong, preferably democratic instritutions. This is the modern state in all its legal- rational Weberian splendour. In other words, this is the model the international community tries to replicate in dysfunctional states. Reconstruction:- is a process of recreation of an entity by the intrnal or external forces. Externally-led-reconstruction Where International actors intervene into a state and try to reconstrct. This model demands transtition from dysfunctional de jure state to the Weberian de facto state. Examples- Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia etc. Internally-led-reconstruction- Where domestic actors inside a state try to bring change. A transition from dysfunctional de jure state to a de facto state that slowly develops institutions, though not necessarily democratic ones. Examples- Mozambique, Kurdistan etc. Historically failed states simply used to disappear, divided up or conquered by a more powerful neighbour but today’s conventional wisdom has it that collapsed states must be reconstructed immediately and comprehensively along the lines of democratic countries with free market economies, thanks to the intervention by international community.[2] International community has assumed that it is both possible and essential for all the dysfunctional state to be reconstructed within their old borders but this assumption is very recent one. In the 1990s intervention by international community in a dysfunctional state invariably entailed the organizing of multi-party elections within the shortest possible time. For example. The Lusaka agreement of 1999 required the warring parties of DRC[3] to engage in ‘national dialogue’ to reach agreement on a new democratic political syatem and to hold elections. The December 2001, Bonn agreement called for holding of a loya Jirga[4] in Afghanisatn to reach agreement on a new democratic political system, to be followed by elections. Historically, attempts to reconstruct a state can be categorized in two ways- Externally-led-reconstruction:- Donor approach[5] of reconstruction includes setting up of new democratic institutions, re-writing constitutions, new election laws, creating civil society organization, liberalization of the economy etc. Most of the times these organizations do not turn out to be significant and established-hence institutions because most of the time they do not provide solution to the real problems on the ground. But donors, however, think of institution building, less in terms of finding solutions to what local actors preceive to be problems, and more in terms of transpalnting â€Å"best practices† that have been successful elsewehere. In the end, this approach of international community makes difficult for organizations to become institutions because they do not solve the real time problems. International community also wants institutions to come into function within a short span of time which is impossible. Internally-led-reconstruction:- The domestic actors that reconstruct states are miliatry men and politicians, who are more prone to act than to write, meaning by creation of constitution and institutions (liked by international community) is usually not their first priority. Majority of the internally led reconstuction of states come from Africa. For example in Uganda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, first step towards reconstruction was military victory. Since there were no other means at the disposal of domestic actors to generate the authority needed to govern a state, the only path was recourse to the raw power generated by superior force. Once they had generated legitimacy through force, they tried to transfrom that raw power into authority by regularizing institutions and processes of governemnt. This led to the reconstruction of the state, but not to the emergence of democratic states. Major components, free choice and popular participation were missing. Thus International community doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t like this approach. Criticism of Externally-led-reconstruction- Best practices do not solve real problems. For example, in Afghanistan retributional justice, against the wishes of President Karzai, was adopted against Taliban which became reason for Taliban to re-emerge. But if we look at the South African trasition from Aprtiheid regime, it was very smooth because they practiced what suited South Africa’s future the best. Donor supported institution building put an unbearable burdan on fragile states and in the end becomes self-defeating. For example , the strength of Afghan Army is 3,75,000. Annual budget of the Army and the annual income of the state are similar. Therefore, if there is no international committment then how will Afghan state fund the salaries of soldiers and what is their use if Taliban can come to negotiating terms. In most of the attempts of reconstruction, so-called institution building is not part of a sustained, open ended intrnational commitment to remain involved until the process is completed, but rather part of an exit strategy. Donors wants organizations in place so that they can go home but to my understanding that is a self-defeating strategy. Criticism of Internally-led-reconsturction- The actors wants to create a de facto state but usually they don’t have resources Even if they have the capacity to reconstruct the de facto state, they are likely to be reluctant to curb their newly acquired power and move from dictatorship or raw power to institutionalized politics and rule of law. In both types of state reconstruction, a major challenge lies in moving from â€Å"order imposed through power to the institutions† because institutions help in regularising authority in the long run. In internal reconstruction processes, second phase of state reconstruction[6] often fails to take place, because those who have consolidated power have little incentive to limit its exercise by developing institutions. In donor-directed processes, the international community rushes to develop institutions, but tends to withdraw the power that buttresses them far too soon, leading to failure. Some prescriptions to reconstruct a state:- When we think about the term reconstruction, we should give enough attention towards the possible outcome and resources at our disposal. Above all we need to know the short term and long term goals. Sometimes states are in need of means of survival but we are busy in creating democratic institutions and implementing best practices of governance for them. Thus we need to create and promote institutions according to the relevance and need of the hour but at the same time keeping in mind the long term goals. We need to recognize the potential candidates of statehood. For an example, Kurdistan Regional Government is a de facto state but it does not have international recognition. We are afraid of accepting the nationhood for Kurdistan. The same goes for Somaliland or Puntland. International community need to give heed to the de facto states. We need to know that institution building is a slow process and one size does not fit all- hence one type of system cannot fulfil the needs of every state. Every place is different on the earth and people have different approaches to the life. Thus we shouldn’t impose so-called â€Å"best practices† of governance in every corner of the world. Above all we shouldn’t create those institutions which can put unbearable burden on fragile states and become self defeating. For example- strong military apparatus in Afghanistan. If any state believes in the implementation of the â€Å"best practices† then that donor should set modest targets and should have long term commitment. We shouldn’t’ expect too much too soon. As saying goes, It takes 18 years for an infant to turn into an adult then how we can expect an institution to be functional within few years. Conclusion Reconstruction of states is a very difficult process. In 21st century, international community believes that there can not exist any failed states in the world and if there is any then we need to reconstruct it. But a lot of lessons needs to be learnt before we take up new assignments of reconstruction. Neither extrnal led, nor internal led approaches of reconstruction are perfect but with some improvements they can yield descent outcomes. International community always seems to be in hurry to build institutions but it requires a very long term commitment for organizations to turn into established institutions. Sometimes there is severe imbalance between the goals set by international community and the resources donors are willing to commit to attain the goals. It is possible to reconsturct a state if whatever organizations we set up, help in solving real probelms on the ground and thus become long lasting instutions. But if we just delpoy best practices without giving heed to the possible outcomes, it can lead to failure. Internally led reconstruction can also yield positive results if international community can provide long term commitment in building institutions. At the same time international community should bring de facto states into de jure states but there are always no easy choices to make. Bibliography:- Jackson, R. (1990) Quasi-states: Sovereignty, International Relations and the Third World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Daniel Warner (1991) An ethic of responsibility in International Relations. Lynne Rienner Publishers Chang, H. (2000) `Institutional Development in Developing Countries in a Historical Perspective: Lessons from Developed Countries in Earlier Times. Forman, S. and S. Patrick (2000) Good Intentions: Pledges of Aid for Post-Conflict Recovery. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction (2009), United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington DC Marina Ottaway (2003), Rebuilding State Institutions in Collapsed States, EBSCO publishing house. Call Charles T. (2008). â€Å"Building States to Build Peace? A critical analysis†. Journal of Peacebuilding and Development Vol.4 n.2 p.60. De Weijer, F. (2013). ‘A Capable State in Afghanistan: A Building without a Foundation?’ WIDER Working Paper No. 2013/063. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER. [1] Definitions of de jure and de facto states have been borrowed from the work of Robert R Jackson. [2] International Community- in this paper this word means â€Å"the conglomerate of industrialized democracies and the multilateral agencies over which industrialized countries have preponderant influence.† [3] DRC- Democratic Republic of Congo [4] Loya Jirga- is a special type of grand assembly that is mainly organized to choose a new head of state in case of sudden death, to adopt new constitution or to settle serious issues such as war etc. [5] Donors- International community including international organizations [6] Second phase of reconstruction in internally led reconstruction is to transform raw power into authority by establishing institutions.

Comparison of Macbeth and Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All people have probably considered that immortality would be an extremely joyous experience. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, tells of the quality of life and how man exerts it; this is in direct comparison with Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, written by Kurt Vaunnegut. Where as he also writes of the quality of life with the implication of immortality by drinking the miracle drink, Anti-Geresone. The insignificance of man from Shakespeare along with the concept of living forever from Vaunegut, draws the question of why would someone not want to die if life was so worthless. Both authors question the quality of life and as a result they express their concern in their writing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In their work, each express different concepts on the same common scenario; Life not being very pleasant, â€Å" Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time.† Which explains how all the days keep on coming and coming and yet man already is looking ahead to the next. In T&T&T (Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow); Everything has been experienced over a Quadrillion times, which has in turn lead to life being predictable and somewhat pointless; just as in Shakespeare. Merely waiting for the next thing to happen as if it already has. The people want to live forever, but why, if Shakespeare’s analysis is correct in saying life is so insignificant, â€Å"Out, out brief candle.† Suggesting that this life is useless and should end. When in contrast in Vaunegut’s story death is the insignificance. Why die if one could live on? Truly William Shakespeare feels that the way man i s living is unacceptable and the man should feel the same or die; â€Å"It’s a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing.† Rather in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the nothing William is speaking of is everything to them. Furniture, possessions, and such are important, but the lack of these provides space, which, in turn is their most precious commodity.

Essay --

Concussion or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Millions of concussions occur from sports participation every year. These injuries typically occur in collision (football and ice hockey) and contact sports (soccer and basketball) but can occur in any sport even traditional â€Å"non-contact† sports. Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been defined as â€Å"a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces.† Typically this occurs after a direct blow to the head but can also occur with any blow to the body where forces are transmitted to the head. The symptoms of a concussion occur rapidly and often spontaneously resolve, however, these symptoms can also quickly worsen or return resulting in a medical emergency. Therefore, anyone experiencing the signs symptoms of a concussion or mTBI should consult a physician or medical professional to properly diagnose and treat this injury as monitoring or additional testing (MRI/ CT Scan)may be warranted. The acute symptoms of a concussion are listed in the table below: Signs and Sympto...

Fool Chapter 12

TWELVE A KING'S ROAD Having set the course of events in motion, I wonder now if my training to be a nun, and my polished skills at telling jokes, juggling, and singing songs fully qualify me to start a war. I have so often been the instrument of the whims of others, not even a pawn at court, merely an accoutrement to the king or his daughters. An amusing ornament. A tiny reminder of conscience and humanity, tempered with enough humor so it can be dismissed, laughed off, ignored. Perhaps there is a reason that there is no fool piece on the chessboard. What action, a fool? What strategy, a fool? What use, a fool? Ah, but a fool resides in a deck of cards, a joker, sometimes two. Of no worth, of course. No real purpose. The appearance of a trump, but none of the power. Simply an instrument of chance. Only a dealer may give value to the joker. Make him wild, make him trump. Is the dealer Fate? God? The king? A ghost? Witches? The anchoress spoke of the cards in the tarot, forbidden and pagan as they were. We had no cards, but she would describe them for me, and I drew their images on the stones of the antechamber in charcoal. â€Å"The fool's number is zero,† she said, â€Å"but that's because he represents the infinite possibility of all things. He may become anything. See, he carries all of his possessions in a bundle on his back. He is ready for anything, to go anywhere, to become whatever he needs to be. Don't count out the fool, Pocket, simply because his number is zero.† Did she know where I was heading, or do her words only have meaning to me now, as I, the zero, the nothing, seek to move nations? War? I couldn't see the appeal. Drunk, and dire of mood one night, Lear mused of war when I suggested that what he needed to cast off his dark aspect was a good wenching. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, I am too old, and the joy of a fuck withers with my limbs. Only a good killing can still boil lust in my blood. And one will not do, either. Kill me a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand on my command – rivers of blood running through the fields – that's what pumps fire into a man's lance.† â€Å"Oh,† said I. â€Å"I was going to fetch Shanker Mary for you from the laundry, but ten thousand dead and rivers of blood might be a bit beyond her talents, majesty.† â€Å"No, thank you, good Pocket, I shall sit and slide slowly and sadly into oblivion.† â€Å"Or,† said I, â€Å"I could put a bucket on Drool's head and beat him with a sack of beets until the floor is splattered crimson while Shanker Mary gives you a proper tug to accentuate the gore.† â€Å"No, fool, there is no pretending to war.† â€Å"What's Wales doing, majesty? We could invade the Welsh, perpetrate enough slaughter to raise your spirits, and have you back for tea and toast.† â€Å"Wales is ours now, lad.† â€Å"Oh bugger. What's your feeling on attacking North Kensington, then?† â€Å"Kensington's not a mile away. Practically in our own bailey.† â€Å"Aye, nuncle, that's the beauty of it, they'd never see it coming. Like a hot blade through butter, we'd be. We could hear the widows and orphans wailing from the castle walls – like a horny lullaby for you.† â€Å"I should think not. I'm not attacking neighborhoods of London to amuse myself, Pocket. What kind of tyrant do you think me?† â€Å"Oh, above average, sire. Well above bloody average.† â€Å"I'll have you speak no more of war, fool. You've too sweet a nature for such dastardly pursuits.† Too sweet? Moi? Methinks the art of war was made for fools, and fools for war. Kensington trembled that night. On the road to Gloucester I let my anger wane and tried to comfort the old king as best I could by lending him a sympathetic ear and a gentle word when he needed it. â€Å"You simple, sniveling old toss-beast! What did you expect to happen when you put the care of your half-rotted carcass in the talons of that carrion bird of a daughter?† (I may have had some residual anger.) â€Å"But I gave her half my kingdom.† â€Å"And she gave you half the truth in return, when she told you she loved you all.† The old man hung his head and his white hair fell in his face. We sat on stones by the fire. A tent was set in the wood nearby for the king's comfort, as there was no manor house in this northern county for him to take refuge. The rest of us would sleep outside in the cold. â€Å"Wait, fool, until we are under the roof of my second daughter,† said Lear. â€Å"Regan was always the sweet one, she will not be so shabby in her gratitude.† I had no heart to chide the old man any more. Expecting kindness from Regan was hope sung in the key of madness. Always the sweet one? Regan? I think not. My second week in the castle I found young Regan and Goneril in one of the king's solars, teasing little Cordelia, passing a kitten the little one had taken a fancy to over her head, taunting her. â€Å"Oh, come get the kitty,† said Regan. â€Å"Be careful, lest it fly out the window.† Regan pretended she might throw the terrified little cat out the window, and as Cordelia ran, arms stretched out to grab the kitten, Regan reeled and tossed the kitten to Goneril, who swung the kitten toward another window. â€Å"Oh, look, Cordy, she'll be drowned in the moat, just like your traitor mother,† said Goneril. â€Å"Nooooooo!† wailed Cordelia. She was nearly breathless from running sister to sister after the kitten. I stood in the doorway, stunned at their cruelty. The chamberlain had told me that Cordelia's mother, Lear's third queen, had been accused of treason and banished three years before. No one knew exactly the circumstances of the crime, but there were rumors that she had been practicing the old religion, others that she had committed adultery. All the chamberlain knew for sure was that the queen had been taken from the tower in the dead of night, and from that time until my arrival at the castle, Cordelia had not uttered a coherent syllable. â€Å"Drowned as a witch, she was,† said Regan, snatching the kitten out of the air. But this time the little kitten's claws found royal flesh. â€Å"Ow! You little shit!† Regan tossed the kitten out the window. Cordelia loosed an ear-shattering scream. Without thinking I dived through the window after the cat and caught the braided cord with my feet as I flew through. I caught the kitten about five feet below the window as the cord burned between my ankles. Not having thought the move completely through, I hadn't counted on how to catch myself, kitten in hand, when the cord slammed me into the tower wall. The cord tightened around my right ankle. I took the impact on that shoulder and bounced while I watched my coxcomb flutter like a wounded bird to the moat below. I tucked the kitten into my doublet, then climbed back up the cord and in through the window. â€Å"Lovely day for a constitutional, don't you think, ladies?† The three of them all stood with their mouths hanging open, the older sisters had backed against the walls of the solar. â€Å"You lot look like you could use some air,† said I. I took the kitten from my doublet and held it out to Cordelia. â€Å"Kitty's had quite an adventure. Perhaps you should take her to her mum for a nap.† Cordelia took the kitten from me and ran out of the room. â€Å"We can have you beheaded, fool,† said Regan, shaking off her shock. â€Å"Anytime we want,† said Goneril, with less conviction than her sister. â€Å"Shall I send in a maid to tie back the tapestry, mum?† I asked, with a grand wave to the tapestry I'd loosed from the wall when I leapt. â€Å"Uh, yes, do that,† commanded Regan. â€Å"This instant!† â€Å"This instant,† barked Goneril. â€Å"Right away, mum.† And with a grin and a bow, I was gone from the room. I made my way down the spiral stairs clinging to the wall, lest my heart give out and send me tumbling. Cordelia stood at the bottom of the stairs, cradling the kitten, looking up at me as if I were Jesus, Zeus, and St. George all back from a smashing day of dragon slaying. Her eyes were unnaturally wide and she appeared to have stopped breathing. Bloody awe, I suppose. â€Å"Stop staring like that, lamb, it's disturbing. People will think you've a chicken bone caught in your throat.† â€Å"Thank you,† she said, with a great, shoulder-shaking sob. I patted her head. â€Å"You're welcome, love. Now run along, Pocket has to fish his hat from the moat and then go to the kitchen and drink until his hands stop shaking or he drowns in his own sick, whichever comes first.† She backed away to let me pass, never taking her eyes from mine. It had been thus since the night I arrived at the tower – when her mind first crept out from whatever dark place it had been living before my arrival – those wide, crystal-blue eyes looking at me with unblinking wonder. The child could be right creepy. â€Å"Do not make yourself a maid to surprise, nuncle,† said I. I held the reins of my and the king's horse as they drank from an ice-laced stream some hundred miles north of Gloucester. â€Å"Regan is a treasure to be sure, but she may have the same mind as her sister. Although they will deny it, it's often been the case.† â€Å"I cannot think it so,† said the king. â€Å"Regan will receive us with open arms.† There was a racket behind us and the king turned. â€Å"Ah, what is this?† A gaily painted wagon was coming out of the wood toward us. Several of the knights reached for swords or lances. Captain Curan waved for them to stand at ease. â€Å"Mummers, sire,† said the Captain. â€Å"Aye,† said Lear, â€Å"I forgot, the Yule is nearly on us. They'll be going to Gloucester as well, I'll wager, to play for the Yule feast. Pocket, go tell them that we grant them safe passage and they may follow our train under our protection.† The wagon creaked to a stop. Happening upon a train of fifty knights and attendants in the countryside would put any performer on guard. The man driving the wagon stood at the reins and waved. He wore a grand purple hat with a white plume in it. I leapt the narrow stream, and made my way up the road. When the driver saw my motley he smiled. I, too, smiled, in relief – this was not the cruel master from my own days as a mummer. â€Å"Hail, fool, what finds you so far from court and castle?† â€Å"I carry my court with me and my castle lies ahead, sirrah.† â€Å"Carry your court? Then that white-haired old man is – â€Å" â€Å"Aye, King Lear himself.† â€Å"Then you are the famous Black Fool.† â€Å"At your bloody service,† said I, with a bow. â€Å"You're smaller than in the stories,† said the big-hatted weasel. â€Å"Aye, and your hat is an ocean in which your wit wanders like a lost plague ship.† The mummer laughed. â€Å"You give me more than my due, sirrah. We trade not in wit like you, wily fool. We are thespians!† With that, three young men and a girl stepped out from behind the wagon and bowed gracefully and with far too much flourish than was called for. â€Å"Thesbians,† said they, in chorus. I tipped my coxcomb. â€Å"Well, I enjoy a lick of the lily from time to time myself,† said I, â€Å"but it's hardly something you want to paint on the side of a wagon.† â€Å"Not lesbians,† said the girl, â€Å"thesbians. We are actors.† â€Å"Oh,† said I. â€Å"That's different.† â€Å"Aye,† said big hat. â€Å"We've no need of wit – the play's the thing, you see. Not a word passes our lips that hasn't been chewed thrice and spat out by a scribe.† â€Å"Unburdened by originality are we,† said an actor in a red waistcoat. The girl said, â€Å"Although we do bear the cross of fabulously shiny hair – â€Å" â€Å"Blank slates, we are,† said another of the actors. â€Å"We are mere appendages of the pen, so to speak,† said big hat. â€Å"Yeah, you're a bloody appendage, all right,† I said under my breath. â€Å"Well, actors then. Smashing. The king has bade me tell you that he grants you safe passage to Gloucester and offers his protection.† â€Å"Oh my,† said big hat. â€Å"We are only going as far as Birmingham, but I suppose we could double back from Gloucester if his majesty wishes us to perform.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"Please, do pass through and on to Birmingham. The king would never impede the progress of artists.† â€Å"You're certain?† said big hat. â€Å"We've been rehearsing a classic from antiquity, Green Eggs and Hamlet, the story of a young prince of Denmark who goes mad, drowns his girlfriend, and in his remorse, forces spoiled breakfast on all whom he meets. It was pieced together from fragments of an ancient Merican manuscript.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"I think it will be too esoteric for the king. He is old and nods off during long performances.† â€Å"Shame,† said big hat. â€Å"A moving piece. Let me do a selection for you. ‘Green eggs, or not green eggs? That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to eat them in a box, with a fox – ‘† â€Å"Stop!† said I. â€Å"Go now, and quickly. War has come to the land and rumor has it that as soon as they've finished with the lawyers, they're going to kill all the actors.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Aye,† I nodded most sincerely. â€Å"Quick, on to Birmingham, before you are slaughtered.† â€Å"Everyone jump on,† said big hat, and the actors did as directed. â€Å"Fare thee well, fool!† Then he snapped the reins and drove off, the wagon's wheels bouncing in the ruts of the road. Lear's train parted and watched as the team pulled the wagon by at a gallop. â€Å"What was that?† asked Lear when I returned. â€Å"Wagonload of knobs,† said I. â€Å"Why do they hurry, so?† â€Å"We commanded it so, nuncle. Half their troupe is ill with fever. We want them nowhere near your men.† â€Å"Oh, good show, then, lad. I thought you might be missing the life and were going to join their troupe.† I shuddered at the thought. It had been a cold December day like this when I'd first come to the White Tower with my mummer troupe. We were decidedly not thespians, but singers, jugglers, and acrobats, and I a special asset because I could do all three. Our master was a crooked Belgian named Belette, who bought me from Mother Basil for ten shillings and the promise to feed me. He spoke Dutch, French, and a very broken English, so I don't know how he managed to secure the White Tower for a performance that Christmas, but I was told later that the troupe that was supposed to have performed had suddenly taken ill with stomach cramps and I suspect that Belette poisoned them. I had been with Belette for months, and except for the beatings and cold nights sleeping under a wagon, I had received little but my daily bread, the occasional cup of wine, and the skills of knife-throwing and sleight of hand as it could be applied to purse cutting. We were led into the great hall at the tower, which was filled with nobles reveling and feasting on platters of food such as I had never seen. King Lear sat at the center of the main table, flanked by two beautiful girls about my age, who I would later find out were Regan and Goneril. Beside Regan sat Gloucester, his wife, and their son Edgar. The intrepid Kent sat on the other side next to Goneril. Under that table, at Lear's feet, a little girl was curled up, watching the celebration – wide-eyed, like a frightened animal, clinging to a rag doll. I must confess, I thought the child might be deaf or even simpleminded. We performed for perhaps two hours, singing songs of the saints during dinner, then moving on to bawdier fare as the wine flowed and the guests loosened their hold on propriety. By late in the evening everyone was laughing, the guests were dancing with the performers, and even the commoners who lived in the castle had joined the party, but the little girl remained under the table, making not a sound. Not a smile, not an eyebrow raised in delight. There was light there behind those crystal-blue eyes – this was not a simpleton – but she seemed to be staring out of them from afar. I crawled under the table and sat next to her. She barely acknowledged my presence. I leaned in close and nodded toward Belette, who stood by a column near the center of the hall, leering lecherously at the young girls who frolicked about him. I could see the little girl spied the scoundrel, too. Ever so softly, I sang a little song the anchoress had taught me, with the lyrics changed a bit to adapt to the situation. â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat who ate his tail.† And the little girl pulled back and looked at me, as if to see if I had really sung such a thing. And I sang on: â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, who drowned in a pail.† And the little girl cackled – a broken, little-girl yodel of a laugh that rang of innocence and joy and delight. I sang on, and ever so softly, she sang with me, â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat – â€Å" And we were no longer alone under the table. There was another pair of crystal-blue eyes, and behind them a white-haired king. The old king smiled and squeezed my biceps. And before the other guests noticed that the king was under the table, he sat back up on his throne, but he reached down and lay a hand across the little girl's shoulder and the other upon mine. It was a hand reached across a vast chasm of reality – from the highest position of ruler of the realm, to a lowborn orphan boy who slept in the mud under a wagon. I thought it must have been how a knight felt when the king's sword touched his shoulder, elevating him to nobility. â€Å"Was a rat, was a rat, was a rat,† we sang. When the party died down and noble guests hung drunk over the tables, the servants piled onto the floor before the fire, Belette began to move among the revelers and tap each of his performers, calling them to gather by the door. I had fallen asleep under the table, and the little girl against my arm. He pulled me up by my hair. â€Å"You did nothing all night. I watched.† I knew there was a beating in store for when we got back to the wagon, and I was prepared for it. At least I had eaten some supper at the feast. But as Belette turned to drag me away he stopped, abruptly. I looked up to see the master frozen in space, a sword-point pressed into his cheek just below his eye. He let go of my hair. â€Å"Good thought,† said Kent, the old bull, pulling his sword back, but holding it steadily aimed, a hand's breadth from Belette's eye. There was a sound of coin on the table and Belette couldn't help but look down, even at the peril of his life. A doeskin purse as big as a man's fist lay before him. The chamberlain, a tall, severe chap who looked perpetually down his nose, stood beside Kent. He said, â€Å"Your payment, plus ten pounds, which you shall accept as payment for this boy.† â€Å"But – † said Belette. â€Å"You are a word from your mortality, sirrah,† said Lear. â€Å"Do go on.† He sat straight and regal on his throne, one hand pressed to the cheek of the little girl, who had awakened and was clinging to his leg. Belette took the purse, bowed deeply, and backed across the hall. The other mummers of my troupe bowed and followed him out. â€Å"What is your name, boy?† asked Lear. â€Å"Pocket, your majesty.† â€Å"Well, then, Pocket, do you see this child?† â€Å"Yes, majesty.† â€Å"Her name is Cordelia. She is our youngest daughter, and henceforth shall be your mistress. You have one duty above all, Pocket. That is to make her happy.† â€Å"Yes, majesty.† â€Å"Take him to Bubble,† said the king. â€Å"Have her feed and bathe him, then find him new clothes.† Back on the road to Gloucester, Lear said, â€Å"So, what is your will, Pocket? Would you be a traveling mummer again – trade the comfort of the castle for the adventure of the road?† â€Å"Apparently, I have, nuncle,† said I. We camped at the stream, which froze over during the night. The old man sat shivering by the fire with his rich fur cloak wrapped around him; the garment so full and the man so slight that it appeared he was being consumed by a slow but well-groomed beast. Only his white beard and the hawk nose were visible outside the cloak – two stars of fire shone back in the cape creature, his eyes. Snow fell around us in great wet orgies of flakes, and my own woolen cloak, which I'd pulled over my head, was sodden. â€Å"Have I been so unfit as a father that my daughters would turn on me so?† asked Lear. Why, now, did he choose to stare into the dark barrel of his soul, when he'd been content all these years to simply scoop out his desires and let the consequences wash over whomever they may? Bloody inopportune time for introspection, after you've given away the roof over your head. But I did not say so. â€Å"What would I know of proper fathering, sire? I had no father nor mother. I was reared by the Church, and I'd not give a hot squirt of piss for the lot of them.† â€Å"Poor boy,† said the king. â€Å"As long as I live, you shall have father and family.† I would have pointed out that he had himself declared his crawl to the grave commenced, and that given his performance with his daughters, I might do better to go forth an orphan, but the old man had rescued me from the life of a slave and wanderer, and given me a home in the palace, with friends and, I suppose, family of a sort. So I said, â€Å"Thank you, majesty.† The old man sighed heavily and said, â€Å"None of my three queens ever loved me.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake, Lear, I'm a jester, not a bloody wizard. If you're going to keep diving into the muck of your regrets then I'll just hold your sword for you and you can see if you can get your ancient ass moving enough to fall on the pointy part so we can both get some bloody peace.† Lear laughed then – twisted old oak that he was – and patted my shoulder. â€Å"I could ask nothing more of a son than he give me laughter in my despair. I'm off to bed. Sleep in my tent, tonight, Pocket, out of the cold.† â€Å"Aye, sire.† I was touched by the old man's kindness, I cannot deny it. The old man tottered over to his tent. One of the pages had been carrying hot stones into the tent for an hour and I felt the heat rush out as the king ducked inside. â€Å"I'll be in after I've had a wee,† said I. I walked to the edge of the fire's light and beside a great bare elm was relieving myself when a blue light shimmered in the forest before me. â€Å"Well, that's a woolly tuft of lamb wank,† said a woman's voice, just as the girl ghost stepped out from behind the tree upon which I was weeing. â€Å"God's balls, wisp, I've almost peed on you!† â€Å"Careful, fool,† said the ghost, looking frighteningly solid now – just a tad translucent – snowflakes were passing through her. But I was not frightened. â€Å"Warm thy grateful heart, In the king's family, But for his royal crimes, You'd not an orphan be.† â€Å"That's it?† I asked. â€Å"Rhymes and riddles? Still?† â€Å"All you need for now,† said the ghost. â€Å"I saw the witches,† said I. â€Å"They seemed to know you.† â€Å"Aye,† said the ghost. â€Å"There's dark deeds afoot at Gloucester, fool. Don't lose sight.† â€Å"Sight of what?† But she was gone, and I was standing in the woods, my willie in my hand, talking to a tree. On to Gloucester in the morning, and I'd see what I was not to lose sight of. Or some such nonsense. Cornwall's and Regan's flags flew over the battlements alongside Gloucester's, showing they had already arrived. Castle Gloucester was a bundle of towers surrounded by a lake on three sides and by a wide moat at the front – no outer curtain wall like the White Tower or Albany, no bailey, just a small front courtyard and a gatehouse that protected the entrance. The city wall, on the land side of the castle, provided the outer defenses for stables and barracks. As we approached, a trumpet sounded from the wall announcing us. Drool came running across the drawbridge, his arms held high. â€Å"Pocket, Pocket, where have you been? My friend! My friend!† I was greatly relieved to see him alive, but the great, simple bear pulled me from my horse and hugged me until I could barely breathe, dancing me in a circle, my feet flying in the air as if I was a doll. â€Å"Stop licking, Drool, you lout, you'll wear my hair off.† I clouted the oaf on the back with Jones and he yowled. â€Å"Ouch. Don't hit, Pocket.† He dropped me and crouched, hugging himself as if he were his own comforting mother, which he may have been, for all I know. I saw red-brown stains on his shirt back, and so lifted it to see the cause. â€Å"Oh, lad, what has happened to you?† My voice broke, tears tried to push out of my eyes, and I gasped. The muscular slab of Drool's back was nearly devoid of skin – his hide had been torn and scabbed over and torn again by a vicious lash. â€Å"I've missed you most awful,† said Drool. â€Å"Aye, me too, but how happened these stripes?† â€Å"Lord Edmund says I am an insult to nature and must be punished.† Edmund. Bastard.

Energy Drinks Customer Analysis Essay

Energy drinks consumers are generally bellow 35 years of age. The industry targets teenagers, young adults and athletes. Workers are also included in the market segment for this product. As regards to customers description, recent studies has pointed out that 65% of energy markets are male (Energy Drinks Market, n. d). Consumers are usually single with an average income (Central Information Organization, 2009, p. 8). Nowadays, energy drinks are very popular among teenager students. As confirmed by Bahrain Central Information Organization webpage (CIO), students’ rate is 174. 98 per 1000 population. This is a large percent taking into account the very small population of Bahrain. Furthermore, people at this period of age are well known to be very outgoing and active but with increasing burdens of daily studies they become very busy and in need for a fast and effective boost for their energy. Similarly, athletes are mostly young adults and students at the same time. They surely need energy drinks to build their bodies and to provide them with more strength to exercise their favorite sport. Added to that, workers constitute the third part of energy drinks customers. They use energy drinks quite often, especially the ones with two jobs or more or a full time job. Working in these fields becomes so exhausting which creates a need for more energy and it is obtained by energy drink consumption. For students energy drinks are intensively consumed during midterm or final exams period. Teenagers become nervous and very tired due to the great pressure provoked by hard work studying. A recent study shows that one-half of college students consume at least 1 energy drink per month (M. A. Heckman, K. Sherry, and E. Gonzalez de Mejia, 2010). Students expect that this would help them gain more energy in compensate of the amount they have lost. Added to that, athletes need energy drinks before big matches or during tournaments. They aim to gain extra power in order to be able to exercise more and to go on with their games. The customers’ situations mentioned above will certainly cause high demand on this product in energy drinks market. What’s more the distribution of the product in Bahrain will be on several places around the country. Hyper markets, pharmacies, universities and colleges, gyms and also sport clubs are all ideal places to introduce the product as the three main customers frequently visit those locations. Briefly, market segment for energy drinks is growing well and ready for new products. 2. 2 Customer Description At the time we come to think about energy drinks consumers, we must determine which group is in real need for the product. Every person is exposed to the fatigue of daily life which often comes with hard studying or overwork. Youth though, are the most affected group of people as they suffer more from the insufficient amount of energy caused by lack of sleep and hard work (Target Group for Energy Drink: Ads and the Market, n. d). â€Å"Granted, a great number of people are working longer hours and appear to lead busier and more stressful lives; however their bodies often can’t cope because they are often also making poor food and lifestyle choices† (J. Davies, n. d, paragraph 1). For energy drinks consumers, motivation depends on how often they actually need to satisfy their wants and needs. However, many campaigns were started by lead energy drinks companies to stimulate motivation. Nevertheless, this target market is mostly consisted of male consumers who mostly believe in the sincerity of energy drinks claims. As a consequence, energy drinks are basically targeted towards today generation (Target Group for Energy Drink: Ads and the Market, n. d). 2. 2. 1 Geographic the product will hit units with the largest amount of populations in Bahrain. As demonstrated in the table bellow, the majority of the population is concentrated in the three governorates: Capital, Central and Northern. Administrative units, figure 1 Northern Central Capital Muharraq Southern Southern Map of The Administrative Units Division, figure 2 Moreover, all three are located in the upper side of the country (figure 2). As explained in further point of this report the product is a new brand of Coca Cola Co. The Cola factory is located in Salmabad an industrial area in Bahrain (Wikipedia, 2010). This would be the start point of the distribution process. Then, the product will be delivered to universities, one of the largest places of students gatherings for example: University of Bahrain, Bahrain polytechnic and AMA. The product will be available in campuses whether in canteens, small cold stores or even cafeterias. Also, athletes can easily find the product in gyms and other sports halls. Furthermore, famous hypermarkets such as: Geant, Lulu and Carrefour Hypermarket will be the ultimate seller for the product. All three types of customer can simply find the product in one of these locations. 2. 2. 2 Demographic To start with, market segment for energy drinks is targeted at group of people in their late teens to early thirties. The age group is determined between 18 to 34 years of old. Age Groups| Both Sexes| Males| 15 – 19| 70,363| 35,961| 20 – 24| 102,341| 60,497| 25 – 29| 151,173| 102,994| 30 – 34| 139,108| 93,838| Total| 462985| 293290| Figure 3 The data in this table is retrieved from Bahrain Central Information Organization This table presents the population of both Bahraini and non-Bahraini residents in the age group of 15-34. The third column illustrates Males numbers since the majority of consumers belong to this gender. According to the above table, the total population of this market segment is estimated by 462985. Almost 293290 are men which mean they are more than the half of the entire population. There are three main occupations for this crowd they are students, athletes or busy employees. The statistics of Supreme Council for Woman SCW shows that the average age of first marriage for men is 26. 4. This indicates that group A are still single while are married. The statistics also confirm that most families in Bahrain include 5 to 6 members. This proves that consumers typically have a medium size family. What’s more, the first group of consumers is supposed to be high school seniors, recent graduates or college students. On the other hand, group B members are usually universities graduates and new employees. It is proven that customers are willing to pay more per liter in return they expect to receive a satisfactory boost of energy (staff reporter, 2006, paragraph 5). 2. 2. 3 Psychological Characteristics There are several behaviors that characterize energy drinks customers. They are always seeking for more energy. Those consumers are very practical and always thinking of having fun. However, they can easily be tired out by daily duties and work. Especially if they are students with part time jobs or sport activities for athletic students. Added to that, workers who have two or more jobs or work in a full time job can also be jeopardized to continuous pressure and every day stress. Therefore, energy drinks becomes the savior for them due to the immediate power that helps them restore their low energy and persist the day normally. 2. 2. 4 Behavioral Characteristics The majority of energy drinks customers are young people. Their love for life and hyper is what really distinguish them. What’s more, energy drinks consumers are described to be really outgoing and very active. This crowd is always trying to find a better way to enjoy their selves. Another thing is that, this group like speed, flash, and direct thrill which can be obtained by most energy drinks taking into account the important role of bold packaging in satisfying customers taste (Packaging Schemes & Energy: Popular Drink Designs, n. d). Nevertheless, in some point of the day they can get really busy which upset quite a large number of them and prevent them from completing their activities. This is where the energy drinks market takes place of forming a reliable renewed source of body energy. References 1. Energy Drinks Market. n. d. Retrieved from http://researchwikis. com/Energy_Drinks_Market 2. Bahrain Central Information Organization. Page. 8. 2009. Retrieved from http://www. cio. gov. bh/CIO_ARA/English/Publications/Bahrain%20in%20Figure/BIF2007_2008. pdf 3. M. A. Heckman. K. Sherry. and E. Gonzalez de Mejia. 2010.