Siebel’s Critical Success

The definition of Customer Relationship Management is providing exceptional customer service. This entails rapid responses to all customer inquiries and demonstrations of active concern for customer satisfaction. CRM is a comprehensive sales and marketing approach to building long term customer relationships and improving business performance. It is a way of helping an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way. For example, an enterprise might build a database about its customers that described relationships in sufficient detail. The best Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems include: 1) The ability to provide faster response to customer inquiries 2) Increased efficiency through automation 3) Having a deeper knowledge of customers 4) Getting more marketing or cross-selling opportunities 5) Identifying the most profitable customers 6) Receiving customer feedback that leads to new and improved products or services 8) Obtaining information that can be shared with the company's business partners. How Siebel's Critical Success Factors assists in the internal growth of the company and their competitive advantage. Siebel Systems enable organizations to create a single source of customer information that makes it easier to sell to, market to, and service customers across multiple channels, including the Web, call centers, field, resellers, retail, and dealer networks. This is done by providing a comprehensive family of multichannel eBusiness applications and services. Built on a proven, component-based architecture, Siebel eBusiness Applications are designed from the ground up to be completely Web-based, deliver support for multiple computing platforms, and provide automatic upgrades and software distribution that significantly reduce the total cost of ownership. By using the web Siebel use a common channel to market their wares which financial feasible, considering the amount of information they have to make available to existing and potential customers. The fact that one of their CSF's is to satisfy customers through any service channel, is an advantage that would benefit Siebel in terms of internal growth and competition. Since they have such a multiplicity of service channels incorporating many aspects of customer cohesion, they have a competitive edge over other companies offering the same services. How Siebel address it's clients needs – Siebel eBusiness Applications allow organizations to create a single source of customer information that makes it easier to sell to, market to, and service customers across multiple channels, including the Web, call centers, field, resellers, retail, and dealer networks. The multiplicity of the informative avenues that they provide is very compatible with whatever variety of customers they may come into contact with. – They provide support for all the major computing platforms including mobile clients, connected clients, thin clients, and handheld clients. – Create a single source of customer and product information that can be used to tailor product and service offerings to meet the unique needs of each customer across all channels of customer interaction – Deliver the only integrated, multichannel, Web-based configuration solution that is easy to use, deploy, and maintain Critical Success Factors of Claritas Claritas is a provider of marketing data. This data is arranged so that their customers can more easily initiate contact with customers in whatever field they choose to apply. Their users can target their own consumer needs so that the product or service they use can be tailored to fit the desired customer. The vast areas that their data covers i.e. trends, geographical locations and important events, ensures that they offer the best service possible for the service that they are offering which is a resource for marketing needs. This is a competitive advantage and as their clients speak of their efficiency to colleagues, this can only mean internal growth in favour of the company. Claritas addresses its clients needs by combining customer data with unique market information and insights enabling its clients to systematically identify, quantify, reach, and retain their most profitable customers. Their ways of doing this are by providing geodemographic information, qualitative audience research, and highly detailed data on advertising spending across all media. This is a main Critical Success Factor. It involves providing customers with all the information that is available and necessary to gain and retain customers. The service Siebel offers is providing comprehensive application software that can reach a plethora of customers by travelling through many avenues such as the Web, field, retail networks. This service can be improved by Claritas marketing data which can help direct Siebel's customers to choose the appropriate channel to reach the customers through. In layman terms, Claritas provides the information about the customers and Siebel provides the means in which to contact the customers. This can help both companies and allow them to mutually benefit from each other's strengths. What is a call centre infrastructure? The call centre is a central information point, which the rest of the company can use to gather data about the relationship between companies, products and customers. Murphy Brewery has 9,000 customers base. The problem with them is that their customers were presented with various points of contact within our organization without any one individual taking responsibility for a specific order, query, or request. Customers found that their requests and queries often went unresolved. This information was derived through conducting a self-commissioned survey. The solution was to establish a Customer Care service, i.e. a call centre, that would integrate all concerned information for any agent dealing with a customer. By understanding how customer trends are moving, a company can control the bases of their existence, their customers, and thus maintain a competitive edge over their rivals like Murphy Brewers. This relates to CRM because it is providing the best customer service possible by knowing the customer needs. Activity 2: A Power Analysis of your position Activity 3: Research Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Benchmarking. The definition of ERP is an attempt to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments' particular needs. It facilitates communication and enables information to be shared more easily. In the business sense for example, if an order is made, it can be done with all the information about the product or service being ordered available and by eliminating the need to go into different departments, it saves time. Benchmarking involves setting a baseline against what a company should have done or being doing to remain competitive. This follows certain criteria such as portability, flexibility, geographical application, facility of integration and facility of implementation. PeopleSoft run a client server architecture supporting Windows, cell phone technology (WAP), Unix, Linux and Macintosh. They are able to cater for industries, the federal government, Healthcare, manufacturing, Higher Education, Retail and Utilities. This shows an ability to tailor packages for almost any given enterprise. PeopleSoft can implement applications that can handle enterprises on a world wide basis.Facility of integration They offer an open integration platform to connect your enterprise to almost any form of enterprise which links to their application on worldwide basis. Facility of Implementation Their software can be easily implemented and installed if desired. PeopleSoft offers a complete packaged software solution for medium sized companies. Since 1987, they have built global enterprise application solutions that meet the changing business demands of organizations worldwide. Portablity The company whose ERP systems are being benchmarked is called SAP. Linux, WAP (Mobile phone communications) and Unix. Flexibility Offers custom made solutions and off the shelf industry solutions. Geographical application Supports global e-commerce, allowing the organisation to trade world wide with their systems. Facility of integration All major departments can be integrated into a large software solution. Facility of implementation Support provided after the software package has been purchased by a company. Activity 4: Profiling a Strategic team: Executive EQ test The company mission statement appears to be the best British garden magazine. They aspire to become the leading focus of expertise in garden designing, house decoration and culinary worldwide. For example, the service of providing gardening lessons through the Internet could be offered, and eventually they would expand into other educational areas. They seek to explore other medium attaining international coverage. A means of doing this could be by using SPY IN THE SKY services enabling HiMAC to take aerial photos of any garden and sell specialised tours. This would serve as a means to provide course over the Internet. This involved aligning financial activities and reports for all titles. In terms of business change, they proposed to have a team solely devoted to dealing with customer queries. They recognised the need for the customer base to expand in order to deal with a greater diversity of customers. They noted some supplier that could help the primary set up of computer based courses as a support if HiMAC took up more educational courses for other organisations. There was a recognition for the need of some departments to receive training for these new technologies. The accounting functions needed to be integrated into one single report. The decision to copy the model of an Internet based course from SurferTeaching Company was both good and bad. It was good in the sense that by copying, it reduced labour content with less work being involved than if one was innovative. It also provided less work by speeding up processes. It was bad in the sense that by copying another practice, it might not have been tailored for HiMAC as a specific company and thus caused problems like internal division. By not being specifically tailored for their company, its design would not cater for their CSF, goals and objectives. Secondly, the practice may carry inherent imperfections which HiMAC might not recognise and breed into their companies thus bringing new issues to consider.

Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Set in front of the conservative backdrop of 1960's Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love tells the intimate tale of two people who, by fate, seem to land themselves in each other's company due to the common bond of the absence of their spouses. The plot of the film is by no means anything original, but it is deeply accentuated by the style in which the film is shot. With unconventional camera angles, an inconsistent musical score, and deep, luscious colors, In the Mood for Love brings a seemingly real perspective to a very personal story. Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chang (Maggie Cheung) coincidentally, move in to their small neighboring Hong Kong flats on the same day. Mr. Chow, a newspaper editor with an unseen, but presumably traveling, wife, and Mrs. Chang, a secretary, also with an unseen business executive husband. The two often find their paths crossing as they frequent the same streets, restaurants, and noodle shop. It is when they discover that their spouses are having an affair that they begin to see each other. Unlike very fast paced, show-all, American films, the relationship that blossoms between Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chang is not one of immense passion and love, but more of a deeper unsaid understanding. It is the simple gestures such as the conversations, the gazing into one another's eyes, and the holding of hands where the real relationship lies. This could not be clearer when, in a climactic moment of the film, they briefly caress each other's hands in the back of a taxi. The film is accentuated by the unconventional, but highly innovative camera work throughout. Often times the camera remains stationary while the characters move about, and sometimes out of the frame. It's as if to remind the audience that we are looking through a peep hole rather than through a movie screen, and that there are things that we will not be able to see. Throughout various portions of the film, like the rice cooker scene, for example, you can hear the characters speaking, but you will actually have to visualize what they are doing. The position at which the camera lies throughout the movie is also noteworthy because of the strange angles it is put at, such as under a bed, over a person's shoulder, through metal grating, and in general, low to the ground. It seems that Wong Kar Wai is telling us â€Å"no, that's too easy. You need to look at this from a more difficult position, as if you were eavesdropping on these very private moments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The rich colors and costumes of the film play a very large part in how the story is told as well. In the first scene, at the appearance of Mrs. Chan and her very colorful dress, the audience is immediately drawn to her and continues to watch her throughout the rest of the film. From then on each dress, one right after the other, begins to astonish the viewer with its lush colors and interesting patterns. This immediately sets Mrs. Chan apart from any other character, especially Mr. Chow, who dresses in relatively the same attire every day, creating a very physical contrast between two characters who are emotionally similar. Not only does the costuming add emphasis to the film, but the lighting of most of the scenes adds another layer onto they already thick stylized coat of the film. Much of the film takes place on the very foreign and almost enigmatic streets of Hong Kong, usually during the night, and we are provided with not quite enough illumination to see everything perfectly. This adds a heightened level of mystery throughout the entire film, especially in the first half, before the characters really meet. The warm colors, in a sense, add quite a bit to the slow pacing of the film. These are not very cold, vivid, or fast colors, but rather ones that let the scenes take their time, in a place where conversations are not hurried and friendly games with neighbors last into the late hours of the night. The editing also does its part to slow down the movie, making the shifts between days seamless and slowing scenes down into slow motion to literally â€Å"juice† the magic out of them. However, much, if not all of the aforementioned material is simply technique none of the true bread and butter of movies is covered. This is simply because there hardly was any. Is the plot original? No, not really. Is the script solid? Well, considering there was no actual script to begin with, no. But is the way in which all of these, otherwise boring, elements filmed beautiful and interesting? Absolutely! It seems that the true core of this movie is missing, but who's to say that every movie has to follow a standard formula? THEMES TIME After reading some interviews I found that Kar-wai was very interested in the past, almost nostalgic for how Hong Kong was when he was growing up. He also finds interesting ways to show the passing of time in In the Mood for Love with the many beautiful dresses that Mrs. Chang wears. ISOLATION Another heavy theme in In the Mood for Love is isolation. In a couple of the interviews Kar-wai mentioned that people (like himself) fleeing Shanghai to Hong Kong basically had to cram into apartments. Kar-wai creates a limited visual space by having actors off-camera, shooting in narrow hallways. Even the character’s emotions seem to distance themselves. CINEMATOGRAPHY The way Wong Kar-wai and Chris Boyle go about shooting movies is the complete opposite from every other director we’ve studied this semester. Instead of taking a more professional approach of meticulously planning out every shot, they figure out what would be best determined by location, and it seems they act more like bumbling film students rather than award winning filmmakers. â€Å"Our styles come from the way we work; like in Fallen Angels we started working in a very small teahouse, and the only way we could shoot the scene was with a wide-angle lens. But I thought the wide-angle lens was too normal, so instead I preferred an extreme wide-angle. And the effect is stunning because it draws the characters very close to the camera but twists the perspective of the space so they seem far away. It became a contrast to Chungking Express, in which people are very far away from the camera but seem so close. Also, we work with very limited budgets and we don't have permits, so we have to work like CNN, you know, just breaking into some place and taking some shots. We often don't have time for setups, and sometimes when neighbors walk into the frames we have to cut them out, and that becomes a jump cut. I think 10 or 15 percent is preconceived. Most of it just happens. † –Wong Kar-wai This is all very surprising because the most notable features in In the Mood for Love is the look of the film, which is beautiful. It’s nice to know there are other ways to go about shooting a film, and that being meticulous doesn’t make you a better director. The way you take on the challenges of shooting a film to be as visually competent as possible makes you a director. WORKING WITH ACTORS Seeing how Kar-wai’s filming techniques are by the seat of your pants, it comes as no surprise that his directing of actors is just as spontaneous. During the filming of In the Mood for Love, Maggie Cheung said that the camera would be far away (because he’s shooting with a wide angle I’d assume) and that he would all of a sudden want to switch the shot to slow motion, without telling any of the actors. â€Å"He will see a shot and then suddenly he will picture it as a slow motion shot and he'll just say, let's try one of those, and then he'll just do it, without us even knowing. I’m not sure if this is the best way to go about directing an actor unless you are absolutely sure about what you’re doing. Wong Kar-wai seems to be a free spirit in the way he speaks, and directs. Plus he has a close relationship with many collaborators so everyone knows what is needed from them to complete his vision. Kar-wai seems to know the most ab out human emotions and how to properly show them on the screen so they’re believable. I remember there was an emotional scene where I was saying good-bye to Andy Lau at a bus stop. We had to retake that scene the next day because I was not very good. I thought I had been good because I had been crying and crying, but Wong Kar Wai said, â€Å"It is not about that. It is not about how many tears drop out of your eyes or how emotional you are. † I said, â€Å"No? But you ask me to cry and I am crying, why am I doing it wrong? † He said, â€Å"But when you cry you should try to hold back. Nobody cries just like that. The minute you feel the sting in your eyes your first reaction should be ‘I don’t want to cry,’ and to hold it back. † INFLUENCES Wong Kar-wai was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong when he was five. Leaving his 40 or so cousins, he became an only child thanks to the Cultural Revolution. Leaving the lifestyle of a small village full of friends and family your own age, to a city full of adults must have been very impressionable on the young Kar-wai. His mother loved movies and luckily for them there were plenty of theaters around playing Western, European, and local films, â€Å"we spent almost every day in the cinemas because she doesn't have any friends or relatives in Hong Kong†. Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046 all take place during the 1960’s in Hong Kong, with slight political undertones so this place and time was obviously very important to him. Wong Kar-wai also seems to be heavily influenced by the French New Wave, but who isn’t? Like The 400 Blows and Breathless, Kar-wai’s films come off as a love letter to their settings because of how beautifully detailed the shots are. You can tell that he is in love with Hong Kong and that it is his greatest influence.

Air legislation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Air legislation - Assignment Example Moreover, the information indicates whether it is right to operate the aircraft within the recommended safety conditions. The other purpose of the information is whether the aircraft meets the recommended operating rules. The chief-inspections officer in the aviation industry is entitled to certify the technical log. All the data in the technical log is recorded in two pages of a form. The front part of the paper is the original one while the other part is made a carbon copy onto the black sheet. In most cases, the front pert of the technical log comprises of there identical sections. These sections, which are â€Å"tear-off†, are used to record the maintenance performed on the particular aircraft. An authorized official employed by an aircraft industry makes the recordings of all the maintenance performed. Moreover, the official is entitled to record the release-to-service. The top page or sheet of the technical log is usually removed. The sheet is forwarded to the administration where it is kept in the aircraft logbooks. The other part, which is the carbon copy imprinted on the original paper is kept of the technical log folder. This part helps in informing the flight crew about the aircraft maintenance status relating to the aircraft. The operators of the aircraft are normally the ones who create the maintenance schedule. The main purpose of the maintenance schedule is that it allows pilots to understand the condition of the aircraft prior to flight. The review board of the organization is that one entitled to make approval on the maintenance schedule. Moreover, it is recommended that a member of the aviation administration to be present while making the approval of maintenance schedule. Various types of maintenance checks are employed on the maintenance schedule. In most cases, the maintenance schedule comprises of four checks. The first

Film Genre Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film Genre Analysis - Essay Example Horror films are meant to create some negative emotions like fear, shock and tension among the audience or viewers. This discourse is about genre analysis of Near Dark, produced by Kathryn Bigelow, in 1987. Horror films incorporate various aspects beyond human imaginations to inflict some sort of fantasy, supernaturalism and the thrilling effects among others. Majority of horror films incorporates the evil and scary scenes through ghosts, serial killers, ogres, zombies, demons, aliens and cannibals among others. This film genre is however restricted to adults above the age of 18 or 21, who can deal with their fears or nightmares without compromising their social and spiritual lives (Wilkins, 2009). Horror films have various influences in the society. It is one of the most selling or marketable genre after sci-fi and animations. The horror films are the opposite of the old movies where the main theme was to satisfy men’s desires. The horror movies incorporate both men and women 's roles in the society and thus are good attribute to gender equality. Women are also the main audience and actors, or the main contributor to the ideas behind the horror films. The majority of female horror films usually begins as a vulnerable scared being to who develop to be strong and confident as the films come to an end. This has really impacted confidence and the strength to endure life frustrations among several women and men facing some sort of difficulties (Plaisance, 2008). Horror films also include the elements of motherhood, pregnancy and lesbianism to attract more female audience. However, it is being revealed that the evil and scary scenes in the horror films have compromised the spiritual and social lives among several audiences. For instance, the Christian clergies have lamented that the movies inflict fear and social withdrawals among teenagers. They also lament that movies based on Halloween celebrations are not in accordance with the Biblical teachings, but some sort of an evil cult. Some social and psychological studies indicate that a pregnant woman could miscarry when shocked or frightened by the evil and scary scenes in the horror films. The films also kill the sense of humanity in frequent audiences, for instance, Children who watch horror films are likely to adopt some criminal minds when they become of age. This is because their humanity and affection is replaced with anger, terror and revenge among other undesirable characters. Near Dark is a horror movie produced in 1987, directed by Kathryn Bigelow but produced by Steven-Charles Jaffe. It was written by Eric Red alongside Kathryn Bigelow. Its main actors and actresses are Adrian Pasder, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein and Bill Paxton. Its music and cinematography was done by Tangerine Dream and Adam Greenberg respectively. The 95 minute movie was based in the United States, and the entire script is in English. Near Dark is about a young man who tries to choose be tween the normal human family life and the vampire family. The main struggle is attributed by the fact that each choice has its consequences. In 1980, there was need to revive the vampire movies and Near Dark was one of the releases. The movie begins with Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meeting a young beautiful woman Mae (Jenny Wright). This happens before the morning sun appears. Mae bites Colton’s neck before running away. The sun rises and Colton realizes his body system is not the same anymore, his flesh burns when exposed to

Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-256 BC) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-256 BC) - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the Zhou were the first of a series of ruling dynasties of nomadic origins that came from China’s borderlands† to the west of the country. The Zhou kings established their rule after conquering the Shang. The great victory took place in 1122 B.C., with only 50,000 Zhou troops defeating an army of Shang troops over ten times that size, because the Shang ruler was corrupt and depraved. The Zhou Dynasty ruled for around eight hundred years and extended China’s borders significantly. The Zhou worshipped sun gods, especially Tian. The first Zhou kings were powerful monarchs who relied on their swords. However, with the passage of centuries, power slipped from the ruler’s hands and increasing military and administrative duties were delegated to local aristocrats who acquired new territory. Consequently, China expanded, but at the same time, the control of the government weakened. The long period of the Zhou Dynasty in Chinese history is usually divided into the Western Zhou 1045-771 B.C., with its capital in the Wei River Valley, and the Eastern Zhou 771-256 B.C. which shifted eastwards, after defeating in battle.The idea of the Mandate of Heaven and moral accountability that rulers are sanctioned by Heaven as long as they rule virtuously for the benefit of the people was used originally to justify Zhou conquest of the Shang. However, it increased in strength as a potent idea of moral thought and continues to be used in the present time.  

Casey Anthony Court Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Casey Anthony Court Case - Research Paper Example On this note, investigations on the disappearance of the young girl began immediately. The sheriff conducting the study interrogated every member of Anthony family concerning the matter. He also did a forensic fingerprint scan in all the rooms in the house Caylee Anthony could have been last. However, despite the efforts of the investigators, Casey still came up with false stories parting the matter. In addition to her earlier allegation that Caylee was with Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez her babysitter, she made-up three more lies. The first one she claimed that Jeffrey Hopkins and Juliette Lewis were the first she had told of her missing daughter. The second one she lied to be an employee at Universal Studio in Orlando. Lastly, she claimed to have spoken to Caylee on the phone the day before she was reported missing. All these false statements were later discovered and she was arrested for giving wrong information to the police (Montaldo, 2012). A search on the family computer reviled the most significant findings in the Casey Anthony’s case since they changed the case from a kidnap case to a murder case. Computer forensics specialists managed to retrieve browsing history of all website pages browsed using the home computer and sorted those related to the case. Some of the pages from Internet Explorer browser, commonly used by the girl’s mother, reviled questionable research. ... There were also Google pages showing a research on â€Å"fool-proof suffocation technique† on the eve day the girl was last seen alive (Jones, 2012). The body of the young girl was later, about six months after her disappearance, discovered near the house belonging to Anthony. The body was decomposed to the extent that the actual cause of death could not be determined. However, a duct tape was discovered attached on the front of Caylee’s skull (Hopper, 2011). The duct tape could have been a perfect weapon to suffocate the child and prevent her from screaming during the struggle. This led to a conclusion that the child must have been poisoned using chloroform and then suffocated using a duct tape. The evidence was, therefore, enough to convict Casey with the first degree murder, manslaughter, child abuse, and provision of false information in a court of law. The trails on the case were held in the Orange Courthouse in Orlando where the evidence was brought to the attenti on of the jury and judge. The presiding judge was known as Belvin Perry, and the jury had 12 jurors, 7 women and 5 men, and five alternates. To come up with the courtroom work group, a panel of the jury and the alternates, the court took 11 consecutive days of extreme questioning of the potential panelist from Tampa Bay area. The case had two prosecutors Linda Drane Burdick and Jeff Ashton versus Casey Anthony’s attorney Jose Baez. The first trial was held on May 24th 2011 where both sides got an opportunity to give their opening statements (Montaldo, 2012). The defense Attorney Jose Baez stunned the jury and the entire courtroom in his opening statement. The Attorney argued that the

Critically discuss the following statement with reference to the Best Essay

Critically discuss the following statement with reference to the Best Practice and Best Fit approaches to strategic Human Re - Essay Example What makes some organisations prosper while others fail? Is applying the ‘best practices’ more successful than applying the ‘best fit’ approach to strategic HRM. These are questions that need to be addressed for a firm to develop the right strategy to drive it to success. According to Boxall and Purcell (2000, p. 193), ‘there are various principles and processes of good labour management but the methods firm adopt to reach their performance goals are affected by societal, sectoral, and organisational factors.’ This is a statement that needs to be explored further bearing in mind the importance attached to SHRM by firms as a means of achieving effectiveness and thus will be the subject of this research. To explore this issue further, the paper will first define the concepts used since various definitions affect the results of any research. Concepts such as strategy, strategic management, HR strategy and business strategy need to be understood for better evaluation of the different approaches involved. It will then discuss the ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ approaches to strategic human resource management (SHRM), their strengths as well as weaknesses. Though both approaches have been known to work for organisations, it should be argued that the ‘best practice’ approach is the most suitable in achieving organisational success. Besides the two approaches, the resource-based view of the firm is also worthy noting since it can solve the problems of ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ approaches. Definitions The strategic human resource management is derived from two concepts: strategy and HRM. Strategy is defined by Armstrong (2006, p. 113 cited in Johnstone and Scholes, 1993) as ‘the direction and scope of an organisation over longer time which matches its resources to its changing environment and in particular, to its markets, customers and clients to meet shar eholder expectations.’ The strategy is developed by managers to give the firm purpose and direction and as such, for strategy to be developed the firm has to have specific goals it wants to pursue and indicated in its vision and mission statement. It is essential in informing the stakeholders where the company is heading so that all their behaviours can be directed in the same direction. There are various levels of strategy: corporate, business and HR strategy. The corporate strategy is designed to direct the whole organisation whether local or global. It is developed at the top level of the corporation. Business strategy on the other hand, it designed for specific business units to achieve competitive advantage (Armstrong, 2006). HR strategies are aimed at ensuring the employees perform according to expected standards for organisational success, and these will be the concern for this paper. It is a pattern of strategic choices in labour management (Boxall and Purcell, 2000, p. 184). Human resource management is defined by Boxall and Purcell (2000, p. 184) as ‘anything and everything associated with management of employment relations in the firm’. They acknowledge the use of various management styles in contemporary workplaces depending on organisation context and the leadership in place. HRM concept has evolved over time from traditional personnel management to the now popular international SHRM and thus has been the object of debate in social sciences and academics. Theorists have come up with various methods of

Postmans critique essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Postmans critique - Essay Example Therefore, this paper seeks to analyze the strengths and weakness of his conviction. Postman explicates the manner in which computers are indispensable to high level researches in Physics and other natural sciences (Postman, 1992). He asserts that the main beneficiaries of computer technology are the winners, a group comprising of individuals who have already wielded the most power. This is ascribed to the element that the winners can easily tell losers to use novel technology in order to make their lives efficient. This shows that winners are already powerful and they use their position to increase power through technological advancements. For instance, large-scale organizations, such as financial institutions, large manufacturing companies, airlines, and even the state and federal government use novel technological knowledge to execute their duties; thus, making them excel over others (losers). Postman main argument is that technological disadvantages have exceeded the advantages. In explaining his assertion, he questions the use of computers that have negatively affected people’s lives by posing, â€Å"but to what extent has computer technology been an advantage to the masses of people?† (Postman, 1992). In asking this question, he tries to convince his readers that technology has not done any good to the masses. This is not true since computers have made work easier for businessmen, accountants, musicians, just to mention but a few. Associate professor of Communications, Mary Beadle, writes â€Å"Convenience, comfort and speed are valued; thus, old sources of beliefs such as church, school, family have diminished† (Beadle, 1995). This implies that the new technology have come up with novel ways of doing things that render the old ways obsolete. Postman makes a strong case for the fact that the primary disadvantage of â€Å"the losers† in the age of computers are those individuals and small businesses that

Micro analysis of Apocalyspe Now (1979) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Micro analysis of Apocalyspe Now (1979) - Essay Example Inspired by the 1902 novel of Joseph Conrad, The Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now presents a story of a U.S. Army assassin, Captain Benjamin Willard in his final mission in Vietnam. Willard is tasked to take a voyage up the Nung River into Cambodia, for purposes of finding and killing a renegade Green Beret officer, Colonel Walter Kurtz. Kurtz, who is believed to have gone insane, leads a native Montagnard army in the commission of derange killings. The native army regards Kurtz as their ‘god’. Willard joins the troop of a Navy river patrol boat in order to reach Kurtz. As the journey of Willard continues, his crew comes across Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, chief of a U.S. Army helicopter cavalry group, who led the elimination of a Viet Cong colony to afford an entry point for the Patrol Boat River into the mouth of the Nung River. After several notable episodes of the journey, Willard finally reached the outpost of Kurtz, completing his mission and thereby gaining an acknowledgment of the natives as their new ‘god’. The chosen sequence depicts a part of the journey of battle-weary Captain Benjamin Willard to the ferocious profundity of war. The film sequence focuses on Willard’s mission to attack a Vietnamese village suspected of being an enemy stronghold, with the indispensable participation of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, who takes Willard on an airborne foray utilizing several U.S. army gunships. The sequence begins on the sound of a trumpet signalling the commencement of the mission as depicted by the movement of the first helicopter gunship elevating from the ground, followed consecutively by the rest of the gunships. As the helicopters soar the sky, Wagner’s â€Å"Ride of the Valkyries† plays in the background. Here, the viewer is being initiated into the spectacle and awesome sight of war. As each of the helicopters ascends in the orange sky, showing overlapping shots of helicopters in tight formation

PBGC Company Profile Essay Example for Free

PBGC Company Profile Essay PBGC is an abbreviation of a Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The purpose of this federal corporation is to protect American’s pension. Its mission is related to protection: Forty four million American workers retirement income is currently being protected in more than 30000 benefit pension plans of private single-employer and multiemployer. Its formation is the result of an act of 1974 by the name Employee Retirement Income Security Act. It has the following objectives: First It helps private-sector define benefit pension plans to be continued and remain well maintained. Second is to provide pension benefits payment time to time, without any interruption. Its third objective is to keep minimum pension insurance premiums. The defined benefit pension plan gives pension on a monthly basis to the retirees but the pension amount is depended upon the salary and the year of services the retirees have rendered. The corporation does not only give monthly payments to retirees up to the guaranteed maximum but also the multiemployer plans participants and one who have not retired yet get financial assistance from it. General Tax Revenues don’t give any kind of fund to this corporation. Insurance premiums financed the operations of this federal corporation which was being set by Congress. Insurance premium is being paid by the sponsors defined for each benefit plan that are basically employers. The recoveries are being made from the companies which would be responsible for the plans in the past. Earnings come from investments for this corporation. According to the plan ended in 2008, workers will get $4,312. 50 monthly when they will get retire at the age of 65. It serves the range of customer’s e. g. general public, media and so on. Board of directors including the Secretaries of Labor (Chair), Commerce and the Treasury guided the operations of PBGC. The two highest priorities of this administration is to reform the defined benefit pension system and bring improvement in retirement security. It contributed in the development of Pension Protection Act of 2006. Since PBGC has worked over the last 33 years for the protection plan of participant’s interests and also to support private pension system’s growth; millions of American workers can now think about secured retirement along with their families. Both the benefit plan and the guarantee by PBGC have made a difference in the lives of the diligent Americans. Annually about $4 million is being given by this corporation to 44 million Americans. The development of the 2006 act not only improved the status of funding of many defined benefit plans but also pension system is being strengthened. Competitive advantage: The corporation has been very effective throughout in managing change over the past few years,’ pension insurance programs have faced many unexpected challenges. The corporation also won an award of managing its work force superbly in this changing business environment. The executive director said: â€Å"We are pleased to be recognized for having the right people, processes and systems in place to manage a doubling of our customer base with no diminution in the quality of our customer service. † (www. pbgc. gov,2008). It was being a first federal agency which got the full certification for its executive evaluation system. It got plenty of awards presented in magazines. These are as under: General Excellence, Service, Competitive Advantage, Global Outlook, Innovation, Managing Change, Financial Impact, Partnership, Ethical Practice and Vision. Weaknesses of PBGC: Weaknesses of PBGC’s certification and accreditation (CA): This would impact the accuracy and completion of information which would affect the credibility of the corporation. It also affects the capability of the corporation to take and manage risks. It compromises agency’s personnel and assets too. There should be an effective CA system to assure security of assets, personnel and operations and that could assure that the corporation is capable enough to meet its functional requirements. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-37, Accreditation of Federal Information Systems and Guide for the Security Certification provides the framework under 2002 act named as the Federal Information Security Management Act, Public Law 107-347, for how CA program of this corporation should be implemented. Inadequate security policy and plan: The security policy and plan of the current information of PBGC are not according to the guidance provided by National Institute of Standards and Technology Special (NIST) under Federal Information Security Management Act. NIST has developed guidance and standards. It also includes minimum requirement to provide sufficient security of information for all agency assets and operations Change in organizational structure: In 2006 the reorganization of the OIT i. e. ffice of information technology had badly affected the Information System Security Officer’s ability to ensure appropriate operational security for PBGC’s information system. It affected the clarity for officer in terms of his responsibilities and accountability. It made it hard for the officer to establish security standards and procedures. Internal control weaknesses: High risk is being involved in the PBGC’s single-employer pension insurance program. The program had an accumulated deficit of $5. 4 billion in 2003 which was the largest one in history of the corporation. Under funding also increased dramatically in private pension system. The deficit was due to the following reasons: bankrupt firm’s under funded pension plans were ceased, there was a drawback in funding rules, stock market and interest rates decline, companies went global and economy is turned into knowledge based economy. The company had taken steps to improve the internal control for premiums. This is being done for two reasons. First Safeguard of assets: controls must be establish to ensure that cost and obligation are according to the law applicable and assets are safeguarded against any loss or related factors. Second reason is Financial Reporting: it is to ensure that proper reporting is being done of all the revenues and expenditures so that documentation and reports can be made and are accurate. Data Quality Weaknesses: Incorrect data entry, adjustments, and system-generated balances generate errors. Because of the data quality issue, the corporation is unable to ensure the accuracy and completeness of premium data by utilizing Past Due Filing Notices and Statements of Account. The 1st one used to notify plans which had not yet submitted premium filings and 2nd one is used to ensure that underpaid/overpaid premiums from a plan sponsor could be sort out effectively. During auditing it was being noticed that these two tools are not being used timely as it requires significant resources before mailing. Due to this, premiums could not be collected and errors could not be detected. Additionally policies and procedures have not been documented, communicated, or implemented throughout PBGC which is related to the premium accounting cycle. www. pbgc. gov,2008). Business Strategy: The new investment strategy is being formulated to balance risk and return and to improve chances of reaching full funding over the long run. According to this strategy diversified set of fixed-income investments and diversified equity investments both will be given 45% of its assets each and 10% will be given to alternative investment. Financial Information: A deficit of $18. 1 billion was being posted by insurance program for single-employer pension plans in fiscal year 2006. Due to the airline relief provisions in the Pension Protection Act, the corporation managed to reduce its probable liabilities. This led to a $4. 7 billion net improvement. It announces maximum insurance benefit for 2009. The amount would be higher for those who retire later and vise versa. The corporation had a peak year in 2000 when they had a surplus of $10 billion almost which was followed by surplus of $8 billion in 2001. The corporation got the calls in order to stop charging premiums. It got around $9 billion claims in 2002. The claims were because of airline and steel industry. (www. soa. org, n. d. ).

Business plan for Chinese and Korean food restaurant

Business plan for Chinese and Korean food restaurant 1.0 INTRODUCTION Our shop name Secret Restaurant, we try to mix the Korean food and Chinese food to serve public. The Korean mix Chinese cuisine restaurant is a new idea and concept in Ipoh and not many of these similar kinds has appeared in around Ipoh. So it is new idea and choices that we entrepreneur create and invent so that the publics in Ipoh could enjoyed more choices of food rather than sticking to the old and boring cuisine each and every day. Our mission for this restaurant is to serve better food and cuisine for consumer so that they could enjoy more delicious food. In addition, the consumer could absorb and understand more on the Korean life and cuisine more closely rather than sticking in front of television watching for advertisement. We could know their lifestyle and daily cuisine as well by consuming their favorites food that could be found in our restaurant. So for the vision for our restaurant would be becoming the most successful restaurant inside Ipoh Parade and hopefully, in Ipoh area as well. To wins publics heart in food industry and established as a well known and popular restaurant. Targeting to widen our area by creating our restaurant branches in around Ipoh, as well as Malaysia in the future. 2.0 Body 2.1 THREE TYPES OF SMALL MEDIUM ENTERPRISE SME 1. 222 Restaurants No.222, Restaurant Triple Two, Jalan Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak. Entrepreneur: Lee Chee Keong There are many difficulties in running a business and there are some of them mentioned by Mr. Lee. Location Mr. Lee tell us, location are a important element for his business, good location can attractive more customer and bring more profit therefore, if choosing a wrong location can make company losing profit and facing failure. Location Mr. Lee choosing is a flourishing place, there have a lot office and factory nearly by shop Mr. Lee. Main customers of Mr. Lee are workers and citizen pasir puteh. Location of Mr. Lee also bring some disadvantage for him too, because the place did not have enough parking place to the customer, sometime because customer cant parking will chose other coffee shop, this element make Mr. Lee lose a lot profit and still cant solve this problem. Timing Mr. Lee tell us, timing element also can make u earn a lot profit, coffee shop Mr. Lee open shop time is morning 6am and closing shop is night 5pm. But he tell us not all the time have customer visit he shop. Just at morning 6am till 8am and afternoon 1pm till 3pm can let him earn more profit, but in the less time he even has the several customer visit he shop. He told us if want open the coffee shop must research the environment in there place first. Timing plays an important role in the business. Tea maker skills and service Tea maker plays an important role in the coffee shop, if tea maker cant make good drink or coffee to the customer, coffee shop Mr. Lee will cant attract the customer coming consume in his coffee shop. Mr. Lee tells us recruitment the good tea maker, salary will higher too. Some time Mr. Lee he no able to recruit more good tea maker again, because this will increase the cost of coffee shop. And he tell us, customer like a good service in the coffee shop, customer dont like employees coffee shop no manner and speak rude. Especially is banker official and female customer. Coffee shop has to keep cleaning, this can let customer feel more comfortable and satisfy. Employees problem / Turn Over Employees problem make Mr. Lee difficult to running his business, because he shop just got 4 part timer waiter and 1 tea maker. Reason Mr. Lee recruitment part timer waiter because can save cost and flexibility control by Mr. Lee. But also of this reason, turnover of coffee shop is higher, part timers of coffee shop always change and Mr. Lee also more difficult to control part timer attitude. And because the higher salary of tea maker, Mr. Lee just can recruit 1 tea maker only, if the tea maker takes sick leave or emergency leave, Mr. Lee will be tea maker by own self. Competitor Mr. Lee have to facing many competitor in the place, in area of jalan pasir puteh except Mr. Lee coffee shop still have 3 coffee shop over there, so Mr. Lee has to provide more good service and delicious food or drink to customer. Competitor of Mr. Lee can let Mr. Lee pressure at all time. SME 2,Onix Jun Sdn.Bhd (Korean restaurant in Ipoh Garden East) 31, Jalan Medan Ipoh 4, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh Perak. Manager: Kang Sang Jun There are many difficulties in running a business and there are some of them mentioned by Mr. Kang. High season and Low season Over the year, there are high seasons as well as low seasons since there are many festivals or celebrations to be celebrated such as Chinese New Year, Christmas and etc. And in Malaysia, there are more of celebrations as, Malaysia is a multi-national country. Therefore, not only in Onix Jun but in other restaurants, it would be crowded with customers during the high seasons, which would bring double of the profits compared to normal days. However, during the low season, which the days like ghost festival and etc could be included, people would rather stay at home and cook for themselves instead of coming out to dine. Therefore, proper preparation is required everyday, either during high seasons or low seasons. High turnover of workers Workers are one of the major resources required in running a restaurant. They are basically the face of the restaurant since they are the ones who actually serve, not the chef. However, there are difficulties in this point as well. As the workers are not permanent, there are quite a number of high turnover. I mean, if there are permanent workers in the restaurant, there wouldnt be a problem and no worries about the turnover however, before to have a permanent worker, there are non-permanent workers, as the owner of the restaurant can choose from the non-permanent workers to be one of the permanent workers once the workers desire to stay and work. Such cases as the non-permanent workers like part-timers, they work hard for a month and once they are quite used to working in the restaurant they choose not to work any longer. This is one of the common cases that Onix Jun faces. And to overcome this kind of turnover problem, they came out with an early informing system for the part-timers , to inform the owner before 10 days of quitting so that the owner would still have 10 days to look for someone to replace the worker or to take any action. Customer Complaint Customers are the most important people playing a role in a restaurant of course, there are chefs and waiters and etc playing important roles however, customers bring profit. Sometimes customers do complaint since everyone cannot have the same taste buds or perceptions. In Onix Jun, there are complaints such as comparing. According to Mr. Kang, there are some customers comparing the Korean food with others, such as local, Chinese or even Japanese food. It is quite awkward to compare the food from other country with the others. However to overcome this problem, it is best to convince the customers in a polite way so that they can accept the fact and understand the food and the culture. And also there are complaints such as the taste is different and etc. Some customers who went to Korea for vacation, they seek for the same taste as they tasted in Korea, as mentioned, convincing is the best choice here as well. To tell them that the taste cannot be the same as everyone since people do have different ways to cook even if the final result would be the same. Or to make it as similar as possible as the customer want. Supplier As the last point of the difficulties in running a restaurant, relationships with the suppliers either they supply ingredients or maintenance work or what so ever, the relationship with them is very important as the restaurant need them. It is a problem and there is the delays of any arrival of goods from the supplier, since the work cannot be proceed with the specific good. In order to prevent this, the restaurant should order or tell the supplier what they want earlier like a week before, so that they have enough time to prepare and deliver it in time. When it comes to stocks for the supplier, stocks dont last for good, therefore there are times when the suppliers do run out of goods that the restaurant wants. In case of this, the supplier could tell the restaurant earlier so that the restaurant can take action for that, either to buy it from somewhere else or to replace it with another one. SME 3. NG YOKE YING Stall No.25, Medan Selera Dato Sagor, Jln Dato Sagor 30000 Ipoh Perak I have made an interview to an entrepreneur and owner of a hawker stall, her name is Ng Yoke Ying, she is 53 years old. Her stall is located right behind the City Hall of Ipoh where it also in the middle of the town area. Its a food court that also consist many other stalls and the competition there is strictly tough. She traded is foods and drinks where there is few other stall that trade the same elements. She has the experience of working for the past 10 years. I had used the political, economical, sociological, technological, legal and environmental interview method to interview her and in those methods above I found out that not all the forms could be linked directly to her business. So I would just add in some other elements in the interview. OVERVIEW In this overview, it is an individual ownership. It just that would be her major boasts that wherever there is to be political meetings and gatherings that would attract many publics to that area. Peoples would have their breakfast and lunch at her premise because it would be the nearest the public could obtain foods. Most of the people there enjoyed consuming their meal at the Medan Selera there as there could find variety of foods from different races and specialty. TIMING So in economic view, she runs her business regularly from 5am in the morning till 4pm in the afternoon. She would only off for once a month where the MBI (Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh) the IPOH municipal would have their cleaning process. Her business there faces a tough competition from the other premises as it is a free seating food court where the publics are free to look for their seating. PUBLIC RELATIONS She had a very good relationship with the customers who consume her food and drinks there so that she could remain the long term relations that would attract the public to attend continuously. Discount would be offered to the regular customers because it will create close and caring relations in between. This is important for her to maintain great competitive advantages against the other premises. TOOLS AND APPLIANCES The tool and appliances that requires at her stall are all small and simple. It does not require any big and large and highly technological appliances. It is different with any other large and big premises that requires more appliances as their business area whose wider. She requires a fridge, baked and toast baker, juice maker and an ice blender machine. Its all needed for the serving of juices drinks and to serve toast bread for breakfast from the baker. It all she needed to runs her business there and it simple and easy to handle. LEGAL She obtain her license from the MBI (Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh) which the Ipoh municipal council to own the premises at the Dato Sagor food court. She has to pay rent for the premises once a month in which it only cost for RM100 per month. She is to obtain her SSM license which is the license for the entrepreneur to run business. She did obtain the HALAL license mark because the Medan Selera Dato Sagor is a place which requires non pork and HALAL food only because the popularity for publics there dominated by 90% of Malays and 5% for Chinese and the other 5% for Indians. It is important to gain trust and confidence from the Malays community because it is the community who often visited and it is their main place to enjoyed their meal. ENVIRONMENT The environment for the Medan Selera Dato Sagor there is an excellent and attracting spot for business because it is located in the middle of the town, and it is surrounded by Offices Company, police station, Pos station, railway station, high court, banks, government building and schools. The hottest hour for the active area is from 8am till to the 2pm where breakfast and lunch time takes place. The environment there is absolutely healthy which it is free from any pollutions and disturbance. It is a comfortable area for meals and resting. The garbage side there is being cleaned up each and every day to create a good looking and build confidence and comfortable environment among publics. COMPETITOR There is other premises that trade in the same elements in which is the same with Mrs. Ng stall. There is a free trade area in which others premises are free to trade in any food variety as long as it is HALAL. Alertness and good relations are needed and it would be the compulsory element in order to survive in the food court area. Regular customer in which always turns up to Mrs. Ng stall would be treated more please in order to kept them keep turns up to her stall frequently. New customer who turns up would find it difficult to choose whether which stall to turns up so for early steps Mrs. Ng would herself introduces her stall and lead them towards to gain business. 2.2 Overcome We will open a restaurant in location shopping centre Ipoh Parade. The total of the capital is RM 150,000 then RM 100,000 has given by family and RM 50,000 has given by own. We will serve the Korean and Chinese food. And reason we open the restaurant in shopping centre because it is the place where people frequently visit in Ipoh area, which we could find the hyper mall would be Kinta City/Aeon, Ipoh Parade, Tesco and Tesco Extra. We obtain license from the MBI (Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh) the municipal council of Ipoh and also from the SSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia). This 2 main license must be obtained for newly register entrepreneur before starting their business. In addition, in Ipoh Parade there is no Korean Restaurant yet to be found and it would be a great market to invest in. The reason we do not pick Jaya Jusco is because the rent there is much higher and expensive than Ipoh Parade. The competitor that we could find in Ipoh Parade would be only Sushi King as its would be nearest and more related to Korean Food. So the opening of our Korean Restaurant would attract more and provide more choices to the publics and it will become as attraction to the Ipoh Parade itself. For market itself, we target teenagers and adults because they got the ability to spend on the elements they like and enjoy especially food. For employees, we would hire a chef from Korean and also few chefs from our local who master in Korean food as well as Chinese food. For normal employee like waiter and waitress, we manage those by our ownself for the few starting period until it become population among peoples and financially strong and stable, then only we recruit more employees. In order to attract more customers, we will held some promotions and advertisements so that public could know about our grand opening. On the opening day, we will be giving our voucher and coupon to the customers, offering memberships, and introducing our restaurant packages. We will seek supplier from the local area as it would be more easy and sufficient to our premises and the choice would be Tesco Extra. It is a large industry and trusted among any others in Malaysia. Our vegetables would be delivered straight from the Cameron Highlands because the freshness of the vegetables from there would be guaranteed fresh. For the tools, equipments and furniture, we seek supplier from the local area as well because it well obtain and gain. We will seek opinions from others about the supplier in which is trusted and popular among new entrepreneur. We will seek for materials shop, furniture shop and as well as recruiting designer to decorate and furnish our restaurant so that it is comfortable to attended. Expected Balance Sheet Fixed Assert Furniture Fittings 6000.00 Tools and Equipments 4000.00 Electrical Equipment 3000.00 Computer 1500.00 14,500.00 Current Assert Bank 5000.00 Cash in Hand 1000.00 Deposit 1750.00 - 7750.00 - Current Liabilities Trade Creditor 9000.00 - 9000.00 Net Current Asserts ( 1250.00 ) 13250.00 =============== Financed By Capital Capital 150,000.00 Profit Loss Account ( 136,750.00 ) 13250.00 =================== 3.0 CONCLUSION For our expected balance sheet, we can know we can earn profit more than RM 10,000 per month, we will planning again and try extend our business in future. If the profit mention by us is correct, in future we can recruitment more employees and upgrade the shop. We also trying achieve our mission and vision, and create more creative idea and attractive promotion. So for an entrepreneur like us, we tend to create with more ideas and outcome so that our premises could established tough and strongly. We be targeting in the future to opens up more branches all around our country. Our motto is Serve Well and Enjoyed Well.

Hunter S. Tompson and Gonzo Journalism Essay -- Gonzo Journalism Argum

Hunter S. Tompson and Gonzo Journalism In the late sixties a young journalist and free-lance novelist named Hunter S. Thompson (HST) emerged with a new, crazed and exaggerated brand of reporting. It was sooner or later referred to as â€Å"Gonzo†. HST’s own definition of gonzo has varied over the years, but he still maintains that a good gonzo journalist â€Å"needs the talent of a master journalist, the eye of an artist/photographer and the heavy balls of an actor† and that gonzo is a â€Å"style of reporting based on William Faulkner’s idea that the best fiction is far more true than any kind of journalism†(Carroll, page 192). Gonzo journalism has also been referred to as outlaw journalism, new journalism, alternative journalism, literary cubism, and other words better not repeated here. With such high profile stages for his writings in Rolling Stone Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire and Vanity Fair, HST has proven that his exaggerated gonzo journalism is as relevan t (or even more so) than that of conventional journalists. In this essay, the concept and development of gonzo journalism and its relevance to media and reporting will be thoroughly explored. Dr Hunter S. Thompson is a man of great wit and charisma. He is 6’2† tall, and, due to the fact that one leg is longer than the other, he tends to bob back and forth. He is apparently always thirsty, and his favorite drinks are known to be Wild Turkey and Chivas Regal. Besides being a writer and failed politician, HST is also a collector of peacocks and guns. HST is also happily divorced with one son, Juan. Dr Thompson’s journalism career began in the daily columns of small town newspapers, but because of differences in personality, opinion and style, he did... ...elevant as any other anchorman’s daily news report. Bibliography Carrol, Jean E. Hunter: The Strange and Savage life of Hunter S. Thompson. New York: Plume, 1993 Thompson, Hunter S. The Great Shark Hunt. New York: Fawcett Popular Library, 1980 Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. New York: Vintage Books, July 1989 Thompson, Hunter S. Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream. New York: Summit, 1990 Thompson, Hunter S. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie. New York: Ballantine, 1994 Thompson, Hunter S. Generation Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the ‘80’s. New York: Summit, 1988 Thompson, Hunter S. The Curse of Lono. New York: Bantam, 1983 Wolfe, Tom: The New Journalism. New York: Harper & Row, 1973

Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act (Amendment) of 1918 Essay

Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act (Amendment) of 1918   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 2nd 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the United States of America, went before Congress and called for a declaration of war. Both the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of going to war with Germany.?# This was an act that led to much resistance among the American people. Not four months earlier the American people re-elected President Wilson, partly because of his success in keeping the United States out of this European war. However, a series of events, such as the Germans continuing submarine warfare and the attacks on five American ships, led President Wilson to sever diplomatic relations with Germany and send the United States into what would be labeled as World War I. As a result of the war the government enacted the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 which led to the suppression of anti-war documents and sentiments, as well as the prosecution of over two-thousand individuals.#   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite earlier resistance to the war by the American people, once war was declared patriotism swept over the nation. However, patriotism rose to it?s peak and quickly turned to an intolerance for any kind of dissidence of the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With a general intolerance for opponents of the war the government began to repress groups advocating against the war, as did private organizations. One such organization created to suppress anti-war ideals was the Committee on Public Information (CPI). CPI was put in place to provide trustworthy information to the public, as well as stifle any misleading wartime rumors. However, the CPI ended up creating propaganda for the government to distort the views of the American people and worked to destroy and discredit all those who opposed the government?s ideology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?The effect of such incessant propaganda was to promote hysterical hatred of all things German.?# Any individual who had the audacity to speak against the war was assaulted either verbal or physically, and on many occasions murdered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the ideals of the government on the war growing in the nation, Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917. After a joint session of Congress, where President Wilson reported on relations with Germany, the first of three bills that would create the Espionage Act of 1917, was introduced. The Congr... ...istory.? 2002. PageWise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (22   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 2004). ?Espionage.? 2000-2004. The War to End All Wars. Michael   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Duffy. Original Material. Primary Documents Online.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (22   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 2004). ?Clear and Present Danger? Test. 2004. Exploring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Constitutional Conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (22 November 2004). ?The U.S. Sedition Act.? 1996. World War I Document Archive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (22 November 2004). ?The Sedition Act of 1918.? 2003. (22 November 2004). ?Espionage Act.? 2004. Education on the Internet & Teaching   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History Online.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (22   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 2004). Stone, Geoffrey. Judge Learned Hand and The Espionage Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of 1917: A Mystery Unraveled. Schenck v. United States; Baer v. United States. Essential   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Documents in American History. 1919. Essential   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Documents. ?The Sedition Act of 1918.? 1918. From The United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statues at Large.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (22 November 2004). ?Text of The Sedition Act.? 2004. Wikipedia, the Free   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encyclopedia. (22 November   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2004). ?The Wilson Administration.? 2002. U.S. History.com.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (22 November   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2004). Zinn, Howard. Progressive. May (2004). 16-20.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Opposing the War Party?.

Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

CAPITAL PUNISMENT - IMMORAL OR NOT As a minority of US bishops once said, â€Å"We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.† The Catholic Church has spoken out repeatedly and passionately about the need to protect human life of every stage of existence. All issues and matters relating to the dignity and worth of human life fall with the realm of the fifth commandment, â€Å"You shall not kill.† The Catholic Church consistently communicates the importance of human life. As the late pope John Paul II once stated, â€Å"May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.† Capital punishment is one of those moral issues that divide society. Most people in favour of the death penalty think that it should only be for those that have committed brutal premeditated crimes, mass murders and convicted multiple rapes. But Christians teaching, whatever the religion, believe that the criminal should be given the chance for rehabilitation. Early references to penalties for murder and capital punishment can be found in the bible. The first mention of appropriate punishment for murder is found in Genesis 4: 11 – 15 â€Å"Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer...

Deforestation in Costa Rica Essay

Costa Rica is famous for it’s rainforests and vast biodiversity and ecosystems, including 12,000 species of plants, 1,239 species of butterflies, 838 species of birds, 440 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 232 species of mammals (Wikipedia), which overtime have become under threat due to deforestation. Since the end of World War II, 80 percent of Costa Rican forests have disappeared (Wikipedia). Various companies are cutting down forests, to provide land for there fruit plantations and cattle ranches. During the 1990s, Costa Rica had one of the worst deforestation rates in the world. Clearing out forests is causing flooding, desertification, sedimentation in rivers, loss of wildlife diversity, and is the number one contributor to global warming. The country has laws protecting certain areas of the forests, but only 25 percent of Costa Rican forests are completely protected from companies due to lenient laws (Viva Costa Rica). Businesses that are clearing out Costa Rican forests are contributing to the destruction of the earth’s environment. Beef production is the largest cause of deforestation in Costa Rica. Approximately 60 percent of Costa Rica has been cleared out to make room for cattle ranching (Algee, â€Å"Cattle Ranching†). During the 1960s, problems worsened when the United States offered Costa Rican cattle ranchers millions of dollars in loans to produce beef (Viva Costa Rica), so all the ranchers had the forests cleared for space for more cattle. After Costa Rica stopped shipping cattle to the U. S. , the country was left with bare spots, where trees were cleared out, and most of the cattle was moved to the Pacific Northwest side of Costa Rica. Fruit plantations are the second largest cause of deforestation in Costa Rica, specifically banana plantations. Banana plantations now cover 130,000 acres of previously forested land in Costa Rica (Guadua Bamboo). Bananas are Costa Rica’s main moneymaking industry. While certain conservation laws have been passed to protect areas from banana farming in Costa Rica, the government lacks the resources to enforce them. The banana industry is known for its dangerously high use of pesticides, which in the 1970s, caused thousands of plantation workers to become sterile (Guadua Bamboo). These pesticides used to maintain fruits, may enter the water systems and contaminate the water. Nutrient balance in the soil is also disrupted by the removal of the rainforests to make way for fruit plantations, by exhausting the soils and leaving them weak. Weak soil makes it challenging to maintain the land for agriculture. When a ground surface is stripped of vegetation, the upper soils becomes helpless to water erosion. Costa Rica loses about 860 million tons of valuable topsoil every year (Mongabay). Forests have a natural ability to absorb water when it rains, and release it slowly into rivers. Without the vast amounts of vegetation, flash floods are caused, the water rushes into the rivers, taking the sediment with it. Once the sediment builds up, the water no longer flows, and it floods the areas. The increased sediment load of rivers suffocates fish eggs, causing lower hatch rates, reducing the fishing industry. Erosion also destroys roads and highways that cross through the forest. The government does not shut down the roads, but must rebuild them repeatedly, using money that could be used more productively elsewhere. Deforestation is the number one cause of global warming. In his article â€Å"Deforestation: The Hidden Cause of Global Warming†, Daniel Howden explains â€Å"Carbon emissions from deforestation far outstrip damage caused by planes and automobiles and factories †¦ deforestation accounts for up to 25 percent of global emissions of heat-trapping gases, while transport and industry account for 14 percent each; and aviation makes up only 3 percent of the total† Deforestation results in the immediate release of carbon stored in trees as carbon-dioxide emissions. Trees are 50 percent carbon. When they are felled or burned, the carbon dioxide they store escapes back into the air. Carbon dioxide helps absorb heat; therefore too much carbon dioxide results in global warming. Costa Rica has an amazing conservation program that protects more than 10 percent of the country (Mongabay). One protected strip of forest runs for 40 miles, through nine ecological zones. The country presented a plan in 1995; to protect 18 percent of the country in national parks and another 13 percent in privately owned preserves. The country is targeting to protect the areas with the most biodiversity. The government funds the project by issuing landowners forest protection certificates, which will annually pay landowners about $50 for every 2. 5 acres of forest, with the agreement that the forest will be protected. In 2005, another program added Costa Rica to which wealthy nations were called to compensate poor nations for rainforest conservation. The amount of Costa Rican land deforested annually has declined since 1977, by 118,158 acres (Wikipedia). Around two-thirds of Costa Rica’s remaining rainforests are now protected. Companies that are felling trees in Costa Rican forests are destroying the earth’s environment. These companies that contribute to deforestation are killing various species, and are ultimately harming the earth itself through greenhouse gas emissions. Costa Rica is doing a great job repairing their forests, and making sure that certain areas will remain untouched. Last year, the country passed a law that will decentralize their decision-making. The efforts the country is making to stop deforestation, is causing Costa Rica to stand out and show their commitment toward environmental and natural resources issues.

My Police Dream Essay

My name is Brianna Knight. There are many reasons to why it’s my dream to become a police officer, but I’m going to highlight my top three reasons of why I would like to be a cop. â€Å"To Serve and Protect†, a phrase known by everyone, but only a few know the meaning and are willing to live by it. As a police officer it is their duty to serve and be loyal to their county, along with their officers and to do anything in their power to protect. I know what it takes to see and understand the dangers of life. To prevent harm and ensure the safety of others, I believe, is a very valuable trait to find in one applying to be an officer of the law. This is something I pride myself in. Some people my age seem to want to stay away from the word â€Å"responsibilities†. The way I look at it, is the more responsibilities the greater the accomplishments. Every decision one makes in life comes with some sort of responsibility. It is up to that person to decide how they react to it and what actions they decide to take. Being a police officer comes with great responsibilities, something I’ve thought long and hard about. I wouldn’t take on something I know I couldn’t handle. Like I’ve said, this is my dream. Being a police officer is not an easy job. I’m not looking for easy. Pushing yourself towards your goals and never giving up no matter what kind of obstacles may come your way gives one a sense of respect in oneself. I respect others, but respect is not just given overnight. It takes hard work and motivation, one must earn respect. Having respect from others is an important thing to have in this specific position. I’m a very determined individual, and when I set my mind to something I will go to great measures to reach and accomplish my goals. Seeing anyone have the same drive and motivation is something that earns my respect, for it has given me respect in myself. I have a great amount of respect for our police men and women. I would love to be a part of that. As a little girl there has been a tug towards becoming a police officer, who didn’t want to become a cop as a child? Now that I am grown that tug is still there. I want to give my son the best life I can possibly give, and to show him that he can be whatever his heart desires. I want to be someone he looks up to and hopefully one day he will follow in my footsteps. If not as a cop then to work as hard as I did in whatever that â€Å"tug† is for him and to conquer his dreams. This is why it is time for me to stop dreaming and start doing. I feel like I have what it takes physically and mentally to be a valuable asset to the police force. If and when I’m given the chance to show how serious this is to me, one will see how qualified I am to be able to call myself a police officer, someone that serves and protects his community. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Psychoanalytic Analysis on the Black Cat

A Psychoanalytic Analysis on The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe First of all, let us go into the world of â€Å"The Black Cat† and delve into the inner workings of the dark side of the human mind. ‘The Black Cat' is a story that leaves the reader perplexed to some extent. It certainly contains all the ingredients necessary to satisfy the appetite of any Poe enthusiast – an enigmatic narrator, alcohol , mutilation, strangulation, murder, and, last but not least, one of Poe's slight obsessions, perversity In the story, The Black Cat, there is a lot of symbolism regarding hidden attributes of his life.The black cat itself represents not only a hidden meaning but a meaning the narrator wished to keep hidden. The black cat symbolizes the narrator's or Poe's alcoholism. Edgar Allen Poe has been accused of being an alcoholic throughout his life and it may have actually lead up to the cause of his death. The short story may give a subtle view at Poe's fight with the disease and the disease's eventual triumph. The black cat may not only be a symbol of the alcoholism that Poe faces but perhaps just his conscious in general regarding most anything deviant.By depicting mental conflict, Poe reveals the theme that the human mind would be healthy and alive if it were incapable of thought, but since it is a mind and does possess the power of introspection and self-knowledge, then that very power and knowledge spell its death. From this protagonist with conflicting thought, we may experience more or less Poe’s inner world of himself in which his mind is half mad and full of horror like the narrator of â€Å"The Black Cat†. Poe was afraid of the fits of temper that came over him while he was drinking. When sober he was a gentleman, courteous in any situation, and the very soul of gentility.When he was affected by alcohol, however, the suppressed rage that he felt for what he considered the injustices of a gross and unfeeling would expressed itself in vituperation and violence. In creating the narrator of â€Å"The Black Cat†, Poe distorted and exaggerated all the faults of his personality while drunk. Even though the narrator denies this, we becomes increasingly aware of his superstitious belief as the story progresses from the fact that he calls his cat, Pluto, who in Greek and Roman mythology was the god of the dead and the ruler of the underworld.One moment he will be in a perfect frenzy of violence, with nothing but curses and vituperation even for those he loves. Very quickly, however, he is overcome with remorse and is sorry for all that he has said and done. We can prove this by reading the following sentences: Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such? This spirit of perver seness, I say, came to my final overthrow.It was this unfathomable longing of the soul to vex itself—to offer violence to its own nature—to do wrong for the wrong’s sake only—that urged me to continue and finally to consummate the injury I had inflicted upon the unoffending brute. The narrator is not Poe, but Poe used details of his own experience in the character of the narrator. Indeed, Poe places the subconscious condition of the mind under investigation and probes beneath the surface of normal existence. What interests him most is the deep abyss of the unconscious and subconscious mental activity of the people, the subterranean recesses of the mind at work. Psychoanalytic Analysis on the Black Cat A Psychoanalytic Analysis on The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe First of all, let us go into the world of â€Å"The Black Cat† and delve into the inner workings of the dark side of the human mind. ‘The Black Cat' is a story that leaves the reader perplexed to some extent. It certainly contains all the ingredients necessary to satisfy the appetite of any Poe enthusiast – an enigmatic narrator, alcohol , mutilation, strangulation, murder, and, last but not least, one of Poe's slight obsessions, perversity In the story, The Black Cat, there is a lot of symbolism regarding hidden attributes of his life.The black cat itself represents not only a hidden meaning but a meaning the narrator wished to keep hidden. The black cat symbolizes the narrator's or Poe's alcoholism. Edgar Allen Poe has been accused of being an alcoholic throughout his life and it may have actually lead up to the cause of his death. The short story may give a subtle view at Poe's fight with the disease and the disease's eventual triumph. The black cat may not only be a symbol of the alcoholism that Poe faces but perhaps just his conscious in general regarding most anything deviant.By depicting mental conflict, Poe reveals the theme that the human mind would be healthy and alive if it were incapable of thought, but since it is a mind and does possess the power of introspection and self-knowledge, then that very power and knowledge spell its death. From this protagonist with conflicting thought, we may experience more or less Poe’s inner world of himself in which his mind is half mad and full of horror like the narrator of â€Å"The Black Cat†. Poe was afraid of the fits of temper that came over him while he was drinking. When sober he was a gentleman, courteous in any situation, and the very soul of gentility.When he was affected by alcohol, however, the suppressed rage that he felt for what he considered the injustices of a gross and unfeeling would expressed itself in vituperation and violence. In creating the narrator of â€Å"The Black Cat†, Poe distorted and exaggerated all the faults of his personality while drunk. Even though the narrator denies this, we becomes increasingly aware of his superstitious belief as the story progresses from the fact that he calls his cat, Pluto, who in Greek and Roman mythology was the god of the dead and the ruler of the underworld.One moment he will be in a perfect frenzy of violence, with nothing but curses and vituperation even for those he loves. Very quickly, however, he is overcome with remorse and is sorry for all that he has said and done. We can prove this by reading the following sentences: Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such? This spirit of perver seness, I say, came to my final overthrow.It was this unfathomable longing of the soul to vex itself—to offer violence to its own nature—to do wrong for the wrong’s sake only—that urged me to continue and finally to consummate the injury I had inflicted upon the unoffending brute. The narrator is not Poe, but Poe used details of his own experience in the character of the narrator. Indeed, Poe places the subconscious condition of the mind under investigation and probes beneath the surface of normal existence. What interests him most is the deep abyss of the unconscious and subconscious mental activity of the people, the subterranean recesses of the mind at work.

An argument in support of using abortion in extreme cases Essay

Across America, the topic of abortion is still something that is regarded as taboo to speak about. Even in today’s society where it is more commonly brought up, the stigma surrounding the medical procedure has not gone away. There’s a rift between those who are pro-life and pro-choice, and each group has their own reasoning why or why not abortion should or should not be criminalized. The controversy about abortion is mainly rooted in the pro-life group believing that a fetus has the same rights as a born child and the mother. This stems into our government as well, where we have staunch republicans and democrats arguing back and forth over abortion. This also includes people who are incredibly religious and believe that it would go against God’s wishes, as humans are made in his image. Those who are pro-choice believe safe, legal abortions are a right and should be a readily available option to any woman who chooses to have one, no matter the circumstance. Abort ion should definitely be an option and that it should be a woman’s right whether or not to get one, and that she should be the only one to make that decision, not the government. There are many reasons why abortions should be an option, and some of those reasons are that they would help end surprise and unwanted pregnancy, end pregnancy that was caused by rape or incest, and help women who are not in a place to be able to support a child financially or otherwise. Abortion should be a viable option for women without having to worry about government involvement, on the state or federal level, or the social stigma surrounding the procedure. Abortion is able to help end surprise pregnancy safely without going to extreme, dangerous lengths. Based on a survey, the percent of women who got an abortion due to unintended pregnancy in 2008 was incredibly low, at under 5% (Finer, et al. 89). Those who argue While having sex, there’s no guarantee that protection will be effective, as condoms can break and birth control does not promise to work 100% at the time. While the average break rate of condoms while being used in a relationship is a mere 7.4% (Althaus 191), there is still that looming risk of it failing. On the other hand, birth control pills are roughly 91% effective, with just a 9% rate of failure (plannedparenthood.org). In the case of either of these contraceptives not working, the risk of pregnancy is high. When people use contraceptives, they are typically trying to avoid becoming pregnant at all costs, and when the methods of prevention fail and one becomes pregnant, it is going against their overall plan. E specially when thinking about teenagers or young adults, this can cause a problem with their future and goals. In 2014, 249,078 babies were born to women between the ages of 15 and 19 (CDC), and while the number is down compared to previous years, it’s important to acknowledge that teenage pregnancy is still an issue around America. While some would argue that an unplanned pregnancy is a miracle, it should be left up to the woman who is pregnant if she wants to keep the baby or not. In the case that she doesn’t, she should be able to turn to Planned Parenthood or another doctor to help assist her with an abortion without any worry about having to do it illegally. Those who argue that they don’t want their tax dollars going towards abortion don’t really have anything to worry about. While Planned Parenthood receives around $500 million in public funding, none of it can legally go towards funding abortions (Kliff). This is why Planned Parenthood and the ide a of safe abortions are such a crucial element of the pro-choice movement. In the state of Florida, health plans cannot cover abortion costs, so if a woman wanted to get one, she would have to purchase a rider at an additional cost (Jerman, et al). While abortions are not covered by health plans, Viagra is and that contributes to the rampant sexism that plagues the United States. In the most extreme cases, women who are raped or forced into an incestuous relationship should have an option to end the pregnancy. Even if a woman does not get raped and just experiences an unplanned pregnancy, she should have control over her body autonomy (Cohen). Pro-lifers tend to forgo giving the mother any sort of value in regards to her interests and reasons why she would give up her fetus. They give the fetus’ rights precedence over the mother’s (Cohen). If a woman gets raped and it results in an unwanted pregnancy, she should not be forced to carry the baby to full term. Some may argue that she should give birth and then just put the child up for adoption, but in a society where so many children are already part of the adoption system, that would not be the most effective idea. In addition, making a woman carry a baby that is her rapists’ is unethical and detrimental to the woman’s mental, and possibly physical, health. Incestuous relationships are not as common as rape, but should still be considered when discussing safe abortions. Chances are, a woman in an incestuous type of relationship would have been raped, which ties into how unethical it would be to have her give birth to the baby. Not only is there the risk of biological defects, but the woman would endure incredible amounts of stress. Forcing a woman to carry a baby after she was raped, either by a stranger or a family member, is torture. The woman would go through her pregnancy reliving the rape repeatedly, remembering the horrible event which would create extreme emotional trauma. Some women just are not capable of supporting a child at the time they become pregnant, whether it’s accidental or purposeful. Different factors can contribute to why a woman cannot support a child, including the environment they are in. Over one in seven women are living in poverty in America (NWLC), and if a woman cannot properly support herself, she cannot provide for a child. If a girl is living in an abusive household, it would be unreasonable to bring a child into such an environment. If it’s an unsafe place for a woman, it would definitely be unsuitable for a child, let alone a baby. While the environment is a contributing factor to why a woman cannot support a child, money is a big reason why as well. A woman is financially unstable and can barely support herself, and she gets pregnant. If she can’t support herself, she will not be able to provide for a child. Despite there being an act that was passed to protect abused women, the Violence Against Women A ct (Kandaswamy), it, unfortunately, doesn’t put a stop to domestic abuse across the country. It does, however, provide more shelters and services to protect women, which gives them another option aside from abortion if they aren’t comfortable with receiving one. While some would suggest putting the child up for adoption in this scenario as well, most women would not want to go through the process of carrying a child and paying for doctors’ appointments if they’re not going to keep the child in the end. The adoption and foster care system in America has over 400,000 children in it (Argys, et al), and while some children get adopted quickly or even reunited with biological parents, many children are stuck in a never-ending cycle of foster families. Adoption, while a good idea to some, could be detrimental to the child in the long-run. If money is already an issue, the cost of being pregnant would take a toll on the girl throughout the nine months. Abortion needs to be a safe option for women, no matter the circumstance of their pregnancy. By the government getting involved in a woman’s decision to get an abortion, or other people protesting to try and get Roe vs. Wade overturned, it presents a question of whether women have the right to do what they want with their bodies. In 2010, anti-abortion activists shifted their rhetoric from the federal government to state governments to force restrictions regarding abortion (Hopkins Tanne), even though 22 out of 50 states had some form of restrictions on the procedure. Most abortions that are performed are done within the first trimester, though there are statistics that say that about 13% of abortions in the United States are done during the second trimester (Boland). Interestingly, Florida abortion laws as of 2017 are more restrictive than many other states (Jerman, et al). Women can only receive abortions 24 weeks after their last period, and even then, they may only choose to get an abortion is their life is in danger (Jerman, et al). A woman’s life should not have to be endangered before the option of abortion is presented to her. Those who believe that is unethical and murder should think about repercussions of forcing a woman to carry a baby they do not want. Pro-life organizations believe it is not morally right to abort a baby, but by making a woman carry out a pregnancy against her will is just cruel, and by definition, unethical. Providing options for safe abortions for women should be included in health care in all states, and unfortunately, that’s not how it is. Using healthcare to back up why abortion should be dealt with better in America is a popular argument, and seems to be the root of arguments on both sides of the topic. While more people are coming around to be accepting of abortion, there are still groups of people vehemently against it for one reason or another. A popular reason for disagreeing with the procedure is based on religious beliefs and support of a traditional family (Johnson, et al. 40). Despite claiming to be religious and in support of all life, their ideas fall short when they oppose abortion, as they could be potentially putting another human life at risk by wanting to deny access to abortion. A good example of claiming to be saving lives, but in the face doing the opposite, rests in a case from Kansas where an anti-abortion activist shot an abortion doctor (Tanne 285). The shooter, Scott Roeder, defended his actions in court by claiming he was really saving lives (Tanne 285). The doctor he shot happened to provide late-term abortions (Tanne 285) for those who needed it, and he was one of the only doctors in the country to provide that service, which creates a new problem of taking away someone who could have saved lives. The idea that killing someone who was an abortion doctor saves lives in the end is nothing sort of ironic An interesting connection to this idea is that those who are at the highest level of moral thinking consider all lives to be special and worth saving, but those who neglect to realize that abortion can save someone’s life fall out from that theory of moral cognitive thinking. That being said, laws restricting abortion are not on a national, federal level but rather on a state by state basis (Tanne 1051), which leaves room for people to protest abortion easier than if it was strictly at a federal level. For many anti-abortion activists, they prohibit abortion because they hold the belief that a baby starts at conception, and that a fetus can feel pain (Tanne 1051). In order to get their views out there, often anti-abortionists will resort to violence. The type of violent acts committed range from arson to bombings and butyric acid attacks (Jacobson, et al. 189). This violent rhetoric they hold has some irony to it considering they yell about how all lives are important, and then they turn and cause loss of life by committing these terrorist acts (Jacobson, et al. 190). In addition to the loss of some life, the attacks caused property damage, the need for more security around the abortion clinics that were attacked, and increased stress on those who worked at the clinics (Jacobson, et al. 190). While those who participate in the violent acts feel like they’re in the right because they’re fighting for a cause they care about, they are really just causing terror and wreck ing havoc around cities. Anti-abortion in the United States has been an ongoing issue for a long time now, and recently the Trump administration have begun working on cutting back support of the UN and the World Health Organization (Vogel 287). The first and possibly biggest problem that arose with this bill is that it brought back a Reagan-era policy that bans nongovernmental organizations that are funded by the United States from providing abortions, informational, referrals, or even advocating for more liberal abortion laws in whichever country the NGOs are in (Vogel 287). It’s been brought back into action throughout every Republican administration since it was initiated when Reagan was in office, and it’s known as a Global Gag Rule. America deciding to revoke funding means that nongovernmental organizations will lose between 8 and 9 billion dollars worth of their funds (Vogel 287). Despite abortion being left on a state to state basis here in the States, the country will now not help other countries that are in need of help of abortion access. The last time this rule was implemented, more than 20 developing countries lost all access to contraceptives, which in turn led to higher abortion rates (Vogel 287). In addition to losing contraceptives, this rule also causes health care services to be completely shut down and cut off in some areas, meaning all citizens lost their health care (Vogel 287). As of this moment it isn’t known how much the rule will affect other countries now, but over time the effects will be seen, whether in lack of access to contraceptives again or having women turn towards unsafe methods to receive an abortion. As far as social paradigms go, the abortion conflict aligns most with the ideas of functionalism and symbolic interactionism (Keirns). Abortion and symbolic interactionism go hand in hand, as that social paradigm is viewed on a micro level, and abortion happens to only affect certain groups of people. One way abortion can be looked at through this lens is by looking at the anti-abortion groups, such as the religious ones and general pro-life crusaders, and examining their views. People’s views are shaped by interactions with other, not counting socialization that they may have experienced growing up. Those who are pro-life are passionate and adamant that the fetus developing is a human and deserves rights of its own, while those who are pro-choice argue that the woman who is carrying the fetus’ should have the decision to terminate her pregnancy if she so chooses.   The conflict between these two groups of people could also align with the conflict theory, however, it doesn’t happen within all of society, which makes abortion better suited for micro theories as opposed to macro. The idea of people who are against abortion and believe that women should carry the baby whether or not she wants it is rooted in sexism, as it reduces a woman down to a baby-carrying stereotype while also neglecting her opinion on the situation. From a structural functionalist point of view (Keirns), those who subscribe to that sociological paradigm could view abortion as something that is negative for family, as the family is viewed as the center of society. This theory is a macro-level theory, which differentiates it from the symbolic interactionist view of abortion, as functionalists would look how abortion works throughout the entire society. To some degree, a functionalist could be pro-choice, if only looking at the potential benefits it could have for society, although, as the family is central to this paradigm, this isn’t as likely as a pro-life functionalist. Functionalism and abortion don’t go as well together as symbolic interactionism do, but functionalists could examine abortion as a way of gauging if a family is no longer the center of society or not. Speaking generally, other sociological ideas that surround the abortion debate include poverty, gender, and culture (Keirns). Poverty is involved when thinking about abortion as it affects so many people, and if someone cannot afford to raise a child, they may turn to abortion as an option or get help from Planned Parenthood. The entire abortion problem is rooted in gender (Keirns), as it is predominantly a woman’s problem, and gender plays a large role in why some are anti-abortion. As stated earlier, many people believe in the notion that a woman should carry a baby no matter the circumstances. In addition to that, women are often shamed for getting abortions and are called derogatory slurs in the process. Whenever that happens, sexism is brought to the forefront of people’s arguments, as calling women by slurs is once again rooted in sexism. When women do get abortions for whatever reason, they could be considered deviant in some eyes, as she is straying away from th e norm some people hold about keeping the child. Finally, culture also plays a role in abortions, as culture influences everything around the world. In the United States, there is a divided culture over abortions, and there’s still a taboo surrounding talking about it sometimes. While it is more openly discussed in modern times, the taboo is still there, which is why some people are uncomfortable to talk about such a thing. While it is still considered controversial to speak about in today’s society, abortion should be a topic that’s freely discussed and improved upon as time goes on. Providing safe abortions for women across the country ensures that they can end surprise pregnancies, not be forced to carry a baby as a result of rape or incest, and give women an option if they are not able to support a child. This debate has gone on for decades now, and there is a very harsh divide between those for and against the medical procedure. Both those who oppose abortion and those who are outspoken advocates of it have strong opinions that frequently clash together. With the current way the country’s politics are, it appears more and more people are being outspoken about their view of it, whether it’s pro-choice or pro-life. In the past few months, there have been marches for and against abortion, and it’s clear that the American people are passionate about this hot topic. Fr om a sociological perspective, the interactions between the pro-life and pro-choice seem to be increasing as new generations emerge and form their own ideas on the topic of abortion. Culture continues to affect abortion, and as time goes on, the abortion fight will continue on with the development of society, whether for worse or for better. However, in the end, it should be a woman to decide on what to do with her body, and not the government, or other Americans.    Works Cited â€Å"About Teen Pregnancy.†Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Apr. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Althaus, F. â€Å"Study Finds Low Condom Breakage Rate, Ties Most Slippage to Improper Use.†Ã‚  Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 24, no. 4, Jul/Aug92, pp. 191-192. EBSCOhost, db02.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9212211758&site=ehost-live. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Argys, Laura, and Brian Duncan. â€Å"Economic Incentives and Foster Child Adoption.†Ã‚  Demography, vol. 50, no. 3, 2013, pp. 933–954., www.jstor.org/stable/42919906. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Boland, Reed. â€Å"Second Trimester Abortion Laws Globally: Actuality, Trends, and Recommendations.†Ã‚  Reproductive Health Matters, vol. 18, no. 36, 2010, pp. 67–89., www.jstor.org/stable/25767363. Web. 11 Mar. 2017. Cohen, I. Glenn. â€Å"Are All Abortions Equal? Should There Be Exceptions to the Criminalization of Abortion for Rape and Incest?.†Ã‚  Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, vol. 43, no. 1, Spring2015, pp. 87-104. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/jlme.12198. Web. 14 Mar. 17. Finer, Lawrence B., and Kathryn Kost. â€Å"Unintended Pregnancy Rates at the State Level.†Ã‚  Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, vol. 43, no. 2, 2011, pp. 78–87., www.jstor.org/stable/23048865. Web. 11 Mar. 2017 Jacobson, Mireille, and Heather Royer. â€Å"Aftershocks: The Impact of Clinic Violence on Abortion Services.†Ã‚  American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, vol. 3, no. 1, 2011, pp. 189–223., www.jstor.org/stable/25760251. Web. 16 April 17. Johnson, Stephen D., and Joseph B. Tamney. â€Å"Factors Related to Inconsistent Life-Views.†Ã‚  Review of Religious Research, vol. 30, no. 1, 1988, pp. 40–46., www.jstor.org/stable/3511839. Web. 15 April 17. Jones RK and Jerman J, Abortion incidence and service availability in the United States, 2014,  Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2017, 49(1), doi:10.1363/psrh.12015. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Kandaswamy, Priya. â€Å"‘You Trade in a Man For the Man â€Å": Domestic Violence and the U. S. 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