The Modern Temper by Lynn Dumenil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Modern Temper by Lynn Dumenil - Essay Example This phase of history is asserted by the creator to have built up â€Å"the focal themes that have formed the advanced American temper.† While she recognizes how significant the job is of World War I being an instrument or procedure of making the ‘roaring twenties’ occur, Dumenil doesn't have confidence in the normal information which induces that World War I is immensely liable for such a result on which different parts of progress in American culture, governmental issues, economy, and culture are installed. To her, it appears that the primary source focuses to the significant occasions of the mechanical insurgency just as the results of a quickly industrialized culture inside an entrepreneur society. This is to state that World War I serves just to clean the outcomes in the general picture of dynamic economy or the possibility of thriving which made populace move from rustic districts to urban areas accepted to have focuses of business and sufficient work to help great expectations for everyday comforts. Among various patterns which are very clear in her examination of the 1920s, the growing bureaucratic type of government is unmistakable yet to some degree famous for respecting over the top force which had blended general doubt the country over. By noticing how a U.S. delegate kept a contention about light investment funds time in a wartime program, Dumenil exhibits how government laws are practiced even in taking care of negligible issues of legislative issues, snidely responding â€Å"we may before long have laws passed endeavoring to direct the volume of air a man ought to inhale, suspend the laws of gravity, or change the shades of the rainbow.† Alongside the expanding condition of administration developed urban progressivism and pluralism in America’s heterogeneous society. Combined with a mass-purchaser culture, this prompted inconsistent dispersion of riches so social developments which impacted diverse strict, ethnic, and social gatherings were

Vitamins May Hurt Your Health

Nutrients May Hurt Your Health MSN ran an element about ConsumerLab.coms examination concerning the virtue of multivitamins. The lab saw 21 brands of multivitamins available to be purchased in the U.S. furthermore, Canada and discovered just 10 of these brands met the marked cases or in any case satisfied quality guidelines. That doesnt need to mean anything groundbreaking. It could have been different brands were near gathering norms or had minor issues. In any case, the quality issues were ones that could really hurt your wellbeing. The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women were seen as sullied with lead. Presently, gives put this access viewpoint. A few calcium supplements risk lead pollution, since lead and calcium take an interest in a considerable lot of a similar synthetic responses and are hard to isolate. That follow measures of lead would be available may be normal. Be that as it may, ConsumerLab.com detailed an every day portion of this mulitvitamin contained an incredible 15.3 micrograms of lead (in excess of multiple times the sum allowed without a notice in California). To exacerbate the situation, however you got some reward lead for your bucks, you just got 54% of the expressed degrees of calcium. Another nutrient represented an alternate hazard. Legend Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a children multivitamin, contained 216% of the marked measure of nutrient An in the retinol structure [5,400 International Units (IU)], which is extensively higher than as far as possible set by the Institute of Medicine of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1 to 3 and 3,000 IU for kids ages 4 to 8. Nutrient An is one of the nutrients where more isn't better. Rather, an excessive amount of nutrient A can debilitate bones and cause liver harm. Are these quality control issues? Indeed, yet I would have been shocked if the lab had discovered the nutrients met their expressed cases. Why? For two reasons. To begin with, nutrients arent controlled by indistinguishable norms from medication. They are viewed as enhancements and not drugs. Your best guard against this is to purchase an item from broadly perceived trustworthy source with an enthusiasm for ensuring its great name. The other explanation I wouldnt anticipate that nutrients should contain precisely what is recorded on the mark is straightforward science. Nutrients, by their very nature, are receptive. The amounts recorded in an item will change through the span of its timeframe of realistic usability. Your fundamental security here is to not take nutrients past their termination date. Would it be a good idea for you to take a multivitamin? Ask yourself whether the potential advantage exceeds the hazard. In the event that you are taking a significant name brand multivitamin, you are presumably getting around what is recorded. And, after its all said and done, expect some variety inside the item and some level of substantial metal tainting with items that incorporate minerals. These nutrients for the most part are protected, however dont take them consequently accepting they will support you.

13 Super Cool Examples of Experiential Marketing (Engage Your Customers Now)

13 Super Cool Examples of Experiential Marketing (Engage Your Customers Now) You probably have at least one memory of a time when you felt a special connection with a brand or its product or service. You remember loving the brand so much that you’d literally stop on the street to watch its advert playing on a giant screen.You know all the words of the song or jingle, and you are willing to line up for hours just to get your hands on a limited edition product. In other words, you are fully immersed in the experience offered by that brand.You have just experienced, firsthand, what is referred to as “experiential marketing”. © Shutterstock.com | one photoIn this article, we discover 1) what is experiential marketing, 2) its pros and cons, and 3) inspiring examples of well played experiential marketing campaigns.EXPERIENCING EXPERIENTIAL MARKETINGPerhaps the phrase is new to you, and you are more familiar with its other name, “engagement marketing”. No matter; they are one and the same. In fact, there are other terms used to refer to the same concept, such as “event marketing”, “participative or participation marketing”, and “live marketing”.Experiential marketing, or engagement marketing, is a marketing strategy that encompasses a consumer’s experience with a brand, product or service, inviting and encouraging his direct participation. This direct engagement allows the customer to experience the product or service firsthand â€" to touch it, to feel it, to participate in it, and to immerse himself in the entire experience.Experiential marketers do things differently as, say, those who p ractice traditional marketing. Conventional forms of advertising and marketing often involves presenting the product â€" its features, specifications and the many benefits it offers â€" to the consumer, and letting the latter make his decision based on the presentation. Traditional marketers unleash their charm and their skill at sales talk to convince the consumer to buy them product or service.However, in experiential marketing, the consumer gets to do more than just listen and watch. He will be allowed to try the service or test the product. The experiential marketer will facilitate this interaction between product/service and consumer and, afterwards, let the consumer make the decision whether to buy or not, based on his experience. Sure, there is still some sales talk involved, but the marketer will let the product or service do most of the “talking” and convincing.This is certainly one way of putting great stock on the adage “experience is the best teacher”. They let t he experience teach the customers why the product or service is worth buying, and why the brand deserves their loyalty.Big and established brands are seen using a combination of traditional and experiential marketing in their marketing campaigns. Why is that, you ask? Because they will be able to reap the benefits of both traditional and experiential marketing. PROS AND CONS OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETINGThere are benefits and drawbacks to experiential marketing. Among the advantages that business may reap from it are discussed below.Experiential marketing makes it easier and faster to direct the consumer’s focus and attention on a product or service, because it engages more than one or two senses of the customer simultaneously. For example, through a wine tasting event sponsored by a winery, the marketer will be able to direct the consumer’s attention to the taste and aroma of the wine, and the pleasure of feeling smooth wine glide down their throat. They are also opening up the cus tomer’s awareness of sharing great wine in the company of friends.Experiential marketing promotes brand loyalty of customers. If a product or service delivers what it promised or claimed, a consumer will definitely like it and decide to purchase it. Experiential marketing techniques will reinforce this positive impression in the customer, so he will decide to keep coming back to that product or service, and eventually stick to that brand for the long term.This marketing strategy, when done right, can potentially increase the profitability of the company. Brand loyalty among consumers means that there will be a loyal following, which also means that there will be stability in the inflow of revenue. More revenue means higher profit, and more profit means greater opportunities for the growth of the business.There is also another side of the coin, presenting drawbacks that must be addressed properly by the marketers.Experiential marketing has a narrower reach at a given time, compared to traditional marketing. A traditional advertisement may be presented to hundreds, thousands and hundreds of thousands of target consumers at one time. Publish an ad in a national newspaper and practically every newspaper reader in the country is bound to see it. Air it as a TV commercial, and you can reach pretty much all the viewers who are tuned in at a specific time. With experiential marketing, that may be quite difficult. In order to let the customer get the full experience, one-on-one interaction is the best way to go about it. This means that you can only target a limited number of consumers at a time.Experiential marketing requires a lot of marketing manpower. This requires a hands-on approach in dealing with customers, and since it is one-on-one, if the company wants to reach as many consumers as possible, there has to be a lot of “hands” on deck, working. More hands means higher expenses on labor and manpower.In general, experiential marketing may be more expensive. Aside from additional manpower costs, the company will have to spend on other expenses related to its experiential marketing expenses, such as the cost of samples and other related overhead. Even the service hours that were rendered for free just so the customer can be apprised on the services of the company cost money.SUPER COOL EXAMPLES OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETINGOver the years, many companies and brands have made use of experiential marketing. Some worked, some failed, and there are others that were so imaginative and “super cool” that they are bound to be remembered even years later. Here are 13 of some of the most super cool experiential marketing strategies ever.1. “I Wanna Have a Sleepover in IKEA” of IKEA (2011)When furniture retail giant IKEA found out about the Facebook group that called themselves “I wanna have a sleepover in IKEA”, it invited 100 winners out of the almost 100,000 members to a sleepover inside its furniture warehouse in Essex in the UK.In the p ajamas-only sleepover, the guests each got goodie bags, on top of massages and manicures. They were also treated to movies and a reality TV star swung by to read them a bedtime story. They also got to check out and test the various IKEA products inside the warehouse. It’s like a “first look”, only better, because they get to spend the night in furniture heaven!This is a great example of experiential marketing utilizing social media.2. “Livestrong Chalkbot” of Nike (2009)Nike carved its name in experiential marketing with this award-winning campaign, meant to raise cancer awareness and promote Livestrong, the cancer foundation of Tour de France perennial champion Lance Armstrong, who is also famous for being a cancer survivor.In the Livestrong Chalkbot interactive campaign, Nike’s ad agency Wieden + Kennedy commissioned Deeplocal and Standard Robot to build a purpose-built roving machine. Tweets, SMS and other messages via web banners and WearYellow.com were collected fro m Tour fans and spectators from all over the world, and the Chalkbot sprayed these messages in yellow chalk on the roads of the Tour de France 2009 route.The world, especially those who participated in sending messages, became witness to the messages chalked on the roads for the three-week duration of the Tour.According to Nike, this campaign brought its apparel sales up by a whopping 46%. 3. “Guinness Class” of Guinness (2012)Guinness did not have a new product, and it did not have any new offering. But that did not stop it from coming up with a new campaign to build up on what it already has. For many drinkers in the UK, Guinness represents a lot of things, and the campaign played on that, awakening in them the desire or aspiration to fly to Dublin, Ireland on a private jet (the Guinness Class), with three of their best mates.In order to get a chance to win the plum prize, consumers are encouraged to head to any of the 1000 participating pubs across the UK between 6pm and 8pm, from October 5 to December 1, 2012. During that period, staff of Guinness, wearing the flight attendant uniforms, will enter the bars at random, and whoever is caught to have ordered and is drinking a pint of Guinness will get a chance to win various prizes, to be indicated by a mobile tablet. Every night, one winner will get that private jet to Dublin prize.The campaign ran for 9 weeks and a total of 85 lucky winners got to experience the Guinness Class.4. “D Rose Jump Store” of Adidas and Derrick Rose (2013)Getting Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose to sign a 13-year exclusive contract may have cost Adidas close to $185 million, but there is no denying that it was one profitable partnership, made even more successful by its experiential marketing strategy.The most notable of these strategies is the pop-up store “D Rose Jump Store” that Adidas opened in London. When news about the NBA superstar showing up at the store spread, hundreds â€" young and old â€" lined up to catch a glimpse of Rose and even meet him up close.But things got even more exciting when the fans got a chance to win a pair of Derrick Rose 3.5 trainers. All they had to do was to be able to jump up 10 feet in the air, to grab a pair from the top of the wall. They get to bring home the pair that they are able to grab.5. “The Great Sensitivity Test” of Sensodyne (2013)GSK, maker of the Sensodyne line of toothpastes, launched its new Novamin Complete Protection technology, specially designed for sensitive teeth. They gave away free samples of the Sensodyne Complete Protection, but they did not stop there. To ensure customer engagement, they allowed customers to experience “The Great Sensitivity Test”.GSK set up “The Great Sensitivity Test” at Potters Field in London, and sent word about the activity with the help of YouTube celebrities and influencers. The area was divided into three zones. Zone 1 was the Sensitivity Zone, where guests can undergo a 10-minute sensitivity dental check, play games for prizes, and get free product samples and advice at the Product Demo. Zone 2, or the Giant Molar, is where guests can have their photo taken beside a 4-meter tall white molar.At Zone 3, visitors get a chance to help nab an Official Guinness World Record for the “World’s Largest Oral Hygiene Lesson”. It may not have scored a world record, but the numbers during the event were impressive enough to count “The Great Sensitivity Test” as one of the best examples of real engagement.6. “Just Dance Now” of Ubisoft (2014)Ubisoft, the developer behind the Just Dance Now video game, was ready to launch the latest version of the app, and they needed to do it with a bang. In December 4, 2014, Ubisoft turned Piccadilly Circus into one huge dance floor.In the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square, spectators were surprised when the Just Dance now troupe went up on the stage and danced. They hyped up the crowd and encouraged them to joi n along, using music from the Just Dance app. The whole place turned into something akin to a flash mob, with the crowd jumping in and having fun. Prizes were also given to those who downloaded the Just Dance Now app.7. “Virtual Balcony” of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (2014 to present)When RCCL first launched its high-tech “Quantum of the Seas” ship, it was touted as the world’s “smartest” ship, and they made that possible by introducing the “Virtual Balcony”.Basically, every interior stateroom of the ship is fitted with 80-inch 4K screens on one wall, and these screens stream live ocean views and sounds, courtesy of footage captured by high-performance cameras strategically situated around the ship. Now this may not be a huge deal for those in staterooms that get the real view, but interior staterooms are windowless, so the virtual balcony is a stroke of marketing genius.Some more awesome examples of experiential marketing campaigns. 8. “Bates Motel” of AE (2 015)Part of the marketing of the TV show “Bates Motel” was the construction of a replica of the eerie hotel of the title and opening it to the public during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival on March 13 to 21, 2015. The hotel replica was built beside the Austin Convention Center.Fans (and even non-fans) of the series are welcome to enter the hotel and take a tour of the rooms, which are fully furnished, just like a real hotel. It has housekeeping and you can even chat with the front desk staff! (Some of the bathrooms, by the way, come with bath tubs that has â€" wouldn’t you know it â€" blood.)And to prove that it is a working hotel, visitors can throw in their names for a raffle draw, and the winner got to spend one night in the Bates Motel, where they will get the whole hotel experience, complete with a welcome package of wine and brownies, as well as maid service and liquor minibar room service by collaborator brands Austin Bakery Delish, Tito’s Vodka, Drizly deliver y service, and booking platform Handy.9. “Probably the Best Poster in the World” of Carlsberg (2015)Carlsberg is readily identifiable the world over for its tagline “Probably the best beer in the world”, which was used since 1973 and was dropped in 2011. In 2015, the brand revived the tagline by using experiential marketing.In a collaboration with ad agencies Fold 7 and Mission Media, they came up with “Probably the best poster in the world” campaign, which consisted of a giant, rectangular poster with a green background and the words visibly printed, in white, in the company’s identifiable font style. The poster was set up at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, an area in London known as a hub for beer drinkers.Now you may be wondering, what is so special about a large poster that occupies almost the first floor façade of a building? Well, it is not just a giant poster. It’s actually a billboard that dispenses beer, with an actual, working tap at the center of th e poster!Londoners â€" specifically those who are 18 years old and above â€" queued in front of the “best poster in the world” to get their one free pint of Carlsberg beer. This is part of Carlsberg’s aim to recapture the beer market that has been slowly edged out by lager brands over the years.10. “The Bottle with a Mission” of Heineken (2015)Dutch brewing company Heineken is now more than just about selling its world-famous pale lager beer. It has also developed the “Heineken Experience”, which has now become one of the tourist attractions in Amsterdam.This museum, which is located in a former brewery, offers visitors an interactive tour through the history of Heineken. For the finale, visitors will be led to a tasting room and drink as much as they want.In order to lure visitors to the Heineken Experience, the company commissioned ad agency JWT Amsterdam to come up with something. What they did was to fit the signature green bottles of Heineken with a GPS system. Th ese GPS-enabled bottles are then placed in random spots in the city, where people can easily spot them and pick them up.Once the person starts walking, with the bottle in hand, the built-in compass will cause the bottle to vibrate and point the person holding it to follow a route, following major sightseeing spots and landmarks of the city, until finally leading him to the Heineken Experience.Clearly, this ploy has worked, because in 2014 alone, Heineken Experience recorded 730,000 visitors, with the number growing by the year.11. “Stillness in Motion” of Delta Airlines (2015)Delta Airlines’ campaign to introduce its suite of in-flight products that “help people become more productive when they travel” got its inspiration from travel writer Pico Iyer’s book, “The Art of Stillness”. The result was an installation aptly called “Stillness in Motion” and created by experiential marketing studio MKG. It was unveiled during the TED 2015 conference.The installation was a mirrored chamber with a spa-like tranquility, where the user can sit on a chair and let the strategically placed biometric sensors do their work. The heartbeat of the user will be monitored by a heart rate sensor, and the space will be illuminated. Soon the lights and sounds inside the chamber will pulse in time with the user’s heartbeat.Since this is meant to promote the idea of being productive even in stillness, the chamber will react as the user calms down and becomes still, as evidenced by a low heart rate. The lower his heart rate goes, the entire chamber will become brighter, offering an enlightening and dizzying (in a good way, the users insist) experience.Around 800 attendees during the conference were able to experience Stillness in Motion and, according to Quartz’ Anne Quito, the response was overwhelmingly positive.12. “Merrell Trailscape” of Merrell (2015)This is another experiential marketing campaign spearheaded by MKG. Outdoor company Merrell wants to creat e positive buzz about its new Capra hiking boot, and revamp Merrell’s image, making it fresher, updated and relevant enough to hold its own against newer brands.MKG made use of Oculus in-motion virtual reality technology in designing the Merrell Trailscape, which was set up during the 2015 Sundance Festival. Users are invited to try out the Trailscape and experience a simulated trek through a rocky mountain range, wearing Capra boots.Wearing OR goggles, users will find themselves exploring the challenging and often treacherous trails of the Dolomite Mountains. They will also experience simulations of rock slides, strong winds, shaky ground and swinging bridges, among others. After the simulation, users can hang out at the swanky Merrell lounge.13. “Weather Rooms” of Globetrotter (2016)German outdoor and sporting clothing and equipment company Globetrotter took the concept of a “fitting room” to another level by introducing the “weather room” in its stores.Customers who enter a Globetrotter store can now test whether the winter gear they plan to buy can really protect them during the winter. There is also a way to prove whether that waterproof jacket is, indeed, waterproof. How? By entering the weather room, which is essentially a chamber that lets customers get to prove the claims of Globetrotter products in a simulated environment.

Gang Resistance Education and Training - 2647 Words

Gang Resistance Education and Training Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T) is a national program that educates elementary and middle school children how to avoid becoming a gang member. The program is instructed by police officers and is part classroom instruction and other learning activities. â€Å"The goal of the GREAT program is to teach youth how to set goals for themselves, how to resist peer pressure, how to resolve conflicts, and how gangs can affect the quality of their lives.† (Ramsey, Rust, amp; Sobel, 2003) The program also teaches the youth personal empowerment, among other things, that prevent them from getting into any gang activity. Originally the program was based off a nine lesson middle-school curriculum.†¦show more content†¦This is why the goals of G.R.E.A.T. are to stop gang involvement, violence, and prevent youth crime. They do this by providing a pathway to develop relationships with their family, other young people, and most importantly law enforcement officials in order to create a safer environment for the youth. In order to make a bigger impact, the program is taught in two different school levels. The G.R.EA.T. program is taught to the youth starting in elementary and continuing until middle school. The elementary program and middle school program are both skill based learning. The elementary program is designed as an introduction course to the middle school program. The elementary program sets the foundation that begins to teach the youth skills that are needed for the more intensive program that is taught in middle school. All of this is done while they develop the bond between the youth and law enforcement officials. These bonds continue to develop once the students move onto the middle school program. The curriculum of the middle school program is more in depth in an attempt to cement the good behaviors of the students. This is done by enhancing their knowledge of their actions and consequences. These courses are taught to the sixth and seventh grade students. They are based on scenarios in order to show the student how to avoid engaging in violent behavior. At the middle school level the youth shouldShow MoreRelatedGang Resistance Education And Training1381 Words   |  6 PagesUnit 4 DB 1 Introduction Gangs violence and there way they treat citizens within their neighborhood has also ways been a problem. Gangs have a way of taking over like cancer and pulling in our children, by offering them a better family life, one that will protect them and love them always, no school, power, promotion, and respect based on the gang that they join, and the colors they pledge to honor and protect. Citizens are always afraid of them and at times will let them take over their neighborhoodRead MoreThe Gang Resistance Education And Training ( Great ) Program1298 Words   |  6 Pagesthe creation for the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, America’s inner cities was experiencing a substantial increase of gang membership along the youth living in impoverished communities. During the early 1990s, many viewed gang activity as a particular community’s problem, but as youth and gang violence was increasing drastically across the United States’ inner cities, the p ublic’s perception about this social issue changed. Due to the rapid rise of gang violence and youth membershipRead MoreEssay about Gang Resistance Education and Training Program2439 Words   |  10 PagesGang Resistance Education and Training Program Alian Cruz CRJ 305: Crime Prevention Ann Meek 08 OCT, 2011 For my final paper I am going to talk about a program that in my eyes is a great way for our youth to receive different views and healthy choices when it comes to avoiding and confronting gangs or gang members. Gang Resistance Education and Training, abbreviated G.R.E.A.T., and provides a school-based, police officer instructed program that includes classroom instruction and various learningRead MoreNew York Youth Center ( N.y.y.c )962 Words   |  4 Pagesunder great pressure from peers. There are other similar programs that relate to N.Y.Y.C. Two well-known programs are Gang Resistance Education and Training and the Parent-Child Development Center. Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T) is a middle school based gang and violence prevention program. G.R.E.A.T.’s mission are to teach the students skills to avoid gang membership, prevent violence and criminal activities, and assist youth in developing a positive relationship towards lawRead MoreRacial Segregation Of Chicago And Explosive Gang Related Crime1671 Words   |  7 Pagesthe aforementioned the white gang’s behaviors have contributed to the racial segregation of Chicago and the explosive gang related crime in the present day south side of Chicago. Just like African Americans formed gangs to protect themselves against Chicago s white gangs, the Latin Kings formed in Chicago with the same intent. In Chicago Mr. Sanchez a member of the Latin Kings gang shared in an interview: How the Latin Kings were originally formed decades ago to protect the Puerto Rican communityRead MoreExecutive Summary America s Most Popular Anti Drug Program Essay801 Words   |  4 Pagesespecially salient topic for school psychologists and other educational professionals. Schools are the primary setting for providing education and information aimed at the prevention of drug abuse. Previous meta-analyses† (Ennett, et al., 1994; West O Neal, 2004) indicate that one of the nation s most popular drug prevention programs, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.), was not effective in reducing illicit drug use among youths. Current evaluations have produced an array of evidenceRead MoreIntervention Of All Ineffective Delinquency Prevention Programs Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesDrug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) is a City of Los Angeles Government substance abuse prevention education program that seeks to prevent the use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. Founded in Los Angeles in 1983 as a joint initiative of the-LAPD chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District as a demand-side drug control strategy of the American War on Drugs. Students who enter the program sign a pledge not to use drugs or join gangs and are informedRead MoreWhy Gangs Can Be Harmful At Risk Youth1623 Words   |  7 PagesGangs are not a new phenomenon, or a new problem. Gangs have been around for a long time, and will continue to grow and transform throughout the world. I have viewed gangs in a negative manner, and have carried a false misconception of what exactly a gang is. Television and media is partially to blame for society’s view on gangs and gang violence. Today, there are dozens of â€Å"reality† television shows about gangs. It is no surprise the information that we take in through television on the topic ofRead MoreCauses Of Gang And Gang Violence1446 Words   |  6 PagesGang and gang vio lence has always been an ongoing problem within the country. Street gangs have evolved into some of the most notorious group associated with murders and killings that law enforcement agencies have encountered. Gang violence has become one of the most serious crime problem happening in the country that involves physical assaults, drive-by shootings, homicides, robberies, prostitutions, and home-invasion along with a long list of criminal activities. It had occurred and multipliedRead MoreProblem Solution Essay1641 Words   |  7 PagesProblem solution essay Final Draft. GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS There are approximately 27,900 gangs, with 774,000 members, impacting towns, cities, and communities across the United States. According to a recent bulletin released by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 23 percent of students aged 12 through 18 years reported presence of street gangs in their schools. Almost half (46%) of students in public schools reported street gang presence. In addition, 21 percent

The Criminalization Of Prostitution And Sex Work - 1103 Words

In a cozy, first world country, the realm of crime, abuse, and drug use, seems like it is worlds away, when in reality, these horrific acts occur in our own backyard. But to a prostitute, it’s their entire world, being forced to work in the grit and grime of the streets, and to make a dangerous living in the underground. The criminalization of prostitution and sex work is flawed at its very core- men and women shouldn’t have to lower their standards of living in order to exercise their rights to both their body and work. Unfortunately, there’s a disconnect between these sex workers and those outside their world, and people often mistakenly tie prostitution to feeding horrific crimes, such as human trafficking rings, rape, and murder.†¦show more content†¦But of course, Amnesty International, a well known human rights non-profit organization, says otherwise with a recent development: a request for the decriminalization and legalization of prostitution, the vote passing mid August of last year (Global Movement Votes to Adopt Policy to Protect Human Rights of Sex Workers). Amnesty International’s vote is all-inclusive, aiming to do all they can to better the lives of sex workers. The organization actively worked with current and former sex workers in the formation of their policy regarding sex work, and hope to have their model accepted globally. Other abolitionists of prostitution seem to think that â€Å"sex work fuels the demand for commercial sex, which is the indisputable driving force behind the sex-trafficking industry† (McCain) despite evidence that points the opposite of such a relationship, and goes against basic economic principles - criminalizing prostitution will only result in it being driven underground, and raising the stakes of competitive trafficking rings (Ahmed). With regulation, easy access, and availability, there would be less of a reason for johns, or clients, to get an escort through the underground, and would result in the sex trafficking industry having a surplus of victims as demand decreases. And while

Mental Health in Texas Prisons and Jails Free Essays

string(99) " mind blowing resemblance to what we see today; lack of treatment for those with mental illnesses\." Fall 2012 Mental Health in Texas prisons and jails October 13, 2012 University of Southern California A. Introduction: Issue, Policy, Problem: Texas has approximately 24. 3 million residents according to 2010 state statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We will write a custom essay sample on Mental Health in Texas Prisons and Jails or any similar topic only for you Order Now Close to 833,000 adults live with a serious mental illness. Within these 24. 3 million residents of Texas in 2008, approximately 37,700 adults with a mental illness were incarcerated (NAMI. org). Additionally, there is an estimated 31% of female and 14% of male jail inmates nationally live with serious mental illness. We see this because there are inadequate public mental health services to meet the needs of those suffering. Texas public mental health system provides services to only 21% of adults who live with a mental illness (NAMI. org). The objective of the 18th Edition Texas Laws for Mental Health are to provide a comprehensive range of services for persons with mental illness or mental retardation that need publicly supported care, treatment, or habilitation. In providing those services, efforts will be made to coordinate services and programs with services and programs provided by other governmental entities to minimize duplication and to share with other governmental entities in financing those services and programs (TDSHS. us). Regardless of the objective by the Texas Laws, prisoners are not, however, a powerful public constituency, and legislative and executive branch officials typically ignore their rights absent litigation or the threat of litigation (UNHCR. org). With this being said, there is great failure within this objective. Many, even thousands of prisoners become incarcerated without receiving the major mental health services they require. Gazing within, many prison mental health services are woefully deficient, crippled by understanding, insufficient facilities, and limited programs. State budget cuts handed down during the recent legislative session left the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with a dangerously-low $6. 1 billion biennial budget, approximately $97 million less than last year’s funding levels. As a result, the mental health care system suffered layoffs along with the rest of the prison health care services. In addition, although treatment and medications were left untouched, fewer medical workers are now left to treat mentally-ill inmates. Staffing cuts in turn increased the inmate-to-staff ratio from 58 to one upward to 65 inmates for every mental health care worker (Nix, 2011). The growing number of mentally ill persons who are incarcerated in the United States is an unintended consequence of two public policies adopted over the last thirty years. The elected officials have failed to provide adequate funding, support, and direction for the community mental health systems that were supposed to replace the mental health hospitals shut down as part of the â€Å"deinstitutionalization† effort that began in the 1960’s (UNHCR,org). Following the deinstitutionalization process came the â€Å"war on drugs† campaign. This was to have embraced a punitive, anti-crime effort. What we saw was a considerable proportion of the prisons and jails population sore, more than quadrupling in the last thirty years. B. History and Scope of Issue: Eighty-three years after the first American institution exclusively for the insane was opened in Williamsburg, Virginia, the first Texas facility for the mentally ill was established by the Sixth Legislature. Legislation signed by Governor Elisha M. Pease on August 28, 1856, called for the establishment of a state lunatic asylum (Creson). Fifty thousand dollars was appropriated for land and buildings. The State Lunatic Asylum (now Austin State Hospital) did not open until 1861, when Superintendent Dr. Beriah Graham admitted twelve patients. Before 1861, individuals with a mental illness or mental retardation were kept at home, sent out of state for treatment or custodial care, or confined in almshouses or jails. Dr. David Wallace was the first physician in the state to limit his practice to psychiatry. During his tenure as superintendent of the two institutions, Wallace successfully resisted political patronage in the asylums, advocated removal of the â€Å"harmless mentally retarded† from them, did away with restraint, introduced occupational and recreation activities as treatment modalities, and utilized furloughing as a prominent part of institutional procedure. Dr. David Wallace was a true advocate for the mentally ill, and fought for their right to be treated respectfully. Overcrowding became a major problem during the 1940s. Public pressure to reduce the lengthy waiting lists for admission to state hospitals and to remove mentally ill individuals from local jails increased occupancy in already overcrowded hospitals. In 1943, the legislature converted the Confederate Home for Men into a hospital for mentally ill male geriatric patients in order to provide beds in the larger hospitals. In 100 years, the state system for caring for the mentally ill grew to nine state hospitals scattered about the state. Their population had, however, begun to decline as a result of new treatment techniques and changing social ideas about the role of state psychiatric hospitals in caring for afflicted individuals (Creson). Over the years, as the population continued to grow, so did crime, drug use, and violence. Research indicates that 72% of both male and female jail detainees with severe mental disorders also meet criteria for substance use disorders of alcohol or drug abuse (Abram amp; Teplin, 1991). Within this negative growth, the punishment for the crimes also tightened. Soon we began to see an increase in arrest, and more offenders incarcerated. However, some of the increase was because those suffering with mental illnesses were the individuals committing the crimes. Subsequently, the mental institutions were closing, due to the changing social views of the way those suffering were treated, left those suffering with nowhere to go. As time moved forward, we can see a striking corresponding movement with the legislative funding for mental health care; it is spiraling downhill. Hence, the beginning of overcrowding in Texas prisons and jails. Sadly, those suffering from mental illness will not receive quality, fair treatment during incarceration. Providing mental health services to incarcerated offenders is frustrated by lack of resources (UNHCR. org). Reflecting back to the early 1800’s, there is a mind blowing resemblance to what we see today; lack of treatment for those with mental illnesses. You read "Mental Health in Texas Prisons and Jails" in category "Papers" C. Perspectives and Analysis of Policy: In Texas, legislators, mental health professionals, and advocates have recognized the need to reduce the prevalence of serious mental illness in jails and prisons by diverting minor offenders to community-based mental health services. In fact, House Bill 2292, passed in 2004, calls for the development of jail diversion strategies along with the implementation of Resiliency and Disease Management (RDM) by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for the treatment of severe mental illness (TDSHS). Steps should be taken at the federal, state, and local level to reduce the unnecessary and counterproductive incarceration of non- offenders with mental illness. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws should be revised to endure prison is reserved for the most serious of offenders. Reducing the number of mentally ill offenders sent to prison will also free up prison resources to ensure appropriate mental health treatment for those men and women with mental illness who must, in fact, be incarcerated for reasons of public safety (UNHCR). On any given day, between 2. 3 and 3. 9 percent of incarcerated offenders in State prisons are estimated to have schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, between 13. 1 and 18. 6 percent major depression, and between 2. 1 and 4. 3 percent bipolar disorder (manic episode). In 1999, NAMI (formerly known as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) reported that the number of Americans with serious mental illnesses in prison was three times greater than the number hospitalized with such illnesses (UNHCR). In the fiscal 1990 year, the average state hospital census was 3,475, and the number of clients served in community mental health-mental retardation centers was 125,277. The Harris County Psychiatric Center, a 240-bed hospital established in October 1986, jointly funded by the state and Harris County and under the direction of the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, served an additional 195 individuals. After federal block grants given to states in 1980 provided more state control in distributing federal funds, Texas (like other states) placed a high priority on severely and chronically ill patients in community programs. This re-allocation of resources resulted in an exacerbation of conflicts caused by different local and state agendas, legislative concerns for cost effectiveness and advocacy groups’ agendas for expanded services, as well as professional territorial battles and an expanded definition of what constitutes mental illness. Lawsuits have further complicated the matter of organizing, implementing, and administering the state system while compelling needed reforms. Significant in this regard in Texas was RAJ v. Jones, filed in 1971. Major issues in the case included individualized treatment, patient rights, use of psychotropic medications, and adequate community aftercare services. Morales v. Turman, filed in 1971, resulted in increased quality and availability of mental-health services for juvenile offenders held by the Texas Youth Council. Ruiz v. Estelle did much the same for adults in state prisons and provided impetus for a new prison psychiatric hospital currently under construction in Sugar Land (THSA. org). D. Impact of Policy and Analysis: During 2003 New Freedom Commission on Mental Health found that the mental health delivery system is fragmented and in disarray- leading to unnecessary and costly disability, homelessness, school failure and incarceration. In many communities, access to quality care is poor, resulting in wasted resources and lost opportunities for recovery. The likely-hood of failure for community mental health services to meet the needs of those suffering with mental illness is pronounced. The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have estimated that 72 percent of mentally ill individuals entering the jail system have a drug-abuse or alcohol problem. Deinstitutionalization resulted in the release of hundred s of thousands of mentally ill offenders to communities who could not care for them. At about the same time, national attitudes toward those who committed street crime-who are overwhelming the country’s poorest -changed remarkably (UNHCR. rg). Prisoners with mental illness find it more difficult to adhere to prison rules and to cope with the stresses of confinement, as evidenced by the new BJS statistics that 58 percent of state prisoners with mental problems have been charged with violating prison rules, compared to 43 percent without mental problems. An estimated 24 percent with a mental health problem have been charged with a physical or verbal assault on prison staff, compared to 14 percent of those without. One in five state prisoners with mental health problems has been injured in a fight in prison, compared to one in 10 of those without. Community health services, though good, are, due to lack of funding, inadequate to meet the needs of persons with mental illness. This results in those suffering to â€Å"fall between the cracks†, and into the world of criminal mishap. The lack of funding also affects the ability of law enforcement, courts and correction facilities to divert persons with mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into a more fitting arrangement. Many persons with mental illness, prison can be counter-therapeutic or even â€Å"toxic. † Nevertheless, we recognize the tragic irony that, for many, prison may also offer significant advantages over liberty. For some mentally ill offenders, prison is the first place they have a chance for treatment. For those who are poor and homeless, given the problems they face in accessing mental health services in the community, prison may offer an opportunity for consistent access to medication and mental health services. Realizing this opportunity depends, of course, on whether the prisons provide the necessary services. In 2008, 1,900 out of 11,000 inmates, or 17. 3 percent in the Harris County jail were on psychotropic medication. Spending on mental health care in the prison has risen to $24 million per year, and the combined cost of incarcerating and treating the mentally ill is $87 million annually. A county official noted: the jails have become the psychiatric hospitals of the United States. Class action lawsuits have led to improvements in prison mental health care in a number of states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Lawsuits have led to consent decrees and court orders instituting reforms and the court appointment of masters and monitors to oversee compliance. Considering the needs of today’s mentally ill prisoners, the progress to date is far from enough. Viewed from the perspective of where prison mental health was two decades ago, the progress has been momentous. Both the state system and the private sector are in a period of major transition. The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was placed by House Bill 7 under the auspices of the Commission on Health and Human Services, a new umbrella agency established by the legislature in July 1991. How this new structuring of the administration of state mental health care will ultimately affect the delivery of mental health services remains to be seen (TSHA). E. Judgement: There are nine state mental hospitals in Texas with a total of 2,477 beds to reat civil and criminal patients. About a third of the beds are reserved for criminal commitments, and in 2006, the Department of State Health Services started a waiting list for the beds, because the demand exceeded availability. The shortage of state hospital beds is a problem that local law enforcement officials have been grappling with for years as sheriffs cope with overflowing jails, in which many of the inmates are mentally ill. Harris County officials have seen the number of mentally ill inmates explode since 2003, the last time Texas had a budget crisis and made major cuts. Then, there were fewer than three full-time psychiatrists on duty at the jail. Now, there are more than 15. Often they see the same mentally ill inmates repeatedly. State lawmakers are considering budget proposals that would reduce community-based health care services for adults and children and for community mental hospitals by about $152 million in 2012 and 2013. It is about a 20 percent reduction in financing from the previous two-year budget. For community mental hospitals, financing would fall about 3 percent, but the money would be split among five facilities instead of three (Grissom, 2011). Several problems associated with housing mentally ill persons in jails and prisons rather than hospitals: – The rate of recidivism. Since mentally ill inmates generally receive little care for their illness while in jail or prison, they return to jail or prison at a greater rate than the general prison population. – Mentally ill inmates cost more than other prisoners to house. The average Texas inmate costs the state approximately $22,000 per year. While an inmate with a mental illness costs the state approximately $30,000 to $50,000 per year. Other issues the study cites include the fact that mentally ill inmates commit suicide at a greater rate than the general prison population, and mentally ill inmates are easier targets for abuse by other prisoners and prison staff. Texas ranks 49th in the nation in per capita spending on mental health services. Only 25 percent of children and 18 percent of adults with severe mental illness and in need of services from the public m ental health system in Harris County are able to receive them. Now, Texas lawmakers are looking to cut funding to the already overburdened public mental health system by $134 million for 2012-13. A prime example of cost shifting has occurred within the Harris County Jail, now the largest mental health facility in Texas. The Harris County Jail treats more individuals with mental health issues on a daily basis than our state’s 10 psychiatric hospitals combined. This is especially worrisome given that the United States Department of Justice reports that it costs 60 percent more to incarcerate inmates with serious mental illnesses than it costs to house typical inmates. It is clear that imprisonment of the mentally ill will not help the situation at hand, only add to the severity of it. Incarceration of the mentally ill can be devastating and costly. While, those suffering from mental illness need help, confinement in federal, state, and local prisons is not the answer. Local leaders and government officials need to advocate for the mentally ill, and push for more funding to insure proper treatment is available to those in need. References Abram, K. M. , amp; Teplin, L. A. (1991). Co-occurring disorders among mentally ill jail detainees. American Psychologist, 46, 1036-1045. Dan L. Creson, â€Å"MENTAL HEALTH,† Handbook of Texas Online (http://www. shaonline. org/handbook/online/articles/smmun), accessed October 14, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Janice C. May, â€Å"GOVERNMENT,† Handbook of Texas Online (http://www. tshaonline. org/handbook/online/articles/mzgfq), accessed October 14, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Undefined. (May 15, 2012). Texas Department of State Health Services. In 18th Edit ion Texas Laws for Mental Health. Retrieved October 14, 2012, from http://www. dshs. state. tx. us/mhrules/Texas_Laws. shtm. How to cite Mental Health in Texas Prisons and Jails, Papers

Strategic Supply Chain Partnership Environmental †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Supply Chain Partnership Environmental. Answer: Introduction Information system helping in gaining all types of organizational goals with excellent strategies is known as strategic information system (Haux et al. 2013). The most significant advantage of this strategic information system is that it provides competitive advantage to that typical organization. These information systems often deliver any product or service that does not incur much cost and is absolutely differentiated for focusing on the segment of market that is important (Galliers and Leidner 2014). It is considered as one of the most important characteristic in the field of IT or information technology. Moreover, this type of information system is responsible for helping all the organizations in storing, categorizing, transferring and processing of any type of information or data. The operational efficiency of the organization is solely developed with this strategic information system (Willcocks 2013). Accounting software can be defined a specific type of application software, which helps in recording and processing the financial transactions in the functional modules like trial balance or general ledger. The functionality of this software is just like an accounting information system (Dandago and Rufai 2014). Accounting software can be accessed from anywhere with any device that has Internet connectivity and does not incur much cost. This literature review will be providing a short as well as precise discussion on the most popular ad significant banking sectors in Australia, Commonwealth Bank of Australia. This literature review will outline the several organizational problems and the organizational structure of CBA. The system efficiency method, system flowchart and the various control problems of the organization will be given here. The relevant accounting software package for CBA will be highlighted here. Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the most popular and important multinational banking sectors having businesses in the various countries across the world including Asia, Europe and entire Australia (Commbank.com.au. 2018). This particular bank is responsible for providing several financial services that include funds management, investment, loans, investment, insurance and many more. In the year of 2015, CBA was listed as the largest bank in Australia in the Australian Securities Exchange with other brands like Bankwest, ASB Bank and Commonwealth Securities. Commonwealth Bank of Australia is one of the four banks with Westpac, ANZ and NAB (Commbank.com.au. 2018). This organization comprises of an extraordinary organizational structure and various organizational strategies that has made the organization extremely popular and well accepted by all. Organizational Structure of Commonwealth Bank of Australia The organizational structure of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is explicitly popular and important for the organization. This organizational structure comprises of all the managing bodies and important employees of the bank (Palvia and Palvia 2013). The board of directors or the board of commissioners of this organization includes the owners, directors, stockholders and many more. The three levels of management, i.e. top management, middle management and lower management are properly given here. Although, Commonwealth Bank of Australia is one of the best banks in Australia, there are some of the major operational problems within the organization (Ogiela 2015). These problems are therefore the most significant as well as dangerous as they are effecting the market shares of the organization. The shares of this organization are going down explicitly and thus the popularity of the company is falling (Laudon and Laudon 2016). Over the last five years, due to the degradation in shares, various operational problems have occurred. This is mainly due to the wrong strategies that the organization has undertaken. Commonwealth Bank of Australia has taken various approaches for solving their operation problems. The main reason that their approaches or strategies did not work was constant alterations in the market trends (Arvidsson, Holmstrm and Lyytinen 2014). CBA was always involved in the competition of going on top. This type of competition often can be harmful to the organization and this was exactly what happened with CBA. This bank was failing to satisfy their clients and was not being able to meet the expectations (Konsynski and Karimi 2013). The situation even has gone down to such limit that they were unable to give loans to their clients. Another important problem that occurred within CBA was that they were not making enough money. A multinational bank, CBA found it really hard to make money and thus the competition was increased from all types of financial technology companies (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). The popularity of all types of financial technology organizations worldwide has somewhat affected the banking sectors and CBA is one of the major victims. This is mainly because CBA is a traditional bank and they are being able to cope up or adjust with the modern changes or alterations. The operations of the bank are much traditional in comparison to other financial technology organizations (Bryson 2017). Moreover, the regulatory requirements have continued to increase and the banks require spending maximum on the discretionary budget and thus escalating the requirements. The above figure has properly demonstrated about the downfall of the share price of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Alexander 2013). In the above figure, during the period of June and July 2013, the share price has gone up to 70%, however, recently, it has gone down to below 20%. Organizational Strategies There are some of the most significant strategies of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. There are four major strategies of CBA. They are as follows: i) Customer: This is the first and the foremost strategy of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. They always focus on their customers. According to them, the customers are the most important part of their organization. The culture of this particular bank is completely vibrant and customer focused (Amrollahi, Ghapanchi and Talaei-Khoei 2013). The diversification and safety of the money of their customers are properly maintained by the bank. The major reason for this type of ideology is that they think that this would help to maintain their popularity. ii) Technology: The second important strategy of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is their technology. They try to maintain their technology. Although, they are facing problems in coping up with the financial technology companies, they are still trying to increase their technological skills (Yoo 2013). The real time capabilities are maintained with several developed applications. Productivity: The third strategy of the bank is the productivity. The productivity of this particular bank is much more than the rest of the banks in Australia. They are continuously simplifying their method so that they can achieve and obtain for better results or outcomes for their customers (Gholami et al. 2013). Productivity is something that they always focus on and according to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, it is extremely critical for their long term success. The process by process look is undertaken by them and thus the errors are reduced and the unit costs are reduced. Strengths: The final strategy of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is their strength. The financial crisis of the bank is overcome with the extraordinary strategies and thus they try to focus on their strengths for making the organization strong and popular (Youn et al. 2013). An extremely popular, strong as well as flexible balance sheet is being maintained and is very important for ensuring that they can continue in supporting their clients and thus capitalize on opportunities. System Acquisition Method Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP is undertaken by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for the system acquisition (Al-Hiyari, AL-Mashre and Mat 2013). ERP can be defined as the procedure through which any specific organization controls as well as integrates various areas like purchasing, planning, finance, marketing and many others. The organizational goals as well as objectives are well achieved with this particular technique. CBA utilizes SAP model for their business (Dandago and Rufai 2014). However, the involvement of SAP is not easy and it needs proper professional training. Flexibility and scalability are the two most significant advantages of SAP. This particular ERP model has provided the Commonwealth Bank of Australia with excess effectiveness and popularity (Simkin, Norman and Rose 2014). Moreover, SAP also help in gaining utmost proficiency within the software. Cost effectiveness is another important benefit of the model. The specific SAP model of the organization is abso lutely updated and thus it helps to solve the problems related to any type of operation. It is even utilized by the bank for making the bank shares absolutely steady and working (Amrollahi, Ghapanchi and Talaei-Khoei 2013). If the interest rates of the bank would be reduced, then the customers would again take loans from CBA. Various problems are faced by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Several modifications have occurred in the bank shares and this growth of the organization completely depends on various stakeholders and marketing team (Bryson 2017). The brand name of this particular bank is solely affected as well as influenced in the sector. The control problems of this organization even are responsible for reducing the growth in the entire market. There are various types of frauds possible in the system of Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The first and the foremost fraud of this organization mainly include the hoax emails or the hoax SMS messages (Arvidsson, Holmstrm and Lyytinen 2014). The other fraud of the bank includes phishing and spoofing. Smishing is the most popular form of phishing and SMS. Accounting Software Packages Accounting software packages are utilized for recording and processing the accounting transactions within the functional modules like the payroll, general ledger, trial balance and many more (Simkin, Norman and Rose 2014). This type of accounting software packages are purchased from any specific third party or is developed by any organization. There is a great variety in cost and complexity. There are various types of accounting software packages available in the market. The most popular examples include Myob and Xero. The accounting software package that CBA has utilized in the accounting software package is Xero (Xero Accounting Software. 2018). It is a cloud based accounting software for all types of businesses. However, it is popular for the smaller and the medium sized organizations. Approximately all products of this software are on the basis of the SaaS model or software as a service. There are various advantages that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia enjoy from the accounting software package of Xero. They are as follows: Supporting Maximum Clients in Lesser Time: It helps to support maximum time in extremely less time and Xero is utilized by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Al-Hiyari, AL-Mashre and Mat 2013). Reporting of Real Time Finances: This is another important advantage of Xero. The real time finances are reported with this. Easy Collaboration: The owners of the business and all the clients could be easy collaborated with this particular accounting software. High Improvement: Xero software is always improving and thus allow easy updates of the software (Yoo 2013). Identification of Market Leaders and Competitors The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is not only the market leader in banking sector. There are few more, who is leading the market of Australian banks (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). These banks are the core competitors of the CBA. The most popular and significant competitors of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia are given below: i) National Australian Bank or NAB ii) Australia and New Zealand Banking Group or ANZ Bank Auckland Savings Bank or ASB iv) Bank West v) Westpac New Zealand vi) Kiwi Bank St. George Bank, Australia (Konsynski and Karimi 2013). The most significant competitors of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia are being shown in the above figure (Willcocks 2013). According to this, Commonwealth Bank of Australia is still getting the highest shares. Around 20% is taken by them. 16% is taken by National Australian Bank and 13% is taken by the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. The remaining 51% of shares are taken by all the remaining banks available. The above figure has clearly shown that Commonwealth Bank of Australia is within a better position than the rest and thus is obtaining competitive advantages (Laudon and Laudon 2016). Hence, it is depicted that Commonwealth Bank of Australia is leading the market of banking and banking services. Relevant Suggestions or Recommendations Commonwealth Bank of Australia has faced various operational and organizational problems within their system. The most significant issue or problem in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is that the interest rates of this bank are much higher than the rest of the banks in Australia. Therefore, it is highly recommended to the bank to reduce their interest rates as soon as possible so that people are able to take up the loan once again from this bank. The second significant problem in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is that people are not willing to invest in the bank as they are worried about their security. This is solely because of the downfall in shares. It is highly recommended that they should advertise about their bank more often. Another important problem is their CRM. The customer relationship management should be kept on first priority for this bank. Conclusion Therefore, conclusion can be drawn that the SIS is utilized by various companies for successfully gaining their organizational goals and objectives. The major advantage of the SIS or strategic information system is that it gives competitive advantage to all the organizations. Accounting software is any particular kind of application software that is utilized for the purposes of recording as well as processing of the finance related transactions. The major function of accounting software is similar to an accounting information system. The above literature review has outlined a brief discussion on the strategic information system of the one of the most popular banks in Australia, known as the CBA or Commonwealth Bank of Australia. This literature review has also provided the several organizational problems and the organizational structure of CBA. The system efficiency method, system flowchart and the various control problems of the organization is provided here. The relevant accounting software package for CBA is also provided here. Moreover, the market leaders and the competitors of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia are provided in this literature review. The final part of the literature review consists of relevant suggestions and recommendations for the bank. References Alexander, K. ed., 2013. Facilities management: theory and practice. Routledge. Al-Hiyari, A., AL-Mashre, M.H.H. and Mat, N.K.N., 2013. Factors that affect accounting information system implementation and accounting information quality: A survey in University Utara Malaysia.American Journal of Economics,3(1), pp.27-31. Amrollahi, A., Ghapanchi, A.H. and Talaei-Khoei, A., 2013. A systematic literature review on strategic information systems planning: Insights from the past decade.Verified OK. Arvidsson, V., Holmstrm, J. and Lyytinen, K., 2014. Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), pp.45-61. Bryson, J., 2017.Effective library and information centre management. Routledge. Commbank.com.au. 2018.Personal banking including accounts, credit cards and home loans - CommBank. [online] Available at: https://www.commbank.com.au/ [Accessed 13 Apr. 2018]. Dandago, K.I. and Rufai, A.S., 2014. Information technology and accounting information system in the Nigerian banking industry.Asian Economic and Financial Review,4(5), pp.655-670. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E. eds., 2014.Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Gholami, R., Sulaiman, A.B., Ramayah, T. and Molla, A., 2013. Senior managers perception on green information systems (IS) adoption and environmental performance: Results from a field survey.Information Management,50(7), pp.431-438. Haux, R., Winter, A., Ammenwerth, E. and Brigl, B., 2013.Strategic information management in hospitals: an introduction to hospital information systems. Springer Science Business Media. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Konsynski, B.R. and Karimi, J., 2013. The Information Technology and Management Infrastructure Strategy Globalization and information management strategies. InStrategic Information Management(pp. 103-126). Routledge. Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016.Management information system. Pearson Education India. Ogiela, L., 2015. Advanced techniques for knowledge management and access to strategic information.International Journal of Information Management,35(2), pp.154-159. Palvia, P.C. and Palvia, S.C., 2013. Understanding the global information technology environment: representative world issues.Strategic Information Management, p.151. Simkin, M.G., Norman, C.S. and Rose, J.M., 2014.Core concepts of accounting information systems. John Wiley Sons. Willcocks, L., 2013.Information management: the evaluation of information systems investments. Springer. Xero Accounting Software. 2018.Online Accounting Software Free Trial, Free Support | Xero. [online] Available at: https://www.xero.com/ [Accessed 13 Apr. 2018]. Yoo, Y., 2013. The tables have turned: How can the information systems field contribute to technology and innovation management research?.Journal of the Association for Information Systems,14(5), p.227. Youn, S., Yang, M.G.M., Hong, P. and Park, K., 2013. Strategic supply chain partnership, environmental supply chain management practices, and performance outcomes: an empirical study of Korean firms.Journal of Cleaner Production,56, pp.121-130.

The BottleNosed Dolphin Essay Research Paper The free essay sample

The Bottle-Nosed Dolphin Essay, Research Paper The Bottle-nosed Dolphin is the most studied and by and large the best-known species of mahimahi. Bottle-nosed mahimahis are classified # 8220 ; Tursiops truncates # 8221 ; in scientific name, and belong to the household Delphinidae, in the suborder Odontoceti, order Cetacea. This animate being is a really intelligent person. Bottle-nosed mahimahis are normally found in menagerie or Marine Parkss because of their capableness to execute fast ones. They can leap through basketballs 5 metres high because of their incredibly powerful tail. Equally good as jumping, Bottle-nosed mahimahis can raise themselves unsloped out of the H2O and travel backwards, by convulsing their dress suits. Bottle-nosed mahimahis are by and large coastal animals, happening along about all tropical and temperate seashores, although offshore assortments besides occur. In add-on, the Bottle-nosed mahimahi is called the # 8220 ; all-ocean # 8221 ; mahimahi, intending that it lives in every ocean. It is common for a school of 20 mahimahis to populate together in coastal parts, but school of 200 mahimahis are found in the offshore truths. We will write a custom essay sample on The BottleNosed Dolphin Essay Research Paper The or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These schools do non look to hold a leader and by and large remain together for life. Such sea life as runt, calamari, little sharks, other craniates and fish are all a portion of a Bottle-nosed mahimahis diet. When they find a big school of fish, several schools of mahimahis join up to organize groups of up to 1000 mahimahis. They work together to caput and catch the fish. Another feeding method the Bottle-nosed mahimahi has developed is trailing the fish on to mire Bankss and catchs them in the air. Bottle-nosed mahimahis are an highly adaptable mammal. For illustration, the Atlantic Ocean signifier tends to be a small smaller and stockier with a shorter dais ( nose ) compared to the Pacific signifier. In Scots Waterss, Bottle-nosed mahimahis are chubby with a dark grey skin color, while the in Australian Waterss, Bottle-nosed mahimahis are thin, light grey visual aspect, with a dominant circle around each oculus. The ground why this mahimahi may alter its physical visual aspect is because there may be more fish in Scotland, or the quarry may be a slower strain, doing the Bottle-nosed mahimahi non work every bit difficult for its nutrient, hence making a chubbier strain of Bottle-nosed mahimahis compared to other parts of the universe. Bottle-nosed mahimahi have late been introduced and are now adhering with worlds in dolphin observation and swim-with-dolphin touristry activities in nature. A female Bottle-nosed mahimahi will maturate between the age of 5 to 12 old ages, and males at 9 to 13 old ages. Bottle-nosed mahimahis live for 30 to 50 old ages and turn from about a 6-inch calf, up to 10-foot long mature grownup in some instances. The female Bottle-nosed mahimahi has a gestation period of 12 months long, after which the female parent nurses the calf for about 18 months. During this period, the calf will larn practical accomplishments such as how to happen and capture nutrient, how to acknowledge other mahimahis. Bottle-nosed mahimahis have a multimale, multifemale coupling society. There no aggression when it comes to copulating from either male or female. By and large, Bottle-nosed mahimahis are a dark grey or black coloring material above, with a lighter coloring material on its tummy, which can alter to a flushed pink coloring material in warm H2O. These animate beings have a outstanding, curved back five with a thin tracking border that readily rags. The Bottle-nosed dolphin gets its name from its dais, which is shaped like a bottle. lt ; /p > Bottle-nosed mahimahis were hunted in the 19th and twentieth century for their tegument, but now are a lawfully protected species but violent deaths still happening due to angry fishermen and angling cyberspaces. If this animal were to of become nonextant, I believe at that place would non of been that greater alteration because the Bottle-nosed mahimahi has no immediate marauders and provenders on a broad scope of sea life. Bottle-nosed mahimahis seldom fight with each other because there is no power to be gained by it. They communicate by agencies of whistlings and rasping sounds. Besides, the usage of echo sounding is practiced, which is directing high-frequency chinks that bounce off quarry and other objects and utilize the returning echoes to place the objects. Bottle-nosed mahimahis have been known to swim with ships for nutrient, which is a common happening for sail ships. As for migration, this mahimahi can populate in any ocean it wishes to, except the Antarctic seas, but normally sticks to the same oceans or sea for its full life. Bottle-nosed mahimahis have great hearing capablenesss, merely every bit good because they use it like we use the power of address. For illustration, they have a extremely developed auditory cerebral mantle of the encephalon, with the auditory nervus transporting 67,900 cochlear fibres, which is twice every bit much as normal worlds. Bottle-nosed mahimahis react to chant within the frequence scope of 1 to 150 kilohertzs ( mean hearing scope for worlds is about.02 to 17 kMz. ) The ground why they have great hearing is because of their lower jaw and ear Acts of the Apostless as a sound receptor. Tones of about 20 kMz are picked up through the lower jaw, which so travels to a fat-filled pit, which conducts sound moving ridges through to the in-between ear. A Bottle-nosed mahimahis have an acute vision both in and out of the H2O. They have a extremely developed tapetum lacidum, which is a light-reflecting bed that reflects light through the retina a 2nd clip, giving Bottle-nosed mahimahis enhanced vision in dim visible radiation. Although it is non confirmed, rods and cones have been found in their retina, giving the inquiry conditions or non they can see color. Other senses such as gustatory sensation, odor and touch, are still to be questioned but through observations and behavior, it is believed that they have a well-developed senses of touch. A Bottle-nosed mahimahi skeletal system is believed to be originated from the basic mammalian skeleton, but has gone through a figure of alterations. First the forelimbs have been modified into fins and the castanetss of the hind limbs have disappeared wholly. Such castanetss as the rib coop and the spin have besides undergone transmutation in the fact that they have cured and caved-in due to H2O force per unit area. These animals hold their breath for about 15 proceedingss before holding to submerse for air. The Bottle-nosed mahimahi is an surprisingly strong animal. Because it neer stops swimming, the Bottle-nosed mahimahi has a really powerful tail, which is capable of back uping its weight of about 400 kilograms. Another factor of a Bottle-nosed mahimahis anatomy, which needs mentioning, is its blood circulation. The singular characteristic of this system is its plexus mirablilia. This characteristic is besides labelled # 8220 ; wounder cyberspaces # 8221 ; , which is when the blood vass create # 8220 ; nets # 8221 ; to protect critical variety meats form the effects of H2O force per unit area. In decision, the Bottle-nosed mahimahi has many unbelievable factors, which make it one of the smartest and elegant mammals in every ocean in the universe.

Appositives and Possessives

Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives By Jacquelyn Landis Are you planning to go to a writers conference? Or is it a writers’ conference? Is the Saturday market in the town square a farmers market or a farmers’ market? This is a construction that often perplexes writers. The first instance in each example is an appositive: a noun phrase consisting of a plural noun that modifies another noun that follows it. The form with the apostrophe is a possessive, a noun that â€Å"owns† the noun that follows it. So if the conference is one that is organized for writers, it’s an appositive. But if it’s a conference organized by writers- one that belongs to them- it’s a possessive. Likewise, if it’s a market for farmers, the proper construction would be the appositive farmers; a market owned by the farmers would be the possessive farmers’. The trouble with such noun phrases is that they frequently are ambiguous. Lacking insider knowledge, you’re often left to guess whether it’s an appositive or a possessive. Furthermore, there are plenty of commonly accepted constructions that defy appropriate construction. Children’s Hospital is a case in point. Clearly, the children don’t own the hospital; it’s a hospital for children. But you’ll see the possessive apostrophe on just about every such hospital in the country. One in San Diego seems to be aware of the problem and has hedged its bet. Instead of an apostrophe in its logo, a blue kite with a tail occupies the apostrophe slot. You can choose to read it as an apostrophe or simply view it as a decoration. An example of an entity that got it right is Publishers Weekly. This is a publication for the publishing industry, not owned by it. The key is to do your best to determine possession (or not) and punctuate accordingly. So if it’s the boys football team, it’s an appositive. But if it’s the boys’ football uniforms, it’s a possessive. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructureWhat the heck are "learnings"?

Social Information Processing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Information Processing Theory - Essay Example Media-Richness Theory agrees with Social Presence Theory because it classifies CMC as incapable of expressing rich verbal and non-verbal cues. Walther differs in opinion to these theories because he believes that, as long as sufficient social messages are exchanged and subsequent relational growth is attained, CMC can also produce close relationships. Walther proposes the Social Information Processing Theory which states that through CMC, people exchange interpersonal information, form impressions, and decide how to use these impressions to form or not form close interpersonal relationships. Social Information Processing Theory helps understand how I formed close relationships with people in my G+ communities, specifically Elena and Hermie. I have recently been active in G+ communities, especially those involved in health and fitness. Walther is right to say that even if CMC does not present exactly the same cues as face-to-face communication, online users compensate by using cues th at are available to them. Cues refer to a wide range of verbal and non-verbal impressions that are not always directly stated but rather personally observed. Impression formation, according to Social Information Processing Theory, refers to the formation of mental images about other people. When I interconnect with my G+ community members, my impression from them is formed through what they share with our community, whether they are words, or words with images, or any article, blog entry, images, and videos that say something about their ideas, beliefs, practices, and aspirations. From reading and seeing these expressions of themselves, I can form impressions of their personalities. For instance, Elena, one of my Health community members, is the same age as I am, but she studies in India. She is overweight and very much interested in losing weight through changing her lifestyle and mindset about beauty and health. I know her goals through my interactions with her through our communi ty and the health news and health changes she shares with us. Hermie is older, 55 years old, and she lives in the U.S., but, like Elena, she is into healthy and natural living. I like her because her posts are funny and inspiring. She shares inspirational messages and stories from other people and herself through our G+ communities. I understand the personalities of Hermie and Elena through the direct information we share with one another and form impressions about them through these online interactions. In turn, people who are in my G+ communities can also generate impressions about who I am through my own posts on the communities and on my own G+ account. For instance, when I share something about the benefits of virgin coconut oil and how it can be used for different health purposes, others who view my posts will understand that I am the kind of person who wants and prefers natural products over commercial ones. Elena, for instance, once wrote to me that she has been wanting to f ind something natural to help her lose weight and that since she saw my post on virgin coconut oil, she thinks that drinking two tablespoons of it every day has helped her break her weight plateau. From there, we continuously interact to get different kinds of information from one another. These kinds of information may be personal knowledge and experiences, or any form of sharing that we get from our communities. Social Information Processing

JITT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

JITT - Assignment Example It is wrong to hoard food while others are starving. And for the benefit of the whole society, the person should release the food. The utilitarianism shows that the society should pursue maximum happiness. A journalist should aim to minimize the harm caused to the people. The case of Thompson should not be reported since apart from ruining the chances of him winning, there is no other good that will accrue to the society. The SPJ principle of minimizing harm should be applied (â€Å"SPJ Code of Ethics | Society of Professional Journalists | Improving and Protecting Journalism since 1909† 1). Some decisions depend on whether we can apply the choice made universally. If a cancer patient is allowed to take away her life due to pain, what will happen if we apply this principle to all such cases? The Kant, categorical imperative principle shows that the decision will not be desirable. It will be vital for the doctor to reduce the pain but not necessarily help the patient to hasten death. In the Kohlberg’s model of moral development, I am on the stage four. I view law as an important invention and will in most cases abide by the rules and regulation. I will not be comfortable breaking the accepted social order or going against the established legitimate authority. I believe this is right since anytime, I a break a rule it disrupts the balance in the society, and there is high likelihood someone else will suffer because of my actions. Thus maintaining law and order helps the society that I live in to have harmony and

Marxism literary and the new criticism theory

Marxism literary and the new criticism theory Marxism literary theory and the new criticism theory are among many wide schools of theory with historical importance. These theories differ in their methods and conclusions as well as their text. Different theories complement and supplement each other in their goals, methods, conclusions and text. The present day literary theory dates back in the 1960s. Literary theory was at its highest peak in popularity in some of the leading universities in America such as John Hopkins and Yale. It is from these universities that the influence of literary theory started spreading and by 1980s it was being taught almost everywhere. During this time, literary theory was supposed to be an academically cutting-edge, and as a result the majority of university literature departments wanted to teach and learn theory and integrate it into their curricula. The goal of Marxist literary theories is to represent class conflict as well as to reinforce class distinctions through literature. Marxist theorists frequently champion writers who are sympathetic to the working classes and those whose works challenge the economic equalities in capitalist societies. In maintaining the spirit of Marxism, literary theories developing from the Marxist paradigm have sought Modern ways of understanding the relationship between literature and economic production as well as cultural production. Literary theory has drawn a lot of influence from the Marxism analyzes society. New Critics in their works usually include inherent moral dimension, and occasionally a religious dimension. For instance, New Critic may read a poem by Thomas Eliot for its level of honesty in expression of torment and contradiction of a serious exploration of belief in the present world. On the other hand Marxist critic might see New critics point of view as ideological instead of critical. They would argue that critical distance should be kept from the poets religious standpoint for the poem to be understood. New criticism theories look at literary works in the view of what is written and not upon the authors goals or biographical issues. In contrast, the Marxists emphasize themes of class conflict. Marxist literary criticism Marxist literary criticism is used to describe literary criticism influenced by the philosophy of Marxism. Twentieth century leading proponents of Marxist theory are also literary critics. They include, George Lukà ¡cs, Terry Eagleton, and Raymond Williams. Marxist theory has different goals. One of its simplest goals is literary assessment of the political inclination of a literary work, hence determining whether its literary form is progressive. According to Marxists legal systems, religious beliefs, and cultural frameworks are determined by social and economic conditions. Therefore Art should represent these conditions truthfully and also seek to better them. The popularity of Marxist aesthetics has reduced in nowadays consumerist society; however it continues to pose responsible questions. Marxist basis of evaluation is hard to establish although it is one of the vigorous and varied 20th century school of aesthetics. Marxist theory has not been able to explain how the political, artistic, and legal superstructure of a nation reflects in its economic constitution. Assumptions from its generalizations have been stunningly inaccurate. For instance the hypotheses with which Marxism explained the rise in living standards of capitalist working class; the Russian-Chinese conflict revolution in Russia; and the uprisings in Berlin. The fact that Marxism fails intellectually is a prove that it has weaknesses in literary criticism. Despite Marxist critism theories having weaknesses it is a good thing that it allows intellectual freedom. Sometimes the authors writing may have been influenced in some way by the state. For instance, the communist world was totally different from what writers were allowed to show. This means that the literary work of time could not be analyzed by simply looking at the authors goal as it is proposed by new criticism. Reading the literary work very closely and particularly the language used by the author would help to analyze the work more critically. In this case Marxism is very crucial because what people read that is what they practice. Some contemporary Marxists such Terry Eagleton have tried to rehabilitate or revise marx. She recognizes the fact that literary work like that of Shakespeare create value because by reading them we are made to think and get something out of them thus getting some values from them. This supplements new criticism theory that looks at the moral and sometimes the religious dimensions such as honesty. Georg Lukacs contribution In his contribution towards Marxism and literature, Georg Lukacs, maintained that the text contained in classic realist writings in describing events of ordinary occurrence and social conditions give a vivid picture of the entireness of a society and its evolution. He argues that the literature of naturalism shows the contradictions that exist in societies and within the individual in the context of a dialectical unit. He acknowledged the fact that realist novels present a partial image of a society. However, he also supported the idea that the value of a novel lies in its description of the nature of a society in a historic period. He also argued that any literary work does not reflect individual phenomena in isolation as modernist text depicts, but should be the whole process of life found in realism. However, Lukas was opposed by Bertolt Brecht, who argued that society is dynamic and hence reality also changes. This is why Bertolt maintained that modes of representation should cha nge accordingly. The methods and goals of representation are always changing in the quest to describe present-day realities. Raymond Williams contribution According to Williams, any literature potraying an ever changing culture has the counter-hegemonic and dominant ideology. Therefore Marxist criticism leaning towards Williams theories considers literature as an important vehicle for ideology. Williams believed that where there was no common culture, a cultural and literary tradition is founded on selections made in the present and shaped by value decisions and power interests. This way he deconstructed the idea that truth is integral in a literary tradition. This contribution complements the new criticism theory that seeks to understand moral dimension of every literary text. He also suggested the term structure of feeling for analysis of literature. Even though she acknowledges that the term cannot be equated to an ideology since it lacks specificity of class and it is not universal; the term gives the dimension of experience more emphasis. Structure of feeling supplements new criticism theory since it emphasizes the experience dimension. This means that the text is not subjected to critical interpretations but instead the primacy of the text is upheld. New criticism New Criticism as a school of thought of literary interpretation stresses the significance of studying texts as comprehensive works of art in themselves. They argued for upholding primacy of text other than analysis based on context. According to proponents of this theory literary texts are usually comprehensive in and of themselves. They elevate the purpose of criticism in academics such as in the maintenance of language and poetry at the same time helping their development. Criticism is very important as it forms an inherent part of social development. Majority of new criticism studies see the theory as one that focuses on close reading of structure, theme, technicalities and the message contained in the literary works. New criticism supplements the Marxism criticism theory in its objective. Marxism theory interprets every literary work on the basis of how it responds to social inequalities. Social development is therefore an inherent part of the Marxism theory. New criticism also gives some focus to social development though indirectly. New criticism theory expects that by focussing on criticism at the academic level, the same will trickle down to the society at large and hence leading to social development. Unreasonable assumptions of Marxism and new criticism One of the assumptions of the New Critics is that biographical and historical information is not important in the study of a literary text. This assumption restricts the reader so much and is often seen as excessively authoritarian. Historical and biographical information is necessary as it can create an experience dimension that can pass some values to the reader. In so doing social development occurs. Marxism emphasizes the use of historical and biographical information in analyzing literary works. Marxism assumes that a literary work is a reflection of the society that produces it. This assumption is not always true. Some literary works may have had some external influenced thus depicting a society in a way that people wants to see it and thus may not be a true reflection of the society. Since new criticism does not emphasis the historical and biographical information of text, but instead on close reading of structure, theme, technicalities and the message contained in the literar y works, it complements the Marxism assumption. Therefore the blend of both Marxism and new criticism can complement each other as mentioned above. Humanism Marxism does not put emphasis on the use of Marx ideology of class conflict for academics but instead for social development. Therefore proponents of Marxism criticism theory believe it is most useful in the humanist world outside the academy. As discussed earlier, the new criticism is so much focussed on academics and not the society. It is so restrictive to the reader and does not use biographical and historical information in analysis of a literary work. On the other hand, Marxism can be referred as being humanistic. It is humanistic because it empathizes with the victims of social inequalities. Marxism therefore seeks to analyse literary works using the Marx ideology of class conflict. The Marxists hope that by analyzing literary works using class conflict ideology, the reader will be able to recognize the inequalities existing in the society and thus can find ways of overcoming them and bring about an equal society. According to Patricia Waugh humanism is not only found in Marxism but rather in all theories. She sees theories as a means by which one can exercise crucial capacities of being human. One can reflect or be rational about life through a theory and in the process one can stand back to make second order judgements about the world and our behaviour in it. In conclusion, Marxism criticism theory and New Criticism are different in many ways. These differences are what complements and supplements each other. For instance, since New Criticism does not emphasize on the use of historical and biographical information in analyzing literary works, Marxism complements it. On the other hand, New Criticism supplements Marxisms structure of feeling by emphasizing moral dimension in the analysis of literary works. Raymond Williams a proponent of Marxism acknowledge values such as truth as integral to the literary tradition.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twelve

Kiyo took off as soon as we got back to Tucson, saying he had to go to work. He also added that I shouldn't expect him later that night since he'd promised Maiwenn he'd come visit. Normally, that would have set my mood plummeting-and I won't lie, I wasn't thrilled as it was-but after last night, I felt superior and confident in my position with him at the moment. Somehow, I doubted he'd be looking at Maiwenn with the same awe he kept regarding me after I'd ridden him to exhaustion last night. If the crossroads in Yellow River-which we'd visited before heading out of town-had only yielded some answers this morning, I would have considered the trip a resounding success. â€Å"Nice of you to spend some time around here,† Tim told me when I emerged from the shower. As usual, he appeared to be cooking something. â€Å"What's that?† I asked, watching him roll out dough. â€Å"Cinnamon rolls,† he replied. â€Å"The second batch I've had to make, thanks to someone raiding the kitchen while they cooled.† He shot a glare over in the direction of one of the dogs-Yang, I thought-lying under the table. Yang looked extremely pleased with himself. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, even though it wasn't exactly my fault. Tim finished rolling out the dough and sprinkled the surface with a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar. â€Å"And don't think you're going to change the subject about never being around.† I found a Coke in the refrigerator and sat down, a little irritated over the scolding. â€Å"Well, sorry you miss my company, but I don't really see how it matters. Our deal is you live here rent-free in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Me not being here means you have less work. Besides, I've had things to do.† He scowled. â€Å"Yeah, I suppose. But do your ‘things' actually involve your job-the one that gets the mortgage paid? Your secretary called last night and said you missed an appointment. And you know, dealing with her isn't part of my rental agreement.† Despite having never met, Tim and my receptionist, Lara, had an antagonistic relationship over the phone. I had no time to give to their drama today, though. The other news was too startling. â€Å"I did what?† I took out my phone, which also doubled as my planner. In addition to two missed calls from Lara, I discovered I had indeed missed an appointment for a banishing last night. I'd been so fixated on my quest in Yellow River that I'd totally forgotten I had it. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered, dialing Lara's number. As keen as I was on these missing girls, Tim had a point-my human jobs paid the bills. Not the gentry ones. â€Å"What happened?† demanded Lara as soon as she answered. No hello. â€Å"I got distracted by something else,† I said. â€Å"I'm really sorry. You think we can reschedule? Give them a discount or something?† â€Å"Probably,† she conceded. â€Å"I mean, it's not like they've got many other options to get rid of a ghost. In the meantime, though, I've got some other pending clients.† I hesitated. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about accepting as many jobs as I could. It was good for my bank account and a good deed for the world. With as much as the Otherworld was preoccupying me, however, I couldn't afford losing the time right now-or possibly missing another appointment. â€Å"Reschedule the one I missed and book only one of the others. Tell the rest we have to wait-list them.† Lara was silent for several seconds. â€Å"Are you serious?† â€Å"Afraid so.† She sighed. â€Å"Okay. You can still pay my salary, though, right?† â€Å"Yes,† I laughed. â€Å"I haven't gone bankrupt yet.† â€Å"Okay then.† She sounded only moderately pacified. â€Å"But for the record? Your roommate needs to learn some manners. He was a total asshole when I called last night.† Before we disconnected, Lara made sure to remind me about two jobs I had later that day. She wouldn't get off the phone until I repeated the times and places back to her. I was just as eager to take care of them as she was, as sort of a mental retribution for the missed one from last night. I'd never forgotten a job before. My career might be an unusual one, but I still considered myself a professional and didn't want to start falling into bad habits as a result of all this Thorn Queen business. And yet†¦as soon as I finished those jobs, I had to send myself back to the Otherworld. I only intended it to be a quick visit, though. I simply needed to check Shaya's progress and find out if the runaway girl had been located. Questioning her would make this whole search and rescue a lot easier and let me get on with my human life. The news wasn't good, however. â€Å"No sign,† said Rurik, once I hunted him down in the castle. I'd found him in a compromising position with one of the cooks. â€Å"We've got people scouring the area but haven't had any luck. We did, however, find where those bandits have relocated. Do you want us to go after them?† I hesitated. I did want to round them up, both to take the pressure off the villages and see if they knew anything about the girls that my prisoners hadn't. In the end, I shook my head. If they still had that fire demon summoner, I didn't want to go after them until we had an overwhelming show of strength. â€Å"No. Not yet. Just keep looking for the runaway.† I gave a sidelong glance toward the kitchen, into which the woman whose skirt he'd just had his hand up had disappeared. â€Å"You know, if it's not too much of an inconvenience.† At least the news from Shaya was good. The supplies Dorian had sent me home with had been shipped out, and apparently Leith had contacted her to say that after going through the irrigation book, he had some ideas for us. Naturally, he wanted to meet with me again. I suspected an ulterior motive, but it was something I'd happily endure to keep the food coming. I at least felt like Leith's intentions were easier to understand than Dorian's-and that I was a lot less likely to yield to temptation along the way. I sent the young prince a message back, saying I'd love to meet with him. On impulse, I also asked if he had anyone who might be capable of summoning water demons. Once that chore was done, I made motions to go back to Tucson. â€Å"Well? Are we going to get this done with or not?† I turned around, surprised to see Ysabel standing there in the hallway, hands on her hips. I'd been heading out toward the courtyard to do a little communion with the land before returning home. The heat was sweltering, as usual, and most of the women around here had taken to wearing light, gauzy gowns, often with short or no sleeves-not unlike the dress I'd worn to Maiwenn's party. Ysabel had made no such concessions and stood clothed in a green velvet gown, complete with long bell sleeves. The color looked stunning with her hair, but I knew she had to be miserable. â€Å"Get what done with?† She threw up her hands in exasperation. â€Å"This†¦tutorial. Or whatever it is my lord sent me here to do.† Oh, right. I hadn't forgotten Ysabel, exactly. I'd just kind of tried to pretend she didn't exist, in a feeble (and futile) hope that she might just disappear. No such luck. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, returning her hard look. â€Å"I don't really have time.† â€Å"You promised Dorian,† warned Ysabel. â€Å"And until you do this, I can't leave this godsforsaken place. I want to go home.† I shrugged and turned away. â€Å"We can't always get what we want. Kind of like that song. God knows I haven't.† I'd barely taken one step when a huge gust of wind shot toward my back, whipping my hair in front of me and rustling the tapestries on the wall. I immediately came to a halt and looked back at her. Her expression was both smug and hostile. â€Å"What's the matter? Afraid you can't keep up with me?† Charming. The old baiting tactic. She was hoping to get her way by playing on my pride. It was like the lamest trick in the book†¦except, well, it was kind of working. Okay, it was more than just my pride here. I was succumbing to temptation. With hardly any effort, Ysabel had just nearly knocked me over. It was more than I could do-much more-and her power nowhere near matched mine. If I had that kind of mastery, I could create hurricanes and blow apart buildings. Being in full possession of my magic would make me a god. That shouldn't have mattered. I shouldn't have wanted that†¦but some secret part of me did. Well, not the god part. But certainly the rest. Power like that could help my people, I tried to convince myself. â€Å"Okay. Let's get this over with then.† I acted like getting rid of her was my only concern-not that that wasn't a huge motivating factor. This castle, I was finding, was filled with rooms-most of which didn't seem to have much use. Most of the servants and guards had their own quarters, still leaving a ton of rooms unoccupied and gathering dust. I really only had need of my meeting room and parlor when I was there, and the rest had thus far stayed unused. The parlor was apparently being cleaned, so on impulse, I led Ysabel to one of the abandoned rooms. It had a river-rock fireplace that wasn't going to see use anytime soon, but the striped brocade furniture hadn't accrued too much dust. I flounced down onto a chair, arms crossed and posture defensive. â€Å"Okay. Make this fast.† Ysabel examined her sofa carefully before easing down and spreading her voluminous skirts around her. She crossed her hands on her lap, and if not for the expression on her face that said she wanted to rip me apart, I would have said she looked dainty and ladylike. â€Å"Dorian says I'm to teach you to improve your power with air.† â€Å"Something like that.† She eyed me critically. â€Å"Before we begin, I want it made abundantly clear that I am not doing this by choice.† â€Å"Really? I hadn't noticed.† Her lips curled into a sneer at my sarcasm. â€Å"I don't know what Dorian sees in you. You think you're so clever and witty when really, you're just a plain, uncouth human.† â€Å"Half-human,† I corrected. â€Å"And plain or not, your boyfriend-and, like, every other guy around here-would give up his right arm to get me into bed.† I really shouldn't have provoked her like that. Not only was it mean, it was also going to make this whole magic lesson probably even more unbearable. â€Å"Believe me, it's through no charm of your own. It's only the prophecy and your alleged breeding ability, and once that's run its course, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She demurely smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt, not that there really were any. â€Å"It's only your child anyone will have interest in, not you.† â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, but there isn't going to be a child.† Not as long as my doctor kept prescribing me birth control pills. Ysabel looked up, face filled with skepticism. â€Å"Oh? Then why are you with the†¦kitsune?† She said kitsune like it was a dirty word. Dorian often did too, though he did it mostly to irritate me. I think Ysabel legitimately looked down on Kiyo. â€Å"If you really are a queen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked skeptical over this as well. â€Å"†¦then why lower yourself by taking him as a consort? The only reason you would have is in the hopes of him fathering a child on you, just as he did Maiwenn. Clearly, he's proven his virility†¦which might be of particular concern to you. You claim you're trying not to conceive, but perhaps that's a lie to hide the fact that you can't.† â€Å"What? That's insane!† â€Å"Whereas I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She ran her hands proudly along the sides of her hips. â€Å"†¦have already bore two children.† Whoa. That was startling-and a point of pride for her, no doubt, considering the gentry fertility issue. â€Å"To whom?† For some reason, the thought that it might be Dorian bothered me. â€Å"My husband. He was killed years ago in battle.† She frowned slightly, the first sign of soft emotion I'd seen on her. In a flash, her normal bitchy expression returned. â€Å"They live with my parents right now and are healthy and strong. My lord Dorian knows I can undoubtedly have more. That's why he cast you aside for me, forcing you to turn to the kitsune for your fleeting chances of offspring.† â€Å"That's not what Dorian and I-never mind. Look, for the last time, I'm not with Kiyo to get pregnant, okay? I'm with him because I love him.† She sniffed. â€Å"I find that unlikely. If you just wanted a lover for pleasure, you would pine for my lord. No other man can match his skills in the bedroom. When he binds my hands in ropes or paints my flesh, I find no greater ecstasy than-â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, just stop,† I said, holding up both hands. This entire conversation was grating on my last nerve. â€Å"I do not want to hear any details about your sex life with Dorian, okay? That is not part of this deal. No part at all. I don't want to-wait. Did you say something about painting?† A sly smile lit her features. â€Å"My lord has a great appreciation for art. Often, before we make love, I'll lie naked before him and let him use my body as a canvas. He will spend hours adorning my flesh with color and design, often using the paintbrush as a means to pleasure me and-â€Å" â€Å"Okay, okay. I'm sorry I asked.† As the words left my lips, though, it shocked me that I could envision what she was describing perfectly. Dorian's magic lessons had often involved tying me up-the necessity of which I was never 100 percent certain of-and he would spend a large amount of that time weaving the silken cords that bound me. He'd arrange them in interesting patterns and color formations, consumed by the process itself. Somehow, I imagined him being the same with paint. I could see his face lost in thought as he painted flowers or suns or whatever, his clever, sensual hands taking their time as they lightly touched my body†¦. No, not my body. Ysabel's. I had no part of this. â€Å"Let's get this done with,† I said gruffly, hoping she wouldn't guess my thoughts. â€Å"Then we can both go home.† â€Å"Very well then. So, you need my help because you're weak.† â€Å"That's not entirely true.† Jesus Christ. It was all going to be like this, wasn't it? â€Å"I have a lot of power. I know how to control and use water magic-though I guess I could be better. Everyone assumes I must have inherited wind magic too, but so far†¦well, I've only been able to use it once.† â€Å"You may simply be deficient,† she said lightly. Her eyes flicked to my chest. â€Å"Like in so many other ways. But we shall see.† It kind of went on like that for a while. Every other sentence of hers was a barb. Yet, a lot of what she explained to me sounded similar to what Dorian had said, which at least gave me some confidence that she wasn't bullshitting me. In particular, she kept trying to describe how I could reach out and feel different types of air-just as Dorian used to encourage me to do with water. Unfortunately, it had taken a very long time to do that with water, and I felt a little pessimistic about history repeating itself. â€Å"There are different types,† she kept saying. â€Å"Don't try to sense them all. Focus small.† â€Å"What do you mean different types of air?† About an hour had gone by at that point, and I was growing weary and longing for Tucson. â€Å"Air is air,† I argued. â€Å"Spoken like a savage,† she remarked. â€Å"Perhaps we should just end this and tell my lord we fulfilled our promise to try.† I gritted my teeth. â€Å"Just explain it one more time.† She shrugged. â€Å"There are different types of air.† When she offered no more, I began to agree with her. It might be best to abandon this after all. A few moments later, though, she elaborated. â€Å"There is different air around plants. Different air after we exhale. Different air when the land is foggy. Not that you'd understand that in this wretched place.† My eyes widened. â€Å"Gas. Molecules. That's what you mean.† Now she was the one wearing the confused expression. â€Å"The different types of air,† I continued, excited in spite of myself. â€Å"You're saying the magic depends on feeling each kind†¦oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide†¦.† I was speaking a foreign language. Ysabel seemed as confused as ever, but by this point, I was running away without her. It made sense. Dorian's entire teaching method had been built on baby steps. It had started with me sensing a bucket of water and culminated in me using the water in Aeson's body to blow him apart. Starting at the molecular level with air seemed daunting, but the human in me clung to the science. And as I sat there, I began to expand my mind out, much as I did when preparing to use water magic. Air had always remained blank and untouchable, yet as I began to simply focus on a tiny part of it, it became more manageable. I thought about Ysabel's breathing-oxygen in, carbon dioxide out. The world slowed down to a heartbeat, one breath at a time†¦. I'm not sure how long I sat like that. I lost track of where I was or even if she said anything else to me. Only her breathing mattered. At last, I could sense the differences, the changes in the air coming in and coming out. As she exhaled, my mind scooped up the air-the carbon dioxide-leaving her lips and flung it as I would a ball. My control was imprecise; I had no real target. The air brushed past her shoulder, ruffling her hair. â€Å"You†¦you touched it,† she said grudgingly, clearly surprised. I was alive and burning with energy now, too consumed by what I was doing to answer her. Using magic always set my senses ablaze, made the world seem more vibrant and real. I wanted to do the trick again but decided to see if I could work it the opposite way and exert control over a different type of air-oxygen. I waited again to get a feel for her breathing, letting my mind actually sense the different particles in the air. When I felt certain I could grasp the oxygen, I did-just as she was about to inhale. Ysabel began to cough, her hands going to her throat as she tried to draw breath. Sucking the oxygen away meant, well, that she couldn't inhale it. I froze in my surprise at the obvious yet not entirely unreasonable consequences-so much so that I couldn't stop what I did. I was just†¦stunned. I was controlling air. The magic burned through me, and her oxygen just kept flowing away and away. It obeyed my commands, and I didn't have the coherent reasoning to cut it off. After several seconds that felt like years, the realization of what I was doing suddenly penetrated my higher reasoning. I finally cut off the magic, letting go of my hold on her oxygen. By then, Ysabel had fallen to her knees in a desperate attempt to get air-and probably because she was starting to lose consciousness too. At last, free of the magic, she drew a large, shaking breath, face pale and terrified. A few moments later, when she'd recovered herself, she looked at me accusingly. â€Å"You-you tried to suffocate me!† â€Å"No!† I exclaimed, aghast. â€Å"I†¦I didn't. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was just trying to control the air†¦.† She stood up, and where once her face had been pale, it was now flushed with anger. She was shaking. â€Å"You deceived Dorian. You already know how to use this kind of magic. This is all part of some elaborate plot.† â€Å"No, no,† I said, standing as well. â€Å"I've never used it before-except once and only for a few seconds.† â€Å"I don't believe you. What you just did†¦you couldn't have done that if you were as inexperienced as you pretended to be!† What I'd done-aside from the fact it could have killed her-didn't seem like it was that big a deal. I'd sensed air and moved it. It was hardly a hurricane, and it had taken a lot of concentration-so much so that I didn't think I could repeat it anytime soon. I hardly had the effortless control she exerted over the wind. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you. It was an accident.† Ysabel's only answer was a scowl, just before she stormed out of the room. As she passed me, I thought I saw both fear and tears in her eyes. Despite her bravado, I realized that what had seemed more like anger in her was actually terror. She was in the home of someone she saw as a rival, someone with a reputation as a warrior and a tyrant-and someone who had just tried to kill her. She was trapped here by Dorian's orders. â€Å"A terrifying feat, your majesty,† a voice near the doorway said. I took a few steps forward and saw Shaya standing just outside in the hall, her pretty face grim. â€Å"It was an accident,† I said, surprised at the trembling in my voice. â€Å"I don't like her, but I don't want to hurt her.† â€Å"I know.† Shaya's expression turned both gentle and sad. â€Å"But her fear isn't unfounded. You learned that too quickly and too well.† â€Å"It was easy! It's the same as moving water around or any other type of air.† â€Å"From what I understand, stealing someone's breath-denying them air-is harder than simply creating breezes. You're fighting against life itself. Those who suffocate others in this way usually require great strength and stamina. For you to be able to do it already†¦well, it's a testament to your power-and that's nearly as frightening as the act itself.† The full impact hit me. â€Å"Wait†¦there are people who do that on purpose? Steal someone's air so they can't breathe?† She shrugged. â€Å"Well, to those with the skill, suffocation's an effective weapon.† â€Å"It's sick†¦it's an inhumane way to die.† â€Å"I agree. And most people don't have that kind of strength, so it's not an issue. Among those who do have the strength, most would never consider doing it to another person, enemy or no.† I groaned. â€Å"Well, if that's true, then she has to understand that I wouldn't purposely do it to her either. She has to believe that it was an accident.† â€Å"I don't think you're going to have a lot of luck with that.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because while most consider such torture unusually cruel, there was one person who enjoyed denying someone their breath-and who frequently used it as a form of execution and entertainment.† Shaya's look was meaningful. â€Å"Tirigan Storm King.†